Hannah had stayed away as long as possible. She had tried to avoid Harry too. He was so happy about passing his Auror exams. Hannah didn't want to bring him down. Of course Dobby knew the whole story and had tried to ply Hannah with food or anything else to cheer her up. This morning the house-elf had finally talked her into speaking with Harry. It had helped a bit, but what she really wanted was Blaise. She had stayed away to give him time to be with his friend Tracey. She didn't want to crash that as a weepy mess.

She didn't see him in his rooms. Maybe he was at Healing Hands today. Hannah sighed and flopped onto the couch. Didly was instantly next to her.

"Is Miss Hannah requiring anything?"

"Just your master," she said tiredly, noticing Didly's look of alarm at her expression and tone. He was really getting to know her now.

Didly did not say anything else before popping away. Hannah was hoping it was to find Blaise, that he was here somewhere. That he would tell her she wasn't wrong. That he would tell her she was not crazy.

Blaise sleeping in one of the guest rooms. One of the plants he had needed to harvest had to be kept from all the other plants in the greenhouse so it was kept in one of the least used rooms. After staying up night trying to harvest the damn thing, he had finally finished when the sun was rising and didn't want to move from the room. So, he stripped down to his underpants and crawled into the bed.

He was dreaming of candied underwear and blonde hair until he felt something hard poking him in the back.

"What the..." he mumbled, turning over and blinking up at the house-elf standing over him. "Didly? What the hell, I thought I told you to leave me alone."

Didly poked him with his spoon in the chest this time. "Miss Hannah is being sad on your couch."

Rubbing his eyes, Blaise tried to wake up. "She's sad because she's on my couch?"

This time the spoon came down on his shoulder with a bit more pressure. Blaise glared at the house elf.

"It's a wonder I haven't given you clothes, you ungrateful little mongrel. And send Hannah here. Honest, Didly, I can't be arsed to move. I haven't had sleep in nearly a week."

Hannah jumped when Didly popped up next to her again.

"Miss Hannah will follow Didly to a guest bedroom. Master is being in his under the clothes and sleeping."

"I don't want to bother him if he's resting, Didly," Hannah said morosely.

Didly brandished a wooden spoon at her. "Miss Hannah will follow Didly."

Hannah's eyes widened. She pulled herself up and followed him to the guest bedroom in question. Blaise was in just his pants curled up in the bed there. He looked lovely. That was all it took. She started sniffling

Blaise raised his head and scowled at her. "Oi, what's wrong? Come on in, it's warm."

She kicked off her shoes and crawled into the bed with him, still sniffling and trying desperately not to cry.

"I got in a fight with Ernie."

It took a while to think of who she was talking about. Ernie... he knew he heard that name before, now just who was it? One of her little pals in Huffle. Wasn't he the one that went after Potter when she ran out of the wedding? Oh crap, we're going to have to talk about feelings now.

As much as he wanted to say 'Sod Ernie' and be done with it, he didn't think that would work here.

"What about?"

"You and Draco."

"What?"

"He's not too keen on Slytherins. You lot weren't exactly kind to us in school. I tried to explain that he just doesn't know either one of you, but he kept saying Draco was evil and suggested he marked the sky on Halloween and that you only want to sleep with me... not that I'd mind that, but I tried to explain you haven't even really tried anything, you know? I don't know. He was so upset. He thinks I look for the good in everything far too much, and of course, that I get attached to people far to easily, but I know that last bit."

"Hannah, I'm convinced you would have rather sat down the Dark Lord to chat with tea and biscuits than have Potter eliminate him. You do look for the good too much, but why does that have to be a bad thing? Maybe that sod's looking for the bad too much. You ever thought of that? Maybe he's jealous that you don't depend on him anymore."

She chose to ignore the looking for too much good part. Hannah didn't think she did, or if she did, she didn't think there was anything so very wrong with doing so.

"He says he and Justin are just worried. I should have recalled how much he disliked Draco in school. He was also terribly upset that I am meeting with Tracey tomorrow. I do not understand him. Sometimes I think he's irritated that I disrupted the calm by leaving Wayne."

"Everyone disliked Draco in school. Hell, I disliked Draco in school, and he's my best mate. Don't look into that too much. And calm is too normal. Where's the fun in life without a few hitches? It'd be boring, that's what. And don't worry about Tracey tomorrow. She's going to be nice, and if she's not, I have plenty of blackmail material."

"You lot confuse me a bit. You're all a bit mean to one another, but at the same time..."

Hannah sighed and snuggled closer to him. She didn't want to talk about it any longer. It made her sad that Ernie could just let her be who she was now.

"We're living paradoxes, and you're not meant to figure us out. It's more fun that way."

Blaise sighed and wrapped an around her waist and pulled her close. He groaned. "Why did I insist on getting a job that requires me to be up before noon? At least with my muggle job I can just show up whenever I want to."

Hannah traced a finger up the bridge of his nose. "There's nothing wrong with waking early. And you took this job because it was what you needed to be doing."

One of his eyes cracked open. "It might have occurred to you that I am a night owl, not a morning dove. I don't do dawn unless it's the last thing I see before I fall into bed. I need my beauty sleep and Tracey kept me up all Friday with her girl talk. Not that I didn't enjoy it, but a little more sleep would have been nice." He sighed and closed his eye. "And what makes you think I need to be doing this job?"

"Because who else besides Snape could brew so well? And can you really see him working with Ginny Weasley? No, she needed you."

Hannah kissed the tip of his nose. "Sleep then if you are tired. I'll just lie here with you and watch."

He sighed again and moved around until he was comfortable. After a few moments of silence, Blaise broke it. "What do you need to do Hannah?"

"Do? I don't understand? What do you mean? Right now? I'm confused."

Without opening his eyes, he continued on. "You said this job--working with Weasley--is what I needed to be doing. So, what do you need to do?"

"Make cakes and biscuits," Hannah joked.

"Do you like working at Puddifoot's?" he asked before grinning. "If not, I'll gladly pay you to stay here and bake for me. I'm sure a lot of people would love for you to bake for them. Weddings, parties, and the like. You could make a real business out of it."

"I'd been considering that, actually. Believe it or not Dean Thomas got me to thinking of the idea. I haven't a sickle to my name just now, but one day I will. I'll open a bakery in Diagon Alley or something, and I'll make my own hours and biscuits. It will be lovely."

She sighed happily just thinking about it. Hannah snuggled closer to Blaise.

"Nut breads and scones and cakes and pastries. Smudges of flour all over me and magical fires and warming charms all day."

A grin spread across his face. "Sounds lovely. And if you don't be quiet about all that soon, my stomach is going to be wanting food and I'm too tired to get up. Did you have any plans for the rest of the day?"

"Not especially. Blaise, if you're hungry I could make you something."

"Don't you move."

"But if you're hungry... it's not trouble really. None at all."

"If you move I won't give you your present, and then you'll be really sorry."

"Present? You didn't have to get me anything. You give me enough. My goodness."

"Alright then. I was going to insist on kisses before I fell asleep but now you just run along and have fun in my kitchen. I'm sure Didly would just adore having you bake with him."

"I'll have my kisses now if you please."

"No, you want the kitchen more than me."

"You are mistaken," Hannah whispered, wiggling closer. "I do not believe I have ever wanted anything as I want you."

"Mmm, I would say that is quite a claim, but considering you're a Hufflepuff, I don't it's that much of a stretch." Blaise finally opened his eyes and kissed Hannah on her nose. "Sure you want me more than the kitchens?"

"Well, yes. Don't you know? If I get you... I get the kitchens by default. It's a win win here."

Hannah giggled. This was why she had come here. She knew he'd make her feel better. There was just something about him that made her feel good.

He chuckled. "I've corrupted you. That was a very Slytherin way of thought. But it's also a win-win for me. I get a beautiful girl and wonderful food. You're going to fatten me up and then Draco won't want me anymore. He only likes me for my figure."

"I'm sure that's not true," Hannah whispered, her breath catching a bit because his hand was somehow on the curve of her jean-covered bum right now. "You have many fine qualities."

He closed his eyes and grinned slyly. "I think you hurt my feelings earlier. You wanted the kitchens more. So now, I'm going to make you name off every quality you like about me. With details."

"No," Hannah said, kissing his neck. "I would never hurt you. Never. You're mistaken. Well, you of course know that you are very pretty. You make me feel pretty, and happy. You let me make choices. Um... let's see... you're kind and thoughtful. You're caring. You're very clever. You're loyal to your friends and family. You give good kisses, and you snuggle very well. You have excellent taste in shoes. You make me feel safe."

"About half of those so-called good qualities make me want to roll over and die, thank you very much. Kind, thoughtful, and caring? Clever I like, and I could almost take loyal. The part about pretty I can let slide, as can the snuggles. But the kind, thoughtful, and caring? Why don't you just tell me I'd be a good Hufflepuff and twist the knife a bit more?"

Hannah giggled. "You're so adorable when you pout. Did you know?"

She kissed him then, hand brushing across his chest. His fingers brushed across the skin along the back of the waist of her jeans, teasing the skin on her lower back. He was lovely. She'd never had anything so lovely want a piece of her in her entire life.

He bit her bottom lip gently and pulled it back before releasing it. "And another thing. I'm not adorable when I pout. I just... pout."

"I disagree," she whispered, moving to nip at his throat a bit. "I happen to think you're very adorable when you pout. It makes me want to kiss you and try to make it better."

He groaned and grabbed her leg with one hand and managed to sneak his other under her waist. He quickly rolled them over and took Hannah with him, her now sitting on his stomach.

"Well I think you're adorable all the time. So there." With that, he childishly stuck out his tongue at her.

Hannah giggled before she leaned down and flicked the tip of her tongue against his. "You let me play. You don't think I'm inappropriate."

Then she leaned down and kissed his chest. Such a lovely chest. She could pay attention to that forever.

"If anyone is inappropriate in this relationship, it sure as hell isn't you," he said a bit breathlessly. When she kissed his orchid tattoo, he glanced down at her. "You sure do like that thing, don't you?"

"I do. I think it's lovely. Every time I look at it, I think perhaps I'd like one myself."

Hannah went with an impulse and licked the orchid then.

Blaise let out a breathless laugh. "Somehow I don't see you getting a tattoo, not even a little heart the size of your fingernail."

"Then I shall have to do just that and not tell you until after I have gotten it. Then I get the pleasure of your having to look for where it is."

Hannah blushed. That was a very wicked idea. She had to wonder how on earth she'd come up with it.

He laughed again. "Oh, going to get a tat on your arse, then? I'll have to get one to match." The idea was so ludicrous to him, he just kept laughing. "I'd love to see Potter's face when he finds out you have a tat, as well!"

Hannah made a face at him. Now she was going to have to do this just because he thought she would not.

But it might hurt. Maybe she wouldn't.


{SUMMARY} Hannah seeks comfort in Blaise and finds it. She also decides to get a tattoo. Sort of. Maybe.