Harry put his face in his hands. Ron was giving them an amused look. The rest of the lions just peered oddly at the snakes.

"Gods, that was a good fight," Draco smirked to himself.

Hermione turned a little pink and stood, smoothing a wrinkle from her jeans.

"You know, it is incredibly irresponsible-"

"Shut it Granger," Blaise snapped. He shot her a dirty look, "don't lecture us on irresponsibility. You, who, might I add, turned herself into a cat in second year with a polyjuice potion."

Hermione, Harry and Ron gasped, how had he known?

"I-"

"I may be a trouble starting, loud mouthed bastard but at least I acknowledge it. I know I fuck up, no need to act like my caretaker," Blaise said, he crossed his arms as though challenging her to speak back.

The den of lions was on their feet, prepared to fight for the honor of the bushy haired girl.

"I didn't mean anything by it, Zabini. I…I apologize for offending you," Hermione spoke carefully. She was putting forth her best effort to remain civil with the boys living with her two best friends.

Blaise gave her a calculating look and was going to speak when Draco hauled himself up from his chair. The snake stood proud, his shoulders back, "he accepts your apology Miss Granger, Blaise apologizes for the rude comment, for there is no excuse for such behavior."

There was a shocked silence.

Blaise looked sideways at the blonde but conceded to him, "Yes, I apologize for the rude words. Thank you for being civil."

Draco seemed pleased with the interaction. "That went well," he seated himself again, with some difficulty, considering the bandage around his chest.

"I expect you'll want some tea?" Blaise was speaking to the other snake.

"Sounds fine," Malfoy nodded and took out a cigarette.

"It's about time we head back to our houses, Harry. It was great seeing you," Hermione looked at her wrist watch. She hugged Ron and then Harry. Everyone filed out, hugging, promising to write and such.

"Sorry we ruined your party," Blaise set out four mugs and filled them with tea.

"No problem, Blaise, it's understandable," Harry said.

They drank their tea in a comfortable silence until Draco decided to go to bed.

"Here, I'll help you," Harry offered. They stood and began making slow progress upstairs. Ron just chuckled after they were gone and went to sit on a couch.

"Those two," Blaise shook his head, sending his dark hair into his eyes. He sat next to Ron, stretching out his legs on the couch, back rested to Ron's shoulder.

"Yeah, Harry seems kind of hung up on Malfoy."

"It's easy to do. Drake's a good guy underneath it all, it seems way clichéd, I know, bad boy with a good heart. But it's true, last time I saw Drake do something truly cold-hearted was when he got a mediwizard to refuse treatment to someone who was spreading rumors about him. Bad rumors," Blaise sighed.

"What were they?"

"Just shite about Drake sleeping around and dishonoring his family name. That reporter had to live with a case of hives and boils for a month before he was treated. We'll say that the rumors stopped," Blaise responded.

"Hmm," Ron made a noise of thought and his eyes looked around the room. Wrapping paper was crumpled around boxes and the presents were on the coffee table. Ron spotted one that looked unopened. "Hey, Harry forgot a gift," Ron reached down and picked it up. A large hole in the side made him worry. Blaise shifted and they stared at the box for a moment until it whined.

"What is it?"

"I don't know. Should we open it?"

The box whined again.

"Open it."

Ron pulled off the top and, surrounded by tissue paper sat a black puppy with huge green eyes. It yipped and stuck out its tongue, panting.

"Oh," Blaise cooed and picked it up. "It's the cutest thing."

"Who's it from?" Ron looked at the tag.

To Harry

From Oliver Wood

"Weird that he would forget, it wasn't opened," Ron said, setting the box aside.

The puppy had taken a liking to Blaise and was licking him with delight.

"He reminds me of Limbo, my dog back home," Blaise said, scratching the pup.

"Is it a boy?"

Blaise checked, "yeah."

"What should we name it?"

"Let's let Harry decide, it's his dog."

"Yeah."

The puppy looked at Ron and seemed to smile. It padded across Blaise's lap and leapt into Ron's. It yipped again, blinking big green eyes at him. "He's so cute."

The door opened and the Dursleys entered.

"What's that mongrel doing in my house?" Vernon spotted the dog.

"What did you freaks do to my beautiful living room?" Petunia shrieked. She clung to the door to keep from falling.

"We'll change it back in the morning," Blaise said.

"Go upstairs," Ron said, glaring.

"I most certainly-"

Blaise and Ron drew their wands and pointed them threateningly. This rid them of the muggles

:Upstairs:

"Will you be okay?" Harry was sitting on the edge of the huge black bed in a shockingly colorless room looking at the blonde boy lying on his back staring at the hangings of his bed.

"No," Draco pouted giving Harry puppy-dog eyes, "it hurts."

"What would make it feel better?" Harry asked as Draco smirked.

"They always say a kiss heals things," Draco said innocently.

Harry leaned over and pressed his lips to the Draco's chest just above the bandage.

"It hurts here too," Draco pointed to his shin which he raised from beneath the covers, the black silk pants falling to expose badly bruised skin. Harry kissed the bruise.

"Here too," Draco pointed to his hand, which Harry also kissed.

"And here," Draco pointed to his black eyes. Harry kissed the lightly bruised cheek bone beneath it.

"And here," Draco pointed to his lips. Harry gave him a smirk but leaned over and pressed their lips together. Draco flicked his tongue across Harry's lips. Harry opened and their tongues slid out to meet each other. After a moment of breathless kissing Harry pulled back.

"Go to sleep," he commanded and stood from the bed. Draco pouted but allowed Harry to go.

The black haired boy went to his room and picked up the memory book. He opened it and saw a page of pictures. There was a gorgeous red haired girl with green eyes behind thin framed spectacles sitting on a rock by the lake with a brown haired girl.

Lily Evans (7th year, Ravenclaw1) and Rowan Bell (7th year, Ravenclaw) sit by the lake studying on a nice day in September.

Harry smiled as he saw a photo snapped just before Sirius and Remus dumped a pale of water over James, they were coming up behind him holding it up. There was one just after of James looking shocked and his friends laughing hysterically.

He flipped to a random page farther back and saw a picture of what appeared to be Draco standing with a cigarette in hand and a group of younger girls surrounding him.

Lucius Malfoy (Alumni, 19702) and a group of Slytherin girls before the Award's ceremony on 11 June, 1979.

He turned the page and saw Snape receiving a pair of awards for outstanding potions and defense scores. Snape was definitely younger and he had shorter hair, messy like Harry or James', and wore square-ish shaped spectacles. Harry nearly laughed at it, he was so different.

"Yoo-hoo, Potty-poo," Blaise kicked open the door.

"What?" Harry looked at him.

"You forgot a present," Blaise said, stepping in and letting a tiny black puppy bound into the room smelling everything. It looked up at Harry and their identical green eyes met.

"Wha-?"

"Oliver Wood gave him to you," Ron said as he stepped in.

"So, name the thing," Blaise encouraged.

Harry leaned over and the puppy trotted over and got picked up, it licked Harry's cheek in the silence.

"What about Vireo?" 3

"Green?" Blaise cocked his head to the side, "I like it."

"Yeah, me too," Ron nodded enthusiastically.

"He's a cute puppy," Harry said, holding him up.

"I think he'll do well in the house," Blaise said. "I'm going to sleep, see you in the morning."

"See you then," Harry nodded and the Italian left.

"How's Malfoy?" Ron asked, sitting down.

"He'll be okay, still injured but getting better."

Ron let out a quiet chuckle, "how'd we get stuck with those two characters?"

"Dumbledore must have had a reason," Harry said.

"I hope so." Ron sat pensively for a moment, "do you know why the school got shut down?"

"No, do you?"

"I heard things but they sounded too crazy to be true," Ron said, bending his knees up to rest his arms on.

"What did you hear?"

"Mum and Dad said that Dumbledore was ill, that he didn't know if he would make it through the whole school year. He didn't want the students in the school if or when he passed. But that doesn't seem right to me, like, my gut tells me it was something else."

Harry pondered this and felt the same way, his instincts told him it was different but he didn't know why he felt that way.

"Maybe we could ask Snape, he seems to hate us less…I think," Harry said as he glanced at the book.

"Maybe," Ron agreed, he stood and sat on the bed next to his mate. "Can we look through this?"

"Sure," Harry said, Vireo in his lap, he picked up the book and opened it to the individual pictures.

"Look, my mum," Ron spotted the bright red/orange hair of his mother. Molly Ollison 6.

"She was a year below my parents," Harry said, he looked down the page and saw Arthur Weasely, his eyes closed, in between Jon Vicker and Amber Weddle.

"Yeah, my dad too," Ron had spotted him.

"Look, Snape." Harry pointed to the one by one photo.

Snape had his head slightly cocked to the side, his hair was a little longer than the graduation photo, hanging over one eye and he was smirking a little like he knew something no one else did. Ron gaped.

"Snape looks…young," Ron stammered.

"He was seventeen Ron," Harry reminded him.

Harry saw his mother, beaming cutely. Sirius was making a face at the camera and next to his was Narcissa Black's. She had flawless white hair and her eyes were ringed by dark make-up giving her a sultry, other worldly look. Remus was a few rows down, looking smart next to someone named Paul Lunder who had a large boogie hanging out his nose.

Ron spotted James and put a finger on the picture, Harry saw it and felt like he was staring at himself. They looked identical, save the picture had hazel eyes and no scar. It was pretty incredible.

"You two are nearly identical," Ron stated.

"He was my father," Harry said, they laughed.

Vireo put his paws onto the page and one landed just below a guy with olive skin, mocha colored hair and two of the prettiest gold eyes. He had a perfect, soft smile and there was a foreign wonder about him that made Harry look twice. Balthazar Zabini.

"Oh my gods. Look at Blaise's father," Harry said.

"Woah. I wonder what his mother looked like?" Ron said staring at the photo.

They flipped around but couldn't figure on who she was. They saw photos of Dumbledore, McGonagall, Flitwick, and even Hagrid in their younger years.

A set of pages was dedicated to a ball in the winter. There was a photo of the Viennese Waltz and Harry saw Narcissa dancing with Remus Lupin, Sirius spinning a pretty blonde girl across the floor and James and Lily dancing away.

"Wow, that's gorgeous," Ron was admiring the decor of the hall.

They found the graduation photos again and admired the ceremony, including a written version of the speech that Lily gave as Head girl. Head boy, Balthazar also gave a speech.

"Hey, I'm heading to bed, see you," Ron stood and yawned and left with a wave.

"Night."

Harry read over the speeches and, speaking to Vireo, "I think it would have been fun to be there."

The dog gave a yip in return and began to settle down to sleep.

"Yeah, we'll sleep."

:Next Morning:

"Harry?"

"Oh, hey Blaise," Harry sat up, his hand went out and he ruffled Vireo's fur, awakening the pup.

"Ron said you saw my father in there," Blaise pointed at the book.

"Yeah," Harry reached for it and opened it to the page. Blaise quickly to a seat beside him and when Harry found the page he gave it to the Italian boy.

Blaise touched the photo lightly, almost as though it was sacred.

Harry looked worriedly at the boy.

"I-sorry," Blaise snapped the book shut and handed it over moving to leave quickly.

"Wait, Blaise, what's going on?"

Blaise drew a long breath and when he turned back to look at Harry there were a few tears in his eyes.

"My father and I…he, he wasn't ever around when I was growing up. It was like he was a myth. In my mind I always imagined what he looked like," Blaise sniffled and used his index finger to whip away a tear as it fell. "He always looked alive in my mind and…he does in that photo. But, the man that came to the manor and was regarded as my father was so…lifeless, so angry. I didn't know him, I don't know him. I've never known him." Blaise shuddered, "I wish I did. It's almost worse than having him dead."

Harry wanted to say something but the snake rushed out, and Harry heard his door slam just down the hall. Harry opened the book again and looked down at Balthazar who retained a smile. Harry had the a deep sympathy for the other boy, sadness welled up in the hero as he tried to imagine what it would be like to not know his father, were he alive.

"What was that?" Draco limped into Harry's room.

"Blaise."

Draco adopted a very worried look. "What happened?"

"He saw his father," Harry motioned to the book. Draco let out a deep sigh and turned to Blaise's room. Draco pounded loudly on the door. Harry could tell how worried Draco was, his desperation to get in was obvious.

"Blaise!" he pounded again and shook the handle, trying to open it.

"What's going on?" Ron came upstairs.

"Blaise saw his father," Draco explained, "BLAISE!"

"Uh, so why are you pounding on his door?" Ron asked. Harry and Vireo were there too.

"His father, Balthazar, mostly abandoned his sons when they were young. He seemed to avoid Blaise especially. When Jaque and Jonah were floo'd to see him on their birthdays or holidays Blaise was left at home. I'm not sure why but it made him act out. He was desperate for…I shouldn't tell you this, it's not my place," Draco stopped himself. They heard thundering from inside, like things breaking and a scream.

Malfoy made a decision and took a step back. He then rammed his shoulder hard into the door. The wood creaked.

"Draco-" Harry made to stop him but the blonde attacked the door again.

After another slam the wood cracked the door flung open.

In just a few minutes Blaise had completely destroyed the room. Glass shards littered the floor, couch cushions were shredded, the couches themselves upturned and legs broken off. A table was in two, the hangings of the bed were torn into tiny pieces. A window was broken out and the bed was ripped apart. Blaise was standing in the middle of it all, a bouquet of roses in his hand; he ripped the red petals from their stems and hurled them to the floor before sending the thorny stems after them.

He let out a scream of fury or agony. Draco rushed towards him, Ron and Harry remained in the doorway. Blaise whirled around and threw the glass vase towards his friend. It shattered near Draco.

Harry could see his tear stained face and his arms were bleeding, his already fractured wrist had bloody knuckles. There was a deep cut above his eyes, probably all these were caused by so much shattered glass.

"Why doesn't he love me?" Blaise screamed, as he raked his hands forward through his hair and fell to his knees.

"Blaise," Draco reached out to him.

"I just want him to care," Blaise said, he looked up at the blonde.

"Blaise, calm down," Draco knelt next to him, he put a hand on the other boy's shoulder.

"He hates me, he doesn't care at all," Blaise put his face in his hands and sobbed.

"You can't believe that, he's your father, he does care," Draco tried.

"Then why don't I know his face? Why don't I know his voice? Why doesn't he ever want to see me?"

Draco had no answer he just took the boy in his arms and hugged him.

"I love you," Draco offered. He rested his cheek atop the dark brown hair.

Blaise was silent, he just continued crying.

Draco looked back the Gryffindor duo and nodded for them to go. Harry reluctantly, clicked for Vireo to follow him and Ron down to the kitchen.

"I sure hope he's okay," Ron said, looking to the ceiling.

"Me too," Harry said. He looked sadly at the ceiling; his heart went out to the Slytherin.

In the kitchen they saw Petunia and Vernon and Dudley looking with fear at the ceiling, wondering what the horrible shrieking and noise was.

1: I put her in Ravenclaw, she might have been in another house, I dunno.

2: Lucius, I've always seen as a couple years older than the majority of the adult characters (like Snape and the Marauders).

3: It's Latin for: to be green , vigorous, healthy, fresh

Ehm, I also understand that in the actual books Blaise has a bunch of dead stepfathers and no siblins, however, you can understand that I have a pretty AU Blaise. Thank-you.

Special Captain Slashy episode for those of you who like her:

Arr, I be Captain Slashy, yer captain fer this here fic. I like teh see that pretteh blonde boy getting' naked all over 'arry Potter. Arr. I hope yeh like the fic and that yeh review fer more chapters and naked-ness.

OI! Let meh introduce yeh ter my first mate, or what yeh landlubbers call a beta: Anime-Monster. It was grand o' ya lot ter offer, thank yeh meh hardies.

Terribly sorry aboot the sad leavin' off point. Got teh stop somewhere yeh know. But, if yeh do review, I'll see if I can work a nice PDA scene inter the next chapter. :winks:

Draco: She's crazy.

Harry: Pretty much.

Ron:hops over, still trapped in the bird cage: You know, Malfoy, you can let me out anytime now.

Draco: No, you amuse me while trapped in there.

Harry: How did you get him to fit?

Draco: I'm talented at fitting big things into little places. :waggles eyebrows suggestively at Harry:

Ron: I'm going to go die now, thanks for killing me Malfoy.

Captain Slashy: I'm 'ere to take yer booties!

Draco: Honestly, you always say that, how often are you going to try and loot us?

Captain Slashy: Loot yeh?

Draco: Yes, you're trying to take our booty, our money.

Captain Slashy: No, I'm actually after yer booty, yer bum.

Draco:Screams like a little girl:

Harry: I've known that all along.

Ron: Yeah, she took my booty last time.

Draco: Save me:jumps onto Harry:

Harry: Get off!

Captain Slashy:goes in for Draco's booty:

Anime Monster:just watches amused and snickers: