Collide

Don't wanna leave you really

I've invested too much time
To give you up that easy

To the doubts that complicate your mind
--Pat Benetar

Blaise skived off classes on Thursday and Friday. Much to Snapes's dismay, none (save one) of the Slytherins showed up for dinner on Friday night. Millie sat down alone at the Slytherin table.

"I'm going to ask Millie to sit with us," Harry said casually.

"She can't!" Ron exclaimed, mouth full of food.

"Ron, please close your mouth," Hermione begged.

"Just because your knickers are in a twist is no reason to get shirty!" Ron objected. As the two of them argued, Harry made his way to the Slytherin table.

"My knickers are not in a twist!" she protested.

"Maybe that's the problem," Ron added in an undertone.

"Why are you and Blaise fighting?" Ginny asked gently. She hadn't seen the dark-haired boy with Hermione since Wednesday after dinner.

"We're not fighting!" Hermione yelled. Everyone in the general vicinity turned toward her. Sheepishly, she lowered her voice, "We're just not speaking at the present time."

"I think everyone knows Millie," Harry said as they sat at the Gryffindor table.

"Hi, Millie," Ginny said.

Ron grunted in her general direction before returning to his meal.

"Where is everyone?" Harry asked.

"At the dormitory. Blaise has been cooking since this morning and is feeding every Slytherin," she said. "He's borrowed everyone's cauldron to make sauce in."

"They're eating food he's cooked in your potions cauldrons?" Ron asked, disgust evident in his voice.

Millicent ignored Ron's question. "The last time he cooked this much was when Pansy Parkinson turned him down for the Yule Ball in fourth year," she said, looking pointedly at Hermione.

"Blaise asked Pansy?" Lavender said breathlessly, loving to hear gossip.

"Has he told you why he's so upset?" Hermione asked softly.

Millicent shook her head. "He refuses to talk about it with either me or Theo. I was hoping that you might be more reasonable."

"I--I can't," Hermione answered. And it was true; she couldn't without revealing everything to Ron and Harry. Hermione wanted to translate the entire parchment before discussing it with anyone.

"Hermione, Blaise is miserable," Millicent said gently. "It's almost as if the last two months haven't happened."

"Well, Hermione is miserable too," Harry offered up. At her disbelieving look, he continued, "It's true. You haven't smiled for days. And I know that every time someone's entered the Great Hall, you've looked up expectantly."

"You don't understand," Hermione said, getting up and leaving.

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

Saturday morning found Hermione in the library, glancing at a copy of that parchment Vector had assigned to her and Blaise. She scribbled something on a clean sheet, frowned at it, and scratched it out. She knew that if she and Blaise were working together, they'd probably have more than half of it translated by now. Sighing, she threw down her quill. 'How could things have been so wonderful two short days ago and such a mess now?' she thought bitterly. However, thinking over what had transpired the other evening, Hermione knew she wouldn't have done anything differently. She and Ron had been at Harry's side since first year; they all accepted the fact that something horrible could befall any one of them.

A hand on her shoulder made her jump.

"Sorry," Harry said sheepishly, pushing his glasses up on his nose.

"I was just woolgathering," she admitted.

"I've come to collect you."

"Collect me?"

"For Hogsmeade," he said, sitting across from her.

Hermione shook her head. "I'm not going. I've got too much..."

"I insist."

"I am not going on your date with Millie." Her eyes narrowed. "Unless this is some diabolical scheme to get Blaise and me talking again?"

"No, it's not a scheme. And yes, you are going. Millie and I, along with Ron and Lavender, insist."

"So I can be the fifth wheel again? No thank you."

Harry pulled out his wand. "I hate to do this, but you are coming."

Hermione laughed. "Or what? You'll hex me?" Harry nodded. "Harry, you can't be serious."

"Get your things."

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

The five of them sat in the Three Broomsticks, sipping their butterbeers and making small talk. While Ron and Harry talked about Quidditch and Lavender's eyes took in who was there with whom, Hermione leaned over to Millicent.

"Is he all right?" she asked softly.

Millicent shrugged. "Are you?"

Before Hermione could answer, an overly loud voice to her left said, "What have we here? The Golden Trio along with their entourage enjoying a beverage at the Three Broomsticks?" The five of them looked up to find Blaise standing next to the table, jumper stained with what appeared to be tomato sauce and hair almost as unruly as Hermione's was after the rain. "Don't let me interrupt. I just wanted to share some interesting information with you."

"Please lower your voice," Hermione whispered fiercely. "People are watching."

"Do NOT tell me what to do, Granger," he said, feeling a twinge of guilt when she flinched at his use of her surname. "I think that Lavender and Millie have a right to know."

"To know what?" Harry asked.

"That's an excellent question, Potter."

"Blaise, not here," Hermione hissed.

"According to this--" He pulled the sheaf of parchment out of his back pocket. "--one of you--" He pointed at Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "--will make the ultimate sacrifice before this thing with V-V-You Know Who is over."

Hermione snatched the parchment out of Blaise's hand. "We haven't even finished translating it yet. It may be nothing," she said to Harry and Ron.

"Al contrario, bella," Blaise said. "I finished it."

"When?" Hermione demanded.

"It's not as if I've been to classes for the last two days," he said. "Or slept," he added quietly.

"You haven't slept for two days?" Millicent said, incredulously.

"Millie, sleep is highly overrated," Blaise said.

"Hermione, would you please explain what is going on?" Harry said softly.

She scanned the pages she was holding and immediately paled. "This is how you're going to defeat Voldemort. It's going to take three of us. And one of us isn't coming back."

"So you see, I thought that Lavender and Millie ought to know what they're getting themselves into. Before they go and give their hearts away like some people," he said sarcastically.

"I'd like to see that if I may," Harry stated. Hermione handed it over and he left the Three Broomsticks. Millicent followed.

"We're going to go as well," Lavender said as she and Ron got up.

Hermione grabbed Blaise's arm and yanked him out of the Three Broomsticks. "How dare you!" she said, hands flying to her hips.

"What do you mean?" he asked innocently.

"We were in a public place and you all but announced that we have the information needed to defeat Voldemort. Are you mad? Anyone could have heard you."

"But I was just..."

"Trying to warn Millie and Lavender," she interrupted. "So they don't get their hearts broken. Yes, I heard you. I can't believe you." Turning, she stomped away.

"You don't get to be angry with me!" Blaise shouted, catching her arm. "You're the one that's going to throw your life away on this!"

"Throw my life away?!?" she yelled back, facing him. "Is that what you think we're doing?" She shook her head. "I thought that you of all people would understand. I guess I was wrong."

"How in the bloody hell would I understand you sacrificing yourself? I'm a Slytherin, remember? We only look out for ourselves!"

"I, for one, would like to live in a world in which I don't have to worry about whether my parents are safe all the time. Or worry about whether I'm safe for that matter. Wouldn't you like for Therese and Frank to live without fear? For Salvatore and Heather to perhaps go to Hogwarts someday?" His gaze dropped to his feet and Hermione thought maybe she was getting through to him. "If Harry, Ron and I don't do this, then that will never happen."

"But why does it have to be you?" He looked up and she was startled to see tears in his eyes. "Merlin, Hermione, I thought I lost you once. And we weren't even...anything then...if something were to happen to you, I don't know what I'd..." He wiped furiously at his eyes.

"Do you honestly think, if I...die, that it'll be easier on you because we're not together?" she said gently. She reached out to take his hand. "The last two months have been the most wonderful of my entire life. And that includes finding out I was a witch, studying at Hogwarts and meeting Harry and Ron." She smiled slightly. "I fear I've fallen in..."

"Don't say it," he pleaded.

"In love with you," she finished. "We belong together. And I'm not going to allow you to keep us apart." Tugging on his hand, she pulled him toward her.

"I can't bear to watch you die," he said, pain evident in his voice.

"Then let's find a way around it," she suggested. He tilted his head quizzically. "Surely, the two brightest minds at Hogwarts can find a way to circumvent this."

"I--I don't know..."

"I need you. You managed to translate this entire thing in two days. I'm still stuck on page three. I can't do it without you," she pleaded.

Against his better judgment, Blaise found himself nodding. "All right," he finally agreed. "I'm not going to let anyone take you from me." Taking a deep breath, he finished, "I fear I've fallen in love with you too."

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

"Harry!" Millicent shouted. "Harry! Potter!" Breaking into a run, her long legs soon brought her even with Harry. "Harry! Didn't you hear me?"

"Millie, I'm sorry. My mind was elsewhere," he said sadly.

"May I walk back to the castle with you?" she asked shyly.

Harry stopped in the middle of the main street of Hogsmeade. "Look, Millie, you need to know some things. Even if this--" he held up the stack of papers he'd taken from Hermione "--is wrong, there is a good chance that I won't survive my battle with Voldemort."

"You think I don't know that?" Millicent asked skeptically. "You've been in trouble since your first year here."

"I may die," he said simply. "Why would you want to put yourself through that?" He snorted derisively. "Blaise doesn't even want to and he's half-way in love with Hermione."

"What Blaise has yet to grasp is that anything in this world worth having is worth taking a risk for." She paused, plucking her courage. "Why don't you kiss me, Harry, and show me you're worth the risk?"

Harry gaped in astonishment at this tall, brown-haired girl. "P-pardon?" he stuttered out.

"You heard me," she said softly, stepping closer to him. They both leaned closer as their lips touched. After a second of gentle kissing, Harry pulled back and looked anxiously at Millicent.

"Er, was that all right?" he asked hesitantly.

Millicent rolled her eyes. "I'm not Cho Chang for Merlin's sake," she huffed, leaning close again.