Blaise found Severus in the library, as he'd expected to. The older man had pushed himself into the corner between 17th and 18th century German history, and was apparently trying to read two huge volumes at once, while balancing another two on his knees. He looked up and started when Blaise poked his head around the shelf, and lost his balance. Books tumbled to the floor, and the aged former professor glowered at Zabini, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Oh, dear," Blaise said in a thoroughly unrepentant tone "I didn't mean to startle you, Severus. Here, let me help you pick those up."

"There's no need for that, Zabini," Snape said dryly, then cutting directly past small talk, as usual. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this little visit? Not that I don't just love to have my research interrupted."

Blaise shrugged the remark off. He'd been dealt worse by the crotchety old veteran. "I've just been to see Draco," Blaise said, adopting a tone of business and perching on the edge of a low shelf so he could address Snape eye-to-eye. "He wants to talk to you."

"About leaving Granger well enough alone, I expect," Snape said. "He needn't bother. I've already seen her."

"What on Earth were you doing in the residential wing, Severus?" Blaise asked with some surprise. "I thought you slept in the dungeons!"

"Ha," Snape said flatly. "But I wasn't in the residential wing. She was wandering around just upstairs, by the conference rooms. I wasn't expecting to see her, but that head of hair is unmistakable."

"Oh, no," Blaise groaned. "You said something…caustic to her, didn't you?"

"I just gave her some advice," Snape said, frowning. "And then she walked away from me. She's still the same child she was years ago, after all. So convinced that she knows everything."

"So, she didn't try and attack you?" Blaise asked. "No screaming, or wailing, or scratching?"

Snape raised an eyebrow. "No. I suspect she was moved with pity at seeing me in such a handicapped state."

"Hmm."

"I take it she's been attacking other people, then?"

"Well, not a lot of other people," Blaise said thoughtfully. "In fact, only one, as far as I know. She went after Draco the moment she saw him. They were both more than a little upset to see each other, though this information goes no farther than you and me." Blaise wasn't worried about Snape spreading anything around. The old man was nothing if not discreet.

"That's hardly surprising," Snape said in a very bored tone of voice. "Not that I saw it, but I gather the six-year animosity between them lessened some time before the Battle. I'm sure they came face to face during it, since there were relatively few on the grounds at the start. There was probably some sort of confrontation."

"The animosity lessened?" Blaise asked. "You mean…"

Snape scowled with distaste. "Oh, please. Nothing like that. There was a party after the last Quidditch match, and Hermione escorted a very drunken Draco back to the Slytherin common room. The rest of the house was very surprised to see her practically carrying him in. But she seemed to be familiar, if not exactly friendly, with him. So perhaps they found some sort of equal ground in the days before."

"When was all this?" Blaise asked in surprise. He didn't remember Hermione Granger arriving in his common room. He would certainly have remembered that, especially if she had arrived supporting a drunken Draco. Hell, he would have certainly remembered a drunken Draco. That hadn't happened often.

"You were… ah… elsewhere," Snape said. "On your way to St. Mungo's, I think."

Blaise's eyes widened. "Ahh… that's right. The championship was… So they got to be friends two days before the Battle?"

"Well, calling them 'friends' would be a little strong."

Blaise sat back to think about this. Perhaps not friends, but even cold politeness between the two of them would be remarkable. And then they'd met in the Battle, as the school burned around them. And found themselves on opposite sides. Draco had played some sort of instrumental part in the Dark Lord's arrival in the school, probably, though he hadn't confided in Blaise at the time or since. Granger must have realized it as soon as she saw him on the grounds. They must have fought, and…

'This time she won't be able to sneak up on me from behind!' Draco had yelled when he'd seen Hermione. So maybe they hadn't faced each other. Maybe Hermione had just drawn her conclusions, and…. At any rate, it seemed that Hermione had won. But then why was she so agitated? If she'd beaten him, wouldn't she be just a little more superior towards him now? That's how Blaise treated his beaten enemies.

"There's no figuring out those two, I suppose," Blaise said finally. "Just try not to upset her again. And go see Draco. He'll want to lecture you about it, I've no doubt."

"All I get is lectures," Snape grumbled. "Would you move those damn books back onto the shelves and out of my way? I can't get around them."

Blaise obliged, and Snape wheeled himself out of his nook and away. Blaise watched him go, and then leant back to close his eyes. How did Snape know so much about what had happened with Draco and Granger?

"Is he finally gone?"

Blaise was too tired to stand up. He just rolled his head over to see Hermione Granger's bushy head peering at him from around the shelf.

"Speak of the devil," he said, sounding bored. "Were you stuck back there this entire time?" Did she hear us?

"I couldn't get out without him seeing me," she said ruefully, cautiously coming into full view, but not sitting or even coming near to him. "He looked up whenever anyone passed by. I expect you startled him because he didn't hear you coming."

"I don't know why I'm even surprised you're here," Blaise said, "It figures that the first thing you'd do on arriving anyplace would be to find the library."

"Ha. And most people stay well away from libraries in their workplaces. Just my luck you and Snape both decide to show up while I was here."

"He's always here, I'm afraid," Blaise said, hauling himself to his feet. "So there goes that idea, unless you want to help him with his research."

"Researching what?" She asked, looking interested.

"I've never asked," Blaise said brusquely. "He'd only get nasty about it. And insulting."

"Hmm," Hermione said, turning her eyes to the books in the shelves above Blaise's head. He noticed (force of habit) that she was still standing far enough away from him so he couldn't reach her, and close enough to the end of the shelf so she could make a hasty retreat if he made any sudden moves. He hadn't been enormously aware of Hermione while they were at school, just because not many were worthy of his notice then. He wished now that he could remember a little more of her former mannerisms. Was this caution instinct, or had it been learned?

"When you disappeared for all those years," Blaise finally asked, voicing the question that was floating insistently at the front of his mind "where did you go?"

Hermione frowned. "Everyone keeps going on about how I 'vanished' and 'disappeared', when I really did no such thing. Just because you lot can't manage to find someone in plain sight doesn't mean that I had some elaborate and secret hiding place."

"So where were you hiding?"

"In Scotland," Hermione said, loftily. "And I wasn't hiding. I was waiting tables."

Blaise stared at her. She stared back. Then his face cracked, and he had to look away to stifle his laughter.

"What?" Hermione asked, annoyed. "What's so funny?"

"You almost had me there, Granger," Blaise said, recovering himself slightly. "Waiting tables? That's a good one!" Then he gave himself over to laughter again.

Hermione raised her eyes to the ceiling and clapped a hand to her forehead.

"But honestly," Blaise asked, grinning. "Where were you? I promise I won't tell anyone."

"Sorry, Zabini," Hermione said dully, pulling herself up and waving at him tiredly "The secret goes with me to my grave."

Hermione stalked away with all the dignity she could manage, trying as hard as she could to ignore the muffled sounds coming from the back of the library.

"Waiting tables in Scotland? Ha!"

A/N: yes! I swear I'm not dead! I've just been working through my junior year of high school, which is pretty much regarded to be the worst year. Of high school, of life, of everything. So the fanfic muse totally deserted me, and was replaced by the gnome of AP bio. So here's a new chapter in which not much happens! But I haven't forgotten the story. Sorry for the long, looooooong wait!