Chapter 7: A Push in the Right Direction is POSTED
You can find it on ao3, wattpad, and FFN.
I give you a LENGTHY preview today because I’m just so in love with this banter that I couldn’t trim it down!!
Heed the author’s notes and tags folks.
“Well, we all knew Blaise would be thrilled to go somewhere else,” he declared. “He’s fucked his way through all of Slytherin at this point—”
“Most of Slytherin,” Blaise interrupted. “There are certain individuals who refuse to crack.” He cast a pointed glance at Malfoy, Theo, and Pansy on the other side of the table.
“Don’t look at me,” Malfoy drawled without looking up from his Ancient Runes notes. “You’re not my type.”
“What is your type?” Blaise questioned suspiciously.
He briefly glanced up to meet Hermione’s gaze. “Witches.”
Blaise appeared to weigh Malfoy’s answer. Perhaps searching for some past anecdote to push Malfoy over the edge. He turned a narrowed gaze to Theo instead of pushing it further. “Theo…what’s your excuse?”
“I’ve seen you naked many times. I’m not that impressed.” Theo responded flatly. Then he turned to his left with a lascivious look. “Draco on the other hand…”
“I have an idea,” Malfoy nearly yelled as he threw his quill down, “How about we stop sexualizing Draco?”
Blaise ignored him which prompted the blond wizard to throw his hands in the air in defeat. “Pansy doesn’t need to explain. I’m not damaged enough for her tastes.”
Pansy just tilted her head as if she was considering his assessment, before finally shrugging.
Genuinely curious, Hermione decided to ask about the remaining members of the group. “And Daphne?”
“Oh, been there. Done that,” Blaise said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Daphne is lovely but—for the sake of the friend group—we decided that two astonishingly attractive people such as ourselves couldn’t be in a relationship. It would cause too much chaos and unabashed jealousy.”
Pansy scoffed and leaned over the table to stage whisper to Hermione. “That’s code for Blaise wanted to move on and Daphne wanted her first time not to be inadequate so she went to the Slytherin Slag.”
The nickname prompted very undignified snorts from the boys. Daphne merely nodded her agreement and sent Blaise a wink.
Blaise looked offended and Hermione prepared herself for an oncoming fight. “You need better nicknames.” He pointed an accusatory finger at the raven-haired witch. “I liked Italian Stallion much better.”
Hermione finally—easily—joined in the boisterous laughter from around the table.
--Friends, Enemies, and All the Broken People by lost_poet