Author's Note: Yes, a chance to use my intensified vocabulary in the chapter title. Hoohah! OK, chapter 6, and...erm...ooh...love scenes. Really mushy and gross, but no sex or anything even remotely close. Just over-stressed sexually frustrated teens. Magical ones, mind you. But, yeah. I really hope anyone who reads this likes it. Ejoy! (Spelled like that purposefully.)
Disclaimer: Not mine, unless it is. Like the last... what? Five chapters?
Dancing Life
Chapter 6: Ramifications, Rectifications, and Reconciliations
Draco grinned, though wearily; partly from the lassitude of crying for the first time in years, and partly from the fact that he'd just seen love flash through the eyes of the girl he liked. Well…perhaps more than just liked…
Gods, he hadn't felt this exhausted in ages. Quidditch didn't even wear him out this much. Ginny slipped an understanding arm around his waist, wincing slightly as her bruised shoulder touched his side.
"Tired?" She asked, a small grin slipping between her lips.
Draco grinned wryly. "How'd you…? Forget it. With six older brothers, you've probably had more than your share of crying." He smiled down into her
She turned to him, encircling his waist with her arms. "Draco, I want to say sorry for everything I've done lately, and I'd love to go to the dance with you…" She broke off.
"But…" Draco flinched. It was coming- the gentle, Gryffindor brush-off. Why had he shown her his weakness? "…I'm not going to the dance." She said softly, smiling up at him. He scowled.
"What the hell are you grinning at? Gods, and I though you cared for- never mind that." He sneered, more to himself than her.
Ginny frowned and smacked him upside the head. He glared at her. "What was that for?" He yelled. Ginny laughed. "For being a prick. You stupid git." She muttered under her breath. "I'm not going to the dance because on the night of the dance, I expect to be curled up in front of a fire…" she leaned in to place a kiss on his nose "with you."
She laughed out loud at his startled expression. "Dances are overrated. Besides, the common rooms will be empty, and I can't think of anything I'd rather do than avoid everyone else in the school and spend a night with you. Real quality time." She smiled.
"Well, perhaps Blaise and Heather might be interested in my plan. I actually like him." She commented dryly. "For a Slytherin, he's not that bad."
Draco couldn't help but grin. She really was something. In the short couple of hours since he'd first approached her, they had fought, kissed, kissed some more, played around, fought, cried, fought, cried, kissed again…it was an endless and dizzying cycle. He hadn't cried since that night, eleven years ago, and now, because of one girl, he was crying again. By gods, he was pathetic. His grin changed to a frown. This wasn't good; she had a hold on him. He never liked losing control of his emotions; could he really get along with a girl who encouraged him to do so?
Ginny turned to him. "Draco?" She asked, hesitantly.
He looked down at her, and she recoiled from his glance. "D-Draco?" She whispered shakily. He looked angry, resentful.
Draco scowled. Why was she scared of him? It's not like he was some monster that was going to rip her head off. What, had he sprouted horns and grown fangs?
"Yes, Weasley?" He asked bitterly.
Ginny shifted out of his grasp, glaring at him. "What the bloody hell is your problem?" She fumed, hands on her hips again in the angry housewife stance she'd picked up from her mother.
Draco rolled his eyes. "What do you think, Weasley? I was stupid to cry. I never cry, I-"
Ginny whirled around and stormed off, not bothering to listen to the rest of his sorry statement. She'd told him it was alright, but he just wouldn't accept it. Stupid bloody tosser. She thought, chest tight as she stomped through the front doors, shaking snow off her.
She stamped angrily down a hallway; not really caring where she was going. She just wanted to get away from HIM for a while. He was such a moron! Oh well, she thought shrugging her shoulders as if trying to rid him from her mind. If he's too stupid to realize I did him a favor, he can just piss off. Stupid bugger has to be so self-consciously…masculine. Boys are so idiotic. She fumed, kicking a laughing suit of armor vindictively in the shins. "Shut it, you!" She yelled.
She stormed, flaming angry, up a corridor towards dance class. She arrived outside the door early; no one was there yet. She knocked tentatively on the door.
"Come in." Skye called.
Ginny pushed open the door. Skye was placing Christmas decorations from all over the world. Her hair was, once again, a different color. This time, it was a festive bright green, matching her velvety cloak. She turned from where she was hanging a Russian candle on the ceiling.
"Ah, hello Ginny. How are you?" She asked amiably, setting the candle to the ceiling with a flick of her wand. She turned back around, facing Ginny once more.
Ginny sighed feebly and picked up a small gold ball. Levitating it up to the ceiling, she smirked wryly. "Terrific." She said sarcastically.
Skye smiled, untangling a strand of red berries. "Really? Seemed like you and Draco had a bit of a disagreement."
Ginny's jaw dropped. This woman was more observant than Dumbledore!
"H-how did you know?" She stammered, the gold ball dropping a foot before she regained her concentration.
Skye grinned. "Well, aside from the fact that I've known for the past two months that you two would finally get together…" she grinned even more wryly "…and you sure did take a right proper time getting about it; but after that scene in the snow, it doesn't take a seer to know that you two had a fight."
Ginny sighed and attached the shining sphere to the stone roof. "Yeah, we did. But…how did you see…?" She broke off, shaking her head as she flew a small silver bird to hang in midair. She stood for a moment, watching the magical creation flex its wings experimentally before soaring about the room.
Skye smiled, twirling the strand around the edge of the room. "Besides that the window in my office directly overlooks the edge of the lake…I could hear practically every word you two shouted." She frowned. "Needless to say, as soon as I realized the nature of the conversation, I backed away immediately and shut my window."
She gave Ginny a wide-eyed innocent glance. "But, naturally, the way you two were screaming at each other, I did hear a little of your conversation. By the way, you should try out for a choir: you've got quite the set of lungs on you, as does dear Mr. Malfoy."
Ginny laughed readily; after her quarrel with Draco, she needed a lighter mood.
"Mmmmm, so you heard everything?" Ginny mused, almost stating it rather than asking.
Skye shook her head. "Of course not. I wasn't trying to hear your conversation-" she paused, looking thoughtful "-hard," she added ruefully "I only heard a few bits here and there. Not enough to actually know what precisely went on between you two; just enough to get the idea that you weren't too happy with each other."
"That's putting it mildly." Ginny smirked.
Skye smiled. "If you ever want to talk about it, or really, if you ever need someone to talk to, you can always come to me." She walked over and placed a comforting hand on Ginny's shoulder. "And go easy on him; he really does care for you. In his own twisted, Slytherin way." She smiled.
Ginny snorted. "Right." She muttered scathingly.
Skye shook her head in amusement, leading Ginny gently over to a small room attached to the larger dance class room. The younger girl stared at the odds and ends around her.
The room was cramped; furniture and clothes were cast all around the room. Ginny gently ran a finger over a bright red India-silk pillow. The room practically vibrated with color. Everything was set in rich, bold hues. Brilliant red, blinding yellows, majestic blues; the room was an unimaginable rainbow.
Skye smiled around here. "Welcome to my home." She said proudly. "Dumbledore offered me my own room, but I said I'd prefer this one. Rather small, but I like it."
Ginny's eyes opened wider. "It's beautiful." She breathed, trying to take it all in at once.
Skye let her drink in the decorations for a few more minutes before steering her over to a large, full-length window. "You know, maybe you're right," Skye said, a mischievous grin playing on her lips as Ginny looked down through the glass "that doesn't look a thing like a boy in love." She said mockingly.
Ginny looked down, entranced. Draco was still standing there, where she'd left him over half an hour ago. His shoulders were slumped and he looked defeated. And angry.
Ginny held her breath. She should be down there…talking to him. She was really starting to regret leaving him, even if he was being a prat. She sighed heavily. "He's such a rotter. Sometimes I wonder what I like about him. And then he smiles or jokes around with me and I forget that I'm supposed to hate him. You know?" Ginny said.
Skye smiled. "Talk to him." She urged. Ginny turned to face her green-headed teacher. "But class starts in a few minutes." She protested feebly.
Skye smiled, pushing Ginny gently out the door. "Go on. I was just going to give you a free class period today. It is Christmas weekend, after all." She smiled reassuringly. "If you get things patched up, you're more than welcome to come back…together." She smiled again, giving Ginny one last shove.
Ginny didn't need any more encouragement. She raced down the hallway and the stairs, taking them two at a time and jumping down the last few.
She skidded to a halt just inside the large doors. More likely than not, Draco wasn't there anymore; but she had to check. They really needed to talk. She pushed the large door open gingerly.
To her surprise, she was looking into Draco's face, which was rather startled at the moment. "Weasley?" He asked hoarsely, reaching up to touch her, then dropping his hand hastily, adopting a scowl.
"What do you want?" He growled, trying to scare her away, but hoping slightly that she would stay. Though he would never admit it, not to himself, let alone her, but crying on her shoulder had done him a world of good. She did him a world of good.
Ginny frowned and put her hands on her hips. "Stop being a git, Draco. I came back down to talk to you." She put a hand on his arm. He stiffened, but didn't pull away.
"Why are we fighting, Draco?" She asked quietly.
He scowled at her again. "Because you're a Weasley. I think that more or less speaks for itself." He sneered, realizing fully how much he sounded like a bastard, and coincidentally, his father.
Ginny was hurt, but she refused to let him see that. Someone had to be rational and strong here, and it certainly wasn't going to be Draco.
"Gods, Draco, you know I hate liars." She frowned. She'd have to talk in his language. Before he could react, she stepped forward, grabbing his robes, twirling him around and shoving him against the wall of the castle.
He gaped down at her. She looked dangerous, yeah, but incredibly stunning. Her eyes flashing dangerously, a rosy tint in her cheeks, her delicate mouth twisted in a frown.
He couldn't help it; she was more than he could take. He bent down and pressed his mouth to her lips. She hesitated, then let his robes go as his tongue slid between her lips.
This wasn't what she planned, but it was better than him yelling at her and vice versa.
She broke away from him. "Wait. Draco, I want to tell you something." He stared down at her. "Sorry, Ginny." He stepped back, leaning against the wall. "You know I'm no good with feelings and words. Before…that was my fault. I overreacted. It's just…" he fumbled for words "…I've never been able to talk to anyone before…besides Blaise. And I've never, not in all the years I've been here, ever cried. It's just not something I do."
He paused and grinned as a single tear slid down his cheek. Wiping it away, he chuckled bitterly. "Guess I'll just have to get used to it, eh?" Ginny smiled and leaned over, placing a tender kiss on his nose.
Draco's eyes widened at the affectionate gesture. "You don't have to worry about crying anymore, Draco. Things change. So can people. You are not your father's son. You can be your own man now." She smiled and wrapped her arms around his waist.
"Well, you can be my man now." She grinned. He laughed and pulled her closer. "Gods, you've no idea how bad I needed to hear you say that." They stood there, standing in what would have been, under other circumstances, an uncomfortable position; in the snow, standing clutching at each other. But neither cared much except for the other person in their arms.
Ginny finally broke away after some time. "Ready to head back to dance class?" She asked, remembering Skye's promising words.
Draco arched one fine blonde eyebrow. "Uh, We-Ginny, I think class had already started." He glanced down at his watch in confirmation.
Ginny smiled. "Skye said we could come to class late if we wanted to…together." She added. This time, both of Draco's eyebrows shot up. "Together? Does she know about you and me…?" He trailed.
Ginny's smile grew even wider. "Amazingly, yes. Apparently her window's right above us: she heard a lot." Draco stepped back and glanced up at the window, just in time to see a blur of bright green disappear from his line of vision. He smirked. "Well, it seems our dear teacher is very observant." He muttered, as amused as he was amazed.
Ginny's smile grew soft as she watched him. Every movement was so natural, graceful. His gestures flew like silk. He absent-mindedly tucked a stray strand of silvery blonde hair behind his ear. Ginny felt a strong surge of something (pride, perhaps?) as she watched him, knowing he cared for her. And to think she had been content as just his friend. Ginny half-frowned as she thought of their earlier disagreement. She sighed resentfully. These things were bound to happen; he was, after all, a Malfoy. That would take a while to wash out of his system, but perhaps, there might be some hope for them.
She grinned at him as he walked back to her side. He reached up and tugged playfully on a thin strand of hair that fell across her eyes. "Gods, I can't believe you're here." He whispered, oblivious to the fact that he was making no sense whatsoever.
Ginny cocked her head. "What do you mean?" She queried, uncrossing her eyes from where they'd been looking at his long fingers curled around her hair. He was looking down at her with unfathomable adoration. Ginny's jaw dropped slightly, as she was completely unaware that he was even capable of such a soft, tender gaze.
"Here. With me. Anyone else would have left me here, and not given it a second thought. Gods, I can't believe how lucky I am." He said the last with a rush of happiness. A smile broke out on his face. Not a sneer, not a smirk, but a true smile. He picked her up by her waist and spun her around easily, twirling her in the air. "I AM THE LUCKIEST MAN IN THE WORLD!" He shouted. When he finally set Ginny back down on her feet, she fell against his chest, reeling slightly. His smile was contagious though, and intoxicating. "What was that for?" She asked, wondering briefly if he was sober.
"You." He said simply, pressing his lips to hers in a kiss that banished everything else from her mind, including the startling fact that Draco Malfoy was so...emotional. The kiss was feverish and wanting, but so destructively gentle. They broke apart, and Draco crushed her against him. "You've given me something to live for. A purpose in life." He explained.
The complexity and depth of his statement startled Ginny. It sounded like the ramblings of someone in love. She rested in his arms, content knowing that, for once, she wouldn't have to worry about the person she loved leaving her.
"He wants you to do what?"
Ginny and Heather were sitting on Ginny's bed in the empty sixth year's girls dormitory.
Ginny was staring, eyes and mouth wide open. Heather was resting against Ginny's headboard, looking somewhat pleased with herself. "He wants me to spend Christmas with him." The fifteen year-old explained, tossing her dark silky hair over her shoulder, still grinning inanely.
Ginny smiled and clapped her hands together. "How romantic. The two of you together at the holidays, sharing your lives…ah, why don't you just go get married in the process. Save some time." She smiled happily up at her friend.
Heather blushed. "We are pretty serious. Who would imagine I'd fall for a Slytherin? But Blaise is so incredible. I love spending time with him." She sighed. "I just don't know if I'm ready for this. I mean, we're going so fast, and while I do love him and all, he is a Slytherin pureblood, and I'm-"
"A terrific person." Ginny finished, biting her lip hesitantly. "Hey, Heather?" She asked softly. "He treats you…well, I don't know…good, right?" She questioned.
Heather smiled and nodded. "Better than any other boy I've ever known. Really, Ginny, he's such a gentleman I can't believe he's in Slytherin." She said, reassuringly.
Ginny grinned, relieved. "So, where's the problem?" She asked.
Heather frowned thoughtfully. "It took Blaise this long to find the real me," she glanced up at Ginny "what do you think his parents will think of me? He's not like them, really. While he's rather insane, I don't think they're going to welcome me with open arms. And if Blaise doesn't have his parents' approval…" She trailed off, pouting slightly.
"I'm just not sure if I'm going to go." She smiled weakly up at Ginny. "We'll see how things turn out."
Ginny smiled reassuringly at the younger girl. "Trust me, Heather. I've seen the way Blaise looks at you, and believe me, he's not going to let a stupid thing like his parents stand in the way of what he wants." She grinned wickedly. "Which happens to be you." Heather grinned back. "Maybe I will go." She said, still uncertain and making a mental reminder to talk to Blaise about it later.
Ginny's smile suddenly dropped. "Oh, but if you do go, it means I won't see you for two weeks!" She moaned, flopping back on the bed. Heather grinned ruthlessly. "Oh, I can imagine you and Draco can find something to do in the next two weeks." She said, implicatively.
Ginny's shot up, throwing a pillow at her best friend playfully. "Heather!" She exclaimed, going a little pink. "So, when would you leave, if you do decide to go?" She asked, almost certain Heather would go, but keeping her mouth shut. She wouldn't influence her friend's decision, whatever it was.
Heather frowned. "Tomorrow, which doesn't leave much time for me to think. Blaise actually went to Dumbledore to get his permission to let me go with him if I do want to go. As long as I tell the Headmaster before I go, I can leave with Blaise." She said, biting her lip gently. "But that just means you and I have some time to spend together. In case I do decide to go." She added as an afterthought. "After all, there's a Hogsmeade trip tomorrow to look forward to." She smiled.
Ginny returned the smile. "Remember when we never went to Hogsmeade?"
Heather laughed. Yeah, but that was before we got interested in these Slytherin boys of ours." She shook her head. "Speaking of which, how are things between you and Draco? Did you make up from this morning?"
Ginny nodded.
"Good. I can't stand having you two mad, but still longing, might I add, for each other. Bloody sick." She stuck out her tongue to prove her point.
Ginny laughed, rolling off her bed. "Well, if you're going, I might as well give you your Christmas present now, right?" She dug around under her bed and finally pulled out a large box. "This is under the unconcluded assumption that you are going. If you don't go, it doesn't really matter. Hope you like it."
Heather rolled her eyes. "Gods, you are impatient, aren't you?" She smiled nonetheless, and put the package on her lap. Ginny scrambled back onto the bed, looking anxious and excited. Heather shook her head, amused, and pulled the gold wrapping off the box. She popped the lid off the box and gasped, shooting Ginny an appreciative, yet 'are you out of your mind?' glance.
She pulled a thick book from the box, carelessly tossing it aside as she took in the book. It was a gorgeous book, bound in shining black leather. Heather ran her fingers along the cover, and across the golden letters that spelled out 'Black Book Of Shadows'.
It was a well-known and impossibly rare book, and despite its somewhat sinister title, it was rather harmless. It was blank, once you opened it, as Heather was doing now, flipping through the pages reverently. It was a deeply magical book that had at one time, been used widely by seamstresses and artists alike.
Heather, who loved to draw, especially figures, glanced up at Ginny, her mouth opened in awe. "Is this really T-THE book?" She stammered. Ginny nodded, her grin growing ever wider as Heather touched a finger to the book.
Heather had read about the book once, and raved about it, and its powers to Ginny for days. It was a complicated book that needed strong magic and great skill, but it was astonishing. The artist, the person who drew in the book, would sketch out a picture of a figure on the page. But the main part was what the figure was wearing. That had to come from the artist's imagination. After that, you simply scribbled down some measurements, chanted a spell, and voila- the creation would magically assemble itself, ready to wear, according to the measurements.
The book was immensely valuable and rather costly. Heather held it up to her chest, tears in her eyes. "How…?" She trailed off, speechless. Ginny smiled, happiness crossing her face. "With a lot of my savings and a little help from my brothers. D'you like it?" She asked, apprehensive.
Heather merely leaned over and hugged Ginny tightly, at loss for words.
Ginny's smile threatened to split her face. She'd gotten her Christmas present.
As Heather leaned back, Ginny sat back on her heels. "Well, are you going to try it out?" She asked. Heather also broke into a smile. "I thought you'd never ask." She flew from the room, only to return a few minutes later, carrying her best quill and several inkbottles and jars. Ginny smacked a hand to her forehead. "I almost forgot about the ink. I'm glad you remembered; it wouldn't have worked otherwise."
Heather sat down, spreading her things out around her. "So, if I remember correctly, we have to mix certain colors of ink with certain ingredients for certain cloths?" She asked.
Ginny shook her head. "The color of the cloth depends on the color ink you use. And the type of cloth depends on the ingredients you mix with the ink." She explained.
Heather grinned. "Right." Ginny looked down at where her friend was sorting through her stores. "D'you have an idea for what you're going to do?" She asked. Heather nodded, picking up a bottle of black ink and a small jar of beetle's eyes. "Yeah. I designed this killer outfit, and I was dying to have it made." She grinned. "Looks like I won't have to wait.
Heather crushed the beetle eyes and added it to the black ink, shaking the bottle. Then she dipped her quill in the liquid and started to sketch. Ginny watched in fascination, and her friend quickly did a gesture drawing of a woman, about Heather's build. Then she drew on the woman a long, flowing skirt with a slit up one side, carefully coloring it in, making shadows in highlights to define waves and dips in the fabric. The bodice was tight, with criss-crossing strips across the dark cloth on the chest, like a corset. The long sleeves ended in billows. A pair of knee-high boots done in black ink and crushed dragon fangs completed the drawing. Ginny sucked in her breath, gazing at the finishing product, realizing that the 'black' ink on the cloth was really a deep green, almost black. It was stunning. She turned to her friend.
Heathers eyes were shining at the picture, satisfaction and awe in them. She hastily scratched out her measurements in the top left corner. She turned to Ginny. All was left was the incantation, which was written on the inside cover. She took a deep breath.
"Black winds cross the mighty sands,
the magic fading with each gust,
drawn on clean pages with clever hands,
now we say what every creator must."
She breathed out again, grasping her wand firmly in her hand. She closed her eyes and muttered the spell. "Desinaxion Coltos Minixcula!" She breathed.
Ginny gasped as the book glowed with a bright white light, which turned black with a bang. Shielding their eyes with their hands, the girls waited for the magic to stop. Finally, everything was still, and quiet again. They both looked down. There, on top of the book, was the exact outfit Heather had drawn, true to scale, and glimmering with a beautiful silky sheen. The leather boots fell to the floor with a soft thud, exactly the right size for Heather's slender feet.
Ginny and Heather stared at each other, amazed. Heather gasped and single tear ran down her cheek as she enveloped Ginny in a crushing embrace. "Oh my gods, Gin, this is the best present I've ever gotten." She pulled back, putting a hand to her mouth. "I really can't except this, though. It's too much." She cast a longing look over the book.
Ginny laughed. "Heather, you are my best friend in the world, like a sister to me. I love you as much as I do my own siblings; sometimes more." She shrugged. "Besides, I got it from an old witch who wouldn't use it. It was a shame it was going to waste and I know you'll put it to good use."
Heather shook her head. "But it's so…expensive. I can't accept this." Ginny frowned and put her hands on her hips. "Fine. We'll make a deal, since you won't take it any other way, and I have no intention of letting you pass this down. You WILL accept this, and if you ever feel bad, just draw me something and send it to me. Heaven knows I could do with a Rambinski original or two in my closet." She grinned again.
Heather's eyes lit up again. "Gin, you're the best!" She shrieked, flinging her arms around her neck. "Just you wait…on Christmas, you'll be lucky to just get off with a Rambinski original!" She released Ginny, positively beaming.
Ginny's eyes widened. "I have a brilliant plan." She gasped, and dragged Heather back to the bed, where they stayed for several hours, with several more blasts of black and white light and loud bangs.