Studium in Caritate
Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognize.
A/N: I have been playing with this idea for some time and it finally came out in writing. Won't be incredibly long, but should be at least five or six chapters. I hope you all enjoy.
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"You're all dismissed," Ginny said to her Charms class, causing an instant ruckus as the fourth year students hurried to pack their bags and head to lunch. "Ms. Jones, I expect your essay on my desk by dinner this evening," Ginny called across the classroom.
The dark haired Hufflepuff turned to Ginny and whined, "But Professor, I have Quidditch this afternoon!"
"Ms. Jones, are you at Hogwarts to play Quidditch or to learn?" Ginny asked sternly.
"Fine," the girl sighed and turned to her friends. Ginny heard her whisper, "I swear, she hates me."
Ginny had to stifle a laugh as she collected the materials off her desk and walked into her office, quickly stacking her books on a shelf and filing her lesson plans away. She had just sat down at her desk for lunch when she heard a knock at the door. "Come in!"
Her only daughter, Lily, poked her head around the door, "Hi, Mum."
"Hi, sweet pea," Ginny stood up to hug her, "What are you doing here?"
"I have class with you next period," the third year said, "I thought I might join you for lunch?"
"Of course!" Ginny gestured for Lily to sit down and the younger woman did before she pulled out a sack lunch and organized her sandwich, salad, and crackers on the table in front of her. Ginny couldn't help but admire her daughter and her silly quirks. The two fell into easy conversation and before they knew it, the lunch hour passed and they heard students filing into the classroom below. Lily hugged her mother again before joining her classmates. Ginny cherished the time with her, knowing Lily would soon join her brothers and be too cool to acknowledge their mother was a professor.
Taking a deep breath, Ginny prepared herself for the afternoon. Lily's class wouldn't be bad: it was a small group of third year Gryffindor and Ravenclaw students, but the class afterwards was often the worst part of Ginny's week.
This week was no different. Ginny questioned why McGonagall had stuck her with a double period of not one, but three Slytherin classes. Due to dwindling numbers, Ginny had all fifth, sixth and seventh year Slytherins for two hours every Friday afternoon. Not only was it a rough group of students, it was at the most inopportune time of the week. For the second time, Ginny said, "Mr. Warrington, if you do not remove your wand from Ms. Higgs blouse, I will send you to the headmistress' office again."
"C'mon, Professor," Alfred Warrington, a seventh year, protested, "We're just joking around."
"And when you accidentally charm her breasts off?" Ginny asked, heatedly.
"Oi!" Iris Higgs exclaimed, pushing Warrington away from her.
"Mr. Warrington, please see me after class," Ginny said pointedly.
"Alright," he scowled, crossing his arms across his chest.
When the rest of the class had cleared out, Ginny approached the boy, "Mr. Warrington, I do wish you would apply yourself in class. It's your last year at Hogwarts and I hate knowing you will be entering the Wizarding world without a proper education." He grunted in response and Ginny sighed. She hadn't expected much more from him. "Five points from Slytherin. Go to dinner." The boy practically fled from her classroom.
Ginny cleared her desk and sat down to finish grading her essays when she heard a soft voice say, "Pardon, Professor Weasley, may I speak with you?"
She looked up, shocked that she hadn't noticed anyone enter. Scorpius Malfoy sat at his desk, his books still stacked next to him. "Mr. Malfoy," Ginny walked over to where he was sitting and sat in the chair next to him, "What are you still doing here?"
"I have a bit of a favor to ask, ma'am," he said softly. Ginny eyed the boy, warily. He was in his fifth year with Albus, but he always seemed withdrawn from the other students. He was short for his age and incredibly intelligent. The other professors raved about his classwork.
"Ok," she said slowly, "What can I do for you?"
"Professor Weasley," Scorpius took a deep breath, "I've been early admitted to St. Mungo's medicinal studies junior program beginning next fall."
"That's wonderful!" Ginny said, genuinely happy for the boy, "Congratulations!"
"Thank you," Scorpius said politely, "But there is one thing keeping me from full admittance and that is why I need your help." Ginny waited patiently for him to continue, "As you know, I have always struggled with Charms." Ginny was well aware of this; her first year teaching had been his second year at Hogwarts. He had never taken to the art of Charms. "I need to pass an entrance exam, but I know I won't pass the Charms portion." Scorpius took another deep breath, "Professor Weasley, would you mind tutoring me?"
Ginny was taken aback. She had often helped students outside of class once or twice, but regularly tutoring a student was unheard of. "Mr. Malfoy, don't you have any friends who would be able to help you?"
Scorpius looked down at his hands, "Not really."
Sighing, Ginny said softly, "I would love to help you, but it's really not my place to provide independent lessons for students." She touched the boys shoulder gently, "If you'd like, I'd be happy to find another student who can help you. Maybe a seventh year?"
"That's alright," Scorpius gathered his books, "Thank you for your help." Before Ginny could say anything, he was gone.
§
Meandering down the corridors brought back memories for Ginny Weasley. The old halls of Hogwarts had been incredibly comforting to her when she began working at her alma mater. After long discussion and endless fighting, she and Harry had called it quits after fifteen years of marriage, and, while they remained friends, she needed a new beginning. Neville mentioned the Charms opening at Hogwarts and she was the first to apply. It worked out nicely in the end; she got to see her children throughout the school year and Harry got them in the summer.
Rounding the corner, she spotted Neville down the hall, locking up his classroom. "Hey," she said, surprising him.
"Hey," Neville smiled at her, "Any misbehaving students out after hours?"
Ginny rolled her eyes, "If they are out, they're rather good at hiding. Haven't seen anyone since I started patrolling an hour ago."
Neville glanced at his watch, "Well, it's about eleven, you can probably head home soon."
"You as well," she said, sternly, "Hannah is probably bursting at the seems to have you home."
"Both literally and figuratively," Neville chuckled.
"When is she due?" Ginny asked as the two meandered towards the front door.
"Next week," Neville said, running a hand nervously through her hair. "Honestly, Gin, I never thought it would happen for us, but now it has and I'm a wreck."
Ginny laughed softly, "You'll do fine. And if you need help, you can always call Harry. He is a wonderful father."
"I know," Neville sighed, "It just all seems to be happening so fast. I can't imagine having someone else around. It's been Hannah and me alone for so long."
"You'll do fine," Ginny repeated, stopping as they arrived in the Entrance Hall. "Try to relax and get some sleep this weekend. You'll need it. And give Hanna my love."
"Thanks, Gin," Neville kissed her cheek gently, "You try and get some sleep as well."
"I'll do my best," Ginny smiled and watched him leave before she headed back to her office.
§
Morning came too quickly for Ginny. Luckily it was a Saturday and she was able to relax a bit, but she knew she had work to finish at the school, so she quickly finished her morning routine and headed back to Hogwarts. Like many of the professors, she had opted for a small cottage in Hogsmeade rather than apartments at the school. It was a short walk from town and Ginny didn't mind it, taking the time to sip her tea and think.
She quite enjoyed her Saturdays at the school. Usually her children would spend part of the day with her, either doing homework in her office or playing a game of wizard's chess. As luck would have it, this Saturday they were all in Hogsmeade while she sat alone, correcting essays. Lucinda Jones' essay, the one that was late the previous day, was horribly written. Ginny sighed as she wrote another correction on the paper and gave it a low grade; the Hufflepuff would not be happy.
Abruptly the door to her office slammed open and Ginny jumped, scratching a line of ink across Lucinda's essay. Her eyes shot to the door and she grabbed her wand out of her pocket, not sure what to expect. To her surprise, Draco Malfoy appeared in her doorway, anger plastered across his face.
"Malfoy?" Ginny asked, incredulously, rising from her desk. "Can I help you? Do you have an issue with my door for which you wish to cause it harm?" She did her best to hide her surprise, but it had been years since she had seen him, let alone spoken with him.
He ignored her questions. "I spoke with my son this morning, Weasley, and he said he came to speak with you yesterday about private tutelage with Charms. To my surprise," he spit out the word, causing Ginny to flinch, "You said no. I can't help wondering what sort of professor says no to a student needing help!"
"For your information, Malfoy," Ginny stepped out from behind her desk and stood in front of him stubbornly, "I told your son there are many students who would be more than willing to help him. It is not in my job description to provide continuous help for a student outside the classroom. If you feel so strongly that he needs help, maybe you could provide lessons for him." He was much taller than she remembered him to be, at least six foot three, and her last statement made him loom over her threateningly.
"Weasley," Draco hissed, "My son has a bright future ahead of him. I know it, you know it, and even McGonagall knows it. I will not let you get in the way of that. I suggest you rethink your teaching philosophy before screwing my child out of the education he deserves!"
"How dare you!" Ginny yelled at him, "You don't know anything about my teaching philosophy. You can't come into my office and demand anything from me! We're not teenagers, Malfoy and I'm not scared of you anymore. If you want your son to succeed, maybe you should do something about it. Grow up and take responsibility for your own life!"
"Take responsibility?!" He thundered. He took a step towards her so he was nearly flesh against her. He pressed her against her desk, getting dangerously close to her. "I have raised that boy alone for years without someone telling me about my responsibilities." His voice was fatally low as he continued. "You have no right to lecture me about my son and his education."
Before she could respond, a voice from the door said, "Dad! What are you doing here?"
Draco didn't move away from Ginny, "Scorpius, this doesn't concern you. Wait in the hall. I'll speak with you in a moment."
"No, Dad," Scorpius tugged on Draco's arm. He glared at Ginny one last time before releasing her and stepping away.
"Are you alright, Professor?" Scorpius asked, watching her concernedly.
"I'm fine," Ginny straightened up. Glancing down at herself she nearly cursed. She was wearing a pair of dark wash jeans and an old Quidditch t-shirt; her hair was in a long braid down her back. Of all the days to not dress professionally, today was the worst. She noticed Draco sneering at her from across the room and she resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at him like a child.
"I'm sorry, Professor," Scorpius pleaded, "He isn't usually like this."
"No need to make excuses to a Weasley, Scorpius," Draco snapped.
"Dad!" Scorpius protested, "Will you stop! I know you care about my education, but this isn't her fault!"
Draco glowered for a minute before sighing, "I suppose you're right." He extended a hand to Ginny, "I apologize, Weasley. I was completely out of line."
She eyed his hand guardedly before extending her own to shake it quickly, "No need to apologize, Malfoy. I can see you are just worried about your son."
"Of course," Draco's eyes lingered on her face momentarily before he turned to his son, "Lets leave her to her work, Scorpius." He put a hand on his son's shoulder and steered him out of the room, leaving the door open behind them.
Ginny collapsed against her desk, only now noticing that her heart was racing. She had never expected such a passionate reaction from a parent, especially Draco Malfoy.
"I'll find someone to help," Draco's voice floated through her open office door. Puzzled, Ginny peered around the corner and saw Scorpius seated at his desk in her classroom. His father knelt in front of him, gently wiping away tears from the fifteen-year-old's cheeks.
"I know," Scorpius leaned against Draco's shoulder and hugged him. Draco reciprocated, hugging his son tightly, stroking his hair.
When the two broke apart, Draco ruffled Scorpius' hair softly, "How about some lunch? I heard the Three Broomsticks has peppermint hot cocoa." Scorpius smiled up at him and nodded and Draco slung his school bag over his shoulder before leaving the classroom.
Ginny sighed and leaned against the wall of her office. She had not expected to see that. She always assumed Draco was a decent father; Scorpius seemed like a well-adjusted child. However, she hadn't given much thought to their relationship as father and son. When Astoria had passed away in Scorpius' second year, Ginny had seen the boy struggle to keep up with his studies. Draco had scheduled meetings with all of Scorpius' professors except her. She hadn't questioned the reason behind it until now. Did Draco dislike her? Sighing, she ran her fingers through her hair, knowing full well what she had to do.
§
Before she knew it, Sunday night was upon her and James, Albus and Lily had come to her house for their weekly dinner. Seeing her children regularly was one of the highlights of her job at Hogwarts.
"Mum, you didn't make pie! You promised!" James exclaimed, folding his arms across his chest and pouting.
"James, you are seventeen years old," Ginny scolded, "No need to pout. I made a cake instead."
That seemed to cheer him up and he quickly finished the remaining spaghetti on his plate. Ginny couldn't help grinning at him before she turned to Albus, "How was your week, darling?"
Albus shrugged before answering with a mouth full of food, "Was fine."
"You should tell Mum about your Potions assignment!" Lily exclaimed, tugging on Albus' elbow.
"Get off," Albus pulled his elbow away from Lily and shoveled another fork full of food into his mouth. He turned to Ginny and, while chewing, started saying, "Well, I was put into a group with -," Ginny cut him off.
"Albus, please swallow before you begin your story." Albus shrugged and continued eating in peace, seemingly grateful for the excuse.
"Mum," Lily said softly, "I saw Malfoy with his father in Hogsmeade yesterday."
Ginny nearly choked on her food. After clearing her throat she said, "That's interesting Lily. Why did you bring it up?"
"Well," Lily paused, "I don't think Malfoy has many friends, even in Slytherin."
"Can you blame him?" James asked, snorting, "Who'd want to be friends with that lot?"
"James," Ginny said, warningly, "Don't speak about other students like that."
"Yes, Mum," James slumped in his chair and pushed his meatballs around his plate with a fork.
"Did you have a point to your story, darling?" Ginny asked Lily, gently. While she loved her daughter, Lily was truly a thirteen-year-old girl who had the tendency to turn a short story into a novel.
"I've never seen his father before," Lily said, shrugging, "They were at the Three Broomsticks eating lunch. He seemed nice."
"Uncle Ron hates him," Albus piped up from across the table, "Says Draco Malfoy is the biggest git he's ever met and if he could, he would challenge him to a Wizard's duel and curse him to oblivion."
"Albus!" Ginny exclaimed, "You don't use language like that at the table!"
"But after supper in the living room would be just fine," James said dryly.
Ginny sighed and massaged her temples, "You two are going to be the death of me."
§
Ginny stood outside her classroom, watching students walk by on their way to their morning classes. She took a sip of her tea, studying a group of Slytherin students across the hallway. Lily walked past and waved, followed by Albus who grunted at her and sulked away. "My children are an absolute delight," Ginny muttered to herself.
A few minutes before the bell tolled, causing a surge of late students to rush to class, Ginny caught sight of the blond Slytherin walking alone down the hall. "Mr. Malfoy," Ginny called across the hall, getting his attention. He looked up at her, surprised and made his way over to her.
"Yes, Professor?" he asked looking worried.
She studied him for a moment, before speaking. He looked exactly like his father: sharp cheekbones and fine platinum blond hair. He had yet to inherit his father's height, barely standing at Ginny's chin. For fifteen he was rather small. His eyes, while steely grey like Draco's held warmth that Ginny attributed to Astoria. Ginny had only met Lady Malfoy once at a Ministry function, but the woman seemed genuinely kind.
"Come to my office this evening at seven thirty and we'll begin your studies," she said softly.
Scorpius looked up at her hopefully and, seeing the confirmation in her eyes, a grin spread across his face, "Thank you, Professor." He grinned at her again before walking away from her to his next class.
§
Late that night, Ginny was startled awake by a harsh banging on her bedroom window. Forcing herself out of bed, she pushed open the windows, letting the cool winter air flood into her bedroom. A large black owl landed on her window ledge and pompously stuck it's leg out at her. She untied the letter and the owl stared at her expectantly.
"Do you want a treat?" she asked, curiously. He let out an indignant hoot and ruffled his feathers, seeming rather offended by her question. She hurried to the kitchen and grabbed a few crackers to give to him before he flew off into the night.
Nestling back under her covers, she inspected the letter. She was surprised to see the Malfoy crest pressed confidently in the wax seal. Hurriedly, she broke the seal and let her eyes skim the letter.
There was only one line of text, but it was the last thing she had expected to get from him:
Thank you.
DM
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A/N: R&R as you see fit.