Deal With The Devil (Dramione)

Chapter Six: Lunch with Blaise

            Blaise stopped outside his office and Hermione stopped next to him. "Let me grab my wallet, sweetling."

Hermione frowned. "I can pay for myself, Blaise. There's no need."

He rolled his eyes. "Hermione this is a business meeting we're using the corporate card."

Hermione chewed her lip. "Don't you think that's a little duplicative?"

Blaise threw back his head and laughed. "Honey this is a Slytherin run company. Get used to it. I'll be right back." He walked into his office and closed the door.

"I bet you think you're hot shit, don't you?" a voice said from behind her. Hermione twirled, her fingers finding her wand, only to be faced with Shanay.

"Pardon?"

"Who are you to get off on calling Mr. Malfoy by his first name?" Shanay's face was twisted into an ugly sneer.

"Draco?" Hermione thought back on their meeting and realized that everyone except her and Blaise had called him Mr. Malfoy. "I just... that's what he asked me to call him."

Shanay snorted. "How dare you come in here and act like you own the place. You better understand, missy -."

Hermione cut her off. She took a step forward, getting uncomfortably close to Shanay. "I better understand what, exactly, Shanay?"

"I'd watch your next words, Shanay," Blaise advised from behind Hermione. She hadn't heard him come out. "Hermione here is known for her quick wandwork. You can ask quite a few Death Eaters and they'll tell you."

Shanay's eyes grew round and she took a step back. "I'm sure you misunderstood, Blaise."

"I'm sure I didn't. And it's Mr. Zabini to you, Shanay." He had a hard glint in his eye that Hermione had never seen before.

"Yes, sir," Shanay mumbled before turning on her heels and fleeing.

Blaise stared after her for a second before turning back to Hermione, his gaze softening. He threw his arm around Hermione's shoulders and steered her towards the elevator.

"I could have handled that myself," Hermione said stiffly.

Blaise chuckled. "I know you could have. But the great thing about having friends is that you don't have to."

"Oh, we're friends now?" Hermione asked as they got onto the lift.

Blaise stood next to her and gazed at the mirrored reflection inside the elevator. "I'd like to be, Hermione." He sounded completely sincere.

Before she could stop herself, Hermione asked, "But why?"

Something flickered in his gaze, but she couldn't name it. "I know I never directly bullied you in school," he started. "But I never stopped anyone either. I never stopped, well, Draco, even though he was my best friend which puts me in the same category of bully. You are smart; you are beautiful; you saved the fucking world. I want nothing more than to be your friend if you'll allow me to, Hermione."

She was silent while she digested this. When they stepped off the elevator she finally said, "I would like to have a friend in there."

It took a second for Blaise to process what she had said, and then he whooped loudly, drawing all the attention from passersbys. Hermione colored and Blaise laughed loudly, grabbing Hermione's hand and dragging her onto the street. "You can't take our friendship back, Ms. Granger. Not ever."