A/N-Alas...Here I am again; horribly late in updating with another sorry excuse. *tear*
But really, I have a summer job as a counselor at a day camp, so I'm there a lot. Plus, it gets awkward when little kids come up and ask what you're writing and....well....you get the picture. But it's here now, REJOICE!!!
Thanks a ton to Ri for betaing....and yeah...ugh that's it really. ONWARD!
Disclaimer-I wish I could own some piece of HP....but alas I don't. BTW- HBP=amazing!
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Chapter 4: Heating Up
Blaise POV-
Blaise closed the door of the closet behind him. Halloween just wasn't much fun for him. He felt empty all the time now, but he didn't have any idea why. He'd taken to spending most of his time sitting on his bed with his curtains drawn, looking at the book he kept hidden under his mattress.
The feast had been marvelous, but he just couldn't get into the spirit of the day. Even Malfoy had noticed, which was very rare.
"Zabini, what's wrong with you?" asked Draco, who was aiming some charmed candy corn to fly towards Potter's head. "You've barely eaten anything."
"I don't know. I guess I don't feel well," Blaise muttered, standing up from the table. "I think I'll go have a lie down."
However, once he'd left the Great Hall, he'd headed in the wrong direction to the dungeons, instead heading towards a small closet. No one would try to find him there. Maybe he could figure out what was wrong with himself, if he stayed alone for long enough.
He sat down on a bucket in the corner and leaned his elbows on his knees. The dark was nice. His thoughts were a million miles away, on the escaped prisoner called Sirius Black. His desire to meet the man grew stronger everyday; the feelings were growing to be more then just admiration.
Blaise let out a sigh. Maybe he WAS attracted to him. He was a very attractive man, underneath the dirt and grime... And the picture of him in the papers... No shirt on, tattoos, wild....
Shaking his head, he tried to focus on his current issues. He was growing more and more unhappy with his life; his school work was suffering and even his friends were noticing that something was wrong with him lately. Things just don't bother Slytherins... Or, well, they weren't supposed to, anyway.
The sounds of people leaving the feast began to be heard outside of the closet. A few people would be going past this closet, but not many. It wasn't really along the most beaten path.
He wondered how long it would be before his friends noticed he was missing this time. Well, even if they didn't, he'd still probably be found by a teacher, or Peeves, before long. Standing and brushing himself off, Blaise prepared to leave the small, cramped space.
Just as he was reaching for the door handle, the door swung open, almost hitting him in the face. All he got a chance to see was a flash of dark black fur. Blaise jumped back and his knees hit the bucket he'd just been sitting on.
There, leaning against the closed door of the closet with his eyes closed, where Blaise could swear he'd just seen fur, stood none other than Sirius Black. He let out a sigh and Blaise gasped. Instantly, Black's eyes snapped open.
Blaise saw him tense up and his eyes sparked with the sudden realization that he wasn't alone in the closet. For a moment, they both stood there in shock, sizing each other up. Sirius was the first to move. He quickly had his knife raised and pointed at the younger mans throat.
"Don't scream," Sirius growled darkly, "or I'll make sure you'll never do it again."
"I won't scream, I promise," Blaise murmured back. "I would never get you caught. I just want to talk to you."
Sirius slowly started to lower his hand. He ran a hand through his tangled mess of dark hair and looked at the young man questioningly. Still on his guard, he asked, "What are you playing at?" With these words, he eyed Blaise once again. "Why won't you scream? Why won't you turn me in? You do know who I am, don't you?"
"I know who you are; I'm not stupid," Blaise responded. "And I told you, I just want to talk to you."
Sirius stared at the young man blankly. "Why? About what?"
Blaise sighed and pointed to the bucket opposite him. "Have a seat and I'll explain;" he requested softly.
"In case you hadn't guessed, I'm kind of in a hurry to get out of here." Sirius turned to leave.
"I know," Blaise protested, grabbing the man's arm. "But please, just listen."
Sirius turned back to the boy, and folded his arms over his chest. He leaned against the door, resigned to hear him out, but still refusing to sit.
"I admire you so much;" Blaise began hurriedly. "All I've ever wanted was to just sit down and have a conversation with you. I've wanted to talk to you and learn about you. You've done some truly amazing things. You're my hero."
"That's all very nice, but I really don't think that any of the things I've done should be admired," Sirius broke in, pushing off the wall. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a castle full of people to sneak out of."
Sirius turned around and opened the door a crack. He peaked out to see if anyone was coming when suddenly, a hand appeared right next to his face and it pushed the door quietly closed. Sirius turned to find himself face to face with the teenage boy. Blaise slowly stepped back, bowing his head and shuffling his feet.
"I could help," Blaise offered quietly. "If you want."
Sirius, surprised by the offer coming from someone so young, was silent for a moment or two. He thought that it might be good to have an inside connection, but could he trust this stranger? He didn't even know his name. "How do I know I can trust you?"
"You don't. But you don't have much to lose at this point, or many other options either, do you?" Blaise replied, shrugging.
Sirius thought for another minute, then slowly let out a breath. He ran a hand through his hair again. "I guess you're right."
"No one will notice if I'm gone for awhile; I disappear a lot," the boy explained, getting to his feet. "Where are you staying at anyway?"
"The Shrieking Shack. There's a secret passage under the Whomping Willow."
Sirius didn't know why, but he felt inclined to trust this young man. No one had wanted to learn the truth about him since before Harry was born. But he'd have to be on his guard.
"Wait here for a few minutes. I'll go distract everyone."
The older man nodded as Blaise carefully opened the door a crack, peeking out into the hall and seeing that the coast was clear. He cast one glance back and then exited.
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SO???!!! Do you totally forgive me for being so horribly long?? Sorry for another cliffy :/. REVIEWS!!??
Oh and a huge thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far and added me to all their alerts and favs and such! 333