Title: Red Rose Petals
Author: Straw_berry
Rating: PG13 (for some violence)
A/N: ARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My stupid diskette went haywire!!! To quote from my computer, "Drive A:/ is not accessible. Check if there is a diskette inside" and "The item has expired (or something like that…)" Which means that all my files in there can't be accessed anymore!!!! [sighs] There must be something about me and diskettes which don't work. And I was typing the fourteenth page of my second chapter!!!! And now I have to re-type it all over again!!! Holy Crapola!!!
Clearances:
1. Ginny here is seventh year, if you forgot.
2. [ ] – stands for my thoughts [which appear rarely, due to advice from another author.]
3. ( ) – stands for things that the character may be doing or thinking in the background. [this may also appear rarely.]
4. The blue button there below stands for your signal to review this story which is so painstakingly written by this author [with her faulty diskette, causing pain to her fingers.]
5. Please review! If you wish to flame me, do minimal flaming, this author is very, very sensitive.
6. Emails are also appreciated.
7. * * – are the memories/dreams of the people.
Crappy diskette…
Chapter Two
It was four in the morning at the Weasley household. The whole house was silent, devoid of any sound, save for the breathing of the people who lived there. Fog and mist covered the whole place, protecting it from prying eyes.
All was still…all was asleep…save for one person. Ginny Weasley. She was walking towards a clump of trees near her house, for what purpose? Nobody knew. Except her.
The house seems so silent…it creeps me out…
She kept on walking, relying on nothing but her keen sense of perception and direction on where she was going.
At last, I'm here. She thought.
'Here' was a circle of trees which was like a wall, because the trees were so close together, preventing other people to see who was inside. There was also a ring of stones in the center, which was full of old coal, and a small incense pot in the middle of the ring, which was full of ashes. There was a small woven mat at the south of the ring of stones (from Ginny's point of view that is.) and a spare mat, which was all bundled up.
"Did I leave that mat there? Geez…I'm getting forgetful." She said, picking up the mat.
She headed over to the eastern section of the circle of trees, and stopped at a tree with a bird's nest on one of its lower branches. She pulled the branch, similar to on opening a cabinet, and put it in there.
She now headed back to where the incense pot was, and took out one incense stick from her jacket pocket. She stuck the incense stick in the middle of the pot and took out a match stick. She struck the match and lit the incense stick, then knelt down on the mat and closed her eyes.
The aroma of the incense stick quickly put her at ease and made her calm.
I wonder what Ron and Harry would think if they saw me here, lighting incense sticks?
The thought of it made her smile.
They'd probably ban me from entering Trelawney's classroom…and confiscate all my stuff…not to mention locking me up at St. Mungo's…
As the smell of incense slowly filled the room, her mind vision clouded, and Ginny was suddenly transported to another world, another time, and another place.
She'd been there before, countless times when she felt lonely or unappreciated. Times when she felt too used and abused, especially after her first year, when the chamber had been opened. Here was her escape from everything.
She wasn't sure if that place really existed…all she was sure of is that in that world, people appreciated her. She was called Mistress of Dreams, the person that people sought comfort from when they felt sad and lonely, problematic and suicidal, high in the clouds of love, and down in the deepest of despair.
She glanced around her realm as she got there. Her world simply consisted of a really huge pond, filled with lotuses. Delicate fragrant lotuses. In her realm, there was no darkness. Sunshine filled the place, and sweet music—she called them the music of the fairies—could always be heard. In the middle of that pond was a giant lotus, which was her throne.
Ginny put her hand forward, summoning her mirror. Seconds later, a full length mirror materialized in front of her. The mirror was framed with a design of bronze vines with leaves and flowers intertwined with each other.
She studied her reflection in the mirror. She had been transformed from ordinary Ginny Weasley to a beautiful Goddess. Her hair was set down, with curls at the ends. Her freckles were gone, and she was wearing a light blue tube top with matching pants and a veil to cover her face—ala Arabian princess.
With a wave of her hand, she banished away the mirror and walked towards her lotus.
It there was one thing to be understood about her realm, it was that there was no floors to step on. The whole place was surrounded by water, and the only thing you can step on there is, well, water.
When she got there, she sat on the cushiony center of the lotus. A popping sound could suddenly be heard.
"Mistress, welcome back!" a small voice said.
"Thank you, Trixie." She replied, smiling warmly at the holder of the voice.
Trixie was her friend, confidante and servant. She was a little pixie fairy, whom she found at her circle of trees and took there.
Trixie was a small creature, who in full height was only slightly bigger than Ginny's forearm. She had wavy pink hair and a curvy form. She had fairy wings attached to her back. And she loved wearing a one piece strapless dress, which she claims that all pixies wear.
Trixie may be small, but her power was strong. She had the ability to take on form as a human and to mingle with them. She could also levitate huge objects and stun a group of people in one shot.
Most wizards would claim that she is dangerous company, but Ginny didn't worry. After all, she knew that Trixie was very loyal to her, and vice versa.
"So, any new business?" Ginny asked.
"Yup. We have a guy here who wants to get married to this girl but doesn't have the guts to ask her. And the girl he's gonna ask also has a problem, which is that she doesn't ,know if she should ask the guy to marry her, because the guy isn't showing signs of him wanting to marry her."
Ginny let out a laugh. "Weird…"
"I know."
"Well, let me see…" Ginny said, summoning a lotus (which happens to be the Guy's) and peering inside it.
*Birds flew across a clear blue sky. The man was on a cliff, thinking.
Should I jump? The man thought. Or should I go back?
The man was surprised when he saw a girl standing in front of him, on the edge of the cliff.
"What are you doing, girl? You might fall!" he exclaimed.
The girl just smiled at him, and slowly started to fall.
"Noooo!!!" the man rushed and tried to catch the girl. He caught her hands, which, of course, prevented her from falling.
"Lucky I was able to catch you…if I didn't you might have died." He said, quite sternly, to the girl.
The girl just smiled at him.
The man felt the girl's hands slowly slip from his grip.
"Hold on! Don't let go!" he said.
But the girl's hands became too slippery, and she fell.
"No…no…" the man said, starting to weep. To his astonishment, the tears on his hand slowly turned and formed into a ring, the exact one that he wanted to buy for his girlfriend.
"What's wrong?" a child's voice asked.
The man turned to face the girl, the same girl that dropped off the edge of the cliff.
"You have the answer in your hands…" the girl said.
"How…how did you know?" the man asked, clearly astonished.
The girl just smiled. "Come. She's waiting." She said, holding out her hands to the man.
The man took her hands and followed her as she led him back to the woods.*
"Mission almost accomplished…" Ginny said, lifting her head from the lotus.
"What'd you do?" Trixie asked.
"I just disguised myself as a child, anyway, back to business." She said, summoning the girl's lotus.
*There were lit candlesticks on the table, illuminating the small gazebo she was in. the sweet smell of roses hung in the air, the stars twinkled in the sky, and fireflies flew around, reminding her of twinkling Christmas lights.
"Where am I…?" the woman asked aloud, to no one in particular.
The woman screamed as a hand suddenly clamped on her shoulder. She turned around in alarm, only to find a small girl, smiling at her.
"Wh-who are you?" the woman asked.
"I am a little girl. Come, I have to show you something." The girl said, and the woman wordlessly followed.
They went out of the woods and came out to the beach, where there was a glorious sunset.
"Wow…" the woman exclaimed.
The little girl just smiled.
They spent a few minutes there, just sitting in silence, absorbing the view of nature.
The woman gave out a small sigh.
"Why?" the little girl asked.
"I don't know…" the woman replied.
"You don't know whether to ask your man to marry you, right?"
The woman looked startled.
"Bu-but…how…you aren't a little girl, aren't you?"
The girl just smiled at the woman, saying nothing.
"My mother told me once of the Mistress of Dreams…who appears in dreams…"
Magic mist swirled around the girl, who was still smiling. Seconds later, the girl was no more. What was left in her place was a woman, who wore an Arabian princess' costume, and a light blue veil covered almost all of her face.
"You guessed right, woman. Why trouble your heart?"
"I don't know if he loves me anymore…suddenly he seems distant to me…always disappearing…"
"What do you want to do then?"
"I don't know, Mistress…"
"Do you love him?"
"…"
"What does your heart tell you?"
"…"
"Listen to it…"
A few moments of silence passed between the two.
"My heart tells me that I love him, with all my heart and soul."
"If that is what your heart tells you, then learn to trust him…for the heart never lies, woman."
"…"
"Do you think you can trust him?"
"I…I can…"
"Then let us go back now…"
The Mistress went first, followed by the woman. They traveled the same path they took when they went to the Oceanside, and soon enough, they returned to the gazebo.
The woman sat down the chair, deep in thought. Moments later, someone else entered the gazebo.
"Vivianne?" the man asked.
"Shane?"
The man took out an engagement box.
"Will you marry me?"*
"Mission accomplished, Trix!" Ginny said triumphantly.
"Alright! Give me five!"
The two exchanged high fives.
"Hey, what time is it, Trix?"
"Mistress, you know that there is no time in your realm."
"I know that. I meant in O.W.T. (Ordinary Wizarding Time)"
"Oh…apparently, it is already seven thirty in the morning."
"Which means I have to get going."
"Yes, I will assist you mistress."
"No need. Hey Trix?"
"Yes?"
"I won't be here for a while, okay? Take care of the place."
"Why?"
"I have to go to school. Don't worry; you know that I can transport myself here when needed."
"Okay…"
"No taking a bath in the lotus
pond, okay?"
"Yes…"
"Bye Trix!" Ginny said, slowly disappearing.
"Bye bye!" Trix relied, waving her hands.
~
Harry Potter stretched luxuriously in his bed. Sunshine was pouring in from the window, and his mini alarm read seven a.m.
Sigh…its still seven—wait. Seven!
Harry quickly sat up on his bed.
I have to cook the bacon! Aunt Petunia will fry me!!!
"Wait…I forgot again…I'm not at the Dursley's anymore…"
Harry still couldn't believe the generosity of the Weasleys in taking him in.
/flashback/
"POTTER!!!" Vernon Dursley shouted, rushing up the stairs.
Harry, who had been doing his homework at that time, quickly threw his books, quills and ink into his trunk and shut and locked it.
Vernon kicked open the door, face red with anger.
"What's this I hear about you scaring Dudley half to death with your nonsense?" he half shouted, sending spittle flying.
"I didn't scare him! He was messing with my stuff!" Harry said, trying to keep and even tone.
"And you dare answer me back, you ungrateful rodent?"
"Well, you asked me a question. Since when has it been a crime to answer questions?"
"Why of all the rude…get out of this room!" he said, pushing Harry out.
He opened Harry's trunk and started placing all his things there. He opened Harry's cabinet and took out all his clothes and threw them in, locking the trunk at the same time.
"What are you doing with my things?"
Vernon did not reply. Instead. He took Hedwig's cage and threw it out the window.
"Hey!"
"You, boy. Go Down. NOW!"
He pushed Harry down the stairs, almost killing him, and threw his trunk down the stairs.
"You will never enter this house again! You are a foul creature, your parents were foul no good people who went to cults and other monstrosities and idiotic schools which teach you nothing but crap…"
"They are not foul!"
"SHUT UP!" Vernon said, punching Harry at the same time with his beefy fist.
Harry was sent sprawling onto the floor, his nose broken and bleeding.
"I've had enough of your magic nonsense. We tried to cure you of that disease a long, long time ago, but apparently, it didn't work, and now, because of our tolerating you, you end up threatening my son!" he said, kicking Harry's fallen form on the floor.
He picked Harry up and threw him out of the door.
"My family is clean and pure! It doesn't need to be contaminated my filth like you!" he said, throwing out Harry's trunk.
Harry dodged the trunk, which was lucky for him, for the trunk was aimed at his head.
"If you go near any of my family again, I will murder you; do you get that clear, piece of filth?"
Harry didn't move.
Vernon knelt and grabbed Harry's head.
"I said, do you get that clear?"
Harry opened one half-bruised eye and nodded.
"Good. Take this with you." He said, throwing him Hedwig's cage, which hit his side.
Vernon Dursley went back and slammed the door.
Harry couldn't move, his body still reeling from the pain inflicted on him. A few seconds later though, he forced himself to stand up.
He took his wand out, turned on his wand light, and waited for the Knight Bus to come.
"Lucky that Hedwig's not here…or else…" he said, looking at Hedwig's now deformed cage.
"Hey Stan! If ith ain't old Harry here! Where thoo, Harry?"
"The Burrow."
Seconds later, he was dropped off by the Knight Bus a short distance from the Weasleys home. He walked, half dragging and half carrying his trunk. When he got on the front step, he rang a bell, and then collapsed of fatigue on the floor, where a screaming Ginny Weasley found him seconds later.
When he regained consciousness, he found himself on a bed in a strange room, with Ginny Weasley asleep on the chair beside him.
"Ginny, are you awake?" he gently prodded Ginny.
"Oh! Harry! You're finally awake! Are you alright?" Ginny asked in a concerned voice.
"Yeah. I think I am."
"What happened to you? You've got bruises and a bloody nose, not to mention a broken toe…"
"My uncle threw me out of the house."
"Oh…"
"Were you the one who answered the door?"
"Yeah. I was so surprised."
"Why'd you sleep on the chair?"
"Because I had to take care of you."
"Oh."
"Don't worry…I didn't stay up all night just putting salve on your wounds."
"What'd you use then?" he asked, dumbfounded.
Ginny laughed.
"What?1?" he asked.
"Sometimes I think you forget that you're a wizard."
"Oh. You used magic."
"Yeah. Your wounds are all healed, your toe's fixed, but I couldn't make your bruises go away. I only lessened the pain by a decibel, but the marks are still there."
"Oh."
"Harry?"
"Yeah?" Harry replied, turning around to face big green orbs full of concern.
"Did it hurt?" she asked, her eyes telling him that she was flinching inwardly.
"Do you want the full version or the softer one?"
"I want to know the truth, Harry."
He let out a sigh.
"Harry…" she said, placing her hand on his arm.
"I was doing my homework, when he suddenly came in and threw all of my stuff in my trunk, before pushing me down the stairs and throwing my trunk after me—"
"Harry, stop." She said, cringing at his words.
"—and then he punched me, hitting almost half my face, before kicking me in the stomach."
Ginny's grip on his arm tightened.
"Then he picked me up, threw me out of the house, threw out my trunk, trying to hit me, then shut the door. Then I called for the Knight Bus, and then I arrived at your house a few minutes ago."
"Harry…I'm sor—"
"There's nothing to be sorry about, Gin." Harry cut in. "It already happened. And you didn't do it to me, so why should you be sorry?" he finished in a hard tone.
"I'm sorry that this had to happen to you."
"You know Gin; I wonder actually, why people are so in awe of me. They think that just because I survived Voldemort, I would be untouchable. Unsusceptible to pain."
"Harry…"
"I'm just human, Ginny. I'm not a god. I experience pain. And sometimes, even more than other people do. I make mistakes, and I make up for them."
"Harry…"
"I don't know why people are like that…I never did ask for all the attention—"
"Harry!" Ginny cut in, grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him. "Not all people think you're a god. I don't! I know every human, even you, even Voldemort, feel pain. It's universal, Harry! So stop thinking that people think you're like that!"
"But it's true!"
"Shut up and stop being a prat, will you?"
"Okay."
After a few seconds of silence, he spoke up again.
"Are you mad at me, Gin?"
"If you keep up that particular behavior of yours for being a prat, I'm gonna be."
"Oh…okay. How long have I been here?"
"Ever since you fainted on the front step?"
"Yup."
"Two days, I guess."
"Oh."
"Hey, Harry, I guess you'd better go down. Mom will kill me if I don't tell her that you're okay. She's been worrying her life out."
"Okay." He said, proceeding to the door.
When he got down, he was welcomed by the entire Weasley family. All of them very worried too.
"Harry! When did you get up?" asked Arthur Weasley.
"Are you okay, Harry?" said Ron.
"Look at you! You still have bruises!" said Molly.
"Man, who did this to you?" Asked Fred.
"He deserves a walloping!" said George.
Harry grew dizzy at the frenzy around him.
A loud whistle sounded out from nowhere, which made them all stop.
"That's better. He's still weak and you crowd him like that? I won't be wondering if he does recover at all! Ron, cook him breakfast, will you? Fred, George, fix the tables! Mom? Could you prepare that tea you make?" Ginny commanded, steering Harry to a chair.
Harry swore he saw Bill and Charlie snickering.
"Now, you guys can ask." She said.
A lot of mouths opened at once.
"Stop!"
The mouths closed.
"One by one, please."
"Harry, who did this to you?" asked Fred, once more.
"My Uncle." He said, and then he repeated his sad tale once again.
The Weasley house became silent after hearing his story.
Then there was an uproar.
All the male Weasleys (and Molly) were shouting, with anger.
Harry looked beside him to find Ginny impatiently tapping her foot.
"Sorry, Harry. They're always like this when they're panicked and concerned."
"It's okay. Never knew that it was like this."
Ginny gave him a small smile. "Pardon me while I try to keep them down."
"Okay." He replied.
Ginny fished around her pocket for her wand.
Harry saw her mutter curses, then close her eyes.
In a split second, all eight Weasleys were floating a few inches from the ground, all of them in a sitting position.
"Will you all stop it? We won't solve anything if you keep on being like this! No George, you can't plant Dungbombs in their house! Fred, if you try to shrink them all, the ministry of magic will kill you! Charlie, you know better than setting a dragon loose, and Percy, you can't lock them up in a cauldron. Mom, Dad, I know that what they did classifies under child abuse, but you cant just go barging in their house and trying to threaten them about cutting their electricity, they have generators. And Bill, I doubt that they'd go to Egypt with you, even if you didn't want to lock them up at a pyramid. What we need to do here is to help Harry."
Harry looked in amazement at Ginny. She was small…well, smaller than him, and she looked so delicate. It was only now that he knew that she could exude so much authority…and over her whole family too!
"If you promise not to overreact, I'll put you guys down."
All eight nodded.
Ginny closed her eyes again, and all of them slowly floated down.
"So what do we do?" she asked.
"Well, I wrote to Professor Dumbledore the day Harry got here. And he allowed us to temporarily adopt Harry and make him our son and your new brother." Said Molly.
Silence hung in the air for a while, while the news was sinking in.
The silence was broken by a squealing Ginny.
"I have a new brother!" she squealed out, throwing her arms around Harry at the same time.
As if taking their cue from her, all six of the Weasleys rushed at him to either hug (that was Charlie), shake hands (that was Percy), and thump his back (that was Gred and Forge, whoops! I meant Fred and George) and ruffle his hair (that was Bill and Ron).
Afterwards, he became one of the family. They spent the whole summer playing, cleaning the house, welcoming Bill's wife and Charlie's fiancée, and doing a lot of talking.
/end of flashback/
Ginny became his female best friend, because they always spent a lot of time talking. Harry knew everything about her. Her secrets, her time at the chamber, and how she coped up afterwards. He even knew that Ginny once had a crush on him! Ginny also knew everything about him. He knew she knew that he had an invisibility cloak, his worries, and the mirror of erised, their escapades, and everything.
The door suddenly burst open, to reveal a very sleepy looking Ron.
"Breakfast ready, Har." He said, yawning.
"Yeah. You go ahead. I'll just fix my bed."
"Sure."
Harry folded his blanket and fluffed up his pillows. Then he went to the bathroom to tidy up his hair before he went down.
When he got down, he noticed that Ginny was missing.
"Good Morning!" he said.
"Good Morning!" everyone replied.
"Where's Gin?"
"I think she took off jogging. She always does that this time of the day." Said Charlie.
"Oh."
"Hey, Harry! Come and eat, you look starved! And besides, if you don't finish eating fast, you may never get to use the loo! Ron stays there for about half an hour!" said Fred.
"I wonder what he does there?" George said, scratching his chin.
"He probably dreams of—"
"Being alone with Hermione shag walloping." Cut in Percy.
Everybody was shocked at Percy's statement.
"Percy, where did you learn that word?" asked Anita.
"Picked it up." He replied, shrugging.
"Why? What does it mean, hon?" Bill asked.
Anita leaned to whisper in his ear.
Bill's eyes winded with shock for a second, and then he whispered to Charlie, who wound up spitting out his drink.
After wiping his mouth, Charlie whispered to Rose, who gasped and whispered to Fred, who whispered to George, who whispered to Harry.
Harry was shocked. Knowing Percy, who was a bookworm and a hundred percent serious person, it was weird to know that he knew these stuffs.
"Percy, you perverted child!" said Fred.
"How come you never taught us any of that?" said George, grinning.
"George!" said Anita.
"Sorry…"
"What's Snog walloping?" asked Ron.
Harry whispered the meaning in his ear. Ron took a second to digest the meaning. When he did though, he turned beet red and screamed: "I DON"T DREAM OF THAT!!!"
~
Draco Malfoy sat at the Malfoy limo, waiting for his cousin to come in, so that they could leave for Hogwarts.
"Damned girls and their rituals."
He had been waiting there for almost an hour.
Same old thing when I go back to Hogwarts…except that I have a cousin to look after now…
He suddenly grinned.
Correction. My cousin can take care of herself. She's a better prankster than I am! But if anybody hurts her…
He cracked his knuckles.
Wonder how I can elude Pansy this year…she stuck on to me like wonder glue last year…one more time I have to hear that 'Oh Drakie! You're so hunky!' phrase from her, I swear I don't know what I might do.
He shook his head.
Why can't she take the signal and bugger off? It's not like I'm asking much from her. I'm only asking her to find another guy to screw.
He shook his head again.
Why can't she bug Potter instead?
He smiled at the mental image his mind projected.
A running Harry Potter with Pansy Parkinson hot on his heels, screaming 'Oh Harry, my hunky!'
Nah…however dumb Potter and Weasley are, they wouldn't settle for Pansy.
"Draco! Open the door!" his cousin said, pounding on the window.
"Fine, fine." He replied, opening it.
His cousin let out a sigh.
"What?" he asked.
"I just can't believe that I'm gonna study at Hogwarts."
"Dream come true?"
"You know that I'd rather be at my old school…but Hogwarts' pretty famous…"
"Hey cousin, any ideas on how to lose a girl who sticks to you like wonder glue?"
"Hey! You rhyme!"
"I didn't do that on purpose…and besides, I'm serious here!" he said, scowling.
"Want me to play a prank on her?"
"Sure…just don't get caught…"
"Okay. How far is it to King Cross' Station, anyhow?"
"We're nearly there."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"You have any friends that you might wanna introduce me to?"
"You wanna get introduced to Blaise right away?"
"No thanks. I think I'll just go and find some on my own."
"We're here."
The limo had stopped in front of the station.
"Let's go." Draco said, going out of the car.
"Okay."
~
The Platform 9 ¾ was full of students by the time Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny got there, with the family.
"Now don't forget to eat your meals three times a day!" said Molly.
"Yeah. Don't forget to write!" said Bill.
"And most of all, don't forget to kick the crap out of—" said Fred.
"—Malfoy's big fat arse!" cut in George.
"Fred! George!" said Molly Weasley, giving her sons a look called; "You get a BIG scolding when you get home, young man."
"Take care, guys!" said Charlie.
Ginny rushed forward and hugged Charlie.
"Aww c'mon, Gin, you're stuck to me like a barnacle!"
"Fine. This barnacle's detaching." Said Ginny, giving him a look of mock hurt.
"Bye 'Nita, Bye Rose." She said, Hugging both women next.
"Bye, Ginny-ella. Here, take this." Anita said, slipping something cold and metallic into Ginny's palm.
"What's that?" she asked.
"Just look at it when you're alone. Wear it in good health." Said Rose.
"Okay."
"Hey, Gin, stop hogging our sister-in-laws! I get to hug them next!" said Ron.
"Okay!" she said, slipping that cold metallic thing into her pocket.
"Bill!" she said, and also gave her eldest brother a hug.
"Hey, Gin-gin! You're gonna miss me, right?"
"Of course! Every year I miss you more!"
"Take care, 'kay?"
"Yeah…"
He broke the hug seconds later.
"I think you still have two more brothers who want to hug you." He said, motioning to Fred and George.
Ginny rushed over to them and gave them both a great big hug.
"Here, Ginny-bug." Said Fred.
"Token of our appreciation for burning that barn down." Said George, handing her something like a clutch bag.
"It has up to date prank equipment that hasn't been tested yet."
"And we're waiting for someone to test them out for us."
"Sure! I'd be glad to!"
She looked for Percy yet. He was her favorite brother, and she had to give him a hug.
"Hey, Gin! Looking for me?" said Percy.
She turned around and threw her brother a hug.
"Hey, what's the hug for?"
"You think I won't hug my favorite brother?"
"Maybe not!"
"Percy!"
"Take care of yourself."
"Yup!"
"Better go now, train'll be leaving soon." He said, ruffling her hair.
"Oh my gawsh!" Ginny said, rushing over to jump to and open door of the train, which was moving, slowly, out of the platform.
"Bye!" said all of the Weasleys, waving their hands.
"Bye!" Ginny said, waving back.
I'd better find Ron and Harry before they get sick with worry.
~
Draco and his cousin stood in the middle of the train hallway.
"What do I do now, Draco?" she asked.
"Go find yourself a compartment to sit in."
"Where you going?"
"Attending to some business." He said, walking away.
She let out a huff.
Damn idiotic cousins who don't even care! Especially trickster cousins like Draco! She thought, walking towards the opposite side.
She and Draco have been allied pranksters for as long as she could remember. Whenever they spent time at her family villa, her father, the bad-turned-good sheep of the Malfoys, always permitted them to romp around the place.
She had always known Draco as a good person, and an expert trickster. She knew him very well, and could tell when he was covering up for something.
And whenever they talked, she knew that Draco knew better than to speak lies in front of her. She was very gifted with memory, and could use it against him. Not to mention that she was pretty frank, knew a lot of curses, creative, and had a thing for having fun. And when these things were combined and used against a person, it could only mean one thing: trouble.
Stupid guy…if only he wasn't my cousin, I would have hexed him.
She had walked to the last compartment.
Oh well, no one could be in there, guess I'd better go in.
She let out a sigh and opened the compartment, only to come face to face with four people, whom she didn't know.
Holy crap… her panicking mind thought. However, her outward face remained calm and placid. After all, she was a Malfoy, and Malfoys had perfected the art of hiding emotions.
She looked at all the people in the compartment, one by one.
On the left was a redheaded girl with dark blue eyes.
Judging from the way she sits…she's kinda shy…but provoke her and she'll blow…her form…either she plays Quidditch or she's just used to sneaking around at night…maybe she's a prankster too!
Next to her was a brown-haired girl with blue eyes, fringed with brown-gold lashes.
This one knows how to bite…she's like the other one…pacifist, but war-freak when provoked. Wait…what's she holding? 700 easy Transfiguration spells? Geez. Memorized that last year. She's the brainy one, willing to bet.
Next to the girl was another redhead, but this time, a guy.
Let's see…red hair, brown eyes, muscles…plays Quidditch, I'm sure…not so good grade, judging from the sad look that's there…but people don't always notice it…this one's a fighter…
Her gaze traveled to the last person in the compartment.
Unruly black hair and scar…this must be Harry Potter…
Her gaze traveled to his arms.
Man…seeker training does pay out…
Up to his face.
His skin's smooth…and…oh lord! His eyes…
His eyes were the most mesmerizing shade of green she had ever seen. They seemed to be hypnotizing her, pulling her to its' innermost depths…
I have to stop staring…now!
~
Harry Potter was laughing his head off about a joke that Ginny had just said. Ron, who was popping Bertie Bott's Beans in his mouth at that time, was on the floor, choking on a chocolate flavored one, with Hermione thumping his back so that the bean would get off.
"Ron, Ron? Are you okay?" Hermione said, brown hair falling over her shoulder.
Ron just made choking sounds.
Harry laughed inwardly as he observed them.
They had changed a lot over the summer. Ron had grown taller, by a few inches. Due to Quidditch practices and de-gnoming, his muscles appeared, and he got a good tan. Hermione had also added a few inches, and something had happened to her bushy hair. It was now sleek, straight and shiny, and she had no problems with keeping it that way or whatsoever. When they asked her about what she'd done to it, all she would reply was: "Nothing."
She looks like she did when she went out with Viktor Krum for the Yule Ball…
Ginny, his new found best friend had really changed over the summer. His new brothers would joke that she changed because of him, but he knew better. Ginny's red hair had become even more red during the summer. If before it was colored carrot-like, not it was apple red. Her eyes, which were navy blue before, turned midnight blue. She also grew taller, and when she stood up, her head was just a few inches away from the tip of his head. (Ginny now stood 5`8, compared to her before 5`4, and he stood 6`4)
"Ron? Ewww!!!!" Ginny said.
Ron had successfully removed the bean from his wind vane, but he spit it out, all covered with his saliva, which made an unpleasant sight.
Ron and Hermione resumed their seats as if nothing had happened. For a few precious minutes, they had remained silent. Then someone opened the door.
Harry looked at the stranger who had just entered their compartment. He felt a jolt in his stomach.
Holy mad cows…she's beautiful!
The stranger had sleek, shiny dark, dark brown (it seemed black when there were no lights) nearly waist-length hair, which fell dead straight, but turned into waves at the ends. She was wearing a black turtle-neck, which showed much of her shapely form, and was wearing black leather pants, with boots as her footwear
The stranger had been looking one by one at them, and was now looking at him.
If he thought that she was beautiful, without seeing her face, now, that he was seeing her face, he could well say that he was stunned speechless.
She had a beautifully shaped face, with full rosy lips. Her skin was creamy white, with no visible freckles.
She had perfectly shaped eyebrows, which were not thick, and not thin, but just right. What attracted him most were her eyes.
They were colored dark amethyst, and were sparkling with…mischief? He really couldn't tell. Those eyes were drawing him nearer, closer by the second, as if daring him to make the first move.
Mate, if you keep on staring at her, well…you'll be bound to keep on staring at her!
"Um…can I sit here?" the girl said.
Her voice sounded like delicate rose-bells, which were tinkling to a soft breeze.
"Sure!" Ginny said, motioning for her to sit beside her.
The girl broke into a smile, showing her pearly white teeth.
Activity resumed inside the compartment. Everyone started talking and laughing, everyone except Harry.
He was still staring at her.
~
"So what's your name?" the girl asked her.
"My name's Virginia Weasley." She replied.
"I'm Ron, her brother."
"I'm Hermione Granger, pleased to meet you!"
"I'm Harry Potter." Harry said, after being elbowed by Ron. (who whispered something to Harry like: Stop staring at her, Mate!)
"What's yours?" Ginny asked.
"Cicero." She answered.
"Cool name…"
"Thanks!" Cicero said, smiling again.
She really amazed Ginny. She was the most beautiful and friendliest girl Ginny knew. Everything about her striked as exotic—it was the first time she saw someone with dark violet eyes!
"So, what's that?" Cicero asked, breaking into Ginny's thoughts.
"What?"
"That." She said, pointing to the clutch bag near Ginny.
"Oh, that. Just a present from my twin brothers."
"Really? You have twin brothers?"
"Yup?"
"That's so cool…all I have is a
prat of a cousin."
"It's kinda hard having a lot of brothers…"
"How many do you have?"
"6 brothers, 1 adopted brother, 1 sister-in-law, and 1 soon to be sister-in-law."
"Wow…like I said, all I have is one hell of a pratty cousin."
"What's your cousin like?"
"He's a good guy, but I don't think people see him that way. All they see is his bad side. He's considered handsome by many, and has a notable reputation for having a way with women, and he's a prankster. How bout you?"
"My eldest brother Bill's a code breaker at Gringott's, and he's married to Anita, a fellow code-breaker. Charlie's a dragon tamer, he's really fun to be with, and he's engaged to Rose. Percy's the third eldest, he's the most serious one, although lately, he's been loosening up. Fred and George are twins, who love pranks. They built Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, a joke shop. And then there's Ron. He's the most protective of everyone else combined."
"How bout your adopted brother?"
"Oh. That's Harry." (behind her, Harry gave a small wave)
Cicero laughed. "What Year are you in?"
"Me?" said Ginny. "I'm originally supposed to be in sixth, but they let me advance onto seventh grade."
"Really? I'm on seventh."
"Ci, let's play a game!"
"Sure, as long as it doesn't involve doing something outrageous."
"It's just a simple game."
"Okay."
"It's called 'Answer Me'."
"Okay…"
"I'll start. Describe yourself."
"But that isn't a game."
"Pleeaazzeee?"
"Fine. I'm
5`8 tall, and I love playing pranks on others. I'm pretty frank about stuff,
and I have a pretty good memory. I love having fun, and I can play Quidditch
nicely. MY family describes me as a loyal person…and I'm pretty naughty."
"Ooh…"
"Okay, your turn to describe yourself."
"I'm also 5`8, and I also love playing pranks and having fun. I play Quidditch, and I'm pretty shy. I love lighting incense sticks, they calm me down, and I have a pretty good imagination. I am loyal…but my memory, unlike yours, isn't that sharp. And, yes, I can be pretty naughty."
"Ooh…"
"Ah, keep quiet!"
"Hey, Virginia?"
"What?"
"Can I call you Ginny instead?"
"Sure. It's my monicker."
"Okay…I'll call you Gin."
"And can I call you Ci?"
"Sure."
~
Draco Malfoy looked for his cousin in the train. They were almost ready to arrive any minute, and he had to warn her to change her clothes.
"Cicero?"
"Ci?"
He had already traveled from the front of the train, and was now near the back.
He opened a door, only to find a snogging couple.
Geez…where could she be?
He kept on opening a few more doors before he got to the last compartment, which he knew was Potter's.
She can't be in here…but I have to check…
He opened the compartment door.
"Malfoy!" Granger said, while trying to stop Weasel-boy, who was trying to lunge at him.
"What do you want, Malfoy?" Potter said, hand at his wand, just in case anything happens.
He smirked. "Put away your wand, Potter. I'm not here to hex you all to kingdom come."
Potter stuck his wand back at his pocket, but his hand was also in there.
Draco's eyes roamed the room, his cold gray eyes scrutinizing everyone. But then, he met blue.
His eyes met blue ones, which were angry.
Blue eyes, sparkled with blue fire…that was a poem right?
He looked at the holder of those blue eyes.
"Weasley."
"What do you want, Malfoy?" the youngest Weasley shot back at him.
"Nothing that you have."
He watched as her face became redder.
"And nothing that you can give…except maybe…"
He watched as she blushed furiously.
Then, before he knew it, he was flat on the floor, and there was a blinding light.
"Incendio!"
"Furnuculus!"
"Petrificum!"
"Ratonsatium!"
Ratonsatium? Isn't that the spell for causing someone to throw up? He thought, while still flat on his back.
"Stop it. Now." A voice said, sounding very similar to his cousin's.
"Ci?"
~
Cicero Malfoy sat down on her cousin's stomach. She had used her own brand of magic to pin him to the floor, while at the same time making a barrier which absorbed all the spells that they threw at him.
Pratty cousin…
She held out her hand and froze all of them, so that only their mouths could move.
"Cicero?" said Ron, controlling his voice. "Why are you defending that prat?"
"She used wandless magic…" Hermione whispered.
"Yeah, why are you defending Malfoy?" said Harry.
"Wandless magic…"
"'Mione? Keep quiet already! We know that she's using wandless magic!" said Ron, quite irritated.
"He's your pratty cousin, isn't he, Ci?" said Ginny.
"Yeah. Like I told you, Gin, he's quite the prat."
"I am not a prat!" said a disgruntled Draco from underneath her.
"You talk one more time without you are being spoken to, cousin dearest, and I'll expose your undies."
"You won't!"
"Wanna bet?" she said, raising her finger, causing her cousin to levitate a few inches, while she was on him.
Ron stifled a laugh.
"You too, Ron."
Ron shut up immediately.
"So why are you defending him?" said Harry.
"Like I told Ginny a while ago, all I have is this pratty cousin of mine. And I won't let him get killed that easily."
"How could you be cousins?" asked Hermione.
"Because we are."
"You never told me your family name a while ago…" said Ginny.
"Yup. Hearing your family name, I knew that you were the people that Draco always fought with. And I knew that if you guys heard my family name, you might've thrown me out.
"What is your Family name?" Asked Harry.
"Cicero Malfoy."
"A Malfoy! You must be like him!" said Ron.
Cicero shook her head. Just what I had feared.
"She isn't, Ron." Said Ginny. "If she was, she could've killed us all in here a while ago. Hello, she blocked all of our spells and erected a barrier at the same time without a wand."
"Thanks Gin."
"No problem. Anything for a friend."
Draco grunted underneath her.
"Although I still have a question."
"Fire away."
"Are you guys Death Eaters?"
Draco surprised everyone by laughing out loud.
"We're not Death Eaters. Why should we be?" he said.
"For a thousand reasons, Malfoy." Said Ron.
"Look, I you promise not to make trouble, I'll unfreeze and unpin you all, provided Harry, Ron, Hermione and Gin sits down."
All of them tried to nod, but failed, so they all said their agreement.
She jumped off her cousin, and with a wave of her hand, all of them were standing and were able to move.
Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny sat down, while Draco just stood up, arms crossed.
"Give us proof that you're not Death Eaters." Said Ron.
"Should we show them, Draco?"
Her cousin nodded.
"All of it?"
"Only you were gifted to fully transform. I can't do that yet 'till I pass the test, remember?"
"Yeah."
"So? Are you gonna show us or not?" said Ron, tapping his foot.
"I can't show you the full one yet, but I'll show you part of it." She said, snapping her fingers.
Her sleeves suddenly disappeared, revealing creamy white shoulders and arms. No tattoo was visible.
"Okay, I believe you. What about him?" said Ron, pointing to Draco.
Draco snapped his fingers, and his sleeves also disappeared. (Ginny noted that they were both wearing turtlenecks) There was also no trace of tattoos on his arms.
"I believe them." Said Ginny.
"Yeah. Me too." Said Harry.
"Me also." Said Hermione, nodding her head.
"I guess I'll have to." Said Ron.
"Listen. None of this gets out, okay?" said Cicero.
All of them nodded.
"Ci."
"What?"
"Change into your robes, will you, we're about to arrive."
"Oh. Okay." She said, as she began removing her boots.
"Uh, Ci?" said Ginny.
"Hmm?"
Ginny pointed to the three men who were in the compartment.
"Oh." She snapped her fingers.
In an instant, Ron, Harry and Draco were out of the room, and the compartment door was locked.
"Okay. It's now okay to dress up."
"The door is locked, right?" asked Hermione.
"Yup."
~
"Darn. We got locked out." Said Ron, kicking the carpet.
"Yeah. Pity." Said Draco, surprising the two other men.
"Is this Draco Malfoy I'm talking to?"
"Yeah. Settle for a truce?"
"Okay." Said Ron.
"As long as I still call you guys Potter and Weasley."
"Wouldn't dream of having it any way else." Said Harry, holding out his hand.
Draco took it, and they shook hands.
"Anyone saw that new train lady offering for sweets?" said Ron.
"She's pretty…" said Harry.
"She is?" said Draco.
~
Overhead, the wish fairy smiled. She didn't make a mistake about sending Draco a message, on how to make people see the real him, after all.
The first rule was to be nicer, especially to his enemies.
Let's see how he fares…
Disclaimer: I'm sorry I forgot to put up the other one in the last chappie! I don't own anything except the plot, the character Cicero Malfoy and this yummy slice of pizza I'm eating right now.
Special thanks to:
1. SlytherinSweetie—here's your ordered chappie, though a little bit late.
2. Junebug—thanks!
3. Rosielady—thanks!
4. Animezebra—thanks! I was afraid people would take his being human as an offense…
5. Peaceoutgrlmehi—Gin-gin's gonna go more things than that! Glad you're proud! And Snape? He's still gonna be bad to Ginny, but…
6. Daemon Sorceress—thanks!
7. Mi—this is the soonest that I can post!
8. C Kahran—yes, that was you, and sorry if you seem so OOC here…still finding the right time…
