AN: The little bit of song in this is the Beach Boys', not mine.


"Draco..." Hermione murmured.
"Shh. It's ok." He whispered, and to her surprise he began to sing.
"Don't worry baby,
Don't worry baby.
Everything will turn out alright..."
"That's a Muggle song!" she cried in surprise.
"Well bugger me, I didn't think you had anythign against Muggles!" he replied cheekily.
Hermione smiled. "Listen, I have to go. I - I'll see you later, ok?"
"Ok. See you."



Hermione ran into her dormitory and leant on the wall breathing fast. So Draco did love Ginny! She would have thought it impossible, but apparently not.
"Hermi!" Hermione nearly had a heart attack when she heard Ginny's furtive whisper.
"Are you trying to give me a heart attack! Bloody hell girl!"
"Never mind that! What did he say?" asked Ginny excitedly.
Hermione grimaced. "You don't want to know. Trust me." she paused a moment, then spoke again. "Hey Gin, do you, well, do you actually like Draco?"
Ginny smiled "Everyone thinks it's impossible because he's a Slytherin, but he's really sweet. You can't even imagine."
Maybe I can, thought Hermione.
"I wish I did know. I mean, I just found out Ron is anything but in love with me. Now I'm not even sure I wanted it."
"You're damn right you don't!" exclaimed Ginny
"Why?"
"Do you know how bad he snores?" The two girls collapsed into laughter.



Ginny ran down the stairs of the school, down down into the dungeons.
"Grimoire" she whispered, and the door to Draco's chambers opened. She fell into the room, breathless from her midnight flight.
"I missed you." said Draco quietly. He took her in his arms and kissed her softly.
"I missed you too." she kissed the nape of his neck, and they all but fell into the silent softness of the feather bed.



"What the fuck did you do to my sister." Snarled Ron.
"What?" Draco muttered, his brows knitting. "I didn't do anything."
"The hell you didn't. Where did she go last night? She's been acting wierd since you took her to the ball."
"It's called love, dipshit."
"It is NOT! There is no way Ginny could love you. YOU!"

"So."
The cold voice that came from behind the door of the Charms classroom was eerily familiar to Draco.
"No. No." He shook his head and denied it even as he accepted the inevitability
"Yes Draco. I heard of your sordid little affair with the Weasley girl." Lucius stepped out of the shadows. "I know. And I knew you wouldn't lie to Ron if it was all a game to you. That's what you said it was, at the start. You told me it was a game, Draco. And now you say you would happily dishonour me and ruin the entire Malfoy bloodline we have worked for centuries to make because of a childish love affair!" He roared in Draco's face.
"It is not a sordid love affair." Draco growled quietly.
"Yes! Yes it is! You are being foolish! CHILDISH!" He screamed again, and his fist hit Draco's jaw.
"No! Let him go!" The three men looked up suddenly. Draco saw ,through a veil of red, Ginny standing in the doorway, her wand drawn.
"Ah. Our unsurper. Tell me Draco, have you already soiled our reputation? Have you...violated her?"
"I will tell you nothing." Draco's quiet rebellion was enraging to Lucius.
"You will tell me everything! You are my son! You will obey me! I am your MASTER!"
"You are the master of none but yourself, you vile excuse for a wizard! You are not worth the title!" Ginny's voice was growing louder, louder then even Lucius in his primal rage. "You cannot order him to do anything! He is free to do what he wants without waiting for you to approve of it! LEAVE HIM ALONE!" She was screaming, screaming at him, and he hit her.

The sheer force of his blow almost knocked her off her feet. Draco surged towards his father, incensed with incoherent rage.
"I'll kill you! I'll tear you fucking throat out if you hurt her!" he was cursing and howling at his father like a madman when a hand grab the back of his robes.
"Leave. Him. To . Me." Ginny's voice was low and cold - so cold it was almost unnatural. "Throw down your wand, Lucius. Throw down your wand and fight me like the man you aren't. Then we will see how much pure blood counts for, in the real world without your facade to hide behind."
Lucius sneered. "Alright then. We will fight." He and Ginny threw their wands aside.
"Your sister is crazy!" muttered Draco to Ron.
"Not neccesarily. Bill taught her to fight. I doubt I could beat her when she's this fired up."

Ginny and Lucius circled each other like wolves before a battle. Draco saw Ginny's hair flying out behind her, then looked at his father's.
"War on the Red horse, Death on the Pale." He said suddenly."
"What?" muttered Lucius.
"The four horsemen of the Apocalypse. Red is for war. You're about to fight War."
"But if I am Death, I will overcome." frowned Lucius.
"No. It's basic folklore. Death comes from War. Death comes AFTER war. You will not triumph over your creator."
"That is ridiculous Draco." his father growled angrily. Draco simply smirked.
"Fight her then. You've never seen what she can do.