A/N: Alright, so it's taken me FOREVER to get this chapter up because I've been going back and forth on what I want to happen and all that. I'm so sorry this wasn't finished by Christmas, but I've been so busy with work that I haven't been able to sit down and write as much as I would like. (I have 52.5 hours this week!). So, hopefully the story is good enough that you'll bear with me and just enjoy it as it comes. It's turning out a lot longer than I originally anticipated... and is also currently unbeta'd. My darling Lilith is having some computer problems and also dealing with heavy pregnancy, so she's reading along occasionally just like the rest of you. But, I'll talk more later. Enjoy the latest update!

Bumping Into Slytherins

"Right, so we've got the dresses, the shoes, the accessories… what now?" Ginny said, turning to the women walking beside her as the passed another shop window.

"Well, we could go to lunch I suppose," Hermione answered, "but I really want to run to Flourish and Blott's. They have new books that came in yesterday."

Ginny smirked, knowing how their beloved know-it-all felt about books. "Right, then I suppose we head there then."

"I wouldn't mind," Luna added. "They have the comfiest armchairs, and I've been wanting to read more on nargles. I'm on chapter three already."

Hermione and Ginny shared a smile, thinking about nargles. Luna claimed that they infested mistletoe and were nasty little thieves, though no one had managed to see any. They looked over at the blonde, who was swinging her shopping bags merrily and singing "Carol of the Bells" softly. Ginny chimed in with the alto's "ding dong" and Hermione joined in with Luna's soprano. The trio continued singing as they made their way to the bookshop, smiling at the other witches and wizards who looked at them.

Flourish and Blott's was surprisingly empty, considering it had recently received a new shipment. However, it was an early Saturday, so Hermione thought perhaps the usual customers were sleeping in. She eagerly pushed through the doors, Ginny and Luna following a few paces behind. As they entered, all three spread out to find their own sections of the bookshops; Hermione went to the new arrivals while Luna went to find the magical creatures section and Ginny moved to the quidditch section.

The new arrivals section wasn't as diverse as Hermione was hoping. She knew that a new potions book should be out, and that Simply Charming had released a new volume. However, as she browsed the section, she couldn't find the potions book. She asked the nearby shopkeeper for help, but he said that what books they received were out already. If she couldn't find them, they were probably sold out. Hermione pouted as she returned to the shelf, scanning each title a second time.

"Where is that potions book," she murmured, skimming the shelf.

"You mean this one?" A rich voice answered. Hermione's gaze shot up, meeting the dark eyes of Professor Severus Snape. She looked at him for a moment before recalling his question and looking at the book he held for her: Potent Potions, volume III. Her eyes lit up before she reached for the book.

"Yes. That's just the one I've been looking for. Thank you, Professor" she said.

"I'm afraid it's the last one, Ms. Granger. I'm not sure if they'll get another shipment in any time soon."

Hermione stopped her hand midway between the book and her side. She started retracting it, her face dimming as she turned her eyes downward. "How unfortunate," she mumbled. "Well, at least I know what it's called now. Thank you anyway, Professor."

"I haven't been your professor for a long time, Ms. Granger. Please, call me Severus." He smiled, and Hermione couldn't help returning the expression. His eyes lit a little, becoming warm obsidian that she might fall into if she looked too long. His nose was still prominent, but not as large as she remembered from Hogwarts, nor was his hair greasy or his skin pale and oily. Actually, Severus Snape was an attractive man with a voice that should be outlawed and enchanting eyes. Why hadn't she seen that before?

"What use do you have for the book?" Severus asked, a half smile still on his mouth.

"Surely you don't think I've given up my love for knowledge and reading. Besides, I'm the potions mistress at the ministry, and I brew for St. Mungo's. After your words my first year, I was drawn to potions, and I've stayed there ever since."

"You became a potions mistress?" Severus inquired. He had not been privy to that information, and he wondered who she had studied under. But that wasn't the main questioning he was interested in. No, Severus wanted to know when the little know-it-all had blossomed into a woman with curves that a man could appreciate, a woman with honey and spice and golden eyes that perked a man's curiosity. He could have sworn that at Hogwarts she'd been an average girl with relatively little appeal to him, but the woman in front of him was just the cup of tea he'd like to drink in the morning, at tea time, or whenever a good cup was needed to lift his spirits. But then he remembered that one Christmas night when she'd given him a spelled quill while wearing golden robes that proved she was becoming a woman. At Hogwarts, he'd had to refrain from noticing her as more than a student, but now, he could see her as a woman, and he appreciated what he saw.

"Yes, right after I finished my NEWTS. I would have applied as your apprentice, but I didn't think you'd have me, so I applied to Maxwell Shepard. He wasn't you, but he gave me what I needed to become the mistress I am now."

Severus noted that as she spoke of her accomplishments, the light that had withdrew when he had broken the bad news about the book started to return and shine from her eyes again. It was obvious she loved her work, that she was enthusiastic about potions. His eyebrow arched on his own accord. He didn't know how to react to her compliments, other than to smile and nod his head as he listened. "I'm glad that you followed potions," he said. "You always excelled in it, even if I didn't give you enough credit. You were the brightest."

Hermione looked down, but couldn't hide her smile from Severus. He smiled too, liking her happiness. It was a pity that there was only one copy left of the book. "Thank you," Hermione finally said, after taking a moment to hide her blush that had crept up her chest and covered her cheeks. He could still see the rosy color in her, and wondered what other delicious bits were rose-colored. It may have been a little lewd of him, but Severus was drawn to the woman. She was temptation and passion, both smart enough to rival him and beautiful enough to enthrall him. He was just a little smitten.

"You're welcome. However, I'm afraid I have to leave." He shifted his weight before asking
"perhaps I'll see you at the ministry ball?" He hoped that she would accept his unspoken invitation and meet him there. He wanted to see her again when he would have plenty of time to talk to her and ensure her returned interest in him. Right now, he wasn't sure if she was still his blushing student, or a woman who was aware of him as a man. He pledged to find out soon.

"You're going? I thought it was for ministry personnel only." Hermione's eyes turned questioning, her eyebrow creeping up just a little. Severus didn't work at the ministry, and his wanting to see her there was an interesting development. Perhaps he was aware of her as a woman, instead of his Gryffindor student.

"Kingsley has imperiously told me that as a hero of the war, I am obliged to attend. Perhaps I might steal you for a dance." His voice dropped pitch, and became slightly seductive. Merlin, he hadn't meant to sound so husky, but her eyes dilated a little. Little vixen liked his voice rough, did she? He smirked; she was aware of him.

Hermione couldn't speak for a moment as her mind worked through the possible meanings behind the voice change. She hadn't thought about it in years, but that low pitch reminded her just how sexy his voice was. It was lilting and smooth, like chocolate. It made her blush again. "I would like that," she said.

Severus watched her, noting the blush creep back up, and wondered what she was thinking. He could have performed legillimency, but thought better of it. He'd find out soon, though, what made her blush so often; perhaps it was him. Instead of pushing her, he merely said goodbye and swept away to make his purchases.

Hermione was still staring after him a minute or two after he left. Once she realized what she was doing, she quickly turned towards the books and smiled to herself. Severus wanted to see her at the ball. Sexy Severus Snape wanted to dance with her. She would have allowed herself a little victory dance if she wasn't worried about other people noticing. With her luck, Severus would return and happen upon her hopping up and down while shaking her hips.

She decided to buy her books and find the others.

Luna was lounging across an armchair, her legs dangling over the armrest and kicking the air as she turned the pages in her book. If someone wandered close enough, they could hear her humming a muggle carol in a high soprano. They would also see that she was not reading the book in her hands, but instead looking down into the new arrivals section and watching a certain honey-headed witch with a tall, dark wizard. Luna smirked at the interaction between her friend and Snape, congratulating herself for thinking during seventh year that the Potions Master and Gryffindor lioness would make a cute couple if they could ever get around to talking to each other. It seemed like the universe had heard her thoughts and complied, which made Luna smile. Hermione had suffered too much from that pig-headed brother of Ginny's. She'd been so miserable for the past few months, even while pretending to be happy. While Luna knew that Hermione truly enjoyed their outings together, she also knew that Hermione hadn't seen herself as a desirable woman since she found Ron out. Perhaps Snape could change that.

Luna had just enough time to think about the things she could do to help the couple when she noticed the beacon of fire running around the floors. She could only assume that it was Ginny hunting for her, and reluctantly vacated her armchair to find the redhead before meeting up with Hermione. She re-shelved her nargles book before she and Ginny made their way to Hermione at the counter.

Ginny saw the hint of rose that marked a Hermione blush—she'd seen it enough times at Hogwarts to tell the difference between anger and embarrassment. Hermione was busy finishing her purchase, so Ginny shot a covert glance to Luna. While the blonde was a little strange and often visiting her own little world, Ginny knew she was very perceptive and noticed her surroundings. When Luna caught the redhead's questioning glance, the she smiled and winked. Ginny arced an eyebrow, but Luna merely shook her head. Ginny caught the meaning though, her friend had seen something, but wasn't going to say what just yet. Perhaps she was going to let Hermione offer up an explanation first. Ginny shrugged, figuring that she'd find out soon enough.

The women walked out of the bookstore and headed towards Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. It was in the same direction as the Leaky Caldron, and they wanted to say hello to the twins while they were in Diagon Alley. Ginny was excited, since she hadn't seen her brothers in over a month. They politely said hello to the shrunken heads before ducking into the madhouse that was Fred and George's store. Customers were everywhere, reaching for Skiving Snackboxes and Canary Creams. Ginny pushed past a customer, dragging Hermione and Luna behind her as she made her way towards the register. George was there flirting with two girls who were batting their eyes and smiling in a way that made the redhead sick. She quickly elbowed her brother before hugging him and asking where his other half was.

Luna didn't care for being part of a conversation that wasn't hers, so she wandered away from the Weasleys and Hermione, looking at the unusual assortment of goods. She looked at the shelves, lined with everything from dungbombs to whizzbees, her eyes moving from one item to the next as she shuffled down the aisle. Her attention was so focused on the items that she didn't notice a stranger in the aisle with her until she bumped into him.

They clashed and bounced back from each other, but he reached out and grabbed her wrist to keep her from falling into the shelves. "Watch out," he said, pulling her close, "wouldn't want you to take a tumble."

Luna looked up into cerulean eyes that were deep and penetrating. Her gaze moved from his unusual eyes to his defined cheekbones and dark brows, to his espresso-colored curls that fell almost into the slash of blue. He looked familiar, but at the same time, Luna could not guess who it was.

"I'm so sorry," she said, noticing that her hand had somehow ended up on his chest, but not worried about moving it. "I should watch where I go. I just get so caught up in things, and that one stuffed animal looked kind of like the offspring of a niffler and a snorkack—"

"You're fine, moon. I, myself, was just looking at this book of practical jokes and gave no consideration to my surroundings. I would have noticed you earlier had I not been occupied." The rogue smirked at her, still holding her close. Luna looked down, almost blushing, and noticed that he was tall. She looked straight ahead at his throat, which was unusual because she was used to being about even with most men, if not taller.

"I'm Luna," she said, remembering that she hadn't introduced herself. She pulled her hand from his chest and stepped back to shake his hand.

"Blaise. But I already know who you are, Ms. Obliviator. It's hard not to know, since you're the ministry's go-to for memory charms. I've often requested your skills when I find muggles in need of a little forgetting." He winked conspiratorially, his grin almost piratical and mad. He couldn't help smiling and looking over her. She was tall, willowy, but with feminine features that begged to be explored. Her eyes were bright and expressive blue, vibrant with life. He'd always seen her as such an unreachable moonbeam, an ethereal being that he could watch but never hold or possess. But now that he'd touched her, felt her in his arms, he wanted to keep her there.

Luna smiled at him, then looked at the hand he was still holding and almost petting. His fingers slowly sifted over her hands, almost like a caress. "You work in which department?" she asked, sure that she had not met him on the job before. She was determined to get back to the conversation.

"I'm an Unspeakable. But I'm off for now, so I'm just Blaise." He smiled again, laughing a little. He looked down at her hand before looking back at her. "So tell me, what brings you here?" he asked.

"My mate's visiting with her brothers. I'm not that close to them, so I just wandered off. And you?"

"Just passing some time while my mate grabs his dress robes. He's like a girl, taking ages to pick out the proper attire. He's next door at Madam Malkin's, so I thought I'd pop in here and find something to amuse myself with. Good thing I chose this store, or I might still be bored out of my head."

"I'm sure Florean's would give you entertainment, after all, they have ice cream, even coffee flavored." Luna hummed her appreciation, suddenly lusting over the coffee ice cream and craving it; she hadn't tasted it in months.

Blaise hummed too, lusting after the ice cream too, aching for the bittersweet taste. He appreciated the blonde before him a little more now that he knew her attitude in regards to coffee. Not only was she a pretty little moonbeam, but she was addicted to coffee just as much as he was. His eyes lowered to half-mast, his look hungry.

Luna noticed details, so she couldn't fail to notice his switch in look as she mentioned coffee. He looked like a predator, hungry and ready to gobble something up, and the way he was looking, that something might be her. Normally, she would have the impulse to flee, but she wasn't afraid of the handsome man before her. Instead, she almost hoped that he would devour her; she was certain she'd enjoy it. Upon realizing the direction of her thoughts, she blushed, breaking their staring and looking down and around to the side.

"I should go find my girls, they're probably hungry and ready to eat by now," Luna said, making an excuse to quit the conversation before she did something stupid, like push him against the shelf and snog him senseless. Blaise got under her skin and made her consider doing things that were very Luna-unlike. She didn't know how she felt about that.

"I know I'm hungry," he replied suggestively, making her blush again. "Too bad you already have plans, I was thinking about heading over to this Italian restaurant for a nip and I think you would like it. I suppose I'll just have to find you again sometime, perhaps the ministry ball?"

"Perhaps," Luna answered. "That's why we're out today, had to get the proper attire for the ball. It's odd that they aren't allowing for dates this year."

"Odd, yes. But perhaps it's for the best, so that someone you may not have considered a potential date can have a chance to get to know you and sway you into thinking he's just what you're looking for."

Luna arched an eyebrow, challenging his insinuation. Instead of answering, he brought her hand up to his mouth and brushed a kiss over her knuckles before turning her hand to kiss her palm. Then he smiled devilishly before nodding and walking away. Luna stood there, awestruck, for a moment before turning to meet her girls. She exited the aisle and met Ginny.

"I wondered where you'd gotten to," she said, slowing her gait. "Who was that bloke?"

"Blaise. I accidentally bumped into him."

"Looked like more than a bump," Ginny said, her amber eyes questioning. Luna shrugged in response before walking back the way she'd come to meet up with Hermione again. Ginny followed quietly, wondering if Luna would say any more.

The blonde just kept walking, and Ginny wondered what had gotten into her friends. Then she wondered if whatever it was would get into her too. Luna had run into a man, and by Hermione's blush, she probably had too. Ginny had hugged her brothers, and that was about the only action she'd had in the past six months. Honestly, she was a little jealous.

Hermione was laughing when she turned to meet her friends. Fred and George were both by her, laughing and holding their sides. Hermione had always loved the twins like brothers, and was glad that they didn't hold her breakup with Ron against her. They both acted like she was part of the family despite her falling out with Ron.

"What's funny?" Ginny asked. She'd given up on Luna's explanation.

"George was complaining that he wasn't invited to the ministry ball, and Fred asked to be my date so he could attend. However, since there are no dates allowed, Fred was rejected and George couldn't help commenting."

Ginny giggled, not needing the exact comment to find the situation funny. She could easily imagine the comments that her brothers could make. Luna smiled too, knowing the brothers well enough to understand the humor.

Hermione tried to compose herself once her stomach rumbled. The group quieted soon after, and Hermione, Ginny, and Luna said their goodbyes before exiting the busy store. A clerk looked relieved to watch the women leave, thankful that his bosses would be available to help him handle the crowd.

"Where should we go to eat?" Hermione asked once they were free of the store. "Wizarding place, or muggle?"

"I'm in the mood for some Italian," Luna answered, smiling at the memory of Blaise and his sexy insinuations. She almost wished she had been free to go to lunch with him. Ginny smirked at her friend, but the blonde just looked ahead as she walked, that dreamy smile on her mouth.

"That sounds amazing," Hermione said, throwing a questioning look at Ginny. The redhead shrugged, accepting the offered suggestion. "Do you know of a restaurant close by?"

"Not really, but I'm sure that we could find one once we exit the Leaky Caldron. If all else, we can ask," Ginny answered. "We should probably transfigure our bags and all before we leave though."

The other women agreed and transfigured their bags before they entered the pub, then pushed past some customers to reach the entrance to muggle London. They emerged and followed the flow of traffic, hoping that they'd find a good place soon. Ginny's stomach rumbled, and she took the noise as agreement. Hermione was looking around, reading the building signs. "I don't see anything so far, do you?"

"Not Italian. There's a Japanese steakhouse on the other side of the street though." Luna shifted to avoid someone while trying to stay close to her friends.

Ginny made a face at the idea of Japanese, she just wasn't in the mood. She looked again, trying to find the right place. While looking elsewhere, she managed to run right into someone's back. Her torso met the hard planes of muscle and melted in, making her as close as she could be with clothes on. She quickly stepped back.

"I'm so sorry," she said, placing a hand on his arm. She could tell by the silhouette that she'd run into a man. He turned around to confront her, and she came face to face with Draco Malfoy. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped, but he only smirked. She looked up at Draco and blushed, a deep red that highlighted her freckles.

"Don't worry, Freckles," he answered, lightly taking her arm and leading her away from the people trying to walk around them. They ended up next to the closest building, where he stopped leading her, but didn't let her go. "It's not every day that I have such a soft thing press against me."

If possible, Ginny blushed even redder. She ducked her head to hide from the Malfoy heir, but he tilted her chin with his fingers and smiled at her. "Don't blush, Red. Nothing to be embarrassed about."

"I'm so sorry. I was looking around for an Italian restaurant, and forgot to watch where I was going. I didn't realize that you'd stopped in front of me."

"It's not your fault. I stopped suddenly because Blaise called, instead of continuing walking. I'm just glad it was you that ran into me, and that you're not hurt. Your nose doesn't seem broken…" he trailed off, running his gaze slowly down her body before coming back up to meet her eyes. "You look perfect to me."

She smiled awkwardly, wondering where this devil came from, and where the bastard Malfoy had gotten to. He looked like Malfoy, with is icy blonde hair and classic good looks topping a lean, muscular, and tall body of a male quidditch player. But he wasn't criticizing her or teasing her about her family. Instead, he was looking at her rather appreciatively. And, Merlin help her, she couldn't find the fire in her to be angry at his outright perusal of her form.

"Did I give you a concussion?" she asked suddenly.

He cocked his head and arched an eyebrow, which Ginny had classified as the typical Slytherin response to questions with obvious answers or when they needed clarification. Ginny decided Draco was leaning toward the second option.

"I mean, did I bump you hard enough that your brain's become addled. Since when were you kind to a Weasley?"

Draco smiled, understanding flooding his face. "Well, I don't think my brain is addled," he confided, his voice soft like he was telling her a secret. "But as to your second question: since there is no side of a war? Since I matured and realized that you and your family are no better or worse than me or mine? Since I saw a pretty little fireball and thought that perhaps I might ask her to lunch with me? Does that satisfy you, Red?"

For the second time, Ginny's eyes were wide, but then she arched an eyebrow in return, and crossed her arms over her chest. "Who are you and what have you done with Malfoy?"

He laughed, his voice rich and full of mirth. It was so genuine, Ginny had to consider that maybe he meant what he said. "I had you pegged when I called you a fireball," he said, his mouth still turned up in a smile. "Now, I believe you said something about Italian, right? I'm on my way to meet up with a couple of friends at an Italian restaurant nearby, would you like to accompany me?" He held his hand out as a second invitation.

"I can't, I'm with Hermione and Luna, although they've gone off without me. But if you wouldn't mind showing us where the restaurant is, we would be very appreciative."

"Granger and Lovegood are with you? That's perfect! I'm meeting with Severus and Blaise; I'm sure that you'll all be welcome." He smiled roguishly, taking his hand from her arm and placing it on her lower back. Then he led her along the way they'd been walking. "Where did Granger and Lovegood go to?"

"They must not have realized that I fell behind. They'll probably head back this way soon," she answered. Draco was about a head taller than her, so she was forced to look up at him in order to converse. He didn't seem to mind looking down to see her though, so she didn't complain.

"Have you come from Diagon Alley then?" he asked, smiling and keeping up the conversation.

"Yes, we're having a girls' day, shopping for the ministry ball and enjoying the single life."

Ginny noticed Draco's small smirk and the flash in his cloudy grey eyes, but didn't really understand what it meant. "So I take it you aren't too upset about the no-date rule then?" His voice was quiet and smooth, even though he felt a clutch in his chest when he realized she was not tied to Potter.

"No, who would I invite? Harry was too busy playing auror to keep my interest, and the other quidditch guys were all too obsessed with themselves to remember my existence unless they wanted a shag that I wasn't going to give them."

"That is terribly unfortunate. What about the fellows at the ministry?" Draco pressed, wondering about her involvement with men. She was single, so that meant that she was fair game, but he was curious to know if he should be on the lookout for competition.

She shot him a suspicious glance, but answered the question anyway, "They're all trying to look down my shirt while I'm working, or remind me that I'm a woman in a man's world. Women may look good on a broom, but they don't need to try and run the sports world." Ginny tightened her fist, her anger at her colleagues' sexism apparent. Draco didn't miss it.

Honestly, he felt bad for the little redhead. Draco had seen her on a broom, had watched her play as a Harpy. She'd been amazing, and her interviews proved she knew what she was talking about. She was beyond competent when it came to sports, and it was a shame that the men she worked with didn't respect her because of her sex. However, he was very happy that she was a woman, a particularly gifted woman who also happened to play quidditch and be single. He also had to acknowledge the little crush he'd had on her back in seventh year when they had both taken advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts. Ginny could handle a wand like she could handle a broom, and both were rather impressive. Combined with her sweet amber eyes, cinnamon freckles, and feminine curves, Ginny Weasley made a very appealing woman whom Draco couldn't believe hadn't been snatched up by another man. Draco considered himself very fortunate indeed, and planned on thanking Blaise sometime in the near future.

"Ginny!"

The redhead looked forward and immediately caught sight of her honey-headed friend, who headed straight for her. Luna followed right behind her. Ginny turned to look up at Draco once again, who was smiling. She decided that she liked his smile more than his smirk, even though she couldn't help but find the snarky smirk ridiculously sexy. Her eyes travelled down his form quickly, and she also admitted that his smirk wasn't the only sexy thing about him. No, Draco Malfoy radiated sexy, and Ginny was picking up on the signal.

"Ginny! What happened?" Hermione asked as soon as she was close enough to be heard. Ginny ripped her eyes away from Draco (who was smirking again), and looked at her friends.

"I ran into Draco, and we started talking. He's invited us to lunch."

"I was actually on my way to Bella's, this wonderful little Italian restaurant, for lunch with Blaise and Severus, and you're all welcome to join us," Draco added issuing the invitation.

Hermione shot a glance to Luna and Ginny, silently asking their opinions, before she smiled a little. The idea of eating with Severus was appealing, but she didn't want to go against her girls. Luna smiled dreamily, remembering her moment with Blaise. And Ginny looked rather comfortable with Draco's arm on her waist, so Hermione nodded her assent.

"Sounds wonderful," Ginny said, verbally giving assent to Draco. He lit up, smiling triumphantly, before leading the girls to the restaurant.

A/N: Did you like it? Tell my by clicking the little button; I love critiques. At any rate, I know it's after Christmas, and that I'm taking ages to update, but I hope you are all enjoying the story and not too frustrated with me. I adore you all, especially InspiredByWords, MaxRide05, SqueakyCauldron, and notwritten, who wrote lovely little reviews. I appreciate you all. The next update will come eventually, I swear, and that will include the lunch with Slytherins and perhaps the prelude to the ball. I have some great ideas about what's coming, so stay tuned!

-Arciere