A/N: Hello to all my faithful readers! Yes, I'm starting something new. I've been working on it for a while and thinking on it even longer. I've got enough done where I feel I can post it, keep working on it and my other stories and hopefully not lag on any of them. This is one that has been pestering me for a while. I really wish I could draw. I need a drawing of me at my computer with plot bunnies bouncing off my head to use for my profile pic. Anyway, back to this story. As I mentioned in the description, the concept is based off a true story and I will give that story at the end, as I don't want to give any spoilers early on. The first couple chapters will be necessary background. Yes, there will be smut in with the plot later on (this is me after all). I'm rating it M from the beginning since that's what it will be before too long. I know it starts a bit slow, but it will pick up once we get through the setup chapters. I hope you enjoy. Reviews always appreciated.
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Chapter 1 – Growing Up Weasley
**February 1985**
"Ginevra! What do you think you are doing? I put out the dress for you to wear. Why are you still in your play clothes?"
"But I hate it! It's itchy."
"That's just the lace dear, it will get better after a couple of minutes."
"I don't want to go!"
"Well I'm sorry little miss, but you don't have a choice. It's Aunt Muriel's 90th birthday. You are going and you will look like a proper little lady!"
Molly Weasley grabbed the lacy yellow dress and closed in on her four year old daughter. The child was red in the face and stood with arms crossed, looking defiant. After a few minutes of wrestling, Molly gave in and cast a petrificus spell on her. That finally enabled Molly to clothe her daughter properly. When she released Ginny, the little girl became angry and screwed up her face. Suddenly the dress whipped over her head, the window flew open, and the dress went out the window to hang itself in the oak tree.
"Ginevra Molly Weasley! How dare you! No magic!"
Molly again cast the mild petrificus spell, summoned the dress out of the tree and dressed her daughter once again. This time she added a sticking charm so that the dress would stay on. She then put white socks and shoes on her daughter's feet and opted for a sticking charm there as well. When she finished, she released the petrificus spell and regarded her daughter.
"Now, you listen here! This is a big birthday for Aunt Muriel and the entire family will be there. I expect you to act like a lady, not like one of your hooligan brothers."
"I don't want to be a lady!"
"Well I don't care. It took me six tries to get a daughter and you will be proper."
Ginny screwed up her face again and looked down at the dress and shoes. When nothing happened, she huffed off down the stairs away from her flustered mother. When she reached the living room, Arthur beamed at the sight of his daughter.
"Well look here! It's daddy's beautiful little witch. You make daddy so proud."
Ginny beamed and ran to her father, who embraced her while ignoring the eye rolls from five year old Ron, the almost seven year old twins and nine year old Percy. The boys all knew that their father had a soft spot for the youngest in the family. Not that any of them would argue. All Ginny had to do was give one small sob and any one of them would come running to her. As Arthur released his daughter, his harried wife arrived back downstairs and shook her head at her daughter before then proceeding to lead the family to the floo.
**October 1986**
Molly Weasley had just finished the last chores for the evening and headed upstairs to check on her five year old daughter. Ginny had been sent up to get washed and ready for bed and Molly hoped she had done as told for once. When she reached Ginny's room, she was surprised to find the girl had actually done as told and was quietly playing with her toy fairies. Arthur had been called out on a case for the Ministry, so bedtime stories fell to Molly for the night. When she entered the room, she pointed to the bed and Ginny climbed in to wait for her usual nighttime story.
"Alright dear, what story tonight? Maybe the story of the Boy Who Lived?"
Ginny contemplated and shrugged. She knew the story by heart, but it was a favorite of her mum's. Since her daddy wasn't home, she decided to just let her mum decide. Molly smiled and pulled up the covers around her daughter as she sat on the bed and pulled out the well-worn book that told the tale of Harry Potter. When she finished, Ginny wasn't asleep yet and decided to ask a question.
"Mum, is Harry Potter real? Like Merlin?"
"Yes dear, he is very real. And he is rumored to be as powerful as Merlin. Or at least he will be when he grows up. He's only a year older than you. The two of you will go to Hogwarts together one day. You may even catch his eye and marry him when you grow up. I knew his parents and they were both fine looking people, so I am sure Harry is as well. The two of you would have beautiful children. But first you must go to Hogwarts and train to be a powerful witch to match Harry. Then you need to catch his eye. Just think, can you imagine being married to such a powerful wizard?"
Ginny shrugged. She couldn't really imagine being married at all. Still, every time her mum read the story she seemed to get a far off look and would always mention Ginny marrying the famous Harry Potter someday. Maybe it would happen, but how could she be sure? She was only five.
**June 1988**
Molly Weasley was busy bustling around the kitchen, beginning the preparations for the welcome home dinner for her eldest three children. Bill, Charlie, and Percy had arrived home from Hogwarts a couple of hours earlier and it was good to have the house full again. Looking out the window, Molly was shocked to see Charlie fly by with his little sister in front of him on his broom. Her red tresses were whipping in the wind and she was cackling like mad. 'That girl, I swear she tries my patience as much as the twins', Molly said to herself. Deciding it was time to reign in her youngest and start some necessary lessons, Molly stepped out the door and rang her bell. All of her family came immediately to the summons. Ginny was still perched on Charlie's broom and looked annoyed at her mother.
"Ginny, time to come inside and help me in the kitchen. And you know the rules about brooms."
"But muuummm!"
"You can either help in the kitchen or I can ground you and stick you to the bottom stair while you think about acting like a lady."
Ginny rolled her eyes and jumped off the broom, landing like a cat. Charlie just shook his head. If his mother would stop being so overprotective, Ginny could turn into a fine player someday. As Ginny dragged her feet and followed her mother inside, everyone else realized they weren't needed and went back to what they'd been doing. When Molly reached the kitchen, she turned around to look at her daughter and shook her head. The girl looked a fright. She was dressed in Ron's old trousers from three years ago and an old second hand Quidditch jersey. Her feet were bare and muddy and her hair looked as one would expect for a girl who had just spent nearly an hour flying. Molly needed to get dinner going, but she needed to take a minute with her youngest. She sat Ginny down in a chair, before casting a couple of charms to clean her feet and hands, while also running her wand through the girl's hair while they talked.
"Now Ginny, we need to have a little talk, witch to witch. I know you adore your brothers, but you are not a boy and it is time you stopped behaving so badly. You are still young, but there are skills that you need to learn. One of those skills is how to care for your appearance. We may not be as rich as the Malfoys, but we are pureblood and one day you will need to find a suitable husband. I have told you that riding a broom is not allowed, but yet you continue to defy me. The damage may already be done, but I must insist you do not further damage your womanhood and stay off the brooms. Now, your punishment for disobeying on the broom rule will be cleaning out the garden shed tomorrow. In the meantime, you will help me prepare dinner. It is about time you started to learn to cook. The way to a wizard's heart is through his stomach. Now, come, we have a lot to do."
Ginny slumped out of the chair and followed her mum, looking dejected. What did she care about men anyway? She had forever until she was getting married. And what was the problem with riding brooms? Ron was allowed to ride when he was five. She never got hurt, so why was her mum always worried about her damaging herself? And now she was stuck with cleaning out the disgusting shed tomorrow. She knew deep down that her mum loved her, but some days she really wondered.
**September 1st, 1992**
The Weasley family busily hustled into King's Cross station and headed through the platform barrier two at a time. Arthur went first with Ron, followed by the twins and then Molly with Ginny firmly attached to her. They were running late as usual and Ron said a quick goodbye when he spotted Harry waving from the train. Ginny temporarily stopped and goggled at her brother's best friend. She had met Harry very briefly the year before on this same platform and still couldn't believe that the boy from the stories was real. And he was cute. She still wasn't sure what exactly all the fuss was about boys, but she thought that if there was someone worth fussing over, Harry Potter was definitely it. Her daydream though was cut short by the sound of her mother giving her the same last minute admonitions in her ear.
"Now Ginny, you have a good time at school. Listen to all your professors. Hogwarts has the best professors anywhere. Professor McGonagall will be your head of house and she is the best in Transfiguration since Rowena Ravenclaw. I expect you to study hard and obey the rules. Remember, you're a young lady now. Be careful of the Slytherins of course, but make sure you make lots of friends. And I know it's still early, but you can start to look around at what young men are available. Well of course, Harry's in Gryffindor so you've got the best right there. Your brothers will look out for you, but I expect you to behave so they don't have to. I love you and we'll see you at Christmas."
Ginny looked and just nodded at her mother. She had been hearing similar for weeks now. Her mother squeezed the breath out of her one last time before passing her to her father for a gentler hug. With a final wave, she pulled her trunk toward George, who took it up onto the train. Then she boarded and looked back at her parents. Her mother was crying of course and Ginny supposed she should feel some sadness for leaving, but she really didn't. This was the day she had been waiting for. It wasn't like she was leaving all her family behind and it would be good to get away from her mother's constant nit-picking, which had only increased in the year leading up to her departure. Finally, the whistle sounded and she was on her way to Hogwarts!
**June 1993**
Ginny woke up in the hospital wing and the first person she saw was her mother, who was practically sitting on the bed. She was wringing her hands and had obviously been crying. Ginny took a moment to get her bearings and then it all came back to her. The last horrible year with that bloody fucking diary and the Chamber of Secrets. If Harry hadn't rescued her, she knew she would be dead. He really was everything the books had said he was. She looked to her right and saw through a gap in the curtains that Harry was on the bed next to her. Was he alright? Oh gods, had she gotten Harry Potter killed? No, she couldn't let herself think that. The thought of losing him made her choke. It wasn't like they were great friends, but he was everything any girl could wish for. Molly Weasley raised her head and saw that her daughter had started to wake up. Throwing herself across her youngest child, she resumed her hysterical sobbing.
"Ginny! My baby! Oh thank Merlin, Harry saved you. You have so much to answer for! What did I tell you when you started school?"
"Molly, let's give her some time. Come on, let her breathe. Madam Pomfrey hasn't even released her yet."
Arthur pulled his wife up and smiled at his daughter as he leaned down to kiss her cheek.
"Ginny, we have much to talk about, but I expect the headmaster will be here soon. I cannot tell you what a relief it is to see you awake and well."
Ginny's reprieve lasted only a short while longer when Headmaster Dumbledore appeared and began to question her. She felt like such a fool and it didn't help that her mother sat on the side looking shocked, distressed and angry the whole time. Did she really think that Ginny had wanted all this? She had tried to stop it when she threw the stupid diary down the toilet, but Harry had to go find it. Just as she was thinking about Harry, she heard a groan and he got out of the bed next to her and stepped over to check on her. His concern was what finally caused her to dissolve into tears. Eventually the inquisition ended and a couple hours later she was discharged from the hospital wing.
Her parents waited outside Gryffindor tower for her to collect her things and took her home directly. The first of her punishments was not being allowed to return on the Hogwarts Express. The rest of her punishments would continue throughout the summer as Molly reminded her daughter daily of her faults and kept her busy with chores for the majority of each day. After nearly ten months of being away from home except for holidays, the sudden return to being suffocated by her mother was almost too much. And now it was even worse, as her mother seemed to have reason to doubt her. She was hoping it would be better as the summer wore on, but then strange things started happening. A couple of times everything would be fine and her mother would be amazingly calm, then she would suddenly flip and start berating Ginny for no reason. An hour later she would be back to normal. It didn't happen often, only about three or four times, but it was still baffling. Eventually September 1st arrived again and Ginny breathed a sigh of relief as she returned to Hogwarts.
**December 1993**
Ginny woke feeling poorly and wondered if she was coming down with a cold and should perhaps go to the hospital wing. Unsure, she instead decided to try a hot shower first and headed for the bathroom. When she visited the loo though she received a surprise and realized that the reason she was feeling badly was that her monthlies had just started. Her mother had coached her for a couple of years about what to do and Ginny knew that she was right on time. Still, she hadn't realized the cramps would be this bad. Some of the other girls complained, but she always thought they were being overly dramatic. She fetched one of the blood-vanishing pads she had stashed for the occasion and then realized that she would probably need more, so after Charms she headed for the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey was incredibly sweet and congratulated Ginny while sitting down and offering her a special tea to help with the cramps. She explained things much simpler than Ginny's mother had and then gave her more pads to get her through her first cycle. After a few days, her flow stopped and Ginny didn't give it another thought.
When Ginny and her brothers arrived home for the holiday break, it was three days before Christmas and the Burrow was a madhouse as her mum prepared for the entire family to be home for the holiday. In all the chaos, Ginny forgot to tell her mum the news until Christmas Eve. The right time finally presented itself while they were alone in the kitchen, rolling out cookies.
"Oh mum, I meant to tell you. I started my monthlies about two weeks ago. I was fine, just some bad cramps. Madam Pomfrey gave me some tea. It lasted about four days."
"What! Oh, my baby! You're a woman now! Oh why didn't you tell me? I mean, I'm your mother. You didn't even send an owl, but you went and talked to Madam Pomfrey?"
Molly suddenly dissolved into tears and Ginny was at a loss. She hadn't thought it would be such a big deal. She had followed her mum's instructions and then gone to the school healer. Now her mother was clinging to her and crying profusely.
"Mum, I'm sorry. You told me everything I needed to know. I was just so busy finishing up schoolwork before the break I just dealt with it."
Molly collected herself and pulled away, sniffling.
"Alright. I know how stressful it is at the end of session before a break. But really, you need to tell me these things. A mother must know everything."
Ginny just nodded. Her mother was seriously overreacting. As for telling her everything, Ginny suppressed a snort. Thankfully, Molly seemed better after her small breakdown and the rest of the holiday proceeded like normal. At least until right before New Year's, when Molly sat Ginny down in her bedroom and gave her the Talk, full and complete. Ginny had been told the basics of baby making several years before, but now she got the full anatomical lesson and it was really more than she wanted. Of course, she now understood what her mother worried about when she harped on Ginny 'damaging' herself by riding a broom. Molly also made sure to spend a good half hour on the subject of how good girls and proper ladies behave and waiting until she was married. It was all quite embarrassing and Ginny figured Hogwarts must have been quite different when her parents attended, because she had seen plenty of nice girls in the older classes sneaking off to dark corners with boys. According to her mother, such behavior was second only to practicing the dark arts. Knowing she had no other choice, Ginny endured the discussion and then silently praised the gods when it was finally over. A week later she once again escaped back to school and felt a weight lift from her.
