A Fresh Start
Ginny spent the next week with Oliver. She had been owled by Snape with his former lesson plans. While Oliver worked she planed for her classes and worked on her potions. Oliver had a wonderful basement that worked brilliantly for potion brewing. Ginny spent her free time either down there or on Oliver's porch. She especially liked it when they sat together out there at night after Oliver came back from work.
Work was stressful for Oliver; the aurors were still interrogating some death eaters. After the war there had been copycat muggle attacks that were parallel to the ones during the war. The death eaters that were behind these attacks had not yet been found, as well as assassination attempts on Dumbledore, Snape and other powerful members of the wizarding world. Ginny tried to help Oliver relax in many different ways.
"Ollie," Ginny said as they lay in bed together late one night.
"Hmm," Oliver mumbled his face pressed into his pillows.
"Are you awake?" she asked.
"Yes," he said turning his head to look at her.
"I was thinking that I am going to go to Hogwarts early."
"That's great," he said, "maybe then I can get some sleep, love."
"Stop being a brat," she smacked his arm, "at least I have not begun to plan our wedding yet."
"Speaking of, when is that, I suppose I should get the day off."
"You bet your arse you had better," she snapped then she kissed his temple. "Are you okay with me going to Hogwarts early, we did plan to spend this time together."
"Yes, anyway the fault for us not spending time together is mine, we are swamped at work," he said.
"Ok, night Ollie."
"Night Gin, sweet dreams." Both drifted off to sleep wrapped in the other's arms.
Ginny woke refreshed the next morning. She rolled over running her hand along the empty soft cotton sheets. She groaned as she opened her eyes. On Oliver's pillow lay a note and a dark red rose. She smiled softly as she read the note
Dearest Virginia,
I'm so sorry that I was called into to work today. I had really wanted to spend the day with you as planned, but duty called. Don't leave for Hogwarts today, wait a while, so that I can properly apologize to you. And my dear, you cannot leave until I give you a proper send off. (Wink, wink.)
Forever yours
Oliver
So Ginny laid in bed for a while in a lazy mood, once she finally got up she packed her trunks for Hogwarts. She checked all of Oliver's cabinets for potions. Checking out what he had and what he needed. She had slowly been restocking his personal stores.
"That's the good thing about dating a potions mistress," he said as he slid his arms around her waist while she was looking in his kitchen cupboards.
"Nice to know that you're only dating me for my talent with potions," she joked leaning back in his arms.
"That's not the only reason Gin," he said before kissing her shoulder. "I still have an apology to make."
"It's going to take a lot on your part," she turned around and slipped her arms around his neck. Oliver kissed his way from one shoulder to her other. Ginny captured his mouth with hers in a hungry kiss. Oliver took Ginny's hand and led her into their bedroom. She kneeled on the bed and up pulled Oliver on to the bed.
He ran his hands down her back until they rested on her hips. One hand stayed on her hips while the other unbuttoned her blouse. He left it open while he focused on kissing her body and removing any barriers from receiving what he wanted. Oliver then pushed it off her shoulders and revealed her lightly freckled torso. Ginny pulled Oliver's shirt over his head and ran her fingers up his toned chest. Oliver kissed her roughly before he nipped at her neck. Ginny teased his flat nipples before pulling his head back up for a kiss. She groaned as Oliver lowered her back on the bed and settled between her legs. He drew her in to a long sensual kiss.
******************
The Weasley family did not forget about Ginny, they couldn't find her. No one was telling them anything. Mr. Sinclair, her former boss, refused to tell them anything because it was invading Ginny's privacy. Over their years working together he had come to be quite fond of the only female Weasley. He had figured that if they didn't know then Ginny had it that way for a reason. Oliver, even though he knew the truth, was less than helpful and told every Weasley that he came into contact with that Ginny most likely had a good reason to leave without telling them and that if they did anything to Ginny ever again to cause her pain he would personally kick the shit out of each and everyone of them. Hogwarts had not announced any new staff members however it was a known fact that after being named Headmaster, Snape had personally chosen the new potions master.
Arthur had tried with his ministry connections to get the information from Snape. Severus had told him where to stick it. He was busy readying for the new term and didn't want to deal with anything. He was already having trouble with his staff. McGonagall had died in the war and had been recently replaced by a newly free Sirius Black. Flitwick had agreed to become deputy headmaster at Severus' request. Flitwick had always liked Severus. They were still going through defense teachers yearly. Currently the new defense teacher was Lee Jordan, who along with Oliver was a young auror and veteran of the war with Voldemort. He was the first returning DADA teacher in a long time.
The entire staff would be arriving at Hogwarts a few days before the start of term. Ginny bid Oliver good-bye and boarded the train that would take her to Hogsmeade. It was an emotional time for them both.
"Worry not Oliver, " she said, "this wedding will be planned in no time."
""Really," he pretended to shudder at the thought. He kissed her before she boarded the train. There where some older witches watching the heartfelt goodbye. They smiled at Ginny, when the young witch loaded her trunks and heaved her bag across her shoulder.
""Oliver," she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him deeply again, "I'll see you soon."
"Owl me as soon as you get there."
"I will," and with that Ginny took a window seat on the train Oliver waited until the train sped away before apparating home.
She arrived at Hogwarts before supper and was met at the train depot by the deputy headmaster. She shrunk her trunks and placed them in her worn travel bag. Her and Professor Flitwick got into the carriages provided by the headmaster.
"Miss Weasley if I may ask, how on earth did you get the job as Severus' assistant all those years ago?" he asked the new potions professor.
"I think that it was Dumbledore idea, Professor," she replied.
"Fillius, we are colleagues now."
"Then call me Ginny please," she told her former charms professor, " I don't think that Professor Snape would have taken an assistant if Dumbledore didn't think he needed one, least of all me."
"Why, you had some of the best potions scores since Severus himself was a student."
"Professor Snape and I had some differences in opinions, and some conflict about my experimentations in his class, you see Fred and George had employed me to help with their potions and I had run out of boomslang and I borrowed some from Snape. Then I got detention and told him off, I honestly thought he was going to hex me."
"What did you tell him?"
"That he didn't scare me, that I had real fears and he wasn't one of them. Then he met with the headmaster and came back in a pissy state."
"That's Severus."
Once they had arrived at Hogwarts the house elves took her things to the teacher's floor and dinner was soon served.
"Ginny," Lee exclaimed happy to see his best friends little sister alive, "Your family is looking all over for you."
"And they won't find me here," she said smiling sweetly, "I chose to leave and if you tell them I have many tasteless and odorless potions that can show up in strange places."
"Hey Gin, that fine with me," he said quickly, "other than that how've you been?"
"Great, Oliver and I are engaged," she told Lee, "How are you?"
"Just fine now that I am here and not interrogating and holding hearings and investigations like some poor saps that I can think of," he quipped good naturedly.
"You mean Ollie."
"I didn't mention any names." After supper Sirius Black showed Ginny to her rooms. Her rooms were between Lee and Sirius' rooms each on one side.
"Gryffindors and Ravenclaws over here and Slytherins and Hufflepuffs over there. Snape is in the center as headmaster." Sirius remarked.
"Good to know," she said.
"Ginny are you ok?" Sirius asked.
"Fine just a little nervous," she replied honestly.
"Don't worry, Snape wouldn't have hired you unless he thought you could handle it," he tried to comfort her, "you will do fine."
She retired to her room and started her letter to Oliver. She told him about her conversation with Lee and Sirius. She sent the letter of and was getting ready for bed when her door chimed. She opened it and Professor Sinistra, Lee Jordan, and Professor Vladimir were all standing there.
"Come on in," she said.
"We decided to welcome you," Aurora Sinistra-Snape said.
"Thank you and Congratulations on your marriage to Professor Snape," she said
"Call me Aurora, Ginny," the astronomy teacher said.
"Lee hugged Ginny something he had wanted to do since dinner. She was practically a sister to him and he wanted to get to the bottom of the mystery surrounding her disappearance.
"Ginny you are going to have to tell me about why you left the burrow, they don't even know you have a job here."
"Good, they will find out when I think that they should," she told Lee, "can I get you anything?"
"No, Ginny, we just wanted to make sure you were settling in." Alexander Vladimir, professor of ancient runes, told her.
To be continued