.:: Born of Fire ::.

.:: An Unwelcome Guest ::.

"Now Harry," Remus began, his voice placid. "Lets not be rash – "

"Rash? Rash?" Harry repeated, his eyebrows nearly reaching his hairline they rose to such heights of disbelief. "Why is he here? Why? Do tell me, please, why. Why?"

"Well, he – " Remus attempted to continue, but before he could utter a word, he was cut off by a rather inquisitive looking Ginny.

"What is he doing here?" she asked, giving Draco a slight look of repulsion as she folded her arms across her chest, stepping out of the kitchen.

Closing his eyes briefly, Remus took in a deep breath through his nose before he opened his mouth to reply. However, before he had the chance, another Weasley cut him off.

"What the – What is Malfoy doing here?" Ron queried, not bothering to conceal his distaste as he made his way downstairs, Hermione trailing curiously behind him.

"If you would give me a moment, I’ll – "

"Why am I here?" Draco cut in, speaking through gritted teeth. He knew these voices. Potter was somewhere to his left, the Weasley girl was to his right somewhere, and Ron and Hermione sounded above him somehow. He still couldn’t quite place the voice of the man who held his upper arm with a gentle grip, but it sounded very familiar.

"BecauseDumbledorearrangedit," Remus blurted out before anyone else had the chance to interrupt.

"Oh brilliant, that’s just brilliant. Has he finally gone insane?" Harry snapped. "I mean, completely insane," he added a moment later, realizing Dumbledore had never exactly been … normal.

"If you don’t mind, I would prefer this blindfold was taken off," Draco spoke up loudly, finding it rather difficult to come across as caustic when it appeared as though he’d managed to wander away from a game of pin the horn on the Unicorn.

"Of course," Remus replied kindly, releasing his arm as he lifted a hand to loosen the knot at the back. The blindfold slipped down over the bridge of his nose, falling down around his shoulders, and Draco blinked a few times as his eyes adjusted to the light.

He was rather surprised to find there wasn’t much light at all. In fact, the entire hallway seemed rather dim. Where was he? The first thing that came into clear perspective was Harry’s furious face, and he offered him a small smirk before he glanced over his shoulder, recognizing the old Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor.

"Mum!" Ginny called, glancing over her shoulder as she looked back into the kitchen. "There’s a Malfoy in our house."

"Not for long," Harry said vehemently, positively glaring at the other boy as his hands clenched into tight fists at his sides.

"Oh no, please," Draco responded wryly, rolling his eyes as he turned his icy grey gaze back to Harry. "Living with you has always been my dream, and this dark, dusty manor is just charming," he went on with a deadpan expression, shifting the dragon he still held within his arms.

Harry’s gaze flickered briefly to the creature, and he clenched his jaw as he looked back up at Draco. "The door is right there," he said coolly, jerking a thumb over his shoulder. "Don’t let it hit your arse on the way out."

"Welcome, Draco," Molly said with a smile as she finally hustled out of the kitchen, clasping her hands before herself as she smiled. Her cheeks were pulled taut, and her smile was quite obviously very forced. "Are you hungry?"

"Hungry?" Ron repeated incredulously, still peering over the railing of the landing with Hermione. "You’re not cooking for him!" he protested, narrowing his eyes to slits as Draco turned in a circle, then looked up, finally spotting him.

"Listen!" Remus piped up, placing himself strategically between Harry and Draco. "Ron, Hermione, come downstairs. Draco, please, have a seat in the kitchen, Ginny, you too," he instructed, placing a hand on Harry’s shoulder.

Harry was fuming, already feeling an apoplectic sort of rage rising within him, slowly heating the blood in his veins to a boil. He shrugged off the hand angrily, turning on his heel to stomp into the kitchen after Ginny. This had better be good. There had better be a damn good reason for this, or else he was going to lose his temper.

Ginny bit her lip as she sat down at her usual place across from Harry. She tried to catch his eye, but failed, so she instead attempted reading his expression. That proved to be a rather simple task; he looked like a man preparing to commit a murder … or perhaps the human version of a kettle ready to whistle. She could almost see the steam coming from his ears, and her gaze flickered briefly to Draco as he took the seat furthest away from them all.

"Where did you get a dragon?" she asked him a moment later, as everyone else shuffled reluctantly into the kitchen. The air was so thick with tension you could almost cut it with a knife, and she was surprised to find how loud her voice sounded in the deafening silence.

Draco looked up in surprise; looking genuinely shocked someone had actually bothered to ask him a normal question. The expression only lasted for a moment however, and quickly, he scowled once again. "None of your business," he replied acidly, shifting the tiny creature within his arms again.

"Don’t talk to my sister with that tone," Ron barked as he slumped down in his own seat, staring daggers across the table at Draco.

Ginny smirked slightly despite herself, finding it rather humorous how Ron was seemingly under the impression he was the only boy in the entire world allowed to be mean to her.

"Now Draco," Remus put in gently, sitting down next to him, "she was just asking a question."

"Yes," Ginny nodded, raising her eyebrows innocently. "I was just asking a question."

Harry shot her a vehement look from across the table, and Ginny frowned in bafflement, wondering what his problem with her was. She figured he was probably just shirty because she’d told him off about being so sodding moody, but she had been aching to say those words for months. She had rehearsed them over and over again within her head, and it had felt wonderful to actually say it. A weight had been momentarily lifted from her chest, though now it was replaced with a new one. Did he hate her now? That hadn’t been part of the plan …

Draco pointedly ignored both Remus and Ginny, staring determinedly at a knot in the wood of the tabletop.

"Right, well, you’re probably all wondering what is going on here … so … so – er, Molly! How about you explain?" he suggested brightly, shooting her a pleading sort of look as she took her usual seat next to Harry.

She mouthed wordlessly for a moment, appearing as a fish out of water before she began to stammer, obviously flustered. "I – well, well … Draco, Draco, dear, why don’t you explain what … what happened? Since, after all, you are the only one who was actually there," she coaxed him gently.

Draco scowled again as he looked up. "Stop calling me dear."

"She can call you whatever the hell she wants you arrogant little – " Harry piped up irately, the legs of his chair scraping loudly against the floor he stood so abruptly. Before he had the chance to finish what he was saying however, the tiny dragon within Draco’s arms gave a surprisingly low, rumbling growl, hissing as it rose to its hind legs and extended its’ wings to their full length, causing it to appear at almost five times its actual size. Harry retracted in surprise as the dragon hissed again, flapping its wings with such a strong force the gust of air it produced caused Harry’s hair to whip back.

Draco looked rather stunned for a moment, but slowly, he smirked, lifting his gaze to look up at Harry as his dragon slowly settled back down within his lap.

Harry’s chest was still rising and falling at a quicker pace than usual, his adrenaline pumping throughout his veins at a new speed. He too appeared to be rather stunned for a moment before he regained himself, and his own eyes narrowed to slits behind his glasses. "You don’t have Crabbe and Goyle around anymore so you pick up a dragon to defend your sorry arse? Huh?" he asked him coolly. "Typical. You have a big mouth, and one day, you’re not going to have anyone around to back it up, and on that day, I promise you, someone will be glad to shut you up once and for all."

Draco’s smirk only broadened. "Potter, is that a threat?" he asked, a hint of mirth dulling the edges of his words.

"No," Harry replied as he took his seat. "It’s a promise."

"Harry, Draco," Remus warned with a frown, casting a quick gaze between the pair of them. "Draco was at the Death Eater initiation," Remus explained, his voice quiet. "Instead of going through with it however, he chose to leave. He - "

"Chickened out, huh?" Ron asked loudly, making a face at his Mother reached over to smack him across the arm.

"No," Remus continued with an even deeper frown. "It was a very ... brave thing to do. The reason Draco has a dragon in his possession is because he saved her. She was meant to be a sacrifice."

"So you’ve switched sides then?" Ginny asked, frowning in puzzlement as she gave Draco a slow once over.

"No," Draco spat, as if this idea was completely ridiculous.

Having heard more than enough, Hermione pushed herself up, turning on her heel before she exited the kitchen at a brisk pace.

Remus sighed heavily, lifting a hand to rub his temples as he shut his eyes.

"Dumbledore has arranged that Draco live here, with us," Molly spoke up quietly after Hermione had left.

"Why doesn’t he stay with Dumbledore then?" Harry asked angrily. "I don’t want him here, no one does! This is Sirius’ house and Sirius would rather … Sirius wouldn’t want him in here," he continued.

Draco smirked again. "What was that? He would rather die?"

Dragon or not, Harry felt the last cord of his resolve snap, and he knocked his chair over he stood so quickly this time. Remus was on his feet, and he moved between the pair of them as Harry lunged for the other boy.

"Let me go – Let me GO!" Harry raged furiously, struggling against Remus as he tried to get to Draco, who hadn’t even flinched.

The dragon within his arms had begun to hiss again, her wings fluttering warningly against her sides as her eyes narrowed to sapphire slits.

Ginny felt her stomach clench, and she frowned as she watched Harry continue to struggle against Remus. She knew that deep down behind all that rage was a deep pain; she just wished he’d allow someone, anyone to help him. Her eyes narrowed as she shifted her gaze to Draco, fighting the wild urge to slap that smirk right off of his face.

"You’re sick. You are sick," Ron growled as he stood as well. Molly reached up to touch his arm, but he was gone before she had the chance, calling Hermione’s name as he made his way hastily up the stairs.

"Come along, Draco, I’ll show you to your room," Molly spoke up with a sigh a moment later as she stood, turning to make her way out of the kitchen. Draco stood as well, still looking completely unfazed as he trailed after her.

Harry figured that since Remus was a werewolf, he was somehow stronger than the average man, and it infuriated him that no matter how hard he struggled; he couldn’t break free of his grip. As Draco vanished up the staircase after Molly, he took a step back, wrenching his arms out of Remus’ hold. His chest continued to rise and fall in quick bursts as he nearly tripped over his own chair, catching the table to steady himself. "What the hell – " he shouted, giving Remus an almost disgusted look. "What the hell is the matter with everyone?!? You know Sirius wouldn’t want a Malfoy in here!"

"I know," Remus replied, his voice quiet, calm.

"Then get him OUT!" Harry hollered as he straightened back up. He was taller than Remus now, but the old Defense Against the Dark arts teacher didn’t balk as Harry towered over him.

"This isn’t my call, Harry," he replied, his voice remaining the epitome of calm.

"Why do you listen to everything Dumbledore says?!?" he snapped, and Ginny flinched slightly as he slammed a hand atop the table. "Huh? Why?!?"

"Because Dumbledore is very wise, and I trust him. He has never led me wrong – "

"He has been wrong! He has been! He trusted Peter to be my parents secret keeper and – "

"No, Harry, they trusted Peter – "

"HE DIDN’T STOP THEM!" he shouted as Remus continued to speak. "If he is so bloody wise then he should have stopped them from using him! Draco has probably been sent in here to murder us all in our sleep – "

"He doesn’t have his wand," Remus replied quietly, shutting his eyes lightly.

"YOU DON’T NEED A WAND TO KILL SOMEBODY! TO GIVE VOLDEMORT INFORMATION ABOUT US!" he hollered, his voice slightly hoarse.

"Harry, I realize you’re upset, and this is a discussion we should not be having until you have calmed down," Remus spoke up quietly after a long moment of silence. "Dumbledore trusts him, and I trust Dumbledore. I want him here about as much as you do, but again, this is not – my – decision, so you can stop hollering yourself hoarse at me anytime now." When he was certain Harry wasn’t about to lose it again, he continued. "I do realize that this is Sirius’ home, but Sirius is a good example of what Draco is. Not everyone who comes from a dark family just accepts that fate. Draco has taken his fate into his own hands now, and all we can do is guide him."

Harry clenched and un-clenched his jaw, his green eyes dark and stormy as emotions continued to rage within him. "If Sirius knew you had just compared him to a Malfoy, he would be sick," he spat before he turned on his heel; exiting the kitchen so hastily Ginny felt a breeze as he passed.

Remus stood very still for a long moment before he turned and crouched down to scoop up Aithne, who had wandered out from his cupboard beneath the sink, clearly woken from his nap by all of the shouting.

Ginny watched him in silence, biting her lip as he straightened back up with the miniscule dragon, frowning as he rubbed his scaly side. He looked worn out, and the flecks of grey beside his temples somehow seemed more prominent than ever. He had lines on his face … frown lines; worry lines … but no laugh lines. She figured that throughout the course of his life, he probably hadn’t had much to laugh about. She continued to watch him in silence before slowly, she stood, making her way around the table. He didn’t look up at her, and she reached out to pat Aithne atop his triangular shaped head before she placed her hand delicately on Remus’ forearm, leaning up to press the softest of kisses to his cheek.

He smiled slightly, moving his eyes to look at her, and Ginny smiled in return before she turned and exited the kitchen, trying to determine where Harry had gone. She hadn’t heard him go upstairs, so she decided to check the basement instead. She headed down the winding hallway, then opened the basement door with a creak, placing her hand gingerly atop the railing as she started on her way slowly down the stairs, the musty air assaulting her nostrils as she descended.

Well this was just lovely.

Draco sat on the end of his old, creaky bed, frowning with distaste as he took a slow look around his new ‘bedroom’. Bedroom? This was a bedroom? At his manor the house elves had nicer quarters than this. His bathroom had been bigger than this! It was musty, and drab, and … cold. There was a small bed, which was full of an abundance of old springs, which he knew would inevitably dig into him as he tried to sleep, and a wobbly bedside table residing next to it. A lone dresser stood in one corner, and a closet with no door was stationed directly across from his bed.

All of his cherished belongings were still at home … though; the manor wasn’t truly his home anymore. He frowned as he looked down, thinking about his Mother. Narcissa had never been a Mrs. Weasley-type Mum. He’d never been called ‘dear’, or eaten a home cooked meal, or been tucked in at night, but she was still his Mother, and he couldn’t help but think about her. Did she miss him? Would she care that he was gone … ? Would she even worry?

He felt a lurch transpire within his stomach as he lifted his gaze, taking another reluctant look around his new room. He began to wonder how long it was going to take him to go stir crazy. There were no windows, and the entire room seemed to be decorated in shades of grey. He felt a nudge against his hand, and he blinked, glancing down. His dragon was curled up next to him on the end of the diminutive bed, nudging her head beneath his palm as if urging him to pat her. He smiled slightly despite himself, moving his hand to stroke her wiry neck.

"You need a name," he mused aloud, tilting his head to one side as she lifted her gaze to stare up into his eyes. He felt a faint tingling at the base of his skull as her eyes bored into his, and he wondered what it was.

Sighing, he shifted back further onto his bed, dropping his hands to his sides as he slumped down on his back. The bed creaked in protest, and already he could feel the bedsprings digging into his spine. The dragon crawled up onto his chest, sitting atop him like a gargoyle, and he smiled as he looked up at her. "How about … Artis? It means noble," he suggested, trying to recall some of the names from the tales he’d learned about in History of Magic.

He felt a sensation as though someone had just prodded him in the base of his neck with the end of a quill, and he frowned. "So that’s a no then?" The dragon merely continued to stare at him, and Draco sighed as he continued to list off names. With every one, he felt the same sensation, and he found himself quickly growing irritated. "Seanait? A hawk?" he suggested, making a face as again, he felt the sharp sensation of her disapproval.

"What about … Taryn?" he suggested finally, and to his great surprise felt the same tingling sensation he had experienced earlier. Smiling slightly, he lifted a hand to stroke her side as she leaned down to bump the end of her snout against his nose.

"Taryn," he repeated quietly, trying not to laugh as the small puff of smoke she emitted from her slitted nostrils tickled him.

"All right then," he agreed, "Taryn it is."

Ginny frowned as she made her way slowly down the darkened hallway, a single candle her only source of light. She could only hope that she found Harry soon, the candle was already burning dangerously low on its wick, and the basement of Grimmauld place quickly became a rather frightening place when one found themselves without a candle.

He hadn’t been in either of the training rooms, and she found herself beginning to worry, wondering where he could possibly be.

"Harry?" she called quietly as she reached the end of the hall.

The only response she received was her own echo. Genuinely concerned now, as well as baffled, she turned and started on her way back towards the staircase. Perhaps she had just missed him and he’d already headed back upstairs.

The flame of the candle she held was glowing blue by the time she had reached the staircase, and Ginny willed it to hang on just a bit longer. Ready to give up, she had just started on her way back upstairs when she paused, her foot set precariously atop the first step. Her brow furrowed as she took a few steps back, gazing circumspectly at the small door beneath the staircase.

She hesitated, then reached out and grasped the diminutive handle of the cupboard beneath the stairs, pulling it open with a slow ‘creak’.

Harry had just been folding up his letter, yet another letter that would never be sent, never be seen, when the door suddenly swung open. He dropped the parchment as he got up, standing so abruptly he wound up smacking his head off of the low, sloped ceiling.

Ginny cringed as a resounding ‘thud’ filled the small room. "Are you all right?" she asked with a wince.

"What are you doing here?" Harry asked furiously, trying to act completely nonchalant, though the back of his head was throbbing in protest.

Ginny widened her eyes slightly, thinking that her purpose was rather apparent. "I was looking for you … " she replied slowly.

"Yeah, well," Harry muttered, scowling as he turned away from her, lifting a hand to gingerly rub the top of his head.

"Are you all right?" Ginny asked again, ducking down slightly as she stepped into the small, cramped room with him.

"I’m fine," Harry replied snappily, jerking his head out of her reach as she lifted a hand. He narrowed his gaze as he turned to face her again, folding his arms across his chest. "What do you want, Ginny? Come to give me another speech about – about the paths of sorrow?" he asked her caustically, his tone very wry. "Come to tell me I should stop being so miserable? Is that why you’re here? To help me through the darkness? Hold my hand as I wander aimlessly down some path? Is that what you came here to say?" Harry didn’t give her a chance to intervene before he continued. "Because if that is why you’re here, you might as well just go, I don’t want to hear it. I don’t need anymore speeches, all right? I have every right to be miserable and I’m sick of people telling me to cheer up – "

"I just came looking for you to see if you were okay!" Ginny protested, raising her voice slightly in order to be heard as he went on.

"Okay?" Harry repeated. "Okay? Am I okay? What do you think, Ginny? Of course I’m not okay! Draco bloody Malfoy just moved in to my Godfather’s house! How the hell do you think I feel?"

"Well I just thought that maybe you’d like to speak to someone instead of just – just hiding away! Brooding won’t do you any good, and no matter what you say nobody truly likes to be alone – "

"Stop talking like you know me!" Harry snapped. "You don’t! You don’t know me!"

"Oh, right," Ginny replied icily, quickly losing her patience. "No one understands your pain, right? No one besides you has any problems – "

"I never SAID that!" Harry shouted.

"You don’t HAVE to say it!" Ginny retorted. "I know that losing him hurt, okay? But we all miss him! And at some point you just – just have to – "

"I don’t HAVE to do anything! I can brood all that I want! If I wanted to talk I would find somebody to talk to! I’m sick of everybody - "

" – Caring about you?" Ginny cut in. "We care about you, that’s why we worry so much! The closer we try to get to you the further away you pull, and it’s scary! My Mum is constantly worrying about you, and Remus – "

"What about Remus?" Harry spat. "He let Dumbledore bring a Malfoy into my Godfather’s house – "

"I think you really hurt his feelings up there," Ginny spoke up quietly, frowning up at him.

"I don’t care!" Harry replied angrily.

"No, you don’t," Ginny agreed, speaking each word through her teeth.

Muttering something that Ginny could only assume was a curse word beneath his breath, Harry clenched his jaw and looked away.

"What do you want?" he asked again, his tone cooler than ice.

Ginny opened her mouth to reply, then paused as if in thought. Her brow furrowed in contemplation before she stepped closer to him, lifting her free hand to cup his cheek. Harry turned his face towards her with a curious expression, and before he had the chance to ask what she was doing, she leaned up and pressed a kiss to his lips, ramming her eyes shut.

Each and every one of Harry’s existing thoughts came to a complete, screeching halt as soon as Ginny’s lips touched his. As her eyes shut, his widened, and he froze, his entire body stiffening. What was she doing?! Had she lost her bloody mind!? He hadn’t been kissed in a very long time however, and slowly, his eyes slid shut as well, and his lips parted ever so slightly above her own as he gradually returned her kiss.

Their noses bumped briefly as he tilted his head to the side, and Ginny’s eyes flew open as she took a step back. She pulled back the hand that rested on his cheek, then slapped him as hard as she could, barely wincing as a sharp smacking sound filled the small space.

Harry staggered back in surprise, and in the dim lighting of the candles, she could already see an angry, red handprint forming across his cheek. Drawing herself up to her full height, she raised her eyebrows pointedly. "Those are both things I have wanted to do for a very long time," she told him, her voice slightly breathless. Harry continued to gape at her, slowly lifting a hand to cover his cheek, and Ginny turned on her heel as she exited the room, blowing out her candle as she made her way back up the stairs.

Harry remained stood in a stunned silence, his cheek throbbing painfully. Through the pain however, his lips were still tingling, and although he didn’t fancy the idea of being slapped again … the idea of kissing Ginny wasn’t one he minded.