Chapter Nine; Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson.

On the way out of the potions classroom, Harry looked around for Draco, but he must've gone with his friends.

"Harry." Said the low voice of Blaise Zabini behind him.

Okay so maybe Draco had just gone with Parkinson.

Harry turned around with a small smile.

"Blaise." He replied.

He felt happy that he was on a first name basis with Blaise...it made him feel even closer to Draco.

Blaise gave him a small smile and nodded to Ron and Hermione.

"Weasley, Granger." Blaise greeted.

Ron looked at him suspiciously and Hermione nodded back.

"What do you need, Blaise?" Asked Harry.

Blaise ushered him to follow and Harry quickly said he'd meet his friends back at the Great Hall after, before rushing off.

They turned a corner and went into an empty classroom.

As soon as Harry closed the door behind him, Blaise visibly relaxed.

"God!" He said. "Impossible to keep up that façade, it's bloody tiring."

Harry laughed and Blaise smiled openly at Harry.

"I was going to go up to you normally, swear, but Pansy insisted it would 'freak them out' because I was 'as bubbly as bloody Hufflepuff.'" Blaise said and held his hand to Harry who took it.

Blaise shook it firmly.

So this was what Blaise was really like. Harry decided he liked him a lot more.

"Anyway, what I came to say, Harry old bean, was to tell you that me and Draco got a hotel in London that we'll be staying in. So we're going tomorrow instead of Saturday night. Is that okay with you?"

Harry had felt a wonderful feeling of being welcomed when Blaise had called him 'old bean' like they'd been friends for years.

Harry nodded and couldn't help thinking that him and Blaise would have been friends for years if Harry had accepted Draco's hand.

"Yeah, that should be fine. Still meeting at the same time?"

Blaise nodded.

"And, listen, Harry, I want us to be friends. I honestly do. So I'm going to start by saying this-" Blaise started.

Harry felt a ping of well-being and nervousness.

"Bloody good acting back there!" Blaise said and grinned. "Everyone fell for it of course, apart from maybe Granger-she is one if not the smartest witch I know-" He added. "-and me and Pansy didn't fall for it. Otherwise, I reckon everyone did, even Draco."

Harry looked at him, confused.

"Acting? Wha-?"

"In potions of course!" Exclaimed Blaise, still smiling brightly.

But when Harry still looked confused, Blaise softened and said,

"Harry, I know-I think you do too-that you're in love with a certain blond Slytherin git. Oh don't worry-" Blaise added when he saw Harry's stricken face, "like I said, everyone feel for it."

Harry, groaned into his hands.

"What am I going to do, Blaise?"

Blaise just shook his head and chuckled.

"Pansy was right, you are blind." He muttered.

But Harry didn't hear what he said and was confused yet again.

"Why don't you sit with us at dinner? Draco won't be there, he's got some bloody prefect duty again." Blaise asked, beaming.

Harry was startled.

"What-me?"

"Yes you, Harry." Blaise laughed.

"But...why?"

Blaise shrugged.

"We can get to know each other better and Pansy doesn't hate you-and neither do most of the Slytherins for that matter. It'll be fine!"

Harry bit his lip and shrugged.

"I guess it should be okay..."

"Brilliant!" Blaise boomed and they started walking towards the great hall.


"Hey, what's Harry doing?" Ron asked Hermione.

She looked up from her book and saw Harry walking with Blaise Zabini to the Slytherin table, deep in conversation.

Hermione shrugged.

"I expect he's sitting with them."

Ron growled as he saw Harry and Blaise laugh at something.

"I hate him."

"Oh, really, Ron..." Sighed Hermione. "I don't know why you're so surprised, you know as much as I do."

"Know as much as you do about what?" Asked Ron, eyes narrowed.

Hermione rolled hers.

"About Draco and Harry of course."

Hermione had noticed. Of course she had. She had known Harry for over seven years!

Ron sighed, defeated.

"Whatever..." He muttered.


Harry sat down next to Blaise with Pansy sitting on the other side of the table in front of them.

He got a few stares from other Slytherins, but not all of them were hateful.

Most of them were more curious than hateful.

"Pansy, look who I brought." Said Blaise cheerily.

Pansy looked up, a scowl on her face until she noticed Harry.

"Harry!" Pansy said and beamed brightly at him.

"Pansy..." Harry said and nervously smiled.

"Oh, boy, do we have a lot to discuss, darling." She said lazily.

Harry smiled normally now.

Who's of thought that these two people, people he had once hated, be so...welcoming?

"About what?" He asked.

Pansy grinned a little evilly.

"About that bloody git Draco and your love for him, of course." She said and clapped her hands together. "Now, where to begin?"


"But why did you only just realise!" Whined Pansy twenty minutes later.

"I don't know!" Said Harry in a defensive tone.

"You're gonna have to think of a better reason than that if you want to get back before curfew." Said Blaise to Harry as he scooped up a spoonful of chocolate pudding.

"Shut up Blaise..." Harry said and elbowed him in the side causing the boy beside him to almost spill chocolate on his front.

Blaise just chuckled.

"It just...never occurred to me before." Harry continued.

Pansy scoffed.

"Boys." She said darkly.

"It's been very painful for her." Said Blaise.

Harry laughed a little.

"Even bloody Draco doesn't realise!" Pansy said.

"What about Draco?" Asked Harry curiously.

"He doesn't realise that well...you know..." Said Pansy, sharing a look with Blaise.

"Maybe he doesn't realise he 'loves' me because he doesn't actually love me." Said Harry.

Pansy shared a look with Blaise again.

"Maybe," Pansy shrugged. "But I think he's been in love with you for years." She finished firmly.

Harry just wasn't convinced and shook his head slightly.

"I still don't believe it; all these years I spent obsessing over him, and I didn't even realised I-I loved him till two hours ago." Harry said quietly.

It suddenly hit him that he was in love with Draco Malfoy.

Draco. Harry. In love. Well, just Harry.

"Boys." Pansy said again, but it was kinder this time and she gave Harry a small genuine smile.

Harry was once again guiltily reminded what could've been if he had accepted Draco's hand in first year.

Would've he fallen love with Draco just now, or would he just think of them really good friends-like Ron?

Would've he fallen in love faster?

Would've Hermione gone into Ravenclaw?

Harry shook his head.

'Best not to dwell on things you'll never know...' He thought to himself as he took another bite of treacle tart.

"What's this prefect meeting about anyway?" Harry said, swallowing.

Blaise shrugged.

"No idea." He said, chugging down the rest of his pumpkin juice.

"What's he gonna do for dinner?"

"They'll have food there," Blaise answered. "And let me tell you, it's bloody better than what we get as the 'lower status.'" He added.

Harry laughed while Pansy scoffed.

"Lower status..." She muttered.

This only caused Harry to laugh harder because the look of disdain on her face was one he wound never forget.

He then choked on spit and bit of treacle tart so Blaise ended up having to slap him on the back while Pansy laughed in the background, not making any move to help.

When Harry could finally breathe, he quickly grabbed his goblet and started chugging down pumpkin juice while he still could.

Blaise and Pansy were laughing now, really laughing.

Harry realised he had never seen them laugh like that, freely.

Harry grinned.

"Blimey, Harry." Boomed Blaise, clear mirth in his voice.

Harry laughed.

"Sorry." He said and sheepishly took the last bite of treacle tart, chewing it slowly so it didn't kill him.

He swallowed and his face brightened when he didn't choke.

"Shall we go then?" Asked Pansy, still smiling.

Harry and Blaise nodded and they all stood up before heading towards the Great Hall doors.

Harry didn't look over at the Gryffindor table once.


As Harry walked back to the Gryffindor tower, Blaise and Pansy had gone their separate ways to the dungeons, he thought about his day.

It had been a good one.

He'd got to snog Draco, he'd made new friends, and he'd be going to London tomorrow night instead of Saturday.

He smiled to himself and said the password to the portrait before stepping inside the warmly lit common room.

He saw Ron and Hermione straight away and went over to them.

"Hullo." Harry said cheerily as he sat down on a comfy chair by Hermione's.

"Hello, Harry." Said Hermione, smiling a little.

Ron just grunted in response.

"Did you have a nice dinner?" She asked.

Harry nodded and smiled.

"Yeah, it was great! Blaise is actually really funny, he even said you were the smartest witch he knew, Hermione." Harry said.

Hermione beamed.

"Really?"

Ron scoffed, muttering something about being modest.

"Yeah, when he wanted to talk to me."

"What did Zabini want to talk to you about anyway?"

It was Ron this time.

"Nothing important." Harry lied. "Just something about potions." Well, that technically wasn't a lie, was it?

Hermione nodded as if she understood.

Ron scowled at the floor.

"What's the matter with you?" Harry asked, eyebrows furrowed.

"What's the matter with me?" Ron repeated.

Harry nodded.

"Well, first you ditch us for Zabini and Parkinson, don't even look at us the whole time, and then leave with them!" Ron said angrily.

Harry bit his lip guiltily.

"I'm sorry, Ron, I really am, but they're not that bad. Not when you get to know them."

Ron said nothing and glared into the fire.

Harry sighed and said,

"I'm going to bed. Night 'Moine, night Ron."

"Night Harry."Hermione said and, when Ron said nothing, Harry went upstairs to the dorm.

He had been in such a good mood and Ron just had to spoil it.

Harry changed into sleeping clothes and brushed his teeth before climbing into bed, just wanting it to be Friday already.

A/N: There you have it! I hope you don't find Blaise too weird, or just completely random. I got this 'other side' from another fanfiction called Turn (which is really good so please go check it out) and I just liked the idea that Blaise has this crazy, fun, loving and slightly old fashioned side to him that he only shows it to people he's comfortable with. I feel like the war changed him for the better and this was the result, so I added it in. I hope you don't mind it and that you enjoyed this chapter. If you did please review and or favourite, it makes me so happy when I see those in my email. Till next time - Ritz.

Next chapter will be up as soon as possible.