Here's a longish chapter, lovelies. Sorry for the delay, Fanfiction decided that this would be the PERFECT time for an unscheduled maintenance *rolls eyes* Anywhoo, here ya go! Enjoy...

The Dinner, as Harry had started dubbing it in his head had seemed near impossible at first. Draco had kicked up a fuss of epic proportions of course, and had flat out refused to go if she would be there. It had taken the better part of an hour to convince him that Harry had no interest in Ginny Weasley save that of a friend.

"I see the way you talk," Draco grumbled, crossing his arms defensively. "All the inside jokes and the laughing and the flirting… and don't you tell me there's no flirting. I'm not blind, Potter. And the…"

"That's just how it is!" Harry squawked, running his hands through his hair in exasperation. "Look, Ginny is… we were together and I admit at one point, I couldn't imagine spending the rest of my life with anyone else. But that was a very long time ago," he added hurriedly as Draco growled. "She's my friend and my friends are important to me. You have to understand that."

"Just a friend?" Draco had asked suspiciously.

"Just a friend," Harry grinned, kissing his forehead. "Think of her as my Zabini."

He hadn't expected Draco's eyes to light up with intent speculation. "She is, isn't she?"

"What?" Harry demanded.

"Nothing," Draco replied, a slow grin breaking out on his pale face. "I just had an idea. Will you excuse me? I need to send an owl…"

Soon, they were seated in an up end Lounge on the ritzy side of Diagon Alley. Draco had chosen the location and Harry was thankful. The décor was sophisticated but intimate. And security was tight so reporters couldn't bother them. That was where his happiness ended though.

Hermione sat across from them, twirling a strand of hair uncomfortably in her fingers. Now and then, she gave them polite smiles, but mostly her eyes drifted to Draco eyeing him quizzically. Ron just looked like he had swallowed a lemon. Ginny sat beside Draco, apparently trying to smoke her lungs out. At least she was valiantly trying to make conversation and even managed to engage Draco once in a while. Harry could have kissed her.

"Excuse me," Ron broke in, apparently unable to take it. "Just checking, but are we seriously going to sit here all night and not talk about the erumpent in the room?"

"Excellent point, brother mine. There are questions that need answering," Ginny quipped, turning to Harry and Draco. "Like, where's this hot date of mine you promised? Or am I going to have to ask that fine, young fellow at the bar if he likes it on the rocks?"

Harry and Hermione chuckled and even Draco let out a surprised bark of laughter. "Ginny!" Ron yelped, covering his ears. "I swear to Merlin, we're getting you married next!"

"Sod off, Ronniekins," she smirked, releasing a spire of smoke. "Nobody's taking me down without a fight."

"Sound familiar, Draco?" a voice drawled behind them. The small gathering turned in unison, watching as a suave, well-dressed man approached them.

"You're late, you heathen," Draco drawled, raising an eyebrow. "Your date was about to go bartender hunting."

"Well, we can't have that, can we?" Blaise replied, giving Ginny an appreciative once over. "Hello, Red."

The young witch gave him a challenging look in return and flicked her cigarette. "Zabini. Just passing through, she asked, hopefully?"

Blaise's eyes lit up in unmistakable interest and he immediately moved over to where she was sitting. "Not anymore, he declared ardently. Budge over, princess."

"Make yourself at home," Ginny replied blithely. She got up and slipped past him effortlessly. "I want to dance. Care to escort a lady to the floor, handsome?"

Draco blinked in surprise as he realized she was talking to him. Blaise glared at him as if it was his fault and Draco rolled his eyes. "I'd be delighted," he drawled, taking her arm and leading her away.

Blaise slid in next to Harry, watching the retreating witch with an interest just bordering on this side of hungry. "Firefly," he drawled, half to himself.

"Down, boy," Harry intoned dryly. Blaise grinned at him and ordered a drink. "So Weasley, Granger - make any new kids lately?"

"So you and Harry," Ginny said, as he swirled around with her. She was light and dainty in his arms and moved with a natural grace. He could see how Harry had fallen hard for her. Their easy relationship still made him somewhat nervous, but he was slowly coming to the grudging conclusion that he had nothing to fear from this young woman. She seemed genuinely concerned for Harry's well-being. But she had also gone out of her way to make him feel welcome in their midst. He found he rather liked her flippant manners and easy charm. "What about us?" he asked.

"I'm happy for you," she replied. "I think you're good for him."

"Thanks," he replied skeptically. He didn't really agree. Harry was happy with him, but it didn't mean he was good for him. The Press, for one thing had been horrible. Harry had faced a lot of nasty commentary in the past, but nothing came close to the catastrophe their engagement had wrecked. And he admitted that sometimes he feared it would be too much for both of them to handle.

"You don't believe me, do you?"

"Not really."

"You should. He smiles more with you. He talks and laughs. And it feels like he's finally going after the things that make him happy. He's better and apparently that's all on you."

Draco smiled at her, feeling genuinely grateful. "Thank you," he said sincerely.

"Of course if you hurt him, I'll be toasting your bollocks on an open flame and serving them with French vinaigrette."

He rolled his eyes. "Charming. And no, I don't plan to hurt him. He's… been good for me too."

Ginny grinned. "Brilliant. Now dip me. And make sure Zabini sees."

Draco grinned and obliged. Her laughter echoed in the room and from the corner of his eye, he saw Harry grinning at them. Blaise however, was marching up to them with a determined tic in his jaw.

"My turn, Blondie," he groused, disengaging Draco easily and sweeping the petite girl up. "Go dance with your fiance for a while."

Draco returned Ginny's mischievous wink and backed away, giving them space to twirl away. He turned, nearly running into Harry as he did. He looked up into brilliant green eyes and grinned.

"One of these days Potter, I will catch you sneaking up on me."

"Keep telling yourself that," Harry retorted. His hand stroked Draco's hip tentatively. "Dance with me?" he whispered.

And Draco did.

Harry leaned on a lamppost in the Alley, trying to collect his thoughts. It was quiet and he could hear faint laughter inside. He had excused himself for a few minutes. Draco and Hermione were managing a tentative if slightly stilted conversation and Ron was still sulking, but things could certainly be worse.

He just wished he could get rid of this gnawing… feeling inside of him. Guilt clawed at him constantly, making every minute with Draco torture. It wasn't supposed to happen this way. Every day, he was lying to Draco and it was playing havoc on his conscience. How had he become this person? How had…

"Knut for your thoughts?" Ginny said, slipping beside him.

Harry smiled at her. "Tired of dancing?"

She lit a cigarette in response and Harry rolled his eyes. "What's your excuse?" she asked.

"I just… just wanted a little space for a while."

"Space," she repeated ominously. "There's a loaded word."

"No. It's nothing. I'm… I just…"

"Harry." She frowned and put a firm hand on his shoulder. "I asked you before, and I'm asking you again. What aren't you telling me?"

Harry shrugged helplessly. He felt completely lost. Ginny's eyes sparked with realization. "There's something," she asked quietly. "Tell me and I'll try to help."

Harry gave her a beseeching look, pleading with her not to judge him. She nodded firmly, and her grip tightened reassuringly. Harry took a deep breath. "Okay," he mumbled. "Remember when I…"

"Salazar's Slimy Serpent! Is everyone out to steal my date?"

Harry's heart sank as Blaise marched over to them, giving Ginny a cheeky wink. She huffed. "Is there no escaping you?" she asked dryly.

"Said the firefly to the spider," he drawled. But there was an edge in that easy tone and Harry recognized the sharp glint in the man's gaze. Blaise gave him a hard look before turning his attention over to Ginny again. "So how about we say our goodbyes to this sorry lot and I'll step into your parlour?"

"In your dreams, Zabini," she replied.

"Suit yourself. By the way," His wrist flicked - as swift as a garden snake - and he plucked the cigarette from her lips. "Smoking is bad for you, Red."

Ginny huffed and stomped back inside. Zabini watched her leave, making sure she was well out of sight before turning to Harry. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" he asked, his tone calm and measured.

Harry sneered at him. "What do you think, Zabini?"

"I'll venture a guess and say that your original plans of courting Draco for the Cup have undergone a drastic re-design."

Harry glared at him, but said nothing. Zabini tutted and studied his fingernails. "Of course they have. And let's see if I have this right. I'll wager that right about now, your blasted moral compass is doing a fantastic impression of the Wronski Feint. So - and this is the fun part Potter - your master plan is to confess to your dishonour and…hmm… just help me out here. Exactly what's going to happen after that?"

Harry wrenched his hair in frustration. "I don't know!" he spat. "I don't know and I don't care! I can't live with this anymore. Every time I look at him, every time he smiles at me I feel like… like… I can't do it anymore. I have to tell him. I have to make him see that…"

Zabini's bark of laughter cut him off. "See what? That the only thing you saw in him was a passport to your own ambition? That he doesn't mean anything to you except an easy ticket to the Big Leagues? That all he ever meant to you was…"

"That's not true!" Harry shouted, clenching at his wand. His finger nails were digging into his palm, drawing blood.

"Draco won't see it like that!" Zabini snapped back. "When he hears that… when you tell him that you bought your way into his life for a couple broomsticks and a shiny new uniform, it's going to crush him! He'll break, Potter! Do you understand that? Is that what you want?"

"No," Harry choked out. He was shaking like a leaf at the very thought of it. "I love him," he whispered.

"Then be a man and carry your own damn burden," Zabini replied quietly. "You did this. He shouldn't have to suffer." He brushed past Harry and walked away, leaving him in the darkness.

Harry took a couple of deep, painful breaths - trying to calm his speeding heartbeat. Zabini was right. This was his burden and he had no right to hurt Draco to ease his own guilt.

But that didn't mean he couldn't set things right, did it? With a sigh, he gathered himself and followed Zabini back inside.

He didn't notice the innocuous looking beetle perched on the window ledge behind him. Nor did he see the beetle scurry off into an alley and transform into a reedy, bespectacled woman with a grin the size of New Hampshire.

"Got you, Potter," she whispered gleefully.

ONOZ! *runs around in circles*

PS: I can haz reviews?