Velvet Persuasion

Chapter Four:

Harry awoke with a headache. He had waited for Blaise the night before, but the Slytherin had never showed.

Now, frustrated and groggy from several days' lack of sleep, Harry was wondering what the hell had happened to Blaise. Despite being who he was Blaise had always come when Harry asked, and the Gryffindor wanted to find out what exactly could have distracted Blaise to the point where he would stand Harry up.

Even at breakfast, Harry could tell that Hermione noticed that something was up with him. She questioned his state of mental health, tying to hide the suspicion from her expression that Blaise had hurt Harry in some way. Harry refused to tell her anything.

(scene shift)

"I'm fine, really," Harry said, glancing quickly at the Slytherin table. Hermione didn't believe him one tiny bit. She couldn't believe that he had stayed up all night with Blaise again, and wasn't going to tell anyone about it. After her conversation with Blaise the day before, Hermione was more determined than ever to discover the truth behind Blaise's behavior. She refused to believe that there was no explanation for it at all.

"Really, mate," Ron said, "you look rather…down. What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Harry replied. "Just a bit tired, is all."

Hermione's expression darkened.

"Well, it's Sunday; why not take nap?" Ron suggested. "Then late, you can join us."

Hermione smiled; Ron could be so sweet sometimes.

"Oh, look, its Cho," Ron added as the Ravenclaw entered the Great Hall.

Hermione frowned; Ron could be such an ass sometimes. But Ron had spoken the truth; Cho walked gracefully into the Great Hall, making sure to pass the Gryffindor Table on the way to Ravenclaw's. She stopped to give Harry a stern glare before moving on.

"Ookay," Harry said wearily. "What was that about?"

"I dunno," Ron answered. "She's becoming a real bitch these days anyway."

"Ron!" Hermione said loudly. Both boys knew she did not appreciate the sort language.

"But S'true."

"It's impolite to talk about people like that," Hermione chided.

"Like how you talk about Blaise Zabini?" Harry said coldly.

"Well," Ron interjected, "he is a whore. Well, a man-whore—"

"This has nothing to do with you, Ron."

"It does!" Hermione exclaimed.

"…I'm missing something, aren't I?" Ron asked, looking lost.

"Yes! That Harry is sleeping with Blaise!" she hissed.

Time seemed to stop at the Gryffindor Table. Ron's eyes widened. "Harry? You?"

Harry said nothing, only giving his best friend a solemn look that said, Yes.

Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan looked at Harry in disbelief. "You, too?" Dean Thomas said, and blushed. Seamus scratched his head and looked rather stricken. Ginny was looking at Harry as though she was going to be violently sick.

As for Harry, he replied to Hermione's comment with bland indifference.

"I'm fine, Hermione," he said, and he continued to eat breakfast. "Don't worry about me."

(scene shift)

Across the room, Blaise could sense this lack of emotion in his previous lover. As he turned to look at Harry, after avoiding the wizard's gaze all morning, he could see the stricken look on Ginny's face, and the shocked expressions coming from Seamus and Dean, both of whom had also been lovers of his.

Despite regretting the missed gathering with Harry, Blaise smiled wickedly as he turned back to his own table. "I guess you weren't the only one…"he said quietly, looking at Draco.

"Something wrong?" Draco asked innocently from opposite Blaise. Blaise knew the Malfoy was teasing him, but complied with an answer.

"Of course not, Draco," Blaise said seductively.

(scene shift)

Blaise was in the library, adding four more inches to his paper when Harry arrived. Blaise had ignored the Boy Who Lived as he made his way across the large room, each step echoing as he came closer and closer to the Slytherin. Blaise, coincidentally, had seated himself in the same chair he had the day before, and it was only when Harry sat across from him that he spoke.

"Don't sit there." His words were neither affectionate nor reprimanding.

"Why?" Harry snapped, already upset, "Is it—"

"Because Cho sat there yesterday," Blaise finished. "I do not want you associated with her filth. She disgusts me."

And somehow, even though Blaise knew that Harry was extremely upset with him, he also knew that Harry felt a bit better by knowing that piece of information.

"Thank you," Blaise said as Harry sat next to Blaise rather than across to him. "Harry, I know you're upset about last night, and I should have sent word about not coming. But I didn't. And I can't change it now, so if you want to hate me, go ahead. I'm far used to it by now."

Blaise was actually surprised that he hadn't lied about that. He'd made it a bit dramatic, but…Other than omitting Draco from the conversation, that was how he sincerely felt about that situation. And, considering that Harry was one of the greatest lovers Blaise had ever had (though he'd had to teach Harry a few things); he hoped Harry could see that truth for what it was.

(scene shift)

Harry, for his part, was also vaguely surprised. He had expected some sort of horrible excuse. And there was something in Blaise's eyes that told him the Slytherin was telling the truth.

But there was something that told Harry that Blaise hadn't divulged the whole story, either. And considering who Blaise was, and his background, the only question left to ask was…

"So, who was it?" Harry asked bitterly.

Blaise seemed unruffled by his question.

"Draco," the Slytherin said, and was that a slight hint of shame in Blaise's eyes? Harry shook his head. Blaise feeling any emotion was almost impossible for Harry to imagine.

"Should have known," Harry said quietly, rising from his seat. He didn't know what else to say. He didn't know if here was anything else to say at the moment. To be honest, he really didn't want things between him and Blaise—despite the way he knew Blaise was using him. He had never cared about Blaise sleeping with anyone else before.

But Blaise has never stood you up to sleep with anyone else before, either, a voice inside told him.

Blaise didn't stop Harry as he rose, only saying thoughtfully, "I wish that I could make it up to you…" he looked up at Harry, giving the Gryffindor a very apologetic stare.

Harry gave Blaise a once over.

Dammit…why the hell is he so irresistible?

Harry shrugged. "Hey, they'll be other chances, right?"

A/N: I had to break up this chapter more than I usually do. When I first wrote it, I had in mind to use third person omniscient, and I used several different points of view at once. However, more than often the chapters are rather one sided in though pattern, so I've broken it up so that there are several points of view in the chapter, limited to their own section. Sorry if the breaking it up interrupts your reading.