The Professor
Chapter 4
Draco Malfoy paced his chambers. It was cold, and only a combination of potions and charms kept out the damp. After Snape had moved out, he had some of the elves scrub the entire place thoroughly before moving any of his things in. The old, dirty bed with sunken mattress Snape had used was taken outside and torched.
None of this was going through his mind at the time, though. He was thinking about why Weasley was perving on him. Of course, he knew he was a sexy devil, but Weasley wasn't that type of girl.
Was she? Did he even know her well enough to make these judgements about her? But Draco Malfoy wasn't one to judge fairly, so he thought of how sassy she had looked when he had caught her out before she had left. Her eyes had flashed and colour had risen in her cheeks.
Clearly, Malfoy smirked, Weasley must be crazy about him, and he, as a Professor should not encourage her. It would be his job if Dumbledore found out he was snogging a student.
Still, Malfoy was unable to sleep for quite some time.
The next morning Ginny received the Detention notice during breakfast. Her detention was to be in the Potions classroom and started at ten p.m.. She crumpled up the piece of parchment over her head, hitting a Ravenclaw and landing in his neighbour's cereal.
Kate winked at Ginny and gave her a nudge and a knowing look. Ginny glanced over at where Professor Malfoy was sitting and saw him sipping from his goblet. His eyes flicked in her direction and she glared at him, colour rising in her cheeks. He lowered his goblet and raised an eyebrow with a knowing look almost identical to Kate's.
Ginny turned her face back to her empty plate and went even more red. She hated her complexion and the fact that she was so easy to read, just by the colour of her face.
"Come on, Kate. It's Saturday, so let's not waste it eating." Kate nodded and Will got up as well, wiping his mouth on a napkin.
All three of them dawdled back to their tower. Will was laughing at a joke Ginny had told, and Kate was still trying to figure it out.
"Wait, wait, I'll figure it out. The llama went … and the postman said …" Kate's brows were furrowed in thought as she tried to puzzle it out. Will looked at her, smiling and thought how cute she looked, biting her lip and looking thoughtful.
Kate burst into a fit of giggles. "Ahah! Oh, that is funny!" she laughed for the next few minutes and the other two laughed at their friend.
Kate was now red and breathing heavily. Unknowingly she leant on Will for support and giggled softly until she got her breath back. Then she realised what she was doing and blushed furiously. Ginny noted that Will was also a little red. Ginny giggled under her breath.
They reached their dorms in complete silence, having laughed enough. Ginny and Kate bid goodbye to Will as they went upstairs.
In their room, Ginny worked on some assignments and read some of a book she had to return to the Library the next day.
At about eight, Ginny decided she should have some sleep before she served detention that night.
She slept for one and a half hours before waking up and getting ready and then making her way to the dungeons.
Malfoy was waiting there for her. He was sitting on his desk with folded arms and a swinging foot. As she closed the door, he glared at her. Ginny approached the desk where he sat.
"You'll be cleaning all the tabletops, Weasley and no magic. Be grateful I'm not making you do the store room or the cauldrons. They were done by a first year two nights ago." he smirked and held out his hand for her wand. Ginny handed it to him begrudgingly. Malfoy went in the back and he emerged with a bucket of soapy water and a scrubbing brush with rubber gloves. He shoved them in her direction and she started to scrub at the back of the room. He sat at his desk, marking papers, looking up every now and then.
About half an hour later she was scrubbing a desk when she saw an inscription on the desk she was working on.
GINNY WEASLEY IS A FOX
She snorted with laughter, then realized where she was and stopped laughing.
"What is it Weasley?" she looked up at him.
"Nothing. Nothing at all." She blushed.
He walked over and looked down at the desk. He raised an eyebrow and looked at her. He could see why someone would write that. The Weaslette, no matter her family and fiscal value, was not a toad in the looks department. Malfoy tried to shake himself from these dangerous thoughts.
"Who sits here, Weasley?" he asked her.
"I don't know, but you should, Professor." She exaggerated the last word. "You teach all the classes. It could've been anyone."
"I'll be sure to see he is punished. If for nothing then for bad taste." He smirked as he heard the shocked noises coming from Weasley.
He went into the storage cupboard and was there for an hour, checking the status of his supplies and writing down the ingredients that needed to be ordered. When he came back she was still scrubbing the desks, sweat pouring off her face and red in the face fro mthe exertion. Her hair was a little tousled and some strands fell out from her loose bun. She pulled them back behind her ear. Malfoy mentally shook himself.
"Is that all you've done? Good grief, Weasley. What were you doing? Writing graffiti about me on the desktops?" he sneered and Ginny's face flushed with anger.
"Well," She said, standing straight and stretching her aching back, "If you want the desks cleaned quickly, why don't you help?" She smirked.
Malfoy just looked at her, one eyebrow raised. "Not on your life, Weaslette. Cleaning is for serfs." He put his feet on his desk and leaned back in his chair.
"You like playing Lord of the Manor, don't you?" Ginny scowled at him.
"What can I say?" Malfoy now inspected his fingernails. "I am the Lord of the Manor. After my father was killed by Voldemort, I inherited Malfoy Manor." He smirked at her. "Whereas you live in a hovel with … how many brothers? You know, I really don't care." He let out a small laugh.
Ginny scrubbed harder, gritting her teeth and imagining the wood beneath her hands was Malfoy's face, and instead of a scrubbing brush she had a scourer. She smiled inwardly as she imagined him. 'No, Weasley! Not my face! Aaaahh!' and he'd scream like a girl.
Malfoy looked at his watch. It was only 11.30 and he half wished the desks were dirtier so she could stay longer. His lips twisted in a crooked smile as he thought of her hands red and aching, face red with anger and all of her fury just for him.
Ginny had finished the last desk at midnight. She turned and looked at him, still sitting at his desk, reading a test paper and gleefully marking it with big red crosses.
"I'm finished." She said.
"I'm finished what? Honestly, Weaslette, if you can't address me with the proper honourifcs, I may just have to give you another detention." Malfoy looked at her. Ginny wanted to smack that smirk of his face so hard his head twisted round.
"I'm finished, sir." Ginny gritted her teeth.
The professor stood up and walked around the room. He inspected each table, disappointed that she had done a thorough job.
"Very well." He said reluctantly. "You may go." He made shooing motions with her hands as he turned to go back to his desk. She glared at him and muttered under her breath as she left to go back to her dormitory.
The boy without a face came over to her and touched her face. "I don't know what I'd without you. I want you to be with me always." He held her hand as they sat there, watching the other couples dance.
All of a sudden, a giant otter in a police uniform came over to them.
"You're both under arrest!" It declared, chest puffing out.
"What for?" Ginny asked indignantly.
"Flirting!"
"What?" Ginny said, as she and the faceless boy were dragged away by two mean looking chickens.
"Ginny!" The faceless boy screamed as he was dragged out another door. "Ginny!"
Ginny's eyes flew open and she was suddenly very awake.
"Ginny!"
Kate was leaning over her, beaming with excitement.
"Guess what?"
"Otters and chickens have been accepted into Scotland Yard?" Ginny mumbled.
"What?" Kate looked confused.
"Nothing. What's happening?"
"Your family and Harry Potter are here. Dumbledore thought Hogwarts should honour your family for the valuable contribution it has made to the school, so they're here to play Quidditch against the staff!" Kate smiled. "Talk about random and totally without purpose!"
"Am I playing?" Ginny asked.
"Heck yes, you are."
"Damn. I haven't played in ages, how do I know if I'm still good?"
"Ginny," Kate sighed. "You're a right idiot sometimes you know. You're, like, the second best Quidditch player at school. I don't know why you're not on the Quidditch team."
"They'd make me captain. I don't want to be captain." Ginny pulled her bathing gear out of her trunk.
"Whatever! Hurry up, they're waiting for you." Kate bustled off.
Ginny went down to breakfast half an hour later, dressed in her Quidditch robes. Her mother came running up to greet her. She hugged her and then Molly made everyone scoot down the bench so Ginny could sit with her family. Ginny didn't miss the fact that Molly had squeezed her next to Harry. Ginny's thigh was uncomfortably pressed up against his and she could see him flushing red as he looked stoically at his scrambled eggs.
"Hey Harry." She smiled. His eyes flicked up and then went back down to his plate.
"Hi." He turned and started talking to Ron.
Ginny looked around at the rest of her family. Ron was there, of course, as was Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred, Geroge and Mr Weasley. She didn't think Percy would play, but she knew that his complete obsessive obedience to rules would make him an ideal referee. She knew Fred and George were Beaters, and Charlie used to be a Seeker, but Harry was surely better than Charlie.
Her family took up all of the extra room at the Gryffindor students who looked at the redheaded family with awe. She knew that tales of the twins (most of them created by her two prankster brothers) had spread to the younger years.
"Doesn't this bring back memories, Arthur?" Molly was rapturously looking around. "No matter how long you've been away, it's so lovely to know that Hogwarts will never change." Molly looked reminiscently at the ceiling of the Great Hall. Arthur had his arm around his wife, and his memories plainly written on his face. He looked at his wife, their face now a little more wrinkled, and both a little plumper since they had last been at Hogwarts. Arthur kissed his wife on the forehead, and Molly leaned on his shoulder.
Ginny grinned at her parents, envious of the happiness they shared. Her attention was then caught by her brothers, now discussing the Quidditch match to come. Bill was talking.
"-- I'll do Keeper. Charlie, I know you're a Seeker but Harry's much younger and better than you --." Harry blushed and Charlie scruffed up his hair jovialy. "Fred, George, you know what to do and …" He noticed Ginny and grinned brightly at her. "Oh hey Gin, you can be a Chaser. Perce? Are you gonna play?" Bill looked around at Percy who was sitting back and inspecting his nails.
"No. My skills are more appropriate for the position of umpire." Percy got up and left the Great Hall.
"What's got his panties in a twist?" Asked Fred.
An hour later, the Quidditch stands were full and the postions had been assigned in each team.
The Hogwarts Teachers team consisted of Professor McGonagall (Chaser), Professor Vector (Beater), Hagrid (Beater), Professor Sprout (Chaser), Professor Flitwick (Chaser), Dumbledore (Keeper) and Professor Malfoy (Seeker).
"What's Dumbledore doing? Won't he, like, get a heart attack or something?" Ginny asked.
"He's a lot stronger than you know." Charlie said from behind her.
"Mount your brooms!" Percy yelled. They all threw a leg over their brooms. The whistle blew and they sped off in all directions. The crowd roared and waved magical banners made in the last half hour.
From the Commentator's stand Molly Weasley talked in a magically magnified voice.
"And they're off! The ball is caught by dear little Professor Flitwick who passes to McGonagall but is intercepted by my own Ickle Ronnikins!"
Out on the pitch Ron blushed furiously as he weaved in and out and threw the ball in the air. It was caught swiftly by the blur of Ginny.
"There she goes, I'm so proud, my own little girl!" Mrs. Weasley sniffed dramatically and the school laughed.
Ginny passed by Harry who was hanging in the air looking for the Snitch, but his attention was immediately disturbed as he felt Ginny whiz past him. And so was Draco's. Their eyese followed her and they both missed the Snitch fly past their ears.
She flew to the hoops, saw an opening and took the opportunity.
"Score! Weasleys 10 Professors Zero! Well done Ginevra! There'll be extra pudding for my darling little girl for dinner tonight!"
Ginny grumbled under he breath as the school laughed at her.
Draco hung in the air, trying to focus on the game. He remembered how last night she had been furious and full of energy, just as full of energy as she was now, only she was happy now, for all she was embarrassed. She scowled in the direction of her mother, yet she still smiled as she whizzed back.
He saw Will and Kate cheer from the corner of his eyes. Malfoy glared at Will who had magically dyed his hair red. 'Traitor.' he thought.
Will caught his glare and grinned evilly, the same grin that he himself used when thinking something particularly mean and funny. He pointed his wand at Draco and though Malfo couldn't hear the words of the spell, Draco knew what was coming.
Draco dodged the spell and sped around the pitch, still looking for the Snitch. He thought he saw it for a moment and stopped. He sped towards it, only to find it was just glint of someone's Omnioculars. He cursed under his breath when he felt a tingle in his scalp and gasped in horror.
Brushing some hair deliberately in front of his face, Malfoy saw that it was red. Weasley red.
"WILL!" He whirled around on his broomstick. "YOU"LL PAY! I'LL GET YOU, YOU LITTLE TRAITOR!" Draco roared. Will only laughed and his friend standing with him was breathless with laughter and holding onto him for support.
Ginny looked around at Malfoy who now had red hair and laughed out loud. She caught the Quaffle and flew by him, saying;
"Love the colour, Professor!" she laughed again and threw the ball at the left hand hoop and scored.
"And it seems Professor Malfoy has been made an honorary Weasley! Can't say I like him much, but I guess if he really wants to be one of us, he can expect a jumper this Christmas!" Molly laughed and kept commentating. Ginny almost fell off her broom at thought of Malfoy in a Weasley sweater. And leather pants. Mmmm. She slapped her face and concentrated.
McGonagall, who handled her broom surprisingly well scored twice and Flitwick zoomed about the pitch and scored five more times.
Ron finally scored once and Charlie, well, they'd lost count.
"It's Weasleys – 180 and Faculty – 70, let's just hope our darling Harry gets the Snitch soon, eh? Any luck out there, Harry?"
"MOLLY!" Harry yelled from out on the pitch.
"Ok, then, back to the game. McGonagall passes to Sprout who passes to Flitwick, who passes back and Sprout goes for the goal and … no goal! Lovely save, Billy Bumpkins!" The crowd howled with laughter and Bill turned red and glared at his mother.
"Wait a sec, was that the Snitch?" Everyone started to look around and the saw Malfoy and Harry speed toward the Snitch.
It was a race that Harry was currently winning and was getting farther and farther from Draco. Malfoy tried to make himself lighter. He put all his weight towards his head and jammed his broom into top gear.
He inched past Harry and toward the Snitch. Ginny was watching from afar. The whole game had stopped and she was silently hoping that Malfoy would get the Snitch.
Almost as if in a dream, Malfoy reached out his hand and plucked the Snitch from out of the air. He held it up in the air. Finally, he had beaten Potter. He smirked at Harry and held out his hand that still held the Snitch. Harry smiled at him and shook his other hand.
"It had to happen someday." Harry shrugged and sped off toward Ginny who was flying toward Draco. Harry whispered something to her and they both flew to the family who were standing on the pitch below and shaking hands with the Professors. Malfoy flew down to them and shook all the Weasley's hands. Each handshake was brief, with smart comments about his hair, which made him turn pink in fury. 'Will is going to die.' Draco thought. 'I'll kill him, then resurrect him, then kill him again, just for the satisfaction.'
Ginny, Will and Kate walked back into the Entrance Hall where a large glittering poster caught their attention.
OWLS AND NEWTS BALL
Hogwarts is now trying to establish the tradition of a ball each year for it's older students. All students in their OWL and NEWT years are invited to attend.
These bands will perform:
Buna Seara
Weird Sisters
The Wanderful Life
Remember to wear dress robes.
Friday night, 7 o'clock till Saturday, 2 am.
"Buna Seara!" Kate jumped up and down Squeeing like a fangirl (A/N: You know what I'm talking about, right fangirls?). "I love them! Vlad is so cute! I love Hogwarts! I love school!" Kate was about to explode. She grabbed Ginny and kissed her on the cheek, then grabbed Will and kissed him too. She hardly realized what she was doing. Ginny smiled at the look of utter ecstacy on Kate's face.
Will, blushing a little, said, "I've heard of zem, I knew Vladimir as a child. He is my second cousin as a matter of fact." Will inspected the poster closer, and Ginny wasn't able to read his face.
"You did?" Will nodded.
"Oh my gosh! Ginkees! Can we really meet him do you think? I really love all of his songs! They're so deep …" Kate went on and on about Vlad until they had reached the Gryffindor dormitories.
A/N: Will Draco kill his cousin for his traitorous spell? Will Will and Kate hook-up? Will Ginny ever get to realize her dream of morris dancing? What's with the Otter police?
Find out most of these questions and more in the next installment of The Professor.
