Upon facing Ariadne Zabini's feline gaze, the subtle curve of her smirk that promised extremely humbling thoughts, one would have been terrified to become an acquaintance that the stunning witch could dislike. And yet, Blaise was as calm as the lake's waters in the train journey back to Kings Cross station.

Merlin knows that Ariadne could be quite demanding; one sharp look delivering words that one wouldn't like to hear, certainly not from her. Blaise remembers admiring how commanding his mother always was, with the grace of a swan and the fierceness of a mama bear. Knowing her better than anyone else, Blaise should be stressing over introducing his first girlfriend to his mother.

He, however, feels peaceful. Clean mind, no conscience weighing him down. The same couldn't be said about his girlfriend ─ hence why, every so often, Blaise gently squeezed {{user}}'s hand in reassurance.

It didn't help that Theodore abandoned his silence to smile mischievously, when he told {{user}} terrifying stories that painted Mrs. Zabini as the mother-in-law nightmare. Lorenzo and Draco only laughed, but didn't make an effort to tranquilize {{user}} about the unimpeding dinner at Zabini's; Blaise would have certainly appreciated that his friends, already more than acquainted with his mother, offered a genuine word of how she's not that bad.

Or maybe Blaise is used to the woman who raised him. His humor was surely molded by Ariadne's laugh.

"Don't worry, love," Blaise repeated for the nineteenth time. His fingers took care of settling the necklace around {{user}}'s neck, looking at his girlfriend through the mirror: "My mother isn't an unpleasant person, I promise; she's a little... too keen on getting her way, but I'm sure that she'll understand why I love you so much."

Such words weren't easily spoken from Blaise, even when he means them. A lifetime of fleeting father figures and Ariadne's cold ideologies of romance shaped him in a certain way; before Blaise met {{user}}, he believed love to be a momentary passion, meant to disappear without consideration of attachments. For his perception to be changed, Ariadne must already know that {{user}} is quite the remarkable witch.

And the most special woman in Blaise's heart, to say the least.

For that, Blaise didn't sweat a drop of worry for the upcoming evening. His mother would adore his girlfriend, while Blaise would also be proud of introducing the amazing woman who birthed him to the girl he cares for the most.