Just a quick note before we begin:

I've never done anything like this before

This hasn't been proofed by anyone other than myself so there are probably still a few mistakes here or there, my apologies in advance.

I've made some changes to the original by J.K. Rowling for the purposes of this story

If you wish to review I would be glad to hear your thoughts, however, I am not interested in people who are silly, angry or rude

This is a work in progress and I'm not confident I have the time to write with any regularity so we will see how it goes

I'm slightly nervous that I'm actually showing this story at all

Them's the breaks

Here we go

Chapter 1 –

Looking at the parchment over her shoulder, Fred voiced his appreciation as he sat next to Ginny on the couch in the living room at the Burrow.

"Brilliant Gin" he cheered.

"Yea well done Ginny!" George chimed from underneath the pile of paperwork on the kitchen table.

Ginny had not been expecting this response from the most mischievous pair of her six elder brothers. Puzzled, she turned to her mother who had just walked in and who had been doting on her all morning since they had received the owl from Hogwarts. The letter was from Professor McGonagall, informing her that Sarah Rowley's family was moving abroad. This had meant virtually nothing to Ginny at first and she wondered briefly why McGonagall would bother informing her of the movements of a random Hogwarts student. That was until she read the second part of the letter. It explained that Sarah would be leaving her post as Gryffindor prefect and Ginny was being promoted to take on the responsibility.

Mrs Weasley came bustling back into the living room beaming at her only daughter. "Congratulations again dear! I just sent an owl to your father letting him know, he'll be so proud."

George huffed, getting up from the table and giving the piles of account books a decidedly malignant stare, he walked over to his mother and hugged her from behind. Being quite taller than Mrs Weasley both Ginny and Fred laughed when they saw he was able to comfortably rest his chin on top of her head.

"Yea Mum, I suppose 5 out of 7 isn't bad, you should be congratulating yourself" said Fred.

Doing the maths in his head George announced in a pompous voice, "Yes if my calculations are correct that's a 71% success rate, good job old gal!" squeezing his mother's shoulders as she patted his hand.

"Oh hush, if it weren't for you two it'd be 100" protested Mrs Weasley

"Now, now mother, that was always going to be a universal improbability, seven prefect badges for seven children? Maybe they just didn't want to show too much favouritism?"

"Never mind that" piped up Ginny "What I want to know is why you gave Ron and Percy such a hard time for being a prefect and all of a sudden I'm being congratulated?"

"She's got a point you know" agreed Mrs Weasley

"Gosh, never really thought of it like that, you're not implying that we're sexist are you Gin?" Joked George as he clambered down from his perch atop his mother's head.

"Yea" Agreed Fred "I really just think it's because we like you better than those two gits" he laughed, pinching one of Ginny's cheeks lightly.

"So it's not because I was their backup choice?" Ginny's question hung in the air between them as her voice betrayed genuine concern. "...because that's what it feels like."

Ginny was not entirely pleased with the situation but appreciated the attempts of her brothers to gloss over this inconvenient truth. Inwardly she was glad her brothers had decided against tormenting her, the whole thing just felt rather uncomfortable.

"No, it's probably just because they finally realised what a wild child you were and thought this would be a good opportunity to reign you in!" said Fred as he put his arms around Ginny feinting an attempt to restrain her.

"Oh! Get off Fred," Ginny said shrugging him off and smiling whilst objecting to this particular display of affection. She supposed she could be a little pleased that she had made Gryffindor prefect, even if it was a year late. Her attitude had just been a little cynical lately and she'd occasionally seem withdrawn, though her twin brothers managed to get through to her at moments like these. It had definitely not been the norm though. There had been a constant veil of anxiety clinging to the inhabitants of the Burrow since the "ministry" raid at Bill and Fleur's wedding and the sudden departure of Ron, Harry and Hermione.

"Thanks though," she got out of her chair and kissed Fred and George on the cheek.

"Yurgh!" they both complained, mimicking wiping the kiss off with their hands.

No, Ginny thought to herself, it wasn't as bad as it seemed. The warmth and light-heartedness of the twins certainly kept a flame burning in the Weasley hearth. Ginny was eternally glad that they had decided to stay on after the wedding. They all knew that the house was being watched. The lingering anxiety she felt was definitely linked to the awareness that Death Eaters were never far away.

"Ginny dear, you've got your book lists too then? If you know what you need for this year then we can arrange a day with your father when he can accompany us to Diagon Alley." Mrs Weasley said as she tottered off into the kitchen.

Ginny caught herself just before she told her mother not to worry, that she was perfectly able to buy the books herself and that she could go on her own. Realising that it was impossible for her mother not to worry and wishing to avoid increased stress levels, she acquiesced. Yet as it turned out Mr Weasley was not to become available for the next several days. On the last Sunday before September the first, Mr Weasley was apologising to his daughter on their way down to breakfast.

"I'm sorry Ginny I know you need to go out and get your things, it's just very difficult at work at the moment."

"It's alright dad we can take her" said Fred as they entered the kitchen.

"We need to go in to the shop tomorrow anyway" continued George.

"Yea Dad can I go with Fred and George? I go back to school next Sunday so it really has to be in the next couple of days" Ginny urged, one hand on her hip and looking earnestly at her father.

"Oh, ah, well yes," Mr Weasley looked around for his wife who was pouring herself a glass of pumpkin juice, "Yes, you'll have to check with your mother."

Ginny spun to face her and immediately recognised the answer in her mother's eyes before she had even swallowed and put down the glass.

"No." She said flatly. Then with a sobering glare from Ginny, who funnily enough had learned this from her mother, Mrs Weasley's expression faltered. "Oh dear well I suppose we just don't have any other option, Fred, George we'll be coming with you tomorrow morning then, Ginny I hope you've given some thought to your reward for the prefect-ship, I don't want to have to spend a second longer away from home than we really have to."

Ginny had completely forgotten about this particular perk of attaining a prefect-ship.

With that the morning rambled on in the usual way, Arthur Weasley went to work and the twins had their heads together over the accounts for their store. Despite offering to help clean up after breakfast Ginny Weasley was being ushered away by her mother, so she resigned to the stairs and aimed for her bedroom.