On Fire

and even if everything goes wrong and we start to fall apart
I will understand where you are

I will understand this by myself
and I don't need to hear your answer

I just need you to feel
like there are no boundaries at all

- Trapt

Quidditch Widow

When Ginny awoke the next morning, she found it odd that no one else was in the beds on either side of her. She glanced out of the window and saw the sunlight dancing on the almost-bare trees near her window. The direction of the sunlight on the leaves indicated that it was nearly midday. Ginny immediately tried to jump out of bed; however, her sheets were so tangled around her legs that she managed to ungraciously thump down on the floor. With a muffled curse, she pushed herself off of the floor and threw the sheet back onto the bed.

She stumbled about the room after she had showered, still tired from her poor sleeping habits in the past week. When she finally looked presentable, she left her dormitory and proceeded to the top of the stairs that led to the Gryffindor common room. When Ginny saw the stairs, her memories of everything that had occurred last night and this morning flooded back Voldemort walking down the changing staircases...

Ginny looked off into space, lost in her own thoughts. Harry's dream had terrified her last night, but her fears seemed trite this morning. After all, it was merely a nightmare. Harry, to her knowledge, had never exhibited any sort of Divination skills. So, this dream must have just been a warning of some sort, not a prediction of future events. But what was Voldemort warning them about? Would he actually try to attack Hogwarts and find his way to the Gryffindor common room? Or was he just threatening to do so, to see if he could frighten Harry? There was something about this dream that seemed similar to Harry's dream from last year. Perhaps Voldemort was trying to trick Harry, just as he had when he sent Harry the dream about Sirius.

"Ginny?" Hermione called up from the bottom of the stairs, interrupting Ginny's thoughts. "Are you all right?"

"Hmm?" Ginny replied. Shaking her head to clear it, Ginny walked down the stairs and smiled at Hermione. "Oh yes, Hermione, I'm quite all right. I was just thinking about Harry's dream." Hermione blanched nervously, for Ginny had said those words loudly and attracted the attention of a few girls who were standing nearby. Suddenly aware of her unwanted audience, Ginny lowered her voice and whispered, "How is he?"

Hermione smiled conspiratorially and whispered, "He'll be released this evening. Pomfrey nearly had kittens when she caught me and Ron in the infirmary earlier." She thought for a moment and asked, "How are you feeling, Ginny? We noticed that you weren't around all day. Err..." she paused uncomfortably, "Zabini was worried about you."

"Oh, I was just exhausted so I slept. What time is it, anyways?" Ginny asked nonchalantly. Her heart wrenched when she thought about Blaise. He must have been so worried about her, and she was almost certain that no one had told him that she was merely sleeping all day.

Hermione grinned and said, "It's nearly six, Ginny. You've slept the entire day." With a frown, she began, "That means you've missed all of your classes. If you'd like, I could find notes for-"

"Oh, thank you so much, Hermione," Ginny cut in with a sickly sweet voice. She sighed inwardly. Some people just never changed, no matter what the situation was. Before Hermione could utter another word, Ginny said gently, "But I'd like to see Blaise right now. He must have been so worried about me!" And with another false smile, Ginny hurried to the portrait hole and left Gryffindor Tower.

She stood in the hallway, her back facing the Fat Lady's portrait. Where would Blaise be right now? Usually, he waited for her outside of the portrait hole before dinner, but he was obviously not there. Ginny surprised herself when she missed him. After what had happened last night, she was desperate for a friendly face. With a regretful shrug, Ginny walked towards the Great Hall for dinner.

When she reached the doorway, she heard low voices muttering in an alcove nearby. Curiosity got the best of Ginny, so she slipped into the shadows and moved closer to the voices. When she finally heard them clearly, she stopped and listened. With a shock, Ginny realized that she was eavesdropping on Blaise and Draco.

"-but she's always hated the fact that you're next in line for Death-Eatership," Blaise insisted.

Draco sighed and muttered, "She's my bloody mother, what the hell do you expect?"

Ginny could almost hear the smirk in Blaise's voice when he replied, "Well, my bloody mother has never objected to my intended future."

"Zabini, you fucking git!" Draco said with a low laugh. "I think she's on to something, though. I know they've been restless; it's been much too quiet-"

"But your mother isn't privy to any information from Voldemort," Blaise muttered. "So, how can we be sure about her hunches?"

There was a long pause, and then Draco replied, "I still think you should warn Gin." Ginny's hand flew to her mouth to stifle a gasp of surprise. It had been at least two weeks since Draco had talked to her, but he obviously hadn't forgotten her.

"There's no fucking proof," Blaise whispered furiously. "She's already been having a trying time with that git of a brother and whatever the hell is wrong with Potter. I'm not going to scare her for no bloody reason."

Draco sighed again and insisted, "She still deserves to know!"

"To know what?" Ginny wondered out loud. Before she realized her error, a warm hand slammed over mouth while an arm wrapped around her waist. Ginny's screams were muffled as she struggled against her attacker, but he resisted her. As she was dragged further into the shadows, she recognized the faint smell of leather from the arm near her head. Draco had caught her.

When he finally let her go, he snarled, "You should have taught your little girlfriend some manners, Zabini." He grabbed her shoulders and turned her so that she was forced to look into his face. Draco's face was contorted into a sneer, but his voice was deceptively gentle as he whispered, "It's impolite to eavesdrop, Weasley."

Ginny pulled away from him, furious. "Well, you were talking about me! How the hell do you expect me to not listen?" she shouted.

Blaise moved up behind her and wrapped his arms around her stomach as he whispered in her ear, "Don't shout, Ginevra. He was just trying to get a rise of you."

Ginny slowly relaxed into Blaise's arms, and smirked when she saw the frown that graced Draco's face as he watched them together. She kept her eyes on Draco's as she twisted her head and touched her lips to Blaise's ear. "So, what did he want you to tell me?" she murmured.

Draco was now sneering at them, but his hands were clenched so tightly that his knuckles were white. Ginny wanted to laugh with glee when she saw his reaction, but she just kissed Blaise's ear lightly and covered his hands with her own. Blaise tightened his hold on Ginny and turned his eyes to hers. His eyes were so dark in the shadows that they seemed black. She had never seen him look at her so hungrily, like he had been starved for months.

Ginny's shock must have been reflected in her face, because he instantly let her go and shoved his hands in his pockets. He turned his gaze away from her and stepped away uncomfortably. Ginny stood there, startled at his reaction. There was a long pause before Draco sighed impatiently and asked, "Well? Aren't you going to tell her?"

Blaise turned his eyes towards Draco's immediately and stated flatly, "I don't see the point."

"Will someone please tell me what the FUCK is going on?" Ginny hissed.

Draco and Blaise seemed to ignore her as they continued to stare at each other. Ginny turned her head back and forth between them, wondering what they were up to. Suddenly, Blaise threw up his hands in defeat, "Bloody hell, Malfoy! There's no fucking proof! But if you want to create mass hysteria, that's bloody fine with me!" He then bent down and pecked Ginny on the lips before whispering, "I'll see you later." With a swish of his robes, he left them and entered the Great Hall.

Ginny watched him go in confusion, and turned her head to Draco's quizzically. She almost fell down in shock when she saw that he was watching her just as intently as Blaise had before. But before she could say anything, she heard voices traveling near them. She turned to Draco in a panic, but he merely grabbed her hand and pushed her against the wall. Ginny lost her breath with the force of the push, but she nearly fainted when she felt Draco's body pressed against hers. She looked up in shock, and saw his eyes like warm, gray pools, staring back at her. He pressed his palms against the wall behind her, effectively trapping her within his arms. Draco stooped a little and whispered softly in her ear, "Pretend that I'm kissing you."

His voice was so low and his breath so warm against her skin that she didn't have the heart to protest. She almost groaned out loud when he touched his lips to her neck. It took all of Ginny's willpower to stop herself from pulling him towards her. As though he could read her mind, Draco pushed her against the wall and muttered, "It won't look real if you don't pretend like you're enjoying it!"

Ginny's mind was a complete blank, so it took her a few moments to understand what he was saying. Then, she stiffly lifted her hands and wove her fingers lightly into his hair. The voices had drawn nearer at this point. A female voice was saying, "And I saw him standing in the corner watching me! Merlin, I nearly fainted-"

Ginny's grip on his hair tightened, and Draco whispered in her ear, "Don't go to the game tomorrow."

In the background, Ginny could hear another female whisper, "Wait, isn't that Draco Malfoy?" Ginny ignored the girl and whispered furiously in Draco's ear, "Why the bloody hell not?"

Both girls seemed to have paused to watch, allowing Ginny to hear Draco clearly whisper, "My mother thinks that the Death Eaters will attack the school tomorrow. You'll be safe in the castle."

Now they could hear the voices of more students passing by to get to the Great Hall. One of the two girls who had been watching Draco's back whispered loudly, "Probably snogging some third year. Those girls are so stupid..." They both ran off before the incoming crowd of students caught them. Ginny took advantage of the situation and pushed Draco away from her slightly. "But, what about Blaise and... you? You're both on the Quidditch team; what if something happens to you?"

The crowd of students was passing by, but Draco shielded Ginny from their eyes with his body. He hissed, "Don't worry about us. We're supposed to be the bad guys, remember?" His gray eyes were flashing dangerously in the dark shadows around his face.

Ginny crossed her arms and lifted her chin defiantly. "If Blaise is still going out there, then I will, too!" she whispered back.

Something flashed in Draco's eyes before they became hard and angry. He gripped Ginny's shoulders tightly and shook her a little, whispering, "No, Ginevra! Promise me you'll stay here." With another shake, he emphasized, "Promise me!"

Wrenching his hands from her shoulders, Ginny stepped away from Draco. There was no one else in the hallway, so Ginny shouted, "No! I can handle myself, and I don't see why you're so worried about this!" She took a deep breath and said in a normal tone, "After all, Blaise said that you didn't have actual proof. So, don't jump to conclusions." Avoiding his glare, Ginny turned and quickly slipped into the Hall.

Ginny sat down quietly, completely unnoticed by her fellow Gryffindors. Ron and Hermione gave her small smiles before they became engrossed in each other. Ginny piled food onto her plate, quietly lost in her own thoughts. She didn't know what to make of Draco's outburst. Why did he care so much about her? After more than a week of ignoring her, he was afraid that she would be hurt! But her boyfriend, Blaise, didn't seem too worried about her. Ginny was relieved that Blaise wasn't trying to coddle her; but she still wondered at Draco's Ron-like protectiveness.

When this thought crossed her mind, she tried to suppress a grin, but failed miserably. She looked up to see if anyone had noticed her, and locked eyes with Blaise. He was watching her with a raised eyebrow, obviously wondering what she was laughing about. Ginny just winked at him and smiled broadly. Blaise winked back at her, and turned his attention back to his plate. She looked around the Slytherin table, and realized that Draco wasn't there. Ginny wondered why he wasn't at dinner, but she didn't think too much of it.

After dinner, Ginny met Blaise at the entrance to the Great Hall, as she usually did. He immediately steered her to the same alcove that they had been standing in before. "Did Malfoy tell you about tomorrow?" She nodded, and he continued, "He didn't frighten you, did he? He's awfully fond of his mum, and does pretty much everything she says..."

Ginny grinned at him, and whispered, "It'll take more than a speculation to keep me away from a Quidditch match!" Blaise grinned back at her and ruffled her hair affectionately. They then turned their attentions to deciding what to do for the rest of the evening.

Ginny wanted to finish some homework in the library while Blaise wanted to go flying in the pitch. They finally compromised and decided to roam the hallways quietly. But there seemed to be no reason for quietude; Filch and Mrs. Norris weren't to be found anywhere in the castle that evening. Ginny shrugged it off, thinking that Filch had decided to sleep a bit earlier that night. Blaise thought it was a mighty strange occurrence, one he had never seen in his five previous years at Hogwarts, but he agreed with her.

They held hands and bantered back and forth as they continued their leisurely stroll through the castle. Ginny suddenly stopped smiling and looked up at Blaise curiously. "Didn't you wonder why you didn't see me all day?" she demanded.

Blaise grinned down at her and said, "I was bloody worried when you didn't come down for dinner. But one of your dorm mates told me that you were still asleep. I noticed that you didn't come to breakfast, so I asked Granger about it. She told me that you were up all night worried about Potter and something about a nightmare." His face hardened uncharacteristically. "Do you mind telling me why you were so worried about him?" he asked forcefully.

Ginny stopped in her tracks and looked at Blaise in shock. His face was twisted into a... sneer, one that she had never seen before. Was he actually jealous of Harry? "Oh, for Merlin's sake, Blaise!" Ginny cried out. "Harry was bleeding; he was having, quite literally, a bloody nightmare!" Blaise's face became blank, so she took a deep breath and continued, "He had woken up the entire house with this crazy laugh of his, and we were all so worried. McGonagall had to take-"

"Calm down, Ginevra," Blaise interrupted. "Now, I want you to tell me exactly what happened."

She did as he suggested and began, "Well, it all started when I was woken up. See, Ron had apologized to me and I was just too tired to continue-"

"Did you say that Weasley apologized?" Blaise interjected incredulously. Ginny nodded absentmindedly, eager to continue her story. But Blaise let out a loud guffaw of laughter that almost awoke the portraits around them.

After she managed to shush him, Ginny pouted and asked, "What's so bloody funny about Ron apologizing?"

Blaise looked at her, his eyes still dancing with mirth. He merely smirked and said, "Oh, nothing really. It's just that the wanker you call a brother finally decided to take some good advice." Ginny looked at him quizzically, but Blaise shrugged it off and urged her to continue her story.

With a shrug of her own, Ginny proceeded to relay to Blaise the details of last night, including Harry's dream. After she was finished, Blaise stood there thoughtfully and said, "That's strange. Has Voldemort ever possessed Potter before?"

"No, it wasn't a possession. At least," Ginny paused, "not like mine. He was just given these visions of what was happening to his godfather, Sirius Black."

Blaise looked off into space and asked, "So, was it a warning, or a prediction of some sort? Or was that bastard using Potter like a fucking toy?"

Ginny replied, "I thought it was a warning, but I'm not too sure about it. I mean, if it was a prediction..." She trailed off uncertainly, shivering in horror. Blaise noticed her reaction and wrapped his arms around her.

"Let's forget about it, shall we?" he whispered into her hair. When she sighed with relief and nodded, he gently kissed her and tucked her arm under his. "Well, Miss Ginevra," he began playfully, "I can see that you need a tour guide on this delightful quest through Hogwarts castle. I believe I can fill that role admirably." Ginny laughed at Blaise's smug pomposity, but he continued, "Here, we have a portrait of Ella the Demented, from the fifteenth century..."

After an evening of good fun, Blaise finally walked Ginny back to the Fat Lady's portrait. He bent down to kiss her goodnight, and whispered, "So, who are you going to cheer for tomorrow, Ginevra?"

She wrapped her arms around his waist and grinned at him impishly. "Oh, for my favorite chaser in the world... Blaise Zabini!" Blaise looked smug and asked, "And what side of the pitch will you be sitting in?"

Ginny's face fell with confusion. "The Gryffindor side, of course," she said hesitantly.

Annoyance flashed across Blaise's face as he looked down at her and said, "I don't see why. None of the Gryffindors like you."

"Well, the Slytherins would murder me if I sat with them!" Ginny exclaimed.

Blaise pushed her away with disappointment. "But Ginevra, everyone knows about our relationship. What difference would it make? And, you'll be cheering for my team!" he insisted.

Ginny shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest resolutely. "No, Blaise, I'm not going to do it. I will be cheering for both teams, but I will be cheering for you especially."

"What?" Blaise shouted, causing Ginny to wince. "I can't believe that you keep running to them when they don't even respect you or like you or... care about you!"

Ginny stomped her foot with anger. "They're not my family, Blaise! They've never cared about me! So what difference would it make now? I am a Gryffindor, you know."

With a sneer, Blaise stepped away from her. "Well, then," he snarled, "you can go ahead and run to Potter, like you always do."

Ginny gaped at him silently. Had Blaise, her beloved best friend and boyfriend, actually said that? Was he implying that she was cheating on him or something? Ginny was sure that she had told him that her crush on Harry had died a long time ago. But this jealousy from Blaise surprised and disappointed her.

Instead of trying to convince him of her trustworthiness again, Ginny merely turned away from him, muttered "Bludger" to the Fat Lady, and entered the Gryffindor common room. The one thing that the Weasleys did have was dignity.