"After this school year this building will continue as staff quarters. Which it technically is currently, including a large living space and self service kitchen area. Apart from the perks which may come with being situated outside of the castle, there are one or two catches which I must mention before we go in. Professor Zion is not only eighth year head and Professor of Defence against the dark arts but has also agreed to live here and will be staying in the men's room with Mr Malfoy." What? I sighed hoping it was as big as she suggested. The cabin looked rather small for four people. "I would like you all to take this as an opportunity to learn as much as possible from the Professor. He agreed to give his designated room in the castle to Professor Niquel as there wasn't enough room for a new staff quarters in the castle. Both men's and women's dormitories here bunk two people so you will have to share and get along. You will also find that teaching classes means you may have students seek you here. The common room will need to be kept tidy and professional at all times. I'll show you inside now." We began the walk around the lake. The cabin sat five hundred yards away from the end of the rebuilt bridge which had been destroyed in the battle at Hogwarts. We passed the area where an army of those faithful to the Dark Lord gathered before surging onto the bridge, many of them running to their deaths. A trail had been formed at the edge of the lake to provide passage without tumbling on reeds and tall grasses. The cabin location seemed idyllic but not necessarily ideal. At least it was secluded, probably the perfect hideaway for staff quarters . I wondered what Mother and Father would think to my new lodgings. I reminded myself to write to them.
We walked in silence the rest of the way. Even when Brown slipped in a patch of mud and Granger walked right past her without helping her up, Zion silently gave Brown his hand and they continued on quietly. I wished I had a warmer coat on, the bitterly cold wind was biting at me. The cold air blowing up my sleeve and over my dark mark made it itch like crazy. We walked around the cabin and climbed the few steps at its rear. The cabin sat high enough over the lake that it was unlikely the water level would reach it even in a stormy winter.
Inside was well decorated in neutral colours, a large sofa sat behind a coffee table facing into the trees behind the lake. Behind the sofa was a light wood dining set with plenty of room for everyone to work around. At the back, the kitchen was a decent size and looked to be well stocked. I wondered if the house elves would replenish the supplies. It all quite reminded me of the apartment at home being so modern and light. A part of me longed to be back home.
As everyone took in our new living space McGonagall interrupted.
"I know you all probably want to hurry to unpack but first I'd like to talk with each of you eighth years individually. If I could speak with Mr Malfoy first, I'll call on Mrs Brown when we're done." McGonagall ushered me to sit around the far side of the dining table. Granger and Brown hurried into the girls room to the left while Mr Zion went into the room on the left. McGonagall sat opposite with a serious expression covering her face. "I'll try to be quick Malfoy." She passed a pile of papers over the desk, the size of the pile was pretty ominous. "On top is your timetable, it details both your classes as a student and teacher. You'll be teaching both groups of second year students which equates to two half day classes which will be run on a Tuesday." I felt glad it was just one day per week. She pointed to the timetable. "Your Charms and Transfiguration are on Wednesday and Curse Breaking on Thursday. I would advise that you mark any assignments on Fridays. Leaving marking and class planning until the last minute will not be acceptable." She chastised as she took the top sheet from the pile and placed it to the side. "I've had Professor Zion write up a brief outline for you of what must be covered each week but how you choose to teach is up to you. There is a book under the outline which notes approved teaching practises and gives suggestions." She looked at my puzzled but thoughtful expression. "What is it Malfoy?" She asked.
"I don't mean to be rude Professor. What am I supposed to get out of teaching? I've never even considered it as a career." I pushed aside the outline and book. Why should I have to mark papers?
"At the end of the year Malfoy, I would like you to tell me what you have gained from teaching. Bearing in mind what these students went through in the last year with the Carrows taking over, I think you're especially well suited to teaching these students that there are good things to come from their education at Hogwarts. Despite the war being ended, many of the students who knew victims from the war were reluctant to return to school. It is of course a place of bad memories for some. You are the best person to prepare these students for their years ahead." She paused to allow the heavy words to settle in. I'd never considered that I could play a substantial role as a teacher. I had assumed that my teaching was a way of McGonagall filling my time so I would have less time to get into bother. "Apart from this Mr Malfoy, you will be paid for your work. Not much as it is only a day of work each week but still money you have earned from doing a good job." I perked up. In all the tasks I had been made to do as a Death Eater I had always been rewarded but never paid.
"Really? I'm getting paid?" I questioned, surprised.
"You will not begin being paid until after your probationary period of six weeks. The next document here is for you to sign. To agree that ninety percent of your earnings will go straight to your Gringotts account and the other ten percent will be sent to you here by owl." She pulled out a black quill and ink pot. I took the quill and ran my fingers over the soft feather. Definitely from a raven, they were quite rare but Father had a few at home. I'd taken one when I was nine and enjoyed very much using such a soft quill to write in my journal. Father had been so angry. I shuddered at the memory.
"Why do I only get ten percent?" I asked curiously.
"I'm sure you'll find that ten percent is more than adequate for your needs here at Hogwarts. I wish for you to be smart with your earnings Malfoy. Ninety percent could be a good deposit on a home of your own when you leave here." She pushed the sheet towards me. I took the quill and signed the parchment.
"Fair I suppose." I did want to move out from home and start my own life but I felt reluctant to leave Mother, even coming back to Hogwarts had seemed like too much after the war. We had feared each other dead or worse and it had brought us much closer.
"I also wanted to add that today I received a copy of the notes from your hearing at the ministry which clears you of any charges and states that you are an ex-death eater. Some students might ask you about your experience and it'd up to you how much you tell." I interrupted.
"What did the notes say?" I panicked. My hearing really didn't need to be public knowledge.
"Very little Mr Malfoy, the Ministry decided that details were irrelevant in your case. Any crimes you may have committed during your time as a Death Eater have been overturned and you're a free man." I sighed a breath of relief. "You had best get unpacking, I suspect you have a busy day of lesson planning and reading ahead of you tomorrow." I took up the pile of papers and made for the men's dormitory.
Our room was spacious and it seemed I got the bed at the back of the room. Maali was fast asleep on the pillow looking content as ever and my trunk sat at the end of the bed. Though the room was modern and neutral like the common room, Zion had already put up posters and a Slytherin banner over by his bed at the front of the room. He got the view, however with the bathroom between our beds and the door to the common room on his side, I got the most privacy.
"I hope it's okay I took this side, your cat was already asleep over there with your stuff." Zion sat at his desk which when it was light out, would have the most astounding view over the lake. He looked at home already.
"Maali is actually a lion cub, the bed is fine." I said, turning to go unpack.
"Hey." I stopped and turned back. "I heard you were a Death Eater. You're not going to like, try to kill me in my sleep are you?" He joked. I smiled.
"I doubt it. I never actually killed anything living. Pretty sure I'm cursed to be a good guy or something." I reassured.
"I'm glad. I'm pretty sure being a murderer isn't all it's cracked up to be." He smiled in return. He didn't know the half of it.
My half of the room was pretty much a room in its own right. The good sized bed sat in the centre of the room forming a 'U' shaped walkway around the room and meaning I would have to climb over my trunk to get to the other side of the bed. I quickly decided to move the bed and put the pillow Maali was still asleep on onto the floor while I did so. Once the bed was repositioned against the bathroom wall I moved Maali and her pillow back onto the bed. I levitated my trunk up to the head of the bed and propped it open against the wall. At first glance I thought I must have gotten the wrong trunk, the top was filled with books. At least eight books spanned the space, none of which I recognised. I noticed a note.
Draco,
I thought these might help you at school.
I love you,
Mum x
I quickly unpacked the new books as well as the books I had already bought and lined them up against the back of my desk. Most students and even my friends had always thought that magic came easily to me and that I spent most of my time slagging off Gryffindors rather than working. Some aspects of magic did come easily to me but it was sporadic and I couldn't rely on it. Truth be told the only reason I did well in school was from reading after everyone else in the dormitory had fallen asleep. I had to study and do well or face the wrath of Father. I had however come to see the joy of knowledge and wished I had more steady natural talent.
Lost in my own world of unpacking, Zion startled me.
"McGonagall's been gone about an hour and the girls haven't stopped arguing since. I need sleep, classes to teach tomorrow and all. Do you think it's safe to tell them to put a stopper on it? I assume you know them better than I do." He stood in the join between our rooms. I couldn't say as though I knew much apart from things I'd learnt to mock them, such as blood lineage and basic interests. I would sure be interesting sharing a common room with two girls who hated me and my family.
"I heard them have a bust up on the train. I'll open our door and listen, see if it's safe." He nodded in agreement although seemed to dislike the idea of eavesdropping. What kind of Slytherin was this guy?
"...But Hermione." Brown Cried.
"It's all your fault Lavender. I don't know how you can even think I'd want to be near you, never mind be your friend." Granger Stormed. "Ronald is at Durmstrang okay? There, I told you. And I only did it because I know he doesn't want to be with either one of us thanks to you! The only reason you're alive is because you STALKED us into the Chamber of Secrets! Trying to corner Ron on our way out to give him a love potion, in the midst of a war for Merlin's sake! You would think that me knocking you out cold and leaving you for dead in Myrtles bathroom would make you get the idea that I HATE you! You have lost me my best friend and my boyfriend. Yet you still insistently whine that we can be friends. What the heck is WRONG with you?" She shrieked.
"I think we should let this run its course."I whispered to Zion.
"What if they kill each other?" He whispered harshly.
"Shh.. " I edged further through the doorway to get in better hearing range.
"Now you will go to bed and not bring up Ronald ever again or so help me I will hit you with the Locomotor Mortis Curse and drag you into the Black Lake." Granger yelled. She banged around for a minute as we backed away from our open door to retreat into our room. Granger barged out into the common room, noticing us before we could retreat. She wore pale green and white chequered pyjamas and her face was streaked with tears. "Oh, erm. I'm going to sleep on the sofa. I hope that is okay with the Professor?" She said calmly, carrying a duvet, pillow and her cat.
"No problem." Zion piped up. I quickly shut the door.
Tuesday morning brought stormy skies into the Great Hall over breakfast. My stomach twisted in knots as I ate a plate of pancakes and fruit. The idea of teaching was not one I relished. Realising the time, I abandoned breakfast and made for the Denfense against the dark arts classroom. Inside was luckily free of students. My first class of Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs were probably still lost in all of the construction diversions which had led me to taking twenty minutes to get to the room. Zion came down from the office as I reached the desk at the front. He held out a small key.
"It's for the bottom draw in the desk. Keep your bag and whatever else in there during class. McGonagall warned me that Hogwarts has its fair share of pranksters and to not leave anything lying around that I don't want transforming into a goblet. Which at second year is hopefully the most they can do." He looked a little terrified. I laughed.
"It would be karma. I did it to Professor Lockhart's bag in my second year. He was so amazed that any of us could pull it off that I didn't even get detention. He claimed it was by his brilliance that we were so talented." I smiled at the memory.
"Well, stay calm. I'll be in the office should you need me." Zion headed back up the stairs.
"Thank you Professor." I replied as the first of the students began to stream in.
The chatter rose as students chose seats but soon settled as I withdrew my wand and pointed it towards the black board. As the words appeared without much effort I was glad to have practised the spell the day before. 'Lumos' was written clearly above 'Expelliarmus'. I took a deep breath.
"Welcome back to Hogwarts. I am Professor Malfoy." A hand instantly shot up in the air. "Yes. Your name?"
"Archibald, Mark Archibald Sir. Is it true you're a Death Eater?" He asked bravely, egged on by his fellow Ravenclaw friends. I remembered what a brat I was in second year.
"Good question Archibald. I'm an ex-Death Eater. That means I know more than most people alive do about the dark arts. But I'm not a Death Eater anymore." I paused to let it sink in. Another hand shot up, a small Hufflepuff girl with long braided hair. "Yes. In the back."
"Annie Gallagher sir. I was tortured by a Death Eater. I really don't think you should be allowed anywhere near us." I realised she looked upset and a little scared but was trying to put on a brave face in front of the class.
"You make an excellent point there Gallagher. If the Ministry for Magic and the Headmistress of Hogwarts can give me a second chance then I hope you can too. If not, you will see with time that I made a very poor Death Eater. So poor in fact that when ordered to kill a fly, I couldn't." I joked. A few students laughed briefly. "As further reassurance, the second spell I intend to teach you today is a disarming charm which will enable any of you to disable an oncoming attack. It may take a few weeks and lots of practise with the new test dummies but you'll all be pros in no time." I looked to the class as I withdrew my wand and willed the end to glow with yellow light. "First let us begin with Lumos. A charm which will bring light at even the darkest of times. Open your books to page seventeen and take out your wands." I smiled inside as they each followed suit.
A/N - Building up to some Hermione/Draco time!