As We Fall (Blaise Zabini Fanfiction)

Chapter 12

Sorry this took so long guys! Ive been super busy. Please enjoy though!

Zoe

Classes next day are no short of a living hell.

Seamus and I are still tense, Flint is playing a game of Zoe-doesn't-exist, and I never know what to expect with Blaise. Usually, he chooses to either be somewhat decent to me or completely ignore my existence. Today, he's picked the latter.

Unfortunately, Blaise and I are supposed to meet for tutoring tonight. I'm not really sure what to expect. Last time, he came just two seconds short of what could be considered hand-holding. I doubt we'll get any work done.

A few minutes before the clock strikes nine that night, I jog up to the owlery, where a letter from my grandpa awaits me. Just as I'd suspected, a barn owl is perched at the edge of a stone window, holding an envelope in its beak.

I tear into the letter like a child on Christmas morning. He says he is proud of me, and that he hopes I am having fun. He tells me to explain how my classes are going, and to describe all of the new friends I've made. I scoff at that last part. As I write him back, I fight down the urge to beg him to let me come home. I miss the flower shop. I miss the fishermen that roam the docks before the sun pushes itself among the stars. I miss my grandpa's horrible cooking. I even miss my witch of an aunt. Before I seal the envelope shut, I slip in the folded drawing I'd made in astronomy class. Abraham will like that - he's always supported my art.

After sending the brown owl back out the window, I head down to the library. My feet are practically dragging across the corridor floor. There's one part of me that wishes with every fiber in my body to see Blaise, and another that is repulsed by the idea. They're in a constant fight to the death, those two.

When I enter the library, Blaise is already seated at the back, papers sprawled across the table in front of him. Reluctantly, I make my way over.

"Thanks for showing up on time." This is the first thing he says to me when I sit down across from him. I look up at the clock, and sure enough, I am ten minutes late. I could give a damn.

"So, what are we doing?" I ask, dismissing his attitude.

"I don't really have anything planned. I've just been working on homework."

I sigh. Great.

"Alright, well, if you don't have anything planned, then can I leave? I'm really tired and today hasn't been the best."

It's then that Blaise finally looks up at me. He seems, to a certain extent, offended. "I was just messing around with you. Don't take it so seriously. Obviously I have something ready."

I find this hard to believe, because Blaise never jokes around with me or anyone else. I decide to let it go.

"What happened, though?" He says, and then seems to regret it. "With your day. You said it wasn't the best."

"Well," I say, "it's just been weird. Seamus and I got into a fight, and Flint has been acting strange ever since he tried to kiss me yesterday. And I...y'know...didn't want to."

Blaise shakes his head. "Flint's sort of a dick. Always has been."

I hum in agreement. He's acting different right now, and it's freaking me out.

"Not as bad as Julian, though."

As soon as the words leave my mouth, Blaise's face twists with darkness. Malice, even. The look disappears before I can fully register it.

"What? Did something happen between you guys?"

The library is thick with awkward silence as he decides whether or not to respond.

"No. Well, kind of. But it was a long time ago." Blaise says. He is sharp, tight-lipped. "He and I just don't get along well, if you haven't noticed before. Family stuff."

He rubs his hand across the nape of his neck. I can tell that he certainly didn't mean to share that information with me, or anyone, for that matter.

"What happened?" I ask. I wonder if I'm being too pushy.

"I don't know." He's snapping at me now, quickly losing grip of his minimal patience. "Something with our parents. Probably my mom's fault - she's petty."

I am frozen with tension, feeling as though I've pushed past boundaries that I should've kept my distance from. I know he's certain to lash out at me now - his only defense mechanism.

"Your parents probably aren't like that. I can tell. You're lucky."

And somewhere beneath the immense pressure of my failing friendships, the stress of my classes, and the horrid reality of who my parents truly are, I break.

I burst into a fit of watery tears. I'm full-on weeping - everything that I've bottled up not just in the past month, but in my entire life, comes bursting forth all at once. My eyes screw shut, my heart fails to beat, sobs force themselves from my throat so hard that it hurts.

"Zoe..?"

Blaise's voice sounds far away to me. I bolt for the door, unable to stand the pressure any longer.

I barely make it ten steps down the corridor when I hear him close on my tail. Still sobbing, I stumble away as fast as I can. It's not long before he catches me.

"Zoe - hey, Zo -"

And then his hands are gripping my sides and he's pushing me against the wall, and his body is so close to mine that I can feel the heat radiating off him.

"Damnit Zoe, what's wrong - did I say something?"

I shake my head, my face still crimped into an ugly cry.

"N-no. I mean - sort of."

His face twitches. "What?"

"If you don't remember, you asked me who my parents were at the beginning of the year. I told you I don't know them, Blaise." My voice is shaking tremendously, and I can't look at him. "They dropped me off on the doorstep of a stranger before I could talk. They abandoned me. I'm not lucky, and you don't know a damn thing about me."

Before Blaise can get another word out, I pivot around and storm off in the opposite direction. I don't even know where I'm going. I just want to be away from him.

This time, he doesn't follow.