I am too excited about the Blaise/Hermione.

Day Two: "I was wondering what time I should pick you up tomorrow?" / "How about quarter to never?" (The Vampire Diaries)

It was very unfortunate that Blaise Zabini had to take an interest in the one person who would never, ever in his wildest dreams and her friskiest books (not that she was likely to have any) fancy him back.

Blaise sighed, swirling the champagne in his glass as he kept his eyes trained on a certain curly-haired brunette standing halfway across the ballroom. Normally these Ministry gala things bored him - Minister Shacklebolt had unfortunately banned any true alcoholic beverages after an incident one year that may or may not have involved Blaise himself - but this year cloaked him with a different feeling. One that intensified as the witch he was observing turned, made eye contact with him, and started heading his direction.

Blaise watched as she approached, her brown eyes appraising the empty glasses set on the counter beside him.

"Drinking again," Hermione Granger noted. "I thought Kingsley would have banned you from having more than one by now."

He tore his eyes away from her and smirked into his glass. "Want to know a secret? It's cider."

Granger laughed and leaned back against the counter like he was. Her head just barely reached his shoulders, and he caught a whiff of her light perfume.

"You know, I was wondering what time I should pick you up tomorrow." He couldn't suppress his smile as she turned on him, mouth parted.

"For what?"

"A date."

He could practically see the gears in her mind whirring, see the expressions flit across her face as she tried to decide whether he was kidding or not. She must have decided on the former, because she finally replied, rather wryly,

"How about a quarter to never?"

Blaise didn't miss a beat. "Always the charmer, aren't you?"

"As are you, Zabini."

She pushed herself off the counter and smiled at him. "Well, I suppose I'll see you, then. Tomorrow," she clarified at his blank look.

Blaise raised an eyebrow. "Dear me, are you taking me up on that offer after all?"

Hermione only rolled her eyes and snatched up a drink that matched his from the counter. "For work. But maybe afterwards -" She tilted her head back and gulped. In seconds, she sputtered and thrust the glass away from her, glaring at him through wide brown eyes.

"Cider? It's a miracle you're not drunk, Zabini!"

He simply raised his glass and winked. "Only on you, Granger."