A Glimmer through the darkness

A/n  Well, it's finally here.  Most of it is still in Ginny's POV, but some of it is in Lanie's POV, and Liberty's POV will sneak in sometimes too (in the next chapter).  I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer:  I do not own all of the characters and in this story.  J.K. Rowling has created most of them (The exceptions being Kimberly, Shelby, Liberty, and Lanie).  Anything else that looks familiar is purely a coincidence.

A Glimmer through the darkness

Part 1: a new start

            Ginny's eyes scanned around Platform 9 ¾.  She didn't see a trace of Harry anywhere.  She hadn't heard much from him since Shelby's wedding and she was beginning to get very worried.  Was Harry trying to close himself up again?  Ginny figured he would've learned his lesson by now.  Ron and Hermione are already on the train, saving a place for Ginny, and Harry, if he ever arrived.  Ginny caught a glimpse of a head of messy black hair coming toward her, and she realized at once it was Harry.

            "Hi Gin.  Sorry I'm late."

            "Harry, where were you?  I haven't heard from you…"

            "Yeah.  Problems with the Dursleys again.  But, seeing as this is my last year, I don't have to worry much about them anymore."

            "Oh Harry, I don't know what I'm going to do without you next year," Ginny sighed, scuffing up his hair and leading him into the platform.

            "More likely I won't know what to do without you.  You will have enough schoolwork to keep you busy for the year."

            "Speaking from experience?"

            "Yeah.  I couldn't believe how much homework we had over summer vacation, just wait until we get back to classes.  And you know Hermione is going to start pestering us to study for the NEWTS all year."

            "And I have all that to look forward to next year," she said with sarcasm, "can't wait."

            "Let's just enjoy this year while we can," Harry answered as they boarded the train in search of Ron and Hermione.

            Lanie stopped at what looked like a good spot to rest for the night.  The buzzing stopped a couple hours ago, but she had to be sure they were completely off her trail before she stopped.  She was sure she led them off her trail long enough for her to get a fair night's sleep. 

            She dropped her bag down close to her feet, being careful not to let it stray too far away from herself.  If they did happen to get on trail again, she would have to be ready to run.  She used a charm so she would hear a buzzing in her ear whenever anyone was less a kilometer away from her.  That way she was sure to stay out of seeing range from everybody as long as she stayed in the forest.

            She found a nice pillow of grass.  It worked for her; she was in no way picky about comfort as long as she got some sleep.  She had a ratted old blanked she carried along with her.  She made it a few years ago out of animal fur.  It wasn't much, but it would keep her warm.

            Ginny was quick to learn that a trip on the Hogwarts express was never complete without an infamous greeting from Draco Malfoy.  He came in just as scheduled, along with his two over-sized cronies.

            "If it isn't my favorite people," he sneered. 

            "What do you want Malfoy," Ginny, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Kimberly said in almost complete unison.

            "I was just dropping in for a little visit.  Didn't you guys miss…" He was interrupted as the compartment slid open again revealing Malfoy's snotty, pug-nosed girlfriend, Pansy.

            "Draco, I need to talk to you now!"

            "Can't this wait a second," he pleaded.  Ginny held a giggle at the sudden softer tone in Malfoy's voice as he talked to Pansy.

            "No," she snapped, crossing her arms in front of her.

            "Fine," he said, following her out of the compartment.  "Don't think his is the last you'll see of me," he said as he left.

            "What was that all about," Harry asked nobody in particular.

            "Typical Malfoy, he has something under his sleeve," Hermione replied, turning back to the book she was reading.

            However, this time Draco was not true to his word.  They didn't see him again until the arrived at Hogwarts, and then they only saw him at the sorting, sitting next to his two goons and Pansy, actually quiet for once. 

            After the sorting, they went into the Gryffindor common room.  After a few rounds of exploding snap, and catching up on what all their fellow Gryffindors did for Summer break, Ginny decided to go to bed early so she could get up and stay awake in her classes the next morning.

            Lanie woke up in the middle of the night still tired and hungry.  The buzzing in her ears told her that she had better get a move on at once because they were steadily beginning to gain on her.  She broke a few tree branches down the dirt path, leading them to believe she ran that way.  However, she walked instead to the left of the path, following a small stream that ran through the forest. 

            She stopped for a second to make sure they were led off onto the path.  She tried to listen through the buzzing and she could only slightly hear footsteps diminish as they walked the other way.  The buzzing stopped a few seconds later.  Lanie breathed a sigh of relief.  She walked to the stream for a quick drink.  "Augh," she exclaimed upon seeing her reflection from the clear water.  Her face was covered in dirt.  She couldn't help thinking she could use a nice warm shower right now.

            She smiled at the remembrance of clean water pouring over her skin.  It has been so long since she had taken a proper shower.  She was lucky to have water close to her shack that she could wash herself with, but it was never the same as a nice warm shower.  A quick bathe in the stream would have to do again, before she continued on her way.

            She noticed several knots in her hair as she pulled her wet hands through it.  'Another thing I could really use right now is a hairbrush,' she thought, trying to tame one of the smaller snarls with her fingers.  She eventually gave up, and proceeded on her way through the forest.  She was getting into a part of the forest she had never seen before, so she hoped to gain enough ground so she could find a place to rest before nightfall.

            Ginny was awoken the next morning by the smiling face of her best friend, Kimberly.  Kimberly had been her best friend since she started Hogwarts.  However, Kimberly was in Ravenclaw, which made Ginny very curious as to how Kimberly got into her dorm.

            "Kimberly?  How did you get here?"  Ginny tried opening her eyes as far as they were allowed to go that early in the morning.

            "I have my ways," she said mischievously.

            "Yeah right.  How did you really get here?"

            "Neville let me in."  'Figures', thought Ginny.  Kimberly has been going out with Neville as long as Ginny has been going out with Harry.

            "What do you want?"

            "Well, if you want breakfast this morning, you had better get down there now.  And, the schedules are getting passed out, so if you want to know what classes you have today, you are going to have to go to breakfast."

            "Fine, I'll be right down," Ginny told her, getting up and going into her trunk.

            Ginny spotted Harry, Ron, and Hermione almost finished with their breakfast already when she arrived in the Hall.  She and Kimberly parted ways as Ginny sat down next to Harry, and Kimberly went to sit by Neville.

            "It's about time," Harry said as she sat down.

            "Oh hush.  I made it, and that's what counts."  A prefect she didn't know handed her a schedule as she started into her food.  "Yay, I have Care of Magical Creatures first with the Ravenclaws."

            "You are so lucky.  I have Potions first with the Slytherins.  What a great start to our seventh year."

            "Don't worry.  You'll get that class out of the way, and you won't have to worry about it again until Wednesday.  Besides, Snape might be in a better mood since he just got back from his honeymoon with Shelby."

            "I suppose that's true," he said as he got up from the table.  "See you later Ginny."

            "See you." 

            On her way down to Care of Magical Creatures with Kimberly, Ginny hoped for Harry's sake that they would finally have a normal year.  Little did she know, this would be the strangest year yet.

           

A/N  Thanks for all the patienceJ  Since classes start Monday, I can't promise I'll get the next chapter out very soon.  But since I've already started it, hopefully it will be ready in the next couple weeks.