AN: Thanks to all of you who took the time to review (especially those who wished the Birthday girl a happy birthday month!) I'm afraid it will be this weekend before I update again. Hope everyone enjoys this chapter. I had intended to let each of the young gentlemen have their own, but Draco and Severus butted in at the end of this one…I love Severus.
Blaise Zabini was not, despite many assertions, a vain man. He was simply well aware of the gifts that he'd been graced with genetically.
He was gorgeous. It wasn't vain to admit it, and it would be less than Slytherin not to capitalize on it. His mother had taught him by example: beauty was a sort of power, but it was a dangerous power that both drew people in and kept them away. A magnet that would hide who he really was from most people, because they would only see what they wanted to see.
It was a power that made people want to own you if you weren't careful.
He was tired of living that way. He was ready for a connection.
He wasn't certain about marriage, but Draco had set the tone, and everyone knew that he was actively looking for a bride. So if one wanted a shot at Granger, one needed to move quickly and offer real commitment, or some other bloke in green was going to get there first.
He stopped by the bar, and picked up two glasses of firewhiskey from the bottle he'd given the bartender at the beginning of the night (the secret to surviving Ministry events in style was preparation).
He didn't come at Granger from the front. He'd been quietly watching wizards angle up to her all night, and facing her 'seriously-don't-do-it stare' for the walk up had most of them practically wetting themselves before the first words were out of their mouths.
No. Blaise was smarter than that. He came in from behind, sliding a drink in front of her as he slid himself into the empty seat next to her.
Her stare was more intimidating up close, but he didn't let that bother him. In fact, it kind of turned him on.
"Don't hex me. I come bearing decent firewhiskey. You looked like you were about to toss that wine at some idiot. Thought it might just be the swill the Ministry serves."
She raised a brow at him. It wasn't wild, but her eyebrows were thick enough to give definition to her face. He liked it.
She took a long sip of the whiskey. "Honestly, it's the company more than the refreshments, though you aren't wrong about the wine."
Blaise raised both brows at her willingness to take liquor from a Slytherin. "I'm shocked. I would have expected you to test it for poison. I'm pleased, don't get me wrong…but shocked."
She smirked at him. "Oh I checked it. No offence."
Wandless non-verbal magic. Rowena's tits, that was hot.
He gave her his best come and get me grin. "None taken."
She leaned over her drink and ran one finger around the rim of his glass as he watched, suddenly enthralled. She nodded to his drink. "Drink your whiskey. Otherwise I just look like a lush."
He did as she commanded; powerful women just did it for him. The mild, intellectual interest he felt was replaced by something much less intellectual. So much less that he wasn't sure dancing was a good option at the moment. Then again, perhaps she'd be flattered by his body's declaration of interest?
He decided not to push it. He leaned back, trying to copy his normal casual style and finding himself falling short because of the tension he couldn't seem to shake. Still, practice makes perfect, and Blaise was well practiced at picking up witches. "If I sit here for the rest of the evening, I expect you'll avoid annoying wizards. I, on the other hand, won't have to dance with another debutant who has replaced her brains with sawdust. That was called a win-win in my common room."
She swirled the firewhiskey in her glass. "Well, you are the first person here to approach me with a decent drink, so you must have something other than sawdust in your head."
He stretched his legs under the table. "I'll have you know that I'm a member of several prestigious intellectual groups, including the Wizarding Historical Preservation Society."
She put a hand on her cheek. "Sounds impressive." She actually looked less than riveted, a fact he appreciated, since the group itself was about as far from riveting as one could get.
He leaned closer to her in a conspiratorial manner. "It's generally a lot of rich wankers who don't know what to do with their gold except celebrate an age that they didn't live in, but it has one redeeming feature. It's the best place in the wizarding world to find rare books. We're doing our annual silent auction this Friday night." He let his voice rumble in the deepest part of his register. "Hundreds of rare magical books will be up for sale." He pulled back and took a contemplative sip of his drink. "Generally, I'd chew my left arm off to avoid it, but it would be almost bearable if you'd come with me."
She looked shocked. Really shocked, like he might need to get her to St. Mungo's. Then she laughed, and it was like sunshine. He watched her, completely entranced.
"I think I would like that."
And Blaise Zabini, ladies' man, man's man, and man-about-town, found himself staring, with his mouth open. Hermione helpfully reached across the table and closed it.
BZBZBZBZ
At the end of the evening he escorted her to the floo, and left directly after. No need to rub Draco's face in his victory…or give the other man a chance to sabotage it.
Of course, his two friends were waiting for him at his sleek Diagon Alley loft.
"That was a cheap trick with the whiskey." Draco tossed the remains of the bottle to him as Blaise shrugged.
"Considering what I'm getting out of it, yeah, it was well-worth the glass of single malt."
Theo perked up. "You didn't dance with her."
Blaise took off his outer robed and threw himself on his couch. "Nope. Dancing didn't seem to be in the cards. We talked. She's going out with me Friday."
Theo shrugged. "I'll have a draft for the hundred.."
Blaise held up his hand. "No way. Draco said no bet. I'm hopeful that it will turn into something more. And I'll thank you tossers need to stay out of it."
Draco poured himself a hefty glass of the (not cheap at all) whiskey. "Didn't I say something similar to you right before you walked over to her?"
Theo nodded as he poured his own drink. "Except without the profanity."
Blaise put his hands behind his head.
Theo raised his head like a greyhound on a trail. "Friday? But your mother will Avada you if you miss…"
Blaise raised a brow at Theo as realization sunk in. Draco nodded thoughtfully. "Bold. It's not somewhere you'd ever take one of your normal floozys…"
Blaise snorted. "It's not somewhere I'd take anyone I liked normally, but Granger will eat it up." He stood, stretched, and tossed a throw pillow at Draco (who managed to deflect it despite the whiskey in his hand…friggin' seeker reflexes.)
"You two can drink as much of the whiskey as you want. I need my beauty sleep. I have a lot of things to accomplish tomorrow…"
Draco snorted. "Practicing your 'thoughtful' pose?"
Theo snickered. "Mani-pedi?"
Blaise gave them the kind of grin that a shark might give a tasty seal. "Putting fresh white sheets on my bed, picking up a new toothbrush in case I have a beautiful guest overnight unexpectedly, and making sure I have food in the fridge. Do either of you know her favorite pastry?"
That shut them up.
DMDMDMDM
As they walked to the apparition point near Blaise's building, Draco cleared his throat.
"I suppose I will see you both Friday then."
Theo nodded. "With any luck, she'll want to engage him in a high-level theoretical discussion about the time he makes his move."
Draco looked slightly nervous. "It would be easier if he were actually an idiot."
Theo shrugged. "Faint heart never won fair Gryffindor."
Draco watched Theo go, undoubtedly working on some plan to steal Blaise's fire or outright sabotage him.
Of course, Draco had a plan of his own.
SSSSSSSS
"Godfather?"
Severus didn't groan as Draco caught him in the halls of the Ministry as he crept into the darkened corridors at six a.m. Sleep had not come easily the night before for reasons that Severus was loath to admit, even to himself. He was fighting off a headache, but refusing to take a potion…
Draco obviously hadn't been to bed. His hair was ruffled, but he was still wearing his dress robes and there was a hint of firewhiskey on his breath.
And he obviously wanted something. He only called Severus godfather when he had a reason to be in his good graces.
Severus waved him into the small Ministry cantina. They hired free elves so the food was good and the coffee was fresh (necessary when dealing with Draco so early in the morning). A cup of coffee, a quick muffling charm, and Severus motioned for Draco to begin.
There was a vein pounding in his head by the time the boy finished.
"Let me get this straight. First, you decided to pursue Hermione Granger, via a bet…which is an idea worthy of the great mind of Ronald Weasley, by the way…have you recently had head trauma?" He didn't give Draco time to answer. "Miss Granger, a girl you frankly tortured at Hogwarts, for reasons that I'm sure appear logical in whatever dream world you are living in, is supposed to forgive all of that and agree to date, and then marry you forthwith…again for reasons that the mind of a normal man cannot fathom…" Severus let his tone denote his utter scorn for the sheer idiocy of this plan, and then rubbed his temples. "I am assuming you'd consumed several bottles of firewhiskey when you came up with this…." An elf appeared with the headache potion, which Severus gratefully downed in a single gulp. "Then, before you actually begin the pursuit, you told your entire game plan to those two back-stabbing, conniving snakes you call friends. Then in a moment of rationality you called off the bet…judging, quite rightly of course, that Miss Granger would hex your netherbits into kitty chow if she ever found out, and now you wish to enlist me in this farce?" Severus might have been yelling a bit by the last part.
Draco shrugged. "I was just thinking out loud when the idea first crossed my mind. And I've been considering courting her for some time. You know mother is pushing me to find a bride. And by the way, Mother is expecting you Saturday, and I won't answer for your dangly bits if you put her off again. I also had to warn Blaise away from her, so you should do something about that situation."
Severus counted to fifty in his head. "First, there is nothing going on between your mother and myself, nor has there ever been. She is and always will be my friend. Secondly, she'd eat Blaise Zabini alive if she did decide to take up with him, so you should warn the little popinjay off if you'd like to keep him in one piece. And third, I have no idea why you would want him in one piece since he has expressed interest in both your mother and Miss Granger in the same evening. It's uncouth,; although now that I think on it, not quite as uncouth as claiming you admire a lady, and yet using her name in one of your vulgar bets."
Draco snorted. "Let me be clear. There was nothing vulgar implied by out bet. It was simply a dance or a date. But Blaise has already asked her…"
"What?"
"She agreed to go with Blaise Friday night to the Wizarding Historical Preservation Society fund raiser. You know: too much money and inbreeding in a room with rare books? And Granger, being Granger, said she'd be delighted. I imagine she never got past the part about 'rare books'."
Severus rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "The boy is less of an idiot than I always assumed."
"He's always had a knack for luring beautiful women. And this time he's not simply considering seduction. Both he and Theo are very interested in Granger for long-term commitment."
"And all three of you decided this on the same night?" Severus couldn't keep the skepticism out of his voice.
"As did half the wizarding world. It was the first major social event she's ever attended without Weasley. You saw how the men flocked to her."
"It was ludicrous. They don't normally do that here at the Ministry."
Draco rolled his eyes. "She doesn't normally wear a plunging neckline here. I'm certain she gets plenty of admiring glances even in her work robes, but she's normally distracted and she has you to glower at potential suitors. Like a great bat of a father figure."
Severus choked on his coffee. "I am not old enough to be her father! I was barely out of Hogwarts when she was born!"
Draco waved off his statement. "You are intimidating. Call it what you will. Last night you backed off long enough for the blokes to actually see her, and now that they've had a good look, most of them would like a date, and a few, like myself, would like significantly more if she's amenable."
Draco pulled out two paste-board rectangles and tossed them onto the table. "To that end, I'd like you to be my plus one Friday night."
Severus picked up the ticket, snarling. "Why Draco, I had no idea that you felt this way…it's all so sudden…"
His godson had the temerity to laugh. "Just come and be yourself. If that doesn't put a monkey wrench in Blaise's game, nothing will."
Severus sighed and pocketed the ticket.