Chapter 5

The middle of September had quickly approached leaving the air feeling crisp, and the skies clear. Currently the Gryffindor's and Slytherin's were using this opportune moment to study outside for their Care for Magical Creatures class. Each house was sitting on their respected sides, easily avoiding the other as they watched studiously to the front.

Hagrid was patting the top of a finely messed wire cage, fairly large and devoid of anything, save for a wooden perch hanging from the top. Someone on the Gryffindor's side raised their hand slowly and dared ask the question on every one's mind.

"Yes?"

"Um, Professor?" Inquired a blond headed boy with a slight lisp. "What exactly are we looking at?"

"Ah!" Hagrid shouted startling a few unfortunate souls in front of him. "This is the rare Golden Snidget!"

There was only more blank stares until Hermione stood suddenly with wide eyes. "Professor Hagrid! That bird is extremely rare and there can be severe penalties attached to capturing or even owning one!"

"Okay what bird!" Ron asked still confused.

"I can see it…" Harry said in a low tone his green eyes darting back and forth fallowing something none of the rest could see. Hermione dared to look back at Malfoy out of impulse and watched his pale blue eyes do the same.

"That's right…" Hermione mumbled to herself.

"Well, 'ermione. Can ya tell us wha' we 're actually dealin' with?" Hagrid asked with a twinkle of understanding shining in his eye.

"The Golden Snidget is a small, spherical bird which can fly with amazing agility, changing speed and direction almost instantaneously. Its golden feathers and red jewel – like eyes are so prized that at one time the snidget was hunted almost to extinction. The fact that a snidget became such an integral part of the game of Quidditch, and usually died when it was caught, didn't help matters either. The snidget became a protected species; there are now severe penalties for harming or even capturing one. Snidget reserves have been set up worldwide, and a magical device, the Golden Snitch, has replaced the live bird in Quidditch," She finished off with a hand on her hip and her head titled slightly to the side, giving off an air of someone who just told someone what for.

Every pair of eyes were turned on her with slight surprise at her even knowing a lick about the wizarding game.

"Very goo' 'ermione. An' jus' incase yur wonderin' I've got me a special permit from the magical reserves where this fella was born," just as Hagrid was done talking the small round bird stopped fluttering long enough to perch itself on the swing. Its small breast heaved from its efforts, and then took off again but hovered slowly around its confinement.

"This 'ere particular Snidget was raised fer educational purposes. So there is no 'arm done. Twenty points to Gryffindor by the way, 'ermione, fer yer explanation."

The said girl nodded her head curtly and sat back down next to Ron who leaned over and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. She blushed at the few giggles from the girls behind her and decidedly ignored them.

--

The whole great hall was abuzz with chatter at the announcement that the first Hogsmeade trip of the year was to be held that very weekend. Plans were already being made and couples were starting to get together even though the weekend was still days off. During the recuperation of the after math of the war the small town made many changes, and everyone was anxious to see exactly what it could possibly look like now.

Natalia sat impassively at her table as her fellow housemates haughtily declared who would be worth to accompany them. Her dear cousin was nowhere in site so she had resigned herself to sit alone at the end of her house table and pick at her small lunch. She had a free period after this and wanted to go outside to study. Natalia had seen through the dorm windows when she had awoken that morning that the weather outside was beautiful, and wanted nothing more then to take the time to study in the fresh air.

With out giving much more thought to it she stood and grabbed her books and made her way outside ignoring the calls from a few boys in her grade. Once Natalia found the perfect spot next to the gnarled trunk of an ancient tree she pulled out a thick book she had found in the library and started reading. It didn't take long before her eyes began to droop and her head slowly started to nod forward. Her wavy dark hair fell into her face as the wind blew, carrying on it, the smell of wild flowers from the mountainside.

--

Harry was bent on finding some peace and quiet for the first time that day, but when he arrived at the tree he found his semi – private oasis over taken by a certain transfer student. He stared down at the sleeping girls figure with a slight smirk of amusement. Her legs were curled underneath her body and her head slightly bowed, tipped to the side, while a book he knew to be, 'Hogwarts A History," was perched on her lap. The slight breeze that had been blowing all day filtered through the air once again, brushing away her onyx locks from her creamy cinnamon colored skin.

Harry's smirks faltered slightly as the wind continued to play with her hair lightly, making it caress her cheek, like a lover would. His breath caught in his throat as she shifted slightly and her pale pink lips parted to exhale a content sigh, leaving him to lick his own lips unconsciously. He could feel a blush starting to rise to his cheeks when he realized what he had done so he turned his head, and coughed lightly into his balled hand.

When he looked back down he saw a slightly shiver run through her body, and she seemed to withdraw into herself as another particularly biting wind blew through the small alcove. He sighed and smiled once again at the girl's lack of school robes and took off his own and placed it around her shoulders.

He grunted as he plopped onto his backside and fell backwards into the still green grass. Harry contented himself to watch the few clouds there were passing by, loving the quiet. He had been wary when he had come across Natalia just now; because of course every encounter thus far had been far form serene. Harry chuckled softly as he sidled his eyes to the side to take in her profile, flashes of moments where she always seemed to be acting quite spirited, popped into his head. Looking at her now he could see that, then and now was like night and day.

He rather liked her this way and wondered if she would let down her guard one day around him long enough to show him this softer, somber side. Looking back up to the sky he watched the blue skies for a moment longer until he felt his eyes drift shut, the only noise was that of a few birds singing somewhere in the trees, and the sound of small insects buzzing busily nearby.

--

Hermione heaved a sigh and dropped her school bag to the stone floor, beside the couch in the common room, with a thud. She kneaded the aching muscle there for a moment before bending down and pulling out the ridiculous amount of books from her satchel. Once she had each one lined up by assignment dates before her on the coffee table top she pulled out her quill and ink well.

"Alright," she muttered to herself. "Time to get to work."

Pulling off her school robes she rolled up her sleeve and loosened her tie before picking up her quill, and bending over her workload. Silence ruled over the empty common room, save for the scratching of her quill across the parchment papers, or the occasional flip of a book page.

--

Draco entered the common room silently and shut the portrait door softly, as it was late. Breathing deeply with weariness, he started for the common room to go to his room. He stalled however when he looked up to see Granger sitting hunched over a monstrous stack of books and parchment. A few pieces of curled hair fallen from its confided bun on the top of her head, and her face frowning in concentration.

He frowned himself and thought about what a troublesome girl she was. Draco ran a hand through his bleach blond locks, and continued to watch her from the side. For some reason the Weasel had been plaguing his thoughts all day, since he had caught him snogging Susan in the corridor. He didn't care about him, or her, but for some reason the whole situation just seemed wrong.

So unlike Weasley's attitude or personality to cheat like that, but he had to suppose that war had changed them all and not for the better. Weasley's arrogance had seemed to skyrocket when Potter had killed the Dark Lord.

'The idiot, he wasn't even anywhere close when Potter dealt with the dark lord,'

Draco thought to himself. Even so it seemed if you had your name attached to the Golden Trio, fame was all but in your hands.

Curiosity soon trickled into his veins as he watched Granger scratch away on her assignments. Why would he cheat on her? Draco wondered. He smirked suddenly,

'she must be one frosty bitch."

The amused grin slowly disappeared however when he thought back to that morning. The look she gave him screamed anything but 'frosty'. Narrowing his eyes he took a step forward and walked to the end of the couch furthest from her, and looked down at her with interest once again.

Draco slipped his robes off slowly and laid it across the back of the couch as he looped one finger through his green and silver tie, loosening it. With the flick of his fingers he unbuttoned the first four buttons, and finally took a step around the couch and towards the girl. When he was a scant foot away from her he paused and waited until she looked up.

When she did he bent his knee on the couch beside her leg and watched with even more new found notice as her eyes widened slightly, showing him her honey colored eyes, clearly. He watched as her slim, but curvy body tensed instantly when he started to lean down, forcing her to lean away from him. Her back hit the armrest of couch and she opened her mouth slight as if to say something.

Draco's eyes flickered towards her small pink mouth and he titled his head to the side, as if studying a truly fascinating specimen.

"Wha-?" He watched her lips form the 'w' and listened to the sound it made before cutting it off.

"Tell me Granger," he said in a low even tone, that edged on iciness. "What do you see in the Weasel?"

Her confused expression instantly snapped to one of anger, but before the retort could leave her pert little mouth, Draco silenced her with a finger to the lips. When the tips of his finger felt the soft pillows beneath it he ran it along the lines of her mouth and watched as her eyes widened once more, making her gasp aloud.

A slight blush stained her cheeks and nose, making the corners of his mouth upturn slightly. When his gaze traveled up to meet her eyes he stilled and his senses returned slowly. Grangers eyes were half – lidded a brilliant blush on her skin. Her mouth parted, and her chest panted slightly, as if it was hard to breath.

His eyes traveled down the line of her neck and his eyebrow shot up when she saw her shirt unbuttoned and peeking through was the dark green lace of a bra. The sight made a jolt of tingling pleasure run down his stomach to his groin. Licking his lips he looked back up at her and grinned cockily.

"That's funny Granger," he said smoothly. "I thought you would have been more of a red person, but surprisingly green suits you."

With that he stood and snatched his robes from the back of the couch and headed to his room slamming the door closed with a resounding bang.

--

Natalia sighed from her position on the edge of her bed as she watched the dozen amount of girls run back and forth in the already to small dorm room. It was the weekend. The first Hogsmeade weekend of the year and she wasn't looking forward to it too terribly. Blaise, had been busy lately with something or other, she could never get him to tell her, and in his stead Draco was constantly shadowing her, seemingly in a bad mood.

Her cousin had promised a proper tour of the small town, and a surprise as well. At least it wasn't all bad. Natalia stood and slipped on her slingback flats and ran a hand through her hair checking her out fit only once. Running a hand over the material of her unbuttoned ruffled shirt, she tugged at the end of the green lace tank top underneath. Looping a finger into the material of her indigo wash jeans she pulled them up slightly and tucked the end of her leather trail belt into a belt loop to keep it from sticking out.

Before Natalia could make it out the door however a girl rushed through the door grabbed her friends hand.

"He's here, Jacqueline!"

Natalia raised an eyebrow at that and turned slightly to watch as the other girl blushed with excitement.

"Really!"

"Who, who?"

The conversation went on like that for a moment before an impatient holler sounded up the steps.

"Natalia! Riduca il vostro asino qui! Non abiamo tutto il giorno!" (Get your ass down here! We don't have all day!)

Natalia looked to the side at the feeling of people staring at her and frowned at the nasty looks she received. She smiled sweetly, however and picked up her small shoulder bag, and walked to the door.

"Have a nice time in Hogsmeade, ladies," she said as she slipped out the door. When she made it to the stair well she paused at the sight of her cousin. He wore a relaxed outfit much like her own. She stood there for a moment on the second from the bottom step and tilted her head to the side to take in his appearance.

He was wearing a black and gray rugby fleece sweater with a red shirt underneath, and the sleeves pushed up just below his elbows. His dark jeans ended with a pair of white and gray leather joggers. His black wavy hair was brushed back away from his face and as always flawlessly perfect. His whole image screamed cool, worship me.

Beside him Draco looked no different as his persona of Ice Prince in his completely black attire. From his black slacks to the torso fitting turtleneck and shiny leather black shoes. Grinning she looked back over her shoulder to see the top of the steps crowded by the seventh year girls, gawking openly at the two Slytherin's.

Rolling her eyes, Natalia, looked back at her cousin who was frowning impatiently.

"Natalia!" He huffed impatiently as she stepped down to join them.

"Sono caro cugino, cosi spiacente,"( I'm so sorry, dear cousin.)She said sweetly as she placed her hand on his cheek and kissed the other lightly, in hopes to cool his obviously irritated mood. She didn't falter when she saw his face relax with the sigh he heaved out. When she finally pulled away she looked at the blond next to them.

"Draco," she said with a nod.

"Natalia," he said just as evenly as he stepped forward slightly and lightly cupped her arm at the elbow, drawing her in. She titled her chin up and her face to the side as he planted a soft kiss on her cheek. Natalia could practically feel the knives already stabbing her in the back from the girls watching.

"Shall we?" Natalia said once again sweetly and started for the door with both boys on hot on her trail.

--

Blaise stared straight ahead as the three of them walked slowly through the town. His hands were shoved into his pockets and his fingers played with the thin piece of paper stuck into one of them. He hadn't told his cousin what they were going to do in town as of yet, because the contents of the letter currently in his possession, was from someone he hadn't personally seen in about a year, and someone Natalia hadn't seen in a good five months.

His eyes narrowed slightly when they finally reached the newly remodeled part of the small wizarding town, and in front of a humble café, sitting at an outside table was the person in question. Her curly light brown hair fell over her shoulder, and from the way they walked up on her he knew she couldn't see them. It didn't fail that she was wearing Italy's top fall fashion.

She wore a long sleeve black sweater with a form fitting tan knee length skirt, and just like almost ever Zabini woman her long slim legs ended with a pair of high open toed heels. Her black waistcoat was folded neatly over the back of the chair she was sitting in and her head was turned to the man she was sitting by.

Blaise's eyes narrowed more noticeably at the site of her getting more then comfortable with the strange man.

"Blaise?" Natalia questioned beside him with concern. He snapped his attention back to his cousin and grinned slightly.

"I'm fine, come," he said shortly and headed towards the fair skinned woman. Once upon them he felt Natalia detach herself from his side and step forward slowly.

"Shanna?"

The girl in question turned her head slightly.

"Ah," she said as she turned completely around, and Blaise frowned at the sight of her wearing a pair of dark tinted shades. It was hardly bright.

"E quello il Nightingale che dolce mi sento?" (Is that the sweet Nightingale I hear?)

Natalia didn't waste any time as Shanna stood, to rush to her side and embrace the woman, in a hug. When they parted Blaise stepped up to confirm his suspicions. Taking a hold of Shanna's arm he turned her slightly to face him and raised a hand to pull off the shades.

An audible gasp fell from Natalia's mouth and Blaise growled. The woman in front of him just smiled slightly and titled her head to the side. Her once light brown eyes were now a milky unseeing blue, dead, and useless.

"When?" He asked as he closed his own dark brown eyes.

Shanna laughed lightly, "sit first and have a cup of tea with me and Bernardino."

He grunted softly but sat any way ordering a cup of tea when the waitress came around, never taking his eyes off the woman to his left. Draco had disappeared when they had arrived so it left only the four of them at the small iron table.

Blaise hadn't seen Shanna for a while, but it seemed that time had been kind in some way. She hadn't seemed to age at all and still seemed like she had been at eighteen. Looking at the three of them you would never guess that they were actually all related and in the same family. Unlike Natalia, and Blaise, Shanna did not carry the strong Zabini traits in anyway. Her looks, and mellow attitude were that of her mothers, a muggleborn, and English.

"So Natalia," she asked in Italian, "tell me the truth, is the man sitting at my side as handsome as he says."

She made it sound like a joke as she replaced her dark shades. "You know I can go only on what people tell me now a days," she concluded lightly as she leaned forward to prop her elbows on the table.

Natalia sat with her mouth slightly open at the jest, a truly horrific expression on her face.

"Enough!" Blaise barked irritably. Both females sitting with him jumped slightly, as he sounded eerily like every other enforcing male in their family. Shanna lowered her hands to her lap and sat straight in her chair, a blank expression crossing her face. He had known something had been funny when had received her letter days ago, and a different hand wrote it.

"What is the meaning of all this?"

Natalia looked at her cousin questioningly before looking back at Shanna. A weary sigh escaped past her full ruby lips, before she bent down and picked up the handbag by her chair; a truly unerring act for someone blind. She unsnapped the small clasped and pulled out thickly folded bundle of parchment, sliding it towards Blaise and Natalia.

"I am no longer your legal cousin," she said lightly with a small, sort of sad smile. Natalia opened her mouth to protest until Blaise stopped her by holding up his hand, leaving the girl to flush red at the domineering treatment. Shanna took her shades off and folded them neatly before placing them down and 'looking' in their direction.

"Uncle and I didn't seem to see eye to eye on a few things after you left, Natalia. I said one to many things, and punishment was handed out," she said a bit bitterly.

"After I left?" Natalia asked forgetting her prior ire for her cousin.

Shanna nodded slowly.

"But weren't you in Scotland?" She continued.

"Yes, but when word reached me that you had left for England. I wanted terribly to see you off, but it seems Uncle didn't want me to do such a thing and word never reached me until afterwards," Shanna paused for a moment before leaning in and reaching across the table to grasp her hand. "Natalia, don't go back there!" She whispered almost urgently.

"I'm fine, if its me, I've grown to accept this," she let go of one of Natalia's hands to gesture to her eyes. "I've known that something like this might have happened someday, but Natalia, you don't deserve this."

Natalia stood in a huff, her hands slamming down on the iron table, "Neither did you! Do you think this is fair! That bastard! What right did he have?!"

Shanna sat back and sighed once again, her face seeming to age with the tiredness she felt. Turning her head to the man who had been silently sipping on his tea she leaned in and whispered something to him.

With out saying anything Bernardino stood and took a step to stand at Shanna's side, leaning down to brush back a of curl that had fallen into her eyes. He then squeezed her shoulder lightly and planted a kiss on side of her mouth before straightening and bowing his head slightly, then turning to make his way seemingly aimless through the now crowded streets.

Shanna reached for the cup of tea in front of her and fumbled for a moment before her hand found what it sought. Picking up the saucer she delicately drank from the cup before replacing it with out sound.

"Natalia," she said softly. "Please, calm down. It's fine; I no longer have to deal with the Zabini name. Like I said this day was only expected to come. Mother was not worthy given her…colorful background I do believe that's how Nonna Mercedes put it. Those documents were drawn up a month ago, cutting me from any rights I might have had with the family name attached. Buon dolore, if father could see how things are being dealt with now, he would roll over in his grave."

Shanna paused and grew serious, "But that is not what I wanted to come here to talk with you about."

Blaise sat forward slightly and trained his gaze on Shanna's face. "What is it…cousin?"

Shanna smiled before nodding, "well. Its about Lucius Malfoy…"