Undivided

Chapter 5: If Ever Anything Goes Wrong

Author's jibberish: Agh, finals are over. Thanks goodness.

To Kriss: "i wanna know how the couple work out (if they do) and what they're first kiss is gunna be like (they ARE gunna kiss tho right?...")  Evil grin we'll see…

To Anna2004: "Shorter chapters than in the previous D/G-story, but hey, I'm really looking forward to read the rest of the story."  Well, the layout is about 12 chapters… I think. That's the plan.

To Eienvine: "Poor Draco. How's he going to protect Ginny, save the day, and elope with Ginny and move into a nice house with a white picket fence and raise their five pink-haired children? I mean, erm . . . Draco should save the day. Yeah."  Pink-hair Oo?!?! Hah, that's kinda kooky looking. Sorry, I just ate cotton candy earlier, so that's why… well, keep reading and you'll see whether they do have a picket fence and all that.

To Ang3l666: "I thought you had dropped off the face of the earth!! It's been so long!"  Actually, I've just been so busy with school (Microbiology, especially. You understand, right?) But since summer is starting, updates might be more frequent instead of monthly, as I've been doing so since I posted the first chapter.)

Recently, I saw on JKRowling's official site that Ginny's real name is Ginerva. I rather like the name Virginia, and since I've been using that since the beginning, I'll keep everything consistent and continue with it. If I write another story, I'll probably use Ginerva instead. Sorry.

One day in early December, Ginny was heading to the Great Hall when she saw three tall figures standing at the doorway. One was obvious, with rich purple robes and snow white beard and hair that ended at his waist. Across from him stood a carrot top man wearing brown robes. Beside him was a man with jet-black locks, black wire glasses and wore the same brown robes. Ginny recognized them at second glance and made a mad dash to them.

            "Ron!" she exclaimed. "Harry!"

            Ron turned away from the Headmaster and caught the stampeding girl in his arms. "Whoa, Gin!" he embraced her. "Slow down!"

            Dumbledore smiled. "Well, it must have been quite a while since the last time you've seen each other."

            "Five months," Ginny verified as she hugged Harry. "It's so good to see you two."

            Harry returned the gesture. "You look great. How are you?"

            "Thank you, I'm alright. Can you stay for lunch?" she asked them, and then turned to Dumbledore.

            "Of course," the old man twinkled. "I love seeing my old students…no matter how much trouble they made."

            Ron and Harry's ears went red.

            Then, Professor Snape appeared form one of the doors, near the hall. "Headmaster--," he stopped talking as his eyes fell on his former students. "Mr. Weasley… Mr. Potter…"

            "Professor Snape," Harry respectfully addressed.

            Dumbledore took a glance at his super-complicated watch. "Oh, I have some business to attend to now. It was very good to see you again, Mr. Weasley. Harry," and gave the young man a firm hand on the shoulder. "I will see you two later," he said and turned to smile at Ginny. He then left.

            "So when did you get here?" Ginny asked her brother and his friend.

            "Just now. We wanted to make sure we arrived around lunchtime," Ron said.

            "Yeah. Ron has been spastic since he found out Malfoy was on the grounds," Harry added.

            Ron just scowled at him. "If you found out that prat was your baby sister's teacher, you'd get agitated too."

            "No reason for that, Weasley. I'm a fair grader if I say so myself."

            Ginny didn't even notice Draco coming out of the Great Hall. Ron and Harry turned around and looked at their former school classmate.

            "Malfoy…" Ron bit.

            "So it's true," Draco said, eyeing their robes and the identical gold crest in the left breast of the fabric. "You're both training to be Aurors. I expected that," he smoothly commented.

            "And you're a teacher. I never expected that," Ron responded, scowling. Harry remained still, watching. "I thought you would have gone in… another direction."

            Draco's eyes quickly turned to Ginny for a few seconds, and then back to her brother. Ginny responded by pulling her gaze to the ground. "Once again, that shows how little you know still. So, where's the Third Wheel? I believe, Potter, you call her 'Bed-Partner'."

            Harry scowled too. "If you're talking about Hermione, she's at work."

            "An assistant at the Department of International Magical Cooperation," Draco stated. It seemed he did his homework, Ginny realized. "She couldn't get a better job? Then again, some divisions of the Ministry are very…selective on their employees."

            "She's happy where she is," Harry defended, his voice sounding slightly more dangerous than usual. "And she's extremely qualified in all she does."

            "I bet, Potter. You should know, you're her little boy-toy," Draco enjoyed the sight of an annoyed Harry Potter. "Now if you excuse me…can't exactly say it was great to see your faces Potter, Weasley…" his eyes fell on Ginny again but he quickly turned around and disappeared in the room Snape and Dumbledore entered.

            "Still a prick," Ron muttered.

            "Face it Ron," Harry shrugged. "Some things never change."

            Ginny smiled. Oh, she heard that one before. "How about we go eat now?"

            "Way ahead of you," Ron opened the door and entered the hall.

            Harry caught Ginny by the shoulder. "Just a second, Ginny."

            She stopped in her tracks and turned to him. "What's the matter, Harry?"
             "Is Malfoy always like that? You were here this whole time and he said nothing to you?"
            At first, she didn't know how to answer his question. He never says anything to me; we always exchange awkward glances in the halls and in class, Ginny silently remarked. Ever since that night in his office, she had strange dreams ever other week; they all had him in it. Though she knew saying all that was not something she was ready to share… "He was talking to you two… well, more like mouthing off. He only talks to his students during lecture, anyway."

            "Are you sure?" Harry didn't seem satisfied.

            Ginny forced a smile. "Of course I'm sure. I see him almost everyday."

            Harry just smiled and shook his head. "Sorry, Ginny. I sound like a block."

            "Don't worry," Ginny opened the door, "let's go inside."

            She didn't see that when she turned her back, Harry looked down the hall to the direction where Draco left. He hoped he was just imagining things.

            He recalled those few seconds Draco was looking at Ginny. Draco had a strange glow in his eyes. Harry knew that look: he saw it every morning in his own eyes, when he's getting ready in front of the mirror…with Hermione beside him.

            Worry crossed his brow. Oh, he hopped he was just jumping to conclusions.

            "Have you been studying for your practice NEWTs?" Ron asked his sister.

            The three were sitting at the end of the Gryffindor table. When they entered earlier, jaws dropped, the Gryffindor table erupted with glee and many first years asked for both Ron and Harry's signatures. Harry was rather embarrassed with the whole show, while Ron proudly took hold of an offered quill and scribbled his illegible signature.

            "Yeah, I started with the harder subjects, like Transfiguration and Arithmancy."

            "Remember when Hermione was a mental-case last year?" Ron laughed. "That was incredible!"

            Oh, Ginny remembered alright. That was the same time she paid visits to Draco in his Head-Boy chambers.

            "Hey, she was a lot worse when we took the real NEWTs," Harry added.

            "Yeah, she rearranged our whole schedule so we studied at least 4 hours a day. It was horrible."

            "I know."

            "Oh, you two are such babies," Ginny scolded. "You both have really good jobs now; you have no right to complain."

            "Yeah, Harry. I mean, have you taken a really thorough look at your Auror trainer?" Ron reminded.

            Harry shook his head, knowing where this was leading. "Not particularly."

            "Loads of bull," Ron remarked and turned to Ginny. "This guy is an unbelievable…what's the word…playboy, I believe."

            "Shut up Ron," Harry drank some juice.

            "Arielle asked him on a date," Ron told her.

            Ginny's mouth dropped. "But Harry-!"

            "It's a lunch between friends!" Harry defended. "It would be as if I was going to lunch with you, Ginny!"

            "What did Hermione say?" Ginny asked.

            Harry muttered something as he drank.

            "Sorry?" Ginny said.

            "She said nothing," Harry swallowed. "Not a bloody sound."

            "Is that good or bad?"

            "Extremely-Harry-better-pray-to-Merlin-for-guidance-bad," Ron explained. "You know Hermione. She always has an opinion on something. When she can't say anything, she's too fumed for words."

            "I don't understand it," Harry frowned. "I'm not interested in Arielle at all--."

            "Another head-case if you ask me. Hermione and Harry are perfect for each other," Ron commented.

            "—so why can't Hermione get that?" Harry finished, completely ignoring Ron's remarks.

            Ginny shook her head. "She's not confident in herself. You need to make her feel good about you two." Honestly, boys are so simple…

            "Geez, Harry, can you handle the high-maintenance?" Ron teased.

            "I know you can't. Megara is the physical proof," Harry bit.

            "Megara?" Ginny never heard about her before. "Who?"

            Ron became slightly pink.

            "We met her at the beginning of cadet training," Harry told her. "She's from Greece. She can't speak a stitch of English, except the word 'yes'. Naturally, Ron brought it on himself to help her out a little."

            Ginny's mouth dropped. "Ron!" she sounded scandalized. "What did mum say?!"

            "Nothing because she'll never know!" Ron looked at Ginny, then at Harry. "Besides, we were discussing Harry's love life. How did mine come about?"

            "Let's not forget Athens, Hannah, Leta, Esperanza, Rika…" Harry continued.

            Ron and Harry left once her classes started. "Take care, Gin. And study hard but don't forget to have fun. And if Malfoy is being unfair, owl me," Ron told her.

            Harry's words were a little more puzzling. "Ginny, if ever anything goes wrong, tell somebody. Ron, Hermione, Dumbledore, your parents, me… promise?"

            Unsure of what was going on in his head, Ginny just smiled and nodded. What were the thoughts running through his mind?

            Ginny turned her vision to Draco as he finished up his explanation to basic counter-curses. She then noticed she had re-written Harry's words on her parchment about 8 times: If ever anything goes wrong… If ever anything goes wrong…

            Then her eyes flew to Colin as she felt him touch her hand with his fingertips. His eyes were on her written words. Then he looked up to her, questioning what the matter was.

            "After lecture, Mr. Creevey, Ms. Weasley," Draco commanded. "Stop making googly-eyes at each other in my class."

            Ginny flushed pink and Colin gulped, hearing snickers coming from the Slytherin side.

            The buzzer rang to end class. Everyone started to stand. "I dismiss you, not the bell, or have you forgotten that?" Draco said as he turned to the class. Everyone froze and waited for his words. "Now, before I forget, Professor McGonagall posted the sign-up sheet on the door of the Great Hall. Write your name on it if you are to stay during holidays." He waited a few seconds. "Alright, now get out of here."

            Everyone started to empty out. "Good god, you swear he's always watching me, and picking on me," Colin murmured to Ginny.

            "Don't flatter yourself, Mr. Creevey," Draco said from his desk, which was a good 15 feet away. "Now, Ms. Weasley, come here. I need a word with you…" he looked at Colin. "…Alone."

            Colin took the hint and left the classroom. Ginny slowly walked to the teacher's desk. "Yes, Dr—Professor?"

            "Will you be going home for Christmas?" he asked her, his tone low so that no one outside the door could hear.

            "Yes. Everyone is coming home. All my brother, including Harry and Hermione. Are you going home?"

            He shook his head. "No. I have…planning to do."

            Ginny nodded, only being able to guess what he was planning: ways to protect her. So long as he wasn't out there, killing anyone, that was a good thing in her eyes.  "So, you won't celebrate Christmas at all? You'll be alone?"

            "Not entirely… just whatever is happening here. That will be my Christmas."

            Ginny stifled a smile. "You know, I would invite you…"

            "A Malfoy at a Weasley Christmas shindig? That's like feeding a worm to a flock of birds; a damned free-for-all. Thanks but no thanks."

            "I figured as much."

            "That's all, Virginia…" he looked down, clearing his throat. "…Ms. Weasley."

            Ginny left. So Draco would be alone for Christmas? Well, that wouldn't do at all, she decided.

to be continued