The seasons changed abruptly and without warning as the year sped past, bringing the Hogwarts occupants into an overwhelming case of spring fever. The day the last of the snow finally melted the Professors had such difficulty keeping the students' focus, that some of them, like Flitwick, dismissed them early to spend the rest of their afternoon in freedom.
This freedom brought Hermione and Blaise sitting at the Slytherin table, in an otherwise empty hall, engaged in casual discussion. Hermione rested her head on her arms, folded across the surface of the table, eyes shut lightly.
"Blaise?" she asked quietly as he doodled on the less-than-immaculate Slytherin table, that Hermione assumed to be a complete opposite to the Gryffindor table. The Lions were all for preservation, while it seemed as though centuries of Serpents had scrawled their initials and various other patterns into its aged wood.
"Hmm?" he asked, looking up from the artistic 'BZ' he had been working on.
"I just realized I've never seen you date anyone at Hogwarts. Why is that?" she muttered, glancing up at him. He raised an eyebrow at her, lips curving into a smile.
"Maybe because I've already got a girlfriend?" he replied, shrugging.
"Is she here?" Hermione asked, suppressing a laugh at an image of a snake emerging victorious over a lion in battle, that seemed to be engraved deeply into the table.
"Nah, she goes to a smaller wizarding school in Italy," he answered. "I see her at Christmas and Summer."
"Have you been together long then?"
"About two years. Malfoy thinks I'm absurd, but he's the anti-committed himself, so what can you do," he grinned and Hermione laughed.
"What does he say about that?" Her mind drifted once again to the silver eyes of Draco Malfoy, imaging them filled with amusement at his best friend's situation; so utterly unlike his own. She allowed a sideways grin to slide over her features, and he scanned her with humour.
"He once called me a dumbass for wanting to shag only one woman," he said simply and Hermione snickered. "But that was also in sixth year. He's matured a bit since," he added, glancing at her expression though it was neutral.
"So what type of benefits would you have over someone like him?" she asked out of pure curiosity.
"He'd know if he gave one person a chance for long enough. Draco Malfoy, Hermione, has never understood the concept of love, which is a foreign topic to him, as he never grew up with anything of the sort. Someone like you might have trouble understanding what exactly that would be like, but he refuses to listen when I say how brilliant it is," he smirked and Hermione swallowed. She never pegged Blaise to be romantic, but his words brought on a different type of longing to her mind.
She wanted the brilliance.
A silence encompassed the pair once more, this time with Hermione deep in thought. She had dated, sure, but the concept of love Blaise spoke so easily of, had yet to hit her.
To her horror she felt her eyes become warm and quickly glanced down at the table, pretending to be interested in the mindless scribbles of the Slytherins. She was unsure why his words had affected her so deeply. The path of love, she had always been told, was a long and complicated one, and she hadn't even taken the first step.
"Let's get out of here," Blaise said softly, jerking her back to the great hall. "It's too nice to spend all day in school," he grinned. Hermione smiled gratefully back and they walked into Hogsmeade to be greeted by many other students in the village illegally. She shook off the urge to punish each one, and realized that they too were merely getting away on the afternoon off.
Over the next two hours, Hermione was able to dismiss the puzzling new situation that had overtaken her thoughts previously. As they finally sat down in the Three Broomsticks to order drinks, laden with shopping, her mind once more began to drift.
She knew it was rather unlike her, but she began to consider the boys in her year who she may possibly have something in common with. Anyone who might be worth time to see if they were the first step. For some reason that threw her off entirely, the only person that she could force to come to mind was a blond-haired, silver-eyed person. Frowning, she stared into her glass, watching the bubbling liquid as she was suddenly jolted to the present by a loud scream outside of the restaurant.
She glanced over at Blaise and he looked just as confused, but quickly stood and moved to the door as another scream followed the first.
"Where'd everyone go?" Blaise asked as he opened the door into an empty street. Hermione raised an eyebrow and glanced around, eyes widening as a jet of red light shot past.
"Blaise..." she began as she located the source of the curse.
"Oh fuck," he muttered as he followed her gaze. "How the hell did they get in here?"
Grouped along the edge of the town, wands in hand, masks securely in place, stood a herd of Death Eaters, a few random students running frantically to escape.
Hermione's knees went weak as she became frozen to the ground. She didn't notice as Blaise tried to move her away from the door, until he hit her on the back of the head, knocking her out of her trance.
"We've got to go, Hermione," he muttered, more serious than she had ever heard him and she nodded insecurely, eyes wide. She swallowed hard but made no indication of moving until Blaise grew frustrated and dragged her into Honeydukes before they could be spotted. She found her footing as they ran through the tunnel, into the school.
They went toward the great hall, seeing many other shaken students huddled in tight groups, shouting eagerly about what they had seen.
"Miss Granger, is it true about Hogsmeade?" she heard a voice and spun around to notice McGonagall staring closely at her, Dumbledore and Snape conversing just beyond.
"Yes, Professor," she said softly, unable to find any more words to speak.
"There are still students in the village," Blaise added and the elderly woman's eyes shot open with fear. She hurried off to speak with Dumbledore and Hermione scanned the crowd for signs of Harry or Ron.
"Miss Granger, Mr. Zabini, I hope the two of you would watch the students for me as I need to attempt to sort this out," Dumbledore said, hurrying over. They nodded and he left with McGonagall and Snape, all three drawing their wands.
Hermione drew her wand, and painfully slow, shut the doors with magic, disallowing anyone to leave, before slumping over onto the Gryffindor table while Blaise sat next to her.
"What the fuck just happened, Blaise?" she whispered, looking over at him.
"Don't you know, Hermione?" Another voice asked and she looked up to see Harry and Ron, looking anxious. They sat down across the table, staring intently.
"I don't know actually. There was an attack in Hogsmeade," she replied, shrugging.
Hermione noticed Harry's eyes flash and shift to Ron's.
"Don't you dare go after them Harry," she warned.
"I had no intention of that, Hermione," he muttered, avoiding her gaze.
"If only you were a bit more obvious, Potter," Blaise smirked.
"You don't understand, Hermione..." Ron began.
"What exactly don't I understand? The two of you have been trying to be the hero at everything for as long as I've known you. I know perfectly well what you want to do," she said harshly and Blaise raised an eyebrow at her.
"Fine, we'll stay," Harry muttered shortly after a moment's pause. "Come on, Ron."
They walked away and Hermione sighed heavily, burying her head in her arms. There seemed to be a commotion at the door so she hesitantly lifted her gaze. Her eyes widened as she saw the doors to the Great Hall wide.
"What the fuck did I just tell them?" she asked Blaise in a high-pitched voice, going towards the doors. Blaise slouched after, glaring at any poor student who may have happened to look in his direction. Hermione sure knew how to pick 'em. The nutty ones, that is.
Hermione threw open the entrance doors, running into the vast grounds, searching in any direction for sign of either Harry or Ron. She turned around, eyes filled with worry, to see Blaise locking the door behind him.
"Do you see them Blaise?" She asked cautiously, spinning around to take a second look.
"They can't have gotten far, don't worry. And besides," he grinned, "I think those two can more than take care of themselves."
"But I'm usually the one saving both their arses," she muttered to herself, taking a few careful steps toward the greenhouses. "Do you think they..." she began, noticing that Blaise was no longer by her side. Her eyes widened in fear.
"Blaise, this isn't funny," she breathed, frozen to the spot. "I mean it, Blaise," she repeated, louder. "Fuck, don't you..."
She let out a muffled scream as a cold hand twisted itself over her mouth, another pinning her hands behind her back. Her eyes widened in terror as she felt a warm breath dangerously close to her ear.
"Don't worry, Zabini's fine," the cold voice said. "For the time being, that is. The Dark lord hates betrayal," he whispered menacingly.
She searched deep into her mind, desperately scouring for a plan of action. The hand was much too strong for her to reach for her wand, there was no way she would be able to apparate out of the grounds, and the doors to the entrance hall were still locked.
"Now," the voice continued, breaking into her furious thought. "Where is Harry Potter?" he spat out.
They didn't have Harry and Ron. It raced through her mind over and upon itself, until it was a mess of thought. Hermione let out a breath, perhaps harder than she had intended over her captor's hand.
"I wouldn't get too excited. There's no way he can escape if he's still on the grounds," he drawled. "See past the greenhouses there," she followed his instructions, seeing the slightest swish of a cloak. "And over there, by the edge of the forest," again, she noticed Death Eaters hidden among the trees. "Call them," he whispered.
"I'll never... bloody... hand over my best friend, you bastard," she growled, stomping hard on his foot, given a moment to pull out her wand, pressing it close to his heart. She halted in fear as she saw the easily recognizable long blond hair. "It's you..." she whispered, her hand beginning to shake for the first time.
"Can you imagine the luck, Miss Granger, that I could find you with the traitor, as well as Harry Potter, when your trustful Headmaster is rounding up my decoy Death Eaters in Hogsmeade still, unaware of anything here. The Dark Lord would be proud, indeed."
Hermione threw a desperate glance to the doors, squinting at the handles. That had to have been a trick of the light... the doors didn't just rattle. Few locking charms are unable to handle force...
"Fine. We'll compromise," she said, not lowering her wand. "You call off your Death Eaters, I'll see if I can find Harry." Her eyes were focused intently on the doors, her mind pouring all conscious thought into willing them open. It would be far too risky to attempt the counter-charm. No one would be able to use one from the inside. Blaise was a rather accomplished wizard.
He removed his mask, setting it upon his head, cold grey eyes burning with hate. So similar, yet terribly unlike his son's. "Lower your wand," he drawled, and she obliged, eyes focused on his. He shouted a command, and through her peripheral vision, Hermione could see several people retreating far into the forest.
"Now, hold up on your end of the bargain," his eyes glittered with malice. She took a deep breath, watching the doors shake with more intensity. "Call Potter, Miss Granger."
"Now." His wand was directly at her, without the slightest tremor.
"Harry," she swallowed. "It's not funny anymore," she said quietly.
"Louder," he snarled.
"Come on..." she whispered, the flaw in her plan. He noticed her intense gaze, and spun around, as the doors slammed open, several professors as well as a herd of students, rushing out of the hall onto the grounds.
"You little bitch," the oldest Malfoy muttered to her, as he reached into his pocket and vanished. Her eyes widened in horror as she noticed the sudden free-for-all of the discovered Death Eaters and the inhabitants of Hogwarts. She watched closely, absolutely frozen to do anything. It seemed, the great battle, had begun.