Author's Note: OK, chapter 15, and I think this might be the last one for today. Yeah, I uploaded like 7 chapters today, my fingers hurt. So...yet another trip to the hospital, Ron's being an ass, and just major confusion all around. Remember, Draco thought Ginny was dead. Eeekkk. So, short A.N., back to writing. Enjoy! Sorry, ejoy!

Disclaimer: See last 14 chapters.

Dancing Life

Chapter 15: Trust Me.

"Where do we go from here?"

"I don't know. Where do you want to go?"

"I just want to stay here."

"Here?"

"With you."

"We don't have to stay here, you know."

"I just don't want to leave you. Not again."

"Don't worry, I won't let you."

Draco held Ginny to his chest, stroking her head comfortingly as she continued crying tears they both wanted to shed. He was serious; he wasn't going to let her go, not after what had nearly happened; after what he thought he had lost.

Ginny finally pulled back, wiping the last of the tears from her eyes. "But we can't stay together, always. Hell, we can't even be seen together. I can't stand not being able to be with you every second, let alone every day." She looked up at him appealingly.

"What are we going to do? That's all I want to know. Where do "we" go from here? What do we do now? Will we do it together?" She broke off, voice catching.

She hung her head, a small laugh coming from her that surprised Draco. He glanced down at her.

"I seem to be crying more and more these days." She whispered, her voice low and lost. "I just don't…know-I don't know what to do." She finished shakily, latching onto Draco again. She needed his comforting touch.

Draco grinned, knowing she couldn't see it.

"Why can't we be together? Eh? Why can't we be seen together? I don't mind." He glanced down at her. Her shoulders slumped.

"I want to. I want to be able to. I want to be just like any other couple. But we just can't. My family…your family…you…me…it just won't allow…" she put her head in her hands.

Draco shook his head, frowning slightly. "No. No, it would allow." He pulled Ginny back from him, searching her eyes. "But you have to let it, Ginny. You can't just give up; I know you're stronger than that. Do you just not want to put that much effort into this? If that's the case, then maybe this won't work. But it is up to you."

He moved to stand, but Ginny tugged him back down.

She grabbed his face in her hands, forcing his gaze to meet hers. "Don't you ever, ever say that. Don't you ever think I don't care enough. I care more than I should for you. You just don't understand. My family is everything to me. Unlike you, I don't have money and power, all I have is them. I-I know that in time…if we can make it that far…they'll understand. They'll allow. But until then, we just have to keep this to ourselves."

She shook her head. "It's…complicated. If we told them now, they would only see you as I first did: that horrible, cold, unapproachable boy who didn't give a damn for the world. I don't think they'd like that too much. So please…we can give this a try, and I will try my hardest, but please, just let's not tell anyone just yet. Wait, let them see the real you." She pleaded, looking down.

Way to go, Gin. She thought to herself. That's just the way to push him away. Far, far away. Brilliant, you stupid twit. She mentally berated herself.

Draco caught her chin, lifting her head up. To her immense shock, he was smiling. "I know. I just wanted to see how…devoted…you are. I understand" his eyebrows rose in amusement, "that you'd want your family's approval. It's the same way that I would want your approval; because you mean so much to me. So I'll wait. But I want to know one thing-" he broke off.

"Yes?" Ginny prompted, tilting her head to the side.

"Why did you ever give me a chance? I mean, if you did see that 'horrible, cold, unapproachable boy', why did you let me get close to you?"

Ginny grinned wryly. "Did you know…my eyes are perfect? I have excellent vision, even sharper than most people do. I can see farther and in darker conditions." She shook her head to herself, missing the confused look Draco shot her. "I saw, with those perfect eyes, a horrible, cold, unapproachable boy whose hatred was only outdone by how much he was hated. I myself hated him…"

"Well, so then why did you ever even come within touching distance of me?" Draco protested. Nothing she was saying was making any sense, nor did it have anything to do with why she'd ever trusted him, kissed him, or loved him.

Ginny smiled softly. She reached up and touched his cheek softly. "Because I closed my eyes." She said simply. "I stopped trusting my eyes; my eyes, which had never failed me, and I started listening to something else." She took his hand and placed it to the left side of her chest. "My heart. And it told me a whole different story. It said that you were just a boy; that underneath that tough exterior, there was someone there that I could love. So I opened my eyes again, but I kept my heart open as well. And I fell in love with you. It's as simple as that." She gave him a quick smile and threw her arms around his neck.

Draco sighed, suddenly feeling very tired. His head was spinning, and he placed a hand to his forehead to try and steady himself.

Ginny suddenly pulled back. "What the hell is wrong with me? I must be temporarily insane." She stood suddenly, and bent down to grasp at Draco's arm.

He pulled it away, ears buzzing. "I wouldn't say temporarily…but yes, you are insane. And I love you just the same, so would you mind telling me why exactly you think you're insane this time?"

Ginny groaned, rolled her eyes, and reached down to pull him to his feet. He groaned and swayed on his feet, nearly falling over. Ginny caught him and helped him steady himself.

"I should have gotten you to Madame Pomfrey first thing. I don't know what I was thinking. Now come on, you are spending the night in the hospital wing, even if I have to knock you out and take you there myself." She twirled her wand prettily. "And you know I would, too. You never know what we insane people will do next."

Draco grinned and complied, leaning on her shoulder. He wasn't feeling too great, and would prefer to avoid his boneheaded housemates' stupid and annoying questions, so off to the hospital wing it was.

"So…how are we going to explain you walking me from my room to the hospital wing?"

Ginny glanced over at Draco. He was staring ahead at the room's door.

"Pardon?" She asked, raising one eyebrow.

Draco grinned, lifting his hand to point a finger at the door. "You have to walk me through my common room." He smirked evilly at her. "And guess where just about every Slytherin who stayed here for the holidays is right now?"

Gregory Goyle, Vincent Crabbe, and about a dozen others, mostly third, fifth, and sixth years all blinked in confusion when Draco seemingly flew from his dormitory room, falling halfway down the stairs, cursing wildly.

Several of the Slytherins would have sworn that he'd been kicked out, but on further examination, the mildly curious Slytherins found that the room was empty.

Closing the open window, Crabbe shook his head sluggishly. "Don't get it." He told Goyle, who was watching Draco descend the rest of the stairs to the common room, cursing all the way down.

"Don't get what?" Goyle asked distractedly.

"Malfoy."

"Yeah, he's weird. Thinks he's too good for the likes of us." Goyle spat, watching the slim blonde boy kick the portrait hole open, jumping nimbly out.

"Too scared to get the Mark. Big disappointment for daddy Malfoy." Crabbe snickered dumbly, following Goyle from the room to go stuff their faces with leftover cakes.

Draco wandered down the hallway that lead from his dormitory to the hospital wing, muttering to himself and alternately rubbing his painfully throbbing arse.

He was about to turn around and to hell with Ginny's wishes when the pretty red-head he'd just been mentally cursing rounded the corridor's corner, broom over her shoulder.

"Took you long enough." She taunted, sticking her tongue out playfully at him as she moved into step with him.

"Well if someone hadn't shoved me out the goddamn room, I wouldn't have landed on my arse in the middle of a bunch of inquisitive Slytherins…" he trailed off, glaring at her.

Ginny cocked her head innocently. "That's not true – I kicked you out of the goddamn room so you could land on your arse in the middle of a bunch of inquisitive Slytherins." She corrected, avoiding Draco as he swung at her.

He missed, nearly loosing his balance as his head spun again. Ginny reached out and caught him around the middle before he fell flat on his face. He grinned up at her and leaned back all his weight in her arms.

"Draco!" Ginny shrieked as she fell forward on top of Draco, who was grinning smartly. Ginny landed on his stomach, glaring down at him.

"And now I've knocked you down on your arse to land on the middle of a very inquisitive Slytherin." Draco joked, his arms sliding around her waist.

"Draco! We're in the middle of the hallway! Anyone could see us!" She frowned thoughtfully down at him. He shrugged. "Quite frankly, Ginny, I couldn't care less."

"We can't…" Ginny protested, standing quickly, biting at her thumbnail. Draco also stood, coming up to encircle Ginny with his arms. She put her arms around his neck, pulling herself up on her toes to lean against his chest.

Draco held her tighter. "We can." He said simply.

Something sparked then, in Ginny. She pulled back, but she didn't go far. She looked up at Draco with an odd gleam in her eyes. Draco knew that gleam. That gleam was there when she'd first kissed him. That gleam had been there on the countless times she told him off for doing something wrong or mean. That was the gleam of defiance.

He was beginning to like that gleam.

Ginny smiled up at him. "Okay, new rules; we don't tell our parents, or anyone else for that matter. But we don't sneak around." Draco's eyes lit up. "We go about like any normal couple would, and if anyone sees us, to hell with them." She leaned in again, wrapping her arms tighter around his neck, breathing in the light smell of his shampoo.

Draco smiled into her neck. "Gods, you are something."

Ginny smiled as well. "Yes I am, but I really don't want to know exactly what. I'm afraid I might get insulted." She pressed her lips to his, soft, short, and sweet.

Draco pulled back after (in Ginny's opinion), too short a time. "You know, I have a colossal migraine right now, and you kissing me really isn't helping." He leered down at her, resisting the urge to stick his tongue out at her as she had done several times to him. "My head's already pounding, thank you very much." He placed a tiny kiss on her nose.

Ginny scoffed, linking arms with him. "You're such a pain, you know that?"

"No, I'm in pain, though that's mostly your fault." He teased.

Ginny grew tense, and clutched at his arm, pulling him to a stop. "What? What did I say?" Draco asked, turning to face her.

Ginny peered up at him, a question in her eyes flitting back and forth, trying to decide whether or not it should be asked.

"Ginny…" Draco pressed. "What is it?"

Ginny bit her lip and glanced down, then back up at him, cocking her head. "Why did you…you know, try to…" her voice caught and she closed her eyes, willing tears away. Draco stepped closer, but she held up her hand. "I'm fine. I'm fine." She shook her head, and opened her eyes.

Suddenly, they went from soft and sad to hard and angry. She lifted her hand and slapped him across the face.

"Ow!" Draco hissed, touching his reddening cheek. "What the hell, that's like five times in one day!"

Ginny stepped back, putting her hands on her hips in a frighteningly good imitation of Molly Weasley. "Well, you deserve it. You were being a prat, and you needed to know that you were being a prat…you prat." She added, wrinkling her nose at him.

"What did I do?" Draco frowned.

Ginny's eyebrows shot straight up. "What the hell do you mean, what did you do, you prat?" She reached up and flicked him on the ear. "You tried to kill yourself. Now why?" she asked, her eyes softening again. She pulled him along, and began walking with him once more. At this point they would never make it to the hospital wing.

Draco sighed. He knew that sooner or later she'd want to know what that whole scene had been about. At least she'd left it for a while before badgering him about it. Seeing how it was definitely deemed the worst moment (not to mention most humiliation) of his life, he really didn't want to talk about it. Especially not to Ginny. Being around her level-headedness only made him feel even more idiotic. He would sound so stupid trying to explain why he did what he did.

In that case, simpler is better. He thought.

"After that scene this morning, I left to find you. I wanted-" he broke off. It wasn't like he'd ever apologized for anything before, being a Malfoy. "I wanted to say how sorry I was. I didn't mean to hurt you, but when your brother said you were going with Potter to-" Ginny turned and clapped her hand over his mouth.

"I don't care, Draco. That was partly my fault as well. I should have listened to you, instead of running away. You just scared me, that was all." Draco flinched and she took his hand in hers. "I should have known better than to be scared." She gave him a soft smile, wrapping an arm around his waist and pulling him along.

"But, going on…I don't care about anything except why I found you dangling by a rope in the middle of your room. Why were you trying to kill yourself?" she forced out, biting the inside of her cheek as images of him hanging from the ceiling, life draining, flashed through her mind.

"You…were dead." Draco began. "I left you in the hospital wing with Madame Pomfrey. She said…she said that if you didn't wake up today your chances of ever waking up were…not too great." He sighed, frustrated with himself and tired.

"I left. I couldn't take it anymore; just standing around doing nothing waiting for you to wake up or to stop living…so I left. Your brother and his 'friends' were there, so I thought you'd be in good hands." His gaze hardened. "I wandered around a bit and went to the library…to think. Those two Hufflepuff girls from dance class came in a while later." Draco suddenly frowned, his gaze growing thoughtful.

"Then…who were they talking about?" he muttered under his breath, more to himself than to Ginny. She arched an eyebrow, but said nothing.

"Uh…yeah." Draco snapped back to reality. "Um…they were talking about…someone, about how she was 'gone' and how unexpected it was…and…I thought they were talking about you." He shook his head. Yep, he did sound stupid.

"I guess I just couldn't get you off my mind, because you were what automatically jumped into my head when they were talking. All I could think was that you were dead."

Ginny felt his shudder. She grasped his middle tighter.

"You can't imagine what that was like…and I just thought about how I never told you how much you mean to me. You were…-are the only thing that matters anymore. Like it or not, you're stick with me. Because after spending half a day of thinking you were dead and gone, I'm never letting you out of my sight again."

He turned, pulling Ginny to a stop. She glanced farther down the hallway. "But we have to get you to the hospital win-"

Draco pressed a finger to her lips, silencing her futile protests. "Fuck it." He shrugged negligently, grasping her upper arms. "I feel fine…at least, now that you're here."

Ginny leaned into his arms. "Gods, you sound cheesy." She rested her head on his chest. "Damned hopeless closet romantic." She murmured softly.

Draco's arms moved around her back, clutching her tightly. To hell with the hospital wing…this was all he needed.

Ginny pulled away and stood on the tips of her toes to brush her lips across his forehead.

"Come on, we're still taking you to see Madame Pomfrey. I'm no expert on trauma or internal problems, but I want to make sure you're alright." She gave him a long, hard look. "Even though you are a thick, dim-witted dolt of a ferret, I still worry about you. There is no way in heaven or in hell that I'm going to take any chances. Now, not another word until we get there, understood?" She said firmly, tugging him along again.

"You know Weasley, I'm getting tired of being dragged around like a rag doll." Draco quipped. Ginny whirled on him, pressing her lips to his before he could continue.

She broke away just as he tried to pull her closer. "I said no more talking. Now shut up and let's go, or I'll magic you there myself."

"Evil wench." Draco growled playfully, wondering exactly what she would do.

Ginny turned, hands on her hips. "Draco, shut up. For once in your life, shut up."

"What will you do if I don't?" Draco teased, pinching her side.

Batting his hand away, Ginny turned, giving him a glare that could have killed, but which only made Draco laugh at how cute she was, even in these situations. "If you don't shut up…I'll…make you…somehow. I… don't quite know how…but I will." She stammered, frustrated that she really couldn't do anything to make him be quiet. Despite her angry exterior, she was scared to death on the inside. He'd nearly killed himself for her. How…Romeo of him. How stupid of him. If she'd been a minute later…

She shuddered, the glare dropping from her face. Suddenly and unexpectedly, she stepped forward, wrapping her arms around his waist again. She nestled her face in his chest, her head pounding as she fought back the unrelenting wave of tears that threatened to resurface.

"Don't you ever do that to me again." She said shakily. "You said you were scared and hurt when you heard what happened to me, or what you thought happened to me…I felt the same thing when I saw you-" she broke off, biting her lip "-when I saw you hanging there. Promise me you will never, ever pull a stunt like that again. Killing yourself would have solved nothing. I don't want you to die for me. So please, whatever happens…never do that again."

Draco frowned. It wasn't like he'd done it to hurt her…in fact, it was just the opposite.

"Come on, Gin. We'd better get going." He said simply, this time taking the initiative and pulling the tiny red-head along. Ginny sighed and allowed herself to be propelled towards the hospital wing.

They didn't talk the rest of the way to the wing. Draco sank onto the nearest cot, head thudding again while Ginny went off in search of Madame Pomfrey.

Knocking softly on the healer's office door, she walked in.

"Madame Pomfrey?" She asked.

The witch looked up from where she was mixing a potion with her wand. "Miss Weasley! There you are! You gave us quite a turn when we found you'd left without a word. Your brother's out searching for you. You haven't been off running about, have you? You've got to take it easy, you know." She clicked her tongue, shaking her head.

"So what is it? Got a headache? You should have stayed in bed, with wounds like those…"

"No, Madame Pomfrey…" she broke in. "…it's not me, it's…um…Malfoy. I think he might be hurt. Will you just check on him?" she asked, hoping the healer wouldn't ask why or how Draco was hurt. They hadn't really quite thought that far.

However, the nurse's mind was on other things. "Malfoy? You're…helping Malfoy?" seeming to realize what she was saying and who she was talking to, she straightened up.

"Right, er…where is Mr. Malfoy?" she asked, standing and walking to the door.

"Out in the first cot by the door. He's…erm…got a headache, and he's a little dizzy."

Madame Pomfrey scoffed as she shuffled over to the cot. "Really? Well, I'm surprised he hasn't woken up the entire wing with his complaints. A headache, eh? Well, we must make sure the poor dear isn't dying, right?" she spat sarcastically.

Ginny recalled, in her second year, when Draco had been injured by Hagrid's hippogriff Buckbeak. Madame Pomfrey had done her best, fixing the wound, but Draco had made quite a fuss over it, nearly costing Hagrid his job. Ginny frowned.

Guess Madame P. hasn't quite forgiven him, then. She thought grimly.

She turned to face the head nurse, clasping onto her robes. Madame Pomfrey turned to Ginny, one eyebrow arched almost comically. "Yes, Miss Weasley?" She asked, nonplussed.

Taking a deep breath, Ginny let go of Madame Pomfrey's robes. "Madame Pomfrey…I know that in the past Dr-uh, Malfoy hasn't been exactly the best or nicest person…" Madame Pomfrey scoffed ("That's the understatement of the year.") "…but a person can change. That was four years ago. People change." She looked appealingly into the older woman's disbelieving eyes.

"Please, believe me. I know him. He has changed; he's not the same insufferable git that he was four years ago. Now he's an older, more mature, and somewhat nicer insufferable git." That evoked the tiniest of smiles from the severe teacher.

"Yes, well, be that as it may…I'll just take a look at him then, shall I?" she turned back to where Draco was sitting stiffly on his cot.

As Madame Pomfrey began examining Draco, he turned to Ginny. "An insufferable git?" he quirked, fighting to keep a smile off his face.

Ginny flushed, covering her face with a hand.

"If you're going to insult someone, do it out of their audile range, eh?" he smirked.

Ginny flamed, but shot his own sneer back at him. "You needed to hear it anyways. Insufferable git." She stuck her tongue out at him.

He rolled his eyes, wincing as Madame Pomfrey poked his neck a bit too enthusiastically. "Oy, watch it, you. That hurts!" He snarled at her.

Madame Pomfrey turned to Ginny, raising one eyebrow as if to say "I told you so."

Ginny stepped beside Draco, placing a hand on his arm. "Draco."

That was all it took. All she did was say his name in that disappointed, pitying tone of voice, and he immediately bent to her will, becoming at once contrite; something he'd never done before, let alone to someone he didn't particularly like and who was prodding him painfully.

"I-apologize, Madame Pomfrey." He gritted out, looking as though it was causing him much pain. "Would you mind…that hurts rather a lot." He ground out.

Madame Pomfrey's jaw fell straight down. Ginny had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. Draco himself was fighting to keep from grinning.

"We-well, y-yes, I-I…that's quite alright…Mr. Malfoy." The witch stammered, fumbling for her wand. She summoned a glass of reddish-brown substance after several attempts. She handed it to Draco. "Drink this. I'm afraid you'll have to stay overnight. You're throat is raw, and I see bruising there. I'm not quite sure what you've done to yourself, but your lungs aren't doing too well either. That drink will give your immune system a little kick, as well as get your internal organs functioning properly again."

She stood there as Draco downed the glass and began to move away. "Miss Weasley." She called, beckoning Ginny to follow her. Ginny gave Draco a reassuring smile and stepped into the nurse's office behind her.

Madame Pomfrey dug around in a closet for a moment before pulling out a jar of some sticky red substance, placing it in her pocket. She turned to Ginny, eyeing her peculiarly. "Well, I can't deny that young Master Malfoy is…different…though I really can't understand why…but, if you trust in him, Miss Weasley (here she gave Ginny an even harder look), then I suppose I can allow that he has changed. I appreciate your faith in him, but do be careful, Miss Weasley. People can change, as you said yourself." She frowned thoughtfully, her eyes growing sad. "Be careful that he doesn't change back into the person he used to be." She said warningly, stepping from the room.

Ginny stood there for several minutes, pondering Madame Pomfrey's words. Well, that was…enlightening. Who would have thought I'd be discussing my trust in Draco with Madame Pomfrey? She shook her head and walked back into the hospital wing.

Madame Pomfrey was walking down the rows of beds, checking in on her other patients as Ginny walked by. "I'm afraid you're a little late, Miss Weasley; Mr. Malfoy has already fallen asleep from the potion I gave him." She said briskly, moving on.

"Please, Madame Pomfrey…may I stay with him for a while? It's Christmas night, and I've nothing else to do." Her eyes sought Madame Pomfrey's. The older witch's harsh gaze softened. "If you wish, Miss Weasley, but it's no use; he won't wake up for at least another few hours."

Ginny nodded. "That's alright, Madame Pomfrey. And thank you." She added, before walking over to take a seat next to Draco's cot. As the older woman walked off, shaking her head, Ginny edged her chair closer to his bed.

In sleep, Draco looked almost angelic. The sneering smirk was gone, the harsh eyes closed, and the perpetually scrunched-up nose was as it should be. He looked suddenly younger and kinder. She could almost imagine him opening his eyes and gazing at her softly, with love. But he never did. There were times where he came close, but then he would turn away, or break their gaze, and when he looked back, it would be with a guarded expression. What she wouldn't give to have him look at her with love, just once, to know that he did.

The door to the hospital wing opened, but Ginny was getting too tired to find out who it was. Besides, it didn't really matter anymore.

She sighed and leaned forward, entwining her fingers with his. "I do love you, Draco Malfoy." She said softly, knowing and rather taking comfort in the fact that he couldn't hear her. The hospital wing door slammed shut again.

Tentatively, she glanced around. The wing was empty, save for Madame Pomfrey, who was bustling about the beds. Turning back to Draco, she leaned forward the rest of the way, resting her cheek on the bed, her forehead grazing his arm.

Exhausted from her own injuries and the trials of the day, she fell asleep.

"Queen to F9. Checkmate!"

"Damn, that's the fifth time in a row!"

"Sorry, Harry. That's wizard's chess." Ron smirked, picking up his pieces.

Harry groaned and sat back in his chair by the fire in the Gryffindor common room.

"Bloody hell." He mumbled as Hermione strode briskly through the portrait hole, coming over to sit by them.

"What's going on?" she asked.

Harry shot Ron a glance. The red-haired boy merely smirked and swept a pile of brightly-wrapped candies into his pocket. "I've just lost all the Fizzing Whisbees you sent me for Christmas, 'Mione." Harry grumbled as Ron unwrapped a lollipop and stuck it in his mouth.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Well it's a good thing I found Ginny, because you two obviously trying too hard." She glared at them.

Ron sat straight up, spitting out the candy. "You've found Gin? Well, where the bloody hell is she? Is she alright? Where did she disappear to?" He asked, rushing over to Hermione.

The girl stood quickly, backing Ron off. "She's fine, Ron. She's been with Malfoy. That's where I saw her. She was in the hospital wing there, sitting next to his bed. Apparently, from the way Madame Pomfrey was grumbling, he's not feeling too well."

"And all the better, too." Ron said angrily, stalking around the room while Hermione and Harry watched on. "I don't like this, 'Mione. I dunno how I let you talk me into letting this go on, but it's going to stop soon. I don't buy that he had nothing to do with how Ginny got hurt. There were bruises on her arms that weren't from any wolf I've ever seen. Not unless wolves have suddenly sprouted fingers." He said grimly.

Hermione stood and walked over to Ron, taking his hand in hers. Harry's eyebrows rose, but he said nothing.

"Ron, just let her figure things out for herself, alright? She's old enough to make her own decisions. I've talked to Malfoy. You know as well as I do that he's changed. He hasn't bothered us in ages. Maybe they're just good for each other." She shrugged, but Ron only yanked his hand away.

"I don't care what you or anyone else says, she's too good for that self-centered little ponce." He growled. "I'm going to do what I should have done from the beginning; I'm going to put a stop to this."

Hermione grabbed his shoulder, stopping him. "Ron, you can't. It's not your place. You can't make that decision." She said, her voice pleading reason with him.

Ron's eyes darkened as he pulled away and stalked over to the stairs. "Then I'll just have a talk with someone who can." He said darkly, striding away from his two best friends.