Already dressed and waiting to go down to breakfast, as it was still a little early yet, Ginny was clutching Harry's invisibility cloak to her as if her life depended on it.
Granted that in her eyes it did, she highly doubted that the uses Harry had in mind for it were hiding from the populace but that was exactly how she planned to use it.
She was already perfectly alert, her hair brushed and tied back, her teeth clean, her face washed and her shoes tied neatly with her book bag in hand although the sun was still not even fully up yet. It was still rather dark in the castle. She wasn't sure how early one could be out with out it being considered breaking curfew so she stayed put.
Harry was sound asleep, completely oblivious to her troubled mind.
While he let out the occasional snore, she sat there drumming her fingers on the strong cherry wood of his desk, reviewing her potions text since Harry had told her prematurely to receiving her timetable that she would have double potions, transfiguration, and double history of magic today.
She had never really understood why it was necessary to ever have double history of magic from what all of her siblings except Percy had told her.
Ginny actually found history quite interesting, and she had decided to use the time in class to either work on other assignments or study the subject independently with her texts, considering Professor Binns was rumored to be completely unmindful of what was happening in his class.
All of her brothers had been telling her the less incriminating stories from their school days lately, so despite her first year status, she was rather familiar with what to expect.
She had already been planning ahead on how to keep all of her class work swiftly under control, she doubted she would however live up to these plans. Ginny often found her self planning to accomplish many things and ending up completely disregarding her plots and procrastinating or not doing it if it wasn't really necessary. However, she did enjoy learning, and learning magic above all else, so she was determined to take that enjoyment and become a good student out of it, even if she never was a Hermione.
Honestly she doubted Hogwarts could take another one so that was fine with her.
She tapped her foot impatiently wishing it were six already so she would feel confident to leave for breakfast, she knew she would be hurting later tonight from her early rise, not enough contact for the bond, but at the moment she didn't care.
She looked around the room, some of her ridiculous drawings from when she had first met Harry adorned the wall beside where she sat in his chair at the desk. He must have brought them over from his apartment, although why he wanted them was beyond her.
One in particular caught her eye, it was a depiction of a quidditch game, poorly colored with stick figures, of her flying in what she had been envisioning as a future Hogwart's match. The drawing showed what she had meant to be her, a pole with an oval for a head and a patch of red hair flying on a broom in red and gold, beside her she had drawn a stick figure clad in green and silver falling from their broom. It was one of her meaner nine year old creations.
She stood and reached over to where it hung and quickly ripped it from the wall as the sticking charm wasn't one of the particularly strong ones.
Her mind was surprisingly blank while she did this, but she felt an unquenchable sense of frustration as she bunched it in her fist.
There was a buzzing in her ears and she felt as if all of the blood had rushed into her face as her nails dug into the parchment, quickly, frantically and completely crumpling, tearing and shredding it.
She picked up the pieces and threw them into the waste bin before resuming her seat on the desk chair.
Her tapping of her foot and drumming of her fingers had increased ten fold now with her agitation.
Finally deciding that curfew be damned, she had an invisibility cloak anyways, she left the room. Briefly she looked back and wondered if Harry would be worried but quickly decided he probably wouldn't even think too hard on it considering it was his first day of teaching and he had much more important matters to be pre-occupied with then her eleven year old problems.
Besides, the sun was beginning to peek through and she was sure that if it wasn't time yet for students to be allowed out, then it was close.
Deciding however to take no risks she draped the invisibility cloak over her and made her way down the hallway.
She never noticed the rather fat beetle that left the room with her as she opened the door.
She decided to first find her way to the great hall, which she managed without too much difficulty, and then go ahead and locate the potions class room as she already knew it was her first class.
By the time she had done this, it was still early, but well on the time for breakfast and as she made her way back to the great hall, which was sparsely populated with mostly Ravenclaws, she sat down and ate her breakfast quietly at the vacant Slytherin table.
McGonagall was at the head table reading through the prophet and sipping a goblet that was oddly steaming, Ginny wasn't sure what it was.
No other professor was there.
Eating a heaping breakfast, Ginny had never been one of those people who ate less when they were worried or depressed, in fact she had never understood how not eating helped someone settle emotions, so that morning despite her nervousness she ate her usual large breakfast. Ginny was sure this habit of never really being put off food would haunt her when she was older but at the moment with her scrawny eleven year old frame she couldn't bring herself to care.
Breakfast had always been her favorite meal despite the fact that she usually was not an early riser.
While she never had eaten less due to worrying, sleeping on the other hand was a different matter. This morning her early rise being a prime example, she never could sleep much when she wasn't at least somewhat at peace with however her life was going.
Feeling very full, and actually somewhat better spirited, Ginny pulled out her potions text.
Despite liking to learn, and enjoying reading, Ginny had never felt quite the same as Hermione in her desire to memorize every book.
Ginny had always done better and enjoyed practical experience much more.
But she had heard about Snape, and she wasn't going to take for granted that her Slytherin status would protect her, she knew she needed to be very familiar with the material before class lest she find herself in more trouble then she was already in.
She considered whether it would be worth asking for her time table ahead of time but decided against it when Snape descended upon the breakfast hall with, as customary, a very fowl expression on his face.
The hall was starting to fill up now as it was nearing eight o'clock.
Many of the Slytherin boys were eyeing her strangely from the other end as if she was an extinct species or something.
However surprisingly, Ginny swore she saw a few apologetic glances and smiles from both some of the boys and girls at her own table, although she lacked the courage to go investigate the intentions of these looks by striking any conversations.
Perhaps that was why she was sorted in this house in the first place, Ginny thought bitterly, not liking the idea of her being a coward. However much she bristled at the idea of being a coward, she balked more at the idea of surviving today without the cloak after her memory of 'Gwen' last night. She decided bravery would have to wait.
Snape picked then to begin handing out schedules, starting with the seventh year students who were mostly congregated around the opposite end of the table.
As he made his way down Ginny was certain he would humiliate her in some way, whether commenting on her family's status, or her ridiculously red shade of hair, she was even certain he would say something about her freckles.
She sat there worrying, picturing a hundred different scenarios that all ended with the entire house laughing at her. Her face was hidden behind her book although she wasn't really reading it, she wondered if he would mock her for trying to study her potions text before his class. She then winced when she wondered if he would suspect her prior knowledge of the schedule before receiving her time table, by that he would deduce that Harry had told her and then somehow figure out she had met him last night and then reveal their soul bond to the entire great hall!
Almost sweating she was so sick with nerves, Ginny sat, her hands clamping down on her text book so hard it was surprising there were no indents, as Professor Snape approached her with her time table.
Still looking down at some other paper, he held his hand out with the concerning item.
Looking around as if to make sure he was gesturing to her, as he certainly was considering she was sitting in somewhat of a self imposed isolation.
She timidly with a shaking hand reached out and slowly took her timetable from him, he released the paper to her and...
Walked away without sparing a glance at her.
Hand still in midair holding the timetable, Ginny watched him go slightly incredulously as a blush began to form on her cheeks.
Then before she could hold it in, she started to quietly giggle about her antics.
Perhaps, she thought, the entire populace was not entirely engrossed in the fact that she, Ginny Weasley, had been sorted into Slytherin.
And that thought brought a big smile to her face. She realized that her dramatic flair had really taken ahold of her, a school house was not really the end of the world she thought to herself.
Although some of her house mates were now sending her more questionable looks then normal at her laughter at apparently nothing other then their head of house giving her her schedule, which wasn't particularly amusing.
Her giggling continued for a few minutes after the Professor's leave.
And that was how the rumor that she had some strange infatuation with Severus Snape, and had asked the sorting hat to place her in Slytherin because she secretly was in love with him, began.
Foregoing the invisibility cloak since she really wasn't actually feeling the need for it as most were still at breakfast, Ginny made her way down to the dungeons.
She sat outside the door to the class for some time, she knew she really should continue reading ahead but couldn't really bring herself to find the motivation to do so. Instead she counted the stones in the wall, bored but not quite enough to delve back into her text book.
Finally the bell rand and she stood, brushing herself off and walked down the hall shortly to where the potions room was.
No one was in the class, not even Snape, and with the door hanging wide open Ginny felt quite foolish for sitting down the hall when she could have simply already found a seat and been waiting in the class room.
She stood there at the entrance for a moment debating where to sit.
Really trying to answer the question of whether she was more afraid of her head of house or her classmates...
If she sat in the front, she was more a target for the bat like professor, however if she sat in the back she was at the further mercy of her classmates.
Finally deciding to cut her losses with the front, as Snape was bound to certain rules as a teacher, and after all he hadn't even said anything this morning, she sat down.
As the class room began to fill, she noticed disappointedly that they were sharing this lesson with the Gryffindors.
She had hoped to avoid the particular house she had been supposed to be in.
The room was almost full when the brunette haired girl who had harassed her slunk into the room.
Ginny looked around her before realizing with a small degree of horror that the only seat open was the one beside her.
She sat stock still praying for something to happen, but all that happened was for her harasser to slide into the seat beside her.
When she looked up she expected to find an ugly, vindictive look aimed at her but she noticed then that Gwen was looking away wiping her eyes as her face held obvious tear tracks. She seemed quite pre-occupied in her world enough not to pester Ginny.
"Wands away," an oily, and although quiet still very conversation shattering voice interrupted.
Ginny however was very thankful for an ending to awkward silence that had been permeating her table where she and Gwen sat.
Professor Snape walked down into the class room towards the black board, a very disgruntled expression on his face. Not for the first time Ginny questioned why exactly he seemed to want to teach when he was rumored to dislike his students so much.
"Today you will be learning about the subtle art that is potion brewing...seven years of arduous work in this field...considering you have a hint of talent for it unlike the usual idiots I teach...and you will but have breached the gateway of what this magic can do."
He took a pause then looking around the room, very intently at the Gryffindors as if searching for something to find fault with them.
Although after all the stories Ginny had heard from her brothers she admitted she might be imagining this.
"Today, we will start simply." He said.
"I assume you have all read the first three chapters of your books—Bennet tell me what is the most common mistake in potion brewing?"
He asked a Gryffindor boy who vaguely resembled a dear in the head lights, Ginny vaguely remembered it being something about adding ingredients to early, or maybe putting too small or large of a quantity of an ingredient? She wasn't entirely sure, she could remember reading it but not exactly what it said.
After a moment silence Snape continued, the red face boy looking down pituflly at his text book.
"Tut, tut, five points from Gryffindor. You will be prepared in this class, or you will fail...I am not here for your comfort. I do not know or care what you are used to at home but expect to work in this class room."
And with that he flipped the board over so that it showed instructions written in a cramped, difficult to read style that Ginny had a heard time reading.
"Begin—the person beside you is your partner for the rest of the year—no complaints as that is final." He said taking a seat at his desk.
Ginny winced at she looked over at Gwen who had a somewhat bored, disgruntled, and very haughty expression. It seemed whatever had upset the ice queen earlier she had recovered from.
"Look," she began very flatly.
"For the sake of this class when we are here let's just work together and when the class is dismissed we go back to how it's meant to be with me far above you...are we clear?" She asked.
Ginny however was thankful enough for this truce and stiffly agreed, "That was what I had in mind."
A brief nod was all she got as Gwen began twirling a strand of her hair, "Go get the ingredients."
Ginny bristled but decided at this tentative stage in their 'partnership' that she best as well comply rather than cause a scene in her first potions class.
She returned and thankfully saw that Gwen had already begun warming the cauldron and preparing to make the potion.
Ginny spread the ingredients out and they began to work. Gwen often criticizing what she did which Ginny took in stride trying not to let it upset her as a fight would only worsen her day.
They were almost finished with the potion when Ginny began chopping the Lunel leaves shortly as prescribed by the board.
"That's not short enough..." Gwen drawled. Something snapped inside Ginny at this rather repeated rebuke.
She looked up rather irritated, "It is plenty short I've made this potion before with my mother, and before you start insulting her you best as well shut up as she is a rather good brewer." Ginny said vehemently.
Gwen looked quite a bit shocked by this outburst and put her hands on her hips as she turned to face Ginny.
She opened her mouth several times as if trying and failing to come up with a retort before settling with, "Perhaps if your family ever showed more aptitude besides living in a filthy hovel like the pigs you are then I wouldn't question your so-called brewing skills."
Ginny fumed, "Perhaps if you were not a little snobby pureblood brat who didn't—"
Ginny never realized how loud the tone of her voice was growing until she was interrupted.
"Ms. Weasley, Ms. Vanderbell—what are you doing?" Snape asked sharply.
The Gryffindors were all watching intently to see if he would actually punish Slytherin students while their fellow Slytherins were just watching for the show.
"Um..." Ginny trailed off her cheeks furiously red.
Snape stood there sneering, "Stay after class."
Gwen looked heavily triumphant until he added, "Both of you."
As he was walking away he added, "And Weasley—cut those Lunel leaves shorter."
Ginny honestly had never wanted to leave a room more.
She sat stiffly in her chair after class, Gwendolyn Vanderbell beside her shooting her more glares but she found she couldn't particularly summon the energy to care.
Snape turned towards them as the last student left the room, "You are in my own house and I expect far more disciplined behavior from my students. Do not act so foolishly again or the consequences will be severe."
Ginny idly wondered if he had ever considered the similarity in sound between the word severe and his own first name. She played with them in her head, Severe Severus, Severus the severe.
She vaguely wondered why when people gave lectures like this, her mind seemed to drift to the most random thoughts.
"As it is," he continued. "You will both serve detention with me, Friday night at seven sharp. Do not be late, if you are the consequence will be—"
Ginny knew she would inevitably start laughing if he said severe so she was actually quite thankful that he finished with, "Undesirable."
Gathering her bag Ginny quickly left the class room after that, she had a free period before lunch and afterwards just a single session of Transfiguration followed by a double session of History of magic.
She knew she needed to begin her essay due in potions but decided to let it rest for the moment, after all, she reminded herself, she could always do it during History.
Instead she decided to explore the castle some before lunch, she really was desperate to find out where the kitchens were so she could avoid meals when she wanted. It did grow awkward sitting there by herself at the Slytherin table during breakfast and she was already not looking forward to lunch, especially what she felt was an inevitable confrontation between she and Vanderbell after the detention episode.
She was unsure how she would survive the entire year as potion's partners with that girl, especially since that particular class required a great deal of partner work.
She was busy brooding over it when she realized that by aimlessly walking around she had now gotten herself entirely lost.
Turning back the direction she came Ginny came to a maze of several different corridors and found herself unable to remember which it was that she had come from.
Sighing frustratedly she decided to just begin walking.
This however led her to missing lunch due to her lost state and deciding to just give it up as a bad job try to find her transfiguration class.
Luckily she spotted Heather carrying a stack of essays heading down the corridor.
"Heather!" Ginny cried, relieved to see a friendly face she could easily ask for directions.
Heather stopped from where she had walked around the corner and looked up from her stack of essays, glasses slipping down her nose as she looked up to see who had addressed and a large smile breaking out onto her face as she recognized Ginny.
"You need glasses?" Ginny asked surprised.
"No, I just think they make me look more distinguished." Heather answered loftily.
Ginny raised an eyebrow, unsure of whether she was joking or not.
However the girl in question had already started down the hall again.
"Heather, wait up!" Ginny yelled again jogging to catch up.
"Can I help you Ms. Weasley?" the older girl asked somewhat cooly.
Ginny looked at her oddly and then her expression fell as she wondered if Heather was upset with her for being in Slytherin.
However her fears were quickly dispelled, "McGonagall said I have start being more professional in my dealings with students even though I am not nor ever plan on being a teacher. How do you think that was?" Heather asked with a wink.
"Um..." Ginny began but Heather, clearly in one of her moods where she could prattle on about herself regardless of the interest of the company continued.
"Hence the lenses, I think they give me a certain...crisper, more teacher like look, what do you think?" Heather asked.
Ginny was now beginning to realize that Heather may have been serious about her answer to the glasses.
"I think you're turning into a bit of a Lockhart with all this image worrying." Ginny said cheekily.
Heather mock glared, "Well if you must know, I actually do need these to read...don't tell Harry though I used to give him hell when he had his..." she trailed off.
"Harry had glasses?" Ginny asked, trying and failing to picture it.
Heather shrugged, "He was really a dorky little boy...don't let his polished up exterior fool you now, deep down he will always be awkward."
Ginny raised an eyebrow again as she personally found Harry to be frustratingly...cool. Almost like Bill in that respect.
Something she had always actually appreciated about Ron was his good hearted often bumbling nature.
It didn't make her feel quite so, she admitted to herself darkly, inferior.
Heather however remained oblivious to this inner turmoil as they walked down the hall before Ginny remembered the entire reason she had stopped her.
"Oh! Can you point me to transfiguration?" She asked anxiously knowing she needed to start heading there soon.
"We're walking there now," Heather said with a laugh.
Ginny breathed a sigh of relief, "What are those you're carrying?"
"Just a bunch of seventh year essays, summer assignment. Ginny take my word for it and don't ever get a mastery in anything, you really just become a glorified tea procurer for strict scottish women."
"Procurer?" Ginny asked.
"Well I could have said getter but I'm trying to be more professional remember?"
Ginny rolled her eyes and they shortly arrived at the transfiguration class room, McGonagall was not there when they walked in but soon the bell rang and the class began to fill up.
Ginny sat in the front, near the corner where Heather's small desk was off to the side.
Soon, far too soon, Vanderbell and her two followers entered the room.
"I believe these seats are reserved," Vanderbell said on seeing Ginny in the front row, "Move Weasley."
Ginny however looked up tiredly but before she could say anything Heather cut in.
"Now dears," she began patronizingly, slowly making a show of cleaning her glasses on her shirt before carefully placing them back on.
She placed a hand on Vanderbell's shoulder which the young girl looked at bewilderedly, "There are other seats reserved for you, the headmaster knew how important the three of you are and it is already taken care of." Heather said gravely, ignoring the questioning look she was getting from Ginny.
"Really?" The white-blonde haired girl asked stupidly.
"Of course!" Heather exclaimed, startling Vanderbell with her loudness as she jumped back.
"Why in Merlins, large, protruding—" a cough interrupted the next word.
"—Would you think any differently! Of course there's seats for you, why just remind me of your names again and I will get those right out!" Heather said.
Looking around questioningly none of the three girls answered her, however the honey blonde that had sat next to Ginny without her notice did.
"Gwendolyn Vanderbell, Alexander Worchester and Ella White," she supplied with a smile.
"Perfect, thank you good madam, now you three..." Heather turned back to them with her false cheery voice dropping quite dramatically.
"The only place we reserve seats around here is detention, so I suggest you stop harassing your classmates unless you want me to harass you. Although...I'm sure there are some seats in hell with your names on them in big letters so if you would like me to escort you there..." And then Ginny knew that Harry must have relayed what she had told him to Heather, and Heather knew exactly what these girls had done the previous night.
Unfortunately Professor McGonagall chose that moment to walk into the room.
"Ms. Potter! We do not speak to students that way!" She said with an outraged expression.
Vanderbell and the others had already assumed expressions of utmost innocence.
"Eleven year old girls, just what are you thinking?" She asked sharply.
"Well in my experience—"
Heather was however immediately interrupted, "I just spoke to you about being more professional."
At that Heather started gesturing to her glasses with earned many puzzled looks from the many on lookers and McGonagall herself.
"Is there some sort of insect or...something a matter?" McGonagall asked concerned as Heather was still waving her hand about in gesture to her glasses.
Taking a dramatic sigh, Heather let her hand drop, "Clearly my distinguished professionalism is doomed to go unnoticed."
She again made a show of re-adjusting her glasses on her nose.
"Sit down Ms. Potter." McGonagall said flatly, clearly unamused.
Ginny often found Heather more silly then really humorous but all the same it still her a little smile, especially when she watched the other three girls meekly sit quite a ways behind her and caught the wink her almost sister sent her way.
The lesson went by quickly, with Ginny having already practiced many times the task of match to needle, being the first to succeed.
However the felt somewhat guilty at the praised she received when she remembered that she actual first time she had done this had taken quite a while and even longer to get the real, perfect needle she had sitting on her desk now.
But she couldn't exactly tell everyone that her soul bonded...whatever he was, had disregarded the statue of underage wizardry to teach her a lot of first year spells.
Besides it wasn't so bad being considered bright even if it was by a little bit of cheating, Ginny thought.
When the class dismissed Ginny had wanted to ask Heather if she knew anything about what they were doing as far as sleeping arrangements but the other girl had already been sent off on some errand by McGonagall.
So she instead trudged to History of magic, where she planned to finish her transfiguration and potions assignments.
When she left the room she was surprised to see the tall blonde girl from her house who had volunteered the names to Heather, standing outside the door when she left.
"Helen Gibbs." The girl introduced herself before Ginny could even really process she was there.
"Um—Ginny...Weasley." Ginny said slowly, awkwardly, wondering why this girl was speaking to her.
"Yes, so I've heard." Helen said somewhat with a drawling tone that reminded her of Draco Malfoy.
"So history of magic?" Helen asked.
Ginny looked at her quizzically before realizing with no small amount of embarrassment that she was waiting for her so they could walk to history of magic.
Walking it was a very tense silence, at least for Ginny until Helen interrupted it.
"You know Weasley...not everyone in Slytherin is like Vanderbell and her little minions. Don't isolate yourself, there are plenty of perfectly respectable people in snake pit. It really is not the worst place to be." Helen said and with that they had arrived at History of magic, where despite promising herself she would Ginny failed to either complete her essays or listen to the lecture as she thought about what Helen said.
Please Review
Authors note—there have been some concerning questions I have received in reviews, so just to clarify and be sure that we are on all the same page
Yes, this is most definitely a Harry/Ginny story. But has I said in the beginning, there won't be any physical, romantic relationship until Ginny is an adult, because at eleven and twenty one it would be disturbing for any of that.
Tom Riddle's diary will be in this story, and that is all I will say on that. The rest you simply have to wait and see.
Ginny will not be a whore because she in Slytherin, that is just an insult that Vanderbell was throwing around. It does not imply or foreshadow that Ginny will be a slag, or that Slytherin house is full of slags.
I will try to respond to individual reviews soon to answer more specific questions but unfortunately I lack the time right now, still thank you to everyone who reviewed and please keep it up