Stripped

Hogwarts, 2008

Ten years have passed since the fall of Voldemort's second rising and the Dark Wizard's death. It took nearly four more years to calm the unrest caused by Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Unlike Voldemort's first rising in the 1970s, the death toll wasn't as high, but many young wizards lost their lives. Snape muttered, "None of them needed to lose their lives in such a wasteful cause."

Unlike the last time, Voldemort wasn't able to bully and threaten most of the Wizarding World into following him. Many of his supporters were the Death Eaters still alive from the last war and their children, but even those children weren't fervent supporters. Snape didn't delude himself; most wizards were still as biased against Muggles and Mud- err, no, Muggleborns as before but many of them were not interested in exterminating all of them, especially when it became common knowledge that Voldemort was a half-blood himself.

Snape took a drink of his pumpkin juice and leaned back in his chair. He was grading some lovely potions scrolls that made him want to vomit with the atrocious quality of all of them. I'm getting too old for this, he thought.

Many of his former students from the year he started teaching, 1981, to the end of the war, 1998, were still alive and starting families of their own. However, many of the students from Slytherin house were either dead, in Azkaban, or in some kind of hiding. Those who were active in Wizarding society either had been half-blood Slytherins, had been openly against taking the Mark, or had enough Galleons to make Wizarding society accept them. That was the only reason why Draco Malfoy was able to make his way through society; his father was one of top Death Eaters and he himself had the Mark, but Draco Malfoy's Galleons made the world go around.

Unlike his father, Snape trusted the young Malfoy. After watching Malfoy take the Mark, but not being able to stop it without losing his cover, Snape watched the boy go from a completely spoiled brat to a bratty young man who learned the hard way that his father was no man to idolize.

Snape sighed. He had started to think of Draco as more of a son than as a former student. The past ten years had been rather horrid to the Malfoy heir. First, he found himself as an unwitting combatant in a battle that he would have rather just watch on the sidelines then join the winning side in a bid to keep his head. Then, he watched his father get cut down with his own eyes by the Dark Lord for daring to try and adjust the Dark Lord's plans. The young Malfoy had never been a big supporter of the Dark Lord; it had been expected, but Draco was always more interested in self-preservation. Snape sighed; self-preservation was a Slytherin trait, but many of his students ignored it when they decided to take the Mark. Flint, Nott, Crabbe, Goyle, St Staen, Paul Parkinson, Klinesdale., the list went on. Unlike those, Malfoy had the will to live on.

Out of everyone that took the Mark, only he and Draco were still alive. Most had either died either during the short war, during the upheaval after the Dark Lord's death or were given the Dementor's Kiss. He survived because he had Dumbledore's backing and the discovery of his role in the Order of the Phoenix. He didn't know how Draco had survived other than Dumbledore and the boy's estranged aunt, Andromeda Tonks both had hands in it. He never asked how at all; he always thought it was none of his business.

Right now, though, there was something else that was confusing him. That morning at breakfast, an eagle owl had dropped off a quick letter. After examining it and seeing the seal on it, he knew it was from Draco, but for some reason he was in no hurry to open it. It was at the corner of his desk in a plain white envelope, but still a bit forbidding. He sighed and reached for it. He opened it and a single sheet of paper with the Malfoy crest fell out. He picked up the paper and read:

Professor Snape,

If it is in anyway possible, could you arrange a meeting for me with the Weasley girl? As you already know, I'm trying to close the book on my past as a Death Eater but for some reason, I feel this need to talk to her about that night where she found me after I got the Mark and why she didn't turn me in. I know you told her to be quiet but she still could have used that against me especially since I made her family miserable. I know I would have used that against me if I was her. None of my contacts can find a way to contact her. Since you were in the Order, you probably can find her better than I can.

Draco Malfoy

P.S. This is the fifth time I've sent this. Don't think I'm going to give up so just give in.

Snape swore; his first instinct that night had been to Obliviate both of them but he didn't considering Malfoy's weakened state. He sighed; he didn't have the patience to fob Malfoy off again. He penned a quick note and then got up to go to the Owlery. At least it would give him another fifteen minutes before he would have to go and read those awful essays again.

*********

"Ay, Ginny, are you going to be spending all day up there alone?"

Ginny sighed; she was hoping to be alone today but of course, Ron couldn't have that. She lived in a rather nice flat with Hermione, but everyone was always coming back and forth; Mum and Dad, the twins, Charlie when he was in town, Ron and Pansy, Neville and Hannah, Dean, Seamus, Colin, Lisa, Luna, Susan, and of course, Harry who was always underfoot. She loved the fact that there was always someone around but occasionally, she needed her space.

The door to her room opened and Pansy stepped inside. Ginny turned around on the bed as she watched the brunette tip-toe her way around the books, clothes, and pillows on the floor. Pansy drawled, "Someone doesn't like to clean up after themselves that much, do they?"

Ginny retorted, "If I was allowed to actually be by myself for once, I'd clean it. What does Ron want anyway?"

Pansy rolled her eyes as she took a seat on the bed. She crossed her legs before saying, "Harry's making eyes at Hermione again and it's making Ron uncomfortable. Of course, it makes me want to hurl so I decided to take a trip to the loo. I wish that Harry would use that courage that he supposedly has and ask the girl out. She wouldn't say no."

Ginny giggled. It was no secret that Harry was in love with Hermione. While they were in Hogwarts, Harry and Hermione were like siblings and Ron and Hermione briefly flirted with a relationship. However, they both mutually agreed that it was impossible before it became serious and Hermione had dated other guys afterwards. Harry was never really without a girlfriend but after Ron and Pansy's wedding, it hit Harry like a ton of bricks that the girl he was looking for was Hermione. It had been nearly two years ago, but Harry hadn't managed to even tell Hermione that he was in love with her.

It was also at the wedding that Ginny saw Draco Malfoy for the first time since after the war. The Malfoy scion had disappeared for a while after he was cleared of all wrongdoing. There had been rumours that he had spent time in America as well as in Italy. He was cousins with Blaise Zabini and Zabini had spent most of the time handling all of the affairs of the Malfoy family. Narcissa Malfoy had died nearly four years ago of what some suspected was a broken heart after the death of her husband, Lucius Malfoy.

She had kept up with it all out of a passing curiosity to most of her friends but it was more than that. Only Pansy had an inkling of why and that was because she had been close to Malfoy. Ever since that night where she saw him after he took the Mark, she felt this connection to him. She was probably one of a very few that had seen Draco Malfoy at his weakest. Ginny didn't know how to explain it; she just felt this connection to him that if anyone knew about it, they wouldn't understand it.

Pansy knew; Draco had told her about it before he had left. When Draco decided to disappear for a while, he made her his secret-keeper, knowing that she would tell no one. The only reason he came back was to see her get married. Blaise, Draco, Pansy; they had been childhood friends and were practically siblings. They weren't as close as the Trio, but they had a bond that only children of Death Eaters could have. They looked out for each other, especially after Draco had taken the Mark. Draco protected them when Blaise decided not to take the Mark and Pansy decided that she'd rather not marry Draco. They returned the favor when Draco decided he needed to get out of British Wizarding society.

So it was no surprise that Pansy had an idea of what was going on when an eagle owl started knocking at Ginny's window. Ginny got up, grabbed some owl treats and opened the window. The owl put its leg out and Ginny took the letter out of the carrier on its leg before giving the owl some treats. The owl looked at the treats as if it was looking down its nose at them before flying off. Ginny looked at the flying bird in puzzlement before shrugging and closing the window. She walked back over to the bed and plopped down next to Pansy. She commented, "I've never seen an owl turn up its head at owl treats before."

Pansy laughed then asked, "What is it?"

Ginny said, "I'm getting to it, wait a minute," as she opened the letter.

She took the letter out and scanned it, her face showing surprise and confusion. Then she handed it to Pansy. Pansy scanned it and then said, "I had no idea that he was back in Britain. He must be back and for good."

Ginny snorted before getting up and pacing. Then she asked, "Pansy, do you think I should do it? Meet with him? It's been years, wouldn't he have forgotten by now?"

Pansy replied, "He's a Malfoy and they don't forget. Might as well do it."

Ginny sighed before summoning her parchment and a quill.

******

The owl dropped its letter onto his desk. The man picked it up and quickly opened it. A calculating smile came onto his face as he read it. Then he walked over to the fireplace and burned it.

Draco Malfoy finally had the meeting that he had wanted for so long with Ginny Weasley.