Before we met.

I was nothing at all

And now I feel my heart beating in my chest

I wondered now how my life would be

Without you beside me

Would I have stayed the way I was before

And fallen from the sky?

Or is it possible that you gave me wings

And afforded me a chance to fly?

Who was I before you?

Thinking back on his fifth year, a lot of surprising things happened. Puberty, Noemi beating the crap out of him until he could hold his own...beating the snot out of his stepfather for saying something he shouldn't have... Fifth year was a year he would never forget. It may have been his most favorite year of the six he'd so far attended at Hogwarts.

She was so beautiful... he thought staring out the window as the train began to move to carry him towards his seventh and final year of this torture.

''Come on Elena!'' Blaise heard Hermione say.

He turned towards the voice to here the clicking of her sandals against the pavement. At Kings Cross Station, no one would see him. Or at least they wouldn't recognize him. Hell, he woke up over the times several times not recognizing himself in the mirror.

He'd grown up, in more ways than one. His voice had gotten to be baritone and silky, unlike the alto he'd been before. Standing about six feet six inches, or according to his doctor's check up, 6'5 and 11 and one half, and one fine Italian Rogue. Of course, he didn't realize it until he'd gotten the giggle and the blushing looks in his direction as he walked the familiar streets of Italy and now at King's Cross station.

What happened to the boy they knew before? The one they ignored? He was gone and this new Adonis as his sister called him took the boy's place. He couldn't wait to see Elena's reaction to the change.

''Hey, have you seen Blaise? I can't seem to find him anywhere...'' Elena's voice was more sultry now.

He turned as she walked past him and his heart raced in his chest. She had grown up- a lot. Her body had filled out perfectly and she had gotten taller. Her legs now longer and muscularly toned, her skin tanned from the summer sun. She was an Italian amazon and even more beautiful than he remembered. Something inside him wanted to growl in content watching her walk on silky caramel legs.

Delicious...

I guess Noemi was right... Talk about dirty thoughts...

Noemi warned him of the several side effects of puberty and the only symptoms he'd seem to have were spontaneous growth spurts, deepened voice, and a heightened awareness of the other sex. She'd cursed him for his luck when they were going through pictures of her during her awkward summer transformation. He'd kissed her cheek and hugged her tightly saying that it was endearing...she threatened to maim him. It was a good experience.

''Someone looking for me?'' He asked softly.

She turned around swiftly regarding him with caution. Leaning against the platform pillar with a suave and dangerous grace, he looked at her. She tilted her head a little bit in confusion as she realized that he had been the one speaking to her. A part of her was gawking and quite possible drooling at the man leaning against the pillar, but the sane and sensible side looked him up and down, sizing him up in case she needed to defend herself. Over the summer, there had been more times than she wanted to recount that guys felt that because she looked a certain way that gave them the right to touch her. She'd expressly showed them the meaning of look with your eyes not with your hands by breaking limbs and tossing them into pools. Needless to say her mother was not pleased with her.

''I'm sorry, but who are you?'' She asked, Hermione came up beside her.

''Uhm, Elena, I think that's Blaise.''

The giant smirked down at her face that was bright red with confusion and embarrassment. It was going better than he imagined, and he'd had an entire summer to imagine her reaction.

''That can't be Blaise. Blaise is... Blaise isn't... He doesn't look like that.'' She said hurriedly.

''You should listen to her. You're not the only who grew up little Elena.'' Blaise whispered, something sadistic in him loved seeing her back away not in fear of him, but something akin to it.

He named the look on her face wary confusion and awe as her back hit the wall and she looked at him still leaning comfortably against the pillar and staring back at her with eyes bluer than she remembered and a hell of a lot more fiery. He decided that it was time to tease her actively and got off the pillar to stalk across the small space towards her. If she could think properly, without the prospect of Blaise being that gorgeous, she would have said he more floated than walked across the floor. Or prowled towards her like some jaguar in the jungle stalking his next meal... Meal? Yeah, the look in his eyes said something like You look delicious and she was a little afraid of how she was reacting to it and how she'd managed to pin the look in his eyes.

Her palms were getting sweaty and her heart was confused, it thought she'd just run a marathon or played a really long game of soccer. Silly heart, she really wished it would come to its senses soon.

''You... you aren't Blaise. Blaise wouldn't...''

''My, you've grown up.'' He whispered in her ear as he leaned in to trap her against the pillar.

She trembled and gasped, some sadistic part of him liked to watch her squirm. Some sick part of her sort of enjoyed it.

''Bla-Blaise please...'' she said desperately.

''What's wrong?''

''You're too close.'' She whispered.

He looked down at her from head to toe. She looked like she was either shaking in fear or rage, but he knew it was neither.Anticipation and not knowing what he was going to do next would kill her if he didn't do it with his advances. He smirked a little and watched the muscles in her throat work hard as she swallowed hard. She wouldn't have to wait long before she found out what he would do next.

''From your body's reaction. It seems as though I'm not close enough.'' he said slyly.

''Hey you two, we're in public!'' Hermione said.

He grinned at the girl who scolded them maybe in jealousy that he wasn't trapping her against the wall or amusement that Elena was so flustered. When he pulled her close into a hug, she yelped and slid down to her knees out of his arm, staring up at him as he smiled kindly. All the heat and fire in his eyes was replaced by that familiar smile and affection that she'd always seen in his arms. He turned to get on the train as she got to her feet after rejecting his assistance.

''You should hurry up we're about to leave.'' He said climbing on to the train and finding an empty compartment.

He knew after that moment that it would be a very... fun year. Maybe not for Elena, but it would be for him. He ended up alone in the compartment, much to his pleasure and dismay. He'd hoped but knew that she wouldn't come find him. Not after he'd so thoroughly embarrassed and terrorized her. He took comfort in the fact that Elena had a very small container, that leaked itself empty fairly quickly, that she kept her anger in. He'd pushed too hard, but he couldn't help himself. He was so enthralled with the way she stared back at him, the was she reacted, and the feeling of power that had washed over him that he couldn't stop. What had Noemi said about those male conquerer instincts?

Oh yeah, that I should control them...

Oops.

He shrugged it off and gazed out the window at the passing scenery. He didn't regret a single word of that conversation. She reacted better than he'd hoped to his new looks and charm, but he would never know how much of that was surprise rather than enchantment. He could never tell with Elena because he was so enchanted with her. She was like a nymph or something singing songs that he loved to hear with lips he wished to kiss but could never find. She was the only one that had ever made him rethink carefully made plans, and in this case completely abandon them all together. When he came to Hogwarts, there wasn't a single thought of love in his mind. If anything, he abhorred it and wanted nothing to do with it. Now he was playing mind games with the girl he'd fallen too deep in love with and may have even been out of his reach.

The telltale and familiar ding of the bell on the trolley pulled him from his thoughts. Thoughts about how he'd managed to almost jump Elena at the train station could wait, chocolate was near.

"Anything from the trolley dear?"

He looked at the kind woman and stood pulling out money in exchange for chocolate. Yum. As if the day couldn't get any better.

"Yay candy!"

He looked over to see Elena standing there and almost choked. He school shirt was half unbuttoned showing off glimpses of skin around her neck and shoulders. Judging from the straps on her shoulders, he figured she was wearing something underneath it and judging from the view it was a very tight black tank top that hugged her curves tightly causing hell for his hormones. He swallowed down the overwhelming need to reach over the trolley and touch her and watched her with an affectionate gaze.

She lifted candy from the cart exchanging it for what Blaise knew to be far too much money. The older woman blushed at Elena's kindness and gave her more candy. Elena pouted at the gift but thanked her. When she finished the trade, she became of the eyes on her and looked up to meet blazing Zabini blue eyes. He wanted to kiss her so badly that he had to pinch himself from saying so. She blinked and waved at him with a goofy smile.

"Hi Blaise."

He smirked opening the wrapper and taking a bite leaning against the door frame looking at her, "Hi Elena."

"Elena stop flirting and bring us food!" Hermione yelled from down the hall.

"I'm coming... " She called back, "Come join us?" She asked.

He smiled and nodded following her down the hall towards the compartment the group occupied in. They looked up and gasped at the towering student beside their dear Elena that carried their candy.

"Who's he?" Harry asked and he shook his head.

Will no one recognize me off the bat besides Hermione?

"He's Blaise..." She said grinning at them.

She's probably glad she wasn't the only one that didn't recognize me...

Blaise took a seat and watched fondly as they talked for a while and Elena was buttoning up her shirt over the sleek tank top. Her clothes seemed to fit her better now as she shrugged her shoulder and adjusted the crisp white blouse.

"You're not going to change?" Hermione asked gesturing to Blaise still muggle attire. He shrugged.

"I'll get around to it...I change fast."

"How was your summer?" Elena asked tying her tie around her neck with expert efficiency.

"Mm... warm... I spent it in Italy..."

"Really now? You were at home?"

"My sister came home to see me... It wasn't exactly something I was going to pass up." She nodded understanding and clapped her hands as if remembering something before standing to climb up and dig through the pile of her bags to grab her own and reach own into it.

"What are you doing?" Hermione asked across from Blaise as she jumped down and held out a wrapped box to Blaise.

"Happy Birthday," she cheered and forced the rather large box into his hands. "I wanted to give it to you in November when your actual birthday is, but I figured that you could use it before then."

He blinked, " You... remembered?"

She smiled kindly at him urging him to take the gift, " Of course I did. Who else is going to remember it when you never do? I just couldn't wait until November, besides you know me... give it a week and I'll forget which month it is. Besides, I wrapped it myself! No magic required."

He laughed and took the gift, wanting to open it so badly it hurt as he stared down at the neatly wrapped wrapping paper. He'd almost never gotten a gift that he wanted to open that badly unless it was from Noemi. She always got him something that he actually wanted or needed. Blaise looked at her and realized everyone was staring at him.

"Uhm... dude," Ron started. "Open it."

He blinked and took to unwrapping the box with slightly trembling fingers. My heart was thudding in his chest like it thought he was running a race as he opened the box to reveal an onyx case in a familiar shape with his name emblazoned in shinning gold lettering. He undid the buckles on the case. Elena grinned as his eyes widened and looked up at her with surprise and wonder.

"How... did you get this?"

"I was right? Really?"

"What is it?"

The black ebony gleamed beautifully in the light and he traced the strings with his fingertips: a brand new violin. The particular model was almost impossible to come by and he wondered at what point had she discovered his love for them.

"You remembered."

"It's hard not to~... I had a chance and I couldn't resist." She said as he picked it up and turned it over to see the design engraved on the back.

Angel wings and spiraling with dark Gothic writing read Blaise Zabini. The name glimmered an opalescent Zabini blue. There was a familiar and warm energy coming from it that he'd never felt from the old violin by the same maker. This one was different in some way but he couldn't explain what it was. He looked up at her with shock and awe. It was already such an expensive violin but she'd had the man engrave it, he couldn't imagine the time and money she'd put into the gift and it warmed him greatly.

"It's wonderful..." he said. "But I can't accept such an expensive gift..."

"You don't like it?" She asked looking a little taken aback with his words.

"No," he said quickly. "I love it. It's beautiful, but I can't take this."

"How much did you pay for this?" Hermione asked seeing the mark of Aleksandr Ivanov's Nebes Zvuki series on the neck of the violin. The mark was Apollo's staff and lyre with N.Z. emblazoned over it. There was no mistaking that mark.

"There's only ten or so made a year by this maker and they're grossly expensive."

"I didn't pay anything for it," she explained and that only earned more confusion. "Alek is my brother, he changed his name when he left the family. I went to visit him and stayed the summer. In exchange for helping him around the shop and keeping books while his wife was working, he taught me how to make them."

"You... made this?"

"He's your brother?"

"Yeah, you didn't think it was possible to get one made like that did you?" She asked and tilted her head, " I just hoped I tuned it correctly and holds up to your playing habits, I can't tell you how many strengthening charms I put on every component of it. After seeing what you did to the last one, I decided it was a better idea if I customized it a bit. He said that the violin you had been made for a performer as a performer's violin not for frequent play, that's why it fizzled out... That and your brat of a cousin decided to abuse the poor thing before giving it to you. It's technically not a real Nebes Zvuki but I hope you're happy with it..."

He almost cried. It was eons better than a Nebes Zvuki it was specially made for him by the woman he'd set his mind to win over. It was truly the only one of its kind and no one could attest a higher honor than the one she'd given him by handing over her first and only violin to him for the simple anniversary of him being in the world. Just for a moment, he felt like it really was a birthday present instead of a birthdate. He set it on his shoulder pulling out the onyx bow engraved as well and struck a key to hear the sound ring crisp through the air.

Beautiful...

"It's perfectly tuned..."He said dragging the bow across each string as the sounds reminded him of her voice. "It's so beautiful I'm almost afraid to play it."

"I'm glad you like it and you'd better play it." She scolded. "I learned about a thousand different types of wood strengthening charms, lost at least six layers of skin with the glue and that's only day one."

He laughed at her indignation and promised to play it often.

She grinned at me, " Good, now I can ask for my birthday gift, hm?"

"Anything," he said closing the violin case it came in.

"You have to write and play me a song okay?" He blinked and smiled at her setting her gift back in it's case and closing the lid on his lap.

"I'll do what I can," he promised

"Great!"

Hermione looked at them both and smirked. Blaise saw it but didn't comment as Elena seemed to be completely oblivious to it while Harry and Ron asked her if she had any chess set makers in her family too. He had a feeling that Hermione knew what he felt for Elena and some insight into Elena's feeling as well. He wanted to ask her in the least obvious way possible to take a trip down the hallway so that he could ask her what she knew. But Just as he was about to address her the door slid open and inwardly they all groaned.

Goddamn Malfoy...

He sneered down at the group with that same condescending look and turned his eyes onto Elena who glared at him. He smirked at her expression.

"Well if it isn't my fiancee."

The others gasped, but Blaise wanted to punch him in the throat and feel his larynx crush under his fist. Noemi had warned him about the testosterone levels in his blood that could drive him into fits of rage but he was more than ready to channel it on Malfoy.

"What the hell are you talking about Malfoy?" Harry asked glaring at him.

Elena stood and walked over him with a sickly sweet smile, " Oh Draco how nice to see you..."

He smirked and choked as she jammed her knee into his groin, stepped down on his instep and pushed him back into Crabbe and Goyle setting her hands on her hips with a triumphant grin.

"You will regret every moment since you asked for my hand... I hope you know that. And I... will never, ever, for-never-ever, EVER marry you. Capito?" She slid the door closed and turned back to them who stared at her in her outburst as Malfoy banged on the door and she ignored him.

"Now what were we talking about?"

"What's this about fiancee?" Ron asked before Blaise could speak.

He looked at her, but she wouldn't return the gaze. Something was very wrong.

"Oh... Malfoy asked for my hand... and my mother said yes. But I said no and so now I'm going to make his life a living hell..."

Blaise's heart slowed for a moment as he heard the underlying meaning in her words. To everyone else it sounded like she had it under control, but he knew better. She was in danger.

She was right...

They got schedules the next day and he sighed at it all. Blaise dreamt of being an Aurora, something he was sure his father (not that he cared) would never condone. It was a very feasible goal since he performed amazingly in all of his classes as usual. However, this year required more than just good grades. It required a hell of an inexhaustible source of patience: he had all his classes with Malfoy.

"Hey Zabini, are you coming to my wedding?"

Blaise bit his lip, counted to three, imagined Draco's face rearranged, and turned around. Blaise stood towering over him by a good few inches and replied in the calm voice he always spoke in, "You mean if you live to your wedding right?"

"What's that supposed to mean-"

"Blaise!" He glanced to the left at her voice as Draco turned his head and looked at her.

"Ah it's my wifey... you'll be happy to-"

His voice was stuck in his wind pipe as her fist connected to his throat. If he was a lesser man, Blaise would have laughed.

"I think I like you better when you're choking..." Blaise said absentmindedly and turned to her with a smile, "Nice punch."

"I'm just warming up, come on let's get to class."

He followed her willingly glaring at every man that dared to look at her the wrong way. It didn't help that her skirt looked a little shorter because of her... endowments. If he were easily embarrassed by his own thoughts he may have blushed, but he didn't. In the non-sugar coated, politically correct reality, Elena had a really, really, really nice ass but who's looking?

Every guy including me...

If only they didn't have a strict uniform, maybe the walk to class would be less painful or pleasurable, he wasn't really sure which it was yet. The shirt didn't help either that stretched across her... (ahem) other endowments, making his head spin as we walked into class together and took a seat in the same row with Hermione and Harry.

"Hello, I didn't know we'd have this class together..."Hermione said greeting them.

"Aurora in training," He offered in explanation.

"Join the club."

My fifth year of Potions...

Joy.

With Snape sneering and waiting for his students to slip up so he could further exact a never ending vengeance on his students for crimes they didn't commit, it was enough to keep Blaise preoccupied from watching Elena. He never realized that the tiniest flick of hair over a shoulder could do so much internal damage to him. It just wasn't fair that after the incident at the train station she'd seemed less and less surprised by him and he became more and more enthralled with being beside her. He was beginning to wonder if she was doing it on purpose.

"Are you alright?" She asked looking up at him, breaking him from his spinning thoughts.

"Yeah... I'm fine..."

Nope definitely not doing it on purpose...

Definitely not.

In fact, Elena was so oblivious to her obvious effect on every male she came into contact with that it was turning out to be dangerous. Or rather it would be dangerous if Draco Malfoy had any other talent besides sneering and getting his ass handed to him. Blaise turned feeling some one's glare on his back and saw that worm Malfoy glaring across the room. He smirked deviously and turned back to Elena just as she called his name. She was pulling her hair back and up. He never thought he'd hate a style as much as he hated when she did that.

It looks so much better down...

"So we need to grind a snake's tooth and slice some lace wing flies to finish this up..."

"I'll grind. I'm sick of slicing."

He grinned at her after a moment and wiggled his eyebrows. She laughed at the pun as he set to work watching her with her robes rolled up and slicing away. He could hear his heart racing and he felt like it would fly out of his chest and over to her screaming "I LOVE YOU." He was comforted by the fact that his life was only wizardry not fantasy.

At least, I hope so.

Working together, they finish right on time with a beautifully pure liquid in their shared cauldron. It looked like moonstone and they looked in surprise as the liquid began to shrink, shrink, shrink and harden until only a perfectly round stone was left at the bottom of the cauldron.

Was that supposed to happen?

He glanced over at Elena who looked just as confused as he was. No one else's had done that and Snape hadn't shone them a sample potion to compare it with. Snape marched over, probably to ridicule them and Elena gripped his hand tightly to whether the storm they were going to endure. He stopped and looked between the two and they could have sworn they heard a gasp when he looked inside.

"Well..." he said slowly, he looked more in pain at what he was going to say than he had in their entire time at Hogwartts. "As to be expected from a Slytherin... and a Ravenclaw working together."

He reached into the pot to examine the stone that fit perfectly in his palm.

"A perfectly executed Polumus potion..." Elena blinked.

Is Snape complementing us? They thought and dared not look at each other until they left.

He set the stone down and they extinguished the fire putting away the extra materials and cleaning the workspace, it was lunch time and the moment they'd exited the room Elena was cheering.

"Did you hear that? He complimented us!" Elena gushed, she'd been trying to get a compliment out of Snape for four years and finally after she was sure they'd screwed up somewhere in between grinding up snake fangs and slicing frog tongues.

"Of course, it was all thanks to me." Blaise said with a mock smirk.

She stopped walking and laughed, "Yeah right as if..."

"Don't be so full of yourself Ravenclaw..." She pouted and swatted him in the chest.

"Meanie."

He laughed at her pout and hugged her lightly. They walk in a half hug all the way to lunch talking about the procedure and the look on Snape's face when he realized they hadn't blown themselves up. When they walked into lunch and separated, he'd hugged her tightly and told her she was amazing.

"We're amazing," she corrected and headed towards the Ravenclaw table.

He could see her walking around and being stopped multiple times before she even reached her table and laughed.

Miss Popularity...

"Hey, I don't appreciate what you did earlier with my fiancee..."

He looked up freezing the flying cup of pumpkin juice before it splashed him and turned the cup back over until the liquid settled back into the cup. He tutted at Malfoy shaking a finger.

"Tsk, tsk , tsk. You should really watch that temper Malfoy... you remember what happened this summer, yeah?"

He blinked and Blaise knew he caught the drift. Spending a week or two in the hospital with a broken nose, arm, ribs,leg and a punctured lung all because you said the wrong thing about Blaise's favorite sister would leave a mark on him wouldn't it?

Of course it would.

Blaise figured Malfoy really didn't want that ass whupping again as he grumbled and they ate in peace with Blaise stealing loving glances across the hall where Elena was sitting amongst the Ravenclaw Quidditch team.

She'd been the Ravenclaw seeker ever since she arrived. His lovely Elena was the reason they beat Griffyndors last year. She played beater when needed but that was only when the Ravenclaw team didn't give a damn about the game...They played for fun because everyone knew the important games, the ones that everyone really came to, had Slytherin vs Griffyndor in the heading. It wasn't until Elena came on the seen with her insane methods of riding a broom that people really showed up willingly to Quidditch matches.

But that doesn't matter...

He sighed in content, heading to their next class meeting Elena again. It was nice...Very nice. But for how much longer could they be this way before the danger set in?

He reached the room he shared with three others and fell into bed sighing at the comfort of a place far from home. Dinner had been smooth, he hadn't beat the crap out of Malfoy, nothing terrible had happened to Elena and he had the most wonderful view of her across the Great Hall.

He laughed turning over on his bed.

Who would have though that one person would make me feel this way?

Like he mattered...

Like he was something...

Like he was in love...

More like I'm a man...

And he was hers whether she knew it yet or not.