Consequences

Chapter 9

Hermione walked down the third floor corridor. She had received an owl during dinner from Blaise asking her to meet him in the Room of Requirement. She wondered why he wanted to meet her. Perhaps to talk about Malfoy; he seemed to have been lying low for a while, but Hermione didn't trust him.

She approached the stretch of wall and walked past it three times, hoping for a room, not really sure what she needed to think for. After a couple of minutes a door appeared and Hermione walked in to find a room with a sofa, a small table with a coffee pt on it and a roaring fire. She walked over to the sofa and sat down; no sooner had Hermione done this, than Blaise walked through the door.

"Hi." He took off his cloak and laid it on the side of the sofa, before sitting down next to Hermione.

"So you got my owl?" he asked, face half in shadow from the fire.

"No, I just got a bit bored and fancied sitting in here for no particular reason." Hermione replied sarcastically, tucking her legs under herself.

"Stop being so damn Slytherin," Blaise said affectionately, taking her hand.

Hermione smiled as he brought it to his mouth and brushed his lips over it. "I learned from the best. Anyway, why did you bring me here; what's wrong?"

Blaise frowned ever so slightly. "Why should anything be wrong?"

Hermione shrugged, slightly relieved. "Well the note was sudden and everything seems a bit too happy-clappy at the moment."

Blaise chuckled. "Nothing wrong with happy-clappy. I just wanted to see you."

"You saw me at dinner."

"Not close up," Blaise contradicted.

Hermione furrowed her brow. "So you wanted to see me close up?"

Blaise shifted closer to her. "And talk to you close up and be with you close up, and," he leaned forward to whisper in her ear, "kiss you close up."

Hermione shivered as she felt Blaise's breath on her ear, sensing his close proximity, making her every sense tingle.

"I think we get distracted too often," Hermione said abruptly, snapping out of her daze. She pulled away from Blaise slightly; gauging his reaction.

"You mean we snog too often?" his reply was blunt and amused. Hermione blushed.

"No- I mean the snogging is," she faltered, "brilliant, but we need to talk more."

"We talk plenty, and if the snogging's good-"

"Malfoy, we need to talk about him. He hasn't been doing anything for a while and I think-" Hermione began.

"I think we can't do anything about it until he does make a move. Besides," Blaise reasoned, rubbing Hermione's hands. "He wouldn't dare anything that bad with Dumbledore here."

Blaise was going about persuading Hermione the right way; logically. She smiled slightly, he had put her mind at rest, but she was determined to keep conversation up. "So, how was your day?"

"Moderately bearable, laughed at a few Gryffindors, pushed over a Hufflepuff and made a death potion- you?"

Hermione laughed and pushed him. "You fancy yourself all evil when in fact you're just-"

"Irresistible?" Blaise asked, pouting. "Devilishly handsome, brilliantly smart?"

Hermione smirked. "Big headed? Calm down Mr Zabini, we wouldn't to stroke your ego too much would we?"

"I'd rather it was another part of my anatomy which you stroked." Blaise smirked widely at the look on Hermione's face.

"Blaise!" she cried outraged, blushing no end. "You haven't got a hope."

He shrugged, red himself. "It was worth a go."

Hermione huffed and crossed her arms. "I was only joking," Blaise said gently, linking his fingers through hers. "You know I'm not like that, and I wouldn't want you to be like that." He sensed Hermione smiling and gently kissed her cheek. "You're perfect."

"I know," Hermione replied primly, turning towards him. "Now kiss me- conversation is overrated."

Blaise grinned and kissed her lips very gently, tantalisingly slowly. She whimpered and pressed harder, until their kisses became more definite. Hermione crawled on top of Blaise and straddled him, kissing him even more deeply. His hand gently crawled to her leg, where it lay, gently tracing circles on her thigh.

They parted for breath a few minutes later. "You're right," Blaise gasped, "conversation is overrated."

Hermione gently climbed to the side and smoothed out her skirt. "Conversation is perfectly acceptable in the right circumstance."

Blaise straightened his tie and threw Hermione an amused look. "To be all prim and proper doesn't take away the fact you were just a thoroughly naughty girl."

"No," Hermione agreed, standing up. "But it makes me feel better." Blaise chuckled and took her hand, leading her out of the door, after picking up his cloak.

They walked down the corridor slowly, smiling and occasionally talking, still hand in hand.

"Do you really want to be spending your time with that, Zabini?" The voice of one Draco Malfoy came from ahead of Blaise and Hermione, who seemed to have been too wrapped up in themselves to have noticed him.

They stopped short of Malfoy and Blaise addressed him. "Define that, Malfoy."

Malfoy smiled evilly, eyeing Hermione. "Your mudblood girlfriend."

Blaise's grip on Hermione's hand increased. "Don't go there," he warned, through gritted teeth.

"Where?" Malfoy asked innocently. "Nothing to do with me that your mudblood's about ready to jump into bed with you, how much did you pay her Zab-"

Draco Malfoy was effectively silenced when one Blaise Zabini punched him.

Hard.

"Don't you ever insult Hermione again," said Blaise dangerously, watching the blood pour from Malfoy's nose. Hermione gasped, watching the boys' fight. She tugged on Blaise's hand and dragged him swiftly past Malfoy.

"Jesus, Blaise!" she whispered angrily further down the corridor.

"He deserved it," Blaise spat bitterly, massaging his knuckle.

Hermione thought. "Yeah, well..." She couldn't argue with that and wasn't about to start on him when she herself had broken Malfoy's nose. "Just don't do it again," she cautioned, smiling.

"Yes ma'am."

"Now," Hermione said innocently, "want me to kiss it better?"