Summary: Draco Malfoy stands trial before the Ministry for his crimes as a
Death Eater. His only vote of confidence is a letter from Albus Dumbledore,
who died during the Final Battle. The current headmistress, Ginny Weasley
mistrusts her new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, but Dumbledore
must have known something.
Disclaimer: My name is not J.K. Rowling, I do not own Harry Potter, and am not either Warner Brother.
Crimes Against The Heart
Chapter 6
"First love is only a little foolishness and a lot of curiosity: no really self-respecting woman would take advantage of it." -George Bernard Shaw-
Ginny sat in her office contemplating the greater mysteries of the World, mostly those people whom she found to be an enigma, mostly Draco Malfoy. She had heard about his first lesson and it made so little sense to her where his loyalties lie. He was not as Snape had been, partial to Slytherin students, but rather seemed to hate everyone. His lesson plans were thoughtful and productive and his methods worked with the students. Ginny hated to admit it, but the one time Slytherin was being fair and her show of confidence had not been in vain. Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on her door. She glanced up from the parchment she was reading.
"Ginny? It's me Harry," Harry Potter called through the sturdy oak door. He sounded as though he was a student being sent to the headmistress as opposed to one of her dearest friends.
"Come in, Harry," she replied as he stepped through the door and embraced her. She smiled as she looked at her friend. He looked slightly nervous and preoccupied as he stood in the doorway looking at her. "How have things been lately?"
"I am afraid I don't have much good news, Gin," he said suddenly as though he did not want to forget why he had come to Hogwarts. Ginny's face transformed into one of fear and deep concern. "Death Eaters are moving once again, it was foolish of me to believe they would disappear as soon as Voldemort fell," Harry said placing all of the blame on himself.
"It was foolish of all of us," she corrected absently. She still saw traces of guilt linger on his face.
"I was so worried about you. You are stuck here with Snape and Malfoy, I just had to come and make sure you were safe," he rambled making Ginny feel very small. He took a small step towards her and leaned his face close to hers. "I miss you so much, Gin." He brushed his lips against her cheek, but Ginny pulled away. She did not feel any differently towards him as she had felt the last time she had tried to force herself to love him.
"Harry, I can't. I just can't...I feel the same way I felt all those years ago," she said quietly. The look on his face was enough to know his heart was breaking on the inside. Harry had made that same face all those years ago when he had asked to marry her and she had refused. Ginny had felt too much pressure from her family and wasn't sure Harry was what she wanted. Now, she was glad she had declined his offer. It wasn't that she did not love Harry, but it was a different kind of love than what needed to exist between lovers.
If Ginny had said yes there would be so many things she never had a chance to do. She would never had met or fallen in love with Derrick. She might never had become Headmistress. She never would have gotten to teach and know Snape. She would never have met Brangaine, whom she loved like her own daughter. Most of all, she had come to know Harry was not what she wanted in the least bit. And she knew if she had married him she would forever be 'Harry Potter's wife' and that was not what Ginny wanted to be.
"Ginny, you have to understand that I still love you. I have always loved you and just because he hurt you does not mean I will, I swear. We could have it all," he said dragging Derrick into the conversation, which inevitably lead to Ginny's temper explosion. No one besides Ginny and Derrick truly knew what happened between them, she had let her family believe as they like. She had just never bothered to correct tgeir misguided views.
"How could you talk about Derrick to me?" she asked. "How DARE you?" she rephrased hoping her anger was being understood. Harry had no right to talk about something he could never understand.
"He was a Slytherin, Ginny, he was never good enough for you," Harry tried to convince her. Harry's prejudice against Slytherins was rival of Draco's hatred of mud bloods and muggle-lovers.
"And you are?" she snapped. He had not been there when Derrick had made the toughest decision of his life. Harry had never had to make that decision.
"At least I never abandoned you, I mean I know Derrick did not want to. Just because he was a stuck-up, pureblooded, spoilt-"
"Don't finish that sentence, Harry. Derrick's choices are his alone, and just because I am not one of his choices doesn't mean I hate him," Ginny explained. "Part of me will always love him. Part of me will always love you, just not the part of me you want me to love you with." Ginny struggled to find the words to tell Harry how she felt about him. Yet, somehow she knew he understood, even if he didn't understand how she could feel the same about Derrick. Derrick was gone and Harry was here.
"Gin, I just came here to say be careful. Even if you don't feel the same way I do, I just want you to be safe," he finished lamely. "My offer will always stand, Gin. I know you're the only one for me, you just still have to learn it."
"Harry, I know better than anyone the pangs of unrequited love, of terrible schoolgirl crushes, don't do that to yourself-"
"You do it to yourself. Derrick is never coming back, you can not ever love him again and you do it still," he interrupted heatedly. Harry was beginning to see he was fighting a losing battle against the Headmistress. He grabbed her wrist in the heat of the moment, but would not let go.
"It's hard to stop loving someone," Ginny murmured in response.
"I love you," Harry repeated once again trying to kiss Ginny, this time on the lips. Unfortunately, at that very moment in walked Draco Malfoy for his meeting with the Headmistress to discuss his contract.
"How utterly revolting," Draco snickered. "Potter loves the littlest Weasley."
"Don't use words you don't know the meaning of, Death Eater," Harry responded snidely. "Love is not in your dictionary."
"I wasn't aware Death Eaters had a dictionary, never having been one myself. I suppose you would know, though. I mean Aurors are killers, too," Draco replied suavely causing Harry to splutter indignantly.
"Aurors are not killers, they are sworn to defend-"
"Defend some people by killing others," Draco interjected.
"That will be quite enough, both of you," Ginny said interrupting their little spat. "Draco, your contract is on the desk, I think you will find the terms agreeable," she said pointing to a stack of parchment lying on her desk. He picked up the packet and headed out the door, but turned around for one last remark.
"Sorry, Potter. Continue your little sordid affair with your best friend's sister," he said laughing maliciously.
"How can you stand to work with him, Gin?" asked Harry completely baffled.
"He works for me," she answered smirking a bit formulating a plan of her own. Oh, how I love being Headmistress, she thought.
A/N: Now does everyone understand Harry and Ginny's past and why there is no chance for them to get back together? Also, I don't know if this is going to be Draco/Ginny, it all depends on how the plot fits together. Brangaine will have a greater importance in the later chapters, but for right now she's just waiting for her chance to shine. I need everyone to remember Ginny basically raised her, so they have a special bond. Also, another important reason why Ginny became Headmistress will be revealed. Thanks a bunch, Love KTBallerina.
Disclaimer: My name is not J.K. Rowling, I do not own Harry Potter, and am not either Warner Brother.
Crimes Against The Heart
Chapter 6
"First love is only a little foolishness and a lot of curiosity: no really self-respecting woman would take advantage of it." -George Bernard Shaw-
Ginny sat in her office contemplating the greater mysteries of the World, mostly those people whom she found to be an enigma, mostly Draco Malfoy. She had heard about his first lesson and it made so little sense to her where his loyalties lie. He was not as Snape had been, partial to Slytherin students, but rather seemed to hate everyone. His lesson plans were thoughtful and productive and his methods worked with the students. Ginny hated to admit it, but the one time Slytherin was being fair and her show of confidence had not been in vain. Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on her door. She glanced up from the parchment she was reading.
"Ginny? It's me Harry," Harry Potter called through the sturdy oak door. He sounded as though he was a student being sent to the headmistress as opposed to one of her dearest friends.
"Come in, Harry," she replied as he stepped through the door and embraced her. She smiled as she looked at her friend. He looked slightly nervous and preoccupied as he stood in the doorway looking at her. "How have things been lately?"
"I am afraid I don't have much good news, Gin," he said suddenly as though he did not want to forget why he had come to Hogwarts. Ginny's face transformed into one of fear and deep concern. "Death Eaters are moving once again, it was foolish of me to believe they would disappear as soon as Voldemort fell," Harry said placing all of the blame on himself.
"It was foolish of all of us," she corrected absently. She still saw traces of guilt linger on his face.
"I was so worried about you. You are stuck here with Snape and Malfoy, I just had to come and make sure you were safe," he rambled making Ginny feel very small. He took a small step towards her and leaned his face close to hers. "I miss you so much, Gin." He brushed his lips against her cheek, but Ginny pulled away. She did not feel any differently towards him as she had felt the last time she had tried to force herself to love him.
"Harry, I can't. I just can't...I feel the same way I felt all those years ago," she said quietly. The look on his face was enough to know his heart was breaking on the inside. Harry had made that same face all those years ago when he had asked to marry her and she had refused. Ginny had felt too much pressure from her family and wasn't sure Harry was what she wanted. Now, she was glad she had declined his offer. It wasn't that she did not love Harry, but it was a different kind of love than what needed to exist between lovers.
If Ginny had said yes there would be so many things she never had a chance to do. She would never had met or fallen in love with Derrick. She might never had become Headmistress. She never would have gotten to teach and know Snape. She would never have met Brangaine, whom she loved like her own daughter. Most of all, she had come to know Harry was not what she wanted in the least bit. And she knew if she had married him she would forever be 'Harry Potter's wife' and that was not what Ginny wanted to be.
"Ginny, you have to understand that I still love you. I have always loved you and just because he hurt you does not mean I will, I swear. We could have it all," he said dragging Derrick into the conversation, which inevitably lead to Ginny's temper explosion. No one besides Ginny and Derrick truly knew what happened between them, she had let her family believe as they like. She had just never bothered to correct tgeir misguided views.
"How could you talk about Derrick to me?" she asked. "How DARE you?" she rephrased hoping her anger was being understood. Harry had no right to talk about something he could never understand.
"He was a Slytherin, Ginny, he was never good enough for you," Harry tried to convince her. Harry's prejudice against Slytherins was rival of Draco's hatred of mud bloods and muggle-lovers.
"And you are?" she snapped. He had not been there when Derrick had made the toughest decision of his life. Harry had never had to make that decision.
"At least I never abandoned you, I mean I know Derrick did not want to. Just because he was a stuck-up, pureblooded, spoilt-"
"Don't finish that sentence, Harry. Derrick's choices are his alone, and just because I am not one of his choices doesn't mean I hate him," Ginny explained. "Part of me will always love him. Part of me will always love you, just not the part of me you want me to love you with." Ginny struggled to find the words to tell Harry how she felt about him. Yet, somehow she knew he understood, even if he didn't understand how she could feel the same about Derrick. Derrick was gone and Harry was here.
"Gin, I just came here to say be careful. Even if you don't feel the same way I do, I just want you to be safe," he finished lamely. "My offer will always stand, Gin. I know you're the only one for me, you just still have to learn it."
"Harry, I know better than anyone the pangs of unrequited love, of terrible schoolgirl crushes, don't do that to yourself-"
"You do it to yourself. Derrick is never coming back, you can not ever love him again and you do it still," he interrupted heatedly. Harry was beginning to see he was fighting a losing battle against the Headmistress. He grabbed her wrist in the heat of the moment, but would not let go.
"It's hard to stop loving someone," Ginny murmured in response.
"I love you," Harry repeated once again trying to kiss Ginny, this time on the lips. Unfortunately, at that very moment in walked Draco Malfoy for his meeting with the Headmistress to discuss his contract.
"How utterly revolting," Draco snickered. "Potter loves the littlest Weasley."
"Don't use words you don't know the meaning of, Death Eater," Harry responded snidely. "Love is not in your dictionary."
"I wasn't aware Death Eaters had a dictionary, never having been one myself. I suppose you would know, though. I mean Aurors are killers, too," Draco replied suavely causing Harry to splutter indignantly.
"Aurors are not killers, they are sworn to defend-"
"Defend some people by killing others," Draco interjected.
"That will be quite enough, both of you," Ginny said interrupting their little spat. "Draco, your contract is on the desk, I think you will find the terms agreeable," she said pointing to a stack of parchment lying on her desk. He picked up the packet and headed out the door, but turned around for one last remark.
"Sorry, Potter. Continue your little sordid affair with your best friend's sister," he said laughing maliciously.
"How can you stand to work with him, Gin?" asked Harry completely baffled.
"He works for me," she answered smirking a bit formulating a plan of her own. Oh, how I love being Headmistress, she thought.
A/N: Now does everyone understand Harry and Ginny's past and why there is no chance for them to get back together? Also, I don't know if this is going to be Draco/Ginny, it all depends on how the plot fits together. Brangaine will have a greater importance in the later chapters, but for right now she's just waiting for her chance to shine. I need everyone to remember Ginny basically raised her, so they have a special bond. Also, another important reason why Ginny became Headmistress will be revealed. Thanks a bunch, Love KTBallerina.