Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Chapter One: Nightmares and Conversations

She was floating in darkness. In a blackness that was so complete that she didn't want to figure out where she was. Or was it really darkness? After all there was light. There was light, even if it wasn't true light. The blackness wasn't really empty either. There were memories in blackness. Memories that weren't hers.

Memories of an orphanage. Memories of a dark cave. Memories of tormenting kids with magic. Memories of Hogwarts. Memories of the Slytherin common room. Memories of dark chamber with statues of snakes. Memories of young girls being brutally violated. Memories of other students being tortured. And the final memory, of the murder of a young girl.

She stopped floating and tried actively to get away from them, these thoughts that weren't hers. She tried, but couldn't escape from them. She heard laughter then, his laughter. The memories stopped replaying in a cruel cycle only to be replaced by something worse.

Tom Riddle.

They were his memories. His thoughts that invaded her head. No, he's gone. He's gone, he can't ever come back. She repeated this mantra, over and over hoping to convince herself that the words were true. But she failed – especially since the phantom was approaching her.

"Ginevra. Dear Ginevra, where are you trying to go? Not trying to leave I hope?" The sixteen year-old's voice was silky smooth and sent her into a panic. No. He's gone. He's gone.

Tom's face twisted into a cruel visage, one more suited for a goblin than this handsome boy. "I heard that Ginevra. And even if I am gone, you will always be mine." With that he lunged toward her his hand almost touching her chest, just above her heart.

Ginny Weasley woke up in her bedroom at the Burrow with a strangled cry. She looked around wildly, trying to spot an apparition. When she didn't see the ghostly form of sixteen year-old Voldemort, she pulled her legs up to her chest and began to sob quietly.

Just a dream. It was just a dream. Ginny chanted that over and over as tears ran down her cheeks, trying to convince herself. She didn't know how long she stayed like that. It could have been three hours or three minutes. It didn't matter anymore.

It had been a week since term had ended and she hadn't gotten a single decent night's sleep in that time. She hadn't had one since before the beginning of her first year. She looked around her room, seeing all her posters of the Weird Sisters and Gwenog Jones. They seemed silly now, for some reason. Like they were meant for a little kid. Ginny shook her head slightly. I'm not even twelve and I'm already thinking like I'm two-hundred. Or twenty. Either way, that's still ancient.

Knowing that she would get no more sleep that night, the young girl began to walk to the kitchen hoping to grab a bite to eat before going flying. A small smile ghosted itself across her face briefly as she thought about her illegal night time activities. If only her brothers knew that she was a better flyer than half of them! But then the smile faded as she remembered that they would never let her fly because she was either 'too young' or 'just a girl' and her morbid mood reasserted itself.

Just as she was about to go into the kitchen she heard voices. While she couldn't make out what they were saying she easily could recognize her parents' voices. Stilling herself immediately, Ginny couldn't suppress her rule-breaking spirit and decided to inch closer so she could hear what they were saying. She soon wished she hadn't.

"…Arthur –" It was the first time she had ever heard her mother sound so uncertain.

"But nothing, Molly. Ginny is still our daughter. There is nothing wrong with her." Ginny knew that tone. It meant that you should just shut up and agree. She also felt her heart beat faster, knowing that they were talking about her.

"I know that Arthur. It's just that she's so young. She was possessed by You-Know-Who for almost a year for Merlin's sake. We don't know what that might have done to her. She might turn out just like him for all we know."

Ginny felt tears spring up in her eyes for the second time that night. She heard her mother's voice. She was rather good at discerning emotions – always had been. She heard the main emotion while her mum said that. Fear. Her own mother was afraid of her. The eleven year-old turned and fled back up to her room. Even in her distressed state she managed to avoid the step that creaked and move to quietly close her door.

What she didn't know was that if she had stayed just a few moments longer she would have heard her father chastise her mother. And that Mum would have apologized for even thinking that, saying that she loved her little girl more than her own life. Perhaps then this story would be unnecessary. But Ginny didn't and thus does her journey begin.

It was only when she was once again safely sequestered in her room that she allowed herself to shed the tears. Her own mother was afraid that she would turn into a Dark Lady. How could she live here when that was probably what they all thought? That ickle Gin-Gin was going to become more feared than Tom.

Her tears stopped falling and her sobs became silent. It was obvious that she wasn't welcome here anymore. Even if no one else said it. She made up her mind quickly. Ginny threw on a pair of jeans and one of Charlie's old Gryffindor quidditch shirts. She pulled on a pair of Ron's socks that she had stolen and a pair of sneakers. Even if she was leaving she didn't want to forget about her family. Even if they didn't want her anymore.

While she waited for her parent's to go to bed the young girl thought about where she was going to go before deciding that it didn't matter. When the young girl didn't hear her parents foot-steps for a few more minutes she decided that she would write a good-bye note. Ginny wouldn't be able to live with herself if she didn't write a proper good-bye to them. So she took out a quill, ink, and some parchment. She sat there staring for a few minutes before starting.

Dear Weaselys,

That seemed like a good beginning. Especially since she was writing to her entire family.

I'm writing to say good-bye. I'm leaving. Well, actually I suppose that by the time you find this I will already be gone. But that doesn't really matter. I suppose you want to know why I decided to leave. I could see your fear. I mean how many eleven year-olds are stupid enough to get possessed by a memory of Voldemort? And then there's the fact that you think that I'll turn out just like him. I don't want you – any of you – to think that. To be afraid of me. So I'm leaving.

There is no reason for you to fear me turning out like him because I'm leaving my wand here and I will never continue my magical education. I hope you'll forgive me for what I've done. Could someone apologize to Hermione, Colin Creevey, Justin Finch-Fletchley, and Penelope Clearwater for me for petrifying them? I really didn't want to do that. Also someone give my thanks and apologies to Harry. He barely knew me and I didn't deserve to be saved. But he rescued me anyway. There are a few things that I specifically want to say before I leave forever.

Percy you might be a rule-abiding person but I want you to remember that rules aren't everything. And I know that you only do it because you're trying to protect everyone. Please, keep protecting everyone else. But always remember that family comes become everything else. That might be a little hypocritical of me but I am leaving to protect our family. I love you Perce.

Fred and George, keep pranking for me. But lay off Percy and Ron a little, Okay? I know that you want to open a joke shop and I know that you will eventually. I wish you the best. I love you Gred and Forge.

Ron. You were always the brother closest to me. I don't want you to blame yourself for anything that happened to me or me leaving. In fact that goes for the rest of you as well, but I know you would be the worst Ron. Keep Harry safe for me? I know he's your best friend and all but I owe him. Also stop arguing with her so much and ask Hermione on a date. And don't deny that you like her. It's so easy to see. I love you Ron.

Bill, I have no compunctions about admitting that you were always my favorite brother. You didn't treat me like a little kid and I'm thankful for that. No blaming yourself. Even if you had been home you wouldn't have been able to do anything. I love you.

Charlie you're the one who taught me most of what I know about flying. And for the rest of you – yes I can fly. Thank you for that. I hope you keep chasing dragons because that's what you love. I love you to dragon seeker.

And now for the two people whom I care the most about. Mum and Dad. Mum I love you, even if you did try and turn me into a proper young lady. I could never be that. I love getting dirty too much. It must come with the six older brothers. Dad thanks for all those times you let me sit in you shed while you tinkered with muggle objects. I love you Daddy. I love you both so much. I don't want either of you to blame yourselves. It's all my fault that it had to be this way.

Please don't blame yourselves. Please. Please don't try and find me either. It's better this way. I don't want to go but if you'll feel safer than I'm happy to be going.

Good-bye Weasleys, I love you all so much.

Ginevra Molly Weasley

Ginny had tried to dry her tears, but the evidence of their existence were smeared splotches of ink on the parchment. She didn't bother to fold or roll the letter up, merely leaving it on her desk. She walked over to her dresser, taking her wand and placing it on top of her final words to the people she loved most in the entire world. Her heart felt like it had been ripped to shreds but she knew that this was for the best. A few minutes later she heard her parents head up to bed.

"Time to go." She whispered, her voice hoarse and broken. Just like her spirit. Ginny snuck out, quietly shutting her door before heading to the kitchen. She grabbed a few sandwiches, looking around one last time at her home before slipping out the back door and into the forest.

There, now I can sleep at night knowing that this story is over a thousand words (I'm strange like that). Anyway this story, if you hadn't guessed already, will mostly focus on GINNY so if you don't like, don't read. I don't really mind flames but they are kind of annoying. This idea has been rattling around in my head for months and I finally sat down and wrote it today. Hopefully its pretty original, but seeing as I've read a massive amount of fanfiction there's probably going to be some other author's ideas sneaking in some where. If you recognize something that you think you wrote (plot, idea, etc.) then feel free to tell me and I'll recognize you. If I included your written ideas and you don't like the fact, tell me and I will also be happy to try and rework what I've written to honor your wishes (by which I mean, remove the offending passage).

Another thing while this might be T for now it might later evolve into M because of violence and gory descriptions. Just thought I'd give fair warnings. Also while I'm going to be tweaking the story some it will mostly stay the same (at least until OotP), so if you see something that you think is wrong, feel free to point it out. One other thing, I am not British - so I don't know any of the slang, save from what I've learned from the books...I think that's it. Hope you enjoy reading this story.