Rated: T

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

International Wizarding School Championship

Writing School; Season 2, Round 5

School and Year: Beauxbatons, Year 5

Technique: Flashback

Prompt: (action) Waiting

Word count: 810

Never Alone

Chapter 1

Ginny Weasley hummed as she skipped around the dining room of the Burrow. The room smelled of mixed aromas coming from the kitchen where her mother was busily cooking dinner, except that instead of cooking for three—as she usually did—she was cooking for seven people since her brothers were coming back from Hogwarts that year.

She squealed in excitement as she realised that her brothers would be home in a few hours. She absolutely couldn't wait to see them! The Burrow was always so quiet and lonely—it was only during every summer that home felt a lot more cheerful.

Ginny planned down everything she intended to show her brothers whatever she did that year. She came up with the best retorts she could say to Fred and George, everything that would make Ron go, "Blimey!" and even impressed Percy a bit—although it was difficult to come up with something, she had a whole year.

The other good news and the best one was that in two months, she would start attending Hogwarts. It was one of her greatest wishes to attend that school. But with the way her brothers would tell her tales, it never seemed like a school.

She had already decided everything she would take in her trunk and she couldn't wait to step on the Hogwarts Express herself. She would probably feel sad about leaving her parents behind but she was determined not to cry. None of her brothers cried when they first left for Hogwarts.

One of her earliest memories was of Charlie leaving for Hogwarts for the first time. She was two years old at the time...

They had gotten out of the car and Bill was trying to heave his trunk out while carrying a baby Ginny. Percy had stopped him and spoke with wide eyes, "Bill, let me carry her!"

Bill had smirked. "I know you're just looking for an excuse to carry Ginny."

"But your trunk is too heavy for me!" Percy had explained. "Please can I carry Ginny?"

"Nope," Bill had shaken his head, planting a few kisses on her cheeks. She had gurgled. "I'm gonna miss Ginny so much!"

"Bill, come on." Mum had already heaved the trunk onto a trolley and Bill had smiled.

"Aren't you gonna miss us?" George had asked in a horrified voice.

"'Course not!" Charlie had turned to blow a raspberry at him, after which he had continued pushing his trolley. "I'll never miss you or George! I'll only miss Ginny, and Ron too! And maybe even Percy."

Holding Dad's hands and walking along with him, Ron had given a big smile, and then he pouted. "Miss you too..."

"It's okay, Ron!" Charlie had smiled. "When you and Ginny grow older, you can come to Hogwarts, with me and Bill!"

That was all she could remember. Too many of her memories consisted of her saying goodbye to her brothers. She'd always had Ron by her side. And then even Ron had left and she was left all alone.

"I won't be alone anymore!" Ginny smiled, and she curled her hands into a determined fist.

"What are you talking about?" a voice asked, and Ginny turned to see her mother walking into the room.

"I'm going to Hogwarts in two months!"

Mum sighed. "That's the twenty-first time you've said it today."

"I'm really excited, Mum!"

"I know, I know," Mum said wearily. "Just like your brothers. You're going to leave me alone, Gin." She gave a sad smile.

"You have Dad," Ginny reasoned. "But I'll really miss you both, so much."

"We'll miss you too, honey," Mum hugged her, and planted a kiss on her cheek, just like how Bill had done all those years ago, and how he kept on doing every single year.

"We'll miss you so much that we'll wait for you to come back," Mum said again, and added, "every single year."

"Mum, I'm not leaving yet," Ginny said, and her sound came out muffled from under her mother's arms. "Why're you getting so worked up?"

"Just like that, sweetie," Mum said, letting go of her. She got up and moved towards the kitchen again. "Help me with the food, Ginny."

"All right, Mum!" Ginny said as she wondered about how she would fare in Hogwarts. What if she didn't get sorted in Gryffindor? As she helped her Mum with the food, she obsessively counted down the hours till her brothers would come and the days that were left so she'd finally go to Hogwarts. She almost couldn't believe that her wish was coming true.

After all, hadn't she waited so long so she would never be left out again?

Hopefully I've done incorporated the prompt well enough. Just so you guys know, I'll be continuing this and the second chapter is gonna take a dark turn.

Have a nice day, and be safe~