This chapter has two types of narratives. Cedric's point of view and Blaze's. Just a heads up. Hope it doesn't confuse anyone. ^_^ Title: The Blaze of Blaise Zabini by Nengski
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Chapter Nine: The Goblet of Fire
June 25, the Last Task
Morag scooted over giving Blaise room to sit beside her.
"I wonder what they'll encounter in that maze?" Pansy wondered aloud. "You think they'll have vampires and such?" Draco cringed while Blaise shrugged her shoulders.
"Maybe it's like the obstacle course Professor Lupin set up for us last year."
"Oooh! But facing a boggart as a Grande finale seems pretty tame considering they had faced a dragon in the first task. On second thought … What if they faced all the creatures they fear the most?!" Morag squeaked clasping her hands together. "I'd wet myself if I had to face a Manticore!"
"Don't be silly, MacDougal. Manticores hardly exist in this region," Draco snorted. Blaise smirked.
"Well, you never know …" Morag sniffed and went back to her binoculars.
Pansy shivered, "I'd personally hate to meet up with Granger's hairdresser if you ask me." Draco, along with his thug-sidekicks, Crabbe and Goyle, snickered beside her. Blaise rolled her eyes.
"You still can't get over the fact that she had the better hair for Yule Ball, Pansy?"
"Absolutely n--"
"Thought so."
Pansy huffed loudly. Blaise has been on her case since Draco asked Pansy to the Yule Ball last December. Not that Blaise wanted to be Malfoy's date, hell no. Pansy's haughtiness just annoyed her, as if she's the only girl who ever had a boyfriend. What's the big deal anyway? It's only Malfoy. And Blaise was at least two inches taller than the runt.
"I wonder if Dumbledore would allow Dementors," said runt snickered. "That'd send Scarhead running out of there faster than you can say Gryffindork. I wish they had some," he sighed.
"Speak for yourself," Blaise snapped.
"Take it easy, Zabini. I've got odds that our boy Diggory wins. Let's hope he's not afraid of tarantulas or three-headed pigs."
Morag turned to her, still holding the binoculars to her face. "What would send Cedric running out of there, Blaise? Do you know?"
Blaise shrugged again in reply. Biting her lip, she knew what Cedric dreaded the most …
Not being there.
Blaise's Boggart
"Hey, Diggory! Diggory! Cedric!"
He spun around and found the last person he expected to say his name running towards him.
"What do you want, Malfoy?" He asked, waiting for the pale Slytherin to catch his breath.
"Blaise … trouble … locked in Lupin's office."
It didn't sound urgent but the look on Malfoy's face seemed sincerely concerned. This had to be the most Cedric or anyone in Hogwarts has seen the Slytherin Prince flushed with any emotion other than malice.
"Come on! Follow me!" Cedric had no choice but to chase after Malfoy who sped back down the corridor he came from. In his mind, Cedric thought up over a dozen scenarios that Blaise could be in. Did she hex another student? Did she corner Peeves in Lupin's office? Did she corner Professor Lupin in his office? Did she finally kill something bigger than her temper?
His concentration broke when he heard several girls chattering nervously outside the professor's office.
"Oh my god! She's over-doing it a bit, don't you think?"
"I know. We just locked her in there. It's not like the professor has one of his creatures inside … Right?"
"The way she's screaming you'd think something's stabbing her to death in there."
Cedric and Malfoy stopped in front of the group of girls. Cedric recognised some of the robes from Hufflepuff. Some were from Ravenclaw as well.
"I thought I told you hags to bugger off!" Draco snarled whipping his wand in front of their faces. The girls implored to Cedric with plaintive looks. Cedric sighed under his breath.
"I'll handle it from here, Malfoy."
Just then, Professor Lupin's door shook from within, and Blaise's voice rang through.
"NO! Get away from me! GET AWAY! STOP IT!"
Cedric's hairs stood on the back of his neck.
"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU LOCK HER IN WITH?!" He boomed at the guilty-looking girls. They shrank away as Cedric tried to blast the doors open.
"I did that already," Malfoy sighed. Blaise cried out again.
Cedric banged on the door. "Blaise?! It's me Cedric! Are you near the door? We can't get in … Are you okay, Blaise?!" He only heard sobbing. "What the hell's in there, Malfoy?" He kicked at the door. Malfoy did the same. They tried several times until they heard someone cough behind them.
"Err, did you gentlemen wish to have a word with me?" Professor Lupin asked. Blaise's scream answered the question. "Who's in my office?" He asked approaching the door.
"Blaise Zabini. My question is, Professor, what the heck is in there with her?"
Lupin's eyes rounded. "A boggart. There's a boggart in a suitcase next to my desk. She must've knocked it over. But I don't see how she doesn't use the defenses she learned in class."
"That's because she refused to step in line to tackle it," Malfoy said quietly, his face in deep thought. Cedric drew out his wand as the professor raised his hand over the door.
"Marauder Three," he mumbled. The door swung open and Cedric pushed both men aside and charged into the room.
What he saw scarred him deep in the heart. Because it suddenly opened several truths to him. Painful truths. The kind that you wished were lies … He suddenly remembered the tiny 8-year old that clung to him as he boarded the train. The smile behind the tears, the eyes filled with trust … He realised that look had long ago disappeared from her face. The letters … always filled with sarcastic optimism, the dry-witted sense of humour … how he marveled how she seemed to have aged in such a short span of years. But now, he saw the letters in his mind again and this time read in-between the lines.
Lupin charged forward and distracted the boggart towards him as Cedric rushed to Blaise who had squeezed herself into a corner. As the professor wrestled a silvery orb back into the suitcase, Cedric placed a timid hand on her shoulder. She jerked away, keeping her eyes shut. He saw the blood on her lips, the bruises on her face. He wanted to sob just as hard as she was just then.
"Cedric?" Professor Lupin said cautiously behind him. "Is she all right?" Just then, they heard Malfoy snarl at the girls still loitering outside the office. Cedric took off his cloak and covered Blaise with it. He'll never give them the satisfaction of seeing her like this.
"We … we just need a little time, professor," he croaked.
Professor Lupin eyed Cedric warily. Cedric couldn't read the expression on the man's face, but he seemed torn to leave without saying anything to Blaise who still crouched in the corner.
"May I check of she's--"
"No," an even voice said. Cedric turned back to her. She discarded the cloak and stood straight in one sweeping movement. "I'm fine," she turned to the door listening intently on the argument outside. Then she strode to the door. She walked out just as Cedric spotted her wand on the floor.
"Blaise, wait!" He reached for the wand.
Shrieks came from the hall. Cedric bolted out of the door, discreetly knocking into the desk, enabling the boggart to escape the suitcase again.
"Don't worry, Professor, I'll take care of it!" He waved, shutting the door as Lupin struggled again with a silvery ball. He rounded the corner and bumped into Malfoy.
"Outta the way, Malfoy!" The Slytherin folded his arms.
"You're not going to deduct points from us, are you? You saw what those twats did. They deserve what they're getting."
Cedric help up Blaise's wand. "You mean … that's not Blaise screaming?" Malfoy yawned at his puzzled expression.
"I've got business elsewhere, Diggory. Excuse me." He brushed past him leaving Cedric to continue down the hall and into the courtyard leading towards the lake.
Blaise wasn't there. But several girls lay sprawled on the ground. Some nursed bloody noses, while others batted at the smoke coming from their hair. Others were howling sporting mouths with several missing teeth. One girl, a Hufflepuff 7th year, stormed over to him.
"Look what that bitch Slytherin has done!" She gestured at the gap in between her front teeth. "And Mona's eyes won't uncross and Faruza's tongue--"
"I see no difference," he said evenly, narrowing his eyes the way he had seen Blaise do. The girl backed away in shock. "She's been through enough to have you tormenting her any chance you get. As far as I'm concerned, she was easy on you."
He stalked away, leaving the girl sputtering in her boots. He wanted more than anything to pull his heart out and toss it into the lake. The empathy he felt for Blaise weighed too much. And he finally discovered what truly happened that day. The day the Death-Eater escaped and ventured to Creer Upon Libby. The day where Cedric had thought nothing happened … or maybe he did suspect … he just didn't want to know …
"Blaise!" He called when he spotted a flicker of blond hair high above the towers. He bit his lip and closed his eyes. He tried to push away the image of the boggart standing over her. But the harder he tried to push the image away, the more it stuck in his mind. Taunting him, mocking him. As if to say: You failed, boy. You can't save her.
Turning on his heel, Cedric ran back into the castle. He pushed past his fellow students and professors. He felt an urgency to see her. To hold her. Apologise even. But it all seemed so futile. And again, he saw her face … young, weary, beautiful, and hardened … bruised. Such a contrast to the girl he chased pixies with in his backyard. And the bitterness of it all crept again at his throat until he clutched onto a gargoyle and spat out the bile forming in his mouth.
"Dammit!" He hissed. "Damn … it." He wiped his chin with a shaky hand. Suddenly the gargoyle inched backward and a staircase revolved into front of him. Blaise stood there with the Headmaster behind her.
"Ah, Cedric!" Professor Dumbledore beamed, while Blaise stared at her boots. "So Professor Lupin did catch up with you? Come in, please. Blaise and I just got done talking."
Cedric glanced from the headmaster to Blaise. She avoided his gaze and shuffled herself the opposite way. "Actually, sir, no one said anything …"
"It's all right, Cedric," Dumbledore said quietly watching him carefully. "She requested that no one bother her right now." He placed a firm hand on the boy's shoulder, making him turn away from Blaise's departing figure. "Would you please come in? Have a cup of tea?"
Cedric dragged his feet behind him. On any other day, he'd wet himself to have a chance to talk with the great wizard. But right then, he wanted more than anything to be with her, his …
"We can't always be there," Dumbledore said suddenly. Cedric took the saucer handed to him. "From what Professor Lupin told me, there was a scuffle not too long ago in his office. I've spoken to Blaise about it, but she's impressively tip-lipped about the incident. I wonder if you have anything to add since you were there?"
Cedric stared into his cup. "I don't think I'm in the position to divulge what happened in there, Professor. Umm … what did Professor Lupin say?" He snuck a peek at Dumbledore, the wizard gazed at him with a thoughtful yet prying stare.
"Only that Blaise had an encounter with a boggart. And she was unable to defend herself from it?"
A lump ballooned in Cedric's throat. He stared back at his hands, pushing away the image of the boggart out of his mind. But when that proved useless, he imagined himself there, standing in front of her, shielding her from it. It didn't make him feel any better. Because he can't wish away what happened to her. He can't climb into her head and grab that memory out of her. He couldn't do anything. She had thought the world of him … and yet he could do nothing to help her.
He wished he never got on that train. If he didn't leave for Hogwarts, she'd be okay. He'd keep her from that encounter. Just anything as long as … He'd be there.
"Cedric?" Dumbledore said quietly. The young man looked up reluctantly again.
"I'm sorry, Professor. But I can't. It's not mine to tell."
Dumbledore leaned back slowly in his chair. The look on his face grew suddenly weary and even troubled. "I understand, Cedric. I think I've heard enough."
Cedric bit his lip. "You're not going to expel her, are you?" He blurted.
"Why I never considered it as an option. From what I understand, she retaliated to a prank. I, myself don't condone such things, but in a school of over a hundred students, mischief and mayhem is bound to surface. That and Madame Poppy said the parties involved will have their teeth grown back in two to three days."
"Good, good," he said distractedly. He really wanted to get out of here and find Blaise.
"You may go now, Cedric," Dumbledore said waving his hand. "And do tell Blaise I'm here if she wants to talk … I already told her that awhile ago, but it's something I don't mind reiterating now and then. Help yourself to a lemon drop, boy. They're not all too sour."
Once out of the Headmaster's office, Cedric leaned back and popped a lemon drop in his mouth. He felt his nerves unwind, the tension in his muscles loosen. He couldn't talk to her writhed with guilt and such. This wasn't about him. This was for her welfare. Her sanity. Her happiness.
He ran his hands through his hair and pointed his boots to the corridor leading into the higher courtyards …
Watching from the Stands
"Well? What does Cedric fear the most, Blaise? You two are tight. You should know this one."
Blaise twisted her hair up into a messy bun as she avoided Morag's binocular gaze. "I don't know. I'm not his keeper. Isn't Bagman down there yet? What's happening?"
Morag twisted her lips as she focused her lens to the activity below. They were sitting high in the stands overlooking a maze of lush shrub. But even they couldn't pick out the contestants from the spectators.
"They haven't started yet," she said lowering her binoculars. "Where did you run off to anyway? Mill's been at the refreshment stand twice already."
"Just wished Cedric good luck," Blaise grinned. Someone snorted behind her. She twisted around. "What is it now, Malfoy? I can't wish Cedric good luck too?"
Draco smirked as he crossed his arms. "I just think it's tragically sweet how you fall over yourself for Diggory when he's dating that Chang witch."
"Oh, bugger off," Blaise snapped. "You're clueless as usual, Draco. Go back to drooling on Pansy's robes."
Pansy's response, "Why am I not offended by this? Oh yeah, I've heard it a million times already. At least, I'm not interested in anyone who isn't attracted to me." Blaise rolled her eyes.
"Speak for yourself, Pansy-cakes," she drawled.
She didn't think she could handle living in the same roof with Cedric knowing the truth of their relationship. But living with the Diggory's wasn't a stretch. Blaise still insisted sleeping in her manor where just Yulee attended to her now. She had meals with them and they all left for the train station together. Cedric treated her the same way. Annoyed her whenever they were alone and protected her whenever some bloke smiled at her. And for a fleeting moment, she wondered if it mattered that he was her brother or not. It wouldn't change the dynamic they had between them, would it? So it probably didn't matter at all. And yet … she couldn't have a day go by now without her obsessing about it. She had to tell him. He had to know. Like there was a sense of urgency now.
Papa's letter to her was promising. He agreed to discuss the possibility of telling Cedric the truth with McGee. Blaise wanted it to happen. This was his last year at Hogwarts. She wanted to have a chance to tell him the truth before he leaves for Med School. And thank him for everything he did for her while he was at Hogwarts …
Shadowboxer
"This's your favorite place, isn't it?"
Cedric edged along the wall, peeking over the ledge she had propped herself on. Blaise didn't move from her spot. She sat with her back to him, swinging her legs over the steep drop.
"Yes … because no one ever comes here." She flicked a pebble off the palm of her hand.
"You have to be a bit more direct if you want to kick me out," he snorted.
He couldn't see past the blonde locks over her face. But her voice muffled, "You can stay."
They sat side by side, watching the sunset before them. Cedric then turned to her. She still kept her face turned away. He knew she didn't want him to see the bruises. He didn't have to. He felt them as if they were his own. There were no words. Instead, he took her hand into his.
"I'm sorry."
He turned to her in surprise. That was supposed to be his line. "For what?"
Blaise bowed her head. "For not telling you the truth about the Death-Eater. For playing along with my parent's charade. For wearing a mask. For everything. I'm sorry for everything I am and what I will be. And most of all, I'm sorry I misled you. I should've trusted you'd understand."
"Blaise, don't let one bad moment in your life define you."
"It's not one bad thing, Cedric. This's just the year where everything has come to a head. First, it was Sirius Black, then my folks, the Dementors, and now a bloody boogie-man. If I wasn't so stubborn, I'd jump off this ledge right now. But you know me. I'd rather live on and endure this crap rather than give those wenches an opportunity to spit on my grave. So even death isn't an option for me. Just have me committed to an asylum now, before I blow up."
"You're not going mad, Blaise." He sighed. "You're going to fight it all like you always do. Not because I expect that from you but it's what you expect from yourself."
"How can you be so sure?" She shook her head in disgust. "Must everything be something I have to endure? All I want is to have normal problems. Even at the risk of becoming shallow. Just let me have a life where I stress over my hair or my next date. None of this political saga and childhood traumas."
"In other words … you want to be more like … Hannah or someone like that?"
"Hell no."
"Then this IS your life. No matter what happens to you. Be it good or bad, you'll still be standing. That's who you are. Now what kind of challenge would split-ends be for a firecracker like you?"
"So you're saying I'm living this nightmare because I'm built for it?"
"Yes and no … I'm saying don't see it that way. I'm saying … I don't know. I'm saying anything to get you to believe in yourself."
Blaise snorted at his bluntness. Well, he had to tell the truth. He didn't want to shower her with flowery phrases, that wasn't her style nor his. He wanted her to find the strength on her own.
"Blaise … I'm sorry. I just don't know what to say after …"
"It's okay, Cedric. Honest. I guess I'm feeling overwhelmed right now. It's not easy … seeing Vanessa fall apart. I had it locked in my head that I'd face the same fate. But … I'm nothing like her, you know? I'm not scared. I never was. I guess I just gave up a little …"
"You're not alone, Blaise. I'm here. I'll always be."
"I can't always count on you, Cedric, you know? I have to start grabbing Life by the balls and rattling it. Make it understand that I own it, not the other way around." She sighed tiredly. "Brave words coming from a witch who can't even beat a fucking boogie-man."
"He's not just a boogie-man, Blaise. He's a real threat. You've every right to be affected …"
"But I don't want to be. Can't you see that?" She turned around and hopped back on the balcony. Cedric followed.
"Where are you going?"
She shrugged lightly. "I need to study for finals. I have Defense tomorrow."
He watched her slender frame glide back into the castle's shadows. The fact that she had to go back to her dorm room and study for a third year final only made her more remarkable. His opinion of her didn't change. Even if she couldn't fight that boggart. He still thought she was the strongest witch he knew. Even next to his mum.
The next day, one of Blaise's classmates pulled Cedric aside and handed him a note from Professor Lupin. The note read that Blaise's class would be having their finals today out in the field next to Hagrid's cabin. Cedric began to wonder why the professor would write him this when he noted the next paragraph.
"I've included in the course a cabinet from the faculty holding a boggart. I'm aware that Miss Zabini has a delicate issue regarding boggarts and I hoped you could be present when I tell her the news. I have no problem pulling out that part of the test for her, but she might not feel comfortable enough to discuss it with me without you there."
Cedric bolted for the field, crumpling the note into his pocket. Knowing Blaise, she'd insist on taking the same test as everyone else. But he wouldn't stomach her enduring such torture to herself. He'll convince her it's okay to have it removed. She didn't have to prove herself this way …
"Professor!" He called the moment he caught sight of Lupin's unruly brown hair. "W-Where is she?"
The professor smiled weakly as he ran his fingers through his hair. "She's in the cabinet right now."
"But I thought--"
"She nearly bit my head off for even suggesting it." Lupin sighed. "But if she can't handle it … I've already dismissed the others. So no one will talk about it. Regardless."
"But still! You shouldn't've let her in there! If you only knew who that was!"
"I know who it was, Cedric," Lupin said sharply. Cedric bit back his lip and glared at the cabinet that rattled several meters away.
Suddenly, it burst into pieces. Cedric and Lupin ran over to find Blaise stand wobbly from the ground. She flipped the hair from her face and touched the tip of her wand to her temple in a weak salute.
"What happened?" Cedric gasped as Lupin scribbled hastily on his clipboard.
"Full marks," the professor grinned. His lip trembled at the tips.
"But I blew up the cabinet." She frowned. "I said I don't need special--"
"It's not even about that, Zabini. You earned it." Lupin sighed, throwing a mystified look at the crater smoldering on the ground.
Covered in ash and dust-bunnies, Blaise beamed at Cedric. He laughed as she took a bow. He couldn't be anymore proud than he was that day.
It Finally Begins
Morag leaned over and tapped Blaise on the shoulder. "I have to admit though. If I didn't know you, Blaise, I would think you fancied Cedric. Maybe you should tone it down. I mean, there're so many blokes here who would give their eye teeth to take you on a date. Seeing you with Diggory, keeps them at bay, you know."
Blaise shrugged. "If I lose suitors, I don't care. Cedric's my best friend. Let people think what they want." Millicent parked herself beside Blaise and offered them some candied corn.
"Who think what?" She drawled smacking loudly on her snack. Blaise popped a few kernels into her mouth.
"I don't care if I lose potential dates just because I have guy friends."
"You mean Diggory? I don't blame the blokes for feeling insecure. He's quite a catch," Mill said squinting her eyes at the maze below. "But you know who's really insecure? Chang." Morag's eyes widened but Blaise only shrugged.
"Yeah, Cho's been quite the thorn recently, but I think it's only because she has the wrong idea. I mean … I'm not competing for Cedric's attention with her. She's his girlfriend. I'm Cedric's … friend."
"Well, Little Miss Popular can shove her perfect little head up her arse," Mill scoffed. "You knew Cedric long before she ever met him. Who the hell is she to tell him to stay away from you?"
"For a girl who seems to have everything, she sure acts like a selfish, deprived brat," Morag said narrowing her eyes to the benches where Cho and her cronies sat. Blaise shushed the both of them.
"It's okay. Cedric said he'll explain things to Cho over the summer. Thing's will be different. Well, that's what he said. I have no idea how he'll yank that out of his arse, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see." Blaise smiled at her friends' expressions.
"What do you mean-"
"Bagman's talking! Shut up in front!" Malfoy hissed. Blaise stuck her tongue at him but she focused on the final competition of the champions. She spotted a mop of blonde hair disappear into the maze along with Potter. She twisted her skirt's hem in her hands. She felt nervous, excited, and … scared all at once. She wanted to see her brother come out holding that cup in his hand. She'd love it. But she'd be just as happy if he came out empty-handed and in one piece.
Morag passed her binoculars to Mill and Blaise. The girls took turns gazing through the lenses. Every now and then Blaise imagined she spotted Cedric somewhere. But most of the time, she'd just catch sight of Professor Moody or Professor Snape lurking around the hedges. She caught a glimpse of Oliver and his cousin Elle in the stands. She didn't feel like approaching them though. She wasn't that thick-skinned. But who knows? Maybe if Cedric wins this, they can patch things up again with the Wood's.
Maybe.
Riot at the World Cup
The moment his fist connected to the other boy's jaw, Cedric knew he'd have a lot of explaining to do. But he didn't care. He forgot trying to impress Cho. He forgot the bugger he punched was his friend. And he forgot … Blaise could take his actions the wrong way.
"What the hell's gotten into you, Diggory?!" Oliver snapped wiping the blood from his lip.
"Keep your filthy mitts off of her!" He snarled jabbing his finger on Oliver's chest. It provoked Oliver to step back and pull out his wand. Cedric did the same. Cho fidgeted behind him. Oliver narrowed his eyes.
"I thought you were okay with this, mate. You were fine when I invited her to the Cup. You were fine before the game. And you were fine just a minute ago. She is my girlfriend." Both Cedric and Blaise scowled.
"So that gives you the right to take liberties with her?!" He shook his head. "She's only fourteen for Pete's sake! Can't you go for someone closer to your age?!"
"Stop it! It's okay!" Blaise sighed before Oliver could retort. It would've taken him a while anyway, Cedric's words flustered him as they rightfully should. He had always regarded the Gryffindor highly until the man asked Blaise out on a date after winning the Cup at Hogwarts.
Cedric remembered falling off his chair when Blaise told him the news. His first reaction was typical. He screamed bloody murder. Madame Pinch promptly kicked them out of the library for that. He stewed in indignant rage as Blaise paced in front of him, blushing and cursing like a virginal pirate. He wanted to demand she cancel this date with Oliver, tell her all men were evil swine, then storm into the Gryffindor dorm himself and beat Oliver's head into the wall.
But he suddenly saw a tiny smile on Blaise's lips. The pink in her complexion made her quite stunning, and made her appear quite … girly. He wouldn't dare say that aloud, but he could tell this was a new Blaise pacing in front of him. She wasn't angry at Oliver for asking her out … she was flattered.
She said this whole Oliver thing was the closest to normal she'd feel. She'll finally go through what other girls her age experienced. No more worrying about politics and other things. She'd get to be a teenager for once. And so he could not, not let her be.
The date at Hogsmeade went well apparently. To Cedric's chagrin, Oliver asked Blaise out again. And over the summer, Wood invited Blaise to attend the World Cup with him. It had thrown a slight chink into Cedric's plan since he had his dad purchase two tickets for them. Amos didn't need a ticket since he would be one of the wizard's working security at the game. Cedric had hoped the World Cup would take her away from the drama. Ever since their talk up in the high courtyard, he worried about her. He wanted to be a positive male figure in her life.
Oliver seemed to have assumed that role. Sure, he asked Cedric if it was all right to date his young neighbor. His childhood friend. His best friend. But the bloke only asked after Blaise had said yes.
And now this … kissing Blaise in front of everyone at the refreshment stand. And she clearly didn't like it. Malfoy, who was amongst the crowd of young game-goers, further embarrassed the girl when he heckled the couple to get a room. Cedric just remembered he meant to punch Malfoy in the face as well.
Someone tugged on his sleeve. He pried his eyes off Oliver's back to stare at Cho. She tapped her foot and raised her brow at him.
"Well?"
"Well what?" He echoed. Blaise pulled Oliver away from the crowd. She seemed determined to make him listen to her.
"Why are you so mad at Oliver? They did come here together, didn't they? They're the new couple now, I guess."
"Not if I can help it," he growled. Cho knotted her brow.
"I ask again, what don't you like about him? Just a few months ago, you were happy for him."
"Well, a few months ago, he didn't ask Blaise out on a date. Bugger didn't even ask for my permission. You think that's respectful?!"
"Why would he need your permission?" Cho asked hotly. "Is that the code between you blokes? Is Blaise your territory or something?!"
Cedric bit down his tongue. "It's not like that."
"Then what is it? I don't understand it, Cedric. Is there more to you two? All my friends say you're close with her. And I see it too. I mean if you're just here with me because you can't have her--"
"Do you hear yourself, Cho?" He snapped. "You're listening to these friends of yours. Weren't they the same friends who locked Blaise in Lupin's office? They've had Blaise's number since she walked through the castle's door."
"Well, your friend is no saint either."
"No one is," he said evenly. Cho looked away. Cedric sighed. He reminded himself that Cho wasn't the enemy here. Wood peeved him, not the girl he's trying to court. "Cho … I'm sorry. I just didn't like seeing my friend being taken advantage of. I'd do the same for you and anyone else who is my friend."
"Really? Will the other blokes need your permission to speak to me too?"
He answered before he considered the question. "Uh, no."
"See what I mean?!"
"Cho, there's nothing going on between Blaise and I. I've known her since we were in diapers. Can you blame me for feeling protective?"
"Well, it makes me feel like a third wheel to your party." She crossed her arms. "My friends think I'm an idiot if I don't believe she doesn't like you. And the way you carry on with her … can't you just tone it down a little?"
Cedric stiffened his jaw. "You can't make me choose between you and Blaise, Cho. You just can't. I don't mean that in a bad way. It's just how it is. One of these days, you'll understand. Until then, you just have to trust me." He lifted her chin to him, to let her look into his eyes. "I'm not leading you on. I like you, Cho." He suddenly realised they were still standing in line at the stand. He stuck his hand in his pocket and fished for a couple coins. "Umm … you can trust me. That's all …"
Cho blushed with a tiny smile. "I-I do, Ced. I just wish you trusted me. Can't you just tell me?"
He smiled in reply and ordered their drinks. In his mind, he thought frankly: We're not there yet. Besides, he wanted to talk to Blaise first. It was the right thing.
He never had the chance to talk to her. A riot broke out. Everyone scattered themselves among the camps. Cedric remembered grabbing Blaise before she followed a couple kids her age into the forest. They ran hand in hand through the field when the Death Mark exploded across the sky. Blaise froze … for a second.
Then she snapped. She screamed obscenities at the Mark, grabbing fistfuls of rocks in her hands and hurling them at the sky. She cursed the symbol even after it faded into the wind. She blamed it for her family's split. Her mother's decline. Her sorry state. Herself …
"When I find you, I will kill you, I swear!" She sobbed. "You weren't satisfied destroying her life, weren't you?! You had to fuck me up as well! Damn you! I'll find you! And when I do, I'm sending you to hell!"
Cedric tried to grab her hand but jerked away as though scorched. He could only watch helplessly as she sputtered profanities and shook her fists. Even under the midnight sky, a silvery light seemed to radiate from her. He couldn't tell if the heat in the air was due to the season or Blaise's temper. And finally, after what seemed like a year, she fell to the ground next to him, gasping for breath. He held her cautiously as she quieted her raging breaths. Until her outburst subsided into a hiccup.
"Feel better?" He asked bravely. She snorted and rubbed her eye.
"Call me crazy … but yeah, I do." They stood up and turned their heads to where the Dark Mark had emerged. "Do you think they caught the sonofabitch?" Cedric stood on tiptoe and narrowed his eyes.
"Looks like the entire security for the Cup is there. They're talking to some people. I think they caught them because the people are either kneeling in shackles or very short."
"Goblins?"
"Can't tell from here." He placed an arm over her shoulder. "Let's go back to the camp. I'm sure my dad's looking for us." She hesitated. "It's okay, Blaise. Nothing's going to happen. I feel it."
They walked back and he noted a slight bounce in her step. "Are you sure you're all right?"
"Yes," she snorted. "I know I went off back there … but I think I needed that. Figures I'd let one thing go tonight and everything else follows."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"I told Oliver to piss off. Guess tonight was the night I clean house."
"So this's new-but-okay Blaise? You still feel normal?"
"I've never been normal, Ced. You know that."
"You make it sound like that's a bad thing."
"It is."
"It isn't."
"Why?"
"You're a firecracker."
"So you're saying I'm prone to exploding?"
"Okay, let me go for a different metaphor," he sighed rolling his eyes as he ruffled her hair. "Well, you're the fire that sets the firecracker. How bout that? Hey, that's why I call you Blaze sometimes. Especially when you're exasperating me. I think I'll call you that from now on."
"That's not me -- Fire, firecracker, what? I'm just a loser with stunning good looks, Ced."
"Remind me to spit on your toothbrush when we get back."
Irrelevant and Significant
With all the four champions inside, things got a bit slow as everyone waited in the stands. It left Mill and Morag to chat loudly over Bagman's lackluster commentary (he saw pretty much what everyone else saw: Shrubbery), while Draco and friends flung charmed spitballs, down people's hair, robes, or up the nostril. Last time Blaise checked, Goyle stepped in front of Malfoy to block a 6th year Gryffindor from punching the bugger in the face.
Blaise sat quietly, using Morag's binoculars to skim through the crowd. She tired of their bored expressions. She drifted into her thoughts. It felt like everything slowed down to a standstill as she fazed out. And in that span, one can look back to a moment that is irrelevant yet significant all at once …
She had waited for him at the bottom of the marble stairs. She had been so nervous for him lately. The fact that the first task nearly burned off all his hair didn't quite put her ease. The dream she had the night before disturbed her. She had seen a flash of green light and heard a phoenix's song.
"Cedric!" She called just as he jumped off the last step. He grinned as he looked up at her.
"Hey, Little Blaze!" He laughed ruffling her hair. "Come to wish me luck?"
"Of course," she grinned as he hooked an affectionate arm over her shoulder. "But, honestly, I got money on Potter." Cedric smirked.
"Oh, of course, you would." He laughed as she blushed hotly. "It's perfectly all right, Blaze. You know, mum's taken a liking to him. I won't be surprised if she invites Potter to our house or something." He snickered at her paled expression.
"Not funny," she hissed, looking over her shoulder to make sure anyone Slytherin was well out of hearing range. "Sheesh, I make one little jibe at you and you're off on a Potter tangent." Cedric winked.
"Well, the kid's all right. Certainly makes your batch look good. Who would've known kids your age still have their wits about them?" He teased as she punched lightly at his arm.
When this task is over, she'll tell him. Her father already gave her his blessing. He's old enough to know. He might be angry. But she wanted to finally be a part of his life. She wanted him to finally be the big brother he always was to her. And she wanted to finally hug him and tell him she loved him without making him feel like there was more to it when there wasn't.
"Seriously, Ced," she paused. "I want you to do well, but just be careful okay? No matter what place you take, we're still proud of you. And you know me, I'm your biggest fan."
Cedric smiled as he squeezed Blaise's shoulder. "Don't be such a worry wart, Blaze. I promise I won't kill myself for this." He kissed her on the top of her head as he jogged down the hall backwards. "I'll see you when I get there!" He called as his blond locks bounced with each step. Blaise laughed and waved him good-bye.
She smiled to herself, thinking of this. When … from the maze, a Champion screamed.
Cedric the Prefect
"Quiet down back there!"
Cedric slid the cabin door shut behind him. He dropped heavily into the seat across from Blaise and stared cross-eyed at the fleeting scenery of mountains and pine trees. The same views he had going to Hogwarts for six or so years.
Blaise flipped a page in her book. "How did your Prefect's meeting go?"
"The usual," he grumbled. "The Gryffindors wanted to lead, the Ravenclaws wanted more benefits, and the Slytherins wanted more power."
"And what about Hufflepuff?"
"Does it matter? We're supposed to be the dumb house."
She slammed her book shut. "Don't ever say that again, Diggory."
"What? Everyone knows Hufflepuffs are for the soft-headed. Why else am I in there?"
"Where the hell did this come from?"
He stared at his hands. "Cho won't talk to me." Blaise bit her lip.
"I'll tell you what a wise man once told me. Don't let one bad moment in your life define you."
He scratched his chin. "That does sound familiar."
"Because you said it, silly. You should take notes."
He leaned back in his seat. "You really do listen to me, huh?"
"There's no way I can get around not doing it, so yeah. I'm afraid so." They chuckled.
"Well, I hope I'm helping," he sighed.
She squeezed his hand. An action that surprised him a little because she rarely took the initiative to show her affections for anything … not since she said good-bye to him when he first left for Hogwarts. He understood now why. He squeezed her hand back.
"Don't ever sell yourself short, Cedric. You're my hero." She cleared her throat and pulled her hand back. Cedric swallowed down the lump in his throat as she flipped a page and drawled, "And as much as I can't stand Chang, I have a feeling you'll win her over. You're a frighteningly good man. She'd be a moron to not see that." He cocked his head to her.
"Was that praise I hear?" He chided. She rolled her eyes. He tickled her. He shook his head.
"You still laugh like when you were four years old. Like a witch on a helium binge."
"I do not!" She whined. "Well, maybe you're right. I can't remember."
"You don't? You know, a person's intelligence is sometimes gauged by how early in life they start recalling things. I remember the time you stole my chocolate frog and I chased you down and yanked your diapers off. Which makes me about four and you one. Thus, I'm a bloody genius."
"Ha! I remember that too. And I specifically remember leaving a 'present' for you in there. Which makes me the bloody genius of all geniuses."
"Gross. You just had to remind me … Brat. But you do remember that far?"
"Sure," she shrugged. "I don't know. For some reason, I'm remembering a lot of odd things that I don't recall happening before. Like I see a swing and … some kids …a broken watch," she trailed off awkwardly and stared out the window. "You know how I always thought I knew Professor Lupin from somewhere? I think I know where I've seen him before."
"That would be understandable. Mum, did say they all were in the Order. Say … do you think they met the Potter's?"
"Why would you say that?" Blaise asked, blushing slightly.
"Well, they were well-known. Hey, wouldn't it be something if we even met Harry Potter when he was a baby?"
"Yeah … that'd be something," she mumbled. She buried her nose into her book again. Cedric knew he lost her for another twenty minutes. He ruffled her hair before he stepped out of the cabin again.
"Tell me how that story ends, genius," he called over his shoulder.
One Down, Three to Go
Everyone around her strained their necks to see who had sent the sparks into the air. A chill went down her spine. She had a feeling … something wasn't right. That scream sounded like the one in her dream. She raised the binoculars to her face. But instead of trying to see past the hedges and finding where Cedric was, Blaise scanned along the perimeter of the maze.
She saw Professors McGonagall and Flitwick making their way to the distress call. Professor Snape stayed in his area. It made sense for most of the teachers to continue minding their posts. Blaise could tell they had all been assigned a particular area. Only Moody seemed to have free range of the maze.
It struck her odd how Moody didn't recognize her at first. He had supervised in Oma's Auror training. He had remarked how he favored her of all the Aurors, saying she had the same fierceness he did. Maybe Old Moody's memory was deteriorating. It was sad to think, considering the few memories she had of Moody were filled with her laughter and Moody's nagging growl.
Before she knew it, she found herself tailing every move Moody made. His actions did seem more purposeful than the other teachers. She watched him with the binoculars for fifteen minutes or so. She noted Moody began to pick up pace along a particular wall of shrub. Yawning slightly, Blaise zoomed closer to the old Auror's face.
Moody's glass eye focused on something beyond the hedge. He aimed his wand and muttered an incantation. Blaise's eyes widened. With the binoculars, she read his lips.
Wait a minute.
Did Professor Moody … Alastor Moody … just utter the Imperius Curse?
Lady Blaise
When Cedric rounded the corner leading to the Great Hall, he already planned his reaction to Blaise's get-up. They had shopped for her dress robes in Diagon Alley the same week they received their letters from Hogwarts. He'd teased her a bit. Call her Lady; she hated that, which will be even more amusing. But he'll assure her once again, that there was no need to feel awkward. The kid was too humble about her looks.
The doors swung open to the Entrance Hall and Cedric walked in, searching the room for Cho. He spotted Potter standing by the marble staircase. He wondered again who the boy asked. For her curiosity's sake, not his. Then something bright and golden caught his eye. He looked towards the Great Hall's doors and his jawed dropped.
Blaise stood there in her lavender dress robes, only they didn't fit her the way they fitted her before. All the tailored curves filled in perfectly on her form. She had taken the time to pull her hair up into a disheveled bun, leaving silvery blonde tendrils along her cheeks. She looked up at him and grinned. She had no make-up, just gloss. Cedric grinned back. She promptly stuck out her tongue, flared her nostrils, and crossed her eyes. His chest swelled.
She was the most beautiful girl in the room.
"I can't believe you have no date," he said once he reached her. She shrugged lazily.
"Hey, I did get asked. But I knew Viktor wanted to approach someone else. I just helped him hook up with a girl in my Arithmancy class. If I did go with him, he'd just gibber in his language how he should've asked the other girl."
Cedric shook his head. "Why didn't you ask someone?"
"And be denied? No thanks."
"What makes you think he'd say no?!"
She sighed. "He's turned down several girls already. A handful from Slytherin alone. Besides … Morag told me he asked someone already … only she was already spoken for."
"Who?!" He snorted. "Doesn't he have a clue that you're in this school?"
"Not everyone looks at me the way you do, Ced. Mostly all people see is the green and silver on my robes and steer away." She shrugged, staring at her boots.
"You're not wearing those colors now, Blaze." He noticed Cho wave to him from across the room. He turned back to Blaise and pinched her nose. "Even with those colors, you're still the most beautiful one in here."
"Yeah, whatever."
"Save a dance for me, eh?"
The Crucio Heard All Over Her Blood
Moody?! A bloody Unforgivable?!
"What the hell?" Blaise muttered rising to her feet. Draco groaned behind her. She instinctively ignored him. The binoculars zoomed as close as they could to Moody. She couldn't believe it. She watched his wand flick and she barely noticed the profile of someone moving along the maze. The person had black hair … so it was either Krum or Potter. Krum seemed the better choice. Potter wasn't tall enough to be spotted from this vantage point.
"Blaise, get down!" Millicent whispered loudly. Instead, Blaise thought of Padre. He was watching this with the other judges. Blaise could've misinterpreted Moody's actions, but she felt an urgency to let someone know anyway.
"Blaise?" she heard Morag call after her. But Blaise hopped down the stands and ran down the aisle. She focused on Moody again. She found him just as another scream rose from the maze.
Blaise's hair stood on end. She'd recognized that voice, even if the hedges muffled it to a degree. Blaise knew.
Someone was torturing her brother.
Cedric's Last Task
When they returned home after the riot at the World Cup, Blaise had settled herself in the Diggory's front patio reading a book. Cedric had to quietly pull his mum aside in the kitchen to show her the blisters he got from trying to restrain Blaise.
"How did you get this? Were you two holding torches or summat?" His mum frowned turning his hand palm side up.
"Shh, mum! Blaise doesn't know she hurt me a little. She doesn't need to feel bad about such a trivial thing."
His mum's eyes rounded on him. "She did this … without knowing?"
"She didn't mean it, mum. It's nothing."
"But it is something, Cedric. Blaise needs to learn to control her inner magic. She could've hurt the both of you."
"Mum! It's all right, please!" He whispered craning his neck to make sure Blaise was still by the patio. "She's going through a lot. You know that. So she freaked out a little. It happens to the best of us. And I will tell her. But not like tell her as if she did a bad thing, you know?" He snuck a shy peek at his mum. "Her power is the only thing she can personally control. To tell her she's losing that control could break her heart. That's all."
Gwenyth slathered on a greasy ointment on his palm and tapped it with her wand. "You really care for her, don't you?" She asked him quietly, while focusing on his hand.
"Ever since I knew I could," he snorted. She bit her lip.
"What if I said … don't get … too close?" Cedric rolled his eyes and pulled away.
"Don't make it weird, Mum. It's nothing like that."
She flinched. "Are you sure? She's a beautiful girl …"
Cedric cupped his mum's hand in both of his. "Trust me, Mum. I love her. No more, no less. I've always loved her like this."
"And how exactly do you love her, boy?"
He scratched the back of his neck and double-checked Blaise's spot on the porch.
"I think you already know."
****************************
"Are you all right?" Someone grabbed his arm.
Cedric wiped the tears from his cheeks. "Yeah … I don't believe it. He crept up behind me … I heard him, I turned around …"
Cedric babbled on, but he wondered … why in that pain did that memory flash in his mind?
"Did you hear Fleur scream earlier?" Harry asked.
"Yeah," he mumbled. He couldn't believe Viktor would do this. The way Blaise talked about him, he seemed all right. Blaise's high regard for Krum had put Cedric at ease with the wizard. But now Krum has done this … and Blaise trusted him. Cedric had to get out of this maze and warn her. She doesn't deserve this kind of back-stabbing. And her father's supposedly safe in Durmstang. Cedric's stomach twisted into a knot.
"We should send up red sparks … otherwise he'll probably be eaten by a skrewt."
"He'd deserve it." Cedric sneered.
Potter and he parted ways again. Cedric realised a few steps later that he should've thanked the kid. He felt reluctant to continue through the maze now. But the sooner one of them got to the end, the sooner he can get out of this.
He went on through the maze, wondering why at every turn nothing met him. He shrugged the uneasiness off. But Krum's betrayal seemed foreboding. It made Cedric wish something snapped at his ankles or tackle him to the ground. The anticipation of the unknown aggravated him.
To ease his mind, he began thinking up what to say to thank Potter after the task, without looking like he did it as an insincere afterthought. Cedric smirked to himself. Wait until Blaise hears this, eh? She couldn't deny her crush on the boy after that. Potter saved her hero. The bungling, half-witted hero who couldn't recognise a ten-foot spider charging on his arse until the very last minute.
After the scuffle that left Cedric's wits circulating somewhere by his balls, he found the Cup just feet away from his grasp. He imagined the crowd's roar when he emerged from the maze holding it high above his head. His father would weep. Mum too. Blaise would go crazy. All his friends would love this. His house would love this. Cho would love it. He'd make them all proud.
Then his gaze returned to Potter's. There the 4th year trembled, barely standing on a broken leg. He saved Cedric twice in this god-forsaken maze. Not to mention the big tip he gave him on the dragons. Potter was the real Champion, in mind and in deed.
"No," Cedric said and scooted away from the Cup. Potter frowned and insisted. The expression on his face strongly reminded him of Blaise's own impatience. These two had to meet. They'd probably scratch each other eyes out in 5 minutes, but that's why it's all worth it. He almost snickered aloud, but he kept his expression grim.
"Both of us."
Cedric stared at Harry. For a brief moment, he envied that he didn't think of that idea first. It seemed so simple yet brilliant. It was what should happen. He beamed at Harry and helped him up the platform. He would've said plenty of things to the kid, if he hadn't been overcome with emotion. Like perhaps, invite him over to play Quidditch sometime. Hang out with Blaise in Diagon Alley. Introduce him to Blaise. It felt like a start to a beautiful friendship.
He even felt relaxed enough to tell Potter something he was planning to do for quite sometime. Why shouldn't Harry be the first to know?
Cedric opened his mouth just as they grabbed the handles. "I want you to meet--" he began to say.
But the howling wind drowned out his voice. They were yanked forward and his vision blurred as the cup sped them far away from the safety of Hogwarts.
The Impostor
Blaise jogged hastily down the stands, ignoring the grumblings of the people she knocked on the head with her boot.
"Stop!" She cried out waving her arms to the judges' box. "Stop the task!" Suddenly, Cedric's screaming stopped. Blaise paused, feeling her heart jump in her throat. "Oh no. What happened? What happened?!" People glanced curiously at her, when sparks zoomed up the sky.
Ludo Bagman's voice boomed across the field. "Our Durmstang Champion is out of the running, folks! It looks like a race between our two Hogwarts Champs!"
The place exploded as students cheered for their favorite. Everyone already sprang to congratulate each other. No matter who came out first, Hogwarts won. Blaise tried to shout over the crowd.
"But I heard Cedric screaming! What happened to Viktor?! Were they all hurt? Can someone check this up?!"
The spectators jostled her around until she found herself buried deep in the middle of the stands. A long way from the judges. The frenzied cheering made her dizzy. The booming music throbbed achingly in her head. And no amount of Bagman's boisterous, clueless commentary made her feel any better.
Moody used a bloody Unforgivable on Krum. She saw it. Now, Viktor's down. And Cedric screamed. And Potter. Oh, no. This had everything to do with Potter, didn't it? Why would he be the 4th Champion? And her dream … the green light … it looked just like the light she saw in the scrying pool. Did Blaise believe in coincidence? Did she believe in Divination? When the topic's the safety of her brother, she'd look into everything.
Bagman's voice echoed over the stands one more time, "We've seemed to have lost both our Gryffindor champions?! Err, could someone explain that to me? Is that supposed to happen?"
Her stomach twisted into a knot. Blaise broke into a run, pushing past the spectators and her fellow students. Her pulse pounded loudly in her ears. Her mind filled with confusing images. And there she felt it. A terrible aching on her shoulders, or rather a sharp circle of pain clutching around her neck, making it difficult for her to breathe.
"Cedric!" She gasped and ran to the entrance of the maze. She felt a sharp tug on her cloak. She found herself staring up at Moody.
"What're you doing, Zarinana?" He asked gruffly. Blaise's eyes widened. Senile or not …
"Something's not right!" She blurted out holding her wand at his head. Dumbledore had already descended to the field. Moody tightened his wand as Blaise held hers steadily at his glass eye.
"Put that wand down, girl," his voice quavered at the last word. He pulled his wand from his pocket. She noted with dumb surprise that the wand was smeared with fingerprints. This coming from the man who lectured Cedric and her about wand maintenance before they even had one.
Unless -- But it seemed insane.
Wait. It did make sense.
"Who are you?" She hissed. Moody stepped back with a hesitant sneer.
"Answer my question or I will blast that eye through your arse!"
Just then, a light flashed at the entrance of the maze. Harry stumbled to the ground holding the Triwizard Cup in one hand and --
"Cedric …" She whispered.
The One She'd Miss the Most
He saw the light coming toward him. And he knew. At that moment he knew what would happen, he saw seventeen years of his life flash before him.
He had to admit … It was a good life. Full of love, of laughter, even when there were tears. He could've been miserable, could've felt deprived in one way or the other, but she'd never let him feel that. She took care of him as much as he took care of her. He saw her in his mind, he felt her running for him. He wanted so much to tell her he'll be okay. And he realised, even for a good life, there was so much he didn't get to do …
He'd never get to tell his father he loved him.
Give Mum a grandchild.
Tell Cho he was in love with her.
Tell Oliver he forgave him.
Thank Potter for saving his hide.
And he'd never get to tell Blaise …
She was the one he'd miss the most.
He saw himself running along the river again, chasing down the pixies while she laughed and grabbed at his shirt. She told him to never sell himself short. He was her hero. For a girl like her to say such a thing … well, it made him too proud for words.
He wanted to go back to them. To his family. What was the ending to the story, Blaise? He wanted to cry suddenly.
But then … all thought, all emotion stripped away from him. He lost sight of everything. All that lingered was the fresh scent of Nature surrounding him, drawing him in … to become one with the Earth again.
Cold
She reeled back as the crowd swarmed around the disheveled Potter and the boy that was … Her body pulled herself away from the spectacle but her eyes wouldn't move from his form. She didn't know what she was doing, if she was waiting for something, waiting for him to sit up and say he's all right or what. Just something. Anything.
Grief-stricken faces accompanied with garbled screams spun around her. The crowd jostled her, push her aside. Blaise cupped her head in her hands … this felt too familiar to her.
"… You can't help him now. It's over. Let go."
"He wanted me to bring him back …"
She caught Harry Potter's eye. Just before Moody pulled him away. Just before, she saw him. With his golden hair fanning from the brisk wind. Why is the air so cold when it's summer already?
She forgot. Time flies fast. Too fast. She didn't even feel it slip through her hands … hands that now reached for his, trembling … Both their hands were cold.
Someone grabbed her by the shoulders. "No, no, Blaze, darling. You shouldn't be here." She stared up to find Padre trying to pull her away. His eyes misted over, fogging up his spectacles. Blaise shrugged his grip away.
"Moody didn't listen to you. He took Harry away. And … I saw him use the Imperius curse on Viktor." He withdrew his hand, taken aback. He looked over his shoulder to find Moody had indeed left with Potter.
"Minerva! Severus!" He called sharply. More softly he said, "Blaze, please, let him go."
"Potter's in trouble," she replied numbly. He said no more. He left with the other teachers, finally leaving her alone. Fudge hovered over them. He tried to shoo Blaise away. But everything went quiet in her head. She took no notice of the girls sobbing around her, of Amos' pushing against Fudge's guards. She stared again at his face. A face that looked so much like hers. Those darkened grey eyes. The mouth that told her the funniest things. The clueless expression on his face was an insult to the depth of his heart.
She pulled him to her and cradled his head on her chest.
She always wanted to hug him. To tell him she loved him. Her brother. Her blood. And always, her best friend.
Instead … Blaise Zabini closed his eyes.
***********