Between Us - Dramione/Blinny

Ch. 5

"I'm not trying," Blaise shrugged. "I haven't made any type of move."

"So what are you doing then?" Draco asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm going to make sure she knows I'm here," Blaise answered, turning his attention back to the red head who was now conducting beater tryouts. "I'm not going to push her. I just want to get stuck in her head."

"Ginny's not a plaything, Blaise," Draco said.

"I never said she was, Draco." Blaise looked back at him again, a stern look on his face. "Look, mate, there's something about her that I can't shake. She's a strong witch, and knows what she wants. She doesn't take any sort of bullshit. Everyone that my mother has tried to set me up with has been too passive, the typical Pureblood debutante. Ginny is different. I'm not going to make her do anything; I'm just going to let her know she has other options and let her decide for herself."

He turned his attention back to the pitch and the two of them fell silent. Draco gave his friend a curious look but then found his eyes wandering back over to Hermione. She still had her book open, but now she was watching the tryouts. The wind was blowing her hair around slightly, but after a few minutes he watched her pull her tresses up into a bun.

"How are things going between you and Granger?"

Draco looked over at Blaise, raising an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

"You two do rounds together, I'm sure you talk," He shrugged. "I'm just curious."

"There's nothing going on between us," Draco insisted, thinking back to the week before. "We've actually agreed to do separate patrols, switching off every night."

Blaise gave him a confused look. "McGonagall is alright with that?"

"She doesn't need to know, and she gave us the ability to decide how rounds are patrolled," Draco shrugged.

"Did something happen?" Blaise asked curiously.

Draco didn't answer for a few moments, but then he sighed and looked up at the cloudy sky. "We had a...conversation last week during rounds. She asked why I came back, and I told her more than I wanted to."

"Ahh, and now you're trying to distance yourself because she made you feel vulnerable," Blaise said observantly. He looked over at Draco when the blond didn't reply, and shook his head. "You don't need to keep your problems to yourself anymore; maybe she can help you get past everything."

"She has her own problems, I'm sure," Draco replied finally, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"And you think you're just going to add to her problems?" Blaise asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well I certainly can't help any of them," Draco retorted, scowling at his friend. "Why are you so insistent on my being in her life?"

Blaise shrugged. "I think it would be good for you."

"Doubtful," Draco scoffed.

Rolling his eyes, Blaise turned his attention back to the tryouts. They were almost finished, trying out seekers now.

"Are you going to be on the quidditch team this year?" Blaise asked, breaking the short silence.

Draco shrugged. "I'm not sure. I might, just to have a distraction from everything."

"I can think of something else that would distract you," Blaise grinned.

Rolling his eyes, Draco stood up and glared at Blaise. "Are you just going to suggest I get together with Hermione every time we talk?"