I'm sorry; I'm not a very good author, am I? I keep making you wait…maybe I'll stick to one-shots from now on…

Anyway, I'm very sure that you won't find another chapter in the world as sappy as this one, but I really, really wanted to write Blaise and Hermione's first date, so here it is!

Please review!!

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Christmas day at the Weasleys' was pretty much the same as Christmas Eve. Everyone ate a lot, Mrs. Weasley force fed the guests saying it was for their own good and all the food the twins passed around was checked for spells before it was consumed. Then, after lunch, everyone waddled into the living room and collapsed onto the carpet and the sofas, groaning in contentment and occasionally dozing off. Draco sat on the sofa nearest to the big window looking out into the garden with Harry's head in his lap, looking at the softly falling snow as he stroked Harry's hair. He still seemed to be a little nervous, cautious, as if he feared they would all change their minds about him suddenly. The others planned to rid him of that silly notion soon. Once an honorary Weasley, always an honorary Weasley.

Hermione came at around teatime, laughing as she came upon the entire Weasley clan sprawled across the living room. She nudged Ron who was snoring near the fire and bent down to give Ginny a hug before she looked around for Draco and Harry. Seeing them near the window, she smiled softly before she went to help Mrs. Weasley with the tea.

"Well, looks like it was another good Christmas lunch."

Mrs. Weasley laughed as she poked the kettle with her wand.

"Oh yes, you missed quite the feast, if I may say so. We missed you. Especially Ron."

"The twins tricked him again?"

"As usual."

Hermione chuckled and shook her head.

"Every time. Every single time…"

"Well, I suppose we can only hope that he'll remember next time. How was your lunch, love?"

"Oh, it was wonderful. It was lovely to sit and eat with Mum and Dad again. It's been so long and I've been so busy lately…"

Mrs. Weasley nodded, as if confirming something.

"Yes, I've wanted to speak to you about that…"

Hermione looked at her warily. If she was the cleverest witch of her age, Mrs. Weasley was the sharpest one of hers.

"You know, now Ron's busy with the shop, and Harry's got Draco…I was thinking…don't you think it's time you found someone for yourself?"

Hermione groaned.

"Mrs. Weasley…"

"I know, I know, you've got your work, but Hermione, love, it isn't good to be working so much at your age, you know. You're young; you should be enjoying your life while you can."

"Are you mothers part of some conspiracy? Because I had this exact conversation with my mother today."

"We both care about you, darling."

"Then I'll tell you the same thing I told her. I am enjoying my life. And, even if I wasn't, I wouldn't need a man to enjoy myself. I'm fine on my own."

"Even so…"

"And anyway, it's not like I'm alone…"

She trailed away, blushing faintly.

Mrs. Weasley looked at her from the corner of her eye and smiled.

"Oh? Is there something you want to tell me, Hermione?"

Hermione looked up.

"Uh, no, nothing. Um, Mrs. Weasley, I might have to leave early today, I'm…meeting someone for dinner."

She picked up the heavily laden tray and walked into the living room. Mrs. Weasley followed, laughing to herself as she heard her family greet the arrival of the tea tray with intermingled shouts of joy and complaints of still being too full.

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After a prolonged tea, Hermione took her leave, blushing slightly as she met Harry's knowing eyes and Draco's knowing smirk. Ron just rolled his eyes and shook his head. And Mrs. Weasley, on observing this little drama, immediately pounced on the three boys after Hermione's departure, and began interrogating them, much to the amusement of the rest of the living room.

"You know who she's going to meet, don't you, Ron?"

Ron snorted.

"If it's who I think it is, then I'm not sure I really want to talk about it."

Draco looked a little affronted.

"Why not?"

Harry shook his head.

"Ron, he's really not that bad. He's like a more obnoxious version of you, actually."

Draco turned to glare at Harry.

"He's not obnoxious. And I think you've got that backwards, actually."

Harry considered that for a while.

"Well…how about we say that they're equally obnoxious?"

Draco rolled his eyes.

"He isn't obnoxious. You just don't know him as well as I do. He's a good person. He just…he's guarded."

Ron narrowed his eyes.

"Guarded how, exactly?"

"He's not the sort to show how he feels all the time."

"A true blue Slytherin, then."

Draco shrugged.

"I suppose you could say that. It's a very useful defense mechanism, actually."

George decided to interrupt at this point. He cleared his throat and the three boys looked up to see the others looking at them intently, Mrs. Weasley beginning to signs of annoyance on her face.

"I don't suppose it would hurt you to just tell us who you're talking about?"

Ron snorted and rolled his eyes again.

Draco ignored him and turned to the others.

"My friend, Blaise, Blaise Zabini-he defected with me-he…likes Hermione…and apparently, Hermione's beginning to like him back a bit."

Mrs. Weasley thought back for a moment.

"Blaise Zabini? You mean the tall one who was always with you? The one who was always smiling…"

"Yeah, that's him. He's really liked Hermione since a little before the war actually started."

"Hmm…he seemed liked a nice boy. He was very polite."

"He was very charming." Ginny put in, grinning.

Ron groaned.

"Don't you start as well…"

The twins grinned.

"Aww, is wittle Wonny feeling left out?"

"Don't worry, Ron, you'll find someone too…"

"Though she'll have to be blind if she accepts you with a face like that…"

"Or manners like that…"

"Or a fashion sense like that…"

His other siblings joined in.

"That's a tall order, don't you think?"

"Yes, if she's got to have the patience of a saint…"

"It might be a little difficult…"

"Not too many girls out there who are that patient…"

"I certainly don't know any…"

"And you know enough girls, don't you, Charlie?"

"Probably enough to cover Ron's share…"

"Yeah, maybe I do…"

"That's Ron accounted for, then."

"Wait, that means there aren't any girls left for him!"

"Why…it does, doesn't it? Well, I'm terribly sorry Ron…"

"Yes, better luck next time, Ron…"

"Don't worry; you can keep Mum and Dad company in their old age…"

The exchange was interrupted by Ron jumping onto the brother closest to him and trying to beat the pulp out of him, only to have the other five pile on top of them both. They all got off just as quickly when Ron threatened to throw up all over whoever was jabbing his stomach.

On the sofa, Harry rolled around wiping tears out of his eyes while clutching his stomach and the senior Weasleys looked at their brood in fond exasperation. Draco looked at them all, a little shell shocked. Then he smiled. He found he didn't mind getting used to this.

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"You owe me big."

"I owe you big."

"You owe me bigger than big."

"I owe you bigger than big."

"You will probably owe me for the rest of your life."

"Don't push it."

Ceci frowned at Blaise, who was looking anxiously into the mirror in her apartment, holding up three different shirts in front of him.

"What are you so nervous about, anyway? I thought you said she was beginning to like you back. And anyway, haven't you already had lunch with her for the whole of this last month?"

"This is different! This is a planned date! She's going to expect a date-like atmosphere, not some guy interrupting her lunchtime! I knew I shouldn't have gone that often…and anyway, she isn't just some girl! She's Hermione! The girl of my dreams for the past six years! Do you not realize how important this is? I have to make a good impression on her! I can't have Zach thinking he can ask her out!"

Ceci raised her eyebrow in an action that was eerily reminiscent of Draco.

"Okay; A: You're ranting. B: You're not making sense while you're ranting. C: Zach has been very happily engaged to Samantha for the past month, so I don't understand what he has to do with anything."

Blaise paused in his frantic activity to throw a wild look at Ceci, who was sitting cross-legged on the bed.

"He isn't married to her, is he? So he could change his mind couldn't he?"

"I don't think Hermione's his type."

"That could change!"

Ceci took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a second, counting to ten. Then she got off the bed and planted herself squarely in Blaise's path, causing him to start and stumble, tripping over his shoes and falling. She sat on the floor in front of him and took his face in her hands, bringing his eyes to the same level as hers.

"Blaise…take a deep breath. Take two. Or three. As many as it takes to calm down."

Blaise's breathing slowed. He got up and slowly collapsed on the bed, gazing up at the ceiling.

She sat next to him.

"Now, what's going on? I've never seen you this nervous before."

He sat up slowly, grinning sheepishly as he ran his hand through his hair.

"She's the one. I want to spend the rest of my life with her. I keep thinking I'm going to do something to screw this up so bad, she'll never want to see me again."

He laughed.

"Look at me. Blaise Zabini, going crazy over a girl. How did this happen, Ceci? This was not supposed to happen to me."

She smiled.

"You're in love, silly. It happens to everyone at least once. I think this a good thing for you. She's a nice girl. I think she's perfect for you, actually. She'll keep you grounded."

"I don't even know if she feels anything for me yet."

"She agreed to have dinner with you, didn't she? That means she doesn't completely loathe you."

"How do I know she didn't just agree to it so we can discuss what to do about Cory?"

"On Christmas Day? When she could be with friends or family?"

He sighed.

"I guess you're right."

"When am I not?"

He smiled and then reached over to give her a huge hug.

"Thanks for this. You're so much better at this than Draco is."

"Well, yes, I am. Speaking of whom, where is Draco today?"

"Over at the Weasley Burrow with Harry."

Ceci raised her eyebrows.

"Meeting the family? Wow."

"They're that sure about it. I say it's a good thing."

"No, no, it is, definitely…does Cory know about this?"

Blaise's face darkened.

"Yeah, I think so. He showed up at the office that day, remember? I don't know what happened when they were alone, but I'm very sure Cory said something to him…Zach isn't too sure either…I know he's planning something…"

Ceci frowned.

"What could he do now?"

"You remember what he was like don't you? He's capable of anything. I wouldn't put it past him to try and sabotage Draco's relationship with Harry. And with everything he knows…"

"Harry wouldn't hold any of that against Draco, would he?"

Blaise looked frustrated.

"No, I don't he will…he seems to really care about Draco. But if he hears about everything from someone other than Draco…"

"You think Harry might rethink this relationship."

"I'm afraid he might."

Ceci sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, thinking hard. Then shaking her head, she jumped off the bed, pulling Blaise with her.

"Well, it's no good thinking things like this on Christmas Day. Especially when you have a date with the girl of your dreams. Come on, we have to find you something to wear that isn't made of dragon hide or leather."

"Hey, that jacket cost me three months' salary, I'll have you know!"

"Which is why I thought it was very kind of you to give it to that poor man on the street."

"Only after you practically twisted my arm off…"

Ceci looked indignant.

"I did nothing of the sort! I just…jogged you along a little."

"And almost gave me a handicap in the process…"

"I can't help it if your sense of style is so awful."

"It is not awful! I've been on Witch Weekly's best dressed list for the past six months!"

"Considering its readers wear robes most of the time, I'm not surprised."

"Ceci!"

"Ok, fine, you have a great sense of fashion."

"Thank you."

"Or you would if you lived in the late eighties."

"Oh, shut up."

"Fine, dress yourself, and let Hermione decide."

"I take it back! Draco's way better at helping me prepare for a date than you are!"

"Maybe because he wears better clothes than you."

"For Merlin's sake, woman, it was one ill-thought impulse buy! Let it go already!"

"I would, but it's so much more fun this way!"

"Yeah, yeah, now help me pick a shirt to wear."

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Blaise thought he had died and gone to his own personal heaven.

Never in his wildest dreams had he dared to think that there may be a day when Hermione Granger might be waiting for him to pick her up so that they could have dinner together. Alone. Whenever he'd even thought about asking her out, the thought had always been followed by a vivid picture of the terrible consequences that would follow, involving Hermione's wand, St. Mungo's and a whole lot of pain.

But, here he was now, looking at Hermione who had just opened her door and was smiling at him. She was smiling. That smile alone made Blaise's heart skip a few beats. It was just so…beautiful. So charming, so warm, so welcoming. She opened the door wider, and he absently stepped in, still struck dumb at the sight of her. Now that he could tear himself away from that smile he noticed that she looked stunning. She was wearing a simple lavender dress that reached down to her knees, with a shallow V-neck and no sleeves. She had left her hair down so that it flowed over her shoulders, looking very soft, a few bangs falling in her eyes. He couldn't tear his eyes away from her. Conscious of his gaze, she blushed slightly as she brushed the hair out of her eyes and smiled at him again. The dress set off her eyes so they shone.

"Shall we go?"

It took him a while to process what she had said. He cleared his throat.

"What? Umm, sorry, yeah…yeah, let's…let's go."

She looked pleased with the attention. He silently cheered. So far, so good. He helped her on with her coat as they stepped out of the door. As they left the building, he remembered that he had something to tell her. So he pulled her back gently, turning her around to face him. She looked up at him inquiringly.

"Hey…you look beautiful."

She looked down for a moment, and when she looked back up she was beaming. She slipped her arm through his as they began walking down the sidewalk.

"Thank you. You look pretty good yourself."

He held her hand a little closer.

"So…where are we going?"

He turned and grinned at her.

"Well, it's one of my favourite places in London. It's small, but it has the best food and the best views. It's not very well-known, so we don't have to worry about being disturbed."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? And what do you have planned that requires no interruptions?"

"You'll just have to wait and see, won't you?"

"Zabini…"

"Hey, now that's not fair! We're on a date, remember? So none of this Zabini business. I'm Blaise and you're Hermione."

She rolled her eyes, but smiled nonetheless.

"Blaise…where are we going?"

Blaise grinned mischievously as he stopped near an empty side street. Holding her slightly closer, he grinned down at her mischievously.

"What's the matter, Granger? Don't like surprises?"

She frowned slightly.

"Neither would you if you spent ten years of your life fighting the most evil wizard in all of history."

He looked into her eyes, momentarily serious.

"What makes you think I didn't?"

She felt a sudden gust of wind as she looked back into his eyes, feeling her breath stop for just a second. Then she stepped back onto something soft.

Not feeling asphalt below her feet, she looked up, and found they weren't in London anymore. In fact, they didn't seem to be anywhere near a city, or any urban area.

They were on a little grassy knoll which ended in a short drop. There was a large tree near the edge, under which there was spread a large blanket, with a huge basket, a bucket with a couple of bottles in it and plates and glasses nearby. Little lights hovered in the air just below the lowest branches of the tree, giving the space a soft fairy glow. Beyond the cliff, Hermione could make out a couple of clusters of light some distance apart, marking out nearby towns. She was awed.

"Blaise, this is…"

He heard the wonder in her voice and stepped up next to her. He spoke softly, not wanting to break this little bubble.

"It's gorgeous, isn't it? I found it, purely by chance when I was scouting locations once. I come here every now and then when I want to get away from the city for a while. No one else knows about it. I'll bring you here during the day once. It's just as, if not more stunning then. Draco would kill to be able to see it."

She broke out of her trance, and turned to look at him.

"Draco doesn't know about this place?"

He smiled sheepishly as he looked out at the lights below them.

"No, he doesn't. No one does, actually, only me. You're the first person I've brought here."

He finally looked at her, judging her response, but she could think of nothing to say. He seemed to understand. He reached out for her hand and kissed it softly, tugging her gently towards the tree.

"Shall we eat? I'm kinda starving."

She smiled involuntarily and followed him to the blanket. He settled down next to her and opened the basket to take out the food. She watched him happily open up the containers, trying to figure out what was happening to her.

Was she really falling for this man? This one, out of all the others in the world? This one who was so different from her?

Then she found she didn't care.

Later, after they had eaten and Blaise had managed to make her laugh and roll her eyes and almost smack him over the head several times, they lay back on the blanket looking up at a sky filled to the brim with shining, twinkling stars.

Blaise looked at Hermione for a second, drinking in the sight of her settled so comfortably next to him. He looked back up, more content than he had ever been before.

He slowly, casually shifted his hand over to hers, softly entwining their fingers, giving her a chance to pull away. When she did, he took a liberty and grasped her hand tighter. When she still didn't pull away, he was finally satisfied.

He was sad, when the night came to an end. It had to, but he didn't like it. So he held on to her hand and walked her back home, still making her laugh and occasionally making her blush the faintest red.

When they finally reached her door, he turned her to him and looked deep into her eyes, trying to figure out what she was thinking. It was only then that he realized that this was the first time he had not made a move on the first time. Usually, by now, he'd already have taken the first kiss. It had just not seemed right this time. So he waited for her.

She smiled at him, a different smile from the ones he had seen so far, this evening. She raised her hand and softly brushed his hair out of his eyes, and then let it rest on his cheek for a moment. Then it she placed on his shoulder and leaning in, gave him a sudden, swift, soft kiss on his lips before stepping back.

He was shocked, to say the least. He couldn't believe it.

Hermione walked to her door and opened it, turning back to smile at him once more, before going in and leaving a dumbstruck, but nonetheless insanely happy Slytherin staring after her.

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Blaise hummed to himself as he reached for his keys. This day couldn't have been more perfect if it tried. As he opened his door he noticed a light on in Draco's apartment and thought he'd go over and share the details of his fabulous and perfect day with his best friend.

Draco's door was open so he stepped in and closed it behind him. He couldn't see anyone, and just as he was about to call out for him, he heard voices coming from Draco's room. He walked over, expecting to find Draco on the phone with Harry (as usual).

When he reached the room, he walked in only to stop short at the sight before him.

Draco's room was a mess. There were large sheets of paper littered all over the room, the curtains were in shreds, the window was open and a cold wind was blowing in. Draco's clothes, tapes, books, all of them were thrown all over the floor. The music player was on, playing something that Blaise hadn't registered yet, because he was staring at his friend in the utmost horror.

Draco was sitting on his bed. Ceci was sitting behind him, her arms around Draco, Draco's head pillowed on her chest. She looked frantic, her eyes mirroring worry, anger and the same fear that Blaise was feeling. She slowly rocked Draco back and forth murmuring softly in his ear. But Draco didn't seem to be listening. His eyes were empty. There was nothing there, no sign of any emotion whatsoever. It was an eerie reminder of the day he had found Draco after Cory's betrayal. Draco…wasn't there. His eyes were fixed on a picture in his hands but he seemed…dead.

With steadily growing horror, Blaise finally heard the voices on the music player and realized it was the one thing he had never wanted to hear again.

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