The Marriage Decree

Chapter 56: No Offence, Sir!

Blaise heads straight to Pansy's house after disapparating back to the estate, hoping she can catch Hermione before she takes Sophie to her parents' house. However, Pansy answers his knock with a friendly smile that she never uses for him and asks if he had forgotten something.

"Oh, it's you." Her smile falls as she leaves the door open and heads into her living room. "Hermione and Sophie have just left." She tells him as Blaise follows her, closing the door behind him.

"Where's your dear husband?" He asks, glancing through the kitchen door.

Pansy scoffs. "Upstairs somewhere." She shrugs as she throws herself onto the couch, stretching her legs out.

Blaise sits in the armchair. "How was your morning?" He asks.

"Tiring." She admits. "Have you met Sophie? She doesn't stop talking, asking question after question. I ended up taking her around all the shops to try and shut her up but to no avail." She sighs but he can see a fond smile trying to break through.

"You enjoyed yourself. I can tell." He leans back in the chair, smirking at her with his arms crossed. "Sophie's just being inquisitive. Draco took me into Muggle London yesterday and I was probably just as amazed as Sophie was to be in the wizarding world." He admits, earning himself a perplexed stare out the corner of her eye.

"Be careful, before you know it you'll be snapping your wand." She jokes.

Blaise laughs. "I don't think so. I've been on a Muggle bus today and they're insanely slow. Don't think I could live without disapparation." He stares wide-eyed at her.

Pansy rolls her eyes, shaking her head.

"We found him. Sophie's father. I'm supposed to be telling Hermione." He stands up.

"Let yourself out then." She calls after him as he leaves.

"Yeah, see you." He tells her, closing the door behind him.

Blaise apparates to where Draco had yesterday when they went to get the fish and chips. He remembers his friend pointing at the house with a red back door and telling him it was the Granger's house. Since he doesn't know which number house it is, he decides to just head down their garden path and knock on their back door.

A confused lady answers the back door. "Can I help you?" She asks curiously.

"Hello, you must be Mrs Granger. My name is Blaise Zabini." He introduces himself politely. "I'm looking for Hermione." He adds with a friendly smile.

"Oh... I guess you can come in then." She opens the door wider for him to enter.

He spots Sophie sat at the kitchen table with a little boy.

"Hi Sophie, it's nice to meet you again." He waves at her.

"Blaise, thank you for the book. I love it." She thanks him once again.

"Which book did you take?" He asks, making his way over to where she was sat reading it. "Oh, 'The standard Book of Charms, Grade 1'." He states.

"Erm Bla-" Mrs Granger tries to interrupt but Blaise keeps talking.

"I don't need that book anymore. It's the book you need for your first year of charms lessons at Hogwarts. You can keep it." He tells her.

"Blaise!" She tries again.

Sophie's face beams in delight. "Thank you." She throws her arms around his neck in a hug. "Now I have two magic books." She states excitedly.

"Sophie!" She snaps, gaining everybody's attention. "Remember what Hermione said about not using that word in front of people who don't know." Mrs Granger reminds her, staring pointedly at the little boy sat in front of Sophie eating a sandwich.