Chapter One: Breaking the news

She stared at the letter in her hands. She barely heard her brother's sigh of relief or Hermione's attempt to hide her disappointment at (barely) less than perfect scores. She didn't pay any attention to her mother's enthusiastic congratulations as the three shared the results of their OWLs. No, Ginevra Weasley was trying to figure out how to share the contents of her own letter without drawing too much attention to herself. The letter was unexpected. Yes, she had done it, but she hadn't expected this! She sighed, there was nothing for it, she would just have to tell them and endure the consequences. Hermione would stare, Harry would gape and sputter, Ron would turn red and probably yell for days on end, but she didn't know what her mother would do... One way to find out...

She looked up from her letter. The others had begun talking about what books they would need for next year and everything else they would need in Diagon Alley.

"And Ginny can use my old books as well, I mean, if she wants to, at least the ones for classes Ron or the twins didn't take..."

Here goes nothing Ginny thought as she interrupted her mother's expression of gratitude.

"I really appreciate the offered 'Mi, but I'm afraid I can't, I mean, I don't need to. You see..."

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T NEED TO?" Ron interrupted before she could explain. Her mother had paled and sat down. Yup, Ron was red and yelling, Harry was gaping, and 'Mi was staring. "I KNOW YOU'RE THE SAME CLASSES SHE TOOK AND WE DON'T HAVE HALF OF THEM!"

Ginevra rolled her eyes and patiently waited for him to take a breath; she knew trying to talk would achieve nothing. She didn't have to wait long though, because her mother weakly put a hand on her son's shoulder, quieting him. "Why don't we let her explain? Ginny?"

Ginevra sighed. "At the beginning of last year I was called into Professor McGonagal's office. When I got there she told me that Professor Dumbledore and the teachers had discussed it and I would be given the opportunity to take my OWLs early if I wanted. I agreed. Here." Ginevra handed her mother the letter.

For once in his life Ron was speechless. "All Os except for Arithmancy." Molly was barely heard to say. She looked up at her daughter. "Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"Well, McGonagal told me that it was up to me. She said that they did not require students given this opportunity to tell their parents because taking the OWLs was stressful enough and taking them a year earlier was even more so. She said that they wanted the students to feel free to change their mind and wait until their next year at any point and some parents would be so excited at the prospect of a child skipping a year that fear of disappointing mum or dad would eliminate that possibility for some. She also said that some parents don't want their kids to skip a year and, while, in the end, parental approval is required to actually take sixth year classes fifth year, they had decided long ago that if a child really wanted to advance a year having top OWL scores would help persuade the parents. Anyway, I wasn't worried about either, but I saw no reason to get anyone's hopes up or, well, or to let anyone know since I hadn't really decided yet. I agreed at first because I knew I could change my mind. I made it through the year and took the tests because my fourth year classes really were boring, but even then I wasn't sure I would I wanted to skip. It really wasn't until I held that letter in my hand and knew I had the choice of fifth or six year classes and knew I had to choose that I admitted how incredibly bored I would be in fifth year and allowed myself to realize I had really been given this chance. So, if it is all right with you, mum, I'd like to start sixth year classes."

Everyone had simply stared at her while she spoke. Now that she had stopped, Harry and Hermione kept looking from Weasley to another and then at each other and back to the Weasley's. Slowly a smile spread across Molly's face and got up to hug her daughter. "Of course you can! I'm so proud of you! I have to floo your father! He'll want to congratulate you! Oh, we'll have to have a big dinner tonight to celebrate! I'll floo the twins, they'll want to be here!" She began bustling about the kitchen not really accomplishing anything continuing her elated ramblings.

Ron got a questioning look on his face. "How come they offered you this and not Hermione?" His tone was accusative.

Hermione looked uncomfortable and started squirming. Harry noticed and looked at her, an eyebrow raised questioningly. Ginevra watched her as well, letting the other girl know she wasn't going to answer.

"Well..." Hermione began. "They did. I simply, well, I simply." She was quickly losing all color in her face. "I-didn't-want-to-leave-you-two-behind-besides-it-was-the-tri-wizard-tournament-and-I-was-worried-about-Harry-and-you-weren't-talking-to-him-and-I-was-worried-about-you-two-and-I-didn't-want-move-up-alone." Hermione finished in one breath and began panting while staring at her shoes.

"Oh." was all Ron said.

Ginevra sighed. She didn't really want to stick around here. She knew that as soon as 'Mi recovered she would begin lecturing her, telling her how proud she was and how glad she was that she would have someone in her classes that actually paid attention, the boys would get defensive, but she would just continue, lecturing them all on the importance of school and how Ginevra obviously understood and the boys could be more like her, and, well, Ginevra wasn't in the mood. So, she got up and left.

She walked down to the lake behind their house, turned left, and walked into the woods. Before long she was in a little clearing she had found when she was a little girl. She knew her brothers had all found this place as well, but they never came here. Why would they? It wasn't anything special, at least not to them. To her it was sanctuary. She laid down in the middle of the clearing and stared up at the sky. It wouldn't belong before she was back at school. It wouldn't be long before she was once again the Gryffindor princess. It wouldn't be long before everyone knew she had skipped a year. It wouldn't be long before she was once again the center of attention. Why couldn't they all just take a clue from her brothers, 'Mi, and Harry and leave her alone? For now though, now she had her peace, now should could stare at the sky, see the world in black and white, and drift away from the world around her.

They were all in Diagon Alley. Somehow she had managed to separate herself from the others. Harry had to go to the bank, and of course, 'Mi and Ron went with him. Her mother had a few family errands to run. They had discussed all meeting up to shop for school supplies but there had been too many obstacles. Instead, her mother had given Ron and her what money they had to spend on supplies and everyone was supposed to meet at the Leaky Cauldron for dinner.

Ginevra stood in the middle of the road for a moment, absorbing the wonderful anonymity and solitude that only comes when surrounded by people who couldn't care less about you. She was dressed in faded, paint splattered, hip-hugging blue jeans, a white tank top, and wore white lace fingerless gloves that came up to her elbows. She had a style of her own and didn't care what other people thought. Her waist length auburn hair was down and glistening in the sun. In other words, she was a trend setter. She had started wearing the gloves, or something like it, her second year. Half of the girls at Hogwart's now, at the very least, owned a pair. She began wearing muggle clothes when not required to be in uniform the same year. Almost the entire school did so now as well. Not that this mattered to her. Well, it did, it annoyed her, and she did what she usually did when something annoyed her, she ignored it.

She milled about for a while, watching those around her. She enjoyed watching people. She knew more about those around her than most of them knew themselves. Eventually, however, she made her way to Flourish and Blotts' to buy her books. She rolled her eyes as she entered to the sound of a very familiar voice.

"I want all the books on this list." It was Draco Malfoy. Arrogant and demanding as usual. She ignored him. Making her way to the used section, a place Malfoy had never been, she breathed deeply. To her, there was nothing like the smell of used books. Slowly she began to find the books on her list. When she had found them all she made her way to the front. Seeing as how the used section had a shelf for school books, meaning they were all relatively in the same place, and the shop keeper had to run all over the store to gather Malfoy's new ones, she reached the counter before he had left.

Malfoy saw her coming and sniffed as though a wet dog were approaching. He did not fail, however, to note how beautiful she was. To his credit the exact thought was I suppose even dogs can be nice to look at. As he eyed her up and down as if appraising a bitch in a dog show he noticed her books.

"Buying the mudblood's books for her, eh? She wise up and decide it's safer to remain indoors?" He sneered.

Ginevra did not even look up from where she was examining a the periodical rack. "'Mi is with the boys and will be buying her own books shortly, these are mine." She sounded bored.

"Those are sixth year." Malfoy stared.

Ginevra turned to him. "Very good, Malfoy, you're what, buying your own third year books today?" She spoke as if she were asking a toddler how old he was.

He opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted by the return of the clerk. After the clerk had run up Malfoy's bill and received the money he turned to Ginevra and gave her her tally. As he exited the shop Malfoy could here Ginevra haggling with the attendant. He paused to look at some new releases and best sellers. She managed to pay only half of the original tally and left to continue her shopping elsewhere. Malfoy couldn't help but be impressed at her bargaining skills. Again, to his credit his exact thought was Wow, but when you don't have anything I suppose it comes as second nature to half it.

After Ginevra had bought everything she needed she headed back to the book store to browse. She was sitting in the back reading when she heard her brother and friends enter. This was apparently their last stop as they already had bags from three different stores. She continued to read. They went about finding Harry and Hermione their books and then moved to the used section for Ron. He whined and Ginevra found her concentration shot.

"I don't know what I'm going to do. I don't have near enough to buy the books I need and I did my best in the other stores."

"You should have listened to me and come here first." Hermione stated.

"What good would that have done, then I wouldn't have been able to get as much parchment and ink as I need." Ron whined.

"I told you I would take care of that." Harry said, and Ginevra rolled her eyes. How well did this boy know his best friend? Ron would never except that.

"Here," she interrupted, handing Ron the left over money she had. "I didn't spend all Mum gave me. Maybe she miscounted or something and I got more. Anyway, I have all my stuff."

Ron looked at her suspiciously for a moment before saying, "Yeah, you're probably right, she was kinda distracted this morning."

Ginevra left wondering if any of them knew Molly had actually given Ron more than she had given Ginevra because the girl was so much better at handling money. Case in point, she thought to herself.