Title: Echoes of Tomorrow

Pairing: Blaise/Millicent

Rating: PG'ish may bump up later

disclaimer: I don't own any of this for the love of Christ!

Part I

Her cheeks ached, one was certainly not meant to hold a smile for this long. She watched as a line of students marched across the stage each smiling as they shook hands with their headmaster. It had been six years since she had made the same path. Six years since she had walked away from the hallowed halls of her school and her childhood. Today she was back to watch her brother cross that same path into adulthood.

Wes paused at the center of the stage, shook hands vigorously with Headmaster Dumbledore and turned out to the audience. His blue eyes met his sisters and his smile widened. He inclined his head and bounded off the stage to take his seat.

Millicent heaved a sigh. He was grown now. There wasn't anything she could do to protect him anymore... not that he needed it. He had proved himself entirely competent, but old habits die hard she thought.

As the ceremony wrapped up and the remainder of the alphabet received their diploma's Millicent's eyes scanned the crowd. A slightly less bushy head of brown hair caught her sight first. She sat next to a tall red-head. Not shocking there. For what little she had kept up with classmates after graduation she knew from Wes that Hermione had returned to Hogwarts as a favor to Dumbledore. Apparently McGonagall had taken a well deserved leave of absence and Hermione had assumed her teaching responsibilities until the professor returned.

The pair had been together at their graduation, it wasn't a surprise to see them together now, nor was it a surprise to see the ring glinting on her left hand as Hermione straightened a strand of flyaway hair.

Millicent's eyes continued to scan the crowd, she didn't expect to see anyone else she knew after all not many had younger siblings the same age as Wes. There was a spattering of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaws that she vaguely recognized. Her roaming eyes came to an abrupt stop on a tall dark haired figure.

Blaise... Why in Merlin's beard was he here. She knew for a fact that he didn't have any younger siblings. Her eyes widened slightly as she took in his familiar figure. He was still the tall, dark, handsome figure he'd been in school. The same figure that she'd wasted many an hour pining over in her foolish school girl crush. He'd matured now though, his features deepened, his shoulders filled out and his attractiveness only heightened.

She knew she had let her friendship with him slip away over the years, hell she had let it slip with everyone. But there were times that it was easier to just lose contact than to explain her life as it was... sometimes the condolences and looks of pity just weren't worth it.

She still wrote to Blaise occasionally, they'd been close friends during school but upon graduation he had been shuttled off to Italy to begin work in his father's company and she'd slipped off to her family's manor and attempted to pick up the pieces of her life left behind after the death of her parents. It wasn't what she wanted to do... but Wes needed to be supported and she just couldn't leave what her parents had worked so hard to develop merely because she didn't want to work in the magical creature exchange. Ultimately they had lost touch... and she supposed as she looked down at the robes she wore today that she had worn six years ago that it was just as well.

Before she could ponder anymore, everyone was standing and applauding the recent graduates and Wes was approaching his arm wrapped around the waist of a blonde Ravenclaw.

"Millie!" he called out, a wide grin on his face.

Millicent stood and smoothed her robes before she pulled her brother into a hug. "Congratulations Wes." She pulled back and smiled up at him. "I'm so proud of you."

Wes smiled down at his sister. They were as different as night and day. Wes had inherited the sandy blonde hair of their mother as well as her softer features. Millicent took after their father with his dark hair and rough-hewn build. But they shared the same blue eyes.

"I couldn't have done it without you sis!" He hugged her back. "I want to introduce you to someone." Wes stepped back from his sister and turned to the girl standing next to him. "This," he linked hands with the girl, "is Angela... my girlfriend."

Millicent raised an eyebrow. So this was the girl he had so vaguely mentioned in all his letters this semester. "Nice to meet you Angela." She extended a hand to blonde who almost shyly stepped forward to meet her.

"You too, Millicent. I've heard so much about you from Wes." She blushed.

Millicent laughed. "I hope nothing too horrible. I'm sure half of what he's said about me is far from the truth."

"Oh no!" Angela's mouth formed an 'o.' "It's all good I assure you." Wes laughed as he tucked Anglea into his side.

"I was good Millie. I didn't tell her about all those times you tickled me until I couldn't breathe or locked me in the closet... I didn't think it exactly played up my image."

As all three of them joined in laughter, they were cut short by a rustle of robes and a female voice trilling out Angela's name.

"Anglea! Angela Greengrass!" All heads swiveled toward the sound of the voice.

Millicent nearly groaned. Her brother was dating Daphne's younger sister so it seemed. As she looked between the woman rapidly approaching them and the girl next to Wes the family resemblance became more pronounced. Both were beautiful blondes, but Angela's features did not seem nearly as pinched as Daphne's. It was the figure following close behind that caused Millicent's mouth to drop open. It was Blaise, he followed Daphne at a much slower pace but it was more than evident that they were together.

"Daphne." Angela turned toward her sister. "Sorry I was making my way over I swear. Where's mum and dad?" She asked her brow furrowed slightly.

Daphne pulled to stop across from Millicent. She sent an appraising eye first along Millicent's lone figure acknowledging her presence and quickly dismissing her, then moved on to Wes and finally fell onto her sister. "They are chatting with Edgecombes, they'll be here in a minute I'm sure." She deftly ignored Millicent and turned her attention to Wes. "... and who is this?" She asked disdainfully.

Angela sighed. "This is Wes. I told you about him in my last letter."

Daphne raised one perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "Oh silly me... I must have forgotten."

As Daphne finished her final appraisal of Wes, Blaise reached her side. "Blaise... dear what took you so long?" She cooed as she slipped her hand in the crook of her arm.

"Sorry love." He smiled softly down at her, although Millicent felt it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Angela, congratulations." He smiled over at Daphne's sister.

His eyes widened as he caught site of the sandy haired boy at Angela's side. "Wes? Wes Bulstrode is that you?" A jovial grin crossed his face. "I haven't seen you in five years." As he realized who he was talking to Blaise swung his head around to the remaining member of the group. "Millicent!" His eyebrows rose. "I should have known I would see you here." He made to move forward but found his arms still entangled with Daphne's.

Millicent blinked once, then twice before she responded. "I wasn't expecting to see you here Blaise. It's... It's been a while hasn't it."

Millicent could feel the years slip away as she smiled up at Blaise. All their years of friendship flooded back and it felt as though time and space hadn't come between them.

Blaise nodded his head. "Far too long." Daphne sniffed next to him, calling attention back to his purpose for being here. "Daphne I'm sure you remember Millicent, after all you did live in the same dorms for seven years." He smirked. "Wes is her younger brother. I didn't realize that was who Angela was dating," he explained.

Daphne placed a perfectly practiced smile on her face. "Of course I remember Millicent. It's good to see you again."

Millicent nodded her head in acknowledgment. "You too, Daphne." She turned her attention back toward Blaise. "What are you doing here?" She asked a soft smile on her face.

Before Blaise could respond Daphne reached her left hand up to rest on Blaise's chest. A malicious grin on her face that only Millicent could see. "You didn't hear?" She asked sweetly. "We're engaged of course."