Ink and Parchment ~ blood and bone

56- What Happens in the Common Room, Stays in The Common Room- V

Blaise let out a shuddering breath as Eliza immediately threw herself at him, drawing him in for a hug as he stepped out of the floo. She was half his size and yet somehow, she made him feel safer than anything else ever could.

He didn’t want to admit it, but he was nervous to meet Eliza’s pseudo-uncles. He had of course had conversations with both Sirius and Remus before this point, and the fact that he hadn’t been there when Eliza had almost murdered Sirius in third year probably helped him out a bit, but still.

Parents were scary.

The Malfoy’s didn’t count because Mrs Malfoy was scary in a completely different way, the Malfoy’s always seemed to be the exception to ever rule.

“Just call me Sirius – or padfoot” Sirius was saying and Blaise tried to force himself to relax. Eliza wouldn’t have invited him (threatened him) to come over here if he wasn’t wanted but the niggling nervousness wouldn’t leave him alone.

“We need to get Blaise settled in first” Eliza said with a start, grabbing his hand and dragging him through the winding hallways of Grimmauld Place. Blaise listened to her rambling fondly and laughed when she wrinkled her nose as he patted the top of her head.

He would be fine here, Eliza wouldn’t let anything happen to him.

Besides, anywhere was better than a house with his mother.

~

Blaise felt like he was settling in nicely now. He and Eliza shared breakfast every day just as promised and slowly but surely Grimmuald was becoming more like home to him. Although he had still been making a valiant attempt to avoid being in the same room as Sirius and Remus.

Logically, logically, he knew Remus and Sirius were brilliant. Merlin, Eliza murdered people and Sirius still pranked her at any given opportunity. Blaise hasn’t even murdered anyone, they have no reason to kick him out.

But that was logic.

Theo was the logical one of their group, the same could not be said for Blaise.

He had taken to disappearing into the garden more often than not. It was a tiny thing, overgrown and more thorn bushes and ivy than anything else but Blaise enjoyed having a new project to work on. Plus he figured if he was in the garden, he wasn’t in anyone’s way.

And Blaise wasn’t in anyone’s way, but Remus Lupin was certainly in his own.

“Going back to the garden Blaise?” Remus asked with a friendly smile which Blaise tried to match.

“Eliza despises herbology, I’m not surprised she let the garden get into such a state” he tried to joke and resisted the urge to shuffle his feet. He was a Slytherin for Merlin’s Sake.

“Then do you mind if I join you? Only I have a book I’d like to read without enduring Sirius’ constant interruptions”

This was a trap.

“I don’t mind at all” Blaise said chirpily even though his mind was screaming at him to run.

Remus smiled again, although this time there was a victorious glint in his eyes and Blaise was distinctly reminded of the stories Eliza told over the years. Remus Lupin was a marauder through and through, and Blaise had just trapped himself in an unescapable game.

Walking through the door leading out the back Blaise allowed his eyes to close for a moment as he breathed in the crisp morning air. He could hear the traffic from the muggle streets around them but even still the garden was tranquil, peaceful. Pulling on his dragonhide gloves Blaise started heading towards the flowerbeds that he had discovered on the second day. He had spent days weeding them and with Eliza’s blanket permission was about to start planting some flowers.