A/N: I don't own. This is my first story. Be gentle. lol.
With Cautious Feet
Chapter One
"Oh! Congratulations, honey!"
"We're proud of you."
"Yeah, way to go, Ginny!"
Ginny Weasley stood, beaming from ear to ear, holding the gold prefect's badge in her hand. Her entire family, including Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, had formed a circle around her and were showering her with all sorts of congratulations. She had received a letter from Hogwarts, informing her of her new status in the school, two days prior to the current event. Upon hearing the news that their only daughter had been chosen to become a Prefect, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley planned a very small party to celebrate.
"Come on, Gin. Time to open your presents." exclaimed Harry, with a very bemused look on his face.
"Wait. Wha- You guys got me gifts?" Ginny looked at every face in the room. Each one was smiling like they had just won a million galleons, but all Ginny could do was look back down at her feet. She was already feeling a little guilty that her parents went through all of the trouble of throwing her a party. She would have been satisfied with her mum cooking her favorite meal of chicken and dumplings. She wasn't expecting any gifts.
"You didn't have to get me anything. I mean, you didn't put up this much of a fuss when Ron or Percy made Prefect." said Ginny.
"Yeah, mum. Why didn't I get a party. I bloody hell deserved one!" said Ron indignantly, to which he received a very stern elbow to the ribs from Hermione.
"Watch your mouth, Ron! You act like you've been raised in a barn with that language. And your sister deserves this party. I daresay she never gets any attention, what with all of you boys coming before her. So you can just pipe down before I send you up to your room. WITHOUT DINNER." Mrs. Weasley glared at her youngest son with a look that could make Voldemort cringe.
"Simmer down, mum. I was only teasing." mumbled Ron. He obviously didn't want to go to bed without food so he continued, " Besides, you know I love your chicken and dumplings."
"You love everything that moves..." said Fred
"As long as you could eat it..." ended George.
Ron turned red in the face and attempted to send an equally insulting retort to the twins but he only managed to open and close his mouth a few times.
"Close your mouth, Ron. You look like a trout." said Hermione as she pulled him down to sit next to her. Fred and George burst out laughing and Ron made a very obscene gesture in their direction. Everyone else enjoyed a small laugh on Ron's behalf and settled into various chairs and couches to watch Ginny open her presents.
"Okay! Who's this one from?" asked Ginny, shaking the square box in her hands.
"Don't shake it, Gin!" said Charlie, almost falling out of his seat to stop her.
That's when she heard it. There was a faint scratching sound coming from inside the box. When she looked closer she noticed that there were small holes on the sides. Then out of one hole on the side, a little patch of furr skated by. Ginny snapped her head up quickly to look at her older brother.
"Hurry up, Ginny. I think he's hungry. And maybe a little cranky too." Charlie smiled and watched while Ginny slowly undid the green silk ribbon adorning the box and lifted the lid off the top. In a flash, a jet of black shot out of the box and around the room. Everyone gasped in surprise.
"What was that?" asked Harry.
"A cat." shrugged Charlie.
"But where did it go?" said Ginny, sounding a little disappointed that she didn't even get a good look at it.
"Don't worry. He'll come out soon. Probably just scared. You still have more gifts, Ginny. So hurry up. I'm hungry." remarked Ron. He then tossed Ginny a small parcel wrapped in newspaper and sat back looking satisfied.
"Okay, okay." Ginny ripped the newspaper off to reveal more paper stacked together and tied with a piece of twine. She looked at Ron with a confused look on her face. "Um, thanks, Ron. You shouldn't have."
"Turn it over, you twit." said Ron.
Ginny did what he said and smiled. It wasn't normal paper. Ron had actually given her music sheets so she could compose her own music. She thanked him.
"Your welcome. By the way, that counts as a Christmas gift, too, if you don't finish it by then." She stuck her tongue out at him and went on to her other gifts.
She surprisingly received a few new shirts from Hermione, instead of the usual book. Harry gave her a basket filled with all kinds of sweets from Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans to Chocolate frogs. Fred and George gave her new items from their store, which included a few fire works that wrote whatever you were thinking at the moment in the sky, gum that kept the chewer's mouth closed, and a few cards that she could give out to boys that she "liked" and would give the recipient pimples and make him stutter like a bumbling fool. Bill gave her a knife. Her mother didn't like it one bit, but Bill said she needed other protection besides a wand, to which Mrs. Weasley made no reply. Percy couldn't attend, because of duties at the ministry. But he did send his regards through a letter and a simple charm bracelet that already had the charm of a wand on it.
"Wow. Thanks, Perce." said Ginny, in obvious astonishment. "Well, I guess that's it. Thanks everybody."
"Wait, Ginny. Did you really thin you're father and I wouldn't get you anything?" asked Mrs. Weasley.
Ginny merely shrugged. "You through me this party. That's enough."
Mrs. Weasley scowled at this and then nodded to her husband, who got up and disappeared into the adjoining room. When he came back, he was laden down with a giant box wrapped in red wrapping paper and topped with a big white bow.
"Here you go, sweetie." said Mr. Weasley as he set the gigantic gift in front of her. The gift was so big that she had to stand up from her comfortable spot on the floor to open it. She undid the bow and then ripped into the wrapping paper. When she finally had the box opened it contained what seemed like mountains of tissue. She grabbed a handful of the paper off the top and dove straight into the box. She popped her head out, after being inside for about a second or two and immediately started laughing and smiling.
"Thank you so much, mum and dad." She climbed out of the box carrying fifteen or so little presents. The first one contained a few charms to add to the bracelet Percy had given to her. The next few held a items for a stationary kit. There was also a photo album filled with pictures from family vacations and holidays, even a few memories from her years at Hogwarts. Her mum had even included a small hand carved jewelry box that played her childhood lullaby when opened.
"Thanks again, everyone. It was all wonderful." Ginny smiled to her family and quickly ran to put all of her girts into her room before dinner. When she came back downstairs there was a lot of commotion coming from the kitchen.
"Quick get it!"
"Ron don't throw stuff at it!"
"It scratched me!"
"Someone cover the food."
"No! Don't use that pot!"
"Look! There he is!"
"Grab him!!!"
"Fred! George! No!"
Then there was a huge clatter. Ginny ran into the kitchen and erupted into a fit of giggles. Fred and George were slumped into a corner covered in gravy. Ron was on top of the table with one pot on his head and a cooking spoon and skillet in his hands. Mrs. Weasley was holding a huge roasting pot over her head, trying not to let the contents spill out. Harry and Hermione were ducked under the table. Bill and Mr. Weasley stood nearest to the door with pieces of chicken and bread stuck in their clothes and hair. Charlie stood in the kitchen sink, spotless from head to toe, holding a small black cat in his arms.
"Ginny! I'm not gonna tell you again, missy! Get up now!" Mrs. Weasley shouted at her daughter for the sixth time that morning. She had already managed to get Ron, Harry and Hermione up and ready for the trip to the train station. The only one she was having trouble with was Ginny. The girl had gone to sleep really late the night before because she had been playing with the new cat she had gotten from Charlie. Now she wouldn't wake up.
"Ginny! Get up or we're going to miss the train!"
"Wha-? What?" Ginny shot up in bed and looked at her calender. It took a while before she realized that today she was to go back to Hogwarts. She mumbled a few obscenities to herself and rushed to get dressed. When she was ready, she bolted down the stairs and almost ran over her mother.
"Watch it young lady! Hurry up and eat so we can go. Shoo!" Ginny smiled sheepishly and walked to the kitchen for a bite of toast. Mr. And Mrs. Weasley weren't going to be joining the four to the train station because Mr. Weasley had to work and Mrs. Weasley had a lot of cleaning up to do, now that everyone had finally left after the holiday. Ginny finished eating quickly and then went back to the foyer where Harry, Ron, and Hermione were waiting for her.
"Ready!" Ginny proclaimed triumphantly.
"Where's your trunk?" Asked her mother, her hands on her hips, and a scowl on her face.
"Damn it!" Shouted Ginny as she rushed back upstairs to get her trunk.
"Language, young lady!" yelled her mother at her receding back.
Ginny stumbled back down the steps, dragging her trunk behind her.
"Okay, now I'm done." she said as she made her way out the door.
"Ehem" Ginny turned around to see her mother standing in the door way holding her new cat. She frowned slightly and walked to get him from her mother.
"Thanks mum. See you soon." And with that she gave her mum a quick kiss on the cheek and left to meet the others that were waiting for her again, this time around the port key that would take them to Platform 9 ¾.
"Bye, mum!"
"Bye, Ginny! Behave yourself Ron! Watch after them, Hermione! Be careful, Harry!" Mrs. Weasley waved and yelled after her family until each one of them were tugged by their stomachs and disappeared with the old basketball they held in their hands. They landed in a small heap on the hard concrete floor right in front of the Hogwarts Express.
"Oh, look. Someone decided not to pick up the trash last night." Draco Malfoy smirked down at the image of Harry. Hermione, Ron and Ginny in a jumbled heap on the floor.
"Sod of, Malfoy." Said Harry as he got off the floor and helped get everyone else up.
"Chill, Potter. Just making an observation. No need to get so offensive." said Malfoy.
"Just shut it. Come on guys, lets get on the train." Harry made to pull everyone onto the train with him. Hermione and Ron quickly followed, but Ginny was being blocked by Malfoy.
"Move, you stupid git." She spat in his face.
Ron immediately turned and rounded on Malfoy.
"What are you doing with my sister, Ferret?" Ron was already fuming and Harry stood faithfully by his side, obviously a little more than angry.
"Cool it, Weasley. I just need to talk to her." said Malfoy calmly.
"You don't need to talk to her. And even if you did, what in the bloody hell would you say to her." said Ron.
"Well, as Head Boy, I don't feel obligated to tell you what I need to talk to her about." Malfoy remained very controlled during the conversation.
"Oh, you're Head Boy?" Hermione asked, cocking her head to the side, to which Malfoy just nodded. "Well then I guess I need to talk to you, too. Come on, Ginny." Malfoy groaned at her revelation and followed the two girls into the train.
"Great, a blood traitor and a mudblood." said Malfoy.
"Wait, what do you need to talk to them about!?" shouted Harry and Ron, running to catch up with them.
"It's just Prefect stuff, Ron. Don't worry. Ginny and I will be back." Hermione waved them away and walked into a compartment labeled, "Prefect and Head Boy and Girl Compartment."
Ginny grudgingly followed Hermione. If she had to take orders from Malfoy then the year was going to be hell. And if he actually expected her to takes his orders then she might not be a prefect for very long at all.