Title: The Beggining of the End (08)

Author: Procella Nox noctis

Category: Humour

Sub Category: General

Keywords: Hermione, Blaise, Slytherins

Summary: Summer brake had been his favourite time of year. Until he had to spend it with Hermione Granger. And that was just the beginning of the story.

Sneak-peek: "Of course. See we were thinking about making a trio, and you dated Blaise so..."

"Argh, mental images! Horrible mental images!" Draco screamed.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and unfortunately never will. No money is being made out of this story, which is a pity, it's really good.

A/N: Well, I was thinking you don't deserve being held in suspense, what with being so good reviewers. Thank you, and here it comes!

Eight: Anything But Pink!

By this time, Selene had joined Coraline with wide-eyes.

"Well, are you?" the youngest Zabini asked.

"Come on, tell us!" Cora insisted.

"Yes, Granger, do tell. We're all dieing to know." A cold drawl came from the door, followed by two giggles.

"Tsk, tsk, Blaise, betraying Slytherin rules and fraternizing with a Gryffindor. And a muggle-born." Pansy Parkinson said amused.

"You'd be surprised about that." Blaise muttered.

"Well, at least now we know he isn't gay." Another amused voice joined them.

"Millie! That observation was completely uncalled for. I was your boyfriend once."

"We were five, Blaise." Millicent replied.

"Aww, young love is hard to forget." Pansy sniggered.

"If I remember rightly, Mills here was the first girl to dump you." Draco laughed.

Hermione followed the Slytherins' conversation eagerly. Since when did Draco Malfoy laugh?! And Millicent Bullstrode dump gorgeous guys? And Pansy giggle? No. Wait, she always giggled. But this was all wrong! They were Slytherins, they were supposed to be hateful. Have no friends. Trust no one! The world was not going as she thought anymore.

"You can close your mouth now, Granger. I know I'm gorgeous, but you don't have to drool." Draco drawled, nothing unusual.

"Of course, Malfoy, because I'd be drooling after you, not any other person beside you." Hermione replied pointedly looking at Blaise.

"Granger's got a tongue!" Pansy cooed.

"You'd be surprised." Hermione answered.

"We could always ask Blaise about it." Millicent added.

"Be my guest."

"Don't you have enough with one Slytherin as a guest, you want two now?" Millicent asked.

"Of course. See we were thinking about making a trio, and you dated Blaise so..."

"Argh, mental images! Horrible mental images!" Draco screamed.

"What, Draco do you want in too?" Hermione asked, unaware she had used his name.

"Trust me Granger, that'll be the last thing I'd want to do."

"I'd always had you as an orgy-like person."

"Low blow!" Pansy quipped.

"Does that come with double-sense?"

"Enough! You have children in here! As much as I'd love to see this conversation be the beginning of a new friendship, I'm going to take the girls and go somewhere else." Sirius interrupted.

"You do realise we could as well do an orgy now that you leave us alone, don't you Snuffles?" Hermione shouted at him. She turned towards the Slytherins grinning. "Talking about sexual activity always gets the adults to leave us alone."

"Hear here!" Pansy cheered.

"Now, onto more important matters." Millicent turned to Blaise. "Blaise Ullses Zabini, how could you not tell us you were leaving? I mean I understand you were going to hide, but it's us we're talking about! Your friends. You know as in the ones that would give their life rather than betray you!"

"We thought you were dead! Well, Draco thought you were dead, we thought Voldemort caught you. We had to come here and rip it out of Arrabella's mouth!" Pansy shrieked.

"I thought you were dead! How could you disappoint me showing up here, alive and well?" Draco added dramatically.

Blaise lowered his head in shame. "I'm sorry for not telling you guys about it. Draco, sorry to disappoint you, pal. I'll ask Granger's grandmother to murder me tonight if you want to."

"You do that." Draco said in a pout-y face.

They stood like that three seconds before bursting in laughter. Hermione shook her head. Look at them the Slytherin's Four. They looked so nice when they laughed. Almost human.

"Wait, okay stop. Fellow colleagues, we have a problem." Draco cleared his throat.

"Which is?" Pansy asked curiously.

"Granger. She saw us. Well this part of us. As Slytherin rule number 53 says, we must show no one we have feelings. So Granger must swear secrecy. Or we Obliviate her." They turned expectantly towards Hermione.

"Yes well, as Gryffindor rule number 49 says, if you see a Slytherin having feelings, you have to quit on the Firewhiskeys." Hermione answered in a business-like tone.

Draco smirked in approval, and the girls nodded. Blaise just gave her a hint of a grin, and she melted. Well, almost melted.

"Now that this is settled, do not think for one moment that just because you're friends with Blaise you're friends with us." Draco added again.

"Don't expect for one moment that if I'm friends with Zabini I'm going to go around all lovey-dovey towards the Slytherins." Hermione answered fire with fire.

"Good, good, because we have a rule against that too." Draco looked like he was beginning to respect the Gryffindor more by the second.

"Let me guess, All Gryffindor showing love towards all Slytherin must go to St Mungo's."

"Actually they must be burned, but we're not into torture nowadays."

"Lucky me." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"You know what we need? We need to start over! I mean there's a war coming guys, and we all know we're not joining Slimy Head, so we should at least try and make new acquaintances." Pansy quipped.

"And you want to start with her?" Millicent pointed at Hermione.

"Blaise already did it. Consider that he gave the start. We follow."

"Fine, fine. Ahem, hello. I'm Millicent Bullstrode. You can remember me from that headlock in second year. Nice to meet you."

"Hi, I'm Hermione Granger. I was the one that hexed your skirt red and gold."

"It was you?!" Millicent shouted. She looked at Hermione thoughtfully, and then grinned. "Well, I guess we're even."

"Hi, I'm Pansy Parkinson. We talked friendly once, on the train in first year. You were really snobbish then."

"Hey, Hermione Granger. Yeah, I remember that time; you couldn't stop giggling over Draco Malfoy. Still chasing after him?"

"One must be persistent." Pansy whispered winking at her.

Draco approached Hermione and smirked at her. "Beaver." He nodded.

Hermione smirked at Draco and nodded. "Ferret."

She knew this was just the beginning. They had accepted her. Why, she had no idea, but they had accepted her. Not that she cared, of course, but it didn't hurt to have Slytherins as friends. Harry and Ron would explode if they'd know.

The four settled on the couches and armchairs inside the living rooms and shared their vacation. Draco had run away from home, and was living with a cousin of his.

"Her name is Nymphadora, but she hexed me once for calling her that, so I just call her Tonks. She's a lot nicer than my family, that's for sure."

"Did she show you the tricks with her nose yet?" Hermione asked excitedly.

"She did a nice impression of my father, the pompous git. She turned back, because she said I had a look in my eyes that screamed murder."

"Why did you leave anyway?"

"Honey, not all Slytherin kids want to be part of Voldemort's pack. Draco doesn't trust a man who can't beat a teenager. Pansy hates his guts for abusing her mother. Millicent never liked men with red eyes."

"Bit creepy." Millicent added.

"I hate, loathe him for leaving me an orphan. It's not as if the moment the Hat says Slytherin all we can think is destroy, kill, murder! People judge Slytherins like that, which is probably why we end up being what some are. No one trusts a Slytherin, so we end up having no friends, and hating the ones who rejected us. After awhile some turn bad towards those persons, and they want to hurt them. Voldemort offers them an opportunity they can't and some don't want to ignore, and they end up what they are." When Blaise concluded Hermione noticed the others' sullen faces.

"You're right. I'm so stupid. Going on and on about discriminating house elves, and muggle-borns, when we do the same to you. Slytherins go on shouting Muggle-lovers to the Gryffindors, and we go shouting spawns of the devil to you. I've misjudged all houses, and regret is sticking its head out right now. So I'm sorry." Hermione replied.

The girls nodded, but Draco continued. "It's not like you had a choice. We treated you bad, and you returned fire with fire. Everybody holds an equal share of blame. But we're at war now, either we like it or not, and we must be united like the old crook said in fifth year. I know for one, I'm not planning on wearing any mark or tattoo in my life."

"I'd drink to that, but I have a head ache." Hermione smiled grimly.

"But anyway, Blaise. How's life with muggles? Learn anything new?" Millicent changed the subject.

"You're looking at an unregistered Animagus, Mills." Blaise grinned.

"Nifty, can we see?" Pansy squealed when Blaise turned into Jet and back again.

"Is that safe? Don't you call attention with it?" Draco asked.

"Oh, puh-lease, Draco sweetie, this is Blaise we're talking about. Shadow Man! He blends in everywhere! He couldn't call attention even wearing a pink dress." Pansy replied.

"Anything but pink." Blaise and Hermione groaned together.

"I take it you're fond of the colour?" Millicent raised an eyebrow.

"My beloved colour." Hermione made a gagging sign.

"I know what colour your present will be." Draco smirked.

"You can just kill me, and make it simpler. No torture, remember?" Hermione pleaded.

"I can make an exception when it's so fun." Draco drawled.

"Don't worry dear, I'll protect you!" Blaise said posing as a knight in shining armour.

"Yeah, but who's going to protect me from you?" Hermione sneered.

The five teenagers burst out in laughter. They might not have known it, but the respect they had gained for each other that day was merely the beginning of a friendship. It all started with respect. They were still sarcastic and cold towards Hermione, and she didn't love them already, but it was there. Just like it had been on the train when she had met Ron and Harry. The tiny spark of an upcoming friendship was there. And sooner or later it was bound to surface.

E/N: Chapters are funnier with Slytherins in them. I'm going to rush rush things a lot, and the next chapter will be two days before school starts. I have some things in mind and hope to post more soon. I'm having some friends visiting so I don't know how often I'll be able to post, but I'll try. You haven't seen the last of me! Thank you to my reviewers.

Good night, sleep tight; don't forget to give Blaise's but a nice bite!

Procella... ........................
.............