Chapter Twenty One

Hermione was still staring in shock at the person standing on the other side of the portrait hole.

"B-Blaise…what are you doing here?" she stammered.

"I need to talk to you." Blaise answered.

"W-What? Look, now is not a good time - I have to go to Hogsmeade -"

"No. I have to tell you this before you go." Blaise insisted.

"Ok Blaise, if this is about yesterday in the library then I forgive you. Don't worry about it. Sorry but I really need to get going now." Hermione said reasonably, trying to get past him.

"Granger, there's something about Draco that you should know." Blaise said quietly whilst blocking her way out.

"What?" Hermione responded.

"Um…can I come in?" Blaise asked.

Hermione sheepishly nodded and led him to the couches where they both sat down. She cast him a half-apprehensive, half-frustrated glance which he coolly countered.

"Ok, can you keep a secret Granger?" Blaise started off.

"Blaise don't beat around the bush - just tell me." Hermione said bluntly.

He took a deep breath and then turned to face her with a slightly more resolute expression.

"Draco's going to be initiated into the Death Eaters during the Christmas break."

There was a stunned silence that hung in the air after this announcement. Hermione didn't know what to say and Blaise looked uncomfortable enough himself with her reaction. Hermione felt like she had just been hit on the head very hard with a heavy hammer -

"But…isn't he too young to join?" Hermione finally spluttered out.

"No seventeen is the youngest age to join and he turned seventeen during the last holidays but he had just missed out on the last initiation so he had to wait until the next one." Blaise explained grimly.

"Oh. Are there many other…you know, would-be Death Eaters in Slytherin being initiated as well?" Hermione asked tentatively.

"Not that I know of…although seventeen is the minimum age, rarely are people that age actually deemed mature and worthy enough to become part of the Death Eaters." Blaise answered.

"Oh."

"I'm sorry that I had to be the one to tell you. I didn't want to ruin your date today but…I didn't want you going without the knowledge of who and what he is. What he's capable of." Blaise said softly.

Hermione looked at him, feeling completely shellshocked. How could today have gotten even worse than she had imagined? She felt so incredibly betrayed- she had thought she knew the real Draco, the one that was behind the whole façade of a spoilt arrogant pretty boy who dominated the school. The Draco that actually cared about people and their feelings.

But now, she knew that she had just fallen for his act. He was going to be a DEATHEATER! After all that had happened, he hadn't changed at all - he was still a Malfoy, still the same sadistic asshole destined to be just like his father. He was going to join the ranks of people who found pleasure in other people's pain and she felt so stupid for having believed that he was different - that he wasn't the person he had made himself out to be all these years.

How could she ever have anything to do with a person who was going to be part of a group that lived to serve the man whose sole ambition in life is to kill Harry? How could she have ever been so naïve to think that he had changed?

Hermione felt so sick.

How could she be so blind?

"I'm sorry Granger." Blaise whispered again.

"Now I understand why you overreacted about the deal." Hermione responded wanly.

"I wanted to tell you at the time but …"

"I know. But I'm glad that you told me. Otherwise who knows what might've happened…" Hermione tried to laugh bitterly.

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure nothing would've happened - Draco's not that bad yet." Blaise comforted her, putting his arm around her.

Hermione glanced at him with watery eyes, she didn't want to cry in front of him but she just felt so helpless and betrayed that the tears fell of their own accord. She buried her face in his shoulder and just let her frustrations out on him. He hugged her close and stroked her back comfortingly and they just sat like that on the couch for almost fifteen minutes before Hermione's sobbing subsided.

"I feel like I've just been used. See, I knew that it was all too good to be true - one minute he's a complete jerk and the next he's just a normal nice guy. I always wondered why he had wanted to be friends with me even after coming back from the past and now I know - he was just using me to get closer to Harry so that he could help Voldemort kill him." Hermione said in a hoarse voice.

"Whoa, I think that you're making assumptions there, Granger." Blaise exclaimed.

"Oh yeah? Why else would he want to be friends with me? We used to be archenemies and he absolutely despised me! There is no logical explanation for it apart from the fact that he is trying to get close to Harry through me." Hermione shot back at Blaise.

"Why would he want to do that?" Blaise challenged.

"Because Draco Malfoy hated me before…and probably still does." Hermione finished, biting her lips.

"No we all know that that's not true, Granger." Blaise said firmly.

"And how would you know?" Hermione retorted.

"Because you're too beautiful for any boy to hate."

And then Blaise captured her lips with his and was kissing her intensely. She had no time to react or push him away but her body wouldn't let her do that anyway because she was actually enjoying it. She felt completely overwhelmed by the sensation - this kiss was so different from her slow unhurried kiss with Draco but equally romantic. It continued on undisturbed for several moments before he pulled away.

She felt herself being pushed down to lie on the couch and looked up to see Blaise propped up on his arms gazing down at her. She felt surprised at this sudden turn of events because she had never thought of Blaise in any way other than just a friend and even though she had tried to push it out of her mind - she couldn't help but see Xavier's face every time she looked at Blaise.

But all the time she had spent together with him had allowed to her to realise that they were two completely different people on the inside. She hadn't noticed that there was sexual tension between them during any of the tutoring sessions but as she stared back up at him and felt all the places where his body was touching hers - she realised that they were both definitely attracted to each other.

"Granger…I'm sorry…I didn't -"

"No, um…its alright it's just that I'm feeling kind of vulnerable at the moment I guess and my thoughts are really jumbled up. Maybe now is not a good time to discuss what just happened." Hermione spluttered.

"Yeah, sure I understand. I'm sorry about the kiss…it just kind of happened. I didn't mean to do it to you while you were still trying to recover from the Draco thing but…" Blaise trailed off.

"Look, I think its best that I spend some time alone now. I need to…sort things out." Hermione said awkwardly and Blaise nodded and climbed off the couch.

"Ok. So…I'll see you around then, Granger. Sorry about everything…" Blaise mumbled.

Hermione waved to him as he climbed through the portrait hole and slumped back completely onto the couch when he was gone.

What the hell had just happened?

Draco stood nonchalantly leaning on one of the light poles and casually looked down at his watch. He had been waiting at the benches for more than an hour, but he wasn't too fussed- Hermione was probably having a really hard time finding an excuse to get away from Pothead and Weasel.

He smiled lazily to himself - he couldn't believe his luck - he was actually going on a date with Hermione Granger. He wasn't excited like he thought that he would be, but rather he was feeling relaxed and content at the turn of events - less than a month ago he had been completely depressed and angry at everyone and now he was back to normal - with the exception of his unexplainable attraction to Hermione Granger.

He sighed, sat down on the bench and glanced at his watch again - the minutes were ticking by and the winter air was getting colder and colder. He shrugged, maybe Weasley and Potter really weren't giving her a chance to get away at all. He continued to wait, until light snow started to fall - giving him a wake up call -

She wasn't coming.

He got up angrily and brushed the snow off his tailored cloak furiously. She had lied to him - she had stood him up! How dare she! Nobody had ever stood him up before - they all understood that an invitation from Draco Malfoy was a once in a lifetime opportunity and that stupid Mudblood had gone and thrown away her chance again.

He felt so stupid - why had he ever believed that they could ever be something? He was just setting himself up to be pushed down again and again so why he was allowing himself to be continually deluded?

He had never felt this way about a girl before - but then again no other girl had ever been so elusive. He was finding it so frustrating how every time he thought that they were getting somewhere in their relationship she would do something completely unexpected and leave him feeling cheated.

He began to walk angrily back towards Hogsmeade village.

He was going to pay a certain someone a visit.

A/N: Oh…another horrible chapter to write. I know some of you don't like how this chapter turned out because

a) Blaise kissed Hermione (ick)
b) Blaise dobbed Draco in and ruined their date and

c) Draco is angry at Hermione now.

So sorry everyone but…its essential for plot development ok? So bear with me and stay tuned for the next chapter which involves confrontations!

Thanks again to my gorgeous reviewers who have stuck by me:

The Lady of the 4leafed Clover, dracool, QueenofhellKace08Lady-DelphineaCrazyGirl2092kKrEiLsLtYa, Mandie /POTTEROX, DizzyDawn007Monday Mornings, Newbie, ShimmeringEvilHgBookworm