DISCLAIMER: I own nothing.
Chapter 1:
The beautiful, scarlet train whistled impatiently at the stations as families crowded around each of it's entrances, counting children and checking trunks. The atmosphere was significantly different than the previous year. There was no coldness, no fear. Everyone was jolly, chatting and laughing, while occasionally looking back at their little huddle near the end of the train station.
Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny stood apart from the other families. They had all become some sort of celebrities since Voldemort's downfall three months before. "Seriously they won't stop for one second," said Hermione flipping her hair and starring with narrowed eyes at the young boy who was snapping pictures of them.
"I would have thought you guys would have gotten used to that by now," muttered Harry, his arm around his girlfriend's shoulder.
Ginny didn't mind the pictures so much, what she did mind was the gossip. It seemed every week a different false rumor about her and Harry appeared in the headlines. Everything from impromptu weddings, and hidden pregnancies, to violent fights, and harrowing break-ups. The reports were having a field day with what they deemed "the golden couple". It made her sick. Harry was wonderful, but he certainly came with a lot of baggage.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" said Ron, one of his arms around Hermione's waist and the other holding up her trunk.
"Of course Ronald!" she half-hissed. "Education is very important, and I still feel that I have a lot to learn."
"Oh, come on Hermione, we defeated Voldemort, what can the Proffs really teach us now?"
"A little humility?" teased Ginny.
The train whistled a second time and looking down at Harry's watched she realized these were their last couple minutes together until December. "I'm going to miss you," he said as they embraced, his lips brazing her ear.
"Me too, but it's not like we're not used to be apart." She kissed him and Ron gagged in the background.
"Seriously?" said Hermione.
"I'm an older brother, this is part of my job description," he said as Ginny and Harry continued kissing.
To distract him Hermione put her own around around his neck and they too snugged. More photographs went off in the background and several people cheered. Hermione then levitated both of their trunks and the girls alone went through to the train's compartments leaving their boyfriends behind with the crowd of parents.
"It feels so strange going without them..."
"What feels strange is that we're now in the same year," said Ginny as she spotted Harry through one of the windows.
They entered a vacated compartment and sat down, their trunks over their head, and Crukshanks curled around Hermione's ankles. As soon as they were comfortable the train began pulling out the station, steam rising to the top of the windows, as they got their last view of the crowd, and of Harry and Ron's faces in it. They sat in silence a few minutes and then Hermione pulled out a book and Ginny was left with her thoughts.
If truth be told Hermione wouldn't have been her favored companion. The two girls got along alright but she was simply too focus on school. It was a miracle Harry and Ron had put up with her so long. There had been several moments of tension between them these last few months - specially because Hermione felt the need to quiz Ron and Harry on school work all the time as if to prove that they would benefit from a 7th year at Hogwarts.
For her part Ginny was going away to school again, not so much for it's benefit, but because her home felt too strange at the moment. Her parents were still in mourning. Fleur was pregnant. George was devastated. And Percy, who she alone could not forgive, was prowling around the house and comforting their mother like none of this was his fault. She crossed her hands over her chest - getting away was what she needed. Even from Harry.
Things were strange and different between them now. He was still the same old Harry, kind, generous, handsome, but sometimes Ginny didn't feel like the same old Ginny. Was it possible that the war had affected her more than it did him? Sometimes she found herself crying in the middle of the night. Sometimes the very though of Fred made her want to kill someone, anyone. Sometimes she thought she was going crazy. She had never known this grief existed, how had Harry dealt with it for so long in such silence?
Maybe she didn't know him so well after all...
ooOoo
During the sorting ceremony Ginny sat between two of her old classmates, Ella, and Maryn, with Hermione seated across the table. There were lots of stares and instantly Ella began questioning her on all things Harry. "I'm so happy you two got back together, what is it like this time?" she said loud enough for half the table to hear.
"The same," Ginny lied, with a fake smile on her face as she moved closer to Maryn.
Out of all the girls in her year (of which there had once been 6) only 3 of them had chosen to return for a seventh year. The other three had suffered big losses during the war, one of them had even ended up an orphan. This meant that Ginny, Ella, Maryn and now Hermione were the oldest Gryffindor girls and the only ones occupying the seventh year dormitory.
Without really seeing them Ginny watched the crowd of skinny 11 years old be lead by Flitwick through the middle of the Great Hall and towards the 3 legged stool with the sorting hat. It seemed was strange to think that last time she had been in the Great Hall had been immediately after the battle, when they had all been crowding around and crying on Fred's mangled body. The very through made her cold. She could feel lots of other people had this on their minds. The room was more solemn than ever before.
As the sorting took place Ginny looked over at the each of the tables for familiar faces. She found lots of eyes looking at her. Several of the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuffs she was acquainted with waved or smiled, and Ginny returned the gesture somewhat awkwardly. However as she looked over at the Slytherin table she saw something she was not expecting. With one gasp she leaned across the table and grabbed hold of Hermione's arm.
"What are you doing?" she whispered.
Ginny nudged, to the spot on the Slytherin table where the pale, proud face of Draco Malfoy was at that very moment starring straight back at them. "What is he doing here?" she said her hand clasped to her mouth.
"Who!" said Ella much too loudly.
"How did they ever let him back in after all he did! His parents are still on trial," said Hermione with a resolute shake of her head.
For the sake of the ceremony they spoke no more until the last eleven year old had taken a seat and their food had appeared but neither girl could shut up. "What is McGonagall thinking!" said Ginny as she pierced a turkey leg with her fork. "How many death eaters has she let in!"
"She has to have her reasons," Hermione said calmly, staring up at the Headmistress in her modest black robes. "Professor McGonagall is brilliant, she would never do anything to put the students in danger."
"This is a disgrace!" said Maryn. "I mean he's a Deatheater, after all they've done."
"I don't know," said Ella quietly, a pretty smile twirling on her lips. "He does look good."
At once eight pairs of eyes lifted and stared at the pale boy in black, seated so quietly at the corner of his table and without his usual group of friends. That was one thing they could all agree on. Draco Malfoy was more handsome than ever.
ooOoo
As the feast rolled to a close Professor McGonagall stood up and the room eased into silence. She looked with stern eyes at the hundreds of students before her and spoke with a magically magnified voice: "This has been a hard few years for us as a community," she began and several people nodded to themselves, or else looked at the vacant seats between them were fallen classmates should have been. "Everyone in this room has lost dear ones. We have all suffered because of this war, but now is the time to more forward, not with vengeance, but with fortitude.
"This is to be a very different year at Hogwarts. My colleagues and I have agreed that the special circumstances of our pupils should be taken in account. You may find each of us whenever you please. We will make ourselves readily available to you in case of distress or confusion. On top of this we will be forming grief groups where as a school we would talk about all we have lost." She smiled then, in her illusive way. "This is a year for compassion students. This the first year of a new era. An era of complete equality. An era of understanding. The Ministry is being revolutionized from the inside and so shall Hogwarts.
"But for now, I bide you all, a good night, and good dreams." She took a seat as the clapping ensued.
Hermione were look at each other. "Compassion," said Hermione, her clever eyes focused on her favored teacher.
"Equality. Understanding," whispered Ginny beneath her breath. "She is preaching compassion, equality and understanding!" She shook her head. "That why she let Malfoy in here. She's giving him a second chance."
"Malfoy had a second chance. Dumbledore gave it to him the night he died. This is his third chance."
The girls were silent and then slowly began to rise with the crowd and make their way to their dormitories. It was a long night, that first one. Ginny tossed and turned. Tormented by the sight of Malfoy, and haunted by Fred's face, his laughter, the wicked gleam in his eyes as he went around his various mischievous. At four in the morning she woke up for good, got dressed in the dark and went down the stairs to the Gryffindor common room.
How many times had they all sat here, lighting fire crackers and playing chess? She wondered as she looked at each of the chair in turn. Sighing, she went through the portrait of Fat Lady and down the corridor, awash with the first of the morning light. Ginny walked around empty passages and hallways for what felt like an hour until she found a great big window and took a set beneath it watching the pink and gold sky.
"Miss Weasley, is that you?" came a voice from behind her and she turned automatically to see a thick-set boy in Slytherin colors and holding a camera.
"What do you want?"
"Oh, nothing. I don't think you know me I'm Annatol Haztov, and you of course need no introduction. The beautiful red-head who is secretly married to the boy who lived." He was gleaming from ear to ear, the camera pointed straight at her though it hadn't flashed once.
"Yeah, that's me."
"So you really are married?"
Ginny shot him an annoyed glance. Who was he to ruin her morning. "Go away."
"Oh, I'm not bothering you. Just being friendly. Are you really pregnant, cause you don't look it." He was staring at her flat tunny intently.
"I said go away!"
"You don't own the hallway Miss Weasley, I can stand where I want," he said and for the first time the camera flashed.
Ginny stood up. "Well then I'm leaving and you better not follow me or I will jinx your camera into non-existence." She reached for her wand inside the pocket of her robes but found nothing. She searched her other pocket while the boy stared and snapped two more pictures. Had she left the dormitory without her wand? How could that have happened?
"Is something the matter?" he muttered.
"No," she turned hastily from him.
"You're missing something are you?"
Ginny stopped in her tracks, and turned her head slowly to see Annatol holding two wands in his camera-free hand. In an instant she was marching back to him her face set. "Oh, I wouldn't come any closer Miss Weasley, if you do I might have to hex you for self-defense," he muttered his smile curling upward as he pointed his wand straight at her chest.
"Give me back what's mine you fucking tosser."
"Absolutely."
She reached out her hand.
"All I want in return is a short interview."
"Piss off!"
"And take your wand with me?"
She made a fist and seriously considered hitting him for a moment, but not only was this guy taller than her he was a lot larger. That wouldn't fare well, and he could possible record the incident so that it looked like she was a maniac. "I'm only going to say this once more, give me my wand back or you will be sorry."
"Oh, you gonna call Potter back to Hogwarts to protect you? Well baby I would love that. Get the story were it needs to go," his face was turning red from amusement. What a truly ugly guy he was. "My first question is easy princess, how good does the chosen one fuck?"
Ginny's face paled of all it's color. "What the hell kind of reporter are you?"
"The pervy kind," he answered. "And that's just be beginning," he twirled her wand in his hands as he took another picture of her. "Now kindly answer the question."
"No way!" said Ginny, turning over her sorry option in her head.
"Come on, it won't hurt you any."
Ginny's jaw tightened. Even if she went to McGonagall the boy could forge a perfectly good excuse. He could just say he had found the wand, and with all her equality and non-revenge McGonagall would probably buy it. "I want another question."
"Very well, when was the first time you and Harry Potter had sexual intercourse. Plus I need all the details."
"And why would that be?" came a steady voice from being Annatol. Ginny looked over his shoulder to see Draco Malfoy in his black and green robes, his wand at the ready.
"M-Malfoy," the boy stammered.
"What are you doing?" he said the words slowly, his eyes narrowing. All her life Ginny had seen Malfoy as the pettiest sort of Villain but it was evident the war had changed him too. The boy that stood in front of her was not just handsomer, he had acquired an aura of power. "Is that her wand?"
"This?" he lifted it up. "I was just-"
"Give it back to her now," even Ginny was taken a back by the commandingness of his tone.
"Yeah, of course," he muttered throwing the wand back to her. Ginny caught it instinctively, her eyes on Draco.
"Now get out of here, and stop hassling her," he instructed. Quickly Annatol backed out of the hallway leaving Ginny and Draco alone for the first time in possible ever.
"I'm not going to thank you," she said quietly, glancing at her wand. "And this little incident doesn't make up for all the shit you've done to us over the years."
He shrugged, staring past Ginny to the large window.
"It's a beautiful morning," she said quietly.
"I think it's still night," he muttered in response though there was now a light blue tinge in the sky. She was so preoccupied looking out of the window Ginny never felt him approach her, but the next thing she knew his lips were touching her cheek and then an instant later he had turned around and vacated the hallways leaving her alone again.
One night. One kiss. One time.
That was all it took.
A/N: This is my first Harry Potter fanfiction in like five years or some ridiculous length of time like that, and my very first DM/GW, but it's been very fun to write so far. I appreciate all you lovely readers and especially those that are nice enough to leave me a review.
H-E
