Rain

By forbiddenlight

Disclaimer: I'm not J.K., so why would I own anything of hers? This plot is my own though…

A/N: Thank you to all those who reviewed. I'd also like to invite everyone to become a staff and/or subscriber to my c2 community, Hogwarts Romantic Library for Harry Potter. Also, please check out my newest fanfic "Looking For The Light". It is prewritten, and I posted it once before, but took it down. It will have a sequel, so please drop in and read it. Also, this chapter is part one of Hermione and Blaise's date, and chapter thirteen (oh, it's so wonderful to be able to say that!) will be part two. Come chapter fourteen, we will finally get into the actual plot- the real reason this story was written. Thank you, and please review!

Athena: Thanks. This chapter was extremely vital to the story. It went through Draco's feelings for his father, how Cho is so insecure with herself and her feelings, and how Ron feels about his sister dating, and vice-versa. I felt kind of awkward writing about Cho and her new… partner… But it had to be extremely wild and weird for Cho to keep it a secret from Draco.

I-Lurve-Harry: Thank you thank you thank you! I love reviews like these. What's with Ron and Pansy? I know, them being a couple is pretty wicked, but it will work out in the end. And you know I can't make Pansy nice! She is pure evil! ) Do you want to be a subscriber or staff for Hogwarts Romantic Library? Don't worry, you can be both!

wolfielee123321: Very sorry to sink your boat, wolfie, but I am afraid you are wrong. Je T'aime means "I love you". Je t'adore means "I adore you". And if you don't believe that I am right, you may speak to Athena (mentioned above) my stepmother. My great-grandma on her side is half French, so she knows a good deal of French. Thank you, though, for the review.

Kichou: Thank you for reviewing, Glad you like Blaise in this- I think he's great too. It's a lot of fun to make up everything about him, although he's not a made-up character.

CareBearErin: Thank you for reviewing. They do, don't they? Some people just never learn…

GothicKitty: Thanks. I will update faster the more reviews I get!

And, again, be sure to take note of the names in bold. That is very important to the story. It will also keep you out of any confusion…

Ship: Blaise Zabini/Hermione Granger

Genre: Romance/Drama

Chapter Twelve: A Birthday Surprise

Blaise

Whenever she walked into the room, she took his breath away. But that afternoon when Hermione Granger entered the Three Broomsticks to meet Blaise it was as though he could not breathe- ever again.

She wasn't beautiful. She was a goddess. She was the bringer of light. The very image of splendor and magnificence. And she was his.

God, he loved her.

But could he tell her?

She smiled at him, and Blaise felt himself smile back, but he was so nervous he could barely think. He picked up the two butterbeers off the bar he had purchased for her and himself a moment ago and walked over. She was positively beautiful.

"Hi, Hermione," he greeted her, handing her the drink. Hermione smiled. "Hi, Blaise. Thanks. So, what are we off to today?" Hermione gave him a hug and he hugged back.

"Hmm…" Blaise said thoughtfully. "I was thinking we could just go window shopping, you know, around here."

Hermione smiled. She seems to like the idea. "Yeah. Let's."

Butterbeers in hand, they left the Three Broomsticks and headed out into the warm October day. They walked for awhile in silence, glancing at windows, and each sometimes glancing at the other, but then, feeling embarrassed, would look the other way.

"My birthday is the end of this week," Blaise said just to make conversation.

"Oh, is it? My birthday was the 19th of September." Hermione replied, glancing longingly at a red scarf inside the Madame Melani's Robes For The Ladies shop.

"And why didn't you tell me?" Blaise asked her, smiling.

"Because, well, I don't know… Actually, I do. We didn't start dating until a few days after that." Hermione blushed.

Dating? Blaise thought wildly. Like boyfriend/girlfriend dating? Of course, how can I be so stupid!

"Well, then, Happy Belated Birthday. How about I make it up to you?" Blaise inquired.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked him, a single eyebrow rose.

"Oh, you know. I'll just get you a gift. Something you'll like. Here, meet me at the Shrieking Shack in… 15 minutes."

Hermione gave him an I-can't-believe-this look, then smiled. Giving him a quick kiss (which made him get about 10 degrees hotter), she walked off to the opposite direction- toward the Shrieking Shack.

Blaise knew exactly what to do. He headed right inside Madame Melani's and bought that red scarf. He headed across the street and bought a large chocolate rose from Honeyduke's. Figuring that would do, he headed to the Owl Post and rented a barn owl. Smiling, he grabbed a piece of parchment and a quill from his pocket (unlike most wizards his age, Blaise always liked to be prepared), and began to write.

Dear Hermione,

It's me, Blaise. I'll be waiting for you with Cupid. I am still inside Hogsmeade. Come and find me, and you'll get your gift and your date.

Love, Blaise

He read it over again twice. Heart throbbing like mad, he tied the letter to the owl's leg and set it off, but quickly headed to Madame Puddifoot's, where he would wait for the girl he loved.

forbiddenlight