BOYS LIKE YOU | B. ZABINI ✓

𝐒𝐈𝐗 : 𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑

𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐃 | ✓

Allison was basically a third wheel. Elle had asked her to accompany her to Madam Puddifoots Tea Shop, where she uncomfortably sat, watching Elle converse with Theodore and every time the little bell chimed at the door, Allison's heart sped up, thinking it might be Aurors. Ron, thankfully, wasn't dead but the Monkshood had somehow made some of his limb functionality to shut down completely due to some unknown allergy he had, meaning Ron was paralyzed from neck down. (Poor thing can only move his tongue, lips and eyes and that's it.) They were moving him to St Mungos today, Madam Pomfrey was hoping the healers there could at least get some movement in his arms and hands so he could return to school, even if he were to use a wheelchair.

Thankfully for Allison, McGonagall didn't see her as the number one suspect anymore, thanks to some misleading clues all staged by a certain someone, but that didn't mean Allison didn't feel guilty about it and that she wasn't afraid they'll eventually find out that it was her all along and not poor Harmonia Dexter, who was in Hufflepuff and wouldn't have found a way to poison the sugar quills, at all. Harmonia was a prefect as well, though this played well into Allison's story.

Blaise had told her to tell McGonagall that Harmonia took her sugar quills as a threat to something (McGonagall had eyed her funny, "Hufflepuffs are not evil Miss Newton." Oh if McGonagall only knew how evil they can truly be). Blaise then told her to cry if McGonagall didn't believe her, for Allison the tears came easy. She stripped Ron's entire life away from him. Sure she didn't like the prick, but that was something else.

"Elle, I'm heading to Zonko's." Allison said when she saw Mayleen walk past the shop, thickly dressed in a black coat. Allison quickly wrapped her scarf around her neck and slipped her gloves on before rushing out. She called out to Mayleen, who stopped but didn't turn around to see who it was. "I thought you weren't coming to Hogsmeade." Allison said to her once she stopped by her side.

"I needed to buy a gift for you." Mayleen said, throwing her curtain of black hair behind her shoulder and started walking. Allison quickly followed.

"My birthday is after the Christmas break May." Allison reminded her and she heard Mayleen laugh.

"Not for your birthday silly," She laughed again. "For the party we're hosting, for you. Bring any one you like. I think Elle is already invited, seeing as Theo is dating her. Bring that McLaggen boy, as well as your dorm mates."

"I don't want to celebrate it May." Allison argued, feeling her face get hot and her eyes water. "I can't celebrate it, knowing what I do. Harmonia is innocent, I'm-"

"I don't care Allison, as long as we win and they loose." Allison gaped at Mayleen and shook her head, now laughing.

"So it's just about Quidditch huh? There's no feeling sorry for me," She then lowered her voice into a whisper before glancing around them. "Who had to do all your dirty work?"

Mayleen rolled her dark eyes. "I told Blaise to choose you because I knew you would get the job done, now stop being a baby." She too then lowered her voice. "You didn't fucking kill him, did you?"

Allison swallowed hard. She was right, she didn't kill him but it still was too much to take in. Just two weeks ago, she was as carefree as ever, living up to the Gryffindor status, dancing at parties and then it all changed with two stupid words she herself uttered. I accept. And now, she was a murderer, and she hated herself for it.

"Now run off to Blaise, he's standing there alone like a bloody creep. I need to find you a gift." Allison turned around and sure enough, there stood Blaise, Slytherin scarf proudly draped over his shoulders, hands in his black robes and Allison wondered if he wasn't freezing as she slowly walked up to him. She awkwardly greeted him and he smiled at her, Allison had learned that this was his easy way of saying hello. A simple smile that could turn your insides into putty.

"At first, I had my doubts about you." Blaise said, examining her as though she was under a telescope. "Out of curiosity, how come you're friends with a Slytherin, you and that redhead girl?"

"Our fathers are Death Eaters." Allison said, trying to concentrate anywhere except his chocolate eyes but her attempts were feeble.

"Slytherins I reckon." He hummed thoughtfully, walking away and he looked over his shoulder, silently telling Allison to follow, and she did.

"No," Allison shook her head. She never liked talking about her father because he was in Azkaban (no shocker there) and because her mother didn't like speaking about him. Plus her mother looks like she doesn't even like her own daughter. "My father and uncle were in Hufflepuff, as well as Elle's dad."

"Interesting." Blaise mused and Allison nodded. McGonagall had told her that Hufflepuffs weren't evil, if she had met her father and uncle, she would've had a change of heart in less than a nanosecond.

"Yes, my father thought the Dark Lord's work was beautiful. He studied him, the way he held his wand, to the way his tongue would curl whenever he said a curse." Allison sighed. "I hoped for Slytherin too, but Elle and I got Gryffindor while May scored Slytherin." She chuckled, though she found nothing funny. "I've been meaning to ask," She wasn't. "I've finished the mission a day before the D-day, what happens now?"

Blaise smiled at her. Stop smiling at me Blaise. "Well, there's one thing I have to tell you."

☆☆☆

Allison and Masami walked around the Slytherin common room and a few Slytherins thanked her, when Masami eyed her funny and asked what they were thanking her for, Allison panicked and finally said, "I don't know. You know they're weird."

Draco Malfoy had given her a beautiful quill, with gold and green rhinestones and that's when Allison began really panicking. Her dorm mates (Katie wanted to come, though her best friend Leanne scored them both detention with Professor Biscuit) had all eyed her funny, Elle especially but when Blaise stood next to her, as to give her the present he bought her, she slowly calmed down.

(It was in that moment Allison realized that Mayleen, Hermione and Luahana were right. She was in love with Blaise Zabini and she didn't know why. Was it the way he walked, as though the entire world was his and his alone? Or was it his smile? Maybe it was his eyes? Allison didn't know.)

Blaise's gift was simple yet Allison thought it was the most wonderful thing ever. A simple gold chain, with a sapphire or amethyst (Allison didn't know the difference, she was going to ask Imelda or Artemisia later, they knew everything about fashion and maybe she could learn a thing or two from them) hanging proudly. Blaise had then inched forward, as if to give her a hug. Allison froze as though she had been stunned and remained as stiff as a tree when Blaise's arms engulfed her tiny body in a warm hug. Allison could smell his intoxicating scent. Lemons, ink, cinnamon and mint. She didn't know one person alone could smell that bloody good.

"Meet me in the kitchen, at exactly midnight. There is something I have to tell you." He whispered in her ear before letting go and he smiled at Allison, who could only stare after him.