an: So much love to you all!

Chapter Nine

If he were a betting wizard, Blaise Zabini would place ten galleons on the fact that Draco Malfoy was hiding something. As the first month of the new term winded down, he started to notice the oddest behavior coming from his dormmate. Not only had Draco picked up late night study sessions with Hermione Granger (his grades had never been an issue before), but little things started to alert Blaise that something more peculiar was afoot.

His first clue came during the first Gryffindor-Slytherin Quidditch match of the season. Even though Draco supported his team from the stands, it was after Gryffindor defeated Slytherin that Blaise caught sight of Gryffindor's newly-minted captain, Harry Potter, sharing a word with Draco.

Still a mess in his Quidditch gear and sweaty from the long game, Potter and Draco shared a few words. It wasn't the sight of the school rivals talking to each other that alarmed Blaise, for there had been plenty of taunting on both sides from the Seekers over the years. No, it was the fact that no words of malice had been exchanged. In fact, their tone could almost be described as … good-natured. But any conversation was kept short and the two parted before Blaise could take further notice.

Even though Draco was not playing on Slytherin's team this year, he waited for Blaise and the other players outside of the dressing tents after that first match. The two friends quickly met up and walked back towards the castle in comfortable silence. Curiosity got the best of Blaise, but true to his house, he did not come right out and ask what was on his mind.

"We might have won that one if you were playing Seeker. I swear, Harper has the reflexes of a mountain troll! I still don't understand why you're not playing this year," Blaise lamented.

Draco snorted. "I told you, I don't have the time to this year." He shoved his hands inside his pockets. "Harper'll come through, you'll see."

Blaise gave Draco a sideways glance. "Harper isn't a match for Potter." At the mention of Gryffindor's Seeker, Blaise caught it: the slight facial tick was quick and minute, but telling.

Keeping in beat, Draco responded with a sly smile. "No one is Saint Potter."

But Blaise caught the giveaway for what it was. "You and Potter are awfully chummy nowadays," he mused slowly. At Draco's affronted look, Blaise amended his earlier statement. "I mean, more so than usual. Usually after a Slytherin loss, you berate Potter's heritage, threaten him, and go sulk in the Common room for days," Blaise finished. He kept his eyes on the path ahead, but every now and again, shifted to gauge Draco's response.

The blond shrugged casually. "I was in a jovial mood. What your prying eyes could not deduce was that I happened to win a bet."

"A bet? On the Slytherin-Gryffindor match!?" Blaise was vexed. "Did you bet against our house-"

Draco cut Blaise off before he could finish, clearly insulted. "Never! The terms and conditions of my wager are for my knowledge only, but suffice it to say, I will be collecting on it."

"Collecting on a bet? With Potter?" Blaise repeated, not because he did not understand, but because he wanted to make clear what Draco was admitting to.

"Yes," Draco replied, as simply as informing him grass was green in the summer.

Shortly after that conversation, Blaise kept a wary eye on the mercurial blond as a cloud of suspicion began to surround his best friend over the following weeks. They were days when the blond would come back to their dorm, clearly upset and frustrated at something. Those nights, Blaise would wisely stay away from Draco while he worked through his frustrations. However, this was nothing new. Over the years, Blaise had grown well-accustomed to his dorm mate's famous surly moods when things did not go his way. But even Blaise had to admit that this was more than Draco's usual sulking. After Halloween had past, a new level of urgency seem to accompany Draco's brooding. Exhausted of Draco pacing the length of their common room late one night, Blaise set down his book on Advanced Potions and gave in, exasperated.

"Just what the hell is it now? I swear, Malfoy, if this is over some bird, then-"

Draco paused and shook his head as if to clear his runaway thoughts. "What? No! This not over 'some bird'," he rebuffed.

"Then for bloody sakes, what is it?! I'm afraid your poor dragonhide boots won't survive the night." Blaise lifted his chin towards his friend's footwear, before muttering under his breath, "Not that you don't have twenty pairs of the exact shoe in your wardrobe."

Draco narrowed his eyes at his friend's quip, but nonetheless, sat down in an armchair across the room. "I have this … task," he started wearily. In the span it took Draco to finish his sentence, Blaise marveled at how quickly a bone-deep weariness seemed to sink into Draco's frame. His friend was ever reluctant to show true emotion, and that he was allowing Blaise to witness such a moment spoke volumes. Draco slouched into the chair as a faraway look seemed to cloud his eyes.

"What task?" Blaise leaned forward, his interest peaked.

Draco did not answer him as he looked caught in his own world. Blaise watched as Draco angled his head in question. Draco's eyes narrowed as if he were holding conversation within his own head, before his lips pressed into a firm line.

Long moments passed before Draco shook his head and answered. His eyes focused on Blaise' questioning ones. "Something I have to do," was all he gave cryptically.

Blaise sharply shook his head. "Nuh-uh. Not good enough. You're clearly worried about 'this task' and then all of sudden; it's just 'something I have to do'. What is it?" he pressed.

Draco's eyes hardened, and the previous weariness that gripped his frame retreated back to wherever Draco tucked away his feelings. "It's none of your business, Zabini." He pushed out of the chair and quickly disappeared towards the dorms, leaving a slightly confused and even more determined Blaise in his wake.

The size of his internal wager grew larger by the moment.

The two friends did not speak much over the next few days. In fact, it was not until Blaise mentioned during a morning meal at the Slytherin table that he was attending one of Slug's parties that night with Potter and Granger that Draco addressed him for the first time.

"You're actually going?" Draco asked. "I thought after the initial luncheon, you decided it wasn't for you?"

Blaise shrugged. "Changed my mind."

Draco frowned. "I didn't get an invitation, neither did Theo or Pansy." Both Theodore Nott and Pansy Parkinson nodded in agreement.

Again, Blaise shrugged. "Old Slug's got a thing against Death Eaters," he bit into a pastry as those around him silently fumed. "Sorry," he replied, not the least bit apologetic.

Beside him, Daphne Greengrass nudged him in the ribs. "Blaise!"

Blaise shot his ex-girlfriend an injured look before winking at her. He had to admit his ex was still as adorably attractive as when they dated over the summer between fourth and fifth year. Her strawberry-blonde hair now reached her lower back, and she had exchanged her wire-framed glasses for a more sophisticated pair. Daphne smiled back in secret before turning towards her books situated neatly beside her morning coffee.

Blaise answered his friends' unspoken question, "Look, at least I get to sit among interesting company for the evening while you bores complain all night back in the common room. I hear McLaggen's got a thing for Granger now. That should be interesting to watch, especially since her boy-wonder, Potter, is going to be there."

Pansy's eyes widened comically and Blaise bit back the urge to roll his eyes as she soaked up the newest piece of gossip. "Cormac McLaggen's fancies the mudblood Granger?! You cannot be serious!"

Even though Blaise confirmed to Pansy that Cormac did indeed fancy Granger, it was Draco's reaction that caught his eye the most. His friend had completely stopped chewing his breakfast and looked as if he was working his jaw around a mouthful of rocks. Color crept up Draco's neck as he poked his tongue in his cheek and swallowed.

Draco took a swig from his goblet before speaking again, as the color slowly receded from his neck, though it was still visible to Blaise' perceptive eye. "The louse McLaggen? Has he worked his way through all of Gryffindor already?" Draco quipped. Blaise had to give Draco credit for trying to push nonchalance into his words, but his friend was slipping.

"Apparently," Blaise gave back, raising a brow. "Couldn't keep his eyes off her since the beginning of the year, from what I hear."

"Huh. Is that so?" Draco questioned.

"Cormac is too good for the likes of her," Pansy spat as she turned calf eyes towards the tall blond sitting across the room. She quickly straightened her back as she wrapped an arm around her ex-boyfriend, leaning her head onto his shoulder. "But he still doesn't compare to you, Drakie."

Draco pulled his arm out of her grasp. "You're embarrassing yourself, Parkinson." Chuckles could be heard down the table as Draco stood from the bench. "I'll catch you guys later." Grabbing his satchel, Draco left with the excuse of getting to classes, although Blaise had a sneaking suspicion that he was not heading towards morning classes just yet.

Making a lame excuse about forgetting something back in the dorm, Blaise left a minute after Draco and traversed down a corridor he thought his friend had taken. After Blaise made a second right with still no blond head in sight, he almost gave up, but stopped short as he came across exactly who he was looking for.

Blaise jumped around the corner, so sure he had been caught, but when no shouts of alarm came forth, he pushed his head around the corner. A smug smile grew at the sight.

There, just twenty paces down the corridor, stood Draco. The hand that held the Malfoy family ring was placed firmly on the wall right above the head of one Hermione Granger. From the fierce, rigid lines of his back, he looked to be holding in a barely contained rage as his jaw worked in short movements. Blaise could not tell what Draco was saying from his vantage point, but their body language said more that their mouths ever could.

Draco stood foreboding in Granger's personal space, blocking her escape. His body all but pushed her's against the wall as flushed stains swept up her neck and face. Granger, who was just as livid at whatever Draco was saying to her, jabbed her finger straight into Draco's chest, her finger emphasizing her response. There was no fury to throw him off of her, no surprise from her touching him. No wands were drawn at each other or jinxes thrown.

After the tense moment passed, Draco's free hand came up to grab the hand that was stabbing into his chest. His hand enclosed around her smaller one, effectively stopping her assault. Blaise watched their combined anger wane as Draco's head dropped to her neck. Whatever he was saying to Granger's ear had her eyes widening briefly. As Draco pulled back, she turned her head towards his and whispered something that instantly had the hard lines of fury softening. The ready-to-attack stance of Draco's body relaxed before Blaise's eyes.

Blaise watched the intimate moment, enthralled as Draco let go of Granger's fingers and used his free hand to trace a finger across her cheek. He lifted her chin before slowly lowering his head to hers, the hand on the wall straining to grip the smooth surface. Her eyes closed and by the time their lips met, Blaise whirled around the corner, his heart pounding wildly. What the fuck?!

Leaning his head against the cool wall, Blaise struggled to process what he had just saw. Draco and Granger were … they had just … and all of sudden, the clues that had presented themselves at breakfast were so apparent now. Of course! Why did he not see this before? Was Draco Malfoy was actually jealous? But more importantly, when in the hell had Granger and Draco become so close? The new school term was not even a quarter of the way in.

Knowing he had something to hang over his mate's head, Blaise spent the rest of his day smug as he quickly plotted out the best way to reveal this to Draco. While taking notes during Charms, he actually had the gall to catch Draco's eyes and wiggle his eyebrows. The blond just looked at him like he was crazy before returning back to his work. Blaise laughed out loud in response, which he promptly regretted as it cost Slytherin House points. By time he caught Draco's eyes again, the blond was even further agitated.

Advanced Potions after lunch proved to be not as entertaining as Blaise initially thought it would be. Both Gryffindor and Slytherin had class together, and Slughorn's lecture on brewing Veritaserum could not stop the real action going on between the aisles. McLaggen had taken to following Granger around, asking her mundane questions about proper brewing cycles. Potter, her bodyguard, kept an eye on the bloke, but said little as he returned to his worn copy of Advanced Potions. As Granger and McLaggen settled in as lab partners, Weasley seemed to be more interested in that Brown bint than whatever Granger was up to.

But it was Draco's posture that held his interest. His friend had not paid attention to anything Slughorn had said. Oh, he carried an air of aloofness and pretended not to care, but the stiff lines he displayed in the hallway crept back into his features as he glanced over to Granger and McLaggen. McLaggen was not daring enough to touch Granger in class, but every smile he threw her way, sent Draco's mouth into a deeper frown.

Draco's hand started to crush the quill under his mounting anger and before he could actually snap it, Blaise leaned over to Draco. "Are you okay, mate?"

Draco blinked steely grey's, slow to acknowledge him. "What?"

"You're making a scene," Blaise whispered conspiratorially, careful that his housemates did not overhear.

Disbelievingly, Draco replied, "No, I'm not."

Blaise looked vaguely around the room. "Look, I get that you and …" he lowered his voice even further, "… a certain know-it-all … want to keep things under wraps, but making a scene in class is the first step in doing the exact opposite."

That seemed to do the trick as Draco redirected his gaze from the pair and swung narrowed eyes at him. All the anger Draco currently reserved for McLaggen was thrown upon Blaise fully. "You and me. We're talking after class," he remarked coldly, the threat received. Even though the icy tone had startled Blaise a bit, he did exactly what he had intended to do. Now aware of his unchecked anger, Draco tampered it down for the rest of the afternoon. Blaise did not miss the accusing glances Granger and Potter seemed to throw his way for the duration of the class. He suddenly grew paranoid that they could hear exactly what he had said to Draco, despite that Daphne and Pansy next to him could not.

After class dismissed, everyone filed out while he and Draco took their time gathering their things. Blaise caught the not-so-subtle glance Draco gave Granger as she and Potter moved towards the exit. Potter had to actually pull her away, as she seemed hesitant to leave. Then, it was just the two of them left in the classroom. As they walked into the emptying hall, Draco looked once down the hallway before turning icy grey eyes back to him.

"Alright, Zabini, spill it." Draco grabbed his cloak in a fist.

Blaise pushed Draco's hands off of his cloak. "First, take your hands off of me. I'm not some lackey you can order around." The warning in his voice was clear. "And second, you and Granger should be more mindful of where you two decide to get cozy. The middle of an empty hallway, mate?" His voice was incredulous. "Draco, the entire school could have known by dinner. You're lucky it was me who saw you and not one of the Patil twins!"

Draco pinched his nose in regret, his eyes closing before stepping away from him. "Well, I take it you're not one of the Patil twins, then?"

"If you mean am I going to go gossip across the school, then no. But seriously?! You and Granger? Does your-"

Draco cut off his inevitable question with a warning of his own. "No one knows about this! And that's the way it's going to stay, are we clear?"

Blaise reluctantly nodded, a frown on his face. "Crystal. But I don't know how you plan to 'keep this secret' if McLaggen keeps trying to court Granger. If it was me …" His sentence fell off abruptly as Blaise drew his arms about himself. Despite his wool cloak firmly in place, the very air had dropped twenty degrees. It felt as if the Arctic Circle had just opened up in the dungeon hallway. He knew it was cold in Hogwarts' dungeons, but the very air felt made of ice. "Salazar's rod, did it just get cold in here, or is it me?" Blaise wondered aloud. As he voiced the question, the air returned to a comfortable cool that was typical for the dungeons. The entire experience was disconcerting.

Draco sighed. "Look, you're going to Slug's dinner party tonight, right?" Blaise nodded. "Just … just keep an eye on her for me, yeah?"

"And what exactly are you two doing here?" he mused to his longtime friend. "Have you thought this thing through? Is this some sort of fling? Some forbidden fantasy you want to fulfill?" Questions poured from his brain at rapid speed. Something told him Draco had been hiding something. He just didn't know that this 'something' had the potential to the blow lid off a very unstable cauldron. Too many moving pieces told him that a war was coming, and sides were quickly being drawn with each passing day. While he wasn't sure of his place in all of this yet, he knew Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger were squarely on opposite sides of the fence. Surely, his friend knew this already.

"Fuck, Blaise! I don't have all answers right now, and the ones I do have the answer to, I can't share them with you! Just do this for me as a favor, alright?"

That was news to Blaise and he filed that information away from later use. But knowing he was unlikely to get answers at this moment, Blaise reluctantly agreed. As they walked towards the Great Hall for study hall, Blaise asked quietly, "Does she know, Draco?"

Resigned, Draco responded with his own question, "Know what, Blaise?"

A roll of the eyes. "The extent of your feelings, you twit."

There was a pregnant pause before Draco answered, "No."

Blaise nodded his head as he took this in. Great. He was going to stick his neck out there for his friend's fling. And said fling had no clue how he really felt about her. Just great. The two walked towards the entrance where other students were already beginning to file in. Blaise had one last parting shot before they joined their fellow Slytherins, "You owe me, Malfoy. Big time."

Blaise had to give it old Slughorn; he really knew how to throw a party. As he sat around the table, he took in the other distinguished guests. Besides himself, also in attendance were Hermione Granger, Cormac McLaggen, Ginny Weasley, and Melinda Bobbin. Blaise had learned early in the evening that Harry Potter had declined to join the party tonight as not to hurt Ronald Weasley's feelings from being left out. Bloody Gryffindors and their sensitivities. Conversation around the table was light as everyone explained a little about their family background while Slughorn pressed here and there for further details.

As dinner concluded, the group broke into side conversations. Blaise milled about the room picking up interesting tidbits of information. While McLaggen and Slughorn discussed Cormac's family business and connections, Blaise overheard part of a conversation between Granger and the Weaselette. It seemed the youngest Weasley was cross at Potter's blatant ignoring of her person as she sought advice from Granger on what to do about it.

"Ginny, I'm sure Harry is dealing with a lot at the moment," Granger replied, hesitantly. "You know … with everything going on."

"But it's changing who he is! I mean, he's completely ignoring Ron. Outside of Quidditch practice, they hardly speak. I can never get a second alone with him!" Ginny complained.

Granger's exasperation bled through. "He's still your friend, Ginny. With Ron, things are still sore because of -"

The Weaselette cut her off. "Yeah, I know… him. I still can't believe the Order let him in. And that you and Harry took his side." The red head crossed her arms, waiting for what she assumed would be an explanation.

Granger crossed her arms as well, her stance set. "I've explained myself once. I don't see a reason to any further." Granger ended the conversation and left a fuming red head in her wake. It looked like all was not well in Gryffindor House and something was fracturing the Golden Trio.

Blaise watched as Granger walked, more like marched, towards the refreshments table, before she was intercepted by McLaggen. The curly-headed blond was trying to appease her mood with some poorly recited poetry. Blaise gagged to himself, thinking Granger would never purposely fall for such a poor attempt. To his surprise, she laughed with him and the two chatted amicably for a moment.

Perhaps, Granger could not see it: the well-placed touches on her arm, the soft smiles, or the lingering hand staying a second longer than needed, but McLaggen was going all-in. Just then, another thought crossed Blaise's mind. And even though it might not have warranted any merit, perhaps it was worth looking into. Perhaps, he had this wrong. Perhaps, Granger did not care about Draco and was using him? Maybe she was the one in for a short fling? Blaise could not put it past her. Even though he knew she was studious and mainly kept to herself when she wasn't hanging with Potter and Weasley, he knew it was always the 'quiet' ones one had to watch out for.

The longer he thought on it while he watched the pair, the more the idea festered. All his mind could focus on was the scene from earlier as Draco hovered over Granger in that empty hallway. Blaise had never been privy to intimate moments between Draco or any of the witches he had courted. The blond wizard was more about using them in a physical sense, than actual courting. Feelings were trifle things the Malfoy heir chose not to deal with, he had told him often. But the amount of jealously displayed at the mention of McLaggen's growing interest, the plea for him to keep an eye on Granger, and the uncertainty his friend had uncharacteristically displayed earlier led Blaise to believe that maybe this was jmore than some 'fling', even if Draco could not vocalize it himself.

Restrained anger gripped him and he interrupted the two chatting about some bloke named 'Shakespeare'. Blaise politely nodded at the two and directed his question at the surprised witch, "Granger, can I have a word with you?"

She hesitated, but replied, "Uh … sure." McLaggen stood there, oblivious to their need for privacy. It was not until Blaise cleared his throat and suggested they move near the patio that he got the point. Once they were away from prying ears, but still within sight of the party, Blaise began.

"I'm surprised Potter isn't here tonight."

Granger nervously twisted her frosted goblet in her hand. "I'm afraid he declined tonight. He may join us next time though." Her eyes regarded him before continuing, "But I find it hard to be believe that you are actually missing his presence."

Blaise snorted. "Hardly. Seeing Slughorn drool over Potter's masterful work in Potions is enough, thank you. Although, I may have tried to get him drunk enough to spill what Quidditch plays Gryffindor is planning, but like you said, maybe next time."

"So, then you needed something else from me?"

Blaise eyed her meaningfully. "McLaggen." He threw his head over his shoulder. "He fancies you, you know."

Hermione laughed outright and shook her head. "Oh please, he speaks like that to every witch in sixth year." However, her cheeks bloomed with heat and Blaise could not help but notice how more attractive she looked because of it.

Doubling down for his friend, Blaise pressed, "I think you're smarter than that. Come on, you had to have seen the way he looks at you."

"And even if that is true, why is it of any concern of yours?"

Why was it indeed? Thinking quickly, he answered, "Well … I just … I recognize the pursuit, is all I'm saying. Just a friendly warning, Granger," Blaise finished, hoping she received the point. He did not want to let on that he knew about her and Draco just yet. He was doing this for his friend, he reminded himself.

Her brow jumped at the term 'friendly'. Smiling awkwardly, she replied, "Right … Thanks. It's getting late. I think I'll head back to my rooms now."

"I'll escort you to the stairs."

Granger eyed him suspiciously, but nevertheless, allowed him to walk beside her as they made their way outside of Slughorn's quarters. The hallway was dimly lit, but they could see Draco as he emerged from behind a column. Granger shifted beside him. Her anxiety was palpable across the air.

"Malfoy?" she asked, surprise coloring her voice.

"Granger," Draco gave by way of a greeting. His gaze seemed to sweep the length of her, as if he were making sure she was alright.

Sensing his presence was no longer needed, Blaise excused himself, though neither one had the audacity to acknowledge his departure. Their gazes only held room for the other. As he walked passed Draco, Blaise whispered lowly, "You're welcome."

The last thing Blaise saw over his shoulder before turning down the corridor was Draco pulling a complacent Granger eagerly into an empty classroom. The soft click of a door closing behind him informed Blaise that Draco was not about make the same mistake twice.