I haven't found many stories of Ginny's life before Harry noticed her, so I decided to write one! It has always bothered me that she had so little protagonism in the series. I also think Dean is a great character (he should have been prefect, not Ron! He didn't take his job seriously and picked fights all the time) and although their relationship appeared very random, I think they made a good couple. He treated her like a strong person instead of someone needed to be protected, which showed when he let her argue on her own with Ron. And it sounded at the beginning like she genuinely liked him, even if he didn't appear much in the series.

This story will be compatible with cannon, but probably not compatible with the epilogue or the whole Potterverse JK Rowling created, as I don't know too much about it, except for the books and facts I've read in fanfictions. I still don't know if I want to have Ginny with Dean or Harry in the end. I also don't know the names of the other people in Ginny's year, so I made her friends up, and maybe got some secondary characters in the wrong years.

Anyway, enough of my rant, I hope you enjoy it! I don't have a definite idea of where I want this to go, or of any subplots between the other characters, so if you have a suggestion of something you want to happen I'll be glad to listen to it! I just want to portray Dean and Ginny's relationship as a real thing, instead of a mere obstacle in Harry's life. The whole story will be from Ginny's POV, so we will see her friends and her life in general as well. I probably won't go into detail with her schoolwork, since I don't really remember what you learn in each course and each year, and it's not very interesting to me anyway.

English is not my first language, and I am not well versed in british slang, so I'm sorry if there are any grammar mistakes or american expressions.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or elements of the plot and settings you recognize from cannon, they belong to JK Rowling.

Chapter 1

Ginny flew loops between the hoops faster than she had ever done, not paying the slightest attention to the outside world. She was fuming. How dare Michael treat her like that? she wasn't made of glass! She was a fourteen year old girl who could take care of herself perfectly well! She had gone to the DA to get better at defense, and to support Harry. How could she improve if her stupid boyfriend refused to practice properly? She had put up with it on the first meeting, because it was understandable that he would be reluctant to curse her. But she thought he would get over it when he saw that she was quite good at defense, and not afraid to get hurt! Why couldn't he realize that? It had been five meetings already, and he was still doing halfhearted attempts to hex her, even though she had specifically asked him to do it correctly! Next time he did that she was going to curse him bad. And if that didn't get through to him, switch partners. And curse him bad.

Yeah, that could work, she thought furiously while flying through the center hoop. She flew straight down, turning around the pole and then back up and through the right hoop, not noticing what she was doing. She just wanted to forget about the stupid meeting, and the fact that no one was capable of seeing that she was not eleven anymore. Suddenly, she heard a whistle and brought her broom to a halt, turning towards the source of the noise. She had thought she was alone on the quidditch pitch, but Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas, two fellow Gryffindors, were heading towards her, riding their own brooms. Apparently, she wasn't the only one who enjoyed flying in the dark.

'Wow Ginny, you looked great up there!' said Seamus once they were closer 'Are you trying out for one of the positions next week?' Ginny indeed was. Harry and her brothers had been banned from playing quidditch, so the seeker and beater spots were open. While she enjoyed playing chaser more, she felt that with a bit of practice she would do fairly well as a seeker, and she loved the sport.

'Yeah, I thought I'd try out for seeker' she replied sheepishly. She had always taken care to not be seen when flying, it was a habit she had acquired at the burrow. Her stupid brothers just didn't realize she was perfectly capable of handling herself because she was a girl, even though there were three girls on the Gryffindor quidditch team. Hypocrites.

'Well, you'll surely get it, you're an amazing flier!' exclaimed Dean enthusiastically. Ginny felt warm and giddy at his words. No one had ever told her that before, since none of her brothers knew she could fly, and her friends had never seen her doing it.

'Thanks!' she replied heartily 'Are you both going to try out? I didn't know you played quidditch'. Come to think of it, she didn't know anything about them. They weren't in her year, or close friends with Ron or Hermione, so she hadn't talked to them further than a passing hello. She had seen Dean in the DA, but never paid attention to him, as she spent her time with her friends and boyfriend during the meetings.

'Yeah, we thought we'd try out for beaters, just to try our luck you know' started Seamus.

'We actually prefer playing chaser, but beater is not too bad' interrupted Dean 'plus we just love playing! I don't understand why no one plays just for fun…at my muggle school I was on the soccer team, but the rest of the kids had to practice a sport every week too'. Ginny thought that was an interesting idea. She had never thought about it, because it had just always been that way, but she would like to be able to play quidditch regularly the whole year, not only during the summer.

'Well, actually I play chaser too, but I've seen Fred and George play for years…maybe I can give you pointers this week when you practice for tryouts' Ginny offered kindly. It would be nice to practice with other people, and get used to the feeling of being watched while flying.

'Yeah, that would be cool! And you could get used to avoiding bludgers' suggested Seamus. Ginny thought it over. It would definitely improve her flying, and it would be fun.

'Cool!' she agreed 'When should we meet? I prefer after dark, that way my brothers don't bother me'. They agreed to practice every day after dinner, just like today. They flew a bit more, playing with the quaffle, and taking turns playing keeper. Neither of them was very good at it, Seamus being the best. Nevertheless, she was pleasantly surprised. Even though she was much better than them both at playing chaser, they weren't half bad. Dean in particular was quite good, and they made an excellent team against Seamus. She slowly felt her previous anger ebbing away. Flying did that to her.

'That was great! We don't usually play just for fun, we should do it more' Seamus said to Dean when they were finished. Ginny privately agreed. It had never occurred to her to fly whenever she wanted, but now that she had done it, she felt content and energized.

'Yeah, we should all play' replied Dean, looking at Ginny. She beamed. It didn't surprise her that they were getting along so well. After the whole ordeal with the chamber of secrets, she had started being sociable and outgoing again, and found it was very easy to make friends. She got along with most of the school, and had many friends in different houses, even a few in Slytherin. Not that she would ever let Ron find out about that.

They talked comfortably on the way back, with Ginny learning that Dean was muggleborn and Seamus was halfblood. They explained to her what football was, and about the teams they supported. It sounded really hard to aim the ball towards the goalie (not hoops, she reminded herself) and make passes with your feet instead of your hands. And all that running! She had never done more than race around the woods near the burrow with her brothers. Nevertheless, it sounded interesting to watch. She felt so ignorant about the muggle world sometimes. Even when she had a few muggleborn friends, they were usually so star struck by the wizarding world that they didn't talk about muggle things too much. Ginny supposed it was also her fault, as she didn't usually ask about it. She hadn't taken muggle studies. 'Don't tell Harry and Ron I said this, but that course is pants!' Hermione had said, ranting 'It's horribly outdated, I had to learn about inventions from the 18th century that we don't even use anymore! Honestly, you would think they would worry about getting the facts right!' Her friend had taken it as a personal insult that the course was incorrect. Then again, Ginny supposed it made sense. She would have taken it personally if she had read an incorrect book about quidditch.

'See you tomorrow!' she said brightly to Seamus and Dean, once they went into the Common Room and she spotted her friends chatting in a corner while they did homework. She headed over to them, debating which essay to start first.

'You are meeting Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas!' said excitedly one of her best friends, Sadie Rivers 'you're so lucky, they are so handsome!' Ginny and the boys rolled their eyes. Sadie was really boy crazy.

'It's true, especially Seamus' said her other female friend, Cassandra Belby. Everyone looked at her, slightly surprised. Cassie was more interested in books and arts than boys, which made Ginny actually consider her statement. She supposed it was true that they were good looking, although she hadn't noticed before. Seamus, with his sandy hair, gray green eyes and slightly tanned skin was certainly not an eyesore. And Dean, with his dark skin, warm brown eyes, and big smile was definitely something to look at.

'I agree, but I think Dean is better looking' Ginny smiled wickedly 'Seamus looks good, but Dean's taller and more athletic'. She was enjoying the faces of Colin and Nicholas Jones, who were uncomfortable, if not disgusted, by the conversation. They discussed boys too often, since Sadie always brought the subject up. Being star struck with Harry in the first few years, she didn't think she would have noticed what half the boys in Hogwarts looked like if it wasn't for her friend.

'Why are you going to see them tomorrow?' asked Colin, eager for a change of subject.

'We're practicing for the tryouts next week' Ginny told them quietly to avoid any of her brothers listening in. 'I'm trying out for seeker, and they want to try out for beaters, so I'm going to help them train'.

'Great!' said Sadie enthusiastically 'maybe you can tell Dean he'll improve if he takes his shirt off during practice! His muscles must be something… do you think I could come and watch?' she asked dreamily. Ginny blushed, but hid it well under an incredulous look.

'No Sadie, I'm not asking him to put on a show for you! Plus I am dating Michael in case you forgot' she replied heatedly, thinking about her own, fairly handsome boyfriend, in Ravenclaw Tower, who she was still slightly angry at. He was not as good looking as her new quidditch partners, but he was smart and interesting, and behaved like a gentleman to her. Too much like a gentleman.

'Plus it's November, in case you didn't notice' said Cassie matter-of-factly 'but I'm pretty sure he would do it during summer if you asked him'. Ginny could detect her lips twitching, to prevent from laughing.

'Can we please talk about something else?' groaned Nick 'I need to finish this potions essay tonight'. Ginny helped him look for references in the book, glad for the excuse to stop talking about the boys. She had finished the same essay the day before, so after Nick had a rough guideline of his essay, she started working on charms. They all worked quietly for a while, Cassie embroidering her latest tapestry and the rest finishing their homework. Ginny privately thought that she was lucky to have such a great group of friends. They could talk about anything that came to mind, whether it was serious and personal or not. But they could also be comfortable staying silent, each doing their own thing.

In her first year she had hardly talked to any of her year mates after October, since the hold the diary had over her was too strong, and she was scared of putting anyone in danger, or worse, letting people know she was guilty. But at the end of the year, after being rescued from the chamber of secrets, the girls from her dorm had thrown her a private welcome party in their room. Of course, they didn't know that she was the one to blame for the attacks, only that she had been abducted and rescued by her brother and the great Harry Potter. They had talked all night about music, clothes and boys, not pressuring her to talk or even mentioning this year and the chamber. They were foreign topics to her, since she didn't really talk to other girls her own age, bar Luna. But she enjoyed it. It was strangely liberating to talk about such mundane things, and to be listened to by the girls who wanted genuinely to get to know her. That day she became friends with all of them, scarred as she was. She had apologized to Colin and the other victims at the end of the year, explaining what had happened, even if Dumbledore wanted her to keep quiet about it. None of them had blamed her, and it greatly helped her peace of mind. In her second year, she had become closer to Colin and his best friend Nick, and Sadie and Cassie, though she was very friendly with the other girls and boys as well. Other than the victims and the Golden Trio, only the four of them knew the truth about the chamber of secrets. To be honest, there was little the five didn't know about each other, but they never forced anyone to tell their secrets.

'I'm going to bed' said Sadie after a while 'anyone coming?' It was almost curfew. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Hermione coming in through the portrait hole. She supposed the older girl must have been studying in the library as usual.

'I'm going to stay a little longer' she told her friend, and smiled at Hermione who was coming to her table. She closed her ink bottle and put her quill and books away.

'Care to read over my essay?' she said to Hermione once the girl took a seat. She never minded doing that, as Ginny always did her own homework, and usually didn't need many corrections. She was one of the best students in her year, even professor Snape didn't criticize her much, at least compared to what she usually heard about her brothers' classes with him.

'Sure' said Hermione and Ginny handed her the finished essay. It wasn't a long one, but enough for Ginny to notice that the bookworm was distracted while reading, as she was fidgeting and biting her lip slightly, both nervous habits of hers.

'Out with it. What happened?' asked Ginny curiously, knowing the indirect approach never worked with her bushy haired friend.

'Terry Boot asked me out for the next Hogsmeade weekend. Do you think I should go?' she asked quickly 'I told him I'd think about it because I wasn't sure, I mean I don't know him very well. What if we have a terrible time? I don't even know what to talk about with him. Or what if he actually likes me? I don't want to lead him on, it would be terrible to hurt him' she continued ranting. Ginny thought carefully. Terry was one of Michael's best friends, and she had always thought him a perfectly nice person. She knew Hermione fancied her brother (for some reason she could definitely not begin to comprehend), but it wasn't a crime to meet new people. After all, she had done the same thing with Michael and, even though she wasn't in love with him, she liked him a lot and it had worked out fairly well.

'Hermione, do you remember what you told me last year, when I couldn't get over Harry?' Ginny asked 'I suggest you follow your own advice. If you're going to hope eternally for my idiot brother to ask you out, then at least have some fun while you do that. And you're right; you don't know him, that's exactly the point! Maybe you'll like him, or at least have a good time! And if not, you can just not go out with him again, and that's the end of the problem' Ginny said firmly. It amazed her how good Hermione was at giving advice in matters of the heart, and how confused she was always about her own matters despite it. But she supposed everyone needed an outsider's point of view from time to time.

'But Ginny, I don't want to hurt him, I'm pretty sure I won't be able to forget your brother just because of a good date' she protested. The redhead smiled. Hermione always considered other people's feelings before acting, which was one the traits that Ginny liked the most about her. But sometimes, she forgot to consider her own right to have fun.

'Hermione, remember Krum? You didn't like him enough in the end either, and yes, you hurt him a bit, but it was a risk he took when he asked you out. Terry should be allowed that choice too. People get over things and grow; that's how life works' said Ginny. That was her philosophy to everything after the chamber. She knew it made her a little insensitive to others' problems sometimes, but it was the truth. 'And anyway, I doubt he fancies you enough to get hurt right now, you just said that you hardly know each other'.

'You're right' said Hermione smiling a little 'he does seem nice and smart, I'll tell him yes tomorrow'. Ginny beamed. Privately, she thought Hermione should just forget about Ron and find a nice guy who actually valued her and challenged her intellectually, but she wouldn't tell her that. Her bushy haired friend was head over heels for him, even if Ginny could never understand what exactly she saw in her brother. She knew Ron liked her just as much, but he was terrible at showing it and she really didn't think they would be a good fit.

'I'm glad that you decided and that you feel better' the redhead said, and picked up her things before going to bed. It had been a long, but fulfilling day. She couldn't wait to practice quidditch all week.

I always pictured Hermione telling Ginny about her things, since Ginny knew about the date with Krum even though no one else did, and she adviced Ginny about Harry. Plus she's a girl, she needs to talk about her problems and she doesn't do that with Harry and Ron, while Ginny is her closest girlfriend.

I included the bit about Terry just to portray Ginny's relationship with her close friends, which we don't see much of in the books. I think it is perfectly compatible with cannon, since Hermione doesn't usually mention her romantic interests to Harry. I think it perfectly plausible that she got asked out and he didn't know about it (I certainly wouldn't mention that after Ron's reaction at the yule ball if I was her), but Ginny would definitely know.

There's not much of Dean in this chapter, but it will be a gradual relationship. Ginny's not interested in him yet, she's with Michael and she just met him.

I hope you enjoyed it! Please review, constructive criticism is always welcome!