A/N: The mystery revealed?…or not.
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Double potions pretty much summed up the reason for Hermione's foul mood. Throughout the whole lesson, Malfoy had been telling the other Slytherins how HE single-handedly ran off Voldemort and the Death Eaters.
She looked at Blaise, to see his reaction, but he just continued to mash up the ingredients to a Tongue-Twisting Tonic.
Hermione turned to Harry and Run. They had seen the look on her face before.
"Why doesn't he stick up for himself?"
Harry shrugged. "I suppose he doesn't care whether or not people know he's a hero."
Hermione glared at Malfoy. "Maybe I should help him out…"
Ron groaned. "Hermione, what are you going to start now? H.O.B.O?"
She cocked an eyebrow.
"Helping Overlooked Blaises Organization." Ron elaborated.
"Ah."
Snape was coming toward their table, so they began working at full speed. He stopped and gave a long, blank look at Harry.
"Potter, I would like to see you out in the hall, please."
Harry looked at Ron and Hermione, then left. His seat was soon taken by Neville, who sighed and shook his head. "I can't believe this."
Hermione looked up. "What is it, Neville?"
"Well, three girls just asked me out during lunch."
Ron gaped at him. "Lucky little pig…"
Hermione shrugged. "I'm not surprised. You changed a lot over the summer, Neville. You're thinner and taller. Nice hair, too."
Neville blushed slightly. "Really? Well…I guess so."
Lavender called Neville and he sighed. "See you two later, tell Harry I said hi."
He left, and Harry came back in the door, followed by Snape. Harry made his way over, and sat down heavily.
Ron grinned as he added willow sap to his potion. "He take fifty points off Gryffindor for breathing…again?"
"Nah…he…he apologized. He said he was sorry for judging me by the way my father acted during his days here. Said this was a time when grudges should be put aside."
There was a crash as Ron dropped his bottle of grindylow spit. His jaw was hanging so loose it looked in danger of falling off.
"He what…That's amazing! I bet Dumbledore put him up to it."
Hermione shook her head. "Look at him. He's changed. He's paler and thinner and…less greasy."
Harry nodded. "Yeah, I noticed that on the train."
Draco's voice got louder. "Of course Granger, Potter, and Weasley were scared to death, hiding behind me and all."
"Shove off, Malfoy! That's a lie and you know it. You were nearly peeing your pants and hiding behind Zabini! He should have been Head Boy, not you!" Hermione finished, throwing Malfoy a disgusted look.
Zabini gave Hermione a contemplative look. She saw this and turned her head back to her potion, hoping that Harry and Ron couldn't see the light red that she knew was settling on her cheeks.
I can't wait until Hogsmeade.
At dinner, curly black-haired boy that they knew as Blaise Zabini joined Harry and Ron. He looked at both of them…and then sighed heavily.
Ron, who didn't mind Zabini as much as he did the other Slytherins (mainly because of what happened on the train) glanced at Harry. "What's wrong, mate?"
"Malfoy and Granger are supposed to be in the library planning the date for Hogsmeade…but she's not there."
Harry nodded. "She had to go to the Owlery first. Said something about a scarf she needed to return."
"Right. See you two in Care of Magical creatures tomorrow."
Ron looked at Harry. "What do you reckon?"
"I think he has it in for her."
"Yeah…I heard his great grandmum was a Veela. He'll probably throw the old charm on her." Ron reached for the mashed potatoes. "At least it's not Malfoy or somebody stupid like that."
"Cheers." Harry added, downing the last of his pumpkin juice.
Hermione finished tying the scarf to the owl's leg, and then she pinned her letter to it.
Hey,
I know who you are,
At least I hope I do.
See you in Hogsmeade,
See you around.
Hermione
She had just dropped the owl out the window when she heard footsteps in the hall.
"Granger?"
She turned to see Zabini looking at her, surly and impatient.
"What?"
"The meeting in the library…."
"OH! Good Lord, I'm late!
They ran down the hall, down the steps, and into the library. Malfoy sat at a table leaning back in a chair with a quill shoved up his nose.
For a moment, Hermione stared at the comical sight, then the chair slipped and she suppressed laughter.
Zabini walked over and pulled Malfoy up with ease.
About thirty minutes later, they had decided that the Hogsmeade trip would take place two weeks from now, on the first Saturday in October.
Draco stretched and yawned as he stood. "Well, I'm done for the night. See you, Granger."
He left, but the dark-haired boy walked to a nearby bookshelf. Hermione remembered her Arithmancy homework and sighed.
He threw her a book, Arithmancy: Art and Age. She caught it and looked up at him.
"I didn't know you took Arithmancy."
"Yeah, well, I don't exactly demand attention, do I?" His had an odd accent; Italian or something like it. He sounded very sarcastic, almost painfully so.
"You're in my class?"
He looked at her, sky blue eyes sparkled their annoyance at her. "Yeah, what of it?"
Hermione had the feeling she had insulted the not-quite-charming Slytherin. Well, she'd have been mad, too, if somebody had been in her class three years and they hadn't taken the slightest notice.
He picked out another book, from the very top shelf, and Hermione noticed how tall he had to be to reach it without jumping. Even Ron couldn't do that.
She watched him scribble notes, her eyes taking in the features. Zabini was handsome. Blue-eyes and curly black locks, tan and tall. The epitome of a tall, dark, handsome stranger.
As she tried to sleep that night, but couldn't. Blaise Zabini….
He wouldn't leave her head.
Stupid Slytherin…Now I'm sounding like Ron. Ugh…Could he possibly be the boy on the train? No…those eyes were brown and gray….But I did hear a rumor that someone in Blaise's family was Veela…Maybe he can change his eye color. What if he's like Tonks? You know…one of those whatever-they're-called…
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I spelled McGonagall wrong….and these poems aren't that great…but they'll get better, I promise. Heh…when it's actually Mr. Zabini writing them. We just have to break the ice first…so to speak. The freezing ice in the lake…wait. Why's the lake freezing in September?
