A/N – This is my first Draco/Ginny fanfic and I normally write in first person so any comments or advice on the writing style will be welcome. It doesn't really follow any of the plots of the books but parts of them might come into it. Let me know if you think anyone gets OOC. I'll try my best for them not to :)
Ginny Weasley was one of the first people on the train for once. She had made sure her family were all up early, even helping her mother make breakfast so they would not be hurrying to get to platform 9 ¾ like they usually did. It was the first summer Hermione and Harry had not stayed at the burrow since Ron had started Hogwarts and she did not want to have to walk along the train alone, Slytherin smirks following her as she desperately searched the carriages for someone she knew.
She sat in an empty compartment and watched as the train began to fill up; she saw familiar faces passing her carriage – some smiling and some with what seemed to be a permanent glare on their faces. Finally Lavender burst in, grinning from ear to ear. Ginny blinked in surprise as Lavender smiled wider and did a twirl.
"Do you like it?" she asked, flicking her head so her hair shook out over her shoulders.
"You look so different!" Ginny exclaimed, looking her up and down, trying to hide her annoyance. This was supposed to be Ginny's summer of transformation, not Lavenders. Ginny had started wearing more makeup, tried out new styles with her hair and even looked physically different by growing a few inches and getting more curves. As she looked at her friend, her heart sank. How was anyone supposed to notice the new Ginny when the other girl had changed so much more? A few extra inches of height couldn't compare to Lavenders newly dyed hair and the amount of curves she had developed over the summer. Ginny felt like a plank of wood standing next to her.
"I know," said Lavender, smugly. "There's something different about you too, Ginny," she thought for a minute. "Have you got mascara on or something?"
"I've always worn mascara," she answered, sighing as she realised just how little she had really changed. "I'm wearing a bit more make-" she started but was interrupted when the door to the compartment slid open and Ron, Harry, Hermione and Luna walked in.
"Ginny!" cried Hermione, hugging her friend tightly. She stepped back and looked at her properly and Ginny felt a smug smile of her own creep onto her face as Hermione's eyes widened enviously. "Oh my god you're so... voluptuous!" she whispered the last word and Ginny suspected she was probably worried about alarming Ron. Smiling gratefully, she glanced over at her brother to see if he'd heard, her smile falling as she realised Ron was staring fixated at Lavender, who was basking in the attention. Luna smiled warmly at Ginny before pulling The Quibbler out her bag and sitting down to examine the front. Ginny was about to sit down and join her blonde friend before she noticed a certain messy haired boy staring at her from the door. He caught her eye and smiled, obviously embarrassed that he'd been caught in the act. She smiled back, feeling her cheeks redden as she realised the boy she had liked since the first time she'd seen him had finally noticed her the way she wanted him to. Or the way she used to want him to anyway. She bowed her head and chuckled to herself, pleased that she had finally got over her ridiculous crush. But as she looked up and noticed Harry staring at her again she couldn't help but think how much his expression mirrored her own just a few months ago whenever she looked at him.
"Harry, shall we go find Neville?" Ron suggested, finally moving his eyes away from Lavender. "He's normally found us by now." Harry nodded, stealing a last look at Ginny before they both left the compartment, shutting the door behind them. As soon as they left, Lavender turned to Ginny, Luna and Hermione with a wicked look in her eye.
"What are you looking at us like that for?" Hermione asked, and Ginny could hear the doubt coming into her voice.
"I've already been asked out to Hogsmeade," she replied, a smug smile on her face.
"Ron?!" Ginny gasped, surprised at her brothers confidence. She felt Hermione stiffen next to her.
"No, not Ron," laughed Lavender. "Although I wouldn't mind," she winked and Luna looked up from the Quibbler she was reading to stare at Lavender.
"Who then?" asked Hermione nervously, but Lavender shook her head, still laughing.
"I'm not telling," she answered and Ginny groaned; it was just the sort of thing Lavender would do. "But I will tell you that it happened on the platform and we both decided to keep it quiet." She raised a finger to her mouth childishly. "For now."
"I know who it is," Luna piped up, and the others turned to stare at her. "I won't tell, Lavender," she continued, losing interest in the conversation and going back to her magazine. Ginny was about to protest when the door slid back open and Ron, Harry and Neville came in and sat down, Neville's eyes widening when he saw Ginny. With a glare from Lavender the girls abandoned the subject of Lavenders date and started talking an argument the boys had had with Malfoy and Zabini.
*****
As Draco took his seat at the Slytherin table with Blaise and Pansy, he groaned at the sight of Dumbledore at the head of the teachers table, knowing he would have to endure another of the headmaster's speeches. Glancing round the room he noticed a few pretty girls from the Ravenclaw table looking over at him but he was in too much of a bad mood from his confrontation with Potter to acknowledge them. His eyes fell on the Gryffindor table where The Boy Who Lived was sitting with the Weasley's and Hermione Grainger. He seemed to be taking a great interest with what the Weasley girl had to say, but Draco could only see her long red hair as Hermione's bushy hair was blocking his view.
"Draco!" Theodore greeted him, slapping him on the shoulder and sitting down between him and Blaise. "Have you seen the girls this year? I don't know what they've been doing over the summer but it's payed off." Draco rolled his eyes at his friend, who was surveying the great hall, and he took great pleasure in seeing that a lot of the girls looked away when their eyes met those of Theo's.
"Have you seen Weasley?" asked Theo, eager for Draco's opinion.
"Are you being serious?" Draco answered with another question and raised an eyebrow when Theo nodded, grinning.
"I'll take that as a no then," said Theo, gazing over at the Gryffindor table. "You would know exactly what I was talking about if you had." Draco shook his head in disbelief. He knew his friend had a bit of an obsession with the opposite sex, but he never thought he would hear one of the blood traitors being described as attractive by a Slytherin. Draco was about to argue back but Dumbledore stood up suddenly and the hall fell silent for his speech.
*****
After the sorting and the feast in the grand hall, Ginny and Hermione stayed back to talk to Luna before they returned to their different houses. As they entered the Gryffindor common room they noticed Dean, Seamus, Harry, Neville and a few others from Hermione's year gathered round one of the tables in the corner.
"Have you seen her?" they heard Seamus ask no one in particular. "She's gorgeous! She had half the lads in the great hall staring at her when she came in."
"Who are they talking about?" whispered Ginny, nudging Hermione.
Hermione looked back at her with an amused expression on her face. "I think they're talking about you," she whispered back and Ginny's mouth dropped open.
"Me?!" she asked, a bit too loudly and the boys looked up quickly, wide eyed and blushing.
"Oh, hi Ginny," Harry mumbled. "How long have you been standing there?"
"Me and Ginny just came in," Hermione said quickly. "We were just talking to Luna in the great hall.
"Oh that's good," Dean said, breathing out in relief.
"We were just talking about divination," Harry added unconvincingly.
"Well, we're going to bed," Ginny told them, looking at the floor and trying not to giggle. "Goodnight!" She could feel their eyes boring into her back as the girls made their way up the stairs and just before she shut the door she heard Seamus announce, "That was close!"
A/N – Review telling me what you liked/disliked. I need the criticism to get better :) I know a lot of people have done the transformation over summer/Draco suddenly notices Ginny plot so I'll try and make it a little different. I have the next few chapters written out but I won't update until I have enough reviews so get reviewing :D