Only ever you

Chapter 1

Draco sat down at the breakfast table looking astonished at the letter that was in his hand.

Lord Malfoy

Due to some unforeseen circumstances we have a new opening for employment available. We are currently in need of a potions professor, as the previous one has had to leave and left us with little notice. It was due to a recommendation from one of the current professors here in which to offer the position to you. I would be personally very grateful if you would consider the offer, I suggest a meeting be conducted between yourself and I to go over any queries.

Minerva McGonagall

Headmistress of Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry.

He did not know what to think. The war had been over for 5 years now, the wizarding world was going strong once more, it took a lot to rebuild after the depressions of the destruction, but things were on the up and running. It had been 4 years since Draco had tried his very hardest to forget anything to do with Hogwarts and the beautiful raven haired goddess in which he screwed things up with. Ahh yes, Harriett Potter-Black, the one woman who he wanted more than anything but ruined it all by being forced into a marriage contract and being too much of a coward to admit to his parents how he was in love already.

So now here he sat with a letter asking him to attend the one place in which would bring back memories of everything that he had lost… but he should be happy now. Pansy was a decent fiancé, she gave him space when he needed, she dressed up and acted the perfect host when they had visitors, she even took care of the funeral arrangements for when his father passed away last month, and acted pleasantly with his mother. His mother was not much of a fan of Pansy, he never managed to figure out why, maybe she knew more about his situation with Harri than she let on, she did falsify her death to the Dark Lord after all.

"What you got there honey?" Pansy asked, coming up behind him and kissing him on the cheek.

"I've been asked if I would consider the potions position at Hogwarts"

"Oh that's so exciting! You have been stuck on what to do with your mastery for a while now! And what better place than the school we grew up in" she beamed back at him.

'If only she knew…' He thought to himself. "Indeed, do you think I should take it? I will be away most of the school year, I suppose after classes and weekends I can visit"

"Oh no Draco its fine, we will figure it out! It's too much of an opportunity for you to turn down, it's a long time career in something you love. Do you know any of the other professors who work there?"

"No, but Mcgonagall has asked if I would attend an meeting, apparently one of the professors recommended me though.. I will have to thank them".

Come Monday morning Draco was nervous, being nervous was something a Malfoy did not do. He fixed his hair in place, ensured he was dressed impeccably, Light grey trousers, a pale blue shirt, grey tie and cloak, damn it he looked hot.

"I'm leaving now pans, I'll be back soon"

"Take your time" she responded kissing him sweetly.

Headmistress's office

"Good Afternoon Lord Malfoy, come on in" Minerva welcomed him.

Draco took a moment to look around the office, it had hardly changed from when Dumbledore had situated here, he got a shock when he saw the portraits of previous headmasters and found one of Severus Snape sneering down on him. He flinched slightly and quickly turned away giving the headmistress his full attention.

"Honestly Severus, stop that at once" Minerva chided causing Draco to blush, making him feel anything but the lord he currently was.

"You have a big shock coming Draco, and how lucky for me I get front row seats" Severus replied sending a taunting smirk at his godson.

"Hello to you too Uncle Sev, Thank you for inviting me Headmistress" Draco politely said.

Sending one last glare at Severus, Minerva gave Draco a smile. "It is my pleasure, I will get straight to it, forgive it sounding personal but we need a potions professor, our last one got himself in a bit of a situation and had to leave straight away, one of the staff here mentioned you took a mastery in the subject, and you know this school well due to your years here, also Severus saying that your potion skills were acceptable, which coming from him means a lot, I thought I would offer you the position. As you know the potions professor will teach all the years from this school , houses aren't as biased as they used to be, but there is the matter of I would also want you to be the head of Slytherin… the professor who currently is, is swapping the position for head of Gryffindor as the previous potions professor took that role too"

Draco sat there dumbstruck, potions professor and head of Slytherin the offer was incredible.

"I must admit I would be pleased to take the position, I have been stuck finding what to do with my mastery since gaining it, may I ask who the previous head of Slytherin was? I have not seen anything about who got hired on after the rebuild, mentioned in any of the newspapers"

"It was the same Professor whom recommended you for the position" Minerva replied, sharing a smirk with Severus. Draco did not like that look at all… "They're on their way up here now, I sent a call not long ago"

"You called Minerva?" Draco stiffened in his chair, he knew that sweet voice, it had plagued him for years. He slowly turned around and there looking as breath taking as ever stood Harriett Potter.

"Yes Harri, I thought you would like to congratulate our newest college"

Harri looked around and spotted Draco staring wide eyed and open mouthed at her. The opportunity was too good to pass up. She winked at the smirking Severus and walked with the poise of a pureblood over to him and curtsied. "Lord Malfoy, On behalf of myself as Deputy headmistress Potter-Black I welcome you to our staff here at Hogwarts". Harri was having to bite her lip to stop the laugh that wanted to slip out. "Oh bloody hell Draco snap out of it" she laughed.

Draco blinked a few times, "Harri?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah Dray, its good to see you" she replied smiling at the still shocked blonde.

Draco shook his head, looked to Severus's portrait, then did a double take and looked back at Harri. She could take it no longer and burst out giggling.

"It really is you? Hold on a minute, you were the head of Slytherin?" he asked still not coming to terms with what was happening.

"Of course, the best one the schools ever had too" She replied smirking.

"Keep dreaming brat, you were adequate at best" Severus argued.

"Yeah yeah Sev, even you admitted I was brilliant so you can't take it back"

"Now this is a big difference to how any past meeting including the both of you went" Dumbledore added, looking positively delighted in his frame. Harri just smiled up at Dumbledore.

"I'm pleased you've took the position Dray, Your mother was most unimpressed that you were sitting around lazing about after working so hard for a mastery" Harri said.

"My mother?" Draco asked, finally getting his bearings.

"Yes, We have kept in contact over the years, shopping trips, tea meetings, you know the usual lady things"

"Well now that is cleared up, Why don't you show Draco around the teaching quarters and go through the head of house duties" Minerva suggested.

Harri nodded in acceptance as Draco got up from his seat, sweeping his arm in a polite gesture for Harri to take the lead.

"I give them a month" Severus said once the two had left the office.

"I am slightly worried about Harri's little weekend visitor" Minerva replied.

"As much as I hate to admit it, she has grown up into an admirable young woman, she will handle the situation when it comes up"

"I'm still worried Severus" the man in question just nodded.

"I must admit Harri I was surprised to see you here…" Draco said.

"Really? Who else would be perfect as the defence professor other than me?" She replied smirking up at him.

Draco rolled his eyes, smiling back down at her. She looked as amazing as ever, wearing a simple taupe coloured mid-sleeve blouse, tucked into a high-waist pencil skirt finished off with a pair of taupe suede heeled pumps.

"I suppose when you put it like that… thank you for recommending me too. Is this going to be awkward for you due to what happened a few years ago?"

Draco saw Harri stiffen immediately and look down, she took a deep breath a looked back up giving him a sad smile.

"Think nothing of it Draco, you deserve the position. Also your father made it perfectly clear to me a few years ago that the marriage was absolute, I am fine with it"

Draco could see by her eyes that she was anything but fine with it, but he did not push her any further, though he was surprised to hear his father spoke to her.

"I offer my condolences too for his passing, your mother spent the weekend with me in France this past week, she looked a lot better than she did at the funeral"

"My mother stayed with you? Just how close are you two? And how do you know how she looked at the funeral?"

"Yes, we are quite close she helped me a lot when Lucius told me about the marriage, as you can guess I was quite torn up, there's something we need to talk about now your father has passed but now is not the time, and I was there at the funeral, Who do you think helped your mother pick out the casket? I stayed at the back though and left once I gave Cissa my best wishes"

Draco was gobsmacked once again! He had no idea Harri was still so closely linked with his family!

"I thought Pansy picked out the casket? And I never saw you at the funeral…" Draco saw how Harri's eyes watered a bit before she shook her head snapping herself out the memories.

"No she did nothing, Cissa was too heartbroken so I took over the arrangements and finalised with her, why do you think the music was yours and your mothers favourite?". Draco had noticed that but thought nothing of it, thinking Pansy had chosen it all. "and you did not see me because I saw you two together and thought it would be rude for me to interrupt at such a private time"

Draco just nodded along, he was quite angry with Pansy for leaving his mother to sort it all out but still claiming recognition for it.

"Anyway the potions lab is still the same as when we were at school, nothing has changed really, Sev's old office will be yours. There are sleeping quarters along the same corridor" Harri said as they walked into the potions quarter of the dungeons. "Now head of house duties aren't all that difficult. You have to have an open office in case the students have any issues, they will come to you for all sorts of things; fallings out with friends, difficulty with school work, there has been the odd time some of the younger years have come to me panicking as they have come on their period" At this Harri smirked at the red faced Draco. "But don't worry send any girls my way if it helps and I'll send any Gryffindor lads your way when they want to know why their private parts suddenly get hard" She giggled as Draco shoved her shoulder lightly. "Anything you need help with?"

"No thanks 'Ri I think I'll cope" Draco noticed Harri smiling at him, "What?"

"I haven't been called 'Ri in years, its good to have you around again Dray" Harri replied and using her Gryffindor courage hugged him. Draco stood in shock for merely a second before hugging her tightly back, they both held onto each other longer than necessary but neither mentioned it when they broke apart.

"You mentioned there was something we needed to talk about? You said it could be said now my father is gone?" Draco asked brushing her hair out of her eyes and she looked up at him, he noticed how she looked hurt and slightly scared.

"I do, but please just give me until after next weekend to tell you, I need to talk to someone else first". Draco nodded along and let go off Harri. "Anything you need just come up to the defence room, I need to get my lesson plans sorted for the start of school in two weeks, I suggest you look over the last teachers plans to start your own off. Good luck Dray I'll see if you at tea time if you join us all in the great hall" and with that Harri walked off leaving a deep in thought blonde to watch her go.