Summary: Looking at her, he thought that the war heroine needed a savior. "I'm not a hero." Hermione said in a choked voice. "In fact, I don't even know who I am anymore." "I'm here for you. If that helps." "You know what… I decided not to be Hermione Granger anymore. So you better move fast and confirm the rumor that the missing heiress, Amelia Jane Zabini is back." A grin crossed his face as she stood up in a regal fashion showing every bit of a pureblood that she really is.
From a different Angle
iloveapplejuice
Max wasn't particularly happy with his current situation, thinking that it was really giving him the bad image. He thought that a man could only take as much of an embarrassment for a girl. And to think that the circumstance would have been quite funny if Blaise or even Potter were in his postion. But no. He was, in fact, the one standing outside the changing room for girls in a dress shop that were full of Hogwarts students, all trying to steal glances at students and their mothers. And, oh goodness… they were giggling. He hated giggling. It was silly and very much annoying. He wanted to whip out his wand and hex those girls who were all whispering and pointing at him like he wasn't able to neither hear them nor see them from where he was stationed. Ten freaking steps away from them. Bloody hell. Nonetheless, even though he was really itching to snap, Max remained silent and unmoving from where he was standing while holding on to a hanger that draped a white long gown.
"Why are you holding it like that, Max? You look like an idiot." A lady emerged from the other cubicle opposite him and he just cringed at her condescending tone. It was like preschool all over again.
"It might get wrinkled mother." Looking at the gown he was holding a good arm length away from his body, Max thought that he did looked like an idiot. He placed a spell on the dress so it would hang on air on its own. Ah, the beauty of being of legal age.
"Amelia, are you done my dear?" Now, why wouldn't her mother use that kind of sweet voice to him? "I'm sure you'll look absolutely wonderful in any of these dresses in this shop but I still think that a ball gown would be more appropriate. I could send an owl to Valentino if you'd like. Max owns a suit that matches the newest design of Valentino, wouldn't that be lovely?" He wanted to grown, knowing fully well what her mother was hinting on. She wanted him to be the heiress's escort for the ball.
Hermione went out of the cubicle that Max was standing beside. She was wearing a dark blue haltered, floor length gown and her hair fell down her back in soft curls due to their earlier trip to the salon on her mother's insistence.
"Uhm, I don't really think that my coming out party should be such a big deal Madame Aurelius. It hardly warrants a Valentino." Uh-oh, Max cringed again, remembering the time when Pansy Parkinson said that her mother's hat was blue, when it fact, it was a cerulean.
"Darling…" The emphasis. Max heard the emphasis! "You're a Zabini, and I don't think that your mother would appreciate it if you wore a gown that was hanged in this store after it's been out in the market for half a year." Celestia Aurelius patted Hermione's cheek with a smile on her face and sashayed her way to the counter to purchase her items, sales ladies scurrying to assist her.
Max was still looking straight ahead, fearing that if he looked at Mia, she would just kill him with her eyes for convincing her ( begged her to be more precise ) to spend the day with him and his mother.
"I'm sorry if I offended your mother Max. I didn't mean it. I'm just not too big with fashion. I'll apologize to her right away." Hermione was clutching his sleeve like a little girl that it made him smile. Cute sister, this Blaise Zabini has. He turned his head to look at her and told her not to worry about it saying that his mother would get over it as soon as she saw the latest designer handbag that was currently being displayed at the center table. She laughed and punched his arm.
Max thought about being one of The Knights. Hermione was a very reluctant princess, thinking that Wizarding England was fine on its own without the royal family. He thought of the same too. Well, he thought of the same things too… now. When he was younger he thought of how brave and honorable it would be to become one of The Knights. The adventures he would encounter, oh how he prayed for them every night thinking how wonderful and exciting it would be to defend the next ruler of his nation. But the mistake lies within his thinking. It wasn't his nation. It was everybody's.
During the war, he thought that what better way to prove his worth than to fight against the wrong side. But he became stuck. Where was the wrong side?
He didn't know.
The Knights were created to protect and serve the heirs to the throne. But what if the heiress and the heir didn't want the throne? He didn't know why they didn't want it. With such power, they could do so many good things to people.
He stole a glance at Hermione as they entered a restaurant to eat their lunch. This girl is not only holding the highest position a woman could have but she has the brains to manipulate things into doing well for the people. Oh bollocks, I'm sounding like a Gryffindor. Must be Potter's fault. No, not really. He always thought that serving the people for the common good is the most honorable thing a gentleman can do. Well, considering the fact that his lineage traces back to one of the Five Good Emperors of Rome, it was no wonder how golden his intentions were. Damn, this is getting weirder by the moment. I'm not that soft, am I?
His latest thought however was disproved, when he remembered that The Knights were already in action.
They were going to bring down the Ministry.
"Don't look so glum Max, Mia doesn't like it." Blaise took his arm and excused themselves for a while as soon as Max and Hermione along with Mrs. Marie Aurelius found the Zabini's booth. Max looked at Hermione and saw that she was frowning at him. He smiled at her but he wasn't sure she saw it because Blaise dragged him across the restaurant, passing the other booths and gaining curious stares as to why such a built young man was being pushed by a smaller and leaner boy. It wasn't that Blaise was small, but it was because Max was just built for what you would call, combat.
"What is it?" Max removed Blaise's hand and gave him a curious but serious stare.
"Are you courting Mia?"
"No." He answered plain and simple. A Knight does not have any right to have any kind of romantic relationship with an heiress. Well, if you were the First Knight who serves directly beside, not directly under mind you, the King, or in this case, the soon-to-be-King, if you request to be wed to the female heir of the throne then it shall be granted in the condition of the engagement bequest you can present. As of now, The Knights that awere chosen haven't reached yet the rank of being First Knight.
"Do you like her?" Blaise narrowed his eyes at him and he felt the annoyance creeping up on him.
"No."
They stared at each other for a while, weighing the truthfulness of each other. Finally, Max smiled and said, "But my mother seems to think that it would be grand to have Mia as her daughter-in-law so that she could parade to all of England that she got to be the Empress Dowager."
They both laughed.
But Blaise immediately stopped. "What?"
"Well… if I married Mia, she gets to be the Queen and I her, King… not you. Mia is the legitimate heir after all. You know the rules Blaise, the female offspring gets to sit in the throne. Anyway, it's not that I'm going to marry her or anything… I'd be dead before I could even propose to her. See… just talking about Mia's hand in marriage, and the devil appears." Max smirked as Draco Malfoy entered the restaurant and made his way towards the Zabini's booth.
"Look mate, you don't have to worry about me fancying your sister alright? I'm seeing her not as a girl I could date but like a little sister as well."
Blaise just nodded and turned his back on Max. He didn't even grin like he used to, and that was what worried Max.