Right, quick Author's Note. This story has officially branched off from the canon, due to certain character and event differences. So, disregard anything from the plot of the newest book, and enjoy!

Chapter 19:

Study Sessions and Drunken Men

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Panic. Pure, unadulterated panic.

Blaise paced back and forth in the room wildly, causing his mirror to call out suggestions of various medicines to calm him down, or at least tranquilize him.

Why, you may ask, was Blaise put into such a state of…frenzy?

Because, word on the grapevine was that Terry Boot had recently expressed the desire to have a study session with Hermione. And to a Ravenclaw a "study session" meant serious snogging while discussing changing inter-species policy in the Wizarding world.

Needless to say, that was something Blaise did not want to happen.

'Really,' Blaise reasoned, pausing in his insanity, 'It's not as if he's better looking than me.'

Turning to his mirror, he closely examined his face.

"Honey, you are the most attractive thing I've ever seen…except maybe for that little blonde boy that lives here. But really when it comes right down to it, I like my men to be men, you know? Not that I wouldn't-"

Blaise shuddered and stepped away from the blabbering glass. Nearly sprinting out the door and then out of the Common Room, he failed to notice the figure in front of him looking quite lost. This, of course, resulted in him crashing rather unceremoniously into said figure.

Blaise winced at the obvious thump of a body hitting the stone floor. Lifting himself painstakingly off of the prone form of an unknown student, he brushed the settling dust off of his robes. On finding that he wasn't worse for the wear, he offered a hand to his victim.

"Sorry about that mate, I was in a rush. Normally I wouldn't bowl over people like that. Especially not you, Ph- erm…Liam? No, that's not right. Um…" He squinted at the other boy as if that would bring into focus a name sewn on the other's collar.

This was just his luck. No, really. Innocently walking down the corridor, trying to find the bloody way out of the blasted dungeons, and some prick knocks him over. Now, how is that fair?

And now, Colin fumed, the git couldn't even remember his name!

Honestly, how rude.

Colin shook his head wearily, today just wasn't his day.

"Colin," he interjected, "My name's Colin. Colin Creevey?" At seeing the blank look on Blaise's face he continued, "Gryffindor 5th Year? Photographer-"

"Oh," Blaise interrupted, quite rudely in Colin's opinion. "You're the bloke that stalks Potter-"

"Stalked," Colin stressed loudly, "I am no longer in the business of photographing Mr. Potter, thank you very much."

He huffed extravagantly; some people these days…

Blaise nodded and glanced at his watch while semi-listening to Colin ramble on about the injustice heaped upon noble photogra-whatevers.

'9:15…Wonder if he's still awake at this hour. Hmm…oh well,' he grinned manically, 'I'll just have to wake Sleeping Beauty up…'

Eyes focusing, Blaise snapped out of his reverie and cleared his throat to get Colin's attention.

"Sorry mate, I've got places to be- hence me running into you in my haste." He paused for breath, "I really do have to dash now."

"Where to?"

Blaise stiffened and then relented with a shrug.

"Ravenclaw Common room."

Colin raised one eyebrow suspiciously.

'Why on Earth would Zabini go there at,' he paused and snuck a peek at his watch, '9:17 at night?'

"Why," Colin asked, "Why there?"

"Business." and "Terry Boot" were the only words that escaped Blaise's mouth before he sprinted off in a random direction hoping it led the way to that git Boot.

Colin gazed after him slack-jawed.

Who knew, he mused, that Blaise Zabini and Terry Boot were an item?

'Hmm,' he thought gaily, 'I'll go chat up Hermione, she might find this interesting…'

Hermione fell backwards onto her bed, sending Crookshanks spitting from the room.

"You're sure then."

Colin paused from his investigation of the girl's dormitory and nodded before getting up and rummaging through Parvarti's trunk.

"So," she muttered, "Blaise Zabini is in passionate gay love with Terry Boot. I never would have guessed…"

Colin looked back at her guiltily as he shoved a piece of lingerie behind his back, "I know, it's shocking, isn't it? A Slytherin and a Ravenclaw…together."

The bushy-haired girl hauled herself up and shrugged, "Bl-Zabini never struck me as the type to-"she trailed off glaring at the silky pink material poking out from behind the younger boy's back.

"Colin…" she warned with a growl.

Sighing, he replaced the item in Parvarti's trunk, "Just a souvenir, really…"

"Right," she grumbled while pointing at the door. "Lovely visit, thanks for the gossip."

He smiled, pulled out his trusty camera and snapped a few photos of the room.

"Proof for the guys, you know?"

She rolled her eyes and proceeded to force him out of the room and down the staircase, "No Colin, I do not know."

Glancing around wildly, Blaise let out a groan as he realized that he was completely and utterly lost.

It shouldn't be so hard to find the Ravenclaw Common Room, Blaise decided while sinking wearily to the stone floor. Really, by all rights it should be next to the library seeing as how Ravenclaw's liked books so much. But no, nothing was ever easy for him.

He snorted at the mere thought.

Blaise directed his gaze upward and whispered obscenities at the ceiling. Noting a moment later that doing so did not improve his current situation, he proceeded to slam his head into the wall he was leaning against repeatedly.

"What in the blazes are you doing, Zabini?"

Blaise looked up startled at a baffled Professor Flitwick and slowly stopped abusing his head.

Standing he answered, "I don't quite know, sir."

The short man paused in his fidgeting, he never was one for public speaking or speaking in general to Slytherins, and eyed the boy curiously.

"Well then, off with you-"

"Professor," Blaise interjected smoothly, "I meant I don't know where I'm going. I'm looking for Terry Boot, you see. We were supposed to study Arithmancy together and he never showed…"

"Oh," Flitwick hesitated and then with an oh-sod-it-all expression bustled down the corridor.

"I can show you-granted I'm changing the password after you leave, hear me?"

"Yes sir." Blaise scrambled to his feet and hurried after the Professor.

Professor Flitwick slowed to a walking pace and pointed at a portrait of an extremely drunk man serenading a wall.

"Here's our stop. Lonauld's Brandy."

The man in the portrait huffed indignantly and turned to face Flitwick, "Do you mind, I happen to be busy at the moment."

"Sorry." Snapped Flitwick in a clipped tone, clearly still upset at Blaise's intrusion into his schedule.

Blaise hoisted himself into the Common Room and threw a half-hearted thank you at the already hurrying off Professor.

"I'm changing the password," was Flitwick's answer, shouted from 50 feet down the corridor.

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