In the Room of Requirement

Disclaimer: I still don't own Harry Potter. But it's a working progress.

A/N: If this chapter seems to be a bit premature in the overall scheme of things... I'm sorry. I know I didn't include many of Shadow and Fire's conversations, and it may not seem like they should be... attached yet... but you'll have to assume that they had many more conversations than what I actually wrote. I'm also desperately hoping that Draco doesn't seem too ooc in this chapter.

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At 9:45 the next night, Ginny got up from her chair by the fire and gave her bracelet a nervous twirl around her wrist. Bianca and Alistair wished her luck, and she departed from the comfortable Common Room.

Slowly she walked towards the seventh floor, deep in thought. She wasn't even aware of Peeves' presence until she felt the cold as the Poltergeist flew through her. The red head spun around to see Peeves grinning wickedly at her. But when he spoke, it was in a quiet, if still aggravating voice. For some reason, Peeves was having mercy on her…

"Ah, young Ginevra is out of bed." Peeves shot himself off the wall and right up to Ginny's face. "Off to snog your snaky boyfriend, eh Firehead?"

"Peeves, how many times – Wait… how did you know?" Ginny asked, astonished.

"All pretty little girls sneak off to snog their pretty little boyfriends."

"No, not that. You said 'snaky'..."

"Oh yes, I know of all Slytherin-Gryffindor love affairs," Peeves said proudly.

"That's very... clever of you Peeves," Ginny said, trying to look impressed. She didn't want to change the rare mood the Poltergeist was in. "Do you also know where I was going when you stopped me?"

"Most Slytherins meet their girlfriends in the... music room?"

"Wrong. I didn't even know there was a music room," Ginny said, frowning. Fred and George had taught her everything they knew about the castle...

"There is now," Peeves remarked cryptically. "Then you must be headed to the Room of Requirement."

Ginny nodded and said, "So... may I go now, Peeves?"

Peeves loudly pretended to blow his nose, and Ginny cringed. "Little Ginny is so kind and respectful to her superiors." Peeves choked out a sob. "Respect is so rare these days... for that you deserve a good snog!"

Ginny smiled in spite of herself and said, "Thanks Peeves. But stop using that word - I despise it."

"What word? Respect?"

"No, the other one."

"Snog?"

"Yes!"

Ginny walked quickly away from Peeves, not wanting to be late for her meeting with Shadow. Peeves flew after her, whispering 'snog' over and over in her ear. Infuriating as the little man was, he helped calm her nerves all the way to the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy. Peeves left her there, and she sighed in relief while also considering what she
really needed from the magical room she was about to enter. Ginny made up her mind, and focused clearly on what she needed as she walked thrice past the wall.

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Draco made it to the seventh floor without incident, and he knew what to do when he reached the wall outside of the Room of Requirement. Give me a room that allows me to be who I am. Am I a person who could love a Gryffindor? Or am I truly just like my father, as everyone says I am? O Founders, give me a place where I can see the light of Fire. The door appeared, and Draco quickly grasped the brass handle. He only had a few moments to explore the room before she would arrive.

The room was simple. There were a few tapestries; all were of green, red, silver, and gold. On closer inspection, these all showed images of a serpent and a lion. The walls, floor, and ceiling were all a grey color that seemed to shimmer. When Draco looked very closely at the wall, he saw that it was actually tiny dots of black and white. Astonished, he took a step back from the wall, and the grey color returned. Having seen everything in the small room, Draco sat down on the large hunter green couch, the sole piece of furniture in the room.

As he sat there, he began to be filled with a feeling of dread. How had he let himself fall in love? For that is what he had finally admitted to himself. The illustrious Dragon, known for seducing so many Slytherin girls, had fallen for a Gryffindor.

Fire had told him that she was of pure blood, but what if she was actually a half-blood? Or even a Mudblood? Lucius constantly told his son that blood was of the utmost importance in the Dark Order... but wasn't Voldemort himself a half-blood? What would it really matter if he loved someone of lesser blood? Well, he could never introduce her
to Lucius, that's for sure.

Draco had always followed what Lucius believed, without giving any thought to developing a separate doctrine. The name Malfoy was his innate destiny, privileging, or condemning him to a life of the Dark Arts. The question now is if that was really what he wanted...

Draco was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of a door opening. He immediately stood up, and watched as a pale faced Ginny Weasley walked in. Ginny was kissing him before he had time for a reaction.

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Ginny knew immediately that he was a good kisser. Experienced. That's what he was. Not that she was inexperienced... she had kissed Tom, Michael, and Dean. And then there was that one kiss with Seamus. But Shadow's kisses couldn't be compared to any of them. His lips dominated hers, and left her little room to breathe. When they broke
apart, he spoke first.

"Ginny," he led her to the couch while regarding her with an intense look. "So you're Dragon's Fire after all, eh?" he said, more to himself than to her. "You don't seem surprised to see me..."

"I'm not."

"How did you know that I was Shadow?"

"I have my spies..." Ginny said, giving him a wicked grin. Then suddenly she got very quiet.

Draco kissed her cheek and said, "What's on your mind?"

"Are you... mad that it's me?" Ginny asked quietly.

"What? My Fire is worried about impressing other people? You have just as much reason to be angry with me!"

"You have always been a bastard to my family and friends," Ginny said teasingly. Draco nodded agreement, and looked a bit remorseful. "But now that I know you," Ginny shot Draco a quick glance, "I have need of your... approval, I guess."

"I think you mean love," Draco said, sweetly kissing her again. "Approval and love are very different." Draco was now kissing her neck. "Which do you want from me?" Draco whispered in her ear as he kissed that part of her too.

Ginny was on fire, and she quite rightly showed him that it was love
that she wanted.