As We Fall (Blaise Zabini Fanfiction)

Chapter 13

Zoe

"Well, you've got to come out at some point. Eventually you're going to see him."

I tuck my blankets further beneath my chin, repelled by the idea of leaving my dorm.

"I don't want to think about that."

Stevie nods, sighs. Eric raises his eyebrows. I've snuck them both into my dorm after deciding to tell them about my complicated relationship with Blaise. I don't like keeping things from them, and I'm in desperate need of advice.

Last night, I revealed one of the most personal details of my life to a boy who on-again off-again hates me. It was a move made amidst a storm of emotion, and I completely regret it. I'm furious. At him, at myself, at everything. I'm afraid, too. If Blaise were to tell someone what I told him, my life at Hogwarts would only worsen.

"How about we go to Hogsmeade today?" Eric chirps. "It's the first visit of the year."

I wrinkle my nose at first. After a little more egging on from the two of them, though, I finally give in.

***

Hogsmeade reminds me of something you'd see inside of a snow globe.

The strange little stores mash together oddly, lining the cobblestone street. They're imperfect - crooked roofs and doors are missing shingles and knobs. The air is sweet, filled with the sound of laughter and tinkling bells.

We first enter a store called Dervish and Bangs, then another named Honeydukes (a place that gives me cavities just by looking at it), followed by Zonko's Joke Shop, where Eric buys a nose-biting teacup that he insists he's going to use on me later. Afterwards, Stevie leads the three of us into a warm bar called the Three Broomsticks.

"Wow, this stuff is unbelievable." I say, and down what's left of my butterbeer in a single gulp. My glass makes a hollow sound as I set it on the table. "Should we get more?"

"As soon as you wipe that foam-stache off your face. God, imagine if Blaise were to walk in right now."

I give Eric's forearm a tiny slap - a silent signal to let him know that I don't want to talk about Blaise right now. Or maybe ever.

"I'll grab another round." Stevie says, and floats off to the crowded bar top.

Eric makes a sudden gesture, flicking his hand in the direction of the front door.

"And in he comes - the most venomous, cold-blooded serpent of Slytherin." He says, his voice laced with mock fear. "Don't look him in the eyes, my dear, for you may turn to stone."

Sure enough, I find that Julian has walked in when I look over at the door. He is completely alone, unlike most of the Hogwarts students who are here. Per usual, he appears dark and reclusive.

I shush Eric, unable to tear my eyes away from the mysterious boy. "He might hear you."

"He's eight feet away, and it's louder than Pansy Parkinson and a glass of fire whiskey in here. He can't hear shit."

Despite Eric's reassurances, I still feel uneasy. There's something about Julian that provokes fear. Not so much an erratic fright, but a sort of dread that causes the hair on the back of my neck to rise.