Hermione leapt to her feet, watching Ginny shout a warning. Blaise swerved just in time, avoiding the bludger "HEAR ME, VINCENT CRABBE," she shrieked as he passed, "I WILL UNMAN YOU IF YOU DON'T WATCH WHAT YOU'RE DOING!" Seamus leaned out of the announcing spell,

"It's all a part of the game, Hermione."

"We don't have ANY Chasers on the bench, Finnigan! He's taken them all out! THAT'S NOT A GAME!" she snarled back. He tilted his head in consideration and nodded in agreement before turning back,

"AND DEAN THOMAS IN FOR THE SAVE OF GINNY WEASLEY! WAY TO GO, DEAN!" Luna cried out, jumping to her feet as Neville and the other Gryffindors did. Ginny howled as another bludger swerved in and took out Amanda, dropping their last available Chaser. Madame Hooch blew her whistle and both Harry and Draco came down, yelling at each other.

"MADAME HOOCH IS GOING TO CALL THE GAME," Seamus announced sadly, "GRYFFINDOR IS FORCED TO FORFEIT AS THEY DO NOT HAVE THE CHASERS TO- WAIT! WHAT'S THIS?"

Hermione hurried out, pulling her cape and gloves on and tightening her straps, broom in hand. Upon Seamus' announcement, Harry and Draco stopped screaming at each other and turned to look, both yelling,

"Absolutely not!"

"Madame Hooch," Hermione said, "I know how to play. Not well, but, I know the rules. All they state is that a Chaser must have the proper equipment and be in the House. I can play; we don't have to forfeit."

"Hermione, no." Harry growled, "it's bloody dangerous out here today."

"Then stop ogling Draco's arse and catch the damned snitch!" Hermione snapped. Ginny and Ron cheered. Harry shook his head,

"Fine. If you want to play, you're a last resort reserve, so says I, Team Captain. But, Mione, you have to be careful. I don't expect much if any game time. Just stay in the air, unhurt."

Then, Gryffindor was cheering and Blaise snarling threats at Harry, Crabbe and Goyle; and they were in the air. Hermione focused on helping Ginny and avoiding bludgers. Once, Dean came down to bat the Bludger right back at Goyle's head. Harry was searching the Pitch with new determination and so was Draco. Twice, Hermione almost tossed the quaffle to Blaise before barely stopping herself. Both times, Blaise laughed and once, he stole it back. She wasn't offended, she knew the unwritten rules. There were no significant others in Quidditch. Suddenly, Draco dived straight down toward her, Harry going after him. She realized at the last second that they were after her, not the Snitch. Ginny was screaming something and she turned. A bludger was headed for her from each side. There was nothing she could do but she tried anyway, pulling up on her broom. She refused to close her eyes and stared at Ginny fiercely as she waited for the impact that never came.

"NO!" WHAM! Blaise sent the bludger slamming back into Goyle fiercely and the other one hit him about the head or shoulders, no one could tell. Hermione dove and Ron jumped from the goal to assist. Ginny was diving as well. Harry and Draco were both in full Wronskei feints and grabbed the Italian and Hermione, pulling them out of the fall. Ginny swooped in to grab Blaise's other shoulder for Draco and they pulled up hard, pulling out of a crash.

Hermione seemed to land running. Blaise was limp on the ground, bat rolling free from his hand. Ginny turned to vomit as Hermione sprung and Draco stepped in her way, holding her back. She beat against his pads and screamed and threatened him with everything she had. Draco stared blankly at the stands and held her away, unseeing, against her will as the stretcher was brought out.

"Forgive me, Hermione. This is what he would want. You don't need to see that."

"Is he-"

"I don't know." She slumped against him, sobbing. Goyle, who had a broken leg was hiding behind McGonagall as Harry and Ron roared to get to him. Ginny was still retching as Madame Pompfrey carried Blaise to the Infirmary in a hurry.

"MADAME HOOCH!" Draco said, looking over his shoulder, "SLYTHERIN FORFEITS THE GAME; SO SAYS I; TEAM CAPTAIN!" Madame Hooch beamed at him and blew her whistle, waving the green forfeit flag. Slytherin roared and Gryffindor stared. Draco glared at both and put an arm defiantly around Hermione, "come, Blaise's mia, let us go wait for him."

"I love you, Draco," she sobbed, letting him take her off the pitch.

"You must be Hermione." Hermione lifted swollen eyes to the man crouched directly in front of her. His hair was black, done up in waist length dreadlocks that he wore half tied back in a leather thong. He wore long sweeping black robes and trousers with thigh high dragonhide boots and a royal blue shirt that had perfectly straight pleats in it. His olive skin was dark, his eyes matching his shirt. His nose and gently smiling mouth were terribly aristocratic. She sniffled and wiped at her face, smiling sadly as he handed her a handkerchief,

"Marius, Mael, or Julius?" she rasped, voice rough.

"Julius," he smiled, head tilted.

"B-Blaise s-said… Blaise said you- you were kind." She broke into fresh tears and he rose to sit next to her, arm around her shoulder. "Draco won't let me in!" she wailed.

"I am told that is for the best, Hermione."

"So this is Hermione?" the thickest Italian accent she had ever heard asked. This Zabini wore a blood red cape, the hood draped artfully about his shoulders. Beneath it, all black except for his matching shirt. He had a softer nose but his eyes were more like Blaise's, a lighter blue. His hair was also long, wavier than his little brothers and dark brown instead of black. She nodded,

"I am. Marius or Mael?"

"Marius." He smirked, leaning on a cane. She smiled,

"It's nice to meet you both. Blaise speaks of you often." She spotted Tilantha as she approached and Zenobia made a dash for the door. Hermione hurried and snatched the girl with reflexes Harry would be proud of. Zenobia shrieked in rage and tried to get free but another man ran in and snatched her up from Hermione, dragging her to the side. He looked completely different than the others. Hermione imagined she was seeing Blaise's father. Mael had shaggy black hair and black eyes, but the same tan skin. His nose was a bit crooked, like Professor Snape. He was also broader that the other three Zabini men who were all thin at the hips. He scolded Zenobia firmly and she went to sit and pout. He then turned.

"Mael then." Hermione nodded, holding out a weak hand to shake. He laughed and gave her a sweeping bow, kissing it instead.

"I am; and you, you must be Hermione."

"I am." She nodded. Tilantha clucked at her

"Hermione, you've left your gear on."

"I couldn't take it off." She huffed, pouting, "I don't actually know how."

"I will assist," Draco said, coming out to see about the commotion. He nodded, scanning them and saying their names as a hello, "Tilly, Marius, Mael, Juilius, Zenobia."

"Do not be ridiculous, Draco," Tilantha scolded, "you are a boy. If Blaise were to wake and find you, he may have your head." She then moved daft fingers over the back of Hermione's self tying gear and released her.

"Thank you, Mrs. Zabini." Hermione said, taking a deep breath, "Draco? News?"

"None." He shook his head, guiding her to sit, "the Bludger hit him in the front, along the shoulder. At the speed it was going…"

"It could have killed him." She nodded, "but he'll live?"

"He'll live," Draco nodded and everyone relaxed, releasing breaths they didn't know they were holding, "he may never play again, however."

"Oh, Draco!"

"I SAID RELEASE ME, WOMAN! THERE IS YOUR ENGLISH!"

"Mr. Zabini!" Poppy shrilled, "Where do you think you are going?"

"TO KILL HIM!" Blaise roared, kicking the doors open. His crystal blue eyes flashed with rage, jaw firmly set. His neck and part of that strong jaw were badly bruised. All across his shoulders was a stiff bandage, covering all of his left side. He wore no shirt, the black and red bruises spreading out across his abdomen. He began in Italian and then spotted Hermione, "Bella!" he said, letting out a string of Italian she barely understood. She nodded,

"I'm fine, Blaise, I'm okay." She said gently, "you saved me. I didn't fall or anything."

"Bambino," Tilantha said gently. He whipped his head to scan his family and growled something at Marius who shook his head. They then had a small argument in Italian that Hermione could only tell was violent and included, "MI CORIZONE!" with a gesture at her from Blaise. She had never seen him so enraged and out of control. The magic crackled in his hair and around his fist where he clenched his wand. Frankly, it was scary.

"No, Blaise, no." Marius repeated, pointing firmly to Poppy, "rest now. NOW, I SAY!" Hermione went to Blaise, afraid to touch him,

"Blaise, please, you're scaring me." She whimpered, looking up at him. He looked down at her, tiny pupils enlarging and hissed several times through clenched teeth; he was reining it in.

"Forgive me, mia." He said, taking a deep breath, "what would you have me do? He could have killed you and I consider that a… a familia offense."

"Please, Blaise, for me?" She asked, "go rest? Please?"

"Si, Bella." He nodded, looking to Draco. "grazi, amico, grazi."

"Prego, Blaise, rest."

"Si." And Hermione led the others to follow him back to bed.

"It's the adrenaline pumping through him," Madame Pomfrey told Hermione gently, "he's still in protect the girlfriend mode of fight or flight." Hermione loved Madame Pomfrey, she always put things in factual terms the girl could cope with. To Hermione, the facts were unbreakable things she could deal with.

"Bella?"

"Blaise!" Hermione smiled, looking up from her book, "you should be resting."

"I am laying down, this is rest enough," he replied, "what are you reading?"

"It's just a book I asked Harry to bring me from the library, it's meant to teach me Italian and about the culture."

"I love you, mia." Blaise said softly, eyes still half closed. "you realize that was no adrenaline, si?"

"I think it partially was." She ventured.

"Si." He nodded, "however, mia, my heritage includes a half vampire, my mother's mother."

"Oh." She blinked curiously.

"I did not mention it because I did not want you to be frightened and I believed you would not mind." He frowned, "do you mind, bella? Do I frighten you?"

"Hm?" she looked curiously at him, "no! No, Blaise, you don't 'frighten' me. 1/8 vampire or no. What frightened me was the look on your face."

"He could have killed you, mia. I could never be that angry with you."

"I don't doubt that." She said, nodding, "I've just never seen you that angry before. That scared me, you didn't. Does that make sense?"

"Si." He smiled, eyes shifting to Zenobia at his wrapped up elbow, "come around my other side, bella bambina, so I may hold your hand." The tiny girl nodded and hurried around to him to hold his hand. "Mama, do not worry so; I will be well again."

"I do not worry so much." Tilantha lied, "however, Blaise, you may never be able to play Quidditch again."

"Oh, no! Mia, will you still love me so?" he asked, looking teasingly over Zenobia's head. Hermione, eyes back in her book, raised her wand in reply,

"Expecto Patronum!" All the Zabinis looked up to watch her vampire bat and she looked back to her book, a slight frown marring her features, "Blaise? Stuffed grape leaves; they don't sound appetizing, do you like them?"

"I love them, mia, they are my favorite." He smiled. She flicked her wand, vanishing the Vampire bat and turned the page eyes scanning it quickly.

"Dessert?"

"Cannoli is a classic and my favourite." He answered, leaning his head over on Zenobia's head. Hermione nodded and, while the family talked, excused herself to the kitchens. Dobby was more than happy to, not only make the food, but bring it up and teach her how to later. Tilantha caught her in the hall and smiled,

"Hermione, I want you to know that, after seeing you patronus, I fully approve and give you my blessings."

"Grazi, Mrs. Zabini."

"Tilly, dear."

"Tilly then." Hermione nodded, "Tilly, I have a surprise for Blaise. Or, I will. When Ron and Harry wake up in the Hospital Wing, they're always hungry. I've spoken to a House Elf friend of mine, named Dobby and he's going to bring up some stuffed grape leaves and cannoli."

"A house elf friend?" Tilly asked, "you have a werewolf friend, a house elf friend, a half giant friend and a partial vampire boyfriend. You rather believe in full rights, do you not?" They stepped back into the Hospital Wing, speaking quietly.

"I do." Hermione nodded, frowning, "I understand that some house elves do not want to be free. However, I feel that those that do, deserve it among other things. As for others, as in vampires and werewolves… everyone deserves equal rights. For example, Remus Lupin is a perfectly well mannered man who is kind and loving. He has never done anything to harm another living being. Frenrir Greyback, on the other hand, is a terrible person. Yet, other than the Ministry searching for Frenrir and not Remus; they have the exact same rights. That's not fair, in my opinion."

"Many people in the United Kingdom-"

"Mama!"

"Hush, Blaise, do not interrupt. It is rude." She scowled, then, back to Hermione, "many people in the United Kingdom and especially Italy do not believe that we- as vampires- should have many rights either."

"Mama!" Blaise's voice held a warning. Hermione turned and looked at him,

"Blaise, love, injured or not; you're being rude." Then back to Tilantha, "what sort of rights are taken from you?"

"We are not allowed to marry for one, this is why all my children carry my name."

"They can't do that!" Hermione gasped, "that's far from fair!"

"Oh, but they can, Hermione. You see, they believe in the old ways. Those ways, Vampires only married within The Coven for love. We had our own laws then and lived separately from all, you see. If a Vampire was to marry outside of The Coven it was for other reasons. Some were for breeding stock, only purebloods, which is why we are considered purebloods. Others were for feeding and still some were to be changed. When the High Council decided to join the Wizarding World in a play for peace amongst our peoples, marriage was banned."

"That's… that's ridiculous!" Hermione gasped furiously, "it is unfair! Oh, you just wait, Tilly, I'll put a stop to that nonsense too."

"You will try?"

"I will." Hermione said firmly, crossing her arms, "because that's the dumbest thing… can werewolves get married?"

"I do not know."

They stood in the corner talking for some time. None of the Zabinis dared approach them to find out what they were talking about for they both had on their battle faces and were vicious types.

AN: Let me ask you all a serious question. At first I thought it was just me but the more I read fanfiction, the more Blaise is a vampire. Did we all just have some meeting I don't remember where we agreed on that? Not complaining, I just want to know if I got wasted and can't remember the night. Was the party awesome?