Chapter 1: Beginnings
The Ferret Weasel Experience: Chapter one
Setting: Ginny is in her seventh year because she wrote her exams to skip her sixth year. Draco is also in his seventh year in my story.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and my book 101 Easy Quidditch Tricks. That means that anything you recognize or anything that is Harry Potter related, I do not own. It belongs to the lovely J. K Rowling.
A/N: chapter edited October 29, 2015. This was written back when I was an angsty teen. I've gone through and fixed up some grammar issues, but it still remains, as it likely always will, a work of fiction written by a high school student. Please keep that in mind as you read this work of fiction. I welcome any constructive criticism and suggestions on how to further polish the story.
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Ginny Weasley walked down the hall of the Hogwarts Express. She was in a desperate and seemingly futile search for an empty compartment. She was finally at the back of the train and her trunk was getting rather heavy. She opened the last door and saw none other than Draco Malfoy sitting there. Observing quickly, she noted that he was reading One Hundred and One Easy Quidditch Tricks.
"Weasel. Get your own compartment," he said noticing her presence finally when he looked up from his book.
"I can't. They're full. So, here's what you're going to do. Shut your mouth and get used to me being here and maybe you can make it to Hogwarts in one piece," Ginny said keeping her cool meeting the blond's gaze.
Draco sat there in stonily, or at least it would appear that way to the untrained observer, but inside his thoughts were swirling. 'Since when did the female Weasel get a backbone? Looks like she grew a pair,' he mused.
"Did the Dream Team finally get rid of you?" He asked, deciding to find out for himself just how far he could push the younger redhead sitting opposite him.
"The bloody Dream Team didn't ditch me. I ditched them. The no-good prats. Always saying, "Go away, Ginny. You're too young, Ginny." We'll just ignore the fact that the know-it-all is only eleven months older than you. Not that it makes much of a difference," Ginny said, initially calm before proceeding to imitate Hermione's voice before sounding dejected.
Before Draco could prod the issue further, the food trolley came to the compartment door.
"Anything off the trolley, dears? We have a special today, a flask of Pumpkin juice, three packs of Chocolate Frogs, a Bag of Bertie Botts Every Flavored Beans and a Licorice Wand for eleven sickles. Truly a bargain."
"I'll have the special," Draco drawled, reaching into his pocket to find his money bag that had been filled up that morning.
"Me too, please. If the ride gets any worse, I'll be glad to have some chocolate," Ginny replied, standing up to reach into her trunk to find her money.
The food-cart lady reiterated the price and Draco, making a show of himself, pulled out two Galleons and handed them to the lady. "Keep the change," Draco intoned, offering a half-smile and a wink to the lady, who smiled fondly at the charming young wizard.
"Why thank you, dear. You're too sweet. Keep this one around, Red. Such a gentleman. Bye now dears. Enjoy your treats," the trolley woman said before she continued down the train corridor to sell more sweets to the children on the train.
"He's not—" Ginny started, but her objection to the woman's assumption fell on deaf ears. The woman was already jovially asking the inhabitants of the next compartment if they'd like some treats.
"Why did you do that? I COULD have paid for it myself," Ginny said, reaching into her satchel to find her money bag before digging out the eleven sickles that the special had cost, "And the nerve of that woman. Thinking that I'd date the likes of you. As if."
"I don't want your money, Weaselette."
"Fine," she said giving him a pointed glare.
After Draco refused the money, Ginny was very brassed off. Her thoughts were swirling and the blond haired Slytherin with his enormous ego were front and center. She opened her book, freshly retrieved from her trunk, the new and improved version of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. She tried to look caught up in her reading, but her scowl showed that her thoughts were not happy.
Draco, on the other hand, noticed Ginny's scowl and smirked wondering, 'Hmm, I wonder what is making her scowl. Me perhaps? Ha, I insulted the little Weaselette by refusing the money, well too bad for her. A Malfoy would never take money from anyone, especially a dirt poor female Weasley. Although she isn't as awful as her brother, John? Raymond? She'd be almost pretty if it weren't for that dreadful orange hair.'
Draco, as if realizing where his train of thought was going, decided to get away from his inner monologue and bug the girl, the woman, sitting across from him.
"What's with the face, Weasel?"
Ginny looked up at him and glared. "And just why were you looking at me?"
Draco looked at her and said, "Well, you were making faces when I looked up. Terrible habit, by the way. Mother says that if you do that you'll be wrinkled by the time you're twenty. And, judging by your family, your looks might be all you have going for you."
Ginny sat there and gaped at Draco. Her mouth was opening and closing like that of a fish.
'Great, just great,' he thought to himself. 'I wish I hadn't said anything now. She is pretty and she doesn't even realize it. I bet under those robes she normally wears that's she's pretty curvy. If that jumper and jeans tell me anything, that is. You'd never know with the robes she wears since they're old, tattered, and much too big for her. They honestly do her no justice. Oh no, mind entering forbidden territory. Abort mission. Abort mission now!' He kept thinking as he continued staring at the girl.
Ginny sensing his glare said to him "Stop staring at me, Ferret boy," she told him coldly, not bothering to look up from her book.
Draco didn't reply, instead turned to look out the window. At least the scenery couldn't get mad at him.
Suddenly a voice from above sounded, "Attention students, we will be arriving at the Hogsmeade station in five minutes. Please ensure that you are wearing proper Hogwarts attire. That is all, thank you."
With that announcement, Ginny insisted that Draco leave the compartment so that she could change into her school robes.
Draco looked up and decided to be difficult. "Nope, I was here first so it's my compartment," he said stubbornly.
"How can I change if you don't leave?" Ginny questioned, rolling her eyes.
Draco replied coolly, looking her up and down. "Change, I don't mind," he smirked. 'No, I most certainly don't. I bet the Weaselette looks great without clothes,' he thought to himself.
While Draco fought his inner demons, Ginny sat there thinking of how she could change without him seeing before it dawned on her. With a swish and a flick of her wand and the words "Adoperio Circumfero," Draco was magically blindfolded and unable to remove it.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" Draco asked taken aback at the redhead's sneaky tactics.
"I need to change into my school robes and you're refusing to cooperate," Ginny said matter of factly as she changed into her robes and pinned on her Head girl badge. She recited the counter-curse "Adoperio Denudo" and Draco could once more.
"You're Head Girl? How did you manage that one?" He blurted out before his better judgment could stop him.
Ginny heard this unusual slip of the tongue and replied sweetly "I beat Granger on the OWLs. I took the exams for the sixth year this summer after much begging to Dumbledore. Usually, they don't allow that sort of thing but I made a pretty convincing case. I received two more OWLs than the royal know-it-all. I only wish I knew who the Head Boy is this year. I don't see why they don't tell us when they send the badge who we'll be working with."
"Well, milady, your wish has been granted. Head Boy, at your service," he said smirking. He then realized that Head boy and Girl share a dorm located on the second floor as sort of a mid-point between all houses in case of emergencies. He was going to have to live with her and try to keep his sanity. And, perhaps, try not to live up to his reputation as a womanizer. 'Weasley is off limits. No touching.'
Little did Draco know that Ginny was thinking similar thoughts about him. 'Well, this'll be special.' Looking him over, her train of thought continued, 'With the silvery blond hair, gray- blue eyes, broad shoulders and what appears to be muscles, I guess I can see what makes all the girls melt into little puddles of mush. Though, I shan't be one of them. I have much more self-control. '
Draco decided to be bold and change without blindfolding her. He sensed her gaze, "Like what you see, Weaselette? Don't get too used to it," he said turning around.
Ginny looked to the ground with flaming cheeks. She couldn't believe that he caught her looking at him.
The train came to a stop and they all filed out. They heard a familiar voice calling the first years to the edge of the lake. Ginny ran up and asked Hagrid how his summer was. But, she had to cut the conversation short when she realized she had to find a carriage. With that thought in mind, she said goodbye to Hagrid and was off to find a carriage before all of the nice ones were taken.
Within fifteen minutes, all the carriages had reached the Hogwarts grounds. The students jumped out and ran into the building to get a good seat during the sorting. It just wouldn't do to have a seat where one couldn't see the ickle firsties getting sorted.
The hat had come up with yet another new song. It must spend the whole year making it up. It must be a dreadfully boring existence. The Gryffindor's welcomed thirteen new first years, the Ravenclaw's eleven, the Hufflepuff's sixteen, and the Slytherin's ten. When all the new first years had been seated at the appropriate tables, Dumbledore made his usual speech.
"A note to first years, The Forbidden forest is forbidden and be sure to check the list outside Mr. Filch's office for a list of items not allowed in school. It has been expanded to include the latest items by Weasley Wizarding Wheezes, two former students of the school who have embarked on a rather ingenious adventure making joke items, ahem. Sorry Mr. Filch, I lost myself there for a moment. That is all I have to say to all of you with the exception of a message for the Head Boy and Girl. Mr. Malfoy and Miss Weasley, I need you to go to my office after dinner. Thank you and you now all may tuck in." He finished with a flourish and suddenly all of the tables were full of delectable foods prepared by the house elves.
After a delicious dinner, Ginny walked unaccompanied to the staff table and asked McGonagall for the password and she found out it was Mellow Yellow Slushies. Since she had the password, she left the Great Hall and headed to the statue that she knew concealed the rotating staircase to Dumbledore's office. She went to say the password but before she could, a voice behind her said "Mellow Yellow Slushies." The voice belonged to none other than the holder of the number two spot on the Gryffindor enemy list.
'Ah, why does HE have to be Head Boy? Why can't it be someone else? Anyone else,' she thought.
"Well, Weaselette are you going? You're kind of blocking the way."
'So much for him being a gentleman,' Ginny mused internally while rolling her eyes at the blond.
She walked up the staircase and knocked on the door which said, Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts Witchcraft and Wizardry, Order of Merlin First Class, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, and Supreme Mugwump. Instantly, a voice from within the office told them to come in. Choosing to obey, they entered to find Dumbledore sitting at his desk and waiting for them. How he got there before they did was curious, but it was Dumbledore. He was a man of many mysteries.
When they had found a seat Dumbledore said, "I have asked you two to come here for a few reasons. The first is that you are Head Boy and Girl. The second is that I have something to ask you and the final is I have something of grave importance that you need to know. "Dumbledore gave them a minute for the information to sink in before continuing. "Now, as you know being Head Boy and Girl come with a responsibility as you have to get good grades, be well-behaved and set a good example for the first years especially, but all of the younger students. You will be sharing an exclusive Head Boy and Girl common room and dorm. It is located on the second floor behind a painting of a little girl and boy playing tag. They will say to you "Nah na nah na boo boo" and you need to reply with, "You can't catch me." They will only say that to you, the teachers, and, of course, myself. What I am about to ask of you is rather unusual. Perhaps you noticed that there were no new staff appointments made this year. The thing I have to ask you is, as you both are excelling in Defense Against the Dark Arts, I ask you to teach the years six and below. The seventh years are going to be taking a special class with me this year, with the exception of the two of you."
Ginny instantly agreed to teach the younger students. It'd be simple as they had gone over all the material before. Draco, while a bit more hesitant, agreed after a few moments of consideration.
Ginny sat there quietly and thought about what he said. She then asked him a question. She asked, "What's this class? Is it training for the war?"
Dumbledore turned and looked at her with a weathered looking face that still had twinkling, lively eyes and replied simply, "Yes, it is. They need to be prepared. Voldemort won't take mercy if they aren't, so it is essential. You can be sure that he won't care that they are simply students."
"Now, I must also tell you that you will have no classes this year. You are only teaching the younger students. I assume that you are asking yourself, "but what about NEWTs?" but, never fear. I feel that you are already more than capable of writing them and receiving a full set of Outstandings. I also have a special project for you to do in lieu of normal classwork. It is of utmost importance. Now, tell me, what do you think?" Dumbledore sat back in his chair and observed the pair in front of him. He had just delivered a large amount of life changing news and they were taking it remarkably well.
