I acknowledge that I own none of the characters or ideas and they belong to J.K. Rowling.

Reviving the Fire Within

Ginny,
Angels don't have secrets-
but you have me.
-D

For the past three and ½ days Ginny had ignored, ripped-up and burned all notes and messages he had sent her. She wanted to forget- no she needed to forget because the truth was if she didn't let go now, she never would.

But this note hadn't been sent, she'd scavenged it out of the bin from where she'd chucked it during that fateful potions class. Scrunching it up, she hid the note beneath the floor-board, under her bed where she kept her most treasured possessions and made her way down to Defence Against the Dark Arts. She was no angel- and he wasn't hers, Pansy had made that very clear. Ugh! She was caught between the desire to punch him- hard- and the desire to wrap her arms around his neck and whisper forbidden things. Forbidden wishes like that they could be friends again.

Ginny was popular. Very popular. Being funny, pretty, charming and smart, she couldn't help it. Boys were always asking her out and she had a large group of girlfriends to hang out with... but she didn't have a best friend in the way that Ron, Harry and Hermione were. Friends always have your back, make you laugh when you want to cry and hold your hand when all the lights go out. Draco Malfoy was not a friend- but he'd been close enough...

"Miss Weasley, repeat to me exactly what I just told the whole class." Snape demanded, snapping her out of her reverie.

"Oh...ummm...well..." Ginny looked hopelessly around the class room. Suddenly a folded piece of paper materialised in front of her. Discretely, she hastened to open it revealing the last three minutes of Snape's lecture. Quickly she began to read, attempting to conceal the cheat sheet she was clenching in her sweaty palm.

"...The theory finally states that no matter how the attacker attempts to penetrate the defender's shield the force of the opposite attraction will not allow this to happen." Ginny finished with a flourish as the Gryffindors all grinned and the Slytherins scowled.

From any fair teacher Ginny's performance would have gained her at least 20 points but Snape merely stared intently at her for a few seconds before sweeping away, imperiously. Somehow Draco managed to catch her eye at this point and with his eyebrows raised and a mischievous smirk playing around his lips he mouthed: "Nice one, Angel" before returning to his text. Pansy glared curiously in Ginny's direction before turning away and concentrating all her efforts at recapturing Draco's attention. Poor girl, won't she ever learn?

Feeling good about herself Ginny also returned to her work in which she was now attempting to combine the theory of opposite attraction to form an impenetrable shield against Hermione's gentle onslaught of hexes. How ironic that they should be studying the attraction of opposites Ginny thought ruefully.

When they swapped partners and Hermione took on Neville (Neville never had a partner and so Ginny and Hermione were often forced to work in a three-some with him) Ginny sat down at her bench and looked around the room watching some of her poor class mates endure some humiliating hexes from fellow class mates. Ginny was just fantasizing about sending her famous Bat- Bogey curse at either Crabbe or Goyle when a brilliant idea came to mind. The war between her and Pansy was on. One point to her for kissing Draco and making her cry, one point to Ginny for what she was about to do. Ginny knew it was probably irresponsible and childish but she just couldn't help it as she stared t Pansy's slim figure, struggling to shield herself from Draco's jinxes. Slipping her wand up her sleeve she whispered the incantation for permanent boils, aiming her wand right Pansy.

A terrible shriek went up in the room as Pansy felt the curse begin to take its toll. Gryffindors and Slytherins alike looked on in amazement s she began sprouting the most gruesome boils and pimples. Ginny's fellow Gryffindors roared with laughter and a lot of the Slytherins did too. Draco's keen eyes swivelled round the room looking for the source of magic. They laid rest on Ginny and he raised a questioning eyebrow at her to which she responded by shrugging innocently. This got her a full out grin as Draco's question was confirmed. Pansy fled the classroom, wailing and shrieking all the way to the Hospital Wing where she would no doubt be told that the curse was irreversible and she would have to wait for the effects to wear off...about two to three weeks.

As they all filed out of the classroom, grins still plastered to their faces, Ginny turned around to Hermione who was at her side. She had no plans of telling Hermione of what she had done, for fear of earning a stern and severe scolding but she did owe Hermione thanks for saving her but from Snape during the lesson. But when she thanked Hermione for her helpful cheat sheet, she only looked confused, asking her what she meant. Now Ginny was the confused one, she had been sure it had been Hermione who had sent the helpful note.

Ginny said goodbye to Hermione, Harry and Ron before rounding the corner to make her way back up to the Common Room (where she hope to squeeze in an hour of productive study) when she ran smack into Draco. Oh boy.

"Hey, Angel, you okay?" he asked, catching her arm and saving her from falling as she stumbled from the impact of the collusion.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine, sorry gotta go!" She stuttered, feeling flustered.

"Hey hold on- let me walk you back." He offered, grinning cheekily.

"I'm quite capable of walking on my own, thanks," Ginny said, beginning to feel rather desperate. She needed to get out of there ASAP! But he didn't take a hint and began walking with her in companionable silence.

"I see my note was a little helpful," he remarked, after a few seconds.

"That was you?" Ginny was astounded. He just grinned in reply. "You are way too cocky!" she announced, punching him lightly on the arm. He pretended she had mortally wounded him, grasping his arm and groaning in pain. Ginny rolled her eyes but couldn't help the grin that crept onto her face.

"Stop acting the fool!" She scolded, her eyes sparkling with amusement. Draco smirked as he rumpled his chaotic golden hair and slouched his arm around her shoulders.

"Get off," she warned all joking aside. He shrugged but obliged, sweeping a gallant bow. "Jerk," she muttered. He merely smiled. Big jerk.

So...I was wondering if...," he began, casually but he was cut off as a pretty Slytherin girl spotted him walking past and literally threw herself at his lean figure.

"Draco," she gushed excitedly, completely ignoring Ginny. "Will you go with me to the Senior House Ball?" she asked running her hands through his hair seductively and smiling coyly.

Ginny sped up her pace, wrapping her arms protectively around her upper body. Just when she thought she might have been wrong, that she could forgive him, some pretty witch had to ruin it. He was no different from what she'd always thought.

"I'm sorry Sylvia, I can't." Draco responded in a loud voice so that Ginny would hear, gently removing Sylvia's hands from himself. Ginny stopped dead in her tracks, her heart pounding.

"Oh...okay," Sylvia replied looking slightly embarrassed. "Well...ummm...I'll see you around...I guess," she stumbled and then sped off, throwing Ginny one last curious glance. Draco watched her go and then turned to Ginny who was standing motionless in the hallway. He offered her a small smile and a shrug of the shoulders.

Woah! What! Ginny's mind reeled. Did he just? - No-No way- how?-Why?-WHAT?

"Hey you okay?" he asked looking concerned. Aw sweet. She had been standing there, stature-still for over a minute. He reached out for her hand and at that exact moment Ginny remembered who she was standing in the corridor, staring at, completely alone. So she pulled a classic damsel in distress- who doesn't understand what the heck just happened move, and ran.

Her book-bag went flying open and out fell all her papers, notes, essays and assignments, but she kept running. Around the greenhouse, past the great hall, up the switching stair case...smack into Harry.

"Woah! Hey Ginny, do you want me to walk you to your next class?" he asked throwing her a sweet smile.

"I-um-well- yeah...that would be great." She said with an attempt at a return smile. But Harry saw right through her.

"What's wrong, Ginny?" he questioned as he wrapped his arms protectively around her, rocking her gently as she fell apart in his arms.

Hearing him calling her name and the sound of pitter-pattering feet against the cold, stone steps Ginny had barely a second to detach herself from Harry's warm embrace before Draco rounded the corner. Harry gently pushed Ginny behind him, drew his wand and took a defensive position in front of her. Draco seemed to freeze at the sight before him; Ginny's tear streaked face, still half tangled in Harry's embrace.

"Oh," Draco murmured. "Just thought I'd return these," he said holding up the collection of paper's Ginny had dropped in her hasty get-away. "I didn't realise you were...busy." he said with an echo of his old sarcasm. Harry took the papers, still glaring apprehensively in Draco's direction.

"Draco I-"Ginny choked.

"Yeah...whatever...don't worry," he said waving her off with a casual flick of his arm. He gazed intently at her before shrugging slightly and turning and walking away.

"What was that all about?" Harry wondered aloud.

"Nothing, that was nothing," Ginny murmured sadly.

Taking Harry's hand Ginny knew she wasn't being fair...to them or herself. Reviving the fire within someone often meant dousing someone else's flame...could she really do this?

You know the drill- please review! Next chapter should be up soon- hopefully it will be the make or break of the Draco/Ginny relationship...we'll see. Can't do this without your reviews though!