The Web Of Love

Hermione listened carefully to Charlotte, trying not to interrupt her, even though her mother-in-law didn't exactly make it twice as easy for her. Since Charlie's party was going to be at her mansion, she let her help with the preparations, and as is her wont, Charlotte let herself be completely consumed by it, so it turned out completely different from what they had agreed on. But she kind of expected it, so she was quite reconciled to it.

"Where's Blaise with my tea?" she muttered under her breath as Charlotte began to name what she had ordered from the caterer. The only food Hermione wanted to make herself was the cake, and she was really glad because it would probably end up with her son getting at least a three-tiered cake which would feed all of Hogwarts.

"Just go to him, we can sort this out later," the elder Zabini encouraged her.

"If you don't mind," she said, standing up from the couch, knowing that if she did mind, she wouldn't have suggested it.

"Of course not. At least I'll spend time with our little darling," she assured her, and she rose to sit gracefully on the carpet next to Charlie, who was building the railroad.

Hermione gave them one last smile before following her ex-husband into the kitchen. As soon as they moved into the lounge and the two of them started discussing everything about Charlie's celebration, Blaise started building the railway with Charlie before it was time for her tea, which Blaise offered to make as he always did.

“Have you forgotten how to make tea?” she asked when she found him standing idly in the kitchen.

He looked up in surprise, then went back to preparing the drink. For real this time. "I was just lost in thoughts," he admitted reluctantly.

"Those must have been big thoughts," she teased him. She herself lost herself in her thoughts more than was healthy, but to think hard like that while making tea had probably never happened to her.

"Um, just musing about life," he muttered, handing her the mug. "Are we okay?"

Hermione gave him a look of thanks at first, which quickly changed to a look of confusion at his question. "Shouldn't we be?"

He shrugged. "You tell me. You didn't write me back, and then you didn't even show up at the Burrow. I wasn't sure if I should even come here today."

"I wrote to you," she commented blankly.

"Well, yes, but you successfully ignored what was in my letter," Blaise pointed out.

The brunette sighed. "I love how even after years of teasing that your curt sentence or two can't be called a letter, you do it anyway," she said with a faint smile. She thought again of his letters, which really could be called letters, but now was not the time for her to think about how he had expressed his love for her in those letters.

Blaise just stared at her silently, having absolutely no idea what to make of this. He was really trying to keep the friendship they had only recently rekindled, but his ex-wife was making it harder than it had to be.

When he still didn't say anything, she rolled her eyes at him. "I needed to sort something out with mom and I didn't want to put it off, that's why I wasn't at dinner. So yeah, we're good. Stop thinking so hard about it, that's what I'm here for," she finally answered his question directly.

And he felt relieved. "I know very well that you're here for overthinking, that's why I was worried," he reminded her.

“Like I said, believe it or not, I didn't come to you with that intention, but it happened. Neither of us can change it now," she said with a shrug. She had no idea if that night was a mistake, it probably was, but she definitely didn't want to remember it like that.

Since Blaise really didn't have feelings for her anymore, she decided to keep this latest memory close to her heart. It was her last kiss with the love of her life. And yes, there was some chemistry between her and Draco, but it was never the same as between her and Blaise.

"Who are you and what did you do with my Hermione?" he asked in astonishment, hoping she wouldn't notice his address. She hadn't been his for a long time and he had himself to blame for it. 

"Who are you, and what did you do with my Hermione?" he asked in astonishment, hoping she wouldn't notice how he addressed her. She hadn't been his for a long time, and he had himself to blame for it. 

Hermione laughed. "I decided that I should start taking things as they are and learn to get the best out of them. After all, happiness comes primarily from our own attitude, not from external factors.”

"That sounds nice, but surely it can't be that simple," he said hesitantly.

“Of course not, it's not going to change with the wave of a wand. The conversation with my mother helped me a lot because it made me realize that I take everything I do as a battle. It started when I joined Hogwarts. I felt that with my parents being Muggles, I had to constantly prove that I belonged there. And then came the real battle. I never thought about it, but my mother is right, I see everything as a fight," she confided with a sigh. It was strange how it had never occurred to her, but once Jean pointed it out, it suddenly made sense.

"You've always been a strong person," was all Blaise said, and before the brunette could ask what he meant, he walked out of the kitchen. "We should go back, I'm sure mother has a lot of other things for you to take care of before the weekend."

Hermione nodded and followed him out of the kitchen, mug in hand.

“Seriously, how big is the party going to be? I understand that there will be a lot of people when only half of them are from the Weasley family, but don't you think it's a bit excessive? He's three, for Merlin's sake! What will his celebrations look like when he is older? And I hope you've discussed the presents with her, I'm quite scared of what she's bought him," Blaise was muttering all the way, making her laugh out loud.

"You could have participated in the preparation, and you would have known it," she teased him.

"Hardly, my mother wouldn't entrust me with even the most banal task," he scoffed.

She had to admit that to him because it was the truth, but there was something that was weighing her down a little. "I think she's trying to make up with Charlie what she couldn't give you," she whispered her thoughts.

Blaise was taken aback. "Do you think that?"

"And you don't?"

"Now that I think about it, you're probably right," he mumbled in a strange tone of voice she couldn't identify.

She couldn't think about it much longer as they arrived at the lounge where Charlotte gave them a look that indicated certain things. Hermione had the urge to roll her eyes, but she controlled herself as she was not fit to roll her eyes at Charlotte Zabini, mother-in-law or not. Blaise didn't notice her look, probably because he immediately joined them on the ground.

"I just realized I haven't even thanked you yet for organizing this whole party for our son," he said a little distractedly.

Charlotte was a little taken aback by this. She looked at Hermione for some explanation, but Hermione just smiled at her, shrugged, and went to sit with them. So Charlotte looked again at her son, who had long since devoted himself to Charlie.

"You're welcome, Blaise," she said with a small smile before looking at the brunette again. In the year that they had been divorced, there had never been a moment when this fact hurt Charlotte as much as it did right now. She knew very well that Blaise would never find anyone more suited for him than Hermione, and it made her heart ache to think that the two of them might never realize it.