Not Who You Thought I Was, Huh? -- Reserved

[Kayla B. --//> *Mariana]

Mariana made her way down to the lake after eating dinner, hoping to catch the eye of Blaise Zabini, the one that she was secretly meeting with after dinner. She smiled to herself after the exchange that happened between the two of them. Though, getting fifty points was a fair loss for the Gryffindor team, she figured it was worth it.

She found her favorite tree by the lake when she arrived. It was a bit gloomy out, so she figured not many of the other students would be out. Though, she wondered if, given the weather, Zabini would show up.

So, she waited patiently. She hoped it wouldn't take too long, because she did have some homework to do. She hated not getting it done right away, so she had more time to do what it was she loved the most.

[sohviet]

Dinner had come and passed uneventfully;
After the class had finished, without a doubt Blaise Zabini had disappeared with out so much as a trace, only appearing oncemore seated along the the long emerald green table, surrounded by other Slytherins, all animatedly talking. He joined in occasionally, but that was the the least, having sat facing away from the rest of the school he apparently cared for nothing else that was occurring. Naturally, he did not notice whether she had looked for him during dinner but such was life.
But dinner had passed indeed.
As opposed to making his way straight outside, Blaise passed silently through the great hall not looking either way, his deep hazel eyes fixed straight ahead of him as his cloak billowed off behind him.
He had returned for a moment back to the Slytherin dormitory, finding his outdoor cloak. It was a long, Hogwarts cloak of deep emerald; the darkest shade near possible, long and shrouded about his ankles. It did have a hood, and this time he had pulled it up over his head casting dim shadows onto his face; though with his neck and collar showing visibly it was obvious to anyone he was a Slytherin. And it was not an entirely uncommon sight to see a member of this house dressed in such attire.

Smoothly, and silently, presumably unnoticed he had made his way outside after a short while. Although it was still relatively light, there were thick clouds over the sky casting a gloomy lit atmosphere over the surrounding scenery. But Blaise cared little for the scenery as he made his way to his potions-acquaintance`s meeting point.
He had surprisingly made the effort to discover her name; in asking someone else in his house who took more lessons with her.
Mariana Gear; it was. He made a mental note.

Nearing the lake, the cloaked figure was in full view, viewing the glassy surface stretched for surely miles. And there, by the tree was the figure of the young girl he knew by face and now name. There were few other people out indeed, none of which he recognised anyway..
He thought better of raising his hand to wave; and instead just observed the girl as he neared; yet without having said a word he reached her. His long clock finally fluttered to a rest, and he pushed the tip of his hood back an inch or so, shedding light upon his features that was dearly needed.

[Kayla B. --//> *Mariana]

Mariana had been staring in the other direction when Blaise had approached. She must have been daydreaming, because the sound of a whipping cloak had pulled her out of her revelry and scared her half to death. A muffled scream emanated from her lips.

Trying to disguise her fear however, she noticed that it was him and not another Slytherin trying to jinx her into oblivion. A smirk crossed her face again. It was so easy for her to feel evil around him, but she wasn't.

Mariana didn't know what it was about this boy, but it was definitely bringing out the pureblooded, mudblood hating side of her. She had to shake her head to get those types of thoughts out of her mind, because even though she was supposed to be in Slytherin when they were sorted, she ended up in Gryffindor.

"You made it I see." Her delicate voice seemed to float through the air. "Have you come prepared, Zabini?"

Not waiting for a response, Mariana reached into her cloak by where she normally kept her wand. For dramatic effect, she waited for his response before pulling anything out of her cloak.[/size]

[sohviet]

Blaise`s mood was always unrecognisable, and certainly indescribable at best. The dark skinner boy merely watched her, and listened to her words without obvious reaction to them. He did not mind her calling him by his surname, as opposed to first name - in fact, if anything he preferred it. It was immensely respectful if spoken in the right fashion. However he picked up this fashion was as much a mystery to the rest of the world as it no doubt was to himself.

Prepared? For what had she meant by that.. His mind spun a few tales, trains of thought in scenarios that might never be was all but that sprung to mind. In fact... The only obvious change in his demeanour about the tall, cloaked figure was those familiar hazel eyes move. Though his expression was fixed, and positively on a negative balanced base, his eyes oft seemed something else. A mile apart. He oft frowned with them too, but they really were an unforgettable shade that shined.
This time, they flickered sharply to the motion of her hand with a fierce cunning, as if ready to snarl like some ill reputed beast.
His left hand twitched, an instant reaction as if about to go for his own wand. He was certainly left handed, and kept his own in an ivory case around his waist; just below his cloak folded about his person.
"Prepared..?" he repeated; his own gaze involuntarily begging to flicker back to her hand in her pocket - as if daring her to take her wand out.
In a battle - and he had been known for it - he had only stopped at the law, in casting horrific curses on the opponent. Half a step below the crucio curse was a good enough reprimand for the humiliation of being expelliarmus-ed.
He lifted both arms slowly, and folded his arms before his chest. Smoothly in doing so however, his hand did slip beneath his own cloak - as if inconspicuously it would not have been noticed otherwise.
Always nice to have a precaution.
He would not so willingly trust a Gryffindor; And yet there was something a hundred miles different about Mariana Gear.

[Kayla B. --//> *Mariana]

Mariana smiled at Blaise's reaction. "A bit touchy are we?" She said as she pulled out a golden quill and some parchment.

She had plans to try to get to know him. There was something illustrious and invoking about him. His sultry tone of voice, the way his hazel eyes danced upon objects. She would never admit to ever noticing such things, except in her journal.

"I must apologize, if you feel mislead by the reason you are down here. I thought it would be better for me to make a confession to someone. I...was supposed to be in Slytherin house first year, my parents and my adoptive parents are purebloods. The four of them were in Slytherin house, though however unlucky I am, I ended up in Gryffindor. I rarely do anything that will compromise my...ah...Gryffindor name, but you have no clue how intriguing I find everything about the Slytherin house." Mariana began her confession.[/size]

[sohviet]

Blaise Zabini refused to answer her first accusation at being touchy. It was not that he was trusty; it was just he was not in the business of trusting people much. Like assumptions, he did as he feared as if some kind of protection. He was neither one to be trusted either.

A short pause, listening to what she had to say; He had pursed his lips, arms still folded loosely over his chest and he observed everything she spoke and did.

And then, Mariana had finished smoothly - and he contemplated everything she had said; whether or not he believed her he generally kept his feelings of such to himself.
One last pause, and he opened his mouth to speak; the outlines of his lips seeming unsure enough of what his throat was saying - like nothing he would say would be predicted not even by his own flesh and blood clung to what white skeletal frame.

"Why would you tell me this, though?" he asked - a hint of politeness in his tone of voice, if just that. He seemed more intrigued than anything else.

[Kayla B. --//> *Mariana]

Mariana thought about the question. Even the answer evaded her. There seemed to be something about Blaise that made her want to tell him stuff about herself, that nobody knew. Though, while contemplating her answer, she came up with a viable answer, until she knew the real reason she had told him.

"You're the first Slytherin that has actually spoken to me, and not taunted me. So, I figured, if one of them knew, it might be easier for all of us."

There was another plausible reason behind telling him such a thing. For at least four years, Blaise and her had been in multiple classes together, normally sitting by one another, possibly by pure accident. However, the four years that had passed, were excruciating to Mariana. She was one that kept those feelings in, unintentionally she wanted to spend more time with Blaise, to get to know him better. She thought there might be something between them possibly, but Mariana was normally wrong about such things. She figured it might work out though, if she was to give it a shot.

[sohviet]

Blaise evidentially didn`t think much at her answer, for fault that he replied rather quickly indeed with a smooth choked `heh`.
"That makes sense.." his words replied, nodding once or twice as he spoke, a second`s glance about the grounds.
It appeared a crisp evening, oddly beautiful if one cared to consider it so, for the sun was slowly sinking over the horizon, shedding blood leaking the sky a crimson.
Red for Gryffindor - and his gaze flickered away not a second as it had settled on that dangerous sky haze.

"You know not why the hat put you in Gryffindor?" he asked slowly; for his own certain beliefs were that it was not your family, nor anything else superficial about someone that made them be in one house - but it was their potential underneath. And if she was surely put in Gryffindor by the Sorting Hat`s searching her very soul, it had decided she was best for that house.
Having said that, there was a very thin line indeed separating Gryffindor from his own House.
Though never let it be said Blaise Zabini would have admitted that; that any Slytherin would `lower themselves` down to be alike a Gryffindor.
But that was just his own attitude - an attitude he rarely voiced; but oft thought.

[Kayla B. --//> *Mariana]

Mariana thought that Blaise didn't believe her. That anything that she could possibly do, would make her a Gryffindor, no matter what she says. The truth be told, she wasn't sure why the Sorting Hat put her in a house that she was not meant to be in.

"I should ask it. It's in Dumbledore's office. I just don't fancy going there. I'm peaceful here. It doesn't help that I might end up getting detention for jinxing all of the horrid animals that Hagrid was going to use in class tomorrow." Mariana said, having a sneaking suspicion that they were being watched.

Mariana looked around making sure that there was nobody visible before she continued her confession. It took a bit out of her, to just tell Blaise the truth, but she figured it was worth it.

"I had an alternative motive for bringing you out here and telling you all of this though, I must confess."[/size]

[sohviet]

He smiled lightly at her reference to Dumbledore`s office; it seemed. He himself had never been up to Dumbledore`s office, not for anything - but had heard so very much of it. He doubted many people ever had. It was not something most people held highly as a claim.
He almost wanted to go.

And then Mariana had glanced around cautiously, as if she suspected they were being watched. It sent a cold shiver down the Slytherin`s spine - one that he did not react to, however. Did not save for uncross his arms before his chest, aware his hand was now further away from his wan within his inside cloak pocket than he so oft liked it to be, but that could never be helped.
Whatever it was however, that sparked his acquaintance`s curiosity disappeared, and she looked back to him resoundedly; as if there really was not a thing watching them. There surely did not seem to be, as far as it went.

"Oh?" Blaise asked, in response to the final thing Mariana had said. He was interested indeed.. For it mattered, somewhat. That she might have a confession.

[Kayla B. --//> *Mariana]

Mariana sighed indignantly. Her face began to tint a slight crimson color, such as the sky was doing. She wasn't sure if she was smile or smirking, she was feeling very mixed up at the moment.

"Blaise, I would like to spend more time with you." Mariana's voice raised an octave or two. "What do you think? It can be private, if you want. Or it can be public. Whichever you prefer, if you want to spend time with me, I mean."[/size]

[sohviet]

If there was anything Blaise had expected at that moment; the connotations of her actions were not quite it.
For one, she had blushed. That was obvious; A trick of the light? He thought not, for her cheeks had certainly flushed just a drop out of their usual colour.

He found himself smiling. A cross between a smirk and a smile; However the first dissolved the moment he realized he was doing so; and it became nothing more than an amiable, understanding smile.

There was a definite confusion in her own smile it seemed; bemusedly so.
And then her voice; had it shaken beneath the weight of her words; as if they meant something so much different. He did not choose to look too much into all of these tell-tale instances.. For even her words told stories.

Blaise made a very quick decision of the situation; being that a situation it was. It would even be said he did not think about it before he spoke again. Just spoke what an instantaneous reaction would be.
"Oh."
He reached out his hand; almost thankful he`d uncrossed it a moment before, and placed it upon her shoulder. He could feel her delicate shoulder blade beneath it, her awaiting on his words as he looked her deep in the eyes. A penetrating stare if ever there was one; and yet there still seemed something offly hesitant about his actions.
He leaned in a fair bit closer, to speak in a lower voice. Hushed as it were, as if he were saying something of utmost secrecy and importance.
"If it were less spoken about; I would have nothing against spending more time with you." he said; an obvious smile upon his lips.
He so rarely smiled when he could help it, or was necessary.

[Kayla B. --//> *Mariana]

Mariana was confused by Blaise's words. She didn't know if they were positive or not. She took it as a negative, and seemed very taken aback. She shrugged out from under his reach. Thinking there was something wrong with her, other than being a Gryffindor...instead of a Slytherin...was the first conclusion she jumped to. Knowing that the assumption was not as far-fetched as one may think.

"Oh! Alright. I get it." Her anger escalated. "Its because I'm Mariana Gear, seventh year Gryffindor!"

She knew that she had an anger management problem, and rarely ever let it show, but Mariana was upset. She had never actually encountered the problem of speaking with a Slytherin, on 'good' terms.[/size]

[sohviet]

Blaise was oft glad he did not have a quick temper; for it was often problematic when someone did. He was always; without fail; passively calm at the best of times.

If anything however, he looked momentarily surprised at her reaction; and shook his head quietly.
"I think you misunders-" he uttered in a barely audible voice, but let his own words trail off. He had spoken that whilst she was still finishing her own sentence; and she had continued lest to reply.
Let her muse in her anger a while longer; it did the world a whole lot of good more. If she`d misunderstood his words, it was her own fault, and not his own.
He took another long pause; but found himself quiet unable to hold in his own pensive silence, he just simply had to speak again, despite hisself in a most uncharacteristic fashion.

And then she had stopped; Blaise`s voice raised.
"You need to listen to what I say first time round!" he snapped back at her; but despite being anything angry - his eyes were still shining with a heartfelt smile.
Less than a second as he had spoken, he`d moved in such a quick fashion he`d hardly even noted hisself doing it; but seized her wrist, trapping her frame up against the tree she`d so unknowingly found herself cornered in.
In another sweeping motion, he kissed her suddenly - an act enough to shut anyone up, and then bit her lip enough to sting but not cut, at the same time. Seemingly crossedly; but certainly did not have his heart behind such a negative mindset.
His grip loosened; he`d have hoped she was silenced by now; for an explanation at the very least.

[Kayla B. --//> *Mariana]

"Whoa!" The only thing that would come out of Mariana's mouth.

She was very dazed at the happenings. She had never once expected him to kiss her. She was bemused, unknowingly her face turned a violent shade of crimson, almost purple even. She hadn't realized it, but she was holding her breath. Blaise's grip had not frightened her, it had calmed her down. Something she was not used to.

After a moment, she tried to regain her thoughts. She tried to apologize, but somehow the words got lost in her mind. The kiss had stunned her.[/size]

[sohviet]

"I thank you." he said, uttering to her silence, the aire of a person who apparently recognised that nothing had just happened in all of the world, and they were just continuing a conversation as normal. His grip still was upon her wrist, her whole body still pressed with back against the tree, he took small mental note of this, that she had yet to break herself free from it.
Was anyone observing the scene?
He cared not to look.

Blaise spoke again, quieter this time, once again his perfectly unreadable and calm demeanour back about himself.
"If the less was spoken about it indeed, meaning it was purely private to the outside world-"
he would have thought this obvious; lest of all that he was talking to a Gryffindor; but had even done what he`d just done. He himself understood and recognised her as Slytherin, but he doubted anyone else so should without convincing. It was far beside him to convince anyone who wished not to be convinced.
"-Then you would surely take my.. pleasure in spending more time with you."
He repeated his words of before, but more complexly with a slight different (and more obvious) meaning of them.

[Kayla B. --//> *Mariana]

Mariana's face was no longer red, but a light violet. She had been holding her breath for far too long. In her mind, she yelled at her self to breath. Blaise's words and touch seemed to further soothe her. She began to breathe slowly.

"I must apologize, Blaise. I have a little bit of a short temper when it seems I misunderstand things. It is not something that so quickly consumes me." Her voice was no louder than a whisper, so she wasn't sure if he heard the words or not.

Her mind was racing. He had just told her that he wanted to spend more time with her, even if it was privately. She knew what she had to do to keep up the faćade. Blaise and her, no matter what became of the two, would have to remain house enemies to the visible eye.

"Why...why did you kiss me?" Her voice raised an octave with the word 'kiss'. "I...think I should shut my big fat mouth now. It seems to be getting me into a lot of trouble today."[/size]