A/N - See, I'm getting quicker! Lots of loff, or lurv to HotPinkHeels for making commentary (not at ALL useful) while I wrote this. Enjoy.
IV
Harry restrained Ron as he struggled to chase after Hermione and Blaise.
"HARRY! Let me go!" Ron attempted to punch his friend. Harry sighed in resignation. He let go. Ron's momentum took him across the hall, his arms wind milling until he smacked into the Hufflepuff table. He careened across it, sending food in every direction, most often at people, until he stopped midway along the lengthy table. His pale skin darkened to a near tomato red. "I'm sorry. Really sorry. Sorry," he muttered as he attempted to get off the table. His foot slipped on spilled pumpkin juice; making him lose the balance he had gained. Once again Ron found himself prostrate – this time on the floor. A dejected pile of humiliation he picked himself up, tenaciously holding on the need to stop Blaise from harassing Hermione.
"Ron," Harry spoke plainly. "Hermione can look after herself. Blaise probably wanted to speak to her about her unity idea. She does want to interact with people from other houses."
Ron had a stubborn streak. "We have to wait for her at least. We'll stay outside the door." Harry eyed him askance. "I promise I won't listen or anything." An eyebrow was raised. "Promise!"
"A promise is a promise," Harry pronounced solemnly.
The two boys had no opportunity to listen. When they reached the door Blaise was striding out of it. He glanced at Harry and Ron while inclining his head. Harry nodded back; Ron just stared.
Hermione followed Blaise out of the room, chewing her bottom lip. Glancing up she noticed her friends. "He wants to be amiable, I think. Well what he actually said was that he wanted to be on the winning side, which, for him, appears to be ours."
"Currently," Ron noted rebelliously. "What happens if it looks like the other side might win?"
"Then I suppose we'll lose him," Hermione mused. "We really do need him though Ron. Nobody else from Slytherin has given us any show of support."
Ron blushed guiltily. Millicent had. He pushed that from his mind, she was probably, no, she was Slytherin scum. Period.
Harry then queried, "What do we have to do to be 'amiable'?"
"It's not as if we fight openly with Blaise. I think saying hello in the hallways will be enough to start. Unity," she spoke the password to enter the Gryffindor Common Room. "Think on it boys, I'll see you in the morning, I'm exhausted, and I still need to knit a few more hats."
Smiling inwardly the boys waved her off to bed.
Hermione was awake early the following morning. If she ate quickly she would have time to visit the library before classes started. She headed towards her usual spot and then remembered she had resolved to sit at the Hufflepuff table. Few students were awake so she had no difficulty finding an available spot. Quickly finishing her toast and raspberry jam she swung her book bag over her shoulder and started out towards the library with a swift gait.
A heavy footfall joined hers. "Good morning, Hermione," Blaise smiled pleasantly at her.
"Hello Zabini," Hermione replied curtly.
"Blaise, please," he requested.
"Hello Blaise."
"How are you?" he inquired politely.
"Fine thank you," she replied stiffly.
"Well then, I'll see you in class, shall I?"
"I suppose so." Hermione continued walking straight while Blaise veered left at the next corner.
Encounters like these continued for several weeks. Hermione was rigid, she didn't want to repel Blaise, but neither did she have any desire to bring him closer. Blaise unrelentingly remained the gentleman. Hermione was sitting at the Gryffindor table; she now took turns, alternating between Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, when Blaise slid in beside her.
"Good Morning, Hermione." He remarked affably.
"What are you doing here?" she asked quickly. She had a good guess though. Ron had been owled by his parents the night before; the Order had apprehended several Death Eaters.
"Slytherin's not feeling too well this morning. I didn't want to get sick as well," he replied, insinuating the truth.
"I heard quite a few of them had colds," she retorted picking up on the game.
"Well, I know you hold the box of tissues."
She nodded then returned to her breakfast. They sat in silence, slowly munching on their toast.
"Hermione, I really have to thank you," Harry spoke appreciatively.
"Why? Did you pass your essay?"
"No," Hermione's face dropped, "not that I failed," he added, "I just haven't gotten it back. Actually I am thanking you because I have a date."
"And this is my doing?" She asked, waiting for an answer.
"Well, I've been sitting at the Hufflepuff table a lot recently. I've become quite good friends with some of them."
"And…"
"Well friends, and I sort of fancy Susan, you remember her right? She was in the D.A. So I asked her to go with me to the Hogsmeade this weekend and she said yes."
"That's wonderful Harry!" Hermione was inordinately pleased with herself. This was what the Houses needed to do. Seeing the effort Harry had made Hermione resolved to be nicer to Blaise.
"Good morning Blaise." Hermione gave Blaise a slight shock by addressing him first. Blaise instantly began to analyze the situation. Why had she addressed him first? He couldn't outright ask her, that wasn't sneaky enough for Slytherin, besides, he would be able to figure it out himself.
"Good morning Hermione. How are you?" He hoped his usual question would be answered by more than the usual 'Fine, thank you." His perseverance was rewarded.
"Quite well, thank you. Just studying a bit more for our arithmacy test."
"I think it might be a bit tricky. How hard did you find question six on the review?"
"Oh it was monstrous. I felt like wrestling a giant instead of doing it." Hermione agreed emphatically.
"It honestly took me an hour to figure out." Blaise decided to see how far his luck would take him. "Do you think you could go over it with me at lunch? I don't want to have to take an hour on one question during the test."
Hermione paused before she answered. Then she remembered Harry and Susan. "Sure." She smiled warmly. "I have to run to Transfiguration now, though. Where should we meet?"
"Does the table in the back of the library suit you? It's near the Muggle literature section."
"That sounds fine. I'll see you then." Hermione felt like skipping away. She waved at all the portraits and even listened to Viola tell how the Fat Lady had informed her that Harry Potter, yes, yes, Hermione's friend Harry Potter, had asked Susan Bones out. Maybe the Houses would be able to unite.
The only Gryffindor still stubbornly sitting at the Gryffindor table every meal was Ron. Ron had stubbornly refused to even consider moving seats. This meant that the three friends were often only together for one meal of the day, if that. He asserted that traditionally Gryffindors sat with Gryffindors and would hear nothing else.
"Now you sound like Umbridge, Ron!" Hermione had shouted exasperatedly one night. "Progress for the sake of progress shouldn't be encouraged. This isn't just for fun Ron, we need these ties, these bonds to last outside of school. We need everyone to stand up, together, against Voldemort."
Blaise arrived at the library first. Choosing his seat he began to muse over what he had learned; being a confidante with most of the portraits certainly paid off. Apparently Potter had asked Susan Bones out – and she had said yes. Hermione was the best at everything; she wouldn't want Harry to outdo her. He smiled slowly at his excellent deductive abilities. A strand of hair fell into his face. Shaking his hair loose, he quickly retied his dark hair into a low ponytail at the nape of his neck. Blaise turned back to his notes and glanced over them while he waited; after all, he really did need help.
A/N - So what'd you think? I like the Hermione/Blaise interaction a lot. What do you think of the characters, are the OOC? Please Read and Review. There's a pretty button on the bottom left
Nova Janna - I'm really trying to make each viewpoint strong and ultimately unique.
Hotpinkheels - Glad to make you think -for once!
I'll make attempts to reply to each reviewer individually with the new reply button :)
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