Blaise found Draco sitting in a dark room staring into the fireplace watching the softly burning flames of the fire. He was not surprised when Mrs. Malfoy asked him to visit her during his lunch break one afternoon. What had surprised him was how long it had taken her to reach out to him with her worries.
"If he isn't stuck in that wing, he leaves, for hours at a time. I even tried to have the elves follow him, but they can't after a certain point. I know he is somewhere on the property, but I don't know where he goes off too, and to be honest, I'm worried for him." She had told him as she wrung her handkerchief in her hands, while pacing the floor.
"And you think I can do something about this?" Blaise said in a tone that oozed 'what's in it for me'. Instead he was faced with a glare and a stance that shouted 'I will whomp you.'
"Blaise," She started out calmly, which was no comfort to him. "I do not wish for you to magically fix whatever maybe wrong with my son. I merely would like you to go and talk to him. See if he will tell you about what might be troubling him." On the outside Blaise was the epitome of controlled and collected, on the inside his nerves where going haywire. She looked at him a second longer before she got the glint in her eye, Blaise instinctively took a step back, his biggest mistake. "You know what has been bothering my Draco, don't you." She stated confidently.
"Narcissa I only know bits and pieces, but Draco has been very quiet lately and has had very little to say to me when we do speak." Blaise said trying his best to act innocent, hoping that she would believe his lie.
"Blaise," She started again, "I know you want to help Draco keep his secrets and I have no qualms with that. It's just, I am bothered by the fact that he won't let anyone help him with these, issues. You and Draco are very good friends, just as your mother and I are good friends, in fact, you could say we are all family. A family that knows many secrets about each other, and a family that will help each other. Your mother assured me, that you would be ever so willing to help Draco in his, time of need; and since accidents have been known to happen in this family of ours, and I would be devastated if anything happened to Draco, just as I would be devastated if anything happened to you, since you are like another child of mine. I know, if anyone were to get Draco out of this stupor, it would be his brother." Blaise knew how important Draco was to Mrs. Malfoy. He also knew that she meant business if she had gone to his mother with favors, and he knew that any threats she made were bluffs, but he also knew when to admit that he lost.
"As the better son, I will do what I can Mrs. Malfoy." She smiled at him before placing a hand to his face and lightly slapping his cheek.
"I know you will, you're a good child." With that she walked out of the room, and Blaise was left feeling like his legs where about to give out on him, and livid at his dear "brother".
"Don't tell me you've became poetic now. Brooding by the fire, how long do you plan on keeping this up?"
"Go away." Draco mumbled.
"Pathetic you didn't even sound like you mean in." With that being said he pulled the curtains back, letting the afternoon light shine through. Draco turned in his chair trying to block himself from the light. "You haven't turn into a vampire have you? Because then I am certain that your mum would kill me, and she would make it look like a bloody accident."
"Blaise, shut up."
"Come on mate, I have enough on my plate as it is, not to mention your mum breathing down my neck about you, and now she's resorting to threatening me."
"You know she doesn't mean it."
"Of course I know she doesn't meant it, but it still freaks me out when she does it, 'specially when she threatens you so casually. 'Would you like one lump of sugar in your tea or an avada?" Blaise shook, "Scary. I have half a mind to tell your mother what has been troubling you."
Draco continued to stare into the burning flames, completely ignoring his friend. Blaise sighed, Draco knew that he wouldn't go as far as to tell Mrs. Malfoy about what kept him from sleeping.
"This is ridiculous Draco, this isn't healthy, you hiding away like this. You're worrying your mother." Blaise tried to reason.
"She's always worried about something, if it isn't me it'd be something else." Draco said monotonously.
"I'm worried about you." Blaise nearly pleaded.
"You're just worried about my mother's threat." Draco countered. Blaise wanted to strike him, he had very little patients as it was, and friend or not Draco was no exception. "Don't you have somewhere to be?" Draco asked sensing his friends distress. Blaise clenched and unclenched his fist.
"Yes, I have to head back to work. Some of us decide to be productive with our time." The jab at his friend went ignored, and Blaise was ready to leave and not look back. But Draco was still his friend, and even if he had little patients, he knew desperate times called for desperate measures, and you could always rush things along if you planned it the right way. "You know I bumped into someone yesterday after work. I mean literally bumped into someone, you always hear stories about something like that, but never imagine it happening. Anyways, we both weren't paying attention to where we were going and..."
"Does this story of yours have a point, because I was certain you were leaving just a moment ago." Draco interrupted, obviously upset that he wanted to be alone, so that he could continue with his brooding.
"She asked about you, you know. I never would have thought that Granger, of all people would have been worried about you, she said the last she saw you was Christmas Day, I told her you had not been feeling yourself, and she asked me to tell you to feel better soon. I wonder how she would feel knowing you've locked yourself up, and you are letting yourself waste away." Draco remained silent but Blaise knew he had gotten his attention.
"Look if you won't do anything for me or your mother, then maybe you will do something for Granger's sake, talk to her, tell her what has been bothering you, because nothing is going to get better with you being here, you look like a bloody ghoul. And if you can't do that then at least find something to do with your time, instead of sitting here all damn day. Get out of the house for Merlin's sake." Blaise said before storming out of the room leaving Draco to his own decisions.
Back at work Blaise decided to make a detour to Granger's office, on his way there he met with a different familiar face, down one of the many hallways.
"Potter." Blaise said as a sort of greeting.
"Zabini...?" Harry awkwardly replied.
"Am I to met all of the golden trio in a matter of days?" Blaise jokingly asked. Harry looked at him confused, and an idea stared to form in Blaise's beautiful mind.
"I ran into Granger only yesterday, we ended up having a cuppa tea at a nearby café." Blaise said nonchalantly, the look of disbelief and surprise was clearly written on Harry's face, Blaise's idea now seemed all the more fitting. "It seems that Granger and I have a good mutual friend in common." Blaise added, this time the look on Harry's face showed skepticism, but before he could voice his doubts Blaise continued. "Anyway's I was going to pop by her office to say hello but it seems I won't have the time to do so. Perhaps another day. I'll see you around Potter." With that Blaise turned and headed back towards his office. He really did want to visit Granger, but with Potter headed the same direction he thought it best to go another time.
Blaise had not been oblivious to Potter's reaction at what he had heard, meaning Granger may not have told her friends about her "correspondence" with a certain Slytherin. Perhaps his mentioning it had not been a good idea, but he was certain that something would come out of his brief conversation with the boy who lived, and he comforted himself with the thought that things would work themselves out somehow.
Harry looked after Blaise unsure of what to make of the situation. He turned back toward his destination with new motive. If what Zabini said was true, then his suspicions that Hermione was hiding something had not been just a fabrication of his own mind. He had felt that something had been bothering his friend, and though he placed it all on what had been happening between her and Ron, he was now certain that there was more going on then what she let him believe. And whether she liked it or not, Harry was determined to figure out what was bothering her, and help find a way to fix it. Besides what kind of friend would he be if he did not help her.
A/N: I never got to wish everyone happy holidays or a happy new year. So I apologize for that, and I hope you all had wonderful holidays and a wonderful new year.
This chapter took a while for me to get out. There was so many changes with it and I kept having to rework it, and going back and forth between chapters to include Blaise into the next chapters, while this was going to be mainly about Blaise and Draco; instead I decided to add to it, so we get a bit of Mrs. Malfoy and a bit of Harry.
The threats, I am sure you know, are surrounding the "accidental" deaths of Mrs. Zabini's husband(s), and Mrs. Malfoy maybe be insinuating that they may, or may not, be accidents, and there may, or may not be, an accident surrounding Blaise if he doesn't help her son. ^.^ what a lovely group of people.
Blaise happens to feel that the "kick you when you're down" approach is a last resort, and if that doesn't seem like it will work, then the next best thing is to plant the seed of doubt and watch it grow. Bumping into Harry wasn't part of the original plan, but he figured if with Harry's hero complex, he might do something about it. Now whether it is a good something or not, Blaise figures any something is good enough. (Great thinking Blaise.)
Moving on, next chapter is the longest yet, and was the most draining to write, I need to fix it up a bit and rework the new parts into it but it will be up in a week or less. Until next time, Happy Readings!