AN: I was pretty disappointed when my hard drive crashed, not only because
I would have to buy another one, but because I lost almost all of my
writing. And let me tell you, there was a lot. So in memory of my poor
writing files, I have decided to live up to my penname and start a
Slytherin fic. It's going to be Draco/Ginny, though I am not really a fan
It was mid afternoon and the sun was beating down on the earth where a short girl with flaming red hair sat flinging Garden Gnomes over the fence. Normally she would have loathed the chore, but today it didn't seem so bad. It was almost enjoyable, sitting in the bright sunshine, savoring her last day at the Burrow.
Tomorrow, she would be leaving for a summer in France. A summer full of the beautiful landscapes, chateaus, and delicious cuisine. Of course it wouldn't all be fun and games, she would be expected to study with her host family, learn their customs and language, but that wouldn't be so bad. It might even be fun.
Her thoughts were interrupted when a window shot open and a voice rang out, "Virginia Weasley, stop staring into space and degnome that garden!"
Ginny grinned sheepishly. "Sorry Mum."
Mrs. Weasley indulged in a girlish grin. "It's okay, dear. I know you have a lot on your mind, what with France and all. But do hurry up, lunch is almost ready."
Ginny nodded and began to hurl gnomes at an alarming pace. A few moments later, Mrs. Weasley had stuck her head out the window again to holler that lunch was ready. Ginny hurried into the kitchen and began to scrub the dirt from under her fingernails.
"Boys, lunch," Mrs. Weasley called up the stairs. There was a small stampede as all of the Weasley boys began to take the steps two at a time.
Mrs. Weasley sat down at the head of the table with the twins to her left and Ginny and Ron on her right. Together they only partially filled the long oval table. Mrs. Weasley glanced at the empty seats and sighed deeply. She really missed her family, what with the children growing up and Arthur working at the ministry 24/7.
It was common knowledge that Lucius Malfoy was causing some hard times for Arthur's department. Ginny couldn't help but feel a surge of anger at the man. But rather than voicing these thoughts, she placed a comforting hand on her mother's shoulder.
Mrs. Weasley was startled from her thoughts and began serving everyone mass portions of chicken, mashed potatoes, and other delicious foods. Just as Ginny was digging into some excellent fried chicken, an owl swooped down, and dropped a letter in her mashed potatoes. She giggled and picked the letter up. Wiping the potatoes off of the parchment, she read:
Dear Ms. Virginia Weasley,
Your port key will leave from Stoteshead Hill tonight at 7 PM. Your host family will be awaiting you at your arrival destination. Please be punctual. We will not be responsible for any students who miss their port key time.
Best of Luck, Miguel Rockford Executive for the International Exchange Program
Mrs. Weasley eyed her daughter curiously.
"Letter from the ministry... My portkey leaves tonight at seven."
"Goodness! You better finish your lunch and go get packed!"
Hours later, Ginny flanked by Fred, George, and Ron trudged through the darkness up Stoteshead Hill.
"I thought we'd never get you away from Mum." Fred said darkly.
"Yeah, she was leached onto you awfully tight." George affirmed.
Ginny started to respond to this, but was interrupted by Ron who gasped out, "How much further."
"Oh Ron, toughen up a bit," Fred said unconcernedly.
"You try carrying this," Ron panted. It seemed Fred and George had both seized the smallest load possible, leaving Ron with the enormous trunk.
"No thanks, Ron." George said jovially.
"Yeah, you enjoy." Fred added with a cruel grin.
When they finally reached the top, Ron dropped the trunk, and it landed with a very heavy thud. Fred and George chuckled. Fred, who had been carrying a pillow, set it down on top of the trunk. Ron glared at him and was about to comment when Ginny interrupted.
"Help me find the port key, will you?"
Fred shrugged and began to search.
"Aha," George called, holding up a dirty metal can. He handed it to Ginny, who held it away from her in disgust.
"Two more minutes," she said, looking at them teary eyed.
Ron hugged his little sister tightly. Since they were the youngest of seven, Ron and Ginny had a lot in common. And spent more time together than either would ever admit.
"Bye Gin. Have a great holiday," Ron said.
Fred and George each gave her a short hug.
"We'll send you loads of owls," George assured her.
"And a ministry toilet seat..." Fred added.
She smiled. No matter how many times they used that old joke, it still managed to cheer her up.
"Love you all. I'll owl," she said, fighting back tears.
And with a pop, Ginny Weasley disappeared into the night, trunks and all.
Before Ginny knew it, she was jerked away from Stoteshead Hill and was lying flat on her back in a dewy field. She got up quickly and brushed the wet grass off of her robe. Picking up her trunk, she began to look around.
She was standing in a large field with gently rolling hills in view. The place was far from deserted though. There were witches and wizards everywhere. Apparently, this was a public apparition/port key point.
It was clear to her that she would never find the Barrett's in this place. She didn't even know what they looked like! All she knew was that Mr. Barrett worked for the ministry and that he had met Mr. Weasley a few years back.
She looked around hopelessly. Then, she decided to join the crowds and search for the Barretts. She passed carts crammed full of sweets, and though most were familiar to her, there were a few unfamiliar items as well. For instance a small round package called Pierre's Palette caught her eye. Apparently when you licked a color off the palette and you could see amazing colors and pictures for 30 seconds afterwards. Ginny couldn't help but giggle when a full grown witch, who looked suspiciously like Professor McGonagall, licked a color off of one of the palettes and began to blink furiously.
Ginny stood fighting off the giggles, when a hand gripped her shoulder. She stifled a small scream and whirled around. A tall, balding man stood behind her.
"Sorry to startle you, but are you perchance Virginia Weasley," he asked with a congenial smile.
"Yes, I am. Who are you," she asked cautiously. After all, she wasn't about to walk off with a complete stranger.
"Ah, I'm Mr. Barrett. Part of your host family. It is so good to meet you, Virginia. My wife and son and I have been looking all over for you! We were beginning to worry we had missed you arrival time," He exclaimed.
Ginny smiled in relief. Then, she lugged her trunk to a standing position with a small grunt. Ron wasn't kidding! This thing really did weigh a ton!
He smiled over at her efforts. "Here, let me give you a hand with that trunk."
Ginny gave him a grateful smile as her trunk was lifted lightly from her grasp.
"Thank you," she murmured.
He nodded. "Well let's see. I'm married and I work for the accidental magic reversal office. I have a son who is around your age. He's about 15, so probably a year older than you," he questioned.
"Mhmm, I'm fourteen," She responded, tagging along behind him through the bustling crowds.
"Good. I'm sure you two will get along wonderfully. Now, you're a fourth year right?"
"Yes Sir."
They were silent for a moment as they tried to push through a crowd of young children buying sweets.
"Ahh well there they are!" Mr. Barrett shouted over the din to Virginia. He pointed to a woman with silver hair who was waving her arms frantically at them. Beside her was a boy. He was a little on the short side, but he was well built and had shaggy brown hair. At second glance, Ginny decided he was quite dreamy, really.
They walked over and Mr. Barrett sat the trunk down.
"Virginia, this is my wife Marguerite and my son, Tristan."
"Lovely to meet you Virginia," said Mrs. Barrett, shaking her hand warmly.
"Bonjour Madame," Said the boy, grasping her hand with a sheepish smile. Ginny was quite surprised when, rather than giving a firm handshake, he kissed her hand with feather lightness.
'I will not turn red. I will NOT turn red.' She thought furiously. However her face betrayed her, blushing faintly. 'Oh God, I'm blushing.' She thought.
She shot him a shy smile.
Mr. Barrett gave his son a look of exasperation.
"Come along you all. We had best be getting our Virginia home," Mrs. Barrett said with a kind smile at Ginny.
"We'll apparate there. Have you ever apparated Virginia?"
"Oh no. In England, we aren't allowed to until we turn eighteen."
"Oh yes. I remember now. Well in France, children may apparate if they are in the company of someone with an apparition license. Such as my wife and I," Mr. Barrett added. "As long as you hold my hand and Tristan's and you'll be just fine. Just make sure not to let go."
Ginny nodded, trying to be brave, but secretly thinking to herself how many ways this could backfire. None the less, she grabbed hands with Mr. Barrett and Tristan.
'Oh my Gosh. What if it doesn't work? What if I get spliced?' She thought, panicking.
"Don't worry. It'll be fine," Tristan said reassuringly, squeezing her hand.
With a flash of bright light, they were gone.
Ginny opened her eyes to find herself still intact. She was standing in a large room with wood paneling and cushy chairs arcing around a large fireplace. It looked very cozy. And if Ginny's nose was correct, there was a kitchen adjoined to the room.
"Welcome to your home for the summer," Mrs. Barrett said with a huge smile.
"Thank you," Ginny said quietly.
"So, shall I take you on the grand tour, Virginia," Tristan asked.
"Okay," she squeaked out.
"I'll just carry your trunk up to your new quarters then." Mr. Barrett said with a smile.
"I'm going to go check on dinner. It'll be ready in about an hour," Mrs. Barrett added. She exited through a circular door on the other side of the room, giving Ginny a quick glance at the kitchen before the door shut behind her.
"Shall I show you to your room first? We redecorated it before you got here."
"That was thoughtful of you," Ginny said with a shy smile in his direction.
He led her up a flight of steps and down a landing. He opened a door at the end of the hall, revealing a room with white walls and a pink flowery border. She almost snorted with laughter. Pink, flowery borders! That was definitely a first.
Seeing her amused expression, Tristan looked at her quizzically.
"What is so funny? Do you not like it?"
"Oh no," she giggled. "It isn't that! This is like a dream come true. I have six older brothers. I've always been in one of their leftover rooms. Never once in my life have I been able to have a pink room."
He laughed merrily. "Six brothers," He exclaimed.
She nodded giggling slightly. "Oh yes, They're crazy. But I really do love the room."
"I'm glad you like it. Now, tell me about these brothers of yours." He said taking a seat on Ginny's new bed, which had a flowery quilt. She sat down beside him.
"Well, three of them have already graduated from Hogwarts: Bill, Charlie, and Percy. Bill works for Gringotts, breaking curses. Charlie works in Romania with dragons. Percy works for the ministry. He is really annoying at times. Then, there is Fred and George. They're twins and they have had more detentions than all the other seventh years combined. Then, Ron is only a year older than me. We're probably the closest."
"Wow. I can't even imagine that many siblings! My dorm mates are the closest I have to brothers."
"You never told me what school you went to." Ginny commented, stretching out on the bed.
"Oh, Beaubatons." He looked over at her sprawled out on the bed. "You tired?"
"Only a little," she mumbled.
"Well, how about you take a nap before dinner. I can show you the rest of the house later?"
"I'm not."She started to argue, but before she could finish her sentence, she gave a small yawn. He gave her an amused look.
She smiled sheepishly.
"I'll come and get you for dinner in a little while." With that he nodded at her, and shut the door behind him.
She snuggled under her new flowery quilt, pulling it to her chin. She turned over and was asleep.
The next Ginny knew, the sun was shining in through her window into her eyes. Suddenly, her covers felt really heavy and stuffy. She kicked them off and rolled over with a groan. She glanced at the clock as she did so. And gasped, falling off the bed. 8 o'clock!! It was morning already!! She had completely missed dinner. She hoped the Barrett's wouldn't be angry.
She dressed quickly and brushed her disheveled hair. Then rushed downstairs as quickly as she could without tripping. She could hear voices in the kitchen. She knocked softly.
The door swung open and she began apologizing profusely.
Mrs. Barrett smiled warmly. "No worries dear, I know you had a long day yesterday."
"I went to bring you down for dinner last night, but you were sleeping like an angel. I didn't have the heart to wake you," Tristan said looking at Ginny.
She blushed a bright red. Her face blended in well with her hair, but not well enough. The whole family noticed.
"I'm sure you're ready for a big breakfast this morning, aye," said Mr. Barrett, imitating a Brittish accent.
She giggled and nodded. She hadn't noticed, what with being late and all, but she was ravenous!!
"When you finish your breakfast, we'll show you the city," Mrs. Barrett said.
"The city," Ginny exclaimed, bewildered. Muggles would live in the city wouldn't they? After all, Hogsmeade was one of the only dwellings in Europe for strictly magical people. Also, it seemed so peaceful here, she hadn't heard a sound since she arrived here. Actually, it was oddly quiet compared to her house. How could the possibly be near a city?
"You know Paris," Tristan said shooting her a look that said quite clearly that he thought she had lost it.
"But it is so quiet! And isn't Paris a muggle city?"
Mr. Barrett chuckled. "Ahh, you are a clever one. Paris isn't a strictly muggle city. In fact, there is a rather large population of magical people here. There are several streets and alleyways that the muggles simply can't see. They just don't look the right way. Well, then there are many, like ourselves, that live on muggle streets. We learn to blend in well enough. Our house has all kinds of muggle security on it, to keep them form becoming suspicious. Nothing, to drastic though. Such as the sound barrier, you were referring to. You can't hear the city because we have charms preventing them from hearing us. Wouldn't do to have them hearing words to a spell or a caldron exploding. We're really not that different though, muggles and us."
Ginny had been listening with fascination. She would finally have a chance to see how muggles really lived. She had always been mildly curious, living with her father. She nodded at Mr. Barrett.
He checked his watch.
"Oh no, I had better be going. Don't want to be late for work." He kissed his wife on the cheek and headed towards the door.
"Have a lovely day in the city Virginia. See you all tonight." He waved and stepped into the kitchen fireplace. With a puff of green smoke he vanished.
Ginny wolfed down the rest of her breakfast. A girl didn't learn a whole lot of manner in a family full of boys. Sure their mother shrieked to slow down and enjoy their meals, but that was just talk!
Before Ginny knew it, she was standing in the hustle and bustle of one of the busiest cities in the world.
"So where shall we go first," asked Tristan, grinning at Ginny's glowing face.
Could things get any better? She, Virginia Weasley, was touring the most romantic city in the world with one of the dreamiest guys in Paris. And she was about to go delving into muggle Paris! She sighed dreamily.
AN: Thanks to all who reviewed. I have compiled all the chapters to make one longer chapter. Sorry for any confusion! If you have already read the original Ch 1-3, move ahead to the next chapter.
It was mid afternoon and the sun was beating down on the earth where a short girl with flaming red hair sat flinging Garden Gnomes over the fence. Normally she would have loathed the chore, but today it didn't seem so bad. It was almost enjoyable, sitting in the bright sunshine, savoring her last day at the Burrow.
Tomorrow, she would be leaving for a summer in France. A summer full of the beautiful landscapes, chateaus, and delicious cuisine. Of course it wouldn't all be fun and games, she would be expected to study with her host family, learn their customs and language, but that wouldn't be so bad. It might even be fun.
Her thoughts were interrupted when a window shot open and a voice rang out, "Virginia Weasley, stop staring into space and degnome that garden!"
Ginny grinned sheepishly. "Sorry Mum."
Mrs. Weasley indulged in a girlish grin. "It's okay, dear. I know you have a lot on your mind, what with France and all. But do hurry up, lunch is almost ready."
Ginny nodded and began to hurl gnomes at an alarming pace. A few moments later, Mrs. Weasley had stuck her head out the window again to holler that lunch was ready. Ginny hurried into the kitchen and began to scrub the dirt from under her fingernails.
"Boys, lunch," Mrs. Weasley called up the stairs. There was a small stampede as all of the Weasley boys began to take the steps two at a time.
Mrs. Weasley sat down at the head of the table with the twins to her left and Ginny and Ron on her right. Together they only partially filled the long oval table. Mrs. Weasley glanced at the empty seats and sighed deeply. She really missed her family, what with the children growing up and Arthur working at the ministry 24/7.
It was common knowledge that Lucius Malfoy was causing some hard times for Arthur's department. Ginny couldn't help but feel a surge of anger at the man. But rather than voicing these thoughts, she placed a comforting hand on her mother's shoulder.
Mrs. Weasley was startled from her thoughts and began serving everyone mass portions of chicken, mashed potatoes, and other delicious foods. Just as Ginny was digging into some excellent fried chicken, an owl swooped down, and dropped a letter in her mashed potatoes. She giggled and picked the letter up. Wiping the potatoes off of the parchment, she read:
Dear Ms. Virginia Weasley,
Your port key will leave from Stoteshead Hill tonight at 7 PM. Your host family will be awaiting you at your arrival destination. Please be punctual. We will not be responsible for any students who miss their port key time.
Best of Luck, Miguel Rockford Executive for the International Exchange Program
Mrs. Weasley eyed her daughter curiously.
"Letter from the ministry... My portkey leaves tonight at seven."
"Goodness! You better finish your lunch and go get packed!"
Hours later, Ginny flanked by Fred, George, and Ron trudged through the darkness up Stoteshead Hill.
"I thought we'd never get you away from Mum." Fred said darkly.
"Yeah, she was leached onto you awfully tight." George affirmed.
Ginny started to respond to this, but was interrupted by Ron who gasped out, "How much further."
"Oh Ron, toughen up a bit," Fred said unconcernedly.
"You try carrying this," Ron panted. It seemed Fred and George had both seized the smallest load possible, leaving Ron with the enormous trunk.
"No thanks, Ron." George said jovially.
"Yeah, you enjoy." Fred added with a cruel grin.
When they finally reached the top, Ron dropped the trunk, and it landed with a very heavy thud. Fred and George chuckled. Fred, who had been carrying a pillow, set it down on top of the trunk. Ron glared at him and was about to comment when Ginny interrupted.
"Help me find the port key, will you?"
Fred shrugged and began to search.
"Aha," George called, holding up a dirty metal can. He handed it to Ginny, who held it away from her in disgust.
"Two more minutes," she said, looking at them teary eyed.
Ron hugged his little sister tightly. Since they were the youngest of seven, Ron and Ginny had a lot in common. And spent more time together than either would ever admit.
"Bye Gin. Have a great holiday," Ron said.
Fred and George each gave her a short hug.
"We'll send you loads of owls," George assured her.
"And a ministry toilet seat..." Fred added.
She smiled. No matter how many times they used that old joke, it still managed to cheer her up.
"Love you all. I'll owl," she said, fighting back tears.
And with a pop, Ginny Weasley disappeared into the night, trunks and all.
Before Ginny knew it, she was jerked away from Stoteshead Hill and was lying flat on her back in a dewy field. She got up quickly and brushed the wet grass off of her robe. Picking up her trunk, she began to look around.
She was standing in a large field with gently rolling hills in view. The place was far from deserted though. There were witches and wizards everywhere. Apparently, this was a public apparition/port key point.
It was clear to her that she would never find the Barrett's in this place. She didn't even know what they looked like! All she knew was that Mr. Barrett worked for the ministry and that he had met Mr. Weasley a few years back.
She looked around hopelessly. Then, she decided to join the crowds and search for the Barretts. She passed carts crammed full of sweets, and though most were familiar to her, there were a few unfamiliar items as well. For instance a small round package called Pierre's Palette caught her eye. Apparently when you licked a color off the palette and you could see amazing colors and pictures for 30 seconds afterwards. Ginny couldn't help but giggle when a full grown witch, who looked suspiciously like Professor McGonagall, licked a color off of one of the palettes and began to blink furiously.
Ginny stood fighting off the giggles, when a hand gripped her shoulder. She stifled a small scream and whirled around. A tall, balding man stood behind her.
"Sorry to startle you, but are you perchance Virginia Weasley," he asked with a congenial smile.
"Yes, I am. Who are you," she asked cautiously. After all, she wasn't about to walk off with a complete stranger.
"Ah, I'm Mr. Barrett. Part of your host family. It is so good to meet you, Virginia. My wife and son and I have been looking all over for you! We were beginning to worry we had missed you arrival time," He exclaimed.
Ginny smiled in relief. Then, she lugged her trunk to a standing position with a small grunt. Ron wasn't kidding! This thing really did weigh a ton!
He smiled over at her efforts. "Here, let me give you a hand with that trunk."
Ginny gave him a grateful smile as her trunk was lifted lightly from her grasp.
"Thank you," she murmured.
He nodded. "Well let's see. I'm married and I work for the accidental magic reversal office. I have a son who is around your age. He's about 15, so probably a year older than you," he questioned.
"Mhmm, I'm fourteen," She responded, tagging along behind him through the bustling crowds.
"Good. I'm sure you two will get along wonderfully. Now, you're a fourth year right?"
"Yes Sir."
They were silent for a moment as they tried to push through a crowd of young children buying sweets.
"Ahh well there they are!" Mr. Barrett shouted over the din to Virginia. He pointed to a woman with silver hair who was waving her arms frantically at them. Beside her was a boy. He was a little on the short side, but he was well built and had shaggy brown hair. At second glance, Ginny decided he was quite dreamy, really.
They walked over and Mr. Barrett sat the trunk down.
"Virginia, this is my wife Marguerite and my son, Tristan."
"Lovely to meet you Virginia," said Mrs. Barrett, shaking her hand warmly.
"Bonjour Madame," Said the boy, grasping her hand with a sheepish smile. Ginny was quite surprised when, rather than giving a firm handshake, he kissed her hand with feather lightness.
'I will not turn red. I will NOT turn red.' She thought furiously. However her face betrayed her, blushing faintly. 'Oh God, I'm blushing.' She thought.
She shot him a shy smile.
Mr. Barrett gave his son a look of exasperation.
"Come along you all. We had best be getting our Virginia home," Mrs. Barrett said with a kind smile at Ginny.
"We'll apparate there. Have you ever apparated Virginia?"
"Oh no. In England, we aren't allowed to until we turn eighteen."
"Oh yes. I remember now. Well in France, children may apparate if they are in the company of someone with an apparition license. Such as my wife and I," Mr. Barrett added. "As long as you hold my hand and Tristan's and you'll be just fine. Just make sure not to let go."
Ginny nodded, trying to be brave, but secretly thinking to herself how many ways this could backfire. None the less, she grabbed hands with Mr. Barrett and Tristan.
'Oh my Gosh. What if it doesn't work? What if I get spliced?' She thought, panicking.
"Don't worry. It'll be fine," Tristan said reassuringly, squeezing her hand.
With a flash of bright light, they were gone.
Ginny opened her eyes to find herself still intact. She was standing in a large room with wood paneling and cushy chairs arcing around a large fireplace. It looked very cozy. And if Ginny's nose was correct, there was a kitchen adjoined to the room.
"Welcome to your home for the summer," Mrs. Barrett said with a huge smile.
"Thank you," Ginny said quietly.
"So, shall I take you on the grand tour, Virginia," Tristan asked.
"Okay," she squeaked out.
"I'll just carry your trunk up to your new quarters then." Mr. Barrett said with a smile.
"I'm going to go check on dinner. It'll be ready in about an hour," Mrs. Barrett added. She exited through a circular door on the other side of the room, giving Ginny a quick glance at the kitchen before the door shut behind her.
"Shall I show you to your room first? We redecorated it before you got here."
"That was thoughtful of you," Ginny said with a shy smile in his direction.
He led her up a flight of steps and down a landing. He opened a door at the end of the hall, revealing a room with white walls and a pink flowery border. She almost snorted with laughter. Pink, flowery borders! That was definitely a first.
Seeing her amused expression, Tristan looked at her quizzically.
"What is so funny? Do you not like it?"
"Oh no," she giggled. "It isn't that! This is like a dream come true. I have six older brothers. I've always been in one of their leftover rooms. Never once in my life have I been able to have a pink room."
He laughed merrily. "Six brothers," He exclaimed.
She nodded giggling slightly. "Oh yes, They're crazy. But I really do love the room."
"I'm glad you like it. Now, tell me about these brothers of yours." He said taking a seat on Ginny's new bed, which had a flowery quilt. She sat down beside him.
"Well, three of them have already graduated from Hogwarts: Bill, Charlie, and Percy. Bill works for Gringotts, breaking curses. Charlie works in Romania with dragons. Percy works for the ministry. He is really annoying at times. Then, there is Fred and George. They're twins and they have had more detentions than all the other seventh years combined. Then, Ron is only a year older than me. We're probably the closest."
"Wow. I can't even imagine that many siblings! My dorm mates are the closest I have to brothers."
"You never told me what school you went to." Ginny commented, stretching out on the bed.
"Oh, Beaubatons." He looked over at her sprawled out on the bed. "You tired?"
"Only a little," she mumbled.
"Well, how about you take a nap before dinner. I can show you the rest of the house later?"
"I'm not."She started to argue, but before she could finish her sentence, she gave a small yawn. He gave her an amused look.
She smiled sheepishly.
"I'll come and get you for dinner in a little while." With that he nodded at her, and shut the door behind him.
She snuggled under her new flowery quilt, pulling it to her chin. She turned over and was asleep.
The next Ginny knew, the sun was shining in through her window into her eyes. Suddenly, her covers felt really heavy and stuffy. She kicked them off and rolled over with a groan. She glanced at the clock as she did so. And gasped, falling off the bed. 8 o'clock!! It was morning already!! She had completely missed dinner. She hoped the Barrett's wouldn't be angry.
She dressed quickly and brushed her disheveled hair. Then rushed downstairs as quickly as she could without tripping. She could hear voices in the kitchen. She knocked softly.
The door swung open and she began apologizing profusely.
Mrs. Barrett smiled warmly. "No worries dear, I know you had a long day yesterday."
"I went to bring you down for dinner last night, but you were sleeping like an angel. I didn't have the heart to wake you," Tristan said looking at Ginny.
She blushed a bright red. Her face blended in well with her hair, but not well enough. The whole family noticed.
"I'm sure you're ready for a big breakfast this morning, aye," said Mr. Barrett, imitating a Brittish accent.
She giggled and nodded. She hadn't noticed, what with being late and all, but she was ravenous!!
"When you finish your breakfast, we'll show you the city," Mrs. Barrett said.
"The city," Ginny exclaimed, bewildered. Muggles would live in the city wouldn't they? After all, Hogsmeade was one of the only dwellings in Europe for strictly magical people. Also, it seemed so peaceful here, she hadn't heard a sound since she arrived here. Actually, it was oddly quiet compared to her house. How could the possibly be near a city?
"You know Paris," Tristan said shooting her a look that said quite clearly that he thought she had lost it.
"But it is so quiet! And isn't Paris a muggle city?"
Mr. Barrett chuckled. "Ahh, you are a clever one. Paris isn't a strictly muggle city. In fact, there is a rather large population of magical people here. There are several streets and alleyways that the muggles simply can't see. They just don't look the right way. Well, then there are many, like ourselves, that live on muggle streets. We learn to blend in well enough. Our house has all kinds of muggle security on it, to keep them form becoming suspicious. Nothing, to drastic though. Such as the sound barrier, you were referring to. You can't hear the city because we have charms preventing them from hearing us. Wouldn't do to have them hearing words to a spell or a caldron exploding. We're really not that different though, muggles and us."
Ginny had been listening with fascination. She would finally have a chance to see how muggles really lived. She had always been mildly curious, living with her father. She nodded at Mr. Barrett.
He checked his watch.
"Oh no, I had better be going. Don't want to be late for work." He kissed his wife on the cheek and headed towards the door.
"Have a lovely day in the city Virginia. See you all tonight." He waved and stepped into the kitchen fireplace. With a puff of green smoke he vanished.
Ginny wolfed down the rest of her breakfast. A girl didn't learn a whole lot of manner in a family full of boys. Sure their mother shrieked to slow down and enjoy their meals, but that was just talk!
Before Ginny knew it, she was standing in the hustle and bustle of one of the busiest cities in the world.
"So where shall we go first," asked Tristan, grinning at Ginny's glowing face.
Could things get any better? She, Virginia Weasley, was touring the most romantic city in the world with one of the dreamiest guys in Paris. And she was about to go delving into muggle Paris! She sighed dreamily.
AN: Thanks to all who reviewed. I have compiled all the chapters to make one longer chapter. Sorry for any confusion! If you have already read the original Ch 1-3, move ahead to the next chapter.