These Dark And Hollow Nights

Chapter Eighteen: The Sense Potion

Author's Note: So, here's the next chapter! I hope you all enjoy, because I worked REALLY hard on it. Don't forget to review. Once again, I don't own Harry Potter.

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Chapter Eighteen: The Sense Potion

 

Blaise’s POV

The following two weeks after the Quidditch match were the longest, most painful two weeks that Blaise had ever endured. He only wanted the end of November to come quickly, so that Astoria could wake up and everything would be normal again. Maybe not normal exactly, but he definitely wanted to eat breakfast without watching Mia and Draco together. It was too painful to watch them. It was very obvious to Blaise that Draco was in love with Hermione, whether he knew it himself or not, and he felt like breaking into tears every time he saw them together. He barely managed not to, most of the time, but of course he did. Because Slytherins did not cry—at least, not in front of people—and he didn’t fancy being called weak by the entire school, thank you very much.

On the morning of November 18th, he walked to the room where the Sense Potion was being held, muttered the password to the portrait of a little girl in a white dress (the password was Toujours) and went inside to find that Hermione was already there, waiting for him.

He didn’t say good morning, like he usually did, and instead went straight to work, stirring the last few ingredients in. The potion was almost ready—most likely it would be ready this week—and he was quite happy about it. It had turned liquid gold, and it looked beautiful as it simmered in the cauldron. Hermione was silent as she handed him the ingredients, but only for a few minutes.

‘What did I do wrong?’ She asked at last, sighing.

He glanced at her, but didn’t take his eyes off the potion. ‘Nothing,’ he said. ‘Why would you think that you’d done something wrong?’

She scowled. ‘Don’t lie to me, Blaise. You’ve barely spoken to me at all during the last two weeks, so I know you’re upset with me,’ she said. When he didn’t answer, she sighed again. ‘Please tell me, Blaise. Tell me what I did to upset you.’

Her voice was gentle, soft and beautiful. He found it very hard to resist giving her what she wanted, but he couldn’t. He had no right to tell her that Draco was in love with her. It wasn’t his place to tell her anything. ‘You didn’t do anything,’ he told her. At least that was honest. She hadn’t done anything, except be perfect enough to make Draco fall in love with her. Which wasn’t really her fault. She couldn’t help that she was beautiful and smart, and funny and… and perfect in every single way. ‘I’m just worried about Christmas, is all,’ he added hastily.

Her worried expression dropped from her face immediately, almost as though someone had wiped it away. ‘Oh, right. Christmas. I’d nearly forgotten it hadn’t happened yet,’ she said.

Blaise stopped stirring so he could look at her fully. She was biting her lip, and tears were shining in her eyes. ‘Mia… you’re not going home for Christmas, are you?’ He asked quietly.