Stylistic Harmony

Chapter Twenty-Four
Miles away in the village of Little Hangleton, the Riddle house was awake and buzzing. The Dark Lord had not slept in days, the surge of power he had felt resonated through the drafty halls of his filthy muggle ancestors house, it filled his entire being. He had sent out scouts to gather information on the possible cause, but so far nothing had come up. His anger was catastrophic, the already crumbling walls began to quake as he raged through the darkened corridors. Arriving at the library, he kicked the door down and stormed towards the people he had tasked to research the uprising. They all cowered in fear as he entered, his snakelike eyes glowing red with rage.
"WELL? What have you discovered?" The head of the researchers scurried forward, a wad of parchment in his hand,
"Er, well, Sir, the answer is er, that it is definitely a triad of some sort." Voldemort caught the man around the neck and snapped it. A whole day spent researching and that was all they managed to find out. His anger was unrelenting, he slaughtered the rest of the researchers and then locked himself in the study. After another hour or so, he called for Lucius Malfoy and Carlo Zabini, his two most trusted associates. The two men sat across from him, and he began,
"Gentlemen, as you can probably tell I have been deeply troubled. I have detected an uprising, a power that has the potential to destroy everything I have worked for. My researchers found nothing useful to determine the source of this power, so shall we say, their contracts were," Voldemort grinned evilly, "terminated. Anyway, I am still no closer to discovering this threat. I am entrusting the task to you, to find out all you can, leave no stone unturned. Kill who you will, but find out what caused this and how I stop it." The two men nodded humbly, and left the room. Voldemort smiled, once they were found, the culprits would have their power torn from their bodies, then their bodies torn apart. This thought settled him and he got back to his plans.

Blaise played over the events of that evening in his head, he was stretched out in his bed, Hermione slouched across him. She had finally cried herself to sleep about an hour ago. For that he was grateful, she had come to him that evening irrevocably broken, and it tore at his heart to see her like that. Draco had come to him before he had met Hermione on the grounds, Blaise could still taste the blond on his tongue.

He was sat in the Slytherin Common Room, downing shots of vodka, Hermione was still in the hospital wing, and had not yet woken. Draco had disappeared after Potions class, not saying a word to Blaise about where he was going, but the look on his face as he had stormed from the room told him that something was going down. After Hermione had collapsed he had rushed to her side, but had been hastily shoved out the way by Weasley, who had carried Hermione from the room. Potter had walked calmly over to Draco, a stony look on his face, and said something that only Draco could hear. All these events, Hermione's collapse, Draco's mood and his interaction with Potter, told Blaise only one thing. Potter knew about Hermione and Draco. There were three things that troubled Blaise, the first was how had Potter discovered their secret, the second was, was Ginny to blame, and the third was, what would it mean for the three of them. This question was answered by Draco slamming through the portrait door and striding right past him to his room. Blaise had trailed the Malfoy heir upstairs, finding him hastily throwing clothes into a bag. He grabbed the blonds arm, halting his actions,
"Draco, what the fuck is going on?" Draco shrugged his arm out of Blaise's grip, and continued emptying the room of his belongings,
"Potter knows, I have to leave." A dark look appeared on the Italian's face, he said in a low angry tone,
"How?" Draco stopped, he had seen Blaise angry before but this was something else. The Italian's eyes had turned a shocking indigo colour, and the dim lights were flickering. Draco strode over to him and clicked his fingers in front of his friends face,
"Snap out of it man for fuck's sake. I don't know how Potter found out, he just knew. I need you to make sure you look after Hermione. She'll need you." Blaise's anger wasn't desisting,
"Of course I'll fucking look after her, seeing as you're buggering off and leaving her!" Draco smacked Blaise round the head,
"Don't be so bloody ignorant. Do you think I want to go? Don't you think if I had another option I'd take it? Potter gave me an ultimatum, leave or he goes to Lucius. Golden boy or no, my twat of a Father is more inclined to believe him then me. I am not going to put her in unnecessary danger by staying here. It will kill me to leave her, and you, but I have to go." Blaise felt his anger turn to despair, Draco was halfway out the door when he turned back to him. He walked over, stood in front of him, there was an almost animalistic glint in Draco's eye. He grabbed the back of Blaise's neck and smashed his lips into the other man's. The kiss lasted seconds but it had changed them completely, without another word, Draco left the room, leaving Blaise staring in disbelief.
He had stumbled back to the Head's rooms, drunk about a litre of Firewhiskey and passed out on his bed. He had been woken by Hermione shaking him, the pain in his head had been unbearable but the pain in his heart had been more when he had seen her. She had told him how Draco had left, and told her that he loved her. She had cried and cried in his arms, her tears staining his clothes. He had done his best to reassure her, calming her but she would have none, only stopping when she had exhausted herself. Now here they were, he stroked her hair, she was murmuring in her sleep, things he couldn't decipher. In the end he succumbed to sleep to, both of them dreading the morning.

Hermione woke, exhausted, her sleep had been fractured. She had kept waking, then remembering that he had gone. She rose from the bed, Blaise had already disappeared, she wrapped one of his robes around her and went downstairs to make coffee. The kitchen was a mess, empty bottles of fire whiskey littering the surfaces, abandoning the idea of coffee, she picked up a half empty bottle of the liquor and took a big swig. The liquid burned down her throat, it was excruciating, but it numbed the pain in her heart. Slouching on the sofa, she drained the rest of the bottle, then cracked open another bottle. The alcohol worked its effects and she felt lightheaded, giddy, like it was just a horrible dream, she finished the second bottle before passing clean out. The hammering on the door woke her two hours later, the pounding in her head matched by the frantic knocking. She scowled,
"BUGGER OFF!" She shouted, whoever it was must have known the password because a second later the portrait door swung open. Looking up at the person who had interrupted her stupor, she frowned, "What do you want?" Ginny stood over her, hands on hips, surveying the chaos surrounding her friend. She sat next to her and said in a most simpering tone,
"I came to see how you were. Harry told me that Malfoy's gone. I wanted to know that you were okay." Hermione felt a little more then angry at the audacity of the girl, she got up and said nastily,
"Don't fucking patronize me you little bitch." Ginny wasn't surprised at Hermione's reaction, in fact the sympathy was just an act, she thought Hermione was being downright idiotic and selfish, so she turned,
"Fine then I won't, selfish cow. Harry did you a favour by sending that psycho away, and all you can do is sit here drinking yourself to death?! You have a boyfriend who loves you, you have friends who care. But no, you had to have something else as well, and what do you pick, a no hope relationship with a Death Eater, for fuck's sake! Snap out of this Hermione, you're better then this. He would have chucked you eventually anyway, Gryffindor Order members do not belong with Slytherin Death Eaters." Hermione snorted,
"Hypocrite much. Do I not recall Blaise screwing YOU on every surface in this room, with me and Draco watching from the couch?! Oh wait, I do recall that! Is Blaise not a Death Eater Ginny?!" Ginny slapped the brunette witch, whose eyes clouded over and the familiar storm clouds rolled in,
"Harry loves me. I made the right choice. Don't think I won't fuck up your life by telling everyone what a whore you are. Blaise and Draco at the same time? Clearly Parkinson isn't the biggest slut around here!" Hermione lunged for her, magic forgotten, she clawed at anything she could find, hair, eyes, skin. Ginny fought back just as hard. A voice from the dark halted them,
"Thats enough. Weaselette, piss off back to your boyfriend, and don't bother coming back. You had your chance lover and now its gone. Don't be mad at her just because she has what you don't. Now do as I say and fuck off before I get angrier then I already am." Blaise surveyed them both with intensity, Ginny scowled at them both and left hurriedly. Hermione sank back on the sofa, a new bottle of fire whiskey in hand. Blaise growled and took it from, prompting her to smack him round the head. He retaliated practically throwing her against the wall and kissing her with such hardness, she could practically feel his anger burning her. He looked her in the eye, and said sternly,
"Are you going to behave Cara?" She was defiant, but nodded, he smiled, "Good. Now sweetheart, I know you are angry and hurt that Draco left, so am I. But, you can't go around picking fights with people, especially not her. If she decides to snap and tell the whole school what she knows, thats it, this is through. Even though Draco is gone, does not mean this is over, alright? You still have me, and he will be back. He will find a way for us to be together. Now, I suggest that you go into the bathroom and freshen up, get dressed and go talk to Potter. Find out just how willing he is to forgive you. I'll be waiting for you to get back." He released her from her position, she made her way to the staircase, stopped at the bottom and turned to him,
"Blaise," He looked up,
"Yes Cara?"
"Thank you. For everything, last night and just now, I couldn't do this without you. I know that I have keep strong, and keep up the facade, its the only way he'll come back to us right?" Blaise smiled wearily,
"Absolutely. Off you go now." She bit her lip and skipped off up the stairs. He picked up the bottle of fire whiskey, walked calmly to the kitchen and poured himself a glass. Hermione's fight with Red troubled him, he would have to deal with that particular problem, and soon. He was almost one hundred per cent certain he could bring her back to him, now she had had him it wouldn't take much to have her again. However, that would have to wait for now, Hermione's state of mind was far more important, but he knew that the truth would destroy her. Draco had gone and there was next to no chance that she would ever see him again.

Harry had expected her to come and find him, in fact he was surprised that it had taken this long. What surprised him also was her state, she was eerily calm, it unnerved him straight away. He was seated at the desks in the Gryffindor common room, she sat in the vacant seat opposite him, they sat in silence for what seemed like an hour, the other students buzzing around them creating irritating background noise. She broke the stand off by saying,
"Lets not do this here, alright?" He nodded and followed her out the room, she led him far out into the grounds of the castle, the morning dew tipping each blade of grass. Finally she stopped and turned to him, eyes dark,
"I don't know what you said to him, or what you know, all that matters now is that he's gone. I don't care what you think of me Harry, I made my choice and I stick by it." He couldn't believe the sheer nerve of her, she wasn't even grateful that he had got rid of that piece of scum,
"Is that the thanks I get? I save you from becoming....from becoming a Death Eaters whore and thats the thanks I get? Enlighten me Hermione, what the hell were you thinking? What on earth fucking possessed you to think of him that way?" Her jaw had dropped open in utter amazement, how one person could be so ignorant was beyond her,
"Open your eyes Potter," she spat at him, "The world can't work exactly how you want it to, you can't just snap your fingers and everyone runs to your every need. You can't tell me what I can and can't do. What on earth possessed me, you asked, I'll tell you, it was you and Ron," Harry's eyes widened in amazement, "Yeah, you and you're little sidekick, everyday, always smothering me, never giving me a moments peace. Thinking that I needed protection from you, when I have saved your hides more times than I care to count. You have no idea what thats like." He sneered,
"Get over yourself Hermione. You think that everything is about you, that my incessant need to protect the people I love is some slight on you. You've put us in danger by being with him, have you any comprehension of that? You've no idea what he is capable of." She laughed evilly,
"Oh I am fully aware of what Draco is capable of, and you know what, I don't care. He showed me a world without boundaries, a world where you could live for yourself and I loved every minute of it, and if you think that sending him away changes any of it, you're more wrong then I care to tell you." She turned on her heel and began to walk away, fully aware of Harry's nature to come crawling back to people on bended knee, but this time he surprised her. Shouting at her retreating back he said,
"Fine by me, you're on you're own Hermione. Oh and by the way, do you want to tell Ron or shall I?" She stopped and turned back, a grave look on her face. He was triumphant, he had always known that whatever this thing was between Hermione and Draco, she had never once dumped Ron over it, which meant there was still hope for her. However, the look on her face turned, splitting into a smirk worthy of the Slytherin Prince himself, he'd be so proud,
"Tell him what you will Potter, but ask yourself this. Are you willing to do that to your best friend? It would destroy him and you know it. And you can't afford that, strangely, you also can't afford not having me on side either can you? You better get over this little setback and apologise to me, otherwise you'll never complete your mission. You need me Harry, and you know it. Funny how things turn out, isn't it." This time it was Harry's turn to look grave, unfortunately she was right, and it frightened him to admit it. He nodded,
"Alright Hermione, have it your way. We'll call a truce. But hear this, I am only doing this because I want Voldemort destroyed and yes, I need you to help me," He blushed slightly as he said this, "I've always needed you to help me," his face turned stony again, "but things are not okay between us. I don't understand why you went to Malfoy, of all people, and frankly I don't want to understand it. But I am sorry for how this has turned out." She smiled, a wicked glint in her eye, Harry looked fearful, for it was as if she was channeling Malfoy himself,
"That wasn't so hard, was it?" Turning her back to him, she walked to her common room to give Blaise the good news.