Chapter Two: Of Flying Books and Pseudo-Studying

Using one foot of parchment, please argue Mattimeo’s theory. Use real-life examples to support your argument.

Blaise quickly thumbed through his arithmancy book to look up Mattimeo’s theory. Ah! There it was, on page 65.

“If two objects magnetically attracted to each other are kept apart, those objects will not be fully functional.�

Real-life examples? What real-life example did he have of magnetic attraction being diverted?

He let out an impatient grunt and scanned the library for inspiration. At a far table Malfoy sat feeling similar frustration for his books. Though he appeared to be struggling with his Defense Against the Dark Arts homework. Which was odd, Blaise noted, as he couldn’t recall any. Then again, Malfoy had begun disappearing regularly and thus was falling behind in his schoolwork. At any rate, Malfoy seemed to have been ignoring the magnetic pulls of his bed for about a fortnight. If the dark circles under his eyes were any proper tools of measurement. And it did appear detrimental to him functioning. Too bad he couldn’t write about that.

Blaise flicked his gaze elsewhere in the library. Was the Mudblood Granger actually leaving the library without any books? Perhaps the apocalypse was closer at hand than he’d thought. Or maybe she was single-handedly disproving Mattimeo. Somehow Blaise doubted Vector would appreciate such an example, either.

His eyes had nearly completed the round of the library when the caught a glimpse of red hair. Unconsciously Blaise straightened in his chair and his pulse began to race. His body did seem to have a habit of dissolving whenever he saw Ginny. Maybe Mattimeo was right after all.

Not that it would do me any good, Blaise conceded. In the months after their momentary embrace, Ginny Weasley had avoided him like the plague. Well, she’d never really talked to him before anyway. Ginny was one of those popular girls who got along with everybody and didn’t care what some snobby Slytherin bookworm thought of her. Blaise had been surprised when she’d spoken to him on the train, that she’d even noticed he was there. Of course her comment came across as cheeky and cheered Slughorn. She seemed to have a natural gift at pleasing people. No matter how often Blaise watched her, he could never pinpoint that exact detail that made Ginny so personable. If he could, he would have attempted to duplicate it.

The only art of conversation he knew was the bits of small talk he had picked up from his mother. He had his own dry humor, but very few people seemed to understand it. This was just some sort of perverse wishful thinking. Ginny had never looked at him before, so there should be no reason that she should look for him now. Blaise, himself, had been too apprehensive to seek her out. That, and he was also trying to pretend the whole thing hadn’t happened.

After all, if news got out his house was liable to murder him.

In Slytherin, peer pressure was a tried and true technique. In his first year he’d learned the easy way that his money and lineage made him superior. His occasional slip in calling Muggle-borns “Mudbloods� was decent. The hard way, he’d learned to respect his “elders�. To stay away from anyone who associated with Muggle-borns, no Mudbloods, as well.

If he wanted to survive, he should forget all about Ginny. It was clear she had never felt anything for him. While she’d long ago dumped Thomas, she had recently begun going out with Harry Fuckwit Potter. Not that Blaise cared, or so he told himself.

Still there was no way Blaise could compete with that, nor should he attempt it.

He watched her nibble on her quill, eyes roving around the room until they caught the eyes of some Ravenclaw fifth-year. They seemed to silently communicate with their eyes for a second. Then the pale girl with long, straggly blonde hair picked up her books and moved over to Ginny’s table. It was amazing how she could pick up companions with just the glance of an eye. He continued to watch Ginny, trying to pry some clue as to how she managed to be so popular, but he could see nothing.

Idly, he twisted some of the feathers off his quill. Why was he holding a quill anyways? He didn’t need a quill to watch Ginny. He used quills for schoolwork. Schoolwork, wasn’t there an Arithmancy paper due tomorrow?

Fuck, Blaise realized. There was no way he was going to finish his homework tonight, at least not here.

o o o o o o o

Final exams were quickly approaching and Blaise was only able to study in short spurts of time. His study room of choice, the library, was almost always contaminated with Ginny’s presence. Blaise didn’t really care if her OWLs were this year, whenever she was around he couldn’t concentrate.

The fifth time he realized his eyes were focusing on Ginny and not his DADA essay, Blaise slammed his book shut in frustration. He roughly began shoving various odds and ends into his bag with abandon. He then angrily made his way to the library’s exit.

Had it not been the end of term, more people would have paid attention to his dramatic exit. Having breakdowns in the library so close to exams was fairly common. Blaise’s departure was fairly quiet in comparison to Magdela Wilmer who had burned her Potions book out of stress just last week.

With so many outbursts, it should therefore not have shaken him in the least when someone nearly brained him with One Thousand Magical Herbs And Fungi

“Oh shit!� came an agitated whisper to his right. “I’m so sorry—oh, it’s you.�

Blaise turned so that he was face-to-face with Ginny.

“Is this yours?� he held up the book and raised a quizzical eyebrow.

Ginny’s face blanched of all color. “Yes,� she replied stiffly and made an attempt to retrieve her book. Blaise pulled the book just out of her reach.

“May I have my book back,� she snarled through clenched teeth.

“Perhaps,� Blaise pretended to contemplate the idea. “Having fun studying for your OWLs?�

“No, actually, and my day just got worse now that you’re here. Do me a favor by leaving?� Her tone was falsely friendly but the wand she had just drawn was not.

“Do you really want to hex me, Weasley? Then you’d best be careful that my friends don’t come around and nab you,� he stated rather anxiously. He was doing his best to keep a calm demeanor.

“Oh yes,� Ginny gave a small chuckle. “Your friends. What friends? You don’t have any! And your pretending to doesn’t fool me! Always strutting around as though you were in good graces of your House’s bullies, you’re nothing more than a poser!�

“Well, we can’t all kiss our way into popularity,� Blaise snarled, chucking her book back to her. She caught it deftly with one hand, the other still holding her wand steady.

“And you’re a prime example of such failure,� she retorted.

Silently kicking himself for walking straight into that particular comeback, Blaise pointed his wand to her through his robe’s pocket. He silently cursed her book so that it burned her.

“Ow!� she yelped, dropping the book. This was the distraction Blaise needed to dash out of the library. She turned to fire a spell back at him only to discover Madam Pince, livid at the disruption, and Zabini nowhere.

o o o o o o o

After that confrontation, Blaise avoided the library altogether. It was altogether too infuriating the way Weasley could get under his skin, or into his head. He even had a bruise on his head from the book-chucking.

What was even more tiresome was the fact that she was right. Blaise didn’t really fit in with the rest of his House. He was not the talkative, charming, deceitful type that succeeded. Nor was he particularly adept at magic. In fact, were he to be compared to his classmates he imagined he would be right in the middle.

Most people had mistakenly interpreted Blaise’s silence as snobbery. Coupled with the fact that his mother flitted around the highest circles, people believed that he had powerful friends he believed more deserving than them. And there was comfort in having other’s consider you a threat.

Perhaps it was because he had grown so accustomed to the unspoken lie that Ginny’s accusations stung so deeply.

In truth, Blaise had no one. He was just shy, unsure of how to start a conversation without his mother prodding him into it.

The only reason he was acknowledged and respected by his house was because of his mother. She was a beautiful, charming, delightfully sinister witch about whom he knew all the boys in his house had harbored some sort of fantasy. As such a socialite she had seen to it that Blaise had mingled, at a very young age, with all his Pureblood peers.

However, his mother was also a motive for his exclusion. Being overly flirtatious by nature, his mother often emerged in snippets of conversation that Blaise overheard. Amoung his classmates, he learned that she was often the source of strife between wives and their husbands.

Regrettably now that he was paranoid of the library, Blaise had to seek solace in the Slytherin common room (he dreaded seeing Ginny in the halls, mealtimes caused enough inner turmoil as it was). The Slytherin common room could hardly be described as a peaceful place. It was a constant battleground for students to manipulate, exploit, backstab and otherwise practice social climbing strategies for the real world.

Inwardly cursing his petty schoolmates, Blaise settled in a plump leather chair far from the fire (and therefore attainable real-estate). He cast a minor heating charm upon it and tried to find a comfortable position as well as clear his mind of Ginny Weasley.

Unfortunately, attempting two impossible feats at the same time tends to result in the failure of both.

o o o o o o o

He wasn’t in the library, Ginny noted. Which was a good thing. Not that she really cared, not that she even spent one iota of thought on Blaise Zabini. It was just perfectly normal to note the absence of someone, right?

Especially if that someone happened to have more mood swings than she did. From cold and distant to pissy and offended to stoic and studious to amiable to very good snogger—

No! she lectured herself. Harry is the good snogger. You haven’t even really snogged Blaise, he just sort of…well, you weren’t really responding anyways. And even if you were, you hadn’t been in your right mind. Numb from all the water Myrtle poured on you. Brain cells a bit slow to react and all that twaddle…

She really should be concerned with the ingredients needed to brew the Draught of Peace. Unfortunately she couldn’t flip through One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi without thinking of Zabini. She cringed whenever she glimpsed the small dent in the binding and its implications.

Ginny wasn’t really in the habit of throwing books at people, she was much better at throwing hexes anyway. And of all the people she’d had to hit, it just had to be him. Probably seemed like some desperate plea for attention.

Just clear your mind, Gin, she thought to herself. Concentrate on the Draught of Peace. What are the primary ingredients? Moonstone and…Drat, had she forgotten again? She flicked through her Potions book. Hellebore syrup! But why? Wasn’t it poisonous? What were its properties?

She couldn’t remember This would mean she would have to page through that bloody book.

Get a hold of yourself! she scolded inwardly. There’s no need to be afraid of a book!

Having reassured herself of such, she paged through bracingly. Hellebore, poisonous, but apparently also purgative of evil. That made sense. Peace would require a removal of evil…

Kind of like the way she’d single-handedly managed to purge the library of Blaise Zabini…

Argh! Why did her thoughts keep turning back to him?

This is fantastic, just abso-bloody-lutely fantastic. My Potions OWL will go down the drain all because of Blaise Zabini.

Not that she could blame him for it, Ginny fully intended to never spend even a nano-second of thought on Zabini, she had dreamier boys to ponder. If she was going to be distracted from studying, it should at least be thoughts about Harry.

That cute, messy black hair…those piercing green eyes…strong, capable hands, Ginny could feel her face turn red even though she was looking at a very uninteresting page containing almost identical fungi.

Suddenly her brain showed her pictures of marbled colored hands slowly turning back to a deep, chocolate brown. Gentle hands that had carefully cupped her head before kissing her…

Double bugger and damn, Ginny grumbled to herself. It looked to be a long night of studying and pretending not to think about Blaise Zabini.

A/N: Short chapter, I know. My not-so-subtle satire on school work and exams in general. Please remember to review!

Pop! Goes the Dream Bubble

It had been a most unexpected ending to school, Blaise realized as he pressed his forehead to the glass window of the Hogwarts Express.

He had gone to bed one night and then nothing had been the same. At around three in the morning all of Slytherin house had been summoned from their beds to gather in the common room. In Snape’s place sat Slughorn. Being one of his favorites due to his listening ear, Slughorn immediately summoned Blaise. He proceeded to explain in a stage whisper (that the rest of the room could hear) that Dumbledore was dead, Death Eaters had invaded the school, escaped and that all regular activities were to be canceled.

He’d just nodded, stunned and unable to comprehend the full consequences of such a change. There were some things that went unexplained, such as Draco Malfoy’s disappearance. Rumors abounded portraying him as both a victim and a criminal. Pansy threw a very dramatic fit when she realized he wouldn’t be coming back. (Blaise doubted the ceiling would ever be completely restored, or that the first years who had nearly been killed by it would dare to even look at Pansy, much less ask her questions.)

He watched the fields passing by the window without really seeing them. The rest of the people who shared his compartment were similarly silent. Crabbe and Goyle looked inexplicably lost without Malfoy’s presence. Pansy had deliberately allowed her mascara to run so that no one would doubt her sorrow and offer her sympathy.

Blaise was personally trying to pretend the whole thing hadn’t happened. It was so much easier to evade problems and let others deal with them at their own expense, as far as he was concerned.

o o o o o o o

Ah, summer at the Zabini mansion, a rather quiet affair. Having seen him off the train and introduced him to her new boyfriend, Blaise’s mother had left for the Greek Isles to spend the summer. Not that he particularly minded. His mother always struck him as such a fake that he was normally twisting his own arms to remain civil to her.

Besides, with seven different portraits of her and each one of her husbands so far, it was not as though Blaise couldn’t see her whenever he wanted. And if he cared to hear her trivial chatter, the portraits supplied that as well.

The Zabini mansion had an enormous library, each of his six stepfathers having contributed their own collections to it over time. Not one book, no matter how dilapidated its state, nor if the collection already featured its exact replica, was thrown out. If one thing could be said for his mother, it was that she was extremely possessive.

Mrs. Zabini was extremely competitive and greedy. As an only child, spoilt to her heart’s content, she had nurtured a selfish nature. Her first husband (and Blaise’s father) had been a hard man who did not believe in flaunting wealth publicly. Mrs. Zabini had been most disappointed with the arrangement. Having been widely admired and praised for her beauty from a young age, she was used to obtaining whatever she wanted with the flutter of an eyelash. Having Mr. Zabini deny her led her to plot his death. Unfortunately, as Mr. Zabini had a large family, she would have had to split up the wealth between his brothers. In order to protect her new wealth, Blaise came into being.

As heir to the Zabini family, Mrs. Zabini was able to keep the mansion and all it’s possessions for her son’s sake after her husband untimely demise. (The Healers had been very vague about what had caused the wizard, at the ripe age of thirty, to suddenly choke and die. The main Healer had in fact been far more attentive to Mrs. Zabini than her dead husband. He even made several house calls afterwards to ensure that “her nerves� were not troubling her after the tragedy.)

It had only taken a short five years of enjoying her expanded wealth before Mrs. Zabini found herself desiring more. She began throwing extravagant parties, flirting outrageously with many rich, and well-connected wizards and within three months had eloped with one of them.

Blaise had learned very quickly not to become too attached to his new stepfathers, as they all seemed to disappear within a couple of years. Currently, the record marriage was three years, but that wizard had turned out to be just as conniving as Mrs. Zabini and plotted to murder her in return. A fierce, and traumatizing, battle of power had ensued. It ended gruesomely when the wizard was found stark naked, skin burnt to a crisp and a purple face.

A be smitten reporter had demurely explained the death away as suicide before focusing on the grieving widow as the center of his piece.

As the years had flown by, Mrs. Zabini had begun to rely more heavily upon glamours and love potions to ensnare lovers. Several times after a mysterious death, a Ministry official would arrive at the Zabini house to interrogate the new widow. Those visits proved to be counter-productive after Mrs. Zabini ended up taking one such Ministry official as her fourth husband.

The rest of the Zabini family refused to have anything to do with them. His mother was too busy pursuing new love affairs to take much interest in her son. The result of this neglect was that Blaise became accustomed to a life of solitude. He had spent his childhood exploring the mansion and uncovered most of its secrets. Most of his summer was spent perusing the large household library, uncovering new books on ancient magics and studying them.

His favorite place to read was a large window seat in the entrance hall, with the occasional sustenance brought along by a house-elf.

Settling himself into his accustomed position, Blaise cracked the binding of The Subtlest Artes and prepared himself for a very relaxing summer.

o o o o o o o

Pop! To his right a house-elf materialized.

“M-m-master Blaise,� the house-elf stuttered nervously.

“Yes?� Blaise demanded, not looking up from his book.

“There is a g-guest,� the house-elf continued.

“Tell them that my mother is not home,� Blaise replied dully. Mrs. Zabini’s admirers were not always aware of his mother’s schedule and had a tendency to bother him. Perhaps they were hoping that by getting on his good side they would rise in his mother’s esteem.

“No need, I’m right here,� drawled a fine-cultured voice.

Blaise looked up and promptly shut his book with a snap. A figure lounged against the wall, wearing rather tattered robes. His once well-groomed hair was in disarray and his pale skin looked grey.

“You’re mother’s a lovely woman and all,� continued the figure. “But you know the old saying; ‘Been there, done that.’�

Draco Malfoy had arrived at the Zabini mansion.

o o o o o o o

Hundreds of miles away sat a very different kind of house. Its rooms added on at odd angles, making it an architectural marvel solely because it was not physically possible.

The inhabitants of the Burrow had far more pressing matters to worry about as opposed to the logic of their dwelling.

“Hermione, hand me those flowers!�

“Has anyone seen my other slipper?�

“Où est Gabrielle?�

“J’suis ici!�

“Ah! Where’d the hairspray go?�

“I’m using it!�

“Give it back!�

“In a minute!�

“Watch where you put that tea—�

“Merde! There iz tea sur mon robe!�

“So sorry, Gisele, here let me—�

“Non! I can do eet myself!�

“Watch where you stick your elbows—�

“Oh, sorry Hermione, didn’t mean to knock you over…�

“Hey Ginny, I found your slipper!�

“Great! Hey, that’s not mine! I need the left one.�

“Oh, perfect, zat iz mine!�

“Girls, girls!� Mrs. Weasley boomed striding into the room bedecked in robes of sparkling blue silk with a midnight velvet hat pinned to her hair at a jaunty angle. “Do calm down, it’s almost time for the photographer!�

Contrary to calming the girls down, this announcement led to the formation of a mosh pit in front of the one floor length mirror in the room.

“I am ze bride!� Fleur exclaimed indignantly as she found herself unceremoniously pushed away from the mirror.

“Yes, well, you’re also part-veela,� argued her paternal cousin, Gisele Delacour as she smoothed her brown hair and critically examined her makeup. “You always look perfect.�

Amelie, another one of Fleur’s cousins nodded her head in agreement and craned her scrawny neck over Gabrielle’s head to catch a glimpse of her own mousy brown hair.

“Come on, Hermione,� Ginny whispered. “I’m sure we can find another mirror.�

Relieved, Hermione consented to follow her. They slipped out the door and darted up the stairs. Footsteps thundered down towards them.

“ ‘Lo, Hermione,� Ron grinned as they met on a landing. “You look lovely!�

“Oh, thank you,� Hermione answered slightly flustered. “It’s absolute chaos in the girls’ dressing room so we figured we’d go find a mirror elsewhere.�

“You can use the one in my room,� Ron volunteered. “Fred and George left ages ago and Harry ‘n’ me are heading down just now.�

“Excellent,� Hermione replied faintly, looking decidedly uncomfortable under Ron’s admiring gaze.

“Hello, Harry!� Ginny said very loudly. The dark figure skulking behind Ron jumped.

“Oh, er, hi, er, Ginny…� he trailed off.

“Well, we mustn’t keep you waiting,� Ron shifted his attention from Hermione to Harry, who nodded gratefully and followed him downstairs, not once looking at Ginny.

Ginny was about to yell at him when Hermione tugged her arm and pulled her up the stairs. She allowed herself to be tugged along good-naturedly until they reached Ron’s room. Pushing past the piles of clothing and books they advanced to the mirror and began fixing their tresses.

“What’s going on with you and Ron anyway?� Ginny queried. “I thought you liked him.�

Hermione let out a heavy sigh. “So did I, but then, after the funeral, it just felt so…unsatisfactory…� she trailed off, uncertain.

“I guess,� she spoke again. “I just realized that I’d only ever think of Ron as a friend. He’s a nice guy, but there isn’t any deep connection between us.�

At Ginny’s curious look she blushed. “You think I’m babbling now, don’t you?�

“No, not at all,� Ginny reassured her. “You just want to find true love, that’s all.�

“No cursing me for possibly breaking your brother’s heart?� Hermione teased.

“You have the wrong Weasley for that,� Ginny laughed. Her face then changed from jovial to serious. “What’s wrong with Harry anyway? Why can’t he even look at me?�

Hermione grew silent and fiddled with her dress robes.

“He still likes me, I know he does,� Ginny continued, as anxious to prove it to herself as she was to convince Hermione. “I just need to make him realize that admitting those feelings is not the same thing as signing my death warrant.�

Her voice rose in pitch as she continued, “I’m going to get him back tonight. What’s more romantic than a wedding?�

Hermione did not reply.

o o o o o o o

“I just need a place to stay!� Draco pleaded.

“Are you insane?� Blaise hissed. “Do you have any idea how many people are looking for you? From both sides?�

“You don’t understand; I’m desperate!�

“What could you be so desperate about? Dragging me down with you?� Blaise retorted angrily.

“No, it’s not that, I just need a place to stay for—�

“For how long? The rest of your life as one of the Ministry’s Most Wanted?�

“No, just for … the full moon,� Draco let the last words drop out softly, as though he were embarrassed to admit it.

“The—the full moon? Draco,� Blaise licked his lips nervously though he already knew the answer, “why the full moon?�

Apprehensively, Draco inched up the left arm of his robe. Blaise found himself leaning forward, Draco had led him to believe he had the Dark Mark branded there. To his surprise he found himself staring instead at the pale scar tissue of a bite mark.

“I’m a werewolf,� Draco explained needlessly. “I was bitten before school last year. As punishment for my father.�

“A- a werewolf?� Of course he was a werewolf Blaise groaned inwardly, nothing was ever simple for him, was it? “How did you manage it at school?�

“Snape brewed me Wolfsbane,� Draco answered tonelessly.

“That’s why you always looked so peaky, and missed all those classes…� Blaise realized. In a very absurd way, Malfoy’s lycanthropy made perfect sense. Like a re-occurring, undeciphered rune that had suddenly been translated and put a text in a whole new light.

“You aren’t planning on transforming here, are you?� Blaise asked sharply.

Draco licked his dry lips again. “Actually, I was hoping your library might contain the recipe for Wolfsbane.�

For some reason or other, maybe because he had been starved for company, or had been emotionally neglected as a child, or because he was accustomed to deferring to Draco, Blaise consented to help him out. He opened the thick, ebony double doors and led Draco into the library.

Draco let out a low whistle of admiration and Blaise felt a smug smile sneak onto his face. The room was two stories tall with shelves covering even the ceiling, all jam-packed with books. A large fireplace stood on the far wall and the shelves were organized in a twisting, devilish maze Blaise had personally devised. Having organized the library several summers ago, Blaise knew exactly where every subject was. He led Draco in between the shelves for some time until he stopped a shelf full of books on magical creatures.

“Take anything that looks useful,� he advised Draco and began selecting different books on lycanthropy. Draco hesitated for a few moments before he began to pluck books off the shelf as well. Once they had collected all they could carry, Blaise turned to the shelf itself.

“The fireplace, please,� he enunciated clearly and the shelf swung outward to reveal the large fireplace and reading area in the middle of the library.

Several hours and hundreds of pages later Draco slammed Subduing the Inner Beast shut and exclaimed in frustration, “This is useless! Wolfsbane needs at least a week of preparation.�

“The only way you’re going to find Wolfsbane is if you steal it from another werewolf,� Blaise observed, closing Concoctions for Canines.

Draco snapped his fingers excitedly, “That’s it!� he exclaimed gleefully.

“Where exactly are you going to find a werewolf with extra Wolfsbane?�

“Never you mind. If I do get Wolfsbane, will you let me transform here?� Draco stared hungrily at Blaise.

In for a Knut, in for a Galleon, Blaise realized. Besides, he wouldn’t mind a bit of interest in his otherwise dull summer. He nodded slowly, hoping he wouldn’t regret it.

“Great,� Draco grinned, the first true smile Blaise had ever seen on him. “I hope to return successful.�

With that, he exited the library with a swish of his tattered cloak.

“Toshy,� Blaise cleared his throat. A house-elf appeared before him, bowing low. “Please set up a guest room on the far wing for Mr. Malfoy. And make sure you put Impenetrable charms on all the walls, windows and doors.�

o o o o o o o

Bill and Fleur’s binding took place at sunset. Fleur looked radiant with her hand in Bill’s. Despite the disfiguring scars on his face, Bill’s face shone with evident delight. As he led his new wife back down the aisle, Mrs. Weasley burst into tears and didn’t stop until after dinner.

The meal was absolutely heavenly; it was clear Mrs. Weasley had outdone herself once again. A large wedding cake, nearly as tall as Bill, held the miniature figures of Fleur and Bill who snogged with abandon in the sugary frosting. The dancing began as the last few people were finishing their desert. Everyone watched with happy sighs as Bill twirled Fleur around the floor.

All in all, it had been the perfect evening. Bill and Fleur retired after their dance to unknown whereabouts and other couples began to grace the dance floor.

Striving in vain to catch Harry’s eye, Ginny danced first with all of her brothers (minus Bill) and then proceeded to dance with some of the Order members. Even when Moody smashed her toes with his wooden leg, Harry didn’t look in her direction once. Fuming, Ginny advanced to where he was sitting with Ron (who was trying to hold Hermione’s attention).

Before she could hobble to the last chair at the table, Gisele, in a rush of silk, landed next to Harry.

“ ‘Arry,� she began in her hoarse, French accent. “Vould you do me zee honor of danzeen?�

There’s no way he’s going to accept, Ginny thought smugly. As if he would ever fall for that cheap, Parisian tramp.

“Sure,� Harry answered, causing Ron to choke slightly on his drink and Ginny’s jaw to drop open.

“No,� she hissed angrily, hopping over to the table on her good foot. “Harry will not dance with you.�

“Ginny,� Hermione whispered in warning. Ginny shot a glare in her direction. Wasn’t Hermione supposed to be helping her?

“I do not understand,� Gisele began, confused.

“It’s nothing Gisele,� Harry cut in, trying to lead her away.

“Nothing?!� Ginny’s voice began to rise to a shrill pitch. “NOTHING?!?�

“Ah, I think I understand,� Gisele spoke again. She smiled sweetly at Ginny, “I am sorry, leettle girl, eef you are not able to—�

At “leetle girl�, Ginny’s right hand had curled into a fist. Before Gisele could even finish her sentence that fist had buried itself into the innocent French girl’s nose. And then total chaos erupted.

By the time the brawl had been broken up, Harry was looking at Ginny in stark alarm.

“Uh, Gin,� he began cautiously, tugging at his tie, still refusing to look her in the eye.

“Fuck you,� she hissed angrily. “Just…fuck you. I don’t care, I really don’t.�

The entire table stood around awkwardly, afraid to move. Harry was the first to react. He grabbed her by the upper arm and pulled her aside.

“What was that about?� he demanded.

“You’ve been ignoring and avoiding me,� she launched into her diatribe. “I’ve been trying to catch your attention all evening and all you do is go off and dance with some other girl.�

“It was just going to be a dance, Ginny. Nothing more,� Harry insisted defensively. “Besides, I can dance with whomever I want to. We’re not going out anymore, you don’t have control over me. Not that you ever did.�

“What?� Ginny exclaimed, shocked. “Harry, I was never trying to control—�

“You weren’t?� Harry countered angrily. “Then why did you seem to decide that I was supposed to dance with you? And mitigate my own dance partners?�

Her lip trembled. Oh Merlin, Ginny thought, Please don’t let me cry now. Please just hold it together until you’re alone.

“I thought you cared,� she croaked, feeling her cheeks flush.

“I do care, Ginny,� Harry reassured her. “It’s just that you can seem a little, well, possessive.�

“Possessive?!� Ginny’s voice escaped as a hysterical shriek. “You think I’m possessive?�

“Yes, Ginny, I do,� Harry set his jaw resolutely. “As a whole, you’re a very passionate person and sometimes it can be a bit…overkill.�

Ginny glared at him and turned on her heel, but his arm caught her elbow and he swung her back around.

“Look, there’s no need to get offended,� he said crossly. “I was just giving you my honest opinion—�

“You didn’t exactly do it in a positive way,� she snapped. “I never asked for your ‘honest opinion’. Nor did I ask for a personality analysis. I’m not the only one with faults, you know. You have your little ‘hero’ psyche where you feel it’s your duty to protect everyone!�

“There’s nothing wrong with wanting everyone safe!� Harry growled.

“There is when it impedes with their life!� she answered hotly. “You may have good intentions but you have no idea what to do with them. You broke up with me to protect me, but I’ve yet to understand the logic behind that!�

“I explained that to you—� Harry countered.

“Yes, and it made no sense,� Ginny replied. “If properly interpreted, by breaking off with me you could have put me in even more danger! You’re so convinced that you know what’s right for everyone and if they just listened to you, they would be fine. Well, do you want to know who else thought that? Dumbledore. And look what happened to him. Look what happened to Sirius! Nobody knows what’s right all the time, Harry. Not even the Chosen One.�

Harry flinched thrice as though she’d physically struck him. Ginny knew that she’d been ruthless. She had no right to compare Harry’s treatment of her to Sirius, but she was so angry with him, him and his stupid ideas that she didn’t care.

“Well, if that’s the way you feel,� Harry said stonily. “Then I guess we’re through.�

“Yes, I suppose we are,� Ginny snarled. “And good riddance!�

With that, she turned on her heel and stormed back to the Burrow and up to her room.

Tea With Odd Company

Ginny awoke the next morning with a pounding headache. Her pillow was damp. Yuck. Had she been drooling? Her eye felt rather crusty, she rubbed it. Her face was stiff and dry, as though she’d been crying. Had she?

And then it all came back. Herself, irrational and naïve. The fight. And Harry. Harry Fucking Potter. Blaming her. The insults flying, her own cutting him deep. And then the finality, the sureness that the relationship was over.

Ever since she’d been a young girl, Ginny had dreamed that someone would lift her up, place her higher than her six older brothers and love her. Her very own Prince Charming. He would care just about her and no one else. He would sympathize with her when she was feeling degraded or stand up for her when her brothers picked on her.

And then along came Harry Potter. Looking shy, but kind. He was famous. He was rich. He was a hero to the wizarding world. And Ginny was infatuated. In her eyes, he was her Prince Charming.

False hopes, Ginny had fed a fleeting fantasy until it expanded to insane proportions and then tried to implant it inside an unwilling host. All done in vain, dreams didn’t have much place in reality. In those short moments, Ginny realized that it wasn’t Harry she loved; it was her idealized vision.

Harry was forever tarnished in her eyes. The rose-colored glasses had been stripped. There was no future for them. Perhaps there never had been.

“Ginny?� whispered a timid voice. Ginny looked up to see Hermione gazing apprehensively at her.

“I suppose I made a bit of a fuss last night, didn’t I?� she asked softly.

Hermione gave a weak smile in response. “I’m sorry Ginny, I’d been trying to tell you that, at the moment, Harry’s more concentrated on his task than anything else. Not that I don’t think he loves you. But you might have to wait a long time for him.�

“Were you even there for the fight? I doubt that, and I for one am not going to wait,� Ginny replied.

“Well, actually,� she began slowly. “I didn’t really stick around.�

“What?� Ginny sat upright. “Where’d you go?�

“Out. To clear my head,� Hermione answered vaguely, though patches of color appeared on her cheeks as she spoke.

“May I ask who cleared your head for you?� Ginny attempted a mischievous grin.

“What? No! Ginny! It wasn’t anything like that!� Hermione replied hotly. “Nothing of that sort happened between us!�

“Us?!� Ginny perked up. “And who exactly would this ‘us’ be? I thought you said you weren’t interested in Ron.�

“Shh! Ginny, please keep your voice down!� Hermione hissed. “And it wasn’t Ron…it was…�

“Who?� Ginny demanded. Hermione seemed rather reluctant to share her information. “Hermione, you can tell me anything, I promise not to tease.�

“It’s not teasing I’m worried about,� Hermione grumbled. “I need you to swear you won’t tell anyone what I’m about to tell you.�

Ginny rolled her eyes; Hermione was always so secretive about her crushes and romantic exploits. And there was usually nothing secretive about them either, Ginny recalled Hermione’s blatant attempt last year to make Ron jealous. How her buffoon of a brother thought she actually liked McLaggen was beyond her.

“I promise,� she assured her friend. Maybe it was Charlie? He’d been eyeing her. Ginny had always imagined Hermione would be her sister in law. For a while she’d even attempted to match her with Percy.

“Draco Malfoy,� Hermione let out in one, rushed breath, “needs my help.�

That certainly wasn’t what she was expecting. Her next question escaped in a bit of a shriek.

“What?!�

o o o o o o o

“Blaise, if everything works out as I hope, we’ll be having visitors today,� Draco informed his host, collapsing onto the nearest couch in the parlor.

“May I ask whom our company will be?� Blaise questioned dryly.

“Hermione Granger,� Draco raised a finger in the air, as though counting. “If she’s stupid, she’ll bring along Potter and Weasel.�

He now held up three fingers. Dropping one, he added, “If she’s smart she’ll bring along the Weaselette.�

“Wha-?� Blaise choked.

“It was the only logical thing!� Draco protested weakly from his couch. “Where else was I going to find someone who knew another someone who would probably have Wolfsbane handy?�

“So you seek out the one schoolmate whom you despise above all others and who, no doubt, despises you with equal ferocity and ask them to save you life?�

“She’ll help me,� Draco insisted. “I know Granger, and I know that she can’t resist the chance to do good.�

“Helping the Prince of Slytherin, what a noble deed indeed,� Blaise drawled sarcastically. “Where does Gin—Weasley, figure in?�

“Ah, thought that might catch your attention,� Draco replied smugly. “Granger’s staying at the Burrow, some big wedding or other.�

“The Burrow?�

“The sty the Weasleys live in,� Draco scoffed. “Can you believe they call it that? Couldn’t they at least have the decency to name it the ‘Hovel’ or ‘Dystopia’ or something? Actually, I kind of like the sound of Dystopia—�

“Still don’t see where Weasley comes in,� Blaise interrupted.

“Granger isn’t going to walk into your house without back-up,� Draco supplied.

“How do two witches plan to stand up against a Death Eater trap?�

“Granger used a truth spell on me, she knows it’s only you and me here,� Draco conceded bitterly.

Inwardly, Blaise smirked to himself, very few people outwitted Draco Malfoy and it sounded as though Granger was one of them.

“So, what’s your plan of action?� Draco asked.

“Pardon?�

“Ginny Weasley. Here. Apparently she and Potter are no longer an item. How will you woo her?�

Blaise suspected Draco was trying to gain an upper hand. It would be just like him to try and make Blaise vulnerable so that he could feel more secure in Blaise’s house. He kept his face the same blank slate it normally was and feigned indifference.

“Draco, you are tragically behind the times,� he informed his guest. “I have little interest in her, nor do I think I ever will. You are making far too much out of one drunken comment.�

“Am I?� Draco raised a quizzical eyebrow. “Dear me, are your hands shaking?�

Fuck, Blaise cursed inwardly. He curled his hands into fists and fixed Draco with a cool glare.

“The day I ‘woo’ Weasley, as you put it, I’ll have to find you and Granger in a compromising position.�

“Kinky,� Draco grinned, unfazed.

“Go take a bath, you filthy half-breed,� Blaise snarled and stormed out of the room.

o o o o o o o

They’d been able to leave the Burrow without too much fuss. Even though it was late in the afternoon, most of the inhabitants of the Burrow were still resting or nursing painful hangovers or suffering muteness. (Fred and George had managed to obtain several kegs of Firewhiskey and Gregarious Gin.)

Ginny gave a low whistle of surprise when she and Hermione entered the main hall. The entire room was covered in fine black marble streaked with white. The fireplace opposite her and Hermione was large enough to roast a hippogriff. Tall, skinny windows were spaced evenly along the wall. Ginny noted a couple of silk pillows and a fine china plate of crumbs in one windowsill, the only sign of life inside the desolate hall.

Their rubber-soled trainers echoed loudly as they slapped across the cool marble.

“Hello?� Hermione called out tentatively. Her words bounced off the reflective walls and ceiling.

They had entered through two magnificent ebony wood doors with intricate carvings moving around the panels. She turned around and realized that while the fireplace stood at the end of the hall, it also served as the base to a large, wooden staircase. The staircase split into two separate sets of stairs, which wound around the fireplace.

“Er, should we go up?� she asked her bushy haired friend, indicating to the staircase.

“Maybe that would be best,� Hermione frowned.

Once they had ascended the staircase they found themselves in yet another empty hallway. This one was decorated with portraits, but all the subjects were asleep.

“Malfoy?� Hermione called out.

“Are you sure we’re at the right place?� Ginny asked nervously. “This place seems a bit dead to me.�

“Didn’t your mother ever teach you not to insult your host’s taste?� demanded a cool voice out of nowhere, causing both girls to jump. They turned in unison to see Blaise at the far end of the hallway in neatly kept grey robes. Ginny tugged self-consciously at her rumpled, faded, Muggle sweatshirt and patched jeans.

“Zabini,� she began coolly, but Hermione cut her off.

“I was just, er, looking for Draco,� Hermione interrupted nervously. “He, er, asked me to—�

“Yes, yes, the Wolfsbane, I know,� Blaise flapped a hand in the air. “He’s busy at the moment, I’ll have a house-elf fetch him. In the meantime, would you like some tea?�

Both girls blinked stupidly for a few seconds. Hermione was the first to recover her tongue.

“Tea would be lovely,� Hermione answered. “Wouldn’t it, Gin?�

Was it just her or were Blaise’s eyes unerringly fixed up her own? Remembering the last time he’d looked so intense, Ginny blushed and nodded mutely. Blaise turned on his heel and indicated that they should follow. He led them down another marble hall and stopped at a pillar. Pressing against the black pillar with the palm of his hand, it rolled inward and revealed another hallway. This one was more friendly and inviting. Cheerful cherry wood finish adorned the walls and plush green carpet muffled their footsteps.

“The marble halls are for parties and show,� Blaise explained, filling up the silence that had fallen over them. “These quarters are more personal, for daily activites.�

Ginny nodded mutely behind him. Abruptly, Blaise stopped. Ginny had no time to react and walked right into him.

“Sorry,� she muttered embarrassed. Blaise merely gazed blankly at her before pushing on that section of wall. Ginny realized it was a door well camouflaged. It swung inward to reveal a parlor, with worn black leather sofas and some chipped end tables. A small fire crackled in the corner.

A low, dark red table with legs shaped like miniature hounds that snarled at one another held a tarnished silver tea set and a platter of biscuits. She and Hermione sat down on the sofa closest to the fire, facing the table. Blaise elected to sit in a chair opposite them. The awkward silence that had accompanied them in the hall followed them into the parlor as well.

o o o o o o o

“Tea?� Blaise inquired awkwardly, in an attempt the break the silence between them. Silently cursing Draco for taking so long in his bath he raised the silver teapot.

“Yes, please,� Granger spoke. Blaise filled a cup and handed it to her.

“I’ll have one too,� Ginny’s voice was faint. She looked unnaturally subdued, sitting there in the couch. Blaise was still shocked to see her there.

She’s here. She’s in my house, sitting on my couch, a tiny voice sang inside his head. Blaise did his best to ignore it. Praying his hands wouldn’t tremble he handed her a cup of tea before pouring one for himself.

After not having seen her for so long, Blaise’s eyes couldn’t get enough of her. She was wearing some worn Muggle clothes and looked so perfectly casual that Blaise felt over dressed in his pressed robes. She wouldn’t meet his gaze and Blaise found himself increasingly desirous to know what she was thinking. What did she think of his house? What did she think of him?

“My, if this isn’t a lively little party,� Draco entered by a door on the left, his face and hands were clean and the color of his robes was now discernible as faded black, but they were still threadbare. Blaise kicked himself for not thinking to get Draco new ones. It wasn’t all that surprising though, seeing as just a year ago, the idea of a Malfoy being in want was laughable.

“Tea?� Blaise raised a cup inquiringly.

“No,� Draco shook his head. He fixed his gaze on Granger, with an odd sort of fire in his eyes, “did you bring the potion, Granger?�

“Yes,� Granger nodded, pulling it out of her pocket. “Remus said it should be taken as soon as possible, but it’s boiling hot, so you probably shouldn’t drink it in the silver.�

“Or what? I might get an allergic reaction?� Draco smirked, eyes still on Granger. “Didn’t think you would be one to believe in superstitions. I assure you, I can touch silver and suffer no ill harm.�

To prove his point, Draco lifted a teaspoon and pretended to admire his reflection in it before kissing it.

“I was going to say,� Hermione interrupted Draco’s intercourse with the spoon, “that it would melt the silver.�

“ ‘Course you were,� Draco grinned.

“We have heat-resistant cups in the kitchen,� Blaise volunteered.

“Excellent,� Draco rejoined, “I’ll go fetch one of those. Granger, if you’d give me the potion.�

“Actually,� Granger blushed, “I spelled the bottle so that only I can open it.�

“Oh, right then, well, if you’ll excuse us, Zabini.�

Blaise nodded and Hermione and Draco walked out the door, leaving him and Ginny to continue entertaining the uncomfortable silence. Blaise racked his brain for suitable conversation topics, but all he could think of was school, or the war, neither of which seemed to be suitable subjects.

“He doesn’t look at all well,� Ginny broke the silence.

“Who?�

“Malfoy,� Ginny nodded her head to the door, still staring fixedly at the carpet. “When Hermione said he wasn’t looking his best I hadn’t thought that he’d look so…so sickly.�

“Yeah, I guess that’s what lycanthropy and running from everyone will do to you,� Blaise replied.

“Your parents are okay with him staying here?� Ginny asked curiously. “I mean, he’s in a spot of trouble with pretty much everyone.�

“My mother would object more to the lycanthropy, but she’s off in the Greek isles for the summer, so she hasn’t got much say,� Blaise responded as lightly as he could. He didn’t like discussing his mother, nor her lack of parenting.

“I’m sorry,� Ginny replied quietly.

Blaise looked up, surprised that she would understand. Most of his friends would roll their eyes if he ever dared complain about his mother, or tease him about being too soft, or add in their own horror stories with parents. Somehow, Ginny’s simple offer of sympathy was the best comfort, perhaps because it was the only sincere one.

“I’m used to it,� Blaise shrugged.

Silence lapsed over them again.

“Uh, Draco said something about a wedding?� he began tentatively.

“Oh yes, my brother Bill married Phlegm—Fleur Delacour,� Ginny answered a bit too quickly.

“Not the one from Beauxbatons and Triwizard?� Blaise inquired, curious, remembering the beautiful part-veela.

“One and the same,� Ginny replied dryly.

Blaise nodded thoughtfully. He had been to quite a few weddings. Though after a tantrum he threw at his mother’s fifth, she’d stopped inviting him.

“What’s taking them so long?� Ginny wondered aloud.

“I don’t know,� Blaise shrugged. “They’d better hurry, the full moon’s nearly risen.�

Startled, Ginny jumped to her feet. “I need to find Hermione.�

Surprised at the urgency of her tone. (Surely Draco would run to his room as soon as he could, Blaise reasoned.) He consented to help her find Granger.

o o o o o o o

“Hermione?� Ginny called out, feeling panic encroaching. “Hermione?�

How could she have been so careless? All that time she was drinking tea, making awkward small talk with Blaise and Hermione was lost in this vast place with a werewolf! They had reached the kitchens and Blaise had questioned the house-elves, but all they knew was that Hermione and Malfoy had entered and Malfoy had drunk the potion.

“Ginny?� a faint whisper spoke. “Ginny is that you?�

“Hermione!� Ginny bellowed. “Where are you?�

“I’m right here!� insisted the voice. “On the other side of the wall.�

“Hermione!� Ginny rushed to the wall joyfully. “How do I get you out of here?�

“I don’t know, the walls won’t let me out,� Hermione answered reproachfully. “Be careful about touching the wall that you don’t get sucked in, too.�

“Did you find her?� Blaise panted as he rounded the corner.

“Yes,� Ginny answered sharply. “She stuck behind this bloody wall and I can’t get her out.�

Blaise paled. “That’s Draco’s room.�

“What? She’s in there with a werewolf! Can’t you get her out?�

Blaise shook his head, still winded. “The room’s…enchanted…opens in the morning…�

“Well we can’t just leave her there!� Ginny shrieked.

“That seems to be our only option,� Blaise answered, patting his ears to make sure the ringing had stopped.

“I’m staying right here with her,� Ginny grumbled.

“Suit yourself, I’ll stay with you,� Blaise clapped his hands and a house-elf materialized.

Ginny rushed to the wall again.

“Hermione?� she called.

“Yes?�

“Don’t worry, I’ll be here all night with you. The enchantment should wear off in the morning. If anything…well, I’ll be right here.�

She heard a muffled “thank you, Ginny� in reply. She turned to speak to Blaise again only to see that two cots and a small table laden with food had materialized while her back was turned.

“Figured we best not starve,� Blaise shrugged. Ginny nodded mutely, sat on a cot and grabbed a roll. She hadn’t eaten anything all day, except for the tea and was feeling famished.

They sat quietly apart, each staring at the wall behind which each had a friend in danger.

“You’re unnaturally silent,� Blasie stated, breaking the calm.

“Maybe just worried,� Ginny answered acidly. “My best friend locked up with a deadly beast impervious to most spells and all.�

“You were quiet before then,� Blaise noted.

“Sorry to deprived of my winning company,� Ginny replied stiffly. Why was she so hostile? She didn’t know. She felt like taking all her rage out on Blaise, the only thing in her immediate vicinity.

“Well, I am a bit isolated,� Blaise condoned. “All alone in this place.�

“Are you confessing to arranging this sleepover?� Ginny demanded suspiciously.

“You give me too much credit,� Blaise gave her an odd look. She knew he was wondering why she was so aggressive.

Give him a break, she thought to herself. He could have just kicked you out. Not fed you and waited with you.

“Your welcome,� she answered belatedly. They were once again submerged in silence. Finally Ginny broke the quiet, this time attempting a more tolerate tone.

“Not that this is really a sleepover. It’s more like a vigil. Hermione’s life is hanging in the balance and all we can do is sit here and hope.�

Okay, so maybe that wasn’t exactly the cheerful note she’d been aiming for. Ginny winced inwardly at how bitter she sounded.

“Are you always this morbid?� Blaise asked dryly. Intuitively, she understood that he’d forgiven her harsh tones.

“Just anxious,� she answered apologetically. She felt cramped from crouching in one position for hours. She stretched her arms and immediately regretted doing so; the bruises from last night’s catfight were still tender.

“You alright?� Blaise queried, trying to mask his concern.

“Just a bit sore,� Ginny mumbled.

“What? Did you get in a fight?� he chuckled, finding the idea amusing. Ginny threw him a dark look.

“No, you didn’t!� Blaise exclaimed, shocked. “With whom? Not Potter? He did always seem the abusive type, mind you.�

“Harry?� the prospect was so ironic that Ginny chuckled. “Ha! As if I would let that selfish halfwit—�

She stopped and bit her lip, remembering whom she was talking too. No need to confess her personal troubles with Zabini of all people.

“Trouble in paradise?� Blaise inquired with a quizzical cock of an eyebrow.

“I’m not telling you! Look, just because we have to spend the night together doesn’t mean we have to have a heart-to-heart!� Ginny snapped, angry at revealing so much personal information to him.

Blaise paused for a minute. He looked almost hurt, but then Ginny blinked and his face was a frozen mask again.

“I never said I wanted to,� he grumbled. And they resumed their silent vigil.

o o o o o o o

It was well past midnight now. Only a few short hours until dawn and Blaise had not slept a wink. Ginny, after much fretting and hand wringing had fallen into an uneasy slumber. Blaise’s ears were still perked, waiting for the sound he hoped he’d never hear. The sound of Granger being bitten by a werewolf. In his house.

Even though he’d done his best to keep a calm façade for Ginny, Blaise was extremely nervous. After only one Wolfsbane potion, Draco was still incredibly dangerous transformed. Not to mention contagious.

Not even the complicated runes that had absorbed him just the other day could distract him. He stared at the same crude marking for ages, not even trying to read it. If something happened…he would be responsible, he was harboring a werewolf after all. Malfoy was hardly responsible for his own actions when transformed.

Blaise had read diaries written by werewolves, they all described the pain of transformation, and the loss of control. One lycanthrope had described as “a bad dream. You wake up and there’s blood on your hands, on you. And you shiver and wonder what you ate, who you bit. And if anyone will ever find out. Coming out of a transformation can be even more hellish than transforming.�

Blaise dearly hoped that the potion had worked. He still didn’t understand how Granger had even fallen into such a precarious situation.

Blaise yawned; he couldn’t fall asleep, not now. Only a few more hours…but his eyelids were drooping and before long he was fast asleep.

o o o o o o o

“My, my, isn’t this sweet,� a sour voice drawled in a familiar way that caused Blaise’s eyes to snap open.

Draco Malfoy, de-transformed, obviously, stood opposite him. He looked haggard and exhausted, but was still trying to sport an obnoxious smirk as he gazed at Blaise and Ginny, sleeping three feet apart on separate cots.

“This isn’t…� Blaise interjected helplessly.

“We had a deal, I do believe,� Draco looked quite smug.

“Wha-?� his brain felt cloudy. When had he made a deal with Malfoy and what had he been drinking at that time?

“To quote verbatim, you said: ‘The day I ‘woo’ Weasley, I’ll have to find you and Granger in a compromising position.’ If you ask me, there’s nothing more compromising than being caught in a bedroom with a transformed werewolf,� Draco grinned slyly.

Lots of lovely little confrontations in this chapter. Remember, your reviews are greatly appreciated!

Chapter 5:Feathers and Frivolties

“Sh,� Hermione whispered anxiously. “Oh, do be careful, Ginny!�

“I’m more experienced at this than you,� Ginny hissed in reply as she gingerly wrapped her fingers around the doorknob.

They had stashed their brooms in the shed and tiptoed across the lawn to the Burrow. Breaths bated, they waited as Ginny pushed the door open just enough to all the girls room to sidle through. Unfortunately Ginny had only gotten one shoulder in before a cold voice cut through the stillness.

“Identify yourselves.�

Ginny’s heart sank as she heard her mother’s voice. She could only imagine the pain she must caused her mother when she’d realized she was missing. Her mum’s love could be smothering at times, though Ginny knew she meant well.

“Mum, look, I’m really sorry—� Ginny began.

“Identify yourselves,� Molly Weasley repeated.

“Ginevra Molly Weasly,� Ginny answered, shamefaced.

“What is your greatest fear?�

“Books,� Ginny squeaked, feeling foolish. “Or more accurately diaries.�

“Who else is there?�

“Hermione Jane Granger,� Hermione replied in an equally cowed-tone.

“What is your favorite book?�

“Pride and Prejudice,� Hermione snapped. “Only Harry or Ron would claim it was ‘Hogwarts, A History’.�

A soft chuckle emanated from the darkness and suddenly the kitchen was flooded with light.

“You’ll warm up to ‘Hogwarts, A History’ soon enough,� Ron informed Hermione. “After the millionth reading or so.�

“But that would be tomorrow,� Harry joined, laughing at apparent relief at their survival.

Ginny’s attention was focused elsewhere however as she was firmly clasped to her mother’s ample bosom. Her mother was scolding her for being out so late and not leaving a note, but Ginny could not decipher a single word that she said through her blubbering.

“Mum,� she protested when it became difficult to breathe.

“You had us so worried!� her mother fretted.

“Us?� Ginny queried. She realized that her mother had been inadvertently shielding her from the rest of the kitchen. Peering around her back she gazed at her audience. Crammed inside the small kitchen, between pots, pans, counters and sinks sat about half a dozen people. Harry, Ron, Mr. Weasley, Lupin, Tonks and Mad-Eye Moody all peered curiously at both her and Hermione.

“We had no idea where you’d gone,� Mr. Weasley cleared his throat.

“Considering the time, I felt it best to inform them of what I know,� Lupin clarified, giving Hermione a meaningful look.

Ginny’s heart sank. She knew Hermione had procured the Wolfsbane Potion from Lupin (who always carried spares), but she didn’t know how much information she’d imparted.

“Why he didn’t stop you before, I don’t know,� Moody growled, his normal eye glaring at Lupin. Lupin dropped his head and muttered something about believing their intended werewolf to be close by. “Now, let’s not beat about the bush, where did you go?�

Ginny shot an anxious glance at Hermione who returned it equally worried. She could only imagine how the Order would react to the information that Zabini was harboring Malfoy. They’d probably blow the place up and take the two boys prisoner within the hour.

When both girls hesitated from answering, Moody changed his approach.

“There are other ways to find out.�

“Alastor, there’s not need for threats,� Mr. Weasley broke in. He turned a steady eye to the girls. “You did give us a fright though. For the next week you’re under strict house arrest.�

Both girls nodded glumly. Ginny was relieved that they were no longer interrogated. The immediate danger gone, she suddenly felt very sleepy. Her head was heavy from so few hours of sleep. A sidelong glance at Hermione showed a similarly exhausted expression. Ginny stifled her own yawn, which her mother was quick to notice.

“Yes, I suppose you would be tired, considering that you had me up all night, worrying about you,� she clucked.

Ginny winced as she imagined what tiresome chore her mother would have in store for her before she could retreat to her bed. Apparently lack of sleep had made her mother generous for she next said:

“Never mind, you can run along to bed. I dare say you’ll have all week to help me out.�

Gratefully both girls turned and ascended the stairs to Ginny’s room. Now only fitting two cots instead of four, the girls happily collapsed onto their respective beds.

“Why didn’t you get any sleep?� Hermione yawned. “You were outside.�

“Yes, and worried sick about you,� Ginny answered. “What was it like?�

“Being stuck in a bedroom with someone who’s beastly no matter the phase of the moon? Delightful,� Hermione snorted. “At least he couldn’t talk in his new form.�

o o o o o o o

A day passed, and then another. Soon a whole week had flown by without incident. The indoor-ban was removed, but neither Ginny nor Hermione had felt terribly affected by it. To Ginny, it was almost a blessing as Harry spent as much of his time outdoors as possible.

Though the question often hung in the air, unspoken, no one had yet breached the subject of their disappearance and the unknown werewolf with them. Hermione and Ginny, through silent agreement, were not talking about it either.

With a little bit of luck, Ginny hoped that the whole affair would become a thing of the past.

Unfortunately, the winds of fate did not choose to blow in her favor.

“Quick! Clear the living room, we having company!� Ron burst through the door anxiously.

Hermione and Ginny both looked up from the couch where the former was reading and the latter was watching a magic picture. The magic pictures were the conglomerates of her father and twin brothers labor. Apparently Muggles used moving pictures as entertainment and the idea had so fascinated her father that he’d purchased a bunch of “wideo taps� and tried to play them. After getting repeatedly tangled in the film, Arthur Weasley had given up.

The twins, remembering their father’s earlier attempts, had taken the cassette boxes and enchanted them to tell the story instead. After several tries they’d managed to improve the packaging so that one could now open a book and watch two hours of film that only the holder of the book could hear.

“What’s the matter, Ron?� Hermione asked, concerned.

“Harry and me were out playing Quidditch,� Ron explained as he tried to push back the various piles of papers and books covering the floor. “When we happened upon two unusual characters…�

He trailed off and straightened at the sound of voices in the kitchen. “Harry’s here,� he informed them superfluously.

Both Ginny and Hermione craned their necks to see whom all the excitement was about. Whatever they had been expecting, this was not it. As Harry frog marched two young men into the living room, wand raised, Ginny felt her jaw drop. She and Hermione exchanged hurried glances, but it was clear what each was thinking.

Oh, shit

o o o o o o o

He was going to kill him, Blaise decided. He did not consider himself a particularly violent person, but when frustrated he had a tendency to run a hit list through his head. Currently the number one spot was harboring Draco Malfoy. Number two would probably the idiot who had made Wolfsbane potion so complicated and number three would be himself for agreeing to help Malfoy out.

And if he were ever able to get around to number four, it would be that annoying, whinging witch who was singing on the radio in the kitchen.

It had all started out simply enough. Despite Malfoy’s early morning cockiness, both boys had silently resolved to ignore the debacle at the last full moon. To release any frustration, tension or stress between them, they’d had a fierce game of Exploding Snap. It was only after Malfoy’s hair had caught on fire when Blaise had thrown his cards at him that the boys had realized they were being ridiculous.

Malfoy had repeatedly attempted to brew Wolfsbane, but only to be met with colossal failure. After laughing at him, Blaise had rolled up his own sleeves and tried to help him. One week later and they had made very little progress.

When the twelfth batch had exploded, Malfoy had thrown up his hands in disgust and declared that the only way they could make it right would be if they had some help from Snape. Or Granger.

Having no desire to track down Snape, they’d settled to seeking out Granger again.

Now, in the middle of a stingy pig’s den, doing his best to avoid Ginny’s eyes, Blaise was cursing Draco for even mentioning Granger’s name.

o o o o o o o

Why was he here? Was he following her? Was this all some sort of sick, twisted, Slytherin plan for revenge? She didn’t what the revenge would be for, but he was a Slytherin. He’d probably figured she’d affronted him in a multitude of ways.

Fortunately Hermione had always been quick on her feet because Ginny still had her jaw hanging down in her lap. Jumping up from the sofa, Hermione clapped her hands together and adopted an authoritative tone of voice.

“Right,� she said. “That was very nice of you to escort these two guests. Now they’re here and we’ll just leave.�

With that, she grabbed both Malfoy and Zabini by the arms and began guiding them out of the living room. Belatedly, Ginny jumped up to help her out. For a wild moment she thought she might succeed before Harry’s voice called them back.

“Hermione? Where are you going?�

“Uh…� Hermione was at loss for words.

“Hermione, why are you holding Malfoy’s arm?� Ron demanded suspiciously.

“Jealous, Weasley?� Malfoy sneered. “How about you guess where your little girlfriend was last—�

“Malfoy, why are you here?� Hermione interrupted desperately.

“Well…�Malfoy paused, as though considering the best way to word his request, “the truth is Zabini is bollocks at potions.�

Ginny could see Blaise visibly tense and was surprised he didn’t lunge at Malfoy just then. To her surprise, he spoke in a relatively calm voice.

“Actually, after the fifth failed attempt, Draco enlisted my help.�

Malfoy chewed on his tongue, but did not respond. It was then that Harry noticed Ginny had silently joined the motley crew. He changed his line of attack.

“Ginny, why are you a part of this?�

“What, Harry, did it not occur to you that I might have my own affairs do deal with?� she shot back sweetly.

Harry reddened and muttered incoherently about being misinterpreted. Belatedly, more Order members rushed into the room. Ginny realized despondently that there was no way they could keep their secret any longer. Taking a deep breath, she plunged.

“I guess I’m ready to answer that question you’ve been dying to ask all week.�

o o o o o o o

How sweet, Blaise thought to himself dryly. They’re so protective of Ginny.

The Weasleys’ affection seemed to be expressed primarily through shouting. Ron Weasley had actually been removed from the room after Malfoy had goaded him into attack. Shame, Blaise rather wished Weasley had killed Malfoy, then he could check him off his list.

The complaints were all rather similar.

“So you went to a Dark Wizard’s house…�

“…a werewolf…�

“Did you forget all the times Malfoy’s tried to hex us?�

“CONSTANT VIGILANCE!�

“…the full moon!?�

“…probably laden with booby traps, I mean seven dead husbands so far…�

“…Death Eater!�

Hermione and Ginny stood against that barrage, trying to reason with the angry mob. Puzzled, Blaise realized that some of the family members didn’t even look remotely related. He even saw two of his former Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers present.

It all felt like some really weird dream, the kind you get when you fall asleep in the middle of a book, and people you’d completely forgotten about burst forward and mix with other oddballs. Like Professor Lupin and a young woman with pink hair. Blaise shook his head and rubbed his temple. Maybe if he pinched himself it would all go away. This had to be a dream, why else would he agree to follow Malfoy to the Burrow?

o o o o o o o

“Congrats, Ginny, I’ve never seen Mum and Dad so angry. Not even when George and I knocked Percy unconscious with his cauldron bottom collection,� Fred interrupted his sister’s meditation.

“Yeah, five hours it took for them to run out of steam. And only because Mum remembered it was time for dinner,� George added. He and Fred had dropped by as they always did once a week for a family dinner. Fortunately they’d floo-ed in as the scolding was unwinding.

“Don’t remind me,� Ginny groaned. Her head literally hurt from the mental pounding it had received.

The interrogation was still in progress, however. Lupin, her father and Moody were outside talking to Malfoy, Zabini and Hermione. Somehow they had figured out that Hermione was the main perpetrator and written Ginny off as protective. Ginny hadn’t wanted to leave Hermione alone, but her friend had assured her it would be fine.

Inwardly, Ginny also cringed at how Blaise had looked when faced with the madness that was her family. Stunned, was probably the best word for it. And irritated by all the noise. Ginny recalled the unnatural, empty silence of his own large home. She tried to comfort herself by thinking of how snobby and stuck up all Slytherins were. Yet all the incidents she remembered did not include Zabini.

In fact, when she looked at it, he’d never really insulted her. And if he had it was only because she’d attacked him first. Ginny remembered the few times they’d talked and he’d been almost human.

Or maybe he’d been completely human and she’d been too prejudiced to notice it.

o o o o o o o

It was weird; to see teachers he’d thought he’d never see again, to have them interrogating him, quizzing him. But he wasn’t in school. And he didn’t know the right answers. There had been countless things he’d needed to explain about his house. It hadn’t taken over an hour of explanation to placate them about the lack of doors and disagreeable walls.

The focus on Malfoy was more intense. Blaise was surprised he was still standing after the verbal attacks he’d taken.

They had made him talk about Dumbledore’s death. Blaise had not been brave enough to broach the subject with him, but they were doing so boldly. Once or twice, Blaise could have sworn he’d seen Malfoy tear up. Then he’d blinked and it was gone.

Yet they’d emerged alive, and with hope. Hermione had agreed to visit their place to help them with the Wolfsbane Potion. (Apparently the surplus Professor Lupin had was being held for an ulterior purpose.)

A plump woman whom he could only assume was Ginny’s mother offered to serve them dinner, but both men had rejected the offer. Blaise’s house had been added to the highly protected Floo network of the Burrow and they’d escaped home.

“Well, that was a bit of a nightmare,� Draco stated once they were safely on firm marble.

“I am never going to listen to you again,� Blaise spat and turned on his heel. He stalked off to his bedroom and threw himself down on the bed, hoping for sleep with pleasant dreams.

o o o o o o o

Dinner at the Burrow that evening had a rather ominous atmosphere. Her mother served the mashed potatoes a little more brutally than necessary. Ron had a murderous glare fixed on Hermione and attacked his chicken leg with vulgar ferocity. Moody wouldn’t touch any of the food and his magical eye was spinning faster than ever. Lupin and Tonks had departed for their own, private, dinner.

Ginny felt miserable. She picked at her chicken, re-mashed her potatoes. Every bite of food she put into her mouth seemed tasteless. All she could think of was Blaise Zabini. How he always had looked directly at her. But today he hadn’t glanced at her once. The bit of green bean on her fork trembled as she recalled the stoic expression he’d assumed on his face throughout the whole ordeal.

It was as though he couldn’t experience emotion. Or had locked away that ability long ago. It was even more of a shock when she realized that she had wanted to see some emotion in him.

She’d only seen him a handful of times. Nothing spectacular had really occurred between them, but she still wanted to see more of him.

She excused herself from the table early and locked herself in her room.

She lay on her bed for what felt like hours, trying to make sense out of the ceiling. There was a soft knock on her door.

“Ginny, may I come in?� it was Hermione.

“Enter,� Ginny replied without moving.

The door creaked open, allowing some light from the hallway to disperse the darkness of the room.

“I’m sorry for dragging you into this mess,� Hermione apologized immediately. She shut the door behind her.

“No, I’m glad you got me involved,� Ginny answered honestly.

“Then why are you moping?� Hermione inquired.

Ginny let out a sigh. “It seems so silly,� she confessed.

“To you maybe, but right now I’m feeling rather ridiculous myself,� Hermione said.

“He didn’t even look at me once, you know,� Ginny whispered.

“Is that it?� Hermione asked. There was a note of triumph in her voice. “Gin, did you ever think it possible that you might fancy Zabini?�

“Hermione, that’s just—� Ginny started to protest. She stopped herself, recalling all the tiny little events involving Zabini.

“It’s probably just some silly fancy,� she amended. “He used to like me and I got used to the admiration. Now that he’s not paying attention to me, I’m feeling the loss of such attention acutely. It’s all psychological, nothing too emotional.�

Hermione gave her a wry smile, “If we acted just as textbooks predicted, I should have shagged Ron by now. Instead, I’m avoiding him and spending time with my least favorite classmate. Some things just go beyond words.�

“Ech, Hermione, please. I’m nauseated now,� Ginny winced at the imagery of her brother and Hermione.

“Do you really think I’m that ugly,� Hermione asked, offended. Grinning, she chucked a pillow at her friend’s head.

“Oh, you are so on!� Ginny retaliated with her own pillow. Her uncharacteristic, moping mood had completely vanished.

The small bedroom overflowed with feathers and giggles as a pillow fight, the likes of which many adolescent males fantasize about, ensued. Half of the pillows were old gifts from doting aunts, which was probably why some of the feathers were pink. Finally, exhausted, the girls both collapsed down on a pile of feathers.

“You really think I should go for it?� Ginny asked Hermione.

“Ginny, you’re gorgeous, confident and charming. How could anyone say no? No one’s said no yet, anyway,� Hermione assured her.

“Well, yeah, but that’s because I’ve been so sure that the guys like me,� Ginny confided as she removed a rosy feather from her hair. “I’ve never really taken a huge risk. Except in first year with Harry, but I was so naïve then.�

“You did have a more traumatizing first year than most,� Hermione consented. “But I have an excellent source that believes Blaise likes you.�

“If you’re trusting anything Draco Malfoy says,� Ginny began.

“Well, he had every opportunity to bite, but he didn’t,� Hermione defended. She sat up and Ginny burst out laughing at the sight of her friend’s hair. Bushy and untameable at the best of times, Hermione’s hair had collected so many feathers that she looked like an Animagus transformation gone wrong.

“Hermione,� Ginny stated, chuckling, “I thought you hated Draco Malfoy. Now you’re trusting him?�

“No! I never said that! And I don’t, I still think he’s an arrogant, over-confident snot.�

“There’s a ‘but’, isn’t there?� Ginny persisted.

Hermione rolled her eyes, “I think he’s starting to resent the Pureblood system now that he’s an outcast, is all.�

“Will things be getting steamy in the potion room as Wolfsbane simmers?� Ginny whispered seductively, trying unsuccessfully to mask a giggle.

“That is so uncalled for,� Hermione shoved her friend back into the feathers. “To brew Wolfsbane takes utmost concentration. I won’t have time to get distracted. Besides, when I said Malfoy might be changing, I didn’t mean he’d become tolerable!�

“I don’t know,� Ginny affected a look of wide-eyed innocence. “One day you won’t come back from one of your Potion experiments. You’ll send me a postcard from Bora Bora detailing your grand elopement and I’ll have to deal with Ron when he kills himself from heartbreak.�

“You needn’t be so worried,� Hermione retorted. “You’ll be coming along as chaperone. If there is an elopement it’ll be a double.�

A/N: Okay, so this fic has exploded from it’s extremely detailed mold and I am forced to write yet another chapter for it. And probably many more.

Chapter 6: Getting to Know You

Poor Hermione, Ginny reflected as she and Blaise retreated from the potion brewing area. After Draco had exploded at Blaise over a tiny mistake, he had banished both of them. He kept Hermione with him to work on the potion.

“It really wasn’t your fault,� she informed Blaise sympathetically.

“I don’t really mind,� Blaise shrugged. “I suspect Draco really wants Hermione to himself. Not that he’s aware of it.�

“Hermione and Malfoy?� Ginny asked, incredulous. “Never going to happen.�

Blaise shrugged quietly to himself. He seemed to do that a lot, Ginny noted. For the first time she wondered what he really thought. His face betrayed little of his emotions, yet at times she would catch him smiling or looking confused. She stared openly at him, trying to work him out.

He turned to meet her stare and Ginny could feel her face heat up. She quickly looked down only to peek back apologetically through her fringe.

o o o o o o o

“It must be miserable,� Ron drawled with his mouth full that evening, “sitting around in a library with a couple of Slytherins.�

“I do hope everything’s alright,� Mrs. Weasley added anxiously. Shooting a glare at her husband, she added, “If there’s even the slightest problem…�

“Molly, the whole situation is under careful surveillance. There are measures to ensure the girls’ safety,� Mr. Weasley replied wearily. After hearing of the arrangement, Mrs. Weasley had worked her hardest to come up with a different solution, but to no avail.

“It’s actually not that bad,� Ginny replied, twirling pasta around her fork.

Ron snorted to show his disbelief. Ginny scowled at him. Her brother had yet to develop sensitivity and tact, she could easily understand why Hermione would tire of him.

“Where’s Harry?� Hermione asked all of a sudden. Ginny sat up straighter and identified the reason she had felt more relaxed at dinner tonight. She hadn’t had to worry about Harry.

Ron gave a non-committal shrug. Hermione persisted however until Ron fixed her with a long knowing look. For the two old friends, words weren’t always necessary. The implications of their silent exchange seemed to have affected Hermione seriously, however. She stopped conversing at dinner altogether and later admitted to Ginny that she felt excluded.

When Ginny attempted to formulate a compromise between the two parties, Hermione just shook her head.

“They’re in the wrong,� she insisted, her jaw set. “They have to apologize. I can’t believe they would be doing so much without me! It’s not like I lured Malfoy in!�

o o o o o o o

By the third day, they had settled into a routine at the mansion. Each would sit on their respective couch and hide behind a book. At three they would congregate by the fireplace for tea. (Ginny was really starting to enjoy the lemon scones.) Someone would try to talk, but the whole scene was a bit of a farce.

Undoubtedly, Hermione and Malfoy would argue about who had nearly screwed up the potion the most and then retreat to the cauldron further their debate and prove some obscure point.

The fourth day, they didn’t even show up. Malfoy rushed in to collect a couple of teacups. Ginny opened her mouth to explain that Hermione liked two lumps, only to notice that Malfoy had already obliged.

She and Blaise watched him run off.

“Well, I guess it’s just the two of us,� Ginny started brightly.

Blaise just sipped his tea.

“Generally, when two are taking tea, they converse with each other,� Ginny snapped.

“Fascinating,� Blaise observed.

Ginny stifled a sigh of frustration. The roles had been reversed. Now, instead of catching Blaise watching her, she found herself observing him.

She couldn’t comprehend how he preferred quiet and solitude. She had grown up surrounded by bustle and chaos. At home, her feet rarely stopped moving. In the stillness of the Zabini manor, she found she had a chance to pause and catch her breath. The contrast was so great, she wasn’t even sure she could compare the two environments. Nor did she know which she preferred.

o o o o o o o

“He’s absolutely infuriating!� Ginny complained to Hermione. Her hands pulled at her hair in frustration. “The whole time we sat at tea, I had to coach him to talk!�

“Really? That’s just like Pride and Prejudice!� Hermione exclaimed.

“No it’s not!� Ginny protested. “You and Malfoy are more like it than I!�

Hermione rolled her eyes. “The book is all about mistaken impressions. I always knew Malfoy was a prat, and he hasn’t disproved me yet.�

“He knew you take your tea with two lumps,� Ginny argued.

“Well, he’s observant. He ought to be, as he’s second in the class,� Hermione argued.

“Where are my five sisters?� Ginny demanded.

“You got five brothers and Ron instead,� Hermione replied. “My sympathies about the last one.�

Ginny only scowled in reply.

o o o o o o o

The fifth day was a little better. They did manage to talk a little at tea. Ginny was stunned to hear that Blaise didn’t really follow Quidditch.

“The same thing happens game after game,� he’d explained, voice muffled by toast. He swallowed, “The Snitch is caught. Someone wins, another person loses. Occasionally someone dies and the red ball is tossed around a lot.�

“You’re joking.�

“What? Did I misunderstand the game?�

“It’s more than just a game. For one thing, you’re flying,� clearly Ginny expected that to be an argument by itself. “And you get the adrenaline rush from outracing others. You never know how the game is going to end. It’s the most exciting thing in the world!�

The passion she felt for the game was difficult to translate, however. Her judge remained unconvinced by her argument. He even had the gall to snort his doubt.

“You can’t know much excitement, then.�

“Alright, what do you love most?� she countered fiercely. She did have an ulterior motive, besides justifying Quidditch. She felt an acute desire to understand what fueled him.

“I don’t quite understand,� he frowned, perplexed.

“What’s your passion? What activity do you enjoy most?�

“I’m not sure you would really call it an activity…� he trailed off thoughtfully.

“What?� she persisted, she had moved to the edge of her seat. Blaise faltered as he stared into her eyes.

“Secrets,� he replied simply. Ginny blinked, confused.

“Knowing other people’s secrets,� he elaborated.

“What’s so great about that?� Ginny queried.

Exasperated, Blaise explained, “You understand a person then. You know how they think, what makes them tick. Then they become predictable, their actions seem rational. Oh, never mind, you probably don’t understand.�

“No, I do,� Ginny cut in hurriedly. More than you know, she added silently, thinking of her own observations about Blaise.

Blaise nodded and picked up his book again. Ginny felt despair to see him quickly retreat after they had just made so much progress.

“I have a secret,� she blurted, anything to keep him from disappearing behind that book.

“Most people do,� he replied. “What’s yours?�

“That’d be telling,� she grinned mischievously and grabbed her own book, disappearing behind. She smiled to herself that this time she was the one to cut off the conversation, not him. Blaise just stared at her for a few minutes, trying to figure out what had happened. Then he gave himself a private little smile and returned to his text.

o o o o o o o

The next day she brought her mini Quidditch team replicas, another gift from Fred and George. Blaise was more interested in the charms on the players than the actual game. The only bit he found interesting was when the blue Seeker drowned in his tea cup, looking for the snitch that was inside.

“Dash of lemon, please,� she asked, holding her hand out for her own tea. She felt mildly disappointed that Blaise did not know how she liked her tea. Flustered, she chased the superfluous thought from her head.

As he leaned over to hand her the teacup, their hands brushed. His hand shook and he ended up slopping tea onto her.

“Oh!� Ginny exclaimed. She set her cup down and grabbed a napkin to blot out the mess.

“Sorry,� Blaise mumbled.

“No need, it happens to everyone,� Ginny brushed his apology away with a wave of her hand. “Why do you always offer tea, anyway?�

“I don’t really know what else to do with people, other than feed them,� Blaise confessed.

“Here I thought small talk was your forte,� she grumbled, more to herself.

“Not really my thing,� Blaise shrugged. Feeling a bit playful, he added, “Besides, you can be sure of a conversation starter when you pour tea on someone.�

“I know of some far more effective conversation starters,� Ginny replied with eyebrows raised. “They include ‘Hello, how are you?’ and Quidditch, or the weather.�

“I’ve never heard of them. It’s probably because I was emotionally deprived as a child, no real mother and all,� Blaise explained dully.

Ginny stared at him, unsure what to say.

“You can blame pretty much everything on that, you know,� Blaise informed her. His face was still smooth and blank, but she could have sworn that she saw a twinkle in his eye.

Ginny felt the corners of her mouth quirk. Trying desperately to contain her laughter, she pursed her lips together. Blaise gave a small frown in her direction. It was clear that he, too, was trying to hold back a laugh.

That was too much for Ginny, she burst out in laughter.

“That,� she gasped. “Is. Such. Bollocks.�

Blaise started to laugh as well. A deep, rich laugh that was at odds with his cold demeanor.

“I’m serious,� Ginny rejoined. “The only reason that excuse gets you anywhere is because no one can prove otherwise.�

“You don’t think that I had a bad childhood?� Blaise inquired.

“I think,� Ginny said, exasperated, “that you are throwing yourself a huge pity party.�

She enunciated this point by poking him in the chest. Her playful eyes told him that she was not accusing. He cottoned on.

“Well, it’s a very lonely party,� he stuck out his bottom lip in a bit of a pout. This drew another laugh out of Ginny.

“You’re horrible! Do people actually buy that act?� she giggled as he deepened the pout with puppy-dog eyes. Elation rose within him, this was the first time he had made anyone laugh. It felt immensely relieving not to have someone pity him. He had always felt the burden of those unwanted stares and whispers.

“Always handy if you want an extra galleon,� he smiled.

Ginny just rolled her eyes in response. A sudden thought struck her and she changed the flow of the conversation.

“Can I ask you a question?�

“You just did.�

“Stop acting as though you’re six!�

“I think you’re selling me short, that comment required the brains of a ten-year-old.�

“Stop avoiding the subject!�

“What subject?�

“I wanted to ask you a question!�

“Why can you never remember what you were thinking right before you fall asleep?�

“Huh?�

“You said you wanted a question.�

“No! I’m going to ask the question. Oh, this is getting ridiculous! Why did you kiss me?�

Blaise swallowed his hot tea a bit too fast the wrong way. He coughed and sputtered for a minute before finally speaking again. “Pardon?�

“Ages ago,� Ginny clarified. “Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom?�

“I know what you meant, but why do you care?� Blaise asked. Inwardly, he felt like curling under a nearby rock for eternity. This is why he was never spontaneous, the consequences always came back to humiliate you.

“Because…� Ginny bit her lip. “I just…care.�

Blaise gave her a measured look, she really wanted to know. She wasn’t going to use the knowledge to take advantage of him, either. He couldn’t help but feel slightly surprised that she didn’t already know. Maybe she had guessed and wanted confirmation?

Focus, he thought to himself. She was expecting an answer.

“Because…� he let a breath of air out of his cheeks. “Because I like you.�

Ginny’s response was rather unexpected. Her eyes seemed to light up and a small, sweet smile rose to her lips. She opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by a triumphant crow.

“Finished!� Hermione declared victoriously, marching in between the two and shattering whatever moment there had been.

A/N: Okay, so I'm going to apologize for taking so long in between updates. I have the rest of this plot mapped out! (Again) But this time I think it's final because I've sort of started working on a sequel. I'll try to get to Influence of Wolfsbane by next week! Please, please, PLEASE review!

Chapter 7: Explanations and Epiphanies

The next day it rained. Water poured out of the sky as though all the clouds had been slit by some celestial sword. The raindrops inundated all the fields, mixing with every particle of dirt to form the thickest of mud. It was ironic how such a life giving source could also cause such devastation. It flattened wheat that had been ready to harvest, weighed down fruits until they dropped from their boughs.

Watching this great torrent from her window, Ginny couldn’t summon up the inspiration to do anything. After having visited the Zabini house for a week, her days seemed empty.

Which was ridiculous, she scowled to herself. It was not as though she didn’t have a life of her own. She didn’t even have Hermione to confide in. Her friend had been promptly whisked away after breakfast by none other than Draco Malfoy. That had certainly caused a few raised eyebrows and alarmed reactions.

Below her bedroom floor, she could hear the general chaos as people moved in and out of her house. She was forcibly reminded of the utter silence of Zabini Manor. How peaceful and relaxing it seemed!

It wasn’t that she didn’t like company; most times she reveled at being in the center of things. She didn’t do well when she was isolated. Right now, though, the one person she wanted to talk to was miles away.

A soft knock on her door jolted her out of her reverie.

“Ginny? Can I come in?� a timid voice asked. It was Harry.

“Sure,� Ginny answered as tonelessly as she could manage.

Harry peeked in timidly, his dark hair in more disarray than ever before. Ginny remembered when that messy head would cause her stomach to flip, right now it didn’t affect her much.

“Sit down,� she instructed after Harry glanced around the room a bit lost. He gingerly perched on the edge of Hermione’s impeccably made bed. His new, hesitant attitude was such a difference from the surly Harry who had been around weeks before that Ginny felt ill at ease. This was the Harry she had known and loved, but she couldn’t help but wonder where he’d been.

“I know I said some –things—that weren’t entirely fair a while ago,� Harry began, concentrating on her knee cap.

Ginny didn’t reply, just watched his face.

“It’s just that I haven’t really been myself lately,� Harry continued. “You see, when I was with Dumbledore before he died—�

He choked off and Ginny felt a peculiar mixture of annoyance and sympathy for him. Did he really need to keep bringing up Dumbledore’s death? And when would he get over it?

“We were looking for Horcruxes,� Harry hurried out. Ginny blinked and frowned.

“What are you talking about?� she questioned.

“Horcruxes,� Harry focused on her face now that he was talking about something he knew, “are dark objects. When an act of murder is committed, the soul splits. A very evil wizard will put half of their soul into another object. It helps ensure their immortality.�

“And Voldemort did that,� Ginny breathed.

“Yes,� Harry replied grimly. “He did it seven times.�

“What?! Seven pieces of his soul?�

“Well, actually six,� Harry amended. “Because one sliver of his soul still has to remain in his body.�

“So you and Dumbledore went tracking Horcruxes down to destroy them so that you could finally kill Voldemort.� The pieces were all coming into place. All the unanswered questions were being solved. Ginny silently marveled at the solution.

“Well there were already two that were destroyed, three actually, as Ron, Hermione and I found out later.� At Ginny’s inquiring look he explained, “Dumbledore destroyed one, and I destroyed another, which was the diary…�

Ginny shuddered at the mention of that awful book and the awful boy who had manipulated her through it but did not interrupt Harry. Privately, she thought it was appropriate that it should be an object of blackest magic.

“Then the Horcrux Dumbledore and I went after turned out to be a fake. Someone else had gotten there first. There was a note in it, and it was signed by an R. A. B. Later, Hermione discovered that it was Regulus Black. So we went to Grimmauld place… Do you remember that foul locket that none of us could open?�

Ginny nodded, she did remember it from their scourge of the house.

“Well that was a Horcrux. Err, a former Horcrux, because Regulus had destroyed it. He also left behind a diary which we found in the attic and it detailed his work with the Horcrux.�

“How did he know about them?� Ginny asked.

“I’m not really sure,� Harry replied, frowning. “I think it had something to do with a conversation he overheard between Voldemort and Malfoy. It was when Voldemort was giving Malfoy the—er—diary. And he conjectured that there were multiple Horcruxes and somehow tracked down the location of the locket. I’m still not sure how he did that, the diary was more about how to destroy the Horcrux.�

“How do you do that?� Ginny asked.

“It’s a nasty process, you need to be really strong,� Harry began, taking a deep breath. “Ultimately you have to absorb the sliver of soul and destroy it, while it’s inside of you. That’s why Dumbledore’s hand died. Same with Regulus, he wasn’t strong enough to survive afterwards, but I think he already knew that.�

“Have you—absorbed—a piece of soul?� Ginny inquired tentatively.

“Yeah,� Harry exhaled again. “We, Ron and Hermione and me, found Hufflepuff’s cup under the debris of a bridge Voldemort had destroyed earlier. So when I picked up the cup, the soul sor t of slithered into me. Though at first none of us had any idea what had happened. It was only after the violent mood changes that Ron started to guess that—�

“Mood swings?� Ginny interrupted; her heart in her throat. She guessed that this explained Harry’s attitude towards her at the wedding and before. Some part of her didn’t want Harry to have an excuse, she wanted him to have screwed up and be over her. She couldn’t explain exactly why though.

“Yeah, that’s why I was so rude to you at the dance,� Harry explained, confirming Ginny’s suspicions. “I knew I had to apologize to you.�

“Is the Horcrux gone now?� Ginny questioned.

“Yeah, finally,� Harry replied. “Do you know that a couple of times Ron wouldn’t even let me come into the house because I was so violent and rude?� He chuckled a bit at this, though it was a hollow laugh.

“That explains a lot,� Ginny answered frankly.

“Ginny, I care a lot about you,� Harry began. “I don’t ever want to hurt you.�

“I know,� Ginny’s voice escaped from her throat, small and almost non-existent. She stared fixedly at the carpet.

She felt Harry move from Hermione’s bed to her own. The soft give of the mattress jostled her closer to him. She raised her eyes to look into his.

“Ginny,� his voice was softer than a whisper now. He took both her hands in his own. She could feel his breath against her cheek. Their faces were so close now.

“I really want to make this work,� Harry murmured. He tilted his head and Ginny responded instinctively as Harry moved in to kiss her. She closed her eyes and tried to lose herself in his embrace. She had kissed Harry frequently, it wasn’t anything new, and yet somehow it didn’t feel…right.

“Harry,� she interrupted, breaking the kiss. Harry stopped, she could feel his surprise. He held her chin comfortingly as it began to wobble.

“I’m sorry,� she choked out, on the verge of tears. “You’re wonderful, more than wonderful, you’re perfect, but—�

She stopped and swallowed. She owed Harry an explanation, at least. He loved her, he would protect her and look after her. She should be happy with him. Somehow her mind kept wandering to another face when she thought of her own heart. Her body ached for the embrace of another pair of arms.

“It’s not supposed to be this way,� she whimpered. “You aren’t supposed to be so nice, it makes this so hard.�

“Makes what hard?� Harry asked searchingly.

“This,� was all Ginny could say. She put her hands on Harry’s chest. “This isn’t right. You care about me, and I care about you, but I don’t care about you to the same degree.�

She paused again and spoke even more softly, “I care about someone else.�

Harry pulled away. “I see,� he said, even though Ginny could hear in his voice that he didn’t.

“You’re a great guy, Harry. I feel horrible about doing this to you, it’s so much easier to break up with a guy because he’s a jerk. I can’t even explain why, but I…I just…�

“Ginny, you don’t need to explain,� Harry informed her, his face hardening. Ginny felt her heart drop, she didn’t want to do this to him, but the change hadn’t been expected, her feelings hadn’t been calculated.

Harry got up and left, leaving Ginny feeling more miserable than before. She fell back on her bed and stared out at the rain again. After five minutes she felt restless and jumped up. She knew what she had to do, she could worry about the consequences later.

o o o o o o o

Grumbling, Blaise conjured himself a cup of tea. All these sudden guest visits had gotten him mildly addicted to the caffeine. Nothing major, but enough that he felt out of sorts without a daily dose.

Sitting back in a thick leather chair, he pulled a heavy book onto his lap. He had been translating the old documents from his medieval ancestors out of curiosity this summer. The current document he was working on was turning into a detailed story about the old deities.

Blaise couldn’t apply himself, however. He felt distracted and jumpy. Every once and a while he felt a desire to throw himself into the Floo and—

No, you can’t do that, Blaise chastised himself. She was gone, and probably delighted to have days to herself, without tea. Shifting positions again, Blaise rearranged to book and document hoping that from a different angle he might secure motivation.

WHOOSH!

The library fireplace burst into green flames, causing Blaise to jump out of his chair in shock. Who could be arriving? Draco wasn’t away, though Blaise hadn’t seen him all day…

Sputtering, a slight figure with hair as bright as the fire advanced. Blaise found himself frozen to the spot in shock. What was she doing here? And why?

Brushing off any remaining soot, Ginny carefully stepped until she was right in front of Blaise.

“I’ve been kind of confused lately, and I don’t really know much about the future,� she began, taking a deep breath. “One thing I do know is that I want to give this—us—a shot.�

Blaise stared at her in disbelief. “There’s an ‘us’?� he croaked when he recovered his voice.

Ginny’s smile faltered slightly.

“No, that’s not what I meant!� Blaise recovered. He gave her a shaky smile, “I think we deserve a chance as well.�

Ginny’s responding smile prompted him to act for once without inhibitions. He swept his arms around her and pulled her into a deep kiss.