Title: Challenge

Author: Metallicafangirl

1) Ron or Harry being naked
2) A proposal (from anyone to anyone)
3) Apple juice has to be mentioned
4) Someone has to choke on home-made cake/pie
5) Blaise's mum has to make an appearance

Sunday evenings meant Zabini family dinners. This fact also meant that every Sunday evening included insane conversations, jokes and antics of the Zabini family.

And, unfortunately for Hermione, it meant the presence of the formidable Zabini matriach, Saveria Zabini.

It was the first time she met all of her boyfriend's rather extended family. Blaise claimed they would love her, but visions of the vicious outbursts that would take place as soon as they found out she was Muggleborn still plagued Hermione's dreams. As some crude form of self-defence, and because they had a morbid curiosity for what happened to her and Blaise, she had invited Harry and Ron along.

Clutching Blaise's hand desperately, Hermione stepped through the door, and was greeted by a wall of sound that could only be described as something you hear in a nightmare after you've been to the circus. Uncountable relatives of the Zabini persuasion was sitting at a table, and all looked up when they entered.

“Blaise! We haven't seen you in ages! Sit down and have some apple juice: Oriana made it.” Someone called.

The four newcomers sat down, and was handed home-made pies and cakes and the aforementioned apple juice. The attention of over twenty pairs of eyes turned to them, and Hermione could feel herself blushing. Saveria, Blaise's mother, leaned over the table and fixed her with unblinking attention.

“Are you my son's girlfriend?” She asked.

“Yes, I am.” God, she was nervous.

“I understand your name is Hermione Granger.” It was a statement, not a question.

“Yes, that's correct.”

“Mum, stop pestering her,” Blaise pleaded, “You're being frightening on purpose.”

“I am not. I'm merely asking questions,” His mother snapped, “Now be quiet, or I will tell her friends about the time when Flooed you and caught you shagging your girlfriend here on your couch.”

Ron and Harry both had to be rescued by various Zabini family members due to choking on the apple pie.

“They'll live.” Blaise snapped back, “Stop picking on her. Just because she's Muggleborn, you don't like her, and you talk about her like this every time I bring her up! Why can't you be nice for once Mum?”

“I certainly do not -” his mother began, but he interrupted her.

“You'll just have to get used to her, because Hermione's the girl I'm going to marry!”

“I should have asked first, shouldn't I?” Blaise asked no one in particular.

“That would have been nice,” Hermione said weakly. “I wouldn't have said no anyway, but it would have been nice.”

It all went downhill from there. The Zabini family seemed to live only one step away from a constant party-state, and whipped up an engagement party in a matter of minutes. Blaise and Hermione escaped close to midnight, and when they did, Harry and Ron were doing some strange African dance, in the nude.

All in all, it had been a good day.

Back to Cookies.