Chapter 13: Habits, Hangovers and Cutting Questions

Hermione stayed where she was, standing on the outskirts of the party, watching her boyfriend make a fool out of himself. She wasn't really paying attention, though; her mind was occupied with Harry's ultimatum.

"Hello." A deep voice came from behind Hermione, making her jump, but before she could turn around, she felt strong arms wrap around her, forcing her to stay in the position she was in. Instead she tilted her head to the side and saw the distinctive eyes of Blaise Zabini looking down at her. "You're missing all the fun stood over here." Hermione turned her head back to the front.

"You're here too."

"I'm making fun."

"Where's Ginny?"

"Passed out."

"Already?"

"Oh she threw up first."

"Where is she?"

"In the bathroom."

"Which one? I should go see her."

"She won't know you're there, there's no point."

"True. I feel I should do something, though."

"There's nothing you can do."

"Oh. What are we doing here?"

"We're watching your boyfriend being a drunken idiot."

"You know I didn't mean that, Blaise."

"You intrigue me." Blaise bent his head, ghosting his breath across Hermione's ear, making her shiver.

"Are you drunk? You have Ginny, and I intrigue you?"

"I know what I'm doing and Ginny is Ginny, you're..."

"Dating Draco?"

"Yes, but...you are different."

"How so?"

"It's hard to say exactly." Blaise spun them suddenly so that Hermione was pinned to the wall by Blaise's body as he kept a firm hold on her wrists above her head.

Hermione felt her heartbeat quicken, and Blaise smirked as he felt the rhythmic thump pounding against his palms. He pressed closer his face mere inches from Hermione's.

"There's just something about you."

"W-what are you doing?" Hermione wriggled slightly, but to no avail, Blaise just moved closer, trapping her completely.

"Just trying something new." Blaise moved his face closer, letting their lips touch.

Hermione's eyes closed upon contact and when he met no resistance Blaise entangled his hands in Hermione's hair and began to move his lips against hers.

Even with her wrists free, Hermione made no move to stop the mistake as it was happening. She didn't reach for her wand that was strapped to her thigh, instead she reached up and allowed herself to copy Blaise's move tugging on his hair a little.

Blaise smiled at that letting his hands travel down until they landed on Hermione's waist. A kiss that started out expecting opposition, very unsure and tender soon became a battle of wills as each of the participants fought for dominance.

Hermione wasn't sure what she was doing. In the back of her mind a niggling feeling told her to stop, to turn back before it was too late, but her recent confrontation with Harry had left all sense floundering in the mud and she fell over to instinct.

Blaise had never been used to monogamous relationships, so this felt as natural as tripping up a Hufflepuff to him. Pulling Hermione's hand from his hair, still locked in a passionate kiss he began to guide her back down the corridor, away from the sounds and sights of the party to the sixth year dorm room.

Hermione swung her legs off the bed, carefully keeping the white sheet wrapped around her naked frame. Behind her, Blaise was lounging in his bed, blowing smoke into the air above his head, smirking victoriously. Hermione scowled at the smell of the smoke and stop up carefully, making sure to keep the sheet around her form.

"Do you have to smoke?"

"I always smoke after sex." Blaise grinned. "Although I'm sure Draco told you that."

Hermione's head snapped around. "I know that it's your fault that he smokes when stressed." She turned back around, trying not to sound too shocked as she picked up her dress from its crumpled pile on the floor.

Blaise chuckled. "And where do you think he picked up the habit."

"I just figured..." Hermione trailed off, uncertain if what Blaise was implying was true. "Are you trying to tell me that...you and Draco...had sex?"

"In a manner of speaking..."

"Well."

"Yes." Blaise smirked. "Didn't he mention that little endeavour?" Hermione shook he head, mutely. "Never? I'm hurt." Blaise put on a mock pout. "I'm much too memorable to just forget. You should do well to remember that."

By this time, Hermione had pulled her dress over her head and was searching for her shoes. "Don't you dare mention anything to him!" She said fiercely. "I'm just having a bad week, okay?"

"Don't worry your secret is safe with me."

Hermione highly doubted that was the truth, but she couldn't risk performing a memory charm on him just yet; she hadn't practised enough, although she understood the theory correctly. Strapping on her shoes, she stood up grabbing her wand from the table.

"Just keep your mouth shut or you'll have to bare the wrath of Ginny Weasley." Hermione smiled as Blaise paled slightly at the suggestion. "I'll see you around." Hermione picked up her wand, reattaching it to the holster on her thigh before she left the room, the small amount of dignity that she had left allowed her to hold her head up high as she walked back down the corridor to the common room.

The room that had once held such a large number of partying people, looked considerably emptier as Hermione looked around. A large amount of couple stood around the edges of the room in the middle of heavy make-out sessions. A small number of students who were still conscious were sat in a circle, shot glasses in front of them clearly taking part in some sort of drinking game, although a large number had already passed out or left to throw up. There were more people scattered around the room in various states of drunken stupors.

Hermione carefully made her way, stepping around obstacles, and checking every silver-blonde head she saw. Eventually, when she had made it through at least half of the common room, Hermione found Draco lying on a couch, still lightly clutching a bottle of alcohol. Hermione crouched down, stroking his head gently before she removed the bottle from his hand and stood up. She pulled out her wand and was about to transfigure a cushion into a blanket when she heard a familiar chuckled from her right.

"You shouldn't keep your wand there." Blaise said, indicating where her dress was caught on her wand holster. Hermione tugged it down impatiently and crossed her arms.

"Shouldn't you go and find Ginny?"

"I have, she hasn't moved."

"Well I'm sure you can find somebody else to annoy or fuck."

"Somebody's a little edgy."

"I wonder why? Is it because you won't leave me alone or...no wait, it's because you won't leave me alone." Hermione scowled in Blaise's direction before she turned her attention back to her wand work and laid the freshly transfigured blanket over her sleeping boyfriend.

"This is all perfectly innocent."

Hermione scoffed. "Maybe in your conscience."

"Relax, would you. It's not like you're the newest recruit of the death eaters." Blaise kicked what looked like a fourth year out of an armchair and sat down, placing his feet on the coffee table. Hermione carefully lifted Draco's feet and sat down on the edge of the couch, placing his feet in her lap.

"Look can we just not mention this, you know, ever."

"Aren't you still dating Ron?" Blaise chuckled when a rosy hue spread across Hermione's face.

"That's different."

"How so?"

"Draco and Ginny are a lot smarter than Ron."

Blaise laughed. "That may be true, but you can still lie well. For a Gryffindor anyway."

Even though it was meant as one, Hermione didn't take that as a compliment. It shocked her into seeing how different she had become ever since she had seen the Slytherins as more than just people to be disliked. Ignoring Harry to the point that he was suspicious, cheating on Ron, cheating on Draco and even dream-cheating on Ron. Hermione sighed, burying her face in her hands. When had she become this person, this common slut? She no longer spent any time with the two people she had called her best friends since first year, Harry had even said that he didn't even want to spend time or even speak to her anymore. She still spent time on her studies, but it wasn't nearly as much as she would like. She spent her Saturdays at Slytherin parties, and her Sundays recovering from them. She looked at her watch. The hands were already pointing too far down for her liking, indicating 3:30 AM.

Hermione looked at Blaise who had tilted his head back and closed his eyes; a small smirk still graced his lips and Hermione could tell he was still awake due to his long fingers that were rhythmically tapping on the arm of his chair. Hermione turned her head the other way to survey the slumbering Draco. She frowned slightly, trailing her finger along his ankle causing a smile to lighten his features. Could she really consider the relationship they shared as something real? True he had brought out feelings so strong in her that she didn't know could exist, but was she confusing love with passion? Maybe it wasn't love that she felt for Draco; maybe it was just the excitement of the situation that drew her to him. Was all this just her branching out from the mundane life she had seemed to expect, if life with the ever famous Harry Potter could be considered mundane?

Hermione moved that feet off of her lap and curled up, resting her chin on her knees. She didn't know what to think. What had really pushed her to sleep with Blaise? Was it the situation with her parents and Harry or was she just expanding her horizons while she could? A small tear slipped from under her eyelid but she choked back any more, not wanting Blaise to see her crying. She leant her head on the couch and let herself fall into a fitful sleep, her mind still buzzing with question to which she had no answers.

Draco's eyes opened suddenly and he leant over the edge of the couch and groaned as he felt his stomach heave and empty its contents over the floor. Draco wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his shirt and sat up slowly. He picked up his wand from where it lay on the coffee table, he would be forever grateful that it hadn't gone missing or been broken. He cast scourgify on the floor and his shirt before grabbing a glass from the table and filling it with water.

"How do you feel?" Blaise asked from where he sat in his chair, still wide awake.

"Rough." Draco said, his voice barely reaching above a whisper, his head pounding in anger.

"You drank a lot."

"Yeah, well."

"Draco you made a fool of yourself, you know you could have said anything without meaning too."

"Nothing a good memory charm couldn't fix. You've done worse."

Blaise leant forward his tone lower and more serious. "I never had a dark mark branded on my arm. I never risked my life or my parents' lives."

"You never had a reason to get drunk, either. At least I didn't do it just for the hell of it."

"I bet the Dark Lord will completely understand, Draco, he is so considerate of peoples' feelings, afterall."

"Drop the sarcasm, Zabini; I'm not in the mood."

"You have to learn, it's not just a detention if you say something stupid."

"You think I don't know that? I know it all too well Blaise; I've had the threat of death hanging over my head since August! And if you think that I don't realise that, or that I'd be so stupid as to risk Mother's life over alcohol consumption then you need to learn, I'm not some stupid first year defying Snape."

"You're sure acting like a stupid fucking first year." Blaise stood up. "Oh and I may have let it slip to your precious Hermione that we fucked back in fourth year." Blaise smirked.

"You what?" Draco turned around furious, but Blaise was already out of hearing range, heading for the dorms.