*note* Not I, but J.K. Rowling, owns these characters. I just never liked a good story to end… or how some things turned out… and so my story branches off from the genius that is J.K. I'm picking from HBP. The storyline base starts thus: Snape participated in the Unbreakable Vow with Narcissa Malfoy and Bellatrix LeStrange performed it. Harry went to recruit Professor Slughorn with Dumbledore who's hand has mysteriously blackened and withered. Harry stayed with the Weasleys over the summer, along with Hermione. The Weasley family and said guests went to Diagon Alley to purchase their school supplies and visit Fred and George's shop with Hagrid as added protection. And so our story picks up with their arrival.
Chapter 1: Strange Stares (Ginny)
"I think we should start with Flourish and Blott's, then we can go to Madam Malkin's; all of you have grown- Ron and Harry look like they've got stretching jinxes put on them and Ginny and Hermione's robes are a little too tight in places," said Mrs. Weasley.
"Yes, Dear. Quite right," said Mr. Weasley. They made their way to the bookstore passing many shops with darkened windows covered in the Ministry's purple-poster suggestions of protecting the wizarding community against the dark forces.
"I'll wait out 'ere, keep an eye out. I don' fit too easily in there," said Hagrid nodding to the group at large.
"We'll be out in a minute, then Hagrid," replied Mr. Weasley as Mrs. Weasley opened her mouth to argue. "It'll be fine, Molly."
"Oh, alright then, let's be quick about it!" she said nervously.
They trudged into the cramped bookstore pulling out their book lists and split up to begin searching the shelves. The clerk was jumpy, but helpful. He found them the books on their respective lists and with a twitchy smile and nervous wave to the lot of them, the group was done and ready to continue their shopping within a mere half-an-hour.
"Okay, now on to Madam Malkin's," Mrs. Weasley directed.
As they followed her and Mr. Weasley, who were talking in low voices, down the nearly empty cobblestone street, with Hagrid bringing up the rear keeping an eye out, Ginny pointed to their destination as two blonde people left the shop.
"Ironic that of all the Hogwarts students we would come across today and it's Draco and his Mum," she said shaking her head with a look of derision on her face.
It would have been hard for him not to hear her in the empty street, and so he turned his head at the sound of his name with a look of curiosity but kept walking. He found Ginny pointing at him and raised an eyebrow in confusion as his mother dragged him around the corner of the next cross street. Ginny raised her chin defiantly, but blushed slightly and dropped her hand when he had turned to look at her.
Meanwhile, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had all turned to stare at her.
"Since when do you use Malfoy's first name?" asked Harry.
"Fear of a name and all that isn't it?" she asked shrugging. When they continued to look doubtful she sighed. "Dumbledore does the same thing- you, told us he called Voldemort by his real name; Tom Riddle. He called him Tom in the Ministry of Magic. So I figure all this last name business is a way of showing fear. See?" she finished with a smile.
"Right," said Ron, but he didn't sound convinced and looked at Harry and Hermione as though apologizing for his mad sister.
"You don't have to follow suit, it's just something I'm trying out," she sighed, crossing her arms, but Hermione looked impressed.
They went in to Madam Malkin's and stood in a line.
"These two need new robes for Hogwarts," said Mrs. Weasley pointing at Harry and Hermione, "and the two red-heads' robes are getting altered," she said nodding at Ron and Ginny.
"Yes, alright," she said pulling out her wand. "Each of you, stand on a fitting step and we'll see what we can do." She waved her wand at Harry and Hermione and instantly they each had on a new pair of black school robes that went well over their feet and hands. "Florence!" she called to a back room hidden by a black curtain. Out came a plump little woman wearing mauve robes with white lace around the collar and sleeve cuffs. Her silver hair was piled on top of her head. She had a pair of gold-rimmed reading glasses perched precariously at the end of her nose and a grandmotherly smile.
"Ah, you need some help, dears," she said bustling over to Ron and Ginny. She took out her wand and began making the adjustments needed.
Hermione leaned slightly to her left to whisper to Ginny so that Harry and Ron wouldn't hear them. "I see where you're coming from with your name idea. There's logic behind it; I think it makes sense."
"Really?" asked Ginny, her eyebrows drawing together.
"Yes, I do. It's just going to take a little while to get used to, I think."
"And Ron? Harry?"
"Even longer," Hermione said straight-faced, then she broke into fits of laughter, Ginny along with her.
"What's so funny?" asked Harry and Ron at the same time, making the girls laugh even harder.
After they were fitted and their new and altered robes were wrapped in brown paper packages, they headed down the street to find Fred and George's shop.
"It's supposed to be somewhere... around… here…" Mr. Weasley trailed off as his eyes caught sight of the very flamboyant and eye-watering signage plastered all over the bright orange corner-store that was Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes.
"Oh blimey!" exclaimed Ron.
"This is brilliant!" agreed Harry.
"Come on, let's go!" chorused Hermione and Ginny.
Everyone made their way across the street and in through the purple doors into the shop. It was so crowded inside that it seemed strange after coming from the deserted streets, as though the shop were a refuge. This place made Zonko's look like a toy broom compared to a Firebolt. There were barrels full of Nose-bleed Nougat, Fainting Fancies, Fever Fudge, and Canary Creams along with other variously colored trick sweets. There were also regular sweets and all sorts of other boxes and jars filling the shelves to the limit.
Everyone split up to look around. Ginny found a cage full of various shades of purple little balls of fur that made a high-pitched squeaking sound in front of the big front window, Harry found defensive magical objects, Ron found a bag and began stuffing it full of various sweets, and Hermione had found a pink box that advertised realistic thirty-minute day-dreams.
"That really is extraordinary magic," she said impressed.
"For that, Hermione, you can have one for free!" said Fred as he and George came through the crowd. "That will be three galleons and seven sickles, Ron," added George.
"But I'm your brother!" said Ron outraged.
"And that's our merchandise," retorted George. "Harry, you can have anything you want since you gave us our start-up loan. We haven't forgotten."
This was too much for Ron who gave the twins a rude hand gesture that was unfortunately seen by Mrs. Weasley. ("Ronald Weasley, if you do that again I'll jinx your fingers right off!")
Ginny wasn't paying any attention to the commotion going on around her. She was bent over looking through the cage at the little creatures bouncing around and playing with one another when someone outside stopped at the window. The movement caught her eye. It was Draco staring at the shocking display of color and outrageousness. He was reading a poster Ginny couldn't see, but she could read his lips as he read with a growing smile of incredulity that ended in a laugh as though he couldn't help himself, "Why Are You Worrying About You-Know-Who? You Should Be Worrying About U-No-Poo The Constipation Sensation That's Gripping The Nation!" Ginny straightened up and laughed, too . The movement caught Draco's attention and he squinted through the window and spotted Ginny. When their eyes met, he looked down as though uncomfortable, then he looked back up, nodded at her, then looked down the street where Ginny couldn't see. He glanced at her again, then quickly continued to walk down the street, his mother in hot pursuit.
Ginny stood there very confused. Two encounters in one day and Draco Malfoy had made eye contact with her three times with no resulting smirk or sneer or loud name-calling or hex threat or anything like that. He had just- walked away. Something bizarre was going on.
"Hey Ginny," said George followed closely by Fred. "What's this we hear about you dating?"
"What? Who said I'm dating Draco?" she asked confused.
"Draco!" chorused the twins, shocked, "You're dating Malfoy! What happened to Dean Thomas?"
"Wait, what? I was with Dean, but we broke up over the summer, a few weeks ago, actually. Sorry guys, but you're behind the times, and I don't see what business it is of yours," she answered cheekily.
"Well, you certainly seem to be going through them awfully quick, Ginny. Dean didn't even last a month!" said George.
She sighed, "If you must know, it was too weird. We got together at the very end of school then went our separate ways. We didn't really get to know each other. Honestly, I'm not bothered- there are other hinkypunks in the fog, right?" she explained apparently to their satisfaction because Fred cleared his throat and elbowed George.
"Right, well, just be careful, okay?" said George puffing out his chest, "big brothers and all."
"Well, thanks for your concern, but I'm changing the subject. What are these?" she asked pointing at the romping fluffy things.
"Pygmy Puffs. They're miniature Puffskeins," explained Fred. "Don't tell Ron, but you can have one if you like."
"Actually, it might be funny if you do," joked George. "Mum might have to hex his mouth shut, too!"
Before they realized it, the summer was gone and they were at King's Cross, disappearing onto platform 9 ¾. Ginny had gone through first with Hermione and Mr. Weasley. They had already put their trunks in a compartment, along with Crookshanks in his basket, when Harry, Ron, Mrs. Weasley, and a Ministry wizard dressed in a black muggle suit with white button-up collared shirt and black tie came after. When Ginny came back out of the Hogwarts Express, she leaned against it with one foot propped on the train behind her. She watched other students and their parents hurrying on and off the train.
She saw Luna Lovegood and waved her down, "We're in the last compartment, second to last carriage. Harry, Ron, and Hermione are there now. We saved you a seat. I'm just waiting for Neville to tell him, too."
"Oh, that's nice! It'll be like having friends!" said Luna boarding the train.
"We are friends!" called Ginny after her as she turned back to the platform to watch.
When Draco burst through the barrier, he was out of breath having taken it at a run. As he walked down to the end to the last carriage, he spotted Ginny leaning on the train. This time, Ginny didn't see him, but he watched her as he went to the last door to board the train. He saw Zacharias Smith come up to her and start talking, she didn't look happy. She shook her head, but he kept talking. The whistle sounded and everyone started boarding. In the hustle and bustle, he watched as Ginny frowned and pulled out her wand, Smith didn't get the idea and started gesticulating as well as talking fast. Draco let out a laugh when he saw her hex Smith. She looked around to see who had laughed but only caught a flash of white-blonde hair and the swish of a black cloak boarding two doors down the train.
She started to follow until a voice grunted, "I'd like to see you, young lady, in my compartment, please."
Ginny followed the green-robed, enormously fat, old, balding wizard in front of her. She was surprised he could make it down the tight corridor. Ginny was nervous and then confused when they came to Compartment C and it was full of people.
"Come in, er…?" he said.
"Ginny, Ginny Weasley," said Ginny.
"Ah! Nice to meet you, Ginny. I'm Professor Slughorn. Would you care for some lunch? I dare say, it's better than a belly full of sweets from that trolley!" he said genially patting his. When Ginny just stood there looking confused, Slughorn chortled, "That was a really good hex. I'm impressed!"
"Oh, thanks," Ginny half-smiled as she stepped in and sat down near the window in a vacant seat.
"We're just waiting for a couple more; Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom," smiled Slughorn.
"I know them," said Ginny vaguely as she looked round, still not quite sure why she was here. Did these others do magic, too?
A moment later, Harry and Neville arrived. Slughorn introduced everyone to Harry, whom Slughorn had greated like an old friend. There was Marcus Belby from Ravenclaw, Blaise Zabini from Slytherin, and Ginny, Harry, Neville, and a large boy named Cormac McLaggen all from Gryffindor. When he got to Ginny, he said, "… and this young lady says she knows you!"
Ginny looked over and grimaced.
Slughorn passed out pheasant and rolls to everyone and asked them about famous relatives, or in Harry's case, about being called 'The Chosen One'. They talked what seemed like forever. The most exciting event was when there was a skeptical cough from Blaise Zabini when Slughorn suggested Harry had powers beyond the ordinary since he survived the attack on his parents at just one- year old and Ginny flared up. ("Yes, because you're so talented!") Finally, they were allowed to leave. Ginny, Harry, and Neville left together following Blaise out.
"How did you end up in there, Ginny?" asked Harry.
She explained about Zacharias, "He kept on and on asking about what happened at the Ministry and in the end he annoyed me so much I hexed him- when Slughorn called me out I thought I was in trouble, but he just thought it was a really good hex. Mad, eh?"
Blaise scoffed over his shoulder but kept walking. Harry glared at him. As Blaise reached the compartment he was sharing with Draco, Pansy Parkinson, Crabbe, and Goyle, he slid open the door and went in. Everyone in there looked up at the door opening. Draco's eyes were caught by Ginny's ginger hair. She felt the stare and looked around to see him sitting there, looking at her again. Their eyes remained locked until she passed the window and could be seen no longer.
