Declarations
Ron's surprise visit from Samantha went so well that weekend, he asked her to marry him that afternoon. Hermione and Ginny cried and Harry actually hugged Ron he was so happy for him; they had decided to floo to his parents back at The Burrow to share the news that a Muggle would be joining their family, much to Arthur Weasley's joy.
As Ron and Samantha shared the news and stayed overnight at The Burrow, also making a visit to Ron's nieces in the hospital, Ginny was stuck in the Common Room still catching up on work she missed on Thursday. She could hear Harry and Hermione quietly laughing, then nothing at all as they had a bit of fun on the couch.
As Ginny's quill scratched over her parchment, she heard the happy couple take off laughing up the stairs while Hermione reprimanded Harry about cold hands.
'No doubt they are going to have some fun,' Ginny thought to herself. Her roommates had asked her the other day if she knew anything about Harry Potter's sex life causing Ginny to blush furiously. She and Hermione had talked a bit about it at Christmas time, but she wasn't going to go around telling her friends that Hermione said it was amazing. She knew that Hermione wouldn't do that to her, if she ever managed to reach that landmark in her life, so she wasn't going to go around blabbing that Harry seemed to be an excellent lover.
It was deadly quiet with her best friend upstairs, her brother gone and many other students studying in the library or the Room of Requirement that Hermione had charmed into becoming a study area for people who wanted complete silence.
As Ginny was toiling away over her homework, Draco was in his common room actually conversing with Blaise, Nott and
Goyle, well aware of Pansy hanging on his every word as she pretended to do homework in the corner. A first year came
up to Draco silently handing him an envelope and when he actually gave her a small smile, she blushed and ran away.
He opened it and saw it was from Dumbledore asking if he wasn't busy, could he meet the headmaster in his office? The password was "sugar cookies". Draco told his fellow Slytherin's he'd be back in a few and walked out not giving Pansy a second look as he walked by her to the door.
A few minutes later he was upstairs, sitting in a straight backed chair in front of Dumbledore's desk. After asking how his NEWT studies were going, Dumbledore cut right to the point, knowing Draco wasn't one for formalities.
"The rumor that Professor Snape had decided to retire is true; so as of July 1st of this year, he will not be a teacher at Hogwarts."
Draco wondered what his Head of House was going to do, but didn't voice his question. He sat quietly looking at Dumbledore waiting for whatever he was going to say.
"After meeting with him at length this past weekend we have decided to offer you the position of Potions Teacher starting September 1st."
Draco was truly speechless and his jaw must have dropped an inch or so because Dumbledore smiled.
"I'm not joking. But there are a few considerations to be thought upon. First," Dumbledore stood up and a calendar appeared in front of him, suspended in air.
"You would need to stay here after you finished, being trained by Severus all through the summer. This will include a trip to Africa, I believe, where there are many different types of plants that need to be gathered for OWL and NEWT level potions classes. You will be learning, practicing and traveling throughout the summer. Secondly, if you accept you need to be accessible to us, as you would be Head of Slytherin House so you might want to think about taking up residence in Hogsmeade or even in one of the flats Hogwarts has in one of the areas of this castle."
Dumbledore walked around to the front of his desk and sat on it, looking at Draco Malfoy. For a moment they just looked at each other.
"And?" Draco asked raising his eyebrows, knowing that there had to be more, thinking he knew what it was going to be.
"Thirdly, Draco, is the rule we have about students and teachers. We've never had a problem, but the rule still exists. I gather you know what I am referring to?" he saw Draco give a slight nod.
"I don't know how serious your relationship is between you and Miss Weasley, but come next year she WILL be one of your students, and a student in general and having your relationship out in the open would not be a good example to portray."
Draco nodded a bit absentmindedly trying to work out in his mind how he was going to tell Ginny about this and wondering what her reaction would be. Dumbledore must have known what he was feeling because he continued.
"What you do off the grounds as long as it's legal in the Wizarding world is your business; as long as it doesn't portray Hogwarts negatively you can live as you please. But if you are still in a relationship as of September first, you will have to figure out a way to remove yourself from that part of your life, be a teacher and a role model on the grounds. Do you have any other questions?"
Draco shook his head then nodded.
"When do you need a decision by?"
"The end of April," Dumbledore straightened up and looked at his student standing across from him.
"Things have a way of working out," he offered casually as advice. Draco bid him goodnight, thanked him and made his way back downstairs, trying to gather his thoughts around him.
As he approached The Fat Lady he paused wondering what Ginny was doing. Getting the sense that she was alone, he used his Head Boy authority and ducked into the portrait, under the scrutinizing gaze of a certain want-to-be-an-opera-singer portrait.
Draco saw Ginny at the table, her head down to her work, seeing no one else was around he snuck up behind her and placed his hands over her eyes.
Dropping her quill she sat straight up, a bit of a smirk on her lips.
"How many times have I told you to not do that, Dean!"
"Very funny, Weasley," Ginny turned towards Draco and grinned at him. His hands rested on her shoulders and he glanced around at the deserted Common Room.
"How did the surprise birthday gift go?"
"Well… great, I'm suspecting, since he was upstairs with her for awhile, they got engaged and now they are at my house, and Harry just chased Hermione up to her room. She has a thing for Quidditch Robes I think."
"Hmmm…really? Do all girls?" He sat next to her, forcing her to shift sideways to talk to him. Ginny remembered seeing him at the last match against Hufflepuff and a smile lit up her face.
"Oh, I think most of them, yes."
Draco raised an eyebrow at her then changed the subject.
"I just received some interesting news, or rather I should say an interesting proposition."
"Really? From whom about what?" Ginny could see a slight smile play at his mouth, which for him meant he was immensely pleased.
"Dumbledore called me into his office to confirm that Professor Snape was indeed retiring and it seems that he, Snape, asked Dumbledore to replace him with me."
Ginny stared at him, not being able to grasp what he just said.
"So, I said I would like to think about it; if I said "yes" it would make me your Potions teacher for next year," Draco looked at her, just staring at him.
"Bloody hell, you would be a great Potions Teacher," Ginny shook her head a bit as if to clear it.
"Wait, did I just hear you right? that you would be MY teacher next year?"
He nodded and Ginny felt her heart sink a bit. He could sense her hesitancy on the last thing she had repeated back to him.
"I know," was all he said and Ginny took a deep breath and let it out. He was getting good at reading her, whether it was always Legilimens or not, it helped that she didn't have to voice her thoughts aloud all the time.
"Besides getting my mother's thoughts about teaching, which is something I never really thought about until an hour ago, I wanted to hear yours," he touched her knee lightly to get her attention and she lifted her head and looked at him, smiling.
"I think it's a wonderful opportunity for you and you would be foolish not to take it," Ginny grabbed his hand and squeezed it.
Draco rolled his eyes at the pat, generic answer, then squeezed her hand.
"You do understand my hesitation don't you?" Draco asked his thoughts out in the open for her to read as she met his eyes.
"I do; I know Dumbledore, the Heads of Houses and everyone else frowns upon teachers and students being involved…though when were the last time that happened?" Ginny mused, thinking of the age of the teachers at Hogwarts. Draco shrugged and looked at her.
"I have until the end of April to decide."
Ginny nodded, getting the feeling that slowly her life was beginning to take a new road with everything that had happened in the past few months. She put a hand to her forehead and rubbed it, feeling a headache coming on.
"Also," he said quietly and she dropped her hand to look at him, "For July and August I would need to come back here and take a few courses, travel and learn some things from Professor Snape. A crash course of sorts." Ginny closed her eyes, feeling that his life might be moving in a different direction too, just not the same one as hers.
"Ok, but it's early March so we can deal with the summer later. I think you should talk to your mother about the teaching position and I think you should take it because you would be great," she forced herself to smile then an image popped into her head, "Then you could tutor me, privately of course."
Draco threw back his head and laughed, a sound she loved to hear since it didn't happen very often.
"For a fee of course," he leaned in smiling and she met him half way, letting her hand rest on his shoulder, the one with the scar and he pulled away as if sensing something.
"I can tell you really want to talk about…that," Draco said, referring to how he got his scar.
He pulled away and studied her. Ginny pressed her lips together and nodded slightly.
"I don't need to now, whenever you want too," she said softly studying him back. His eyes searched hers and Ginny returned his stare not quite sure what he was looking for inside her head, but suddenly he stood up and nodded towards the portrait. Ginny packed up her school bag and followed him down the hall, down the stairs to the dungeons. Muttering a password, he opened the door and held it for her and she walked in, seeing Blaise half asleep on the couch with a book on his chest. Pansy glaring at her from a table to her left.
"Hello, Pansy," Ginny said and smiled at her, but didn't stay to hear the comment as Draco touched her back and led her down a hall to his room.
This time, Ginny got a better look at his room as he turned on the lights and she dropped her books next to the door. She was glad she had her sketch book in there and she crouched down next to it as Draco lit a fire. Straightening up she held her sketchbook in her hands, against her chest, walked over to the sofa in front of the fire and sat herself down. As he turned around from the fire she held out her book to him a bit nervous about some of the pictures and remarks she had made in there.
He silently took it from her and sat down next to her opening to the first page.
The first picture was the one she saw in her dreams of her brothers in their Quidditch gear. She usually didn't draw in any order. Whatever page she happened to open to, that is where she started drawing. Some were finished, some only a few squiggly lines.
She threw off her shoes and tucked her long legs under her, laying her head on his shoulder watching him study each picture. He came to the one she drew of Harry about two years ago, but didn't say anything moving on through pictures of the castle, a picture she drew of the Gryffindor Sword, then to the picture of him under the tree which she had finished the night her nieces were born. He paused here and she could see his eyes roaming over the whole picture, seeing the date she started at the bottom…before they were even somewhat friendly and yet she still left out Pansy. He didn't say anything about that but found that fact interesting. When he turned to the next page he gave a small smile and tilted it towards her. She glanced at it; it was the one mental picture she took of him sleeping with his arms under the pillow.
"What made you draw this?" he asked and he felt her shrug.
"It seemed to be the real you; it just struck me that's all." She saw him find a blank page and he held it out to her.
"Can you draw yourself?" he asked and Ginny sat up.
"What? Me? Why?" she asked, never thinking she needed to draw herself.
"I think I would rather like to see a picture of you sleeping," he said suggestively.
"Draco, for a very smart wizard you have to realize I can't see myself sleeping, how would I draw that?" She took the book from his hands and set it in her lap.
"I'll describe it; trust me it's up here, my Sleepy Ginny picture," he tapped his head and Ginny felt herself grow warm wondering how often he thought of that picture. Being back in his room for only the second time made her feel giddy remembering what had happened here last time…something that hadn't been repeated yet.
"Hmmm," Ginny thought, "Well…I could try, but you need to know I hate drawing myself. I tried once years ago and it didn't work very well."
She accio'd her pencils and waited for him to tell her what he wanted.
For the next hour she let him guide her with his words. Hair a bit longer there, or a bit softer of a line on her cheek. By the time she was finished she hardly recognized the person on the picture.
"Are you sure that isn't someone else?" Ginny asked lightly, handing him the picture. He studied it.
"No, it's you. Not as good as the real thing, but it's definitely you," he put it on the table and turned to her.
"That's the first time I let anyone tell me what to draw," Ginny said thoughtfully. "So, you better hang onto it; might be worth some money someday," she joked.
"Don't worry; maybe I could get Pansy all mad and leave it out for her to find," he drummed his fingers on the table.
"Just me being in here with you behind a closed door is making her mad."
"True…so before you burst ask me the questions you have," Draco said watching her set her book on the table.
"I don't really have any questions," Ginny hedged. "I just see how that made you, you…that's all."
"Your life was very opposite of mine, you must have some questions," Draco asked surprised and she shook her head.
"I think I finally know you which is what I've…what I've wanted," she said, fiddling with her drawstring on her pants. He reached over and stilled her hand; she was realizing fidgeting bothered him.
"What you've wanted? Do you really think you know me?" he asked intensely, not angrily and Ginny nodded timidly at first.
"I think I do. I know you don't mourn your father and feel freer now that he is gone," she said then when he didn't stop her she plugged on, "I know you feel you should protect your mum and give her what she would like because your father never did. I know it's hard for you to love anyone especially emotionally, and when you do, it scares you."
She looked up at him. He had stood up and taken the picture of her and put it in a dresser drawer. Something made her stand up and go over to him, stilling his movements when she laid a hand on his back.
"Whatever happened you can't change; I'm here if you need to talk or to help you deal with the past if that's something that you need to do."
Her heart was thumping loudly at her declarations…why isn't it easy to just tell him that she loved him and wanted to help? The time was getting closer for her to tell him, she could feel it.
He turned and felt her arms circle around his waist and her head on his chest and he wondered why she was still here.
After everything he, and his family, had done to her and her family; after all the arguments, hexes and words that had been exchanged her first five years, what happened for him to suddenly connect with her on a level he never knew existed? He really thought that his whole outburst that day in the hospital was going to drive her away…it almost had until he stopped her which was totally against his nature to admit he needed someone. Tightening his arms around her he breathed in the smell of Ginny…which he suddenly realized was the same smell from that damn potion from last year…the one that was supposed to be your true love. He certainly wasn't thinking of her like that back then and it made him wonder if his brain was years ahead of him with knowing what he needed.
"Why are you still here?" he asked, knowing she wouldn't take it to mean in his room.
She was quiet for a moment then began speaking, her voice muffled against his arm, her arms rearranging themselves behind him.
"You mean after everything we did to each other the past few years, your mood swings and family life were supposed to scare me away? Not much scares me, and I think after your father passed, I saw that the real Malfoy was struggling to come out and I liked seeing an inkling of him every so often, which eventually grew into seeing more of him than the old Draco of the past. I liked how you let that side show with me more and more and…I'm sure there are other things too," Ginny said nervously, waiting for him to call her on it.
"Like what? Money?"
"No, money doesn't matter," Ginny answered before the word finished coming out of his mouth. She pulled away and looked up at him. "You know that, or you should by now."
He nodded and searched her hazel eyes, then let them travel around her freckled face and knew she wanted to say something but wasn't really sure what it was. She kept that thought buried deep and he couldn't read it on her face.
"Then tell me. The real reason; I can see you have one but I don't know what it is and I'm not a very patient person," he ran his fingers across her cheek, enjoying the way she leaned into it. She forced herself to keep her eyes on him, forced herself to push down the nervous feelings that were making her feel sick to her stomach for what she was about to say. She needed him to believe it and she reached a shaking hand up to his neck and pulled him down to her so she could feel his breath against her mouth.
"You really don't know?" she asked forcing herself to look into his eyes so close to hers, she could see specks of color, different shades of blue around his pupils.
"I wouldn't ask if I didn't," he responded feeling the need to whisper.
"Because...," she tightened her hand on his neck a bit, "because I love you," she whispered back and right there thought she would faint, feeling the blood roaring in her ears. She had no idea what he was going to do and for a minute he stared at her, and she saw the shock in his eyes. She would bet all her galleons that he had maybe now heard that twice in his life, from his mother when he was an infant, then probably never since then.
Ginny then felt the need to add as her promise, "I don't say things I don't mean."
And that is when his arms picked her up and laid her on the bed, his mouth moving against hers and she responded to him, actually moving on top of him, feeling his arms press her to him as she leaned in closer and moved her lips to his ear, producing a slight shiver from him. She whispered so softly he could barely hear her over the crackling of the fire.
"I do, Draco. I do love you and whether or not you love me doesn't bother me at the moment. I just want you to know that there is someone out there who loves you, who can say it, who can show it…even if we never make it further than we are now; even if we go our separate ways next year just know that I do," she couldn't believe she actually said those words and wondered where they came from. He didn't say anything, just pulled her closer and pressed his lips to her neck, making her shiver which encouraged him to continue, slowly unbuttoning her shirt and placing a warm hand inside, tentatively feeling her shoulders, fluttering down under her neck and she arched against him as he skimmed her breasts. Fumbling with his shirt and buttons she managed to get some undone and placed a hand against his chest, feeling his heart beating under her fingers when someone knocked, hard, on the door.
Groaning, Draco pulled back and without releasing his arms, yelled, "What?"
"The Head Boy is needed for some second year scuffle," Pansy's sarcastic voice came through the door faintly. Sighing, Draco untangled himself went to the door opened it and then began buttoning up his shirt as Ginny managed to finish hers before he opened the door. Ginny sat up relaxed on the bed as Pansy stared at her, then at Draco buttoning his shirt.
"So sorry to disturb you but there are hexes flying every where upstairs. Thought you should check it out since it's the boy's dormitory," she said coldly and Draco nodded.
"I have to go anyway," Ginny started and Draco turned to her when grabbing his robes.
"Stay. I'll be back," he said and Ginny nodded, making sure Pansy saw her stretch out on his bed, feeling a small bit of joy at the expression that passed over her face. Draco walked out slamming the door behind him.
Ginny took this time to really let her gaze roam the room. He didn't have many personal effects whether it was because that is the way he was or because Slytherins' were like that she didn't know. She saw a few text books on his desk, his bag resting next to it, the door to the bathroom was open and it looked neat and tidy. His dresser had few personal affects…a wallet, some change, a replica of his Quidditch broom, a few extra quills. Not much to speak of she thought. She turned onto her side, loving the feel of the pillow and the soft comforter and figured she would close her eyes and wait for him to return.
She didn't hear him come back in almost slamming the door behind him before he caught sight of her curled up on his bed, facing the door obviously asleep. Quietly he shut it, hung up his robe and changed into his typical pajama bottoms.
She never felt him sit next to her, on the edge of the bed as he watched her sleep.
She never felt him gently tuck her red hair behind her ear, though she stirred slightly but then settled down.
She never felt him get up, walk to the other side and slide under the covers, gently managing to get her under them too. As if knowing he was there she did turn over and as she did he quickly tucked his arm under her neck and drew her to him so her cheek was on his shoulder and he could feel her breath against his neck.
She snuggled into him, draping one arm across his waist as he ran his fingers through her hair. She moved her head a bit to get comfortable on his shoulder and said sleepily, "I love you," and Draco paused his fingers that were combing through her hair.
She never heard him answer, "yea, me too," as quietly as she had said it. He knew she didn't hear it because she didn't move; and he was glad because just saying it out loud felt foreign to him and he KNEW once he did say it the reaction from her would be very interesting indeed.