The Dragon's Fire

When Ginny, Pam, and Bri woke up the next day, it was almost lunch time. As soon as Ginny found out the time, she jumped up and ran out of the room, telling her friends that she'd be back in a couple hours, and that she had to go to her common room to smooth things over with Ron--if she still could. But as she scanned the full Slytherin common room, she didn't see Draco.

Oh well, I'll see him later.

What she did see, however, were several Slytherins staring menacingly at her. She decided to get out of there as fast as she could, to attract the least amount of attention possible, thereby not getting herself in more trouble with the Slytherins than she was already in, just for being a Gryffindor.

When she got to the Gryffindor common room she found Ron immediately, in his regular corner, with Harry and Hermione. As Ginny approached, he looked up and scowled.

"Oh, look, it's the whore of Gryffindor."

This caused different reactions out of the three present. Hermione gasped, Harry nodded, and Ginny just rolled her eyes.

"Oh, really witty Ron. That was brilliant, don't know how you'd ever come up with that one. However, I think to be considered a whore, I'd have to do more then kiss Draco, and since I didn't, your insult has no value."

"Really Gin? Why else would you stay overnight in Slytherin?"

"Not that I have to explain myself to you, but did you ever consider it was because I didn't want to come back and face you?"

Ron closed his mouth then opened it again. He repeated this three times before speaking.

"No, because if that was the reason you could've come here and gone through the common room and to your dorm. You know I can't get up there."

"I just didn't want the hassle, Ron."

"Why don't I believe you? I know you slept with Malfoy, I just can't believe you'd do it!"

"I didn't! But if that's what you want to hear then fine. I slept with Malfoy. Happy now? Merlin, Ron. We're back on this trust issue again. And I'm sick of it. I came back here with the intention of trying to talk to you like a civil person, but I'm just sick of trying when you won't. And you're going to have to get used to the idea of Draco and I."

Ginny stormed away and up to her dorm. She spent fifteen minutes getting all the things she needed for tonight together and put them in a bag, before throwing it over her shoulder and heading back into the common room.

"And where do you think you are going now?"

"You want the truth, or a lie that will save you from having a heart attack?"

"The truth."

"I'm going with Bri, Pam, and Draco to a secret Slytherin club somewhere in the castle where I plan to get right smashed and have a good time. Problem?"

Ron gaped. "No you are not!"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Like you can stop me."

"I'll owl-"

"Even if you owl mum, she can't do anything about it anyway."

"I'll...I'll...I'll tell Dumbledore!"

Ginny just ignored him and walked out the portrait hole.

When she entered the Slytherin common room, Draco was still nowhere to be found. She walked right through again, earning some more threatening looks from the Slytherins, but no comments. She didn't knock when she got to the girls' room, but just went in and found Pam and Bri pulling what looked like all the clothes they owned out of their trunks, closets, and dressers, and laying them out on their beds.

"How'd it go with Ron?" Bri asked.

"Oh, nothing unexpected. He called me the 'whore of Gryffindor' and proceeded to be himself. I'm finished with him. But, who cares right? Let's get ready for tonight!"

The girls spent the whole afternoon doing hair and make-up charms and spells, and had a house-elf bring them dinner so that no one would see them.

They each picked out an outfit out of the tons of dresses and skirts that Pam and Bri had at their disposal. Pam told her that the first Underground of the year was always on the formal side of casual dress. They went all out once and then wore normal clothes for the rest of the year. Bri added that all the girls go all out to see who has the best dress there. Pam and Bri helped Ginny pick out the perfect dress: a beautiful black dress, with a red-tinted shimmery over-layer. The dress was strapless, and fitted to her waist and then flared out to just below her knee. She chose the red because she wanted to make sure to show off her Gryffindor side. However, she did wear a silver snake clip in her hair. When the girls were done getting ready, it was nearly eight o'clock, and they went down to the common room to go to the Underground.

Pam and Bri walked down the stairs first, because they said they wanted to be able to see Draco's face when Ginny came down. Ginny was a little nervous. After everything that had happened last night Ginny didn't know if she wanted to face Draco again. A part of her was scared that it had all been a dream--or worse, a joke, and that when she saw him he would laugh at her with all of the Slytherins and she would be made a fool of. However, that was the small part of her that only knew the old Draco. Ginny knew in her heart of hearts that this Draco that she knew now would never do that. She was still scared to see him though. Even though she knew he wouldn't laugh at her, he might have changed his mind since last night. She'd basically told him she loved him, and while he said he was falling for her, her brain kept telling her he just said that to avoid hurt her feelings. Ginny was confused. However, she decided to throw caution to the wind. She left her friends' dorm and started to walk downstairs.

Draco was down in the common room with Blaise, Bri, and Pam waiting for Ginny to come down. He was talking to Blaise, not paying much attention to the stairs Ginny would be coming down, when Bri Zabini elbowed him hard in the side and hissed at him to 'Look!'. He turned and his breath caught in his throat as he saw her. She looked absolutely stunning, and Draco couldn't take his eyes off her. Neither could half of the male population in the Slytherin common room, Draco noticed, and he made a mental note to not let her leave his side tonight. Ginny, in the meantime, was scanning the common room for Draco, and when she found him her whole face lit up. He looked gorgeous, as usual, but there was just something about him tonight that took her breath away. His clothes weren't incredibly spectacular, she noticed: he was dressed in black pants and a grey dress shirt with the top buttons undone, but she just couldn't take her eyes off of him. There's something different about him tonight, she thought, I just can't put my finger on what it is. However, her thoughts were cut short and she reached Draco and the others, and he leaned down and kissed the corner of her mouth before whispering in her ear, "You look beautiful."

Ginny blushed and smiled. "Thank you. You don't look so bad yourself," she said with a wink.

Draco smirked. "Shall we?" he asked, offering her his arm. She laughed at him and swatted his arm away. He frowned and let his arm hang down at his side, but then she threaded her fingers through his and said, "We shall."

Most of the Slytherins had already left the common room, so Ginny and her friends left alone. They climbed staircase after staircase and Ginny found it odd that a Slytherin secret night club would be anywhere but the dungeons, but she kept this to herself. They reached the seventh floor and she allowed herself to be led down a corridor until she saw the familiar tapestry of Barnabas the Balmy and then she started to laugh. Draco gave her an odd look. "What's so funny Gin?"

Ginny quieted herself. "It's just that I find it ironic that a place called the Underground is on the seventh floor of the castle. Not to mention it's in the Room of Requirement!"

"Room of what?"

"Room of Requirement. Do you remember the DA last year that you and that foul Umbridge woman caught us on? Well, then you know that this is the room we used," she said, gesturing to the door.

"What? It's not the same room."

"I know. That's why it's called the Room of Requirement. It only appears when it's needed, and in the form that is required."

Draco shook his head. "Leave it to Potter to use the Slytherin night club as his DA room."

"Actually it was Dobby that told him about it. But enough talking. Let's go in!"

They all agreed and went through the door into the Underground.

Ginny gasped at what she saw when her eyes adjusted to the light. There were about 20 people, mostly Slytherins, in the room. The room itself had black walls, ceiling, and floor. There were green strobe lights flashing that gave the room a distinct Slytherin feel. There was music coming from somewhere unknown, and it was playing a popular song from the WWN. Along one wall Ginny saw a bar set up with Butterbeer, Firewhiskey, and everything in between. The bar also held an assortment of food. There were couches set up at the opposite side of the room, and in the middle a huge dance floor. Ginny immediately grabbed Draco's hand and pulled him onto the dance floor. They danced for a while, before Draco pulled her over to the couches and sat down.

"Do you want something to drink, Gin?"

"Um, sure. What have you guys got?"

"Anything you can get in the Three Broomsticks. Actually, anything you want."

"Then I'll have a cherry syrup and soda with ice and an umbrella." She smiled.

"Wow. Pretty precise there."

"I just know what I want."

Draco smiled, and then walked over to the bar to grab their drinks. He came back with Ginny's and a Firewhiskey for himself. He sat down beside her and looked into her eyes.

"Draco -"

"Gin-"

They both laughed.

"You go first," he said.

"Ok. I've been thinking. I had another fight with Ron, which is just getting so repetitive, not to mention the fact that the things he says to me hurt! This morning he called me the whore of Gryffindor and threatened to owl my mum again, and tell Dumbledore where I was going tonight. I think he really hates me Draco, because of the fact that I no longer hate you. He thinks I slept with you last night, and if he tells my mum that...I would hope she wouldn't believe it, but if she did-I could just hear her, saying how disappointed in me she would be!" Ginny was getting quite hysterical now, and Draco felt horrible that he was causing all of this for her. "Anyway, I just, needed to ask you something. Don't take this the wrong way alright, but I just need to know that you are worth this. And, I think you are, I just, well, I just need to hear it from you, ok?"

She looked up at him, scared of his reaction. Please don't let him think that I don't think he's worth it. Just let him tell me what I need to hear.

Then a little voice in her head asked, Ah, but what do you need to hear?

Draco meanwhile was stunned. I'm not, he thought, I'm not worth having her brother against her, or her family. I shouldn't be putting her through this. She'll just hate me in the end.

"I'm not."

"What?"

"I'm not worth it Gin. That's the thing. You're going through all of this for me. Your brother hates you, your family will hate you, and for what? Me? I don't think that this," he motioned between them, "should go anywhere beyond friendship. That kiss last night was a mistake."

It hurt him to say that to her, a new kind of pain he'd never felt before, and it hurt even more when he saw her face crumple, but he knew he had to do it.

"Oh. Well, I... I just...Wow. Ok. Um, sh-sure. Mistake. Right," her voice shook. "Well, if that's how you feel."

"It's for the best."

"For the best? I don't really see that, but if you think so..."

She just looked so sad, and Draco wasn't used to seeing her look defeated. He hated the fact that it was his fault she looked this way. Before he could take it all back, Ginny spoke.

"You know Draco, I think you are just being stupid. I don't even know why I asked you that question, when I know in my heart that you are worth it. I don't care if my brother hates me, or if my family hates me, or if everyone in the world but you hates me! I think, no, I know that I could love you, Draco Malfoy, and that's all that matters right now."

Draco smiled. A real genuine smile, something Ginny was getting used to, and frankly quite attached to seeing on his face. "Really?"

"Absolutely. I already told you that, remember?"

"Yeah -" but Ginny cut him off.

"Ok, this isn't really the place to have a heart-to-heart talk is it? We'll talk later, I promise! As for my family, well, if they do have a problem, they'll come around. And anyway, who says that we need to tell anyone just yet? Ron won't owl home, and even if he does, it sounds so farfetched Mum won't believe him. It will be fine. Ok? Now just kiss me already!"

Draco complied. He stood up and wrapped his arms around her and kissed her with everything inside him, in a sea full of Slytherins, and he just didn't care.

"Mmm. Yep. Definitely worth it." Ginny smiled.

Just then a wizard's version of a Muggle slow song came on and she looked up at Draco just as he looked at her.
"Dance with me?" he asked.

"Of course."

If I'm not in love with you

What is this I'm going through

Tonight

And if my heart is lying then

What should I believe in

Why do I go crazy

Every time I think about you, baby

Why else do I want you like I do

If I'm not in love with you

And if I don't need your touch

Why do I miss you so much

Tonight

If it's just infatuation then

Why is my heart aching

To hold you forever

Give a part of me I thought I'd never

Give again to someone I could lose

If I'm not in love with you

"Draco?"

"Yeah?" he answered, staring into her eyes.

"This song is exactly how I feel about you."

Draco just smiled.

Why in every fantasy

Do I feel your arms embracing me

Lovers lost in sweet desire

Why in dreams do I surrender

Lying with you baby

Someone help explain this feeling

Someone tell me

If I'm not in love with you

What is this I'm going through

Tonight

And if my heart is lying then what should I believe in

Why do I go crazy

Every time I think about you baby

Why else do I want you like I do

If I'm not in love with you

As the song ended, Ginny released her arms from around Draco's neck just as he let go of her. She stared into his eyes for a moment, trying to convey what she was feeling at that very moment without words. She noticed that he let his guard down, and that she could read feelings in his eyes. It looked, to her, remarkably like love. Ginny smiled and leaned up to kiss him. Then, feeling delightfully more lighthearted, Ginny decided to have some fun.

"Well, Dray, I told my brother that I was going to get smashed tonight and have a good time. Ready for me to keep that promise?"

"Of course. Let me get you something to drink."

"How about a Firewhiskey this time?"

"Sure."

Ginny walked over to where she saw the girls and sat down with them at their table, just as Draco returned with drinks, followed closely by Blaise, and they both sat down as well. Ginny downed her firewhiskey quickly, before looking towards Bri.

"Shots, Gin?"

"Bring 'em on!"

Bri went to get several rounds of shots of something Ginny had never had before, and soon the three girls were so drunk they could barely stand up.

Around 3:00 that morning, Draco found Ginny passed out on one of the couches. He decided it would be best if he took her back to the Tower, then have her not return for the second night in a row. Draco picked her up and carried her down several corridors before arriving in front of the painting of the Fat Lady. It wasn't until he was in front of the painting, with the woman staring down at him saying 'Password', that he realized he didn't have it.

"Gin," he whispered. She didn't move.

"Ginny!" he said, a bit louder. Still nothing.

"Ginny!" he yelled into her ear. This woke her up, and she tried to sit up in his arms, causing Draco to almost drop her. He set her down on her feet, and grabbed on to her arms to stop her from falling.

"Draco!"

"Gin, I need the password to your tower."

"Password? Ugh. My head. Isn't the hangover not supposed to start until the next morning?"

"Well, you've been asleep for a while. I'm kind of surprised you didn't throw up."

"Don't get ahead of yourself. I'm not feeling very good."

"Ok, Gin. Think. Password."

"Right." She turned to the Fat Lady. "Phoenix Tears."

The portrait opened.

Ginny went to step inside, but then turned back to Draco. She gave him a quick kiss, before saying, "Thanks for carrying me up here. And I had a really good time tonight. We didn't get to talk like I promised though!"

"It's ok, Gin. We'll talk later."

"No, we'll talk now. Please?"

"Alright."

"What I wanted to say before was that I know you feel something for me, even if you can't say it. And, I understand that. I just wanted you to know how I feel."

"I know. It's hard, growing up with Lucius as a father, to know what it's like to feel anything. If it weren't for my mum I would have gone crazy. I'm supposed to be a Malfoy. Malfoys aren't supposed to feel anything. 'It makes you weak.' 'The only thing you need is power, Draco. Power makes you strong. All Malfoys have power. And if we don't have power, we get it, by any means necessary.' That's why my father is a Death Eater. I don't think he really wants to follow around some sorry excuse for a human being. It's just how he has the power that all Malfoys are supposed to have."

"Oh, Draco. Power gives you nothing. It's love that makes us human. I just wish you could've grown up experiencing that more than you did. Thank God for your mother."

"I tell myself that every day. Anyway, Gin, what I want to tell you is- I think I could love you."

Ginny smiled. "I don't deserve you, you know."

Draco opened his mouth to protest but Ginny cut him off with a kiss.

"Goodnight Draco. I'm going to go see if I can sleep off this hangover."

"Night Gin."

Ginny stepped inside the common room, which was thankfully empty, and went straight up to her dorm. She collapsed on her bed.
He could love me! she thought, I would have never thought it was possible for him to love anyone. Ginny would've further explored the topic in her mind, but before she could, the events of the night took over, making her fall straight asleep.

Draco, meanwhile, went down to the dungeons, instead of heading back up to the Underground. He went to his dorm, and as he lay in his bed on the brink of sleep, the last face he saw in his mind was Ginny's.