All This Time? ; A Blaise Zabini fan fiction

Chapter 12 - "Malfoy Told Me..."

I usually try to control my emotions and my temper, but last night, it's almost as if a whole different person took over. It's like I couldn't help but get angry. I enter the potions classroom, my head full of thoughts and take my seat next to her. Brynn is sitting at our shared table, jotting down the notes from the board at the front of the classroom. Moments later, she turns her head to give me a quick smile and then returns to her studies. I quickly sit down on my stool as I hear Snape enter the classroom. "This project will stand for a decent portion of your grade," Snape begins. While he is droning on and on about the project. I glance over to Brynn again to find her doodling on what is supposed to be her notes. It is clear that she is in her own world, she looks peaceful and light. "Since this is an important project I highly recommend that you get good marks...Don't you agree, Miss Larke?" Snape personally calls her out in front of the class once he sees that she is not paying attention.

She quickly looks up and says "Um, yes. Sorry professor." I can see her face turn a light shade of red as she notices some of the other students staring at her. For being so popular, she is quite shy. Snape tells us to read the chapters in our potions books that we need for the project for the remainder of class. Out of my peripheral vision, I see Brynn turn around to talk to Angelina who is coincidentally sitting at the table behind ours. "No Miss Larke, you and Miss Hoffman cannot be partners for this project, you will be partners with Mr. Zabini per usual." Snape calls out from his desk. Brynn rolls her eyes and turns around in her seat while letting out a huff and I can't help but let out a quiet laugh. Clearly it wasn't quiet enough because I received a playful slap to my shoulder from the girl sitting next to me. When class is dismissed Brynn and I both begin to pack up our things, but before she could leave the classroom I lightly grab her wrist and pull her back towards me. When I pulled her back I must have used too much force because she came into contact with my front the second that she turned around. She placed her small hands onto my chest to brace herself and then looked up at me, "Need something Zabini?" She asks with the usual hint of sarcasm in her voice. "Just making sure you know to come to the library later." I respond with a cocky smile on my face. "Oh how could I forget." I let go of her wrist, and she removes her hands from my chest and walks away.

"You know, I don't really get the point of this project it's so stupid and it's definitly a waste of my time." Brynn complains. I can't help but notice how adorable she can look when I am not making her angry...which is something that I appear to be pretty good at. We work in silence for a while before Brynn decides to break it. "What happened back in the common room yesterday? I promise, you can trust me." She brings up one of the many things that I would much rather not talk about. "Don't worry about it." I snap. "No, I am going to worry about it because it's about me." Brynn says, now matching the more firm tone. I face my body to the girl to look her in her hazel eyes and say "Enough, Brynn." I can tell that she is not at all satisfied with my response, but she doesn't pry. "Look, I can tell that you are pissed off, so I am just going to shut up about it. Ok?" She states. "Good." I give a short answer, and we begin to work in silence once again.

"Shit." I say as I feel an empty glass potion bottle slip from out of my hands and onto the wooden table, shattering into many different sized chunks...some of which getting logged in my right hand, causing it to start bleeding. I see Brynn slightly jump at the loud sound of the glass shattering and then I see her look at my hand, her eyes widen at the sight. Brynn quickly, but gently grabs a hold of my wrist and starts examining the cuts and pieces of glass that are left on my skin. She stands up from her seat, her soft hands still holding my wrist...causing me to stand up with her. "It's really not that bad, I'm fine." I say, not wanting to worry the girl standing in front of me. Brynn gives me a skeptical look and slowly slides her fingers from my wrist, and up to the cuts on my hand just to prove me wrong. I hiss in pain as her fingers slide over a relatively large cut on my palm. "You see that Blaise? You're not fine."

Brynn is practically dragging me out of the library and through the corridors. "Brynn, stop it. I said that I'm fine." I am trying to get her to let the accident go, but I get nothing in response. We enter Brynn's dorm, and she leads me to her bed. "I can take care of it myself, you know." I say in one final attempt to get her to leave it be. She whips her body around so that she is now facing me, looking me dead in the eyes and I can now tell that I have struck a nerve. "Blaise. Shut up and let me help you. Now sit down." Brynn ordered, so I did. Brynn walks into her bathroom to get things to clean my hand and bandage it up, I assume. My eyes roam around her organized and simple room. My gaze steadies on her nightstand. There are many things on it but one thing in particular catches my eye, the photo of us that I gave to her on her 11th birthday.

I walk out of my bathroom, holding the supplies that I need. "Okay, are you ready for-" I cut myself short when I see Blaise staring at the framed photo that sits on my nightstand. I look at the photo and then to Blaise, who is looking back at me. "You kept it? After all this time?" Blaise asks with a softer tone to his voice which isn't like him very often. "Yes, It's important to me. I like to keep important things around." I say. My response felt all too natural, something that I have finally come to terms with. I walk to my bed and kneel in front of Blaise, who is still sitting on the edge of it and I begin to clean his wounds. I am focused on his hand, but I can feel his eyes staring at me. I finish cleaning the other, more minor cuts on his hand before I begin to clean the large cut on the palm of his hand, the pain causes him to flinch, and he begins to shake his head, trying to deny my help again. I hold his hand tighter, and he begins to relax. "Why are you helping me? Even when I told you to stop." Blaise speaks up after a few moments of silence. "I am just treating you the way that you've never been treated." I respond, referring to his home life and family. "You know." is all he could muster out, "Not much, but I know." I respond now looking into his chocolate brown eyes.

"Malfoy told me."

FLASHBACK

"Draco, can I ask you something?" I ask, hoping to get at least some kind of information. "Of course, fire away." He jokes. "What happened to Blaise? And before you say anything, I just think that I should have some kind of explanation because-" I start. "His family," Draco interrupts me while staring blankly in front of him, "They aren't good people." I nod my head in understanding and all I can say is just a breathy, "Oh." I am not sure what else to say. There is a long moment of silence, indicating that this is a touchy subject. I stand up from where I was sitting next to him and begin to leave. "Thank you, Draco." I feel a grab on my wrist and I turn around. "He didn't want you to somehow get hurt. That's why." I never really put the two and two together until now. I begin to leave Draco's dorm when I hear him once more, "Brynn?" I turn my head to face him, "He really does care about you. You just have to wait for him to show it. Give him time."