Sometimes

He awoke with a silent scream, the images of his nightmare still flying across the back of his eyes. He couldn't get away from the visions. He looked to the right quickly to make sure she was still asleep. He didn't want to bother her with these dreams and if he woke her she would ask and find a way to find out. That was just her way.

Running a hand though his black hair, He got out of bed, careful not to wake her. He walked silently out of the bedroom and towards the kitchen. He took a coffee drink she had bought him out of the refrigerator and sat down at the table.

The dreams were getting worse. He had been having them for weeks. He knew exactly why. It was psychological warfare on him from Voldemort. The dark lord was systematically trying to take away the support team of the boy-who-lived. He had already put Ginny and Draco in a Sleeping Death. It made sense that Voldemort would try him next since though him he got Hermione.

It was not public knowledge that Blaise Zabini and Hermione Granger lived together. In fact it wasn't known to many besides the two. But Voldemort had managed to get inside Blaise's head so he had no doubt that the evil man knew his feelings for Hermione. He wouldn't lie and say that his feelings hadn't been a surprise to himself. He had originally thought that it was going to be one of those war romances that were just for comfort and not for futures, but he knew that he had long since stepped into the area where he wanted it to be forever. He loved her, but didn't know how to tell her about them and whether or not she reciprocated.

Blaise stood up and walked over to the window that overlooked the small park near the flat. Hermione didn't really know his feelings yet and now Voldemort was going to use them against her. He wasn't going to let another person get hurt because of him. He had already lost Draco to the sleeping death and his cousin Marcus to Voldemort's paranoia.

The dreams involved her now and he couldn't stand what he saw. At first it was a happy scene, sometime in the future. They were together and smiling and Hermione was holding their child while other children played around them and friends laughed with them. She was wearing the emerald and jade ring that had been in his family for generations that was now hidden in his nightstand for the opportune moment. It never seemed to come.

The dream started to go downhill fast. First Draco, who was telling stories about his wedding to Ginny, started to deteriorate. It was slow and gruesome, one layer at a time till all was left was a skull and then it started to burn. Then it proceeded over to Ginny. It started in mid laugh and the laugh got colder and suddenly her hair lit on fire and her eyes got a blood red. Her flesh slowly desolved and what was left was her skeleton with blood eyes and flaming hair.

And then it got to Hermione. Instead of the way the others went, hers started by blood tearing down from her eyes. She spoke to him, telling him that he was guilty for all that he saw. He was at fault for Draco and Ginevra Malfoy being in a coma, he was responsible for the death of her parents, and for Marcus and Charlie Weasley.

Blaise knew it was Voldemort but he couldn't help but slide into the role of the guilty party. Part of him always felt it was his fault. He wasn't fast enough, he wasn't good enough, and he couldn't save them. It tore at him emotionally and mentally but he never told her. He didn't want her to worry about it.

"Blaise?" He looked up to see Hermione standing in the archway between the kitchen, the moonlight shining on her slightly disheveled appearance. She was beautiful and he couldn't stand to loose her. He loved her and didn't want anything to hurt her. If only he had to power to protect her from everything.

"Mione." He looked back down. He didn't want her to see what emotions were flowing though him at the moment and she could always tell what he was thinking from what was in his blue eyes. However she had seen enough to know something was troubling him. She walked around the table and hugged him. He turned in his seat and wrapped his arms around her waist and laid his head on her stomach. He stood up and pulled her into a tighter hug.

"What's wrong?" Blaise shook his head, but she had already seen the tears. She always knew what was going on that he wouldn't tell her, it seemed. He remained quiet for awhile, holding her tight. She was the best thing that had ever happened to him and no one was going to hurt her if he had anything to do with it.

He let her go and allowed her to lead him back to their bedroom. She pushed him onto the bed and then wrapped her arms around him. He could tell she knew something was wrong but she could also tell he didn't want to talk about it. It was nice having someone whom knew you so completely they didn't need to ask to know exactly how to act.

"I think I should leave."

"Why?"

"He'll use me to hurt you and I don't want that." There was no need to ask who "he" was, Hermione already knew.

"I'll fight it."

"I know you will." She moved so she could look down at him. Hermione Granger never lost the fights she picked, and this was not going to be an exception.

"I am not going to let that bastard break my family apart. I'm not going to let you leave me with the excuse "to save me". If you're going to leave me it is going to be because you either don't like me or you have fallen in love with someone. I already lost my parents to him, I am NOT going to loose you too." Blaise looked at her for a second. He always had a hard time lying to her. Everyone else he could tell a lie no problem but one look into her eyes and he was compelled to tell the truth. Sitting up he moved Hermione so she was sitting on his lap, knees on either side of his waist and his hands were on her hip.

"I love you Hermione, you know that." Hermione's eyes got softer at his admission and she smiled slightly.

"Promise me you'll never leave." Blaise sighed and leaned his head against her shoulder.

"You know I can't do that. I can promise you it won't be because I don't love you or because there is someone else, as you're too perfect to be replaced, but I can't promise I won't leave. I won't be used to hurt you and I know that is what he is planning on doing. But for now I will stay." Hermione smiled and kissed him and he leaned back so they were lying back down on the bed. Blaise held her in his arms till he was certain she was asleep again.

He slowly got out of the bed and gathered some clothes together. After writing a short note to Hermione, Blaise left the house to go to an apparition point. Hermione would have to lose this fight if they wanted any hope of being together later. He hoped she realized that he really did mean what he said. He just didn't want her or the baby hurt and this was the only way he knew how to protect them.