Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, though I wish I did!

AN1: This story will be a Ginny W/Draco M romance story eventually. It probably will not be very long, I'm not quite sure yet though. It will be AU, just so everyone knows! Also, now I am playing soccer for my high school, so I may not be able to update as frequently as I did with my other story...sorry! I appreciate reviews, and I completely ignore flames, constructive criticism is allowed, but please don't waste your own time and my own by sending a flame. If you think my story is bad, or that it has way too many incorrect grammar "things" in it, DON'T READ IT! lol it's not like I am trying to become an english major here :) ...thanks a bunch!

Ginny's thoughts are in italics

Chapter 1:

(Ginny's POV)

"Ginny…please don't forget about the family dinner tomorrow night!" I sighed as I heard my mom yell as I was walking out the door. I am now 20 years old and I work for the daily prophet. I must admit that I have grown up a lot over the past few years. I am still quite petite with some curves. My red hair is grown out and it has become a bit curly. My face has more freckles now than it ever did before. I had grown into a "young women" as my mom likes to call me. I live in a flat with one of my best friends, Hermione Granger. She is always gone or busy because she works at the ministry. She is currently engaged to Harry and will be moving in with him now. They are very happy together. Ron is currently still a bachelor in the "dating world" and is now on the Chudley Canons quidditch team, while Harry is an auror. I am currently "single" myself as well. It is now only my mummy and daddy at home now, so they both always insist on a "family" dinner every once in a while to bring the whole family together.

I was going to stop by my flat to grab a quick lunch when I noticed the time, it was now 11:29 and I was going to be late for work again. My boss loved me, but this was going to be the 10th time I was late. I quickly apparated to the Daily Prophet and rushed into my office.

"Hey Ginny..." I heard a few people say to me as I was passing by. The moment I had punched in my timecard I heard my boss yell,

"Ms. Weasley, my office...now!"

"Yes sir…" I said and rushed into his office.

"Please...sit down." He said and gestured to a chair.

Once I sat he continued "Ginny...I'm sorry to say that--" He began. I knew what was coming; I was going to get fired.

"No need to explain sir, I'd just like to say that it has been an honor to work here..." I said in a rush and began to leave the office.

"Ms. Weasley, wait!" He said, I slowly turned around.

I had wanted to get out of the room fast because I could feel my eyes watering with tears. I really liked this job. This would also mean that this was the third job I had been fired from in two months.

"I wanted to tell you that Albus Dumbledore has asked me to let you leave here, so you can go work at Hogwarts" I just stared at him so he continued "...they need a new History of Magic professor, Professor Binns finally retired.." He finished.

I didn't say anything. I blanked out with so many emotions running through me at once, me? A Hogwarts teacher? History of Magic…what if the kids hate me? I wonder if Snape is still there...oh my god I am going back to Hogwarts!

"Ms. Weasley...Ms. Weasley..." My eyes returned to focus and I saw a hand being waved in front of my eyes.

"Sorry sir, I was just thinking about it...well, thanks sir!" I said, hugged him, and apparated home.

Once I returned to my house, I immediately went to bed. The next morning before heading off to Hogwarts, I apparated to my parents' house and told them the wonderful news. I also informed them that I would not be able to make it to the family dinner that night. They seemed a bit sad, but quickly got over it and started congratulating me on my new job. I owled Hermione to let her know that she now had the flat to herself. Then, I was off to Hogwarts.

"Ms. Weasley, how nice to see you again..." Headmaster Dumbledore said.

"Hello Headmaster...thank you for picking me as the new teacher, I am very excited about this job..." I told him.

"You are very welcome Ms. Weasley, however, you may call me Albus now, and you are no longer a student here..." I smiled at him and we both walked into the great hall for the Sorting Ceremony. I looked around the great hall; Hagrid was still here, as was (Minerva) McGonagall. To my great disdain, so was Snape. I was just about to start up a conversation with Minerva when the great hall doors opened and all the new first years walked in. The sorting hat sang its new song and then Minerva stood up and began calling the first years up to the sorting hat, one by one.

"Aren, Matthew" I saw a small boy from the back of the group walk up to the hat. Within seconds of placing the hat over his head it yelled out 'HUFFLEPUFF' a cheer came from the Hufflepuff table as Matthew bounded over to the table. I watched the rest of the first years be sorted along with one of my nieces, named Annabelle. She was Fred and Angelina's adopted daughter; she was of course sorted into Gryffindor. Once the sorting was completed, Dumbledore stood up.

"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! First, you all know that the Forbidden Forest is off limits to all students, secondly, sadly this year Professor Binns has retired. The new History of Magic professor is Ms. Weasley." I stood up and everyone applauded. "Also, Professor Snape is now the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor." I saw professor Snape stand up and there were some cheers, mostly coming from the Slytherin table though.

"Lastly, the person that is taking over Professor Snape's position, as Potions teacher, is none other tha--" The doors to the great hall burst open. In walked a tall figure wearing a dark black hooded cloak over him. Everyone's attention was on him. I noticed there were a few strands of blondish colored hair coming out of the hood. Is that blonde hair...? I thought to myself, for I knew of only two people that had that color blonde hair. The Malfoys "Ahhhh here he is…Professor Draco Malfoy..." Dumbledore finished. I knew it... I thought as Draco came up and sat down in the empty seat next to me. He exchanged a few words with Serverus and then began to eat his food.

"Hello Draco, how are you doing?" I said to him, trying to get along.

"Weasley...what a pleasant surprise..." He sneered at me as he was taking off his cloak.

"How is Pott Head and the know it all doing?" He asked me. I decided to just ignore him; after all, I was used to his taunts and teasing.

"Whatever Malfoy..." I said and turned to start a conversation with Minerva. I had already tried being nice to him after all, now it was his turn.

Finally some time for myself... I thought to myself as I entered my rooms the next day. Today had been the first day of actual classes and a Slytherin and Gryffindor class together was not something I had been excited about. It had been terrible. The Slytherins had spent the entire time mocking me. Apparently, Pansy and Marcus Flint ended up getting married, because their son Zach was in my class. He is a 2nd year Slytherin and looks almost identical to Marcus; however he acts exactly like Draco used to. Bullying people around and making fun of them all the time. He was the one who started the whole making fun of me. Oh well... I thought to myself and began making lesson plans for tomorrow.

The days turned into weeks, and the weeks into months. It was already almost October. I was almost finished teaching my last class of the day, 2nd year Gryffindors and Slytherins, when Zach decided to misbehave. I was just about to assign them homework when I heard a girl shriek from the other side of the room.

"Is anything the matter?" I asked her.

"Ms. Weasley, Zach keeps teasing me and pulling my hair..." She told me.

"Excuse me...Mr. Flint" I called to him.

"Yes...Weasley..." He said with a sneer on his face.

"You will address me as either Professor or Ms. Weasley..." I told him. I was getting upset now.

"Yea, whatever..." He said and started talking with some of his friends.

I walked over to him and turned him around so that he was facing me. "Please apologize to Ms. Reetz and I..." I asked him.

"And if I don't, what are you going to do about it?" He said. All of the Slytherins started laughing.

"I--I--" I began. I couldn't say anything. What could I really do, assign him detention? That really wouldn't do anything. Wait a minute; I am the teacher here, not him! I thought and was about to assign him a detention when he yelled out,

"Weasley, your family is so poor...and what about Pothead? He never returned your affections did he?" I was used to people making fun of me about my family but Harry was different. While it was true that when he first started going out with Hermione I was upset, I quickly got over it. I was not going to lose both of them as friends over something like that. Reeter Skeeter found out though and made it into a big deal, embarrassing Harry, Hermione, and I. There was silence after he said this until some of the other Slytherins joined in his mocking at me.

"What about your brother Percy...the deatheaters' helper..." One of them said.

Another said, "What about Tom? You loved him didn't you...you are so pathetic and weak…You almost killed Harry Potter with that one…"

I was not fuming. I wanted to physically harm every Slytherin in that room. I was about to count to ten and then assign them all detentions when the door suddenly slammed open.

"What is going on in here?" I heard everybody stop yelling and talking at once. I glanced up and saw Draco walking in. He looked at Zach and the other Slytherins and then looked at me. I guess he could guess what had happened because he walked over to Mr. Flint, whispered something in his ear, and took him out of the room.

After that last class was finally over I walked down into the Great Hall for dinner. I saw Draco already seated so I went up and sat by him.

"I just wanted to say thank you...for what you did..." I told him sincerely.

He just looked at me; those gray eyes seemed to almost be staring into my soul.

"You--...just don't expect me to do it again..." He said in a sort of nice voice and continued to eat.

Hey, maybe it was not a 'Your welcome…want to be friends?' but it was a start...

AN: Please Review! I need to know if anyone likes it so far...

AN2: This chapter was revised on 9/8/05