Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and Co.
A/n: I've written many fanfics, but not here in Fanfiction.net. But here goes my own fictional story of J.K. Rowling's characters.
Incomplete By: E*star
~*~
It was in her fourth year when this all started…
…The school year after Lord Voldemort had killed one of her fellow schoolmate.
Ginny couldn't find a right place to be in whenever any of her family members were in the same room because it was all tension. Whenever they, or Harry, or even Hermione came into the room, it seemed as if the oxygen had disappeared. It made her sick.
When the classes were over, all she had was Colin and Neville, but Neville had to study for his O.W.L.'s (Hermione forced him and every other 5th year to), so Colin was always there. Even if all he talked about was his camera and the "cool new everlasting-film" he got over the summer.
~*~
Ginny and Colin sat on the couch in front of the Gryffindor common room fire. She wrote one final sentence before she placed her quill down, calmly, and snatched Colin's camera from his hand.
"Could you please stop taking pictures of ME?! You're blinding me with the stupid flashes!" hissed Ginny.
"Sorry." Colin took his camera back from Ginny, and started to take pictures of anyone else that was in the common room.
Then, as Ginny's hairs went on end and chills went crawling up her spine, three people entered the common room. It was Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
Ginny got up and placed all her stuff into her bag and she grabbed her cloak that was on a nearby chair. Colin saw her do all this and asked, "Where are you going?"
"I'm… going to take a walk."
"Can I come?" Colin asked, putting his camera around his neck.
"Whatever."
The two 4th years walked passed by the trio and out of the tower, down the steps and out onto the grounds. Walking by the lake, Colin took some photos of the giant squid, whose tentacles were swimming across the surface of the lake. Ginny watched.
Colin decided to sit near the lake and take more photos of the squid and some of the other students that hung around there, so Ginny began walking towards Hagrid's hut.
She sat on a small rock near Hagrid's pen behind his hut and began sketching the small unicorns that stood inside the pen.
Hagrid had unicorns every year and had help from Professor McGonagall when he had them in class. But this year, Fleur Delacour was his assistant.
Fleur decided that she needed to improve her English and she decided to want to teach here at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She was all the teachers' assistant, except for one. Professor Snape.
Ginny Weasley suddenly looked up as she heard a squawking noise near the forest. Being her curious self, she walked over to the edge of the forest, searching for the squawking animal. She saw two red-glowing eyes looking straight at her and she stepped forward. As she did, a black-feathered bird fell in front of her, squawking.
The noise finally died down and Ginny bent down to examine it. The bird was pathetic looking and it had its eyes closed. It wasn't dead, though. Ginny had pity for it, so she lifted it up and wrapped her cloak around it and bringing it back to the castle.
~*~
The bird was in her room, lying in a basket with pillows around it, while Ginny was in the library, trying to find out what kind of bird it was.
Finally, after about ten million books, she found an old, old book that had been ripped 20 or more times that had animal facts in it.
Opening Magical Creatures of the World, Ginny went to the bird's section and saw a photo of a bird that looked exactly like the bird in her room. It read:
Augrey, a pathetic looking bird that was once said that it's squawking predicts death. In the time of King Arthur, the British Isles were highly populated by these birds and barbarians had hunted nearly ¾ of them and the other ¼ had disappeared through a realm portal that had came in 3000 years. None were ever found after that.
"What are you reading?"
Ginny shut the book and spun around. It was Hermione, with Ron and Harry behind her with annoyed expressions on their face. Ginny imagined that they'd rather be back in the common room playing chess than studying in the library.
"It's just a book."
"Yes, I can see that, but which one? If it's homework, I'm sure I can help you out," said Hermione, who was trying to look at the title of the book behind Ginny.
"Um, no. I'm just reading this to kill time." Ginny got up and put the book back on the shelf and grabbed her bag from her chair. "I'll be off then. See you guys at dinner."
Hermione said goodbye to Ginny and Ron and Harry mumbled theirs. When Ginny reached the door, she sighed. That was the first time she hadn't feel them enter the room and that the air didn't seem as if it all escaped the room. She was glad.
Ginny sneaked some pudding up to her room and she awkwardly fed it to the bird she named, "August". She decided that the bird could be her pet, since Ron had Pig. It sure wasn't an owl, but it could work.
After giving August warm milk, the bird was lively and began to hop everywhere. It finally landed back in the basket, resting.
~*~
… Drums… banging every split second… A thousand drums beating in her ear and her heartbeat beating the same… And a voice singing a foreign language… Louder and louder, the voice grew; practically screaming in her ear… and finally, her own voice was screaming-
August was on Ginny's lap when she woke up with cold sweat rolling down her forehead. Getting out of bed, she put August back in its basket. Ginny put her bathrobe on and walked down to the common room with a book to get her sleepy.
When Ginny finally got her book open, a noise came from the portrait door and she curled herself into the smallest ball, hidden to whoever was there. Peeking to see who it was, Ginny saw nothing. But then, someone appeared out of thin air.
It was Harry coming out of his invisibility cloak. Ginny heard the trio talking about it when they had thought no one could hear them. Ginny quickly pulled her eyes back and shut them.
Harry spun around to see what had made that small moving noise. Heading for the couch, Harry put the cloak in his pocket and looked over the couch. It was a small flaming redhead, scrunched up in a ball with her eyes closed. Harry just thought that she had fallen asleep on the couch and didn't want to wake her up. He went up to the dormitory and when Ginny heard the door shut, she opened her eyes and sighed. Opening her book again, she began reading.
Finally, after fifty pages, a while after staring at the fire, and an hour, Ginny fell asleep.
~*~
Hermione had Ginny awake at 6 am and down in the Great Hall at seven. When everyone had come in for breakfast, Dumbledore had made an announcement.
"Students, yesterday, a student had been killed." The whole Great Hall gasped. "Yesterday, Taylor Stansfield, third year, was found in the Forbidden Forest with a Death Eater and unfortunately, he had escaped."
Murmurs were heard from every corner of the Great Hall after Dumbledore had finished his announcement. Ginny just sat there, shocked. She heard Hermione and Ron, telling Harry that it would be OK and Voldemort…
But there wasn't a soothing voice anywhere to calm Harry down. He was worried and felt guilty that people had been murdered by Lord Voldemort, even if he didn't show it on his face, Ginny knew it.
Classes were canceled for the day and everyone stayed in their common room. Ginny and Colin spent their day sketching and taking pictures of people who wanted to be sketched or photographed.
After three people that got one sketch and two photos, Colin's light bulb lit up and he told Ginny, "Y'know, I think we could make money by doing this. Maybe, two sickles a sketch and three sickles for a photo."
"And why are my sketches one sickle less?" drawled Ginny, "My profession is as good as yours and take a lot more work."
"Fine then. Three sickles a portrait or photo. Six sickles for both, and so on."
Ginny and Colin grinned at each other and shook hands. Colin sighed, "I can just see it now, when we graduate… our 'C and G-'."
"You mean 'G and C'?" said Ginny, raising an eyebrow.
"Alright, our 'G and C' logo on a store in Hogsmeade. Everyone will want a photo of their children, their wedding, etc…"
"I guess Fred and George aren't the only one with a business," Ginny said.
"Look! Someone's coming our way!" Colin nudged Ginny and she looked up. It was Ron and Hermione.
"What are you two up to?" asked Ron, folding his arms.
Ginny narrowed her eyes. "Nothing you'd be interested in, unless you'd like a hand-drawn portrait of yourself or a photo."
Hermione smiled. "Sure! Come on, Ron, be a sport."
Colin put on a fake business man grin and said, "Well, three sickles a photo or portrait, six for both… But, I guess we can make an exception for you two since your family."
"Let's not charge them. This will be a practice costumer. Besides, you won't need the money to buy new film since you got that never ending one," Ginny smiled at Colin and he sighed.
"I suppose so," Colin turned to Ron and Hermione. "Photo or Sketch?"
"Photo-" said Ron.
"Sketch-" said Hermione at the same time. Hermione looked at Ron. "Both."
Ron shrugged.
Colin nodded. "First, pick a background you want for your photo."
Hermione picked a sky-blue back ground with dark-blue swirls on it. Colin told them to step on a platform and SNAP and FLASH! The photo shoot was over.
While Colin was developing the film, Ron and Hermione sat on the couch doing their homework, and without noticing it, they were sitting pretty close together. Ginny thought it a perfect sketch.
When Ginny finished the drawing of Ron and Hermione, Colin came out of his room that he shared with two other boys, with a photo in an envelope and handed it to Hermione.
Taking out the picture out of the envelope, Hermione's eyes lit up. In the photo, they were close-up and Ron had his hand on Hermione's shoulders and waving and Hermione smiled sweetly at the camera.
"This is such a nice photo, Colin."
Colin blushed. "Thanks."
Ginny smiled up at the two. "Your drawing will be done… when I finish, I guess." Ginny placed her first drawing of them in her folder and took out a clean piece of paper.
As soon as Ginny started drawing the shape of Ron's face, someone that she had admired had walked down the dormitory stairs and walked toward Ron and Hermione.
When Hermione had seen Harry, she let him have a look at the photo Colin shot of them. Ginny couldn't hear them talking but she saw that they were and Harry nodded and smiled, then laughed. That was probably the first time he did, ever since Dumbledore's news.
~*~
Ron, Hermione, and Harry had admired her drawing. Ginny decided to add Harry into the picture to make him feel happy, to let him know that he had friends there for him.
Colin sighed for the millionth time for the day, as he put the bag of money they earned for the day. "66 sickles for today. Wow."
"33 sickles for each of us. I sure can use a new art quill…"
"I think you should get this muggle art pack. It has a bunch of different pencils and it includes paint, chock, everything!"
Ginny shrugged her shoulders and said, "I wouldn't know where to get it."
"Tell you what," said Colin brightly; "I can owl my mum to buy one at a muggle store and I an send my money for her. Take this as an early birthday gift."
Ginny blushed. "Thank you."
Colin patted her on the back and went up to his dormitory room. Packing her stuff back in her bag, Ginny accidentally dropped the picture of Ron and Hermione on the floor. She picked it up and grinned. She wondered when her brother and her friend would ever tell each other their feelings.
After rolling her eyes at her image of Ron acting like an Italian lover at Hermione, Ginny tiredly walked up the steps to the dormitory.
~*~
It past two weeks since Taylor Stansfield had died.
"I can't believe we actually get to attend a Yule Ball this year! And since McGonagall found out about our photography/hand-drawn portrait business, she hired us to work at the Yule Ball! This is so cool!" shouted Colin as he and Ginny walked out of the Great Hall.
"Yeah," Ginny said, putting her hands in her pocket, "we get to work during our first ball. It's actually my second, but this is when I get to go without being invited by someone above our year."
"Did you have a good time last year?" Colin asked.
"Not really, but at least I got to go and Neville didn't have to got without a date. But, to the girl who's going with Neville, beware of his feet," admonished Ginny.
"We… We're going together, right?" asked Colin, playing with his hands as they climbed the staircase leading to the Gryffindor common room.
"Sure, it's not like I have anyone else to go with," Ginny laughed.
"Right. What about Harry?" teased Colin.
Ginny slapped his arm. "Shut up. Besides, I am way over that."
"Sure."
Ginny gave him a You-Better-Quit-It look while skipping the trick step and lading in from of the Portrait of the Fat Lady. "Hobgoblin."
The portrait swung open and Colin went in first and helped Ginny in. Turning around, they saw that McGonagall was right in from of them.
"Creevey, Weasley, you're both to meet Professor Dumbledore at his office tomorrow at two."
They nodded and let Professor McGonagall pass them. Ginny said goodnight to Colin and went up to the girls' fourth year dormitory. Walking towards August, who was in her little basket, she took out a bowl of pudding and fed it to August.
"If we got to go to Hogsmeade this weekend, I'll get you some real bird food, alright, August?"
The bird looked into her eyes with its small beady black ones with small red dots in the middle. Ginny stroked the birds' gray feathers and heaved a deep breath.
Ginny changed into her nightclothes and went fast asleep as soon as she covered herself in the sheets…
~*~
It was a similar dream she'd been having since two weeks ago. Drums. Only this time, she could see. But the only thing see could see was a purple haze. She began running, trying to find her way out of the fog. Then, like a bolt of lightning, a sword came out of nowhere and had pierced Ginny in the middle of her chest. With a last breath, Ginny fell on her knees and saw a bright light ahead of her and then she closed her eyes. In her mind, the image of her stabbing something in front of her was playing and blood was splattering on the white robes she was wearing. Finally, she felt a hard pressure on her chest. She could no longer breath. This was dying…
Ginny woke up by August, who was singing in her ears. That's odd, Ginny thought as she sat up, putting August back in her basket, I thought the only noise that Augrey's made were horrible squawks…
Unable to go back to sleep, Ginny put her bathrobe on and grabbed a nearby book and went down to the common room. Settling on her spot on the couch, Ginny curled up in a ball and opened the book. But someone who had just entered the common room disturbed her.
It was Harry Potter, appearing right before her. He was taking his invisibility cloak off and placing it in his pocket and he had heard her moving back into a ball. He walked over to the couch and saw Ginny in the position she was in two weeks ago.
Ginny had just noticed it was really cold, even with her robe on. She was unable to stop herself from shivering and she still felt Harry watching her from above.
Harry saw her shake, so he grabbed a blanket from the closet and placed it around her. I'm only doing this because she's like my little sister. Not because I like her, because I don't. I do, it's just not in the way I said I didn't… What? Harry was confusing himself. So he went upstairs to the boy's fifth year dormitory room.
Ginny opened her eyes. Did he just…? Well, it's not like he likes me, anyway. That would be stupid. Ginny grabbed her book and began reading when she finally dropped the book and fell into a dreamless sleep
~*~
At breakfast, Ginny sat down next to Hermione, who instantly said, "Do you know what happened to Parvati last night?"
"Umm… no. Why?" Ginny asked.
"She hadn't come up last night and her bed was empty this morning."
Lavender sat down on the other side of Hermione and was shaking. Then she finally started crying. Ginny got up to sit next to her and asked, "Lavender, what's wrong?"
"It's… P-Parvati. Last night, we… we were coming back in from the outdoor green house and then something was pulling Parvati towards the Forbidden Forest. Seamus heard me screaming and he came outside and helped me trying to pull Parvati back from whatever was pulling her. Then, Parvati was in the forest, so Seamus told me to wait there, so I did, and then I heard Parvati screaming, so I ran into the forest and Seamus was there, being held by a man with a mask, a Death Eater, and so I pulled out my wand and… and…"
Hermione and Ginny both saw scratches on her face.
"… Then I think I saw Professor Snape behind us then I blacked out…"
"Where's Parvati and Seamus?" asked Hermione.
"In the Hospital Wing, so is Snape."
"They're OK, right?"
"Yeah, they are… But I don't know about Snape…"
"… Predicts Death…" Ginny looked around. Who said that? Ginny began looking around the Great Hall until Colin sat down next to her and took a picture.
Colin grinned, "Remember, today at two."
"I know. We have to go to Dumbledore's office."
"Exactly. I wonder if we're getting paid…"
Ginny huffed. "Is that all you think about? Money?"
"No, not really. I think of my homework, money, my family, and you." Ginny blushed after Colin's last word. "Because you're my best friend. Practically my only friend."
Ginny put her arm around Colin's neck. "You're my best friend too."
Then they entwined their pinkies together.
~*~
Harry entered the common room, books and bag in his arms and saw Ginny in an armchair doing her homework. Cho was already going with Terry Boot, and he didn't have anyone to go with. Hermione pleaded for him to go and Ron wasn't going without him.
So Harry stood behind Ginny and she still hadn't notice him there. "Ahem."
Ginny looked up and jumped. "Harry! Don't you ever scare me like that."
"Sorry. I, um, wanted to ask…"
"Yes?" she said, looking up and placing her hair behind her ear.
"Would you like to… to go to the ball with me?" Harry asked, blushing.
"I'm sorry, but I'm already going with Colin. We're going to take pictures for the ball. I'm sorry."
Harry nodded. "S'alright. 'Bye, then."
Ginny watched him go. She bit her lip and checked her watch. 2 o'clock. Ginny quickly put her stuff in her bag and rushed to put it in her room. Running out of the common room and down the halls of Hogwarts, Ginny tripped.
"Ginny!"
Ginny looked behind her shoulder and saw Colin running her way.
"Are you OK?" He held out a hand.
"Yeah," said Ginny, as she took Colin's hand, "Thanks."
"You shouldn't run in the halls alone. I'll run with you."
"Right. Let's go, or we'll be late." And Ginny and Colin ran to Dumbledore's office.
As soon as they were at the corner, they almost bumped into Dumbledore. "Hello Miss Weasley, Mr. Creevey."
"Hello, Professor," they said in unison, both panting from running.
"Let go into my office." They walked to the gargoyle that stood in front of his office and Dumbledore said, "Licorice Whip."
Colin and Ginny looked at each other with their faces scrunched up. They both mouthed, "Eww, licorice!"
"Sit down."
The two sat down across from Dumbledore and looked around. There were pictures of the other Headmasters and Headmistresses around the office.
"The prices of the photos and sketches will be…?" asked Dumbledore.
"Three sickles each."
Dumbledore nodded. "And you will be paid ten Galleons, each."
Ginny and Colin's eyes popped out. "Ten?! Sir, don't you think that's a bit much?"
"It will be enough for film and parchment, I believe. I have asked Mr. Fred and George Weasley to do a bit of a surprise for the ball and they will also be paid. I do believe they know much about business, am I right Miss Weasley? And they say that ten Galleons was just right."
His eyes were twinkling.
"I believe this is all. You may go."
Ginny and Colin both got up and headed for the door. But just as Ginny reached the handle, Dumbledore spoke, "Miss Weasley, I have one more word for you. You may go Mr. Creevey."
Colin mouthed, "Good luck." And Ginny shrugged.
Ginny sat back down and looked at Dumbledore and Dumbledore looked at Ginny. "Um, yes, Professor?"
"Is there anything you'd like to talk about? Anything odd happening?"
Ginny stared. "Um, no, nothing odd."
"Alright, you may go now."
Ginny nodded. She left the office confused. What was that about?
A/n: The whole plot isn't shown yet, but oh well. Sorry if it isn't good, but this is just the first chapter, the juicy parts will come soon enough… Remember to review…
E*star