Hee, finally, here it is! The next chapter of Matchmaker! I just moved countries (yes, not houses) so I had to pack & get ready and stuff... sorry! And while I'm talking here, check out my new story, "Nott Expected". It has Blaise, only as a prejudiced sexy boy. Hee... Anyway, hope you enjoy this one! (Viktor makes an appearance)

By noon, Blaise wasn't as grouchy as previous. Whether it was an act or not, Hermione cannot tell.

And how did she get to see Blaise at noon?

'I can't believe I actually volunteered to do this…' Hermione complained.

'Hey, I didn't ask you to. And did you hear Snape? I never knew that you, Miss Granger… Would be the… "attached" type…' Blaise mimicked his Head of House mockingly. 'Hey, more Felix Felicis, check it out! But why the heck does Snape own all these? A person like him can't be having much luck, I suppose, but… oh well…'

'What are you doing, Zabini?' Hermione asked, when Blaise rummaged in his pocket.

'It's here somewhere… Aha!' He held out a minute bottle, and poured some Felix Felicis (or something that looks like it) into it carefully.

'Hey! Zabini, that's stealing!'

'Calm down! I'll give you some, too, if you keep quiet about it…'

'Zabini, you cannot bribe me…' Hermione announced proudly. But then…

Come on, Hermione, it's not everyday that you get a free amount of Felix Felicis!

'But it's wrong!' she thought.

It's rare… And Snape has a whole stash of it…He won't miss it…

Hermione took a deep breath. 'Are you sure it's Felix Felicis, Zabini?'

He nodded. 'It was no coincidence that I bumped into the party! It's like, a little voice said, 'Lead her to the Dungeons, Blaise, do it!' Whoa, that was so cool! Theo and Derek are performing a Muggle play soon… 'Roman and Juliet', it's called…'

'It's Romeo, Zabini, Romeo,' Hermione corrected impatiently.

'Right. Anyhow, Theo's gonna be Juliet, and Derek's Romeo.'

'Why?'

Blaise shrugged. 'They just got this thing between them, and when Theo's lies challenged Derek's, he brought something up to insult Theo. They're always like that.'

'Are they fighting now?' Hermione concerned.

'Nah, they're just mucking around…' Blaise replied.

(A few hours later…)

After they finally finished the task, Hermione ended up with a minute bottle of Felix Felicis.

'Can't be bribed, eh?' Blaise teased as they walked back in the same direction.

Hermione flushed. 'Whatever, Zabini. I'm putting it to good use, anyway.'

'Yeah, yeah… Hey, did you see what I saw when I walked to Snape's Potions stash?' he asked cheerfully.

Hermione shook her head.

'Oh, it was real funny. Here, follow me!' He grabbed Hermione's hand, then dragged her to turn left.

'Hey, this isn't the way to the Dungeons or the Gryffindor Common Room! Where are you–'

Blaise stopped at the corner of a corridor, and hid behind a suit of armour (with Hermione).

'What's…' Hermione started to ask, before Blaise shushed her, and pointed to the statue of Finella the Fickle (it was the statue of a woman that reminded Hermione greatly of Malfoy's mother. The statue held her nose sigh, and appeared to be disgusted at something).

'What's going on?' she whispered to Blaise, confused.

Blaise emitted a high-pitched wail, and something moved from behind the statue.

It was good old Seamus Finnigan.

'Heh heh… Be cool, Seamus, there are no banshees in Hogwarts… It's only your delusions…' Seamus paused for a few seconds. 'Merlin's beard, I'm delusional! What will me cousin Fergus say!' Then it was his turn to shriek, then he ran off to the direction of the Gryffindor Common Room.

Blaise was laughing madly, as Hermione scoffed. 'Is that why you're all cheered up?'

Blaise started giggling like a girl. 'But you have to –giggle– admit that it was –giggle– funny!'

'Zabini, you're seriously scaring me…' Hermione said.

It sobered him up, and he looked serious. 'Okay, then…'

There was an awkward silence once more.

Hermione cleared her throat. 'Umm… Zabini… are you alright? You're acting kinda weird… Weirder, I mean…'

Blaise forced a smile. 'I'm fine! Couldn't possibly be any better! Why did you ask?'

'Your smile is really scary, y'know… And you're finding the slightest thing funny!'

Blaise burst out laughing. 'Ha ha ha! You're joking, right?'

Hermione rolled her eyes. 'See what I mean?'

'Look, Granger, I'm absolutely fine, so–'

'Her-my-oh-nee! There you are! I haff not seen you in a while!' a voice said. 'Hello, Blaise!'

It was Viktor. Blaise waved, since he thought that Viktor was quite a nice guy. Hermione waved as well.

'Hi, Viktor! Been busy?'

Viktor sighed. 'Yes, that Malfoy boy is very annoying. On Quidditch practices, he complains a lot, and we can't haff that!'

'You tell 'em, Viktor!' Blaise said.

Hermione sighed. 'Sheesh, Zabini. Anyway, of course Malfoy is annoying; everyone says so…'

Viktor nodded. 'I don't vhat the team's captain is playing at, letting in someone with no talent like that.'

'Exactly!' Blaise added.

'Just because your wish of getting into the team wasn't granted…'

Blaise pretended to look highly offended.

'Vhy don't you two come to the Great Hall for lunch? The Headmaster said the staff members haff important things to say…' Viktor offered.

'Do you, by any chance know what it is?' Blaise asked.

'Sorry, no, but we can find out if we go there, so vhy not?'

'Sure,' Blaise said.

Hermione nodded, and Viktor looked delighted. 'Excellent! Let's go there now!'

(Hermione's POV)

We entered the Great Hall, and sure enough, it was filled with people, chattering to each other. Suddenly it was silent, as they saw me and Zabini together, then they started talking to each other again, only about us instead.

'Hermione, where are you going, darling?' Zabini said, and it looked like he was about to burst out laughing. 'Aren't you going to sit next to me?' He settled down on the Slytherin table, as everyone looked at me. Then he tapped the empty space next to him.

'Well, Blaise, honey, not that I don't love you, but I want to hang out with my Gryffindor friends, too…' I said through gritted teeth.

'Hey, 'Mione, we're here!' Harry shouted from the Slytherin table, next to Daphne Greengrass. The Slytherin table was packed with Gryffindors, and only a few people, like Ron, were on the Gryffindor table.

Grudgingly, I sat next to that jerk Zabini, who was laughing quietly. 'Hey, cutie-pie…' he whispered, and then laughed out loudly. I flushed, and told him to shut up.

Then a few Hufflepuffs walking past were talking, 'And then that bastard…'

Suddenly Zabini turned around, somehow jumped off the seat, stood up and held out his wand. When the Hufflepuffs looked at him questioningly (and somewhat scared), he laughed nervously.

'Heh… sorry… thought you were… someone else, y'know… Don't worry about it…' he said, then removed his wand out of sight.

Theodore Nott turned to me. 'Is there some sort of… psychiatrist at Hogwarts?' he asked, trying hard not to laugh at Zabini.