Alrighty people. I'm up with a remake of a rough draft. It's an old idea, so I'm a tad bit rusty, but here goes. P.S. I own no one. But the romantic hope that Jace and Clary get together.

Summary: They can't possibly have left Magnus' party without a dance, right?

She was looking at him as if she were planning to drag him off into a corner to have sex. If they dance any closer, they won't have to go off into a corner to have sex, she thought.

She growled a little, under her breath. Simon was so busy drooling over Isabelle that he'd probably not noticed she was just toying with him. A sidetrack thought made her wonder why Isabelle bothered; Simon wasn't all that good looking. She squished that traitorous thought with memories of Jace's hand brushing past her cheek to release her hair. A small shiver ran down her spine.

"Jealous?" a velvety voice asked, warm and moist at the back of her neck. Her shoulder instantly went up to defend the delicate skin there, as she turned around to find Jace by her side, his luminous eyes glowing.

"Of her? Puh-leeze."

Jace looked at her closely, and for once didn't smile that knowing smirk.

"Dance with me," he said, suddenly, his voice alight with the excitement of the new idea. Despite the fact that he was speaking very softly, she heard every word over the din.

"What, now?" she demanded, not sure if she'd heard right.

"Yeah," he said, again.

She looked doubtful. "One dance," he said, holding up a long, slender pale finger. One look into his golden eyes, and with the hypnotizing promise of his lips, she nodded, and let herself to be led to the dance-floor.

His hand was delicate, and warm, as he gripped her hand tightly.

A new song came on. One of her favourites. "Ah. One of my favourites," Jace said, voicing her very thoughts. She grinned at him and for a moment they were perfectly attuned.

This song, unlike others was slow, and delicate. God knows why she liked it, amongst the rest of the hyper-energetic music she liked.

"This dance is for couples, only, so everyone else, get off the dance floor, and leave our love-birds alone…" came the DJ's smooth casual yet taunting voice, saying love like 'loooove'.

She looked at Jace, and he grinned (she was blinded by his teeth) He whispered something that sounded like, "who the heck cares?" followed by an, "my mish". She had no idea what that meant but took that as a signal to continue.

He placed one hand where her small waist swilled into her hips, and his other hand clasped hers while she placed her other hand around his shoulder. He hesitated, as if considering and then pulled her closer, resulting in his hand going further around her waist.

To her shock and horror, she didn't resist; she liked the warm comforting pressure of his hand. She thought she saw Simon glaring at her over Isabelle's shoulder (on tip toes) but she decided she must have imagined it, for two reasons. One; why would Simon glare at her? Or Jace? Two; she was too busy dancing with Jace to care much.

She wondered if she was going too far when she rested her head on his chest, but since he didn't protest, she supposed it was okay.

She could hear his heartbeat, and for the first time in days, she felt soothed and calm. She wished she could stay like this forever.

After a few minutes of perfect, comfortable silence, she felt Jace's hand squeeze her tighter. She couldn't believe this! How dare he! She was contemplating slapping him, when she saw the look in his eyes. He was not watching her. He was staring over her, behind her. His gesture of squeezing her closer wasn't perverted, he was being possessive, aggressive even, judging by the look on his face. She didn't want, or care to know whom this anger was directed at; now she knew why all those cheer-leaders in school liked possessive guys. It felt, nice, to say the least, to be coveted.

She moved closer to him of her own volition, pressing close to him. He seemed startled by the gesture, and the hostility she sensed emitting from him changed to an aura of calm and confidence, and something like a victorious smile graced his already beautiful features.

She grinned, so no one could see her. Men. She was just about to get back to enjoying the dance, when footsteps sounded behind her. She couldn't help but turn around. It was Simon, with a black thundercloud around him.

"May I," he spoke through clenched teeth, "have the next dance?" It wasn't as much a question as it was a demand. Jace did smirk this time, and nodded graciously, while at the same time leaving his hand to linger at Clary's waist longer than it needed to. She blushed. Simon took over.

He took a deep breath and even though he looked and sounded furious, his touch was gently as he swayed with her. He wasn't a bad dancer. "What is going on?" he asked.

"Nothing Simon," she said, instantly feeling annoyed. "I can dance with him if I want to, can't I?"

"No, as a matter of fact you can, but you weren't dancing, that was, that was—" he spluttered, "not dancing," he ended off lamely. "Did you see the way he was touching you, and how close he was to you? I swear Clary if he hurts you—"

"Relax," she intercepted. "He's not hurting me. And besides, about 'not-dancing', I could say the same about you and Isabelle."

Simon blushed. "He saved my life, Simon," she continued. "I trust him, a lot." She said, hoping he understood.

"But it doesn't indebt you to him, you don't have to please him," he said angry again.

"But I'm not pleasing him. I'm pleasing myself. I like him, you know," she said, softly.

Simon looked defeated. "Fine. Fine. But for god's sake, be careful. I don't trust him, not one bit. He looks at you like you're something to eat!" he exclaimed, before giving her a significant glance and stalking off towards Isabelle again. (A/N: accrediting the all famous phrase to Twilight by Stephanie Meyer)

Jace made his way back to Clary. She knew exactly why she liked Jace, versus Simon. Simon was Simon, good old trustable everlastingly brotherly over-protective Simon. Jace, oh Jace with his golden honey eyes that made her knees tremble and oh-so-soft silver hair, bad-boy Jace, sarcastic, sweet, over-protective, flirtatious annoying Jace. There was no comparison.

And as he reached her, he slid his arm around her hips again and lead her outside. She followed with no resistance- she knew he would do nothing to her. For a while they sat outside in silence, with no words, simply staring at the moon.

"You know, we should go back in, before they come to the conclusion we're going at it like rabbits down some alley," Jace stated.

Clary didn't know whether to laugh or to be horrified.

He turned and grinned at her. "Come on. Thanks for the dance, by the way," he said quietly, softly, sweetly.

"No," Clary said, surprising him, "Thank you."

Well? I planned to leave it where Jace ruined the atmosphere with the 'rabbits' comment, but…

REVIEW!!

Love,

Lady Merlin