Chapter Eight

Strategic Placing

Ginny bent her head over her dinner. From his vantage point, Draco could see the sludgeball that struck the back of her neck and he ground his teeth together in frustration. The girl was terrified, understandably so. She'd never stand up to her own housemates.

Where the hell did all your fire go? He wondered.

"Are you ready?"

He nearly jumped out of his skin as Luna Lovegood popped up behind him.

"Dear god, woman. Invest in bells or something. You're going to scare the crap out of someone doing that."

She smiled dreamily and handed him a small cough drop. "Potion's ready."

He nodded and took the drop, swallowing it. Immediately he felt it melt and coat his throat.

"I still can't believe you can't sing," she said, a more lucid smile edging in on her features.

He made a face at her. "No one is perfect, Lovegood. You gonna have the music ready?"

She waved a hand. "I may be dreamy, but I know my way around Orpheus Orbs."

She spun him around and shoved him into the Great hall. "Break a leg, Malfoy."

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Ginny tried not to notice Draco as he stepped into the Great hall. Every part of her, including parts she didn't know she owned, ached for him, for it to be not true.

Draco deliberately walked over to the Gryffindor table and walked past her. She heard a mutter and the sludgeball disappeared from her robes and the back of her neck.

"Excuse me, Ron," he said, his tone even.

Ron, utterly flabbergasted, fell back, letting Draco mount the table. He stood on top of it, staring across the hall. "I would like everyone's attention," he said.

The hall quieted and stared at him. Carefully, deliberately, he turned until he had looked at each table. "There have been some rumors and I would like to put them to rest, here and now. I am not a Death Eater. Furthermore, I will beat the snot out of everyone who says otherwise."

He stood on the table, surrounded by the expectant silence of the entire student body. After a moment a familiar music began to drift into the hall. Ginny felt her jaw drop. She knew this song. She and Draco had choreographed an entire routine to the song. It had been their next big spectacle until all this stuff started happening.

He shed his robe and stood still as the introduction played.

"I used to rule the world," he sang, looking at Ginny and for the first time she looked at him, really looked. He was wearing his school shirt, the sleeves rolled up to the elbow. He had both arms out to his side and there wasn't a blemish on them.

Relief surged through her.

"Seas would rise when I gave the word," he continued, holding out a hand to her. She rose to her feet, shedding her robe and joining him on the table. Hermione muttered something and the table was suddenly clear.

"Now in the morning I sleep alone, sweep the streets I used to roam," he sang. She took his hand and he spun her into him then out again and now she was wearing the deep green evening gown she had long ago joked about with him. Her skirts swilled around her legs and her hair, now curled in petite ringlets, bounced as they danced.

"But that was when I ruled the world," she sang with him as the song came to a close. Then Draco read her every thought, every desire and closed the gap between them, sealing her lips with a kiss.

(A/N: YEAH! I'm Alive! Sorry for vanishing like that, my dears. I had a lot going on and still do but I made a New Years resolution to try and finish one fic per month so wish me luck!