Chance Encounters

Chapter 4:

12 December 1994

Announcements flew around the school quickly. Hogwarts was hosting a Yule Ball and it incited all kinds of teenage butterflies to take over the bodies of every student in hopes of having dates. Blaise was not a part of the high anxieties of his classmates. He comfortably continued his life, sure that he would find a date within time and that if he didn't, it wouldn't be the end of the world, as life would most likely go on.

Blaise was more concerned with his final Potions project than a silly dance. It was proof enough of his concern for the upcoming test in that he was spending a good Saturday night in the library. To calm his nerves in the eerily quiet place he sang a pirate ditty. "Lock up yer daughters, 'cuz here we come. We drank a keg a whiskey an' a keg a rum."

Blaise chuckled to himself before continuing, "Sailed the sea for sixteen days -ship nor land in sight," he headed toward his and Hermione's spot. "Haven't been with a wench - haven' seen a fight."

He heard some low talking ahead, but thought nothing of it; he was getting to his favorite part. "Ay captain - let's bury the booty when we get ashore. Then we'll spend six days and six nights each with a Spanish whore." The last part came out with full bravado as he turned the last corner bursting in on Hermione and a rather unexpected guest.

Blaise felt heat on his face immediately as both Hermione and Viktor Krum turned to look at him. The confusion on Krum's face was enough for Blaise to burst out laughing if he hadn't been brought up with the lessons on manners and propriety he had. "Hores?" Krum turned to ask Hermione. "Why does him ... uh, sing?" Hermione nodded, "Yes, sing of 'horse'?"

Hermione's eyes sparkled with mischievous glee as she looked at Blaise, making him sweat the situation. She couldn't explain "whores" to the Bulgarian sitting across from her any more than Blaise could explain to his father that he wanted to be a cross-dressing astronaut, and both of them knew it. "I don't know," she said quietly as if pondering the question herself. "Blaise?"

"I, uh, I," he hated himself for stammering like an idiot, "Family custom," he blurted out. "We have the finest breed of Arabians at home. Familial pride it is to sing about them." Blaise looked at Krum as he nodded and noticed that the boy was holding Hermione's hand and sitting quite close to her. Catching Hermione's attention he raised one eyebrow in question and she blushed, letting go of the older boy's hand smoothly. "So, I, uh, was going to look up a Potions assignment, yeah. I'll see you both later, I'm sure. Have a wonderful night." As he bowed out of area he caught Hermione's eye again, giving her a quick wink before dodging behind a bookshelf.

Eavesdropping may not be the most dignified way for one to gather information, but it worked well in a pinch. Krum's voice, thick with his Bulgarian accent, barely made it to Blaise's hiding spot, but he heard all he needed to know. "Yes, I am saying. I am having come here with ... hope of speech with you?" He was clumsy with English, but got his points across.

"Yes?" Hermione asked. "All this time in the library and you've just come up to me now?"

"Those girls ..." he made a disgruntle noise. "Everywhere I am being so are they." Blaise heard a soft rustle of cloth before anyone spoke again. "But now, they are being not here."

"Yes," Hermione said patiently. "And now that they aren't ..." She clearly wanted him to get on with it.

"The Ball, yes? Are you wanting to go with me?"

"Oh Viktor," Hermione sounded surprised, but pleased. "Of, of course." She took a moment to regain her composure. "That would be lovely, Viktor. Thank you."

Blaise took this as his cue to leave. Receiving all the information he was looking for, he didn't want to stay around the empty library long enough to find out if anything else happened. He'd give them some privacy now that he knew what he needed. "We'll spend the booty on barrels of rum for ye mind's ease - and native wenches to tease," he sang quietly on his exit.

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1 October (present)

Time had a way of soaring when Hermione least wanted it to. Thinking about the last month, it made perfect sense for it to be October already. So much had happened though, and at a speed that felt more like a few days. Alas, here she was at the Italian Embassy's farewell banquet.

Hermione looked forward to the departure of the delegation with one exception and he stood across the room in stunning indigo robes talking with their office intern, Adena. Catching his eyes across the room, she felt her heartstrings break. For once life had given her a second chance and in four days he would be gone. This time, though, it may very well be forever.

"Hermione, dear, everything all right?" Arden broke her out of her reverie as he took a moment from schmoozing with the other political guests. He rubbed her arm. "You look lovely tonight."

"Thank you, Arden." She gestured at the Undersecretary. "As do you. That green really sets off your eyes."

"Why thank you. Caroline picked it out. I don't know how I'd ever be presentable without her." Hermione laughed politely, but her mind was obviously elsewhere. "Here, relax. Our work with the Italians is finished. You've been looking forward to that for some time now. Have a glass, relax." He motioned to a waiter, "Garçon, a glass of red for the lady."

"Thank you," Hermione said as she took the glass. Taking a sip her eyes drifted back to the only Italian that had a place in her heart, silently cursing herself for not doing something sooner.

"I'm going to mingle more," Arden waved his fingers in the air. "Perhaps you should too. No responsibilities tonight. In fact I order you to do something fun tonight."

Hermione looked at him skeptically.

"Fine, if you don't ... you're fired," he laughed. "Now for the sake of your career, have some fun." He twirled her away, causing her to bump into the man she'd been staring at all night.

"Oh, sorry." Her palm rested against his chest and blushed as he looked down at her with smoldering eyes.

Blaise covered her hand with his. "Don't be."

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Hermione and Blaise swept around the floor most of the night. When they weren't dancing they were talking with each other, sipping away at the wine so quickly that Hermione had lost count of the glasses she had, though the fairly dizzy feeling told her more than enough. She was also being more adventurous than usual, she thought, as she let her hand fall on Blaise's thigh under the table where they now sat talking with some co-workers.

She twisted a leg around Blaise's, causing him to look at her pleasantly surprised. No one could see under the table and so Hermione took more freedom than she normally would have allowed. She traced invisible patterns on Blaise's left thigh as she stared into his eyes.

"Stop that," he whispered once the other members of the party left. "If you don't . . ." he never finished the thought, but his voice was a low growl. She saw the wolfish grin on his face and knew he'd rather she didn't stop.

"Mr. Zabini, I would never think that such a well-mannered man as yourself would stoop to threatening a lady like myself," she said innocently as her hand traveled further north.

"A lady you may be," he began taking a quick look around the room before lowering his voice, "But your hands work like they've had more experience than should be proper."

The hand withdrew and went to Hermione's cheek. "Sir," she gasped full of faux indignation. "I do not know what you are insinuating, but ..." she placed her lips close to his ear and whispered, "I like it." Her voice was low and wanting, it was all Blaise could do not to take her then and there.

He took her hand and led her away from the party toward a little used cloak room away from the hall. Once they ducked in Hermione faced him and brought her hand to his face, tracing the same patterns along his neck. Blaise put his hand up to stop the actions, although reluctantly. "You want this?" His voice was strained with the prospect of her saying no. "I need to hear you say it. It's just you are drunk, I want to make sure."

"Of course," she stood on tip toe and kissed his jaw. "For too long," came a barely audible breath before continuing to make her way to his mouth. He waited patiently, letting the anticipation build. Her lips reached the corner of his and he could wait no longer. Pulling her close, he ravished her mouth, trying to convey the years of desire that he'd built up for her.

She responded eagerly, wanting him as close as humanly possible. He blindly reached for the door, shutting it, and pushed her further in the small room and up against a wall. He pushed back her hair, breaking apart for a moment to stare in her dark eyes. The lids were lowered with passion and she reunited their lips quickly, for the time spent apart was too much.

As they kissed Hermione felt a definite bulge against her belly. She smiled as they kissed, "What?" Blaise asked lips still pressed hers.

"You appear happy to see me," she laughed a hand traveling to inspect the situation. "Or perhaps that's only a wand in your pocket."

He groaned and made a trail of kisses across her jaw line to her ear. "Please. That's the best you can come up with, Miss Granger?" His voice was low before he nipped at her ear and pinched her bum eliciting a squeak from Hermione. She grabbed his head, pulling his mouth back to hers, hungrily delving in.

Breaking apart, he went for her neck. He always had a fascination for them, hers in particular. Hermione threw her head back, grateful for the strong arms that encircled her and the solid wall behind her. He sucked at her collarbone, careful to reach that perfect balance of pure pleasure without leaving a mark, though he wouldn't have minded leaving one, claiming Hermione as his. A gasp from Hermione told him he found it.

Blaise's lips moved from her neck and traveled downwards kissing and biting his way to the top of her dress. Wanting to rip the offending fabric away, he instead consoled himself with feather light kisses across her cleavage before being brought back to her wanting mouth. She sucked on his lower lip, bringing forth a moan so low and guttural it made both of them wish they were in a place more private, more available for their exploration to reach its fullest potential.

Her hands found their way under his dress blouse. The cool fingers stretched across his taut stomach. His warm flesh heated her and she moved her fingers further up. "Mio dio," he moaned. "This isn't fair."^§

"Hmm?" was all Hermione could say. "How?"

His eyes were mischievous. "I missed you." He took her earlobe in his mouth, "All of you..." Hermione clutched at him, concurring. She missed him too.

Her hand went to his hips; fingers dipping below the fabric of his pants wanting to pull them away, but having enough control and sense of the situation not to. There's always later, she thought. He lifted her up and into his arms, taking her mouth with his again. She wrapped her legs around his trying to be closer and closer still when the door opened unexpectedly.

They sprung apart, but the most recent occupant of the room, Kieran, already had all the clues one might need to discern what was going on in the situation. The hue on his face equaled theirs. "I, uh, hmm," he tried unsuccessfully to gain control of the English language. "Sorry, I didn't realize..." he waved his arms at the two. "That is, not to say, we all thought it would happen, but maybe here isn't the place."

Blaise and Hermione lowered their heads, feeling like schoolchildren receiving a lecture from McGonagall or Snape. "I, uh, we're, um, yeah." Hermione always had a way with words, Blaise thought shooting her a sexy smile.

"I see." Kieran had regained his composure by now. "I suggest you, uh, clean up and then come say your 'goodbyes'." He smiled. "Then you can get back to the agenda of this very important meeting at a more proper venue?" Ducking out he left them alone.

Still blushing madly Hermione ventured a look at her snogging partner. "I'm sorry."

"Why?" Blaise asked defensively. "Please don't be," he rushed to say, worried that she'd reconsider everything.

Looking off to the side, Hermione smiled. "Good, I don't want to be." She laughed. "I've wanted this for too long."

Blaise pulled her back to him, and pushing a strand of hair from her forehead, he kissed her there. "Me too." He loved the way she felt in his arms. Nothing had changed since their school days. They stood there, smiling goofily at each other for another moment. "I was trying to be careful. I didn't want to scare you off."

She kissed him softly. "You didn't. And this time I'm not letting you go."

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25 December 1994

Hermione sat alone at a table in the back of the Great Hall. Her legs were crossed and she bounced her left one mindlessly as she watched the other couples dance. Here she was, the date of one of the champions, but she was once again on the sidelines since Harry and Ron ran off outside and Viktor was away with Karkaroff. And then there was Hermione, alone, again.

"Anyone sitting here?" Blaise's voice was tentative and not at all the tone that Hermione was familiar with, catching her off guard when she turned to find the dashing Slytherin behind her.

"No," she gestured to a free seat next to her. "Go right ahead."

"Thanks." Blaise settled into the chair. The tall boy looked uncomfortable in his tall frame for the first time since he'd become friends with Hermione. He fidgeted a little with his robes, before concentrating on sitting still. "How are you?" he asked after a few moments of quiet.

"I'm good. Yourself?"

Blaise nodded, looking straight ahead instead of at Hermione. "Yeah, this is nice."

They continued staring ahead. Occasionally one of them would glance quickly at the other. The fourth time this happened they both caught the other's eye. Hermione laughed, "This is ridiculous. Want to dance?"

Blaise laughed nervously as well. "Yeah, that'd be great."

As they walked to the floor both wiped their palms on their robes to dry their nervous sweat. Neither had noticed when their attraction for the other had become so apparent, but neither wanted anything more than to dance with the other right then.

Facing each other, Blaise took Hermione in his arms and they swayed back and forth fairly gracelessly. Hermione looked over his shoulder at first, glancing at the other couples, and suddenly realized that anyone could see them dancing together, Slytherin and Gryffindor alike.

Blaise rocked Hermione back and forth, also hoping no one would notice. He liked her, but didn't want to hear Draco's annoying drawl criticizing him for the rest of his life. Luckily the low lighting avoided this as a viable possibility. He looked down at Hermione who tilted her head towards him. For a moment the electricity between them was tangible. As he leaned towards her, they were interrupted.

"Oh, Herminnny. There you are. I was looking every place for you." Viktor walked towards the couple as they sprung apart. "I've been wanting to show something to you..." he was saying as he directed Hermione away. She looked back and caught Blaise staring at her as she left. He shook his head and turned around as Viktor rambled about fairies.

^§ 'Mio dio': 'my god,' Italian