I sat alone in the library and huffed as I looked at the clock again. Draco was late, a good hour late no less, and I hadn't heard anything from him since yesterday in the stairwell. Maybe he got embarrassed about me seeing him while he was crying and skipping the session until he figured it would be forgotten, not that it would be anytime soon. I glanced around and didn't see him coming at all, I shoved my books and the essay that I was working on in the bag and slung it over my shoulder. I waved to Madam Pince was I walked out and she nodded back to me, our typical goodbye and walked straight into someone coming in.

"Whoa, careful there Granger." I looked up and realized that I crashed into Blaise Zabini.

"Sorry, I just wasn't looking where I was going." He laughed and shrugged.

"It happens. Where are you heading off to? Don't you and Draco have a study session tonight? I was hoping I could tag along." He gestured to the bag that he was carrying. I shifted my bag and sighed.

"Apparently not, he never showed up." He scrunched his eyebrows and shook his head, seeming upset about this revelation.

"Don't let it get to you, he is just being a stubborn arse." I laughed and nodded in agreement. "Would you like to study with me? I am not doing as poorly as Draco in classes, actually I hold my own really well, but it might be nice to bounce ideas off of someone who actually takes school seriously, and isn't just looking to copy my answers." This takes me aback. That was seriously an offer that seemed to come right out of my head, something I have wanted for a while. I squinted at him slightly, searching for any sign that this was some time of trick or something that he was going to use to embarrass me, but after not seeing anything that would point to that I smiled at him.

"Sure." I turned back around and walked to my table, Madam Pince smiled at me and Blaise, before bustling off to do something or other. "What classes did you want to do tonight?"

We spent the next hour and a half talking about different potions and their active uses. We argued about which spell was the best and how much we would actually use other spells that we were taught. He was surprisingly good company, he was witty and smart, as well as funny. I noticed that he used his hand a lot less than Ron or Harry did when they spoke, it was nice for a change not to have to lean away from his when he started talking about something he felt confident in.

We were discussing the uses of Acromantula venom when Draco walked into the door. He looked tired and defeated. I was going to get to my feet, but Blaise beat me to it.

"Hey, Draco, are you okay?" Draco's head snapped up and he looked so confused by Blaise's appearance, but then a switch clicked in his brain. He clearly his his tiredness and smiled smugly at him. It would have been convincing, if I hadn't seen him when he walked in.

"What are you doing here, Zabini?" I rolled my eyes at his gruffness, before the worry of his appearance before he hid it reappeared.

"I was studying with Granger, I told you that I was going to join your next study session, remember?"

"I didn't think you were serious." Draco said with a laugh, "But I guess any company is better than the company of those two buffoons she normally studies with. Isn't that right, Granger?" I took a deep breath, just simply reminding myself that he was clearly going through something and lashing out.

"It is getting late." I stated, gathering my things into my bag again. after hoisting it onto my shoulder I walked the few steps and stood before both boys. "Blaise it was great to study with you, you are more than welcome to any of the sessions that we have. Would you give me a moment with Draco, though? There is something I need to discuss with him."

Both boys reacted to that, but Blaise quickly pulled on a poker face and smiled at me. "The pleasure was mine, Granger. I'll see you next time." He grabbed his bag and the book off the table and winked at me. My face flamed quickly, causing him to smirk and walk out of the library. Damn. Was Blaise Zabini always so cute, or am I just losing it? I shook my head, trying to physically clear those thoughts from my head and turned to face Draco. My words got caught in my throat as his mask slipped and the defeated expression came back.

"Are you okay, Draco?" I put my hand on his arm, only sighing when he quickly pulled it away from my touch.

"No, Granger, I am not. I don't even know why I came here, I was just really upset and I didn't want to see anyone in the Slytherin commons. I didn't think that you would be here, but I figured I would just come check."

"So you were looking for me?" I was surprised to say the least, and I was not hiding it well. My voice went up an octave, my eyebrows were raised significantly, and my face flushed. I clearly did not posses the amazing poker face that he and his fellow Slytherin had. He rolled his eyes, but nodded.

"Don't sound so surprised." He said shrugging "I figured-"

"Alright children, it is now ten minutes to curfew, I suggest both of you get to your respective houses now." Madam Pince's voice came from behind us, and I jumped nearly a foot. I had forgotten that the librarian was here. We bid her a goodnight and headed out to the hallway. We started walking to the stairs, both of us suddenly silent.

"I am sorry for whatever it is you are going through, Draco." I said softly, not looking at him even when he glanced at me.

"I don't need your pity, Granger." he said it gruffly, but there was no force behind it, no real anger.I shrugged, still not looking at him as we approached the stairs.

"It's not pity," I said,"it is sympathy. I have seen a lot of heartbreak recently and I can relate to it. Though," I continued finally planting my feet down by the stairs and facing him. "you are doing a great job fooling everyone else. No one else seems to notice you are falling apart, well except Blaise."

"I am not falling apart." He growled at me, gritting his teeth. "Malfoy's don't fall apart."

"Oh no, of course not." I responded sarcastically. "You seem to be doing great." He huffed and turned his head away from me. His jaw seemed sharper, and his white shirt showed his collar bone a little too easily. It made me uneasy. There was clearly something going on with Draco, perhaps its was still Katie Bell? I felt guilty then, for pushing him to talk about something he very clearly wanted to keep bottled up. I sighed. "I just wanted to let you know, that I am here to help. If you need to talk or something." He didn't say anything and started to walk down the stairs to the dungeons. I started upstairs and just barely made out what he said. It almost sounded like a "Thanks, Granger.", I couldn't be sure, but I went up to the Gryffindor tower with a smile on my face just the same.

"I am sure you guys are going to do fantastic tonight, I don't understand why you are so stressed about this game." I said for probably the fifth time that morning. We were sitting at the Gryffindor table at breakfast discussing the first Quidditch game to happen this year. The boys had been bickering all morning about whether or not the game was going to go well, and Ron kept going back and forth on if Harry should let him play. It was very, very annoying.

"Because, Hermione" Harry said, dragging out the word 'because', while Ron nervously split his pumpkin juice in his lap. "You haven't see the practices. The team is barely a unit. It was a disaster." I wordlessly handed Ron a few napkins to dry off his quidditch uniform. I bit my lip to hide a smile, he looked very handsome in his uniform. It was tight and showed his butt well, not that I had been totally checking it out or anything, but, honestly. He looked great.

Except for the nervous sweat and the panicky motions he kept making with his hands.

"You should just pull in McLaggen, Harry. I am just gonna bring you down today." He said, again, while dabbing at his pants with the napkins.

I rolled my eyes at Ron, and just happened to glance at the Slytherin table across the hall. Malfoy was smirking as Nott talked to him. He looked a little better. It had been a few weeks since the time in the stairwell and the subsequent walking from the library. Our interactions were less strained, more open to banter and actual studying. I'm not saying he was everything nice, but he wasn't horrible.

"Is that why you put that in his drink, Harry?" Luna Lovegoods soft voice pulled me out of my thoughts and I glanced back at Harry as he hurriedly pocketed a small vial.

"Harry James Potter, you did not just put that in his drink!" Harry shrugged at me with a small smirk. "Ron you can't drink that!" I was outraged, this could destroy Gryffindors chances at winning the Quidditch cup, not that I really cared, I just didn't want Slytherin to win again. More importantly, Harry has been cheating so much lately I just was tired of it.

But of course, Ron downed the cup and he and Harry giddily hurried off to the pitch. I stomped after them, but they were in a rush and I fell behind, they didn't slow down when I called after them either. I groaned and sat on the stairs rubbing at my temple.

"All good, Granger?" I looked up and saw Zabini, Malfoy wasn't with him, and he swaggered over to me and sat down.

"My friends are idiots." I stated plainly, making him laugh. I smiled back at him.

Zabini had joined Malfoy and I for a few study sessions after that single one that we had alone. He wasn't the egotistical jackass that I was expecting... Well, only slightly. But he was also wicked smart and the three of us had amazing debates. He has been a great tool in getting Draco to actually study and not complain so much.

"I think Draco has been mentioning that since the day he met them. Just figuring it out?"

"I guess so, I just don't understand why they don't listen to me about anything." I played with my hair, ignoring the weird looks we were getting from students as they headed to the pitch. I knew that it was weird to see a Slytherin and a Gryffindor just sitting around talking, but it wasn't the first time Blaise and I have talked in public, I wish people would just get over it. But of course we weren't just any other students from different houses, I was part of Harry's circle and Blaise was part of Malfoy's. People considered it "treason" almost.

"I believe that we established they were idiots." I laughed, nodding in agreement. He smiled back at me and titled his head towards the door were I noticed Draco watching us.

"Wanna walk to the pitch with us? We tend to be better company than most Gryffindors."

"Sure you are." I say, rolling my eyes. "But, no thanks. I'm going to head down a little late. Everyone goes down so early, there's still like an hour before it starts!"

"That is because we want to make sure we get the best seats." He said cheerfully and stood up. "You are more than welcome to come sit in the stands with us."

"Thanks, but I probably should show support for my house, right? Besides," i said giving him a look "I probably shouldn't be around people singing 'Weasley is Our King', when it says mean things about my friends right?" He laughed and then gave a light-hearted shrug.

"I guess." He winked at me and started walking away. I glanced over at Draco and watched him wait for Blaise. When Blaise joined him, he looked back at me and nodded, before heading out to the pitch.

It was weird, being friendly with them. Not in the, everyone stare at us way because that was just annoying. But in the 'I started the year out hating you fiercely and now we are study buddies' type way. Harry and Ron still didn't understand my friendliness towards them and it did cause a little bit of tension between us.

It seems like everything I did caused tension between Ron and me though. I spend too much time with Malfoy and not enough with my friends, or I am overbearing and constantly bothering him and Harry. It was as if I was constantly fighting this losing battle to gain some kindness from him. Harry tried to step between us, but he always leaned a little more Ron's way during an argument. It bothered me, like a lot. In fact the more that I sat there thinking about it the worse it made me feel. I gathered my stuff up quickly and ran down the hall, calling out for the Slytherins. They stopped and looked back in surprise at me, then Blaise smiled.

"Couldn't resist me after all, huh?" I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, that's what it was." I laughed and glanced over at Malfoy. "It okay if I join you guys?"

"Sure." He said noncommittally with a shrug. "You going to survive sitting with the rest of Slytherin house?" I smiled slyly.

"I guess we will find out."

Authors Note:

Hey everyone! I really want to apologize about the delay in this chapter. It was a fight. I have been working on it since I published the last one and it just was no were to find. Me and this chapter really fought, butted headed, battled it out ect, because nothing was going the way I felt the story needed to. I am still not fully sure that this was the one, but I figure I can go over it in editing next month. I hope that you enjoy it and the start of development of Blaise's character was worth the wait.

Thank you for sticking with me! The story will continue, even if it takes me a while to figure it out.

Ali