Title: Somebody Out There (3/15)
Author: silverphoenix
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Summary: In the middle of a war, there are going to be casualties. This is inevitable. When two people lose their friends, they come to realise that death is not the end of happiness.


SOMEBODY OUT THERE
Part Three: London Calling

"I'm going to London," she announced. "Next week." Blaise looked up from his copy of the Daily Prophet. No one seemed to care that she was sat at the Slytherin table anymore; the Gryffindor Princess and the Slytherin Shadow were friends and no one disputed that.

They were leaving Hogwarts forever in one week - the seventh years were considerably fewer than they had been when they had started as young, frightened first years. Now they were older, wiser and seventh years, but they were frightened still, although for a different reason. There was still uncertainty, the future ever more fragile than before. "You sure?" he asked.

"It's calling to me. It's probably not the safest place to be, but…" she seemed to lose her train of thoughts, trailing off. "This war is like an ice age, slowly consuming everything. And if an ice age is coming, I want to be in the middle of the fire."

The dark haired Slytherin regarded her carefully, thoughtful blue eyes never leaving her. "Are you looking for a flatmate?"

A smile lit her thin face - when was the last time she had eaten a good meal- "I was hoping you'd ask that."

"People might think we're more than friends if we live together."

"I don't care what people think."

"Not even Potter?"

At this question, Hermione's eyes flashed. "He thinks we're together anyway." She pulled a goblet of pumpkin juice towards her, swirling the orange liquid round, watching it intently with heavily lidded eyes. "I feel like I'm drowning here sometimes, Blaise. I need to get out of Hogwarts."

"We haven't got long now." He folded the paper in half, dropping it on the table. "You've just got to hold out a little longer." He paused. "Are you still going into Auror training?"

"Yeah."

"Do you think I'd get in?"

"I thought you weren't interested."

"I need to do something with my life," he told her quietly. "I don't want to spend my days living off my inheritance."

Hermione was not convinced. "But you do want to go into a particularly dangerous career? Not everyone gets accepted into the training."

"You seem to think you will."

"No, I don't. I'm afraid that I'm not going to get in. I have no other plans, Blaise, and if I don't get in…" She bit her lip. "I'll help you with your application," she told him.

"Thank you."

Hermione moved closer to him, resting her head against his shoulder in a familiar way. "I'm scared, Blaise," she whispered. Blaise put his arm around her, hand slowly caressing her arm. "I want to leave Hogwarts more than anything, but I'm scared that everything is going to fall down around me."

"If I keep telling myself I'm not afraid, I hope it'll be true." She smiled at this, putting down her goblet.

"I don't think that'll work for me."

After a couple of minutes of silence, Blaise asked, "Hermione?"

"Yes?"

"Can we live by the river?"