Scarlet Flames

Disclaimer: I do not own anything here besides the plot. Characters and names belong to J.K. Rowling and publishers.

Summary: It's been five long years since Ginny's first met Harry, yet he still doesn't seem to get it. Then, when Draco Malfoy comes into the picture, things change. Can Harry realize faith in time? How one girl falls so hard, she can't bear to fall any longer.

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Chapter 4

I was a game he would play

He brought the clouds to my day

Then like a ray of light

You came my way one night

Just one look and I knew

You would make everything clear

Make all the clouds disappear

You must have been heaven sent

Hearing me call

And you're all that he's not

Just look what I've got

Put all your fears to rest

Who do I love the best?

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"Why did you stop me for?" Ron asked furiously when Draco and Ginny had left the table. "I could've pounded that bloody git right here, right now."

"And get expelled!" Hermione retorted. "Don't be a prat Ron."

Harry gave Ron and reassuring smile that seemed a bit forced. "Calm down, Ginny's old enough to take care of herself."

"But it's Malfoy." Ron said darkly, looking at the door of the Great Hall.

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Meanwhile, outside the Great Hall...

"What do you want Malfoy?" Ginny asked.

Draco leaned against the wall, one foot rested against the hard stone, arms crossed over his chest. And he smirked.

Ginny flushed as an amazingly embarrassing thought came across her mind. Draco looked, well, there was no other words to describe it, except hot.

"Well?" Ginny persisted.

"Relax Weasley." Draco said in his lazy drawl. "I just thought..."

He stopped, and Ginny stared.

"Well," Draco started again. "You've been chosen Ginny."

Ginny made no expression whatsoever. "Excuse me?"

Draco took a step towards her. "To be my girlfriend, of course."

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"What did that slickhead want?" Ron asked quickly as soon as Ginny returned to the Gryffindor table.

Ginny shook her head. "Nothing."

"What do you mean 'nothing'?" Ron said. "It must have been something!"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Ron, leave it alone..."

"No, Ginny, what did--"

Ron stopped, as Harry kicked him hard under the table.

After breakfast, Hermione, Harry, and Ron headed towards the dungeons, for their first class of the term. Potions with the Slytherins.

Ron limped slightly. "What did you kick me for?"

"So you would shut up about Malfoy." Harry replied.

"I want to know what he wanted from Ginny!" Ron protested.

Hermione sighed. "It's her life. Let her live it for one second without you trying to interfere."

Ron was about to retort, but they had already reached the classroom. Professor Snape was standing in front of the room, with a nasty scowl on his face, as usual.

"Sit down, and be quiet." He said.

The Trio scrambled to seats the farthest away from him.

As Snape began to talk about what they would be doing this year, Harry noticed something. Draco was whispering to Crabbe and Goyle. His face was flushed.

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Ginny walked off to Transfiguration alone, as she has always walked to class alone.

Though today, she was caught up by two of her fellow Gryffindor roomates, who were both in their fifth year as well. Susan Jane and Bridget Su, who's role models were Parvati Patil and Lavendar Brown of Harry's year.

"We saw you leave the Great Hall with Draco Malfoy." Susan said.

"Are you two going out?" Bridget quipped, not missing a beat.

"No." Ginny replied.

"Well, what happened this morning then?" Susan pursued.

Ginny felt herself getting a bit annoyed. Really, these girls never bothered to talk to her before, and now, all of a sudden, they've developed such an interest in her life?

"Nothing." Ginny said, as she had told Ron earlier. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to get to class on time."

Bridget smiled sweetly. "The whole school was watching this morning. Everyone knows something happened."

Susan nodded. "If I were you, I'd grab the chance to go out with Draco Malfoy. He's the hottest boy in school!"

Bridget giggled. "Well, Harry Potter is quite a charmer himself..."

Ginny had to bite her tongue, keeping herself from saying anything too rude.

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Later that night, as Ginny approached the Great Hall for dinner, she noticed a huge group of Gryffindors gathered in a tight knot at their table. Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs, and some Slytherins were glancing with interest.

When Ginny got closer to the Gryffindor table, a Gryffindor seventh year that she had never spoken to in her life said loudly, "There she is!"

And then, Ginny felt hands on her, as several people, all at once, pushed her into the crowd of people.

When she had regained her balance, someone had shoved something in her hands. It was a box of sweets, in a shape of a heart. Better yet, there was a rose attached to it. And a note as well.

It was short, and it said:

Ginny,

Was that a yes, or a no?

-Draco

Ginny felt her jaw drop. She glanced over at the Slytherin table, and saw Draco watching her reaction.

Ginny thought back at what happened in the morning. After Draco and made that request for her to be his girlfriend, she had slapped him hard across the face and called him many rude things, including 'pighead'.

It was then, Ginny realized, that not only Draco, but everyone else was staring at her as well.

Then, she felt the note in her hand being taken away.

It was Ron. "What.. What's that suppose to mean?" He asked.

Harry and Hermione looked at her curiously.

Ginny, instead of answering Ron, opened the box of sweets. They were wonderfully decorated, rich chocolates with many designs of them.

"Don't eat it Ginny, it might be poisoned!" Ron yelled and he grabbed the box from her and threw it onto the floor.

"Ron!" Ginny screamed in rage, pushing him away. Ron stumbled back, caught by Harry and Hermione.

And Ginny knelt down, picked up the present that Draco and sent her, and ran out of the Great Hall.

Everyone only tore their eyes off Ginny as Draco ran after her. Then, they had their eyes on him.

Ron was going to run after Draco, but he was held back by Harry, and Hermione told him to leave Ginny to deal with herself.

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Ginny was somewhere very far away from the Great Hall. She leaned against a wall, and read the note to herself, over and over. Even though it was only one line, she felt as if there were meaning between each word.

She didn't know how long she was there, but when she heard someone approaching, she looked up. It was Draco, of course.

He didn't say anything, just looked at her.

And for a few minutes, they just stood their, staring at each other.

He gave her a smile. It wasn't a sneer, or even a smirk, but a sincere smile.

It was then, that Ginny realized she had to stop hanging onto her silly crush on Harry. He was never going to return her affection, or even give her a chance of the day.

So she returned Draco's smile, and said, "Yes."

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A/N: This story is going to be a short one. Ugh, but now, I'm not even so sure about Draco. He seems too sweet to be the bad guy, doesn't he? Please review, thanks.