MUX: Guys, this will be the renewed fourth chapter. Many things will be filled out. More fun and perhaps a little more mature. I do hope that you guys like it.BTW, Have you watched the fifth installment of Harry Potter? Luck you guys. I will have to watch it on the 21st? Dam that leadership training.
DISCLAIMER: I would wish upon the brightest star to at least let me own Blaise and Draco but unfortunately the stars are far gone and the sun is rising. I would just like to tell you then I am not the owner of the said characters.
RECAP:
She walked to the fireplace and stated her destination out loud.
Hermione followed and waved. She said, "Zabini manor"
Hermione coughed after landing on the hard pavement. How she hated traveling by floo! Aside from the fact that she gets dirty, it makes her cough and sneeze.
She opened her eyes and wiped the soot from her blouse. What she saw made her gasp.
PRESENT:
Hermione had been only to a manor. But it was enough for her to have an idea that manors are basically for dark people who are afraid of the light. Ridiculous as it seems, why would a person want a dark surroundings with their windows shut and oak doors locked?
Truth to be told, she expected the Zabini manor to be dark and cold just like the Potion's dungeons are. But she was surprised to see a very warm and welcoming place for her to stay.
Her mother was reading a book in the armchair, patiently waiting for her to arrive.
Isabella (Mrs. Zabini) looked up and saw Hermione.
"Oh Hermione, you're here. I was so engrossed in this book that I didn't even notice you coming." She said standing up.
Hermione was about to step out of the fireplace when another being fell on top of her.
Hermione landed with a loud thud and opened her eyes to see who was on top of her.
Pale blond hair and penetrating gray eyes were looking directly at her brown ones.
"Hello Granger? Miss me?" Draco said, smirking.
"No and get of off me." Hermione said pushing Draco backwards.
"Tutu tut Granger. You are always in denial. Every girl would die for my 'oh so' hot presence and yet here you are pushing me away." Draco teased.
"Draco stop pestering my daughter." Isabella said well naturedly.
"Yes madame. Your wish is my command." Draco said playfully.
Draco stood up and brought out his handkerchief to wipe the soot of his face. Hermione did the same and waited for her newly found brother to come.
After a few minutes, Blaise came with sweat on his brow, silk sleeves sticking to his olive arms.
"What got you sweating dear?" Isabella said rushing to Blaise's side conjuring a towel.
"Its okay mum. It was just that Hermione's trunk was left unlocked and when I mishandled it, all of her belongings scattered on the floor. I had to put it back, properly and orderly mind you." Blaise said taking the towel his mother handed her.
"Sorry mate. I forgot to lock it. I guess." Draco said sheepishly all the while scratching his neck.
"Oh well, boys, Hermione, Follow me. I'll lead you to your room." Isabella said. She walked out of the room and the three followed quickly, with Blaise levitating the trunk.
Blaise and Draco were able to walk faster than Hermione who was observing and rather conversing with some of the paintings she passed by.
"So you are the daughter of my grandson, Gregory, I presume?" the old woman in the painting asked.
"Uhmm…Yes I am. I am Hermione Granger by the way." She said politely.
"Ooh, look here Griselda, My great granddaughter is the smartest witch of her age." The woman boasted to the other woman whose painting resides next to her.
"Rubella, remember she is my granddaughter too." The elegant woman known as Griselda said, fanning herself with an expensive emerald fan.
"Ooh, Hush Griselda. She is not exactly your granddaughter. I mothered her grandfather. You were just a relative." Rubella said haughtily.
The two women started bickering, thus waking up the other resting paintings.
Isabella was smiling all the way to her daughter's room.
"I am so happy. Even though I am aware that acceptance is not easy to give after what we've done, at least she gave us a chance."
She was just telling of the room's decoration when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Mom," Blaise started. "Hermione's not with us."
Isabella turned around and indeed there was no sign of Hermione following them.
"Where could she be then?" She inquired.
"Probably with old grandmother Rubella. She was always fond of talking to people new around here in the manor." Blaise responded thoughtfully.
"That old woman who had this feathery robes splattered with this rebellious orange and indignant shade of yellow?" Malfoy asked.
"Young man, you may be sarcastic but that was totally disrespectful." Isabella said furiously, but the twinkle in her eye betrayed her voice.
"Yes that old woman. Now we better go before Hermione be scarred for life from grandmother's egotistical remarks over Grandmother Griselda." Blaise said hurrying to find her sister.
"Zabini and his grandmothers." Malfoy muttered.
All of them rushed to the second staircase from the left wing and found Hermione covering her ears from the continuous screaming match going on.
"Mother!" Isabella said, halting the banters.
"Isabella dearie, you better separate my painting from this arrogant old hag here." Griselda said pointing over Rubella's painting.
"Oh hush both of you. You are old enough to know that shouting is improper. That is what we call manners." She said ending the conversation. Blaise grabbed Hermione's wrist and lead her to her room.
"Sorry for that Hermione. Mother is always like that, picking a fight over Auntie Griselda." Isabella said, ushering her to the opened door. What Hermione saw was a very bare room except for the blinding white wallpaper and two oak doors on the right side.
"We left it undecorated dear. We want you to decorate it as you like. You can do it magically or perhaps if you want, the muggle way. All the paint and decorating paraphernalia are all in the shed downstairs. Blaise call Thirdie would you if you need anything." Isabella explained.
"Yes mother." Blaise said.
"I'll be in the kitchen if you need anything." Isabella said walking out of the room.
Hermione thanked her and looked at her room. It was painted in white with no furniture.
"Hermione, mother and father thought that if you decide to do this muggle way, it'll be better to put the furnishings after decorating to avoid vandalizing it with paint. So how will we do it?" Blaise explained.
"Muggle way." Hermione said smiling at her new found brother.
"Thirdie?" Blaise called.
An elf appeared then.
"Master Blaise called Thirdie sir?" the elf questioned.
"Yes Thirdie. Would you bring all the muggle decorating paraphernalia here? And call Flimsy and ask her to put some old stools here." Blaise ordered.
"Right away master. Thirdie get the paraphiphie sir." Thirdie said and with a snap disappeared.
"Paraphiephie?" Draco said cracking up. Blaise joined in and both of them were laughing hysterically minutes later.
"It's not their fault that they weren't educated properly." Hermione defended.
"Oh stop that spew thingy again it makes me..." Draco said.
"Its SPEW not spew. You make it sound like a word when it is an acronym. Sometimes I think that you and Ron are the same in many ways." Hermione interrupted.
"Don't you ever compare me to that weasel." Draco replied, narrowing his eyes.
Hermione did not respond but brought out her wand from her pocket. She started twiddling it on her fingers but appeared to be in deep thought though.
Silence reigned and even Draco who was unusually quiet just conjured a small bean bag and plopped down.
The silence was deafening, though it was interrupted by four soft pops.
"Thirdie is sorry master. Thirdie can't not bring paraphiephies alone so Thirdie called Fourthie, Flimsy and tipsy to help Thirdie sir." Thirdie apologized, bowing his head.
"It's okay Thirdie. Just leave it there and you may go." Blaise instructed the house elf.
"Yes master." Thirdie replied. He set down the cans of paint and other materials he was holding, the other three following suit.
After setting it down, the four elves disappeared.
"Any designs you have in mind Hermione?" Blaise asked walking towards his sister.
"Hmm…I'm thinking of charming of black, pink and white. It is kind of neutral yet with a tint of girlish side. And then the ceiling, I was thinking of charming them to flash different pictures and yet it may switch from the sun to the stars at night depending on the time." Hermione said thoughtfully.
"Sounds cool. I might do that to my room's ceiling." Blaise said, smiling at his sister.
"So how will we do it?" Draco said casually, standing up from his previous position.
"You're helping?" Hermione inquired, arching a brow.
"Well, my parents won't be getting me until dinner so might as well do something more productive." Draco responded, as if helping Hermione is a day to day thing.
Hermione nodded. "He's got a point."
"So back to Draco's question, how?" Blaise said.
"Hmm…perhaps we should first cover the floor with cloth, so the paint won't go directly to it. Then start with the walls. Paint it all black then put the finishing touches of pink and white." Hermione replied thoughtfully.
"How about the ceiling?" Draco said, bringing out his wand from his pockets.
"We'll do that later." Hermione replied. She bent over her trunks and got out three large white shirts. She handed one to Blaise, one to Draco and proceeded to put the other on herself.
"What are these for?" Blaise said, pointing to the shirt.
"Well, we wouldn't want to stain our clothes now do we?" She said.
Draco and Blaise nodded and proceeded to put on the shirt. Draco walked over to the laid materials and picked dup a brush. He examined it then asked, "How do we use this?"
Blaise replied, "We dip it on the can of paint and start spreading the acquired amount of paint on to our desire places evenly."
Hermione was surprised of Blaise's knowledge on using muggle objects. Not only about the brush but he also knew the basics like toothbrush, alarm clocks, televisions and such.
"And you know this how?" Draco asked looking at Blaise.
"I took Muggle Studies since fifth year." Blaise said shrugging his shoulder.
'That's why.' Hermione thought.
"Let's get started shall we?" Blaise asked, as he started to open all cans of paint.
Hermione walked over to the table holding all materials and picked the roller brush. She dipped it in black paint and started painting the walls.
Blaise did the same thing and started on the opposite side. Draco who was still examining the brushes dipped one to the can of pink paint. He got and idea and smirked.
"Hey Blaise?" Draco called.
Blaise who was just about to dip his roller for the second time looked questioningly at his best mate.
"Yes Dra---" He said but was interrupted by a feeling of brush running up his skin.
Draco quickly backed away and laughed. Hermione who was watching the whole scene laughed too.
Blaise was surprised. But being the Slytherin he was, he smirked and dipped his roller again. Since his roller was long enough to reach Draco, he rubbed the black paint on Draco's pale skin.
"The fuck Blaise?" Draco said, pointing at his now black arm.
"Revenge my boy." Blaise said turning back.
Draco sneered at him. He thought it was funny to see Blaise with paint but what he didn't expect was for him to retaliate. He figured that he will just clean that later and started painting the room together with the twins.
Half an hour later, the walls who was a blinding shade of white before was now as dark as night sky. Blaise wiped the sweat on his forehead.
"How about the decorations?" Blaise asked.
"We'll use different type of patterns. It's good to have swirl curves at the bottom then stars on the center. It will look simple yet elegant." Hermione replied.
Before Blaise could even say something, a can of yellow and green paint were levitated and flunk to them. They were soaked and all Draco could no was snigger.
Hermione touched her hair and felt the stickiness on it. She looked up, her eyes narrowed in slits. She saw Draco laughing, his back turned against her. She grabbed the nearest can of paint near her, which happens to be a flaming color of hot pink, and walked quietly to him.
Draco who was too busy imagining how Hermione's face looked like was oblivious to hear that Hermione was just a breath away from him.
Hermione slowly brought the can north and poured all of its contents on Draco's pale blonde hair.
Draco turned around at once and grabbed his brush. He dipped it and brushed it against Hermione's white shirt.
"Now you've done it." Hermione declared grabbing bottled paints. The paint war started then. Hermione charmed the walls and protected it from any paints from the fight.
After an hour, all of them ended up covered in paint. Their clothes and dripping from various colors. They looked at one another, and laugh.
Hermione clutched her stomach and sat down.
"I didn't know being with the infamous Slytherin git can be fun." Hermione said.
"Oh its fun. Especially when he does stupid things. There was this one time that he tried to jump behind the chair and land on it, he ended up hurting his nuts. And his pale face, Merlin! It was as purple as prune." Blasie reminisces.
Hermione laughs while Draco muttered something under his breath. Hermione looked at him and started laughing again.
Maybe being a Zabini wasn't bad after all.
MUX: Sorry for the long update. This is not a beta-ed chapter. ( Sad really. But sorry for the wait. I am so busy. With duties and homeworks, I am bound to get too loaded. But anyway, here it is. Next chapter would probably consists of the Ball preparations. )