NOTES ON THE STORY: It's Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Draco's 7th year, which makes it Ginny's 6th year. It will end up a Draco/Ginny story, even if it sounds like it will be Harry/Ginny. I am NOT basing it on the 6th book, because that wouldn't work for my story. How can it be a Draco/Ginny story if Draco is not at the school? Ummmm….anything else? I don't think so. Ok, well read and enjoy! Hope you like it.
Also, look for another update later today. I will post chapter 2, and maybe….chapter 3 if I feel like it.
Disclaimer: Why do we have to put these disclaimers on here? Isn't it obvious that we do not own the Harry Potter series? Why do they have to rub it in? Life isn't fair.
Chapter 1: Back to Hogwarts
Ginny Weasley peered at herself in a mirror in her bedroom. It was early in the morning and the sun streamed through the curtains hanging at her window. She had turned sixteen not three weeks ago, and she was returning to Hogwarts for her sixth year. Most of the summer she had spent in her bedroom, trying to convince herself to stop thinking about Harry Potter. Ever since her third year, she had tried to get over him, and she thought it had worked. But when Harry had come to stay with the Weasley's that summer, he had awoken long forgotten feelings in her. She knew things would never work out between them. If Harry felt anything for her, it was only friendly love. She was like a little sister to him, and she knew it. Besides, even if Harry was interested in her, she could never get up the nerve to talk to him. Every time he said something to her, her face would grow warm and she'd mumble something incoherent. She laughed at herself. Whenever Harry talked to her she acted like a little, blubbering girl
Ginny continued studying herself in the mirror. She wasn't beautiful; at least she didn't think so. She was by no means fat, but she didn't think herself the thinnest girl in school. Some girls starved themselves to attain the "desirable" figure, but she wouldn't do that to herself. Also, she hated her freckles. They dotted the bridge of her nose and lightly scattered over her cheeks. They used to be very prominent on her face, but over the years they had dimmed. And she was short. Ginny always thought that being tall was elegant, but she was only 5'4". The only thing she truly liked about herself was her hair. The traditional flaming red Weasley hair curled in gentle waves half-way down her back. She smiled to herself as she swished her hair. She was just getting lost in a daydream that involved a certain black-haired, green-eyed boy when a voice yelled at her from downstairs.
"Ginny!" Her older brother Ron called. "You'd better hurry up or we're going to be late! Again!" Ginny sighed to herself. Why did it seem they were always late getting to Kings Cross? She quickly stuffed a few last minute items into her trunk and started hauling it down the staircase.
Ron and Harry were waiting for her near the door. Her heart did the familiar flip-flop it always did as she laid eyes on Harry. He had been steadily getting taller over the last year, though it was prominent only now that she thought about it. Though not nearly as tall as her brother, who never seemed to stop growing, Harry was at least a few inches taller than her. Ron was still the gangly, freckle-faced, red-haired older brother he always was.
"Come on Ginny, everybody else is in the car," Ron said. Ginny sighed as she followed them out the door.
Her parents were sitting in the car, and Ron, Harry, and Ginny piled in the backseat. Since Ron had gotten in first, Ginny was squished up against Harry. Her cheeks burned as their legs touched.
"Have everything, everybody?" Arthur Weasley called from the driver's seat.
"Yes," three voices said together from the back.
"Good," Mr. Weasley continued, "because there's no time to go back and get anything. If we don't hurry, all of you will miss the train." And with that said, they sped off towards the station.
When they arrived at the train station, they pushed themselves through the throng of people and made their way to Platform 9 and 3/4. As casually as could be with two impatient owls that were screeching and attracting unwanted attention from Muggles, the four Weasley's plus Harry quickly slipped unnoticed through the magical barrier. Once on the other side, Ginny breathed deeply as she took in the sight around her. Many witches and wizards were hurrying about shooing their children onto the train with last minute warnings of behaving. A little ways to their right, a mother was scolding her young son who had apparently lost his wand. Her reverie did not last long however, because Molly Weasley jerked her back to reality with a giant hug.
"I'm going to miss you, sweetie. You be careful and listen to the teachers," her mother advised. "Don't break any of the rules, which your brother always seems to do."
"Don't worry, mum, I'll be fine; I always am," Ginny said reassuringly.
"I know. I'm just going to miss you so much," said Mrs. Weasley, looking fondly at her daughter.
"Yes, but I'll be coming home for Christmas, so I'll see you then," Ginny said as she hugged her mom tight. Her mom sniffed back a tear and hugged her again.
As her mom let go and turned to say good-bye to Harry and Ron, Ginny turned to face her father.
"I'm going to miss you, daddy," Ginny said as she hugged him.
Mr. Weasley hugged her back with similar words of farewell. As the whistle on the Hogwarts Express shrilled in a departure warning, she broke away from her father. Shouting good-byes over their shoulders and promises of writing when they got to school, they quickly made their way onto the train, and soon they were off on their way to Hogwarts.
Ginny sighed as she sat down in an empty compartment. Well, it wasn't entirely empty. Harry was there as well. Much to her family's surprise and delight, Ron had been named Head Boy. And to nobody's surprise, Hermione had been named Head Girl. But then, Hermione had the highest grades in the entire school, so she had almost been guaranteed the position. As Head Boy and Girl, they had to meet in the Heads compartment at the beginning of the train ride to discuss some rules and plans for the year. Then they had to patrol the corridors to make sure everybody was following the rules. It would be a while until they came back, and Ginny was feeling awkward in the room with just Harry.
As the silence steadily grew, so did the tension. Ginny was just about to say something, anything, to end the grim hush when to her relief the compartment door slid open. Her relief quickly turned to displeasure when she saw who stood in the doorway. Draco Malfoy, flanked by his usual side ornaments, Vincent Crabb and Gregory Goyle, stood in the doorway. How Crabb and Goyle could fit in the doorway, let alone with Malfoy in between them was beyond Ginny, but she soon stuffed that thought out of her mind as Malfoy made his way into the compartment. Harry clenched his fists and scowled at him.
"What do you want, Malfoy?" he asked menacingly. Malfoy merely sneered at him.
"Just seeing how things are going, Scarhead," Malfoy said as he looked down at Harry, who was still sitting. "I hope you and the Weaselette were behaving yourselves…" he continued, smirking as he looked back and forth between Harry and Ginny.
Harry stood up and faced Malfoy, his face hard and angry.
"Get out. Now."
"Or you'll what, Potter? What are you and the Weasel going to do if I don't?" Harry whipped out his wand at the same time Draco took out his. They stood nose to nose, their wands aimed at each other. Ginny quickly got up and pushed herself between them.
"Just get out Malfoy. We don't want you in here, and I know you don't like us, so just leave," Ginny said, glaring at him. Malfoy turned his gaze from Harry and stared down at her. Something seemed to pass across his face, some unknown emotion, and then he smirked at her.
"You're right," Malfoy said quietly, still looking down at her. Ginny, startled, looked back at Harry, who in turn looked at her. "I don't like you. Either of you. Wonder boy and a blood traitor. It couldn't get much worse than either of you. Except, of course, Mudbloods like that Granger, who can't –" Malfoy was interrupted by Harry's fist colliding with his nose, which gave a sickening crunch. Malfoy looked stunned for a moment, but then blood started pouring out his nose in thick streams. A look of pure hatred etched itself upon his face and he raised his want to curse Harry when Ginny shoved him, Crabb, and Goyle into the empty corridor and slammed the door in their faces. She turned back to Harry with a slight smile, and then sat down again.
"Well, that was…interesting," Harry said as he once again sat down across from Ginny. Ginny chuckled quietly, and then started laughing out loud. Harry looked at her peculiarly.
"Can you imagine," Ginny laughed, "his father's face when he finds out his son didn't make Head Boy, but a Weasley did instead?" Ginny laughed even harder. Harry started laughing as well.
"That must have been why he was in such a bad mood," Harry choked out in between laughs.
"I bet he was expecting to be made Head Boy, but he didn't!" Ginny exclaimed. "Oh, what I would have given to see his face when he found out it was my brother."
Harry and Ginny continued laughing and Draco-bashing for a while longer, and then Ginny seemed to remember that she was in a compartment alone with Harry Potter, because she suddenly looked down at her feet. Oh no, Ginny thought, not another of those awkward silences. I can't take that again. However, she was spared that, since the door opened yet again. This time, though, it was not Draco Malfoy that stood in the doorway, but her brother and Hermione. Ginny squealed, jumped up, and ran to embrace her friend.
"Oh, I've missed you so much, Hermione!" Ginny said as she squeezed Hermione. Hermione laughed and hugged her back.
"I've missed you too, Gin." Then Hermione looked up and spotted Harry, and hugged him too.
"Congratulations, Hermione," Harry remarked, and Hermione beamed at him.
"Yes, I can't believe I actually was made Head Girl. Of course, it's always been a dream of mine, ever since our first year actually. But I never thought I'd get it."
"Oh please, Hermione," Ron exclaimed as he flopped down where Harry had been sitting. "Everybody knew you were going to be Head Girl. I mean, you do have the highest scores in the entire school. How could Dumbledore not make you Head Girl?"
"Yes, well," Hermione continued, "I never actually thought it would happen. I also didn't know that there could be two Heads from the same house. I thought that the Heads had to be from different houses."
"So did I," Ron murmured.
"I think Malfoy was expecting to be made Head Boy," Harry stated while Ginny and he glanced at each other, and then burst out laughing.
"Uh, care to explain what's going on, mate?" Ron questioned as he looked back and forth between his best friend and his little sister. Harry and Ginny stopped laughing and explained what had gone on with their long-time enemy while Ron and Hermione had been gone. When they were finished, Hermione and Ron were chuckling as well.
The rest of the train ride passed quickly, and soon the whistle sounded, warning the students that they were fast approaching Hogwarts. The four teenagers put their robes on as the Hogwarts Express pulled to a stop, and Hermione and Ron exited the compartment to make sure everybody got off the train without any problems.
Ginny breathed in the night air as she stepped off the train, and a small raindrop landed on her nose. She looked up at the evening sky and saw many clouds overhead, and then she heard Hagrid's familiar voice calling to the first years. She then looked up at Hogwarts' many towers, and smiled to herself. She was back.
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A/N: Ok well that's the first chapter….obviously. Like none of you already knew that. Review and tell me what you think. I already have the main plot of this story planned out, but feel free to leave any suggestions as to what you want to happen, and I'll consider them. You can leave all the criticism you want, even though I like positive feed-back much better.
Also, do any of you know if there can be a Head Boy and Girl from the same house? I don't think it was ever mentioned in the books, so in my story, there can be. Ok? Ok, well I think that's all. Review and let me know what you think! Reviews mean a lot to me.
Lauren