Masquerade

Chapter 1: The Situation

The warmth of spring welcomed the students out onto the lawns of Hogwarts. One such group was studying for their N.E.W.T.s in the shade by the lake. It was expected that seventh years would be more frantic about the horrible exams that would take place in a bare two weeks, but the group in question appeared ready to take it in stride.

They studied harder than ever, this was to be sure. Yet in comparison to other students who were also studying, this group seemed practically sedate. Perhaps facing the most evil wizard in a hundred years and defeating him put things in perspective. Harry Potter and his companions were at ease with the upcoming threat posed by the Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests.

"What are the four properties of gardenias that ward off Doxies?" Dean Thomas asked.

Hermione Granger went off on a long explanation as the others continued their work. When she finished she looked around at the group pleased that during her time at Hogwarts she had managed to make so many good friends and that they weren't all Gryffindors. To her, it was a bigger accomplishment for her to be surrounded by these people than the part she played in the defeat of Voldemort.

There were a good number of Gryffindors in the group, no doubt, but Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs, and even a Slytherin was now apart of her close group of friends. Her eyes fell on the lone Slytherin with them this afternoon. Blaise Zabini had gone unnoticed in their first years at Hogwarts. It was during sixth year that they had become friends. He ended up being a very useful contact in a house with many sons and daughters of Death Eaters.

But, Blaise was important for other reasons, too. At many points during the last stressful year, Hermione found herself confiding in Blaise when she felt Harry or Ron couldn't handle what she needed to say. He laid over the grass across from her now, his shirt coming up a bit over his pants, revealing his naturally tanned skin. Hermione blushed when she realized where she was looking and the thoughts that came with her gaze. She had had feelings for Blaise for some time now, unsure of when they had first appeared. He moved his arm to scratch his head mindlessly, bringing the shirt further up his stomach. His eyes looked up finding Hermione watching him and smiled. They kept eye contact for another second before another question broke their moment.

"Hermione, how do you recognize a wolf from a werewolf?" She started off naming the key features of the werewolf in contrast to the wolf for Justin Finch-Fletchley after prying her eyes away from Blaise's.

"I'm sick of this!" Ron jumped up from where he was sitting and did a kind of antsy dance to the amusement of the whole group. "How many times do we need to go over the principles theories behind casting a levitation charm? Didn't we learn that in first year?" Ron collapsed back onto the grass after his outburst.

"All right, mate?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, just needed to move around a bit I suppose."

"This is frustrating though." Hannah Abbott said from where she sat next to her boyfriend, Head Boy Ernie MacMillian.

"As if the Ministry didn't know we were all qualified," Ron looked like he'd just run a marathon. He never did well with tests. Even the thought of them wound him up so tight that he appeared a complete mess.

"To be fair they are exempting us from Defense Against Dark Arts," Hermione said.

"One test."

"Oh, shove it, Ron. You'll be fine." His little sister came up to join the group then, sitting next to Neville.

"You don't have to take them, Ginny. You don't understand how horrible they are."

"Neither do you. Take them first and then tell me about it."

"It's in the name! They have to be horrible." He paused a moment. "That's it. I give up," he said so abruptly no one quite comprehended him right away. "I give up! They can't make me take them. Fred and George didn't"

"Mum would kill you," his sister said simply.

"I don't care." Ron started laughing. "I quit." With that Ron got up and walked to the castle. None of them were sure where he was going, but knowing Ron, he'd change his mind in a few hours and be running back to study.

"Don't worry about it," Harry said. "He just needs a break. And looking at the time, I'd say we all do." Harry got his and Ron's stuff together and went after the redhead into the castle as the rest of the group either followed or stayed outside to enjoy the weather.

Blaise sat up looking at the lake. "He's mad, you know."

"Surely not. No friend of mine could be mad," Hermione joked with him. "Except, of course, yourself, but you're the exception that makes the rule."

"Gee, thanks. You really know how to flatter a guy." Blaise continued looking at the lake and caught Hermione looking at him from the corner of his eye. He smiled wondering if she felt for him what he did for her. Of course outright asking was not the way to find out this information. They sat next to each other for a few more minutes enjoying nature, the fortunate weather, and the good company before the clock struck six, bringing the students in for dinner.

----------------------------------

As Blaise left the warmth and sunshine of the lawns he thought of his friendship with the Gryffindors. In many ways they were naïve, but he knew better than that. In the time since Voldemort's demise, much of what Harry had done over the years came out. It was apparent that without his best friends it would have been impossible. So Blaise reviewed his thoughts on their innocence as they had seen their share of excitement.

He honestly didn't know the lot of them very well, with the exception of Hermione as they became friends over the last year. Harry was the staunch hero of the group and would always be regardless who else was in the group. The rest of them were loyal to him. Luna, his girlfriend, came off a bit absurd to Blaise at times, but they seemed good together. They were in all a band of heroes each in their own way and each only adding to the whole. Without one the whole of what they've done over the last years would not have happened. Each was important for their specialties. Of course the wizarding world would highlight Harry as it always had and always would. To Blaise, it was Hermione that stood out from the rest.

Hermione was one of those girls that everyone noticed at some point. Not because she was stunningly beautiful as the Patil twins or as much a gossip as Lavender. She wasn't wholesome beyond belief like Hannah and she didn't have the blood line or money that Pansy did. She would never believe such offbeat conspiracy theories as Luna and to catch her chasing a Quaffle like Ginny would be impossible.

If only for the destroyed possibilities of a curve by her scores of 114% and was Head Girl, the members of her class would not ignore her so much as hate her enviously.

Her friendship with Harry along with the wicked articles about her 'relationships' with him and another famous Quidditch player in fourth year was another reason to note her. There would always be rumors of Hermione's exploits with Harry and Ron. All that could be known for certain from these mysterious adventures was the depth of her loyalty.

Malfoy brought attention to her through name calling and overall distasteful behavior concerning her heritage. She created a stir herself by taking a rather violent stand against such behavior in third year. By organizing an action group on the behalf of House Elves she showed her compassion for humanity while pestering her fellow students. She knew how to cast a protean charm in fifth year when she helped form Dumbledore's Army, the same group that ultimately brought about the fall of Voldemort. Who, without Hermione, the world would still be in denial of his return to power.

But Hermione was not perfect. She had a tendency for bossiness even now, though it had mostly died down in her 'old' age. Willowy would not describe such a short witch, but neither would stout. Her figure was that of a goddess of the Italian Renaissance. She carried herself with grace, even under the weight of twenty books. Blaise thought of Hermione as the perfect woman because she was imperfect by modern beauty standards. Too many British women were all skin and bones, but Hermione was a woman a man could hold comfortably. Her hair had always been and would be unmanageable. Though to every rule, there are exceptions, as Hermione herself pointed out, and Blaise thought of one night in particular.

Blaise remembered that night clearly as it was when he first really took note of Hermione. Somewhere in his heart he felt bad that it took Hermione dressing up in order for her to be brought to his attention, but what does anyone really expect from a fourteen year old boy.

The night was cold. Snow could be seen falling through windows near the ceiling of the Slytherin Common Room as everyone prepared for the Ball, stopping moments before they left. Everyone had dressed in their finest robes. Blaise remembered Pansy making fun of Crabbe and Goyle for wearing the same design of green robes, though neither boy seemed much bothered.

The Durmstrang students arrived after Blaise came up from the dungeons. Their champion Viktor Krum led the pack. He looked rather awkward and Blaise felt that even if he was a talented Quidditch star it was painful to see him try and live up the luxuries his life provided. Anytime he'd seen a picture of Krum since then, he couldn't help but notice a grimace on the man's face as if he was suffering through the photo shoot.

It seemed to take most of the Hogwarts students some time to recognize one of their own on Krum's arm, but when they did the shock seemed to paralyze most of them. Blaise remembered the graceful movements of Krum's date, before she ever turned to face him. Her nervous smile was genuine, which was what first drew Blaise to her. She didn't hide that she didn't know what she was doing. Harry's partner, Parvati seemed the complete opposite of Hermione. As Hermione shied away from the attention, Parvati soaked it up and asked for more.

Hermione had spent an hour getting ready, more time than she ever had in her life. Her insufferable hair was tamed into a sleek knot and her dress fit her in all the right places. It was not skin tight, but flowed around her in periwinkle perfection. A group of girls passed Hermione and her date shooting death stares as most others openly gaped at her.

While she idly chatted with Harry, her other best friend passed by in ignorance. Ron seemed like a nice bloke as far as he could tell, but he never seemed to really appreciate what he had and instead glared angrily at her all night, before starting a row right in the middle of the Ball.

Blaise had gone to the Yule Ball with Millicent Bullstrode, a long time friend of his. Neither enjoyed dancing and so they simple sat around commenting on the events of the night. They called it sociology, because they saw it more as studying their fellow students and their interactions than gossip. The two of them ended up leaving the Ball early that night not much longer after being fed.

"What are you daydreaming about now?" Millicent asked him knowing the look on his face. "Her again?" she smirked. Millicent was a good friend that Blaise always felt he could talk to, but she didn't completely understand his feelings for Hermione, though she was the only person he actually said anything to about the subject. "You should fix that," she said as she took a seat next to him.

"You make it sound easy."

"It could be." Millicent looked at him and realized what everyone else knew. Blaise would never say anything. He'd rather be aloof and alone than shot down.