A/N: I'm truly sorry, as sorry as the rest of you, but this will be the
last chapter of "Fire and Ice." However, read the following chapter, which
is my extremely long thank you list and details about a possible sequel.
(This one is extra long, just for you people.)
~*~
The slow music had put them into a sort of trance. They glided and spun together, hoping the music would never stop.
But as all good things end, so did the song.
Draco dropped his arms from around her waist, and she followed suite. They stood, staring at each other for a few moments. Then Draco took her hand up in his, and led her swiftly out the front doors. Neither spoke, only walked quickly to get away from the dance. It was time.
The lights were flickering on again just as they were exiting. Draco paid no notice and headed toward the main entrance to the castle. Ginny didn't seem phased by his odd behavior; she was in a daze herself.
They were in the courtyard. It was almost completely dark out; the only lighting was the windows of the castle and a few fireflies flitting around beside them. Draco smiled at the irony.
He turned so that he was facing her. She looked up, meeting his gaze. The masks gave both of them sort of a hollow look. He took both of her hands in his, and was surprised to find them shaking. From cold or from nerves, he couldn't be sure. Then he realized it was himself that was shaking, not her. This was the moment of truth. The moment he found out if she really was the kind of girl he thought she was. If she wouldn't care that he was a Malfoy.
She obviously wasn't a Slytherin, her innocent features displayed that. He hoped she wasn't biased against his whole house, too. They'd been standing there for nearly two minutes. It really was cold out. He was afraid. For once in his life, Draco Malfoy was afraid.
There's only one way to find out all the answers to my questions, he thought boldly.
Without another thought, he raised his hand to her face, and lifted her mask up a few inches, only far enough to reveal her lips. He did the same to his own mask, so that it was resting above his nose.
And he kissed her.
He kissed her with a sort of passion that was new to him. It wasn't just a game this time.
She was surprised. She hadn't expected him to kiss her so suddenly. But she wasn't complaining. Instead, she returned the kiss, in a way that she had never even dreamed of kissing Harry. Or anyone.
Right when she thought it was going to end, he pulled his arms around her, just as he had when they were dancing. For the second time that night, she felt completely right, and leaned into the kiss even more. She didn't understand how she could call someone with such a sweet warm kiss by the name Ice.
Finally he broke away. She could see a grin on the mouth in front of her. It looked slightly familiar, though she couldn't place where she'd seen it before.
He reached up to her face, and she realized he was going to take her mask off. His other hand was still resting on her waist. He carefully grabbed the bottom of the mask with his thumb and forefinger, and tugged gently at it. It slid off her head with ease, revealing her beautifully done-up hair, her dark wondering eyes, and cute little smile. His gaze drifted over her features. A few strands of red hair had escaped her up-do, and her freckles playfully dotted her nose.
Draco did a double take. Red hair and freckles?
"Gi-Gin-...WEASLEY?!" he exclaimed, a look of disgust taking his now unmasked face. His hands involuntarily reached up and wiped off his lips, a very immature thing to do, given the circumstances.
He realized his hand was still on her waist. He dropped it immediately, and took a few steps back.
A Weasley. He'd kissed a Weasley.
Ginny looked Draco up and down. She was as surprised as he, not once had she thought that her secret crush was on Draco Malfoy, of all people. However, the disgust in his voice hurt her. They'd had something going. A small tear stung its way out of her eye. She tried to brush it away before he saw it, but she was too late.
"Oh, I hurt your feelings? Tough luck. You probably had this all planned out, didn't you. You and your wretched friends. They are probably all waiting in the bushes, huh? Ready to come out and laugh at me? Well, I'm leaving now, before you get the satisfaction of humiliating me. Go find your boyfriend, Potter." He turned to leave.
"Harry's not my boyfriend. I told you about him." Her feeble attempt to make him stay. Her voice sounded weak.
Something about her voice made him stop. If not to hear her out, he could get some dirt on Potter. "Refresh my memory."
She sighed and looked down. "He likes me, a lot. I don't feel the same way." He rolled his eyes.
"Just hear me out, will you?" she asked. He nodded. "Which is why I invited YOU along to this dance. Assuming you weren't so prejudice against my family. Honestly Draco, I was going to give up. I was just going to go with Harry to the dance and forget about you. But YOU are the one who pushed me to keep going. YOU are the one that wouldn't let me give up. Face it Draco, you like me. So how can you stand here and be grossed out by kissing me, just because I'm a Weasley? Do names matter that much to you?" she was nearly shouting now, that's how badly she wanted to get his message across.
She took one step back, away from him. As she did this, the rose fell to the ground. He'd placed it behind her ear while they were dancing. However, now it laid on the ground, forgotten.
Draco didn't speak for a couple of moments. He had some thinking to do.
He remembered all the times he worried what she would think of him. How long he'd spent getting ready. How he worried about being a Malfoy, being in Slytherin, hoping these things wouldn't matter to her. She was right. How COULD he stand here and say these things, when he'd hoped against hope that she wouldn't think the same thoughts against him?
He was such a hypocrite.
Something snapped inside of him. He lost his icy edge, and rushed forward and hugged her with all of his might. "Ginny..." he whispered, "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to, oh, I don't know what-"
She cut him off, and kissed him, as gently as he'd kissed her the first time.
"It's ok," she assured him when it was over. "I understand."
Draco bent, reaching down to pick up the rose. It was still as perfect as before, and he handed it to Ginny with a smile. "I believe this belongs to you."
She took it in her hands and added it to her hair as a decoration. It really did match perfectly. "You know, I was right all along." She concluded, situating herself under his arm for warmth.
He held her closer, feeling her shivering body against his. "About what?"
She grinned up at him. "About Fire melting Ice."
His finger gently caressed her cheek. He let out a long sigh, and then said playfully, "Well, come on now Ginny, everybody knows that."
They laughed and slowly began walking back up to the castle. They had a dance to go to, after all.
~*~
A/N: I'm very very very very (x infinity) sorry that this fic has reached its end. I'm going to miss writing it even more than you guys are going to miss reading it. There will be one more chapter after this with thanks and some information about the sequel. (I also hope everyone liked how this story ended, I'm sorry if anyone thinks they seemed ooc or anything.)
~*~
The slow music had put them into a sort of trance. They glided and spun together, hoping the music would never stop.
But as all good things end, so did the song.
Draco dropped his arms from around her waist, and she followed suite. They stood, staring at each other for a few moments. Then Draco took her hand up in his, and led her swiftly out the front doors. Neither spoke, only walked quickly to get away from the dance. It was time.
The lights were flickering on again just as they were exiting. Draco paid no notice and headed toward the main entrance to the castle. Ginny didn't seem phased by his odd behavior; she was in a daze herself.
They were in the courtyard. It was almost completely dark out; the only lighting was the windows of the castle and a few fireflies flitting around beside them. Draco smiled at the irony.
He turned so that he was facing her. She looked up, meeting his gaze. The masks gave both of them sort of a hollow look. He took both of her hands in his, and was surprised to find them shaking. From cold or from nerves, he couldn't be sure. Then he realized it was himself that was shaking, not her. This was the moment of truth. The moment he found out if she really was the kind of girl he thought she was. If she wouldn't care that he was a Malfoy.
She obviously wasn't a Slytherin, her innocent features displayed that. He hoped she wasn't biased against his whole house, too. They'd been standing there for nearly two minutes. It really was cold out. He was afraid. For once in his life, Draco Malfoy was afraid.
There's only one way to find out all the answers to my questions, he thought boldly.
Without another thought, he raised his hand to her face, and lifted her mask up a few inches, only far enough to reveal her lips. He did the same to his own mask, so that it was resting above his nose.
And he kissed her.
He kissed her with a sort of passion that was new to him. It wasn't just a game this time.
She was surprised. She hadn't expected him to kiss her so suddenly. But she wasn't complaining. Instead, she returned the kiss, in a way that she had never even dreamed of kissing Harry. Or anyone.
Right when she thought it was going to end, he pulled his arms around her, just as he had when they were dancing. For the second time that night, she felt completely right, and leaned into the kiss even more. She didn't understand how she could call someone with such a sweet warm kiss by the name Ice.
Finally he broke away. She could see a grin on the mouth in front of her. It looked slightly familiar, though she couldn't place where she'd seen it before.
He reached up to her face, and she realized he was going to take her mask off. His other hand was still resting on her waist. He carefully grabbed the bottom of the mask with his thumb and forefinger, and tugged gently at it. It slid off her head with ease, revealing her beautifully done-up hair, her dark wondering eyes, and cute little smile. His gaze drifted over her features. A few strands of red hair had escaped her up-do, and her freckles playfully dotted her nose.
Draco did a double take. Red hair and freckles?
"Gi-Gin-...WEASLEY?!" he exclaimed, a look of disgust taking his now unmasked face. His hands involuntarily reached up and wiped off his lips, a very immature thing to do, given the circumstances.
He realized his hand was still on her waist. He dropped it immediately, and took a few steps back.
A Weasley. He'd kissed a Weasley.
Ginny looked Draco up and down. She was as surprised as he, not once had she thought that her secret crush was on Draco Malfoy, of all people. However, the disgust in his voice hurt her. They'd had something going. A small tear stung its way out of her eye. She tried to brush it away before he saw it, but she was too late.
"Oh, I hurt your feelings? Tough luck. You probably had this all planned out, didn't you. You and your wretched friends. They are probably all waiting in the bushes, huh? Ready to come out and laugh at me? Well, I'm leaving now, before you get the satisfaction of humiliating me. Go find your boyfriend, Potter." He turned to leave.
"Harry's not my boyfriend. I told you about him." Her feeble attempt to make him stay. Her voice sounded weak.
Something about her voice made him stop. If not to hear her out, he could get some dirt on Potter. "Refresh my memory."
She sighed and looked down. "He likes me, a lot. I don't feel the same way." He rolled his eyes.
"Just hear me out, will you?" she asked. He nodded. "Which is why I invited YOU along to this dance. Assuming you weren't so prejudice against my family. Honestly Draco, I was going to give up. I was just going to go with Harry to the dance and forget about you. But YOU are the one who pushed me to keep going. YOU are the one that wouldn't let me give up. Face it Draco, you like me. So how can you stand here and be grossed out by kissing me, just because I'm a Weasley? Do names matter that much to you?" she was nearly shouting now, that's how badly she wanted to get his message across.
She took one step back, away from him. As she did this, the rose fell to the ground. He'd placed it behind her ear while they were dancing. However, now it laid on the ground, forgotten.
Draco didn't speak for a couple of moments. He had some thinking to do.
He remembered all the times he worried what she would think of him. How long he'd spent getting ready. How he worried about being a Malfoy, being in Slytherin, hoping these things wouldn't matter to her. She was right. How COULD he stand here and say these things, when he'd hoped against hope that she wouldn't think the same thoughts against him?
He was such a hypocrite.
Something snapped inside of him. He lost his icy edge, and rushed forward and hugged her with all of his might. "Ginny..." he whispered, "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to, oh, I don't know what-"
She cut him off, and kissed him, as gently as he'd kissed her the first time.
"It's ok," she assured him when it was over. "I understand."
Draco bent, reaching down to pick up the rose. It was still as perfect as before, and he handed it to Ginny with a smile. "I believe this belongs to you."
She took it in her hands and added it to her hair as a decoration. It really did match perfectly. "You know, I was right all along." She concluded, situating herself under his arm for warmth.
He held her closer, feeling her shivering body against his. "About what?"
She grinned up at him. "About Fire melting Ice."
His finger gently caressed her cheek. He let out a long sigh, and then said playfully, "Well, come on now Ginny, everybody knows that."
They laughed and slowly began walking back up to the castle. They had a dance to go to, after all.
~*~
A/N: I'm very very very very (x infinity) sorry that this fic has reached its end. I'm going to miss writing it even more than you guys are going to miss reading it. There will be one more chapter after this with thanks and some information about the sequel. (I also hope everyone liked how this story ended, I'm sorry if anyone thinks they seemed ooc or anything.)