Lotsa love to angelpixiedust, beenieweenie, sapphire-wolf1, luin-lote, panderia, wanderingwolf, and eveylici0uz!
Warning: The 'o' word.
"You antagonize him," Blaise said, as we walked down an empty corridor, aligned with statues and marble carvings.
"No I don't," I returned defensively.
He looked at me, an unreadable expression on his face. "Granger- list her best qualities."
"She's clever and smart, the top student in our year," I instantly replied. "She's compassionate, even to house elves. She's strategic, and plans ahead-"
Blaise cut me off. "Now name her negative qualities."
"She can be a know-it-all at times." I paused to think for a moment. "And sometimes she lives life too by the book." I paused again.
Blaise shot me another look. "Now name Draco's negative qualities."
"He's a snob- always thinks he's better than everyone else just because he's a Malfoy," I began easily. "He's rude. He walks like he owns the bloody school. He hides behind his father and his two goons-"
"One, just name one of his redeeming qualities."
"He…er…he has good breeding?" I offered, falteringly.
Blaise stopped walking and looked me in the eye. "You're so quick to see the good in everyone else, and yet you refuse anything but the bad in him. Ivy tendrils."
The Athena statue in front of us slid aside to reveal the Ravenclaw common room, ending our discussion. I followed, slightly nervous, as Blaise stroll in leisurely.
Quite honestly, if it hadn't been for the purple sofa and chairs arranged around the crackling fire in fireplace, I would've thought I had accidentally stepped into the library. Tall wooden bookcases were aligned along the walls, their shelves filled with novels on various subjects. On the coffee table in front of the sofa was a large pile of scrolls and parchment. There was even a painting, hanging above the mantle of the fireplace, which looked quite similar to the school's librarian.
The silhouette of a girl could be seen, sitting on the purple sofa, watching two other girls who were playing chess in front of the fireplace.
The girl on the coach turned to look in our direction at the sound of our approaching footsteps. As we walked closer, it obvious that she was Blair. She had all of Blaise's features… but her hair was longer, her skin was slightly fairer than Blaise's, her nose was a bit more pert, more ski-jump like, and her eyes gleamed a deep and dusky shade of amethyst instead of a bright clover green. But the most noticeable thing of all was the subtle, star-like glow that Blaise possessed was magnified by ten-fold in his twin. The glimmering fey sheen all around her was so brilliant, it made me blink.
"Blaise!" she cried happily, as she jumped up from her seat energetically.
Blaise smiled at his sister fondly. "How was your day?"
"Fine, I heard you got in trouble for being late to Potions though."
"Detention tonight, but we have more important thing to discuss. I need to borrow the tablecloth and your common room. Draco, Harry, and I want to make Strawberry Daiquiris."
"So this is-"
"I'm Harry. Harry Potter," I said shyly.
To my surprise, there was no familiar flickering of the eyes to my scar. Instead, her eyes remained locked with mine as she curtsied.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Harry. I'm Blair Zabini."
I bowed clumsily in return.
Blaise rolled his eyes. "So now you do the whole pearls and lace thing Blair?"
Blair looked indignant. "I'll have you know that I live by the handbook on how to act like a proper young lady 24/7.
"So that would be 24 days a month, 7 months a year?"
Blair glared at her brother, and then turned to smile sweetly at me. "You're welcomed here anytime Harry. And if my brother would stop acting like such a git then maybe I'll remind him of the fact that the tablecloth should be with his luggage."
Blaise groaned. "Oh yeah…"
"Oh raspberries," she teased. "I guess you'll have to run back to your room and get it. Don't worry; I'll keep Harry here entertained. I'm sure he'll love to hear that story about the time you were six years old and-"
"Say anything and I'll convince Mother that, perhaps, Goyle would be a suitable future husband for you." And with a familiar swish of his robes, Blaise walked off.
"He never plays fair anymore," Blair said frowning. "I think Draco might be a bad influence on him."
"Is that how you think of Malfoy? Nothing personal, I just want to know how other people see him."
"Oh no, don't get me wrong, I think Draco's darling," she corrected hurriedly. "But sometimes I can't help worrying about his loyalties. I know he'd never do anything to hurt Blaise but…" her voice drifted off and she looked at her hands helplessly. "It's not fair to ask me this. Mandy! Lisa!" The two girls playing chess paused and looked at Blair expectantly. "Tell Harry what you two think of Draco."
"He's quite mean," the first girl stated.
"Totally and completely self-absorbed prat," added the second.
"Uses way too much hair-gel."
"Pretty childish sometimes."
"Thinks he's hotter than Tabasco Sauce."
There was a pause, and then a giggle. "He is hot though. You know… he has that whole evil, confident, bad-boy kind of allure."
The second girl nodded in agreement. "He's no sex-god, but you could imagine having the best orgasm of you life with him then opening your eyes to see him all the way across the room. Fully dressed." Ok, now this was way too much information!
"And some of his insults would be quite funny if he'd just say them with a bit less malice." The first girl giggled again. "All and all I'd say he's just snarky."
"The best kind of snarky," the other girl said as she moved her knight. "Checkmate."
The first girl looked disbelievingly at chessboard and sighed in defeat. "Good game. I'm heading to the library, some of us are meeting to discuss the different beliefs of philosophers through the age, want to come?
"So what have we learned?" Blair asked, perfectly serious, as the two Mandy and Lisa left the room. "That the subject of boys can turn two perfectly sensible Ravenclaw girls, who can debate Plato and quote Socrates, into giggling idiots. I wonder what it does to the Hufflepuffs."
"I did not need to hear that fully dressed comment," I shuddered.
Blair looked concerned. "You look greener than a cute boy such as yourself should. Want to play chess until Blaise and Draco come back?"
