Disclaimer: - see the first chapter for the usual blurb –

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay. I did warn you at the beginning that updates will be a few days in-between, with the exception of the first two chapters because I got those done one after the other (muse was nice enough to stick around until the end of the second chapter, then abandoned me for part of the third so yeah, anyway, muse is sorta back and still hovering about). Hopefully you enjoy this chapter and I'll try to get the ball rolling here fast. Let me know if the following chapters (whenever I get to post the other chapters) is dragging or not, then I will have a serious talk with my muse and figure something out. As always constructive criticism is welcome. Enjoy!

III. First Day of Classes

DRACO'S MORNING CLASS WENT BY IN A whirl. He had a group of first year Ravenclaw and Slytherins for his first class then second year Hufflepuff and Slytherin for his second class. So far no Gryffindor student has graced his classroom - or dungeon since that was where his former professor, head of house and ally, Severus Snape, had his classes during his time as Potions Master at Hogwarts. Not that he was looking forward to teaching a class full of Gryffindors; he'd rather have all Slytherins since that was his house when he was still a student here.

Breakfast was a no fanfare affair this morning. As usual he was seated beside Zabini. His other usual seatmate, Katie Bell, sat with her former housemates all the way on the other end of the table. According to Zabini, Bell wanted to discuss the upcoming Quidditch season with Potter who was left in charge of supervising the matches ever since he became a teacher at Hogwarts.

"What does she need to talk to him about?" asked Draco.

Blaise only gave his friend a smirk and shook his head. "These new bloods we have for players are dirtier than us during our time as players," he answered. "Katie just wants to coordinate with Potter how they will treat injuries suffered during an ongoing match."

"That's easy. Take the injured to the Hospital Wing to recuperate," Draco said matter-of-factly.

Blaise tsked and patted his friend's shoulder. "Like what I said, Malfoy, it's not like the old days anymore. These kids want on-site medical treatment then back on the broomstick again ready to continue on with the match."

His breakfast conversation with Zabini – and a bit of insight regarding the latest in Hogwarts Quidditch matches – made for a good and interesting topic. It made Draco stop and observe this new breed of Hogwarts students' post-Voldemort. He wasn't around to see the wizarding world rebuild itself after the Battle of Hogwarts over a decade ago, but based on what he has seen since he came back to England it looks like everyone has moved on. Now he had to the upcoming Quidditch season to look forward to and see what Zabini meant.

GINNY OVERHEARD A RUMOUR FLOATING around school about an inaugural Quidditch match prior to the actual opening match of the Quidditch season for the students. The rumour started circulating shortly after lunch time when she welcomed her first set of first year Slytherins and Gryffindors. She overheard a couple of her Gryffindor students – her nephews no less – gossiping about it when they should be paying attention to her lecture. She hated docking points off students regardless of what house they belonged to, and she could've let her nephews – Bill and Fleur's Gilles, George and Angelina's little Fred, and Percy's Arthur – go with just a warning, but since they bore the same last name as her, she didn't want to be accused of favouring certain students with mops of red hair, so she took ten points from each nephew as well as gave them extra homework for tonight; everybody else in class got less to do for homework, but she wanted to teach those boys a lesson and they better learn to take her seriously, especially now that they were in school and she was one of the authority figures.

Ginny dismissed what she overheard the boys were discussing until the second wave of her afternoon set of students arrived for her last class of the day. She had sixth year Slytherins and Gryffindor this time, and no, this time there were no Weasleys present, but certain groups of kids were quite curious and intrigued about the rumour about the upcoming Quidditch season. Since the students were discussing it prior to the start of class, she doesn't have any right to dock points off the students. However, before she began her lesson she made an announcement that she already docked thirty points off in total from three of her students from her previous class who were more interested in talking about Quidditch than paying attention to her lesson, so as a warning if she heard a peep – regardless of how small of a peep it was – about Quidditch, extra assignments will be given to everyone in class on top of points being deducted from the students she caught whispering about it.

Her threat worked and for the duration of her last period everyone was paying attention to her. Whatever in-class discussion was had, it had something to do with their lesson.

As soon as the students left her classroom Ginny quickly packed her stuff and dashed out of the room herself. She wanted to catch Harry before dinner and ask him to confirm or deny this rumour that seemed to have gotten every student excited. She was in too much of a hurry to leave that Ginny wasn't paying attention to where she was going. As soon as she rounded the corner leading to the staircase she collided with a couple of people, but only one of them shot their hands out and caught her before she fell backwards and landed on her rump.

"Are you okay?" Blaise Zabini, History of Magic teacher, inquired after he caught Ginny's arms and prevented her from falling.

"Y-yes," Ginny stammered. "Thank you, and sorry, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."

Blaise straightened up and let go of her once he was sure she was alright. "Not a problem. Something must be bothering you, Professor, otherwise you wouldn't be flying down the hallway like you're on your broomstick," he said alluding to Ginny's days playing Quidditch for the Gryffindor house back when they were still students at this very same establishment where they now teach.

Ginny gave him a faint smile. She and Blaise learned to be cordial with one another since they both started working at Hogwarts. Regardless of how much they loathed one another back in their school days, they had to learn to get past that and move on; they were adults now, for crying out loud! And they were colleagues too so they needed to get along and stop acting like children.

She excused herself from Blaise and continued where she was going. She didn't realize that the other person she collided with was still sprawled on the floor and tripped over the dark robed figure. Ginny put out her arms, dropping the books she was holding as she flapped her arms like a bird trying to remain upright, otherwise she'd be falling flat on her face this time.

"Gotcha!" She heard her rescuer say and felt herself pulled backwards and down, landing with a soft thud on... "Ooomphf!" exclaimed her human cushion.

Blaise roared with laughter where he stood as he watched Ginny struggle to regain her composure and at the same time get off the person who not only saved her from doing a face dive on the cold castle floor but also cushioned her backward fall. He held out his hand and Ginny gladly accepted it, pulling herself upright so fast then turned to offer her hand to the person she crushed on the floor.

"I'm so..." the rest of her words died on her lips when she realized who it was that tripped her and saved her at the same time. "Malfoy?"

Draco was starting to like that mixture of astonishment and resentment that crosses Ginny Weasley's face every time she came within close contact of him. She looked cute and innocent as she leaned down towards him, hand extended ready to help him up. Draco didn't waste time and grabbed her hand to help pull himself up.

"Thanks," he said dusting his robe. "And I apologize for tripping you. It wasn't intentional. Zabini felt compelled to act like a gentleman and rescue you from embarrassment and just let his mate take the brunt of the collision and landed on the cold floor, then leave him there while he flirted with said damsel he just rescued," he said the last part and shot a still laughing Zabini a cutting glare, when he looked back at the redhead who just steamrolled towards him and Zabini, her initial mixed expression has changed to something akin to awe and disbelief.

"What?" He didn't mean to snap at her, but it was a natural reflex of his to bark out that word whenever someone's staring at him or scrutinizing him.

"What happened to you?" Ginny asked, her eyes slowly assessing him from head to toe then back until their gazes locked once again. "I know people changed, especially after the final battle, but you...something's quite different with you," she mused.

Blaise, who by now has stopped laughing so hard, piped in, "He's become more human and came down from his high horse, that's what's different about him."

Draco rolled his eyes and threw a tiny spark ball at him, hitting Zabini on the side of his arm and caused the annoying professor to wince in pain when the ball's sparks touched fabric and skin. Zabini glared at Draco instead, but he was tempted to retaliate, but his former housemate was smart enough to put Ginny Weasley right in between them so he couldn't really do anything to him without risking injury to the feisty Charms professor.

A/N2: OK, this chapter took quite a few revisions before I finally settled on this final scene. Sorry for the short chapter; I'll try and write a longer one next time. As usual thanks to each and everyone who is reading, reviewing, and favouriting this fic of mine – I'll try not to disappoint and keep on producing more chapters for this story.

caitlinc1991: I'm glad you were able to indulge in a feeling of nostalgia in the first chapter.

roni2010: I've toyed with the idea of seeing these kids as adults, but I don't want to take them away from the school environment, so I decided to make them all come back to Hogwarts as professors. And I'm sure Ron and Harry will eventually find a way to forgive Draco...

veronica21: Good theory. And I'm glad you like Harry & Ginny's relationship. I don't want to make them a couple, but I want their relationship to have more meaning than just being exes.