As the hands on her wristwatch ticked closer to, "BACK TO WORK", Ginny investigated Malfoy while sipping her pumpkin juice. Sneaking into the human resources office Ginny had swiped his file. To her great disappointment, it stated nothing about his release from Azkaban.
What she did find out was that Malfoy had graduated at the top of his class. Numerous letters and awards spoke volumes about Draco Malfoy's incredible reputation as a healer. His specialty was curing wizards and witches suffering from effects of dark curses. No surprise there. Ginny didn't doubt once his knowledge of the dark arts.
A stab of guilt hit her, but she cast it aside. I'm doing this for the safety of the clinic! But on the other hand she tried to convince herself that Malfoy had a right to be working alongside her. Malfoy had to go through intense security just to get accepted to Healer school. Then again, Malfoy probably knew enough hexes and curses to remove any obstacles. Ginny shuddered at the thought.
A piece of paper fluttered to the ground. Stooping down to pick it up she immediately recognized the handwriting. The same writing that marred her potions homework with red marks. Snape. It was a 2 page recommendation. Ginny's eyes grew excited as she skimmed through the letter spotting a mention of Azkaban. Up until that point it had been nothing but praise for Malfoy's abilities in the healing sciences. Ginny was about to settle herself in a comfortable chair when a screaming voice emitted from her watch. "Get to work ! Get to work! Before your boss goes berserk!"
Stuffing the letter in her pocket, she threw his file back in the cabinet. Sprinting down the hallways, Ginny knew she must be a sight, her hair becoming undone. Ginny tried to fix it but it wouldn't cooperate as she raced to make up for her lateness.
Rounding the corner she silently crept to the nursing station. She said her hellos to the medical record clerks and greeted Estella with a smile. Estella didn't greet hers as she looked at something or rather someone behind Ginny and nervously dropped her gaze. Ginny spun around to look into the steely grey eyes of Draco Malfoy. His arms were crossed and he did not look pleased.
"What time do you call this?"
Ginny looked at her watch that had thankfully stopped its dreadful wailing. "It's 1:15." .
"And you're supposed to start at what time?" Draco's mouth was shut in a disapproving line. He had to show her who was in charge and it definitely wasn't going to be the nurse.
Ginny was acutely aware of how she must look. She felt hot, sweaty, and breathless, her hair in disarray . "1:00." She could feel his eyes again raking her from head to foot, taking in the disastrous mess.
"If we are to be working together Nurse Weasley, I happen to have a few rules that I expect you to follow."
Great! Now he's getting all Slytherin Prefect on me. What are you going to do Malfoy? Take points away?
His clipped tone sounded very much like Snape's. "I expect you to look professional at all times, instead of running around here distracting everyone." Draco straightened his tie. Anything to calm the surprising itch that ran the length of his fingers - fingers that itched to get lost in that mane of red hair. Draco wasn't going to deny that she was attractive but at the same time he wasn't going to forget he was at work either. Draco reminded himself that he had worked too long and hard to get to where he was at today. There were simple rules one had to adhere to, and she would follow them.
"Don't talk to me about professional Malfoy!" Ginny hadn't realized that all eyes were on her and the new Healer. "You're the one who insulted me back in the staff lounge. That wasn't very professional!"
Draco ignored her outburst and continued in such a calm voice that it infuriated Ginny, "As for lateness it is not condoned. As Head Nurse you need to lead by example."
Ginny felt a slew of words her mother told her never to utter on the tip of her tongue. How dare he chastise her in front of the staff?
"Do you understand Nurse Weaaaasley?" Draco couldn't help it, for all the growing and maturing he had done in the last 5 years, teasing a Weasley had always been a guilty pleasure. Was it immature? Did he enjoy the rise it got out of her- he'd have to answer yes.
Ginny refused to answer him .Draco did it again. He said her name in that gods-awful drawl of his that made her want to put a foot in his pale butt. Or at least that's how she remembered it.
"Can you hear me?"
Ginny turned away from him casually picking up a patient's chart. She was acting like he wasn't there and Draco did not like it. Not one bit. She was already undermining his authority in front of curious eyes.
"I'm not hard of hearing Malfoy, I'm just ignoring you." she said coolly as she leafed through the chart.
Just like he remembered her, she still had no sense of respect towards her superiors. Ginny's attitude reminded him of her irritating brothers. "I worked hard for my title Nurse Weasley. I expect you to call me Healer Malfoy at all times."
"All that Deatheater money come in handy then? Got a free ride to Healer school did you? " Insert foot in mouth, why don't you Gin!
Estella was still busily pretending to read the chart exchanging surprised glances with the other staff milling about the nurses station.
A fresh start. That's all I wanted and I'm not bloody likely to get it! Draco's voice was like ice, " I believe we have patients Nurse Weasley." He walked away from her politely nodding to the other nurses who hesitantly wished him a - "Good Afternoon Healer."
Estella grabbed her arm before she headed off to attend to patients. "Is it true. Was he really a……………a Deatheater?"
Ginny didn't know what to say. Should she lie and say no? The whole of Wizarding Britain knew that Draco Malfoy was a Deatheater. After the war, his picture was plastered on almost every page of the Daily Prophet as he was lead away in shame to Azkaban.
America was different. As far as Ginny could tell, no one had a clue who Malfoy was. When Ginny lived in Britain, even she knew the name of America's Minister of Magic. One would be hard pressed in the states to find someone who knew who Britain's Minister Of Magic was. Ginny of course knew, for the Minister Of Magic was her father - Arthur Weasley.
"You've seen him at work Estella. Does he act like a Deatheater?"
Estella looked towards the corridor. Ginny's eyes followed Draco as he knelt down in deep conversation with a wheelchair bound wizard. "I would have to say no Ginny. The patients love him."
"Then that answers your question." And mine.
***
Though the air was thick with tension Ginny and Draco worked alongside together, only speaking when it concerned patient issues.
The afternoon had been busy, filled with the mundane to the utterly insane. Many cases walked though the door including a wizard with dragon pox, a witch with nasty 2nd degree cauldron burns on her arms and a hysterical teenager who had been hexed with the largest and most unsightly pimples Ginny had ever seen. Draco had been able to calm her down in a matter of seconds.
Ginny was applying bubotubor cream to the teenager's face that Draco had prescribed. In a matter of minutes the pimples had disappeared leaving a fresh faced young woman behind. Ginny raised a mirror to the girl's face letting her observe a now flawless complexion. "What do you think Tabitha?"
The girl was pleased. Tabitha now looked better than she had before she was hexed. "Thank you! Thank you so much!" She jumped off the patient table and surprised Draco by giving him a hug.
"You're quite welcome young lady." Draco said, gently removing arms that were choking his neck.
Ginny couldn't help but feel a bit peeved. "I'm the one who did all the work! Do I get a thanks? Why of course not, I'm just a nurse."
Tabitha stepped shyly away from Draco. She shuffled her feet looking towards the ground. "Th-there's one other thing I need your help with, Healer.
"I'd be delighted to be of assistance. What do you need? A prescription, A referral……" Draco said, already scribbling away at his patient notes.
"Can you get rid of my freckles?"
Looking at the redheaded young woman, Ginny couldn't help but be reminded of herself. She once had the same concerns. At a young age she had come to hate her freckles and had wished them gone. Waiting for Draco's answer, she could feel her temper rising. Had she been the healer she would tell Tabitha that they made her unique and different. But Ginny wasn't the healer. She took a deep breath , trying to calm herself before sending hexes Malfoy's way.
"Now why would I do that?" Draco said, pushing the parchment away that he'd been writing on, and studied the 16 year old redhead intently.
Tabitha bit her lip, "There's this boy I like. Terrance Dixon. He's Quidditch captain at my school. I - I really like him but he makes fun of my red hair and freckles. I can't get rid of this red hair no matter how many hair charms I try….. but I- I heard there is a spell for freckles."
"Does this Terrance Dixon fellow wear glasses?" Draco asked trying to get the teenager to look at him.
"Um……..no." Tabitha answered with a confused expression, wondering what Terrance's vision had to do with the topic at hand.
Draco's voice was matter-of -fact, "My diagnosis concerning Terrance Dixon is that he's blind. He doesn't catch the snitch either, am I right?"
Tabitha looked up at him holding back a laugh, " Terrance does have a hard time catching the snitch, he's always falling off his broom. In an odd sort of way it's rather cute……….and I- I want him to think I 'm cute."
Draco brought up Tabitha's chin looking directly into her eyes. "Darling, you're beautiful." He said with so much sincerity Ginny almost dropped the mirror she still held. "I'm positive that Terrance is madly in love with you right now. You have to understand that he's a 16 year old, and too immature to show it."
The teenager's smile brightened, "You really think I'm beautiful?"
Draco winked when he caught Ginny's eyes, "Redheads are more than beautiful, they're absolutely stunning."
Ginny decided just then, that she wouldn't hex Malfoy, at least not today.