Hannah rapped on the door and was surprised when Blaise himself answered. So he didn't have a house-elf do every little thing for him. She liked that.

"Are you ready to see where I'm staying? I have to warn you, Harry's there right now."

Blaise grinned.

"And I have to warn you, I was really counting on that little fact." He snickered at her look and threw his arms open wide. "Take me!" he said dramatically.

Hannah rolled her eyes before stepping close to him. She shivered a bit when he put his arms around her. Hannah was confused as to why. He smelled very nice though. "Please behave."

"Not a chance."

Hannah sighed loudly as she apparated them to Grimmauld Place.

"Look for twelve," she tossed over her shoulder before walking towards it.

"There isn't any... well."

Hannah paused at the opened door and held out a hand for him. He followed her up the steps. They were just inside when Harry turned a corner.

"Potter!" Blaise said loudly and with a big grin. "How are you these days, Boy Wonder? Life slow without Dark Lords to vanquish?"

Harry stopped with the bottle half-way to this lips. He wished Hannah had warned him she'd be having- oh. Right. She had. He walked towards the pair, barefoot and without a shirt. He wasn't going to mess up his weekend because Hannah was having guests over. Especially someone who had apparently been naked more than clothed while at school. "Life is blissfully slow." He looked over at Hannah, eyebrow raised.

Hannah blushed. Sure, she'd been here most of the week, but she hadn't seen Harry without a shirt on. What was it with her walking in on her new friends half-dressed? She'd barely seen Ernie without his socks let alone missing his shirt.

"I... I just wanted to show Blaise where I was staying, Harry."

"Yeah, Harry," Blaise said with a smirk, slinging one of his arms over Hannah's shoulders, "This is just a quick stop before we go shopping, and by the state of your dress, or lack thereof, I should take you shopping as well."

He raised an eyebrow and cocked his head, his eyes going down Harry's chest. "Or not. I think I like you without them better."

Hannah gasped in horror, whipping her head around to look at Blaise. He had not been joking when he'd said there was no chance of him behaving.

"Well," Hannah said loudly, grabbing Blaise's arm. "You know where the place is now. I think we should be off."

She tried dragging Blaise to the door by his arm, but he had not budged.

Blaise just stood there smirking at Harry.

"Well, Potter, I'll be seeing you later... seeing as I know where you live now. Have a nice blissfully slow life."

He finally turned to follow Hannah.

Harry watched Hannah all but pull him out the door.

"Miss Han is leaving with the dark man?"

Harry looked down at Dobby. "They're going shopping."

"And Harry Potter isn't going?"

Harry smiled. "No. Harry Potter is going upstairs to go back to sleep." He took a sip of his butterbeer and made his way up the stairs, hoping that they didn't much much noise when they returned.

"I can't believe you said that to Harry," Hannah snapped at Blaise. Then she held her arms wide in a mimic of him from earlier. "Let's go before you say anything else."

He snickered. "Oh come on. He didn't even react to it. At least with Draco I'll either get a glare or a hexing or something. Potter just stood there like a stiff." He paused then started laughing.

Hannah just shook her head. She really didn't understand him at all. She wondered if she even had a hope of figuring him out. She also wondered why she cared at all. She gave another little tremble she couldn't quite figure out when he pulled her close to apparate. Hannah's eyes bugged when she saw where they were. It looked like an undergarments shop.

"Right then," Blaise said as he stepped away and started looking around. "I know you favor pink but I'm sure you'd look good in a lot of warm colors as well. Maybe a few cool colors. And since you're a girl, I'll bend this once and say yes to a few floral things."

He looked back at her as she was just standing in the spot they apparated in. "We are going shopping. We. Means I can't do all the work here."

"I couldn't..." Hannah started then stopped herself. She'd been about to say that she couldn't go shopping for knickers and underthings with him there. Well, she just would. "All right, but things are going to be pink. I'm the one that has to wear them."

She followed him and hoped she didn't die of mortification.

Blaise rolled his eyes and kept perusing the racks, making disgusted faces at most of the clothing. "It's all kiddie knickers. Come on, Abbott. We're going to the grown-up section of the store. None of this would look good on you."

He stopped right after the words left his mouth. For some reason he was now seeing in his mind Hannah in nothing but knickers. Oh hell. Not NOW.

Hannah was so startled by that she dropped the cotton knickers with the kittens on them she'd been holding. He was already stalking angrily to another part of the shop. Hannah hurried after him. Before she knew it, she was up to her elbows in black lace, mesh, and even leather. Hannah blinked. She'd never seen anything like half of this. She pulled up a pair of knickers and cocked her head to the side, wondering where the rest of them were. This looked like a scrap of cloth with strings. Then she picked up another pair that didn't seem functional. The crotch wasn't really there.

She held them out to Blaise with both hands, crotch opened. "Is this for if you have to make pee, and you're in too big of a hurry to get your knickers off?"

His back was to her, so he closed his eyes. It's got to be the crotchless ones. PLEASE let it be the crotchless ones.

As Blaise turned around, he snickered.

"Let me put it this way, you're more likely to find those in a back alley of Knockturn. Yes, people use them when they're in a hurry, but not to use the bathroom."

Hannah frowned. Then it dawned on her. She gasped and tossed the knickers down like they'd burned her. Hannah scowled at him before moving on. She came across something pink then. Pale pink and lacy. Hannah pulled those up. They were bikini cut and most definitely see-through. Might as well not even wear knickers, but they were a lovely color and had a bra that matched them that was just as see-through as the knickers were. Hannah held the bra up to her person.

He nearly swallowed his tongue when he saw her looking through the sheer underwear. Instead, he strolled up to her, hands in his pockets and grinned. "Nice choice, love."

Hannah turned and smiled at him. "You pick something."

He seemed surprised by that for half a second before he covered it. What surprised Hannah was that he didn't go for anything truly scandalous. What he picked up was green and silky.

"Oooo," Hannah said, moving close and running her hands over the knickers. "They're very pretty. Such a dark green though."

Hannah snatched those up and another bra to match them. She'd never been very adventurous in her underthings, sticking mostly to pale pink or white, but this was starting to be fun.

"What else?" Hannah said, bouncing a little.

Blaise looked around and grinned. He walked a ways before grabbing something off a rack on the wall. He held it up as he walked back with a black and red sheer nightie with matching bra and knickers along with garters.

Hannah's eyes were wide. She hoped he wasn't serious. What was she supposed to wear that for? "What on earth would I wear that under?"

"Nothing. You just wear this."

"You'd be comfortable with me walking about dressed like that?"

Comfortable? Oh he'd be anything but comfortable if Hannah decided to walk around wearing just this. He cleared his throat. It was getting warm, and he didn't have an excuse to take off his jacket.

"It doesn't matter if I'm comfortable with it, Han. If you yourself are comfortable wearing this, then get it."

Blaise leaned and looked past her at the far wall. After squinting, he grinned impishly and thrust the undergarments he was holding into Hannah's arms. "Just a tic." He tried not to appear to happy to have found what he did, but he wanted to grab the box off the wall and rush back just to see Hannah's face. Instead, he calmly walked back with the black box back to Hannah.

"I don't understand. What is it?"

Blaise grinned. "Underwear. Made out of candy."

Hannah frowned. "Why?"

He leaned close. "For eating. That's what you do with candy, isn't it?"

"But if you're wearing it how can... oh." Hannah set that aside. "I think not."

Why did she feel like he was always trying to get a reaction from her?

Then Hannah saw something that fascinated her. She rushed up to it and studied before snatching it and holding it to her person. She'd never even touched one before. It was a pink corset with pink lace edging on the top of it. It also had matching knickers. She had never seen anything so naughty looking yet so deliciously girlie at the same time. Not that she had anywhere to wear such a thing, but she just might have to get it. Maybe she could wear it with jeans under a jacket or something. It was so pretty. She wanted to try it on.

Hannah took the items in her hands so far, corset included, and headed for a changing room.

"Where are you going? We've barely started."

"Grab some things and meet me. I'm too curious to wait," Hannah called over her shoulder, just knowing everything else he brought to her would probably be edible or black.

Blaise just shook his head and started looking through racks, getting a rather large pile of underwear in his arms. He was hoping when Hannah saw the large pile of clothing in his arms that she'd not want to try everything on, especially since he was sneaking in some leather underwear, a few thongs, and the candy knickers.

She had not removed her jeans, but her shirt and bra had went for the corset. She'd have to get him to tighten the laces in the back. It fit, but with the laces pulled, it would fit better. Hannah kicked off her shoes and studied herself. She liked it. She could never really go out in it, but... yes she could. Nothing was hanging out. She hadn't tried anything else on yet. She wanted a reaction herself. She was waiting for Blaise. Plus, she wanted the laces pulled.

"Hannah?"

"Here," she called sticking her hand out of the pull-curtain of the changing room she was in. Hannah stepped out when she heard him get close. "I think I need you to pull the laces tighter if you could."

It was only the fact that his arms locked up that kept the mountain of clothing from being dropped from his arms.

"What?"

"Could you tighten the laces?" Hannah asked again.

Blaise blinked a couple of times before putting the clothes in one of the chairs near the changing rooms. He focused on the back of the corset and his brow furrowed.

"I would if whoever tried this blasted thing on first would re-lace it correctly. Hold it up on your frame."

He quickly unlaced the corset completely and started to re-lace it, tugging each lace until it was snug on Hannah's body.

"Oooo, that's snug," Hannah stepped back into the changing room and looked in the mirror.

Somehow she was not surprised when Blaise stepped in behind her. She turned and twisted and posed before the mirror. It certainly pushed her tiny chest up, but that was the point of a corset, wasn't it? To give one shape?

"I think I like this," Hannah turned to look at Blaise. "What do you think?"

I think you don't want to know, Blaise thought. Instead he cocked his head and surveyed the corset.

"It's a bit plain, but the material is strong. It might stain easy but a quick protection charm will help." He made a face. "And it's pink, but you actually like that about it, don't you?"

"Of course," she said before gently shoving him back and pulling the curtain closed.

"You going to model anything else for me?"

Hannah whipped back the curtain and got the pile of things he'd picked out. "Perhaps."

"Chicken."

"Fine," Hannah snapped, not even fully acknowledging what she'd just agreed to.

Had he really just angered her into modeling underwear for him? Hannah rolled her eyes at herself and decided not to back out though. He'd make fun of her if she backed out. She was going to look silly with two pairs of knickers on though. Hannah shrugged. She got out of the corset and her jeans and pulled the green silk on. It was very bright against her skin. She had to adjust the bra's straps a bit, and yes, her white cotton did look funny peeking out from under the green knickers.

Hannah whipped the curtain back and put a hand on her hip. She was fighting the urge to blush and losing.

Blaise snickered. "Is that how you're going to wear them normally? I never knew a girl who wore two pairs of knickers. Is that a Hufflepuff thing? I think I might try it."

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm not exactly comfortable with putting my hoo-ha where other strange hoo-has have been, all right?"

"They do cleaning charms on stuff before they put it back out on the racks. If you don't try it on as it is meant to be worn, how will you know if it really works for you?"

"Fine," Hannah said defiantly, yanking the curtain back to closed.

She changed and had an odd moment where she realized she was utterly nude and there was a curtain separating her nude self and Blaise Zabini. Hannah had to stifle a giggle. She pulled something out that was black, barely there, and see-through. It had a matching bra though. Hannah sighed and put them on. Her hand was shaking when she yanked the curtain back this time.

Seeing Hannah Abbott in black sheer underwear was an image that would stay with Blaise until the day he died. And if he wasn't careful, his state of dress was going to start matching hers.

"You look good, Hannah," he said. But what he really wanted to say was she was the most gorgeous thing he had seen and it took all his self-control not to push them both into the small changing room, pull the curtain back, and take her against the wall. But sadly, he knew from experience he tended to be loud and the staff at most stores didn't appreciate him shagging his girls in their dressing rooms. "Do I get to see your entire future wardrobe like this?"

"Maybe," she said flippantly.

Hannah pulled the curtain back and had to sit down. Blaise Zabini had just been the first person besides her mother to see her in her underthings. He hadn't even batted an eyelash though. Maybe she was ugly or not sexy enough? Not that she wanted him attacking her or anything. Maybe he just saw so many girls in their underthings that it had no effect on him, but Hannah was betting it was her. Neither Ernie nor Justin had ever looked at her with interest. Wayne was the only one who ever had... and look how that had turned out.

Felling a bit discouraged for some reason she could not even begin to identify, Hannah got dressed again. When she pulled back the curtain this time she was in her jeans and shirt, but she was taking the green silk, the black, and the pink corset though.

"What... we have so much more to try on! Surely you're not just going with those." Blaise stared at her strangely. "I think you're the first girl I've ever met who has not gone completely mad in a store when I said I was buying their things. It's almost sad to think I like shopping more than you do."

Hannah shifted uncomfortably. "I... can't we buy regular clothes and then do the underwear thing? I don't think I should be modeling underthings for you. It doesn't seem proper. I just..." think I am not situated properly. "Can we just go somewhere else?"

Blaise looked at her and nodded after a moment. He grabbed the clothes from her hand and tossed them onto the pile of clothes by the dressing room. Motioning over a store clerk, he put his arm around Hannah's shoulder.

"Hello there, love. We're going out for a bit more shopping, but could you box and bag everything in that pile for us? We'll be back. Thanks."

Blaise quickly apparated them to another store that was, thankfully, not underwear.

Hannah was once again confused by her reaction to his arm around her. But full clothing lived here. She smiled. Until he picked up a dress that was strapless and black. Hannah gave him a look. She walked over and grabbed a dress that was bright pink. He didn't look pleased.

"Fine," she said. "But I am not giving up my style for yours entirely. You go that way, I'll go this way, and meet me at the changing rooms in ten minutes."

Hannah skipped off.

Ten minutes later, her pile was downright skinny compared to his. "Good grief. Is there anything left on the racks?"

"Well whatever space is on my side can be taken up by the amount of clothes you didn't pick up on your side. Come on, Han, we're getting you a whole new wardrobe, not just a few weekend outfits. Go back and bring back five more outfits then I'll quit irritating you... for now."

He grinned when she made a face at him.

Hannah stomped off and came back when she had her required five more outfits. She stalked past him in a huff into a dressing room. He was bossy. Hannah shrugged out of her clothes. She was still feeling huffy when she pulled on the first dress. It was a tawny color that did nothing for her. Hannah rolled her eyes and went to yank it back off. The problem with this was that she had not unzipped it and it got stuck on the upper half of her body with the skirt all over her head already in her effort to peel it off. Her lower half was utterly exposed except for her white knickers and her head was stuck in the dress. Hannah struggled to no avail.

"Um, Blaise?"

"Yes?"

"Help."

He stepped into the dressing room and promptly started laughing. He had to lean against the wall to hold himself up.

"Oh what I wouldn't give to have a camera!" he snickered. "What exactly do you want me to do?"

She was blushing. Not that he could see it. Hannah stomped her foot, trying not to dwell on the fact that he was looking at her white cotton knickers.

"It's not funny. I'm trapped."

"I can see that."

"Well find the zipper and get this danged dress off of me please."

He was still snickering as he stepped up next to her and reached up, trying to pull the bottom of the dress again. "What the hell did you do, put a sticking charm on it and then put the dress on?"

After a few more awkward moments of him trying to reach the top of the dress from above, he sighed. He was going to have to do this a different way.

With a smirk, he rubbed his hands together.

"Hope my hands aren't too cold," was the only warning Hannah got before his hands went up her back and pushed the fabric up just a bit more.

Blaise knew this had to look so incredibly stupid, him with his hands up under her dress trying to pull the top down so he could reached the zipper and unzip it a bit, but he knew using magic could interrupt some of the charms woven into the dress.

Oh my goodness. His hands on her back, and she felt faint.

"Oh hurry. Please hurry." She danced from foot to foot in a bit if a panic.

"Hannah, hold still."

"But I can't breathe very well, Blaise. I feel lightheaded."

He rolled his eyes. "Deep breaths, and be still."

His fingers finally touched the top of the zipper and he managed to get it down a fraction so he could manipulate the sides of the dress into forcing the zipper down. When it was loose enough, Blaise pulled the fabric up quickly and over Hannah's head. Her face was very pale and he quickly put a hand around her waist and lowered her into the chair in the room. Even though he really tried, he couldn't help but snicker.

"Well, I have to say, this is a first for me."

She was sitting in a dressing room with Blaise Zabini, and she was in her underwear. He'd just saved her from a dress. Hannah giggled.

"Me too. Never had to be saved from a dress before. What makes it worse is the thing looked awful on me."

She ignored the fact that she was half naked and grabbed something else to try on. It wasn't as if he had not seen this before. Hannah noticed him in the mirror as she pulled on the next item. He sat in the chair she'd vacated. She kept looking at him in the mirror. Hannah knew she should feel odd trying on clothes in front of a man, but she just didn't right now. It was strange. In fact, she felt a bit more safe with him sitting right there. Not that she really had anything to worry about in a dressing room of all places.

She picked up another dress she had picked up and he made a face. She obviously saw it in the mirror because she paused.

"What?"

"Not that one. The cut is not flattering at all, I can already tell. The waist is too high and the color will clash with your skin tone. Just throw that one out right now."

Hannah was instantly reminded of someone else who'd often said the same sorts of things to her. She pulled it on just to spite him, but good grief, he was absolutely right. It was terrible. She noticed his look in the mirror.

"Wayne picked out a lot of my clothes. If you don't want me to try something on, don't say it like that. Not... not so authoritative. As if you're right and I can't possibly be."

Hannah wrung her hands and yanked the outfit off. It fell to the floor, and she bent over to pick it up.

He knew he was going to get caught staring at her arse, but if she was going to blatantly bend over and put it in his face, he was damned going to stare at it. When she straightened, he shook himself.

"Hey, I'm so much better than that prick. Sorry for snapping like that... I sounded too much like my mother, to be honest, and I always hated it when she bossed me around as well. But think... I wanted you to take the candied knickers and you said no. I bet you wouldn't have said that to Wayne-ker."

Hannah met his eyes in the mirror. "Wayne never would have asked something like that. If I hadn't seen the snapshots of him with some other blonde all over him, I would swear he was asexual. He never kissed me back. I suppose I should have known then, huh?"

He didn't like the sorrow in her voice. A girl like her should be happy and perky, not down like she was. He stepped up behind her and put his hands on her bare shoulders.

"Hey, we are here getting you a new wardrobe as a sign that you are starting over. No more thoughts on the Wayne-ker, which is my new nickname for him. Stop calling him Wayne, love. Give him some stupid and demoralizing name so that when you think of him, you can just laugh and remember that it's all behind you, yeah? Sound good?"

Hannah grinned. She was feeling a bit warm, which was odd considering she was in her underwear. A state she forgot she was in when she spun around and hugged him.

"I'm so very glad I met you. You're very frustrating, but you make me forget how awful things have turned out."

His arms were out to the side and he looked at himself in the mirror with a very confused face. There was an almost naked woman hugging him in her underwear, and it didn't look like she was going to let up. Wary of putting his arms around her, because he knew where his wayward hands would go, he just continued to look down at the blonde head.

"I've never heard someone say they were glad to meet me. It's weird."

Hannah tightened her arms. He smelled very nice. She knew she should let go of him, but he didn't seem to mind. If they were to be friends, he would have to get used to her. Hannah liked to touch. She was friendly and always had been. Wayne hadn't like her touching other men. Not even Justin or Ernie. That thought made her rest her cheek against his chest.

"I am glad. Very much. I know you said before we weren't friends, but we are going to be. I want us to be friends."

"Friends?" Blaise asked.

Why did that thought scare him slightly? He was friends with Draco, and then he was friends with Tracey and Pansy... but Hannah was so different from those two. He shuddered to think what would happen when they met. Tracey wouldn't be too bad. But Pansy... Pansy would probably tear the girl into shreds. And when Hannah met Draco...

Blaise smirked.

"So, did today count as me meeting your friend Harry? Isn't that what friends do? Introduce each other to their friends?"

Hannah looked up at him. "I suppose. Why? Did you want to meet Ernie or Justin? They don't like you very much. I don't know how good of an idea that would be."

Just then there was a knock on the dressing room door.

"You two are NOT supposed to be in there together," said a shrill and scandalized voice. "It's not appropriate."

"It's not as if we're having sex in the dressing room," Hannah snapped, not even sure where the tone or the comment had come from.

"It's not allowed. It's against store policy."

"Cherise, when have you ever worried about me in a dressing room?" Blaise yelled.

"Mr. Zabini! Out! Out! Out!"

"We'll continue this conversation in a moment, love. Cherise doesn't like it when I'm in the dressing rooms with anyone. For some reason people get nervous at the noises."

With that Blaise quickly whipped the door open and stepped outside, making sure to close the door again.

"Hello, Cherise."

"You promised no more dressing room sex!" she hissed, making Blaise roll his eyes.

"There was no sex. I'm wearing all my clothes, aren't I? Her dress zipper was hung and she needed help. Now make yourself useful and pick up the suits that I ordered."

The saleswoman glared and walked off and Blaise leaned against the dressing rooms.

"Almost done in there?"

Hannah hadn't moved. She was in shock. She opened the dressing room door and looked at him. She was still in her underwear.

"You've had sex in public?" she whispered.

"We can talk about my sex life later. Right now we're supposed to be getting you clothed."

Hannah rolled her eyes and shut the door. She just grabbed something and pulled it on. Hannah gasped. She didn't know she could look like this. Hannah spun around before the mirror. The green dress made her eyes look very green. It was flow-y too. She liked the way it curled around her legs when she spun.

"What? Let's see then."

Hannah opened the door.

She looked radiant. He had to smile when he saw her grin. The dress really flattered her.

"I think you should wear it out today. It looks wonderful."

Hannah spun around. "So you like this one?"

"I do."

"Out? Where? We're going somewhere else?" Why did she feel a bolt of excitement about that?

"Well, I have a feeling you're going to want to just stay here and buy out this entire store, so we could eat afterwards. Why do you even need a reason? It's a gorgeous dress, and you're a gorgeous girl. That's reason enough for me. This is the new Hannah. You wanted lessons on being independent, right? Here's the first lesson: you don't ever need a reason for anything you do. You do it because you want to. If you want to wear that dress today, wear it."

Hannah smiled. He had her at if you want. It had been a long time since someone had wanted to know what she wanted. She let out and little excited squealing noise, complete with a spastic hopping sort of dance before swinging the door back closed. He was probably wishing he'd never agreed to this.

He started snickering. This would be a very amusing shopping trip.

"So, we were so rudely interrupted earlier. I meet your friends and you meet mine, right? This should be interesting."

Hannah was halfway dressed and threw the door back open. "You want me to meet your friends?"

That was... odd. Her mind was filled with Malfoy and Parkinson and any number of Slytherins that used to frighten her in school. Especially Crabbe and Goyle. Hannah wondered if that meant Crabbe and Goyle. She started wringing her hands. She was a Hufflepuff through and through. How could they possibly accept her? It made her wonder how he did. After all, he'd been horrified to learn he was drinking with a Hufflepuff.

Blaise grinned. "Just a few. Don't worry, they won't harm a hair on your pretty, little head."

Hannah grinned and ducked back in the dressing room. This was turning out to be a very interesting day.

After he'd just about made her clean out the store and they'd gone after more underthings and shoes, oh goodness all the shoes, after all of that, he'd made her have her hair done. Hannah had never had her hair done at a salon. They also put a smidge of makeup on her and did her nails and toes. She was feeling very pretty. Now they were going to eat food. She was wearing the green dress. She had also changed out of her white cotton underthings and into the green silk ones. She'd never felt so glamorous. Not even in her wedding dress.

Hannah stepped out to where he was waiting.

"I'm sorry you had to wait so long. I'll bet you're hungry."

His breath caught. "You... look amazing."

Blaise walked up to her and grabbed one of her hands, bringing to his lips.

"I don't believe I've ever laid eyes on a more beautiful sight than you right now."

Hannah was going to faint, and she didn't know why. Well, she did, but she didn't want to admit it. Not even in her head. Hannah ducked her head and blushed. She had not felt this good in a very long time.

"Thank you," she murmured quietly.

He put two fingers under her chin and brought her head up. When their eyes met, it was if nothing else was in the area. It was just them. The two of them.

The moment passed and Blaise cleared his throat.

"Any particular thing you're in the mood for... eating wise? I think after we eat I can take you back to Potter. I can't wait to see his face when he looks at you."

There had been a moment when Hannah had suspected he was going to kiss her. Then he just didn't. Hannah couldn't figure it out. Then she couldn't figure out why it bothered her. She smiled to hide her disappointment.

She almost said you choose, like she had with Wayne in the beginning before he stopped asking her what she wanted.

"Chinese? I like the little biscuits they give out with the fortunes in them. Plus, if there's tea, I can read your leaves." Hannah giggled. "Don't worry. It's just a hobby. None of my readings ever come true."

"Chinese it is," he said with a grin. Shrinking all the boxes and bags and putting them in his pocket, he held out his arm which Hannah took giggling. He walked them down to a small oriental restaurant. They were seated in the back and given small menus.

"So besides the biscuits, what else do you like here?"

"The edamame. Hot and sour soup."

"Then have that."

"I will," Hannah said.

Blaise looked over his menu for a moment before the waiter came and got their orders, bring them tea and two tiny spring rolls with peanut sauce. He grinned across the tiny table at Hannah.

"So, do you want me to gulp down my tea so you can read my fortune? Because I have to admit, I'm curious now."

"Well, they'll refill it."

He gulped down the liquid in the small ceramic cup. He set it on the table but didn't take his hand off of it. Hannah's fingers brushed his as she reached for the cup. Hannah swirled what was in side then looked in. She blushed darkly.

"What?"

She also felt a pang of something she couldn't quite identify. That damned parasol was peeking out at her.

"Hannah, what?"

"Parasol."

"And that means?"

She picked at the tablecloth without meeting his eyes. "A new lover."

He snorted. "I think that's been in my tea leaves since I was fifteen. Well then, nothing new in my life." Blaise paused and looked at her strangely. "Well, drink yours down. I want to know what your fortune is."

Hannah blinked. She sipped her tea. At his look of impatience, she giggled and drank the rest of it down. She swirled the cup and peered in. Hannah blinked. It looked like a woman.

"Well?"

"Looks like a woman," she replied. Hannah was trying to recall what that meant. Woman, woman, woman... pleasure. Hannah blushed darkly and set the cup noisily on the table.

Blaise all-out grinned. "See, this one I do remember. Pleasure," he said, dragging the word out with a smirk. "I remember it because along with a parasol, I had nearly every girl in Divination class tell me there was a woman in my teacup... and then they'd tell me what night they were free on."

He chuckled at her look.

It was all Hannah could do to stay at the table. It had been years ago, but she felt a swell of anger about the other girls. And he thought it was funny. It bothered her. Hannah didn't know why. She couldn't understand it. She hadn't even known him then. She didn't understand why it made her want to slap someone. Mainly several faceless hussies parading around in her head. Hannah stared at the table and fiddled with her napkin.

Blaise ducked his head and looked at Hannah. "Are you alright? You can't be in a bad mood already. We just bought a mountain of clothes! I even let you buy that pink monstrosity you called a shirt." He shuddered in mock-revulsion. "And don't even get me started on the nightwear. I still don't understand why you went with cats over the coverall I suggested. Sure, it was entirely sheer, but it was a wonderful blue!"

"I live with Harry," Hannah snapped. "You want him accidentally seeing me in something like that?"

Blaise paused. "Point." He paused. "Actually, it'd be funny if you walked around in that. Poor Scarhead would probably swallow his tongue."

The waiter brought their food, which prevented Hannah from reprimanding Blaise, who quickly snatched up one of the shrimp on his plate.

"What's that?"

"Spicy coconut shrimp. You have to eat it a certain way to get all the flavor. First you lick the underside of the tail," which Blaise did. "Then you suck on the body of the shrimp, getting all the seasonings off. You let them sit in your mouth while you peel the shrimp and then eat it."

Blaise closed his eyes and moaned lightly.

"God, I'd forgotten how much I love this stuff."

Hannah's mouth was hanging open. They needed to turn the air up in here. She was feeling warm. Hannah grabbed one of her soybeans and ate the beans out, licking she salt off of her fingers distractedly. She was completely fascinated with him eating those shrimp. She just kept eating the edamame without talking. She watched him.

He had just started on his steamed rice when he noticed her staring at him. Blaise glanced down at his plate and decided he could finish off his last three shrimp now.

Laying the chopsticks down, he picked up another shrimp. He flicked his tongue out at the tail, gather the spices on the tip of his tongue before bringing the shrimp to his mouth and sucking. The shrimp was peeled quickly and Blaise put it in his mouth slowly before biting it and sucking on the discarded tail for any extra spices. After chewing and swallowing, Hannah was still staring, and Blaise smirked.

"More tea?"

"Hmmm?" Hannah asked distractedly, shifting in her seat.

"I asked if you wanted more tea."

"Oh yes. Thank you."

Hannah was embarrassed. She'd been staring at his mouth so intently, she had not even heard his question.

"I should have asked if you wanted to run around Diagon starkers. A bit distracted, are we?" Blaise snickered.

"I was just thinking about..." your mouth. "Something else."

"Obviously."

"Blaise," she said, leaning forward a bit, unaware of what the top of her dress did when she did so. "Thank you for this. It's been such a nice day. I haven't had a nice day in so long. I really feel like I can be myself today. I haven't been me in a long while, I think."

He gave out a bit of a nervous chuckle and had to consciously force himself to keep looking in her eyes.

"Oh, it's been a pleasure for me as well. We should go out again. Next time you need to go shopping, let me know. I should take you shopping for me sometime as well... as long as you don't buy me anything pink."

"Oh no," she said, giggling. "Pink is my color not yours."


{SUMMARY} A day of shopping with Blaise Zabini and Hannah Abbott: featuring see-through knickers, pink corsets, and tea leaf readings.

Your visual aids for this post: