"Ronnie, darling, just what do you think you're doing?"
The tray of canapés was swiftly ripped out of my hands.
"I've already told you sweetie," Bambi said, thrusting the tray in the hands of the startled elderly gentleman who was just about to accept a proffered canapé. "You are my guest tonight. Come, there are some people I would like you to meet."
And I surrendered to Bambi as she dragged me around the heaving ballroom, making me shake hands with various people she deemed important as they in turn congratulated Bambi on her engagement to Draco, and graciously complimented me on my food.
It was fucking exhausting.
I was almost relieved when Bambi apologetically excused herself to join Draco and her father on the raised platform at the front of the room to make their engagement speech.
Almost.
"I am delighted to announce the upcoming union of the Peverell's and the Malfoy's," her father, an ageing grey haired wizard, spoke; his soft yet confident voice magically amplified so that it reverberated off the ballroom walls.
Everyone applauded as Draco put his arm around Bambi, squeezing her to him as she stood on tiptoes to give him a kiss on his cheek.
I looked down, trying to ignore the horrific twist of my heart.
"You look like you could do with one of these," a familiar voice drawled above my ear as a flute of champagne was placed in my hand.
"Cheers," I said, smiling up into the black slanting eyes of the handsome dark skinned man before me. "How are things, Blaise?"
He shrugged, sighing heavily as he took a sip of his own champagne. "Been better, to be honest, Weasley."
I noticed him steal a glance back up to where Draco and Bambi were stood, just as Bambi was telling the room how Draco has made her the luckiest woman in the world. A look of something I couldn't quite put my finger on flitted across his face.
"Not feeling the love tonight, I take it?" I enquired, raising my eyebrows.
"I shouldn't be surprised," he muttered, glaring at Draco. "He is a Malfoy after all."
The bitterness in his tone shocked me.
"What do you mean by that?" I asked. But then my attention was immediately drawn back to the front of the room as Draco started to speak.
"I can't express how proud I felt when this woman agreed to become my wife." He paused, his eyes scanning the crowd as the whole room filled with a collective "awww".
His eyes found mine causing a sudden jolt to my heart. I looked away as my chest hardened and I felt tears pricking dangerously behind my eyes.
Not being able to bear to witness this anymore, I turned on the spot and pushed my way out of the room into the empty hallway.
"Weasley?"
I wheeled round to see that Blaise had followed me, concern etched over his face.
"I just needed some air." I muttered, downing the rest of my champagne before depositing the empty flute on a sideboard, "all that love is making me want to fucking puke."
"Aren't you catering for their wedding?" Blaise asked, raising an amused eyebrow.
"Like the fool that I am." I sighed heavily. "I think after this I'm going to start specialising in funerals."
He let out a soft chuckle, studying me intently. I suddenly felt uncomfortable, the atmosphere charged with an unknown presence.
"I'm surprised you guys didn't work out," he said, finally breaking the silence. "You seemed so right for each other. Not like..." he tailed off, glancing back towards the ballroom where a sudden noise of loud cheers and wolf whistles assaulted our ears.
"Some things are just not meant to be," I muttered, not being able to contain the bitterness in my voice as I glared at the ballroom doors. "Draco made his choice. And it wasn't me."
The horrific twist of my heart again. Ugh. I couldn't wait for the night to be over. It was hurting me more than I cared to admit.
"Yeah well, the man's a damn fool." Blaise said silkily, closing the space between us. "You know, I never did thank you properly for saving my life that night, Weasley."
He came to a halt in front of me, lifting a hand to graze his fingertips gently down the side of my face. I saw the distinct look of hunger flash in his eyes and my stomach gave an unexpected flip.
I couldn't deny it, he was fucking hot.
"Haven't we been here before?" I whispered, remembering all too well our disastrous drug fuelled two weeks which ended up with me sobbing into Draco's arms on his bathroom floor.
"We were confused kids back then, Weasley, messing around with shit in the middle of a war," Blaise murmured softly, his breath now tickling my lips as he inched closer and closer. "But tonight we are simply two consenting adults, who, if I'm not mistaken, have fucking amazing chemistry."
I blinked up at him, my pulse accelerating as his lips brushed over mine. My stomach pooled in a sudden longing.
I wanted him.
"Blaise... I-"
But I was cut off as the doors to the ballroom suddenly burst open and the party started spilling out around us. My hand flew to my chest trying to steady my hammering heart.
Blaise's eyes twinkled amusedly as he let out a soft chuckle. "Don't look so guilty, Weasley. You're not doing anything wrong."
He reached for my hand, giving it a gentle tug towards him so that I fell against his chest. His cologne smelt good; different from Draco's - spicier.
"Come and dance with me, Weasley," he purred, "we've got nothing to hide."
Without waiting for an answer he led me back into the ballroom where couples were swaying on the dance floor. Including Draco and Bambi.
"Don't look at them," Blaise murmured in my ear as he snaked his arms around my waist, pulling me up against his firm hard body as we started to move to the music.
I shivered under his touch as his fingers caressed the exposed skin on my back.
"You're so fucking hot," he growled. "All I can think about is taking this dress off you."
"Probably wouldn't be a professional move for me to start undressing in the middle of a party." I grinned up at him slyly. "It isn't the stag do."
He chuckled in my ear sending more shivers cascading down my spine. "Nah, I wouldn't want to share you with anyone else. I want you to be all mine."
I gasped as his teeth grazed my lower lip, giving it a gentle nibble. I dug my fingertips into his back, pulling him in that little bit more. I closed my eyes in bliss, wishing we were somewhere alone.
"Let's get out of here," I shuddered, my voice trembling in longing.
Blaise clearly didn't need telling twice; his eyes flashed down at me as he broke away to grab my hand and started hurriedly tugging me across the dance floor towards the exit.
As soon as we fell out into the hallway, Blaise pulled me to him and connected his lips to mine. I couldn't help but let out a little moan of longing as he attacked me with hungry, fevered kisses, pushing me up against the wall.
"Fuck, I want you right now." He growled in my ear.
"Not here," I gasped, and somehow managed to Apparate us back to the bedroom in my flat.
"Smooth," Blaise chuckled, quickly taking in our new surroundings before hungrily connecting his lips back to mine.
My dress was the first thing to fall to the ground. Blaise stood back to look at me, his eyes dancing appreciatively as I stood before him in nothing but my high heels.
"Damn, Weasley," he breathed, shaking his head.
The anticipation was causing goosebumps to rise on my skin. I'd never wanted someone so much since Draco; all previous one night stands being nothing but a way to numb my broken heart.
Blaise closed the gap, scooping me up in his arms before laying me down on the bed.
"I'm going to make love to you, Weasley," he murmured in a low husky voice as he unbuttoned his shirt. "And I'm going to make you forget he ever existed."
His lips went to my nipple making me gasp out loud, arching my back in pure pleasure.
My hands clasped the back of his head as I writhed and whimpered beneath him, begging him to take me as he moved onto the next nipple.
He was slow and sensual in everything he did. The way he wanted to please me blew my mind. I was a trembling mess by the time he hovered above me, his hardness pushing against my wetness.
"Say my name," he purred huskily in my ear as he ground against me, our breathing fierce and shallow with want.
"B-Blaise," I gasped, practically clawing at him, wanting to feel him inside of me so much.
"Good girl," he murmured, and I could feel the smirk against my ear as he finally gave me my reward.
*****