I Beg Your Pardon, Potter?

Chapter 14

Blaise and Hermione quickly ran into the issue of finding a house neutral place to play their board game. They had decided on Wizard's Chess as it was a game that both of them knew how to play (even if it wasn't Hermione's favorite), but after Blaise had fetched his set from the Slytherin Common room, they had just stood awkwardly in front of the blank stretch of wall that concealed its entrance.

"I've always found it strange," Hermione said after a minute of searching her mind for a place where they could go, and coming up blank. "That all of the common rooms have such different doors." Blaise cocked his head to the side and looked at her with interest.

"What makes you say that?" he asked. She shrugged.

"Oh, I don't know," she said. "Just something to do with the fact that we're standing outside of your common room and it is so different from mine. We have a portrait, which perhaps gives us away, particularly in comparison to this." She gestures to the wall. "How would you know where it was if you hadn't had someone to tell you?"

"I don't know which portrait your common room is behind," Blaise protested. "There are thousands of portraits in this castle."

"I suppose."

"Wait," Blaise said. "Something's coming back to me. It's a portrait of a fat lady. I have a vague recollection of someone saying that she was missing after that attack on the Gryffindor Common room in third year. But I don't know which fat lady." Hermione laughed.

"I could show you," she said. "Of course, then I would have to swear you to secrecy."

"Would we be able to play chess in the Gryffindor Common room, do you think?" Blaise asked. Hermione thought about it for a moment and then shook her head.

"Should we just go back to our little pod then?"

"I suppose." She didn't really want to go back there, but they were rather short on options. Then inspiration hit. "What about the Room of Requirement?" Blaise slapped a hand to his forehead.

"Of course! I can't believe I didn't think of that. I'm such a ninny." Hermione giggled. She felt oddly light and she supposed it was the feeling that came with having no more responsibilities for the day while everyone else was still working. She liked the feeling, but she couldn't help thinking that being around Blaise had something to do with it.

She couldn't deny that they had some sort of chemistry. Thus far, they had worked remarkably well together with their potion. Although she could not see any of the others', she was almost certain their was among the best. And it did not hurt that he was devastatingly attractive, with his sharp cheekbones and milky coffee skin.

"So have you thought about your halloween costume yet?" Hermione asked as they started to make their way up the stairs. Her conversation with the Gryffindors this morning felt like it had taken place yesterday, though she realized it had only been that morning.

"Of course," Blaise said almost immediately. "Pansy wouldn't invite me to the Halloween party until I had a costume picked out."

"You're going to the party with Pansy?" Hermione asked. She was careful to keep her tone casual, but this was the first she had heard of Pansy and Blaise having any sort of relationship and she was surprised to find the idea painful.

"Ah, crap," Blaise said. "You probably don't know about the Slytherin Halloween party, do you?" Hermione frowned and shook her head. "Well, the cat's out of the bag now. Why don't you come as my plus one?" A thrill of excitement blossomed in the pit of Hermione's stomach.

"That would be lovely."

"Wonderful." They reached the marble staircase. It was quiet as most students were still in lessons. Hermione's stomach grumbled. She looked towards the Great Hall and noticed that there was a table still spread with food.