Blaise's head was spinning and he couldn't drag himself out of bed. He heard his fellow housemates get up and head to the Great Hall for breakfast but he wasn't hungry. He knew some of them asked him if he was coming too, and that he replied in the negative, but for the life of him he couldn't remember who had spoken to him or what he'd said.

As he heard the last of them leave, their footsteps echoing out the door of the common room, the sound fading, Blaise opened his eyes. Without the sounds for distraction he was afraid to have his eyes closed for fear of seeing her. With his eyes open he could at least concentrate on the ceiling, or gaze around the room, but with closed eyes he knew he'd only be able to think about Hermione Granger and her incredibly soft lips. That was what had kept him from sleeping all last night …

When they had kissed he had been annoyed with himself and his lack of self restraint and discretion. When he had begged her to stay, begged her to imagine him as someone else he had been disgusted with himself. He was still disgusted with himself for his moment of weakness. Even worse, he was disgusted with his own jealousy that she had imagined someone else. The idea that she had though of Weasley while they kissed was so repulsive to him that it made him sick (nevermind that he had suggested it). He was sick. This was why he refused to go down to the Great Hall.

Well, that and the idea of seeing Hermione kept him locked away in his room. He wasn't ready to face her.

Last night when they had finally stopped kissing it had been her who had pulled away. He'd had her up against the wall, one of her legs wrapped around his waist, one of his hands lost in her hair and the other so high up on her thigh he could feel her heat. At first he had tried to touch her all over but by the third time she had batted his hand away he had given up. In fact, the only reason he had managed to get his hand up as high as it had been was Slytherin sneakiness and carefully edging his way up. He'd had no coherent thoughts left when she dragged her mouth away, leaving him to kiss her next. He could still hear her trying to catch her breath and feel her leg slide down his side to reach the ground. As her foot touched the floorboards he had stopped kissing her and looked at her questioningly, completely at a loss. His brain muddled.

"I need to go" was all that she had said embarrassed, pushing past him and opening the door to the Room – Filch was long gone so the lock had no longer been necessary. Blaise had just stood there after she left, trying to regain control of himself. Trying to make sense of what had happened. It didn't' work.

When he had finally gotten back to his room Blaise hadn't been able to sleep which left him where he was now. He lost control every time he was he was around her and it didn't make any sense to him. Why had she gotten so under his skin? If he had known what was going to happen he never would've enlisted her help in breaking up Nicola and Weasley. Now, because of some madness she caused he couldn't bear the idea of going through with their plan because that would only make him lose her to Weasley and he was determined not to let that happen. At least until he figured out what the hell was wrong with himself. Once he managed to get her out of his head Weasley could have her. Hell, anyone could have her.

Blaise promptly ignored the heated, gripping feeling of jealously, instead blaming the boiling in his gut on hunger. He wanted to go eat now as he sat up in his bed, running a hand through his tousled hair. Everyone would be done in the Great Hall by the time he had showered and dressed.

An hour later, his mood still sour, Blaise made his way to the Great Hall with his hands in his pockets and his eyes dark with frustration. There was barely any noise coming from the dining hall and Blaise knew he had been right to come so late; he'd be able to eat in peace.

Unfortunately, Blaise hadn't even considered that Hermione might have had the same idea as him, the same fear of confrontation.

They both spotted each other at the same time. Her eyes widened like a deer caught in headlights and they both stopped dead in their tracks. Blaise felt like he had been hit in the gut by a bludger and instantly turned around, walking back in the direction he had come from and away from the current bane of his existence.

Suddenly it struck Blaise and he stumbled a bit, realizations making him lose his train of thought. An idea so simple he couldn't believe he hadn't thought of it before. Someone must've cast a spell on him! There was no other way to explain everything that had happened. After all, he couldn't genuinely be attracted to Hermione Granger, could he be?

Madam Pomfrey's office was completely empty which suited Blaise quite well. He didn't want to have to explain to anyone why he was here if he could avoid it. Blaise took a seat on the waiting bench, sullen and frustrated while he waited for Pomfrey to call him in.

A spell! Blaise was pleased with himself for finally learning the cause of all this madness. Once Madam Pomfrey cured him of whatever malicious curse someone had blindsided him with he would be able to get on with his life and Granger would once again mean nothing to him. Blaise smiled, baring his teeth, a look that was almost primeval.

Blaise's thoughts were interrupted when Madam Pomfrey finally called out his name. "About time," he muttered to himself, eager to have this over and done with.

"What was that?" Pomfrey said with a disapproving glance. They walked the rest of the way, all 10 steps, in silence, Blaise suddenly feeling very nervous.

Both nurse and student sat in silence for a moment, Madam Pomfrey tapping her foot and Blaise fidgeting nervously. Who would've case a spell on him anyway? He was beginning to feel very stupid.

"Well?" Madam Pomfrey asked with impatience. "What ails you Mr. Zabini?"

"I think someone's cast a spell on me." There, he'd said it.

"You look alright. What kind of spell were you thinking?"

Blaise's face flushed and he looked away nervously casting his glance around the room. "A love spell I should think."

Madam Pomfrey's eyebrows shot up so far they nearly disappeared from her face. "A love spell?!" She exclaimed looking so amused he was sure he'd just made her day. Blaise felt even sillier. "Do describe your symptoms so I can get a proper grasp on this."

Blaise fidgeted again. "well, you know … the usual I guess. I'm acting all out of character, strange attractions … that sort of thing."

Madam Pomfrey caught on to his obvious embarrassment and was a bit more kind this time. "You're going to have to be a bit more specific than that I'm afraid." She was trying to act more professional now, despite the fact that this would be her greatest student anecdote since Hermione Granger had turned herself into half a cat!

Blaise shrugged in response. He was wishing he had never come up here, wishing he had a big black hole he could just crawl into.

"Well, who is the girl in question? Does she have anything against you? An unrequited crush? Perhaps someone else might have a motive,"

"She doesn't have a crush on me," Blaise muttered, sounding almost bitter.

"And the girl's name?" Pomfrey's voice was gentle, she smiled.

"Please don't make me say it." Blaise was beseeching, his face hot with embarrassment.

Madam Pomfrey smiled again as she walked over to her medicine cabinet. "Well, you've just proved you don't have any of the most common love spells," she turned around holding a small bottle. "Drink this and tell me how you feel immediately after."

Blaise eyed the potion warily before taking the bottle and downing it in one gulp, it tasted suspiciously the way roses smell. A tingling feeling went down his throat and then … nothing. "Nothing, I feel nothing."

Madam Pomfrey almost smiled but caught herself. "No love spell I'm afraid, just growing up."

Blaise's head shot up in horror. He tried grasping at straws. "Could it be Imperio? Could I be under the Imperius curse?"

This time she couldn't help it, she laughed. "That's very unlikely, Mr. Zabini."

"Is there a chance?"

"Don't you think that if you were under the Imperius curse you wouldn't have come here asking if you were cursed by it? I'm sorry Mr. Zabini but some things can only be blamed on nature. Will there be anything else?"

Blaise shook his head and slowly headed towards the door. No curse. Of course not, that would've made things easier for him. He was beyond frustrated. All he wanted now was to get Hermione out of his head. He didn't care why he liked her, and if he had a choice he'd please insanity. All that mattered was getting rid of her.

He needed zero contact. He needed her to get out of his life, no matter that he was the one who'd brought her in it. And he knew just the way to make it happen …