The Erised Effect

Chapter 5: Grownup Sleepovers Are Underrated

Blaise Zabini was a smug little bastard.

Sitting there; a wicked grin on his face and a tiny crowd of silent people around him. Naturally, he knew he would make them all quite literally weak at the knees with his kinky desires, but he had no idea that his darker ones ran that deep...and now they all knew about her. Now it was out in the open, he hesitated a glance over at Potter, Ginny's old flame... luckily, he hadn't combusted.

"Well... she never did that with me." Harry mused as he took his glasses off and wiped them clean. "And she certainly never made those types of noises, either..." he pondered.

"Really selling yourself there, Potter..." Theo tapped him on the back sympathetically, offering him a whisky glass. "Sorry, but I have to address the Elephant in the room though –" he shot a look at Draco who was still sat in his chair and pointed towards his crotch. "Not yours, sorry mate – the other Elephant-"

Draco shot him a look of death, gave Theo two fingers and then stood from his seat with a shake of his head and Hermione watched as he paced out of the Living room.

"- But ...Ginny Weasley?" Theo asked Blaise, completely ignoring Draco's dramatics. "Where the fuck did that little smut-rocket come from? Since when? You horny little Deviant, Blaise... I'm proud of you."

Blaise shrugged. "Always thought she was fit, even in school – sorry Potter," Harry put his hand up in acceptance. "Always thought she'd be the type to be ready and rearing ... with a little coaxing, anyway."

"Why don't you just ask her out?" Theo asked. "You see her most days at the Ministry...those pencil skirts and those calves..." he finished with a sigh.

"Why don't you just ask Luna if she fancies another ride on your broomstick? Blaise asked defensively.

Theo choked on his fire whisky. "We're not talking about me...please, continue." He deflected.

Blaise looked uncomfortably at Harry. "There's just never been a right time to ask, to be honest." He put his head down and fiddled with his glass.

"If you mean me, then don't even consider it." Harry cut in. "I've not thought about Ginny in that way for years..." he glanced over at Pansy for a moment, before his eyes flicked back to Blaise. "You want her; go and get her."

Blaise smirked and looked at him. "Could say the same thing to you too, mate." As he nodded in Pansy's direction, and Harry shook his head in warning.

Hermione had always thought Harry's little crush on Pansy was cute. He was a jabbering wreck around her most of the time, and he always loitered in the background, just waiting to be seen. Naturally, Hermione wasn't allowed to tell Pansy any of this, with Harry making her keep tight lipped for fear of ruining his friendship with her.

It was uncomplicated, subtle and oh so very cute ... unlike her own situation with Draco, which was the complete bloody opposite at the minute.

Hermione noticed Harry slip away through the door and make his way into the kitchen – probably to stop Malfoy from taking a butter knife to Theo's genital area. It was odd how Harry was usually the one who could bring him round and calm him down with his wise words. The friendship that the boys had with each other was a far cry from Hogwarts ... they had been inseparable for a few years now, and Hermione knew that Harry probably knew a lot more about Malfoy than he ever let on.

"I need to ask you a few questions Blaise, just like I did with Theo last week." Pansy asked the man as she came to sit on the stool that Hermione had occupied in front of him. Pansy took out her official-looking note pad and quill as she sat down to start grilling him.