A/N: Oh the pain! The headaches! The…rewrites. But no. I'm waaaaay too lazy for that. See, I looked up a list of canon Slytherins for a list of Slytherin girls featured below. And guess what I found out? That's right! There are two people, CANON people in Alex/Blaise/Draco's year that I haven't even brought up! Theodore Nott, 4th year and Adrian Pucey, 4th year. :sob: Well, Adrian, at least, I have an excuse for(as long as you don't mind her being female). Theo though. No clue. Maybe I'll just make him older/younger?

I dunno. I may actually just ignore this. As I said lazy.

On that note, I'm actually surprised I finished this like I did. See I was working from 10 am to 5 pm Saturday and from 3:30 pm to 11 pm Sunday…after going to church until 12:30 pm. So all my writing time went away mostly. Icky. Really. But I did it.

Oh, also, I just realized in the last chapter I mess up big time. I said that the ancient runes classroom was an inside room without windows, then I say there's a window. Yeah I suck. :shrug:

Since the dawn of time, when fire was a sign of wealth and verbal communication barely existed man has found himself eternally on one search. One quest. A quest to find the perfect woman. And whether this is a "soul mate" or just a female of the right physical proportions to bear his children the search has been never ending. And the problem that has plagued man the most is that once they find this female how do they keep her.

But this was not Blaise's problem.

Blaise just needed a date to a dance.

Blaise might as well have been searching for a soul mate. Oy, his head hurt.

Blaise ran a tired hand through his hair and stared dispassionately at the sheets of parchment spread out on the table. Lists, all of them. Lists of all the girls in Slytherin. Lists proclaiming his doom.

But he would not be angry with Alex. He absolutely wouldn't! It wasn't her fault her decision to go with Draco made his life miserable. With another sigh Blaise turned back to the lists.

7th Years

Tara Cromwell

Raquel Smith

Julia Tyler

Veronica Asia

6th years

Alanna Jor

Janis C. Elissian

Raya C. Della

Stephanie Maxwell

5th years

Lucy Derrick

Cilia C. Warrington

Diana Winner

Nicolette Minamino

Terry Marquise

4th years

Alexandria Bellmonte

Millicent Bulstrode

Pansy Parkinson

Adrian Pucey

3rd years

Tania Dethart

Liana C. Montgomery

Laura C. Montgomery

Christina Asia

Rachel Ileum

Faith Cromwell

Okay then, Blaisey boy. Back to the top. Tara Cromwell.

"No way. She'd hurt me for even asking. Heck I think all of the seventh years would." A large tipped quill drew a thick line through the names in heavy black ink.

"Now then Sixth years I guess. Hmm…Alanna Jor?" Blaise thought hard, trying to do better than a vague image of red-ish blonde hair and washed out skin. Then he hit on it. "Oh yeah. That's Flint's girl. Flint the older rather. She's out. Janis C. Elissian…" he winced. "Hell no. C.Cromwell, just not from the Heir Line. Tara would hurt me. In fact all the Cromwells are under her protection now that the Twins have graduated. I think I'd better be safe and stay away."

And Janis C. Elissian, Raya C. Della, Cilia C. Warrington, Liana and Laura C. Montgomery went away. Then Faith Cromwell, first question of Tara by her father's sister. Actually, it suddenly struck him that he should go through and cross of all the girls he knew were unavailable. Alexandria Bellmonte, Millicent Bulstrode, Pansy Parkinson, Adrian Pucey(away this year, studying abroad) and Christina Asia(little sister of Veronica Asia, seventh year/mean).

Blaise felt his spirits begin to sink. Out of twenty three possibilities sixteen had already slipped through his fingers. That meant he only had seven girls left.

Ew.

"Umm, Stephanie Maxwell. Nope. Used to date Jorin Cromwell so she's probably under Cromwell protection. Lucy Derrick…eh heh. Ew. Diana Winner. Twitch. Crazy, strange child. Not that I should talk."

As he'd spoken the quill had been busy, leaving him with a measly four names. Of them all Tania somehow seemed the most appropriate. At least the most appealing.

Besides, Alex had had a point. If not him, then who? Well…Hunter. But that was wrong in many, many ways. A girl shouldn't have to tag along behind her older brother and no boy should have to take his sister on a date.

Ick.

He'd have to go ask the two older girls first but it looked like Tania was his one and only choice.

Blaise groaned. When had his life gotten so bad?

Alex stared critically at herself in the vanity mirror. She frowned and gave it a sudden, rough shove; flipping the dull, non-reflective side out to face her.

"They're afraid of you Lex."

She could almost hear the words Blaise would've said, had she confided in him. They only fanned the hurt into bitter anger. How could he do this to her!

"But you aren't, Blaise Zabini!" her voice quavered a little and she silenced it. Why couldn't I have just gone with you!

That thought instantly converted her anger into guilt. She didn't want to get in his way when Blaise dated, had tried her best to give him space when she could…she sniffled.

Alex slammed to her feet, grabbed a pillow and hurled it across the room. A snapped spell word brought it back at speed. Hugging the thick comfy thing she curled up against her other pillows on the bed.

Pansy paused outside the open door to her dorm and eyed Amazing Alex, curled up like a wounded animal on her four-poster.

"It's just an inconvenience." She muttered unconvincingly. "I am not jealous of Tania Dethart!"

It was at this moment that Pansy realized both that she hadn't been noticed and when she decided to change that.

"Unlikely. Your high and mighty bloodline bred such lowly emotions from your genetics centuries ago."

Alex, as a credit to her training probably, didn't jump though she did look up and meet Pansy's eyes.

"What's with the hostility, Pansy?"

She snorted. "Is your memory failing you Alex? You started it."

Alex didn't reply. Her lips compressed into a tight white line and her eyes dropped.

"So," Pansy broke the silence as she walked over to her closet, "why aren't we jealous of Tania Dethart?"

Alex yanked viciously at a stray curl. "She has a date to the bloody thing," she muttered, growling.

Pansy froze, a shiver of sympathy welling up. "Who's she going with?" she asked softly.

Alex hesitated then sighed tiredly. "Blaise Zabini."

"Ouch. Talk about betrayal."

"No, I…that is, he knows he can do what he wants."

"Leaving you in a lurch."

"I know." Alex's agreement was a whisper. "He's never done that before."

"Merlin." Pansy replied just a little too loudly. "Bloody socially acceptable pervert!"

Alex suddenly smiled. "You realize he'd probably kiss you for saying that?"

"Well, it's not like there'd be anyone to stop him." It came out bitter, but who cares?

Alex frowned. "What?"

"We're in the same boat, Bellmonte." She flashed an evil grin at the other girl.

"I take it that means you have a plan."

"Of course."

A silence stretched out until Alex lifted an eyebrow. "So, what will you be doing?"

Pansy sighed, frowned and settled her hands on her hips; turning to fully face her dorm mate. "Are you really sure you want to-"

She jerked to a halt as Alex cut her off. "If the words, 'someone like me' end up in that sentence…"

A deep silence, snapping with taut anger flared up.

"You'll what, Bellmonte?"

Alex sighed and tossed herself forward so she was lying, face down, on the bed. "You're one of us, Miss Parkinson. Your mother is vapidly obvious. Your father is an annoying oaf. But you have earned yourself a place…weather you like it or not."

For a brief moment Pansy looked gratified…a brief moment. "An interesting observation about my parents. I'm sure we'll have to continue this some other time but for now, you want to know my plan."

"I do."

The tired sunlight filtering through the thin windows bordering the ceiling lit her face as Pansy dropped onto the edge of her bed.

"Well, I plan to…persuade an escort out of the fifth years.

Alex snickered. "Donovan's boys?"

"Eddie, Charlie, Hunter and Miles…well and Mark. Wanna join me?"

"You think they can survive being double teamed?"

"They're Slytherins."

"They're boys."

"Point taken." Pansy bit her lip, still smiling. "We'll have to go slowly."

"So we have the who and how. Let's nail down the where and when."

A/N: Don't know if anyone noticed but, by the end, I was getting just a little desperate about the last names for the girls. Two separate and awesome anime are in there. Can anyone guess:grin:

Oh and yes, I know it's bad this week. Short etc. Sorry.