Chapter 24:

Slytherin Look-a-Like's and Squished Firsties

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Hermione sighed and rested her head on the table in the library. Madame Pince, she knew, wouldn't appreciate the extra dusting the table was getting, but she just couldn't help herself.

He had sat directly across from her, his dark hair falling haphazardly over his twinkling eyes sheltered by those long sooty lashes. Hermione had smiled, he was the very image of heaven on earth…and then he opened his mouth, and hell descended.

"Close your mouth, would you Granger? I'm attempting to concentrate…" Hermione frowned and sat upright glaring at the boy across from her doing a wiggling gesture with his wand. Damn that Terrence Higgs…he just had to look nearly identical to Zabini. Well, if one cocked their head and squinted really hard that is. But, Hermione huffed, their hair color! For the love of Merlin they both had that lovely dark brown hair that fell just so, and curled so that Hermione could imagine herself taking a strand and-

'Ahem. That is so very uncalled for, Hermione,' she told herself, taking a deep breath and counting to ten.

Turning back to the undeniably attractive ('Damn!') Slytherin, she pushed aside her books and slammed one petite fist on the table to attract his attention.

"Higgs! If I'm to tutor you, you will listen to me, or so help me I'll-"

Terence observed the Gryffindor with amusement and patted her hand consolingly, "Hang me up by my bits. We've been over this every week now, Granger. Don't you think it's time to put away the pleasantries and get down to business?"

Hermione glared, attempting to ignore the burning she could feel in her cheeks, "I wasn't going to say that, Higgs," with a conceding sigh she waved a dusty tome at him, "Page 697, Cheering Charms."

He took the proffered book with a groan, "Bloody hell, Granger, that's third year stuff!"

Another glare, this one hinting at torture, met his protests, "You've got to review to pass your N.E.W.T.'s, Higgs. Why you would want to stick around here with us simpletons for any longer than you must is beyond me…"

Terrence gave her a boyish grin, and tossed an arm across her shoulders, "Must be the company, Granger."

Hermione frowned and blinked owlishly at his arm- he had been sitting across the table from her…hadn't he? She followed the arm with her eyes…there was the shoulder, neck, face…And goodness. He was next to her now, wasn't he?

A few tut's escaped her mouth as she gingerly slunk out of his grip, "Charms, remember Higgs?"

"Of course," he said with a wink and a flick of his wand, "Goodness knows you need a cheering charm yourself, Granger."

Even as the sensation of pure unadulterated giddiness came over her, Hermione's frown deepened to hide the effect the charm was having on her. Damn these Slytherins! Why the bloody hell were they flocking around her like they were? Couldn't they just call her 'Mudblood' and be done with it? All this flirting…it was simply too much. First Zabini, who she now acknowledged she was head over bloody heels in love- erm…like with, and now this bugger…

"Terrence Higgs…" she spit out his name like a deadly curse, and only realized she had said anything at his raised eyebrow and canceled cheering charm.

"Very good, Higgs, "she managed, refusing to look him in the eyes. "I've got something to do now, try practicing Summoning Charms next- page 538. See you."

Terence's upper lip twitched, Zabini was right about the Gryffindor…she was delectable, and amusing as well. This would merit further investigation. Perhaps he'd fail Potions this year too.

"I am a bloody bastard." Blaise chuckled bitterly and tossed the book he was holding at a nearby first year, "No," he corrected himself, "He is a bloody bastard."

"Oh Blaise, "he mocked in a falsetto voice, his impression of Higgs, "I've noticed you've been hanging around Granger lately. I heard she's smart, think she'd tutor me?"

"Of course, "his interpretation of his own voice, deep and quite manly, came out while his navy eyes rolled. "She's smart, sure. And I can't get enough of her-bloody hell!"

Throwing himself down on the leathery couch, he bent over and began to vent at the carpet.

"Bloody Higgs. Bloody Granger. Damn, why does she have to be so-"With a frustrated cry, he launched himself back into the cushions.

The timid first year, now thoroughly squished by Spells and Sorcerers: Volume 1, shakily stuck out a quill and shook it weakly in an attempt to catch the older boy's attention.

"Sorry sir, I don't quite need all that. Um…just what you think about the new Professor would suffice for my column-"

Blaise's lips quirked up into a smirk, Andrew Sniggle ("First Rate reporter for your brand new Hogwarts Journal!") was certainly less bothersome with the 26 pounds of dusty paper-bound fiction on top of him. But still…that talking was quite tiring. Maybe another 15 pounds of so would do the trick- and so Seeking Parsnips and Porcupines was tossed onto the pile of literature and annoying boy, its sharp edges digging most uncomfortably into the child's liver.

Getting up from the couch and moseying to the dormitory stairs, Blaise tossed Wildebeests and Wine: the Must-Read Guide to Safaris in Wine Country onto the unfortunate first year, just for good measure.

"Thanks for the chat, Sniggle. By the way, I think the new Professor is just dandy." With an unusual giggle and flip of his hair, Blaise trounced up the stairs, mood now quite elevated, thank you very much.

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