Ginny was excited to finally be attending Hogwarts, it had been her dream for so long. She was excitedly packing her things in her bedroom before leaving for the train.
There were so many books Ginny was not sure what to do with them all. The red haired girl was hardly giving the large heavy tomes a second glance, until she found a small black leather bound book in her hands. Ginerva Weasley looked at the strange black book, with silver trim in the corners, she did not remember his one. Most of her books had been hand me downs from her older brothers, which would explain why it appeared so old and worn, but it did no look familiar at all. It was far too old to be one of her new books.
Confused, the red headed young girl opened the book, it did not have any of her brother's names written in it. Flipping through it she found it strangely blank. Something was strange about this book, Ginny did not know how, but somehow she knew she should tell someone about this. It felt as though the book was calling wordlessly to her. She felt a connection to it for some unknown reason.
This was the first time she had ever seen this book in her life, of that she was sure, but she could not help feeling a connection to it. Ginny did not want to tell anyone about the book, somehow she just felt she wanted to keep it close, something that was just for her. Everything Ginny had ever owned had been handed down to her or shared with her family, she had always wanted something that was hers and hers alone, and for some reason she felt she could have that now. This book was old, but it felt as though it were reaching out to her, promising to be hers and hers alone.
"Gin? You ready?" Her father asked, sticking his head through her door.
Unsure what to do she thrust the small book into her chest and quickly covered it with another. Even the travelling chest she was packing her things in was not her own, it had been Charlie's back when he had been in school. "Nearly," she replied quickly. "I'll be down in a minute," the young girl vowed.
Arthur Weasley entered the room and kissed his daughter's forehead gently. "Well don't be too long," he instructed, running his hand lovingly through her hair. "You're mother wants time to say goodbye."
"I'll be quick," Ginny assured him, her mind exploding with different scenarios of telling him about the book, just asking him if he had seen it before. Every scenario ended with him taking the book from her, so she held her tongue. She knew she needed to tell him.
"I love you Ginerva," he said as he walked from the room.
"I love you too dad!" Ginny called in parting as he disappeared from view. She breathed a sigh of relief once she was alone again, and found herself swamped with guilt. For some reason Ginny felt as though she had made a huge mistake. She should have told him.
Uncovering the small book Ginny once again picked it up. As soon as her fingers wrapped around the leather bound book the feeling from before returned. This was hers, all hers, and it would never be anyone else's; the book didn't want anyone else, it wanted her. The feeling overwhelmed the red haired girl, she had never felt so wanted before, the book was not just promising to be special to her, it was promising that she would be special to it. Knowing she was probably making a mistake Ginny placed the book carefully into her travel bag.
Ginny walked through the train on her way to Hogwarts, clutching the travel bag in her arms tightly. The floor under her feet rocked slightly as the train moved. Finding the carriage her brother was in she pulled open the door. "Hi Ron," the girl greeted her brother timidly. Tell him about the book. She commanded herself, smiling meekly.
Ron rolled his eyes. "What do you want Gin?" The older boy asked in annoyance. Tell him about the book.
Ginny opened her mouth but no words came out. Tell him about the book.
"Ronald!" Hermione protested, slapping the boy's shoulder. "Ginny you can sit with us if you want." The bushy haired girl invited.
"No that's fine," Ginerva insisted, tightening her arm around the bag which housed the little black book. Tell them about the book! "I just..." She trailed of, unsure of what to say. TELL THEM ABOUT THE BOOK! "It's nothing," she insisted, turning and closing the sliding door behind her.
As Ginny walked away she heard Hermione lecturing her brother on not being so rude. She knew she had to tell someone about this book, it should not be making her feel like this... But Ginny liked this feeling.
Ginny was filed into the great hall along with the other first years. All the older grades were already sitting at their respective table. Ginny stroked the bag in her arms possessively. One by one they were called up to the front where they would be sorted. Ginny couldn't help looking around at all the other people in the room, there were so many, so many people who could all want to feel what this book made her feel. How badly would any of them want her book if they knew what she was hiding in her little bag which had once belonged to her mother.
"Pst!" Someone called and she looked over to see Fred calling to her from the Gryffindor table. "You're up Gin," he whispered loudly and she looked around to find everyone waiting on her.
Embarrassed, Ginny made her way to the front of the room. "We're saving a seat for you sis," George assured her, patting the empty seat between him and his twin.
"About time Miss Weasley," Professor McGonagall remarked impatiently as the red headed girl climbed onto the stool.
She ignored the people laughing at her as the hat was placed upon her head.
Oh not another Weasley, the sorting hat complained inside her head. How many of you lot are there? It seems every year I'm sorting another one, well I know what to do with you.
I am not just another Weasley! Ginny insisted angrily, tightening her arms around the bag in her hands, wishing she could hold the book without suspicion. The book wanted her, it did not think she was just another Weasley, the next in a long line. To the book Ginny was special, she was the only one it wanted, it had picked her, out of her entire family, it wanted her, because she was special.
She felt the hat smile on top of her head. Well then Ginerva, the soft leather hat replied. Who are you then? Or more importantly, who do you want to be?
I want to be special, she thought to herself. I want to be me. I want to stand out, I don't want to be seen as just another Weasley.
Very well then Ginerva, the hat replied before bellowing loudly to the entire hall. "SLYTHERIN!"
Ginny froze as the whole hall held their breath. This was not what she wanted. This was not what she wanted at all. You wanted to stand out, the hat reminded her as Professor McGonagall removed it from her head.
Not everyone here knew who she was, but the Weasley family was a well known in the wizarding world, just about everyone here besides the muggle bornes at least recognized her last name. Never had a Weasley been in Slytherin, they had never been anywhere but in Gryffindor. Everyone who understood the implications of this watched her with baited breath.
All but Professor McGonagall. "That is enough dawdling for one day young lady," the older woman insisted and Ginny quietly left from the stool and walked, red faced, in the direction on the Slytherin table.
"No way!" A loud voice shouted and she turned to see her brother Ron standing at the Gryffindor table. "No way is she in Slytherin! Do it again! The hat was wrong!"
"Sit down Mr Weasley!" Professor McGonagall ordered Ginny's older brother. Reluctantly the young boy sat back down and Ginny saw George moving into the seat he had been saving for her to whisper to Fred. "Ten points from Gryffindor," the old woman went on. "Not a good way to begin the year."
Most people at the Gryffindor table glared at Ron and there were laughs from the Slytherin table. Ginny headed towards a lonely seat but was immediately ushered over to sit with some older boys. "Hey Weasley!" A dark skinned boy called, moving over to vacate the chair for her. "Over here!"
Not wanting to sit alone, the younger girl took the offered chair with a shy but polite smile.
"Must we let that Weasel spawn sit with us?" A well groomed blond boy across from her complained and Ginny did not have to guess to know who he was.
"If I can bare to sit with a Malfoy I think you can handle little old me?" She replied with a deceptively sweet voice challengingly crossing her arms across her chest. Ginny did not realise until after she said it the innuendo in her words but held his glare, refusing to blush.
The boys around them laughed but with a glare from the Malfoy boy the two beside him fell silent. "Oh come off it Draco," the boy who had invited her insisted. "How often does someone get points taken off Gryffindor just for being sorted into our house. I'm Blaise by the way," he added turning to the girl on his right and offering his hand.
"Ginny," she replied, taking his hand in hers and shaking it firmly.
Blaise smiled a friendly smile at her as she withdrew her hand. "Quick question," he began. "Your brothers are in Gryffindor and you are in Slytherin, where do your loyalties lie, with us or them?" He face had grown serious as he spoke and Ginny felt a little put on the spot.
"I am sick of living in their shadow," she insisted proudly. "I am a Slytherin and my loyalties lie with my own house." Ginny couldn't help but smile as she said that, perhaps the hat had been right, it felt good to break free of her family's stereotype.
"Well in that case," Blaise said, placing his arm around her shoulders. "Lets see just how many points the Weasel can lose."
Ginny giggled at his actions, a little house rivalry couldn't hurt anyone.
"Try it again," Blaise instructed the younger girl. "But this time..." He leaned in and whispered in her ear. "Pretend I said something dirty and give me a flirty giggle."
Ginny blushed and giggled again, not because he told her too, but because his determination to bother her brother amused her, and his warm breath on her sensitive neck made it impossible not to turn red.
"Oh that was a good one," Blaise praised her and she couldn't help but smile. The dark skinned boy looked behind them. "And here he comes... Damn, foiled by the Granger bitch."
Authors Note: So I have wanted to write a Harry Potter story for a while but I always felt like if it wasn't perfect I would be insulting the series, so this is me putting myself out there. Please be gentle, what do you think?
~SophieAngel69