What Makes You Beautiful
One Direction
Hermione/Blaise: After breaking up with Daphne, Blaise can't help but express his feelings towards the pretty Gryffindor he's always been fond of.
You're insecure, don't know what for
You're turning heads when you walk through the do-o-or
The sound of the slap should have broken the sound barrier or something like that. Certainly it had the ability to stop time because every conversation in the Great Hall ceased and every eye turned to the couple. Even Hermione, deep in a book on the practical applications of mugwort, looked up, her eyes seeking the source of the sound. Of course it would be Blaise, she thought. He was even more trouble than his friend Malfoy.
If his skin were a little lighter, she thought, he'd have one hell of a red spot on his cheek.
She was about to go back to her book when Daphne, the girl who had done the slapping, started in on her tirade. Hermione usually didn't get involved in the romantic politics of Hogwarts though God knew she got plenty of ammunition just from sitting in the common room when Lavender and her squadron of lackeys came through.
"You insensitive ass wipe," Daphne launched in. Hermione had to admire a girl who knew her way around a good swearword. "You haven't been paying attention to me for months and then you try to make it sound like I'm the one who's emotionally distant? Everyone knows you've been dying to break up with me and try and hook up with that-"
Don't need make-up to cover up
Being the way that you are is enou-ou-ough
Whoever he was trying to hook up with, it would have to wait. Malfoy got up and cast a quick spell. Daphne's mouth kept moving but nothing came out. She began to get red in the face. Hermione decided it wasn't a big deal. Daphne was probably just getting mad. Malfoy flicked his eyes at the Gryffindor table and Hermione saw them connect with Ginny who was lounging nonchalantly, eating hashbrowns. There was a strange relationship, Hermione had to admit. Still, ever since the two had started dating, Malfoy had gotten calmer, more sophisticated. Ginny had mellowed out herself, relaxing into a decent academic record and becoming a nearly unstoppable force as a Beater.
"Let's finish this off in private," Malfoy said, jerking his head at Blaise.
Blaise looked relieved. He had gone about as white as his ebony skintone would allow.
Everyone else in the room can see it
Everyone else, but you, ooh
"What was that about?" Lavender asked once the three Slytherins were out of the hall.
"Blaise fancies someone else," Ginny said, still slumped over her breakfast.
"What? Who?" Lavender was behaving as if Christmas had come and brought with it a hot new boyfriend. Not that Lavender had anything to complain about in that regard. She was dating Harry and despite all of Hermione's misgivings, of which there were many, they seemed almost perfect for each other. Lavender seemed to be able to draw Harry out of himself and maybe it was just her vapidity but she always had his laughing.
"No idea." Hermione, who knew Ginny better than Lavender did, could guess that Ginny did in fact know who Blaise fancied. She probably could have gotten the information out of the petite redhead but why bother? It had nothing to do with her, whether she wanted it to or not.
Baby, you light up my world like nobody else
The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed
Hermione wasn't entirely sure where her mild obsession with Blaise came from. Maybe it was just that everyone seemed to be pairing off with Slytherins these days. Ginny was dating Malfoy and Ron and Pansy were having a very heated on-again-off-again relationship. There seemed little doubt that those two were going to end up together in the long run.
Hermione hadn't ever really thought about anyone but Ron. After a quick and ill-fated romance with the boy in question, Hermione found that her desire to be in a relationship had waned. Not that she never wanted to date ever again but it just didn't seem important.
Until about a month ago, when Hermione started noticing Blaise. It was little things, like how he had cut his hair or that he seemed to prefer blue shirts.
Then Blaise started dating Daphne. Hermione was content to let everything die then. So why hadn't it? She had buried herself in her work, her classes and her studies. Her grades got even better, even Snape gave her the best marks.
It should have driven him completely out of her mind but it didn't. He was a little presence in the back of everything she did.
But it wasn't anything. He was just someone who she wanted to figure out.
But when you smile at the ground, it ain't hard to tell
You don't know, oh-oh
You don't know you're beautiful
She tried to get back into her book but as fascinating as mugwort had been to her fifteen minutes earlier, it was overshadowed by one thought, playing like a broken record in her mind.
He broke up with her. He broke up with her.
If only you saw what I can see
You'll understand why I want you so desperately
Right now I'm lookin' at you, and I can't believe
Draco shoved Blaise into a chair even as Pansy put Daphne in another one. Draco would have preferred to have Ginny here. She knew how to handle situations like this. But he wanted to be the kind of person who could do that himself which meant that he had to try and handle this one on his own. Besides, if Ginny were here, he'd get nothing done. He'd spend the whole time flattering her and trying to get her to smile at him. It wasn't that she was cold or anything but she made him work for her affections. He found he liked it that way.
Pansy looked like she would have preferred to be sitting somewhere and making out with Weasley. That relationship made him cringe a little but since it distracted the kid from Draco's relationship with his sister, then he could handle it.
"Now, can I let that spell off you or are you going to do some more yelling?" Draco asked Daphne.
Daphne looked like she was ready to do more yelling but Blaise spoke up. "Let her go. We should get this over with."
So c-come on, you got it wrong
To prove I'm right, I put it in a song
Draco shrugged. His funeral. He spoke the words to end the spell and Daphne immediately began. "You little prick."
"I hardly think it's little," Blaise said, sounding his usual blasé self.
Daphne blushed in a way that indicated she caught his innuendo and that she agreed. That was interesting, Draco thought though hardly relevant.
"Daphne, what do you want from this break up?" Pansy asked. Weasley boy had gotten her interested in law and Draco wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad one. She treated everything like it was a court case she was litigating.
Daphne blinked and Draco used the opportunity. "You never expected this to last, did you?"
Daphne made a face. "Why are you taking his side?"
"Good point," Pansy said. "Blaise, why did you feel it necessary to break up with Daphne in the middle of breakfast.
"You wanted a certain someone to know that you're single again," Daphne accused but the anger had leeched out of her voice. She seemed to understand. Draco had been guessing when he said she knew she wasn't Blaise's one and only.
"Yeah," Blaise said. "Look, I am sorry."
Don't know why, you're being shy
And turn away when I look into your eyes
"No you're not," Pansy said. "Because your dumb little trick worked."
"You mean she noticed?" Blaise asked, looking hopeful.
"Lit up like Guy Faulks night," Draco commented.
"This is so unfair," Daphne complained.
"Calm down," Pansy said unsympathetically. "I'll get you a date with the twins."
Daphne brightened. "Which one?"
"Both," Pansy said with a grin.
Draco looked at Blaise and gave him a look like 'I just don't get girls'. Blaise returned it with a shake of his head.
Everyone else in the room can see it
Everyone else but you
The problem with being single was that Blaise didn't know how to go about asking her out. Daphne had already moved on, into a hot little romance with George Weasley. Which meant that Blaise was effectively off the hook. At least, he was supposed to be. But Daphne was on his case. Blaise had thought that getting her off into her own romance would be enough to effectively end things but here she was, harping on him.
"So, have you asked her yet?"
He jumped. He'd thought he was safe in here, hiding in the library but it seemed like Daphne was determined.
"No," he said. "As if you didn't know."
She shrugged as she took a seat opposite him. She sat in a spot that he was sure was deliberate, just far enough that she could see over his shoulder to where Hermione sat but still basically across from him.
"You are hopeless," she informed him.
"I know that," he replied.
Baby, you light up my world like nobody else
The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed
"Go over there and tell her her hair looks nice," Daphne said.
"Huh?"
"Just trust me on this one, you imbecile."
He found he did not mind the insult. Pansy called him much, much worse and really sometimes he was stupid. So, just to give her some satisfaction, he got up and went over to Hermione's table. She looked up from her essay or whatever she was working on. She blinked up at him with her dark eyes and her long lashes. He lost track of what he was going to say.
But when you smile at the ground, it ain't hard to tell
You don't know
You don't know you're beautiful
"Yes?" she prompted him, her voice demanding an answer.
"Your hair looks nice," he remembered to say and turned and ran out of the library, ignoring the librarian's comment and Daphne's laughter.
If only you saw what I can see
You'd understand why I want you so desperately
Hermione sat in the common room. She wasn't aware she was smiling until Ginny dropped down into the chair beside her.
"What's got you in such a good mood?" she asked.
Hermione registered her own smile. "I'm just in a good mood."
"I know, but why?" Ginny asked, cocking her head to one side.
Hermione shrugged but she had a good idea.
"Anything to do with a swarthy young gent who has been wandering around in a daze of happiness?"
"He said my hair looked nice," Hermione said, feeling a glowing warmth settle into her stomach.
"Oh, you two have it bad," Ginny said but her grin was encouraging.
Right now I'm looking at you and I can't believe
You don't know
You don't know you're beautiful
"You are such a pussy," Pansy said.
Blaise couldn't stop smiling. Even Pansy's scorn was nothing he couldn't be bothered about.
"The boy is a lost cause," Draco said.
"Right. Because you were so much better when you and your ginger started dating."
"She's got a point," Blaise said.
"Look, you just need to go for it," Draco said, seeming to pretend this conversation hadn't taken the turn it had.
"I think it's safe to say that she likes you too," Pansy said. "She's been floating around like a balloon all day."
"What the hell is a balloon?" Draco asked.
Blaise tuned them out as Pansy tried to explain it. Hermione was happy. Because he'd complimented her.
That's what makes you beautiful
He was sitting at a table in the library when she sat down across from him.
He looked up and couldn't help but smile. She smiled back.
"You look good today," he said.
"I like you in blue," she said.
Baby, you light up my world like nobody else
The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed
But when you smile at the ground it ain't hard to tell
They sat there, grinning at each other until Ginny dropped her books on the table. She said nothing, but her look spoke loudly enough.
"It's just," Hermione began but Ginny just smirked.
You don't know
Blaise put his hand on the table as he started working on his paper. After a few moments, Hermione did the same, her fingers just brushing his.
You don't know you're beautiful
Ginny noticed it, her smile said that plainly enough. But she said nothing and the three of them sat in amiable silence but Blaise knew that everything had changed with that single touch.
If only you saw what I can see
You'd understand why I want you so desperately
Right now I'm looking at you and I can't believe
You don't know
You don't know you're beautiful
That's what makes you beautiful
A/N: I'm still alive! One of my goals this coming year is to get some of the stuff off my hard drive which means posting more fanfiction. How lucky is that for all of you guys? :)
