A/N: Written for TCH and HSWW (Challenges & Assignments)
(THC) House: Hufflepuff; Category: Themed; Prompt: Blaise/Hermione [pairing]
(HSWW) Granger Danger Birthday Event; Prompt: Soulmates
Around the World in Thirty One Days; 73. Holy See Dialogue: "He's your first love. I intend to be your last. However long it takes."
Showtime: I Didn't Know I'd Love You So Much: Saved (word)
Word Count: 814
Genre: Romance
The tiny doll-like houses were all aligned in a single fashion, reminding Hermione much of Diagon Alley. She could only see parts of the blue, green, yellow, and red painted decor thanks to the snow sticking to the homes.
It was a perfect time for Hermione to visit the Golden Lane; it had been on her list of places for a while now. Not only did it hold one of the legends of an emperor who had sought the very stone she and her friends obtained in their first year, but it was also told to be the home of Franz Kafka. The picturesque area in Prague masked the heaviness in her heart from being left by Ronald.
Hermione pushed her curls out of her face to get a better view of the castle adjacent to the houses. The bright, glistening lights danced from the various openings, bringing their shine to the street lights around her. They illuminated the snow falling to the ground that Hermione trekked through. Her steps reminded her of another time in Hogwarts, years ago; a time that her heart had yearned for another.
Foolishly, she thought her heart belonged to the youngest male Weasley and let the yearning go. Now she was in another country, trying to get over the mistake. It was an easy feat, but her eyes were betraying her; Hermione thought she saw something moving closer. Her wand instinctively came out for the defense, but the more the form became clear, the more her wand was lowered and eventually put away.
"Blaise?" Hermione said, looking to the form approaching her in the street. He sauntered to her and gave her a charming smile.
"Mia, what are the odds that I would find you here?" Blaise mused.
She raised a skeptical brow, hiding the pounding in her heart while the gears in her head worked their magic. "Considering that the only person who knew of my whereabouts happens to be one of your best friends, I believe the odds were more in your favor than you want to admit." Hermione shook her head. "I should have seen this coming…"
"Can you blame a bloke for wanting to see you?"
"Yes, yes I can."
"Fair enough. I guess I might as well get on with it."
"Get on with what?"
"I still want you, Granger."
Hermione blinked in surprise. Even though she knew of his forwardness, it still came as a surprise to her on occasion. "W-What?"
Blaise reached for Hermione and pulled her closer to him. "You got away once, and I won't let it happen again. You changed me, Granger, saved me even. I could have still been a pompous fool who only cared for his looks."
"You sure you still aren't that man?" Hermione retorted with a small smile.
"You wound me," he said as he wrapped his arms around her waist.
Hermione shook her head to deny that she would do that, but Blaise pulled her closer to him in a hug. "Don't give up on me, Granger. I've never been one to care who or what you are, and I'm learning the respectful value of lesser people–"
"Why on Earth would you think I'd give up on you, Blaise?" Hermione interrupted before his words ruined the moment, clearing her throat in his chest and taking in the smell of lime and cedarwood. She fluttered her eyes closed before he pulled away from her slightly.
"Because you've done it before," he responded softly.
Hermione bit her lip, turning away to look at the snow covered houses. "Things were different then."
"So what makes it different now?" Blaise gently gripped her chin and turned her to face him. "I still feel the same way that I felt before. That hasn't changed, and you were the one to leave me hanging that night in the rain. I'm hollow without you; touching you alone makes me feel complete. You're meant to be with me, Mia."
The memory pained Hermione to think of at that moment because she knew that day she crushed one heart in return for the same thing to happen to her years later. She swallowed the lump in her throat and shook her head.
"He was my first love," she said softly. "I couldn't choose you then."
"Choose me now." He looked into her soulful, brown eyes. "He's your first love. I intend to be your last. However long it takes."
"It won't take long," Hermione said softly.
"Promise?"
Instead of answering verbally, Hermione pressed her lips to his own. It was a swift, warm kiss compared to the frozen air surrounding them. After pulling away, Hermione leaned into his chest. A small smile graced her features as her fingers gripped the fabric of his coat.
"I promise."
Blaise ran his fingers through her hair. "I knew I could count on you, Granger."
