Blaise strode from potions with an easy stride; a raven with startling green eyes perched on the bag she had slung over her shoulder. She held a book out and appeared to be sifting through it as she headed to lunch. Only a truly trained eye could spot her agitation. She knew exceedingly well that there was a silver haired dragon following her and carefully opened her bag, the raven perching on her shoulder as the book was stuffed into said bag.

What she was doing was keeping the front all Slytherins had silently agreed to keep, and appeared distracted in her book stuffing so as to take a 'wrong' turn, and skip lunch. Still the dragon followed, and she knew he did.

They weaved, seemingly oblivious of eachother until they reached an empty stretch of hall, rather openly abandoned. A single classroom, empty and forlorn save for one table, was open. Blaise entered, dropped her bag, and turned her back to the door, facing the wall that was all but made of windows from floor to high ceiling. She heard someone else drop their bag and heard their footsteps approach. The raven abandoned her shoulder for a perch on the far side of the room 'pon a single, solitary chair.

Two strong arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her against a warm body.

"Blaise." Draco greeted.

"Dragon." She acknowledged. She sighed softly, all too comfortable in the arms of this dragon.

"You said you'd have to explain sometime." He murmured. "How about we call this sometime."

"Depends, is the door closed?"

"Yes."

"Locked? Silence Charm?" She ensured. Draco nodded, attempting to bury his head in her neck, which she prevented. "I can't explain all of it, Draco, it would be too great of an interference."

"I have no clue as to what you mean by that." Draco sighed, feeling her trying not to melt into him. "We both want this, Blaise!" He growled.

"It isn't right." She forced herself to say.

"Why not?" He grumbled, pulling her tighter against him. "It feels right, it feels more right than anything else I've ever done, Blaise. I think I love you." He begged as quietly as he could.

"Draco..." She soothed, reaching a hand back to stroke his head, as he'd buried his face against her shoulder in shame. "That is one of the problems," She found herself saying. "Do either of us really know what love is, Draco?" She sighed.

"We can learn." He rested his chin where his face had been and looked into her slightly stern glance.

"How can we learn what neither of us can teach?" She asked him sagely, her eyes as pained as his. Draco sighed, looking down at the desk in resignation. "The most we can be to eachother is a comfort until we find the right teachers." She answered.

"Teachers?" Draco wrinkled his nose.

"It's not a class you take, Draco, it's life. I'll explain to you someday why it feels so right between us, once you find who you really belong with." She sighed. Draco snorted in impatience.

"But in the mean time, let's see how far this 'comfort' goes, shall we?" He purred, resting a hand on her thigh, only to have it slapped. "Hey!" he yelped, glaring at her as she sniggered slightly.

"Limits, Dragon, Limits!" She scolded.

"I'll give you limits!" He growled and pulled her lips to his in a frenzied kiss. Her lips parted in a soft moan and he ravaged her mouth thoroughly before pulling back. "How's that for limits?" He panted, releasing her, though her hands remained on his chest for balance.

"I don't think I could bring myself to limit that." She smirked, Draco scowling.

"That's my smirk!" He mock-pouted.

"Just keep your hands modest and your kisses as short and sweet as that one, deal?" She soothed.

"Of course!" He purred.

"At least until you have someone else to ravage." She assured him. "And this way you can keep your mass of bed buddies as well. Just use plenty of mouthwash." Draco smiled contently as they picked up their bags.

"Too bad you're not among my 'bed buddies', eh?" He purred only for Blaise to whap the back of his head.

"Fine, I deserved that. To lunch then?" He offered, opening the door and bowing with playful extravagance.

"After skinning pickled eels in potions?" She snorted, walking out of said door with a light smirk, if only because if they had been spotted grinning suspicions would rise.

"Good point." Draco nodded, which was lucky because Blaise's familiar just missed his head on the down stroke. "Hey!" He snorted at the bird who clicked his beak at the boy.

~*~

Ginny scanned the shelves of the library, having gotten bored with the shallow chatter of those she had called friends last year. She sighed slightly and shook her head at the thought of them and returned to her research on familiars for the extra credit she desperately needed in transfiguration.

"Ginny?" A bewildered-sounding voice asked from behind her. She spun around, seeing a dark-haired girl with startling cavern-like slate blue eyes who looked slightly familiar, and had a raven on her shoulder.

"Who..?" She began. Blaise shook her head.

"You likely don't recognize me. Three years ago you joined a pen-pal program? Blaise Zambini ring a bell?" The girl smirked slightly. Ginny smiled brightly with a gasp.

"Blaise? Woah, a year and a half between letters and you...you look different without the furs. What are you doing here?" The red head laughed. Coincidence seemed to be flocking Blaise Zambini like an Italian theatrical comedy. Who would have guessed Ginny Weasley and this somewhat scary Slytherin would not only have been pen friends, as Ginny was made to sign up for by a counselor following the diary incident, but shared the same soul.

"Don't you remember? I was a first year at Hogwarts before I was somewhat forcibly transferred to Durmstrang, that's how I knew Granger, we'd had to work together once or twice." Blaise said with a slight smile, they sat down at a far table.

"Oh yeah, your dad..." Ginny murmured nervously. "Was that why you stopped sending letters?" Ginny whispered. Blaise gave a nod.

"He's also why I'm back at Hogwarts. I escaped most of his control, thanks to Dumbledore." She whispered low. "But I'm here, and still coincidence does surround me in a most annoying fashion." Blaise sighed. Ginny smiled.

"It's so weird talking in person like this." Ginny sighed. "What kind of coincidences?" She frowned, as Blaise looked indecisive, then relieved, then paranoid.

"Well...is there a place we can talk...privately, very privately." Blaise whispered her voice barely audible.

"I know one place..." Ginny nodded.

~*~

Harry Potter appeared deeply engrossed in his divination book, though his divination book was concealing the second book of the five the Slytherin girl had given him, he'd almost finished. Blaise spotted him in the corner as she slid into the common room with Ginny.

"Here?" She whispered seriously.

"What?" Ginny whispered, the noise was ridiculous in the cozy Gryffindor common room.

"Nevermind." Blaise sighed, as Ginny lead her to a pair of chairs just outside the warm, flickering light of the fireplace. Her familiar buried himself in her hair and his head beneath his wing the noise was so great. Blaise found herself wishing she could do similarly, but this was Gryffindor on a Friday night, everyone was ecstatic about the weekend.

"I can see how this is a safe place to talk." Blaise said after a quick spell that dulled the noise within a two-foot radius of their huddled heads.

"Isn't it at least a little wild in Slytherin?" Ginny wrinkled her nose.

"Once it gets dark enough we usually break out the drinks, I try to avoid it, despite how well I hold my liquor, if my tongue slips a good deal of people could die." Blaise stated as if it were obvious. Ginny blinked a few times, slowly.

"We have a lot of catching up to do." Ginny scratched her head.

"You're the only person I think I can talk to. I mean, Draco's great and all but guys are guys." The darker girl snorted sagely.

"I know what you- hold it! Draco? As in Malfoy, Draco?" Ginny gasped, eyes wide. "You're friends with that-that-"

"Slytherin?" She asked sweetly. Ginny flushed, and looked at her feet. "Virginia, really, have your brothers rubbed of on you that much?" Blaise teased.

"No! I-I've just heard he...kinda...sleeps around." Ginny mumbled. She scolded the part of her that added 'Though with an ass like his I've considered jumping him too.'

"Oh he does, but so does Mr. Potter, there." Blaise nodded. "Though Draco, the little darling is just one of many huge ironies and coincidences that seem to be stalking me." Blaise ran a hand through her hair and suddenly caught someone's eye, watching the eye dip down to the Slytherin crest that adorned her robe. "Oh, fucking Hell." The Slytherin groaned and took on a distinctly terrifying air.

"I agree." Squeaked Ginny as Ronald Weasley stampeded his way toward them, Hermione spotting his rage and darting after him to hope fully dull the blow.

"What the Hell is a Slytherin doing here, Virginia." Snarled the gangly redhead.

"Excuse me, but I believe that is for said Slytherin to say." Blaise spoke in a low, polite but cold voice, her demeanor turned smooth and dark like frightening dark chocolate, the raven on her shoulder clicking its beak once. Ginny came out of her red haze that she would have readily flung at her brother and mentally thanked Blaise for not making a scene. Blaise's entire demeanor, though, had suddenly switched tracks.

"You shouldn't be in here you filthy Deatheater." Ron snarled, only stopping there as a slim pale hand had slapped him across the face with a resounding smack, the spell keeping the rest of the common room from knowing.

"Ronald Weasley, I have been a good friend of your sister's for two years, and just because I'm back here from Durmstrang, and just happen to be in Slytherin does not mean I am by any means one of those disgusting little shits we call Deatheaters!" She said in a low, dangerous whisper.

"Ron," Ginny said, as Hermione finally reached them. "Please leave. Now."

"B-but-"He stammered, interrupted again by Blaise.

"Hermione!" Blaise switched demeanors again, suddenly almost sane again. "Remember me? We had to work on a couple of projects together in first year and I know your memory is still sharp enough to remember!" The dark girl greeted with a polite nod, slight smirk and in a less threatening cold voice.

"Zambini?" Hermione gaped with wide eyes.

"You know her too?" Ron growled. "Fine! I give! Let the Slytherins in the common room!" He stomped off, Hermione apologizing with a sigh and speeding after him angrily.

"What were you saying about Draco?" Ginny said after a long pause.

"Good friend, nothing more, I'm still a virgin and he's a great kisser."

"What?" Ginny yelped.

"Later."

"Okay, wait...oh HELL!" Ginny groaned.

"Hmm?"

"I have to do a two foot long essay about familiars for much needed credit in transfiguration! It's due tomorrow and I've gotten nothing!" Ginny whimpered.

"Really?" Blaise brightened. She loved subjects she knew a god deal about. She had her raven perch on her hand. "Have you met S.S.?"

"S.S.?" Ginny asked.

"It's a silly name I made up long ago, 'Secret Shadow' but it fits him. I think we can help you with your essay, M'dear." Blaise purred.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, and I don't want it, accept maybe Draco. Draco is good, but he belongs with Ginny.