It was just a year

by FinchelEG3

What if Ginny's life was fundamentally different? This is the story of how one year and one look and one girl a new friend changed her life forever. In the fight between good and evil Ginny can't just see everything in black and white when she is in fact surrounded by grey... and those silver eyes.

Chapter One – New Additions

In times of old when I was new
And Hogwarts barely started
The Founders of our noble school
Thought never to be parted:

United by a common goal,
They had the selfsame yearning
To make the world's best magic school
And pass along their learning.

"Together we will build and teach!"
The Four good friends decided
And never did they dream that they
Might someday be divided,

For were there such friends anywhere
As Slytherin and Gryffindor?
Unless it was the second pair
Of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw?

So how could it have gone so wrong?
How could such friendships fail?
Why, I was there and so can tell
The whole sad, sorry tale.

Said Slytherin, "We'll teach just those
Whose ancestry is purest."
Said Ravenclaw, "We'll teach those whose
Intelligence is surest."

Said Gryffindor, "We'll teach all those
With brave deeds to their name,"
Said Hufflepuff, "I'll teach the lot,
And treat them just the same."

These differences caused little strife
When first they came to light,
For each of the four founders had
A House in which they might

Take only those they wanted, so,
For instance, Slytherin
Took only pure-blood wizards
Of great cunning, just like him,

And only those of sharpest mind
Were taught by Ravenclaw
While the bravest and the boldest
Went to daring Gryffindor,

Good Hufflepuff, she took the rest,
And taught them all she knew,
Thus the Houses and their founders
Retained friendships firm and true.

So Hogwarts worked in harmony
For several happy years,
But the discord crept among us
Feeding on our faults and fears.

The Houses that, like pillars four,
Had once held up our school,
Now turned upon each other and,
Divided, sought to rule.

And for a while it seemed the school
Must meet an early end,
What with dueling and with fighting
And the clash of friend on friend

And at last there came a morning
When old Slytherin departed
And though the fighting then died out
He left us quite downhearted.

And never since the founders four
Were whittled down to three
Have the Houses been united
And they once were meant to be.

And now the Sorting Hat is here
And you all know the score:
I sort you into Houses
Because that is what I'm for,

But this year I'll go further,
Listen closely to my song:
Though condemned I am to split you
Still I worry that it's wrong,

Though I must fulfill my duty
And must quarter every year
Still I wonder whether sorting
May not bring the end I fear.

Oh, know the perils, read the signs,
The warning history shows,
For our Hogwarts is in danger
From external, deadly foes

And we must unite inside her
Or we'll crumble from within
I have told you, I have warned you.
Let the sorting now begin

Ginny was sat at the Gryffindor table as the disturbing sorting song drew to a close, she was returning for her fourth year, having spent the summer plagued by night terrors she wasn't exactly feeling optimistic for the year that would follow.

***Ginny's PoV***

"Ginny?" Harry began waving a hand in my face, I realized I must have zoned out day dreaming again, deep in thought about the hat's song not paying attention to which first years were sorted where. Until something peaked my interest.

"Evangeline Gwendolyn Malfoy" McGonagall called "A student joining us in forth year."

"Watch out Gin I bet she's evil and she'll be in your classes." Ron pointed as he and Harry sneered at the poor girl. I looked at her she was pretty, the male population of Hogwarts would definitely warm up to her fast she stood a little taller than myself, long blond silky hair but it was her eyes that took me back they appeared to be identical to her brother's but if you looked a little closer see where his were cold and hard hers were innocent and warm. I smiled at her, this year just got interesting.

"GRYFFINDOR" Shocked silence filled the great hall as the poor girls eyes filled with uncertainty, I shifted up a little on the bench allowing her to sit beside me earning a gasp from Hermione a glare from Harry and a glare from my idiot brother Ron.

"Hi, I'm Ginny, Ginny Weasley." I introduced myself as she sat down.

"Hi" she smiled back kindly "I'm well I guess you heard who I am… "

"Yeah… Evangeline" I stated awkwardly

"I like you Ginny, my friends call me Eva." She smiled at me, as I smiled back accepting her unspoken invitation to be her friend.

"That's my brother Ron" I pointed to him, "That's his best friend Harry, that's Hermione" I introduced her to the golden trio.

"Nice to meet you." She began. As her and Hermione engaged in polite small talk I chanced a glance across the other side of the hall where Draco sat, we made eye contact I expected to see rage at a relative of his being sorted into my own house over his but I saw nothing but concern. It was at this point my views on Draco Malfoy began to change, I just had no idea of it at the time.

Before I knew it we were headed back to our dormitories.

"So if you don't mind me asking are you related to…" I began as I was showing Eva to our common room.

"Dolly" Draco Malfoy called as he began approaching us, I froze unsure what to do.

"D-Draco… are you disappointed?" Eva timidly responded.

"Of course not are you okay?"

"Yes, this is my new friend Ginny." I somehow managed to hold in my laughter as he so obviously tried to hold in his sneer.

"We've met… look after my sister Red." His eyes were burning blue oceans as we made eye contact before he swaggered off.

"The common room is this way, so he's your brother then?" I asked as we started to walk again.

"Yeah."

"I never knew he had a sister."

"I was home schooled, my parents tried to keep me from the public eye." She informed looking down, I assumed it wasn't something she wished to discuss.

Walking up the spiral staircase to the 4th year dorms I showed Eva where we slept.

"So this is it." I muttered as I made my way over towards my bed next to the window as it always had been, this year there was an extra bed in our room with Eva's trunk at the end.

"Hi Kareen, this is Evangeline." I introduced the two I had always shared a room with Kareen and we'd always gotten along without any argument. They both greeted each other as another of our room mates entered the room.

"Claire omg Hi" I exclaimed as we ran to embrace each other we'd been friends ever since we were small.

"Hey Ginny I feel like it's been forever." She replied as we pulled apart.

"Guys we all know it's been like a week since you last saw each other." Kareen interjected jokingly, Claire and I exchanged a guilty look before descending into giggles.

"I'm sorry this is Eva… we act a little crazy sometimes…" I said

"Or all the time" Claire added causing all four of us to erupt into laughter.

"What have I missed?" another addition to our room asked as she sauntered in.

"Tiffany… it's nothing" Kareen informed her

"Tiff this is Eva" I introduced Eva as I hugged Tiff too.

"Is Debbie rooming with us again?" Tiff asked.

"Looks like it." I motioned to her trunk on the other side of the room as we all shivered in dislike.

"Who's Debbie?" Eva asked.

"She's the typical slutty bitchy prejudice mean girl" Kareen explained.

"Oh…" Eva looked a little overwhelmed by all of this as she sat on her bed but before anyone could do anything in walked Debbie.

"Ginny, Tiff" she nodded at us before giving Kareen Claire and Eva a look of disgust. "You disgust me a Malfoy in this house" she said spitefully.

"Shut up Debbie." I told her.

"Ohh look who's grown a back bone over the break." Debbie taunted.

"Leave her alone Debbie." Tiffany defended.

"Why don't you move into the other dorm?" Kareen asked. Everybody knew in our year there was always two Gryffindor girls dooms, if there was eight or more of you they always split them and there was twelve of us.

"I would if I could." Debbie sighed before collapsing onto her bed and drawing her curtains.

"We should probably all get to sleep." Tiffany announced we all agreed taking turns to use the bathroom before going to our separate beds.

Luckily I had no nightmares that night. I dragged myself from my bed at around 5am to get ready for my dance practice. I should probably explain being the only girl in my family naturally I was entered into ballet lessons at the age of two and a half I was always pushed to pursue this, when I was about eight before coming to school I was winning competitions everywhere. Even now at 14 I don't know much but I know I love to dance and it's what I want to do for the rest of my life. So I get up at 5am to practice I do all styles and types of dance; ballet, acrobatic, jazz, tap, musical theatre and of course lyrical that's my favorite. Through the summer I always enter competitions and occasional weekends in term time. I threw on my booty shorts and crop top covered them with my sweats before throwing my hair up and leaving the dorm. I headed towards the classroom near Gryffindor tower Dumbledore had converted into a dance studio about fifteen years ago.

"Hey coach are the others in this morning?" I asked as I walked into the room to find my coach of the last four years.

"No not today." She coldly responded she was always strict with me, with all of us.

"What are we working on?"

"A new solo"

"Great." I smiled.

"Okay so you're starting on the floor then you sit up and reach out for something and then stand up and do leap leap grand jutte."

The music started:

I wouldn't wanna be anybody else.
You made me insecure
Told me I wasn't good enough
But who are you to judge
When you're a diamond in the rough
I'm sure you got some things
You'd like to change about yourself
But when it comes to me
I wouldn't want to be anybody else

I'm no beauty queen

You've got every right
To a beautiful life

Who says
Who says you're not perfect
Who says you're not worth it
Who says you're the only one that's hurting
Trust me
That's the price of beauty
Who says you're not pretty
Who says you're not beautiful
Who says

It's such a funny thing
How nothing's funny when it's you
You tell 'em what you mean
But they keep whiting out the truth
It's like a work of art
That never gets to see the light
Keep you beneath the stars
Won't let you touch the sky

I'm no beauty queen
I'm just beautiful me

You've got every right
To a beautiful life
C'mon

Who says
Who says you're not perfect
Who says you're not worth it
Who says you're the only one that's hurting
Trust me
That's the price of beauty
Who says you're not pretty
Who says you're not beautiful
Who says

Who says
Who says you're not star potential
Who says you're not presidential
Who says you can't be in movies
Listen to me, listen to me
Who says you don't pass the test
Who says you can't be the best
Who said, who said
Would you tell me who said that
Yeah, oh
Who says

Who says
Who says you're not perfect
Who says you're not worth it
Who says you're the only one that's hurting
Trust me
That's the price of beauty
Who says you're not pretty
Who says you're not beautiful
Who says

Who says
Who says you're not perfect
Who says you're not worth it
Who says you're the only one that's hurting
Trust me
That's the price of beauty
Who says you're not pretty
Who says you're not beautiful
Who says

When I connect with the lyrics which I did with this song I always dance a lot better, in ways it made me think of Tom but that was something I didn't even want to think about.

I went over and over the routine as Eva walked in.

"How did you fine this place?" I asked her it was only 6am

"I'm here for a lesson."

"You dance?"

"Yes I love it."

"Oh my gosh Eva me too." I exclaimed as coach began to scowl at us.

"Well Eva is it?" she nodded. "You other coach said you were good but I called you hear this morning we need to see if that right, see if you can hang with our best Ginny hear is the best we have hear. Have you been learning since 2?" Coach explained as I blushed.

"Yes I have." She smiled.

"well you have a good 10 month in age on Ginny so you should be better… in theory. Do you compete?"

"No Mam I do not but I would like to."

"Ginny and the rest of the girls her and you will too. I'd like you two to work on a duet for our next competition as we a group dance, we'll see if you sink or swim if you swim after that contest you'll have a solo at the next one." Coach explained.

"Should I stay coach?" I asked

"Yes help me go through some stuff with Eva."

Two hours later Eva and I left the studio as we headed back to the tower to change before breakfast.

"You're really good." I told Eva

"Thanks, so are you." She replied.

"Thanks but you're better."

"I don't think so but coach said I'm almost a year older than you and I was home schooled I had more time to dance."

"I suppose I'm glad you're dancing with us. It'll be so fun. Hogwarts has a great dance program. Every house has it's own team and we have a tournament against each other like quiddich and then the school team to compete again other schools."

"Yeah it's why my parents sent me here haha" we laughed at that.

"Claire and Tiffany dance too, Tiffany is on the school team but Claire is only on the Gryffindor team with us so it's always fun."

"Awesome."

Not long after that I was entering the great hall for breakfast with Tiff, Claire, Kareen and Eva, we chatted as we ate breakfast and our class schedules were handed out. Just like the night before I looked at the Slytherin table to find Draco Malfoys eyes focused on me again I brushed this off as him looking at his sister to make sure she was okay.

"We have Charms first, not too bad." Tiff informed us, as we were leaving the great hall, I once again felt Draco Malfoy's eyes upon me.