Old Enemies New Loves

Chapter 3







 

Chapter 3

 

A/N: I know the Weasley children’s ages are a bit off last
chapter but all will be explained. Trust me!

 

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The next week passed in a flurry of meetings and
preparations for the new school year. Ginny was almost giddy with happiness she
was finally doing something with her life that she had always wanted to do,
teach. She took the last few hours before the students arrived at the great
hall to reflect on the last 10 years. She had worked with Min Ministry, after
she graduated from university, up until four years ago when she mistakenly told
her muggle boyfriend about whom and what she really was. She should have known
that he would have reacted the way he did; especially when he wouldn’t believe
her and he demanded that she prove it to him. When she had levitated the chair
he was in a m a moment and then released it with a thud he had looked at her
like she had sprouted a second head. He screamed like a little girl and ran out
of her life. She had been devastated until she went to Fred and George’s shop.
Both her brothers had been there for her and had offered to hex the bugger out
of existence.

 

Ginny thoughts then strayed to her nieces and nephews. Every
one that had not seen the children yet were going to be in for another surprise
other than just six Weasley children. The four eldest children were actually
all adopted into the family by her various older brothers after the war.

 

So many good witches and wizards had perished and many
children had been left orphaned so totally alone, with no family to care for
them. The Weasley line had always been caring and compassionate when it came to
others. Molly Weasley had been so devastated by the state that many of the
children had been left that she had single-handedly raised funds and opened an
orphanage for displaced children of wizard decent. It was contained in a
mansion of one of the Death Eaters that had fallen in the war and having no
heirs themselves the Ministry had given the mansion to Molly for use as the
orphanage. It was a large rambling place, large enough to house the two hundred
or more children and to have a primary school for the littlest children to
prepare them for life at Hogwarts and the wizarding world in general.

 

A knock at her office door pulled her out of her reverie.
Ginny smoothed her robes and went to the door. She was surprised to see Draco
standing there. He was the quintessel bal bad-boy of the wizarding world. A day
did not go by that he wasn’t featured in The Daily Prophet or the Quibbler.
Most often the stories linked him with some woman or another it didn’t seem to
matter if she was muggle, muggle-born witch, or pureblood. He had been linked
with everyone from the daughter of the Lestrange’s to
J. Lo. Now, he was standing outside her office, the sister of one of his
greatest enemies from school. She almost shook her head at the absurdity of it
all.

 

co, co, what can I do for you?” Ginny smiled at the blonde
who stood in front of her.

 

“Just asking if I can see you to dinner? It is almost time
for the students to arrive.” Ginny looked at the clock in her desk and realized
that it had gotten very late.

 

“Oh, hell! I didn’t realize how
late it was. Well nothing to do now I will just have to go how I am. Let’s go.”
Ginny was already closing the door when Draco stopped her with a hand on her
wrist.

 

“Hang on a moment.” Before Ginny could say anything Draco
had his wand out and muttered a charm as he passed his wand over her robes and
hair. Ginny looked down at her self and saw that she was now in wonderfully
tailored and fitted emerald green robes. The color was perfect with her copper
colored hair. She was shocked to see her reflection in the windows; her
formerly short hair was now styled into a complicated twist with a few curling
tendrils fng hng her face. It was nothing too formal but just enough that she
knew that it was several times better than her normal wash and dry cut. She
didn’t look like a girl anymore, she defiantly looked her age.

 

“Oh my gods, Draco.” Ginny was at a
loss for words. Draco just smiled.

 

“Ginny lets go. We don’t want to be late.” Draco took her
hand, placed it on his arm and led her down to the great hall.

 

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
*** *** ***

 

The great hall was as magnificent as Ginny always
remembered. This year the house tables were covered in tablecloths in each of
the house colors with the house banners waving softly above in some unseen
breeze. Above the staff table there was the Hogwarts school banner with the
Ravenclaw Eagle in prominence as they were the previous year House Cup winner.

 

Draco led Ginny through the almost empty hall to the staff
table where he gntlyntly pulled out her chair for her and when she was seated
sat next to her. Ginny was just dumbfounded at the changes that had come over
the Slytherin in the last decade. He was polite, humble, and nice. Nice was not
a word that anyone had ever thought that would be used to describe the Malfoy
heir. Just as Ginny gathered her wits to question his motives the hall started
to fill with students. As the last of the older students straggled into the
hall Deputy Headmaster Vector led in the first years.

 

McGonagall brought forth a four legged stool and placed the
old ragged looking conical hat on the stool. It was only a moment before the
hat burst out in song.

 

If you searched for a
thousand years

A hat with more
history can never be found.

For hat like me is
only discovered

In these hallowed
halls of magic unity.

Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw,

Slytherin, Gryffindor.

These houses four

Through their
embattled history

Must
now come together.

All
for one, one for all.

Slip me over your ears

To
see where you belong.

Tenacious Hufflepuff,

Gallant Ravenclaw,

Wiley Slytherin,

Courageous
Gryffindor.

Where ever you are you
are ever

Part
of the whole that is Hogwarts.

Remember that I have
yet to be wrong.

So slap me on and let
me have my look.

I’ll put you where you
belong

Whether friend or foe
your true friends are

Part
of Hogwarts through and through.

 

After a polite applause for the Sorting Hat’s song Professor
Vector unrolled a parchment scroll and began to call each first year’s name
beginning with “Alton, David” who
was a Hufflepuff and ending with “Wittcombe, Sarah”
who sorted to Ravenclaw. Ginny was pleased that both Ian and Douglas had sorted
into Gryffindor just as every Weasley before them had. Each red-headed boy had
given her huge grins before they hurried to join their cousins.

 

Professor McGonagall stood up and waited for the hall to
quiet a bit. Pointing her wand at her throat and uttering the word “sonorous”
to magically enhance her voice to be heard across the Hall she began the
beginning of term announcements. “Welcome students old and new. A few
announcements before we begin our feast. First Mr. Filch would like me to
announce that there are now a total of 489 forbidden items and that if anyone
wishes they may inquire after the full list in his office. Second, I would like
you all to join me in welcoming three new teachers this year. Professor Neville
Longbottom, who has take a leave from his duties as an Auror to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts, Professor Virginia Weasley, who will
be teaching Charms and will be the new head of Gryffindor house.” This was
followed by a large applause from the Gryffindor table led by Ginny’s gaggle of
nieces and nephews. “Yes, well. Finally let us welcome Professor Draco Malfoy,
our new Potions Master and new head of Slytherin.” The Slytherin table not to
be out done erupted into their own raucous applause. The headmistress looked
sternly around the hall and continued. “That will be quite enough now. The
final announcement this evening will be thais yis year the willthrethree
holiday Balls for fourth years and above. They will held
on or before Halloween, Yule Break and Spring Recess. All students attending
these activities will be expected to wear Dress robes as indicated on their
supply lists. I sincerely hope you all have an enjoyable year and as Albus Dumbledore used to say, ‘Tuck In!’”

 

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

 

After the tables had cleared themselves, Draco stood and
again pulled out Ginny’s chair for her. Ginny looked up into the ice blue eyes
of the man that had proved to be a wonderful companion. She opened her mouth to
again question him but was distracted by several voices calling her name.

 

“Aunt Ginny! Aunt
Ginny!” Six children came running up to her and each in turn engulfed
her in the kind of bear hug that children give to those they love. The only
red-heads in the bunch were the two youngest, who were bouncing with energy
like two energetic puppies.

 

“Aunt Gin, did’ja see. Ian and me got in Gryff’dor.” Douglas was urgently
tugging on her sleeve making sure she had to turn her attention to him.

 

“First off Douglas it is ‘Ian and I’.
Secondly you have better manner than to interrupt when two people are talking.”
Ginny looked sternly at her young nephew when he looked rightfully abashed she
pulled the boy into her arms for another hug. “I am so proud that you both were
sorted into Gryffindor. Now kiddos I would like to introduce you to Professor
Malfoy. He was a year ahead of me when we both attended Hogwarts.” Ginny
smirked for a moments and continued on. “Actually he knew your Uncle Ron rather
well, Didn’t you Draco?”

 

Ginny smiled sweetly at the Slytherin knowing full well what
her brother’s relationship with the new Potions Master was.

 

Charlie or ‘Junior’ as the eldest
of the bunch stepped forward extending his hand to Draco. “Pleased
to meet you, sir. I’m Charles Weasley. I’ll be taking Advanced Potions
this year.”

 

Ginny watched with a little trepidation but smiled as Draco
shook the young man’s hand and gave him a genuine smile.

 

“The pleasure is all mine and I
must say that to be in Advanced Potions you must be much better at it than your
Uncle Ron at potions. Ah, the stories I could tell.”

 

Ginny never missed the mischievous glint that came into
Draco’s eye at his mention of her brother.

 

Charlie smiled at the new teacher and knew that something
was happening between the new teacher and his aunt. He wasn’t about to venture
what just yet but filed the information away for later when he could talk to
his cousins alone.

 

“Let me introduce the rest of the Weasley brood here. Shelly
here is a sixth year and one of our wonderful chasers.” Shelly blushed a bit,
brushed her dark brown hair out of her eyes and smiled. Charlie put a hand on
the shoulder of a mousy looking blonde and gave her shoulder a squeeze before
he continued.

 

“Next is Sarah who is the prefect of the family and the
source of all of our good grades!” Sarah gave Draco a wavering smile the
dropped her eyes to the floor. Sensing her discomfort Charlie moved on to the
dark haired boy next to him.

 

“Carter here is Shelly’s brother though; she would love to
disown him. Carter is also one of our beaters. And that just leaves us with the
little squirts. Ian and Douggie.
We heard that several teachers were dreading their starting Hogwarts this year
because their father’s were a notorious pair of pranksters at Hogwarts.”

 

The youngest three boys all looked at the Potions Master
with varying expressions of awe, fear and trepidation. Ginny seeing that the
three were about to ask a barrage of questions deftly cut them off.

 

“Ok you six, time to get to your common room. Do you all
have the password?” Each child nodded. “Good. I’ll see you all in classes
tomorrow and if you have any problems you know where to find me. Now go on.”
After each gave their goodnights Ginny watched the six troop
away and was pleased to see that Charlie, though the eldest of the bunch, took
the two youngest under his wing and was pointing things out and taking care of
them. Ginny turned and looked at a slightly bewildered Draco.

 

“Well there you have them. I’ll have you know that I just
saved you from an interrogation.” Ginny smiled at Draco and decided to relieve
his bewilderment before he hurt himself. “Draco shut your mouth you look like a
carp. The four eldest you probably noticed look nothing like the typical
Weasley because they are not. My three oldest brothers adopted them after the
war. Their entire families were wiped out during the final assaults that
Voldemort ordered. There are so many children with out families, Draco. Mine
opened our hearts to four of them. Charlie, Shelly and Carter are the most
resilient but Sarah worries me sometimes. She was the most broken. Please watch
out for her. OK?”

 

Getting a single nod in return was enough for Ginny. She
said good night to Draco, thanked him for giving her a lovely evening and left
him standing in the great hall. She had to patrol the corridors for the next
few hours.

 

Draco watched Ginny walk away. He now understood what made
her who she was and what it really meant to be part of the Weasley family. Her
family was everything that his never had been. His mother and father had been
cold and distant. Ginny’s family was loving, warm and welcoming. He decided
then that maybe that was what was missing from his own life.

 

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A/N: This is by far the longest chapter I have ever written
it counts up at over 2,300 words. I am still looking for a beta reader email me
at shadows_zephyr@hotmail.com