A/N: Got writer's block on my other story…so I decided to try something a little bit different. R&R!
~Chapter one~
The dying embers inside the fire faintly glowed a dim orange. The last remaining sparks crackled and blew away.
A slender auburn-haired girl sat on an ivory sofa in front of the fire. The fire reflected in her watery eyes shone clearly. In her hands, she held a mug full of coffee to keep from falling in a trance of sleep.
Her knuckles were white from tightly grasping her mug of coffee, the expression on her face showed the anger, which was otherwise hidden. However, the tears in her eyes told a different story.
The tears stubbornly stayed in her eyes, representing the sadness, hurt, everything the anger could not. They pushed her troubled matters out into the open.
As time passed, the fire eventually died out but the girl did not notice. Thoughts of the day occupied her mind. She thought about how left out she felt, how she could not have fun with her friends because she did not have the money to. Or how it ate away at her when she thought of all her friends spending the weekend at Hogsmeade, without her. Hogsmeade costs money, something she did not have much of, barley any at all.
This girl was Ginny Weasley.
Ginny rubbed her tear-stained eyes; they were tired and threatening to close into the dreams of a deep slumber. The coffee did not help but instead drew her into a subconscious state-of-mind with its warm rich aroma.
Her mind fought the desire and thought, "Five, four, three, two, one…"
The door, or portrait of The Fat Lady, flew open to reveal happy laughing voices from four ecstatic girls. The consistent chatter and giggling silenced when they approached Ginny sitting on the sofa.
Impatiently, Ginny strummed her finger against the ivory white armrest of the sofa, waiting for them to speak.
Evie, the assumed leader of the four spoke first, "Hey Ginny, how have you been?" She sounded friendly, but fake.
"I've been fine," replied Ginny, clutching the now empty mug with all of her force.
"That's nice," piped Clarise, "We had a nice time at Hogsmeade."
"I can tell," Ginny said trying hard to keep her voice from breaking. All the girls felt uncomfortable after Ginny's remark.
"Well," started Jackie, breaking the ice, "We had better being going off to bed."
The other three girls nodded and started to quietly walk away.
However, Ginny stopped them, "You didn't even bother to invite me this time." Her voice was obviously strained.
A hushed silence fell over the four girls. Evie tried her best to explain, "Well…since you had always said no all those other times…we just thought that-"
"I understand," interrupted Ginny, her voice sounding distressed.
Jackie opened her mouth and tried to finish what Evie had started, "It's just that…it's not like we don't want to be your friends or anything…"
Ginny let out a shaky sigh, "I'd feel better if you'd just leave."
~
The evening quietly slipped away. The stars began to shine brighter than ever and the moon glowed a crescent pale white.
Ginny sat in the Gryffindor Common Room, as she had sat all day, at first to wait for her supposed friends to return from Hogsmeade, then, just to try to piece everything together.
She let out a weary sigh as she thought about how everything related to her money problem.
But, her thoughts were interrupted as she heard a bubbly giggle and a smooth low voice. Into the Common Room stepped who else but Lavender and Malfoy. They had always gone to the library to "study", and ironically, every time Ginny walked past the Cleaning Closet, she heard strange noises.
As the pair walked in, Lavender with the buttons on her blouse torn open and Malfoy with hickeys all over his neck, Ginny panicked. It would be too embarrassing for her to be found by them, up late all alone with puffy red eyes.
Silently as she could, Ginny slipped off the couch and behind a nearby table. She remained absolutely still as she listened for their voices.
"Draco," Lavender teased, "A fun as you've been, I've got to start studying for my Potions test tomorrow. We're not all Snape's favorite student, you know."
"Why don't I help you study?" Malfoy smoothly suggested, but you could tell he suggested otherwise as he slowly crept his arm up Lavender's left side.
Lavender laughed and pushed off his hand. "No thanks…you've helped me enough for today."
Ginny felt sick and disgusted. Forgetting where she was, she fell over, scraping a chair against the floor.
Malfoy instantly heard it. All his senses were alert, unlike Lavender's who had obviously had some booze for she had noticed nothing.
"Maybe it might be best for you to start studying after all," he said quietly, eyes scrutinizing the room for whoever had made the noise.
Ginny held in her breath. Don't let him find me, she thought frantically.
Malfoy thought differently. After herding the drunken Lavender back to her room, he returned to the Common Room, eyes watchful.
He reminded Ginny of a tiger on the prowl. But also like a tiger on the prowl, he was dangerous.
Ginny positioned herself against the back of the table leg, desperately wishing to blend in.
Nevertheless, Malfoy found her all the same.
"Weasley," he sneered, shoving the table aside as if it were a leaf.
Ginny instantly forgot all about her confidence and cowered at his words.
"Just what do you think you were doing down there?" he asked coldly with a dangerous icy glare to his eyes. "Were you hoping to see some action, you little pervert?" Malfoy stepped closer to Ginny, knuckles threatening to do their gruesome job.
Ginny tried her to compose herself the best that she could. "Pervert? You're the one that's slept with almost girl you could get your hands on."
Malfoy stepped back, surprised at her confidence. "So that's how you want it?" he asked, eyes narrowing, "Well, Weasley scum, no matter what I do, I'll never be as low as you are. Because you, Weasley, are what people would call 'dirt'. And you know why, dirt? Because you're poor and always will be."
Tears revisited Ginny eyes. Sticks and stones could break her bones, and words could also hurt her.
Malfoy laughed. "Better take this as a lesson, dirt." Then, he turned and left.
Ginny slowly dried her eyes with her sleeve. Creeping closer to the burned out fire, she stirred the cold ashes with a tear still on the tip of her finger.
Instantly, the fire blazed with heat and flames. Ginny let out a surprised scream and quickly withdrew her finger to prevent scorching her finger.
Peering closer into the fire, she could visibly make out the shape of a head. Gradually, the head turned and spoke.
"What is wrong, little girl?" The voice was raspy and forced.
Ginny flew back in shock. "Don't come near me!" she warned.
The flames cackled in laughter. "Silly girl, I am not here to harm you, but rather to help."
Ginny did not believe a word and clumsily grabbed her wand out of her robe pocket. Her fingers fumbled and accidentally dropped it in the fire.
The flames cackled again. "It's no use; you can't harm me for I am not here to harm you. So tell me, what would you like? Power? Love? Or, perhaps riches?"
Ginny allowed her self to let down a little bit of her guard and stepped closer to the fire. "Are you saying you can grant me anything?"
The head in the fire nodded, "Yes…anything…"
"So, I could wish for riches…and you'd make me rich?" asked Ginny intently.
"Yes, but nothing comes for free…there'd be…obligations of the sort."
However, Ginny wasn't listening; she had already made up her mind. "I wish for riches and all the money a girl could want…"
"Very well," said the head, "Anything else?"
Ginny thought about this. "Yes…I wish for that prat of a being Malfoy to be poor, see how he likes it…"
The flames cackled once more, but not like before. "You shall have what you have wished!"
A fog of black surrounded Ginny, she could not see. She opened her mouth to scream but no sound came out. Finally, her mind slipped out of conscious and everything disappeared.
A/N: So, how'd you like it? Love it? Hate it? Should I even continue? Well, you can tell me ALL about it when you click on that lovely blue button there!
Always,
dragonflies