AN: sorry for the long pause. I've still got major writers block, and adding the conflict between Blaise and Draco took more out of me that I thought it would. Ok, I've gotten some good feedback on the Blaise/Hermione story I was planning, so I will be including a teaser chapter from that story in this one as soon as I get around to writing it.
As for this story, in case you all are wondering, it is the first book in a set of three. The next book in the series will be titled "the devil's respite" and will follow the crew into their seventh year. It will focus more on Harry and Voldemort and less on romance. I will also try including a teaser for that story in this one. The third book, "Bastard" takes place ten years later. I can't say anything else about it cause it'll give away the plot, but if anyone is interested in helping me write these three books, I'm looking for some help, either in the form of a co-writer or beta. Leave me a review with your email address if you are interested.
Readers, please comment on: Are the characters OOC? Are they developing in a cliché or erratic manner? Is the progress of the romance believable? Am I keeping it too dramatic? (I wanted this chapter to be more light hearted, especially towards the end) let me know!
Chapter Thirteen: Love and Life debt
Hermione was released the following Wednesday. She woke that morning, and, after a thorough examination by Madame Pomfrey, was allowed to leave. She was glad to be able to go, but was the dreading reentrance into normal life for one reason: It would mean having to face Draco Malfoy, after he'd saved her, AGAIN. Not only that….
She contemplated the necklace sitting beneath her blouse as she walked towards the great hall. When she first discovered it Sunday morning, glowing faintly and warm against her chest, Harry and Ron had been with her, and inquired after the necklace right after they asked about her health. At the time, she'd thought it was Blaise's doing and told them so. She made a mental note to thank him the next time she saw him.
However, when Blaise had turned up Monday during lunch time, he took in the sight of the necklace perplexedly. The look on his face made her pause with "thank you" on the tip of her tongue. He asked her if she had thought of making the amulet a necklace, and commended her on the good idea. So, it wasn't Blaise, and it certainly hadn't been Harry or Ron. That only left one person.
Hermione stood in the entrance hall hesitating, a blush creeping up on her face. Why had he done it? She wondered. It wasn't as though the deed was a great feat. The spells were simply enough, but it was simply that he had bothered at all. She shook her head.
Steeling herself mentally, she took a deep breath, and walked into the great hall.
The Gryffindor table broke into applause.
Harry and Ron jumped up immediately and walked over to her.
"Hermione, how are you feeling!" Ron asked, over brightly. He had been uncharacteristically sweet since her illness, probably feeling bad over growing cross with her after the discussion on Saturday morning.
Hermione beamed at them, and drew them together in a tight embrace.
"Ow."
"Hey!" They exclaimed as their bodies crashed together.
"Hermione… gerroff!" Ron mumbled.
"Can't breath!" gasped Harry.
She loosened her grip slightly, and gave them both a kiss on the cheek.
"Thank you." She said, pulling away at last. Ron grinned embarrassedly. Harry leered and said: "Be careful Hermione, you don't want to make your boyfriend jealous."
Members of the nearby Gryffindor table sniggered. Hermione looked at him questioningly, and in response he pointed to a spot behind her.
She turned around, and jumped.
Blaise was standing right behind her.
Hermione blushed, while cursing her fate. Blaise was her "boyfriend" and naturally, she would be expected to give him some token of thanks similar to what she'd done to Harry and Ron. Hugging her two best friends, who she thought of as brothers, was one thing, but she was still writhing in humiliation over the last "intimate moment" she'd had with Blaise, and was not keen on reliving the experience.
Taking a deep breath, she tentatively stepped forward and put her arms around his thin waist. She was intending it to be a short embrace, but his unexpected reciprocation prolonged it. Some Gryffindors were cat calling, and she hid her face in his sweater-vest to cover the glow of her cheeks.
"Thank you…" She murmured. "I owe you now." She added quietly.
His chest vibrated with a chuckle, and she looked up at him.
"You paid in advance, remember?" He asked, and touched a finger to her lips.
She knew her face would never return to its proper color.
"That was why?" She hissed, beyond mortified. He nodded, his face a malicious grin. "Stupid." She muttered, and let go. He was another one she would not be able to look in the face for a while.
He chuckled again.
"I respect you for your embarrassment." That surprised her. "If it hadn't meant anything to you, you wouldn't be red in the face. You saved my ass with that kiss, as I am currently always on the brink of expulsion… and coercing a teacher in to divulging private thoughts through the use of a highly illegal potion definitely counts as an expellable offense for the both of us. Still, you didn't have to do what you did, and the fact that you regret it now despite the trouble we would've been in, makes the action all the more valuable. In my book, we are even." There was a pause.
"I don't regret it." Hermione whispered.
She smiled and looked up. She was gratified to see his cheeks darken slightly. It had certainly been mortifying enough for her to say, but she meant it.
Being a Slytherin, however, Blaise was never one to step down from the game Hermione had just initiated, even if she herself was unaware of doing so.
"Do you know how badly you've messed with my life, Granger?" He said quietly, in a voice that gave her chills. She was again surprised. For some reason, that question had her heart beating a mile a minute. Judging by the smirk of triumph on Blaise's face, he knew it. "I had it all worked out before this mess came along."
"A mess, am I? And what were you going to do that you now cannot?" She hissed sarcastically, hoping her voice conveyed none of the hyperactivity in her chest.
"I had planned…." He began patiently, taking her hand and guiding her towards the Gryffindor table. "To graduate without anyone knowing my face. Commit a few murders and then disappear in to anonymity forever. Now everyone knows my face, and I can't possibly disappear like I wanted to." He finished and took a seat with the Gryffindors.
She snorted and sat down next to him. They were sitting across from Harry and Ron, facing the Slytherin table, and Hermione could see, turning away as though he hadn't been looking, Draco Malfoy, a deep frown marring his features.
Inexplicably, a pang of guilt struck her chest, and she looked down, frowning.
"Something wrong?" Blaise asked.
Hermione took a breath and shook her head, wondering what on earth she had to feel guilty about. It was his fault she was pretending to date Blaise. It was his fault she had gotten sick.
Blaise was looking at her with what might've been slight concern, so to cover the moment she asked:
"Am I on your hit list?"
He smirked.
"Nah, only people who deserve it." He said, and passed her a plate of various sweet breads. She chose two slices of zucchini bread and set the platter down.
"Like who?" She asked distractedly, while she warred with herself internally over the unnecessary negative feelings.
"Oh, the usual. Lucius Malfoy first, then Edward and Meredith Jenkins, then Theodore Knot. After that, there are a few people I may or may not off depending on how they fare between now and graduation." Blaise's face was completely straight as he rattled off his list, and his eyes were like steel.
Hermione choked on her buttered bread.
"You're not serious, are…" She began, but was cut off.
"Ah, I see we are all assembled." Dumbledore, who had risen from his place at the breakfast table, was addressing the great hall. The hall grew quiet. "First, I would like to welcome back Ms. Hermione Granger, who recently battled Hepatyphus. Many of you know that Hepatyphus claims the majority of wizard children, and is very dangerous. Ms. Granger is very lucky to be with us."
The Gryffindor table lit up with applause again, and the other tables, even the Slythering table -whose occupants had several brothers and sisters die from the disease- joined in.
"Secondly, I would like to announce, that a formal award ceremony will take place at the leaving feast this Friday to present Special Awards for services to the school to Misters Potter, Weasley, Zabini and Malfoy, for their ingenious rescue of their class mate, Ms. Granger."
Blaise turned white and his mouth fell open. Harry and Ron weren't fairing much better.
"How in God's name does he know?" Ron hissed, absolutely amazed.
"It's Dumbledore." Harry responded, and it was the best answer anyone could've given.
Looking across the great hall, Hermione could see Draco Malfoy was positively gob smacked.
Ginny started clapping, and again, the rest of the hall joined in, all except for the Slytherins, who instead were turning their faces collectively towards Draco Malfoy with distinct looks of disgust.
Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle glared at them, and slowly they turned their attention elsewhere, but the damage, in Draco's opinion, was already done.
It was enough that Dumbledore knew, it was too much that Granger knew, and it was out of control that he was getting an award for it… Now the entire school knew. Draco put his face in his hands, and took several deep breaths. Silently he cursed fate over and over and over again. He felt Pansy's hand on his shoulder and was genuinely grateful to her for her support; however at that moment, he simply wanted to be left alone.
He nodded to her, then got up and, his eyes glued to the floor, left the great hall as swiftly as he could without running.
Hermione watched him go with a frown, then she noticed Blaise was watching him as well.
"I.. I think I'll go to the library before classes start." She said, completely forgetting about Blaise's hit list.
She stood up, but Blaise caught her hand.
"Hermione." He began, looking as though he was battling over whether to say what he stopped her to say or not. He let out a breath. "Malfoy's upset because he didn't want you to know.. because he's ashamed of helping you… because you're nothing more than a muggle born to him. He's scum, him and his whole family, and he's not worth getting worked up over."
She smiled kindly at him. "He'd say the same thing about you, you know." She said softly. Blaise smirked. "I don't know why you two hate each other so much, but I do think it's time to put it to rest…" She put in hopefully.
"Well, if you're going to go over to comfort the great prat, you might tell him that. Although I'm positive he'll site that very small problem of me wanting his dad dead as a hindrance to further amiable relations." Hermione laughed.
"You'll have to tell me all about it some time." She said, and mussed his hair. Then she laughed again. "Now you really do look like Harry."
Harry and Ron turned their horror stricken faces to her, and their expressions melted into smiles.
"You related to the Potters?" Asked Ron.
"Not to my knowledge, I thought the Potters were descended from the Frostpine clan of the Valleys." Blaise said, and suddenly the three boys were engrossed in a conversation of bloodlines and relationships.
Hermione took that moment to exit the scene. She wondered, as she walked through the halls, why Pansy had not left with him. She didn't want to comfort Malfoy, she just wanted to thank him, and let him know that she now owed him a second time.
She sighed, wondering if she'd ever be out from these life debts. She owed so much to Harry and Ron as well, but a life debt was not magically viable between people who love each other, and she certainly loved her best friends.
She stopped at that thought.
Her mouth fell open in realization.
Her mind, quickly followed by her heart, seemed to freeze.
Blaise.
"No way." She gasped, her brain jamming. "No freaking way."
But could you really pay in advance for a life debt? She believed him when he said that was his reason for helping her, but did that count? If it didn't count… If that's not how it worked…
When Malfoy was near her, the magical bond of a life-debt was like a tangible cage. She could feel it grow in strength when he got close to her, feel it all the time like an irritation in the back of her mind, or a collar that she always wore around her neck. But with Blaise, there was nothing.
Suddenly, her urge to go the library became genuine. Malfoy could wait, this was important. She broke into a run and made it to the library in record time. She took a moment to catch her breath before stepping into the domain of the irritable-Pince.
She went straight to the proper section. She knew where it was having researched the topic two weeks ago after the first incident. She was shocked to see Malfoy in the isle, leaning against the stacks with a book open in his arms. He looked up when she joined him and sneered:
"God, Granger, you're barely out of the hospital and the first place you come is here, did you even bother to eat?"
She blushed and looked down.
"What are you doing here?" She said to her feet.
"Looking for a way to die painlessly." He drawled back, shutting the book in his hand with a loud snap which startled her. She looked up.
He replaced the book on the shelf and made to leave.
"Malfoy." She said timidly.
"What!" He replied, stopping, with more anger than the situation warranted.
"I just… I… I wanted to tell you…" He rolled his eyes.
"Yes, yes, you owe me another one..." He sneered. "Great recompense it is for the whole school to think I fancy you." He added with vindictive sarcasm.
"Well that's obviously not the case." She said, blushing at the very idea. "Other wise there would be no second life debt."
She could see him smirking from the brief glances she took in between staring at her shoes. He walked closer to her, so he could sneer down at her, and whispered:
"You and Zabini know all about that don't you?" In a voice so silky it would've put Snape to shame.
Hermione's face became red enough to put a Weasley to shame.
"You two are a really convincing couple, you know?" He continued, his silk becoming ice. "Been getting cozy while grudgingly agreeing to hold hands and eat together? He made sure you have immunity to Hepatyphus so that 'just in case' it happens again, you don't get sick. Rather sweet of him, don't you think?"
In response, she grasped her tie and loosened it, then unbuttoned her collar. Malfoy drew in a breath, his eyes widening with surprise.
"And you made sure, I'd be protected." Hermione said, drawing out the glowing, warm amulet. His surprise immediately became a scowl.
He said nothing, but stared down at her with an obstinate expression.
"I didn't come here to thank you for saving my life again, because I'll repay you for that eventually." She said quietly. "I wanted to thank you for this." And indicated the red orb on the silver chain.
"It doesn't mean anything." He snapped, his cheeks darkening.
She looked up as if memorizing his features.
"If it hadn't meant anything to you, you wouldn't be embarrassed. You didn't have to do what you did, and the fact that you regret it now, makes it all the more valuable." She realized she was repeating what Blaise had told her, but the words seemed very appropriate. Malfoy's expression was softening.
"Right." He muttered, and turned to go again.
Hermione, not knowing why, caught him by the waist. He looked down at her, surprised. The faintest amount of pink suffused his cheeks, making him look years younger.
"What now?" She smiled, enjoying the embarrassment on his face. Seeing Malfoy embarrassed wasn't something you got to see everyday. During the past few weeks, she'd felt little more than humiliation, it seemed. She found herself wanting to see him feeling some of the mortification she felt, so she said:
"You helped me the same as the others. Fair is fair, Malfoy." And hugged him around the waist, like she had done to Blaise.
She expected him to jump back in terror, or say something scathing, or simply push her away, but he just stood there, probably too shocked to do anything.
She couldn't see his face, her ear being pressed against his sweater-vest like it had been when she'd woken up after almost dying, two weeks ago. She couldn't believe it had only been fourteen days, it felt like years had gone by since the Slytherins moved into the dorm; Since Malfoy and Blaise had moved into her life.
She realized she was still holding him, taking in the familiar feeling of his torso and chest. She smiled to herself. It was rather ironic that she knew what holding Draco Malfoy felt like. She could hear his heart thudding madly, and feel his nervous breathing, and the stiffness of his back.
"Granger." He said, at last. His steady voice conveyed none of the signs the rest of his body were telling her.
She let go and looked up at him.
His expression was unreadable. He retreated from the library, without another word.
Hermione watched him go, not sure what to make of what just happened. Long after the door to the library had shut, she turned to the book shelf which had been her original intent. There, slightly jutting out from the others, was the book Malfoy had been reading. She chose it, drew her wand, and muttered a spell to make the book fall upon to the page that had been most recently read.
It opened onto a passage that said:
"While the magically binding properties of a life-debt are absolute until such time as the debtor repays the debt through a life-altering service, or by saving the life of the person to whom the debt is owed, it has been observed that a life debt is not activated between two people who love each other. This love need not be romantic in nature, as exemplified by parents who save their children's lives.
It is dually noted that love must be felt by both parties to nullify the debt. There is no better example of the duality needed in such a situation, than that of the witch Elainis of Holyoke, who was deeply enamored with her rescuer, the celebrated sorcerer Taliesin the wise…."
Hermione shut the book, not remotely interested in the story of Taliesin and Elainis. She had seen what she needed to see, and more than that, Malfoy had seen it.
She didn't even know what it meant, as she certainly didn't feel any romantic feelings towards Blaise. So what, if she found him attractive, and enjoyed his company when he wasn't being a prat, and blushed when ever he walked into a room…
She groaned and let her head fall against the stacks of her precious books, wishing they could give her the answers she sought. Unfortunately, no one could tell her how she felt.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Draco Malfoy would never be described or remembered by his classmates as a "nice" person. Indeed, Draco prided himself on the cold-bastard reputation he had cultivated… or he had. Now he was simply confused.
It struck him as odd, that he had spent his entire career at Hogwarts playing the antithesis of the very people he envied. He was able to admit to himself, upon seeing Hermione obey him, that he had desired the same type of admiration that Potter and his group attracted, though he'd never admit that to anyone else. He then had to admit that playing a complete bastard was a poor way indeed to go about getting what he wanted.
Now that he'd tasted a bit of appreciation, the first of it from Ginny, and the second dose from Hermione just moments ago, he wasn't sure what he wanted anymore. All he knew was that it didn't feel right. The hugs both girls had bestowed upon him, far from making him feel good about himself, gave him a sick feeling that he couldn't identify, but had an inkling the feeling was some damnable hybrid of fear and guilt.
He'd been able to shrug off the feeling the first time it surfaced, in the arms of the youngest Weasley. Their families had been enemies for ages, as their entire ideology was so radically different. His father had used his influence in the ministry to keep Arthur Weasley down, and ensure the impoverished status of the family. If that weren't enough, Lucius had gone on to attempt the murder of the only girl the family had produced in decades. None of that was his fault, of course, but he supposed it was enough of a reason to excuse the feeling.
Coming away from his second touch of the fruit of heroism, however, he knew for sure that the positive attention he was getting from these encounters was making him uncomfortable. Negative attention he could deal with, he'd been attracting that his entire life. He'd told himself that he wanted different, but now he wasn't sure anymore.
He wondered if Blaise was feeling the same way. Blaise, who had always garnered nothing but hatred and fear from those around him, and was now being fawned all over by the gryffindors… was he too feeling similar discomfort? He seemed comfortable enough, sitting at the Gryffindor table and talking with Potter and Weasley like they were old friends. Draco chuckled darkly to himself… if only they knew.
Draco shook himself slightly and slowed his swift walk to class. He'd be early at this rate and the last thing he wanted was to sit in a room alone with Granger. Being around her was becoming increasingly awkward.
"Something a miss, Malfoy?" Blaise's smooth drawl pulled Draco from his waking reverie. He stopped and turned.
"Speak of the devil." Draco returned in his practiced dispassionate drawl. Blaise raised an eye brow at him. Draco could tell he was tense.
He was leaning against the wall near the charms classroom, one heel against the wall with the corresponding knee cocked up. His arms were crossed, and his brow was raised. He was using a cool drawl Draco knew very well. His entire appearance screamed of casual apathy, but Draco knew better.
"It appears that you're the one with the problem." Draco said, as though commenting on the weather. Blaise smiled his smile that put viewers in mind of impending doom.
"Not me. But Hermione seems to think you were upset and in need of some consolation… or at least gratitude. So, I suppose I should thank you." Blaise's smile increased into a full blown leer of wickedness. "What are friends for, after all?"
Draco decided to take up Pansy's advice and ignore the intentional barb. He and Blaise were not friends, and they would never be again. Draco would never forgive him for what Blaise did to his family, Never. Instead, he concentrated on the rest of the statement.
"Hermione is it?" Draco snorted, even as his insides twisted with yet another uncomfortable and unfamiliar feeling. He looked up at Blaise, and saw his eyes flash, though his face remained impassive. Draco couldn't contain his shock when it finally clicked.
"You're jealous." He whispered, in awe. Blaise's expression didn't flicker for a second, and that's how Draco knew he was right. "You're actually jealous… you really fancy her…"
Something flashed into Draco's memory. He could see, very clearly as though it had happened just moments ago, the image of a blond girl smiling… tears in her blue eyes, but smiling, and Blaise's arm around her shoulders … comforting her, exactly like Draco had found Blaise and Hermione upon returning from the chamber of secrets. Draco's expression became stoic.
"I'm not like you." Draco spat. "I wouldn't do to you what you did to me."
Then, Blaise's face changed. He dropped his heel and planted both feet on the floor, while pulling himself upright from his lean, though he kept his arms crossed over his chest. His face looked more serious and more sad, and he paused to look at Draco intently.
"No." Blaise said at last. "You aren't like me. For one thing, I wouldn't parade myself as something other than what I am…. Accepting people's gratitude and trust while fully intent on stabbing them in the back."
Draco was furious.
"Something other than what I am!" The blond said incredulously.
"Everyone knows what I am." Blaise hissed back.
"The ikkle griffies don't… your precious mudblood doesn't!"
"I." Began Blaise, his eyes now matching his name. "can't help what I am. And you know it. You, on the other hand, choose to crawl on your hands and knees, doing the bidding of some hypocritical tosser just to make daddy-dearest happy. You make me sick."
"I don't server anyone!" Draco shouted.
"Not yet you don't. But you will. Spineless, gutless sod that you are, there is no way in hell you'll turn down the call to the dark. How you look at any of them in the face is beyond me.. when you know, just as well as I do, that soon you'll be trying to kill them. And to think she was worried about you… when you wouldn't hesitate to bring her severed head to your half-blood master, so he could throw you a bloody scrap of power."
"How dare you." Draco spat.
"Go on a deny it." Blaise cackled, a cruel and harsh sound in the empty corridor. "Tell me you wouldn't do it. Go on." He laughed again. "And to think! They waste their energy hating me… when there are little carrion eaters like you debauching this green earth. Rather ironic, isn't it."
"You deserve every ounce of hatred directed towards you and more! You stabbed me in the back!" Draco shot back.
"How does it feel?" Blaise's voice was airy and easy, as he walked right up to Draco to stand inches from him. He whispered: "When she thanks you for saving her life?" Blaise smiled as Draco's face twisted, mimicking the tightening of his chest.
Blaise had spoken aloud, exactly what Draco was feeling. And although he hated Blaise more than anyone else on the planet, Draco knew Blaise was the only person to understand him completely and totally, just as Draco understood him. He couldn't lie, not to Blaise.
"Like hell." Draco breathed, liberated by the complete truth of the statement. Blaise's smiled became a genuine one.
"Maybe you've got a heart after all then." Blaise whispered softly.
"That makes one of us." Draco returned in a harsh hiss. Hatred pulsed through his veins like poison. Hatred for Blaise, the boy who had ruined everything for him. All he wanted at that moment was to beat the other boy into a bloody pulp.
"Perhaps." Blaise agreed, his smile vanishing. "Finish the life debts than crawl back to your master. I don't want to see you around her after that." Blaise spat, and spun around to enter the charms classroom.
"It always comes back to her doesn't it." Draco drawled, his eyes flashing.
Blaise stopped and slowly turned back around.
"Which her are you talking about?" Blaise asked slowly, his eyes narrowed.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about. You started this, after all." Draco said, and discretely fingered his wand.
"In your mind, perhaps I started it. Soon, we will have to end it."
"Is that a threat, Zabini?" Draco drawled in a mocking voice.
"It's a promise." Blaise returned, his voice like steel. Then, he walked away and disappeared into the charms classroom.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
"Spill it Granger."
Hermione couldn't believe this. She had come up to her dormitory right after dinner with a large stack of books on magical contracts to, once and for all, sort out what was going on. Instead, she found herself being cornered by her dorm mates, and faced with the ominous prospect of -shudder- girl talk.
"Granger?" Hermione asked. Lavender never called her that.
"You've been holding out on us!" Pavarti said. "When you cough up the goods, you'll be worthy of a first name again." She smirked.
"What? What goods?"
"You've been dating Blaise Zabini behind everyone's back for ages!" Lavender exclaimed impatiently.
Hermione's face went completely blank as she digested the accusation. Then she burst out laughing.
"What gave you that impression!" she said between laughs.
"Come off it!" exclaimed Pavarti. "We saw you two at breakfast. It's sooooo obvious!"
"Spill it! How long have you been going out?" said Lavender
"When did you meet?" fired Pavarti.
"How did it happen?" shot Lavender.
"How did he ask you out?" asked Pavarti.
"Who kissed who first?" squealed Lavender, and the two burst into a fit of giggles that managed to hamper their quick succession of highly embarrassing questions.
Hermione just gapped at them, at a complete loss for what to say. She looked over at Pansy, who was surveying the torture with an expression of mild amusement. Hermione silently pleaded with her for help. Pansy smiled a truly malicious smile, and stepped forward.
"Oh yeah, we all knew about it. They'd liked each other for ages." Drawled Pansy, her grin was pure evil.
Hermione jumped to her feet, incredulous. "What!" She screeched.
"You know, cause they're both top of the class…" Continued Pansy sweetly.
"I didn't know." Millicent said, coming to sit next to Pansy and completing the circle of gossiping girls who surrounded Hermione accusingly.
"Did you keep it a secret cause of Zabini's back ground?" Asked Millicent.
"Ooo that's right, I hear his family is a bad sort." Pavarti said concernedly.
"Granger is trying to reform him." Pansy said.
"I can't believe this." Hermione said faintly, staring at Pansy in shock.
Pansy chuckled and said: "Oh, Zabini is a cool one… a bad boy, that probably had a lot to do with it. You like the bad boys, don't you Granger? You like breaking- er- Reforming them, don't you?"
Pavarti and Lavender practically fell off the bed with giggles.
"That's so cute!" exclaimed Pavarti.
Hermione was ready to beat her head against the bed post. She glared at Pansy- The TRAITOR! Then she had to stop herself and wonder when it was she started to see Pansy Parkinson as someone on her side; Someone that she trusted, even.
"So, how did he ask you out?" Lavender asked.
"Granger was the forward one." Pansy said.
Hermione buried her face in her hands, wishing the earth would swallow her whole. The girls were laughing as Pansy continued to grin with malice.
"So how long, it looks like you two have been together for ages." Pavarti asked.
"Not too long actually." Pansy clarified, starting to feel a bit of pity for Hermione, who was so red with anger and embarrassment, it looked like she'd pop any moment. "Zabini was simply enamored immediately."
The "Awwww!" that issued from her fellow Gryffindors made Hermione want to cry with humiliation. Damnable, traitorous Slytherins!
"That's true." Agreed Millicent. "We've known Blaise for years and ever since…" she trailed off at a sharp look from Pansy. "Well, let's just say he's not the friendliest person in the world. Always been a loner.. never wanted to mix, he didn't. Never wanted to be close to anyone."
Hermione looked up from her hands.
Millicent didn't know this was all fake, but it seemed that no one wanted to mix with him either, and Hermione wondered why. Hermione looked at Pansy, whose expression was softer. Pansy threw her auburn locks over her shoulder aristocratically, and sighed.
"She's right you know, Granger… Blaise has never acted this way before. He's always been a distant, cold, bastard- worse than Draco even. We couldn't believe our eyes when we came in last Saturday and saw him comforting you like you were the most precious thing in the world to him." Pansy said, and Hermione knew she was telling the truth. Hermione almost smiled, were it not for the overblown "sighs" from the peanut gallery.
"That's so sweet!" Lavender said.
"You've cracked the heart of a Slytherin, Hermione!" Pavarti agreed
"Maybe even two…" Lavender leered. "After all, they both came to your rescue a second time!" And the two giggled some more.
"Malfoy?" Millicent asked, then looked uneasily at Pansy.
Pansy, however, still had a curious smile on her face.
"Hey, yeah, you're his best friend Pansy, does Malfoy fancy Hermione?" Pavarti asked. Pansy shrugged.
"You don't have to fancy someone to do something decent." She said patiently, and with a note of finality which told everyone that the subject was closed.
"I agree." Hermione said. "Look, are we done now?"
"Oh no you don't, Granger!" Lavender said.
"Details, Details! We need details!" Pavarti agreed.
Hermione blushed.
"Like what?"
"Like, is he a good kisser?" Pavarti asked
"What is he really like when you two are alone?" Millicent queried.
"Does he get you a lot of gifts?" Lavender asked.
"Measurements." Pansy said nastily. The others roared with laughter.
"Like I know that!" Hermione screamed, jumping to her feet, and intent on escaping.
"Why not?" asked Lavender. "If you love someone…"
"I don't… we're not in love." Hermione explained, deflating slightly.
"Really? Then how are you going to pay him back?" asked Pansy, the evil smile back in place. Trust a Slytherin to bring up a perfect refutation!
Hermione sighed.
"I don't know, he hasn't asked me for anything yet." She lied.
"Well then, you might know those measurements soon enough." Pavarti said in a serious voice. Then she and Lavender burst out laughing.
"I'm leaving." Hermione said, thoroughly disgusted with the whole lot of them.
"Granger." Pansy said.
"What!" Hermione snapped, vowing internally to get her back for this.
The other girls were still laughing their heads off, giving Pansy cover to say:
"Be careful." Her voice was very serious.
"Why? What do you know?" Pansy's eyes flashed with something mysterious.
"More than I ought to. Be careful with Zabini.. don't get attached, he's a lost cause."
"Who says I'm…"
"Even if your not." Pansy cut her off impatiently. "You don't know what's going on in his head."
"I'll say." Hermione thought. Blaise became more vexing to her each day.
"Granger. No matter what you want to believe about Zabini, he's dangerous. He's like Potter, only the opposite…. You've got to believe the hype; the rumors are there for good reason." Hermione opened her mouth to speak. "It's your choice to believe me or not, but don't say I didn't warn you." Pansy hissed, irritated.
Pansy's expression softened again and she said, more kindly: "I didn't mean to tease you so bad, I just wanted to prove a point." Hermione cocked an eyebrow. "You wouldn't be embarrassed if you didn't care… if some of it wasn't real. Don't fall for Blaise, Hermione, he's not what you think he is."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Thanks to all the reviewers who put me at 124! -big smile- Keep up the support.
Nevermind: Did you feel any triangle that chapter? I'm actually not so much into love triangles, because I don't see Hermione as a cheater. I figure she'd probably stick to one guy at a time. We'll see.
Rain4life: Really, where did you hear Blaise is going to show back up? That's it, in my blaise/Hermione fic I'm going to write it like it's book 6. Muwhoahahha, I'll beat her to it!
Ehlonna: Well, now do you think Blaise cares? And Draco? I remember being 16… I had no idea what I felt most of the time, and I figure that still hasn't changed. I'm glad you liked the orginial magic scene, I've never tried to write one before so I wasn't sure how it would be. The amulet was needed for later in the book… as were the elemental magics. As for harry and ron doing the dark arts, there will be more of that as well. I see harry as having become a lot darker since Sirius' death. We'll see more of this dark harry during winter break.
Dizzydragon: Yes, Blaise is a bastardization of my own personality (at age 16) and the personality of someone I was friends with (at age 16) so he's fun to write. Thanks for the compliment. If you are interested in keeping me in line, I'm looking for a beta. Keep up with the reviews!
Ryua Malfoy: I'm glad you read my story and liked it. Yes it's going to continue to cut deep.. and Blaise will never thaw completely, but you'll see more sides to him. The basilisk belongs to harry and she'll be a bigger player in later chapters. Keep reviewing, and thanks.
Kate felton: Better than Rolling? No way, not even close. But thanks!
Regina: Blaise is only mentioned once during the sorting in the first book. Supposedly, he's coming back in the sixth book.
Mhe and Jpearl19: This will be a Draco/Hermione story. Thanks for the reviews.
Star-Angel: No offense taken. I've never seen the show of which you speak, as I don't watch TV… but I do try to keep an aire of Mystery just to mimic JK's style in her books. Blaise and Hermione will be friends, and I'll try to write the other B/Hr story.
Ashley: Thanks for the encouragement. You got me off my butt and writing to get this done, keep it up!
Sundaymorning, avi, flamingamber, Taru, Rulerofdisenchantedforest, Windrider, pinkchicklet, elvin-warrior-princess, Sarah143, hpdanrad, writingangel203, and harryslover: Thanks to you and all my reviewers. I'll try to write the Blaise/Hermione story that many of you have requested. Please keep me motivated with lots of reviews!