Author's note: nothing much to say. It's fairly self explanatory. All characters belong to JK Rowling, who is, unfortunately, not me.

2: In which Blaise realizes precisely what Draco has planned

Two weeks later, on the train home from Hogwarts, Blaise realized the foolishness of his earlier assumption. Draco had done far worse than Blaise had ever imagined. No, he hadn't informed Blaise that he would be waiting on them, or that he would be a temporary House-Elf. No, what he had done was much worse: he had invited Weasley. Or, rather, he'd talked to Potter, who'd invited Weasley. From the look on Weasley's face, he wasn't any happier about the turn of events than Blaise himself.

"Draco, may I speak with you? Privately?" Blaise hissed, his hand clamping around Draco's skinnier one and maneuvering the slender boy out of the carriage before he could object. One they were in the corridor, Blaise pinned Draco against the wall and asked in a harsh whisper, "What in the name of Merlin possessed you to invite him along?"

Draco looked at Blaise, a smug smile on his lips. "You want to get closer to him, yes?"

"Yes," Blaise admitted reluctantly.

"And you can't do it at school for fear of damaging your reputation, am I correct?"

"Yes," Blaise said again, grinding his teeth together in frustration.

"Well, you won't be at school. You'll be able to seduce him to your heart's content."

"He. Is. In. Love. With. Potter," Blaise ground out, his voice hard.

Draco blinked, for once genuinely surprised. "What?"

Blaise sighed. "You and Potter are so oblivious," he said bitterly. "Don't tell me you don't see Weasley making sad puppy eyes at Potter when his back is turned."

Draco's blank expression told Blaise that he truly hadn't seen it. "How do you know?" Draco demanded.

Blaise grimaced. "Before you asked Potter, didn't you watch him to see if he was interested?"

Understanding dawned in Draco's face. "So you considered it," he breathed.

Blaise nodded. "Why do you think I never said anything? I know perfectly well he'll never have me, and I have no desire to make a fool out of myself."

Draco was nodding, an expression of sincere contriteness crossing his face. "I am so sorry," he said earnestly. "Honestly, Blaise, if I'd known…"

Blaise nodded wearily. "I know," he said. "You were just trying to help me."

"Well, it's not like we can uninvite him," Draco said practically. "Surely you can use this to at least become friends with him, right?"

Blaise sighed. He should have known Draco wouldn't give up this easily. An idea crossed his mind, and he gripped Draco's robes tightly, thrusting his face close enough to kiss the other boy. "One thing," he said menacingly. "If you even think the words 'love potion,' I will personally transfigure your nimbus into a frog andstomp on it. Don't try to tell me your father will buy you another one, and your dearly beloved doesn't approve of love potions."

Draco winced. "I'll be good," he said meekly. "Now, let go of me before someone thinks I'm cheating on Harry."

Blaise stepped back and Draco shook his robes back into order. "Tell me you'll at least try to get to know Weasley."

Blaise nodded curtly. "I will," he said. "But that's as far as it goes. He loves Potter, and that's that."

Draco grinned. "He loves Potter for now," he said. "You never know. Your scintillating personality might win him over."

Blaise scowled. "Maybe. But it has to be his decision, remember."

Draco nodded. "I won't interfere, I promise."

"Good. Now, if you have nothing else to say…?"

"Remember that it was you who brought me out, not the other way around."

"Very true," Blaise agreed. "You're free. Go and be disgustingly romantic with your boyfriend."

Draco grinned and slipped away from Blaise. He paused and beckoned. "You to," he said. "You promised."

Blaise grimaced, but followed Draco into the carriage. Potter looked at Draco questioningly, and Draco grinned. Judging by the resigned expression on Potter's face, Blaise suspected that he was more than accustomed to Draco's grand plans. He shot Blaise a sympathetic look, which the handsome Slytherin ignored. He might have promised to get closer to Weasley, but that didn't mean he had to get all chummy with Potter.

Draco pulled out his wand and, with a wicked grin at Blaise, cast a silencing ward around Potter and himself. Blaise watched as they scooted closer to each other, clearly exchanging sickeningly romantic murmurs. When Potter began shoving his mouth onto Draco's, Blaise turned away, revolted. True love was all very well, but there was no reason to be so showy about it.

He was left with only Weasley to talk to, but he couldn't make his mouth open. The presence of the snogging couple across from them wasn't helping things either: whenever Blaise looked at Weasley, he pictured the two of them doing precisely what Draco and Potter were doing now. He sighed.

"So why are you here?" Weasley asked suddenly. Blaise got the feeling he was trying to distract himself from Potter and Draco. Blaise didn't blame him.

"Same reason you are, I expect," Blaise said, turning his mind firmly away from any and all mental images. "I was invited and I had nothing better to do."

Weasley nodded, clearly not knowing what else to say. His eyes turned back to Potter and Draco, who were completely oblivious to anyone else, as though drawn by some magnetic force too strong for him to control.

Blaise too was watching, but he was watching Weasley watch Potter. He could see the pain and longing in the other boy's eyes, and he sighed. What would it be like to have those beautiful brown eyes turned onhim like that? Then, he shook his head and pinched himself. Weasley was in love with Potter, and there was nothing Blaise could do to stop them.

"Makes one wish they would get a room, doesn't it?" he asked, almost against his will.

Weasley looked at him in surprise. "What?"

Blaise nodded towards the exhibitionist couple. "At least they had the decency to put up wards."

"True," Weasley answered slowly, his eyes turning back to watch Potter.

The train continued to chug towards London. Eventually, when it became clear Weasley wasn't going to be any kind of decent conversation partner, Blaise pulled out a book and began to read, not really internalizing the words. He kept sneaking covert glances at Weasley, and he didn't like what he saw. There was clearly no way he could compete with Potter for Weasley's affections, and he was most certainly not looking forward to spending an entire summer watching the boy he loved mooning over a boy he could never have. 'At least he isn't mooning after a girl,' Blaise thought gloomily, turning back to his book and doing his best not to think anymore. They continued speeding towards their destination, the only sounds the rustling as Blaise turned the pages of his book and the muffled moans that couldn't quite be concealed by the hastily cast wards. Weasley said nothing, his eyes fixed on Potter, his face an expression of open longing.