Chapter Four: Parental Approval

The sheets on the queen sized bed shifted as Hermione awoke tangled in a sea of red fabric. Hermione sat up with her back against the headboard taking in her surroundings. So I guess this really is happening, she thought. She sighed as she used the elastic around her wrist to tie her hair up; she then proceeded to kick off her covers and and exit the room in search of her brother, or anyone really.

A knock echoed through the hall as Hermione checked to see if Blaise was in his room but he didn't answer. She tried again with the same results. Sighing, she began to look for her way down to the first floor. As she got closer and closer, she could smell breakfast and she followed the heavenly scent down to the dining room where she was greeted a very good morning with the greatest sight she had seen in all her teenage years.

Piles of assorted muffins, pancakes, pastries, fruits and juice spanned the end of the table where the parents sat already eating. Hermione wondered how so much food could only be meant for four people.

"Oh! Good Morning, Hermione. Come, sit," Carmina commanded. Hermione sat next to her father who somewhat greeted her, though was distracted by his meal, and across from an empty chair, which she assumed was for Blaise. "We weren't aware that you had stayed the night." It was worse than Hermione thought. All the food on the table was originally intended for only the three people that lived in the house.

"Yes," Hermione addressed Carmina tearing her unwilling thoughts away from the freshly made goods. "Blaise showed me my room last night and asked if I wanted to stay. I hope you don't mind." She picked up a freshly made muffin and took a bite. It was better than what she expected, and she had expected heaven in a muffin.

"Not at all dear, I was simply surprised," her stepmother said with a gentle smile. "Although, we would need to get you new clothes; those are wrinkled from your sleep"

Hermione agreed. "I think I'll go home after breakfast to wash up and change. Have you seen Blaise?"

"No, as a matter of fact, I haven't," Carmina said frowning. "I thought he was still sleeping."

"I knocked and he didn't answer."

"Well, there's a possibility he was in there but didn't wake, or he could be outside."

Hermione bit the last of her muffin, stood up, and said, "I think I'll just look for him when I get back. Which should be in about... an hour and a half to two hours?"

"Alright Hermione, we'll see you then." She kiss them both on the cheek before beginning her half-hour drive home. She wouldn't be able to Apparate until her seventeenth birthday in two months. Sighing, she got into her car, twisted the keys, and started for home. To her immense surprise, the visit didn't go nearly as bad was she thought it was going to be. In fact, it went a lot better than she had hoped.

But the Zabinis.

It wasn't as if she had a problem with Carmina or Blaise. On the contrary, she felt the opposite. They were very kind to her and Hermione felt that her father couldn't have found a better bride for himself. She was just unbelievably shocked that her father had found a witch for a fiancee--and a Slytherin no less! Although Blaise wasn't exactly the average, degrading Slytherin.

Hermione smiled fondly thinking of her stepbrother-to-be. He was very soft-spoken though some people might mistake that for being cold and indifferent. Blaise seemed very warm-hearted--for a Slytherin. She wondered what Slytherin qualities Blaise could have possibly possessed.

But then she remembered last night. And his smile. Hermione wouldn't have put it past him to be sly and cunning.

She pulled into the driveway of her mum's house and walked in. Her mother and stepfather were sitting at the kitchen table and looked up at her entrance. Her mother jumped up to give her a hug. When she let go she asked, "How was it?" The subject of her ex-husband was slightly touchy.

"It actually, went a lot better than I thought it was going to," Hermione said truthfully. "They treated me well while I was there and they have a son who's my age."

"Are you gonna go back between now and the wedding," her mother asked seriously. She was unsure whether or not she approved of Hermione being with her father a lot over the summer.

"Well, I just came back to freshen up and change," she admitted. "Then I think I'll head back."

Both her parents looked at her in surprise. Her father was the first one to speak, "alright... if that's the case then you might want to head into the shower now..."

Hermione looked at the clock hanging on her kitchen wall. "Yeah, you're right. I told them about two hours." She sprinted up the stairs to the bathroom missing the looks of uncertainty that her parents exchanged.

An hour and a half later, in the early afternoon, Hermione was already walking through the front door of Carmina's home. She greeted her father and stepmother with kisses and went to look for Blaise. He was sitting at the desk in his room finishing a letter to someone. He walked over to the windowsill where a large grey and black owl was waiting. Blaise tied the letter to the owl's leg and sent it off out the window. Then he turned to the other person in the room.

"Hello, Hermione," he said softly, he smiled.

"Hi, Blaise. I was looking for you this morning where were you?"

He shrugged, "Outside flying."

"Really?" Hermione loved to watch the other students fly and play Quidditch though she didn't want to ride on a broom herself.

"Yeah, you want to come next time?"

"Of course!"

Blaise smiled again. "Alright, but do you mind if I bring a friend?"

"No, of course not! It's your house."

"Well it's yours now too, isn't it."

She laughed, "I guess it is."

A/N ;; Fourth chapter up in one day. Obsessive? I think I might be.

Thanks to October Addums and bcain17for pointing out my constant dyslexia malfunctions with the name "Zabini" one of the main character names, of course.

Review Please!