Sorry for the delay!
But hey, this chapter goes out to a certain reviewer who goes by the name Taraa – there's a reason why this is called 'fan fiction' … don't like, don't read – and don't diss.
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It seemed that Blaise had developed this new hobby called 'Rose-Watching'. He never tore his eyes off Rose for more than a minute, mentally pressuring her into succumbing into his questions.
Rose also happened to develop another new hobby called 'Blaise-Ignoring'. She looked everywhere else but Blaise, carefully avoiding his inquisitive chocolate-brown gaze.
It was a battle of the strongest of wills.
"Rose," Blaise called during breakfast the next day, "Rosie."
"Hmm?" She hummed in reply, but didn't bother looking into his eyes.
"What are you waiting for?"
"I'm not waiting for anything," Rose sighed, reaching for a glass of milk, "I'm simply refusing to look at you in the eyes, lest you mind-torture me into doing something I don't want to."
"Excuse me?" He scoffed, and then laughed sarcastically with his hand over his heart, "Excuse me? Listen to you, could asking Potter out on a date be really something you don't want to do?" He finished by laughing again and shaking his head, pretending to wipe a non-existent tear at the corner of his eye.
"In case you haven't noticed," Rose hissed and leaned into Blaise, finally looking at him in the eyes, "I've already indirectly asked him out on a date."
"Right and he said yes. But did you follow-up?" Blaise raised a dark eyebrow.
Rose snapped her mouth and proceeded to stab her toast with her butter knife.
Follow-up. How does one go about following-up about a date? What does one even say? In case you haven't noticed, Blaise, I'm rather shit at this.
"Come on, Rose," Blaise said gently, "You can do it. Just march right up to him and ask if this day and this time would be okay for your date or not."
"I'm scared," Rose replied, suddenly clutching Blaise's hands and sinking her nails into them. Ignoring Blaise's slight jump and slightly pained expression, she continued, "What if he changes his mind? What if it was a joke – a let's say yes to the fat girl, poor thing must not know what a date is at all thing … or what if it was because he pitied me, and when we get to our date, he tells me I'm not his type at all?"
"Rose, Rosie," Blaise untangled his hands from her deadly ones and patted hers gently, "If he thought all of that, he would have said no from the beginning."
"Don't be biased," Rose countered.
"I'm not!" Blaise exclaimed, "You know me! I'm the bluntest and most honest person you'll ever know, why would I hold back from you?"
"Because you're my best friend," Rose said quietly.
Blaise smiled at her and ran his thumb over her cheek.
"I know, and for that very same reason, I'd want you to be happy. And if going around with Potter makes you happy, then by all means go. Far be it from me to hold you back."
At this, Rose glanced at Harry Potter, who was - her heart stopped – who was already looking at her.
When she caught his eyes, he smiled a little, looked down at his breakfast and continued eating. Rose turned back to Blaise, who was giving her wry smile.
"What?" She asked.
"Look at you, moon-eyed and blushing all over."
"It's the blusher I applied this morning …" Rose said lamely.
"Right, and you applied it all over your nose, and forehead as well too, hmm? Now will you get a move on and ask him?" He raised her hands and dropped them in mid-air, making them land with a loud noise.
Rose glanced from Blaise to Harry and back to Blaise again before sighing heavily and standing up.
Ah, what the hell, right?
She smoothed down her robes and tucked her hair behind her ears.
She began to ask Blaise, "Do I -"
"No," Blaise said without even looking up at her.
No, you don't look fat.
Rose stepped out from her bench and started walking nervously towards the Gryffindor table.
You look fine. You look fine. You look fine.
She bit her lip and threw a nervous glance over her shoulder at Blaise, who nodded supportively.
She was approaching that familiar unruly mop of black hair, and she so wished she could escape at that very moment – because surely he'd notice anytime now – and he did, and he looked up from across the table, not looking surprised at all – and gave her a megawatt smile – and she was already standing right in front of him.
"Rose, hi," Harry grinned at her warmly.
"Umm, hi, H-Harry," Rose said, her nervousness almost making her cross-eyed as she glanced at his two best friends – who were eyeing her in surprise, "Hey, Weasley … Granger."
They all nodded at each other and it got really quiet. Rose took a deep breath and looked at Harry again.
"I, umm, h-how are you?" Rose concentrated on Harry's collarbone.
"I'm great, Rose … and yourself?"
"Nervous," Rose laughed a little and finally glanced up at Harry, who was smiling affectionately at her.
"I'm flattered," Harry smiled even wider, getting what she meant completely, "But don't be nervous. It's only me."
"It's you, that's why I'm nervous," Rose muttered under her breath, not missing Harry's laugh at that, "Well, I just wanted to ask you about the umm, you know, the – the -"
"Our date," Harry finished for her, still smiling.
Her chest lurched almost painfully at that and she nodded, concentrating on her shoes.
God, this is embarrassing, right in front of Weasley and Granger nonetheless!
"Tell you what, I'm actually on my way to Quidditch practice right now – but I'll owl you the day and time, how does that sound?" Harry suggested.
"Oh, I – yeah, yeah, that'd be nice," Rose agreed, and immediately turned and left, the embarrassment and nervousness too much to handle all of a sudden, and she was pretty sure that her face was as red as a tomato even as she was walking back to her table.
Suddenly she felt a tap on her shoulder.
She turned and came face to face with Harry Potter.
"Why'd you leave so fast?" Harry grinned.
"I, err, dunno? I'm sorry, I'm just not my usual self right now 'cause -"
Cause you're so bloody delicious and I can't stop thinking about eating you.
"I know, but I just wanted you to know that I appreciate it."
"Huh?" Rose asked dumbly.
"I appreciate the effort, you coming over to my table and all. It must've been hard, but I think that's really sweet of you, and I appreciate it."
"Oh. Okay."
Then she saw Harry lean forwards towards her, and felt something warm and tingly on her left cheek.
Harry Potter gave her a kiss on the cheek.
And a brilliant smile after.
"I'll owl you," Harry said, before turning and leaving the Great Hall.
Rose walked frozenly back to her seat at the Slytherin table, not caring who was watching at that very moment – because she was too shocked and probably too red to process anything, even Blaise's cheeky look.
"I take it that things went well?" He smiled slyly.
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Rose took in a deep breath and sucked in her tummy.
"I feel like this blouse is too tight," Rose informed Blaise, who was busy matching her outfits on her bed.
"No, it's not, it looks brilliant – if you just believe!" Blaise said exasperatedly, holding up two blouses at the same time.
"Blaise, I can't do this," Rose said, and began worrying her lower lip.
"Yes, you can, Rose," Blaise said firmly, "Come on, you've got one more hours to get ready, and you're going to look amazing."
Rose glanced at the small piece of parchment stuck to her mirror. Written on it, in Harry's mess of handwriting was 'Saturday's Hogsmeade Trip, 12pm. See you there.'
She proceeded to turn herself sideways and look at her reflection in the mirror. She didn't like how thick she looked even from the side, and the way her arse seemed to be sticking out there, as if trying to escape and say 'HELLO!'
Before she began lamenting on how nice it would be to have a slender frame, Blaise pushed clothes into her arms.
"Try those on," he commanded.
Rose followed without any protest and came out a second later.
"You look great," Blaise grinned toothily, "Now go."
"But I want to look into -"
"No, no mirrors for you. You're only going to get all sad and depressed and ruin probably one of your greatest days, so you'll have to trust me," Blaise insisted, pushing her out the door.
Rose turned and gave him a look.
"Rosie, trust me. You look brilliant. And if he doesn't think so later he's a complete dunderhead and he's … well, going to die," Blaise nodded as finality and proceeded to push her out of the dungeons, "And don't ever, ever think you're fat. These idiots need to stop telling you the wrong things."
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The date went brilliant, save for the fact that even after their lunch date, Rose was still a quivering mass of nervousness. She hoped to the highest heavens that Harry would think she was shaking because of the cold, not out of nervousness. As if he knew what was running through her mind, Harry asked her.
"Are you cold?"
"Me? Cold? Not at all, I've got a whole lot of fat here to keep me warm," she blurt without thinking.
Oh, shit.
Harry laughed out loud.
"I see. You should keep me warm as well, too," Harry smiled and turned to look at her while they walked aimlessly after lunch.
Rose's eyes widened and she blushed, effectively warming her face some more.
Oh I will, Harry. You don't know what runs through my mind.
But Rose decided to go for something innocent.
"Yeah sure, I can give you a warm hug if you want," Rose shrugged, smiling.
"You think that'll work?" He grinned cheekily.
"Well, if it doesn't work, you'll just have to wait a little while more – my presence should be enough to warm you up," Rose blurt again without thinking.
Harry gave her an impressed look and started nodding.
"Too true," he agreed.
Rose blushed at the fact that she had just been blowing her own trumpet about being rather hot, and Harry Potter had just agreed that she was indeed, hot.
Oh, well.
They got along rather well, with Rose making 'fat jokes' and Harry Potter laughing at them every time. Truthfully, she didn't know whether Harry Potter truly enjoyed her company or was just being nice – because he's Harry Potter, he's always nice – except towards Voldemort.
She, for a fact, knew that she truly enjoyed his company and would like more and more of it, and even physically felt her crush towards him grow impossibly bigger (if it was possible), and having the urge to kiss him every time he opened his mouth to say something.
Rrrrr.
By the time they were done - getting candies, butterbeers and all kinds of food that made Rose really happy besides the fact that Harry was with her - they had to walk back and they reached the castle just in time for sundown.
Harry had walked her back to the dungeons – sweet sweet Harry, bless his soul – and Rose didn't want the day to end at all.
"Well, Rose, I had an amazing time with you today," Harry grinned.
"So did I, we should, umm," Rose cut herself off … would it be wise to suggest that we –
"Do this again," Harry finished for her, nodding, "I really enjoyed myself."
"Yeah," Rose grinned.
"Well, goodnight then," Harry said.
"Goodnight, Harry," Rose said, and an unexpected rush of something ran through her and she stepped up to give him a kiss on the cheek.
Then she fled, red as a tomato and spilled into the dungeons – face to face with a smiling Blaise.
"I take it that things went well?" Blaise said, and Rose almost laughed at the fact that he's said that twice already.
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The following weeks went well, Rose as happy as ever – though still insecure and trying her very best to hide her excess baggage – still with the ever-failing 'I want to eat less but I end up eating more' diets, Blaise tempting her with her favourite food when she refuses to eat, and well – an addition this time, her time with Harry Potter.
They met frequently in the library, discussing anything and everything. They also went out to Hogsmeade often, and every minute spent with Harry, Rose found herself falling for him more and more.
Rose liked him, a lot. Even more than treacle tarts lately.
Even Blaise had noticed that instead of looking longingly at her favourite tarts, she now channelled the same look towards Potter.
And if Blaise dared to think, Potter's been sending the same look towards Rose when she wasn't looking.
Despite shivering with disgust, he couldn't help but smile at the glow on his best friend's face.
:3
Reviews please! *gives readers sweets*