9 Old Classmates

Chapter Two

You have to trust me, I am your friend

Sunday, 12:40

The taxi stopped right behind a pitch-black Bentley with silver details. Wintery weather was surrounding them like a needy dog waiting for his sheep to finish their lunch in the nearest field - and even if it was winter, and even if it was cloudy, almost snowy outside, there was a single sunshine licking the blackness out of the luxury vehicle. It was surreal how much money those people had, and it was much more surreal how many people were impressed by their wealth, to families like these, no one was quite sure how, or when, that money was made. People called out, people suspected, but in reality, it was just business, starting small, involving much more than capable organizations earning money from places no one could think of. And of course, people kept guessing, and to many, it was a wild dream to own what they owned. She never thought money could solve problems, either she thought money was a problem, in defence of her unique way of behaving around them, Hermione Granger was certain it was just how she was raised, even if her family had old money, she never cared to show off, not like them at least. The whistle from the taxi driver meant he noticed it too, she could easily understand how he might feel fascinated by that metal fortune in four wheels, even she was for a second before her eyes landed on the castle up the hill she was about to spend a week. Of course, she didn't want to come, but Ron would, and he mentioned Ginny in his letter. And if there will be Ginny present, she imaged Theo Nott too.

With broken Italian, she thanked the driver for the ride from the airport, she paid him with euros, throwing her leathered wallet into her bag and opening the door at the same time as the Bentley's, their eyes met, he was much more surprised to see her - well-dressed body in a total black tailored suit, hands inside leather gloves fixing the coat he was wearing, shining shoes, combed backwards silver hair with the slightest curve appearing on his lips as her mouth opened, "Malfoy." she greeted first, not wanting to be second - he needed time to understand who he had in front of him, she looked giant in his eyes, dressed in a long creamy coat, with a matching beanie on her head and a small leathered handbag she now held in front of her with both hands, she looked so different, she looked sure of herself, calmer.

"Granger." his Italian was much better than hers, she felt embarrassed for a reason. Her taxi driver was gone, but his was still there. From what she understood, he asked him to wait, apparently he was not willing to stay longer, but then the driver took Hermione's suitcases and loaded them in the Bentley, "Since we go to the same place." he said and she frowned.

"I am not coming with you - " she tried her best to make her voice sound much more confident, but failed.

"The main entrance of the castle is 21 kilometres away, you wish to walk?" he asked opening the door to the back seat. She didn't want to walk, not with those flat boots she was wearing, either she wanted to be with him, but it was cold, and she was starting to feel her fingertips burning. She sighed, and he smiled when he closed the door. The gate opened, the car moved and he left to stare out the window. She had to see him since his trial, not that she would ever admit she was there, his friends were too, and she was in the back, hidden from everyone. Harry said some encouraging words on his behalf, even if she told him not to. He ended up losing everything, and she felt glad about it. It was a payback for calling her mudblood their second year - she learned about his mother's passing from Daily Prophet, no one was at her funeral, only Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson. His father took the kiss, and to her relief, he was left alone, no Enterprise, no Manor, no family besides - "Stop gossiping me." her heart beat faster.

"I am not." their heads turned simultaneously and eyes locked. "Is it about Leonard?" she whispered and watched him clench his jaw.

"Isn't it everything?" to his surprise, she seemed amused. "Was it you?" she noticed the tone of his voice, he was not accusing her, "Did you kill Leonard - "

"What - no, no! I would never - " for a reason, there was light dizziness in her head, some of her thoughts couldn't be placed in order - she blamed the plane.

"Do not answer like this in front of Blaise, if we are lucky enough, this whole delusion will end sooner than expected." he fixed the collar of his black shirt. Her eyes followed the moves of his hand, so delicate, so calm and with an air of importance - it was the first real-time she noticed him, the first time she cared to place him in her sight as someone worth seeing - his hands were clean, his nails shortly cut, veins decorating them along with his family ring.

"If not?"

"If not, we all get tortured." he had a grin on his face.

"At least you will see how it feels like." and the grin was gone, it was her turn to glance out the window - up to where her eyes could reach were gardens and trees surrounding the once vast and magnificent fortress, built on top of a hill, it used to be a jewel to the land - Leonard had told her about his father's name and status, about the prosperity they offer to the land, about the people's love for them, but Blaise Zabini lost most of the prestige his father's name had after Leonard's death, now the Sicilian proud baronial looked damned, old and sombre, its romantic bricks turned dull and haunted as if they were guarding demons in their high walls. Roads of thick, unlifted stones around the castle leading to the main entrance Malfoy mentioned reminded her of a maze, with small tunnels and bright opened space of more gardens decorated with statues, she had never been here before, but she had seen pictures. Leonard had sent her a photograph of him lying in the gardens with a book in his hands, she didn't know why, but his memory brought a small smile to her face - she had to think about him for the longest time.

The car stopped and she turned her head to see Malfoy looking at her. He was mad, or maybe he looked mad. She couldn't tell. "Granger - " he tried to talk to her but she had already opened the car door, meeting Blaise Zabini at the head of the stairs, in front of a tall, heavy, wooden door with mosaic decorations.

"Well, who said odd was not achieved." the image of Draco getting out of the car amused him. He looked at Hermione now. "Welcome." his hands were in his pockets - he had promised himself not to touch any of his guests. She nodded at him and disappeared from their sight, feeling Draco Malfoy's eyes on her. Blaise pointed at the closing now door with his head, "You two travelled together - "

Draco warned him, "Not now."

13:55

The high-ceilinged entrance hall made her eyes widen, everywhere she looked was a decorated sensation, small crystal chandeliers were leading the way to a big one some steps away from her - two enormous staircases to the left and to the right leading to different parts of the castle, another hallway where the help now forced her to follow without saying a word and then eyes on her - Pansy was the last to broke eye contact, she snorted at her presence, to be honest with herself, she had no place here, "What are you doing here?" Hermione looked at Harry confused before resting her eyes on the room she was in - big fireplaces on each side, lengthed windows leading to gardens, heavy carpets with sofas and armchairs, carved tables in different sizes, shapes and corners, expensive art and a bookcase at the wall opposite from the windows -

"You took an aeroplane to come - " Ron looked amused.

"How else would I come here -"

"Floo - "

"Floo Network." everyone said and she raised her brows.

"I prefer aeroplanes." she defended herself and accepted a glass of wine from Ron, "Why - " her lips sealed, everyone was drinking something. Pansy wine, Ginny vodka for some reason, the boys were sharing a bottle of firewhiskey. "Early start." she said and watched Draco Malfoy walking inside the beautiful room.

"Take it or leave it, Granger." he said as he walked by and she made a grin.

"What's his problem - "

"Existence." Ginny received narrowed eyes from him but cared little, she found the back of the armchair and looked at the people in the room. "Well, how are we all going to get out of here - "

"What's wrong red Barbie? An all-paid vacation with your honey bear was not how you wanted to spend the last week of January - "

"Pansy." Blaise's voice made her lower her gaze, not because of shame, Pansy would never feel shame, she just felt sorry for Blaise. "They are my guests and I do not want to hear words such as this again." to the surprised eyes of all, he meant it. They were his guests and he was not going to make them feel any less than welcome, besides, they will be the end of his horror. As for his plan, it was working perfectly, them, along with him, what a pleasure it will bring him at the end of the week. A friend, some lovers, some haters, some enemies and a guilty motherfucker, those were his company for the next seven days. "Breakfast is served at 7:30. Brunch at 11:30, we eat lunch at 14:45 and at 17:00 we drink tea or any other liquid to keep you sane. At 19:30 we eat dinner." everyone frowned. He smiled. "The helping staff are deaf. They won't talk to you, they won't hear you. To your concern, you only have each other, and to my concern, you are seven, each with a different tale. We have seven days to follow, each will share their doings." Ron breathy laughed, "You owe me this," he looked at Ron narrowing his eyes, "all of you." then the rest of the group, "As for tonight, I shall start, at dinner, 19:30. Your assigned help will be leading you to your rooms." he looked at his watch, "Now excuse me, I am late for a call." and he left, as calmly as he came, seeing no wrong in this party, either a right.

Theo snorted, "Anything stronger than firewhiskey then, host?" he yelled at him as he was disappearing from their sight.

"Is he mental - " that was a question to everyone's mind, but they were all here, weren't they?

"He is hurting." Hermione realised once Blaise was gone. Funny, she never actually thought he would be that sensitive. "He is grieving, he needs closure - "

"Closure?" Pansy laughed, "Granger, please, you are a medical professional," Theo looked at Hermione in awe, "he needs the truth," now she looked at everyone in the room, "so as fast you are willing to say you did it, the faster the rest of us will go back with our lives." long skinny legs crossed and she rested her wine glass on her knee, boringly watching at the art in front of her.

"The rest of us?" Ginny asked while walking to Hermione, wishing to find some comfort. Hermione looked at Ginny's hand around her arm and frowned. Since when she is that fond of her?

"Why - what does he intents to do with the, well, the murderer?" Harry looked confused at Hermione who shrugged. Why is he here?

"Can someone explain to the chosen one - "

"What is your problem Pansy?" some people frowned at the spoken given name - since his arrival she was bombing everyone with snarky comments. He got tired of it. She smiled. And he narrowed his eyes.

"My problem Won-Won is one of you fucked up and I am not willing to pay for your actions - "

"You think I - you believe I killed him?" he was in pure shock, he never thought she would believe something so idiotic.

"Your fights with Leonard could turn the school upside down!" Pansy was now standing in front of him.

"That doesn't mean I killed the bloke - "

"Do you really believe Blaise never considered you as a murderer - "

"I wasn't on the fourth floor's balcony when it happened! I was outside, watching my best friend being carried dead - "

"Ron would never kill Leonard." Hermione rushed to talk only to receive a really troubling look from Pansy, "Whoever did this, it's not him." her voice was much more defended than before.

Draco looked at her, "That Weasley could never kill him, leaves suicide the only reasonable - "

Theo snorted, ''Do you really believe old John John's handwriting notes about a grieving teenager and his mood swings?'' he emptied the gold liquor, "Leo was a lot of things, but he was in love with himself, he wouldn't even know how to spell suicide." Draco's rolling eyes sparkled his fury ''Mate,'' he rushed to swallow, now his voice changed, ''you were drunk from '95's Christmas, you hardly remember your mother dying - ''

''Fuck, Theo!'' Pansy hit his foot with hers and he closed his eyes in defeat, leaving the empty now glass aside, he found himself standing in front of Draco's tall body.

''I did not mean to - Draco - '' measuring the words he was about to say, regretting the previous ones, Theo found his mind drifting to the days Draco and him were talking about life far away from their savage past, their sorrowed selves, a life they both needed, now simply brought back to point zero. ''Blaise never got to know what happened to his brother," Theo's voice numbed, ''he never got the chance to realize his passing, either he grieved properly - ''

"The times I found him in brothels with two galleons worth of firewhiskey mixed with elf wine and vomit on his shoes are not counting - "

"You want to talk about the times you found him or for those he got missing - "

"He is a bloody adult that bloke!" Draco's gaze changed to a much more dangerous one, "It is not our duty to run whenever he shouts - "

"Either it is to check his pockets for cocaine, but at least one did it - "

"For the millionth time, Theo, I did not know he was taking any drugs - "

"You both were there for a friend, well done, want a metal of manly honour shaped and weighted as your balls?" Pansy clapped two times, ''I am so tired of you.'' the sofa absorbed her skinny body, ''I am so tired of the three of you. Your word fights, your competition, you are best friends, do you remember that?'' her long fingers ran through her silky hair, ''Do you realize it's been five years since the last time we have been together?'' her eyes look at the two tall men, ''Five years and I know every single disgusting yet important detail of your pathetic lives and you know nothing! None of you cared to ask about me anymore.'' she waved at the bottle of wine to come to her, "For five years, I have been inviting you to gatherings, to parties, to my fucking birthday," she filled her glass, "but when Leonard Zabini's dead existence needs closure," she mimicked Hermione's voice perfectly, "you rush to the rescue, well, fuck you," she rose her glass to Theo, "and fuck you." she now looked at Draco. She drank her wine at once, looking at Hermione before throwing her shoes off and making herself comfortable on the sofa - Hermione wanted to laugh, after all those years they played the same part in the friend group, who would have thought? Sadness overtook all her senses and the faces of Harry and Ron made her skin shiver, Pansy at least knew every single disgusting yet important detail of their pathetic lives, she couldn't say the same.

''Well, you are here now.'' the three of them turned to see Ron Weasley, who they had totally forgotten about. He frowned, ''I mean," he met Pansy's eyes, "force them to listen now.'' he shrugged and turned around to let himself gaze at the cloudy sky.

"This is so stupid." Ginny said and grabbed her jacket, running to the gardens.

"And the grieving widow returns." Theo rose his glass to her, missing the way Harry looked offended.

19:29

If the living room was elegant, the dining room was much more luxurious than everything she had seen, dressed in a tapestry of red colours with small wider windows every some meter away from one other, decorating statues in pedestals, everything on the same height, heavy round table in the middle, big enough for the eight of them, gold details everywhere, including the forks and knives, even the fireplace, everything was screaming wealth and riches, even the Slytherins were dressed as if a gala was about to be set - she looked at the dress she was wearing, then with the corner of her eye Ron, taking his jacket off, at least he was not overdressed like the rest of them. The round dining table was perfectly set, plates holding their names in a small piece of hard parchment, written calligraphically, with wide space between the name and last name. Hermione found her seat between Blaise Zabini and Ron, then it was Harry and Ginny, followed by Theo Nott, Pansy Parkinson and Draco Malfoy. She didn't like it - not because she was seating next to Blaise, frankly she was starting to realise why she was here in the first place, and by the look Pansy gave her when she arrived, she feared about a certain pact they had, a certain pact of a specific night, and if that night would be mentioned, what the rest of them will say? What will Ginny say? Her heart started to beat faster - now Pansy's eyes were coloured in sympathetic tones - fuck. Fuck! Ron's body scent made her look at him, she had to protect him, she had to make sure Pansy won't speak about that night, she had to make sure Ginny won't find out, maybe if she talked to Parkinson about it -

"Trouble in paradise?" Pansy looked at Harry and Ginny when the last was looking pale and angry - Hermione frowned, she hadn't paid any attention to her, or Harry for that matter, why was he here again? He hardly knew Leonard - Harry grabbed Ginny's arm and asked her to talk to him. She refused with angry eyes, finding her seat and setting the napkin on her lap. She mumbled something to Harry, he only looked defeated. She couldn't remember when was the last time she talked to Ginny, last Christmas maybe? No, it was on her birthday, Ginny sent her flowers and a card, and Hermione lettered her only to get nothing in return, as usual.

"Greetings." he sat, opening his jacket and watching the rest of them find their seats. "I am sorry I am late." he looked at his watch, then Draco - he frowned. "What?"

Well, Draco could say a lot of things about not running when Blaise is in need, but they knew he didn't mean any of it, at least Pansy and Theo knew - Draco and his fear of showing emotions had selectively added those three people to his family group, and sure, Pansy can say he hardly cared about her, but Draco had someone to look after her when he was not around, and the same he acted with both Theo and Blaise, he would never admit it to anyone, but Draco Malfoy cares, deeply, and even if his heart has a cold ivory surface, and even if he doesn't show emotions easily, Draco was sincere when asked, "Is everything alright?" knowing how people were not fond of him after almost ruining his inheritance.

"Yes. People are not willing to give me a chance anymore." Blaise found himself frustrated for a second, Hermione looked at him and he smiled - it made Draco frown, "My chef is an excellent taste woman, for tonight she prepared the best of the Italian cuisine, let us dine." he waved at the doors to open, watching the help taking the cards with their name and placing them with soup. And people ate, hesitated at first, but ate. And it was indeed excellent, and even if he found himself being hungry, the type of hanger he would feel was not going to be gone with soup. His eyes scanned the people around him, finding it hard to care about their presence more than he cares about the truth, "How's life at the hospital, Granger?" he asked when she finished. "I realise you live in the Muggle world." he served her more wine and her cheeks fired up, missing the frown of Draco Malfoy - and that was for the blushing, he knew she no longer was a residence of the Wizarding World.

"Yes. After the war, after every - " there were no words to describe the aftermath of war, "I moved on." she nodded and thank him for the wine. She looked at the crystal glass on the table and then at him, he was expecting more from her, but what more could she say? The truth was she didn't want to stay in the Wizarding World anymore, a part of her was gone because of what had happened, it took her a while to understand it, and it took every strength and courage she had left to leave. Often she would ask herself, do I regret it? And the answer was no. Always the answer was no. She didn't like to think about the past, either to think about the war and Hogwarts and Harry and Voldemort and everything else. It was draining her. There were times she would miss a thing or two, like the libraries and the food, even the spells, and mostly Ancient Runes, she loved that subject, but then she would look around her flat, her medical books, the photo of her and her parents and she was certain she made the right decision. "Muggles acts based on politics, it's easier." she shrugged and heard Pansy's breathy laughter.

"Never thought you would seek the easy way." Hermione was sure she meant it to sound offended but it didn't. Her cheeks fired up even more now, maybe she should talk to her, maybe she would understand the delicate of the situation and keep her silent about that night -

"So you are a doctor?" Theo asked now, trying hard to hide his interest. She had read about him, his triumph as a Healer after his family fiasco, he looked as if everything had fallen into place where he was comfortable and prosperous, there was an aura of certainty and self-trust, Hermione hardly remembered how Theo was back in Hogwarts, for some reason his present self overtook his past self - wasn't that the dream?

"Yes, at the pathological department, it's nice. Everything is in order. No one is after you or your wand." she breathy laughed and Theo did too. He understood what she meant, and even if Theo never said it out loud, he was courting with her choice.

"How was your trip to Spain, Draco?"

"Spain?" Pansy looked offended, "What on Salazar were you doing in Spain?" he wanted to make a cocky comment for her knowing everything in his life, but he didn't, he couldn't hurt her that way.

"Taking back what's mine." with gushed confidence he sat back.

"Ministry owns Enterprise." Harry found challenging silver eyes looking dangerously at him. Draco only smirked.

"Well, I wish the best." he kindly smiled at his friend - his friend. To the presence of all, Draco was the one he was certain he didn't do it, but for a reason, he couldn't trust him, well, he trusted no one, but not trusting Draco seemed the hardest - Blaise kept observing from afar the paradox relationship between Leonard and Draco, they were looking at each other as if they were mortal enemies as if the air of the one was toxic for the other as if their shared space could explode from their heated vibration, Blaise's guts were alarmingly warning him - "I hear Romania is an excellent country, dragons are prospering I assume?" he will deal with Draco later.

Ron's smile made everyone smile, "And not only dragons!" he took his wallet out, finding the photo of his daughter next to his wife, "Romania is amazing, the history, the people, I met my wife there," he gave the photo to Blaise, "and our daughter," his smile was wider now, "job's great, Charlie and I work together, my wife is at home writing her latest book about proper dragon raising, life's good." Blaise gave the photo to Draco now who wanted to comment on the black hair of the child and not the ginger colour he expected, she looked like Ron, but she was much more beautiful.

"How old is she?"

"She will be four in July!" Ron talked to Draco as if he was a long-lost friend, "She is so smart, the other day she made a Norweigian Dragon bowl to her!" everyone laughed a little.

"Let me see." Pansy took the photo from Draco, "She is beautiful, Weasley." her voice, as well as her eyes, looked at him kindly, she knew how much he wanted a family but never care to admit it - she passed it to Theo who agreed and gave it back to him. "And your wife? Is she from Romania?"

"Yes! Her parents were kind enough to give us their old Burrow to live and Molena couldn't be more excited." there was happiness at the end of his gaze, there was peace and calmness, there was bursts of sunshine and lovely sunsets, his life was not matching with the rest of them, and each knew - it wasn't his fault, either he asked for it, it simply happened, and he found himself drown into the likeness of home life, the routine and the perfectly well schedule, he loved the boring mornings and the expected evenings, he loved the detailed days. It seemed fair to have it, after everything they're been through, after every fight, every loss, every victory, normal was perfect, normal was good - and that's why he felt sorry for Hermione who never found her boring life yet - the last time he visited her was on her birthday, Molena had prepared a cake and Ron said they missed her last Sunday, it was still unclear to him why she left Wizarding World, and it would stay unclear for a bit longer.

Blaise nodded, a bit jealousy playing at the end of his lip, what a shock it was to be jealous of Ron Weasley, "Sounds like a perfect life." there was sadness in his voice but non seemed to notice. And if they did, they chose to ignore it, maybe each and every one at the table had their own fantasy of the perfect life, and somehow, unknowingly how, Ron's seemed the best. Blaise smiled, "Is the deal with the Nonuba Bank of Asia sealed, Pansy?" looking at her, he found the will to maintain his stone-cold persona, "Last time we talked you were eager to close - "

"No." her next words were fast and full of anger, "My assistant fucked up." she signed, "She missed the delivery."

"Contact them." Hermione's voice sounded rushed but certain, "Tell them you reconsidered their proposition and you want to add a new asset, like," she signed, "a 10% leverage to those willing to transfer funds through your bank system." Pansy looked at her frowned and mad, "I read the Prophet - " Pansy rose her hand to make her stop talking. She wouldn't thank her, of course and she wouldn't - she narrowed her eyes to the Gryffindor Princess and nodded once.

"I hear the Auror's Department are thrilled with your devotion and hard practical skills, Potter, how is life among the greatest?" and his words were not even ironic. He meant every single one of them, and Blaise had the same look as he had with Draco and Pansy when he talked to him, every young wizard dreamed to be an Auror, wearing the badge, hunting and fighting, it couldn't go better than this, but Harry was not like those young wizards, and sure there were days he would run, days he would hunt and days he would fight, but now no one was like Voldemort, and no one was willing to sacrifice their nice living to become what? A runner? No. The days were boring, delusional people asking for protection, others just in need of someone to look after them because they own money to questionable people, and so on and on, and he got bored, and the more bored he would get the more he would eat - but he wasn't going to share any of it with them.

"Brilliant!" he looked excited for a second, he might have thought the Forest of Dean, "I cannot stop being excited about my noble act in the cause - "

"You sound believable - "

"Well, not all of us are businessmen Malfoy - "

"Not anyone can be - ''

"Please." Blaise laughed, "Old feuds are not welcome in this table. I read about your achievement in Daily Prophet, and people are impressed with you." his eyes were kind, "Aren't you?"

"It's - " Harry's lips sealed, "People are easy to be impressed." he wasn't wrong, and he knew how to impress them, some words here, some good actions there, a few charities and people were impressed, and in the middle of everything laid Harry, sucking the desperation of a past life down to his fat throat. In the days he spent in the office, he would give himself five minutes to wander into the life he might have had if, let's assume, Ginny was not the one he would marry, and to his surprise, his mind ofter wonder to the kind face and smile of Cho - what a lovely girl she was and what a nice person she was. How would his life be, if he wasn't who he was? That was the question, and there was no answer, just wild imagination. He looked at Ginny, how much love he had for her, how much he was willing to offer her, only to see her regretting everything.

Blaise nodded, he knew where to stop. Now he was smiling at Theo, "How are you mate?" he asked and Theo straightened his back, "Any lucky man in your life you want to tell us about?"

Theo laughed, to his busy days, men were the last he wanted to add, "Not yet." he smiled, "Everything is fine, thank you for asking - "

"I think he asked something else." Pansy whispered to him and he frowned, there was no chance he would talk about this in front of those strangers - Blaise waited.

"Stefanie is feeling better, I will be visiting her after this," his eyes scanned the table, "after this week ends." Theo was mad at Blaise, mostly because being here was not ideal for him, and then, there was the picture he found in his room - Leonard on the fourth floor's balcony, leaning on the wall till someone called him and turned around to see Theo's shy smile, and Leonard blushed, making an adorable grin. And Theo cried while holding that photo, he cried for Leonard, he cried for Blaise, he cried for being in this castle, he cried for stupid Ginny Potter. He cried for what he lost, and what would have had if things were different. He cried wishing to be in the coffin with him - but Blaise couldn't care less, because opposite on the table sat her.

Her. The second ginger nightmare he wished to forget - with patient eyes and prepared words, Ginny played with her glass while meeting Blaise's eyes for only a second, "Mrs Potter," he smiled and she shivered, he looked just like Leonard, only Blaise had darker eyes, Leon had hazel eyes. "how is life at home with young James?"

Words hurt, and Ginny hurt the most. It wasn't the life she might have expected, clearly she wasn't prepared for the motherhood reality, who is? She definitely wasn't, and the whole staying-in housewife, no excitement whatsoever, no places to be, no one was expecting her, well, her mother was sometimes, but even she had something to do with her spare time and Ginny didn't even have that, between cooking, cleaning, dressing, undressing, feeding, sleeping, Ginny found nothing to be left just for her, and she desperately needed something to be left for her. "I adore him." with perfectly calm eyes, and an aura that could fool anyone, even Ron, she lied. Easily. Effortlessly. She extended her hand to touch Harry's making him flinch.

"How about you, Zabini?" Hermione asked, feeling uncomfortable now that she saw Harry and Ginny.

"Me?" he laughed, "I will tell you how I am, Granger." he took a sip, looked at them all, then her, only her, "I am devastated, I am heartbroken, I am furious, I am sad, I am angry." he nodded, "I am angry at you, I am angry with Leonard, I am angry about everything." he started to laugh, "Do you know there is not a word for a parent, or a brother in my case when they lose a loved one? There is not, I checked." he reached the pocket of his blazer, "If you lose your parents, you become an orphan, when you lose your husband, a widow, but when you lose your brother, there is not a word in any language for what you are."

"Blaise - "

"No, Pansy, no." he moved his finger to her, "I passed the state of grieving, I passed the state of morn, I am now looking for the truth." he took the small dairy from his pocket, missing the way Pansy looked surprised, "You do know what this is?" he didn't expect an answer from them, "This is Leonard's personal dairy, and the things he wrote!" his lips pressed together looking at all of them, "I couldn't read it, motherfucker had it enchanted, then, then I remember, he is no longer alive, whatever bond he had with those pages, is long gone, so I broke the curse, and I read what he wrote." he laughed when they looked a bit shocked, a bit scared, "As promised, tonight I will do the honours, only changes are, you seven and us two." he waved again and the doors opened, the help rushed to offer them the main course, changing their plates and glasses, but their eyes were left on the dairy, a simple notebook, nothing fancy, nothing too expensive, resting under Blaise's hand, holding God knows what.

The only question was; how Leonard expressed what had happened with them all, besides, he wasn't a friend to all.