A/N: *Edited 21/04/18*

Chapter 9: Teamwork?

"Give it a rest, woman! I've done all I bloody can! No need to go all Gryffindor on me. I clearly can't do it, so: Give. It. A. Rest!"

It was an early Sunday afternoon and close to Christmas and most of the students had gone to Hogsmeade for the yearly gift shopping before they returned home for the holidays. The castle was practically abandoned and left in peaceful silence.

Well, almost.

The door to the Prefects' Bathroom was thrown open just as Theo passed it. Long, flaming-red hair flashed by him and disappeared just as quickly again, but he didn't have to guess twice who it was.

He gawked in through the open door only to be met by the scowling face of his favorite Slytherin standing alone in the middle of the room, wand in hand, clearly just having concluded some duel or spell of sorts.

Or perhaps not.

"Blimey, Zabini! Are all your Bathroom dates this much fun? Count me in next time!"

"Fuck off, Nott!" Blaise growled and turned around, his back muscles coiling in frustrated anger.

"No, seriously. What happened?" Theo prodded curiously and stepped inside, hands still in pockets.

It had been a relaxing, undisturbed stroll towards the Great Hall for some late Sunday brunch but, honestly, undisturbed Sundays could be so very dull and this happened to be waaay more interesting. Definitely not something he'd miss out on.

"I said: Go away, Theo!" Blaise bit out between his clenched teeth, starting to collect his stuff by one of the benches, still with his tense back towards him.

Theo shrugged, knowing Blaise's moods, and decided to take a peak around the place since he didn't have access to it himself.

"Nice!" he exclaimed when he spotted just how big and luxurious the bath was compared to the one in the boys' dormitory – which was not a place to be bragged about. Not to speak of: The Prefect boys as well as the girls would all have access to this place …!

Zabini, you lucky dog!

Theo would totally have become a Prefect if he didn't have to do all the boring, responsible stuff on the sideline as well. Now, he started to wonder if the pros outweighed the cons, after all.

"Get going, Theo!" Blaise grumbled behind him, ready to leave, "I am in no mood for any escapades with you right now, so scram!"

Seemingly in no hurry, Theo turned around, still eyeing the place enviously, and pulled a face at him. "Aww, hon. And you used to like me so much!"

Blaise practically grew fangs, pointing towards the door.

"GET. OUT."

"Sure thing, Blaisey-boy," Theo sing-songed and calmly strolled past a searing Blaise who eyed him with intent to kill.

When they had left the Bathroom and were walking down the empty corridors; Theo in his calm swagger, Blaise far more tense and distant, Theo gave a tentative whistle to break the silence.

"So. Trouble in paradise again?"

Blaise huffed. "You don't wanna know."

"I see." Theo shot a sidelong glance at his frowning friend who seemed miles off. This was clearly something of worry. He hadn't seen him this somber and lost in thought since before the war when all the shit started to go down.

He tried again. "Not even something for your ol' pal Theo's ears, eh?"

Blaise shot him a dark look that was as warning as it was pleading. Theo knew him well enough to decipher that look, but continued the prodding all the same. "That bad, huh?"

Blaise said nothing which Theo took as a yes.

"The Weasley girl, I presume?"

Again Blaise said nothing but seemed more and more like one, giant muscle of tension.

"Right," Theo sighed. "So something is clearly going on between the two of you." He shot another glance at his friend to confirm his theory. The frown in Blaise's forehead was set deeper than before which Theo again took as a yes. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but it doesn't exactly seem all that successful. Perhaps you should consider changing method of approach? I know this really wicked trick to get the ladies –"

Blaise snarled, whipping towards him and grabbing Theo forcefully by his collar. "I will not listen to anymore of your shite about women or how to get laid or any of it! I'm sick of it! This has nothing to do with that! She has nothing to do with that! So just shut your big mouth, Theo, alright?!"

Theo stared in surprise into Blaise's seething face and gulped. He had never seen his friend throw a tantrum like this before and much less expected it would ever be thrown his way.

"Easy now, old chap," Theo held up his hands in defeat, giving a nervous chuckle which quickly died seeing Blaise's unchanged look. "I was only trying to ease things up. I was only trying to help."

"Well, you aren't of much help, I can tell you that!" Blaise sneered, less agitated now and withdrew his fist from Theo's shirt, looking down at his coiled hand as if somewhat surprised by his own reaction.

What's up with him?! Theo thought. Usually, Blaise never took to his baiting.

"OK, fine. Sure. Whatever you like," he mumbled resigned and buried his hands deep in his pockets as the two of them started down the halls in silence once again.

Blaise rubbed his hands over his head, sighing in frustration. "Listen, sorry about that. It's just – we have this deal, you know? Me and her. She's gonna help with something because she's only one – the only one who can. It's a Gryffindor thing and she happens to be the only Gryffindor I can stand. Surprisingly, since she's also a Weasley. But that's just how it is. Nothing personal. No need to worry. I'll handle it. I'll get it right. Okay?"

Theo gawked at him in astonishment, never heard this many uncertain words coming out of the mouth of his otherwise so impassive, proud, brooding friend. He instinctively nodded, yet still not getting what was so important to become so agitated and troubled about.

"Sure thing, Blaise. But what is it you need help with – from a Gryffindor?"

Blaise sighed, straightened the bag on his shoulder.

"Listen. It's just for a couple of months and then neither you nor I will have to see her again. All is forgotten, okay? In summer, we've graduated and we'll go visit Draco at his family estate in Transylvania and all will be well."

He gave Theo's shoulder a reassuring, yet highly uncharacteristic squeeze and half of a forceful smile before he turned down the corridor leading towards the library, leaving Theo scratching his shaggy head in bewilderment at his friend's strange behavior.

X

Ginny growled.

Why had that boy to be so darn stubborn!? What was it with Slytherins all being so bloody defeatist?! It wasn't like she hadn't tried her best to teach him and still he refused to believe he could conjure a Patronus..! Had he even listened to her?! Ugh! It was like he did it on purpose!

She stomped down the halls after having abruptly left the stubborn wizard to his own dealings in the Bathroom, hardly noticing how some of the leftover First Years huddled away from her in fear as she passed them, steaming.

So they should!

She felt like a ticking bomb at the moment. Turning around a corner, she nearly sent a First Year boy flying back into the classroom he'd just emerged from. She continued unaffected, scowling.

She didn't have time for this shite! OK, so she had been the one to suggest their training, but at least he could be a little grateful instead of just being a bloody child! She wasn't even sure why she'd suggested helping him, in the first place...!

Oh, right, she'd felt pity for him.

Conjuring a Patronus just came natural to her from the beginning, whereas for him it was an obvious struggle. And he obviously was too prideful and stubborn to ask for help himself. Not like he knew a lot of people who could actually teach him. He would never ask a teacher – that was for sure! So, being his 'friend' and all, she had offered her help out of the blue, initially finding a small, evil pleasure in watching him squirm a bit; wanting to tease him and give back for all the stuff he'd done in the past. It wasn't fair, really. She knew she was better than this, instead of sinking down to his or any of his fellow Slytherins' level.

Ugh, now she'd just proved another positively Slytherin streak within her, hadn't she?! But then again, she knew how life-saving a Patronus could be in the face of ever-existing evil and the thought of him being entirely alone and defenseless against something as horrific as Dementors had expelled any further thoughts of ulterior motives. She truly wanted to help, she'd realized.

"Miss Weasley?"

She looked up in surprise at the familiar, authoritative voice, ripping her from her deep thoughts.

The Headmistress herself was standing near Ginny's Common Room with Professor Flitwick, arms filled with a bunch of files and books, looking at her with a baffled expression.

Ginny gulped. Had she really looked that riled up?

"Are you alright?" McGonagall inquired. "You seem agitated for some reason? Don't tell me the First Years have been any trouble to you?"

"Oh, no, not at all, Headmistress!" Ginny quickly assured, still reeling from her intense brooding concerning a certain boy wizard.

"Well. Good," McGonagall said, though her sharp gaze still eyed Ginny's flustered appearance. "Actually, I'm glad I've run into you. I was just talking to Professor Flitwick here –" she gestured to the small Professor beside her who smiled kindly up at Ginny, "about arranging a trip to the Shrieking Shack for the First Years in order to relay the story of what happened there in regards to Black. We both agree it would put things in better perspective than in the classroom, and I was actually going to suggest – since you and Mr. Zabini have been so successful in introducing the First Years to Quidditch – that you two should be in charge of the arrangement." Her grey, imposing eyes looked with hopeful formality at Ginny. "What do you say, Miss Weasley? Do you think you and Mr. Zabini would find time to do it? You both seem to be naturals around the First Years and we so do hope the arrangement would help suspend any further prejudice and ill-disposed rumors about the past events on the school."

Ginny did her best not to gawk in utter shock at the Headmistress and Professor looking expectantly at her, while still trying to collect her wits from her dealings with Blaise just moments ago. She hadn't exactly left him on good terms and now McGonagall – er, the Headmistress – threw another bomb, requesting they should spend even more time together..! But how could she even think of refusing when both McGonagall and Flitwick were standing there, looking so expectantly at her!?

She closed her mouth, trying to school her features. No, she just had to accept it and find a way to make temporary peace with Zabini and take matters up with him then. How she would even begin to do that, she'd no idea, but she would have to think about that later.

"I – um – well, of course, Headmistress. I'd be glad to do it and I'm sure Zabini will as well. I'll have to speak to him about it, of course, but I'm sure he will accept the job, too."

McGonagall smiled in her usual tight, formal manner, clearly having expected Ginny to take it.

"Excellent, Miss Weasley! I look forward to hear from you regarding Mr. Zabini's disposition on the subject and then I'll notify you when the arrangement should be held."

She gave a final nod to Ginny and Flitwick sent her a kind smile, giving his generous thanks as well, before they both started down the halls and soon disappeared around a corner.

Ginny stood, watching them leave, looking slightly dumbfounded in the middle of the empty hall outside the Common Room.

Ginevra Weasley, what have you gotten yourself into?!