A/N: Okay, this is the first fic I've posted. I've been writing for ages but always with a pencil in notebooks. I've finally moved into the digital age. Hurray for me! Anyway, I hope you enjoy. I rather like it.

Disclaimer: Not mine! Happy now.

Metamorphosis

By Lafayette



Ginny sat at her usual corner table in the library. Her transfiguration homework was strewn about the table but Ginny wasn't looking at her essay. She was staring across the near empty library at the boy who had held her interest since the beginning of the year. Draco Malfoy. 'You sure know how to pick 'em, Gin,' she thought to herself as she watched the blonde adonis scribble away at the parchment in front of him. 'First it's Harry, who thinks of you as a younger sister, and now Malfoy who doesn't even know your alive.' Ginny sighed and began gathering up her things. She'd never get anything done with the object of her lust sitting a few short meters away.

Shouldering her worn school bag, Ginny headed for the exit, passing in front of Malfoy's table on her way, just to see if he noticed her. 'He didn't even glance up,' Ginny thought as she entered the hallway. 'Why would he. It's not like I stand out in a crowd with my boring red hair and too big school uniforms.' Ginny silently cursed her family's poorness. If they had been rich she could buy clothes that actually fit her instead of clothes that she would have to grow into.

Entering the common room, Ginny sat down next to Harry, Ron, and Hermione who were all busy doing their homework. Now that Ginny had gotten over her infatuation with Harry she spent more time around her brother and his friends.

"Hey, Ginny," Harry said, glancing up from a potions essay. Hermione looked up and smiled. "Transfig?" he asked, eyeing the book she had just pulled out of her bag.

"Yeah. I can't believe we're getting so much homework this year."

"If you think fourth year is bad wait until you start fifth," Harry replied. "We're preparing for our O.W.L.s already."

"Honestly, Harry,"Hermione scolded. "It's a good thing we are preparing now. O.W.L.s are only seven months away."

Ginny giggled as Harry rolled his eyes and went back to his homework. Opening her transfiguration book Ginny started on her essay on the dangers of transfiguring animals. Her essay was finished in no time without the distraction of her current crush. Picking up her book Ginny yawned.

"Well, I'm all for bed. I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"Night, Ginny," Ron called after her retreating form.

Once in her room Ginny couldn't seem to get comfortable. She kept tossing and turning trying to find a more comfortable position. Finally, after nearly rolling out of bed Ginny decided to go for a walk and clear her head. Pulling on her dressing gown and slippers Ginny crept out of her dorm into the deserted common room. All of the lamps were out and the only light came from the low fire burning in the hearth. Walking silently across the room Ginny climbed through the portrait hole and automatically began walking towards the library. Since the year began Ginny had been spending almost all of her free time in the library, usually staring across the room at Malfoy.

Before she was halfway there Ginny stopped. 'Library's closed, Gin. And even if it was open it's not likely Malfoy would be there.' She turned and took one of the less used routes to the astronomy tower, hoping the fresh air would do her some good. 'I must stop thinking about bloody Malfoy. He'll never notice innocent little Ginny Weasley. Why should I waste my time pining over him.' Ginny reached the astronomy tower and went out into the cool night. She walked up to the ledge and looked out over the grounds, leaning on the railing.

"I don't even know why I like him," she said to herself. "It's not like he's a great guy that everyone loves. He's exactly the opposite, a horrible, mean git. He says awful things about my family and insults me whenever I go near him." Ginny sighed and began pacing the tower. "But he's so hot." Ginny stopped her pacing and looked down at herself, taking in the threadbare dressing gown and lanky body. "And I'm not," she muttered.

Ginny went over to the edge of the tower again and looked up at the stars. "Star bright, star light," she began, "first star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might wish the wish I wish tonight. I wish I weren't so boring looking." Ginny looked down at her watch and swore. 'One-thirty. Damn! I'm going to be so tired tomorrow.' After hurrying back to Gryffindor tower Ginny crawled into bed and to her luck fell asleep quickly.

* * *

The next morning dawned bright and early. Too early for Ginny who only got a few hours of sleep the night before. Jumping out of bed Ginny hurriedly got dressed pausing to look in the full length mirror in her dorm before going down to breakfast. 'So much for my wish,' she thought as she took in her baggy clothes and strait red hair. She turned her back on the mirror and ran down the stairs almost knocking down a first year in the process.

The Great Hall was crowded that morning and Ginny took her usual seat next to Colin Creevey. "Morning, Ginny," he said around a mouthful of toast. Ginny just smiled tiredly and glanced across the room to the Slytherin table like she did every morning. Sure enough Malfoy was sitting in his usual place next to that Zabini girl.

Ginny scowled as she thought, 'he always pays attention to her. I wish I could capture his attention like that. Of course she gets the attention of nearly every male in the school with the super tight clothes she wears.' Sighing, Ginny began to eat her breakfast, brooding over Zabini all the while.

"Ready for potions?" Colin asked, startling Ginny from her reverie.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Colin grinned wryly at that and they headed off to the dungeons together.

After listening to Snape lecture for a half an hour they began to make the lesson's potion. Today they were making a potion that would dye whatever it got on black. As she started adding the newt liver to her potion an idea began to form in Ginny's mind. 'I don't get anyone's attention with the way I look now so I'll just have to change that.' At the end of the class, Ginny poured her leftover potion into a bottle and hid it in her bag before anyone noticed.

The rest of the day went by too slowly for Ginny. She wanted to get back to her dorm where she could carry out the plan she had been forming all day. After diner Ginny went up to her dorm and brought out some needle and thread. Taking out her school uniforms she began to make alterations, making the shirts tighter and the skirts shorter. Trying on the clothes Ginny smiled in satisfaction. With the new alterations she no longer looked like a little girl who had yet to grow into her clothing; quite the contrary, she looked like a shapely young woman any guy would like to look at. Taking off the clothes Ginny put on some old ratty clothes she never wore anymore. She took out the bottle of dye she had made in potions and set it on her vanity.

Staring into the mirror Ginny picked up a pair of scissors and pulled forward a lock of hair. 'Goodbye, Innocent Ginny.' She cut. After nearly an hour of cutting and trimming to make things even Ginny was finally satisfied. She put down the scissors and picked up the dye. Pulling on a pair of gloves, Ginny began applying the dye to her hair. After washing out the excess she dried her hair and grabbed a bottle of one of the other girls gel. Flipping out her now short, midnight black hair Ginny smirked. 'Malfoy will definitely notice me now.'

At the sound of voices outside the room Ginny quickly hid the dye bottle and her altered clothes and jumped into bed, pulling the covers over her head. She heard someone come in and dig around in the trunk at the foot of the bed next to Ginny's.

"That you, Ginny?" Melissa said. "You okay?"

"Just tired," Ginny answered. She didn't want anyone to see her yet. She still had to build up enough confidence to show off her new look. Besides she was tired after her long walk the previous night.

"I know what you mean. All this homework has been keeping me up past my bedtime." Ginny heard Melissa leave and uncovered her head. She extinguished the lamp next to her bed and fell asleep easily.

* * *

The next morning Ginny reached up groggily and pushed some hair out of her face. It felt strange, too short. Ginny groaned as she remembered what she had done the night before. 'What have I done! Everyone's going to be staring at me. At least it's Saturday so I won't have to face anyone yet. . . . No! This is what you wanted, Ginny. Remember. If I don't look like such a boring, innocent little girl maybe I'll get Malfoy to notice me.' Ginny sat up and looked determinedly across the empty dorm at the mirror. 'I look good . . . I guess.'

Getting dressed in her altered school uniform Ginny began to gain more confidence. In the clothes that showed off her quite developed figure and with her short black hair flipped out just so she really did look good. Looking in the mirror, Ginny smirked. No one would think she was just the little Weasley girl anymore. Ginny grabbed her bag, deciding to skip breakfast and go straight to the library to work on homework. Yeah, homework. Not stare at Malfoy.

The library was nearly deserted on the Saturday morning. Ginny sighed, not seeing Malfoy. Aside from Ron and Harry gaping at her when she left the common room, she had yet to be confronted by anyone about her new look. Of that she was glad. She may have changed how she looked on the outside but she was not so delusional as to think she was a whole different person. Taking her usual seat Ginny got out her potions homework. As long as she was hear she would at least get some work done.

She hadn't gotten far on her essay about shrinking potions before she glanced up to see Malfoy walking in. His eyes fell at once on Ginny and he raised an eyebrow and smirked. 'Please don't come over here, Please don't come over here. I'm not ready for this yet.' She watched in horror as he began moving towards her table. 'Damn! He's coming this way.' Ginny looked down at her potions essay and pretended not to notice the tall blond walking towards her. 'Just pass me by, I'm not quite far enough in my transformation to talk to you yet.'

"Well, if it isn't the littlest Weasel," a smooth voice drawled from the other side of the table. Ginny didn't look up. "Decided to change your look, did you?" She pretended not to hear him. "And I see you finally got some clothes that fit. Did you find a bag of galleons lying around or did your family finally come into some money?"

At this Ginny finally did look up. "Did you want something, Malfoy? Or did you just want to come and try out some new insults?" she spat, surprised at her own daring.

Malfoy appeared unaffected by this and merely smirked, saying, "It looks like the little Weasel has grown claws too." Without a backward glance he sauntered off, leaving Ginny once again staring at her potions homework.

'Idiot! Why did you snap at him like that.' She sunk lower into her seat and covered her face with her hands. 'This is just bloody great. The first boy I have a crush on I can't even be in the room with without blushing and the second I snap at as soon as he comes near me. I'm hopeless.'