A Flame Rekindled

Chapter Four.

It had been six weeks since Draco had rescued Ginny in the alleyway, and they had spent practically every day together. He had met her from work and taken her to dinner, she had read him the letter containing the invitation for the interview for the Potions position at Hogwarts, and subsequently helped him to practise for it. She had even attempted to introduce him to one of the many Muggle programmes that she watched on the television, which had provoked one of the fiercest sneers she had ever seen.

Of course, the fact it was going well didn't necessarily mean that they didn't argue. He was still one of the most selfish people that she knew, and was oddly opposed to spending the night at her apartment. She supposed it was because he didn't want to risk bumping into Ron one day on the way to the bathroom. Maybe more so due to the risk of seeing him any less than fully-clothed than the risk of physical injury that he would be under when Ron found out that Draco was sleeping with his little sister.

When Ginny awoke one Saturday in mid-December, she anticipated it to be a normal day. She lay in bed watching Draco sleep, smiling to herself at his ability to sneer in his dreams, and wondering what she could do with her time.

"Could you please stop staring at me when I'm trying to sleep?" Draco mumbled, causing Ginny to jump violently.

"I'm sorry, you just look so angelic," she teased, smiling widely when she saw him open his eyes and turn to look at her.

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Really? Well, I think I'll have to change that." He pounced suddenly so that she had no time to move, rolling them over and pinning her underneath.

He kissed her softly, savouring the feeling of her beneath him. He thought that he never felt so relaxed and alive at the same time as when he was with her. "You know, I think I could get used to having you around."

"How charming," Ginny said, smirking up at him.

"I mean it," Draco replied. "But, you know I don't share."

"And what does that mean?"

"It means," Draco began, sucking softly at the base of her neck, "that unless you'd rather be with someone else, you're mine now."

"Hmm, well maybe that would be okay. I'll just have to let my other boyfriends know," Ginny joked, smiling when he nipped her collar bone in response.

"Very amusing, Weasley." He had just begun to trail a burning path of kisses down her neck, when Ginny heard the last voice she expected to hear float into her bedroom.

"Ginny? Where are you dear?"

Ginny sat bolt up in bed, the movement of which caused Draco to jump away from her. "Oh my God."

"What is it?" Draco asked, staring intently at the woman who had just sent him flying away from her, and rubbing his hands across his face to waken himself up.

"Ginny?"

Draco stopped rubbing his eyes and turned to look at Ginny. "Please tell me that's not your mother."

"Unfortunately I can't." Ginny rolled out of bed, grabbed her clothes from the floor and put them on as quickly as possible. All was going well until she tripped on the duvet which had fallen on the floor, causing Draco to snigger loudly.

"Ginny? Are you alright dear?" Her mother's voice had gotten frighteningly near to her bedroom door.

"I'm just coming mum, don't come in! I had to get dressed; I've only just got out of bed." She rushed over to her mirror and tried to smooth down her hair.

"What was that noise?"

"I, uh, dropped something." She waited intently for the sound of her mother's footsteps to move away from her door, and sighed in relief when they did.

Draco laid back in bed, scowling to himself. "Great, the last thing I wanted today was a visit from your mother."

Ginny turned to stare at him. "What are you doing? You need to get up!" She walked over and pulled the covers off of him.

"Why exactly?" Draco asked, one eyebrow pointedly raised.

Ginny scowled at him. "Look, you know I haven't told them about us yet. I don't want them to know."

"And why is that?"

"Because, Ron will get all righteous and start trying to tell me what to do, Hermione will start nagging me, and Fred and George will make my life one big joke for the foreseeable future." She walked over to her dresser and picked up Draco's clothes, chucking them at him. "I'm not ready for all that yet."

"Ginny, what's taking so long?"

"Nothing Mum, I'll be out in a minute." She sighed and looked back at Draco, who had started to get dressed. "You know what they're like."

"Why don't you tell them to mind their own business?" he asked, pulling a grey sweater over his head.

Ginny laughed sarcastically. "Yeah, I'll give that a try." She stood up, cupped his face in her hands, and kissed him. "I'm sorry. You can come back here tonight if you like."

"No. I think it's safe to say I never want to stay here again. At least until they know we're dating." Draco smirked. He kissed her again. "But when you do decide to tell them, can you make sure that I'm there? I'd quite like to see the look on Weasel's face."

Ginny glared at him and playfully smacked him. "Go."

Draco stood and picked up his wand. "Just come over the flat when she's left."

Ginny smiled. "Ok."

He winked at her before Disapparating.

Ginny sighed to herself, and walked out of her door to greet her mother who was sitting at the table in the kitchen.

* * *

Ginny Apparated into her apartment and collapsed onto the sofa, sighing loudly. Her mother had insisted on going to Diagon Alley together to get a Christmas present for Hermione. She had tried to get out of it, but her mother had played the guilt card by reminding Ginny how rarely she saw the rest of her family.

Considering that she hadn't wanted to go, it had been a rather enjoyable day. They had bought Hermione a brand new set of robes in a deep sapphire blue, as she had been complaining endlessly how the only robes she had were her black, teaching ones. Her mother had also helped Ginny pick something out for Ron, as she had been at a loss for what to buy. They had decided on 'Delia Dungleberry's Advanced Offensive Spells', a manual for a rarer selection of offensive spells that Ginny felt could be useful for him in the field.

It was over their late lunch that Molly Weasley had asked if her daughter was bringing anyone to Christmas dinner. Ginny had seen straight through the seemingly innocent question, knowing that it had been one of Molly's not-so-subtle attempts to ask her if she was dating anyone. Molly had been convinced that the reason Ginny was so downhearted after the war was because she was hung up on Harry, who had recently announced his relationship with Luna. Ginny hadn't had the energy to correct her at the time.

Ginny thought back to the conversation they had, seeing in her mind the surprise that showed up on her mother's face earlier in the day.

* * *

"You want to bring who?" Molly's surprise at her daughter's request was clearly etched on her face, as she stopped eating her lunch, her fork dangling in mid-air.

"Draco, Mum."

"Why on earth would you want to bring him?"

"Because he has no one to spend the holiday with, and I don't want him to spend it alone. It's a hard enough time as it is, let alone when you have no one to spend it with."

Molly frowned at her daughter suspiciously, and pursed her lips. She suspected that Ginny had a different reason for inviting Draco, and didn't know whether to raise that question with her daughter. After taking one look at the determination on her daughter's face, she relented, deciding that Ginny would tell her when she was ready, "Alright, he can come, but I don't want him antagonising Ron and Harry."

Ginny scowled at her mother, feeling a mix of elation that she would now be able to spend the holidays with her boyfriend, and deep irritation at the insinuation that Draco would cause trouble.

"Will you also tell them not to antagonise Draco?"

Molly sighed. "Of course, dear."

* * *

Ginny smiled to herself, as she recalled the rest of their conversation. She felt relieved that she was now permitted to bring Draco with her on Christmas. It was only a bonus that she would no longer be the only one during the celebration without their special someone.

That is, if Draco agreed to go.

Ginny sighed and ran her hand through her hair. She didn't know how she was going to persuade him to go with her, and she knew it was going to be a challenge. Since their time at Grimmauld, Draco had felt incredibly awkward when with her family; the only member he could ever tolerate was her mother, and only in small doses.

However, she hoped that he would agree to come as he knew the day was important, particularly as her family rarely had to opportunity to spend quality time together. She also knew that Draco was aware she wouldn't miss that day for anyone.

* * *

Draco was preparing food for himself and Ginny when he heard her Apparate in. "What took you so long, did your mum hold you hostage?" he asked as he walked to the lounge to greet her.

"Not quite." Ginny smiled at him, slid her hands around his waist and kissed him softly. She then took his hand and led him slowly to the sofa to sit down, turning to face him.

"I spoke to my mother today. I asked her if you could come spend Christmas with us at the Burrow. She said that you were more than welcome. Come with me?" Ginny asked tentatively.

"No way." Draco stared incredulously at Ginny.

Ginny scowled. "Why not?"

"Why would I voluntarily opt to spend Christmas day with a group of people who don't like me?" Draco asked, staring at her as if she were crazy.

"Because it's important to me, I'll be there, and I like you," Ginny answered. "Oh come on, Draco, it's just one day! It won't kill you."

"Yes, it is one day. One WHOLE day that I will have to spend looking at Potter. I think I'd rather see Snape naked."

"Oh so you haven't seen Snape naked yet?" Ginny sighed angrily, and folded her arms. "You know, you really are a child sometimes."

Draco sneered at her. "I'm a child?"

"Yes. You're still living in the past! You're still the same boy that wanted to hex Harry into oblivion every time you saw him, and I for one cannot believe you are incapable of putting aside those childhood rivalries for one day." Ginny scowled at him, her eyes flashing angrily.

"I didn't say I couldn't do it, I said I didn't want to."

"Really?" Ginny smirked. "Prove it."

Draco took one look at her smirk and knew he was being goaded into going to her family's house. Well, if he had to go, he would try to make it interesting. He smirked back at her. "What will I get out of it?"

Ginny frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Well," Draco began, "If I'm going to do this for you, I want to make sure it's worthwhile for me." Draco smirked at Ginny as she turned to look at him, a mischievous look on her face.

"Oh really?" she purred, climbing on to his lap and kissing him softly. "Well, if you do this for me, I promise to make it especially worthwhile."

"I'll hold you to that," Draco replied, pulling her closer and kissing her soundly.

"I hope you do."

"Let's just make one thing clear though, I don't want to have to spend the entire time talking to Potter and Weasel."

"That's fine by me."

* * *