My internet's down so I really have nothing better to do than start the next chapter.
Part of this focuses on Blaise's thoughts and whatnot. It's a little bit confusing, but it will become clearer as the story goes on. I hope.
Chapter 4 – Invincible
Follow through, make your dreams come true
Don't give up the fight, you will be alright
Cos there is no one like you in the universe
Blaise was pacing. He didn't pace often; he never really had something to pace for. He hardly ever let things get to him in such a way that he couldn't concentrate on anything else. Thus the pacing.
He really didn't understand what was going on any more than Ginny did. He dealt with his uncertainties better than she did. It was frustrating, really, how utterly Gryffindoric she could be. In essence, she was just as prejudiced as Death Eaters were towards those of lesser status. Of course, she wasn't prancing about killing people, but that wasn't the point.
Blaise had his fair share of rejection throughout his life, but this was different. He couldn't explain it. Watching her walk away from him towards the castle left him with a slightly hollow feeling that he couldn't place. In all of his other relationships (more like conquests) he had never had these sorts of feelings for the other person. Never this deep.
He knew deep down that he cared about her well-being. He wasn't a monster just because he had been in Slytherin. More than anything he was shallow, but when he cared for something, it was bone deep. His care for Ginny, however, hadn't reached that level, but it was slowly beginning to blossom like a flower.
All his life, people saw him as the son of a Jezebel, leaving him with a preceding reputation. Sometimes he felt that people expected him to go on a killing spree because of his tainted name. People talked about him behind his back, ridiculed him all because of his mother's antics. Of course, since she killed many of her husbands, then it was hereditary: Blaise would become a killer. This left him to be slightly insecure, and he didn't trust easily. The only person he really trusted was Draco.
Despite his insecurities, he always put on front of such charisma and jovialness that it wasn't hard to forget he was Slytherin. The only person who would never forget seemed to be Ginny. And he resented her for it.
Blaise stopped his pacing and tried to put himself in her shoes, but he couldn't seem to do it. He knew deep down that if he didn't show trust towards her then she would never trust him in return, but he didn't want to think about that. He needed somebody else to blame.
And that kiss. He saw true fireworks for the first time, though he did not want to admit it. He felt her melt into his arms, though he kept himself mostly guarded. One could call it testing the waters, and his revelation was a bit disturbing, even for him. Ginny seemed to be ready to be with him physically, but not emotionally. How very strange. He eventually pinned it down to undeniable attraction.
His inexplicable intrigue for her put him in this mess. He didn't know why, but he felt that she was a mystery, and that he was destined to figure it out.
Destiny. Hah. What a farce.
He erased the thought from his mind. Destiny was not something he believed in, not one bit. The fact that no matter what you did, something else entirely was at the end of the road for you made life seem almost not worthwhile. No, destiny was definitely not it.
This whole situation was infuriating to Blaise. He hated being unable to understand things, and he certainly did not understand this. So, in a fit of desperation, he Floo'd Draco to come over and have some real male bonding time.
"Draco's flat!" he shouted into the flames before sticking his head through. When he could see the living area of Draco's rather extravagant apartment, Blaise yelled, "Draco! Get your arse over here!"
The man in question emerged from the bathroom in a haze of steam and aftershave, with a fluffy white towel wrapped securely around his waist. "What in Merlin's name do you need, Blaise?"
"I need to get some advice. And maybe get smashed. Not necessarily in that order, but both need to be done."
Draco rolled his eyes. "Fine, give me a few minutes and I'll be over."
Blaise stepped back into his flat, waiting for Draco's arrival. He sat in one of the armchairs, bouncing his leg nervously. After a few moments, Draco swept out of the fireplace gracefully. In his hand he held a bottle of decades old firewhiskey.
"Now, Blaise, what seems to be the problem?" Draco asked, settling himself on the sofa.
Blaise buried his face in his hands. "Ginny," he mumbled.
"Jenny? Who's Jenny?" Draco looked confused.
Blaise raised his head, rolling his eyes. "Ginny, you imbecile. Ginny Weasley."
"Well there you go, problem solved. She's a Weasley. What am I here for?"
"Draco, just listen." Draco heard the desperation in his friend's voice and nodded for him to continue. "Well, after the reunion a couple weeks ago, I ran into her out on the grounds and asked her out—"
"YOU DID WHAT?! Are you bloody insane? What possessed you to do such a thing?" Draco raged on.
Blaise held up a hand. "That's beside the point. Anyway, we went out to Hogsmeade, and then the other day I asked her over for dinner."
"Well, besides the fact that you're familiarizing with the she-weasel, I fail to see a problem," Draco responded.
"I don't know what it is. She just got all closed off and refused to see past the fact that I was once a Slytherin. She thinks I'm playing her," Blaise mumbled, hiding his face again.
"Are you?" Draco asked seriously.
"No," Blaise answered immediately. "I'm not. But she's being infuriating and stubborn and—"
"A complete Gryffindor," Draco supplemented.
"Exactly! And it's really grating on my nerves." Blaise got up again and started pacing.
"Honestly, Blaise, what did you expect? Have you met her brother?" Draco still did not understand why his best friend was doing what he was doing.
Blaise ignored him. "Do you know what really aggravates me?"
Draco sighed in exasperation. "What, Blaise?"
"I told her about the program," he said quietly.
Draco cleared his throat. "Everything?" he muttered.
"Everything."
"Well, that is aggravating, I suppose," he replied, scratching his head. Despite his ravings, Draco knew that the youngest Weasley almost always gave people the benefit of the doubt. He couldn't seem to wrap his head around this any more than Blaise could. "Here's what you do," he began, making it up as he went along. "Write her a letter. Apologize, but not in so many words, you know? Ask to see her again, except make it a double date."
"Yeah, sounds great and all, but who's going to go on the date with us?" Blaise asked.
Draco smirked. "Tell her to bring some hot chick."
Blaise laughed. "You are unbelievable, you know that?" he said, shaking his head. "So…I'm going to go write that letter. You can stay if you want."
Draco shook his head. "Nah, I've got to get going. Let me know when the date is," he said, his voice smug.
"Sure thing, Draco," Blaise replied. "And…thanks. I appreciate it."
Draco nodded at him once before exiting the flat through the fireplace, glad he didn't need to use his best whiskey to calm Blaise down.
Ginny-
How are you? I hope you are doing well with school and everything.
I would like to see you again. I think it would be nice to resolve our differences over lunch this Saturday at Hogsmeade.
Draco will be joining us and he has requested that you bring a friend for him to entertain.
-Blaise
Ginny didn't know what to make of the letter. She set it aside, next to her breakfast plate. The tone of the letter was guarded, that much she knew. Sighing, she decided it best to discuss the letter with Roxy before making any definitive response. It was evident that the whole situation was discussed with Draco, so she should be able to clue Roxy in on the problem.
"Roxy," Ginny approached her in the library that Thursday. "Look at this. Tell me what you think," she said, handing her the letter.
Roxy's keen eyes scanned over the letter. "Well," she said, putting it down and grinning slyly. "I am definitely serving as the subject of Malfoy's entertainment." She winked.
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Maybe I should start from the beginning…" she said, going on to tell Roxy, finally, about the mini spat between her and Blaise.
Roxy nodded in understanding. "Is that why you've been so bloody tense this week? Honestly I thought lightning bolts were going to shoot out your eyes," she said, sighing in relief. Roxy's eyes lit up. "So can I go?"
Ginny laughed. "Yes, you can go. But first, you need to give me some of that fabulous advice you keep locked up inside your head."
Roxy tapped her chin, pondering. "Well, and I know this isn't what I'd usually say, but you guys did seem to rush into things. Especially with your conflicting backgrounds, this was bound to happen. At least it was sooner rather than later," she shrugged.
"Wow, Roxy. That was probably the most sensible thing you've ever said," Ginny nodded in approval, before slumping forward on the table. "You're right, though," she said, more to the table than anything. "We rushed it way too much." She lifted her head. "It must've been the attraction, I guess. I mean, he knew that I was attracted to him, but what about him? Huh." Her face took on a confused, yet slightly despairing, look.
Roxy huffed in annoyance. "Oh, c'mon, Gin. You know that you're totally hot!"
Ginny's eyes widened. "Jeez, thanks for practically yelling it in the library. Honestly," she shook her head. "Roxy, you really need to control yourself around me. I know you totally want me and all, and if I was like that," she began to twirl a lock of Roxy's hair, "then I would totally want you, too," she whispered.
"Oh, no. No, no, no," Roxy groaned, covering her face. She began mumbling something that sounded like 'must block mental images.'
Ginny began laughing again. "Roxy, you need to get over yourself. Stop being such an easy target."
"Well maybe if my best friend wasn't such a bloody tease."
"I know, darling, but it's why you love me," Ginny grinned cheekily.
Friday night found Ginny and Roxy throwing clothes all over the Head Girl dormitory. They were looking for something adequate to wear for the double date with the two gorgeous boys.
"Honestly, Roxy, I don't know what you see in him. Malfoy?" Ginny shuddered.
"Gin, that's because you go for the tall, dark, handsome types. I go for the tall, light, and sexy ones. I mean, you saw him at the reunion. He's grown up, hasn't he?"
Ginny thought about it. She saw Malfoy for about two seconds in which he was degrading her as usual. Nevertheless, she relented. "I suppose he's looking better. Not as pinched and pointy," she wrinkled her nose.
Roxy smiled. "Tomorrow should definitely be very interesting."
Roxy was, once again, jumping up and down. "So where are we meeting them?"
Ginny looked over the letter Blaise had sent her for about the thousandth time. "I told you, he didn't say. I'm sure we'll find them."
They walked along the streets of the old wizarding village, looking for the two men.
Ginny looked ahead to her left before saying, "Found them, Roxy."
"What, where?"
"Okay, you see that blinding orb of light over by that café?" she asked, pointing.
Roxy nodded, "yeah…so?"
"That's Malfoy's head," Ginny said, laughing.
Roxy rolled her eyes before dragging Ginny along to where Blaise and Draco were waiting. As they approached, they could hear Draco complaining.
"Of course they're late. Why shouldn't they be? I mean, she's nothing but a stupid little weasel."
Ginny fumed and snuck up behind Draco before kicking him in the back of the knee, causing him to lose his balance.
"Oh, dear me!" Ginny began. "I must've tripped," she glared at him.
Draco sneered at her, about to begin an insult, when Blaise cut him off. "Okay, now that we're all here, let's sit down!"
Blaise and Ginny sat opposite Draco and Roxy, before a waiter brought over their menus. Ginny was somewhat pleased, somewhat disturbed, to note that Roxy and Draco were engaging in small talk. She turned to Blaise to find that he was watching her. Gazing into his eyes, his diamonds, she saw the confusion and the hesitance. Ginny broke the eye contact.
Taking a deep breath, she muttered, "I'm sorry." It was barely loud enough for him to hear.
"I just-" he began. "I just don't understand why you're so afraid of me. I can't be that bad," he grinned, and she knew almost all was forgiven.
Ginny laughed weakly. "Blaise, we were brought up in two completely different households. In no way am I comparing them, but it's just part of my upbringing. My family is very…righteous and wholesome. I don't imagine that your family is like that," she said quietly.
"You're right, it's not." He looked down, before looking into her eyes again. "But will you give me another chance?"
"I think I should be the one to ask you that question."
"Well, then, I accept," he smirked.
"On one condition."
"Name it."
"I want to start new. Take things slower, yeah?"
He nodded. "Of course."
She smiled. "I'm glad," she stated before grabbing his hand underneath the table.
Eight iced teas, four sandwiches, and two brownie sundaes later, the group was found leaving the café and making their way back into the bustling streets of Hogsmeade.
Haha I totally said it would be up in a few days but it must've…slipped my mind? Sure.
So I'm in a right state because I have this huge plot bunny running around my head but I couldn't possibly start another story. Must resist.
Title and lyrics from Muse's Invincible.
Reviews are appreciated, as always :D