Hermione turned a corner around the Entrance Hall and found Blaise was already there.
" Ah, Miss Granger. Lemon drop?" Dumbledore offered.
" Um... no thanks. "
" Alright. I've called you two here to go over a special assignment I'm giving to you two. It's to show Gryffindors and Slytherins that the house can get along. Perhaps, by the looks on your faces, Professor Flitwick has already taken the time to inform you? Well then, Happy Head Duties!" Dumbledore finished and was off to his office.
" Oh! Whose good?! Didn't I tell you he say that? Didn't I!" Blaise cheered.
" Yes", Hermione said laughing. " I could have predicted that though. "
" Yeah. I almost thought there was something more though when he said he had a special assignment. Like something top secret or exciting like that. "
Hermione smiled and realized something. " I think this is the first time I've ever really had a decent conversation with anyone from Slytherin. "
Blaise blinked, " Yeah. I'd have to say this is the first time I've had a civilized talk with a Gryffie too! I feels good. We should do this more often. "
Hermione smiled. 'This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.' Oh how she loved older movies. Blaise Walked with her to the portrait of the Fat Lady. They had talked the whole way up about teachers, school, and quidditch.
" Well, bye! I'll see you bright and early tomorrow in front of the library. Okay? " Hermione said as Blaise started to make his way down the steps to the Slytherin common room.
Blaise looked back clueless, " Where's the library? We have a library in the school? Wicked! Ah! I'm just kidding! Yes, I'll see you there at 8:00. Goodnight!"
Hermione said the new password, flubber quiggles, and sat in a chair next to Harry.
" Was that Zabini? " Ron asked getting red faced.
" Yes, why? Ron, you know I'm supposed to be friends with him. Anyway, he's actually really nice. You just need to give him a chance to show his other side."
" But he's Draco bloody Malfoy's best friend! He's the enemy!" Ron shouted causing a timid second year to fall off the edge of her seat and get up embarrassed.
" Ron, keep your voice down. Your scaring the little people. " Harry said as he smiled at the little girl.
" Ugh. Ron! Please. Just give him a chance. Do it for me, please?"
Ron sighed, "Fine. But I won't like it."
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Blaise sat in the library waiting for Hermione. He seemed to always be arriving at places before other people got there. He was staring at a book called " Simple Spells for the Magically Challenged". Seemed like the perfect book for Filch to him. 'Maybe I'll recommend it to him later..' Blaise thought as he looked away and found Hermione at the entrance.
" I said in front of the library, not in it" Hermione said with her arms crossed across her chest.
Blaise shrugged, " Didn't hear that bit. Sorry. I was a bit busy with Draco. "
Hermione sighed and walked away from the doors. No sense in getting the librarian irritated this early in the day. She kept walking on down the hallway. Blaise followed behind her at his own slow, yet casual pace.
" What's the hurry Granger? I'm sure there can't be many people out of bed yet. After all, school hasn't officially started. Well, at least not for most of us. " Blaise added remembering that a group of his fellow Slytherins had already been taught a lesson by a teacher for trying to jinx some toilets in the Professors' bathrooms.
"True.." She said as she slowed down to Blaise's pace. " What was so important that you had to tune me out while I was talking to you last night anyway?"
" Draco was in a bit of trouble with a few seventh years. Throwing all kinds of spells and jinxes at him. I had to do something. " Blaise answered casually.
Hermione frowned, " I thought Draco could take care of himself. Did he get mad at you for helping? "
Now it was Blaise's turn to frown, " Of course not. Why would he be mad about a thing like that? "
Hermione shrugged, " It just seems like he would be. Like he'd want to finish his own fight with out your help. "
Blaise smiled. " I see you don't really know the true Draco Malfoy then. What a shame. " He walked on a little on turned around so he was walking backwards and talking to her at the same time. " He's not really like that, you know. Not all mean like you see him all the time. "
Hermione pulled him over towards her really close.
" Wha-- your not getting fresh with me now, are you Granger? " Blaise said with a smile.
Hermione pushed him away as fast as she'd pulled him over, " Um.. no. Your foot hit the suit of armor and it was falling down. I could have let you get hit but.. I'm too nice to let that happen. "
" Wow! " Blaise said jokingly. " You just saved my life! Well, that's it. We're definitely friends now. What do you say Hermione, friends? "
Hermione smiled and took his outstretched hand. " Friends. " Blaise gave her hand a squeeze and let go.
" Oh! It's a first year trying to go into the Forbidden Forest. I believe he should have 5 points taken away. So, after you. " Blaise said as he opened the door leading out to the grounds. Hermione walked out and towards the student.
Blaise ran in front of Hermione, eager to be the first one to take away points. She could have the boring job of giving points.
" Excuse me little boy. Didn't Headmaster Dumbledore say specifically that the Forbidden Forest is really forbidden, despite what the name might imply" Blaise said sarcastically. " That will be five points from..." Blaise looked around for an indication of his house, " Hufflepuff. Now, I suggest you get back to class and not come back here again unless your yearning for a detention with good old Professor Snape. I'm sure there will be some kind of smelly, disgusting slime for you to clean if you wished for a detention."
The little Hufflepuff boy hurried back up to the castle a little red in the face muttering something like ' I told you that would get me in trouble' under his breath. Hermione couldn't really tell seeing as how the boy had not been talking to her when he had passed her.
" Nicely done Blaise! Now, what next? " Hermione asked.
Blaise looked at his aching stomach, " Breakfast."
" Okay, follow me. " Hermione said as she went to the picture of the fruit and tickled the pear. It instantly moved aside as it giggled. Dobby was already there to help Hermione with whatever she needed. Dobby was dressed in his latest fashion. A knit pair of trousers, courtesy of Hermione, a soft sweater, and a bucket turned upside down to serve as a hat.
" Miss Granger, how may Dobby be of service? " Dobby asked eagerly.
Hermione looked at Blaise. " A few pieces of cinnamon toast and some apple sauce" Blaise answered.
Dobby nodded, " A drink? Coffee, tea, butterbeer, pumpkin juice, orange juice. milk?"
" Umm... orange juice is fine. "
" Coffee and two muffin for me" Hermione said as Dobby turned to her expectantly.
Dobby rushed away and a few other house elves came with a table and two chairs. Hermione thanked them and sat down across from Blaise.
" Wow. That one seems to certainly like you. Dobby, right? " Blaise said as they waited for breakfast.
Hermione nodded, " Harry freed him from the Malfoy's. "
" Oh! I thought he looked familiar. Well, he's definitely better off here. Mr. Malfoy was never really pleasant to him. I'm sure glad I was that elf. " Blaise said as Dobby came back with their food.
" Mr. Zabini, your toast, apple sauce, and orange juice" Dobby said as he laid the things in front of Blaise. " Miss Granger, your coffee and muffins. Anything else Dobby can help you with? Dobby is always eager to help nice people like yourselves. "
" No, but thank you very much Dobby! " Hermione said as the house elf said your most welcome and walked away.
" Ha! He did remember me! I always did like that little guy..." Blaise said and he started in on his food.
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(A/N: To Draco!)
Draco got out of bed. It was now going on 10:00 AM. He decided on going to breakfast and just getting a bit of coffee and maybe some toast to go. Today was the first official day back and he wanted to make the most of it. It was different practicing of the quidditch pitch compared to his yard at home. His father found quidditch as trivial so he only spent enough to get Draco a small version of a quidditch field.
Draco walked down to the field and saw Blaise out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head in time to see he was after a first year and Granger was with him.
" Excuse me, little boy. Didn't Headmaster Dumbledore say specifically that the Forbidden Forest is really forbidden, despite what the name might imply" Blaise said sarcastically. " That will be five points from..." Blaise looked around for an indication of his house, " Hufflepuff. Now, I suggest you get back to class and not come back here again unless your yearning for a detention with good old Professor Snape. I'm sure sure there will be some kind of smelly, disgusting slime for you to clean if you wished for a detention."
Draco laughed as he heard this. It was a great example of how much Blaise loved to use sarcasm. Granger looked in his direction as he laughed. Draco caught her eye and stopped instantly and gave her his classic Malfoy sneer. It seemed to work because she returned her attention back to Blaise as they walked back up to school. Draco had an unusual sensation in the pit of his stomach. It was between and ache and a flip and Draco wasn't quite sure it felt so bad anyway. It was almost like a good feeling.
Draco got on his broom and soared just high enough to still be able to see the quidditch case he had left on the ground. I flicked his wand and out came a bludger and the snitch. It always helped him if a bludger was out while he practiced. It made it more like he was actually playing against some one. The snitch fluttered past his ear and he waited a minute before he went after it. He dove as the snitch went lower and lower towards the ground and then at the last second he pulled up. A bit to late because the snitch was already soaring higher. He chased the snitch around until finally he flipped on his broom and made an impressive catch, even on Potter standards.
" Go Draco! That was so incredible! Do it again! Do it again!!" Came a strange voice from the stands. Draco looked down to see Blaise sitting in the stands. He had apparently been trying to imitate Pansy. It hadn't worked though because he sounded just plain odd.
" Well, well! If it isn't Blaise Zabini back from his little walk with the mudblood. So, how was it? Did she bore you to death with theories and useless knowledge?" Draco asked coldly as he came down to sit beside Blaise.
" Actually, she's not bad at all. Kind of entertaining. Seriously!" He added as he saw that Draco wasn't buying into it at all.
" The mudblood is entertaining now? Yes, when you pick on it. " Draco said as he laid back of the seat.
" I'm serious. Just talk to her once with out saying a word about Gryffindor, Slytherin or mudbloods. Come with me the next time I have Head duties. That would be at 3:00 in the afternoon. That in about an hour. How about? "
" Your expecting me to spend my free day with the mudblood? " Draco asked bewildered.
" Hermione, and yes. "
" Why would I ever want to do a thing like that?" Draco asked sitting propping his legs on the row in front of him, letting his head go back and his hair wash over eyes.
" Your right. Why would you? You probably couldn't even stand her if you wanted to. " Blaise said in what he hope sounded casual.
" I could put up with her if i wanted to. " Draco said sitting up ready to defend himself.
Blaise raised an eyebrow, " Really? I don't believe you.."
Draco frowned, " Fine. 3:00 then. Come get me from the common room and I'll show you. I can put up with anyone I want to, whenever I want to. " He said as he got up to go to the Slytherin common room to relax for a bit in a chair.
Blaise watched him enter the castle and laughed. He was always so good at manipulating Draco into doing what he wanted him to do just by a simple bet or dare.
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A/N: Replies please:)