Title: My Name is Slythindor

Author: Mademoiselle Meeeeeee! Duh...

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, the setting, the clothing, blah blah blah. I wish.

A/N This story does not follow the books.

Ginny

The warm golden sunshine streamed down the glass like butter, making the landscapes whooshing by outside waver and dance in the yellow haze. A quiet, redheaded girl of eleven years gazed solemnly out the window of the Hogwarts Express, not really paying attention to the excited chatter around her. She was crammed into a compartment with three other redheads, all male, and several of their friends, including a slightly nerdy-looking guy who introduced himself as Neville Longbottom.

Fred and George, her prank-loving twin brothers, were busy telling her tales of Hogwarts. Their typical genre included dire warnings about detentions with certain teachers, detailed instructions of how to stay away from prefects (here Percy Weasley intervened rudely, threatening them with detention before school had even started), and ghost stories involving students who went into particular rooms in the castle and never came back. Ginny wasn't really watching when Percy stood up from the seat next to her and went off to the prefects' compartment at the front of the train. Almost immediately afterwards the seat was claimed by a somewhat distraught Hermione Granger.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" Ginny had met Hermione over the summer and they had quickly become friends.

"I've looked everywhere for them! They aren't in any of the compartments!" She exclaimed in a rush, burying her head in her hands worriedly.

"Who?" asked Neville. He was holding his toad Trevor in one hand, digging in his pocket with the other. It was then that they all heard the food trolley in the hallway, and there was a moment of distraction while everyone pulled money out from their pockets, their bags, and their neighbors' ears.

"Harry!"

"Harry?" exclaimed Ginny. Her hand flew up to her mouth, although it was no secret that she had a crush on her brother's best friend.

"And Ron too!"

The answering gasps of the students died as soon as the door opened and the trolley lady came in with her sweets cart. There was a scramble as everyone stood up quickly and crowded around. Ginny bought a small pile of assorted candy – Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, chocolate frogs, and thick ropes of coiling licorice snakes to nmae a few. She had been told by Ron over the summer about the amazing first day feats and she didn't want to eat too much here.

It was almost as if the topic of Ron and Harry's whereabouts had dissapparated, but as soon as the trolley lady moved on Fred said, "Don't worry about it, Hermione, they're sure to turn up sometime." He smiled at her and winked. "And anyhow, what makes you so sure that they aren't hiding underneath Harry's invisibility cloak?"

"In Malfoy's compartment!" laughed one of the twins' friends, Lee Jordan. Although Ginny had yet to meet Draco Malfoy, her brothers and their friends had assured her that he was an evil, foul Slytherin git.

"Oh honestly," pouted Hermione, rolling her eyes. "What would make him do that?"

"Yes, what indeed?" a cold voice asked from the doorway. Heads shot up. They saw a boy sneering in the doorway, looking down at them.

Ginny looked at the boy. His pale, thin face reminded her vaguely of a ferret, but the cold sharp blue-gray eyes were nothing like anything she'd seen before. A crop of light blonde hair had been combed away from his eyes, although wisps kept sweeping forward unbidden. He was strikingly handsome, and certainly held himself proudly like he knew all too well that he was appealing to look at.

"Malfoy," Fred spat out like it was a bad word.

"So this is the famous Draco Malfoy…" Ginny mused softly. Malfoy turned towards the sound of her voice. He sneered again.

"Will you look at that – another Weasley coming to join the Hogwarts community. We're simply pleased to have you." She flushed angrily, but he wasn't done. "And she already has her hand-me-down Griffindor scarf, I see. Which of your generous brothers gave that to you? Surely not the same one that used to own the robes you're wearing," he scanned over her black school robe, "or your wand?"

"The wand is new, moron! You can't give someone your wand!" she snapped at him scathingly. He raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"And so are you going to tell me about your Griffindor spirit, hmm? Can't hope for a better house to get into, I suppose. All Weasleys get to be brave little kittens."

"Lions,"

"Must you appear so smart, Weasley? Be careful, Granger, you might have some competition this year." He said, smirking.

"Sod off, Malfoy," Fred growled. The twins stood up, wands out, as if they planned on hexing him on the spot.

Ginny looked down at the gold and red scarf around her neck while wrestling a large licorice snake that squirmed in her hands. She watched in horror as the snake flew out of her grasp, its goal of freedom finally accomplished, and traveled straight towards the newcomer's face.

SMACK! The rubbery and slightly slippery candy snake whipped the boy full across the face. He stood, paralyzed in sudden shock, a full two seconds before reaching a pale hand up and peeling the weakly protesting candy off. Angrily, he dropped the snake onto the carpeted floor and squished in beneath one shoe. He looked up to glare at the students staring at him.

Malfoy swept his piercing eyes over the silent students, searching or the one who had thrown the licorice snake at him. When his eyes connected with Ginny's honey hazel ones, Ginny was positive that she saw a flash of cold amusement in his eyes for a second. Then a quick moment later his eyes clouded over again and hardened. Without another word he turned sharply and left, like a silent ghost.

"Ginny! That was awesome!" the words broke through her thoughts, and she turned to the speaker, an over-excited Neville. "Didja see the look on the git's face?"

"But I didn't mean to hit him," she protested, but they didn't seemed to hear or care. George grinned at her, and she forced a smile in his direction before turning to the window to gaze out again. Talk soon resumed around her.

All too soon the Hogwarts Express lurched to a stop. Today would be Ginny's first day of school.