Chapter Thirty

Giving In

Ginny still wouldn't come home.

Harry still felt his stomach turn over every time he thought that. Now, as he went to the Burrow to pick up the kids after they'd spent the day with their mother, his stomach was doing flips. Because he caught sight of thick, lush, red hair through the window. Ginny was still there. He didn't know what to say to her anymore. They'd been separated for two months, and she'd never contacted once. She had her mother speak to him when they arranged for her to spend time with the kids. Maybe she'd just been busy. She'd taken a fairly high profile case about Animagus registration and she probably didn't have time to have drawn-out conversations with Harry about their marriage.

Still, it was a good sign that she hadn't filed for divorce yet. He was clinging to that, and it calmed his stomach somewhat as he went into the house.

"Hey, guys!" he called.

Sirius raced into the room, Charley following as best she could, while Matt followed more sedately. And then Ginny, who walked in only reluctantly.

"Hi, Ginny."

"Harry."

That seemed to be the entirety of things she could say. He had to struggle for something to say, himself.

"I've been reading about your Animagus case in the Prophet," he offered. That seemed neutral.

She nodded. "It's been touchy."

"Are you doing okay? You look tired. Are you sleep—"

"Harry, please. I'm fine. You don't look so great yourself."

He just stared at her. "How well do you expect me to be?" Then he saw all three kids looking up at them with interest, and controlled himself. This was not the place for this discussion. "Ginny, I . . . I miss you."

She bit her lip. "You'll survive. You've got the kids to look after, and work to keep you busy. Just find something other than me to occupy your time. It's easy enough."

She'd know, wouldn't she? But Harry had sat in his office doing next to nothing for the last month. There were things he could be doing, but he wasn't getting them done. And the kids weren't any happier than he was. Didn't she notice how much they brooded and how quiet they had been? He knew she had, but she wouldn't mention it.

"You'll forget about me soon enough," she said in a voice barely more than a whisper, then turned and left.

"I wouldn't count on it," Harry replied to the empty space before him, then guided the children to the fireplace to Floo home.

---Break---

Harry walked up to the school, his response to the letter McGonagall sent him all planned out in his head. She deserved to hear it in person, this time. She never gave up, for some reason, but this time he had yet another very compelling reason not to do it.

He escorted himself to her office and let himself in with the password she'd given to him in the letter. He rapped on the door. "Professor McGonagall? It's Harry."

"Harry, come in," her strict voice greeted him with a measure of warmth it rarely held. "I'm glad you came."

"Professor, I don't know why you've asked me again. You know I can't do it."

"We've been through this, Harry. There's no reason not to, now that we know where Malfoy is."

They both had to smile at that, but Harry's mind was made up. "I couldn't leave the kids alone so often, Professor. I hate the idea of hiring a babysitter for Charlotte, and the school would take up so much of my attention, I wouldn't be able to be home when they need me."

McGonagall smiled. "Why don't you come live here? You and the children?"

Harry took a moment to blink his eyes carefully. He opened them and the office was still there, with McGonagall's question in the air.

"Bring the children here?" he repeated.

"Yes, Harry. They would live here with you. That way, you're not traveling every day, and you'll be able to keep a closer eye on the students as well as your own children."

Harry opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Finally, he managed something. "Huh."

"Would that be an acceptable solution?"

"Well, I . . ."

"Mr. Potter, Zacharias is packing his bags as we speak. The year is over. We've known the position will be available for two months, and I've had no applicants. Nobody wants to work with Mr. Malfoy, despite the fact that he's been performing up to his usual standard with the children. At least they seem inclined to trust him."

"You're holding your position admirably well, Headmistress."

"He's doing a good job. So could you be."

Harry shrugged. "Honestly, I don't have anything better to do. I give up. Fine. Just so long as the kids are with me. I can't believe you'd change things so much for me."

McGonagall smiled. "You might as well play that 'Savior' card as long as you can, don't you think?"

Harry laughed, but his response was serious enough. "I've never played it any more than I had to."

"I know," she assured him gently. "Welcome back to Hogwarts, Harry."

The more he thought about it, the more his smile spread. "Thank you, Headmistress."

He marched down the stairs, and walked automatically to the Potions room he remembered so well. Draco was sitting at his desk grading final essays, looking extremely entertained by something he was reading.

"No, that does not cause you to get pimples on your arse," he chuckled, and made a mark. "Nice try, though."

"I'd heard only crazy people talk to themselves," Harry remarked. He hadn't seen Draco since they'd rescued Matt, and he was unsure how to go about this.

Draco looked up, then frowned. "Greg, don't be such a . . . Potter?"

He nodded in greeting. "Looks like you've figured out this teaching thing pretty well, Malfoy."

Draco looked over the essays spread over his desk. "Yes. Well."

"How do you think I'll do at it?"

Draco looked back at him in surprise. "You don't mean . . . you're replacing Zacharias, aren't you?"

"McGonagall's desperate again. I'm taking the job this time."

Draco frowned, obviously thinking about something, then he laughed. "So you're the other candidate she mentioned when she hired me!"

He shrugged. "Probably." He schooled his face into seriousness, and took the plunge. "Are we going to have a problem teaching together?"

"Oh. Um. I don't think so. I mean, we managed to save your son without killing each other, didn't we?"

"I'll be living here, with my children."

"You mean the younger ones?"

"Yes. I told McGonagall I wouldn't take the job unless I could keep them with me."

Draco shrugged. "That doesn't actually surprise me. No, Potter, I have no problem with that. At least, not any more problem with it than I have with the sudden change in attitude toward me. But I knew what I was getting myself into when I allowed you to publish that letter."

"You've actually got quite a few people on your side. The students still seem happy with you."

His face brightened a bit. "Most of them." Then his face nearly crumpled. He managed to regain control very quickly, but Harry could swear he'd almost burst into tears right then. "The ones that aren't will come around. Eventually."

Hagrid had already told Harry that he'd been sitting with Ran during the full moon. Ran didn't want to be around Draco anymore. Harry hadn't really known they were that close, but he'd somehow managed to develop some tact in the last few years and left the subject well alone.

"I also thought you'd want to know about my cousin."

"Ah, yes. Any news on my despicable half-brother?"

"Dudley says Cross is staying out of sight, of the police anyway. But he knows to contact me immediately if he sees or hears anything about him. Cross will be more effectively handled by the magical community."

Draco nodded. "Good. I don't want him to have a moment of opportunity to cause damage."

"He seems like a small-time criminal, in general. Maybe he'll leave everyone alone."

"Most likely. But I've reinstated the wards on the manor, just in case."

"Are you going back there for the summer?"

"I am. It will be strange, to be there alone. I think I'll redecorate. I may even replace the Dark Mark-patterned carpet."

Harry laughed. "Don't be ridiculous, Malfoy. I know even your family wouldn't stoop so low as to have commercial carpeting."

Draco had to laugh, too. And didn't this feel just spectacularly weird, joking around with Malfoy. It really sunk in then that they would be working together in a few months' time. He might as well get used to this sort of thing now, unless he wanted to spend the entire term on edge and avoiding the man.

"Potter?"

"Yes?"

"It was you who got my house back, wasn't it?"

To lie, or tell the truth? It was really no question to Harry. After all, the right thing was the right thing. "Yes, it was."

Draco struggled to speak. It took a moment. Harry didn't grudge him the moment. He had to get used to this, too.

"Thank you."