Author: C. Night

Rating: PG-13

Category: Action/Adventure & Romance (at least for this chapter)

Disclaimer: Anything that you, Harry Potter fan that you are, recognize does not belong to me nor do I claim credit for it. All of the people, places and things of the HP universe belong to a Miss JK Rowling and a whole bunch of other chosen people. Anything you don't recognize, however belongs to me and I would appreciate due credit for it. Thanks.

A/N: Sniff! Sniff! Oh mother of pearl! It's almost over now. A nice little epilogue and then I'm all done. And the epilogue won't be nearly as long as a chapter. For all you Blaise lovers... this one's for you. But for those who don't love her, yeah well... learn.  ::chuckles::

Enjoy everyone!

Title: Getting Out or Dying Trying

Chapter 11: On the Mend

I open the door and I feel for the hundredth time that I quite simply want to collapse.

I am dead tired. There is nothing left in me to give... at all. I never knew that having certain conversations could be so exhausting. I want to sleep. My hands make their way to my eyes and I lift my glasses lazily and set them comfortably in my mop of dark hair as I rub at my sleepy eyes.

I navigate my way into the room with my eyes covered and a yawn overtakes my mouth.

I begin to stretch my hands over my head while leaning with my back against the door, slowly closing it when something happens that makes me tense immediately.

I feel lips at my neck.

Soft, warm lips and with my eyes still closed I realize exactly who's going to help me get to sleep this post Christmas morning.

My hands fall from their elevated position and come to wrap around her waist gently. She is wearing an extremely soft sweater and I subconsciously use the feeling as an excuse to let my hands roam along her back and shoulders. I pull her closer and her head of curly locks brush against my nose.

I inhale the scent of her hair and a wave of tiredness comes over me. I just want to get into a bed and sleep with this girl wrapped in my arms, her legs tangled in my legs...

I groan aloud as her lips come up to kiss the corner of my mouth, along my jaw line and on my cheeks.

I look around the room of requirement and see a dark (nearly black) green couch next to a fireplace. I close my eyes and wish for a bed. Open them and there it is a bed of the same color with what look to be very comfy sheets on it.

You know, I could really get used to this.

I gently guide Blaise so that she is walking backwards until her knees bend against the mattress of the bed.

She laughs lightly, "I could have sworn this was a couch a few-"

Her words die on her lips as I capture her mouth with mine. I kiss her with all of the pent up passion, frustration, and confusion that I have felt over the course of the day (well in between my naps).

And when I pull away I am satisfied to see that she is completely breathless.

As she regains her breathing I look down at my attire. A black sweater and black jeans, I look like I went to a funeral. It doesn't matter though, both fit comfortably, but I want even comfortable clothes to sleep in.

I close my eyes and low and behold when I open them a dresser had appeared. I move away from the bed and go to it. And while Blaise still has her eyes closed (I suppose I am just that good of a kisser) I change out of my dark jeans and into a pair of comfortable sweats.

I am about to take off my shirt when Blaise say, "Well, well, well, I was not aware that the Gryffindors offered free peep shows. I missed the removal of the pants but please do proceed with the shirt."

I start to feel heat developing on my cheeks, but stop the blush before it can reach a Weasley red. I stare at her instead and grab the bottom on my black sweater. She quirks an eyebrow and seems surprised at what I am insinuating.

'Ah, ah, ah Blaise I am NOT a stripper in case you've forgotten,' I think as I slowly lift one of my hands and gesture her towards me.

She slowly walks closer and fearlessly grabs the bottom of my sweater. My glasses are still nestled in my hair so when she slowly pulls the shirt over my head they stay on the top of my head.

Blaise seems surprised to find that I am wearing a sleeveless undershirt (wife beater) and I laugh at her expression.

She seems almost embarrassed, and I laugh lightly and pull her body flush against mine. Chuckling into her hair I deliver a series of overly dramatic sloppy kisses to her hair and face and she can't help but laugh with me.

I sigh tiredly and move away from her to sit on the bed and pull off my socks and she says, "Would you like me to leave?"

I stop moving and stare at her for a moment, "Would you like to leave?"

"Not...particularly," she responds carefully.

"So change your clothes," I say "and stay with me here tonight."

She stares at me and seems to be debating over saying something, but I interrupt before she can get out the question I know she is going to ask, "Blaise, no offense love, but I am way too tired to molest you or anything. I just want to sleep and I want you to stay with me."

She smirks but I can tell she is somewhat relieved, "Ah yes and the world revolves around what Harry Potter wants of course."

"Of course," I agree.

She pulls out her wand and with a swish, flick and a mutter incantation she stands before me dressed in a long sleeved pale green nightshirt and matching pajama pants. There is a small dark green 'S' embroidered on the right side of the nightshirt and I assume that she is wearing the standard Slytherin nightgown.

Gryffindors had them too, along with a certain incantation as well, but I never really liked sleeping in long sleeves so I don't wear them.

"Ready then?" I say watching her come slowly closer to the bed, her socks padding lightly on the hard floor.

I look at the cold floor in annoyance and focus once more. Blaise gasps very slightly when a plush off- white carpet appears under her feet.

She smiles at me and comes over to stand right near the bed on which I am now half lying half sitting. I can tell she is making this a bigger deal than it needs to be so I pull her closer to me whisper in her ear, "This is nothing new ok. We were sleeping in the same bed not so long ago. Nothing has to happen that you don't want to."

She pulls away slightly and narrows her eyes. Then she says, "There were teachers in the Hospital Wing earlier and Madame Pomfrey was right in the next room. I considered all of that before allowing myself to be pulled into your bed."

I smile softly at her, "Blaise, do you trust me?"

At her very slight nod I continue, "Then relax and come here."

Finally she lets my hands gently guide her onto the bed next to me. And contentment seems to settle over me along with her.

After all of my adventures I always cherish the time when I finally get to sleep in a bed outside of the Hospital wing. Nice, soft, warm covers sleeping for as long as I want to. This time I even get someone to enjoy it with me.

I can vaguely hear Blaise whisper something to me, but I can't focus enough to hear it. The world gets sort of hazy around me and I let my eyes shut gently.

She is facing away from me now, but I can feel her moving a bit closer to me. Using my last bit of strength I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her body against mine.

I feel my face get hot at the contact of her body all over mine and I finally fall asleep.

~*~*~*~*~

Cold.

It feel the cold all around me. Surrounding me. I remember falling asleep but feel wide awake now. I keep my eyes tightly shut and feel around me for anything to provide me with desperately needed warmth.

My hand gropes around me. All I feel are the sheets shifting and I let out a highly frustrated groan.

Light laughter is what greets me. I scowl, but keep my eyes closed.

"It's bloody freezing in here," I complain and Blaise offers me no response but to say, "I'm not cold."

"Of course you're not," I mutter irritated, "you live in the bloody dungeons."

She snorts and by now I have gauged that she is somewhere to the left completely off of the bed I am still lying on.

I finally open my eyes.

Only to have my pupils assaulted by dark green. I had forgotten that the bed was that color.

I glace over to the fireplace and notice that the fire which had been cheerfully roaring with crackling orange flames when I had gone to bed had died out during the night and Blaise...

... the girl had the bloody window half open!

"Have you gone completely mad!?" I shout in frustration, "You are going to get sick!"

I get out of the bed and quickly walk across the plush carpet to where she is sitting on a small bench in front of a beautiful bay style window. It is in the shape of a half oval and it divides into two halves with the latch in the middle.

Blaise has one of her hands resting on the half of the latch outside the window. I sit down on the bench beside her and reach outside. Placing my hand on top of hers I close the window, taking note of how cold her hand feels.

When the window clicks shut I stare at her, but she is still looking away from me and out the window.

"It's snowing," I say out loud more to shake her from her oddly serene state than to make a point.

She obviously knows it is snowing as her hair has flakes all strewn about in it from when the window was open. But I know I have to get her talking. She was in a state similar to this one other time since I've known her and it always means that she is deep in thought about something very important.

The last time she had been like this... well... suffice to say I was lucky that things had ended up well at all.

"Yes, it is snowing," Blaise finally answered and then continued, "It's the Order of the Phoenix isn't it? That's what has been going on? They want you to join them or do something for them, go on some risky mission and give up your life for them?"

"That's where you've been right?" she demanded and the rapid firing of questions caught me so off guard that I couldn't even begin to contemplate giving her answers. First I said, "How did you come to these conclusions?"

"Professor Snape gave me some vague hints," she began as she stood up and started to pace in front on me, "But my dad told me about the Order before. The 'secret organization' tipped off a group of Aurors to search our house right after you brought down Voldemort after the first rise. My father wouldn't have even found out about the damned Order if there hadn't been Death Eaters among the Aurors back then."

My head was spinning. Death Eaters among Aurors? The Order not being quite as secret as I had once believed? This was all getting annoying. Then I realized Blaise was staring me down.

She wanted an answer to something, but I hadn't heard the question.

"Merlin Potter! You're not even listening to me anymore your attention span is so short! I asked you if you are a member of this Order?" she bit out stopping her pacing to look down at me.

"No," I said honestly and I saw the tension in her shoulders relax a bit. "But," I continued, "They want me to be."

She let out some kind of growl and said, "I assume you are going to tell them no."

When I didn't answer right away she put her fisted hands against her temples and the image of the angry Veelas from the Quidditch world Cup came floating back to my mind.

I thought about what Blaise would say if I told her I was imagining her sprouting wings and fangs like an angry Veela and I couldn't repress a smile.

The next thing I felt was my head being slammed into the window behind the seat I was sitting on.

"You are SMILING! I can't believe you!" she shrieked.

"I wasn't smiling beca-" I began but she wasn't even giving me the chance to speak.

"You are such a moron you know that? You are going to run off and get yourself killed all in the name of doing the right thing or some other such bullshit! Well you go ahead, go get yourself killed just like-"

Here Blaise stopped.

My head was pounding from when she slammed it into the window, but I still had enough energy in me to get mad. "Just like who Blaise? Just like my parents? Is that what you were going to say?"

"NO!" she yelled back at me. "Not everything is about you or your bloody life Potter! Other people died in the last rise too if you'll recall, you arrogant bastard! How many times are we going to have this SAME BLOODY DICUSSION!"

She turned away from me and stalked toward the door. I noted to myself that at some point before I woke up she had changed out of her pajamas.

I discreetly slipped out my wand and muttered a charm. My socks and trainers reappeared on my feet under my baggy sweatpants just as Blaise reached the door.

"Fine," I yelled at her back, "Leave, be a coward and run away from every little problem. That's what you are good at isn't it? You have an issue with me joining the Order, but instead of talking about it like a normal person you yell at me and make references to things I know nothing about and then run away! AND if I recall correctly mere hours ago you were inadvertently encouraging me to join the Order. What happened to all of that stuff about "facing the music" and good old Snape thinking I was ready? Changing your ideals that quickly Blaise because maybe the situation wasn't about me being "immature," as you so eloquently put it, but about a bigger picture that even now you still can't see all of?"

"I hate that about you Blaise!" I retorted fiercely, "So quick to judge and so slow to stop and listen. If you wanted to know all the information I would tell you, but instead you are walking out before I can even begin. Now remind me, who is acting stupid?"

Blaise turned around and I don't think I had ever seen her look so angry.

"Let me remind you Potter, that you are the one actually joining this crackpot Order without knowing all the facts. And if I know things about the Order that you don't should that give you some tiny bit of an indication that those people aren't telling you everything? And now you are throwing my words back in my face when you even admit that I didn't know everything back then. You are INSUFFERABLE! And now I am leaving. Stay the bloody hell away from me!"

"FINE!" I shouted back annoyed. She left the room and I could hear her steps retreating down the hallway.

But I was so bloody pissed off now. I wanted to sit her down and make her tell me everything she knew about the Order. I wanted her to tell me who she was talking about that 'went and got themselves killed' I wanted her to give me reasons not to join the Order instead of just shouted accusations with insults attached to each.

And as her footsteps drew father away from me I decided that I was Harry Potter and for once I was going to get what I wanted when I wanted it.

So I left the room of requirement, and looked to my left then my right.

I discovered that Blaise was walking at a steady but not too fast pace toward the staircase. I ran after her, "ZABINI! STOP!"

She looked back and me and much to my surprise she started to run toward the stairs. I had expected her not to answer. Or to send a hex my way. Not to actually run away... like the coward I accused her of being.

She sprinted down two flights of steps and kept going down, but she wasn't heading toward her common room. I didn't know where she was going. The hallways were empty and I wasn't really too sure what time it was except that it was early morning.

We were on the main floor of the castle now and I wondered if she was going to run toward the main doors and outside. Thankfully, she didn't and headed in a direction I always presumed to be the vague location of the Hufflepuff common room.

Faster and faster, my trainers smacking the cold stones with loud slaps again and again and again.

I was beginning to think she had no destination in mind. I realized I was starting to get tired of running, and decided to run at a full out sprint and just catch her and be done with this. 

I start to go faster when I hear someone yelling something behind me. I couldn't look back for fear that Blaise would use any slight distraction to duck into a side corridor, which I noted there were a lot of around here.

I had only been in this part of the castle a few times and I always avoided because being so close to the Hufflepuff common room always made me think of Cedric.

There seemed to be more than one yelling voice but I couldn't hear what they were saying as I was sprinting now and drawing closer to the elusive Slytherin every second.

Finally I caught her.

She was still running and I reached out and grabbed her arm. She tried to pry it away by turning sharply into one of the small corridors, but I held fast. There appeared to be some kind of stained glass window at the end of the corridor and there were a few rays of sunlight streaming in through it casting rainbows of light on the entire area.

Blaise finally stopped sharply, but the momentum of her running and my own caused us to slam into each other- hard.

We fell to the floor and when I opened my eyes I found myself starring straight into the coldest set of brown eyes I had ever seen. Before I could comment, I was yanked roughly off the floor and push against the wall of the narrow corridor. My back pressed against the stunning stained glass window.  

"Potter," I heard McGonagall's voice say, "I don't know what you two think you are doing but don't think that just because it is the holiday that I can't punish you! Running rampant through the halls like that- you could have hurt someone! Have you no sense!"

I heard the words she was saying, but they didn't really register in my brain. I was watching Blaise.

Professor Snape was helping her off the ground and I couldn't take my eyes off of her.

I could see something in her eyes.

She was giving up on me. I could tell. Somehow I knew. She seemed to have decided I was too much work. She was giving up on whatever the hell it was we had going on.

I could see it in the way she wasn't even looking at me. I was being written off as a nuisance. Something just too infernal to even bother dealing with.  

That was it. It was over. Just like that.

And she didn't even have to say a word for me to know it.

"Mr. Potter," I heard Professor Dumbledore saying, "There needn't be any punishment as no one was hurt, but you should by no means repeat this morning's activities when the school is full of students who may get in the way of your... exercising."

"You should head back to the Gryffindor Tower and get changed," the Headmaster continued genially, "You may then come back down here for breakfast. There is simply wonderful French Toast today that I know you will enjoy."

I was still not really listening.

Blaise was being lead away by Professor Snape. He was looking at her and seemed to be nodding along with something she was telling him. Then Snape looked back at me and he had on his face the most satisfied expression I had ever seen.

 I wanted him to die.

"So that's it then," I said scathingly to Blaise who was still walking away nonchalantly. "You're going to leave me when I need you the most. When things are at their worst and I need someone not only to hug and kiss and all that junk, but someone who can sit down with me and help me make choices- this is when you are going to leave? When I need someone who will see the darker side of things I am so naïve about and force me to acknowledge them? When I need you most- that is when you are going to leave?"

I saw her stop walking and Snape's confident steps falter and I knew that I had hit the mark. From the very beginning of our... er- relationship she had always told me that she wasn't someone who date someone for all the "ridiculous soppy stuff." She said she would be there for the bad times if I wanted her to be and now I was calling her on it.   

"Then fine Zabini," I said arrogantly, "you weren't worth my time."

Alright I admit I might have taken that one a bit far. It made her sound like some toy that I had used and thrown aside.

Add that to the fact that I said that in front of three of the most respected and powerful teachers in the school and I must say I should have seen her reaction coming.

The next thing I knew a solid punch was delivered straight to my left eye. My glasses shattered and flew off of my face and I hissed as a good amount of glass embedded itself in the skin around my eye.

But she wasn't done yet.

She pushed me hard and my head slammed into the stained glass behind it. It took a moment for the Professors to realize what had happened, but once they did they started to try to pull her off me.

Her hands were clawing at my face and I could feel her nails ripping off chunks of my skin. Suddenly I came to my senses and snatched her hands in mid strike away from my face and with some harsh maneuvering wrapped my arms tightly around her- sealing her arms at her sides.

She was struggling furiously against me, but I could tell that she was getting tired. I wasn't sure where the teachers were now, but I found that as long as they weren't trying to take her away from me I didn't really care that they were nearby. 

Finally, exhausted she looked up at me and said in a tired voice I could hardly stand, "Merlin Harry, what do you want from me?"

I paused.

I had never really thought of if as me forcing her to give me something... forcing her to give me herself. It seemed truly horrible that way.

I sighed, "Whatever you're willing to give me Lacy. Right now, I'll take whatever you're willing to give."

She stared at me silently before she let out a short sigh and shook her head, "At this point Harry, I think I am close to giving you everything I've got."

I cocked an eyebrow at that.

I believe she had been about to turn her back on me just a few seconds ago. Where had all that come from?

"Not without a fight mind you," she continued. "If I am putting all of me into this thing we have going on then it's going to be pretty tough."

"We are going to fight and I am going to hate you. I'll say awful things to you and," as she raised her hand from its locked position at her side she whispered, "I am going to make you bleed. Make you cry. Because we aren't always going to agree and I am not going to give in. Not ever. And I know you won't either."

She sighed heavily and continued, "So yes, just now I was thinking that it was going to be too much to deal with. Too much trouble for a silly little Gryffindor. But then you had to go and spout some typical Slytherin dribble to me and remind me that I am not dealing with some silly little Gryffindor. I'm dealing with Harry Potter who is going to hold me to every little thing I say and insult me in ways that make me want to hurt him if I don't stick with every little thing I say. So yes, Harry. I'll give you all of me if you'll give me all of you and promise never to change. Never."

Silence.

I stare at her in amazement for a good couple of minutes, trying at the same time to ignore the throbbing around my left eye. Slowly I shake my head slowly back and forth and state bluntly, "I don't think I knew quite was I was getting into with you."

And much to my amusement, both Snape and Blaise snort at that.

~*~*~*~

She is staring at me again, and I recognize that look.

It's the 'you'd better not make me repeat the question' look. Merlin had I seen enough of that look lately.

I bite my lip hard in thought, "I think the most powerful one you can create is the Ancile Clipeatus Shield which takes the form of a large round dome and encircles the caster and anyone in their immediate vicinity in a hazy golden light. It can only be broken by an Unforgivable, but unlike most other shields it absorbs all the spells shot out it, bar Unforgivables, and uses them to reinforce itself." 

Blaise nods at me and says, "Don't forget that it can be broken by the spell Finite cast by at least three powerful wizards."

I nod at her words and rub at my eyes tiredly. Glancing at my watch I say, "Do you think we can call it an evening and get some dinner my eyes are getting itchy again from all the dust in here."  

Blaise isn't listening to me though; she is staring at the text in front of her reminding me eerily of Hermione in the rapt expression on her face.

"Blaise!" I say and the girl finally looks up at me her eyes shining with a bit of excitement.

I sigh and rub my eyes again, "What did you find?"

She smiles slightly at me and says, "Professor Dumbledore wrote some notes on the side corner of this book about some modifications he made to the Ancile Clipeatus Shield which allows it to even withstand the Finites. It's amazing how much the Headmaster has done. He must have forgotten that he even wrote this in here, it looks really old. He could have the information published and-"

"Well my dear I certainly would have had it published had it been successful," came the voice of Headmaster Dumbledore from a small door to our right.

I look up from the book in my lap I had been glancing at as Blaise had been talking and smile very slightly at the Headmaster.

It had been about a month and a half since The Crucible and our relationship was still extremely strained, but the old man certainly was trying.

"I came up here to get you two. Dinner will be starting shortly and your friends Mr. Weasley, Ms. Granger, Mr. Nott and Mr. Malfoy have been searching for you two for quite a while now. Not together of course," he said with a sad smile, "Ah, the petty rivalries of youth such effort put into such meaninglessness."

"But not you two," he said suddenly cheerful once more, "you may very well be the beginning of the end of the Slytherin/Gryffindor rivalry."

I snort at that as I stand up, "Not very likely Professor."

I reach my hand down and help Blaise off the floor of the small circular room. The room, adjacent to the Headmaster's office, was very similar in design to the Headmaster's office except for the hundreds of books lining the walls.

When I had first entered it I had vividly recalled the room which the Beast had given to Belle in the American Muggle movie 'Beauty and the Beast' I had seen glimpses of when Dudley had gone through his 'Disney phase' as I refer to it.

The only difference is that this room is smaller... and incredibly dusty.

I sneezed as I put away yet another large tome and Dumbledore handed me a handkerchief with a bumblebee and a large letter 'A' embroidered on it.

"Thank you," I said as I dabbed my nose with the cloth reminding myself that no I could not cast a dust removal charm as it could damage some of the older and more delicate books in the room.

 Dumbledore and Blaise were chatting lightly about Dumbledore's modification of the Ancile Clipeatus Shield when I finished putting the books away.

"Well, I would love to discuss this with you more as it seems that you have some wonderful ideas on the subject Ms. Zabini," the Headmaster was saying and I was slightly surprised to see Blaise beam at him.

"Thank you Professor, but as for right now I suppose I had better be going." Blaise said graciously, "Harry, however, should probably stay here for a while longer so that no one suspects that we were in your office together. Perhaps the two of you could continue to discuss it."

"Tricky business, this sneaking around," I muttered as I came to stand next to her, blatantly ignoring her suggestion of the Headmaster and I having a civil conversation.

"Not to a Slytherin," she said automatically. "Now don't leave for at least twenty minutes and don't even look in my direction during dinner, last time you did that Draco proceeded to point it out to-"

"The entire table," I finished irritated. "Yes I know, I know. But I couldn't help it."

Blaise smiles at me softly and I kissed her lightly on the forehead, before sneezing yet again.

The Headmaster chuckled and said, "I believe we should leave the library lest Harry lose a lung, wouldn't you agree?"

I nod as I swipe at my nose with Dumbledore's handkerchief.

Once we are back in the Headmaster's main office I take a deep breath and sigh at the clean fresh air. Blaise laughs at my dramatization and as I sink into one of the chairs in front of the Headmaster's desk I stick out my tongue at her.

She moves to stand behind my chair as the Headmaster sits down behind his desk. "Alright," she says quietly, "I'll see you in Potions tomorrow, but mind you don't talk to me. And then on Saturday I'll meet you back here at 12:30, which means you come at 12:00."

I groan and stamp my feet on the carpet like a child, "Yes Blaise I know all this, we've only been meeting in that dust bunny of a library every other day for the past month and a half! I think I can handle it. And I know not to talk to you during classes or in the hallway lest 'Blaise the evil Slytherin' come out to play. For as I have learned she will lash out at me with cruel words that make all her little cronies laugh because no one can know about... this."

We sigh simultaneously.

Me, because I know I've succeeded in making her feel guilty which always in return makes me feel guilty and she because, well, she feels guilty.

Oh the tangled web we weave.

Professor Dumbledore clears his throat and says, "I cannot understand why you won't tell anyone about this. They would get over their initial anger in time, or at least once they see you two together. You are obviously in-."

Just with the beginning of that sentence Blaise and I freeze. That sentence would have finished with a word that we do not say to each other. Not yet. No it's WAY too soon to think that or... say that. Maybe not ever. I don't know where this is going.

Dumbledore seems to know that he has stepped on dangerous ground and cuts off the end of his sentence. The Headmaster then sighs and says, "Very well. Continue to keep your secret, but heed my advice when I say that it is secrets of the heart which fight the most to be revealed. Something you both should consider."

Blaise sighs and runs her fingers through my hair from where she is standing behind my chair. I lean in to the touch and the sides of my lips quirk up when she bends over and kisses the top of my head.

"Until Saturday," she whispers as she backs away from my chair. A moment later I hear the door open and close and I glace down at my watch.

5:45

I had thirty minutes to spend with Albus Dumbledore.

Alone.

And not for the first time I wondered why exactly it was that I let Blaise convince me to always leave after her

"So, how are you two doing with your studying?" Dumbledore asks innocently.

Blaise and I had finally (after some pretty loud arguments over the rest of the Christmas holiday) decided that I would join the Order, but only after I did some intense studying. And when you agree to study with Blaise you agree to study like an Auror... or possibly even more.

Between raiding Dumbledore's private library (which he happened to offer to us the very day we decided on our course of action) and classes I was getting pretty high up on the year's rankings... much to Hermione's baffled surprise.  

And much to the pleasure of all my professors.

"It's ok," I say moderately. In reality it was better than ok. In fact according to Blaise if we continued as we were progressing now I would be ready to be initiated by Valentine's Day.

How romantic.

Speaking of romance I had no idea what Blaise and I were going to do for Valentine's Day, assuming I wasn't initiated on that day. Bizarre how I now had to think about things like that.

What kind of holiday was that really? The only Valentine's Day memory I had was one I'd rather forget involving the words "green as a fresh pickled toad."

Even just thinking about it I shudder. I daresay Blaise would let Valentine's Day go by and let me "forget about it" and not say a word, but then a week later she would hint at the fact that she thought I was an insensitive jerk.

That's my Lacy. Wonderful as always.

Dumbledore smiles at me and I quickly check my Occlumency shields to find that I am (what I like to call) "leaking" slightly. So he knows about my abhorrence of Valentine's Day.

No big deal, but it still gets on my nerves that he does that... picking my brain.

Dumbledore stares at me for a moment and says, "You know Harry I do believe we've all had Valentine's Days we wish we could forget."

So the bastard admits he was snooping in my head. I am unsure of how I feel about that.

Hum...am I angry? I can't really tell. I think I'm used to it. I focus on tightening my shields...before I realize he is telling me something.

"...Poor Thelma was devastated that I hated her rendition of Ode to Socks, but I of course found it particularly embarrassing that my fondness for comfortable foot apparel had been brought up for the fourth time in a single..." Dumbledore blathered on.

Wait! Ode to Socks?

Let's not go there. I coughed loudly and obviously and Dumbledore's story was cut off.

"I know you were picking my brain and thus I know that you know that I was thinking of what to do for Blaise for Valentine's Day. Any ideas Professor? You've seen quite a few jours d'amour pass you by. You must have come up with something jaw dropping and heart stopping by now. Lay it on me," I say haughtily more for the attitude effect than anything else.

And much to my surprise; he does.

About one full hour later, Dumbledore and I stand next to each other as the revolving staircase leading to his office takes us back down.

I can't keep the smile off my face as the exuberant Headmaster continues to remind me exactly which "easy to make" mistakes to steer clear of when planning my Valentine's Day with Blaise.

His 'Master Valentine's Day Plan' had been attempted by the headmaster on 5 different girls on each very separate occasions, but each time proceeded to fall apart on the poor professor... or in some cases on his date.

He seemed determined that the same would not happen to me, not that I would make any of those kinds of mistakes any way... honestly after that the sock thing... just ruined it.

I chuckle lightly as he tells me, "Heart adorned socks are a must Harry, an absolute MUST, lest the plan fall apart before you can even finish setting up the roses."

As we head down to the gargoyle below, my cheeks aching from my nearly constant laughter over the past hour, I deem it pretty safe to say that my relationship with Professor Dumbledore is on the mend.  

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Author's (C. Night) Notes: Sorry to the Dumbledore haters, but I had to do it. It's been a while any how, two months is enough brooding time. Dwelling on things is bad for Harry so he won't do that here. Not too much action this chapter. Alright, pretty much none. But the epilogue will be more exciting. And then that's it. Sigh, it's been lots of fun. And all you guys who are both reading and reviewing are simply awesome for sticking with me all this time. I am honestly going to be a lazy bum and not write individual answers to all of your reviews but rest assured that ff.net fixed the problem it was having and I have both read and smiled over every single review. Thank you, thank you, thank you! And do let me know if the whole me not answering this is bothering you as if you want me to I can send you an e-mail answering any specific questions that you have.

The sequel-ish stories are still open for voting and will be for a while. So I will reiterate them here and there is one extra option now. After some more pondering and some sudden ideas during Pre-Calc I've got a total of five possibilities. Only four are up here for now, as the last one is still a surprise... hehehe.

 Here we go:

1) Diary of a Tainted Aristocrat- A Blaise Zabini story which would be written from her point of view (1st person). It would begin in the summer before 6th year in which she interacts with good old Cousin Draco, Aunt Narcissa, and of course good old aspiring Death Eater Dad. It would progress into the school year when she becomes potions partners with the one and only Harry Potter. Read as her views crumble beneath her and she and Harry work to build up new ones together. It will NOT be in diary style.

2) Behind The Crucible- This would be very closely liked with GOoDT and would be the Order's POV on both Harry's testing and reaction. It would start before he actually took the test and would show exactly how it was planned and reveal every single little thing hidden in GOoDT that otherwise you may never know. It would be written in the 3rd person.

3) Through Hell and High Water- A Hermione/Ron story in which we explore their newly developing relationship and see just how JKR's seemingly canon couple will stand against my whims. And we'll explore their reaction when Harry finally fesses up about Blaise and the deeply passionate relationship he is developing with the Slytherin. How will it affect the trio's friendship? And will it cause trouble with Ron and Hermione's relationship? Um... YES!

4) The Periwinkle Twinkle- a series of narratives revolving around Harry Potter, but from the point of view of Albus Dumbledore. Will include Dumbledore's thoughts at various points in OotP and may continue through to my own story GooTD. Read and discover, as Harry put it, the "warped thought process" of Albus Dumbledore.   

Until Next Time....

Vote and Review!

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