Her battered copy of Anatomy lay open to the side as Felicity leafed through a wizarding book on healing. She was looking up how wizards performed surgeries and was finding her search both frustrating and unenlightening. It seemed as though magic was relied on so heavily that they didn’t even study muggle procedures. Sure, they knew how the body worked and where everything went, but beyond that? Nothing. Was it really so bad to want to know how to do things more… hands on?

Felicity let out a frustrated sigh and considered digging her Herbology homework out of her bag instead. She’d probably make more progress if she did actual homework instead of focusing so heavily on her private desires for post-Hogwarts. There wouldn’t be any Med School if she failed Seventh Year…

Another heavy sigh earned a glare from the stuffy librarian and the Hufflepuff pulled a soil-coated book from her school bag, muttering a quick “scourgify” as the librarian’s nostrils flared. ”No need to get so bent out of shape…” she muttered. As she started in on her essay, she felt rather than heard someone near her. Thinking the old woman had heard her comment, Felicity blushed and began apologizing.

”I didn’t mean to say… what I meant was… um, I’m sorry?” she looked up through long lashes only to realize she wasn’t looking at the librarian. ”Erm… hi?”

"Bloody first years.." Could be heard being grumbled under his breath when he stalked none too happy through the doors of the library with his book had slung over his shoulder. It was incredible how collected Blaise could look even when in a terrible mood, which he currently was thanks to this years batch of firsties. They were a menace and had no decorum and constantly tested his patience because more often than not they forced him to use his wand.

This time it happened to be a pair of gryffindors that had ended up on the dark skinned wizard's bad side in the student commons area where he had been perfecting his herbology essay and where the two lion firsties decided would be a good place for some Weasley products. The end result being a herbology book left in ashes and a fuming Blaise Zabini who had left the two hanging from the torch holders in the room, stunned.

Now he stalked the herbology section for the book they had turned to dust with their firework antics but was not having any luck with finding any copies, which did not improve his mood. He sighed in resignation knowing he would need to ask the testy librarian who had them and then seek those students out to either bully one into handing over their copy or get an idea as to when they would be finished with it. Blaise was not looking forward to the extra work and suddenly wished he had left those Gryffindor brats with some kind of deformity.

He was on his way to the librarian's desk, confidently passing by the studying tables when one of the voices halted him as it mumbled something unintelligible. He turned to face the now apologizing and obvious Hufflepuff. He could tell she belonged to the badger house because of the lack of backbone and because of her robes. "Do all of you Hufflepuff's make a habit of apologizing for everything or is it just you?" Blaise asked and lifted one eyebrow at her.

Crimson walked throw the doors of Hogwarts library, taking a great breath and exhaling he smiled to himself he was glad to be home glad to be where he belonged. He started to the tall long row of bookshelf's that housed the magical animals, he was returning a book on dragons that he had got for his enjoyment. Crimson was a very athletic boy but loved a good book, if he was given the chance and had a good book he would spend all day reading it never moving or leaving his book for anything.

As he aproched the bookshelf that he had took the book from he quickly placed the book back in its correct spot before he scanned the shelf for another book, 'there,' he thought to his self as he reached for the thick leather bound book called Creepy Crawly's of the Wizarding World." He smiled as he flipped throw the pages of the book, he nodded approvingly at the illustrations and text in the book. Deciding that this was the book he was going to get he turned and headed back to the doors.

As he was walking back he was whistling a old farmers tune that he had heard his grandfather whistle so many times. As he Whistled he heard someone talking "Do all of you Hufflepuff's make a habit of apologizing for everything or is it just you," turning he spotted two students a girl that appeared to be in Hufflepuff and a boy that look as if he belonged to Slytherin. A grin spread across Crimson's face he loved company but the boy sounded a little rude. "Well that was a little mean," he said as he leaned on a bookshelf standing to the left and a little bit behind the boy. "I mean would you want someone to come to you and say that," Crimson asked as a mischief filled grin spread across his face.

The openly rude reaction of the Slytherin made Felicity visibly flinch. It was like being slapped in the face, the way he made fun of her and her house. She stared at him with her mouth hanging slightly agape, not really knowing how to react. It was hard to stop herself from actually asking him why he felt the need to be so cruel, but she bit her tongue. Sometimes Felicity had to remind herself that some fights simply weren’t worth it, especially in her final year of school.

She was taken aback when a younger boy strode up and confidently called the dark snake on his rudeness. A wide grin crossed her face at the bravery of the boy. It was something to truly be admired. The Hufflepuff looked at the Slytherin with new confidence inspired from this young, brave boy. With a smile plastered on her face, she tilted her head and said, ”I don’t apologize for everything. I just apologize when I accidentally mistake silly Slytherin boys for bird-like librarians. The annoying attitude problems are just too alike, you see. It’s an easy mistake to make.”

Felicity would normally never be so brave to insult an obviously cruel snake like this, but the Gryffindor had inspired her. Why shouldn’t she stand up for herself? The guy was being a jerk. He deserved it! She snickered at the idea that this boy could somehow be confused for Pince. Surely he would be outraged. She wasn’t exactly sure what she’d do when his anger hit, but she’d figure something out. If she was lucky, her new Gryffindor friend could help her out of any trouble she’d have gotten herself into…

A slow grin spread once more across Crimson's face as he heard the girls fast comeback, she was on fire that one. The more Crimson listened to her the bigger his grin got it was like watering a tree, Crimson made his way over behind the girl resting his hand on the back of her chair as he stood there as one of the suites of armor keeping watch over Hogwarts, as he stood Crimson looked the boy over he was a inch or two taller than Crimson and about 2 or 3 years older that put his at 6th or 7th year. Crimson was not impressed at all in all honesty he was bored the boy might have been older than him but he showed no physical strength not like Crimson who had spent his whole life working on his grandparents dragon farm. But then again even the smallest mice can surprise the biggest lion.


Crimson looked down at the girl with his half cocked grin, "Name is Crimson or Crim for short," he said with a softer voice than what he had used with the boy his his bright blue eyes beaming. "It's nice to meet you Miss. ...." His voice trailed of as he realized his rudeness, he had not asked the lady her name. As his cheeks flushed red with embarrassment at his mistake he tried to hid it but it was no use there was no where to run no where to hide. Accepting the fact he had messed up he gave another grin trying to play it off cool one of the things Crimson was not good at, by no means was Crimson a cool kid but he was a fighter and that was all that mattered to him was his will. So looked back to the girl he asked, "My apologies for me rudeness. Your name is?"

A disdainful look passed over the sixth year's face as a young Gryffindor took it upon himself to come to the girl's rescue. Considering Blaise's most recent run in with members of the house of lions, the dark skinned wizard wasn't in the mood to be lenient in the least with any more Gryffindors, especially ones who took it upon themselves to model after Potter and his hero complex. "I very much doubt anyone would say such a thing to me, since I never do or say anything I would apologize for." He replied waspishly, his tone warning the young boy he was on dangerous ground and should watch his step. It was a tone that could not be ignored. Even those in his own house were wary of it.

His brown eyes glittered with a look that did not bode well for the Hufflepuff twit who obviously considered her comeback clever. If he were less of the controlled man he was Blaise would have laughed in her face. It was comical that she seemed to think she was clever when she really came off as a brainless idiot who actually needed someone else to back her up before she would stand up for herself. Who had time for such a waste of space? He placed both hands palms down on the table which she sat, leaning in close enough that he were invading her personal space. Blaise knew for a fact this would make her uncomfortable, while in the meantime he looked at ease and unworried, even given the Gryffindor who made the odds uneven.

Blaise smiled, flashing his perfectly white teeth in a predatory fashion. He didn't say anything but gazed directly into her eyes while reaching to flip her book open and he glanced down only to return his gaze back to hers, his smile widening and turning mocking. "I suppose it's as easy as mistaking spineless, simpleminded Hufflepuff girls for useless flobberworms such as these." He indicated the book, sliding it forward a little to better show the page depicting the creature he compared her to. "My apologies. It seems you represent one useless waste of space specimen I had yet to see a photo of."

His mocking tone could have cut through bone it was so cruel and Blaise felt no remorse or guilt for his words. He dearly hoped she would tear up so he may add further insult. His quick eyes caught the movement of the Gryffindor who now stood guard behind the girl and his smiled widened even further as his brown eyes filled with both amusement and malicious intent as they fixed on his next target. "I wasn't aware flobberworms kept guard dogs. Or perhaps this kitten is your pet of sorts hm?" He questioned returning his gaze to the girl for a moment and then pushing off the table and resuming his confident and prideful stance.

He gazed at them in contempt as the Gryffindor introduced himself to the girl looking more like a virginal schoolgirl than some of the girls who were in fact virginal schoolgirls. Blaise would have commented on it but instead took the opportunity to flip the book on the table shut and slide it over the table to take. "I'll take this off your hands since your brain can't compute anything past the title most likely and since you're busy robbing the cradle." Were his parting words. He strode off confidently, having got the book he came for and having a bit of fun while he was at it. His intent was to get to the snake pit and finish his work in his dorm, the one place he knew half pint twerp Gryffindors and brainless Hufflepuffs could not disturb him.

Felicity was confused and shocked by the dark boy’s behavior. Focusing instead on the kindness of the Gryffindor, she grinned back and offered her hand. ”Felicity. I’m Felicity,” she answered. Her eyes were bright and happy as she looked at the younger boy, yet soon they filled with dread because she noticed what the Slytherin was doing. First, he’d called her a flobberworm, and that was just plain rude. Her eyes were welling up with tears at the insult, then she gaped when he grabbed her book.

The blonde jumped out of her chair, leaving her bag and muggle book at the table, running after the boy with a determined scowl on her face. ”Get back here, you… you… jerk!” she yelled, running out of the library hot on his heels. She didn’t care how far he got, she’d follow him all the way to the damn Snake Pit if she had to. She wasn’t sure what she’d do when she got there, of course, but she would get her book back!

She and her mum had saved up so much for her school books each year. She had to trade them in and use the credit to help afford used copies of those she’d need for her next year, and even that was hard for them to afford. Each year the cost of books seemed to nearly double, even as they kept to the more battered used copies. She’d be damned if that snake managed to keep her Herbology text! She’d worked too hard and saved up too much for that!

As she ran, Felicity grasped her wand and threw a leg-locker hex at the boy who she was coming up on finally. Hopefully it would hit home and she wouldn’t have to chase him all the way to the dungeons. Either way, she was getting back her book!

The dark skinned wizard had decided on a leisurely pace back to the dungeons and was halfway down the corridor from the library when he heard what was unmistakably the sound of a banshee. Blaise knew it was the hufflepuff, and smirked at the ridiculous mass of pathetic rage and stammers she had allowed herself to become. He turned just in time to sidestep her incoming spell, watching it with a raised eyebrow as it sped past him to bounced off the wall at the end off the corridor and come racing back.

Though he was out of the way and had no reason save to simply ruin the thing, he held the book out in front of it and watched as the book absorbed the spell, leaving a big hole burned through the middle. He let out a low whistle and is dark eyes looked on her as a predator looked on it's prey. "Funny isn't it? What a simple spell that you wouldn't think twice about using because it shouldn't be harmful, can do?" Blaise walked right up to her and smirked as he held the smoking book out to her. "Or perhaps you just don't have enough brains to think past the first idiotic thing that pops int your head?"

He didn't care that he was insulting her intelligence yet again or that it had been his moving the book into the spell that had ruined it. Ultimately, it was her own fault her own book was now beyond repair because she was the idiot who couldn't control her impulses and threw a curse at him in the hallway. Speaking of which.."Now I wonder what the professor Snape would think about this. A seventh year attacking a sixth year. And in the hallway no less. Tut, tut." Blaise wagged his index finger at her as if she were a dog who had done something bad, which in mind wasn't far from the truth.