Chapter 15:

Revenge Seeking Walls and Claustrophobia

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The world, Hermione decided, was out to get her- and not to take her out for a pleasant picnic and a frolic in the daisies. No, the world wanted to shove said daises in her mouth and force her to eat them along with a few hundred pounds of dirt.

Needless to say, Hermione was a wee bit upset. Her evening had started just lovely, what with Blaise taking her on a walk and all. But then, when she had begun to stop suspecting an evil Slytherin plot to take over her mind in order to contact aliens, the night went from splendid to plain awful.

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Flashback

Hermione fidgeted with the edge of her sleeve and glanced up at Blaise for the 14th time in ten minutes.

'Now really,' she fumed inwardly, 'he asks me on a walk and then stares out a window for ten minutes. How completely and utterly rude. Honestly…'

Hermione sighed and leaned against the wall next to the obviously more-fascinating-than-her window.

"About that walk…" She trailed off, seeing his attention was still nowhere near her or the possibility of exercise in the near future.

"Right then," she turned on her heel and stalked down the corridor in the direction of the Gryffindor common room. Or at least she meant to. Unfortunately her progress was halted by a certain wall…a certain enchanted wall.

Yes, the singing wall had returned for…soda! But after the house-elves wouldn't give him any (no mouth, you know), he settled for…revenge! Revenge on the human with a bush on her head for interrupting his show of extreme talent.

Stupid humans…thought they ruled the world, but no, they didn't own him- which he proved by encasing the bush-headed human in a corner. He, of course, was forced to bend a bit to keep her in, but she needed to be taught a lesson. A very long and uncomfortable lesson.

Hermione stumbled backward as a wall appeared in front of her. Frowning, she turned to walk around it and was stopped by yet another wall. Now practically foaming from the mouth with anger, she whipped out her wand and threw a spell at the obstacle. Sadly, enchanted walls, as anyone studying enchanted walls is aware of, are impervious to magic.

Rebuffed, Hermione tossed aside her wand and threw herself at the stone.

Beating her fists on the surface, she shouted at the top of her lungs.

"Zabini, you idiot! Get me out of this bloody box!"

Blaise looked up startled at the sudden intrusion of his thoughts. Where was he again?

In a whirl he suddenly remembered why he was in a random hallway- he was on a walk…with Hermione.

Blaise glanced around the deserted corridor wildly; she was here, wasn't she? Not finding the girl in question, he shoved his hands in his pockets and wandered aimlessly down the hall before crashing rather clumsily into an oddly placed wall.

"There's never been a wall there before…" He pulled out his wand and poked at the stone warily.

More muffled shouts came from inside the stone cage. Blaise scrunched up his face trying to understand why someone would ask for a purple fish.

All of a sudden he was struck with a thought out-of-the-blue. What if that someone was Hermione?

His jaw dropped as the possibility became reality when intelligible yells manifested themselves.

"Zabini, I am going to…" The voice trailed off and then could be heard again with sobs mixed in. "Why is this happening to me? Stupid wall!"

There was a loud thud as Hermione kicked the wall to no avail.

"Hermione?" He tapped the wall hesitantly. "Are you in there?"

When no response came, he repeated his question with increased volume.

"Of course I'm in here! For the love of Merlin get me out!"

Blaise raised his wand and tried to perform the same exact spell Hermione had earlier attempted.

"It's no use," he muttered to himself and proceeded to walk around the wall.

Tapping his foot to the chorus of 'Danny Boy', Blaise scratched his chin thoughtfully.

Blaise paused in his thoughts and looked up at the wall. "Excuse me, I'm trying to think. Do you mind not singing for a moment, Hermione?"

The wall recoiled in horror at the accusation of being that human-bush thing and fled down the corridor to wash out its non-existent ears.

Blaise smiled down at Hermione, who was currently rocking back and forth on the ground muttering something about Herbology, and offered her a hand.

Hermione looked up at the proffered hand with glazed eyes and grabbed it as if it were a life-line.

"Home, Zabini. Take me home. Now."

Blaise frowned at her death-grip of his hand, "Do you mean your common room?"

At her nod, he spoke again. "I don't think I know where that is-"

Hermione glared at him and he stuttered fearfully. "W-well, there are only so many places it can be…"

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