Collide

I opened up my eyes
And found myself alone alone
Alone above a raging sea
That stole the only girl I loved

--The Cure

Blaise sat scowling at his coffee a few mornings later. It was Dobby's special blend ('Especially for Mr. Zazini,' he'd said excitedly, hopping up and down) and it was doing absolutely nothing to improve his mood. Hermione had been released from St. Mungo's two days ago and he had yet to see her. Harry and Ginny assured him that she was doing well physically, but he needed to see it, hear it for himself. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her, broken, on the cold stone floor with her blouse torn open. He could only imagine what they'd done to her and he cursed himself for not ripping Malfoy to pieces earlier to find out where she was. The only good thing to come out of this whole mess was that Draco Malfoy had disappeared from Hogwarts four days ago.

"Knut for your thoughts?" Millicent said, sitting down next to him. The Great Hall was mostly deserted at this hour and, frankly, Blaise was surprised to see his friend up so early on a Saturday.

He shook his head and attempted to smile. It came out more as a pained grimace. "Coffee's good this morning," he said to deflect her question.

Millicent stared into his cup. "You've hardly drunk any," she commented.

"How do you know it's not my tenth cup already?" he snapped. Sighing, he immediately apologized. "I'm sorry, Millie. It's just..." 'I don't know how I'm supposed to act,' he finished in his mind. 'When I saw Hermione laying there, I was so scared that she was gone.' He decided he couldn't tell Millicent any of that; he sounded so weak.

"You can talk to me, you know," Millicent said quietly. "Merlin knows, you've listened to me enough."

"That was...different," he replied. He wanted to tell her that all her complaining about her height and boys was child's play compared to the emotions he was feeling, but knew he couldn't hurt her like that.

"Try me," she urged. He shook his head. "Blaise, we've been friends for a long time. Please let me help."

Blaise took a deep breath. "It's just...when I saw her, I was so...I thought she was..." For one of the top students in the class ('behind Hermione,' his brain added helpfully), he was being awfully inarticulate.

Millicent reached over and patted his hand. "Do you love her?" she asked gently.

His head snapped up and he looked eyes with his oldest friend. "Do I what?" he laughed nervously. "No, of course not. That would be..."

"Have you spoken to her?"

He shook his head. "I haven't even seen her since she's been back."

"Well, here's your chance," Millicent said, tilting her head toward the entrance. Hermione was coming in, alone, and taking a seat at the Gryffindor table. She didn't look around, but sat and immediately pulled out a book. "Go on then," Millicent urged.

Blaise swallowed a large gulp of coffee and stood up. He hurried over to the Gryffindor table before he lost his nerve. "Hello, Hermione," he said softly.

She looked up quickly. "Get away from me."

"Hermione, I just want to see if..."

"Get. Away. From. Me." She gathered up her things and ran out of the Great Hall. Blaise stood there, heartbroken, not because of what she'd said, but because of what he saw in her eyes. It was fear.

*****************************************

"He's staring at you," Ginny pointed out at dinner Sunday night.

Hermione ignored her, conscientiously cutting up her chicken.

"Hermione, I don't understand. He was the one who found you," Ginny said, bringing up the subject for the hundredth time.

"He was the one who put me there," Hermione said, finally responding to Ginny's statement. The ninety-nine times before, she'd ignored the younger girl.

"What are you on about?" Ginny demanded.

"Malfoy told me that..."

"Stop right there. You're going to believe Lucius Malfoy over your friends."

Hermione shrugged. "Why would he lie?"

"But you weren't there. You didn't see how upset he was."

"Ginny's got a point," Harry said as he sat down next to Hermione. "He seemed right angry about the whole thing. He threatened Malfoy something fierce."

"In a foreign language," Ron interjected. "The two of them could have been discussing where Hermione was for all we know."

Ginny shook her head emphatically. "It was Italian. And he told Malfoy that if anything happened to Hermione, he'd cut him like a pig." Harry, Ron, and Hermione gaped at Ginny. "Hermione's not the only one who knows how to use the library," she said defensively.

"And he and Millicent didn't have to go with us," Harry said, casting a glance at the Slytherin table.

"So it's Millicent now?" Ginny teased Harry who blushed slightly.

"I still don't trust him," Ron grumbled.

"Ron," Ginny said exasperated, "he told us that Hermione was important to him."

"Because they're partners in Arithmancy," Ron countered.

"Even you cannot be that thick," Ginny retorted.

"I think what Ginny's trying to say is that he was embarrassed at blurting out his feelings and so he tried to cover it up," Harry said helpfully.

"Harry, when did you become so enlightened?" Ginny said. "Hermione, don't you think..." Her voice trailed off as she realized the Head Girl was leaving the Great Hall.

******************************************

Hermione managed to successfully avoid Blaise--'his name is Zabini,' she thought coldly--all morning on Monday. It had helped that he was already seated at a full table in Potions, Runes, and Arithmancy. While Professor Vector lectured during Arithmancy, Hermione's mind wandered. Ginny and Harry seemed convinced that Blaise--'Zabini,' she corrected herself--had nothing to do with her capture. In fact, they viewed him as some sort of hero for rescuing her. But Malfoy had sounded so convincing. She really needed to know if Blaise's sister was married to this Frank person. She desperately wanted it to be true--wanted him to have a muggle brother-in-law, wanted him to be attracted to her, wanted him to have wanted to kiss her and hold her hand.

"Mr. Zabini, Miss Granger, a moment please," Professor Vector said as she dismissed the class. Hermione glanced at Blaise who was pointedly avoiding her gaze and shifting his weight from one foot to another. He looked like he hadn't slept in days and there was a tiny cut on his chin, she noticed.

"Miss Granger, Mr. Zabini informs me that you'll be unable to continue working together," Professor Vector said bluntly.

"What?" Hermione said, surprised.

"It's a shame that such a productive partnership has to come to an end," Vector replied.

"Well, I think it's for the best," Blaise said, staring at his feet. "I think Hermione would be more comfortable working with another partner."

"I don't believe that will be necessary, Professor," Hermione said, comprehension suddenly dawning on her. "Blaise and I can work together for the remainder of the term."

"Are you sure?" Blaise and Professor Vector said simultaneously.

Hermione nodded. "I am," she said, looking at Blaise rather than Vector.

"I am so glad to hear that," Professor Vector said, clapping her hands together. Without another word, she gathered up her things and left the two of them alone in the classroom.

"Why did you do that?" Blaise asked, voice aching.

"You mean refuse to let you play the martyr?" Hermione barked.

"Martyr? Is that what you think I'm doing?" He didn't give her a chance to answer, but sped ahead. "I know you're frightened of me, Hermione. I wish you weren't, but I suppose there's nothing I can do about that. I want you to feel safe, that's all."

"Malfoy told me you helped plan my capture," she said quietly, the fight gone from her.

"Bastardo," he swore under his breath. More loudly, he said, "I swear to you that I had nothing to do with that."

"Is your sister really married to a muggle?" She needed to know the answer and watched his face carefully.

"Yes," he said slowly, not understanding the change in subject. Those intense blue eyes of his never wavered from her face and she knew he was telling the truth.

"Blaise," she asked, suddenly shy, "why did you come after me?"

"Pardon?" She looked so small that he wanted nothing more than to gather her in his arms and whisper that he'd never let anyone hurt her.

"Why did you go with Harry and the others to rescue me?"

"B-because I'd like to think we're...friends." 'That is NOT why you did it, liar,' his mind screamed. "And that's what friends do. Why do you ask?"

It was her turn to look down at her feet. "I thought it might be because we're something...more," she said, turning a delicate shade of pink.

"M-more?" he stammered out.

She nodded. "I thought we might..."

"Hermione!" Ginny shouted. "We were beginning to wor..." Her voice trailed off when she caught sight of Blaise over Hermione's shoulder. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were..."

Blaise shook his head. "It's all right, Ginny. I...I'll see you later." And then he was gone.