The Dragon's Fire

When Draco awoke the next morning, he got dressed rather quickly, because he wanted to miss the Slytherins at breakfast. Blaise was right, they had turned cold against him, and he knew it was because of his father.

When he got down to the Great Hall, it was almost empty. Just as Draco was biting into a piece of toast, Blaise came and sat down beside him.

"Seems like you're trying to avoid someone, or someones."

"Only you."

"Ha ha, very funny."

"Why don't they all hate you? Your parents aren't Death Eaters."

"Well just that. My parents aren't, so I'm not expected to be one. I'm just your average Slytherin, not some DE wannabe."

"So because my father's a Death Eater, that automatically means that I have to be?"

"Your dad isn't just any Death Eater, Drake. He's the Death Eater. He's You-Know-Who's main man. So, you being a Malfoy, are expected to be Lucius' clone. But you know all this better than I do."

"I know." Draco glanced down the table and almost laughed. Most of the seats were filled now, but there was a five-seat radius around him and Blaise.

"Makes you feel like you are contagious or something, doesn't it?" Blaise said.

Draco was about to answer when two girls sat across from them.

"Hey guys, did someone forget to take a shower this morning?" Brianna Zabini joked.

"B, your brother does kinda smell," Pam whispered, laughing.

"Blaise, since when do we allow fifth years to talk to us like that?"

"Since you have very few friends at this table now, and you take what you can get?"

"True, very true."

"Draco? What do you think of Ginny?" Bri asked.

"Weaselette? What about her?"

"Don't call her that! And I mean, what do you think of her? She told us what happened last night."

"Ya D, what's up with you manhandling her?"

"None of your goddamn business. What's up with the initials? No one goes around calling you 'P', Parkinson."

"I think you were right, B," Pam whispered, "He is totally crushing on her too."

"What?"

"Nothing. Bye Draco," Bri said sweetly before grabbing his piece of toast off of his plate. "See ya, Blaise"

With that, the two girls got up, made their way over to the Gryffindor table, and sat themselves down on either side of Ginny.

Just then the owl post arrived. Draco's mother's owl, a grey tawny owl named Nakomis, flew up, followed by an owl Draco recognized as a school barn owl, each dropping a letter on his plate. He opened his mother's letter first.

Dear Draco,

I hope your first couple of days went well. I've heard from a reliable source (whom I will not name) that you are facing some animosity from your housemates. I was worried this would happen. However, I want you to know that you aren't alone in facing them. Just like your friends have forgotten you in a moment's notice, their mothers have forgotten me. Don't worry, it will get better. Just remember, you no longer have to fear your father, and please try to stay strong for me. I don't want my only son to have to go through this, but Draco, please, think of the alternative. I know you don't want to follow in your father's footsteps. Stay strong. I love you very much.

Love,

Mum

Draco felt horrible. Here he was complaining about some childish Slytherins, when his mother had lost all of her friends too. Poor Mum, he thought. Then he remembered the other letter. It was sealed with the Hogwarts seal, and he wondered who it was from.

Dear Mr. Malfoy,

Please report to my office after breakfast. I believe there are some things we need to discuss.

Albus Dumbledore

Draco shook his head. What could he possible want? I've only been here two days. Well, technically I've been here a week and two days, but still. Draco left Blaise to go down to the dungeons and get the things he would need for class. Then he headed to the Headmaster's office, which he realized now, he didn't have the password for.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Ginny had woken up in a very good mood. She remembered dreaming about Draco all night, which she knew was a very bad thing, but she didn't care. She decided to get ready in the Prefects' bathroom, and since it was still very early, she hoped it would be empty. She spent nearly an hour in there before getting dressed for classes and going down to the Great Hall for breakfast. She sat down near the end of the table by herself, hoping to have a quick breakfast. Not five minutes later, two familiar Slytherins plopped down on either side of her.

"Mornin' Gin," said Bri.

"Sleep well?" Pam added.

"Morning, girls, and yes thanks. What are you doing here?"

"Well, Pammy and I have been thinking about it and we think that... umm..."

"G, we're gonna set you up with Draco! He totally digs you too."

"No! Absolutely not. No way! Not gonna happen. Forget it, both of you."

"Gin, come on, it's been forever since I got to play matchmaker!"

"Find another victim!"

"You know you like him, G, you admitted it. Why not let us help?"

"Because. Just forget it."

"Do you have tutoring today?" Bri asked.

"No, tomorrow."

"But you have patrol tonight." Pam said.

"Yes, and I don't plan to say a word tonight. I don't want any new bruises."

"He bruised you? I thought you said he didn't throw you up against the wall that hard?"

"No, but I've got finger prints on both my arms because he held them so tight."

"G, let me heal them for you," Pam said, pulling out her wand.

"No! Um, I'll...um...go to Pomfrey later."

Truthfully, Ginny wanted to use them to guilt trip Draco into speaking to her tonight. But, she wasn't about to tell Pam that. After her talk with Hermione last night, she decided to try a little bit harder with Draco, and maybe feel him out a bit. However, she wasn't about to let her friends meddle.

"Anyway, I better go, I've got tutoring with Harry next."

"I still say this is so not fair!"

"Too bad Bri, live with it." Ginny winked at her friends before getting up, and leaving for Study Room B. She wanted to be there when Harry arrived. She was taking all of this studying very seriously. She had found out that twelve was the most number of OWLs you can get, and Hermione and her brother, Percy, had both gotten the highest, so she wanted to get that many too.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Draco arrived at the statue guarding the Headmaster's office, and didn't know what to do.

This is great, he thought, how the hell am I supposed to get inside? Just then, Dumbledore arrived, probably from breakfast, and answered his question.

"Good morning, Mr. Malfoy. Please follow me."

Dumbledore then turned to the statue, said the password, "Pepper Imp," and stepped onto the revolving staircase, with Draco right behind him. Dumbledore went into his office, and sat down at his desk.

"Have a seat." They sat down on opposite sides of the Headmaster's desk.

Draco spoke first. "Was there something you wanted to speak to me about, Professor?"

"Yes, of course. How have your first days been? I'm aware that some of your housemates have been treating you, shall we say, differently."

"I guess."

"Well is there anything you would like to talk about?"

"No, Professor."

"Very well, you may go. But Mr. Malfoy, in the future, please use suitable actions while on patrol at night. That is all, you may go."

Draco stared at Dumbledore. How does he know everything? he thought. "Yes, Professor," he mumbled, before leaving the Headmaster's office for his first class of the day.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Ginny's morning went by really well. Harry was a very good teacher, and promised her that he would teach her how to conjure a Patronus, saying he got extra marks for being able to do it on his Defence OWL. Anthony Goldstein had been a bit cold towards her, but she thought that was probably because he was friends with Michael Corner, her ex, and was just trying to be loyal to his friend. Ginny didn't mind, because he still helped her study. Hermione's session went similar to yesterday's. Even though she had told Ginny they would get down to business this time, they ended up talking more about Draco Malfoy. Hermione seemed to want to help Ginny in any way she could, which surprised Ginny a bit, but she was just happy that she had an ally who was also close to her brother. After lunch, Ginny went back Study Room B, and pulled out all of the work she had from her eight previous sessions. She had made all of her 'tutors' give her homework, explaining that s! he had a whole afternoon to do it. They basically just told her what to read. She ended up falling asleep on the table and waking up at quarter to seven. She quickly pulled all of her books into her bag, threw it all into one of the drawers of the desk, and running for the Great Hall to catch a late dinner. After eating, Ginny ran back up to the library, grabbed her books, and went up to the tower to read before nine.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Draco sat alone or with Blaise in every class. He was starting to reconsider the 'friends in other houses' idea. All of his NEWT classes were with all four houses, so he thought that even though the Slytherins hated him, he could still have friends in his classes. Yeah right, scratch that idea. I've been a prick to all of them since first year.

After dinner, Draco went back to the common room to find Pansy Parkinson waiting for him.

"Draco, can we talk?"

"Why?"

"I haven't talked to you forever, Drakey."

"I've told you before, don't call me that."

"Fine, I was trying to be nice but here's the deal. Your father is pissed. He seems to think you are weaker than you are, and that three days of being ignored by all of us," she gestured around the common room, "would make you crack. I know, three days. But, he's impatient, and he doesn't know you as well as he thinks. I'm just trying to warn you Draco, as a friend, that I think he might try something more drastic. Be prepared."

"Pans, wait. Why are you telling me this?"

"We're friends, remember?"

"You're a future Death Eater first."

"Never."

"Since when?"

"Not here Draco. Come with me into the prefects room and I'll tell you."

"This isn't a trap, is it, Pans?"

"You'll just have to trust me."

They went into the Slytherin Prefect room, a small chamber off of the common room, for the prefects to lounge in.

"So what changed your mind, Pans?"

"My dad. He never used the Cruciatus Curse on me or Pam. Ever. Then, over the summer, he started. Not Pam, just me. I don't know why. I told him I hated him, and that I didn't want to be like him, and he locked me up in the dungeon for a week. He told me that I'd take the mark when I turn sixteen, and that there's nothing I can do to change it.

"I've always known I'd be a Death Eater, Draco, and it didn't bother me. Now that it does, and I don't have a choice, I don't know what to do. If it were just me, I'd run. I'd run like you did. But I can't. I tried, once in the middle of August, but he caught me. You know what he said to me? He told me to think about my sister. He said that if I ran, he'd make her pay. That he'd hurt her so bad that she'd wish she were dead. I can't do that to Pam. I just can't. But I just don't know what to do."

Pansy was crying now, and Draco didn't know what to do. He'd never been good with crying women. He put his arm around her and let her cry on his shoulder. When she was done she looked up at him.

"You're the first person I've told. No one knows what happened this summer. Not even Pam. Don't tell her, I don't want her to know. And now you know why I can't speak to you anymore. If he finds out, and he will, he'll hurt her. I know it. I'm sorry Draco. I hope it gets better. I hope everything turns out ok. I really do."

Then she got up and left the room, and Draco didn't get a chance to say anything. Wow, he thought. Who would've thought that Pansy Parkinson had a heart? And feelings towards her sister? This year is just getting more fucked up by the minute. Then he realized it was quarter to nine, and he had to go meet Ginny in the Entrance Hall.

When Draco arrived at the bottom of the stairs, he saw Ginny standing there waiting, looking bored. She was wearing Muggle clothes again. She had on a red, low-cut tank top, like the black one from yesterday, and a black mini skirt. Her hair was down today, and he had to admit that she looked hot, again. Then he saw the marks on her arms. Five circular bruises on each arm, just above her elbow. It must have been from where he grabbed her yesterday. He suddenly felt a pang of guilt in his stomach. Just forget it, he thought. Then he walked up behind her.

"Ready to go, Ginny?" he asked.

"Ginny?"

"That's your name, isn't it."

"Wh- uh- yeah," she stammered.

The started to walk up the stairs.

"Mal-er-Draco?"

"Yes?"

"Um, I'm, well I'm sorry about last night. I probably shouldn't have said any of that stuff about you."

"You're right, you shouldn't have. But I shouldn't have grabbed you like that either. Malfoys don't apologize, so that's the best you're getting." He smirked. "I see you've got some nice bruises there. Why didn't you get Pomfrey to fix them?"

"I like em. Makes me look tough." She winked.

"Except no one can see them when you wear your robes."

"Yeah, that's a bit of a problem. Oh well."

They walked in silence for a bit; then Ginny broached the topic she knew she'd have to come to eventually.

"Malfoy, why'd you run from your father this summer?"

"None of your business, Weasley."

"I know it isn't, but if you want to tell me, I'll listen."

"No."

"Fine. How about, why don't you want to be a Death Eater any more?"

"I never did."

"How come?"

"Once again, none of your business."

"Do you hate your father?"

"Yes."

"Me too." Ginny hadn't meant to say the last part out loud, it had just spilled out.

"You hate your father, Weasley?"

"No. I hate yours."

Draco looked at her. Her voice had quivered, and her eyes looked glossy, from unshed tears, but she had a determined look on her face, like she wouldn't cry. Draco didn't know whether to keep talking or change the subject. Ginny solved the problem.

"You probably think I'm stupid, getting all teary-eyed over something that happened four years ago." She sniffed, then laughed.

"Shows what you know Weasley."

"Huh?"

"I don't think you're stupid."

"Really?"

He nodded. "Just so you know, I didn't know."

"Know what?"

"About the diary. About the whole Chamber of Secrets thing. About Tom Riddle. Not until after. I didn't know my father was involved."

At the mention of Tom Riddle, Ginny couldn't hold in her tears anymore. Draco would've expected her to turn away, so he couldn't see that she was crying, but she didn't. She just stood there staring at him, with silent tears streaming down her cheeks. He stared back. After several minutes, she did turn, to wipe her eyes it seemed, because when she turned back, he eyes were red but she wasn't crying anymore.

"I'm sorry," he said softly.

"I thought Malfoys didn't apologize."

"They don't."

"Well, you don't have to be sorry. I know you didn't know. I'm sorry for crying like that at you."

"You know, that's why I don't want to be a Death Eater."

"Why?"

"Because I had always known my father killed Mudbloods and Muggles, but I didn't think he'd ever touch a pureblood. When he told me, the summer of my second year, his part in all of it, I asked him how he could basically send an innocent pureblood first year to her death, he just laughed at me. He said Weasleys were blood-traitors, and didn't deserve to be called purebloods. That was when I realized he was a hypocrite, and that I didn't want to be like him. I found out later that the Dark Lord is a half-blood. That just made me realize the hypocrisy started with him."

"First of all, that's some really fucked up logic. You're ok with murder, as long as it's not the murder of a pureblood?"

"It's the way I was raised. 'Muggles and Mudbloods are beneath you, Draco. You are a Malfoy.' It was drilled into my head from the time I was old enough to understand it. It was just second nature. But like I said, he is a hypocrite."

"So, you're saying that me almost dying, because of that book, made you not want to be a Death Eater?"

"I guess."

"Well, then for the first time, I'm glad it happened."

"What?"

"I'm still alive, right? And you have chosen your own path. That means that some good came out of it. I'm glad it happened."

Draco just stared at her.

"You're crazy Weasley."

"So, are you going to answer my other question now?"

"What was it?"

"Why did you run from your father?"

"Maybe tomorrow night."

They were back in the Entrance Hall, it was midnight, and they were ready to go their separate ways.

"Draco?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you going to the Underground on Saturday?"

"Of course."

"Good."

"What?"

"I said, good."

"Whatever, Weasley."

"Night, Draco."

"Good night, Ginny."

They went their separate ways, both feeling like the night had been a good one.