Chapter 1

"Hi. May I sit here? Everywhere else is full."

If it had been awkward waking back up in his thirteen year old body, it was downright creepy to stare at the thirteen year old version of his wife.

Blaise leant against the sliding door of the compartment. Half of a smile pulled across his lips as he regarded the girl sitting before him. His eyes though half lidded roved her tiny body. Taking in the familiar site of his future wife. He took in the smooth dark skin, the long coiled black hair and almond shaped golden-brown eyes framed by long black eyelashes.

"I find that hard to believe." Her voice was soft and laced with suspicion, "I assumed that Malfoy liked to keep his…acquaintances near to him."

Blaise shrugged. His dark brown eyes flickered down the hall. Standing outside of an already acquired compartment Pansy was watching him. Her body half inside the compartment and the other out. A look of confusion painted across her face. He raised a hand and waved. He knew she was wondering why he had stopped at this compartment. Turning back to the thirteen year old version of his wife he titled his head almost as though contemplating the assumption.

"Your not wrong. Draco does indeed like to keep his…acquaintances," he drawled back at her in a poor imitation of her accent smirking slightly as she frowned in both annoyance and confusion. "quite close to him. But I'm not…really an acquaintance."

She snorted at that. A small chuckle fell from his lips. She narrowed her eyes at him. Obviously thinking this was some sort of elaborate plan that Draco had concocted. Blaise sighed. Pushing himself off of the door he leant inside and stated, "if this turns out to be some sort of plan to…humiliate or bully you you can do whatever like to me at the end of the term. However, if this does turn out to be just me being nice to you then…perhaps we could be friends?"

She blinked slowly surprised by offer. Though probably more surprised by the allowance to do him harm then anything. She sucked in a breath and nodded.

"If your friends allow you to, then you can stay." She murmured.

Blaise smirked and slid inside. Placing his bag in the overhead rack he sat directly in front of her. Extending his hand he introduced himself, "Blaise Zabini."

She glanced at him passively and did the same.

"Wilhelmina Austin." She murmured.

Taking her hand he folded it and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. Withdrawing he intoned, "a pleasure."

She nodded mutely. Then she turned to the little black bag that sat in the seat next to her and retrieved a newspaper. She flattened it out and opened it. She brought it to her face and effectively blocked him out. Blaise hummed in amusement. He was looking forward to third year for different reasons than last time. With a slight jolt the train pulled out of the station. Glancing out of the window he raised a hand in goodbye to his mother. Who he could see from the platform had raised an eyebrow at his choice of seating companion. Mostly out of curiosity he raised a hand at Wilhelmina's parents. Her father furrowed his brow at the action while her mother simply beamed and waved back.

Turning back to the girl in front of him he expected to see the monotone black and white of the newspaper glaring back at him. But instead he got Wilhelmina's curious gaze. Golden-brown eyes appraised him for a second before becoming obscured by ink and paper.

"Is it any good?" He asked.

He was slouching in his seat his knees knocked against hers due to his gangly form. He half expected her to complain but she had studiously ignored him for the better part of an hour using the guise of reading the newspaper.

"You do know that this is a muggle newspaper, right?" She questioned softly after placing it on her lap.

"Yes. " he replied as equally soft. "So is it any good?"

"It's OK."

"Just ok? I would have assumed the material you've taken to hide behind would be more than just ok."

"I am not hiding!" She cried indignantly.

Blaise raised an eyebrow. She scoffed and then exhaled sharply. Her eyes flashing in annoyance and her jaw locking in her anger though slight as it was. Blaise shrugged folding his arms and watching her.

"Yes you are. Though I wouldn't blame you. Obviously you haven't spent enough time with a bloke as handsome as I am. So you're a bit intimidated, I understand." He told her gently.

She snorted and rolled her eyes. Holding back up the paper she murmured laughing, "sometimes it's preferable to The Daily Prophet."

Blaise hummed silently muttering almost to himself, "maybe I should give it a read."

The paper dipped once more and she stared at him with incredulous eyes. He raised an eyebrow at her. She pursed her lips and stated, "You? Ha! As I remember you snakes like to think that muggles were backward and beneath you!"

"Draco does." Blaise conceded.

"And what? You don't?" She snapped.

"My mother's neutral and so am I." Blaise assured her.

"And what? Is that supposed to mean something." She snapped again.

A small part of him the part that was very much still thirteen and fully indoctrinated in the ways of looking down on those of lesser blood reared his head slightly. No matter how much he tried the slight glare that made its way onto his face intensified. But he bit his lip to stop from insulting her. He understood the sudden rise in anger. No matter how civil he was being there was still a part of her that was on alert. That was waiting for the insult to her heritage that was coming.

"I'm not Draco." He muttered after a minute had passed and his sudden spike in anger had cooled.

"I know. I'm sorry." She whispered.

The silence that descended was heavy. The only sound that came was the steady chug of the trains engine as it flew over the tracks. Out of the corner of his eye he noted that she had yet to raise the paper. Wilhelmina simply sat staring at her hands. He knew that she was sorry but pride that he, himself, knew he would eventually let go was bruised.

His thirteen year old self wanted to take down the little halfbreed that dared to insult him. To knock her down a few pegs and let her know who was in charge.

"Anything off the trolley, dears?" The middle aged witch pushing the trolley filled with confectionary voice shattered the heavy silence.

"Yes. Yes, please. May I have four chocolate frogs and three packs of Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans and two Liquorice Wands?" Blaise simply glanced up and shook his head at the woman's questioning smile.

He turned his head back to the steadily growing dark landscape. Focusing on it as though it had some hidden wonder that only he saw. He heard Wilhelmina murmur, "Thank you" and slid the compartment door shut again. Her knees brushed against his as she sat back down.

"Blaise…" her voice was soft and hesitant.

He glanced up at her. She was leaning towards him in her hand was a Liquorice Wand. A peace offering. An apology. He titled his head on a side and regarded her. She was solemn now. A small smile tugged on his lips. Reaching out he accepted it.

"Barely friends?" He asked and she rolled her eyes.

"Barely acquaintances." She told him a small smile on her lips as well.

He chuckled and his eyes drifted back to the darkening sky.