Roommates

Fourteen

"Who would've thought that something like that would be in my house," Blaise said, as he and Hermione walked along the portrait hall to where he thought his mother would be. "My boring old house. Amazing."

"I don't think so," Hermione said, as he reached over to hold her hand. "Your house is rather old, and I think that since most purebloods intermarry, it was most likely only a matter of time before we found something to do with Gryffindor."

"Hmm..." Blaise said. "Ah, the 'Parlor of a Thousand Fights'." Hermione looked at him, curious. "This is the parlor Mum summons us to when she's in for a fight. One can only hope that Lil isn't here yet. D'you have your ring on?" Hermione held up her right hand. The silver ring had runes etched onto it, and it shone a bit. "Good. One can also hope that Dad's in there, otherwise we'll have to tough it out on our own."

He nodded grimly at her and opened the parlor door to see his mother and father, plus the Malfoy family.

"Draco?" he said, amazed.

"Blaise," Draco replied. "Granger? What're you doing here?"

"I'm a guest, same as you, Malfoy," Hermione replied, trying to be civil.

"Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy," Blaise said, plastering a welcoming smile on his face. "Welcome."

"You may wonder why the Malfoy's are here, Blaise," Frances said.

"That I do," Blaise admitted.

"I've decided to have an old-fashioned Christmas," Frances announced.

"Pardon?" Blaise said.

"One where all of our friends come over to share in the holidays season," Frances continued, ignoring Blaise.

"Shit," Blaise mumbled.

"Watch your tongue," his father told him, and then returned, a somewhat pained smile on his face, to a conversation with Lucius Malfoy.

"Blaise, why don't you show Draco around?" Frances suggested. "I'm sure you and your little friends will have loads of fun."

"Yes, Mum," Blaise said, almost robotically. "C'mon, Draco."

Draco followed them out into the hallway and to the library.

"Aw, Blaise, the library?" he said. "It's the holidays. Where's June?" He grinned.

"Don't forget you already have a girlfriend," Blaise reminded him, scanning the shelves for a certain book.

"Ginny won't know- Shit." Draco glared at Hermione. "Don't you dare tell Potty and the Weasel. Ginny doesn't want them to know. Yet."

"You're Ginny's boyfriend?" Hermione asked, surprised and a bit shocked. "Impossible. She said he was a 'loving, caring guy with a great mind and completely into me.' Actually, she said more, but I won't repeat it." She shook her head. "I can't believe it." She grinned to herself, suddenly quiet.

"I am her boyfriend," Draco said, somewhat proudly.

"Oh, shut up," Blaise grumbled. "I'm trying to find something."

"You're always trying to find something," Draco said, sitting down. He put his feet up on the table. He was wearing black leather pants, a dark green--almost black--sweater, and shoes that matched his pants. "Mostly your sanity."

"Don't tease, Draco," Blaise scolded, still looking. "You know I lost that permanently years ago."

"Boys," Hermione muttered. "You two are just like Harry and Ron sometimes."

Draco and Blaise looked at her horrified. "Not true!" they chorused.

"That's something they would do, too," Hermione said. "Now, Blaise, what're you looking for?"

"My family history book for ten hundred to eleven hundred," he said. "It should have some stuff in there about Mary and Lesta."

"Why don't you look at the beginning of the shelving unit?" Hermione suggested.

"Because that's not how they're organized. I've forgotten the family history part of Dad's system, and so I have to look at all of them, not just the ones at the beginning," Blaise said, flipping open a volume.

"Why does he organize them in such a hard way to find what you want?" Hermione asked, following Blaise's suit.

"Because he doesn't want anyone to find anything out?" Draco suggested.

"No. Because he doesn't like 'conventional' methods and invert society-- That's it!" he exclaimed, going to the middle. "It starts at nine hundred... so the one I want should be... this one!" And he pulled out the book that was next to the book in the very center. "Dear old Dad," he muttered, flipping through the pages.

"Honestly," Draco said. He grabbed the book and drew out his wand. "Invenire 'Mary'!" Once he spoke the last syllable, the book slammed open and the pages turned to a certain section. "There." Draco held the book out to Blaise. "Mary."

"Thanks Draco, I wouldn't have thought of that. Though how did you know we were looking for Mar?" Blaise asked.

"That's because you're a Muggle at heart," Draco said. "Never think of spells. Always the Muggle way. How did I know? You mentioned the woman's name about fifty times between here and the parlor. Honestly, Blaise."

Blaise reached out an arm and shoved Draco while still reading the book. "Shut it."

"No sense of humor," Draco muttered. "I think I should find June."

"She's probably in her tent with Luc," Blaise said, making a face when he said the name.

"I don't see why you have to make fun of your sister's boyfriend that way," Hermione said, taking the book from him. "I mean, he seemed..." she grinned, "...very, erm, nice."

"Great," Blaise said. "My prospective girlfriend thinks my sister's boyfriend is attractive."

"WHAT?" Draco said, jumping out of his chair and looking at Blaise and Hermione. "Your WHAT?"

"His girlfriend," Hermione said, looking at Blaise, giving him a look. "Not 'prospective,' if you don't mind. Or do you mean you have more than one 'prospective' girlfriend?"

"Oh, no, I only have one," Blaise said, mobbing over to her and looping an arm around her waist. "I'm not that stupid, Gryff."

"Good," Hermione said. She smiled at him, suddenly feeling shy.

"Ah, Stage One," Draco said, leaning back in his chair, preparing to deal with his friend's new girlfriend later.

"Don't even start, Draco," Blaise warned.

Draco ignored him. "Stage One: where ("in which"?) you feel loving and happy all the time. Then comes Stage Two, where ("in which"?) you grow closer and find out each other's wants and needs. Stage Three, you continue clinging to one another, basically ignoring all other life forms. Followed by Stage Four, where you grow apart, needing more 'time alone.' And then, finally, Stage Five, where you find your boyfriend or girlfriend screwing a Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff."

"That's lovely Draco," Blaise said, glaring at his friend. "We really don't want to hear your philosophy of relationships." Blaise turned to Hermione. "He only thinks that's what happens because that's what happens to him." Hermione nodded, looking away from Draco, becoming suddenly uneasy.

"Um, Blaise? Let's go back to your library and look over this," she said, elbowing Blaise.

Blaise sighed. "You can come too, Draco."

~*~

Hermione was slumped over the Zabini Family History (Volume Two), eyes closed, breathing in and out slowly with a rhythm.

"I think she's asleep," Draco said in a loud whisper.

Blaise glared at him. "Well, that's obvious, you idiot," he whispered back. "I'll levitate her to her bed."

He walked over to Hermione and looked at her. Shaking his head, he picked her up instead and carried her over to the door. He motioned with his head for Draco to open the door and then to open her door. He turned sideways so her head wouldn't hit the doorframe, carried her over to the bed and placed her there, under the covers. He quietly made his way back out of her room, after dragging Draco away from the vanity with him.

Once he was back in his room, he sat down in a chair across from Draco.

"So, how are you doing with your Potions assignment?" Draco asked, cleaning his fingernails.

"Don't do that in my room," Blaise said, eying the fingernail dirt with distaste. "Pretty well. We submitted our project on the last class. Twelve and a half feet, complete with samples of the potions. Snape said he'd give the grades out at beginning of next term. Why weren't you there, by the way?"

"I was in hospital," Draco grumbled. "Longbottom's cauldron exploded while we were making our samples and I was hit with the unfinished potion."

"What was it? Your potion, I mean," Blaise asked. Draco mumbled something that a yawn interrupted. "What? Speak louder, please."

"A Keep-Awake potion," Draco said, yawning more. "What time is it?"

Blaise glanced at his watch. "Ten fifty," he said. "P.M., of course. So, what effect does a Keep-Awake potion have when not completed?"

"It causes your eyes to grow to the size of dinner plates and for you to not to sleep," Draco said. "The only cure is to drink a Sleeping potion and sleep for at least forty-eight hours, apparently." Blaise laughed, and Draco put his feet up on the table. "I was never better rested in my life."