'Draco Malfoy?' Ron practically screamed. Hermione, who had been sitting next to him, jumped away quickly on fear of being hit. 'My sister is going out with my worst enemy?'
'Yeah, that would be the general gist of it.' Fred said, not sounding that bothered.
'How can you two be so calm?' Ron yelled, jumping to his feet, his face bright red with fury. He stood looming over the twins, trying to look threatening. 'How could you let this happen? Couldn't you stop her?'
'We only found out about a week before the end of the holidays, Ron, and we would never try to purposefully stop her. If she's happy, that's what matters, not the fact that you don't get on with him. You're not Ginny, she is.'
'Yes… but… that's not the point… the point is…' Ron didn't carry on, he wasn't sure of the point himself. His brothers had stumped him with their amazingly sensible answer. 'How did you find out?'
'His owl kept on appearing all through the holidays, bringing her letters and presents. We asked her who was sending everything to her, we didn't recognise the owl, you see. She didn't tell us at first, said it was none of our business, but she did eventually. She was scared we'd react like you just did.'
Ron didn't reply, he was in shock. 'Oh, come on Ron, it's not the end of the world.' Hermione said when she realised Ron wasn't planning on saying any more. 'It's Ginny's choice, not yours.'
'Yeah, yeah, I know.' Ron said, sitting down again. 'I take it she's with… with him?' Ron asked Fred and George.
They nodded in response. 'She said she was only going to be five minutes.
***
Ginny finally found Draco in the last compartment of the train. It was empty apart from him, Crabbe and Goyle, who were sent off to find the food trolley when Ginny appeared, leaving Draco and her alone.
'Hang on, I've been practicing this all summer, just for you.' Draco said when Crabbe and Goyle had disappeared, their money bags clenched firmly in their hands. Draco opened his trunk, which he had put under his seat, and brought out his Hogwarts hat and wand.
'What are you doing?' Ginny asked, sounding amused.
'You'll see.' Draco said, holding the hat upside down. Pointing his wand at his hat, he muttered something Ginny couldn't hear, before reaching inside his hat and pulling out…
'A rabbit?' Ginny questioned.
'That wasn't meant to happen.' Draco laughed uneasily. 'Honestly, I've been practicing this all summer, and it's worked all the times before.'
'Don't worry, try again.' Ginny said, scooping the snow-white rabbit into her arms. 'I like rabbits anyway.'
'Keep it, I don't want it!' Draco laughed before muttering something with his wand pointed at his hat again. This time it worked, and he pulled out a dozen red roses, which he handed to Ginny. She put the rabbit down on an empty seat and took the roses. 'Oh, you're so sweet!' She said to Draco, pulling him into a hug and giving him a quick peck on the cheek. Draco blushed, despite the fact that they were the only two in the carriage. 'I love you, you know. Despite my brothers.' Ginny said.
'I love you too, despite your brothers.' Draco replied.
***
Dumbledore paced his office in an agitated manner. He knew nothing, and it irritated him. Voldemort was out there, almost back to full strength, and almost certainly plotting something gigantic and vile, and he, Albus Dumbledore, knew nothing.
He had always believed that Severus would go back to Voldemort as a spy for him, he had never questioned it. Severus was the kind of person who lived to work, not worked to live. He didn't want to sound horrid, but Severus had never had any kind of social life, spending any free time he had in his Hogwarts quarters, planning his lessons, marking Potions essays and recipes, thinking of new ways to become the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher or reading up on his subject. Of course he had heard the students talk, he had heard the rumours, but he had always refused to believe them. It had sounding so ridiculous at the time: "Professor Snape's in love", '"Professor Snape's got a girlfriend!"
And it had been true. He had refused to believe it, and it was 100% true. Severus and Collette Hooch, in love and together. And now, now Hogwarts could be ruined… Dumbledore thought back to last night, the night before term started, when he'd talked to Severus and everything had gone wrong…
Dumbledore walked through the dungeons, stopping at the stone gargoyle by the plain brick wall that hid the Slytherin common room and dormitories. Touching the gargoyle, he muttered 'Oculus Draconis'. The gargoyle moved to reveal a dark passageway, lit by a few torches. Dumbledore headed down this corridor, and stopped when he came to a closed door at the end. He knocked, and called, 'Severus? Are you in there?' The door opened and Snape stood before the headmaster, dressed, as usual, in his black robes.
'Come in Albus.' Severus said, opening the door for the headmaster, and closing it behind him. 'What brings you down here at this time?'
'Voldemort's back, Severus, surely you have not failed to notice.'
'Of course not. Why do you feel it necessary to tell me this?'
'You've always been a loyal member of the staff here at Hogwarts, and I promise you your wishes do not go unnoticed. I need to ask you this one favour, and in return I am willing to give you the position of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.'
'What do you want of me?'
'To go back to your roots. Leave Hogwarts and go back to Voldemort, play along with him, pretend to be a loyal Death Eater. Contact me often, tell me what he's planning.'
'You want me to spy on Voldemort for you?'
'Yes.'
'No.' Snape replied, his face grave. 'I refuse to leave here, to put myself in that much danger.'
'Severus, please! We've talked this through before…'
'I know, Albus, I know, but things have changed.'
'Things? What things?'
'I… I… it's none of your business.'
'Yes it is, Severus. I'm desperate! I don't know what's happening with Voldemort, and you're the only person I can turn to… and now you refuse to help!'
'I want to, Albus, I really do. But I couldn't leave everything I have here behind with no certainty of coming back.'
'What's so precious to you here?'
'Collette, Albus. Collette Hooch, I love her and she loves me. I'm thinking of asking her to marry me, you can't send me away from her. I simply refuse to go, I won't do it.'
'Fine,' Albus said, trying to keep calm. 'Have it your way, but when Voldemort appears in the middle of the night and murders you, I won't be sorry.'