Fine line between love and hate

Chapter 16

Blaise Zabini

It was after they had both had breakfast and parted ways when all the questions came.

When did this happen Hermione?

Has he poisoned you Hermione? Or are you just crazy?

You must be really good in bed if Malfoy’s fucking you

You’re just one of his many sluts mudblood

Hermione just kept her head down and ignored all the remarks and questions until she got to her class, only then did she let out a sigh of relief when she found the classroom empty. She let out a deep breath as she sat down in her normal seat and began taking out her books. She was stopped when she heard a deep voice cut through the silence.

“I must say, it’s quiet funny seeing Malfoy wrapped around your little finger Granger.” Blaise Zabini come out of the darkness, Hermione took a sharp breath as she saw his large form emerge from the darkness. He was a tall boy, around 6” 2 with cocoa coloured skin and the most beautiful green orange coloured eyes Hermione had ever seen and his hair was cut short and close to his scalp. He gave her a kind smile and walked towards her.

“He must really feel for you to do something like that?” Blaise said, Hermione frowned at what he had just said.

“Do something? What do you mean?” She asked him, he just gave a snort of laughter and then looked at her, his orangey green eyes piecing her.

“It’s not everyday a Slytherin sits on a Gryffindor table for breakfast. And it’s even rarer for a Malfoy to do it. Think about what will be said; The Slytherin Prince falling for the Mudblood Princess? What is this world coming to?” Hermione took a breath, were the consequences going to be that bad for him? She hoped to Merlin they weren’t.

“Look I like you, I’ve never really had any problem with you.” Blaise sighed and then looked at her “Look, if you need any help with the other Slytherins’ or Pansy to be specific, well just tell me and I’ll sort it out for you.” He said looking away slightly embarrassed. Hermione looked at him confused.

“Why would you do this for me?” She asked quietly

“Because Draco’s my best friend and I know he would be upset if you got hurt or anything by the other Slytherins’, so consider it my best friend duty to make sure nothing happens to you.” Blaise said, Hermione gave him a shy smile before nodding her head.

“Thank you.” She said, Blaise nodded his head and walked to the back of the classroom and took his seat. Hermione turned her attention back to the books beside her as people began to fill the classroom. She could hear the gossip and the whispers behind her back, it’s not like they were exactly quiet.

“ Did you know she’s shagging Draco Malfoy?”

“Really?”

“Yeah. She’s such a slag.”

Hermione felt herself fill with sadness, she was not a slag. Why was it so wrong to be with Draco when other could go out and date and no one would bat an eyelid? It just wasn’t fair. Why were her and Draco so different? Hermione closed her eyes and mentally willed herself to ignore all the comments and questions and just concentrate on the lesson.

_~*~_~*~_~*~_

Harry and Ron sat in the Gryffindor Common Room bored out of their skulls.

“How about we play a game of Wizards chess?” Ron said, Harry looked at the red headed boy and just nodded.

“No thanks Ron, I just don’t feel like it at the moment.” He replied

Ron just sighed and began to fidget, Harry began to massage his temples, running soothing circles around his temples in an attempt to relieve some of the tension that was built up there.

“Do you think we were wrong?” Harry asked, he looked at Ron who was scowling at him.

“What? No way. She chose him over us! us and she’s suppose to be our best friend Harry.” Ron yelled at him.

“Yeah I know, but…….but just seeing her there all by herself. It just broke my heart.” Harry confessed. Ron just snorted.

“Well ferret face did join her, remember?” He sneered back, Harry just sighed.

“I know! But maybe they really do like each other.” Harry said.

Ron just grunted, at that.

“Oh don’t tell me, now you’re going to say they are in love . Don’t be so stupid Harry, Hermione may have fallen for that Death Eaters tricks, but I sure as hell won’t! He’s a liar and a manipulator Harry, it’s all just a façade to get to you! So he can turn you over and please the Dark Lord!” Ron yelled at him before stomping off towards the bedroom.

Harry watched as his best friend stomped angrily up the stairs. Maybe he was right, maybe Malfoy really was just putting on a whole act to get to him, but would Malfoy really go to the < i>extent of sitting at the Gryffindor table with Hermione for breakfast? Yes his mind screamed. It was Malfoy; he really would go to such extremes to get to his goal, even humiliating himself. Harry just groaned in aggravation, he really didn’t want to think about all this shit right now; he just didn’t need it. Not with Voldermort getting stronger and stronger every minute. The war would come soon and he just hoped Hermione was on the light side and not on the dark. He just hoped Hermione loved them enough to realise that they were right and it was killing them not talking to her. Even though it hurt like hell, it was for the best, until Hermione realised that Malfoy was a big fat liar and manipulator and that he was just using her to get information.

_~*~_~*~_~*~_

It had been 3 days since that morning in the Great Hall, the gossip had gone down but they were still the hot topic of the month to discuss. They spent each morning the same, sitting at the end of the Gryffindor table eating breakfast together.

As they walked into the Great Hall holding hands, there were no longer the stares or the quiet rumble of talk when they entered somewhere together, it seemed people were getting used to it and had better things to talk about than them. Draco led her towards the Slytherin table, Hermione froze when she realised where they were heading.

“Draco, we cant…” Hermione whispered harshly at him. Draco turned back to her and gave her a smile and leaned down to brush a soft kiss across her lips.

“Do you trust me?” He whispered, his warm breath brushing across the soft skin of her lips before placing a quick kiss onto her lips, Hermione looked up into his metallic eyes, she gave him a quick nod reassuring him that she did trust him. He rewarded her with another quick kiss before guiding her to the Slytherin table. As they approached, the table seemed to fall silent when they came close, all conversation stopped as they watched the couple come closer and closer to the table. There was total silence as Draco guided Hermione to the empty seat next to Blaise, Hermione was grateful that Draco had put her next to someone she knew. Well she knew who most of the Slytherins’ were but talking to one was a whole other thing.

Holding Draco’s hand a little tighter she sat down next to her boyfriend’s best friend. Blaise just gave her a nod before returning to his breakfast. Draco gave her a kiss on her the head before sitting next to her.

“Zabini.” He greeted him, Blaise turned his head and gave him a smirk.

“All right Malfoy?” Blaise said before again returning again to his breakfast. Hermione gave a small smile as she remembered the time he had helped her when Pansy had confronted her about her relationship with Draco.

********
Flashback

“Well, well look who it is girls,” Pansy purred when she walked in front of Hermione who was heading to the library to get some extra studying done. Hermione rolled her eyes as a bunch of Slytherin girls came in front of her sneering with Pansy as their ring leader.

“Isn’t she just disgusting Milli?” Pansy asked her best friend Millicent Bulstrode, Millicent just raked her eyes over Hermione and sneered.

“Yeah Pans, I mean look at all her mudbloodiness; don’t go too close you don’t know what you might catch from the slag.” Millicent spat out then looked back at Pansy. Hermione let out a bored sigh, this was really getting old.

“You think you’re something special because you’re Draco’s flavour of the month at the moment, well I’m telling you; you aren’t. You’re just another notch up his bedpost, you’re just his little slag, his little play thing and when he gets bored of you, he’ll come back to me. A real women, a pureblood.” Pansy sneered at Hermione, letting her gaze run over Hermione’s form clearly disgusted. Hermione looked back at the Slytherin.

“Are you done?” Hermione asked in a bored tone, then smirked at Pansy.

“What is it Parkinson? You jealous? Jealous that I have Draco and you don’t? Jealous of the fact that even though I’m a dirty little mudblood, Draco chose me over you. Is it the fact that I’m hotter than you, that pisses you off? I mean you are very……beefy for a girl.” Hermione said trying to hold back a snigger, Pansy’s cheeks began to turn redder and redder by the second.

“Why you little mudblood bit-” Pansy was cut off when Hermione put her hand up in front of Pansy’s face indicating for her to stop.

“It’s the fact that I’m cleverer than you, the fact that I’m hotter than you and the fact that I have friends and you don’t and the fact that I have Draco Pureblood Slytherin Prince wrapped around my little finger.” Hermione said with a chuckle then abruptly stopped and looked at the girl standing in front of her.

“You’re pissing me off, now go away.” Hermione said attempting to step around the bigger girl.

“Don’t let her talk to you that way Pans!” Millicent screeched at Pansy. Pansy gave a huff and pulled her hand back, ready to give Hermione a slap around the face. Her hand was caught mid air by a much bigger hand.

“I wouldn’t do that if I was you Parkinson.” The voice of Blaise Zabini came through.

“Let me go!” Pansy said pulling her arm away from his grip. Hermione raised one eyebrow at Pansy and drew back her own hand, except when she hit Pansy it wasn’t a slap, it was a full on punch which sent the girl straight to the floor. Hermione’s eye’s blazed in fury as she looked at the girl laying on the floor, all her friends just staring at her and not helping.

“Hold this,” She said as she thrusted her books into Zabini’s arms and stalked up to Pansy who was now getting to her feet. Hermione’s hand gasped the girls’ throat tightly cutting off the air circulation making her gasp and choke for air, Hermione pushed her against one of the stone walls and tightened her grip on Pansy’s throat.

“You dare attempt to lay you’re hands on me again, and I promise you, I promise you I will hurt you.I will make you suffer unimaginable pain. Got it?” Hermione sneered at the girl, who’s face was turning blue from the lack of oxygen. She tightened her grip until she felt Pansy nod her head.

“Good.” Hermione said, giving her a fake innocent smile before letting go of her neck. Pansy just collapsed into a heap on the floor and her hands came to her throat as she gasped for air. Hermione walked away as if nothing happened and plucked the books from Blaise’s hands.

“Thank you Blaise. It would be best if we didn’t mention this little event to Draco.” Hermione whispered to him, Blaise just smirked and shook his head.

“Sure.” He said before he took one last look at Pansy on the floor panting for breath as all her friends flocked around her asking if she was allright. Laughing to himself, he watched as Hermione walked away without a care in the world.

“Maybe she should have been a Slytherin?” He said to himself before walking off.

End of Flashback

********

Draco watched as Hermione began eating, he just couldn’t believe he had her. Over the months they had become closer, he had come to realise how beautiful Hermione was. No not just the way she looked or how beautiful she was superficially, but how beautiful her soul was. He just thanked Merlin that she was with him, that she herself, had chosen to be with him. He had had sleepless nights just thinking about what had happened a few days before. What if she hadn’t chosen him over Pothead and Weasel? What would he have done? He shuddered at the mere thought of it. He was just glad Hermione had chosen him and not them, he knew it must have been hard for her to give up the golden trio but didn’t it mean that she really cared for him, if she gave up that much for him? Did she possibly love him?

The question that was playing on Draco’s mind was could she ever love someone like him? Considering what had happened in the past, how horrible he had been to her, making her cry, could she ever forgive him, for what he had done in his youth. His youth where his father had poisoned his soul and filled his mind with notions of how purebloods ruled and that they were better than everyone else; when the truth really was that they weren’t. They were just people, just like half bloods and muggles; they were the same regardless of their blood.

“So what time is the match Dray?” She asked before taking a bit of toast. Draco smiled at her when he heard the words leave her mouth. Dray? He looked over at Zabini who turned his head when he heard her say those words and gave him a look that just screamed whipped! . Draco just shook his head at the boy and looked at Hermione who was looking at him with her beautiful amber eyes.

“11 am” He said before smiling, Hermione gave him a smile back.

“And I promise to be in the stands cheering you on.” She promised before placing a quick kiss on his cheek. Draco savoured these sweet moments because at the current time they really hadn’t been able to spend much time together. With him having Quidditch practice every available moment, getting ready for the first game of the season tomorrow against Hufflepuff, they really haven’t been able to spend anyquality time together. The only time they really got to see each other was in classes; normally Potions, Astronomy and Transfiguration and at breakfast and dinner. The only time they were able to have some quality time together was when they were sleeping together. Although they still hadn’t reached that level of intimacy in their relationship yet they still loved curling up together in his bed and just falling asleep in one another’s arms. At the moment it was too early in their relationship to be thinking about sex, and with all this stuff with Potter and Weasley he knew that sex was one of the last things on her mind at the moment and to be honest it was one of the last things on his mind as well; well for the moment.


_~*~_~*~_~*~_


Draco had just left the Great Hall for Quidditch practice and Hermione was still finishing off her breakfast . Gathering her courage she turned and looked at Blaise.

“Blaise..” Hermione began, the boy turned his head around slowly to face her.

“Yes Granger…?” He asked and gave a small smile as he watched her nervously bite her lip.

“Look, I know its Draco’s birthday next week and well I was just wondering…….”She trailed off losing her confidence.

“Spit it out.” He said to her, Hermione gathered her courage back up and looked at him.

“I was just wondering if you would help me set up a birthday party for him. A surprise one. Its just you’re the only Slytherin I can talk to and I know you’re Dray’s best friend, so I just thought…..” She said looking at him hopefully.

“Sure, where were you thinking we should hold it?” He asked her giving her his full attention

“Well……” She began, a mischievous glint in her eyes.



~*~*~*~

Jayna
xxxx