I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters or ideas and they belong to J.K. Rowling.

Dancing with Fire

Ginny awoke the next morning, her head pounding. What was she going to do? She had not slept at all and her hair was a complete disaster! Crawling slowly out of bed, deserting the warmth of her covers, she dragged herself in front of the mirror and surveyed the damage.
Bags under her eyes? Check.
Frizz-bomb hair? Double check.
Croaky voice? Check
Sore muscles? Triple check.
Ugh! She was a walking nightmare. Slowly and laboriously she began brushing out her manic hair and applying straightening lotion. Shrugging on her robes she then pulled her hair back into an elegant bun, leaving a few tendrils of curls dangling gracefully. Reciting a concealment charm for the bags under her eyes, she left the dormitory and made her way down stairs. Grabbing her book bag from off the coffee table, where she had left it last night, she clambered out of the portrait hole and made it down to the Grand Hall.

Purposely sitting with her back to the Slytherin table she sipped some pumpkin juice and daintily bit into an apple. Ron was enthusiastically tucking into his sausages while Hermione looked on with an expression caught between disapproving, disgust and amusement. Ginny rolled her eyes and looked around for Harry. Dean Thomas caught her eye, from down the table, and winked cheekily, she quickly looked away blushing slightly. Harry suddenly plunked himself down next to her, giving an inviting smile. What was wrong with her? She had the perfect boyfriend sitting in front of her: funny, caring, strong, brave, intelligent and very good looking. So why wasn't she perfectly happy?

"Are you coming with us down to Hogsmeade this afternoon, Ginny?" asked Hermione, casting Ron a withering glance as her burped loudly.

"What?" he muttered, "Can't a man enjoy himself without being censored?"

"Ummm, no ...I don't think so," Ginny murmured, pretending to be engrossed in her cereal. She hastened to explain when Harry looked up, surprised. "It's not that I don't want to its just...I have so much homework to do!" she finished lamely. Hermione nodded understandingly as if this made perfect sense, buying her excuse.

"I'll help you, if you want." Offered Harry.

"No!" Ginny gasped. "Not that I- that is- of course I want you to- It's just that-"Ginny stumbled over her words.

"I think what Ginny's trying to say is," Hermione put in helpfully, "That as much she'd like you to, it's probably not the most productive solution. You two can get a bit...carried away."

"Hermione!" Ginny turned beet red. But Harry just nodded, looking surprised but not hurt. Thank God. She didn't know how much drama she could cope with. The note she had received last night still burned in her pocket, a constant reminder of her inevitable decision. Trying to avoid the awkward twist the conversation had taken, Ginny leapt to her feet, snatching her book bag and dashed off just remembering in time to say goodbye. As she rounded the corner she could have sworn she felt something tug on her bag but when she swivelled around the corridor was clear.

Transfiguration dragged by agonizingly slow. When the bell finally rang Ginny rushed off to the library, skipping lunch in order to avoid any more embarrassment. Skipping lunch was a small price to pay; being slim and athletic Ginny was used to a small diet and rejoiced in the quiet and relaxed atmosphere of the library, instead of the constant buzzing noise that so often tormented Ginny with headaches which came from dining in the Great Hall. Madam Pince gave her a cold look of disdain as she carefully placed each book back onto the shelf, her hawk-like eyes calculating her every movement. When Herbology came round it was a relief to escape to the cool, greenhouses. They were dealing with even deadlier plants than ever as there OWL's were fast approaching but at least you were allowed to swear loudly if bitten by a Vinticous Sage Pod.

Deciding to skip dinner as well Ginny tiredly made her way back up to the Common Room, unloading her bag onto her four-poster-bed. As she did something small fluttered to the ground. Curious, she bent down and picked it up. It was a note; she knew it was from him from the way her heart couldn't hold a steady beat.

Ginny,
The first coward in Gryffindor? 8pm Room of Requirement. Prove to me your not.
-D

She could just imagine his self-satisfied smirk as he wrote this. That would explain the 'non-existent' tug she had felt on the strap of her book bag, he must have planted the note in her bag by magic, as she left the Great Hall for breakfast. She checked her clock on the table 7:07 it read. If she was going to go she had better get a move on. Dodging Filch and Mrs. Norris could take over ½ an hour. But was she going to go? She couldn't stand the idea of him thinking her a coward, but willingly enter into his presence? It went against every moral boundary she knew. He was a Slytherin, she a Gryffindor. It was just so...wrong. Annoyed and worried she gracefully flopped down onto the bed, clasping her head in her hands.

She would go. NOT because she had any...romantic inclination towards him, simply to defend her honour, and that of Gryffindor. Rising slowly, her mind resolved she hastened to take a shower. Spraying herself down with Rose Red Witch perfume she donned a pair of skinny, light blue jeans, black vans, a ripped, dark blue jumper and a small golden locket that she always kept on her person. She pulled back her hair into a stylish half-up-half-down style and charmed her hair into delicate curls. Taking one last, appraising look in the mirror she set off, sneaking past Collin Creevey who was snoring quietly in the corner chair by the fireplace. Everybody else, it seemed had gone off to bed.

Ginny quickly navigated her way around the hallways, narrowly missing Mrs. Norris at one point until she stood in front of the empty archway, the doorway into the room of requirement. As soon as she stepped forward the entrance materialised, meaning some-one was already inside. With one last reminder of why she was there she confidently entered into the brightly lit room.

As soon as she recognised her surroundings her mouth dropped open in surprise. For what seemed like hundreds of miles out there was a large expanse of field. Three hoops stood at each end of the oval and a familiar ball case lay in the middle. A quidditch pitch. Woah! Wait- quidditch? He called me here because he wants to play quidditch? She had been certain he'd had something much less innocent up his sleeve and was relieved.If he was proposing they play quidditch...well...she could see the headlines now...
DRACO MALFOY GETS HIS BUT SORELY KICKED BY YOUNGEST WEASLEY GIRL!
 She grinned to herself.

Just then- whoosh! Draco flew from just behind her and made a spectacular touchdown in front of her. Ginny clapped her hands sarcastically, but then grinned a genuine smile.

"Quidditch Malfoy? Haven't I kicked your but enough yet?" she drawled, smiling amusedly.

"Get over yourself weaselette...just thought it would be good practise for you...getting beaten by me so that by Saturday it won't come as such a surprise." Ginny blushed slightly at the name but was quick to shoot him down. Laughing slightly she retorted:

"Yeah, right, you wish Malfoy. I bet you just wanted to use this as an excuse to spend time in my charming company." She said jokingly.

"Of course," he replied with a mocking bow. He turned around and grabbed another broom from the cupboard. A Firebolt! Trying not to look like an over-excited child with a new toy Ginny stroked the handle reverently. Usually Ginny would have expected Malfoy to make some rude remark about how her family could probably afford half the handle if they saved up for the next ten years. Money had always been tight for the Weasleys but Ginny had never felt like she was missing out. Her newly acquired job at The Three Broomsticks helped too and she was saving up for a dress to wear to the Senior House Ball. Many boys had asked her to go with them but none had caught her fancy...yet. Normally she would have gone with Harry but Harry was spending that holiday with Sirius- not that she blamed him- it had just left her in an awkward position, so far she had said no to every boy, even the cute ones.

Ginny was jolted out of her reverie when she was smacked in the face with a set of quidditch robes.

"Sorry but you did look funny, daydreaming-"Draco remarked, breaking off at the venomous glare she sent him.

"I wasn't daydreaming." She commented curtly. It was only then that she noticed the colour of the quidditch robes. "Um Malfoy why are my robes green, I'm in Gryffindor, remember?"Malfoy muttered something to himself then grinned.

"Sorry it was the only colour I could find- truly!"

Yeah, right. She reluctantly turned and went to change behind a screen. When she emerged, she shifted uncomfortably; the robes were a tad tight. Draco's eyes roamed over her body appreciatively. Ginny coughed loudly and then said:

"Eyes on the ball, remember Malfoy?" He sent he a swift smile and then glided up into the air. Ginny mounted her broom feeling uneasy. Though she usually enjoyed attention from the opposite sex she was unsure of how to handle his. Malfoy had a bit of a reputation among the Slytherin girls and Ginny has been raised with very strict rules about dating and relationships. She was worried about how to obtain his friendship while still keeping her boundaries in place. Her worry soon evaporated as the evening wore on with no more suggestive comments or glances, just hard-core quidditch. At 11:55 they eventually stopped with a final score of 130-130. Dead even. With both of them playing as keeper, seeker and chaser (no beaters as this was two-on-two quidditch) neither of them had been able to snatch the snitch from the other. Gulping down water and quickly changing back into her clothes Ginny emerged to say goodnight.

"Good game weaselette, though I hope you know I was going easy on you. Next time I won't be so kind." Ginny scoffed at this but then a sad thought struck her.

"Next time, what makes you think there'll be a next time?"

"What do you mean?" Draco asked looking up at her quizzically.

"I can't- we can't- that is- never mind, I have to go." Ginny stood very quickly from where they had been lounging on the grass and rushed out, pretending not to hear him calling her name, confused. She was scared of what she was starting to feel towards the blonde boy, scared that when the time came she might cross over to the other path and lose herself.

Dancing with fire was fun...but everybody gets burnt in the end.

Please, please review. I really need the reviews. I haven't written in ages and I want to know what everybody thinks!