A/N: I hope you enjoy the updates! I plan on working more on 'Somewhere I belong' and 'Invincible' whilst waiting for my grandson to be born (which should be any day now!) Sorry it has taken me so long to update!

Chapter 3

Fake It (Seether)

Theo all but stumbled into the dorm room and slammed the door. Throwing himself onto the nearest bed, he muttered, "Dear gods, Lovegood is crazier than you are!"

"Not my fault," Blaise reminded him, not looking up from sharpening his dagger. He had plans for the evening, plans that would stave off the boredom that was dragging him down again.

"What did she have you doing?" Draco asked, looking up from his Transfiguration essay. "At this point, I am willing to listen to tales of her insanity if it means no longer dealing with this wretched essay."

Blaise tucked the dagger in his boot and stood. "Good, you can come along, Draco. You may even learn something."

He didn't miss the panic in Draco's eyes, but he ignored it. Really, the man was really going to have to toughen up if he wanted to survive this hellhole much longer. In the month or so since he had 'joined forces' with the sexy Ginevra, he had yet to get her to fully trust him. She had allowed him to punish a Death Eater without qualm though. Then again, that could have been because the Death Eater in question had been torturing a member of her resistance group, but Blaise had taken the opportunity and run with it. Funnily enough, the junior Death Eaters that seemed to flow in and out of the castle didn't seem to be too terribly important. Why, he'd killed two of them now and all without anyone raising the alarm. Tonight would be three. Not bad for it only being the middle of November.

"What are we doing?" Draco asked warily, sitting up slowly.

"You'll find out. Get moving or I'll drag you by all of that pretty hair you have."

Draco glowered, laying a hand over his hair as if that would protect it. "Leave my hair out of this, you pillock."

Blaise just walked to the door, looking over his shoulder. "You might pull it back or else I won't be the one yanking it out."

Draco grabbed a strip of leather and tied it back before he joined Blaise at the door, not bothering to ask, though he did look even warier than before.

They met Ginevra in a first floor classroom where she was sitting on the desk, swinging her legs and looking quite at home despite the trussed up Terence Higgs laying at her feet. "You two are late, tsk tsk."

"I see you had no problems getting him here," Blaise drawled.

She batted her eyelashes. "Like it was difficult…seriously, I thought you didn't underestimate me. I may pout in a minute."

"Shouldn't we be going?" Draco interjected dryly.

"Yes," Blaise said simply, levitating the Death Eater and motioning for Ginevra to lead the way.

They followed her to a statue, which once she whispered a password, slid open to reveal a passage. Once they were all inside, Blaise waved his wand to readjust the ropes. "You will be walking."

Higgs glared; opening and closing his mouth a few times before grimacing.

"Aww, did the ickle girl get one over on you?" Draco taunted.

Higgs dove for the blond, only to find himself face first on the ground with Ginevra's knee planted in the middle of his back. "What did I tell you, Higgs? You are to play nice."

Blaise grinned. "One of these days I am going to kiss you, Ginevra."

She looked up and smirked. "I just may allow it…you know without hitting you with that charm Crabbe spent weeks recovering from."

"That was you?" Draco interjected.

Blaise noted that the blond was looking at Ginevra with quite a bit more respect. He chuckled at the insight into how Draco's mind worked. "I told you she had many snake rather than lion traits."

Draco and Blaise hauled Higgs back to his feet and pushed him down the passage. It wasn't a short trip, but was going to be worth it. Ginevra had told him (after her little adventure in attempting to steal Gryffindors sword) that Snape seemed to know far more about their activities than he ought to. Blaise just figured Kingsley had a way to contact him and took advantage. That was why they were heading into Hogsmeade. Higgs was going to be a bit of present for his fellow minions much like Henry and his mate had been.

They stepped out into Honeydukes cellar and, thanks to the mass exodus of non-minions, were able to make it out into the streets with no one the wiser. Draco had alerted him to some sort of 'call' via the Dark Mark when they were halfway down the passage. To his credit, the blond had leant on the wall and grimaced before pushing through the pain. Perhaps there was hope for him after all.

Slipping into a side alley, Blaise proceeded to give Higgs a lesson in why being a minion was a Very Bad Idea. When he was bored with it, he stepped back. "Now, for the final fuck you."

"Dear gods," Draco whispered, "what more could you possibly do?"

Ginevra sighed and pointed to the nearly dead minion. "That is what happens to faithful minions." She then pointed to Draco. "This is what happens to non-faithful ones. Clear?"

"You're a Weasley," Draco retorted, his tone full of disbelief.

She gave him a look that said she was disappointed in him. "Did Daddy Dearest not tell you? I'm the Weasley that had Tom in my head for a year. Do you think the Bat-Bogey Hex is strictly light magic?"

"Fight later, children, I want a long pole of some sort." Blaise scanned the alley, grinning when he saw just the perfect thing ahead in an abandoned garden. "Would you grab that for me, Draco?"

Sighing, the blond did as asked. "Should I even ask?"

Blaise pointed his wand at the rope and shrugged. "You'll see either way. Grab his arms."

Draco held Higgs' arms out and Ginevra took the pole from him, sliding it behind the minion's arms. With a quick spell, Blaise had the ropes wrapping securely around Higgs' arms and the pole. The three of them hauled Higgs closer to the High Street where he was suspended from one of the street lamps.

In silence, they stayed in the shadows and back down into the passage. Ginevra lit her wand once the trapdoor closed. "I never thought I would find myself skulking around with you two or helping to do what I just did… but I really am having a difficult time finding it in me to care."

"And thus why I like you," Blaise said cheekily, winking at her.

"I'm finding you far less repulsive than I imagined I would," Draco admitted grudgingly.

Ginevra laughed and started the long trek back. "Same goes, Draco, same goes. Oh, we're thinking of using the Room of Requirement if necessary."

Blaise moved up, slipping his arm over her shoulders. She shot him a mild glare, but didn't hex him, so he called it a win. "Now, darling, did Longbottom take over as Fearless Leader?"

She huffed. "Yes, you wanker, he did. I liked being in charge, I'll have you know."

"None of that touchy feely crap."

Blaise looked over his shoulder and smirked. "Aww, feeling jealous again, blondie? I'm not sure Ginevra here is up to sharing me."

Ginevra elbowed him in the ribs. "Ginevra is not having you let alone sharing you, get that through that thick skull of yours, poser boy."

"Poser boy?" Draco questioned, not stifling his laughter completely. "Now there is a story I have to hear."

"I told him he was good … at posing."

"Well, I am," Blaise said reasonably. "If by posing you meant posing bodies."

"That sounds all sorts of depraved," Ginevra quipped.

"Not you too!"

They stopped and turned to face the blond.

"What?" Ginevra asked innocently.

"Am I the only one that can go five minutes without thinking about shagging?"

Blaise adopted a pitying sort of expression. "You poor baby, you can always go begging to Parkinson…I mean, it has been a while for you now and you refuse to take me up on my offer."

Draco shook his head, pulling his hair out of its tie. "Stop it now, Blaise."

"Or what?" he taunted.

The blond smirked. "One of these days I may surprise you. We should get back though, no sense in getting caught now."

Blaise's brows rose and Ginevra chuckled. They got moving though, since getting caught by anyone except Snape would likely end painfully for all of them. In fact, they made it all the way to the sixth floor before they heard someone moving quickly towards them. Blaise didn't think twice about reaching out for Draco with his free hand and pulled Ginevra against his chest, pressing her between them. Luckily, she didn't question it. He pulled at the leather strip holding his hair back and tipped his head so that his long fall of hair blocked her identity from whoever it was.

"Get back to your house, Zabini, and none of that in the corridors," Amycus Carrow growled, not pausing as he passed them.

Blaise waited until they could no longer hear his footsteps to take a small step back. Ginevra was smirking and Draco just looked amused. "Well, that was fun."

"Not as much fun as it could have been," Ginevra pointed out. "Now we really should get moving, I don't think his sister is going to fall for the same trick."

"I don't know," Blaise murmured, "it might be interesting to see what exactly would be enough for her to fall for it."

Ginevra slapped his chest playfully. "I told you, you aren't getting into my knickers."

He grinned wickedly. "And I said I would change your mind."

She skipped off up the stairs, looking over her shoulder at the both of them. "You can try if you'd like, you'll fail."

Draco lifted a brow and muttered, "Am I the only one thinking about proving her wrong?"

"No, no you aren't."

-ii—

When Blaise slipped between the sheets and rolled to lay on his stomach, he sighed. It was no fun sleeping alone. So, he distracted himself with ideas on how to take out another Death Eater or two before the winter hols. He was utterly gobsmacked when he felt the bed dip and Draco slide in next to him.

"Don't go getting ideas," Draco whispered. "I have something to ask you."

He opened his eyes, studying the pensive blond. "Go ahead."

"Why drag me along tonight? You know I fail miserably at killing anyone or anything."

Blaise shifted, propping himself up on his elbows, blowing his hair off his face. "Because, you have to toughen up or you'll not survive. You do realise how lucky you are that you've not been shackled up and tortured a dozen times now, right?"

Draco nodded, looking away. "I hate this. I hate knowing that I'm some weak, ineffective idiot. She was more useful than I was."

"Because Ginevra is fighting for something she believes in."

"And you?"

Blaise shrugged. "I have free rein to kill things, I can't ask for more than that."

"Is it really that simple to you?"

Blaise shifted, looking Draco in the eyes, not allowing the other man to look away. "You are not some broken Hufflepuff, Draco, and you know it, damn it all. Wake up and start showing it."

"I'm not like you or Theo even. I just don't have it in me to kill."

"So? Maim instead. Theo is more on the helping and maiming and less on the killing, just so you know."

Draco blinked and then shook his head. He held out his arm, glaring at the Dark Mark. "I was told that this will disappear when He dies. I am willing to do anything to get rid of it before someone either kills me for not living up to having it or the Ministry is overtaken again and I'm arrested for having the bloody stupid thing."

Blaise wasn't sure if he was about to be hexed or not, but he reached out and laid his hand over the Dark Mark. He waited until Draco looked at him. "I may be totally off here, but it sounds to me like you want to be rid of the madman that forced that on you. You get rid of it by helping bring down the madman ergo you will help bring him down."

"If I do and my father finds out…"

Blaise didn't like the implications at all. "Shall I kill him for you, would that help?"

Draco's laughter was light and just this side of hysterical. "No, no killing my father unless necessary."

"Damn, you are no fun."

"Fun, I don't know that I truly recall what that is like."

Unable to resist, Blaise tugged Draco over, planting one hand on either side of his head. "Fun," he leaned in and brushed Draco's mouth lightly with his, "is what you make it."

It wasn't until the third light kiss that Draco buried a hand in Blaise's hair and tugged him closer. Blaise wasn't about to pressure Draco, not when it felt so damn good to kiss him. He wasn't sure how long they lay there, leisurely kissing and touching one another, never taking it too far. They both seemed to sense that it was too big, too important to rush.

He shifted, laying an arm over Draco and whispered groggily, "See …fun."

Draco chuckled, laying his head on Blaise's shoulder. "Umm hmm."

Blaise looked over a moment later to see Draco sleeping and he smiled. One down, one to go.

-ii—

"Aww damn it!"

Blaise shot up, dagger in hand, having pulled from where he had it secreted under his pillow. "What?"

"If you two start shagging, you'd best warn me first!" Theo threw a pillow at him, which Blaise batted away easily.

"You bastard," Draco grumbled sleepily. "It's fucking Sunday!"

"Shut up, all of you!" was Greg's sleepy contribution.

Blaise sighed, leaning back against the headboard. "Was that necessary, Theo?"

Theo was similarly propped up in his bed. "Damn right it was."

"Shut up," Greg repeated. "I am trying to go back to sleep over here."

"Oh shite," Draco muttered, "What are the odds that our little escapade went without notice?"

"Slim to none." Blaise sighed and slipped out of bed, gathering clothes and dressing quickly. He would worry over showering later. "We should get up there and see what the damage was."

"Gods," Greg said with a groan. "You can't resist preening about whatever sick and twisted shite you did, can you?"

"No. Why should I? I was raised with a healthy sense of pride in my work."

Greg sat up and threw a pillow, hitting Draco in the back as he too retrieved clothes for the day. "And yet you snogged him."

"I did indeed," Draco said sounding pleased with himself. "Jealous, Greggie?"

"Don't," Blaise said, pointing his wand at Greg. "No tackling anyone this morning. I need coffee and a newspaper."

It didn't take them long to get themselves up and out. The Great Hall was tense. When they sat down, Crabbe glared heatedly at Blaise. "I should blame this on you; no one would care if you died."

"Blame what on me?" Blaise returned coldly. "You should watch your words, Crabbe."

"This," he said, tossing the Daily Prophet on the table in front of them. "You did it, I know you did."

Blaise shrugged, wishing he could gut Crabbe right here and now. "Loose tongues get removed, remember that, boy."

Crabbe stormed off, muttering unintelligibly the entire time.

"You're going to have to do something about him," Theo muttered.

Blaise poured his coffee and nodded, enjoying his meal whilst reading about how Terence Higgs had been found near dawn in Hogsmeade. He noted idly that they had missed quite a few injuries, but overall was happy with the article. Just as he had done at every meal, he scanned the Head table, making sure to pay particular attention to the Carrows. It just wouldn't do for them to forget just why they were to leave him and those he deemed 'his' alone. Satisfied with their continued prudence, he waited until the other three were done to stand and they walked out in a group.

He was planning on waiting to make Crabbe pay, preferably when he wasn't actually physically present and therefor couldn't be held liable. More out of irritation than anything, as they were walking out, he hit a Ravenclaw that he knew, due to the idiot's bragging, was a Death Eater with a lovely hex that wouldn't cause a reaction for at least ten minutes.

"Mr Zabini."

He turned, brow lifting in inquiry. "Headmaster Snape."

"I need you to come with me."

"I'm a tad busy just now, perhaps later." He knew it was risky being that cocky with Snape, but really he couldn't help it. He was cocky with everyone.

"Now, Zabini."

He waved the other three off, following after Snape. It wasn't until they reached the Head's office that he got any sort of clue what was going on. Snape stood behind the desk. "You will be going home for the winter holiday at your mother's request. In addition, you will be taking Mr Malfoy with you."

Blaise smirked. He'd been told by Kingsley that Snape was not quite loyal to Voldemort and now he had his proof. "How am I to manage that, sir? Won't … interested parties be watching him?"

Snape sneered. "He will be receiving a letter from his mother detailing his mission in bringing you into the ranks. Tell him to write back an agreement to do so, stating that he will travel with you and spend the holiday doing his best to convince you. Understood?"

Blaise nodded; his mind already cycling through the implications. Could his mum really have recruited Narcissa or was the letter even from Draco's mother? One thing was wrong. It wasn't something he was willing to let pass either. He looked Snape in the eyes. "I have another mission, one which would require me to stay here."

"Another student will also be leaving. She will be met by Kingsley Shacklebolt and taken to a safe location for the holiday. All of you will Apparate from the train. Are we clear, Mr Zabini?"

"Crystal."

"Go on now." Snape waited until he was almost to the door before saying, "Do try and refrain from your…extracurricular activities… for the next few weeks. It is getting quite bothersome to explain why certain individuals never made it here or never made it back out."

Chuckling, Blaise mockingly saluted him and slipped out the doors. It looked as if he was going to have to find other ways to stave off boredom if his preferred method was out. He had ideas on how to spend that time. He was also certain that Draco would have no issue with helping him with those ideas either.