Eight-Legged Freaks Part Two

Chapter Seven

Hermione was the only one wide awake the following morning. Pansy slept until Harry, Hermione, and Draco were done in the bathroom. Then she got up and joined them for breakfast, not before trying to wake up Blaise.

"Come on, Blaise. Time to wake up," she yawned as she shook her friend's shoulder. "Blaise!"

"Pansy, wake me up when you're done eating," Blaise mumbled in the pillow.

She nodded. Pansy pulled back the covers and padded over to the table. Draco looked at her PJ's as she sat down beside him. "Plan on changing, Pansy?"

Pansy started dishing out eggs onto her plate as she answered, "I'm actually debating whether to show up in Potions in pajamas. I just don't feel like changing. I don't fee like doing anything." She yawned, and then Draco yawned, and then Harry. Hermione scanned the table and then looked over to the beds where Blaise and Ron were still sleeping. She looked at Harry and asked, "Why is everyone so sleepy?"

Harry shrugged, "Are you done? I want to meet the others before class." Hermione nodded. While Harry got his stuff, she went over to wake Ron up.

"Come on, Ron. You have to get dressed. We're leaving now."

Ron opened a sleepy blue eye. "Just go without me. I'll be up in ten minutes."

"I think you should get up now."

"Hermione, go!"

She stood up and warned, "Don't be late. Remember, we have Potions this morning." She picked up her bag and she and Harry walked out the Portrait hole. Draco and Pansy followed soon after but not before trying to wake up Blaise who told them to go on ahead.

(There's a break here. The website just has issues.)

"Shit!"

That's what Ron woke up to this fine early morning. He sat up in bed and saw Blaise hurrying out of bed and looking in her trunk for a uniform. He rubbed his eyes and asked, "What time is it?"

She grabbed the clothes and ran to the bathroom, screaming over shoulder, "It's the middle of Potions!"

"Oh, FUCK!" Ron scrambled out of bed and ran to get his clothes. Eyeing the bathroom door he quickly changed clothes. Blaise walked out of the bathroom just as he finished tying his tie. He and Blaise ran out of the portrait hole. Ron saw Blaise turning to go right and he asked, "Where are you going?"

"To potions."

"It's this way," he pointed left.

Blaise said, "They have teachers patrolling that way to Potions. They give detentions to kids without passes."

"No, they don't."

"Yes, they do."

Ron argued, "No, they don't."

Blaise shakes her head, "Look, I'm not going to argue with you about this." She turned and ran right. Ron continued left and was about to make a right on the second corridor when he spotted Madame Pince pacing the hall. He rolled his eyes and turned back the way he came.

Blaise had run down the hallway and down a set of stairs. She made a sharp left and then another. As she rounded a corner she ran straight into a hard chest. She fell down and looked up at Terry Boot, a Ravenclaw in Sixth Year. Behind him were his two friends, Morag and what's-his-face, from Hufflepuff. Boot stared down at her and said, "Look what we have here. What's a pretty thing like you doing here, all alone?"

She rolled her eyes and stood up. She grabbed her bag off the ground and tried to go around him but he kept moving in front of her. "I'm trying to get to class. Do you mind?" Blaise tried to pass by the side when he shot an arm up to block her. She looked at him angrily, "Move!"

He leered, "Are you one of them?"

"What?" she asked incredulously.

"A Death Eater? Are you one of them, Slytherin?"

Blaise said, "No! Will you let me pass now?"

"Show me," he replied.

She regarded him with disgust. "I don't have to show you anything." Blaise pushed his arm away and started walking by him when used his other hand to grab her by the wrist. She whirled back around and demanded, "Let go of me."

"Show me your arm and I'll think about it."

Blaise grabbed his wrist with her other hand and twisted it, and then pushed him away. Morag and the other Hufflepuff each grabbed one of her arms and held her back. Boot rubbed his wrist and he grinned, "You're a feisty one, aren't you?" He took a step toward her and Blaise soundly kicked him in the groin. He bent over with pain and stayed bent for a moment or two. He lifted his head up to see Blaise smirking down at him. He brought himself up saying, "You'll pay that." He walked toward her and this time when she made to kick he caught her foot and continued to advance and he repeated, "You're gonna pay for that." She tried to shake him off her leg but he kept a firm hold and he came closer and closer until-

"What are you doing?!"

Ron had turned the corner and spotted them in the hallway. Boot turned to him and said, "Nothing Ron, we're just talking."

Ron protested, "No you're not! Let go of her . . . now." Terry laughed. The Gryffindor shoved him hard. "I don't find this funny."

The Hufflepuffs let go of Blaise and walked to Terry's side. The Ravenclaw looked at him. "What are you doing, man? She's a Slytherin." Ron stared at them with mild shock. If he were to ever find an example of what Blaise and Professor Dessen were talking about, he didn't expect it to be so blatant and in his face. Muggleborns weren't the only ones who had to deal with prejudice at Hogwarts. Ron grabbed Blaise by the wrist and replied, "I know that." Then he and Blaise walked to Potions class.

After they turned around corridor and went down another flight of stairs did Ron let go of Blaise's hand. They walked in a loud silence and then Blaise turned to Ron and said, "Thanks."

Ron looked back at her with that mixed look of shock, disbelief, and bewilderment. She stared back expectantly with raised eyebrows. He rubbed the back of his neck with his palm and answered, "You were right."

They were approaching the Potions classroom. Blaise asked, "About the teachers in the hallway or . . . ?"

He didn't answer though. Ron saw the Potions door and muttered, "Snape is gonna kill me." The two of them opened the door and entered the classroom. The room was silent and it appeared that the students were taking a quiz. Everyone stared at them, glad for a distraction. Professor Snape looked up from his papers. He glared at Ron and asked, "Mr. Weasley, would you care to explain why you are an hour and thirty minutes late for my class?"

Ron stammered, "Um . . . I . . . uh-,"

"May I speak with you for a moment, Professor?" Blaise interrupted. She walked to the front of the classroom and started talking to him in hush tones. Ron still stood in the back of the class. He spotted his best friends among the Gryffindors on the left side of the classroom. Hermione was shaking her head in an 'I told you so' manner and Harry mouthed, "What happened?" He mouthed back, "Later." The other Gryffindors were asking as well and before he could reply, Professor Snape spoke.

"Mr. Weasley, would you mind waiting out in the hall instead of distracting my students who SHOULD BE WORKING ON THE QUIZ!" His housemates whipped forward and he replied meekly, "Yes, Professor."

He stepped out into the hallway, waiting anxiously for the Potions professor to come out. Sure enough, the door opened and Snape entered the hallway with Blaise behind him. After she shut the door, he turned to Ron and said, "Ms. Zabini says the two of you overslept. Is that correct?"

Ron nodded.

"And that you overslept because last night she couldn't sleep after one of her episodes and you kept her company. Is that also correct?"

Ron nodded again, "Yes, Professor."

"Very well. The two of you will come in during your lunch break and make up the quiz then. Do not be late. Do I make myself clear?"

Ron could only stare. Fortunately, as Snape started to get irritated for lack of response, Blaise answered, "Yes, Professor. Thank you very much."

He made one brief nod and opened the door. "You will stay out here for the remainder of class. When the class is over, return to get a pass." He stepped inside the classroom and shut the door.

Blaise looked at Ron and grinned at his facial expression. She chuckled, "You shouldn't have your mouth open like that." She lifted a hand and closed it. "You'll catch flies."

Ron shook his head. "I just can't believe he left us off so easy. I've been punished worse for arriving when the bell rang."

"Don't sound so surprised. I'm sure McGonagall would have done the same under the circumstances," She said as she put her school bag on the ground and sat on top of it with her legs stretched before her.

"I'd like to believe that," Ron began as he sat down beside her. "But she's such a stickler for rules. I can see her saying 'What you did Mr. Weasley was very honorable however, that doesn't excuse you for missing half of my class. That'll be a detention.'"

Blaise argued, "No, she wouldn't-,"

"Yes, yes she would."

"Well what about the other teachers like Professor Sprout or Flitwick . . ." Blaise trailed off as Ron shook his head.

"There is no teacher that would have done what Snape just did, none," he said.

"What about-,"

"None," he repeated.

Blaise sat and thought for a moment. Then she snapped her fingers and cried, "That oaf would do it."

"Who?"

"The one that teaches Care of Magical Creatures?"

"No he wouldn't—yes he would," Ron said at Blaise's look. "Don't call him an oaf. His name is Hagrid."

Blaise raised an eyebrow. "Like you don't call Snape names behind his back?"

Ron sputtered, "What? No!"

"You're a terrible liar."

"No I'm not."

"Your ears give you away like that," Blaise snapped her fingers.

"No they don't," Ron said, touching his ear as if they could feel color.

"Yes, they do. We're talking 'Blood Pops' red."

"No, they're not."

"Yes they are."

"No they're not."

"Okay let's not argue with the person staring right at them." Ron laughed. Blaise smiled and tucked a stray curl behind her ear. When she did, her uniform slipped down her arm a bit, revealing an angry red handprint about her wrist.

"My God," Ron grabbed her by the elbow and stared at her hand. "Does it hurt?" he asked. He looked up from the wrist to her face.

She shook her head and pulled her arm from him. "It looks worse than it is. I bruise easily."

"You should tell Snape," he advised.

Blaise rolled her eyes. "That's so primary school. I'll tell Pansy about it." Ron raised his eyebrows. "You'd be surprised what she's capable of when pushed, especially when it comes to her friends."

Ron nodded slowly, "So are we friends now or . . . ?"

"Well I don't know, Weasley. I actually talk to my friends when we're in public. You sure you're ready for that?" she gave Ron an exaggerated look. She asked, "I mean Monday—what the hell was that?"

He shook his head and sighed, "I don't know. It wasn't even a matter of us being afraid, because we're not, it was just weird. We had spent time with Dumbledore, and McGonagall, and Snape, and Dessen and they had been encouraging us to be nice to each other. To go from that to that much opposition was overwhelming. It wasn't what I expected."

"Well what did you expect? You thought they would welcome us with open arms?" Blaise raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

"Well maybe not open arms but-,"

She rolled her eyes, "God that's just like you guys."

Ron protested, "Give us a break. I mean the way the professors played us up to be leaders to the rest of the school, you'd think they would welcome you."

"Weasley, they're not going to follow you blindly on something like this. He's just saying we have a lot of influence in what goes around at Hogwarts and we should use it to bring the houses together."

"Well you'd think they'd tell us that!"

She gave him a false scandalized look. "I know! How dare he give you so much credit? He should know by now that everything needs to be spelled out for you. The nerve!"

Ron pointed a finger at her, "Okay you know what? I resent that."

Blaise laughed as the bell rang. Pansy came bounding out of the classroom with Draco beside her, the rest of the class not too far behind. She grabbed Blaise by the shoulders and just gave her two quick air kisses over her excitement.

"Where the hell were you?!" she asked wide-eyed. "I knew you were gonna be late. I just knew it, didn't I, Draco?" Draco opened his mouth to answer but she continued. "See? Even Draco said it-,"

"Pansy-,"

"God Blaise, what were you thinking?"

"Pansy I-,"

"I mean when that bell rang I was like, whatever, but all of class?"

"PANSY!"

She finally quieted but stared at her expectantly. "Well?"

Blaise sighed, "Plus tard, bien ?" Later, okay ?

Pansy nodded and then pouted, "Mais je veux savoir maintenant." But I want to know now.

"Pansy!"

"Ok! Mon dieu!" Okay! My God! She started to walk away with Draco and then Blaise grabbed her arm.

"Et je dois vous dire au sujet d'autre chose." And I need to talk to you about something else.

Pansy asked, "Oooo, au sujet d'un garcon?" About a boy?

"Ouais." Yeah

She grinned wickedly, "Dites-moi!" Tell me!

"Later Pansy. We have to get a pass," Blaise fell back into English.

"Do you want us to wait?" Draco asked.

She shook her head and then Blaise and Ron cut through the crowd of students to get into the classroom. Ron expected Professor Snape to have the pass already or at least writing it so he was surprised to fine the room empty. Blaise sat on top of a desk and Ron leaned on one across from her.

"How do you guys know French?" he asked.

She answered, "We're half."

"All of you?"

"Well Draco's full, me and Pansy are half-,"

"Ms. Zabini, get off that desk. This is not your manor." Blaise hopped off as Snape walked out of his private office and into the classroom. Instead of two signed pieces of paper, in his hands was a flat, plastic rectangle. He held it out to the two pupils, who were staring at it curiously.

Blaise examined the foreign object in her hands with a quizzical look on her face. She glanced at Ron for a second who had an equally confused look. Good, she wasn't the only one. She looked up at the Potions Professor.

"I thought we were getting passes."

"Those are your passes Ms. Zabini. You've never been to a muggle hotel?"

"You have?" Ron's eyebrows rose.

Snape closed his eyes in aggravation. "Weasley, your voice consistently sounds like nails on a chalkboard to my ears but at this time of day it is more grating then usual. Do shut up," he snapped. He looked at Blaise and spoke in a far more pleasant tone. "From the top, swipe the card in the crack of the door and it will unlock to let you out during your lunch break. Do not attempt to swipe those cards earlier than you are expected. They are Charmed and will let you out with a reasonable amount of time to arrive here promptly. Is that clear?"

Ron and Blaise nodded and were dismissed from the classroom. They made their way to their quarters in a somewhat comfortable silence. When the portrait opened, Blaise was immediately accosted by Pansy and Draco, and Ron with his friends.

"What was that, Blaise?"

"Ron, could you be anymore irresponsible?"

"Why were you so late?"

"Did you sleep with him? What happened?"

"Pansy!"

Blaise and Ron both moved the conversation towards the couches to allow the portrait to close. Shortly afterward, the clicking of the locks could be heard as they tried to answer some of the questions fired at them.

"I don't know, we just overslept," Blaise said.

"It's really no big deal," Ron added.

"No big deal? You missed most of the lesson-," Hermione stopped. All of a sudden there was a bright flash of light coming from the doorway. The group turned to look at the Portrait to see the two locks, labeled Blaise and Ron and Ron and Blaise, fully click open. There was a pregnant pause, during which Pansy, Draco, Harry, and Hermione both had a chance to re-examine the third member of their trios.

Pansy closed her eyes and smacked her forehead. "Please tell me he is not the guy you wanted to talk to me about?" She pleaded.

Blaise shook her head. "That was someone else-,"

"Good." She opened her eyes in relief. "I didn't think I could stomach it if Weasel was your current apple of your eye. Besides, he's supposed to be mine. Not that I actually care about that because that will never happen-,"

"That's not the point!" Draco cut off. "The point is: when did you two get so close?"

"Yeah!" Hermione chimed.

Ron shrugged, "I guess it started last night."

"When? You went to sleep before I did," Harry pointed out.

"Well I had to pee so I went to the bathroom-,"

Pansy sniffed, "I don't like this. This, right here-," she waved a hand between the two of them. "-has to stop. What would Aunt Gina say?"

"Nothing. I mean Dumbledore said that they told our parents about all this and since they approved I don't think they'd say anything about it," Blaise reasoned.

"But-,"

She cut in, "Pansy, stop. Maybe our parents are starting to get over the whole Mudblood thing."

"Muggleborns," Ron corrected firmly.

Blaise waved the comment off. Hermione sputtered indignantly, "Do you see that? She doesn't want to-,"

"Hermione come on, it's going to take more than a couple of days to erase years of habit," Ron pointed out.

Harry countered, "But it takes one night to erase years of rivalry?"

"Look, does it matter? Dumbledore's been wanting house unity since last year. The sooner we all just suck it up and get this over with, the sooner we'll be out of here. Hey, did you guys know we had a balcony over there?" Ron pointed to the opposite side of the room.

The group followed his gaze. Draco snorted, "Kudos, Weasel. You're worse at changing the subject than Blaise. There's nothing there. Now back to what we were saying-,"

"Hold on Draco, there is a balcony." Blaise pushed past the group with Ron in tow.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Okay, you guys can stop now. Is this a joke?" She asked Harry, who shrugged in reply.

Pansy scoffed indignantly. "Is this an inside joke? Is this a bathroom inside joke? You already have inside jokes with Weasley?! Blaise Regina Zabini, you wound me!"

Ron looked back at them. "You guys don't see it?" He and Blaise stood in front of the space between the two windows. He scratched his head, confused.

"No, we don't," Harry said in exasperation.

".don't. Do you hear that, Blaise?" Draco snapped. "All we see is wall. Just wall. Nothing but wall. All wall. It's hard- most walls are- it keeps us locked in here and blocked from the outside world because that is what walls do. They block- Merlin…"

During his tirade, Blaise touched, what to the rest looked like a random brick but to Ron and her was door handle. Once her hand grasped the handle the other four finally saw what she and Ron had been going on about. The door to the balcony appeared in front of them and for the first time in a couple of days, Ron and Blaise stepped outside.

The remaining students stared at each other for a moment before making a beeline to the balcony. As they approached, a voice from above spoke.

"The balcony is available for deserving students," Snape's voice sounded in the room. "I suggest you turn around…or you could stare on enviously. Whichever suits you."

Harry stepped forward to open the door. Hermione called, "You heard what he said, Harry."

He turned back to look at her. "It's probably just a recording, Mione. Snape doesn't have time to sit around and watch who's going on the balcony. He's not here. What's the worst he can do?" He tentatively touched the door handle and waited a bit. With no sound from Snape or a random Hex being thrown at him, Harry opened the door and saw Ron and Blaise sitting on a bench and talking. They stopped however when Harry opened the door. Ron grinned at him. "Believe us now?" Harry nodded and took a step towards the balcony walking face-first into an invisible barrier.

Ow?

And then a rich laugher could be heard throughout the room.

"You know, I attended and taught many years at Hogwarts but I must say the boundless curiosity Gryffindors possess never cease to amaze me."