I am also not making anything out of this.
A warm thank you to those who have reviewed this story so far.
From our last chapter"
"Oh dear." Said Ginny sitting bolt upright. She frowned and grasped her hands round her knees. "I...I don't think so Draco, I really don't. I mean, I don't dislike you any more, in fact I quite like you. And I am grateful for what you have done for my family. I enjoy your company and our snog sessions. But marriage? Love? Sheesh! I mean I am sure I would be happy if we got married, but Draco...I don't think I'm in love."
Draco exhaled slowly and looked at her, his face, initially flushed and expectant, took on that distant and almost sneering look of the Draco of old.
Chapter 4
Ginny turned to him. "Draco. Would you wish someone to marry you out of gratitude, or as a favour to a friend? Or out of lust? Those are my feelings. But I'm not in love. I'd be happy to extend our little arrangement for as long as you want...but love? I'm not sure I know what love is yet. I'm sorry if this hurts, but it would be worse to lie." She turned her head away from a Draco almost turned to stone.
"I'm sorry," She whispered.
When he finally spoke, it was with a certain dejected remoteness.
"I've got a job offer that will take me away here for several months at a time. I was hoping you might want to come with me, but it's the sort of job we would have to be married to do that. Anyhow, that's not going to happen." He fished in the pocket of his robes and came out with a much folded piece of paper. "Here," he pressed the paper into her hand. "Will you do me the honour of reading this? It's from a muggle book I read sometime back."
With that, he stood up and brushed off his robes absently. "I guess there's nothing more to say other than..." Here he broke off, biting his lip, and to Ginny the silence was terrible. "...my best wishes for you future health and happiness." With that he disapparated, leaving Ginny with the paper in her hand.
She blinked back a tear and started to read:
"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels,
and have not love, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries,
and all knowledge; and though I have all faith,
so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing.
And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor,
and though I give my body to be burned, and have not love,
it profiteth me nothing.
Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not;
love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
Love doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own,
is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
Love rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
Love beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things,
endureth all things.
Love never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail;
Whether there be tongues, they shall cease;
whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away."
Ginny looked at the paper in her hand, and her heart suddenly felt a chill.
"Draco! Draco! Come back here you prat." She shouted. Suddenly she wanted to speak to him to talk things over.
Bloody men! She thought, and stomped back toward the house. At least George and Fred would be happy, she consoled herself.
For two weeks, she worked at her business, throwing herself into it and trying to forget Malfoy. Sometimes, she even convinced herself that she had done the right thing. Yet, whenever there was a knock on the door, she would rush to it, only to be disappointed when it was an owl with some orders or her father or one of the workers at the business.
This day, came such another knock. Again, she rushed to the door, and again, her face fell ludicrously when she saw it wasn't Draco.
"That's not the sort of welcome I expected," said the man at the door. "May I come in?"
"Professor Dumbledore! Of course. ER...come in." Ginny made way for the headmaster of Hogwarts.
Dumbledore looked round the office and smiled. "I see that you have made quite a success of this business Miss Weasley. I hear that you have not only become the country's biggest supplier of potion ingredients, but you are also selling herbs to muggle restaurants as well."
Ginny blushed and said. "You are to kind Professor. In fact I hardly do any work round here nowadays, it is really my father who is doing most of the work."
"Ah." Said Dumbledore. "That brings me to the reason I am here. Professor Sprout has tendered her resignation from Hogwarts, so I am looking for someone to teach herbology. I was thinking that our best herbology student who has gone in four years from nothing to the biggest potion supply in the country might be a good candidate for that position."
He paused and looked at Ginny. "I would really like to have you on my staff at Hogwarts Miss Weasley. You were also very skilled in defense against the dark arts, so you might also be able to cover for lessons there as well from time to time. What do you say Miss Weasley?"
Ginny was stunned by this unexpected invitation. Still, as she looked around, she realised that she certainly had the time to do it now that her father was running the business. Further to that, now that Malfoy had disappeared from the face of the earth, there was nothing to keep her here.
"Thank you for that Professor Dumbledore. I accept."
Professor Dumbledore bowed his head. "Welcome to Hogwarts, Professor Weasley!"
"Can I offer you some tea, Headmaster?" She asked.
"Why certainly." Dumbledore took a seat by the window.
Virginia made a pot of tea and placed it with some tea cake in front of the headmaster.
Virginia wrinkled her brow. "Headmaster, you mentioned that I might do some filling in for the defence against the dark arts teacher. Who is teaching that this year?"
Dumbledore sipped the fragrant Russian Caravan tea. "I have invited someone to take up the position, but he has not responded yet. I shall not know if he is going to take the position till I see him. I am going to meet him after this. So at the moment, I unfortunately cannot tell you who he is. It might come to nothing yet. So I shall expect you at Hogwarts in two weeks' time for start of classes. If you would owl me with the booklist for your class I should be obliged, although I recommend that at this stage you do not change what Professor Sprout has already set. Well, I must fly to my next appointment." With that he disapparated.
Two weeks later Ginny aproached at the head table with the other teachers watching the sorting ceremony. She still had not seen the new DADA teacher and so was anticipating this meal with some degree of curiosity. She took one of two vacant seats next to each other and looked down the table. There he was! It was Harry...and Hermione was with him.
Ginny leaned across and greeted them. "Hey Harry, Hermione! Great to see you? How's it been? What are you doing here? Are you the new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher? Are you both teaching?"
"Whoa! Slow down there! One at a time. We are great. I am here on Ministry Business and you'll hear more about that after the dinner, and I am not the DADA teacher, Hermione was invited to come with me by Professor Dumbledore as his guest. Besides," he grinned, "the DADA teacher seems to be a very short term prospect. Any more questions?" He grinned.
"Well, who is the new DADA teacher?" Huffed Ginny.
There was a little 'pop' in the vacant chair next to her, but just as she was about to turn to see who it was, Professor Dumbledore rose to make his speech.
"Welcome to you all. I need to explain to you all that you must not go into the forbidden forest. Only third years and above can go to Hogsmeade without permission, and there are two additions to the staff this year."
He paused and looked at Ginny. "Professor Weasley who owns one of our most successful potion supply businesses will teach herbology, and Professor Malfoy who was one of our most gifted students and crucial in the recent war against Voldemort is our new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher.
Now let the feasting begin!"
Ginny turned round to see the icy face of Draco Malfoy looking at her. "You!" Suddenly, she was seized with a fit of embarrassment.
"Indeed Professor Weasley! It is I." Draco inclined his head slightly and then turned his full attention to his meal.
When the feast had finished and the prefects had led the students to their common rooms, Dumbledore addressed the teachers.
"Tomorrow, there will be classes in the afternoons only as the students will be out on a field exercise with Madame Hooch in the morning. So you will have some last minutes to prepare your lesson plans. However, for your information, Mr Potter is here as the Ministry representative for the annual demonstration of the unforgivable curses for the seventh years. That lesson will be given by Professor Malfoy, but, as you all know, the Ministry needs to ensure that their special dispensation for using these curses is not abused. I should also like to nominate Professor Weasley to assist Professor Malfoy in the demonstration. As an extra precaution, we need to do some rehearsals for this tomorrow morning. I need not warn you that there must be no mistakes in this class. Well then, off with you. I shall see you all at breakfast."
During this speech, Ginny had been sneaking glances at the impassive profile of Draco Malfoy, as if she were trying to work out what he was thinking. These glances, as brief as they were, did not escape the eyes of Harry Potter, nor the eagle gaze of Hermione.
As they headed to their rooms for the night, Harry hurried up to Draco. "Draco, do you have some time to speak to me?"
"Of course Pothead. It'll be good to catch up. But I can't share a butterbeer, since I need to have a clear head for the class tomorrow."
"Oh well." Said Harry. "I guess some tea will have to do."
They entered Draco's office and sat down.
"You know what my question is don't you, Draco?"
Draco sighed. "And I can tell you the answer is that she won't have me. She said so."
"Hmm, so did you have a fight?"
"No," Draco sighed despondently, "that's what makes it so depressing. I could cope with her saying no to me if it were just a flash of the Weasley temper. I'd just ask her again when she cooled down. Trouble is, we seemed to be getting on very well. She just said that she liked me, she respected me, she wanted to continue our 'arrangement', but marry me? No way."
Harry pondered this for a minute. "Look Draco, I think you have some hope you know. She was looking at you a lot this evening, and it didn't look like she was only interested in being 'friends' as far as I could see. Besides," he continued with a grin, "she will have to be near you for another year now. Sounds like you have a chance to work the Malfoy charm in that time."
Draco shook his head. "I don't think I could stand being so close to her for a year and not be able to, you know"
Harry smirked appreciatively. "Of course I know, I'm married, after all. Wasn't it Hermione and I that thought up that strategy of you approaching Ginny after our wedding and making that, er, business proposal? Don't tell me that you didn't make lots of progress with Ginny in that time, cos I won't believe you. And nor will Hermione," he added with a grin.
Malfoy's mouth turned up in a reluctant half smile. "That's all very well, but if in the end, she won't marry me, what's the point?"
"Listen you great birk! Didn't you say she would be happy to continue the 'arrangement'? Sounds to me like you only need a little more time and you'll get her to agree to marry you. You're mad if you give up now. Especially considering that the nights get a little cold here, I would have thought that taking her offer up would be in your best interest. As long as no one else here finds out." Harry winked.
With that, Harry reached into his bag and pulled out his invisibility cloak. "OK Draco. You can have this for a loan. No problems at all now in seeing Ginny any time you want. Anyhow I'm off to bed." Harry got up and with a pat on the shoulder slid out of the office, leaving a contemplative Draco Malfoy looking at the cloak.
The next day, Ginny arrived at the classroom for the demonstration a couple of minutes early. None of the other teachers was there, but the students had already filed in and were sitting in their seats with a little hum of chatter.
Oh well, thought Ginny. Might as well go in now as any time.
She entered the classroom and walked to the front. It wasn't as if she was nervous -- after all, it was not her class, but she was conscious that she was being sized up by the seventh years, and any sign of weakness would be round the school within half a day. Any sign of weakness and she would do it hard keeping discipline over the next year.
All of a sudden an object whistled past her ears. The class tittered. She turned round quickly and met the eyes of a rather large and sneering slytherin who had obviously hurled the missile.
"Ah, Mr Goyle. I remember your elder brother."
"Really?" He replied with an insolent look at her.
"Yes Really Mr Goyle. Sit up please."
"You going to make me?" He snorted.
At that moment Malfoy and Dumbledore came into the classroom. Both had heard Goyle and did not look happy. Malfoy in particular, was fingering his wand. Ginny flashed a warning look at them -- she had to handle this herself without being seen to need Dumbledore or Malfoy to help her. Her credibility was on the line.
"Avistonate" she said under her breath and moved her fingers in Goyle's direction.
Suddenly he stood up like a marionette.
Ginny moved her fingers some more and Goyle started to move out of his chair like a puppet on strings. The Class giggled, quietly at first, but louder and louder as Goyle's movements became more bizarre. As Ginny waved her hands, he pranced up and down in front of the class, with his hands and arms and legs flying in all directions. By the time Ginny brought him to a stop, the class was howling with laughter and Goyle was red with fury.
"OK now Mr Goyle," said Ginny quietly, "now we have established that I can make you sit up straight, perhaps you might like to make your way to your seat by yourself. Or would you prefer if I had you walk like that to the Great Hall?"
Goyle ground his teeth, but wisely headed back to his seat, now being conscious of the serious gaze of Dumbledore, and the deadly gaze of the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.
"Twenty points off Slytherin!" Hissed Malfoy as he swept past.
"Well class." Said Dumbledore who by now had reached the front. "I can see that Professor Weasley has been giving you some interesting demonstrations of wandless magic. As headmaster, I pride myself that the teaching staff here are the best in the world. Not many witches or wizards can do wandless magic, and even fewer can make their own hexes, but that Avistonatus Curse was actually invented by Professor Weasley. I am sure Mr Goyle, that further demonstrations can be arranged if you are so inclined. However, I am sure that you are all by now quite convinced that Professor Weasley is quite able to assert her authority without the need for my intervention."
"On to today's lesson. As you are aware, there are a number of unforgivable curses, and as part of your training you need to be aware of them and countering them. In previous years, you have seen them demonstrated on beetles as part of your curriculum. However, beetles can hardly defend themselves so the demonstrations have limited value. Therefore for your seventh year in one of the classes, we demonstrate countering the unforgivable curses using people." At this Dumbledore gave a thin smile. "And volunteers are welcome. However, since the curses are unforgivable, we have to get Ministry of Magic approval for the demonstration and have a representative from the Ministry here. Hence we have Mr Potter as the Ministry's witness. As part of the rules set down by the Ministry for the demonstration, I must also attend the class. Finally, as further safety we have Madame Pomfrey here, as well as some padding on the walls round where we will do the demonstration. I think that covers it. Mr Malfoy, please proceed."
As rehearsed in the practice session, Draco sat on one seat at the front of the class next to some padding, and Virginia on another seat on the left side of the room. They both pulled out their wands.
Dumbledore looked at both of them. "Are you ready?"
They nodded.
"Then proceed in your own time."
Ginny pointed her wand at Draco and said "Crucio." Sparks started to emanate from the end of the wand.
Draco gave a quick "Expelliarmus." Ginny's wand jerked from her hand and flew into Draco's.
They repeated the curses a couple of times with similar results. Goyle yawned loudly, again to some tittering in the class.
"Slow learner!" Muttered Draco under his breath. But out loud, he barked at Goyle. "Do you have a problem with this demonstration Goyle?"
Goyle, having had time to get his composure back from his earlier humiliation was spoiling for revenge.
"Yeah well, it is hardly a real demonstration, since you aren't really trying are you?" He smirked at his own cleverness.
Virginia piped up. "Well, Mr Goyle, perhaps you would like to try cursing one of us. Professor Dumbledore did say that volunteers were welcome." Dumbledore inclined his head.
Goyle stood up and said, "I think I could beat you easily Professor Weasley."
Draco got up from his seat and motioned toward it. "The chair is all yours Goyle."
No sooner had he reached the chair, when Goyle waved his wand and shouted "CRUCIO!!!!"
Virginia, with a smile whispered "Expelliarmus."
The wand jerked out of Goyle's hand and into Ginny's, but the force of her countercurse hurled him hard against the padding, knocking the breath out of him and leaving him gasping for breath in a heap on the floor.
Madam Pomfrey rushed over to the wheezing boy, but with a shake of her head pronounced him well enough. "Just winded, Headmaster."
"Anyone else?" Said Malfoy with a smirk.
Dumbledore spoke up with a twinkle in his eye. "I forgot to mention that Professor Weasley was also one of the best Defence against the Dark Arts students at Hogwarts, and she carried that through in the great war against Voldemort. There are many death eaters now in Azkabhan who saw the wrong end of Professor Weasley's wand. I wouldn't advise anybody here to get her angry. Even the dullest of you could see that Professor Weasley was hardly trying in that last demonstration." Professor Dumbledore's eyes twinkled at a rather humble looking Goyle.
"Are there any questions?" Said Malfoy.
"Please Sir!" A rather serious looking Ravenclaw witch put up her hand.
"Yes." Malfoy raised an eyebrow.
"Well what exactly is the best defence against the dark arts?" She muttered.
"That's simple." Replied Malfoy. "In one word, Love. That is the greatest defence against the dark arts. I am sure that you are aware of the circumstances of Voldmemort trying and failing to kill Mr Potter here when he was a baby? It was the power of love that preserved him, and almost destroyed Voldemort." The class nodded their heads, all had heard that story.
The serious Ravenclaw raised her hand again. "Please Professor. Surely that was a one-off event. I mean it doesn't happen often enough to make it a general rule does it?"
At this, Harry Potter, who had been standing silently behind Dumbledore and Malfoy, piped up.
"Oh, I can give at least one other example, and more recent than my experience. That is if the Headmaster permits?"
Dumbledore nodded his head in assent. "Please proceed Mr Potter."
Harry cleared his throat and began. "It was the final battle with Voldemort. He and the death eaters had breached the wards of this castle.
The battle was raging with teachers and senior students battling with the incoming death eaters, hexes and curses were flying everywhere, wizards and witches on both sides were being injured and killed. Yet neither side had the upper hand. I thought it strange that neither the Headmaster nor Voldemort were anywhere to be seen, when suddenly it came to me. Voldemort had taken off after the Headmaster after he had breached the castle wards. They were going to duel, and whoever won the duel between them would come back to finish off the others. I knew that if there was a duel, Voldemort would not play fair. The Headmaster was in trouble, so I headed up to his office."
Harry paused. "There was the Headmaster immobilised with a Petrificatus curse, a dark wizard called Wormtail dead on the floor, and Voldemort waiting for me."
"Well, Mr Potter. I was expecting you." Voldemort's red eyes glowed with triumph. "This old fool was so predictable that he thought I would come here alone to fight, and while he was disposing of my 'disposable' henchman here, I was able to immobilise him."
I replied. "I am surprised that you did not try to finish him off."
"All in good time." Hissed Voldemort. "I just wanted him to see you destroyed before he dies. Just to make sure that the last thing he knows is that everything he stood for has been annihilated."
Voldemort drew out his wand and shouted "Avada Kedavra!"
I shouted "Expelliarmus" in return. As you might know, both of our wands contained the feathers from the same phoenix, and therefore, the wands connected with a stream of light. We had fought before like this, and that time I had managed to beat him by the skin of my teeth. But this time, he had gained in power, far more than I had, and his curse was travelling along the stream of light toward the end of my wand. No matter how hard I tried, it was getting closer and closer to me. I was sweating blood, only a few more minutes, and I would be dead, and so would my friends. For without the headmaster, Voldemort would go back to the main battle and it would all be over.
But just as I was about finished, there was a 'pop' beside me, and Professor Malfoy apparated.
Voldemort smiled. "Welcome young Malfoy. How goes the battle? You are just about to see the end of the famous Potter and Albus Dumbledore. You will join me and the other death eaters and rid the world of mudbloods and muggle lovers. You will have power, money and fame beyond your wildest dreams. Watch as I finish Potter off."
Harry continued. "If I had thought the situation was hopeless before, I knew that it was now decided."
"Petrificus totalis!" Shouted Malfoy.