Dear Harry,

Good luck with Ron. You don't have to worry about him and Hermione – she's got her sights set on someone else. Maybe Ron's a bi – who knows? If you need any information about him, I'll be glad to help. I'll always be your friend. On another note, did you hear about Malfoy? He's teaching DADA this year. Rumor has it that he's become less of a git. I hope it's true. If it is, I might try and end the Malfoy-Wealsey feud for good. Sound impossible? Give me your thoughts.

Friends Forever,

Ginny

P.S: Ron? What bad taste. If you're gonna dump me, do it for an attractive Weasley , like Fred or George.

Ginny reread the letter before tying it to Pig's leg. It had taken her nearly an hour that morning to gather up the will to write the response. The first letter she wrote had been so tear-stained that she had to throw it away. Ten minutes and a few tissues later, she had managed to compose herself enough to write a friendly, helpful answer that no doubt would reassure Harry that their relationship was not permanently damaged. Ginny was heartbroken, but she knew she would soon recover, and when she did she wanted Harry to still be her friend. Her love for Harry also drove her to want to make him happy, and if that meant fixing him up with her brother…so be it. She sighed as she watched Pig make his way across the skies.

Am I destined to be alone? She thought, If not, please God, give me a sign. I'm losing hope.

"Weasley," a familiar voice called behind her.

Ginny spun around, startled, to find Draco Malfoy smirking at her with his arms crossed against his chest.

"Mal – Professor Malfoy. What is it?"

"I was just wondering what it felt like to know that I , Draco Malfoy, have complete control over your grades." He grinned evilly, leaning back against a wall.

Ginny rolled her eyes.

"For some reason, I trust you won't mess with the grades. House points, however, are another matter."

He raised his eyebrows.

"Trust me? That's new."

"Yea, well, everyone deserves a second chance. And people say you've grown up a little. Let's hope it's not just baseless gossip."

"Oh, I'm positive that it is. I'm exactly the same. Anyway, Dumbledore said that you were pretty good in DADA – and after that bat boogey you cast on me, I believe him." He brushed a few strands of his hair away from his face – it had grown over the summer, and now touched his shoulders.

"So are you going to use your position to take revenge?" Ginny felt anger bubbling inside of her. Draco doing something like that would completely vanquish any hope that he might have changed.

"I'd lose my job if I did." He reminded her.

"It's not like you need the money."

"I like teaching."

"So why are you bothering me?" she asked.

"Dumbledore told me to pick some students to train personally – you know, to teach the slightly darker spells to. Before you get flattered, I chose based on 6th year DADA grades, and yours were among the highest. It's not that I like you or anything."

"I'll do it. Is it one-on-one, or in a group?" she smirked at the sight of his pout. He wanted a reaction from her, and she had completely ignored his jibe.

"One-on-one. Do you have a problem with that?" he asked defensively.

"Nope, none at all. I'll be looking forward to trying those spells out on you."

He actually smiled.

"Nice try, Weaslette. You'll be practicing on LifeDummies."

"Could you not call me Weaslette? If you're going to deviate from Ginny, say Gin or Red."

"So you're giving me permission to use your nickname?" he smirked, arching an eyebrow.

"Don't flatter yourself. I let everyone do it. It's not that I like you or anything." She mimicked his earlier words, grinning.

"Ouch. Anyway, I've got to go teach first years now. Personal classes start at seven every day excluding Friday and weekends. Got that, Red?"

"Got it. One more thing before you go, Malfoy."

"What?"

"The rumors were true. You have changed. For the better, I think. "

With that said, she left.


"So he actually chose you himself?" Linda asked in disbelief.

"Yep. No one forced him." Ginny said proudly.

"Wow. That's pretty awesome. Plus, DADA class today wasn't a total disaster. It was nice, actually – but I feel sorry for Randy."

"Randy got what was coming to him. He cursed at a teacher, and Malfoy made him an example. I'm just surprised a Ravenclaw could be that stupid. Anyway, I'm sure no one is going to question Malfoy's authority now."

"Oh, it's six-thirty. Don't you have to get ready?" Linda asked.

Ginny glanced at the clock.

"Yea, I do. See you later, Lind. Wish me luck!"

"Break a leg – Malfoy's leg, if he pisses you off."


Hermione sat in the middle of the library, surrounded by piles of books, her nose buried in Deadly Potions: How to Make and Detect Them. She was so engrossed that she didn't notice how uncomfortable it was to be sitting in the straight-backed hickory chair, and she hadn't realized how much time had passed – she had been reading for at least two hours.

"Is it interesting?" a voice asked behind her.

She must have jumped 10 feet into the air.

"Professor," her hand was pressed to her chest as she struggled to catch her breath. "Must you always be so sneaky?"

"I'm a retired spy. What's your excuse for being so unaware of your surroundings?"

"Avid reader." She pointed at the book as if it were at fault, smiling when he chuckled.

"Books, huh? Nothing better." He picked out a particularly dusty volume from the shelf and flipped through it. "The old ones smell fantastic, and they always feel so…so…"

"Dependable?" she finished for him.

"Yes," he agreed, "and knowledgeable. Like a valuable friend."

"Exactly," she sighed. It was a relief to finally find someone who shared her passion for the written word. She glanced up at him, noting how the moonlight made his sharp features stand out even more than usual.

Again, she sighed, this time not in relief but in frustration. She'd give anything get some of his passion directed at her.