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When Draco returned to the Slytherin common room he saw there was an afterparty in full swing. Pansy wanted to dance with him, some of the seniors had even sneaked in firewhisky, but he just wanted to stay by himself. He pretended to care about the party for a bit and when no one was looking, he slid back into the dorms. He sat on his bed in a daze. He remembered seeing her blood, it was just like his. He'd seen her study, it was as refined as his. Her taste in music, her knowledge of the classics, her skills in magic… It was impossible for her to not be a cultured pureblood. It was impossible. If no one knew of her lineage you could even believe that she was from an old forgotten powerful family.
That one kiss had shattered the carefully constructed world that he lived in. He wanted more than anything to be with her and yet he knew that would be social suicide for him. He remembered what had happened to the Potters. Rumoured descendants of the Peverell brother's and yet what did James Potter end up as? A mere Auror. He was asked to resign form the wizengamot, unable to make policy or affect any real change. He was a stupid glorified solider. Draco was being raised to be so much more than just that. Potter like his daft father wanted the same stupid future. To be so limited in his vision with the power he held, nothing was a greater crime.
As Draco mulled over the implications of wanting to follow his heart, he suddenly remembered the mysterious letter that came for him. He pulled his bedside drawer and pulled out the letter. He found that it was merely a short note that left him even more confused than before. He was trying to figure out its meaning when Blaise walked in.
"What that?" Blaise asked looking at the note in his hand
There were no secrets between the boys, except Draco's favourite window of the castle. Draco handed the note to Blaise who read it out loud
"Don't go to the final task" Blaise read out loud "What do you reckon that's about?"
"No clue…"
"We can still go to the next task… Any idea who might have sent it?"
"No… I don't even recognise the penmanship… you?"
"Well… it wasn't one of the professors…"
"Not one who teaches us… but what was about… "
"You don't mean…"
"They were all friends back then…"
The boys looked at each other seriously. Draco sighed pressed his face into his hands as he fell back into bed and then massaged his temples.
"This is not the only thing on your mind I take it…" Blaise said sitting down on his own bed
"No…"
"Care to share?"
"Not here…"
"Well I'm too tried to take a walk so some other time maybe…" Blaise said unbuttoning his robes … "Don't sleep in that and even if you do, at least take off your shoes… You're not some unrefined ingrate…"
Draco shot him an irritated scowl. Blaise just walked towards the bathroom. Just before he locked the door behind him he said "Oh and Draco… I think patchouli really works for you…"
Draco's eyes shot wide open. He looked at Blaise who was staring at him from the door, "Blaise… "Draco said with a warning tone.
Blaise stared back defiantly "what?"
"I…" Draco sighed and said "I, don't know…"
An unspoken understanding formed between them. "Fine, figure it out…" Blaise said as he shut the door…
Draco fell back into bed and while the world seemed to crumbling around him, he still felt a little light knowing that he had at least one friend who understood.
—
Over the next few weeks Hermione was slandered repeatedly in the papers which had Draco in a foul mood everyday. During the second task he had looked for her in the stands but when she came up with Krum and he stormed off. Later that day Pansy had updated the boys about how the mudblood whore had apparently been invited to spend the summer with Krum in Germany. That did nothing to make him feel better and like the scorned teenager he was he told horrible lies to Skeeter to make things worse.
He had gone back to scowling and avoiding his weekend window like the plague. The music from it however never stopped. It was like trying to avoid the call of a siren. Draco was sure he was going to lose his mind if this continued. Blaise seemed to be the only one who was privy to his internal battle. He was also his best friend not his lackey like Crabbe or Goyel and so after waiting patiently for two weeks, he decided to take matters into his own hands.
—
Exams were around the corner and a heartbroken Hermione had decided to throw herself into her books. When she was not busy researching spells that Harry could learn for the next task, she was revising and re revising in her spot. The last thing she expected was Blaise Zabini, and yet here he was. Sitting in the same spot the other Slytherin had not so long ago occupied.
"Hello…" Blaise said casually
Hermione looked up from her books in a daze. She was confused, it was the wrong boy.
"What?" She snapped
"Tut tut…Impolite as ever Granger…" Blaise said examining the books in front of her…
"Good evening to you Zabini… To what do I owe this displeasure?" She retorted shutting her book and giving him her best impression of a very upset McGonagall
Zabini smiled at her icily. He knew what Draco saw in her but he also knew that it would lead to his best friends destruction. He had to put a stop to it.
"I hear congratulations are in order…" Blaise began
In Hermione's head a chess match had begun. Zabini and she were going to talk about Draco but without once mentioning him. She wondered if he knew about the kiss.
"Whatever for?" She said flatly
"I hear Krum invited you to spend the summer…"
"I had to respectfully decline…"
"See, that right there is the problem… You should have accepted"
"I'll thank you for your advice on what to do with my time Zabini but I assure I'm quite capable of making my own decisions…"
"And those decisions have done nothing but nearly get you and your friends nearly killed…"
"My friends and I have dedicated a lot of time to the greater good. Made choices that while weren't easy have benefitted not just us but you as well. What exactly have you and yours done other than tell lies and bully people…"
"What good is a greater good Granger if you're not around to see it?"
"What are you implying?"
"Nothing…"
"What is this really about Zabini?"
Blaise took a deep breath. He understood how infuriatingly Gryffindor she could be. He knew Draco wanted to do this but didn't have the courage and so here he was hoping his friend will thank him with something other than a punch next time.
"Listen carefully Granger… I cannot give your reasons and I know you have none to trust me… but stay away from the third task… Ideally ask Potter to forfeit and maybe your golden trio and spend the night in your gaudy common room playing exploding snap…"
Hermione opened her mouth to tell Zabini where to shove it but stopped looking at his serious expression and the palm he had up mentioned her to hold on to her diatribe a little longer…
"This is not about Cedric or Hogwarts or anything you might think of…. It is much bigger than any of us… Someone we both know got this warning and I am passing it along because he would have wanted you to know… He cares but you've just pulled the proverbial rug from under his feet… How you did it I don't know… but you did… give him time and in the meantime heed the warning… "
Hermione glared at Zabini "You said it yourself… I have no reason to believe you…"
Blaise let out an exasperated sigh "Fucking Griffindorks…" he muttered… "Fine… Rita Skeeter is an unregistered animagus… She's a beetle and if you think back you might realise she has been buzzing around you lot a lot… Do what you will with this Granger but please just stay out of harms way till he's screwed his head on straight…"
As Blaise got up to leave, she asked "Did he put you up to this?"
"No… I did it cause I'm his friend…"
With that he walked away leaving a very confused Hermione Granger…
Blaise is going to be an important character in the story, maybe even get a pairing of his own.
I will also be brining more of Harry and Ron but the Slytherins will be trumping other appearances. I'll try to keep it as balanced as possible :)
Please do review!