CLOUDGAZING - blaise zabini

five

"So, you've got some explaining to do," Jasmine said as she and Aurora got ready the morning after Aurora's meetup with Blaise. Aurora's stomach dropped; she knew what this was about. "Did I see you walk into dinner last night with Zabini?"

Aurora thought quickly, careful with her words. "Uh, yeah- he was- at the Slughorn meeting too. He's apparently really good at potions as well."

"Oh, that makes sense," Jasmine said, not questioning it. Aurora discreetly breathed a sigh of relief. "He really fits the Slytherin aesthetic, doesn't he?"

"Yeah, he does." Aurora nodded, but thought back to seeing Blaise innocently sketching and gently waking her up. He was definitely softer than he was letting on.

They made their way to breakfast, walking quickly so that they could make it in time. By the time they arrived, most of the seats were filled up, causing the girls to have to search for empty spaces.

"Over there," Jasmine motioned towards a small empty space by some Gryffindors. Both the girls had already sat down when they noticed that Katie Bell was directly across from them. Aurora did a double take, but there was nothing she could do- it would be rude to move.

"What's up, Aurora?" Katie said casually, smiling at her warmly.

"It's been a while," Aurora returned the smile, relived that Katie was in a good mood that day.

Aurora dug into some eggs which had conveniently appeared in front of her, not knowing what else to say to Katie. Since Katie was a year older, they didn't really have much to talk about other than quidditch.

After a few minutes, Katie stood up and addressed some of her friends, "I'm gonna go try and talk to Blaise for a minute.. I'll see you guys around." It was clear that her friends were aware of Katie's feelings about Blaise, because they all spoke words of encouragement, trying to boost her confidence.

Jasmine nudged Aurora and murmured, "this could get interesting."

"Yeah, it could." Aurora tried to act like she was focused on her meal while also discreetly eyeing Katie. Even though she didn't care too much about the situation, she knew that it'd be entertaining to see the dynamics of Katie and Blaise's relationship. If she was being perfectly honest, she was quite surprised to hear that Katie liked Blaise. She seemed to be more of the type to like some extroverted Gryffindor guy.

Blaise noticed Katie making her way over to him, and he quickly tried to avoid eye contact, obviously not interested in having a conversation with her. Clearly, Katie didn't pick up on the signals and slid into the seat next to him. A few heads turned, noticing the seating change.

Katie asked Blaise some sort of question, trying to start a conversation, and Blaise answered quickly before turning slightly to chat with someone else.

"That's hella awkward," Jasmine muttered. Though she wasn't the smartest in class, she could pick up on even the slightest of social cues.

Katie just sat there for a moment, not really knowing what to say or do. She stood up slowly and walked out of the hall, caught off guard.

"Not used to getting rejected, I guess," Aurora said softly. She felt bad for Katie, and second-hand embarrassment ate away at her.

"That was definitely a yikes moment," Jasmine agreed. "Come on, lets go to Potions."

+++

"So. Quidditch tryouts are super close," Jasmine said. It was close to midnight, and she was seated on Aurora's bed, engaged in one of their typical late-night chats. "Are you nervous?"

"A little, if I'm being honest. I've heard a lot of people are trying out. Plus, there's pretty much only one chaser spot open- even if nobody admits it, both Katie Bell and Ginny Weasley are basically guaranteed spots."

"You'll be great though!" Jasmine said, giving Aurora an encouraging smile. To Aurora, Jasmine's smiles meant the world. They had been through a lot together.

"Thanks, Jas," Aurora returned the smile.

"Of course. Now, I'm gonna head to bed. See you in the morning." Jasmine hopped into her bed, blowing out the candles on her night stand. Aurora clicked out the lamp on hers. The room was dark.

Aurora laid her head on her pillow and stared at the dark ceiling. Despite the fact that this would probably be her most difficult year at Hogwarts academically, she felt content and at peace. Her and Jasmine's friendship was stronger than ever, and there was even a chance for a new bond with Blaise. Things were looking good.

Aurora drifted into sleep, thinking of the clouds.