Greengrass and Blake had nothing. Blake did his best to try and raise Harry and Hermione's spirits, and although he didn't doubt that they appreciated his efforts to feel better, it was clear they weren't about to do anything near the sort of activity level of getting to the Stone. Blake did feel for them, especially Harry. From what he could gather, he was feeling the brunt of it, as famous as he was, and it was clearly taking a toll. Harry wasn't even retorting to Snape anymore in Potions, instead choosing to silently bear the insults thrown his way.
One thing Blake couldn't let happen, however, was Snape picking on Neville. It had never seemed right to him before, but now, seeing Neville literally at rock bottom, and still seeing Snape pick on him, Blake started to feel a genuine dislike for the man.
I don't have that much free time - I still need to be prepared for the Stone, if they change their mind. But even still…
Greengrass in particular was beginning to get increasingly angsty. She didn't show it, of course, but Blake could tell. The random deep thoughts, the tapping of her fingers against the desk whenever he got impatient, the ever so slight increase in temper - he could tell. Time's running out - both for her, and for Quirrell.
Speaking of Quirrell, the professor clearly hadn't made his move yet either, by Merlin's grace. Whether it was the increased surveillance and protection around the Stone, which Blake had noticed by the number of teachers unavailable (it was as if there was a rota), or by something else entirely, he hadn't made his move yet.
The next time Blake saw Neville for payment, he offered him some help after handing him the essay.
"Neville, tomorrow after lessons end, if you want Snape to stop his bullsh*t, come to the library."
Without waiting for an answer, Blake turned back to go to his dorm. After all, exams were soon.
The next day…
"Only 2 weeks left!" Tracey was panicking now. Apparently, her refusal to learn had caught up with her, and she was begging Greengrass and Blake for help.
"Sorry, Tracey. There's someone else I'm trying to help," Blake said apologetically.
"Who?" she cried. "Is it Daph? I knew it! You guys have been spending way too much time together recently!"
Blake was by now used to Tracey, and didn't even bother getting flustered. Greengrass didn't even dignify her with a response.
"No, it's not Greengrass, and we barely 'spend time' together, Tracey. It's Neville."
All the heads in the room comically turned towards him at once.
"Longbottom?" Zabini asked, his voice full of rare amazement. "Are you mad?"
"I feel bad," Blake shrugged.
"So do I, Blake, but it's Longbottom…" Charlotte trailed off.
"He's even more hopeless than me!" Tracey cried incredulously. "Why would you teach him and not me? He's a bad investment, and he's not your friend!"
Blake smiled at Tracey, fighting a blush. So she thinks we're friends? That's good, he thought. Separately from everything else, Blake was proud of himself. He had made friends this year - Tracey, Charlotte and Zabini, even if he and Zabini refused to say it. Zabini was worried about me earlier, he thought. I know it.
"Yeah, but you have Greengrass. Actually, you guys could do your own Study Buddy thing?"
"Study Buddy?" Greengrass asked, suddenly seeming intrigued. She's such a weirdo, she was completely silent before that! Blake thought, slightly miffed.
"You don't have that here? It's when you have a specific person you study with - it's either one person teaching someone that doesn't know as much, or two people of similar ability working and testing each other."
Zabini smirked.
"So, Davis can go with any of us as the one who needs to be taught?"
"Shut up, Blaise. I choose Daph!" she said, beaming.
"Hold on, Tracey, I didn't agree to-"
"We're going to the library, everyone! Char and Blaise, you guys are roughly equal right, you come too!"
Blake shook his head in amusement. Why Greengrass let Tracey do her stuff around and with her, Blake barely understood - barely. Blake suspected that in reality, Greengrass cared about Tracey a lot more than she let on.
The group made their way to the library, where Blake was unsurprised to see Neville. The boy seemed intimidated by the large Slytherin presence, but seemed to calm down when they spread out within the library.
"Here's the deal, Neville. I don't care what actually happened with the dragon stuff, but it's clear you're struggling. It's bad for business if someone I'm doing business with fails any exams in the subjects I'm writing essays for them in, so I'm going to help you. That, and you can't let Snape, or Malfoy, or anyone else for that matter, pick on you anymore. But you need to come here everyday, for at least 2 hours, and work with me, and actually listen. Deal?"
Neville nodded his head frantically, and produced 3 books from his bag.
Potions, Transfiguration, DADA. Expected, I guess.
"We'll start with Potions - and actually Neville, I was hoping there was something you could help me with?" Blake asked with a wry smile.
Neville looked suspicious for a moment, and Blake felt bad for the boy again. He doesn't want to lose anymore points for Gryffindor, does he?
"What is it?"
"I, uh, heard you were a Herbology genius - Herbology's my worst subject, you see, so I was hoping, in exchange for me helping with you with the other stuff-"
"Of course I will!" Neville said, almost shouting from the glee in his face.
Even as Madam Prince screamed at him, the normally timid boy was unable to wipe the smile off his face, and Blake couldn't help but smile too.
I knew it. All he needed was a little bit of confidence…
While Neville smiled, a certain blond girl with icy blue eyes looked on at the scene.
Renshaw got Longbottom smiling, laughing and confident with just one conversation. Astoria… I have a feeling you would like him a lot.
/
About a week or so after, something happened again, and as always, Tracey took it upon herself to find out what.
"Apparently, during their detention for the Dragon Incident, Malfoy and Potter ran into something - Malfoy's shaken, he's not talking to anyone. I don't think he's lying."
During that day, Slytherin had DADA, which continued as always for Blake, watching Quirrell carefully. No changes, Blake thought, sighing, until he heard something - or rather, someone. Whose laugh is that? Blake wondered, turning around. I've never heard that laugh be-
The muggleborn Slytherin boy's jaw dropped.
Greengrass - Greengrass is laughing? With Malfoy?
A weird feeling began to collect in Blake's gut, but he shook is head and swallowed it down. Her laugh's obviously fake. She's getting information from him - right?
Later that day, the pair reconvened.
"You find out as much as you can from Potter. I've already taken care of Malfoy."
The two walked to the staircase of the dungeons, and when Blake separated away, Greengrass frowned.
"Where are you going?"
Blake smirked.
"Why would I tell you that?"
He turned without waiting for an answer, towards the Forest, and although he couldn't see or hear her, when he got to his spot, Blake called out, "I know you're there. Show yourself."
Nothing happened, and Blake sighed.
"Let's practice - a duel or spar? We'll need it."
Finally, Greengrass revealed herself. Despite being caught, she didn't have a shred of remorse or feeling at all on her face, and Blake silently felt jealousy at the perfection of her Disillusionment and Muffliato charms.
"Why do you come here everyday?"
"Practice," he said simply. Greengrass merely looked at him.
"What does that practice consist of?"
"Spell work until failure, then physical training until failure."
Greengrass nodded. "That makes sense. So you found out how duellists train and you're emulating that?"
That's how duellists train? I had no idea.
"Yeah, pretty much. Anyway, a spar?"
Greengrass studied his face, before taking out her wand.
"Ready."
Blake immediately sent an Expelliarmus towards the opponent, which she just about managed to dodge before turning to Blake with an incredulous look. Oh, was I meant to do something before the duel?
"What?" Blake replied. "I don't think Quirrell's gonna wait for you when he's trying to kill you, is he?"
Greengrass for once had no reply, and she too sent a spell of her own back. As the two circled each other, waiting for the other to make a move, Blake felt a rush of exhilaration.
Finally, an equal opponent.
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