Chapter Three
Katie Bell was engaged again. Marcus Flint proposed. Hermione quickly scanned over the article and hid it under the couch as Oliver came running down the stairs with Percy and Harry.
"Where are you guys going?" she inquired when she saw them pull on light jackets.
"Muggle movies. Wanna come?" Oliver asked. Hermione looked at them sideways.
"Do you have Muggle money?" Percy nodded.
"We got it exchanged yesterday at Gringott's."
"Ginny's coming… she needs company. Maybe we can hit a club afterwards," Harry said with a shrug.
"Hermione can't go to a club, Potter. No clubs," Oliver said firmly while eyeing Hermione's stomach warily.
"She can go, she just can't drink."
"NO CLUBS."
"He's right, Harry… besides, mum says I'm not allowed to go to clubs," Percy said. Oliver and Harry rolled their eyes.
"So are you coming, Hermione?" Oliver asked. Hermione nodded and stood up.
"Just let me get ready."
"Yeah, grab Ginny while you're up there. She takes forever in the shower." As Hermione went up the stairs, the three boys waited outside.
"…So… what movie?" Harry asked. Percy shrugged and looked around.
"There's Lord of the Rings…"
"I don't want to watch a three-hour movie that talks about Elves and Hobbits," Oliver snorted. "I mean, come on, they refer to them as 'magical creatures'. They're hardly magical."
"Black Hawk Down?" Harry suggested.
"Is there such a bird called a black hawk?" Oliver put a hand on his chin thoughtfully. "What's it about?"
"It's a war movie," Harry explained.
"A Muggle war movie?"
"Yeah…"
"Would the girls really like that, Harry?" Oliver asked skeptically. "Something that all of us would want to watch."
After ten minutes, they still hadn't decided to watch and the girls were suggesting chick flicks.
"I give up," Oliver muttered. "Lord of the Rings it is."
Three and a half hours later, they emerged from the theater, laughing.
"I mean, come on, Sam and Frodo were like…"
"Gay, yeah, Oliver, fifth time you said it," Harry said, still laughing. "It's still funny, though…" The five of them continued laughing and leaned against the wall by Diagon Alley for support. From there, they apparated back to the Weasley's.
"I've gotta get ready… me and Luna are going out with some of the girls," Ginny said and hopped up the stairs.
Atlantis. The Muggle club sign blinked bright red as Ginny, Luna, Mariel and Sophie parked Mariel's pink Mitsubishi Eclipse. A Girl's Night Out was the sentence that popped into mind. Ginny, wearing her mini jean skirt and red halter top, led the group of girls towards the bar.
"Four margaritas!" she called over the music.
"And a coke and rum!" someone else added. Not one of her girls… not even a girl. Ginny turned around and saw Blaise Zabini leaning against the counter with a smirk on his face. "Ah, Firefly, we meet again. Nick, put it all on my tab."
"I can pay for it myself." Blaise tutted.
"Is that your way of thanking me for saving your arse down the Alley last week, Gin-Bear?" he asked. Ginny raised an eyebrow.
"…Gin-Bear?" Blaise laughed and looked over Ginny's shoulder at the girls staring at him.
"Who's he?" Mariel asked, tapping Ginny on the shoulder.
"No one," Ginny replied quickly. Blaise smiled.
"Well, No One needs to talk to Ginny for a minute." He took Ginny by the elbow to the other side of the bar and eased himself onto a stool. "What're you doing here?"
"I should ask you the same," Ginny said.
"I work here part-time."
"I thought you absolutely loathed Muggles." Blaise shrugged.
"Well, things change. People change. Now, why are you here?"
"Just to hang out… is that a problem?"
"Well… no… but stay away from him. I don't know his name, me and Nick just call him Sexual Predator or Dancing Lunatic." Blaise pointed across the dance floor to a fairly good-looking guy in his early twenties with dirty blond hair and blue eyes, dancing with multiple girls at once. "He likes red-heads and-"
"I'm not a slag, Blaise," Ginny retorted while rolling her eyes. Blaise looked at her sideways.
"Okay, so we're on a first-name basis, now. Cool. Just… stay away from him." He looked around again.
"Is that all?"
"Nope. Tell Percy that his order came in."
"…What order?"
"He'll know what I'm talking about, Ginny. Go run off… dance, drink and be merry." Blaise went behind the bar counter and placed the four margaritas in front of Ginny.
"It has Slytherin germs."
"Just take it." Blaise disappeared around the corner, shouting at Nick the Bartender for taking too long.
"He's cute. Who is he?" Ginny jumped at the sound of Luna's voice. Luna delicately took a cherry from one of the margaritas and chewed on it.
"He's… he's a guy from… from the Ministry," Ginny replied uneasily. Luna obviously didn't recognize Blaise, or notice Ginny stuttering on her words. "Here, take these two." Ginny and Luna brought the margaritas to their friends. All the while, Blaise was making sure she wasn't going anywhere near Dancing Lunatic.
"He uses charm!" Blaise called after her. Ginny looked over her shoulder and waved a finger in the air. Blaise laughed and began taking orders.
"So, Zabini, who's she, and does she have any friends?" Nick asked as he poured some vodka with 7-Up. Blaise grinned and placed two shots of tequila on the bar counter.
"She's a girl I knew from school and yeah, I'm pretty sure she has friends." Nick rolled his eyes.
"You know what I'm talking about, Blaise." Blaise just smiled and jumped on top of the counter.
"FREE BEER!" he screamed and turned the hose on. Nick shook his head and laughed.
"We're going to run out if you keep doing that every hour, on the hour. You know that, right?" Blaise shrugged and purposely drenched Dancing Lunatic from head to toe.
"What's your problem, mate?"
"Sorry!" Blaise yelled, grinning. Ginny, who was off to the side and avoiding the whole beer thing, giggled. Blaise looked at her and winked, then turned the hose off. He jumped down from the counter and stood, facing a laughing Nick.
"Oh, man," he managed in between gasps. "That was great."
"Hey, babe." Ginny looked up and saw Dancing Lunatic.
"Um… hi."
As he made lame attempts to try and get Ginny into his car, Blaise started walking towards them.
"You know, I could make you –"
"Hey, luv." Blaise wrapped an arm around Ginny's waist. "Fuck off, buddy." Dancing Lunatic shrugged and walked away. "What did I tell you?" Blaise demanded and let Ginny go.
"Why do you even care?"
"Because I know a couple girls that got hurt by him, Ginny! Hell, I know a lot of girls that he got pregnant! Hey, who's that blond friend of yours?" Blaise's mood suddenly changed. "That's Lovegood, right? HEY! LUNA!" Blaise beckoned her over and away from Dancing Lunatic.
"That guy's scary," Luna commented with wide eyes as she pointed at Dancing Lunatic. "…And who are you, No One?" Blaise raised an eyebrow at Ginny. She shook her head.
"Uh… uh…" Blaise thought of a name. "You don't remember me?" Luna shook her head and swayed drunkenly. "I'm… Ced…ric…" Ginny slapped her forehead and looked away.
"Wow, you're alive again!" Thunk. Luna dropped to the floor unconscious. Blaise looked at Ginny.
"…She can't hold her liquor, can she?" Ginny shook her head.
"We've only been here for an hour…"
"Call your friends. You guys are going home."
"I don't wanna go yet," a new voice behind Ginny pouted. Ginny sighed and turned around
"Mariel, Luna's passed out." She motioned to Luna, still on the floor. Blaise bent down to pick her up.
"Already, Weasley, let's go, then. Mariel, is it? Hell uv'a friend you are. Nick! I'm taking another break for a couple minutes!"
"OKAY!" Blaise led Ginny out through the front doors and to his car.
"You're not drunk, are you?" Ginny asked nervously. Blaise shook his head as he placed Luna in the back seat.
"Where to?" He pushed his key into the ignition, turned it and pulled away from the curb.
"The Burrow," Ginny said.
"Music?"
"Sure." Blaise put a CD in and The Weird Sisters started to play. Ginny sang along with the songs as Blaise made bad imitations of guitar riffs.
"You're horrible," Ginny laughed. Blaise looked at her and smiled as they arrived at the Burrow.
"Want me to go in with you?" he asked. Ginny nodded. Blaise stepped out of the car and carried Luna in.
"Okay, follow me. She shares a room with Ron." Blaise faked dropping her.
"Gross, Weasley germs."
"You're so mature."
"I vaguely remember you saying 'it has Slytherin germs' at the club earlier tonight," Blaise said rather smugly. They made their way up the stairs and into Ron's and Luna's room.
"Ron's not home," Ginny said. Blaise dropped Luna onto the bed, where she jumped up and down for a bit.
"So… who were you running from in Diagon Alley last week?" Ginny shook her head and sighed.
"Seamus Finnigan."
"Ex-boyfriend. Why?"
"For that exact reason. He's my ex-boyfriend."
"What did you do to her?" Ginny and Blaise spun around to see Harry, Ron, Hermione, Oliver and Percy standing at the door way. "Who's he?" Ron demanded, rushing inside his room.
"I'm hurt, Weasel-Bee. You don't remember me, either. God. Hey, Weasley, your order's in."
"WHAT ISA ZABINI DOING IN MY HOUSE?" Blaise rolled his eyes.
"School grudges never disappear, do they," he stated in a bored voice. "Potter, Weasley, Granger… Wood?"
"Yeah?"
"Why're you here?" Oliver gave a harsh laugh.
"Guess."
"… Bell?"
"Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner," Oliver exclaimed sarcastically.
"Hey, did you manage to catch that article in the Daily Proph –"
"O-kay! You should leave before mum and dad freak about having a Slytherin in the house!" Ginny interrupted and pushed Blaise out of the room with Hermione.
"No, he hasn't seen the article! Do not bring it up!" Hermione hissed.
"You haven't taken heed to my advice in seventh year, young grasshopper," Blaise said wisely. "Still bossy." Hermione glared at Blaise, who was wearing the warm-Ginny-to-her-toes smile. "Fine, I can tell when I'm not wanted. I need to get back to work, anyway. Could one of you…?"
"Oh." Ginny showed Blaise out the door.
"Hey, you busy next Saturday?" Blaise asked.
"Work," Ginny said bluntly.
"Bummer. I'll see you around, yeah?" Ginny smiled.
"Yeah."
"Good." Blaise cast Ginny one final smile before leaving the Weasley's. Once he got back to his car, his left forearm began to sting.
Harry's scar began to throb painfully. He clutched it and fell against the drawers in Ron's and Luna's room.
"Are you all right?" Percy asked, helping him back up.
"…Yeah…"
A/N:
Alrighty, short chapter but a lot of things going on! Mostly Blaise/Ginny!
Thank you…
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Charlie K.: Well, there weren't many Hermione/Oliver stories… and opposites attract. Oliver's some jock that always has his mind on Quidditch while Hermione is a bookworm that thinks before she leaps. It's a hard pairing, and I like challenges. (:
gracie5412: Fred and George never changed, I put that in chapter one. Muwahaha. Update 'Getting Over It'!