Percy Weasley sat at his desk as Minister for Magic, scribbling avidly with a handsome peacock quill. He heard a knock and looked up. He had told his secretary not to let anyone in. It had to be urgent. He placed his quill in its holder and rolled up the parchment on his desk. Whoever it was, they had no right to see what he was writing.
"Come in." He said regally, sitting up straight in his throne-like chair.
The person who walked in, however, nearly made him faint from shock. He gripped the arms of his chair. How dare he come in here? Did he not know that none of his kin were welcome in his presence? It had been hard to allow them to continue to work in the Ministry, but for them to present themselves in his office? Especially him?
He crossed his arms, "What are you doing here?"
"I'm not here because I want to, trust me." The red-headed man snapped. "A Dampening Draught has been placed over Hogwarts and those who used magic while it was in place are sickening. Zephari Black has gone into a comatose state."
"And what does this have to do with me?" Percy asked languidly.
"What does this-?" His visitor repeated incredulously, "For Merlin's sake, she's your great niece! You can't tell me you've sunk as low as to not care what happens to Lily's daughter when she was the only one who talked to you after what you did to us!"
Percy cringed. He felt guilty for severing his links to his family, but he had no other choice. He had his own life, his own problems; he did not need to deal with the multitude of Weasleys and their issues. "Hogwarts can solve its own problems, can it not?" He asked smoothly.
He earned a glare for that, "Dethol has run off to save the world, without any help from the Ministry. I am here to ask you if we may send our most affected students to Hogsmeade."
"Go ahead, I'm not going to punish the students for one adult's idiocy." Percy said lightly.
"I don't know you any more." The visitor snarled, "To think that Mum still cries because you didn't show up at Ron's funeral. You've become no better than Fudge, and look at where his stupidity got him!"
"Do not speak that way about Cornelius Fudge!" Percy snapped, standing.
He was still a thin man, yet he was a tall man. He and his brother were of the same stature, both taller and lankier than their other brothers. No, they were not his brothers anymore. He was separate from them. He saw that Bill Weasley's face was creased with lines of worry and he had streaks of grey in his red hair. He knew that he, as well, had such things added to his appearance.
"I'll speak of him any way I want, Percy." Bill breathed menacingly, "He tried to kill Harry at the battle. You know this, you were there. He went mad with hate because he refused to believe the truth!"
Percy's face was flushed with embarrassment and dislike. Bill's voice had risen steadily throughout his speech, of sorts, so that he was speaking at normal volume after having spoken at a whisper at the beginning. As Percy watched him, he felt anger boiling in him.
"You never understood what it's like to work for the Ministry!" He snapped, his voice and temper flaring, "You never got it! We have press fluttering around us constantly! One wrong word could break us, so we have to be careful and watch everything we say or do!" He took a deep breath, "All you've ever cared about was catching dark wizards and witches so you could 'avenge' those who you cared about. Be happy that I even allow you to continue running about freely, as you've broken countless laws!"
"Nice to know you have a bit of familial attachment left in you." Bill growled.
"Just warn your little friend," Percy replied quietly as Bill headed for the door, "This time, if he kills anyone, not even a plea of insanity will save him."
Bill whirled to glare at him, "You wouldn't. Even if you're an arrogant, overbearing git, you wouldn't lock up someone to whom you owe so much."
Percy arched an eyebrow, "Oh, I would indeed. Pardon only extends so far. Now, get out."
The Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry left his office with the slamming of the door. Percy sat back in his chair and kept his hands firmly clenched onto the arm rests. He would not fire all the Weasleys working at the Ministry. They had an incredibly embarrassing amount of children to support, after all. However, he did have other matters to attend to.
He unrolled the parchment he had been writing on, a letter to Katie Bell's family. It was nearly finished, full of his apologies and regrets but not giving them a reason as to her death. He owed them that much. Even he admitted that there were still Death Eaters amok. He also knew that Lucius Malfoy would not be above killing one of Harry's friends to achieve some kind of twisted revenge.
He dipped his quill in ink and held it above the parchment. He was going to tell them all he knew, they deserved that. He had been friends with Katie in school, after all. He sighed and began to write, feeling as if he were sealing his own doom in the letter. If what he said got out, panic would ensue and he would be pressured to fix things.
If my suspicions are correct, your daughter was murdered and used in dark rituals by the few Death Eaters who have managed to evade Aurors...
Draco looked over at Ginny as they stood in the Headmaster's office, waiting for the eldest weasel to get back from a younger weasel's office. Bill stepped from the fireplace with a sigh, nodding at both of them. Draco saw Ginny roll her eyes irritably and settled for crossing his arms irritably.
"Why did you even go see that git?" Ginny demanded hotly, "You know he can't do anything to us for staying the Shrieking Shack."
"I know, but it's best not to get on the Ministry's bad side when it would do nothing but aid the remaining Death Eaters." The Headmaster answered, running a hand through his slightly greying red hair.
"So, only the seventh years, then?" Draco asked, making sure he was correct.
"Take the fifth years as well." Bill ordered, to his surprise.
"Uh... Why?" He demanded.
"You're to train them for their OWLs and NEWTs, obviously." The lunatic answered.
Draco scowled. He no longer just had twenty Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs, but forty of the idiotic children to watch. He hoped the Slytherins and Ravenclaws would be able to control the stupider students. It would not be good if they accidentally lit their accommodations on fire, seeing as it was an unnaturally chilly January.
"They've already been informed that they are leaving tonight, after the feast," Bill added, looking evenly at Draco.
"You knew that we'd have to take twice as many of the brats?" Draco demanded, whirling on Ginny.
"Well... yes." She answered, smirking at him, "I would have thought you would have known as well."
"Bloody Gryffindors... always assuming things..." He trailed off.
"I suggest you two gather your things and bring them to your new location before the feast." Bill said slyly.
"Bloody hell!" Draco snapped, "We're basically going into exile to go live in a decrepit mound of wood and nearly freeze to death and that's all you say to us?"
Ginny laughed and grabbed onto his arm, "Come on, Draco," She said in a teasing tone.
Draco fumed. All the weasels were after him, putting their muggle-loving hands all over him. Why had he switched sides anyways? So he could spend time with these lunatics? Somehow, it did not seem a fair exchange. His services in exchange for them to put their grubby hands on his sleeves as they towed him around as they wished, revelling in muggle customs, filling him with their deliriously delectable desserts and shoving him in piles of dust and rubbish that they called dwellings.
No, He told himself, I switched sides because there was absolutely no way I was going to abase myself before a stupid half-blood with a grudge. No way was I going to risk my neck only to be defeated by Potter. That would have been the ultimate humiliation. Not to mention that Azkaban would completely tarnish my devilish good looks.
Draco wrenched his arm from the hellcat's grip. "I suppose your husband isn't very pleased about this arrangement?" He asked, smirking.
"Actually... He doesn't know." Ginny answered, biting her lower lip, "He's gone into hiding with Cho, so I can't reach him."
"Oh." He faltered, not having expected their conversation to take a depressing turn.
"Meet back here in five minutes." She called, walking swiftly in the direction of her office and quarters.
Draco stared after her. Five minutes? Five minutes was barely enough time to go up to his office, let alone pack all his things! He needed his hair... uh... air supply to last him the walk, yes. He sighed and headed quickly in the direction of his office, scowling at those students who got in his way. They were soon out of his path.
Miraculously, he was in the Entrance Hall five minutes later with one trunk full of belongings. His clothes, his h-air supply intact, his favourite foods – as they would not have house elves in their new accommodations – and quills, parchment and other such things. He would have to teach while they were there, after all. Hopefully Ginny would take the younger imbeciles.
"Wow, I really didn't expect you to be here on time." Ginny taunted, her trunk floating gaily along behind her.
Draco raised an eyebrow, "Whatever made you think that?" He drawled.
"Oh, just the fact that you're quite a girl when it comes to belongings," She smirked and walked out the front doors.
"I am not!" Draco snapped, following.
"You are too!" Ginny called over her shoulder, "What with your beauty products and all."
"Beauty products?" He spluttered indigently.
"Don't bother to lie to yourself, Draco, I know all about you and your relationship with your hair." She snickered.
"How?" He hissed, speeding up to walk beside her.
She arched an eyebrow, "You forget how much the Slytherin girls liked to gossip, especially about you."
"They wouldn't!" He snapped.
"Oh, they would." She affirmed, smiling evilly, "Pansy Parkinson announced it to the Great Hall the day after you dumped her."
"Which time?" He asked, stopping out of reach of the Whomping Willow's branches.
"Your seventh year, just before Halloween," Ginny answered with a smile, leaving her trunk beside him to dart forward and press the knot on the trunk of the willow.
"Ah, that time." He mused, walking forward when the branches froze, "She was most annoyed when she caught me kissing a certain Gryffindor red-head."
"Whatever possessed you to do that, I'll never know." Ginny answered with a smile before dropping into the tunnel.
He followed suit, brushed dust off his robes. They would have to send the students through in threes and twos so that they would not get clobbered. This would take time. He would go ahead, obviously, and Ginny would stay with the mongrels. The less time he spent with them, the longer he would be able to survive in their company.
"Well, that one hellcat is quite an attractive woman." He murmured as they set off down the tunnel when their trunks joined them.
She turned to look at him, surprise etched on her face, but he busied himself with ducking under an imaginary root. She's married, He told himself, and has six kids. I'm a hopeless man. I should just give up and get over her. I had my chance, but Corner won. How the hell did that happen anyways? Oh, right, I devoted myself to my work in the end. Damn it all. Why did she choose that idiotic anti-Gryffindor git over this sexy anti-Gryffindor rich man?
Ginny glanced back over her shoulder numerous times as they walked down the tunnel. Had he actually said he found her attractive? She thought he had stopped feeling anything towards her when he plunged into his work as an Auror sixteen years prior. She tripped into the stairs, cursed and righted herself. They entered the decaying place, the walls swaying slightly.
"I hate this place," She sighed, looking around.
"Rather drab." Draco drawled from behind her, "Budge up, weasel, you're blocking the doorway."
She blushed scarlet and took a step to the left. On impulse, she took her wand from her pocket. She quickly conjured eighty squishy black sleeping bags scattered around the floor and two slightly thicker, larger ones for herself and Draco rather apart from the others. She lit a fire in the fireplace of the main room they were in and reattached the splintered parts of the desk's legs to its owner.
Satisfied, Ginny turned to Draco, who was scowling at the fireplace.
"You sure it won't burn through what's left of that wall?" He asked her.
"Positive, 'Mione taught me that spell a few years back and it doesn't burn wood yet creates warmth." She said proudly, "Ready to set wards?"
"I can do so on my own." He sounded insulted.
"I'd rather not be left alone in this depressing place." Ginny told him without thinking.
It was true; the Shrieking Shack was not a place she wanted to be in alone. She was not afraid of it, as it was not haunted, but it brought back memories she wished she did not have. Of Harry, Ron, Hermione, Sirius, Remus... basically everyone, to be honest. Dumbledore's Army had even met in there once. But what her words had really meant was that she did not want to be far from him, which was also strangely true.
Come on, Gin, She thought firmly, you're a married woman. Ginevra Weasley-Corner is your name now, the students know you as Professor Corner. Besides, he had his chance to have you and he ruined it. You chose the outspoken Ravenclaw over the sexy Slytherin sixteen years ago, you can't go back now. Even if you had a Time Turner, you can't change the past that far back.
A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. She had forgotten just how handsome he was when he truly smiled. He rarely did so now, not since his year-mates had tried to kill him when he refused the Dark Mark. Only later did Blaise Zabini become a spy for the good, following in Severus's footsteps. And now even Blaise was gone.
Ginny smiled back and they walked around the perimeter of the house from the inside, warding it against outside attacks and any fires. The latter was something Draco insisted on, so Ginny performed that spell. It felt good to spend time with him in mutual cooperation.
"We had better go back." He said with a tinge of... reluctance? No, it could not be, she was just fooling herself with her school-girl thoughts.
"The feast will be starting soon," Ginny agreed.
This time, he led the way down the tunnel. Ginny tried very hard not to think incriminating thoughts. She was married with six children. She could not be having these thoughts... but she was. She, Ginny Weasley-Corner, had a crush on somebody at forty-eight years of age. Somebody who was not her husband.