In Which there is Food
"Erm, should I give Hermione and Blaise some Chinese before it's all gone?" asked Neville uncertainly; staring as the party quickly consumed enough to feed several rabid chimeras.
"If you want to you'll have to be quick," said Susan, taking another bite of her duck. There was the heavy silence in a room accompanied by slurps and burps which suggested the animals had retreated to their watering holes.
Neville approached the main table of food and put the last two cardboard containers of food onto a tray. Shooting the eating group one last look he walked over to the stairs and began to climb them, tray in hand. Really he didn't know what to expect, but knew not to assume Hermione and Blaise would not be looking up notes on rare African fungi.
As he drew up to the door, he took a deep breath and knocked. A few seconds later the door was pulled open by Hermione, slightly pink in the cheeks, several buttons done up the wrong way and hair in a hastily tied back ponytail.
"Oh Neville, thank you so much for saving us some!" she seemed delighted and even gave Neville a peck on the cheek. "Blaise, food!" Hermione called into the room. Blaise appeared behind Hermione, looking completely unruffled, before wrapping his arms around her waist and smiling thinly at Neville.
"Let's go downstairs and eat, I think I've been away too long. Is everyone entertained? Have they all got drinks? Food? Something to do?" Hermione was babbling, apparently she seemed to realise her somewhat lengthy absence, and her hostess duties were catching up with her.
"They're fine," Neville said, as he lead Hermione and Blaise down the stairs. In truth they were curious as to Hermione's disappearance but the food had distracted them. Not that they were simple or anything.
As they entered the lounge there were several loud whistles and laughs directed at the hostess and her escort.
"Tired Granger? Need a magazine refreshment?" Malfoy asked, over the top of the 'Style' magazine.
"That's mine, Draco," Hermione replied briskly, snatching it from his hands.
"Hey! I wanted that new Dolce and Gabbana perfume!" he shouted indignantly.
"Go to the newsagents and cut out the pretty pictures," Hermione replied, perching on the end of the couch next to Terry. "I haven't read it yet."
Malfoy looked away with a pained look upon his face, apparently his withdrawal symptoms started immediately; he was shaking ever so slightly.
"Have some noodles, Malfoy," Blaise said, handing him the last of his.
Malfoy shook his head violently.
"Magazines," he whispered, curling up into a ball, white and shaking.
In Which Blaise is Shy
"So," Theo said.
"Er, so," Blaise replied.
The boys were sitting on Hermione's couch, sharing the last of the Chinese food. Theo obviously felt it proper to quiz his friend on his rendezvous with one Hermione Granger.
"So," Theo replied. He grinned up at Blaise and folded his arms smugly, as if he figured out everything.
Blaise frowned and stared at Theo, "Er… so?"
Theo tutted unfolded his arms and addressed Blaise. "You're crap at this, Blaise. So?"
"Oh! So! It was…" Blaise began, finally realising what was going on.
"Don't go soft on me, I tell you this sort of stuff," Theo reminded him.
"You forcibly tell me, I don't want to know any of the details of ladies you've courted," Blaise sniffed, taking the last of the Chinese and tipping it into his mouth.
"Hey! Well, alright, I can't help it if you're shy!"
"I'm not shy, I just don't think it proper," Blaise replied, putting down the Chinese carton next to the sofa.
"Proper? Courting? Ladies? How old are you, Blaise?" Theo asked, somewhat wearily.
"Twenty. My Parents made sure I understood proper etiquette."
"Like shagging tipsy know- it- alls?" Theo raised his eyebrow ironically and settled back comfortably.
Blaise scratched his neck somewhat awkwardly. "Yeah. That," his face suddenly changed. "SO!"
Theo stared for a second, then realised what Blaise was going on about, "No, you cannot distract my attention by saying 'so' a lot."
"You did it with me," Blaise pouted back at him.
"No, I tried to get information of you, and you got confused. Now stop sidetracking me. Was it good?"
Blaise sighed; he wasn't about to give up, "Yes. It was sex, how could it be bad?"
"Well, alright, how good? Okay good, very good, stripper good, she's my true love good-" Blaise cut Theo off, a slight pink blush on his cheeks.
"The last one, but you already knew that."
"But it's better to hear you say it," Theo paused and smiled, "Especially when Hermione's standing right behind us."
Blaise spun round in his seat in time to see a retreating head of bushy brown hair run through the lounge and into the kitchen.