The Debutante Ball

A fanfiction novel by sizzleberrylicious

Chapter Seven

x x x x x x x x x x

Hermione pushed her potatoes around her plate with her fork. She didn't feel like eating, and the noise in the Great Hall was giving her an excessive headache.

"I'm going to the library to finish up my homework," Hermione stated as she got out of her seat. "I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"Bye, 'Mione," Harry smiled. Hermione smiled back before taking off from the Great Hall.

x x x x x x x x x x

Draco stared after Hermione as she left the Great Hall. He turned to Pansy. "Have you seen Zabini, Pans?"

Pansy shook her head. "No, I haven't. I haven't seen him all day. He's been looking rather sickly lately," she said, giving him a pointed look when he flinched. "Do you have anything to do with that, Draco?"

Draco sighed in defeat. "Pans, he was licking her fucking ear at three in the morning!! What did you expect me to do? I already told him to back off, but that git's just so stubborn."

"What exactly did you do? He did look pretty beat up, and you came to breakfast with a bleeding lip. What happened?"

"We.. duelled."

"WHAT?! Draco, you know how dangerous that is?! Both of you could've been seriously hurt, or killed!! I don't know the full extent of Blaise's defense against the dark arts, but I know enough to know that he's a tough match, Draco. He could've hurt you badly."

"Well, he didn't. All he gave me was a headache and a bleeding lip. But I showed him who was in charge here, and who Hermione belonged to."

"Draco, you know how I don't encourage all this duelling. It's awful," Pansy frowned.

'I'm sorry, Pans, I just couldn't let myself walk away after seeing him do that to her," Draco said, banging his fist on the table. Several Slytherin first years glanced up at him with frightened expressions, only to be met with a menacing scowl. "I'm going. See you."

Draco grabbed his book bag, got out of his seat, and left the Great Hall.

x x x x x x x x x x

Hermione walked briskly through the Astronomy Tower doors. She was taking a short cut to the library which she discovered from Harry's infamous Marauder's Map. I guess that map isn't all that bad -

Hermione stopped. She had heard something moving in a dark corner of the Astronomy Tower. She whipped out her wand and turned around slowly in a circle. "Who's there? Show yourself!"

"Relax, Granger, I don't bite," Blaise stated as he stepped out from the shadows, a smirk etched on his handsome features. "Unless you want me to."

Hermione blinked. Blaise? Oh, good Lord.

"What do you want, Zabini?"

"Just your delightful presence, Granger. Why, are you scared?" he breathed down her neck. Hermione leaped forward. Oh my bloody Merlin!! How did he do that?!!

"Gods, Zabini, don't do that again!" Hermione warned, breathing heavily. Blaise smirked and advanced on her.

"Really, Granger, you're so jumpy," he said. "But I like my women like that."

Hermione scrunched her nose. His women?!! "Excuse me, Zabini, but I'm NOT your woman. No one has the right to take claim of me as such!! I'm not a rag doll you can just toy with, you know."

"Oh, Granger, but you are to me," he said, indigo eyes glinting mischievously. "A beautiful, golden rag doll.. I'd play with you all day if I could."

"Zabini, you can stop that RIGHT NOW, it doesn't have the slightest effect on me," Hermione said quickly, lifting her chin an inch, ignoring the funny sensation that ran down the length of her spine and up again. This isn't right..

"Oh, really, Granger?" Blaise whispered, getting dangerously close to her. "So if I kissed you, you wouldn't feel anything?"

"N-no," Hermione stuttered, backing away. "Just disgust."

"Would you like to try?"

Hermione's eyes widened as Blaise advanced on her and crashed his lips down onto hers. She let out a muffled scream, her arms flailing about, hitting him wherever she could reach. How dare he!! That.. that.. ohhhhh.. Strangely, another part of her.. enjoyed the kiss. After several moments, Hermione gave up and gave in, her eyelids fluttering shut.

Just at that moment, Blaise broke away, smirking, licking his lips. Hermione furrowed her brow, her eyes still shut. "Mhmm..?"

"I know you want me, Granger," Blaise drawled, lazily running a finger down her cheek. Hemione's eyes burst open and she took a giant step back.

"You're just so full of yourself, Zabini!" she spat, blushing furiously. "Why in Merlin's name, would I want you, of all people?"

Blaise's smirk widened. "Because I'm me, Granger. And no one can resist Blaise Armadegon Zabini. It's a tragedy I'm forced to pay for being beautiful."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You know, Zabini, for someone so full of yourself, you've no idea how to woo women."

"Ahh, not women, Granger. Just you," Blaise said, pressing his lips against hers once again. Hermione was boiling with fury. Hermione let out scream after muffled scream, panicking.

Suddenly, the door to the Astronomy Tower banged open, and a furious Draco Malfoy stormed up to them. Blaise's eyes widened and he broke away quickly, wiping his lips with his sleeve. "Whoa, Malfoy, man! It's not what it looks like-"

CRUNCH.

"Merlin, Malfoy!" Blaise cried, his voice thick, clutching his bleeding, broken nose. Draco snarled at him, wiping his bloodied knuckles on his robes. He took out his wand and muttered, "Incarcerous!"

Thick lengths of rope flew out of the tip of Draco's wand and wound their way tightly around Blaise's body, tying a dead knot at the end. "Malfoy-"

"Stupefy!"

Blaise went rigid.

Satisfied, Draco turned to Hermione with a look of pure concern. "Are you alright, Granger? Did he hurt you?"

"N-no, I'm fine," Hermione said. She cracked a smile. He was concerned about me.. "Thanks, Malfoy."

"If he so much as touches you again, tell me, okay?"

Hermione furrowed her brow, but nodded slowly. "Urhm, alright."

"Good."

Draco leaned in and grazed his lips lightly against hers before turning on his heel and striding towards the door. Hermione lifted a finger to her lips and stood there, shock still.

"Wait! Malfoy!" she called, just as he reached for the doorknob. He stopped, but didn't turn around.

"Er.. What do I do with Zabini?"

Hermione could see Draco tense visibly. "Leave him. Someone'll find him eventually," he snarled before throwing open the door and gliding out, his robes billowing behind him.

Hermione frowned. She couldn't just leave him there.. Could she? Hermione sighed and muttered the counter-spells, releasing Blaise from his Stupefied state and rope bind. He narrowed his eyes at her. "Why did you help me?"

"I.. I don't k-know," Hermione mumbled. "I couldn't just.. leave you there, r-right?"

"I suppose not."

Hermione bit her lip nervously. "Urhm, well.. See you," she muttered before rushing out the door, leaving an amused Blaise behind.

x x x x x x x x x x

Disclaimer: Read Chappiter Six's!!

Author's Note: I'm dreadfully sorry that this chappiter is so awfully short. guilty look But I've developed a slight writer's block for this chappiter. I've already got Chappiter Eight halfway done, though, so no worries.

Thanks to my reviewers!!! Abby, Danusha, Imagination Vs Reality, oneamsoundstage, cute-angel4eva, WinnieThaPoo92, dracoisthesexiestmanalive, Miss Loh, Gueneviere, and BA de Danone!!!

Abby: YES, Abby, THANKYOU for your generous beta-ing. xD

Danusha: Danuuu!! You FINALLY managed to review!! I thought I'd have to wait till I was old, bald, and crippled before I got a single word out of you. Loll. Thanks!!

Imagination Vs Reality: Thanks!!

oneamsoundstage: She's not really contemplating Blaise. She's more of.. er.. thinking what the hell is going on. Erm. Nevermind. I'm not making the slightest bit of sense. D Don't worry, everything will be explained in the following chappiters, I hope.

cute-angel4eva: Thankyou!!

WinnieThaPoo92: Blaise is hawt!! Well, he's supposed to be. I haven't actually, er, seen his picture. o.O" Whoops. Well, he's hot in this fic, so there. xD JKR put all the hot guys in Slytherin coz they're supposed to be bad boys. And bad boys, as always, are always hawt and dangerously edgy. Haha. Alright, I'll stop ranting about the hotness of - Aggh!! Haha, thanks for the Ginny thing. I wanted her to be totally boy-crazy, so she's not actually listening properly to whatever 'Mione was saying. xD

dracoisthesexiestmanalive: Thanks! Uhrm, well, I thought that it would be an appropriate place to stop, seeing as what I was gonna write next would've been more suitable in the next chappiter. Uhm. Yeah. Sorry!!

Miss Loh: Ai Lin!! You're not helping my case!! And no more peeking at my Chappiter Sketches, you!! xP

Gueneviere: I know, I know. Throwing in the Unforgivables was mad, but that just goes to show how far gone they are, right? And, er, let's just say that Dumbledore doesn't want anything to do with this hormonal teenage love triangle going on.. ;) Ginny would look cute with Blaise, though, wouldn't she? x

BA de Danone: FOUR chapters?!! Ahaha!! Thankyouus!! You're so nice. x

Yups, that's about it. Thanks again to everyone who reviewed!! I'm sorry if you're name's not mentioned here if you reviewed, it's probably coz I already posted up the chappiter. ." Sorry again!!

Ttfn, 'sizzleberrylicious. Muaxx, sweets! ♥