Chapter 6

Ten minuets later one Ginny Weasley was to be found in the Gryffindor common room, lounging on a sofa, with slightly smudged lipstick and an Irishman trying to look down her top. She didn't see particularly bothered; but she may not have noticed. A couple of seconds later though she seemed too, and pushed Seamus Finnegan on to the floor, looking incensed. Hermione took this as her queue and walked over to the sofa which Ginny was on.

"We have a problem."

"Don't tell me he caught you, I had him for like five minuets!" Ginny looked thoroughly put out.

"Well he did, but that's beside the point," Hermione paused, "he's after me."

Ginny's eyebrows shot into her hair, "It's only a book, jeez, you two are so violent-"

"No, I mean he's after me in the, er, other sense of the word." Hermione replied awkwardly, taking a seat next to Ginny. Ginny stared blankly at her for a good few seconds until something suddenly seemed to click.

"No!" Ginny gasped.

Hermione nodded, going pink, "Well, at least I think so."

"What are the signals?"

"Well, when I talked to Malfoy," Hermione began.

Ginny smirked, "Now was this before or after you broke his nose?"

"Er…" Hermione thought, "No this was after. Anyway, Malfoy said he like me and that he stole my book to make me go after him. He also said that he was so embarrassed he couldn't stay in the Slytherin dorms for any length of time." Hermione was getting redder and redder as she spoke, seeming to get more shy.

"That's all lovely and sweet, but this is Malfoy we're talking about, bouncing ferret, Mr I spit on you because you looked at me funny once Malfoy."

"See that's what I thought, but then it hit me that he really had no reason to lie to me there; he knows I would never go after Blaise even if I knew that, he spoke about it so matter of factly, you'd think everyone knows." Hermione paused, thinking about it, "what if everyone does know? Well, at least everyone in Slytherin, I mean what if that's why they've been sending me these dodgy looks."

"They're Slytherins, isn't it obligatory to send you dodgy looks? I think Snape burns them on the stake if they go within a ten metre radius of Gryffindor's." Ginny stated.

Hermione nodded, "We have no real proof of that one; I think that may just be one of Terry Boot's more fanciful tales." She paused, "but it is Snape we're talking about." Ginny nodded solemnly,

"Anyway, back on topic, what else makes you think he likes you?"

"Well, he caught me after I got my book; he sort of backed me up against the wall-"

"Ooer, this is getting good," Ginny was leaning forwards.

"Please Ginny, go and ask Harry for your anti hormonal shots. So, then he said I was a challenge-"

Ginny's eyebrows knitted together, "Rightttt, go on."

"Then he said," Hermione flushed and paused.

"Yes, what?" Ginny urged.

"He said he liked a challenge."

Ginny paused, apparently in thought, "So he likes potions?"

There was silence,

"Oh, wait, he likes you!" Ginny cried gleefully.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "God Ginny, how slow?"

"Hermione," Harry's voice called from the other side of the common room, before Ginny had time to make a biting reply. Hermione twisted in her seat to look at Harry. "Someone to see you," He said with a smile and a nod at the open portrait hole. Ginny smirked,

"Ten guesses as to who that is." She sounded gleeful, as Hermione got up and walked over to the portrait hole.

Hermione climbed through onto the other side, to see Blaise Zabini leaning against the wall; looking too calm and good looking to be allowed.

"Can I help you?" Hermione inquired. Blaise looked up; he seemed to not have noticed her. He straightened and took a step towards her.

"I haven't come for your help, per say, more for consent of a mutual agreement," Blaise seemed quite at ease a lazy smile on his face as he looked at Hermione with a smirk on his face. Hermione was suddenly quite aware of lack of cloak and consequently started to play with the end of her blouse.

"A mutual favour? What do you mean?" Hermione asked, wondering what he was on about.

Blaise smirked, "I mean, I ask you to do something and you agree."

Hermione frowned, "But what's in it for me?"

"The pleasure of agreeing to what I asked you to do."

"So it's not really a mutual favour then."

Blaise considered, "No, not really, no."

Hermione stared at him, what is he talking about? If I didn't know any better I'd say this is his weird way of being nervous.

"I doubt I'll agree to it, but have a go." Hermione relented. Blaise took a deep breath.

"I want you to come into Hogsmeade with me this Saturday." He said, in an almost shy tone of voice. Hermione spluttered incoherently, staring at him.

"What?"

"I want you to come into Hogsmeade with me this Saturday." Blaise repeated, a faint, very faint pink tinge on his cheeks.

"Why, if you want the book just ask, I mean I-" she started babbling.

"Hermione! I this is not about the book, I want you to go on a date with me." Blaise was definitely blushing now, but not as much as Hermione, who was gaping at him.

"You're asking me out?"

"Er, yeah."

Hermione stared at him a bit more wondering what an earth was going on, a week ago Blaise Zabini was the Slytherin at the back of her Ancient Runes class, quiet, but intense. Now he was at the forefront of her mind, loud and unavoidable. She continued staring, and then answered him.

"Where are we going then?" She grinned.

Blaise looked overjoyed, "Is that a yes?"

Hermione smiled brightly, "Yes, it is."

"For a meal, I know a man."

"Sounds mysterious," said Hermione.

"Oh, it its," Blaise replied. He stepped forward and kissed Hermione on the cheek. "Meet me outside The Three Broomsticks at 12 o' clock, Hermione." And with that he looked her in the eye for a second, then walked back down the corridor.

A/N: Thank you all for your reviews, it really is lovely to wake up to 11 of them! Anyway, only one chapter left to go, with the possibility of a sequel, it's not a case of me not having time, but I really haven't thought about what to write about as a sequel. I need to have a good long think.

Anyway, I hope to have chapter 7 up tomorrow, all going well. I've broken up from school now, so almost four weeks holiday, but one week of that is holiday and one revision, but still plenty of free time. Thank you once again, I love writing this.

Ellie

Xxx

Disclaimer: Still not JKR