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Everyone here, knows everyone here is thinking about
Somebody else
It's best if we all keep it under our heads
I couldn't tell, if anyone here was feeling the way I do
But I'm lonely now, and I don't know how
To get it back to good

-Back to Good by Matchbox 20

Hermione was in trouble; that's all there was to it. For the past six weeks, she and Blaise had been going strong with their 'friends with benefits' arrangement and it was starting to take its toll on Hermione. The more time she spent with Blaise Zabini, the more she realized how much she cared for him. He was smart, sweet, witty, gorgeous, and he made her feel special. For the first few weeks, she had spent as much time with Blaise as she could because she just loved to be around him. As the days went on, her feelings for him had started to grow and she decided that if she put some space between herself and Blaise, then the feelings would flicker out.

How wrong she was.

If anything, they seemed to get stronger the more she was with him. On the occasion when they would end up sleeping in the same bed after their trysts, Hermione would catch herself watching Blaise as he slept or brushing a strand of hair out of his face, and then she would curse herself for being so stupid. What she and Blaise had was strictly physical and she was off her knut if she thought that he could ever feel for her what she was starting to feel for him. If she had any sense at all, she would cut ties with him and they would go their separate ways. The problem was, when Blaise wasn't around, Hermione felt...almost empty. She was afraid that if she ended things with him, then he wouldn't speak to her at all anymore, and there would be this void in her life where he had been. That thought brought Hermione to a terrifying conclusion.

She was in love with Blaise Zabini.

That huge bombshell wasn't even the worst of her problems; as of late, she couldn't get Draco sodding Malfoy out of her head. After the incident in his bedroom last week, it seemed like he was competing with Blaise for taking up the majority of Hermione's thoughts. Thinking back to that night made Hermione flush as she was sitting at her desk, trying to work on her homework. Draco had avoided her like the plague ever since that night, which made being his roommate very difficult. Blaise hadn't acted any different towards her the next day, so she assumed that Draco hadn't told him or Theo about what had happened. Why had it happened in the first place? As far as she knew, Draco hated her guts like he had since their first year; that kiss had said otherwise. Half of her brain was focused on her realization that she was in love with Blaise, and the other half was consumed with these new feelings she had for Draco and the fantasies that she couldn't keep from having every time she saw him. Hermione threw her quill down when she decided that her homework was a lost cause. She needed to talk to someone about this and Ginny was just the person she needed.

Hermione had dragged Ginny back to her room after telling Harry and Ron that she needed Ginny for some 'girl talk;' the boys were all too happy to let them go so that they wouldn't be forced to endure it. Ginny was sitting on Hermione's bed with Crookshanks in her lap as Hermione was pacing across her floor while she told Ginny what had happened with Draco. Ginny sat with wide eyes as Hermione told her story and when she sat on the chair at her desk, Ginny was staring at her with wide eyes.

"Well, say something please! I need your advice." Hermione cried exasperatedly.

"You're in trouble." Ginny stated.

Hermione closed her eyes and massaged her temples, "You don't know the half of it."

"There's more?"

"I think I'm in love with Blaise."

"Oh, Hermione." Was all Ginny could manage to get out.

"I'm in love with Blaise Zabini and I'm having these...fantasies about his best sodding friend!"

"Do you have any idea what to do?"

Hermione threw her hands up, "What can I do? Blaise could never love me, Ginny."

"And why not? You are an incredible person, Hermione."

"We are just too different. He's everything I'm not and-"

Ginny set Crookshanks on the bed and jumped up and put her hands on her hips, "Are you telling me that you think he's too good for you?"

Hermione looked at the ground, "Isn't he?"

Ginny glared at her best friend, "Absolutely not! You are three times the person any of those Slytherins are! They could only ever dream of having someone as amazing as you!"

Hermione rolled her eyes, "It's not just that, Gin. We are on complete opposite sides of the war. It's not like Blaise or even Draco would go against their...way of life for me."

Ginny caught Hermione's hesitation, "Way of life; why not beliefs?"

"Because they don't believe in all that rubbish."

"And you know this for a fact?"

"I know them, Gin. They don't act like the cold blooded killers their families are. They're doing what they have to to survive and protect the people that they love." As Hermione said this, Draco's sister popped into her head.

Ginny thought about that for a moment, "If you are so sure that you don't stand a chance with Blaise, then you should probably end things before you get in too deep."

Hermione sighed and slumped down into her chair, "That's what I've been thinking. I just...I don't want to lose him; any part of him. I'm afraid that if I end the psychical part of our relationship, then he won't want anything to do with me at all anymore. Then of course there's Draco. He hasn't spoken to me since that night which makes my life as Head Girl extremely difficult. Not to mention these damn feelings that I'm starting to have for him as well. What I need to do is just cut all Slytherins out of my life!"

"Easier said than done, isn't it?" Ginny gave her friend an encouraging smile.

"I'll talk to Blaise tomorrow." Hermione decided.

After school the next day, Hermione was sitting on the couch in her common room reading a book when Blaise came through the door. She looked up and smiled as he came over and sat next to her. She put her book down and turned her body to face him as he tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and smiled.

"Hi."

Hermione smiled back at him, "Hi, yourself."

"So, you said you wanted to talk; is everything ok?"

Hermione sighed, "Yes, everything's fine; I've just been thinking about this...thing between us."

When Blaise nodded, she continued, "I think that it's time we ended things."

For a moment, Hermione thought that she saw something flash in his eyes, but it was gone just as quick and he gave her a smile, "Ok, if that's what you want. Can I ask why?"

Hermione thought about telling him the truth, that she was head over heels for him, but she didn't want to make things awkward. She knew that he would never return her feelings, and it was best if she just played it off like their fling had just run its course.

"We both know that there can't ever really be anything between us, and I just think that what we have has gone as far as it can go. Don't you agree?"

Blaise was silent for a moment, "Yes, I suppose you're right."

Hermione couldn't help but be a bit hurt at how nonchalant Blaise was being about the whole thing, but she had expected it.

"It was fun while it lasted." Blaise leaned over and kissed her cheek, "Take care, mia bella."

Before Hermione could changed her mind, Blaise was up and out the door. Hermione sat there for a few minutes and let reality sink in and then the tears started to flow.

Blaise, Draco and Theo were in Draco and Hermione's common room sharing a bottle of Fire Whiskey and staring absentmindedly at the roaring fire. Theo took note that Hermione and Blaise, who had been practically inseparable the last few weeks, had avoided each other like the plague all day, Hermione hadn't made an appearance in the three hours that they'd been here and Draco and Blaise were acting like a couple of pms'ing girls.

Theo finally got tired of the silence, "Alright, girls; what's the matter with you?"

His two friends shot him identical looks of disdain, "Fuck off." They chorused.

Theo smirked and looked at Blaise,"Did you and the exquisite Gryffindor princess have a lover's spat?"

Blaise growled, "Leave it alone, Nott."

Theo chuckled, "I'm sure you two will work it all out."

Theo didn't miss the pained look on Blaise's face, "No, we won't; she broke it off yesterday."

Draco had been barely paying attention to the conversation, but Blaise's words caught his attention, "Granger dumped you?"

Blaise punched Draco's arm, "We weren't actually dating, dumbass; just shagging."

"She must have been one hell of a lay for you to be acting all bent out of shape." Theo quipped.

Blaise snatched the bottle out of Theo's hand and took a swig of the amber liquid, "It's not just that. Now that she's not around anymore, I can't seem to get the bloody witch out of my head."

Theo grinned like a fool, "You're in love with her."

Blaise looked at Theo like he had just insulted his mother, "I am not."

"Deny it all you want, Zabini; you are head over heals for the witch." Theo looked very pleased with himself.

Draco came to his friend's defense, "Don't be daft, Theo; Blaise is not in love with Granger."

Theo turned his sights on Draco, "Jealous, mate?'

Draco clenched his fists, "You are off your bloody rocker, Nott."

Theo rolled his eyes, "Come off it, the both of you. Draco, you've been in love with the witch since we were what, fifteen?" Theo cast his eyes to Blaise, "And you got the bright idea that it would be a fun sport to bed the witch and now you've gone and lost your heart to her."

Draco and Blaise both opened their mouths to let Theo have it just as the door to the common room opened. The subject of their conversation walked into the room and Hermione blushed when she saw three sets of eyes trained on her. She was sure that the topic of her and Blaise's breakup and come up by now, and she wasn't sure how they were going to treat her.

With her confidence significantly lowered when it came to the three Slytherins, she gave them a shy, awkward smile, "Hi, guys."

Theo raised the whiskey bottle and nodded at Hermione, Draco kept the same cryptic look he always had when he was looking at her, and Blaise just quirked an eyebrow at her, "Granger."

Hermione flinched at the use of her surname coming from Blaise's lips; he hadn't called her that since the beginning of the year and it stung. Hermione fought back the tears and quickly went to her room and shut the door firmly behind her.

Theo let out a whistle, "Wow, it just got cold in here."

Draco kept his eyes on Hermione's door, "Out."

Theo and Blaise looked at him, "What?"

Draco rolled his eyes, "I'm patrolling tonight and I need to take a shower first."

The two shared a look, but didn't push the subject; they said their goodbyes and left the room. Draco made a beeline for Hermione's door and pounded on it, "Open the door, Granger!"

Draco went to pound on the door again when it opened to a red eyed, runny nosed Hermione Granger.

She sniffled, "What do you want, Malfoy?"

"What, no more Draco?" He sneered.

Hermione wiped her tears and rolled her eyes, "I don't have time for your games, Draco. What do you want!?"

Draco pushed his way into Hermione's room, "Blaise said you dumped him yesterday."

"I'm well aware of what transpired between Blaise and I, Draco; what's your point?"

"Why? Why did you dump him?"

Hermione crossed her arms over her chest, "I don't see how that is any business of yours. Although, I'm sure Blaise will tell you if you ask him."

"Is it because I kissed you?"

"What?"

Draco growled, "You heard me, Granger! Is it because I kissed you? Is that the reason why you broke it off with Blaise? Did you tell him about it?"

Hermione put her hand up to stop Draco's rant, "Hold on a second; I didn't tell Blaise anything about that and it has nothing to do with why I ended things."

Draco let out a breath, "Good."

Hermione glared at him, "For the record, Malfoy, I did not dump Blaise; that would imply that we were dating, and you know as well as I do that Blaise doesn't have girlfriends. I just ended what we were doing."

"Fucking." Draco stated.

"Get out, Malfoy." Hermione barked.

Draco ignored her command, "It seems a little odd that right after I snog you, you end things with Blaise. If that's not the reason, then what is?"

Hermione looked away and Draco's question was answered; it was also one of his worst fears. The object of his affection and obsession was in love with his best friend.

"You're in love with him.' Draco said, matter-of-factly.

Hermione's silence was all the confirmation he needed.

Draco barked out a laugh, "You are off your bloody rocker if you think that Blaise would ever love someone like you."

Hermione jerked her head up to look at Draco, "Someone like me? Blood status and over all disgusting-ness sure as hell didn't stop you from snogging me senseless last week!"

Draco sneered at her, "I was horny and you are the resident Slytherin Slut, after all; I figured it was worth a shot."

The tears came back in full force and Hermione threw the heaviest thing she could find at Draco's head, "Get out, you slimy bastard; just get out!"

Draco ducked before the book hit him in the face and he sauntered towards the door. If he was going to be miserable, then by Merlin's beard, so was she.

"Never forget where you belong, Granger. On the floor with the rest of the dirt and shit of this world."

Draco shut the door behind him just as he heard Hermione scream and then a loud thud against the door.

That girl had some damn heavy books.

I hoped you guys liked it! Please let me know your thoughts!

:)