STALEMATE [Lorena]

[Blaise Zabini]

Blaise read through a copy of the Quibbler with a smirk on his face. This stuff was ridiculous... And to think that people actually believed it! Not many, of course, but some of the old and inbred pure-blood families and muggleborns that didn't know any better. Basically, anyone with a few screws loose. He had taken it from a boy that wouldn't stop reading it out loud on the train ride and hadn't looked at until now. He was killing time, waiting until Lorena arrived for their study session.

He was starting to think that she was going peculiar in her own way. He had noticed she was quieter than usual (and she was usually not at all quiet when she was with him), but hoped that when it was just the two of them she would relax and be her old self. He had this nagging feeling that instead, they might end up having a heart to heart... He didn't mind those but he wasn't exactly good at it. He never expressed much that was going on in his mind, but that was because he didn't have to. Most of his thoughts were related to school, just like they should be. His thoughts never drifted to personal relationships which was probably why he had so few of them. It worked out better for him that way.

Finally he heard some footsteps, closed the magazine, and set it on the pile of his books. If it was her, they could get started. But in case it wasn't, his hand went to the wand at his side.

Lorena Angela Scott

[Lorena Angela Scott]

Lorena had no idea where the time went. She was usually a very punctual person and well organized, but lately, her head was all over the place. Ever since she had her talk with Anthony, she felt like she couldn't think straight. She worried about people finding out about her little encounter with the handsome Ravenclaw, but at the same time, she felt relieved. Relieved that she could be herself with one more person. She almost felt like Anthony was somewhat of a safe haven for her. She never felt so cared for before and it made her feel special, but at the same time, it worried her. What if someone found out? What if her parents, specifically, found out? Or what if Anthony got hurt in the process? She didn't know what to do. One part of her felt like she had to avoid him, but another part of her didn't want to. She felt... warm whenever she thought about him. She felt cared for and she didn't know why, but she wanted to be around him more. She wanted to see him smile, because it made her happy and she wanted to be wrapped up in his arms again. What was this feeling? Why did she want him around so much? She had no idea and she didn't know what to do what the feeling at all.

Though Lorena didn't know what to do with the new feeling, the feeling knew what to do with her. It was making her more reserved because all she could think about and worry about was this situation. She wasn't always listening to what people were saying around her and she was forgetting about important appointments or meet ups that she had planned. For example, she completely forgot she was supposed to have a study session with Blaise, one of her actual friends in the Slytherin house. She had never opened up to him about her situation with her family, but she actually really liked Blaise. She just had this connection with him; a strong one. She felt like he was one of the only people in her house that actually cared about her well being. She felt like whenever she was feeling down or was off a bit he knew about it. How? She didn't know, but she really appreciated him and didn't want any harm to come to him. She knew that if she could, she would protect him with everything she had, even if it meant her own life, because she cared about him so much.

Lorena ran into the room, slightly out of breath from running. When she realized she was late, she tried to get to Blaise as fast as she could so she wouldn't keep him waiting for much longer. She wiped a bit of her sweat off her forehead before stepping around to face him.

"Sorry I'm late." She apologized as she tried to regain her breath. "I lost track of time." She added as she sat across from him and got her books out. Once she set down her materials, she couldn't help but smile at him apologetically. "Forgive me?" She asked, trying to look as innocent and as cute as possible to get his forgiveness.

Tagged: Blaise Zabini

[Blaise Zabini]

Blaise wondered where she had come from in such a hurry. Although he felt that she could be spacey at times (though just about everyone was), he hadn't known her to be late to their study sessions. They were a regular thing, since Blaise didn't waste his time with most people and this was his idea of socializing. Doing something that was meaningful at the same time... He raised a brow, watching as she sat down and got organized. At least it looked as though she remembered everything, and that was really all that mattered. He wouldn't admit it aloud but it wasn't like he had anything better to do than wait.

“Where were you, anyway? Certainly not on a date,” he said with a smirk. Actually, once it was out of his mouth, he realized it was plausible. People became a lot less obviously intelligent when they found love. It made them forgetful and lost in daydream. “Or... were you? Who is it, Lorena?”

She was pulling the cute act on him, and it usually worked. Blaise was an only child (amazing because of how many husbands his mother had worked through) and he'd always thought of Lorena as a little sister. Frankly, she could get away with just about anything with him, but he knew better than to show it. “Whatever. What's first?”

Lorena Angela Scott

[Lorena Angela Scott]

As Lorena was taking out her materials, she heard Blaise question if she was on a date, causing her to pause her movements. Anthony's face immediately came to her mind, but she quickly tried to stop thinking about him. For now, she had to focus on Blaise and she didn't want to look suspicious in front of him, especially she wasn't even on a date in the first place and she didn't want to make him think she was on one either. So, she started to giggle, shaking her head at his statement and how protective he seemed to get in such a quick second.

"A date?" She repeated as she continued to giggle. "Don't be ridiculous, Blaise. No one is interested in me and I am definitely not interested in anyone either. So relax, you have nothing to be worried about." Her ad Blaise were close and she definitely saw him as a brother. In fact, she basically declared (only to herself though) that Blaise was her brother from another mother. She felt like they were related, but not by blood, so she wasn't surprised at how he questioned her about the date she never went on. Honestly, if she knew he went on a date with someone, she would question him too. Not because she was jealous, but because she wanted to make sure the person he was with would be good for him. At the end of the day, she wanted Blaise to be happy, so she wanted to make sure that the person he was with would make him happy as well, because he deserved it in her eyes.

"Besides, why would I crush my parents' dream of us getting together?" Lorena joked, giggling again. It was no a secret that Lorena's parents wanted her to be with someone who would hold up to their standards and they had told her many of times for a while (probably for as long Lorena and Blaise had been friends) that Blaise would be a great candidate for the husband role. He was everything they were looking for when it came to continuing the family's legacy. Well, him or even someone like Draco Malfoy, but Lorena had to disagree. Blaise was a great guy and her best friend, but being married to him was a completely different story. She didn't see him as a romantic partner and not because he wasn't attractive, because he was. In fact, Lorena thought he was incredibly handsome, but she just couldn't see herself spending the rest of her life as his wife. He was just her brother; her best friend and she didn't see that changing any time soon.

"Maybe we should start with Arithmancy." Lorena suggested before taking out the appropriate books for the subject. "I think it's best to get this out of the way first, since it's probably one of the more difficult classes I am taking this year." It wasn't that Arithmancy was difficult for Lorena, she just knew that she had to put more time into her studying for that subject compared to her other classes, so she wanted to get the more time consuming stuff out of the way so she wouldn't have to worry about it later.

Tagged: Blaise Zabini

[Blaise Zabini]

That was quite a long pause. Blaise looked at her suspiciously. What had been intended as a joke now seemed like a damn good guess. But if she was seeing someone, he was sure that he would have heard about it. The boys in his house liked to brag about their conquests and as of yet Lorena's name had never come up. It didn't even occur to him that it might be someone outside of their house because he rarely saw her favorably interacting with people that were not Slytherins. Like all houses, they stuck together. In fact, if Lorena was dating one of the Slytherin boys, he was sure they would be in a hurry to tell him, to laugh at the look of horror that overtook.

He laughed softly at her response. It was reassuring, but he wasn't sure he bought it, either. “Are you really that self-conscious, or are you trying to play dumb? There is no shortage of men at this school that would give their wand arm to be with you. Especially since they see you as a challenge. The longer you go without becoming someone's arm candy, the more they want to be with you.” He had heard it all before. Unlike Pansy, who clung to Draco like a pathetic fan girl, Lorena seemed content to be on her own. But it was possible that he just didn't see her on her dates... “I wouldn't go so far as to say that I'm worried, but people do change once they're in a relationship.”

He went quiet for a moment when she mentioned her parents' hopes. His mother hoped the same, and the reality with pure-blood families was that sometimes, the choice was taken away from you. It was possible that given a few more years their parents might not wait for it to happen naturally, and they might be thrown into an arranged marriage. For Blaise it probably wouldn't matter, as he didn't care to date at this point. He was the sort of person that valued being alone over most anything. But Lorena deserved better than that. She deserved someone that she loved, who loved her and would take care of her. She deserved better than ending up with Blaise just because another person thought it was a good idea. Of course if it ever came to it he would take care of her, but he didn't think he could make her happy and provide emotionally like a husband should. Especially since he thought of her like a sister rather than a love interest. “Sorry... I must have gotten lost in thought. Not funny, by the way,” he said with a smirk.

She suggested arithmancy, so Blaise put those books in front of him. She needed help and he intended on providing it, but he was still so distracted by their earlier conversation that he had to ask a few more questions before he could be settled in. “So what has been up with you lately? You seem... different.”

Lorena Angela Scott

[Lorena Angela Scott]

Lorena wasn't sure if he bought what she said or not, but she hoped he did. In the end, she wasn't technically lying. She didn't go on a date with anyone, but she was interested in a certain Ravenclaw. Of course she couldn't tell Blaise that, so she had to think of an alternative in case he started to ask questions. But what could she say? She didn't want to say she was interested in anyone in the Slytherin house since Blaise was one of the only people in the house that she actually cared for, so who would she basically use just to cover herself up? Draco? Cassius? Adrian? She had no idea.

When Blaise started to talk about boys who were interested in her, Lorena couldn't help but blush in embarrassment. Due to her parents always making it seem like everything she did was a disappointment, Lorena's self-esteem was incredibly low. She didn't see herself as a pretty girl or as someone that could grab anyone's interest. She didn't think there was anything special about her, so she couldn't help but doubt her friend's words.

"Oh, Blaise, I think you're exaggerating a bit." Lorena said, waving one of her hands in dismissal while using the other to try to cover up her red cheeks. "Besides, the one who has to do all the worrying as a best friend is me. Do you know how many girls in our house have asked me to introduce them to you? I swear, I have to hear so many girls almost on a daily basis talk about how handsome you are, how dreamy your eyes are, and how they wonder what your lips taste like. Trust me, if anyone is going to do the worrying here and feeling uncomfortable of all the flirtatious remarks, it's definitely me." She ended her statement with a playful smile. It was a bit uncomfortable to hear other girls talk about her best friend in such... interesting ways, but at the end of the day she knew it was because Blaise was a man that any girl would be lucky to date. She saw him as being charming, suave, and a great listener and despite there not being any romantic feelings towards him, Lorena knew Blaise would be a great romantic partner for someone he loved.

Blaise went quiet, which caused Lorena to panic a bit. Had she offended him with her joke? She was pretty sure she told him about how her parents felt about him. So she didn't think he would get so lost in thought. However, when he finally spoke up and teased her about how what she said was not funny, she relaxed again and smiled at him. Sometimes, Lorena wished that she could have just fallen in love with Blaise, just to make her life a bit easier. He was everything that her family wanted for her, so why couldn't she have fallen for her best friend? As she started to think about, she realized that she was being silly. For one thing, even if she fell for him, it didn't mean he was going to return her feelings as well. Not only that, but she wasn't sure if Blaise would still think of her the same if he found out about her true self. So, she concluded falling for Blaise would definitely be just as complicated. Besides, if she did fall in love with Blaise, Anthony wouldn't be in the picture, and now that he was in it, she wasn't sure she wanted to let him out.

"It's very funny." Lorena replied before sticking her tongue out. "I mean, you're all my parents worry about when I come home for the holidays." Though she was saying it as a joke, it was actually kind of depressing now that she thought about it; her parents were more worried about Blaise than their own daughter. She couldn't even count how many times they asked about Blaise and if he was seeing anyone just to make sure he was still available for Lorena. It kind of scared her. Would they throw Blaise and herself into an arranged marriage? She really hoped not.

As Lorena looked down at her book, to see where they should start, she stiffened, for he said she was acting differently. Still, Lorena tried to play it off and continued to look down at the book to pretend she was still occupied. "Different? Different how?" She asked as she skimmed through the page.

Tagged: Blaise Zabini

[Blaise Zabini]

To Blaise, the idea of someone wanting to date him, or worse, want to know 'what his lips tasted like' was both absurd and disturbing. He didn't know whether to laugh or cringe over it. The result was a kind of amused scowl, if that is to make any sense. “Why are people so strange? If they were really interested in someone, wouldn't it be easier to just speak to them and try to get in there on their own? I don't see why they have to bring us into it.” It was tiresome enough having to get through classes with people like this. “Not that I particularly want any such stupid girls speaking to me. But you know what I mean.”

He knew that he was different from other boys his age. Perhaps one day he would find a girl that he thougbht was more interesting than he was, but it seemed unlikely at this point in his life. After all, he was more mature than most of his classmates. He probably wouldn't find a mate until he was out of school and everyone else had caught up to him that way. But it was just as likely that he would never think anyone was worth his time. He would probably have to settle on someone that didn't drive him crazy to keep his mother from setting him up with someone else.

Aside from Lorena he could imagine that his mother's idea of a good match was someone who was beautiful, rich, and enjoyed throwing parties for her society friends. Someone just like Desideria Zabini herself. There were several problems with that in his eyes. His mother had already gone through seven husbands. Giving him a wife like that was a death sentence, right? But more than that, his mother was hardly an intellectual. Her twin sister had been a very intelligent (and still unmarried) Ravenclaw - Blaise thought that he took after his aunt much more than his mother. He wanted someone who was interesting in some way, and their own person. Someone who could exist and have a personality while never falling in love if it didn't happen naturally. So many society witches thought their marriages counted as personalities. No. He wanted someone who could challenge him, and spend time on her own, who didn't constantly need his attention.

“My mother is just the same. We need to be careful. The closer that we get to adulthood, the more concerned they will become. Once we are old enough they will lose their power over us. That's why pure-bloods tend to get married so young... Because their parents force it onto them.” Blaise doubted that Malfoy's parents would ever do that, because they adored their son. He was lucky in ways he didn't realize.

He sighed when she asked him how she was different. “I don't know. Like there is something on your mind.” He was kind of teasing her, implying that normally she wasn't one to think all that much. “Maybe it is this whole prefect thing. Could it be that it is getting to your head? Anyway, you look nervous. So you know that you've been acting differently. What's going on?”

Lorena Angela Scott

[Lorena Angela Scott]

Lorena was glad her and Blaise were on the same page when it came to those people who were thirsting over him. She thought they were odd too and hearing all those comments first hand always made her incredibly uncomfortable because it was about her best friend. Still, now that she thought about it, it was fun to laugh at how ridiculous the comments were. They were just so absurd that she couldn't even imagine people actually saying it out loud, but clearly she was wrong.

"Maybe you're too scary." Lorena joked, smirking a bit. "You do always look like you're angry at something or someone." Though it was true that some people thought Blaise was intimidating, it wasn't true that he always looked angry, well not to Lorena at least. In her case, she felt no fear or nervousness when she struck up a conversation with Blaise the first time they met. On the other hand, she met him when they were younger, when there weren't as many burdens or stress triggers in life. "Honestly, if anyone looks like they are always mad, it's probably me." Of course she was exaggerating, but she did know there were people in the school who were intimidated by her, but she couldn't blame them; she did put up that act in front of everyone with an exception of very few.

When Blaise mentioned forced marriages, Lorena's mind immediately went to her parents. She knew she couldn't put it pass them to attempt an arrange marriage for her. She would never agree with it, because she wanted to be married to someone she loved who loved her back, but at the same time, she wasn't sure how she could stop an arrange marriage from happening if it was brought up and in the progress. She just hoped it would never be brought up so she could just continue to plan her escape from her parents peacefully and do it when they least expect it.

"Do you think your mother would try to force you to marry someone?" She asked, genuinely curious. Blaise's mother was always lovely with Lorena, but from what she knew, it wouldn't surprise her if she heard Blaise was put into an arranged marriage by her. "Honestly, I do want you to get married, but I think you should be with someone that could make you happy. I think you deserve that." She didn't want to get too emotional with Blaise, but she couldn't help but be honest. She knew that Blaise deserved to be happy and be his own person that wasn't controlled by his mother, but being in a pure-blood home was different.

At this point, Lorena knew she couldn't pretend he was just seeing things or mistaken. So, she decided to be somewhat truthful with him. She wasn't going to mention anything about Anthony, but she would open up about her parents a bit, since it as something that was genuinely bothering her. But what else was new?

"Just my parents..." Lorena mumbled as she played with her quill. She never told her fellow Slytherin anything about her muggle friend and her cruel fate, but she did share how her parents were incredibly strict and looked down on her for a lot of things. "They didn't really care that I became a prefect and they just seem like they are always disappointed in me, no matter what I do."

To make things lighter, Lorena decided to bring up a nicer subject, something that excited her. "So... did you hear about the Christmas ball? She asked Blaise, glancing at him curiously. She didn't want to come out too directly and ask him if he wanted to accompany her, but after seeing his stance on the ball, she would decide if she had to be direct or not. She hoped that Blaise could take her to the Christmas ball, because he would be a great date to keep up her charade. However, her heart wanted to be with Anthony on that special day. She wished she could just stop time to be with him and have fun, but she knew she couldn't do it and that saddened her greatly.

Tagged: Blaise Zabini

[Blaise Zabini]

“Do you think that happens by accident? I don't want people to talk to me, and I know how to make them feel like they shouldn't,” Blaise said with a smirk on his face. Sometimes it was true, other times he just looked like that naturally, without any planning on his part. He gave her an odd look when she said that she always looked angry. He didn't see it, but he supposed that was probably because she didn't get mad at him unless he really deserved it. “Who has told you that? Now that I think about it, I have noticed that you look angry during class. I just assumed that you were concentrating on what was being said.”

Blaise sighed a little bit. “Yes, I do think that my mother would force me. She would think that she was doing me a favor by finding someone so that I wouldn't have to. She hasn't seen me with girls other than you and sometimes Pansy. In her mind, that means that I don't know how to look for myself. She's relieved that I'm not getting into trouble but afraid that I never will.” He wondered why Lorena would want him to get married to someone. He didn't really share those feelings. He didn't want her to get married, but figured that was an inevitability. Women were different. They thought that marriage was something that was necessary for real happiness. To Blaise, living alone and having time to stimulate his mind was his idea of happiness. It was out of reach, forever, all because he was born to a pure-blood witch who thought that she knew better.

It wasn't a surprise that her parents didn't pay attention to her achievements. They had always seemed more distant, and that was maybe one thing that he took for granted where his own mother was concerned. Their situations reversed, his mother would have been thrilled. “Why don't they care? I mean, that is going to make it easier for you to get jobs when...” He trailed off. Of course, maybe it didn't matter that her career options had expanded. They probably just wanted to marry her off to the highest bidder. Maybe her having her own values and all was actually a bad thing in the eyes of her suitors. “Sorry. I don't know what to tell you.... But there are other people who are proud of you, Lorena.” He had a feeling there was still more than what she was telling him, but he let it go. Especially when the subject changed to something much different.

“It's all that the girls can talk about. Of course I had to hear about it.” He rolled his eyes. But her tone caught his interest. “Don't tell me that you're actually interested in going.” He knew where this was going. And, of course, in the end he would give in and he would take her if she asked him. She didn't ask for that much in their friendship, and he wanted her to be happy. “Do you want to go?”

Lorena Angela Scott

[Lorena Angela Scott]

Lorena giggled, finding Blaise's joke funny because she knew it was true. This was why Lorena got along so well with her house mate. She didn't really like to talk to other people either, but it was probably for a completely different reason compared to Blaise's. Still, they both tried to avoid others and she somehow got close to him in the process of that. "I am angry, because I would rather be somewhere else than in class. Good thing I'm just naturally gifted." She joked with a smirk of her own.

Lorena was kind of shocked to hear what Blaise had to say. It was true that he didn't spend a lot of time with other girls other than herself, but Blaise was incredibly handsome and well-mannered around most people. What girl, besides herself, wouldn't fall for him? It didn't make a lot of sense to her that his mother didn't think he could find someone on his own, but then again, she didn't know what Blaise's family life was like at home, so she couldn't say anything for certain.

"Well, I hope your mom doesn't plan on doing that, because she doesn't need to meddle into your love life." Lorena added, trying to show her support for him. Lorena knew how difficult it could be to be in a pure-blood family, so she wanted him to know that she would always support him and understood where he came from in certain situations.

Lorena wasn't surprised when Blaise didn't know what to say to comfort her, nor did she blame him. What could he say? Her parents weren't going to change and she would have to keep dealing with their antics, but she was just glad that he was on her side and was understanding of her situation. "I know and I'm very grateful for my friends like you who are proud of me, it's just hard going back to that environment when we are out of school. Sometimes I wish I could somewhere else for the holidays, but they wouldn't allow me to and they would create a huge scandal about me even thinking about not wanting to be at home." She told him honestly with a frown. She hated feeling trapped, but she knew that she had to deal with it for now.

Lorena frowned when she noticed the disinterest in his voice. She had a feeling that he wouldn't want to go, but she was hoping he would. However, before she could feel sad, he asked if she wanted to go, causing her to look at her friend with hopefulness in her eyes. "Really? I mean, I don't want you to feel uncomfortable, so if you really don't want to go, just tell me and I can go with someone else or go by myself. It's just, I thought it would be fun to have the two of us go together, but I understand if you don't want to go." She quickly stopped herself from talking anymore, because she knew that at this point, she was rambling and she didn't want to annoy Blaise anymore.

Tagged: Blaise Zabini

[Blaise Zabini]

Blaise knew that most of their classmates probably felt the way that Lorena did. While he hated most of the students and also a majority of the faculty, learning itself was one of his favorite things. Most just seemed like they resented being unable to do whatever they wanted, and Blaise couldn't understand that. “Also, good thing that you have someone like me that takes class seriously to help you finish your homework,” he pointed out with a smirk.

“She thinks that it would be the best thing for me, if I can't find someone myself. I suppose that it makes sense, as she wants me to carry on the family name.” He had his mother's name, given the fact that he didn't know his own father so well. “In fact, if she had to, I don't think that she would have any issue giving me a love potion to be with someone who she thought was suiting. That said... Don't take any drinks from my mother at her next party, just to be on the safe side.” He wished that he was joking.

He just looked at her for a moment, gathering his thoughts. “Well... you only have a few more years underneath their control. After that, you can leave. Don't let them think that you can't. If it comes to it, you'll come and live with me.” Maybe that would placate their families. They could be roommates, but everyone would assume that they were dating. It would suit Blaise fine, because he could then focus on his intellectual pursuits. And Lorena could do what she wanted without her parents breathing down her neck....

“I'll feel uncomfortable. But I'm used to that.” He shrugged. “I wouldn't feel right making you go to something like that by yourself. Of course I'll go. I'll be there to watch out for you.” He was a suspicious person, and assumed that people would choose the moment he was gone to creep on her.

Lorena Angela Scott

[Lorena Angela Scott]

Lorena playfully glared at Blaise before weakly throwing her quill at him as playful retaliation. It was true that Blaise was helpful in motivating her to do homework, especially now that she was constantly thinking about Anthony, but she also knew, in the back of her mind, her parents were a huge motivation in her wanting to be one of best in her class. Still, trying not to kill the mood, she decided to just play along with the joke and not bring up her parents for now. "I'll have you know that I have other ways on getting my homework done, Blaise. Like... making Ravenclaws do it for me." Of course Lorena was joking, since she was a good student, but she still felt like she had to throw out a joke that would sound a little more like a stereotypical Slytherin to keep her facade.

As the subject moved onto Blaise's mother, Lorena couldn't help but cringe slightly at the thought of his mother or even her own parents using a love potion to set up a marriage for either one of them. It just didn't sound right, but at the same time, it didn't sound shocking at all. It wasn't abnormal to hear about arrange marriages in pure-blood households and Lorena wasn't surprised of the measures some of the families took, which is why she understood where Blaise was coming from, 100%. Still, she didn't know if he was fully joking or not, so she just smiled slightly and nodded. "Noted and I'll probably say the same for my parents as well." Lorena knew how much her parents wanted Lorena and Blaise to end up together, so it was only fair to warn him as well.

Lorena was about to comment about not letting her parents control her after graduation, but completely stopped when he mentioned her living with him. Though Blaise was her best friend, she wouldn't have thought he would actually propose the idea of living together. Anthony was the only person, before Blaise, to bring up staying with him to avoid her parents, but she assumed it was because they had a strong connection. However, when she heard it from Blaise, she couldn't help but get teary eyed. Not because she was sad or miserable of the thought of moving in with him, but out of happiness. She always saw Blaise as a brother and she always felt like she would do anything for him and to see him be willing to take care her in even though he knew it was against her parents' wishes confirmed just how much of a true friend he was to her. Granted, she already knew he was a great friend, but it felt nice seeing how much of a good friend he was with these huge acts of kindness towards her.

Lorena quickly put her head down and cleared her throat, trying to stop herself from getting emotional. "Um, won't you be worried about what people we say if they see us living together? They might think we are a couple or think lowly both of us..." Lorena wasn't all that worried about what other people, besides her parents, would think about her and Blaise living together, but she was worried about Blaise's reputation. From what she knew, most pure-blooded families thought well of him and his family and if they found out he was living with a girl, especially if they weren't married, could lead to them saying horrible things about her best friend and that was something she didn't want.

Though Blaise mentioned not being comfortable, Lorena couldn't help but smile because he was still insisting on going with her. So, she immediately placed her hands on top of Blaise's with a huge smile. "Thank you, Blaise! Thank you so much! Oh, we are going to have so much fun, I know it!" She exclaimed before giving his hands a tight squeeze then puling them away. "Well, it's soon so we need to think about what we wear! Should we match? Or should we have a theme to our outfits? Oh man, I'm not sure! I have to plan everything!" Lorena was aware that she was kind of rambling, but she couldn't help it, for she was excited. She wanted to go to have fun with her best friend and she also hoped she could be able to sneak off with Anthony as well. She definitely wanted her cake and eat it too.

Tagged: Blaise Zabini

[Blaise Zabini]

Blaise sighed. She always had a comeback. That was something that he liked about her, but he did think that she could afford to be more serious. He knew that she was smart, and she got good grades, but he wasn't sure that she put enough time toward thinking about the future. Maybe it was because he was so focused on it that it felt everyone else was lagging behind... “I don't think that you are half as intimidating as you think you are... Unless you're in the habit of charming the Ravenclaws instead?”

He was obviously somewhat embarrassed by the reaction that he got. He'd thought it was what she expected. They had been friends for so long, and he always did his best to protect her, even when it meant that he was uncomfortable. Because her happiness did mean a lot to him. She was the closest thing that he had to a sister, and really the only person that liked him for who he was, not because his blood was pure and his mother was so well-known in their world. Even if it meant giving up his solitude, he would do that for her. The idea of him losing out on a relationship because he was living with another woman didn't even enter his mind, because the idea of him dating anyone was nothing short of absurd.

“Why should I care what people think?” He started to laugh a little bit. “I'm meant to be offended if people think that I am seeing a beautiful, pure-blooded woman? No. I've never cared that much what others think of me.” It was true, in its way. He really just held himself to a very high standard. Sometimes people got that confused. “And where tradition is concerned... That I should only live with someone once we're married... I don't care about that, either. Some traditions belong in the ground.” He believed that if he ever did find someone that he loved, living with them was probably an important step to deciding if they could spend 'forever' that way. It did make him realize he'd be robbing her of a potential future, though...


“I suppose the bigger issue would be if you found someone that you cared about, and he'd think that I was in his way. I'd step aside... As long as there was someone to keep you safe from them.” Referring to her parents, of course.

He tried to look annoyed when she was clearly excited about the dance, but his expression came out more like a cringe. He was trying not to smile. “Are we?” he said doubtfully. Having fun wasn't something that came naturally to him. “I'll leave the planning to you. It looks like you're already well on your way to figuring it out... Just let me know before the dance. I'll coordinate with you, if that's what you want.” As long as he didn't have to wear something too emasculating, like pink frills.

[Lorena Angela Scott]

Anthony's face immediately popped into Lorena's mind at Blaise's words. She knew that he was only teasing, but she didn't think he had any idea how true his statement was. Well, it wasn't like she was charming many Ravenclaws, but a certain blonde was definitely charming her, but there was no way she was going to tell him about that, so she continued to try to play it off. "Please, I'm not capable of charming anyone." She answered, waving her hand dismissively. "I just think you're one of the lucky few who haven't experienced my ugly side, because I could be quite intimidating when I need to be." She joked with a playful wink.

Lorena stared at Blaise for a bit, letting his words sink in. She knew that Blaise and her were close and she knew that they both said they would do anything for each other, but it seemed like it was just registering in Lorena's head until now. She just wasn't great with people being nice to her and being generous towards her, especially since her her parents, the people who were supposed to show her the most love and empathy, didn't. So when other people tried to show her any signs of generosity or kindness, her brain wasn't able to register it. However, seeing what Blaise would do for her, finally made her brain understand what Blaise and her had was special, deeper than any normal friendship and she was extremely grateful for him.

A soft smile reached Lorena's lips and even though she wasn't great at receiving or showing signs of affection, she sat up in her seat, reached over and poked Blaise's knuckle with her index finger. "Thank you," She said softly. "You have no idea how much you mean to me and how grateful I am for everything you do for me." She didn't mean to get deep with him, but it seemed to happen a lot whenever she got to talk to him. It was probably because she felt so comfortable with him and she didn't mind that much when he saw her at her most vulnerable.

When Blaise brought up her parents and having someone who could protect her from them, Lorena sighed sadly. Of course she wanted to fantasize of having a future with Anthony and live happily ever after, but she couldn't help but see herself as a lost cause. Whoever ended up with her, whether it was Anthony or someone else, would always have to deal with everything that came with her, which was the constant worry and hiding from her parents and all the emotional damage they left her. Maybe she was already too damaged to find someone to love her.

"I doubt that will happen." She tried to reassure. "I don't want to put all my baggage on anyone." She told him honestly. She didn't want to put her baggage on anyone, especially Anthony, but when it came to the Ravenclaw, she had trouble rejecting him because she really felt something special for him, so she was extremely conflicted on what to do with him. Still, she wasn't going to bring that up to Blaise.

Lorena was excited to plan for ball. She didn't like attending the parties that her parents or other families arranged, because for every party, her parents controlled everything; what she wore, how her hair looked, etc. However, this time, she was able to decide the majority of decisions independently. "Don't worry, I will definitely plan everything out and I will give you enough time to prepare. Just leave everything to me, I swear you won't regret it! But, this is your last chance, do you really want to go? I don't want to make you go, so if you're going to say yes again, you are going to be stuck with me and I hope you're prepared for that." She half joked. She didn't want him to feel forced to go, but she was happy that he was willing to go with her. At the end, she hoped that they both could have a good time at the ball, even with the chance of not being able to see Anthony. She did want to see him, but if she didn't, she would be sad, but she would be glad to be around one of her best friends.

Tagged: Blaise Zabini

[Blaise Zabini]

“Please. I have seen your ugly side at least once. You don't know someone as long as I have known you not see the different aspects of their personality.” He had his own secrets, and Lorena was privy to them. Like the way that he was very sentimental where his late grandmother was concerned, or the deep feelings of resentment that he had toward his mother who both doted on him and treated him like an asset rather than a person. And of course, the fact that he wasn't nearly as much of a jerk as he liked the rest of the school to think he was. Similarly, he had definitely seen Lorena in one of her moods... Typically it wasn't directed at him, but that wasn't the point.

It was because they were both a bit uncomfortable with showing their emotions that they were such good friends, he thought to himself. Sure, she was more open about things than him, but when it really mattered, like now, she was quite awkward. They could understand that you could feel things like gratitude and love without an embarrassing display. “You're welcome. We're family.” But then, family hadn't treated either of them spectacularly. So he corrected himself. “Better than family.”

He gave her a strange look when she stated that she didn't want to put her baggage on anyone. “I think that is the whole point of relationships, aside from the physical things. Isn't the whole point to find someone who will help you deal with that kind of thing? Besides, whoever it is, they'll be bringing their own baggage with them. Unless you get someone completely flawless, and I'm just not ready for that kind of commitment.” He was teasing her, but trying to comfort her about this at the same time. Blaise did realize why people wasted their time with relationships, but still felt completely fine handling things on his own. He didn't imagine himself getting to a point where he would need to rely on someone else to keep his problems under control.

A long pause before he decided to give in to her wants. “Yes, alright.. I'll go with you. But remember what you just said. I'm not sure how you'll go about it but I had best not regret it when the moment has passed.” He smirked at her. “You'll never hear the end of it.”