Thanks everyone for reviewing. You made me day guys.
Fortunately I am no longer ill, though the flu has been replaced with the aforementioned alcohol induced stupor/hangover, my uni flatmates think im still tucked up in bed, little do they know I am writing Harry Potter fanfiction for all you fellow addicts. Oh and thanks for having a drink for me vagrantben, I hope you're not in the same pain I am right now, though I guess if you are you just had a wicked time and thanks for the review! Glad I made you laugh LBuccalo and I very much plan to not make Hermione the self obsessed tarty airhead (who has suddenly gained "curves in all the right places" and pink belly button stud..urgh!) she seems to become in a lot of stories! Oh and Aria DeLoncray I cannot believe you have never read Draco/Harry. I shall convert you.
Keep reviewing it makes me feel all warm and tingly inside!
I still own nothing but the painkillers (and a new scarf, yes I know its summer!) but thankfully the hot lemon drinks can be chucked out the window, though they are strangely addictive….
Blaise ran his hand through his black curls, pulling slightly too hard at the nape of his neck, as he tried to get the last equation through his head. Arithmacy, he thought, was the spawn of the devil, or perhaps Lord Voldemort. I mean, why sit and look at boring numbers all day when one could study the art or literature. I mean, lets face it, Pythagoras might have been a genius but he had nothing on Shakespeare or Keats. Because hey, at the end of the day two plus two was always going to equal four, but the principles of Truth and Beauty could be considered in five thousand different ways. Four thousand of those he was pretty sure he had already discussed over dinner with his father and brothers. It was a nightly routine at Zabini Manor. After sitting down at the massive table, which took a while considering the twins, Antoine an Annette, had serious issues with sitting still for more than five minutes, the family discussed everything from Aristotle to Dickens. The table was a large one for a reason. Blaise prided himself on his large, if slightly unusual, family. Firstly there was his father, Antonio Zabini, who spent his time managing his six children and the most prestigious wizarding law practice in London, which also had offices in Rome, Florence and Paris. It certainly made them even wealthier, though they could have easily survived on their family fortune. The Zabini's were one of the most pureblooded family's about, their line descending from as far back as BC. Blaise was proud of this, as was his father, though it certainly did not make them your average muggle hating pureblood family. Certainly not. Though granted, the Zabini's were sometimes known to delve into the darker arts, but above all they were good people. Your typical loyal, caring, and rather passionate, southern Italian family. Antonio Zabini, though he left his passion aside when in court, was your fully fledged arty, flamboyant and slightly eccentric man behind the family doors. And Blaise loved his father. His mother on the other hand had died when he was six. Though from what he remembered, and of course what he had been told, it had not been a great loss. His father had been forced into marrying his mother, Erica Lestrange, by a controlling uncle who was far to concerned with the pureblooded aristocracy of England than most Zabini's. It had been just him, his father, his older brothers Delio, Leon, and Damien, and of course the twins, ever since. He missed his older brothers, despite their incessant and rather annoying verbal jabs at the lack of Blaise's love life (all three were well practiced in the Zabini art of seduction) and even the twins, despite their hyperness, were loveable in a way. Unfortunately right now his entire family was in hiding.
Voldemort had of course come calling and the entire family had refused to be part of his campaign of terror, putting them in a very dangerous position. The enemy was not only the many joining the dark side, including Draco and Theo's parents, but those among the light who in their glorified ignorance, could not see passed the Slytherin family line and the dark and mysterious family manor, which of course simply must be filled with all manor of dark objects. It was only in a last ditch attempt by his father to ensure his family's safety that Dumbledore became the family's secret keeper and promised to look out for Blaise at Hogwarts and make sure that he got safely back to the manor in holiday time. Now there was a strange one, thought Blaise, he had never been entirely sure about Dumbledore's intentions toward his Slytherin students but he had come out on top for him and of course for Draco and Theo to. Though both the Nott's and the Malfoy's were notoriously dark family's, both seemed to have produced a wilful child who did not wish to follow in their direction. Theo was a quieter boy, he always had been, and Blaise had befriended him on their first ride to Hogwarts. He was nothing like his father. Sarcastic yes, sneaky of course, but about as far from evil as one could get without comparing to Saint Potter. Theo couldn't have served the dark lord if he had been forced. He was unable to hurt a fly and the sight of blood made him vomit almost immediately. This of course led to constant teasing on Draco's behalf. Not, of course, that Draco was any better. Though his public persona was always the perfect vision of masculinity, behind close doors, Draco was in some ways incredibly camp, whiny and unable to deal with even the slightest muscle cramp from Quidditch.
Though Draco's recently outed gayness wasn't too obvious to others, unsurprisingly it still wouldn't have gone down well with Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, who were expecting the next Malfoy heir by the time Draco was twenty one, as tradition foretold. And that was the reason he had looked out Blaise and Theo, who he had previously mostly ignored due to his Lackey's Crabbe and Goyle. Blaise of course had been suspicious at first, but also a little glad. Theo had recently turned against his parents and so most of the Slytherin house and the prospect of a group of three against the rest of their house sounded far more comforting than just him and Theo. Eventually Draco had become desperate to gain Theo and Blaise' trust and completely broke his Malfoy Barrier by breaking down in tears. It never happened again and very soon he was back (with some exceptions) to the old Draco though he had gained, along with an alliance with Dumbledore and Christmas and summers at the hidden Zabini Manor, two new friends in himself and Theo. It was perhaps this and the absence of his father that allowed the real Draco to shine through. Snarky, sharp and sometimes bordering on insulting, but also fiercely loyal and strangely affectionate when he thought it was needed. Of course Blaise was from a family of affectionate brothers who thought little of kissing each other goodbye, but there was still something disconcerting in Draco Malfoy lying against your chest and playing with your hair. In fact if Blaise was not completely certain that Draco's intentions were nothing more than a little brotherly he may have been somewhat worried about the intention of the blonde's affections. Blaise on the other hand batted very much for the straight team. He knew he was okay looking of course, and the attention he got from girls showed that perhaps he was a good catch, in fact Draco had recently told him he was of the dark and brooding variety (which apparently rendered all completely helpless to his charms) and persuaded him to use these charms on a giggly young Hufflepuff who seemed determined to get in his trousers. Of course, the immediate gratification was pleasant but it had left Blaise feeling rather empty inside. He needed someone with substance, a girl who was a challenge as opposed a dead cert. Someone who would give him a run for his money. His ponderings on his perfect woman were interrupted as Malfoy strolled out of the bathroom clad only in a towel. Blaise watched him closely as he strolled across the room and over the mirror on his windowsill. Evidently Draco had seen his intense gazes.
"Zabini your really not my type darling" he drawled as he watched Blaise from the reflection in the mirror.
Blaise feigned a swoon.
"Oh how my young and fragile heart has been wounded…" before turning back his homework and talking more seriously.
"So how do you feel about…"
"Don't start that psycho babble shit on me Blaise…" he said looking more tired than Blaise has ever seen him.
"Drake, I know your dealing with a lot of shit right now and I am quite aware that that little tift with Potter didn't help allay any of it…"
"I don't have time to give a damn what Potter thinks of me Blaise…its just…"
"Its just you can't get him out your head."
Draco looked from the mirror to Blaise, his eyes not completely focused on what was in front of him, as if he was searching for something.
"I just don't know why"
"I could give you a few hints Drake…" said Theo as he came through the bedroom door.
"Sure Theodooore" he mock drawled, "do enlighten me with your wisdom"
"You Draco Malfoy have a little crush"
Malfoy quickly scoffed and turned back to the mirror preening his hair into the perfect position.
"Hardly, Nott, in case it has somehow escaped your notice me and Potter are mortal enemies. One does not gain crushes on ones enemies."
"One does not want to gain crushes on ones enemies" Theo said in mock posh voice as Blaise snorted into his last Arithmacy problem.
"I DO NOT HAVE A CRUSH ON POTTER"
They both continued to snort, which soon turned into a fit of giggles that left both rolling around on Blaise's bed in a rather unmanly fashion.
"I don't know what you imbeciles are giggling at. There is absolutely no way on earth I have a crush on…..urghhh!" He began stomping his feet and threw himself sulkily on the bed where he folded his arms across his chest and stared determinately at the ceiling until they had both calmed down.
Blaise lifted one perfectly arched eyebrow in Theo's direction, who rolled his eyes and got up, followed by Blaise, as they plopped down next to Draco on his bed. Without the boy in question reverting his gaze from the crack in the ceiling.
"Little Dragon we're sorry…" cooed Blaise in his best Pansy impression.
"Don't you Little Dragon me Zabini, I am absolutely not talking to either one of you…"
"You just did mate" smirked Theo from Draco's other side.
Draco growled in frustration
"I'm just having a very stressful week…" he started.
"That time of the month huh?" Theo asked only to receive a heavy blow from one of Draco's goose feathered pillows.
"More like sexually frustrated…." Draco commented staring back at the ceiling.
"So go and relieve yourself with one of your little boys before you explode on us Drake I'm sure that Macmillan tart would be happy to give you a helping hand…" Theo commented with a slightly disgusted look on his face.
"I don't feel like it, I'm sick of shagging tarts…"
"No!" exclaimed Theo in mock shock, "I do believe the insatiable Draco Malfoy wants a deep and meaningful affair. The question is…who with?" he said wriggling his eyebrows suggestively, making Draco roll his eyes.
"Who said deep and meaningful? I just want someone worth shagging"
"Like For instance one boy who liv…."
Theo was rewarded with another smack over the head.
"No I mean I suppose it would do wonders for my reputation but really, Nott, do you think I would sink that low?"
"Ah come on Drake" Blaise said "Not that I swing that way but you have to admit…Potter's kind of hot."
Theo nodded in agreement.
"Well quidditch hasn't done him any harm I suppose…I mean, what, no! Your putting thoughts in my head Zabini! Thoughts which don't need to be there. My dreams are unpleasant enough as it is" he sniffed.
"Whatever you say Drake…" He said hopping off the bed and back to his work.
"Blaise its two o clock in the morning and your still doing that stuff?"
"This stuff, Drake, is going to help my future. Something you might want to start to think about."
"No Blaise, that stuff is just another attempt to get ahead in this stupid little competition."
"What competition? I don't know what you're talking about."
"You know exactly what I mean B" he said reverting to his little pet name, obviously he no longer held a grudge for the Potter thing. "You have been working your arse off, started answering questions in class…"
"I always knew the answers.." he started.
"I know, but you never felt the need to parade your abilities in front of the entire class trying to beat that Granger."
"I am not trying to beat Gra…"
"Yeah yeah B, don't even try to tell me that it doesn't get your goat that she beats you in almost everything, no matter how hard you work…"
"That's what I'm trying to put right, I deserve…" he started, his temper getting the better of him at the thought of her.
"Aha so I was right!"
"So what if you were, you used to spend your life calling her a know it all…."
"You never did though did you Blaise?" Theo said, sat cross legged on his bed, with a glint in his eyes.
Damn him, thought Blaise, he always had the most annoying abilities in inference.
"I don't see what that has to do with it. I am still just getting the recognition I deserve…" he sniffed.
"You sure your not trying to impress anyone Blaise?" he said, scratching his chin in a thoughtful manner.
"Who would he be trying to impress…" Draco's face suddenly twisted in confusion, followed in quick succession by a look halfway between shock and the expression Sir Isaac Newton must have had when that apple fell on his head.
"You, You…you don't?" he said accusingly.
"I don't what Draco?" he said coldly, putting up that infamous Slytherin mask.
"You fancy, oh my god, you fancy Granger!" He said with the most comic enthusiasm, jumping off his bed and shaking his outstretched finger at him ardently.
"He fancies Granger!" he shouted turning his wide eyed, clown like expression at Theo, who was still sitting patiently cross legged on the bed.
Theo raised one eyebrow at Draco. "Your point?" he drawled.
Obviously Theo had been suspecting this for quite some time, Blaise thought, damn it guess it was time to come clean.
"But Granger Blaise, Granger? Man are you in your right mind. I bet it was a love potion, she could do that right? Yeah a love potion…" he murmured to himself.
"Your in denial Drake, you know Granger's stance on the moral high ground is too strong to even let her consider anything that sneaky." Theo said as Blaise began to bang his head firmly against his Arithmacy text before giving up and dropping his head face down in his pillow.
"But she's a know it all…"
"Incredibly intelligent" came Blaise's muffled voice through his pillow.
"She is a Gryffindor.."
"Brave and Loyal"
"She is muggleborn"
"Who cares?
"She is Potters friend!"
"Its not Potter I want"
"She has buck teeth."
"Got them fixed in fourth year."
"She has a dead cat for hair"
"Its wild and sexy and…"
"Oh Merlin Zabini, you did not just describe Granger as…sexy?"
"Look just give it up Drake" Blaise said, removing his very reddened face from the pillow, "it won't work, believe me I have tried, I just cant help it. I Blaise Antonio Dominic Zabini fancy Hermione Granger." He said rather like a lost, pathetic, (but devastatingly handsome), puppy.
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Why on earth must I do this to myself every time, she thought, as she sat with Neville and Dean in the quidditch stands trying very hard to immerse herself in her book. To Kill a Mockingbird had always been one of her favourites yet the screaming and yells from Ginny, Harry, Ron, the Twins and Seamus above were seriously injuring her concentration. Neville, she saw, was watching with avid fascination and Dean, who had always been able to switch out, was engrossed in his drawing of what seemed to be a camel. Strange boy.
Still she thought, as she looked to the sky above to see the boy in question swerve Fred's bludger with immaculate grace, it was nice to see Harry not deep in thought about the other night for once. Though they hadn't actually spoke in depth about Malfoy's strange behaviour, Hermione was quite aware of what Harry was thinking, it came hand in hand with being around the golden boy twenty four seven. He was caught, she assumed, between wanting Malfoy to be good, and feeling guilty for wanting to throw away all the years of torment which Malfoy had given him and his friends. It was rather a dilemma, she thought, especially when Malfoy's words had been ambiguous to begin with. I mean, why should they even believe that he was different from the curse uttering, cane wielding, hair straightening maniac that was Lucius Malfoy. It could be a ploy, or alternatively they could have just misunderstood Malfoy completely. Then again, and considering Hermione's previous record for being right ALL the time, they could be correct in their brief little psycho analysis of Draco Malfoy as a the scared son of a death eater, who was, as they all were, human after all. She was rather tired of thinking about Malfoy though, and besides, thinking of the blonde always led her right back to her competitor. She felt a little shiver go up her spine at the thought of him and then proceeded to smack herself in the face with her book, gaining an odd look from the boys as she went. Never mind, they think I'm crazy anyway, she thought, the Gryffindor boys having gotten used to her neurotic mood swings quite some time ago. But she really had to stop going all weak kneed when she thought about her competitor though. It was ever since the night of the tower incident.
Though Hermione would deny it vehemently to any one who suggested it, she was rather attracted to Blaise Zabini. Of course he was rather good looking, he had the dark and broody look down to a tee, and any girl would have to not be in their right mind to feel nothing when around him. At least that is what she told herself. It made her feel rather better about herself, knowing she was not simply being a Ginny or Lavender about the whole thing. Good looking she could deal with, it wouldn't change anything. They would still compete, even if he completely ignored it, and she would not fall all over her words every time she came into contact with him. I mean for Christ sake, she was getting as bad as Harry, fancying a Slytherin, maybe even an Evil Slytherin? Still, she couldn't help but think, it would be rather nice to be around him….NO! she slammed her head on the book again, gaining more odd looks from Neville. This was not Hermione Granger speaking. She was a model student, bookworm extraordinaire, voice of reason, with very, very, bad hair. And damn it if she wasn't good at it. Granted, perhaps she felt a little tug of the green eyed monster when she saw Ginny getting ready for one of her many (many!) dates, but she always put that down to the evil full length mirror which tried to take possession of her right mind every time she stood in front of it.
"Hey earth to Hermione, earth to Hermione" she heard from her left side, as she turned to find Ron waving his hands around like a circus trained baboon.
"Yes Ronald?" she said in her best 'why on earth are you interrupting my precious thoughts to prance around like a monkey for a banana' voice.
"You zoned out Mione, we're ready to go in now if you're coming."
"If we're going in" she said as she stood up and dusted off her grey school skirt, "then you are going to sit down and finish your potions essay while I watch over you like a McGonagall shaped hawk."
"Awww Mione, do we have too."
"Yes Ron, you, have too." She said before relenting her stern attitude and playfully punching him on the shoulder. She could never stay angry for long at Ron, or Harry, they were like her brothers. Whoever had betted money on her and Ron becoming a couple was psychologically deranged. It would feel rather like dating her little, and very annoying, brother.
"Hey Harry, Queen Mione here is going to make us finish our essays." Ron told Harry as they pushed their way through the entrance door.
"No Ron she is going to make you do it." Harry said as Ron pouted.
"But you have too…"
"No Harry does not have to Ron, Harry completed his last night." Hermione said hiding her grin, and replacing it with a curt nod of congratulations in Harry's direction. Harry just laughed and mock bowed before Hermione.
"Wow Granger who would have thought, King Potter even bows before dirt." Came the shrill voice of Pansy Parkinson as they entered the entrance hall.
"Shut your pug face Parkinson" Ron snarled "you wouldn't even be good enough to bow before her".
"Like I would bow before a stupid, ugly little mudblood, she'll get what's coming to her in the end" Pansy said as she turned toward Hermione who was just about reach for her wand, just in case, when a voice boomed across the hall.
"30 points from Slytherin and two detentions with Filch Parkinson." Zabini said as he strolled calmly over to the little group.
"What? How can you…?" Parkinson started to shake with annoyance.
"Because, I, Parkinson, am a prefect, and you not only used inappropriate language against Miss Granger but I also believe I heard a distinct hint of a threat towards her own personal safety." Zabini said coolly.
"I knew you were a traitor Zabini but I would never think you would have sunk so low, you don't even deserve the Slytherin name."
"Above all, a Slytherin is polite and civil in public Parkinson, so I will thank you not to question my ability to live up to its name."
Hermione was rather bewildered at the argument that was playing out in front of her. For starters, did Zabini just defend her? And did Parkinson just call Zabini a traitor? Another person stepping in to the fray did not help to end her uncertainty.
"What's going on Blaise?" drawled Malfoy as he strode up to them with Nott at his back.
"I'm just reminding Parkinson of the need to respect all Prefects even if they are Gryffindors." Blaise said without taking his eyes off Parkinson, who in turn seemed to be trying to murder him with her own.
Malfoy cast a scrupulous glance between Zabini and Hermione as a look of understanding lit his grey eyes. Hermione was quite sure that he was going to go against Zabini's judgement when Parkinson spoke again.
"What does it have to do with you anyway Malfoy, you're no better than Zabini, a shame to your family name."
"Thank you for your wonderful insight Parkinson, but I will not take shit off some slut bag like you and you would do well to remember that." His eyes were alight with anger, and Hermione realised she had never quite seem him so furious, he always seemed to be running away from one conflict or the other. Her eyes turned to Harry and she saw that look sparkling in his green eyes.
"Look, thank you very much for your support Zabini, but let us not make this into some fight that it needn't be?"
Zabini turned to look at her, and she felt that same shiver vibrate through her spine. His eyes were boring through, and she was scared he could feel her attraction, so lowered her eyes to the floor. When she looked back up again it was to see Zabini put his hand on Malfoy's back, trying to lead him away. Unfortunately Malfoy didn't seem to notice, as his eyes were locked, for the second time in a few days, with Harry's as they seemed to have a staring competition. She couldn't read the look in Malfoy's, but unfortunately for Harry, he was not great at keeping his emotions under wraps. He looked caught between Punching Malfoy for his defiant look and ravaging him in the middle of hall. Before she could gain Harry's attention to stop him from embarrassing himself, he had raised his hand towards Malfoy, his palm outstretched to the blonde boy. If Hermione had looked surprised it was nothing to the look on Malfoy's face. Then as Hermione had just realised what Harry was doing, Malfoy raised his hand and clasped it in Harry's for the quickest handshake she had ever seen in her life. Their hands dropped back to their sides quickly, and Malfoy gave a curt nod at Harry, which was returned as Malfoy turned and strolled out of the entrance hall.
If someone was to walk in to the entrance hall of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry at that precise moment, they would have wondered if world war three had just been announced. Their before the doors stood a small group of students, some in green, and some in red, with their jaws nearly meeting the floor.
Apart from three.
One young lady was looking straight ahead at a closed door with a thoughtful gaze in her eye, as one tall young man held what could only be considered as a knowing smirk on his lips as he stared at the other boy in question.
This last young man could easily have been in a world of his own as he stared down as his left hand as through it contained all the answers to all the questions he had never dared to ask.
Change, ladies and gentlemen, was in the air.
R/R.