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I own nothing! Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling! She is a spectacular author and I love her writings!Chapter 1, Changes
A young girl peered out her bedroom window and sighed softly. She absent-mindedly brushed a strand of scarlet hair from her shimmering brown eyes.
She didn't understand boys, they were everywhere and she lived in a house full of boys. Yet still, Ginny Weasley could not understand them.
She was supposed to be finishing an essay on Goblin Rebellions but the hot sun… and other things were distracting her. Ginny sighed once again and stretched out her long fair skinned legs. Her lashes fluttered oddly and she turned her attention once again to the front yard where her brother Ron, Harry Potter, and Hermione Granger were seated beside each other on the green grass.
She didn't understand how you could change so much once you turned sixteen. Harry certainly had. He was taller and tanned darkly, and Ginny had been amazed to find that he had become very built. Perhaps she hadn't noticed it before, but when he had arrived in shorts and a T-shirt that summer she had.
His black hair was shining in the bright sunlight and behind his glasses his brilliant green eyes shone. From his side her brother was seated and he ran a hand through his flaming red hair. He had also changed, she noticed. He had spent so much time outdoors that summer that he was darkly tanned and his freckles were barely noticeable. He seemed to tower over almost everyone, but Fred and George still teased him as much as before.
It wasn't fair to Ginny, because her best friend Hermione, had also changed over the summer. She now let her hair curl about her slender shoulders and as she was always tanned her amber eyes stood out just as vibrantly as before. Yet Hermione seemed to have become all legs and attracted attention from everyone around her.
Ginny furrowed her brow thoughtfully, she was only a year younger then them, why hadn't she changed? Maybe she had… but Harry just hadn't noticed because she was only his best friend's little sister.
Ginny scowled and quickly closed the blinds. She stormed across her dreadfully clean bedroom and stood in front of her long cracked mirror.
'I'm sort of pretty', she thought gazing at her reflection. 'Aren't I?'
Ginny was quite tiny and thin in fact. She only reached the small height of 5'2 while Hermione had seemed to have grown to 5'6 over the summer. She was fair skinned and even though she didn't have as many freckles as everyone else did in her family, they were still there. They speckled across her cheeks and the top of her nose.
Her scarlet hair went in small waves, like the ripples in a pond, to the middle of her back. Her brown eyes were vibrant and deep surrounded by thick golden lashes. She stared at her appearance for a moment longer, dressed in shorts and a red T-shirt.
'Who am I kidding', she thought bitterly. 'I'm as ugly as can be'.
She turned away from her reflection in disgust and flopped back down on her bed in misery. She looked up at her calendar to find that there was only a week left for school, and she still needed to get her school supplies… Maybe this year she wouldn't need to get everything second hand. Everyone had graduated except for her and Ron now.
Wednesday came shortly and soon everyone was seated at the breakfast able looking sleepy but well-fed. Ginny glanced up from her eggs every few seconds to gaze at Harry who was in an animated conversation about Quidditch with Ron. Harry, just before going into fifth year, was promoted to being captain of the Gryffindor Team. Nearly all of the old players had graduated the year before so only Harry and Ron were left. Ron had become Keeper during fifth year and he was exceptionally good, to everyone's surprise.
"Harry", Ginny piped up for the first time that morning.
Harry turned and grinned, his eyes twinkled making Ginny feel as though her entire body had just turned to jello.
"Which positions are open on the Gryffindor Team now?" She asked.
Harry frowned slightly. "I wish the old team hadn't of graduated, they were all really exceptional players. Now all three chasers positions are open, as well as both the beater positions. I guess I'll be holding try outs in early September for them".
"Oh", Ginny squeaked and looked down at her food, feeling her face glowing a bright red.
'Five positions are open', she thought. 'I wonder if we'll win this year… maybe I should try out for a chaser. Maybe I'd impress Harry if I became a chaser! Oh… but I don't know if I'm any good. Besides', she thought darkly. 'Cho Chang is still the Ravenclaw Seeker, she'd impress him way better then me any day'.
"Seamus said that he would like to try out", Hermione said breaking into Ginny's thoughts. "He wrote me a letter this summer, and Dean said the same thing. They're thinking about being beaters".
Harry and Ron both sniggered. "They'd be fun to have on the team", Ron said through a mouth of eggs. "But I doubt they'd be any good".
"Why is that?" Hermione asked obviously irritated with their lack of enthusiasm over the two boys.
"Just cause", Harry said with a laugh and bit into a piece of toast so he wouldn't have to say anymore.
"Alright you four!" Mrs. Weasley said with a sigh hurrying into the kitchen. "We've got a lot of shopping to do today! Hurry up now! Hurry up!"
"Yes mum", Ginny said obediently and jumped up to go and find her school cloak.
When Ginny appeared in Diagon Alley she gagged through a mouth full of soot. She fell to her knees and coughed until her throat burned. From behind her Ron appeared suddenly, tripped over her, and fell hard on his stomach.
"Ginny!" He snapped angrily.
The last to arrive was Mrs. Weasley who simply stepped over the jumble of teenagers who had fallen over each other one after the other. Hermione pulled Ginny to her feet and both the girls examined each other before laughing. Both were covered in ash and soot.
The five stood for a minute brushing their clothing, and were all unsuccessful of getting rid of all the black substance on their clothing. Ginny frowned trying her best to beat away the black soot that had embedded itself upon her short jean overalls. Her pink T-shirt no longer seemed cute but ragged and dirty.
She ran her fingers through her scarlet hair and scowled to find bits of ash entangled within it.
"Come on Ginny, we've got to get you some new robes", Mrs. Weasley informed her. "You've grown an inch or so over the last year".
"Really?" Ginny asked excitedly. "Alright".
"See you later Ginny".
Ginny turned and watched with suddenly sad eyes as Hermione, Harry, and Ron walked off together, all smiling and laughing looking as though they had been made for each other. Ginny wondered if she would ever be walking with them someday, and people would look at them and think the same thing she did.
Ginny lowered her eyes and began to walk slowly after her mother who was quickly walking through the crowds, her large handbag swinging.
Draco Malfoy scowled darkly at the crowds in Diagon Alley. Every single year it was filled with students attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He despised crowds and more commonly who was in the crowds.
His father was away on business of sorts that week, so Draco's mother Narcissa had brought him, only to quickly leave and disappear into a book store full of romance novels. Draco preferred being alone however.
At the moment he was being fitted for new school robes, he had grown even taller over the summer and had been needing them for a while now. Madame Malkin was hurrying about him in a frenzy but she was always cheerful and smiled brightly at him when she finished, even though he did not return the smile.
"There you go Mr. Malfoy", she said handing him the bag as he in return handed her the galleons for his robes. "Have a nice day and fine school year".
Draco suppressed a snort of laughter at this comment and walked towards the door. Just as he was about to open the door it swung open and a plump woman with flaming red hair, and an overly large handbag rushed in.
"Weasley", he hissed in disgust as the woman rushed past him.
From behind her mother, tiny Ginny Weasley appeared with her head down, as usual. She had her scarlet hair nearly straight that day and it was held back with small clips. She had her Hogwarts cloak on and underneath she wore a pink T-shirt and jean overalls. Both she and her mother had soot and ash on them and he snickered as he shoved rudely past Ginny who gasped and stumbled backwards into the doorway.
"Malfoy you scum!" He heard her snap at him from behind.
Draco sneered but continued on his way. If one Weasley was there, then the 'Weasel', Potter, and Granger, would be there as well.
Sure enough as he continued walking through the crowds he found Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger walking out of Flourish and Blotts. Draco had to pause for a moment to actually believe what he was seeing.
'Damn Granger', he thought looking at her long legs that seemed to have grown five inches during the summer.
Draco walked coolly up to the trio and Granger was the first to notice he had come. She wrinkled her nose in disgust and tugged on Ron's sleeve and whispered something that they both snickered at, before all three turned and glared at him.
Draco smirked coldly at the three and flicked a loose strand of white blonde hair from his grey blue eyes.
"Well well", he said coldly. "Look who is, Potter and his sidekicks the Weasel and the Walking Encyclopaedia".
"Oh that was witty Malfoy", Hermione said coldly.
"Shut-up mud blood", Draco hissed in return.
"Where are your little cronies anyway Malfoy?" Harry asked him coldly. "Not here to protect you are they? I'm surprised you had the guts to come over here and say anything".
"Hey Weasley", Draco said icily with flashing eyes, choosing to ignore Harry. "Your sister better watch her mouth, or something bad might happen to her this year".
Ron's eyes flashed dangerously and he began to walk forward but Hermione and Harry both grabbed him by the shoulders and held him back.
"Shut-your-mouth Malfoy!" Ron snapped. "Don't you threaten my sister".
"Touchy are we?" Draco laughed.
"Malfoy just go away", Granger said darkly with narrowed eyes.
"Oh I wouldn't dream of taking up to much of your time", he took in Ron's appearance. "You'd better get some new robes Weasley, or can your family only afford new robes for only one person in the family at a time? Perhaps your sister can lend hers to you when she's done with them. You didn't have a problem with using her dress robes fourth year".
Ron appeared as though he was going to rip Malfoy's head off if he could get the chance. All three Gryffindor's were looking venomous but Draco simply turned and walked away, disappearing into the crowds.
After Draco had disappeared both Harry and Hermione let go of Ron who was shaking with anger.
"If he says anything about my family this year, I'm going to break his neck", Ron snapped. "He better not touch Ginny".
"Draco wouldn't go near Ginny, don't worry Ron", Hermione assured him gently.
"He's only saying that to get you worked up, ignore him next time", Harry added.
Ron looked thoughtful for a moment. He didn't know, Draco was capable of ruining everyone's lives… he didn't want Draco to ruin Ginny's.
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*** A/N here it is! My first chapter! I hope you liked it! Please read and review and tell me what you thought of it!