Whew! I really should get to work on my other pieces, but I was distracted by this one and finished it first. Whoops! Anyway, is this what you call a one-shot? I think it is. I might write a short sequel (probably as short if not shorter than this one) but that depends on my mood.

Between Colors

"They were snogging like there was no tomorrow," Blaise chuckled, casting a sidelong glance at Draco, who was non-too-discreetly trying to clench his fists without being seen. Fortunately, no one in the Slytherin common room were too observant - except himself and Pansy.

"Oh, really?" Pansy leaned forward, catching Blaise's wink. "I was under the impression that Weasley was taken." Blaise chuckled.

"Well, you're wrong on that. Or maybe it's just that darked haired fellow she was snogging."

"Do you know who it was?" Draco spoke up, trying to add a sneer with his words.

It didn't work.

Blaise's grin widened.

"Nope. Dark hair. Lovegood couldn't see much. And it seemed like he had a red tie, though you never know. Might've been a reflection." He sat back, folding his arms behind his head, his job almost done. Pansy looked thoughtful.

"Well, if it's a Gryff, then it's gotta be someone who's single. They're too noble to cheat." Blaise nodded.

"Yep. Potter, maybe? I heard they were pretty close before the war." Pansy's lips curled up in a smirk.

"How about Neville Longbottom?" At this, Blaise threw his head back in laughter.

"Longbottom? I heard Weasley had to nurse her toes for days after the Yule Ball. Somehow, I don't think so."

"Then how about Finnigan? You know, always the lady charmer."

"Might be." There was a slight pause. Draco squirmed, wanting more information, yet dreading it at the same time.

"When was this?" Pansy asked at last.

"Yesterday night. Lovegood said she spotted them near the lake. You know her; always loves to wander at night." Pansy smirked.

"But you would know, wouldn't you." Blaise elbowed her.

"Don't even start."

Draco felt sick to his stomach. His gut was twisting over and over again, and suddenly it was hard to breath. Damn.

"See you guys later," he choked out. As he stepped out of the room, Blaise grinned at Pansy.

"He's awfully predictable sometimes, isn't he?" Pansy nodded.

"You bet."

Draco felt a lump in his throat as he walked down the halls. It was nearing seven o'clock. Seven also happened to be their meeting hour. His mind raced as he paced along a deserted corridor. To go or not to go, that is the question. He knew Shakespeare was a muggle, but he was a damn good one at that. Not that anyone knew about his liking for his literature.

So what was he going to do? If he asked her, she might break it off. And it shocked him to realize it actually mattered. But if he acted like nothing happened, what would she do? Would she continue? Or would she announce she had bigger and better plans? He couldn't accept either.

His mouth twisted in a snarl. He wasn't usually the jealous type. He never was. So why was he starting?

He froze as gentle footsteps sounded behind him.

"Draco?"

Crap.

He whirled around.

"G-Ginny." It wasn't a question.

"Why are you here early?" Her soft brown eyes gazed up at him. Draco suddenly found he couldn't speak.

"I-I-" He couldn't get anything out.

"Are you okay?" Concern. It was in her eyes, but he knew it couldn't be real. It couldn't be. It isn't, he insisted. It will never be. He shook his head mutely.

Ginny grasped his arm and pulled him into a dark classroom. Lighting the lamps with a soft incantation, she sat him down at a desk.

"Draco. Draco. Look at me." She knelt down in front of him. But he could look anywhere but at her. His head hang, hair shielding his face from her. "Draco." She gently tilted his chin up until he was facing her completely. "What's wrong?"

Nothing. Everything. He couldn't say.

She tilted her face up, her eyes incredibly brown. Her soft, warm lips touched his, and he was lost. Ginny was gentle, so much gentler than they had ever been with each other. Groaning, Draco twined his fingers in her hair and she reached up to do the same, her hand grazing his cheek bone. Draco couldn't help himself any longer; he pulled her body into his lap, hungrily kissing her until every sensation was purely concentrated on the girl in his arms. He inhaled greedily, the scent of lemons and cinnamon reaching his nose. Two smells he would have never thought existed together in the world, but once he discovered it, he could never let go.

Ginny pulled away at last, her breathing labored.

Their foreheads touching, Ginny asked again.

"What's wrong, Draco?"

And then he remembered that there was another boy in the world, another one that had been touching her, kissing her, with her. He imagined a dark haired boy twining himself around her, his tongue in her mouth, his hands in her hair. Where Draco himself had been.

He felt sick.

"I - I can't do this, Gin," he choked.

What? Where did that come from? What happened to his other plans? Was he really willing to let go so quickly?

Ginny dropped her eyes and leaned back, so he couldn't tell what she was thinking.

She was silent for a while.

"I-I'm sorry," she said. She raised her eyes, but by the time, had cleared them of all emotion. Something flickered in their depths however, but try as he might, Draco could not discern them. "I-" she cleared her throat. "I kinda thought this would happen." A small, ironic laugh escaped her lips. "Just not this soon." Draco pushed down the the question that had sprung up, but not before he could register what it meant.

Why did she wish that, if she's already taken?

He successfully pushed it away.

"I-I guess I'll just leave now." Ginny turned, slowly picking up her bag and starting towards the door.

Draco's eyes widened and he felt his mouth go dry. How could she walk away so calmly when his heart was tearing itself into pieces? Hurt settled into his chest, aching more than anything he had ever experienced.

"Ginny! Wait!" As she paused in the door frame, illuminated by the soft glow outside, he was struck at how small she looked, outlined like that. How fragile. He was up before he knew it, crossed the distance separating them, and she was in his arms like she was before. It felt so right.

"I'm sorry." The words were muffled in her hair as Draco spoke. His heart clenched as he tightened his arms. Most likely for the last time he could. "Just - just make sure he makes you happy, okay?" A lump formed in his throat.

It hurt.

He felt her still in, what - shock? Disbelief? He couldn't tell.

"What?" She twisted around to face him, her warm breath teasing the strands of white-blond hair that had fallen out of place.

"I understand, Gin. You don't have to fake it. And I know I shouldn't be doing this, but Merlin - " he took a shuddering breath - "it hurts, Gin. So much." He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, an act more intimate than anything they had ever shared before.

"I'm sorry. Maybe we can try again, some day, if you aren't interested in the guy you're seeing right now. But if - " He began to pull away, embarrassed, feeling a piece of himself left behind, when a hand on his arm stopped him. Sucking in a breath, he turned towards the redheaded angel that was no longer his.

Never had been, actually.

Never would.

"Draco." Her voice was careful; measured. "Where did you hear that I was seeing someone?"

Oh great, he thought. She's going to rub it in my face now. She's going to tell me who she's seeing. Merlin, no. I couldn't constrain myself if I knew.

"Nowhere." His voice was gruff as he turned away once more. "Spare me the details, Gin. You have your man, you don't need to tell me any more. I understand."

"No," Ginny said, a particular note in her voice. "I want to know where you heard that I was dating someone."

Draco relented at the note of pleading in her voice.

"Blaise and Pansy," he muttered, turning so his back faced her. "I don't see why that matters, though." Ginny let out a half laugh, which surprised him. He turned towards her slightly.

"It's not funny," he snapped, anger returning full force.

"I'm going to make sure Blaise and Pansy get an earful tonight," Ginny said, a wisp of laughter still evident in her voice. "Possibly the trio and Luna, maybe even Neville and Colin too. But Draco, I'm not seeing anyone. Never have been. Not after you snogged me under the Whomping Willow, at least."

Draco could feel his mouth dropping open. And that did not happen to Malfoys, no matter how shocked they were.

"Y-you're not?" he asked dumbly, still trying to process the information. Ginny's smile was brighter than the sun.

"No. I'm not."

"Merlin's beard," he breathed, pulling her body towards him. "You're single. You're not seeing anyone. You're not snogging anyone. Oh God." His head lowered and their lips collided, nibbling desperately at her bottom lip and drawing a moan from her mouth.

"Draco," she breathed, and the sound turned him on even more. He gathered her to him, pressing her against the wall as tilted her head back even farther. His hand cupped her cheek gently despite the riled emotions within him and his other hand came up to tangle itself in her hair, her beautiful, sweet hair. Finally breaking apart to breath, Draco buried his head in the crook of her neck, a sign of complete trust that was certainly not missed by Ginny.

He inhaled, the rush of air tickling her neck and sending shivers down her spine.

"Were you serious about us - us starting again?" Ginny asked finally. Draco let out a laugh, the first one he had in days.

"Ginny Weasley," he said in a solemn voice, sinking to one knee. "Will you be my girlfriend?" Ginny shrieked with laughter as he started tickling her, falling to the side and sliding down the wall, only to be wrapped in Draco's arms.

"Yes," she breathed, sliding her arms around his neck. "Yes, I'd love to."

They both sank to the ground, Ginny resting her head on Draco's chest, her hair brushing tantalizingly against his nose. They sat there for a while, reveling in their newfound freedom. A small laugh interrupted his musings, but to his profound surprise, he found that he didn't mind.

"I was just thinking how strange this is," Ginny said, looking up into his mercury eyes. "A Malfoy and a Weasley. Together. Just like that." Draco grinned languidly, the grin nearly turning to a smirk.

"And do you mind?" he asked. Ginny smiled up at him.

"Not at all," she said.

A group of students gathered by the lake that night, laughing as they replayed the incident in the nearly empty classroom.

"They sure hit off quick, didn't they?" a smirking brunette said, her green tie flashing in the moonlight.

"You betcha." Her dark-haired companion's lips twisted in a smirk rivaling hers. A groan came from next to them.

"I still don't know why it had to be him, though," the redheaded boy lamented. "She's my sister! Ginny! Bloody hell, I still can't wrap my head around it." The girl standing next to him smacked his arm playfully.

"Aw, poor Ronniekins. Your little sister running away with the big, bad Slytherin." She smacked him in the face with her mop of bush brown hair, earning another groan.

"He's right, though." The boy sitting next to her looked up, his emerald eyes half-concealed by his shaggy black hair. "I never would have thought that would happen."

A misty-eyed blond smiled dreamily. "It's like Romeo and Juliet," she said wistfully. "All full of drama and forbidden love."

"Talk about forbidden love… " the brunette with the green tie smirked again, and laughed as both the blond and dark haired boy jumped on her with evil intent. "But it's true!" she exclaimed between yelps. "First an - ow! - Gryff with a Slytherin, then a - hey! - Ravenclaw and Slytherin! It is pretty strange if you think about it."

"Like that old crackpot's idea of inter-house relationships." Though his words were harsh, they were voiced affectionately. After Dumbledore had died, even Slytherins could not muster enough to hate him.

More laughs sounded from around the circle of friends.

"So, whaddya think about finding our own - ah - place to snog, so to say?"

"Ron!" Everyone laughed again as the bushy-haired girl jumped on the redhead, pushing him against the ground.

"Oh, get a room you two," the other member of the trio groaned as the two on the ground proceeded to snog very thoroughly.

"Everyone's hitting off," another boy said, a faraway look in his eyes. "Especially with people from other houses."

"Yeah, remember when you were than chumby little nerd?" the girl who first spoke said, nudging his shoulder affectionately. He blushed beet-red under the moonlight.

"Yep. Then I became bad." The brunette laughed.

"Sure, Neville."

Just then, red and white-blond came to join them.

"Ginny!"

"Draco!" There were many winks around the extended circle.

"So, how'd it go?" Baise nudged his friend's shoulder. Though his face was contorted into a frown, Draco's eyes sparkled and a spot of color appeared on each cheekbone.

"Good." The group howled with laughter.

"Are you okay, Gin?" Ginny rolled her eyes, socking Ron.

"Oh, come off it, Ronald. Of course I am!" Draco slung an arm around her shoulders, much to the surprise of the company.

"Geez, Malfoy, who did you kill to get that close to her?" Draco winked.

"None of your business."

Stars shone above the circle, winking in and out as the minutes flew by. A gentle breeze brushed past each cheek, each smiling mouth, and traveled on to seek other places. Its work was done here; happiness was glowing in each nook and cranny.

More bantering and laughter ensued, their childlike quality ringing into the night sky as friends, each from a different world, came to meet once more.