A little note from the lovely authoress: All of the things in this chapter and those to come are the property of Ms. JK Rowling and thus not mine. I am only borrowing them, so I can play for a while. Happy reading, review if it suits you. Now, on to the prologue!
Summer Purchase
Ginevra Weasley stood staring into the window of Madam Malkin's with much the same expression the boys down the street had staring at the latest model of the Firebolt. You wouldn't have guessed by looking at her that Ginny, as those close to her called her, cared very much about designer robes. And, for the most part, she didn't, but every once in a while there would be something truly spectacular that caught her eye. This was most definitely one of those times. The mirror that stood next to the dress in the display window was enchanted to show the gazer a picture of themselves in the robes. Ginny really liked her reflection at the moment. She sighed, wishing her family had more gold. It might not be a problem soon; her father was the top contender for the new Minister of Magic. They hadn't yet had an official election, but ever since Dumbledore announced that he was in support of Arthur Weasley, he had been ridiculously far ahead in the poles.
Ginny was still staring at the robes 15 minutes later, trying to figure out how much she would have left if she spent all of her summer earnings on them. She had finally decided that since her answer fell somewhere between "none" and "not much at all" that it wasn't worth it… Not yet at any rate; if Dad gets Minister then I'll just ask for them for Christmas.
She looked down at her watch to see if her break was over. Nope, the hand was still pointed toward "Break time". When she looked up again she saw an unpleasantly familiar face reflected back in the window. But because Draco Malfoy was walking down the street with his mother, he didn't have time to properly jeer at her. He just glanced over and scoffed, turning his nose up as he muttered something about blood traitors.
"Ugh," Ginny said softly, rolling her eyes. She decided that she had been staring at the robes long enough, but she still had another few minutes before her brothers expected her back at the shop. She walked by Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes where her older twin brothers had hired her as a part-time clerk for the summer holidays. They didn't look too busy and so she decided to go into one more shop before going back to the bedlam that was work.
The second she stepped foot into Pandora's Box of Assorted Treasures, Ginny was taken aback by the musty smell. This was Ginny's favorite shop, but she never could quite get used to the smell… Or the dust, she thought as she sneezed twice. It was a nice effect, making everything seem really old… and almost as if you were discovering the items after no one had seen them for a very long time.
She wandered aimlessly, staring and occasionally fingering a price-tag mournfully. That is, until she spotted a pocket watch that seemed to be broken.
"I wonder if Dad would like it." She mused aloud, examining the small hands beneath the unscratched glass. She debated buying it and fixing it herself. Merlin knew she had had enough practice on her own, having restored it to perfection after much effort. Upon checking the tag for a price, she found that it wasn't too expensive. And it would make such a lovely gift if her father got Minister. She thought about it just a moment more and then snatched it up and went to pay for it.
Delighted with her new purchase, Ginny cheerfully made her way back to work.