"Ginny! Wake up!"
I groan and open my eyes, looking around in confusion before remembering where I am. I'm in a compartment on the Hogwarts express. The gentle rocking of the train makes me want to go back to sleep.
"Wha'?" I say groggily, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. "Sorry, I must have fallen asleep."
Hermione glares at me from her seat across from mine. "You know, if you had slept better the past few nights then you wouldn't be so tired."
"Yes, because it's so my fault that I haven't been sleeping!" I say, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "Gee, thanks mum!"
"You needn't be so rude, Ginny," Ron scoffs, looking out the window at the pouring rain. I glower at him and look at Harry, expecting him to say something. He just looks away, his cheeks slightly pink. It must be from the cold air in the train.
"Thanks for lecturing me on rudeness," I hiss. Don't worry, love, they are just grieving from the war. I sigh inwardly at the sound of Tom's voice. He can speak to me at anytime, but I can only see him and speak back when I let my soul enter my mind. I can't do that in front of the trio.
"Ginny," Hermione says warningly, quietly.
"Hermione," I spit.
"Ginny!" Ron yells.
"Ron!" Hermione and I shout together.
"Hermione?" Ron asks, sounding hurt.
"Ron," Hermione says in an apologetic tone. They look at each other with sappy expressions.
"Sickening," I mutter.
"Ginny!" they both scream.
"Shut up!" Harry says finally. My heart soars as I think he is talking to Hermione and my brother, but then he looks at me. "Be quiet, Ginny."
"Fine," I huff and turn away from them all. The compartment falls into an awkward silence. At least it's silence, Tom says in mind. He's right. I prefer silence over the sound of their annoying voices.
Ever since the war ended, they have been treating me more and more like a helpless little girl. They don't understand that I can take care of myself, especially Harry.
I look up and see that Ron is staring at me with an expectant look on his face. "What?" I ask him harshly.
"Uh...can you get out?" he says curtly, raising a brow. "Now?"
"Excuse me?" I ask incredulously, gaping. I can't believe my brother could be so rude! I can... Tom says.
"Gin," Ron starts. I really hate the way he uses that nickname. "Me and my friends were a part of a very big war. We need some time to talk and relax after being so stressed for so long. Okay?" He talks slowly and accentuates certain words, like I'm a child. Of course, last night Ron proved that he thinks no more of me.
"I was part of the war too," I say through my teeth. "I suffered just as much as you did. I fought just as hard as you did. I hated it just as much as you did."
"I don't think you understand," Hermione cuts in. "Us three have been through a lot together, and we want to talk about what we've gone through."
"That's no reason to kick me out! You never take me on your adventures, you never even tell me what happens on your adventures!"
"They aren't adventures," Ron explains slowly, still acting as if I'm a toddler. "They were hard and dangerous and too complex for you to grasp. You'll understand when you're older."
I stand up quickly, my face a shade of furious red, and prepare to unleash a shouting bout. But my mind stops me. No, love. They aren't worth it. You can just talk to me.
He's right, so I grab my bag and leave quickly. I walk up and down the train, looking for an empty compartment, but the best I can find is one near the Slytherin compartments. A small Hufflepuff is inside, but one glare from me sends him running. A small smile appears on my face as I sit down and let my body relax. Finally.
They are quite infuriating, aren't they? My stupid mind doesn't allow me to answer without letting my soul enter it, and I can't risk doing that here. There's a chance someone may walk in on me, and I have no idea what I look like when I do that.
Yes, they are. They have hurt you over and over again. I understand how you feel.
They have hurt me many times. Ron, being an overprotective brother and underestimating me at the same time. Hermione, abandoning me constantly and still thinking I'm her best friend. And Harry, telling me he loves me and then breaking up with me promising that we would be together if he came back. He did come back, but made no attempt at getting back with me. Even after I asked him. Over and over.
But they do not matter anymore. They don't need you, and you don't need them. You aren't a child anymore, that is true no matter what your brother says. You can make your own decisions and can carve your own life. After this year, you can be free of them. Forever.
I sigh happily and rest my head on the wall. Tom always puts me in a better mood, even though his name puts most people in a worse mood. But that is because they don't believe in second chances.
After the war, I discovered how to detach my soul from my body and explore my mind. That was when I found a piece of Tom in my mind. He assured me that he greatly regrets what he has done and wants to start over. Start over with me.
I believe in second chances. So I gave Tom one.
I haven't told anyone about him, and I don't plan to. After my first year at Hogwarts, whenever I so much as mention Tom's name everyone looks at me and later questions me on my recent activities. It's aggravating, but now Tom helps me get through it.
Now you don't have to worry about having no one after letting those three go. You will always have me and I will always have you.
Maybe it should disturb me that Tom is so sure I will always be there for him, but it doesn't because it is true. No matter what he has done, I will always forgive him. I can't help it, I'm different from everyone else. I can't hold grudges and I can't judge people because of their name or what they have done in the past. It's just who I am. And who I'm not.
I roll my head to the side and look at the window. It has stopped raining and the wind has blown water off the window, so I can look outside clearly. The train is veering towards a few mountains in the distance and on the other side is Hogwarts. We're nearly there. I take my school uniform out of my bag and leave the compartment to go change.
To get to the bathroom, I have to pass through the Slytherin section. I wrinkle my nose in disgust as I walk quickly down the aisle, ignoring the stares I get from green and silver clothed students.
The trio is always talking about how McGonagall should ban the Slytherins, or take away the house altogether. I don't encourage this idea, I don't hate the Slytherins but I definitely don't worship them either.
I change as quickly as I can, wanting to get back to my quiet and peaceful compartment. I put on my tights and plait skirt, my white blouse and knee-high socks, and finally my robes and black shoes.
As I walk out of the bathroom, I smooth down my collar and brush my fingers through my hair. Over the years, my hair has turned from a carrot orange to fiery red. I like it much better this way. It sets me apart from my brothers, which I see as a very good thing.
It's a very good thing for me too. The things you can do with red hair... I smile softly at his fanatics, however 'different' they are.
I'm so absorbed in my thoughts that I don't notice the man who has just stepped out in front of me. I run right in to him and end up falling, landing right on my butt. I bite my tongue from the pain that shoots through my tailbone.
"Damn! Watch it, Weaslette!" He hisses angrily. As if he was hurt.
I look up and see that it is Draco Malfoy that I have run into. I sigh in annoyance, not because of who it is but rather his reaction.
"Sorry," I mutter in a bitter tone.
"You'd better be," Draco sneers. He crosses his arms, looking down at me - he is a lot taller than me, and I'm still on the floor - and examines me. I grit my teeth and snap my fingers in front of his face to make him stop staring at me.
"Aren't you going to help me up?" I ask expectantly. Even for Draco, who is known for his impoliteness, should know better than to not treat a woman with respect. Or so I think.
"Touchy," he says, not making any move whatsoever to help me up.
"I could say the same about you, but replace the 't' with a 'd' and the 'y' with an 'e'!" I snarl and get up on my own. He steps forward as I stand up, causing me to stumble back and almost fall down again. I glare at him. If I had a body, love, he would be on the other end of the train.
"Double touchy. Props to you for saying the third worst comeback in history," he smirks as he watches me try to get my balance back. "The second and first places go to your brother and Potter, respectively."
"I disagree and agree with the first and second things you just said, respectively," I say through my teeth.
"Don't say the word respect, Weasley, even if it's in another word! Your family doesn't know a fucking thing about respect," Draco glowers.
I sigh. "I'm nothing like my family," I say softly, not meeting his gaze. I can feel his eyes boring holes of confusion in my back as I walk away, towards my compartment.
I walk into the Great Hall slowly, not looking forward to being forced to sit next to the trio. I spot Luna at the Ravenclaw table and wave at her halfheartedly. She looks at me dreamily and wiggles her fingers in response. If I could, I would go and sit next to her, if the rules allowed. Actually, I would anyway, but I really don't feel like experiencing my brother's wrath afterwards. Who knew that someone who broke rules so often could care so much about someone else breaking them? I sure didn't... I grin at Tom's comment and proceed to the Gryffindor table.
Like I predicted, my brother, Hermione, and Harry make me sit with them, even though they don't bother including me in the conversation. Not that I want to be included, they're talking about something boring like chess.
The first years file in. I used to wave at them and give them encouraging nods, but now I just stare at them silently. I drift away for a few moments as they are sorted.
McGonagall stands up from her seat at the staff table and snaps her fingers loudly. The Great Hall falls into silence.
"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts!" She announces. "I warmly greet those who have returned to Hogwarts." She doesn't look that warm. She looks cold and stern. Affect of the war, I guess. "Now, I would like to say a few things before you are free to go to your dormitories. Since the sevenths years from last year are coming back for better education under a better staff, the rooming system will be a little different. You will see when you leave."
That's all I hear, I wander away from reality and just let myself rest a bit. I don't hear anything and I just see a bunch of blobs. When the blobs jump up and move around crazily, I snap back to Earth.
The crowd carries me out of the Great Hall and, thankfully, away from the trio. I can't stand them. I follow a few Gryffindors in my year and find myself standing in front of a portrait of Dumbledore on the fifth floor. My breath catches and my heart skips a beat at the sight of the former Headmaster. I have never been exceptionally close to him, but even the thought of his name brings pain as I remember his death.
A girl with black hair in pigtails and bulky glasses stands up tall at the front of the group of people. I look around in confusion as I realize they are all from different houses, save a few other Gryffindors. Is this is rooming system change McGonagall had mentioned?
"Listen up, y'all," the black-haired girl says in a twangy accent. I wrinkle my nose at her nasally voice. "My name is Emily. Now, the roomin' system is different this year. To promote house unity, all o' the seventh years, including the ones returning from last year, from all o' the houses will share one big common room." Everyone erupts into angry objections. I roll my eyes. "Y'all will also share your dormitories with other houses. Each dorm will have eight people, two from each house. If you have any complaints, report to your Head of House immediately. That's all, thank ya!"
Almost everyone charges to their Head of Houses' offices. I smirk as I walk towards the common room entrance. I know that I will get the best bed and closet space. Others ignorance almost always plays to my advantage. Our advantage... My smirk becomes more prominent as I interpret the dirty meaning of Tom's words. Some people just refuse to notice my far-away state - or whatever state I'm in when I visit Tom.
Hermione and Emily stand at the common room entrance, wrapped up in a seemingly interesting conversation. "Yes, well, Headmistress McGonagall offered me the Head Girl post, but I refused because I just can't handle anymore attention."
"Oh, that's terrible!" Emily gasps. "You must get so much attention. I feel for ya! I still can't believe I'm Head Gal!" They hugged passionately. I swallow a gag.
Emily spots me and says, "The password for the common rooms is 'Wrackspurt'. Lauren Lovegoon helped us come up with it." I hold back a snigger. This girl can't even remember Luna's name, and she got chosen for Head Girl? Or 'gal' as she says?
"Thanks," I mutter and walk past them quickly. Hermione doesn't offer any greeting, which makes me grateful.
"Sorry about Ginny, she's been pouting all summer," I hear her murmur to Emily. "Over what I don't know, she was barely even in the war!"
I make fists and let out a snort, but otherwise hold back my anger. Good choice. I find the dorm lists and head up the stairs to my room without seeing who I am rooming with. I don't care that much.
The room is slightly bigger than last year's, with eight beds. Each has a small chest at the foot and a wardrobe to the right. I expect for the room to be empty, so it's a shock when I see Luna.
"Ginny," she says softly, looking at me with twinkling eyes. I smile for the first time in days. First time in front of others, really.
"Hey Luna," I respond and move to hug her. She hugs me back softly, stroking my wavy hair.
"How are you doing?" She asks in a concerned fashion.
Luna is the only one, besides George, who really understands what I have been through. I lost my brother and my dearest friends, Colin and Dennis. But to Luna, Colin was more than a friend. He still is. Since then she has become slightly more focused and alert, enough that I have noticed but not enough that those not close to her to notice.
"Pretty good," I reply truthfully. It hasn't been that bad, thanks to Tom. I haven't told Luna about him, and I don't plan to anytime soon. I don't think even she would understand why I confide in him.
"That's nice," Luna says vaguely and goes back to unpacking her trunk. She has chosen a bunk on the right of the room, second farthest from the door. I take the one next to hers, farthest from the door, and unpack as well.
My other roommates slowly trickle in. My face scrunches up in annoyance as I recognize them.
From Slytherin are Astoria Greengrass and Tori Parkinson, sisters of Daphne Greengrass and Pansy Parkinson. Astoria I can stand, she has never been as snotty or as much a perfectionist as her sister. Tori I can also put up with, she is usually shy and quiet. But when she gets really mad, she has a temper that rivals even mine.
From Ravenclaw are Luna Lovegood, of course, and Susan Fawcett. Luna is a good friend, so I am glad we are in the same dorm. But Susan annoys me very much. She is a know-it-all and a smart alec and a show-off.
From Hufflepuff are Katie and Claire Abbott, Hannah Abbott's twin sisters. Both are girls I don't care about at all. They are giggly and girly and only care about boys and gossip. They are also very selfish, and will only serve others if there's something in it for them.
And the other from Gryffindor is Alicia Thomas. She is Romilda Vane's best friend, and I think she would be better off in Slytherin. She is tricky and full of jealousy and vengeance. I believe she's in Gryffindor because it requires bravery to be as daring in revenge as she is.
I manage to ignore the other girls as I crawl into bed. My fingers trace patterns on the silky sheets. Close the curtains, love. And visit me... I surround my bed with the curtains without hesitation and let my soul drift from my body once more.
It's good to see you again...
"It is," I sigh. "Definitely."
Second chapter is finis! And that's 'finished' in french, just to let you know. I know I said the future chapters would be longer, and they will be, it's just I needed this chapter to start things off.
Well I found it boring!
No one cares, Tom. Anyway, please review and let me know what you think!