They apparated to an alley near King's Cross Station. Hannah linked her arm through Blaise's. James, Grace and Kristen followed them. Kristen was holding Grace's hand. They slipped through the barrier of platform 9 and 3/4 just as the first students were exiting the train.

"Perfect timing," Hannah remarked, eyes alert for Sarah and Mina.

Blaise was tense. His eyes kept sweeping over screaming children that were brushing a bit too closely against him as they ran towards friends and family. He didn't recognize hardly any of the students getting off the trains. There were a few Slytherins and Ravenclaws that look a bit familiar, but he couldn't remember the names.

"Could they be any slower?" he muttered.

About that time, Mina sided up with her trunk. "It's not me. Sarah's being held up by her fanclub."

Hannah smiled. "Hallo, Mina. Are you excited about the holiday?"

"About as excited as I would be about having all the flesh peeled from my body."

James slapped her up the back of her head, and Mina drew her wand on him, eyes flashing.

Blaise immediately grabbed her arm and angled the wand down while gripping James by the collar.

"You can fire all the hexes you want on the lawn at home, but if one spell leaves your lips here, I'll remove them from your face. No public disruptions, am I clear?" he asked, looking between the two of them.

The last thing he needed was getting glares from other parents, which would get back to the Ministry about how he couldn't control the Stewart kids.

"You can not use your wand at home, Mina," Hannah remarked. "Underage witches and wizards are not allowed to use magic outside of Hogwarts."

Mina glared at her.

James was looking off in the distance. "Oh bloody hell."

His pockets were looted by the swear jar.

Everyone followed his gaze. Sarah was surrounded by boys. Hannah blinked. Their cloaks held crests. She counted three Hufflepuffs, two Gryffindors, a Ravenclaw, and even a Slytherin gathered near the pretty girl.

"You didn't have to remind them about the underage law!" Blaise hissed at Hannah before turning to face what the entire family was staring at, and his jaw dropped. "Who the hell are they?" he asked loudly, ignoring the change taken out of his pocket.

"The ones trying the hardest to get into her knickers," Mina remarked.

"Eww. Why would you want in someone else's panties," Grace asked.

Hannah glared at Mina.

"I'll go hurry her along," James said and started out that way.

Blaise grabbed James' shoulder and pulled him back, silently stalking towards Sarah and her many admirers. His eyes narrowed once he arrived in front of Sarah.

"Hello, Sarah. Ready to go home? Here, let me get your trunk."

He smirked when the Slytherin of the group backed away a bit when he drew his wand.

"Oh, Blaise. How nice. Thank you. I didn't realize you would be coming with Hannah and Kristen." She placed a hand on his arm and waited to be led away. "Have a good holiday, everyone. I'll see you when term starts again."

Blaise glared at everyone over Sarah's head as he started to lead them towards the rest of the group waiting for them. "You have quite a following," he said casually.

"I don't understand it. I'm not interested in any of them, I don't think. Well, maybe Xander. He seems nice enough. A little intense, but he doesn't push for Hogsmeade dates like the others."

Blaise turned around again and looked over the boys still watching. "Which one is Xander? What house is he in?"

"Alexander Avery," Sarah replied in a sightly dreamy tone. "He's the one with the dark hair, the Slytherin."

Her trunk immediately dropped the ground with a loud 'thud' as he released the spell and was fully prepared to use his wand for other spells aimed at the crowd of boys. Blaise spun around and his eyes sought out the Slytherin. This was going to be one of the moments where 'do as I say and not as I do' would be in place for James and Mina, because he was about to hex someone.

Hannah rushed up to them. "What on earth are you doing?"

The group of boys had scattered quickly. Except the Slytherin one. He was walking away too, just slowly.

Blaise just gripped his wand tight and made sure that the other Slytherin was out of sight.

"Just making sure that my old housemate understands his life just got a hell of a lot harder."

"Of for the love of... why?" Then Hannah noticed who Sarah was watching the other boy leave. "Oh good grief. Let's get home. I think you are the last person to be hexing a Slytherin for having the good sense to like a Hufflepuff."

With one last look to make sure the boy was gone, Blaise sighed and nodded. He would have to wait until there weren't that many witnesses to hex the prat.

"It's not that he's a Slytherin, but it's that he's an Avery." At Hannah's look, Blaise rolled his eyes. "Okay, yes, it is partly because he's a Slytherin. I was one, hello! I know how they act and how their brain works. It's not pretty."

He looked over at Sarah. He was going to have to teach her some hexes.

Hannah glared. "What does being an Avery have to do with anything?"

"They're a huge family of Purebloods," Sarah offered. "All of them have been Slytherins practically since Hogwarts was founded. Or at least that's what Xander says."

Blaise glared down at Sarah. "You and I are going to have a very long chat on when to believe Slytherins. We're very good at saying whatever it is people want to hear."

Hannah rolled her eyes as they joined the others to head for the barrier on the platform. Sarah leaned down and kissed Grace. They had almost made it when suddenly their path was blocked.

Or Mina's was anyhow, by a girl who had boils on her face.

"I know you hexed me Stewart."

Mina just looked at the girl blandly. "Prove it, Avery."

"Avery," Hannah said. "Another one?"

"They're like the roaches of the wizarding word. Them and the Weasleys. They're everywhere," James offered.

Hannah slapped him up the back of his head. "We are friends with the Weasleys."

The Avery girl was staring in horror at Blaise. Like she knew who he was.

Making sure Hannah couldn't hear him, Blaise leaned down to whisper in Mina's ear, keeping his eyes on the new Avery girl. "I'll teach you some better hexes. Much more fun than boils."

She grinned. "Can't you see I am with my family, Avery? Why don't you go make sure your brother isn't drooling from being around my sister? Unless you'd rather stick around and see what happens to you next."

Blaise smirked as the girl scurried off, and he only hoped she would spread the word to her relatives. Hannah wouldn't know anything about the stories of the Averys, but James was right. They were like roaches; they always popped up in the dark, and no matter how many times you crushed them, they always came back for more. At least he was getting good hexing practice in.

"All right, think we can make it home without any further incident and get unpacked?" he asked loudly.

"Gods, I hope so," James muttered.

"Just think, bro," Mina quipped. "You get to go back with us in January."

"Yay me."

The moved through the barrier into the Muggle part of the station. Their little group turned into the Alley. Kristen took Grace and apparated first. James took both the trunks and was next. Hannah took Sarah, then Blaise apparated with Mina.

"James, when did you..." Sarah was surprised.

"Hannah made me retake my apparation test. I passed this time," James said proudly. "Mr. Diggory took me to the Ministry and one of the blokes in the Transportation department gave me my license last week. Surprise."

Blaise rolled his eyes. He was going to have to put all sorts of new wards up around the Manor making sure James wouldn't sneak out. Draco would have to help.

"I'll take Mina to her room and you'll handle Sarah's?" he asked Hannah.

"All right," Hannah replied.

All the children were in one wing. They were each going to have their own room. Especially when they made Grace her own place where she felt safe.

All the house-elves appeared. Hannah had never realized they had so many.

"We elves of Zabini Manor is welcoming the Misses Stewarts," Didly said.

Sarah grinned. Mina scowled.

Hannah led Sarah up the stairs as the house-elves managed the trunks.

Blaise motioned Mina to follow the others up the stairs but they continued past Sarah's room. He opened the door and held it open for Mina.

"Just so you know, the dungeons are warded shut, and there's no way you're getting in, so don't even try."

Mina raised a brow at him. "Was that a challenge?"

His brow raised to mimic hers. "Unless you can break through a blood ward, which I think would be hilarious to watch, don't waste your time. And don't go asking for help either. That also reminds me, the library is warded to only give you books related to your schoolwork. Go after any others and you'll get a nasty shock."

Mina frowned. She hoped Pansy Parkinson owled like she said she might. Mina wouldn't ask for help, but if it were offered, she would not go turning it down.


{SUMMARY} Blaise and Hannah pick up the rest of the Stewarts at King's Cross for the holidays.