Summary: When Ginny boarded the Hogwarts Express on the first of September, she was surprised to come face-to-face with the last person she expected to see back in school. He was still the same prat she remembered from years before, but now he has a much higher authority than ever before: he was this year's new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Ginny wished this was all a dream, but to her dismay she was stuck with him for an entire school year!

Disclaimer: Once again I don't want to go through all the mumbo-jumbo of having to write this out, so I'm saying this now: NOT MINE!!! I keep on forgetting to add this on to this one: MAIN HP CHARACTERS AREN'T MINE, those other names you don't recognize are mine as well as the plot, and also other stuff that you don't recognize, kapish?

Setting: Ginny's in her 7th year; Draco graduated the year before

PhoenixRae's Notes: I AM SOOOOOOOO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING SO SOON! ok, here's the reason why I took a break from updating like almost everyday: I DIDN'T HAVE INTERNET ACCESS FOR 3 DARN DAYS! but now that I'm back online expect some updates coming your way in the next couple of days :::grins::: CHEERS!

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XIII. Secret Friendship

Ginny went about the rest of her week as usual. Other students still speculated; her friends still defended her; and Derek proved to be a trifle too much to bear. He boasted to those who cared to listen what he walked in on last Friday in Draco's classroom. No matter how pissed off half of the student population was to him after Saturday's first Quidditch match, still the gossip-hungry students were all vying for some piece of information about the latest gossip at Hogwarts.

"I swear if I hear people gossiping about me one more time I'm going to explode!" Ginny angrily plunked herself on the grassy ground at the courtyard Friday afternoon after her Defense Against the Dark Arts class.

"Aw...c'mon, Ginny. It's not really that bad," cajoled Janelle, plopping down on the ground beside her friend.

Ginny let out a disapproving 'tuh!' and rolled her eyes skyward. She placed her bag against the fountain basin and stretched out on the lawn, using her bag as a pillow. Twyla and Colin soon joined their two friends lounging by the fountain.

"Perfect," Colin grinned after snapping a photo of a longing Ginny and a stretching Janelle.

"Colin, will you please stop taking embarrassing pictures of us," snapped Janelle, glaring up at her friend.

"Why?" Colin frowned, sitting down across from them, "Didn't you know that candid shots brings out the true essence of the photographer's subject?"

The three girls exchanged incredulous glances before bursting into fits of giggles. They each grabbed a handful of grass and threw it at Colin.

"Hey!" cried Colin who raised his arms to shield his face from the rain of grass, but the girls continued to attack him with grass. "Come on, guys, stop it!"

The girls didn't relent until they were all doubled over with laughter. Even Colin was laughing along with them. His feeble attempt at retaliating was a complete failure; three against one--and the odds were against him.

"Well, well, well, look what we have here. Four little lion cubs rolling on the grass," Derek's shadow cast over the four friends sprawled on the lawn.

Ginny sat up straight and glared at their unwanted intruder.

"What do you want, Boones?"

Derek turned his attention to the redhead, an eyebrow raised as he sized her up.

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Draco caught sight of what was happening in the courtyard on his way to his living quarters. He was waylaid from where he was going when he heard a burst of girlish giggle coming from the courtyard. He stopped to see what it was about and saw Ginny with her friends laughing. They were ganging up on Creevey who was doing his best to fend for himself, but the odds were against him.

"I'll be watching where I set my sights on, Professor. There are students lurking about keeping a close eye on you," Hermione teased her former school nemesis. She came up from the opposite direction when she saw him.

Draco glared and tore his gaze from the four friends having fun in the courtyard. "Shut your yap, Granger," he scolded good-naturedly.

Hermione grinned from ear-to-ear and stepped up beside her colleague. She watched the three Gryffindor girls pelt their friend with grass. It was good to see Ginny laughing again after the horrible incident over the weekend.

"They look like a happy lot, don't they?" she mused while watching her four friends.

"Yeah, I suppose," Draco shrugged, "But I'm glad Weasley was able to get back on her feet again."

"Our Ginny is a fighter, Malfoy. Nothing can dampen her spirits," she boasted.

Draco kept his mouth clamped tightly shut. Apparently Granger wasn't aware of Ginny's personal struggle to cope with everything that has happened to her. His mind went back to what happened Monday evening between him and Ginny. It was the first time anybody has opened up to him. He wasn't expecting to find out more about the youngest Weasley's feelings. He was quite content of what he knew of her until that night. Now he was even more fascinated and impressed with how well she was able to cope with everything that has happened and was happening to her.

He knew what Ginny shared with him was confidential. An invisible bond--trust perhaps?--was forged between them that night. They hadn't become friends yet, but they certainly had an understanding. She shed unabashed tears on his chest whilst he held her safely in his arms, quietly relaying to her that he was there for her and would always be there for her whenever she needed help.

"Oh no, here comes trouble," he heard Hermione mutter beside him.

Draco came off his sudden trance and locked his eyes on the blond boy approaching Ginny and her friends. Draco could tell from the look on Derek's face that the boy was up to no good. He was about to march out to the courtyard to stop Derek, but Hermione caught his arm and stopped him.

"Not so fast, Malfoy. Let's see what he's up to first."

"He's up to no good as always, that's what that prick is up to," he hissed.

"I know that, silly, but I think we should also give him the benefit of the doubt," she pointed out.

"Whatever. If he starts trouble with those four I'll have his hide for it," he threatened.

"If he does that then you better save some for me to whoop too because he won't get away from it that easily."

"Don't worry, I will," he promised, his eyes still fixed on Derek.

They could only hear bits and pieces of what was being exchanged between the students. Ginny didn't look at all that pleased with Derek's presence.

"Why do you think I'm here, Ginny?" Derek taunted the redhead.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe because you want to make my life a living hell?" Ginny replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm while her eyes shot daggers at her ex-boyfriend.

Derek had a pleasantly menacing smile on his face. He was still sizing her up and goading her to fight.

"I knew you were smart, Virginia," he let out a chuckle and added, "You you don't give justice to your name anymore, do you? Since you're with Malfoy now, everybody knows nobody stays a virgin too long when they were with him."

"Take that back, you arrogant prick!" Colin quickly sprung to his feet to defend Ginny. "You don't know what you're talking about."

Derek turned his attention now to Colin. Both boys were poised to battle each other out. Their fists clenched and unclenched on their sides while their glares became more and more deadlier by the second.

"I think it's time we intervene," Hermione whispered in alarm and left her post. "Just follow my lead," she advised Draco as she made her way to the courtyard.

Derek and Colin were still shooting daggers at each other with their glares by the time Draco and Hermione reached them.

"What's going on here, boys?" Hermione asked a tad bit too chirpily, but it did break off the tension between the two boys. Draco appeared seconds later beside Hermione, his eyes fixed on Derek and Colin who were both ready to duke it out at the courtyard.

Both boys slowly broke away from their fighting stance, but it took them a couple of seconds before they broke their icy glare at each other.

"Good day, Professor," Colin was the first to acknowledge the two professors.

"What's going on here, Creevey?" Draco questioned, his eyebrow raised as he watched both boys carefully.

"Nothing, Professor. Boones and I were just sorting something out."

"By throwing your fists at each other?" Draco turned his gaze to Boones who simply stood with his feet slightly apart, his chin jutted into the air and his arms crossed over his shoulders. "You know you're still under probation, Boones, and if I remember correctly, it clearly stipulates you keep your damn distance from Weasley unless you're playing against each other in Quidditch," he reminded calmly, but the iciness and conviction of what he was telling his student laced his tone.

"Probation, detention, a severe warning...they're just nothing but puny threats, Professor," Derek spat out.

"I'll be careful with what I say and how I act nowadays, Boones," Draco warned him coolly, but his gray eyes turned as cool as steel. "You're just a few heartbeat away from being kicked out of Hogwarts after what you did during the first Quidditch match. You're lucky your mother is very likeable amongst the staff of this school or else you'll be kicked out of Hogwarts without any damn recommendation."

That made Derek clamp his mouth although he was itching to say something back to the two teachers. Draco had a way of intimidating people, although Derek wasn't intimidated, but Draco sure shut Derek up real good. Without a word Derek angrily shoved Draco and Hermione away and went back into the castle.

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"Thank you."

Draco jumped at the sound of Ginny's voice when he passed by the dimly lit corridor leading to his sleeping quarters. He quickly spun around until his eyes adjusted to the dark and found the petite form looming in the shadows.

"What the hell are you doing, Weasley?" he spat angrily once his heartbeat went back to normal, "Trying to give me a heart attack so you won't be talked about in school anymore when I suddenly keeled over and died?!"

"Hmm...that's a wonderful thought," she pushed herself away from the shadows and stood just a couple of meters away from her Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. "Anyway, I didn't come looking for you tonight to get you killed."

Draco raised an eyebrow, "No, you didn't. You just thanked me--for what exactly?"

"For stepping in when you and Hermione did this afternoon," she gave a slight shrug, "I honestly don't know what I would've done if it hadn't been for your intervention. Derek's such a prick. I don't want him messing Colin's face and have his face--and other parts of his body--be rearranged once Colin, myself, Janelle, and Twyla were done with him."

"So you have a violent side to you as well. Hmm...better store that in my memory bank just in case," he teased, grinning slightly at her.

"You're making fun of me, Professor. You really shouldn't. I do get a very nasty temper when I am being made fun of," she replied candidly, a shadow of a grin hovering over her lips as well. "Anyway, that's all I came here for tonight, to personally thank you. I already thanked Hermione earlier while you two were still there with us after Derek left. I couldn't really thank you in public without raising any more eyebrows from the small audience that gathered around to watch the outcome of Derek and Colin's staring fest."

"You're welcome, Weasley. Now go before somebody catches you," he made a shooing movement.

"Like anybody other than you and probably Hermione and those other two new teachers passes by here," she rolled her eyes skyward and shook her head where loose locks of red hair escaped the ponytail she made.

"Hmm...a student who knows exactly who passes by these halls...I think I should give you detention for that," he was in full teasing mood right now, and he didn't care if he was teasing-slash-flirting with a student. It was Friday night, nobody was around, and he was only a year older than her. Hell, screw the rules! He was actually having some fun here!

"Hey, if my detention requires me to sit down and mark stupid essays written by students that couldn't even talk about other topics, then fine," she grinned broadly, crossing her arms over her chest and staring at Draco, "Bring it on, Professor," she challenged.

Draco chuckled, "You really think my lower year students write very poor essays, Weasley?"

"Honestly?" she looked a bit apprehensive. Although at times she could easily forget that Draco was no longer a fellow student but a teacher here at Hogwarts, still there was a nagging voice at the back of her head telling her that he was no Hermione; with her friend she could talk freely and discuss any school-related matter without worrying about her reaction, but with Draco it was different.

"Yes, honestly," he nodded. He sensed that Ginny doesn't trust him wholly yet, and he couldn't really blame her. They were playing a game; take one step forward and take two steps back.

"Well, some of them certainly knows what they're talking about..." Ginny went on telling him what she thought of his other students' essays. It took them a good hour standing there in the dimly lit hallway, only a few feet apart, talking like two old friends who never had a history of family grudge or feud.

Draco listened attentively to what she was saying, occasionally letting his thoughts stray and be mesmerized by her beauty. Her opinions mattered to him simply because they were all worth listening to and following. After she made a comment about the poor essay writing capabilities of his other students, he started paying close attention to each of his students and found out that she was indeed right in her assumptions. Since then he has worked hard to make sure that each of his students learned how to write and present a well-written essay that deserved full marks.

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A/N: this chapter didn't make sense to me while I was typing it up. I think I am fighting off the dreaded writer's block for this one now...uh-oh...but fear not, I'm sure I'll bounce back from it. as always let me know if this one sucked or not really. thanks!

A/N2: I know, I know, usually after the a/n I thank each and every reviewer personally, but after not being able to update in like 3 days I received quite a lot of reviews and...since it's already 2:15am right now I am kinda getting very sleepy to answer each and every question asked in each of your reviews, but hopefully I did get to answer some of your burning questions--or maybe after this chappie is posted and I'm all caught-up, hehehe

PhoenixRae sends her thanks to the following reviewers:

cherries, hermmes, Anyanka, hasapi, wowsergirl, Jade Stellar, MYSTIQUE, tigereyes320, Jenn, Xela, beautifuldreamer, The Dragon Guardian of the Sea, Crystal, Faltering Hues, txt-eva, lama, allieshee, Miss Marauder, kellyanne, Arella Hallo, happy kid, SAngel, MellisaAdams, December's Girl, Loves-Kiss, Angel-Hiragizawa32, August, Laura, G. Zan, KeeperOfTheMoon, slytherin-cool, Angie, izzy, Weasley Pride, mavis, Bess, Hunter, Beccs, DaRkShAdOwS, Polgara, Cassandra Sisenta or Krey-Zey, *karly*, Hannah4Daniel, Sharlene, charismatic, myobgirly, Starry, vanns