On Tuesday, classes started up again, and Draco had strict instructions from Hermione.

"I need you to get into two fights today," she said. "One with Ginny Weasley, and one with Rhamnaceae Rookwood. Make sure they're loud enough and visible enough that people see them and gossip about them, but they don't need to come to wands or blows."

To his credit, Draco didn't flinch or ask why.

"Does it matter the motive?" he said. "Can I just mock Weasley until she snaps? Or do I need a just cause?"

"Whatever motive you want," she assured him. "Just make sure people notice and that it's loud."

Draco picked a fight with Ginny outside the Great Hall before lunch, criticizing her shabby robes and mocking her family's poverty. Ron and Ginny snapped back, and Hermione left them behind, going into the Great Hall as a fight broke out behind her. She went straight to Harry.

"I need your help tonight," she told him. "Can I count on you?"

Harry looked startled.

"Blaise said tomorrow," he said. "Has it—"

"This is something different," Hermione told him. "Use your cloak. Meet me at the first floor girl's bathroom at eight o'clock, the one with Moaning Myrtle."

Harry's eyes went wide.

"Alright, if you need me," he said slowly. "But… do you know what you're doing, Hermione?"

She gave him a weak smile. "As best I can."

Classes continued to crawl by. Charms with the Hufflepuffs was thankfully easy, which was a relief. Hermione was incredibly distracted. How was she supposed to focus when she would be going into the Chamber of Secrets tonight and facing down a basilisk?

Draco got into a huge fight with Rookwood after classes in the common room, both of them accusing the other of secretly hiding impure blood. Accusations flew back and forth wildly – that Narcissa Malfoy was part Veela, that Rosemary Rookwood had been a Squib – and while it wasn't the best topic to fight over, it was sufficient; it was loud, and it would work.

Draco skipped dinner, and Hermione could scarcely eat for her nerves. She picked at her food, her mind running over her plan over and over, her dinner sitting uneaten.

"Hermione?"

Hermione looked up at Blaise, who was looking at her with concern.

"You've been out of sorts all day," he said. "Do you need to go outside again?"

Hermione sighed and offered a small smile.

"No, just stressed," she admitted. "But I'll be okay."

Blaise's eyes were fixed on hers. "Are you sure?"

Hermione hesitated.

"No," she admitted. "But I can't think that way."

After dinner, Hermione took her time in her empty dormitory, very carefully selecting her attire.

First, she put on black denims and a sporty black top. If she was going to need to move quickly, she wanted something nimble for her to wear, not robes she'd likely get tangled up in. She put her school robe on over that so no one would notice anything different, before hesitating. People would be suspicious if she was suddenly in a different robe than she left in, so she took it off and put on her most flattering green robe, the one that made her look the most adult. It looked a bit odd with the muggle top showing slightly like an oddly-cut under-robe, but Hermione had to hide the muggle clothes as best she could until she could ditch them later.

She then turned to her Adventurer's Kit, dumped it out on the floor, and looked at the empty bag, considering what she might need.

Her sword, sheath, and belt went in first – she needed that, of course. Next went in the flask of Bulgeye Potion. And you never knew when you'd need 50 feet of rope and a grappling hook. She added back in the torches and lock picks. After a moment of hesitation, she tucked her makeup kit in too, as well as the malachite butterfly she'd gotten for Valentine's Day and jinxed to a hair clip.

"If we're going to do this, we might as well do it all the way," she muttered, shoving the hair clip deep inside. "No matter how ridiculous the whole thing is."

Hermione took the time to carefully braid her hair into two braids, pulling her hair firmly away from her face. She left the braids hanging down her back, knowing it'd be best if her hair was kept firmly out of the way. She slung her pack over her shoulder and paused to look at herself in the mirror. The lines of her body looked stressed and anxious, but the line of her mouth was set and firm, and her eyes were determined.

She looked ready.

Right before she left to go into the common room, she paused.

"Might as well do the thing properly…" she muttered, reaching back into her bag.

When she exited the dormitory a few moments later, it was with a sword belt and sheath around her waist, the hilt of her sword glinting in the dim light of the Slytherin common room. She strode toward the exit with her head held high, ignoring the murmurs and whispers that broke out behind her. She met Blaise next to the exit as planned, though he was startled by her appearance.

"Hermione?" Blaise said, his eyes growing wide. "Is that a sword?"

"It is," Hermione said shortly. "Let's go."

She led the way into the corridor, taking a twist and turn up toward the first floor.

"Hermione, what is going on?" Blaise needled. "You've been stressed all day, and now you have a sword? What is all this?"

"Not now," Hermione told him, her eyes scanning the corridors. "Let me get us somewhere safe first."

As they reached the first floor, Hermione felt dread flood her as Draco came jogging up to her, holding a squirming burlap bag.

"I did as you said," he told her eagerly. "I got several – all the ones with the red hats and gobblets. And I saw the reporter arrive – she'll be in Snape's office until she's told otherwise."

"I didn't say come up to me in the hallway, did I?" Hermione hissed. "I said 'make sure you aren't seen'."

Draco looked struck.

"I—sorry, yes, of course—" he faltered. "I'll go wait for you, shall I?"

"You go do that," Hermione told him, annoyed. "And try not to fight with Harry while you're waiting."

Draco hurried off to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, and Blaise's eyes were wide next to her.

"Hermione, what—"

She tugged Blaise into an old classroom with a few desks around and closed the door. She might have been in here once before, actually. Was this where Blaise had confronted her about Draco the first time, after she'd done the Occlumency ritual?

She pushed the thought aside, turning to face her friend.

"I need you to listen," Hermione told Blaise quietly. "A lot of things are about to happen tonight. I need you to listen carefully."

Blaise stopped his questions and looked at her, his eyes holding hers.

"You've been helping plan for us to frame an Heir of Slytherin tomorrow," she told him. "That's still going to happen, and it's very important. But the first part of ending all this happens now." She paused. "I'm going into the Chamber of Secrets to kill the monster."

Blaise went white as a sheet.

"What?" he gasped, fear stricken across his face. "Hermione, no. You can't. It's a basilisk!"

"I can, and I will," she told him steadily. "Someone needs to save the school. I am the best person with a chance of defeating it, and I need to be the one to do this to cement my legacy as a New Blood. We've discussed it before, about how it'd be worth the risk, how I could handle it."

"But you could die," Blaise said, his voice anguished. "I know that you defeating it was kind of the original plan, but that was back when we just thought it was a giant snake! And Hermione, I know you're powerful, but even you can't dodge death. Fighting a basilisk—"

"It's okay," Hermione assured him. "I'm going to cheat to win. But I'm not going to lie; it is dangerous. I've done everything I can think of to mitigate that danger, but there's still a risk." She paused, and her tone gentled. "But it is why you're not going to come with me tonight."

"What? No!" Blaise growled. "If you're going to be stupid and risk your life, then I am going to be right there at your side—"

"No, Blaise. I need you here—"

"You're having Draco go with you over me? I can keep you safe better than that poncey little git ever—"

"Blaise, I can keep myself safe, I promise you, but I won't be able to protect you too," Hermione told him. "I need you to—"

"I can protect myself—!"

"And I can protect myself too, but listen!" Hermione cried out. "It's not just about protecting you! If you're down there, you'll be a distraction! How am I supposed to focus on fighting a monster if I'm constantly worrying about you?"

Her voice had gotten choked up somehow, and there were tears in her eyes. Hermione angrily wiped them away, frustrated. Blaise was looking at her intently, and Hermione took a deep breath and tried to settle herself before turning back to him.

"I need to know that you're safe," she said quietly. "If something happened to you, I would be devastated, Blaise. I couldn't live with knowing you were hurt because of me."

Blaise was looking at her. There was a soft expression on his face but an intensity to his eyes, but at least he'd stopped protesting, and he seemed to understand.

Hermione swallowed hard.

"There was something I promised you, a long time ago," she told him, looking away. "And it's not that I think anything's going to go wrong tonight – I'm sure it'll all go fine – but just in case something awful happens—"

"I know what you're talking about." Blaise's voice was soft, and he took her hand. "Hermione…"

"Blaise, I—"

Blaise tugged on her hand, pulling her forward and into him with a startled "eep!" He looked down at her, emotions swirling in his eyes, and Hermione felt her breath catch.

"You promised me your first kiss," he murmured, his eyes holding hers. His hand came up to cup her cheek, and her heart skipped a beat. "That's what you were talking about, weren't you?"

His voice was like a caress, and Hermione's face colored.

"Well," she said, tentatively. "Only if you still wanted—"

With no further preamble, Blaise leaned down and pressed his lips to hers.

His lips were soft, and his kiss was so sweet it was almost overwhelming – tentative, tasting, careful. Something warm bloomed inside her, and Hermione reached for him, letting out a small noise. Seeming to take this as permission, the pressure of his lips against hers became more, and Hermione found herself melting in his arms as he kissed her.

When they had stopped, it was quiet. He continued to hold her in his arms for a long moment, looking down at her, and she didn't opt to move. She could feel the rapid beat of his heart, her own heart hammering and fluttering in her chest, and she could feel the heat of her flushed cheeks.

"Thank you," Blaise murmured, his eyes holding hers, something burning deep inside of them. "That was perfect."

Long ago, back when Blaise had made the deal to claim her first kiss, he'd commented on how a girl always remembers her first kiss, how he'd wanted to make her remember him.

The memory of his lips on hers was one Hermione didn't think she'd ever be able to forget.