Hannah was trying to hurry. She had been supposed to meet Ernie for a late supper thirty minutes ago. She hated being late, but it had been a bit hectic in Puddifoot's today. She'd gotten away as soon as she could. Hannah slid across from Ernie at the little cafe he'd chosen. She was out of breath.

"Sorry, I'm late."

"I ordered for you. No worries."

That bothered her a bit. Blaise would never have ordered for her. He would have made the waitress wait. "Well, I do hope you recalled what I like from here."

"So do I."

Hannah frowned. Something was off about his mood tonight.

"So why are you late, Han? Slytherins have you chained up in their dungeon," Ernie snapped.

Hannah instantly bristled. Good heavens, what on earth was his problem today?

"Ern, what's wrong? Did you have a rough time of it at work today? Are you all right?"

"Never better," he replied snappishly.

Now Hannah was irritated. She was honestly concerned, and he was being shirty with her. Had he just asked her to dinner to pick a fight about something? That was annoying. She'd wanted to sit here and have a nice chat with him, to catch up, but obviously he had other things on his mind.

"All right, Ernie Macmillan, what is your problem today?"

"I was looking for you in Hogsmeade on Halloween. Justin and I both were."

"Well, I was there," Hannah said, confused. "I was all over the place there with my cart. Several people saw me."

"Oh we saw you," Ernie said stiffly. "With Zabini. And Malfoy."

Hannah glared. She absolutely could not believe this. "So?"

"They're Slytherins, Hannah, and that Malfoy-"

"Please don't say anything disparaging. He's Blaise's best friend. You don't know him, Ern."

"Neither do you. You can't. Not yet." His voice was getting a bit loud. "You don't know either of them."

"He's been nothing but civil to me, Ernest Reginald Macmillan. And for that matter, so has Blaise. Perfect gentlemen." All hexing and stripping aside.

"Malfoy was a Death Eater, Hannah," Ernie whispered. "He can't have changed that much since school. He was partly responsible for Dumbledore's death. How do you know he was not responsible for that little light show at the festival?"

Hannah was completely affronted now. "Because I SAW him right after. There's no way he did it. No way, I tell you. I refuse to believe it. He might be a bit... morally ambiguous and a bit of a perv, but he's not evil. He just isn't."

"What about Zabini? You're just another notch in his bedpost, Han. Tell me you don't believe you're anything more."

"He isn't like that with me. It's different. He doesn't treat me like that. He's kind and gentle with me."

"Dammit, Hannah! You're so blind about the true nature of people," Ernie snapped, banging his fist on the table. "I won't allow you to be blind about this. Not everyone has good in them. Some people are just evil. They can not be saved or redeemed or helped in any way. Please tell me you are not trying to save Draco Malfoy. Please tell me you don't think to try to settle yourself in the life you had in your head with Wayne with Blaise Zabini. You'll never be more than a phase for him. His kind doesn't keep your kind."

"Can I not even be trusted to make my own friends? To choose my own relationships?"

"You walked out on Wayne and have shacked up with Blaise Zabini, so I think the answer to that has to be a resounding no."

Hannah gasped. "I am not shacked up with Blaise. I live with Harry. You know this. Sure, Blaise is my boyfriend-"

This time Ernie gasped. Hannah had not actually gotten around to mentioning that bit about Blaise being her boyfriend to Ernie.

"He's your... WHAT?"

Hannah groaned. This whole conversation was going from bad to worse.

"Please tell me you did not throw over Wayne for Zabini."

Now she was angry and seriously considering hexing her best friend's face off. How dare he. She knew Ernie didn't understand, but she didn't know his lack of understanding went this far.

"I would never do such a thing, and I should hex you for even suggesting my loyalty is anything but true. He broke vows first. Have you forgotten those snaps? Wayne was absent from our relationship long before I left. I was not enough for him. You will not make me feel guilty for not trapping myself in a loveless marriage."

"That's not what I... Hannah." Ernie paused then, seeming to be deep in thought. "I think those Slytherins have brainwashed you or have you under the Imperius or something. This isn't like you."

"I was the version of Hannah that Wayne created for so long, how do you know this isn't the real me, and that was what was brainwashed or under a curse?"

"Hannah, Justin and I are worried. We never see you anymore. You're always with Zabini or at Madam Puddifoot's baking. And then we see you laughing and flirting with Draco soddin' Malfoy?"

"I was NOT flirting with him," Hannah snapped. "I would no more flirt with Draco than I would my own brother if I had one."

"Brother..." Ernie rasped, eyes wide.

All right, so comparing Draco to a brother was the absolute wrong thing to say. "It was just a comparison, Ernie. I don't know him well enough yet to-"

"I've heard more than enough." Ernie snapped, getting up.

"Ernie..."

He tossed some money on the table. "Have fun with your new friends, Hannah. Shall I see you on Monday?"

"Oh dear! No, you shan't. I'm supposed to meet with Tracey on Monday. I'm so terribly sorry. Perhaps we could meet after?"

"Tracey?"

"Davis."

Ernie's face mottled with color. "I'll owl you."

Hannah watched as he stormed off. Why could Ernie never accept her willingness to look for the good in people? Yes, sometimes they failed her, but sometimes they didn't. Sometimes they surprised her wonderfully.


{SUMMARY} Hannah has a bit of a tiff with her best friend over Blaise and Draco.