Somebody Had to Be Blaise

Blaise felt sick.

It had only been a few moments before when his stepfather, Alecto, had asked him if he was ready, before he felt his insides collapse against themselves and his whole body 'pop'. Blaise was not a fan of apparition.

He landed on the ground inside of the train station with a loud crack, with his stepfather and sister. Getting his land legs while stumbling a bit, he looked around. There were people everywhere. Most of the witches and wizards. And for those who were not a witch or wizard, there were those who spawned wizards. At times like this Blaise longed to feel a close connection to these people. for someone who was used to spending most of his time alone he still yearned to have some sort of belonging. It was one of the reasons he laughed in the face of bigotry and separation, he just didn't belong. Blaise looked over at his sister, Serenity. She was the product of his Mother's sixth and current marriage to Alecto Fawcett, and she looked nothing like him.

Whereas he was a brunette with vivid green eyes and eggnog yellow skin, she was the opposite. A short, blonde girl with charming blue eyes and a pink rose complexion, she was also on the baby fat side slightly. He smiled. Part of him loved her, and the other part hated her. It was unfair if one looked at it, she was the sixth marriage, he was from the first. His family was already ruined before she was even born.

In addition to his mother, he had a father as most children do. Armando Zabini was an Italian Wizard who was out of Blaise's life and trying to work on starting a new. It was applaudable that he had escaped with his life, as the other husbands of his mother all had some sort of tragic ending to theirs.

"Are you ready?" Mr. Fawcett asked Blaise.

"Yes, thank you," Blaise said. "I believe I have everything that I need. Thank you for the er... ride over here. It was much appreciated." Blaise had always called him by his formal name since the day they had met, and what a meeting it was.

It was the day after the funeral of husband number five, when his mother had marched in to the house and introduced them. She said he was Alecto Fawcett and they were now married, and they marched upstairs. Blaise had turned his head and continued on with his book.

Books had always been there for Blaise from an early age, he had only been eleven months old when he had learned to read by himself. Of course as the years went by, his love of books found a partner to be coupled with: magic.

He usually got what he wanted, which was not much, so it was no surprise when he turned nine that he got the demanded magical wand for his birthday. And here he was not even eleven yet and attending Hogwarts. His letter to the school had been very appealing.

Turning around and kissing his little sister on the cheek, Blaise picked up his bags and hopped on to the train. It was in his mind to try and find the nearest empty compartment and spend the time to himself. But, things were not in the plans for that on this day.

There was a slight commotion down towards the back of the train and Blaise had to stop, while a witch with brilliant orange hair turned to him and the other students- first years as well it seemed- to explain.

"Sorry dears," she said in a cockney accent. "It appears poor Bowle has been sick all over this one, and a magical flu too. Well, let me just magick this last compartment bigger, I hope you all don't mind sharing but it is the only one left, and there isn't that much time before you get to Hogwarts. There."She took out her wand from her blue and white stained uniform with customary apron, and swirled it around in the direction of the last compartment. A shot of gold flew from it and struck the door, and she looked satisfied with her work before taking her trolley and walking away towards the front end of the train, patting Blaise on the head as she went by.

He hated that and tried immediately to put his hair back in to the perfect shape he had gotten it. Being that his parentage was of mixed heritage he had always struggled to find a way to do his hair, should it be curly or straight? He had settled on a long look of waves and been done with it.*

Waiting for the other children to enter the compartment so he wasn't stuck with the middle(he was claustrophobic), Blaise entered last. He sat down on the end of the seat on the right from the door. Next time him was a girl with bushy brown hair, and an air of something foreign to her, a boy with a toad, and a boy with flaming red hair on the end. There was a small, one-person seat attached underneath the window, and a girl with short, chin-length black hair sat there. She was a little on the heavy side, and was sitting there looking nervous. On the other seat, there was Draco across from him (whom he had known for a long while from parental get-togethers), and a boy with black hair and green eyes with a small lighting shaped star on his forehead.

Seeing that this was an unfair match of seats, Blaise gave Draco a look and he scooted over, while Blaise took the seat next to him. He smiled over at the girl with the bushy hair so as not to appear rude.

The children sat in silence for a while as the hum of the train and the scenery of mountains and greens went by. This was almost too much for Blaise. he liked quiet sometimes, but not when there was a room full of people like this. He coughed, and everyone looked at him.

"So," he said trying to break the ice. "I see we are all first years. First years who I hope can... talk. Well, my name is Blaise Zabini, and I know you Draco, who are the rest of you guys... and girls?"

"Hermione Granger," the girl with the bushy hair said extending her hand and shaking Blaise's with it.

"Granger... Granger," Draco said to himself, "you wouldn't be related to the Grangers of Granger and Son's Apothecary would you?"

"No, I am the first one in my family to have magic, so I don't believe so, sorry."

"Mud---"

"Draco!" Blaise said, warningly. "Be nice, there is nothing wrong with being a muggleborn, without them we would have all died off by now anyways."

"Yeah, Malfoy," the boy with red hair said. "We can't all be marrying each other's dogs, like your family does!"

"Oh, Weasley, that one is rich," Draco said. "This from the boy whose family has a billion children, I swear your mum has more babies than the population of China. And, that oaf of a father of yours, can't even take care of all of them!"

"Honestly!" Blaise said, taking out his wand. "If you don't settle down, I will hex you all. Draco, you know I never kid about magic, do you want to take the chance?"*

"Fine," Draco said sitting back in his seat.

"Now, where were we?" Blaise said. "Oh that's right, introductions, who is left now?"

"I suppose me," the toad boy said in a quiet voice, "I'm Neville. Neville Longbottom."

"Nice to meet you Neville," Blaise said, "Your last name sounds familiar. I think my mum knew your parents, were they the..."

"Yeah," Neville said with a meaningful look in his eyes. Blaise nodded.

"And, you, it's your turn Millie!" Blaise said to the girl sitting on the seat by herself.

"Yes," the girl said, playing with her long hair, "I'm Millicent Bullstrode, nice to meet you all I'm sure."

"And, that boy who likes to argue," Blaise said, "with the charming red hair, is Ron Weasley."

Ron grinned sarcastically as he took out a wonky looking corned beef sandwich from a brown paper bag.

"So," Blaise said to the quiet boy with the scar, "who are you?"

"Harry Potter," the boy said. Most of the people in the compartment gasped, except for Blaise and Draco.

"Figures," Blaise said, "and I saw the scar too. So, now that everyone is introduced, what do we do now?"

"I don't know, what the hell do you think? We talk and stuff," Draco said throwing his hands up in the air. "I'll start. What do you think about pureblood versus non?"

"I think that," Blaise said, "most people who even care about it, are very very little people who need a boost of self esteem."

"Oh thanks, Blaise, I was just asking!" Draco said.

"How about toads?" Neville said.

"Toads?" Ron questioned.

"Yeah, don't you hate how they're always running off somewhere? Bloody annoying that is..."

"Well," Millicent said, "seeing as you are the only person in this compartment with a toad, Neville, we will all have to take your word on that."

"You know what I hate?" Blaise said. "When adults tell you one thing, and do the other. Well, not just adults, people in general."

"Oh yeah," Hermione said, "I hate that as well. Especially if it's something you are really looking forward too, and then they renege at the last second. Happens all the time, and usually for a very poor reason. Like, it's too hot outside for them. Or, they smell rain, or are too tired."

"Yeah," Draco said, "or they just got arrested. Bastards. What?" Everyone had turned to stare at Draco with mixed looks of disbelief.

"What about families?" Blaise said. "They're not all they are made out to be, are they?"

"You can say that again," Harry said. "I could tell you things that would make your skin crawl, about my uncle and aunt, and Little Dudders."

"Dudders?" Ron said.

"My jolly cousin, he is a great brute."

"Hey!" Millicent said. "Don't go blaming the people who like to eat. We can't help it, you guys are skinny wankers."

"What about sex?" Neville said.

"What about it?" Hermione said.

"Are you just horny, Neville," Draco said, "trying to get your kinks out tonight?"

"My what!"

"Oh you know," Millicent said, "your kinks. Sex, wanking, scary hippogriff, electric kneazle, erotic squib, come on, Neville, you know!"

"What is an electric kneazle?" asked Hermione.

"Trust me, Hermione," Ron said, "you don't want to know!"

"Oh honestly," Millicent said, "it's when you take two--"

"Millicent," Ron said, "now I don't want to know!"

"Well, sorry, Ron, I did not know you were going to be such a pansy about it. I mean, I always thought you guys liked talking about things like that. MEN!"

"Oh, bloody hell, woman! I am not a pansy, I just mean it is not proper to talk about such things in front of lady folk!"

"Why, are you scared, Ronald? Is this too much woman for you?"

"We are eleven! I don't think Hermione wants to know something I don't even know, and at home they called me the dirty one!"

"I know! But, if you cannot handle an eleven-year-old girl, I cannot wait to see your wedding night. A visit to the apothecary might be in order to make it even happen."

"Hey!" Harry said. "I actually got that joke..."

"Watch out," Draco said, "for boy genius here."

"Hey!" Ron said. "You cannot talk to him like that, Malfoy, especially when you have a family like yours!"

"That's it Weasley, I curse your whole family!"

"Wait! What? How can you... Take that back... Malfoy!"

"Nope, sorry, it's too late now. You all will just have to sit around and be cursed for the rest of your lives. Not my fault."

"What the hell do you mean, it's not your fault? You just cursed my family!"

"Okay, well, I cursed them but I didn't curse them. You see what I am saying?"

"No."

"Merlin! Weasley, you are so daft. It's sort of like, I am in love with you but, I am not in love with you, you know?"

"You're in love with me? Malfoy, we just met!"

"Ron," Harry said.

"Yes," Ron answered.

"You were not in the accelerated class at school, were you?"

"Obviously," Hermione said.

"Wait, and what is that supposed to mean, Hermione," Ron said.

"So, Harry," Draco said, "what is it like you know, being the Boy-Who-Lived and all?"

"I am not sure, yet. Hagrid, he happens to be the groundskeeper at the school who came and got me, says that people might not be so kind always..."

"Wait. What do you mean, came and got you? Why didn't your caretakers bring you to the station?"

"Caretakers? I live with my aunt, uncle, and cousin, they are muggles and not the best ones at that and, they did bring me to the station, they had to get my cousin's tail removed."

"Muggles! Harry, that is disgusting! And here I was, thinking of getting a bit to eat, and he goes and mentions something dirty like muggles."

"Draco," Hermione said, "you know, my parents are muggles."

"Details, why must you bother me with your details,"Draco said waving his hand about.

"Why, Draco," Millicent said, "I do believe this is the first time you have even been in the presence of a muggleborn and liked it."

"Well, they can't all be bad. Most, but not all."

"Thanks, I'm sure you meant that nicely," Hermione said.

"My parents did not bring me to the station," Blaise said distantly. "It's sort of funny really, when you think about it."

"Oh, Blaise," Draco said, "how many times have I told you? Don't worry about it, it's not your fault, it's the temptation of freedom."

"What is not your fault?" Hermione asked with a serious look on her face.

"Nothing," Millicent said defensively.

"That my parents are assholes," Blaise said simply.

"Blaise!" Millicent said.

"It's true," Blaise said and he began to laugh.

The scenes outside the train had begun to change, and the simple comforts had begun to get foreign. Gone were the subtle glimpses of villages and now they were replaced with calm and secluded mountains, capped with glistening snow. The sky overhead had turned a calm, mauve color and was dotted with clouds that seemed to be made of magic. The sounds of students on the trains seemed to get even louder, restless, as they proceeded to get closer and closer to their final destination. The compartment seemed to get colder as they went on, and they all decided to change in to their robes. This caused a little hint of embarrassment at first, among the group.

"Don't you peek," Millicent said holding up her fist to the boys.

In the midst of changing clothing, the letter he had received earlier fell from Blaise's pocket and he picked it up once he had gotten in to his silk robes. He opened it with an air of apprehension, and the rest of the children looked at him sympathetically.

He skimmed the neatly written note in a fraction of the time it took to open it, and passed it over to Draco with a wry look on his face.

Draco read aloud, getting a nod from Blaise beforehand.

"Dear Sire,

It is with disdain that I could not have you over the summer. I know it is an important time for you, starting finishing school and such. I also regret you were not at my wedding ceremony this summer, but you would have been... An awkward reminder during the situation, and Melina, that is my new wife, did not need to cope with that sort of hassle on her happiest day. I do hope you understand. I am apologetic that I did not venture to get you a birthday present either, but in the business of the time I only had one person on my mind, and I had to get her presents, again you understand. I shall think over your proposal in a future letter.

Regards,

Armando Zabini"

"Wow," Hermione said.

"Wow, is that all you can say?" Millicent asked.

"It's nothing," Blaise said, "I mean... Some people don't even have parents, like Harry or Neville so I am still lucky. But, I just mean, he could have sent a present. I think it's a little strange when, Lucius Malfoy, a man whom I have spent a total of ten minutes in a room with, can send me a present, and my own father can't. It's not like he doesn't have the money, even- he's one of the richest wizards in Europe. Well, at least, he had a nice wedding, and I had a nice party."

"Blaise," Draco said, "we spent the day in your room."

"Still," Millicent chimed in. "I mean it was a nice day. We talked, and played games, we had fun. What more can you need, you had friends, right?"

"Right," Blaise said smiling as his face reddened.

"I know how you feel," Neville and Harry said at the same time.

"It's okay," Blaise said, "really. Let's just, talk about something else."

Neville leaned over and gave Blaise a hug, before Hermione gave him a pat on the back.

"It's okay mate," Ron said happily. "How about those Chudley Canons? I think they are seriously in there this Quidditch season."

"Once again, Weasley," Draco said, "you are showing your class. Those dreadful Canons, honestly! I'm really thinking the Shooting Comets will take it this year, they just got a shipload of new brooms as well, no way they can be stopped."

"What is it with boys, and sports?" Hermione asked.

"Get used to it, Hermione," Millicent said giving her a look. "They are about to go through puberty, this is what most of our conversations will be like for a while. Sad really."

"Well," Ron said, "what do you expect us to talk about? Cosmetic charms, and the newest boy band on the Wizarding Network?"

"Nothing wrong with cosmetic charms," Draco said blushing.

"I'm working on my figure," Neville said and everyone erupted in to laughter. "I'm serious."

"Well," Draco said wiping his eyes. "Good luck with that then, Neville."

The group all stood up as the sky had darkened. Looking out the window, they got excited as the train pulled in to the station. From their compartment, they could see outside, the place of their destinies was looming overhead Hogwarts was outside.