A Throne of Blood and Stars

Chapter Twenty-Two

When Blaise blinks his eyes open and sits up, he realizes he feels warm. And it's a very odd feeling, which is forgotten because as soon as he looks around, he panics.

He doesn't remember falling asleep, but he does remember being dragged throughout the entire school by a certain Gryffindor bully into his own dorm.

So, when he sees red velvet with golden accents and another two identical beds surrounding the one he's on, he screams.

It's cut short when a figure jumps off the futon in the small living area in the middle of the room, tangled in a blanket, and falls to the floor with a thud.

Blaise gasps in his throat, clutches the duvet and lifts it to his chest.

"What," the blanket monster grunts, struggling to take it off it's head. "What's going on?"

Out of the blanket comes a very ruffled, very exhausted looking Ron with heavy bags under his eyes but alarm showing over every inch of his face.

"What happened?" He asks again, wide-eyed.

"N-Nothing," Blaise is confused. "What am I doing here?"

Ron drops his hands from his defense stance and sighs, rubbing his face. "Why did you scream?"

"I was just...in shock."

The Gryffindor gives him a look, one that says he's going to avenge his beauty sleep, and he sighs. "You snuck in during the middle of the night and crawled into my bed. I didn't think it would be smart if I stayed with you."

Blaise is very confused now. "I snuck in? How..."

"I don't know. I don't even know how you knew this was my bed in complete darkness but who can answer that one?"

"So you slept on the couch? Why didn't you just throw me out? Send me back to my dorm."

"I'm not heartless, you were tired. Half asleep. I guessed you spent half of the night overthinking what we talked about."

Blaise flushes darkly, beautifully, and Ron has to hide his grin behind a cough. "But you look awful."

"Well, yeah," Ron laughs. "This couch is older than Hogwarts."

A surprised laugh bubbles out of Blaise and he lifts his hand over his mouth to conceal it, but Ron catches it and smiles. "Come lay down in your bed. I'll leave."

"You don't have to."

"I have classes anyway," he casts a Tempus charm and collects he has about forty minutes before the cleaning elves wreck his room and reorganize. "I'll see you later."

"Don't," Ron stops when Blaise turns to look at him, and he worries his lip with his teeth. "Don't, uh, forget we have detention today. Missed yesterday's."

"Right," Blaise nods. "I'll remember."

Ron watches him look around and pick up his robe, and then Blaise walks out without turning back. He groans and drops back on the floor over the blanket.

"'Don't forget we have detention today'? Really, Ron? Invite him to dinner and then invite him to detention! Stupid, stupid, stupid."

"Um."

Ron immediately goes to stand up but he slips on the corner of the blanket and falls on the couch. He quickly scrambles to his feet to see Blaise halfway into the room.

"I forgot my wand."

"Right. Yes. Oh, go ahead."

The Slytherin nods, walking to the night table and fetching his wand. "Did I bring anything else?"