Title:Five Stages

Pairing: Harry/Blaise, Ron/Hermione

Summary: After the death of this mother Blaise is forced to pick up the pieces of his life and makes an important ally along the way. Not DH compliant.

A word on structure: Written for the 2007 sunandsmut exchange on LJ for irisgirl. Not DH compliant and is complete (4k words). A total of 5 parts and will be updated once or twice a day until complete. The chapter titles are based off the 5 Stages of Grief.

Authors notes: Chia pets are quite strange, but that is not the point of this note. I am still here! DH was most interesting except for epilogue which I thought kind of ruined the book. I think I will finish my WIP's quite soon...I am thinking abot it! But for now, I hope you enjoy this story.

A note: I do take constructive critisism if you would like to offer some.

Stage Two: Anger

"Shit. It's Zabini. What'd you do to him?" Ron said, checking for a pulse. Harry looked at him in surprise. They had been out of Hogwarts for only a year, but the war made it seem so much longer.

"I saved him from a burning building."

"Is he marked? You shouldn't have brought him back here," Dean said as he cast suspicious glances at the cupboard, worried Death Eaters were going to pop out of it.

"I don't think he would be in that pub if he was. Didn't seem like the suicidal type back in school," Harry stated plainly.

"What happened to him?"

"His mum's death was in the papers this morning. Aurors reported that he was the first on the scene," Harry said, checking the cupboard. Moody was due to come back to the safe house soon, and if there was something suspicious in the cupboard, it would best to get it out of the way now rather than face Moody's wrath.

"Ahh…" Zabini moaned from the bed. Harry poked him gloomily. It seemed like every good deed somehow became a fiasco nowadays.

"Well, we have to get him out of here before Moody comes. You know how he feels about Death Eaters," Hermione said. Harry looked at the heap on the bed. Blaise had curled into a small ball and was muttering under his breath. Not exactly a good condition to start the day in.

"He's not a Death Eater, at least not yet. I checked before bringing him in," Harry said.

Hermione looked at both of them from across the room.

"Maybe…we should keep him here," she said after a moment.

"Like a hostage? He's not marked," Ron responded

"No, I mean as a spy. His mother's dead, right. Probably killed by the other side. Maybe we can convince him to work for us, if nothing else than to avenge his mother." Harry stared at her in disbelief. Since when did she advocate for manipulations? She was the founder of S.P.E.W, the ultimate rights advocate group!

"Are you suggesting that we take advantage of Zabini in his traumatized state and manipulate him into seeing the light," Ron said after a moment of shocked silence.

Hermione nodded. Ron's face broke out into a grin.

"I knew there was a reason I loved you!" He said swooping here into a bear hug. Harry looked away. Even minor displays of affection from them made him uncomfortable. Zabini stirred again.

"M-wah-ta!" Harry poured a glass of water from the pitcher and handed it Zabini.

"Bet that's a killer hangover," he said cheerfully. Zabini's model perfect face was looking a bit haggard but still ridiculously pretty. With perfect mocha skin and a lithe body, he looked like he belonged on the beach with some fruity drink rather than in an abandoned house in the slums of London. There or just walking up in Harry's bed wearing little more than the sheet and a—

No. Harry firmly pushed the thought out of his mind and promised to deal it after he killed Voldemort. Blaise sat up slowly.

"Why'd you bring me here, Potter?" he asked slowly. Harry glanced over at Hermione and Ron who both gave him a discreet nod.

"We know who killed your mother," Harry said. Zabini's head snapped up.

"What makes you think she was murdered?" he asked, his eyes darting side to side looking everywhere but Harry's face.

"A little birdy told me."

"Was that little birdy running around with stupid glasses and a large wand because he was compensating for his puny cock?" Zabini rasped out, his throat still sore from the previous night.

"No," Harry said calmly. "But we're not exactly on the same side…I'm a nice guy so I'm going to make you a deal—."

"Right, so you can turn around and stab me in the back just because we don't have the same ideology? Not believing what you believe doesn't make me a Death Eater. Don't you dare use my mother's death against me! How dare you, Potter!" Blaise yelled. Harry stepped back.

"Harry, we have fifteen minutes until Moody comes," Hermione said. Ron looked at him in amusement.

Zabini, meanwhile, had attempted get out of the bed only to collapse on the ground looking about as pale as he could get.

"Oh, for gods sakes! Get him some Hangover Potion!" Hermione said. Ron shot her a look but obeyed.

"No, don't give me the potion," Zabini said.

"Why?" Harry asked bewildered. Zabini gave him a disdainful look.

"Side-effects, Potter? You think hangover is so easy to cure? There is a reason that all wizards don't drink every night!"

"Just take it and get out of here. We'll contact you," Harry said.

"I didn't agree to anything," Zabini said, patting his robes, obviously looking for his wand. Ron's nod was barely perceptible but Harry received the message. He had to make sure.

"Legilimens!" Harry yelled. The spell caught Zabini straight in the head as he attempted to duck.

"Blaise, dear, what do you think of a black tuxedo with red vests to match the bridesmaids for the wedding? I think it'll look lovely with your skin tone. And then George and you can match!" Madame Zabini said, flipping through the latest wedding designer catalogues.

"You're a whore who is addicted to wedding cake."

"Lovely, I'm glad that's settled. You've grown so much lately, I'll have to take your measurements again!"

A younger looking Blaise sat on a white loveseat staring out into the gardens.

"I'm tired of weddings. I liked David…why—."

"Blaise, do you think this dress will accentuate my hips too much?"

Red eyes stared hungrily at his mother from across the room.

Blaise running to the bathroom to vomit from the sick scene before him.

"ENOUGH!" Blaise screamed. Harry physically fell back as Blaise pushed him out of his mind.

"What gave you the right? Who do you think you are? You are no better than any of them—!"

"I'm not sorry. I had to know," Harry said.

Blaise fell down on the floor. Harry rolled his eyes. Only Slytherins could cause drama like this.

"You shouldn't have done that, Harry! His mind's probably a mess!" Hemione exclaimed. She grabbed the vial out of Ron's hand and poured it down Zabini's throat. Harry tilted his head back and watched as Zabini swallowed. The apparition ward tingles and flashed. Moody was here.

Ron and Hermione looked at Harry.

"We'll distract him. Get Zabini out of here with an Unbreakable Vow," Hermione said before leaving Harry and Zabini alone.

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