Disclaimer: I'm just doing this for fun and to challenge myself, no lawyers please!


Who Opened the Dragon's Heart?

Chapter 5


This week has actually gone pretty well, Ginny thought as she entered the Potions room. I mean, Malfoy and I have actually been able to collect books in the library without causing each other physical harm, that's an improvement I guess.

"Miss Weasley," Snape called out when he saw Ginny, "if you would please come join us for a second." She glanced in the direction of Snape's voice and saw that Draco was gathered around Snape's desk. She looked over her shoulder.

"Be right back, guys," she told the Trio as she headed for the desk.

"I'm glad that you came to Potions early, Miss Weasley," Snape started to say when Ginny reached the desk. "There are a few things I would like to mention to the two of you. I've been told by Madam Pince that you have cleaned the library out of all of the books that mention Veritaserum and Ementiorserum and we've agreed that the library is not always as private or quiet as the teachers would like, and certainly isn't the place to study for such an important assignment as yours. And since you are in different houses you are unable to work on this in your common rooms. I have discussed this with Dumbledore and we have both agreed to supply you with your own working room. I believe if you turn right when you leave this room, walk a ways and pass 3 doors there will be a room that you can access with these keys." With that he pulled 2 keys out of his cloak pocket and handed one to each of them.

"Also, you are both aware that your detentions with me start tonight?" Snape continued on. They both nodded. "Your detentions carry on right after your study sessions end, so I would appreciate it if you would just continue on with the reports, after the first hour or two of detention you are to start cleaning the area in which you will be occupying for the rest of the school year. Dusting, sweeping that sort of thing. The muggle way of course.

"As an added bonus we've added a special box on the wall by the door. As soon as you enter the room you are to put your wand in there, we all know that wands are not used in Potions. As soon as both wands are in the box it will disappear and will not reappear until your detention is over. This is to insure that you do not get in another wizard's duel," Snape added with a glare at both students, "nor use magic to speed up your detentions. Class is about to start, if you would please sit down in your seats."

Amazingly the rest of Potions went smoothly. Neville only botched his potion once and by the end of class Gryffindor had only lost 60 points. It seemed that the day was going to be looking pretty good, Ginny knew that could last though with her detention with Snape closing off the day. Before Ginny knew it the day had blown by and she was on her way to the dungeons to meet Malfoy in their new study room. They had decided it was time to start writing and would each bring the books in their room to the session. Ginny had her books levitating behind when she unlocked the room and stepped inside.

"Don't forget to put your wand away, Weasley," Draco sneered as Ginny closed the door. "I'm already unarmed, so it's only fair that you disarm also."

"You're the one who wouldn't make it fair, Malfoy," Ginny snipped back as she placed her wand in the box that was following her around. She then let the books fall to the floor next to the table Draco was occupying. Slowly she glanced around the room, taking in her new workspace. It was a giant mess, cobwebs all over, tables, some upright and some knocked over, dust covered everything, and there were pieces of parchment spewed all.

"Bet you fit right in, Weasley," Malfoy traduced. "In fact, I bet this is cleaner then your home."

"Oh shut your trap, Malfoy!" Ginny shouted, losing her cool. She searched around the room and found what she was looking for. She handed Malfoy a broom, keeping one for herself. "Professor Snape may have said for us to do our report first, but I can't work in these conditions. The least we could do is lessen the dust around this table."

"You must be crazy," Draco replied, looking at her like she'd grown horns. "Malfoy's don't dust or sweep."

That was obviously the wrong thing to say to Ginny, immediately her face turned the color of a fire truck. "DRACO MALFOY! In this room, you and I will be equals! Whatever I do, you do. I don't care if your family is the greatest family of purebloods out there, 'cause guess what? My family is just as pure as yours!!!!"

For a moment, Draco actually had the good grace to look shocked by Ginny's outburst, that moment was short lived however and he soon had a smirk on his face. "Gee, Virginia, I didn't know my comment would bother you that much. Might it possibly be that time of the month?"

"ARGH!!!! You are an arse!!" Ginny screamed as she spun around and swept the floor quite violently.

"Now now, Virginia," Draco scolded, "is that language a good little girl should use?" Her response was aggressively beating the floor with the broom. "Very well, I will just go dust the tables."

"You're volunteering to dust the tables?" Ginny sneered in a voice to rival Draco's. "I thought Malfoy's didn't dust."

"We don't, unless our life is being threatened by some PMSing bitch from Hell," Draco turned to face Ginny.

"I'm the one from Hell? Your family worships and serves the Dark Lord!!!"

"That has yet to be proven," Draco stated calmly.

"Anyone could prove it if they could get close enough to look at your father's bare fore arm."

"My father might be a servant, but that doesn't mean my whole family is."

"True, but I wouldn't doubt your mother has a black arm too."

"My mother has never and will never receive the Dark Mark!" Draco shouted, his eyes flaring up with anger.

"Ooooh, I think Malfoy's a little touchy on the subject of his mother," Ginny came to a conclusion. "Well now you know how it is when my family is insulted! It makes your blood boil doesn't it?" Draco refused to answer her. He walked over and sat on one of the old and collapsing stools. Virginia walked across the room and leaned across the table he sat at and looked him in the eyes.

"Malfoy, maybe we should try to be friendlier with each other if we're going to be working on this for the rest of the year," Ginny suggested.

"You sound like some lovey-dovey Hufflepuff," Draco scoffed. "Besides, Malfoy's are not friendly with Weasley's."

"Fine, can we at least try to be civil around each other?" Ginny compromised.

"Whatever floats your boat, Weasley."

"See!" Ginny pointed out. "That's what I mean, why do we call each other by our last names?"

"Because we don't like each other," Malfoy said as if stating the obvious.

"Why don't we try to just each other by our first names, it couldn't hurt could it?"

"You're asking for a lot there, Weasel," Ginny glared at him from across the table. "I mean, Ginny."

"My name isn't a disease you know, so why do you say it like it is one?"

"It seems sort of fitting." He earned another glare. "Fine, I'll say your name as if we're best buddies. And then maybe next week we can have a slumber party and we can do each other's hair and talk about who's the hottie at Hogwarts this week!" Draco added with sarcasm. He expected Ginny to give him another glare, definitely not for her to start giggling.

"What?" Draco asked, scowling.

"It's just-giggles- you and -giggles- a slumber party!"

Draco's scowl deepened. "You're making fun of me, Weasley?"

"Uh uh. And remember, I'm Ginny now, Ron's Weasley."

"Fine, then Ginny. Do you think maybe we should get started on the reports?"

"Sounds like a plan, lemme quickly do something." In 2 quick swipes the table they were at was free of dust. She slowly bent down and pulled up a pile of books beside the table. "I think we should work out a sort of system for this writing thing. How about we both search through these books for bits and pieces we want to include in the reports and then we combine the notes."

"Won't this take forever, though?" Draco whined.

"Yes, but we'll be very thorough," Ginny pointed out.

"You mean boring."

"No I mean thorough. We'll get a good grade on this."

"We're not getting graded on this."

"We might."

"I doubt it."

"It's possible."

"Is not."

"You know Snape would include this as a grade."

"If he would, he'd have said so."

"That's not true and you know it" (a/n: I don't know about you but I'm getting confused in this banter, maybe I should end it)

"Fine, how about I ask him tomorrow if I see him?" Ginny suggested ending the ongoing argument.

"Sounds like a good idea," Draco agreed. He bent down to grab a pile of books. "Let's get started then."

"Alrighty then!" Ginny said enthusiastically as she pulled up a stool to the table. "Hmmm, which book to choose. They all sound so interesting. How about.....The Book of the Spells and Potions that the Ministry of Magic Doesn't Want You to Get a Hold Of, also titled What Book? This Book? Never Seen It Before!"

"Are you serious?" Draco questioned. "That's an actual book? And Hogwarts bought it? Who was stupid enough to write that?"

"It was in the Restricted Section, but I'm sure the Ministry knows it exists. It was written by Ima Knottherre."

"Wow, I don't know which is worse, the title of the book or the author's pen name," Draco said while laughing.

"I don't know," Ginny said joining in the laughter. "But then, what type of a pen name is Squeaks?"

"How should I know?"

"I dunno," Ginny replied. "Anyways, you pick a better book."

"Fine, I will. Here we go. Potions: These Look Simple, But They're Complicated. Don't Bother if You're Stupid."

"That's better than my book?"

"Hell yeah."

"How is that? Mine's illegal."

"My title isn't 28 words long."

"Close."

"Not really, it's only 12."

"Fine. We better get started though."

"I agree."

Amazingly enough they were able to work silently for the next few hours and were surprised to hear Snape's voice echo through the classroom.

"I believe your detention is half way over. Now would be the time to start tidying up you work space."

"How did he do that?" Ginny asked when Snape's voice disappeared.

"I think he has some speaker thing on a microphone and a timer, it probably just goes off at 11:30."

"It's 11:30 already?" Draco nodded his head. "So we'll be out of here by 1:30, alright. That's not too bad."

"We should probably get started," Draco suggested as he piled the books on the floor next to the table. "The faster we work the more time will fly."

Ginny giggled.

"What's so funny?" Draco asked with less of a scowl then usual.

"A Malfoy, suggesting we start physical labor and do it quickly. You have to admit that's pretty funny."

"Only slightly," Draco said with a slight scowl. He then proceeded to grabbing a broom. "I think I'm gonna clean the cobwebs out of the corners. I absolutely hate cobwebs."

"Alright then, Draco. I'll hit the tables and counters." The next 2 hours past in silence like the previous 4, except for the occasional slap of a broom or two. By the time Snape's voice echoed through the room to excuse them they were both exhausted. After Snape's dismissal a pop sounded and the box holding their wands appeared.

"Finally! We're out of here!" Draco exclaimed as he grabbed his wand and tossed Ginny her's. "I can't wait to get in my bed."

"At least you don't have to walk all the way to the towers," Ginny complained after a long yawn. "You just have to walk a little ways down more."

"Well Ginny, you're always welcome to share my bed," Draco offered with a smirk.

"I highly doubt that, Draco," Ginny bantered back.

"I'm hurt, Gin. Real hurt. What is it?" Draco asked when Ginny looked at him weirdly.

"Nothing, usually it's just good friends that call me Gin."

"Oh, do you not want me to call you it?"

"Nah, it's ok. But we're good friends now, you have to remember that!" Ginny added with a smile.

"Good friends with benefits?"

"Don't push your luck, Malfoy."

"Hey, what happened to calling me Draco?"

"Malfoy fit better there."

"Oh, well good night, Ginny."

"G'Night, Draco."

As Ginny walked up the dungeons stairs she realized that her and Draco had just spent 6 hours together and hadn't tried to kill each other once. And were possibly becoming friendly. "The world has got to be coming to an end," Ginny said aloud. "A Weasley and a Malfoy not killing each other? Not possible."

A/N: Oh my God!! I am soooo sorry I took so long to update!! (cue long list of excuses) I had school start up and my schedule is killer, mixing PreCalc, Chemistry, US History and Marching Band is not a good idea. I also had my Harmony Connection audition to work on, hopefully I made it, I'll know Friday. Cross your fingers for me. Also my sister moved down to IU :-( so I've been saddling her old chores, and I've been busy with my nephews and nieces. And my final excuse is that I had the worst writer's block ever!!! There were so many times that I wanted to write something, but I couldn't think.


So how did you guys like this chapter? It was pretty long. Well equal to the last one. Both equally bad. But I'll keep writing anyway. I can't get any worse, can I? Ok maybe I could get a bit worse. Anyways! I love all you reviewers and review more!! KISSES!!


Thank you's:

kneh13: It did take forever the muggle way. The whole two weeks since they weren't allowed to use wands. Sorry this update is so late.


AtC-dEe: Peace out, hehe, you sound like my friend Panda. Anyways! I'm glad you approve of Draco's little moment with Pansy.


Torrey23: I'm so glad you like it!!!!


Lianat87: I have a devoted reader!! Yay!! I'm glad you're really enjoying, I hope it keeps getting better for you.


tIsSuE: Is this enough to get you glued again? Sorry it wasn't updated too soon.


Uglinessrox55: Where'd you go for vaca? Was it tons of fun? Hope you enjoy this chapter.


Vixenbabe: I'm glad you're enjoying.


Hyper-Chika: I'm so glad you like it! And my writing style! Ya, I came up with the counter-potion, you gotta love English-Latin translators! Hope you love the update!


Thank you guys so much for the wonderful reviews, you're the reason I keep smacking my friend Kyle for telling me to quit writing for stupid Fanfic (he'd rather me write for my book). Any mistakes you see in the chapter are of course my proofer's fault. Cody can be very stupid sometimes. I'll talk to ya at that next chapter. Which will be soon, hopefully. ::crosses fingers::