Beautiful Scars

Chp 19

Hermione's Pov

"Are you sure this is comfortable enough?" I asked, turning at the top of the stairs and looking down over the railing.

"Yeah definitely," Blaise called up from below, smoothing over the wrinkles in his cloak as he draped it over the back of the couch. "Although, if you two don't mind I would like to be able to keep my owl."

I smiled and looked over to my right at Ginny and her feathered prisoner. Her hair was strewn lazily over her shoulders and she looked more relaxed than I had seen her in a long time.

"I think that he may have other ideas," Ginny giggled as his leg kicked after being itched under his neck.

He smirked as he looked down to tend the now-dying fire. "He's got good taste in company."

Her cheeks flushed red. Stormius chirped and flapped his wings almost as if trying to regain her attention as she looked down at the Slytherin below her.

"We should probably get some rest," I said, walking over towards my hallway. "Unless you'd rather keep staring."

She rolled her eyes and gave one last nuzzle to the hawk owl and looked over the railing, "Oi, Zabini."

He looked up and laughed, "That's Blaise to you Red. What's up?"

Her hands gripped the railing as she glared down at him, "It's Ginny you ferret-lover."

"Ferret-lover?" He raised his eyebrows, "I can't say I've ever heard that one before."

"Whatever," She snipped, pointing down at him. "Now how many times do I have to tell you to call me by my name?"

"At least once more, Red."

"Arrrrgh." She groaned, looking over at me for support.

I simply shrugged and smiled back at her. Trying not to laugh as she sighed and turned her attention back downstairs.

"What I wanted to say," She started, looking anywhere but his face. "Was that you were a lot less of an ass than I was expecting you to be tonight."

Blaise smiled and crossed his arms, "I'm glad to hear that."

She opened her mouth to say something, but quickly shut it. Suddenly small sparks of embers shot out from the fireplace next to Blaise causing their attention to be drawn away from each other.

While he turned around and tended the logs for a moment, Ginny took a deep breath and shook her head, running her hands through her hair and flicking it back over her shoulders.

"If it's any consolation," Blaise said, looking over his shoulder, "You weren't too bad yourself."

"Of course I wasn't," Ginny yawned. "I'm an angel."