Title: Summer of Uncertainty (4/?)

Author: granger2malfoy

Disclaimer: I am not JK. But that's not what the voices in my head keep saying.

Summary: Due to threat on the Golden Trio and Hermione's family, desperate measures are taken the summer before their seventh year. How does this effect Blaise Zabini?

Previously in Chapter Three

"Okay. I don't know why I am so tired. Do you mind if I take a cat nap before we get there?" Hermione asked as she stretched her arms over her head and folded her cloak in a bundle for a pillow.

"No, go ahead. We still have about two more hours." With a slight movement of his hand, he pulled out a flask to take a swig and shook almost violently as he swallowed. Polyjuice Potion. She remembered how awful that stuffed taste from when she brewed it herself in the second year. As she lay down and brought her knees up, her mind began to wonder why he was going to all this trouble with his parents, their summerhouse and the potion. Many questions ran through her mind as sleep finally took over.

Chapter Four

Still in Ron's form, Blaise offered her his hand to help her off the ground as she landed on her arse after taking a portkey from Scotland to his family's summer home in Italy. Hermione dusted off her jeans to clear away all bits of grass from her arse and her senses were instantly awoken. The soft breeze smelled of the ocean and the sky was a bright blue color. The ocean was nowhere in sight but she heard the gentle waves that crashed on the shore nearby.

They landed in front of a beautiful manor with dusty pink stonewalls with marble steps that lead up to a set of oak double doors with stained glass of a family crest. It must have been the Zabini family crest above the doors. There must have been over thirty windows across the front of the two-story manor.

Her companion walked ahead of her and then stopped in mid-step. The red short hair became longer to reach the nape of his neck and was now think raven colored curls. Blaise returned to his normal form and heights. With a flick of his wand, his clothes changed into dark navy-blue slacks and his shirt transfigured into a short sleeve gray silk button down shirt. He turned back to her and stated, "If I ever turn into a Weasley again, it will be too soon. We'll really have to look into getting you a new boyfriend."

Hermione was not paying attention to a word he said as her eyes took in the sight of the handsome young man that she would be spending the rest of the summer with. Merlin, help me.

All of the sudden she felt subconscious of the fact she was about to meet a very old pureblood family and she was dressed in black jeans and a tee shirt. She was considering transfiguring her own clothes when his voice brought her out of her thoughts.

"Hermione, are you okay?"

Her head shot up. "What? I am sorry what were you saying."

Blaise walked up to her and held her by her bare arms. "You look peaked and flushed. Are you felling well?"

"I'm fine. Just a little nervous I suppose. I want to make a good first impression and I'm not exactly up to par for these surroundings."

A weird look came across his face and he looked away from her as if he was remembering something. Then he looked back at her with a determined look on his face but a soft smile crept upon his lips. "Close your eyes and turn around once for me."

Surprised by his request, Hermione slowly closed her eyes as she turn her body around three hundred and sixty degrees. She felt her clothes begin to change and felt the cool breeze on her legs on now bare neck. She opened her eyes as she looked down at his handy work with his wand. Her black jeans were now a black silk A-style skirt. The trainers on her feet were now low heel sling back heels and her hair had been pulled up into a loose clip. Her cranberry –red tee shirt was now a gray silk halter-top. With a huge smile, she found she couldn't resist saying, "Why thank you, my fairy-godfather. Does it turn back into my rags at midnight?"

"They might. Of course, I might turn you into a fat rat with whiskers, if you keep it up," he stated as he playful swatted her rear-end to get her moving.

Hermione started crack up as she started to speed walk and looked over her shoulder at him as she stated. "I was always under the impression that was the guy's job, fairy god-father."

"Oh you are so going to get it missy. You won't know when and you won't know where. But you'll know why," Blaise joked as he caught up with her on the stairs on his parent's manor. He pulled a think velvet cord by the door and a gong of a bell could be heard inside the large estate.

"Oh one more thing, only my parents know your name. To everyone else, Your name is Jane Goode. I'll explain more in a little bit, just go with it."

Before Hermione could say a word, the door opened with a woman in her mid forties with long black wavy hair. She was dressed in sage green robes with several silver rings on both of her perfect hands. The woman's thin red lips smiled at the sight of Blaise and his guest. She spoke as she pulled Blaise into a hug. "Il mio figlio."

"Madre," Blaise pulled back from and stepped back to stand next to Hermione. "Jane Goode, this is my mother. Mother, this is the young lady I wrote to you about."

The woman offered her hand to Hermione as she took in the sight of the girl Blaise brought home for the summer. "Wonder to meet you, Jane. Please call me, Tessa. Both of you come in."

Tessa Zabini stepped to the side to let the two youths enter the manor. As she walked in, the first thing that caught you attention was the beautiful ivory and tan colored marble floor. The wood around the whole room was a fine cherry wood. To her left, there was a staircase that led to the second floor and a staircase that led downstairs. From the entryway, Hermione counted four doors passed the iron railing above her. Plus, a hallway on the second floor that seemed to lead to yet more rooms.

One the first floor, the marble tiles lead to the left down a hallway and in the front to a smaller set of stairs opening to a family room. Inside the room, the farthest wall cover with windows floor to ceiling showing the breathtaking ocean view. Fine brown leather furniture was to the right by a green marble fireplace. To the left, there was a medium sized round wooden table with four chairs. On the other side of the table, there was a small bookcase with a glass door to yet another room.

After a few more steps, Hermione noticed the formal dinning room with the same expensive dark cherry wood for the table, chairs, and walls. A rich ivory fabric draped the table. She would've used the word 'wow' but decided against it. "Your house is very lovely, Tessa."

"Why thank you, Jane. Blaise, please show your friend to your sister's old room where she is to stay. Then give her a small tour of place. I'll see you both at dinner." With that said, she walked down the left hallway from them.

Her male host took the cloak from her arm and the small traveling bag at that was in her other hand. He started to walk toward the stairs that led upstairs. "Follow me, Jane. You'll get used to this place in a couple days.

Hermione followed him silently as he walked along the railing passed the several closed doors to her left. The manor felt warm and friendly but one still knew they were in a house of luxury. More doors to her right and left as they made there way down the long hallway. Toward the end of the hallway, she noticed a railing that overlooked a large kitchen and stairs on the left that led down to the kitchen and a large high ceiling family room. Two doors were at the end of the hall with yet another, smaller set of stairs to the right but she couldn't see where they led.

Blaise stopped in front on the door on the right. "This is my room and the one next to it will be your room."

He opened the door and let her enter the room and followed behind her. The room was very large with a sitting area with fireplace and a door that showed a hint of her bedroom. The walls were painted a light shade of violet while the furniture was ivory. One wall was covered with a bookcase filled with variety of colored texts plus a few crystals that dangled from the shelves. The crystals were different shapes, sizes, and colors but most were clear that reflected the light from the glass doors of the balcony.

The door to the bedroom was wide open and Hermione walked to the doorframe. The colors of this room were an opposite of the sitting room. The walls were a soft ivory color and the bed was made in a variety of shades of violet and silver clothes. The dressers, vanity, four poster bed, and small writing desk was all in the same rich cherry wood from the entryway.

Blaise came up from behind her and almost whispered into her ear. "How do you like it?"

A slight blush came to her cheeks as she went to the balcony that was also in her bedroom. She needed to put more space in between her body and his. For some reason, his voice sent a shiver through her body. With a smile, she turned to look at the young man who was doing so much for her. Yet, she did not know why but that would be for a conversation later during her stay. "All of this is just so perfect. Thank you for your hospitality and your family's as well."

"I am happy to do it. I like the idea of having some new company for the summer. Now, your trunks are on the other side of your bed. Go ahead and unpack. I'll be back in a half an hour for that tour."

He turned and left her alone in her new room for the summer. It had been a long day already but she almost felt like an heiress sleeping in such a beautiful room. Hermione found her trunk where he mentioned it was and started the task of unpacking her belongings.

A/N:

Il mio figlio My son

madre mother

Tessa Italian name for countess (but thats his mother's given name)

Please review and let me know the good and the bad. But don't flame me. If you don't like the pairing of Blaise/Hermione, it will be Ron/Hermione for the most of this but with angst of Blaise/Hermione and MORE Severus Snape. ;)