Chapter four

"Jealousy is not a barometer by which the depth of love can be read, it merely records the degree of the lover's insecurity." Margaret Mead

A few days after she met Draco for lunch, Ginny decided to owl Hermione, asking to meet up. Her lunch with Draco reminded her of the fact that she hadn't seen her friend for a few days and they needed to catch up on daily life issues. Ginny wasn't planning on telling of Draco's plans to get Hermione and Snape together, even though it would be amusing to see Draco squirm his way out of that one. But she did want to see Hermione. So she wrote a small note and tied it her owl, sending it on its way.

There weren't many patients in today. Other resident Healers could fill in for her at the moment, so she could look through her mail and answer some of its more inportant pieces. Most of her friends were used to sending it to her work, because most of the time that was where she could be found. Flipping through her mail, she saw she had letters from Snape, probably more information about the project she was working on with him and Hermione. A letter from Ron, probably just to inform her that he didn't agree about her being on friendly terms with Draco. Pansy already told, during their lunch yesterday, that she'd accidentally told Ron and that he was being an idiot about it. A letter from her boss, probably just another memo. Oh, how her boss liked memos, if she would get a galleon for every memo she got, she would be as rich as Draco. Even if she got a sickle a memo, she should be doing quite nicely. Finally she came across a letter from Draco. Every three days he would send her a letter, just informing her about how he was doing. Just some habit he formed a couple of months ago.

Ginny decided to open Ron's letter first. After quickly scanning it, she discovered it was written the day before yesterday and that Ron still had surprises up his sleeve. Ginny was rendered speechless with its content. For once in his life Ron hadn't behaved like a bloody insensitive git. She read it more carefully.

Dear Ginny, it said

As Pansy might have informed you... or not, since I don't actually know how close the two of you are, I was a complete and utter fool yesterday. Pansy told me about your friendship with-

Ginny laughed when she saw he had written down Ferret-boy, before deciding to make Malfoy out of it.

-Malfoy. I have to admit, I was angry when I heard about it. Even more angry, when I heard it from Pansy and not from you.

Perhaps I should get over my stupid childish rivalries with Malfoy, but I have to admit, it hurt me a little to know that my little sister hadn't told me. It kinda mad me feel left out and like you didn't trust me. I hope he is being nice to you and if he's doing anything to hurt you or play with your feelings, I will not hesitate to hurt him.

Well, sis, I hope everything's okay with you and I'll see you next sunday at Family Day.

Ginny lifted her eyebrow at that last part. Ron hardly ever came to Family Days anymore. He told everyone that he was to swamped at work, much to the dismay of their mother.

Love, Ron

P.S. Bit of a surprise seeing Pansy working there, but she's nice... sort of, when she's not screeching like a banshee. And it's good to know she finally got some sense in her and even managed to stomp some of it in to my head.

She had to ask Pansy about that last part, because the only thing Pansy mentioned was that Ron was being a bloody git about everything and had ranted a lot about the fact that he hadn't changed a bit since Hogwarts. Shaking her head in amazement, she decided to open the next letter from her boss, which, was as she had expected. A memo that was meant to remind everybody that they should be aware of the fact that there were thieves in St Mungo's, who had stolen toiletpaper and bandaids from the storageroom. Ginny ripped the paper up and threw it in the bin. Snape's letter was next. And as expected, it was extra information about their project. Information she had asked about thankfully, merely a day ago. It was about the properties of ginger root, Glumbumble fluid and and Jobberknoll parts. All potion ingredients, which could be useful in the search of a cure for people who were tortured to insanity by Cruciatus.

The day after Ginny passed her Healer course and became a Potions Mistress along the way, she was contacted by Severus Snape. At first she was a little taken aback by that fact. Why in Merlin's name, would he want to talk to her? After he refused her a internship with him, she never expected to see him again, except, maybe, when she was going to visit Hermione, who became a Charms professor at Hogwarts. Reluctantly she went to visit the Bat of the dungeons, only to be surprised to meet Hermione as well. "Miss Weasley, it seems we have a proposition for you.." Hermione smiled and interrupted Snape. "We are working on a highly classified project and because you succesfully became a Potion Mistress with honours, we decided it was imperative, that you should be a part of this."

Ginny could still feel both pair of eyes burning in her skin, when she tought about it. One pair with excitement and the other with miscontent? She didn't know. These days they held a sort of respect for her. However, reverting to her memories once more, she remembered Snape continuing "Before I was interrupted by the incessant babbling of Proffesor Granger.." Hermione glared at him "We are researching the possibility of working on a complex potion, which is combined with a charm, that could counteract the effects of longterm exposure to Cruciatus. Since you have passed your degree in Potions, after a internship with Arama Buggleworth, we deemed you worthy enough to be part of our project."

Ginny remembered it all too well, even the fact she almost made a rude comment to Snape, because he just was being a stuck up prat and now here she was, a part of their Research Team, who were so close to finding a cure. The extra information had a little note attached to it.

Miss Weasley, here are the properties on ginger root, Glumbumble fluid and Jobberknoll parts. Thoroughly researched, as always. Severus Snape. Looking through the papers, she saw that she hardly missed any of the properties and that Snapes notes were almost exact to the ones she'd made earlier that week.

After putting the notes in her drawer, where she kept most of her documents, notes and journals, she looked to the last letter. Draco's letter. The letter that always seemed to make her day. Most of the time she would get a cup of tea and a sandwich out of the canteen and huddle up in a chair, reading it. But today, she decided to read it in her office with nothing more than a lousy cup of coffee.

My dear Ginevra,

How are you doing at your dreadfully boring work? Besides thinking of me of course- because no woman in her right mind could not have been thinking of me- during those long stressful working hours. I've had a long day myself, and it isn't easy working with those damn goblins. Pesky little critters without a sense of humor, that's what they are.

I was just having a little fun with a client of ours and then Griphook came in, seemingly not amused. In front of the client, he sent me off to a job and took over my client. I had to do something about retrieving some amulet, which was lying around in some cave. Like I was some disobidient child. Sometimes I wonder why I still work here, since I'm obviously too good for this job.

But now on to the serious business, I was kind of hoping we could meet today? Something is bothering me. To be more specific, you are bothering me. There is that matter of you being the only female besides Pansy, that still puts up with me. You're someone that keeps me on my toes; and I was wondering what kind of advice you could give me on this particular problem. Or what kind of solution we could come up with. I don't want to go into details in this letter, so I was hoping we could hook up later on today.

Anyway, how about lunch this afternoon? Or dinner?

Draco

P.S. We still have to discuss our plan of getting Granger and Severus together.

Ginny fumed. The nerve! The absolute nerve of that man. Writing her the same line as he had used with every other girl he tried to conquest, and at which he usually succeeded. And now he wanted to have a little chat with her and try to make her a conquest as well? And here she thought, that the prat had some moral, that he would treat her different from the rest. After a couple of years she really seemed to be convinced, he did treat her with respect. And now he undid everything with one letter.

Ferret!

I really can't believe you. Trying to talk me up like every other slut you've ever dated? Oh yes, let's do lunch and we will see how you will prosper in life without your family jewels. I really thought you had some ounce of respect left for me, you egotistical annoying chauvinistic pig!

Weasley

After she sent off the reply with a St Mungo's owl, she wanted to rip up his letter, burn it and maybe stomp on the ashes, but before she could do that, she saw that a new letter appeared on her desk. Hermione's reply.

Sure, I'll be at our usual place at one o'clock. Good thing you owled me, I have to tell you something.