…Christmas…
Dad and mum went to visit them first. I wait pacing around my room. I hear a tapping at my window. Blaise's family owl was there. I let him in. I give him multiple treats. I untied Blaise's letter.
I scoffed as I read it. He was visiting family in Italy and told me to stop pacing my room waiting on new information. I told him that my grandparents were awake. I thought a bit then added that my mum had been to Italy once. I add that he should visit the sights for me. I roll up the letter and tied it to his owl. I give him extra treats since he had to fly so far.
Mum and dad returned after lunch. Mum looked better, but dad still had a protective arm around her. I fixed them a plate of food. I was pouring them some juice to go with their lunch when Lucas came in the room.
"Thought you'd be asleep." dad jokes looking at him. Lucas points an accusative finger at me "That 'friend' of hers keeps sending letters. His owl is loud." Lucas complains flopping into a chair.
I throw a piece of bread at him. "He was worried and was checking up on me." I explain catching mum's eye. She had sat up when Lucas had started talking. I gave them their drinks. I gave them both a hug and stuck my tongue out at Lucas before leaving the room.
I found Ava in my room. she had a sly grin on her face. She had Blaise's baby pictures in her hands. I dive at her, but she avoided me and tore from the room. I chase her around the house and the backyard. "Whoa there. What's going on here?", Dad asked grabbing Ava. Mum walked in the room with a cup of tea and sat on the sofa watching us.
"I was just looking for some ink in her room since I didn't have any, and I found these.", Ava explained holding up the photos. I reach for them, but dad holds them out my reach. He hands them to mum.
"Where'd you get these?" mum asks with a smile. "She got them from his mum. They've been trading all term. She sent her a picture of a drawing of him, and his mum sent his baby photos." Izzy states walking in the room. "That's weird. How does she know who you are?" Lucas shuddered walking in the room too.
"Flourish and Blotts before this term started.", Izzy replied picking some lint off her shirt. I glare at her "Who's side are you on?" She gave a non-committal shrug. "That explains a lot." Ava mumbles.
Mum turned to her. "They've been acting weird around each other this term." Ava tells her. Mum's smile grows. She hands me the pictures back. "He's quite adorable, isn't he?" she asks giggling. I blush and rush upstairs but not before nodding.
We went to Grimmauld Place for Christmas. Hermione had been keeping Ginny company while the others visited Mr. Weasley. We were sitting in their room when Blaise's owl swooped in the open window. The others looked at each other and went downstairs. I gave the owl treats and he flew off once I'd untied the letter.
I read it while leaning on the wall. He'd sent photos of Italy with the letter. At the bottom of the letter it read: NEXT TIME YOU'LL HAVE TO JOIN ME IN THIS FAIR COUNTRY. I flush and walked downstairs with the letter and pictures in hand.
I found the girls by the fire sipping cocoa. "What'd he send?" I hear my mum ask from the kitchen where she sat with Mrs. Weasley. "Italy." I reply. Mum chokes on the tea she was drinking. The girls turned to me. I show them the pictures and Mrs. Weasley and mum join us.
"This means we owe Luna." I hear Izzy whisper to Ginny and Hermione. "What are you girls gossiping over today?" dad asked as he entered the kitchen with Mr. Weasley. "Italy and Mr. Zabini." mum gapes as she looked at the photos. Dad came over. "Nope." he says looking at the letter.
Mum looks up from a picture of a delicious looking pie. She hadn't read the letter yet. I went pink and busied myself looking at the photos with Mrs. Weasley. "Nope." mum said as she finished the letter. Dad temporarily looked shocked that she agreed with him. "He'll have to wait until you're an adult." Mr. and Mrs. Weasley looked confused. Mum explained. "Wow!", Ginny said barley containing her excitement, "When he said he wanted you to meet his family on his terms he wasn't kidding."
I wind up redder than Ginny's hair and refuse to meet my parent's eyes. I hop up to fix myself some cocoa. "What does his mum say?" Mrs. Weasley asks with interest. "She thinks that it's fun to tease Blaise." I laugh.
We ate dinner and relaxed watching the fire. Harry wandered off at some point and mum nudged dad to join him. I followed the girls upstairs. I fall onto Ginny's bed. "Italy looked gorgeous." Hermione said with a note of teasing. "You have no idea." I reply. 'The boy in the pictures doens't look half bad either' I think to myself.
…Second Term…
After a long tearful good-bye with the parents and grandparents I boarded the train just before it left the station. I looked all over the train trying to find out where my friends had disappeared to.
"Had a good break?" Blaise asks as I open the door to another train section. He leans against the doorway. He scans my face and smile. "Your family tease you again?" he guesses.
I turn to go into an empty compartment. He follows closing the door. He sits down looking highly amused. "Did your mum like the pictures of Italy I sent?" he was fighting to hold back his laughter.
I sit across from him pouting. "You got teased mercilessly!" he snickers. He falls apart laughing. I tried playfully kicked him, but he blocks my leg with ease. "Ah, then, let me guess, one of your friends said something that made your parents look at you like they wanted to talk with you in private?" he laughs.
I go pink. He'd completely nailed it. He clutched his stomach as he doubled over in laughter. "It's not that funny. You didn't see the look they gave me." I whine hitting his shoulder gently.
He pulls me onto his lap. I stare into his eyes. "I understand." he whispers. I bury my face in his neck. "I have a question. What'd your parents do when they read the letter?" he murmurs. I flush again and he gives throaty chuckle.
I lift my head so I can look at him. "Comfy." I mumble. He kisses my cheek. "Slept with your letter against my heart those first few days after I left school." I whisper. He tenses and wraps his arms around me. "I was so worried about you." he whispers. "I know. I could tell from the way you wrote." I wrap my arms around his neck. He gives a weak chuckle. I kiss his neck.
Classes resumed, but I didn't really want to do much of anything. Umbridge was getting worse. You'd think she was the Headmistress or something. I ran over some of the spells we'd gone over in DA.
I sat on a bench in the courtyard looking up at the sky. Umbridge had tried to remove Hagrid and Professor Trelawney. "I'd like to punch her just once." Izzy growls through gritted teeth. I scoff at her thinking of the detention I'd gotten and rub my hand where the words still resided on my skin "Get in line."
I was in the library studying with Luna and Ginny. Luna passed Ginny a paper. They didn't know I was paying attention. I read the note. I rolled my eyes. It was a bet on how many times they thought Blaise and I had kissed or been in an intimate setting. I slide the note towards me and wrote the correct number and slid it back.
We were in the DA meeting. We heard a commotion outside and went through a different exit. We sprinted down the hall to escape but to no avail. Everyone was captured by Umbridge's goons. Some Slytherin seventh year had me tied up and was hauling me to Umbridge's office with the other DA members.
Harry was the main one she questioned. My eyes flickered to Hermione's. She blinked. She started lying to Umbridge. Once she left with Harry and Hermione the rest of us used products the Weasley twins had invented to escape. I told the others to go find Harry. Izzy stayed back with me, Ava, and Lucas. "Are you guys going to be okay?" Neville asked with uncertainty. I nod, "Our mum taught us how to fight. No wands needed."
They left and sure enough the goons poured out of Umbridge's office. "Where are the others?" Draco spat furiously. I acted like I was thinking. "Not telling." I state defiantly. Draco started towards us. Ava dove between his legs and brought him down to the ground. I helped Ava as the seventh year who'd captured me tried to get her. "That's my little sister!" I snap. I punch him in the face and kicked at his arms until he let her go.
Once they were subdued and tied up, we put them in Umbridge's office. Ava and Lucas went inform Professor McGonagall. Izzy went to check on the other DA students who'd been put in detention hall. I was on my way down to the grounds when I ran into Blaise. He was panting heavily. "H-harry and t-the o-others w-wanted me to t-tell you t-that they escaped j-just f-fine."
He leaned on the wall trying to catch his breath. I watched him silently. He looked up at me. He stood and brushed my hair from my shoulder. He looked quite mad. "The seventh year that captured me had a tight grip.", I explain looking at the bruise he was looking at, "I got revenge though. Punched him in the face and even got some kicks in."
Blaise pulls me into a hug "Don't ever do anything that dangerous again." "I can't promise that." I mumble. "I know, but it would make me feel a little better right now." he whispers. "I promise. The next time I do something that dangerous I'll include you in it." I agree. He hugs me tighter.
We stay like that for a bit. "Better?" I ask looking into his eyes. He nods. "Good." I reply. I tilt my head and kiss him. "Thank you for being here." I whisper.
We went to Professor McGonagall's office. She'd already notified Dumbledore and the Order. She gestured to the seats. "When we have more news, I'll tell you. Mr. Zabini please stay here with her." She swept from the office to check on the students in Umbridge's office.
I was shaking, but I didn't realize it until Blaise hugged me. "Your parents will be fine." he murmurs in my ear. he leads me to a chair, and I sit down. I play with his hands to keep myself busy. "I know they'll be ok." I state with the last bit of my confidence I can muster. He gazes at me. He rubs my hands. I notice the words from Umbridge's detention were almost gone.
Hours later Professor McGonagall came back. "Your parents are okay Miss Black. Your father has got some minor injuries and your mother is fine. Everyone is being healed up now. Mr. Zabini would you mind making sure she gets back to her common room." she informs us looking tired. Blaise nods, and I stand. We head up the stairs in quiet.
Tears of relief spill onto my face. "There go the water works. I've been waiting on those all night." he wraps an arm around my waist. I lean on him all the way up the remaining stairs. "Go inside and get some rest." he whispers kissing my forehead.
I give the portrait the password and she swung open. Izzy hops out and tackles me into a hug. Ava and Lucas were behind her crying too. We go inside and fall asleep on the couch.
