Alright! Mini Chapter! This obviously isn't the chapter about Bella's abuse. That'll be next chapter, but that should take longer to write so you get this short one to temporarily assuage any want for an update

Disclaimer: I known nothing except my own original ideas and OCs

Chapter 9: The Silver Tongued Slytherin

When Bella and Hermione stepped into their DADA class on Monday morning everyone was already sitting with their project partner. As Bella made her way to handsome Italian fifth year Slytherin she was partnered with, she caught Hannah's eye and silently wished her luck dealing with Pansy,

"Potter," Blaise said with a nod of the head when Bella sat down,

"Zabini," She replied evenly before turning to face Blaise, "If we're going to be working on this project together for the next two to three weeks, you might as well call me Bella, or if it makes feel, I don't less like "I'm consorting with the enemy," you can call be Mirabelle,"

"Blaise,"

"Pardon,"

"I'd like you to call be Blaise. As you said, if we except to do well on this project we may as well try and get along, or at least be civil with each other. I'll call you Mirabelle if you don't mind. I think it suits you better than Bella," Blaise said smoothly causing Bella to raise an eyebrow, "Wonderful, the word suits you better than beautiful,"

"Are you calling me unattractive?" Bella asked slightly put out while pulling out her DADA book and putting it on her desk,

"Not at all, Mirabelle," Blaise replied following Bella's example and pulling out his DADA, "I think are very attractive, wonderful looking even," He continued smoothly. Bella looked at him sharply,

"You were missed named,"

"What?"

"Blaise means to lisp or stammer, but you seem to be a silver tongued devil," Blaise chuckled quietly before asking,

"What would you like to do the project on?"

"I hope you aren't expecting me to do the entire thing," Bella said evenly,

"Au contraire, I have every intent of splitting the work evenly between us. I merely wanted you're ideas first, as I've been told that you excel in this class,"

"Well, since Blanchet didn't give any other instruction other than that the project has to have something to do with Defence Against the Dark Arts, I was thinking that we could do research into the origin of some spells, like the unforgivable, the Bat-Bogey Hex or Petrificus Totalus,"

"See, piccola you certainly know what you are doing,"

"Piccola? What does that mean?" Bella asked curiously,

"It's Italian for little one,"

"Little one? Are you calling me short? Because I'll have you know that I'm 5'4" and that's a perfectly average height!" Blaise chuckled again,

"It was either that or cuore mia, my heart. I thought you would like piccola better," Blaise replied with smile that had Bella blushing and made her heart do summersaults,

"Knock it off Bella!" Bella thought to herself, "You barely even know this guy!"

"Are there any specific spells you'd like to research?" Bella asked the devastatingly handsome Slytherin sitting next to her,

"I think that the unfogivables would be interesting to research. Why would someone invent those types of horrible spells?" Blaise wondered to himself,

"Well that's the point of our project isn't it?" Bella asked with a grin that Blaise returned,

"You and Zabini seemed to be getting all cosy in DADA," Hermione said with a knowing smirk as the two friends walked down to Potions,

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Bella said stiffly. Hermione looked disbelieving,

"Mirabelle Katya Potter, I've been your best friend for five years! If you don't think that I know you by now you are sorely mistaken. Besides, you were blushing,"

"I was not!"

"You were to! Hello Ms Romanova," Hermione said pausing her conversation to say hello to the teacher before turning back to her blue eyed friend, "You're whole face was red, Bells! Did he hit on you," Hermione asked after a brief pause,

"HERMIONE!"

"Fine, fine I'll drop it. But you know were going to be discussing this tonight in the dormitory with Lavender and Parvati, right,"

"Yes, fine! I'd much rather tell you in private than in a hallway where anyone can hear you! I'm completely positive that Ms Romanova heard our entire conversation!" Bella exclaimed,

"Oops,"

"Yeah, oops," Bella replied before walking off to Potions. Potions class went rather well, Gryffindor only lost five points and Hermione spied Blaise looking and smiling at Bella and Bella looking, blushing and smiling at Blaise.

"Oh yeah," Hermione thought with a small smile, "We're certainly going to have a lot to talk about with Lavender and Parvati tonight,"

After Potions, instead of going to lunch with Hermione, Bella went to Professor McGonagall's office,

"Potter, good you're here. Amelia should be here any moment but before you go I want to tell you something. Please sit," Bella sat down in the chair across from McGonagall, "I'm disappointed. Not in you, in myself. I should have seen what was happening to you, we all should have. I'm sorry,"

"It wasn't your fault, Professor," Bella said,

"I know, but that doesn't make it any easier to bear," McGonagall reached across the desk and took Bella's hands, "You are like a granddaughter to me, Bella. You can come to me for anything. If you ever want to talk, which at this point, I suppose is the last thing you want to do, I'll be here. I know you want to pretend that you were never abused, but you can't. Sure chatter about it has died down, but that doesn't mean you or anyone else should forget about it. Those, those, how did the Mr Weasleys put it, ah yes; the walrus, the whale and the horse deserve to be punished for what they did. Your aunt and uncle should and will be put behind bars. Forget everything those people ever told you. You didn't deserve it, you aren't worthless. You are a beautiful girl and an even more wonderful person. Your parents, Lily and James and your biological parents, wherever they are, would be proud of the person you have become," McGonagall swore,

"Thank you," Bella whispered tears forming in her eyes. A few minutes later Amelia flooed into McGonagall's office and she and Bella floo off to meet with Fleur.

Next Chapter deals with the abuse, I pinky promise.

Tell me what you think!