A/N: Okay, so this is the big fic I'm so excited about. :D This DOES have Order of the Phoenix spoilers (duh), so if you haven't read it, please don't read this. You can read OotP along with this if you want to check and see if I'm right- I tried really hard to make it all connect, so if you find a mistake please tell me. Since the chapters are so long, I can't promise frequent updates. But they will be good, I swear! :)
Disclaimer: there will be some lines (dialogue) that are excerpted straight from the book. I can't claim them as my own, as much as I'd like to, and all credit for them goes to JK Rowling. If you read along, or something like that, you'll know which ones aren't mine. Just be warned- some of these ingenious lines (okay, all :P) aren't mine.
--GINNY WEASLEY and the Order of the Phoenix--
Number 12 Grimmauld Place was, to put it bluntly, a mess. When the Weasleys had arrived, Ginny thought that her mum would have a heart attack upon seeing the state of it. On the other hand, she had never seen Fred and George so happy; from the moment they laid eyes on the troll's leg umbrella stand in the hallway they had set about exploring the house with great gusto. Ron and Ginny exchanged apprehensive looks as Mrs. Weasley bustled towards the kitchen, muttering under her breath darkly and looking around at the walls as if they had personally offended her.
The house wasn't exactly the epitome of comfortable, but it would do for the family. On the plus side, there was no ghoul ranting and throwing pipes around at random hours in the day. On the negative side, hardly any communication with the outside world could be established at all; owls were strictly forbidden and Floo trips were a once a week treat.
Ginny sat in the drawing room with her legs tucked underneath her as she gazed outside into a drab London alley. It was the middle of August, sweltering hot and gray around the clock. As she watched a thin tabby cat try to break into the neighbor's rubbish bins, she reminisced on her summers at the Burrow. They were always green and pleasant, laughing and relaxing. This one had been much different.
She looked down at her lap where an assortment of items lay; an opened envelope complete with letter, photograph, wand, and her new black gloves she had gotten as a birthday present from her brother Bill. Her fingers traced the picture as she grinned in amusement before picking up the letter and reading it yet again:
Hey Ginny!
I can't believe you're going to Romania for a month! Isn't that some sort of an obscene amount of time to be with dragons? I understand though- I'll bet you miss your brother. I have an older brother too, I don't know if I've mentioned him, his name is Danny and he works with the Australian Ministry (I have no clue why). So whenever I can, I visit him. I'll just miss you I guess.
Anyway, I found this picture in my school trunk; three guesses who took it? 'Course it was Colin with his mad camera. It's of us at the Yule Ball…or rather, me with flying bogies attacking my face and you in the background with your wand. Still really sorry for trying to grab you like that…moving on…thought you might like it. It was pretty funny.
Like you said in your last letter, I don't think Merlin would be up to a flight to Romania every week, so I suppose this is my last letter until we start school. So I'll meet you when we get there- my mates have already asked me to sit with them on the train. I hope you don't mind?
Love,,
Michael
Despite herself, Ginny felt a goofy smile come on her face. Michael Corner was a Ravenclaw she hadn't really noticed before. In fact, the only time she had ever heard of him was when she overheard her Gryffindor friends Melanie Pitman and Rowena Fallow talking about how cute he was. At last year's Yule Ball she was the only third year there, but no one could tell. Not three dances had gone by before an attractive brown haired boy had tried to dance with her, only to get a panicked Bat-Bogey Hex in the face. She had immediately taken him up to the Hospital Wing (her counter-jinx wasn't so good then) and spent the rest of the night talking to him. By the end of the night, he had asked her to go to Hogsmeade with him next chance they got. Michael was incredibly sweet to Ginny, giving her kisses on the cheek before classes despite her shrieks of 'Ron will see!' It was nice having a boyfriend; it was even nicer that the having of a boyfriend had helped her to get over Harry. Ginny marveled that one night could practically erase any lingering feelings she had for her brother's best friend. She carefully slipped the letter back into its envelope along with the picture and put it in her pocket, along with her wand.
Suddenly, the door opened with a bang. Ginny immediately slapped her hands to her ears. Sure enough, the wailings of Mrs. Black echoed throughout the dusty house. Though muffled by her well placed hands, Ginny could still slightly hear her ramblings.
"SCUM! TRAITOR BRATS INFESTING THE HOUSE OF MY FATHERS! ROTTEN FILTH!" Ginny's normally laughing brown eyes narrowed in intense dislike; she knew perfectly well that the 'traitor brats' was referring to herself and her brothers. In the corridor, she could hear several voices, all of which she knew well.
"So sorry Molly, really I am, I don't know why I don't just dodge the stupid leg…" Ginny grinned as she recognized the apologies of Tonks, one of her newest and coolest friends.
"That's all right dear," came the slightly disgruntled voice of Mrs. Weasley. "Coming Severus?"
"In due time Molly," the Potions master's oily voice replied. "Just wiping myself off."
"Oh I am sorry about that," Ginny's mum apologized sheepishly, starting to come into view. "I'm trying to clean this place up, but it's proving much more difficult than I anticipated…Ginny dear, what are you doing down here?" Mrs. Weasley looked down curiously at her daughter, who shrugged lightly and craned her neck around her mum's plump figure to see the newcomers. Tonks was now trying to help Snape rid himself of the dust, to Ginny's amusement. Snape did not look happy with his current position.
"I rather think it'd be best if you went along upstairs," Mrs. Weasley interrupted Ginny's thoughts pointedly. Ginny looked up and scowled.
"I'm just having a cup of tea Mum," she said, pointing to her steaming cup of tea on the window ledge.
"You can have it upstairs now can't you?" her mum replied without hesitation, placing her hands on her hips.
"But-"
"It's all right Molly, there's nothing she won't find out eventually to tell at the moment…let her stay for a bit." Tonks (today with dark brown curly hair) walked into the room and sat down on one of the sagging chairs, winking behind Mrs. Weasley's back at Ginny. Ginny grinned in delight back as her mother sighed in defeat.
"Fine, fine…I daresay you'd like a cup of tea?" she offered, starting to walk towards the kitchen.
"A Gillywater would do me if you've got it," Tonks said, leaning back more comfortably in her seat. At that moment, Snape strode in with an annoyed look on his face; despite his and Tonks' efforts, his robes still had the look of black robes smothered with chalk dust.
He nodded slightly to Ginny who managed a small bob of her head in return. Behind him, Tonks was crossing her eyes wildly and morphing her mouth into tiny baby lips, full pouty lips and a drab fish-like mouth in rapid succession. Ginny bit her lip hard to stop herself from erupting into giggles as Snape lazily drew himself a chair with his wand and sat in it prominently.
"A spot of tea for you as well Severus?" Mrs. Weasley called from the kitchen.
"No thank you," Snape replied smoothly. Ginny picked up her own tea and sipped it slowly, taking in the scene carefully. Fred and George would kill to be in her position; Snape's visits were rare, and always very hushed. As usual, her mum interrupted her musings as she burst out of the kitchen slightly rosy-faced, a small glass goblet filled with Gillywater in one of her hands, a cup of tea in the other.
"You did hear me say-?" Snape started to inquire, but Mrs. Weasley interrupted him as well.
"I did. This is for me." She sank into a chair, handing over the Gillywater to Tonks as she did so. Ginny was absently sipping tea until her lips hit nothing- she was done. She carefully set down the teacup, praying that her mother wouldn't notice she was finished and send her out of the room.
All of a sudden, a man with long black hair walked into the room. Ginny smiled slightly as she looked at the door to see Sirius Black.
If someone had told Ginny Weasley a month and a half ago that she would come to regard Sirius as a favorite uncle, she would have laughed in their face. They would have been completely right though. After a brief but effective explanation given to the twins, herself and her parents (apparently Ron already knew) by Dumbledore, Ginny had developed a fondness for the fun-loving fugitive. Miserable though he was at being back in his old house, he brought an air of recklessness and humour around with him wherever he went (granted, not that far from Grimmauld Place). So obviously, he got on famously with Fred and George, and just as obviously, not as much with Hermione.
"Sirius!" Tonks cried jovially, getting up and giving him a hug. He grinned happily and patted her on the back, sitting down next to her and carefully avoiding Snape's presence, who was doing exactly the same to him. From what Ginny could gather, this was the arrangement that suited them most, as it required very little, if any, contact between the old school nemeses.
"Cheers Tonks," Sirius greeted her, nodding to Mrs. Weasley.
"Nice to see you Sirius…" Ginny almost laughed; it was obvious her mother only half meant this statement. "Tonks and Severus just came back from a meeting with Mad-Eye and Remus."
"Well don't let me interrupt then," he said, jumping up. He was about to leave when Tonks said something that made him stop in his tracks.
"It's about Harry."
"Well then," Sirius said quickly, pivoting and sitting quickly back down in his chair. "I just might have to interrupt now." Ginny let out a small giggle. Sirius looked over, saw her, and grinned, giving her the now familiar nod of greeting.
"So?" Mrs. Weasley asked after a moment's pause, in which Tonks loudly slurped her water and Sirius hummed a tuneless tune. "Anything?"
Ginny looked up sharply. They had never before discussed 'anything' in front of her…
"Yes," Tonks said after she had swallowed a gulp of water. "Harry's gotten himself into a spot of trouble it seems." Mrs. Weasley looked up as sharply as Ginny did a minute before at this, and Sirius stopped humming immediately.
"Is he all right?" she breathed anxiously. Snape let out an odd sound, halfway between a snort and a snicker.
"Of course," he said. "He always manages to get himself out of these situations." Mrs. Weasley diverted her gaze to Ginny, who sat perched stock still on the ledge.
"Are you sure she should be in here?" she asked the two in front of her in hushed tones.
Oh honestly, Ginny thought, I can still hear you Mum!
Tonks shrugged. "Like I said before, it's nothing she won't hear eventually. Besides, I think I'm right when I say Ron and Hermione will want to know about anything involving Harry won't they?" Mrs. Weasley nodded, gave Ginny another worried glance, and then looked back to Tonks.
"What happened?"
"To make a long story short, a few unexpected guests showed up at his aunt and uncle's place- almost killed him and his cousin. But he's fine," she added quickly as Mrs. Weasley clapped her hands to her mouth and Ginny almost fell off her ledge. "Really, he's fine. A little shaken I can guess, but as far as we can tell, no permanent damage. Mrs. Figg found him afterwards and reported to Dumbledore immediately." Sirius breathed a sigh of relief, putting his head in his hands for a brief weakened second.
"Thank God," Mrs. Weasley said, a hand to her chest. As soon as her worried face had gone, it was replaced by one of equal suspicion. "Who was on duty?"
Tonks shifted uncomfortably in her chair, apparently steeling herself for the worst. "Dung Fletcher," she said, in a would be casual voice. Mrs. Weasley's face turned the dangerous red Ginny had come to associate with the twins whenever they happened upon trouble. Sirius bit his lip, obviously trying to conceal his laughter at the indignant look on her face. Snape examined his fingernails impassively.
"Are you telling me," Mrs. Weasley began angrily, "that on the one night Harry really needs protecting, Mundungus decides that something is more important?!?" Tonks visibly gulped; Sirius caught Ginny's eye and they both had to look away for fear of laughing. Quietly, she got up with her teacup in hand and deposited it on the dressing, silently tiptoeing her way out of the room as her mother exploded.
"IF YOU TELL ME THAT HE WAS OFF DOING ONE OF THOSE CROOKED DEALINGS OF HIS I WILL LET HIM HAVE IT, MAKE NO MISTAKE!! HARRY COULD'VE BEEN KILLED-"
By the time Mrs. Weasley had started on her unfavorable description of 'Dung' Fletcher, Ginny was safely up the stairs and into the peace and quiet of her own room. To be fair though, it was Hermione's too, but Ginny privately felt as if it were hers and hers alone.
Hermione had come towards the end of July. Apparently, she had been begging her parents to let her stay so that she could help, but after hearing what exactly was going on in the wizarding world her parents weren't too keen to let her go. Ginny had heard long accounts of just exactly how boring their annual trip to the south of France was when they were too wired to get some sleep. When Hermione's parents realized how much she wanted to help her friends with the fight they gave in and let her stay with the Weasleys.
Ginny flopped on the bed and winced as she felt it sag dangerously beneath her. If it wasn't four in the afternoon, she would've curled up and gone to sleep. Suddenly, she felt a weight pounce up on the mattress near her feet. Ginny picked her head up off the sheets slightly and smiled when she saw the ginger bowlegged form of Crookshanks, Hermione's cat. Crookshanks purred happily and curled up on Ginny's feet, causing warmth to flood through them gratefully.
"Hallo Crook," Ginny whispered, scratching the cat behind its ears fondly. "Where've you been? Chasing Kreacher again?" Crookshanks mewed in a satisfied way at her feet; she could've sworn that he smirked at her. "I'm not saying he didn't deserve it," she said to him grinning. "I-"
The door burst open. Getting used to the interruptions, Ginny rolled over off the bed and gracefully onto her feet, almost knocking Crookshanks off of the bed as she did so. She stood, wiped her hands on her jeans and looked into the worried faces of Hermione and Ron.
"You could have knocked," she said in mock irritation, but she shut her mouth when they continued to looks anxious. "What's wrong?" she asked in alarm.
"We heard yelling…about Harry," Hermione said tentatively. "Is he all right?" Ginny looked from Hermione's face to her brother's face and grinned.
"Oh that's all…he's fine," she said, and the older two immediately looked very relieved.
Hermione sat down next to Crookshanks and petted him as Ron finally spoke. "Mind filling us in then Ginny?"
It only took about five minutes for Ginny to relate what she knew to them. She found that telling Ron and Hermione anything was always great fun; Hermione actually gasped or squealed in suspenseful places and Ron's facial expressions were priceless. At the end of the explanation, they were rather subdued.
"What?" Ginny asked uneasily. "He's fine…why are you still looking so miserable?" Hermione sighed as Ron sat on her bed opposite Ginny's.
"Dementors Ginny," Ron said bluntly. "Hello? We're talking bad, evil toerags here- what is this?" Ron suddenly got up as though scalded and looked down at the object that had made him so uncomfortable. Ginny raised an eyebrow and walked over; when she saw what it was, she clapped a hand to her mouth and had to fight very hard not to laugh. Hermione, meanwhile, had flushed deep pink.
Ron, as red as his hair, made an odd squeaking noise and mumbled something about 'things to do' before bolting out of the room. Hermione looked at the spot on the bed and groaned, leaning back and hitting her head on the wall as a result.
"Why did I leave that out?!?" Ginny picked up the offending object with a pinky; a lacy black bra.
"Dunno, but if it's going to get my brother out of my room I think you should leave it out more often!" Ginny replied grinning impishly.
--
The next few days consisted mainly of Ginny, Ron, Hermione and the twins doing their bit for the Order; that is, cleaning up the house. Sirius would pop in and out to help occasionally, but they all knew too well that he'd rather be doing the 'important stuff' with Order members, seeing as he couldn't leave the house.
After cleaning out a particularly nasty Callous Cupboard, all anyone could think about was one of Mrs. Weasley's homemade lunches. Ginny slouched in a chair, taking off the bandana she had tied around her hair to keep the sweat out of it with a flourish.
"Done!" she said happily. The others replied with an exhausted, but happy, cheer. "That was weak," she said mischievously, ducking the feather duster that Fred chucked at her. "Better," she amended. Fred rolled his eyes fondly and mussed up her hair with his hand. She squealed and shrank in her seat trying to get away, but it was a lost cause.
"You're not getting away you little devil you!" Fred growled teasingly, rumpling up her hair so severely that when she finally came up for air, she looked like a madly grinning burning bush. Ron and George were laughing hard (Hermione looking disapproving but amused) when Mrs. Weasley came in with a tray of sandwiches.
"Here we are- why are you grinning like the Mad Hatter Fred?" she said sharply, noticing Fred's triumphant expression. Ginny giggled.
"Just a friendly little game Mum," she piped up. Upon looking on her only daughter with hair the size of London, she sighed irritably. "Come off it, I can fix it," Ginny protested when her mum got out her wand and pointed it at her hair, but Mrs. Weasley was not to be swayed.
"Relaxium Strandus!" Ginny's fiery hair fell back onto her shoulders in red waves. "Much better. Try not to do that again Fred dear," she scolded Fred, who was still chuckling. At that moment, a thin red-haired man came through the door. Ginny sprang up as her brothers yelled happily.
"Dad!" Arthur Weasley laughed jovially as Ginny attacked him in a huge hug as his sons stood grinning behind her. Even Hermione was smiling; Mr. Weasley was a man everyone could love, whether it be for his wacky notions or kind nature. Mrs. Weasley smiled and walked over to her husband, giving him a kiss on the cheek and a turkey sandwich.
"I've made lunch, do have something before you go rushing off again," she said, shooing Ginny away from the chair she had occupied before so that he could sit down. She crossed her eyes at her Mum's back and sat on a questionable trunk next to Hermione, munching on her egg and cress sandwich happily and watching her parents carefully.
"I've just received confirmation from Dumbledore," her father was saying. "We'll get him out of there and I can take Harry to the hearing from here-"
"That's enough Arthur," Mrs. Weasley said sharply, looking round at her children and Hermione, all of whom had stopped laughing immediately to listen.
"Harry's got a hearing?" George said curiously. "Why, what'd he do?"
"It's none of your concern," his mum said, sending her husband a furious glance.
"It's not like they won't find out love," he said wearily. Angrily, she turned to try and find someone on her side, but when the only eyes she met were those too intrigued to look away she knew she was defeated, just like before with Snape and Tonks.
"Oh fine," she snapped, picking up the now empty tray and huffing out of the room. Ginny watched her dad closely as he smiled weakly and held the sandwich in his hand limply; it didn't look like he was ever going to eat it.
"So…?" Fred prompted. Ginny noticed that Hermione was clutching her dirty cleaning rag as if it were a teddy bear, and Ron had a curious look on his face. Her dad looked at Fred.
"Harry's got a hearing with the Ministry of Magic in a couple of weeks," he said, setting down the sandwich. "He used the Patronus charm on the Dementors," Fred and George looked startled at the word 'Dementors', but as Ginny had already told Ron and Hermione, their facial expressions remained the same, "…and they want to expel him from Hogwarts."
"WHAT?" Ron roared in disbelief as Hermione gasped and Ginny's eyes widened.
"Are you joking?" she asked her Dad, and he shook his head.
"But they can't!" Hermione said shrilly, making George (who was standing next to her) jump. "I'm positive there's a Decree somewhere that says life threatening situations are different…"
"Which is why I'm sure Harry will get off," Ginny's dad cut in smoothly, smiling. "Don't worry Hermione, really." Hermione didn't look completely convinced by this, but she bit her lip and didn't say anything after that.
Ginny's head was swarmed with disbelief and anger at the Ministry: first they took Percy, now Harry?!? It was bad enough that they had to make Harry out to be a raving lunatic, but to expel him from Hogwarts would be the limit. He had to get off- didn't he?
--
For three days all Hermione and Mrs. Weasley did was rant about the hearing. Ron always looked incredibly angry whenever the subject came up, making the Harry Potter Possible Expulsion rival that of the Percy Weasley Fiasco. Ginny did her best to keep going as if everything were normal, but the truth of it was that this news just made her more tense and worried than usual in Grimmauld Place. She and the twins successfully ridded a small, dingy room of the Fretwart birds nesting in the clothes shelves while Hermione and Ron did more work in the kitchen than anywhere else. Although the previous night's turkey was burnt almost beyond recognition (Ginny couldn't help but notice Ron's flaming ears as he and Hermione brought it into the dining room), they weren't doing such a bad job of it.
Ginny was in a good mood the next evening. Her mother had finally relented and let her have a lie-in, so she was rested and the bags under her eyes had decreased slightly. She slid down the now polished banister, biting her lip to stop the squeal aching to come out. Looking down at the door to the dining room, she saw Fred and George untangling long pieces of the flesh colored string they called 'Extendable Ears'.
"Hello you lot," she said from behind them, making them jump and then shush her violently.
"We want to get these under so we can hear," George informed her in hushed tones after clapping a hand to her mouth.
"Snape's in there," Fred added, smirking.
Ginny didn't want to let them know that she had heard a conversation involving Snape; it would kill all their careful planning. Instead, she nodded with feigned wide and curious eyes, prying off George's hand as she did so.
"Anyway, we-" George stopped mid-sentence.
Faraway echoes of footsteps had interrupted their whispered conversation. "Who's at the door do you reckon?" Fred asked, looking as though he was listening with all his might. Ginny shrugged as George said "Dunno mate." The twins looked down at Ginny's flaming head.
"Looks like we may have to investigate Gin," George said, tucking the Extendable Ears in his robe pocket.
"Cheers," Fred said winking, and the two of them disappeared with a 'crack'.
"Bugger," Ginny mumbled, slumping down and hugging her knees against the door. She looked behind her at it absently. "What is going on in there?" she murmured, getting on her knees and trying to peek through the keyhole. No use; it had been covered with a piece of parchment and Spellotape, no doubt by her mother.
A package of Dungbombs lay at the bottom of the staircase. "Fred and George," Ginny muttered grinning, crawling over and picking it up. A flash of a conversation with Tonks flew through her head.
"Those two are wasting their time…Molly will probably have put an Imperturbable Charm on that door. Tell you what though kid; a good flick of a Dungbomb and you'll know if it has one on it."
Ginny's grin widened as she quietly opened the package and placed a ping pong ball sized ball in her hand. Climbing a little further up the steps, she silently flicked it at the door with her fingers deftly. It soared towards the door with a tiny whistle- and then it bounced away on contact. Ginny giggled; Fred and George weren't going to be happy about that.
The hushed voices had stopped and no one was coming down, so Ginny found that flicking Dungbombs was the best way to use her time at the moment. Before long, the entire package was laying in shredded piles at the foot of the door. Ginny looked down at her hands and grimaced at the dirt that had accumulated on it. It would be so easy if only she were a legal witch…
From above her, there came the sound of a portrait's voice Ginny had come to know as Whiny William Black, a short brown haired wizard who didn't do much besides complain. "Honestly, if Madam Black were up and about she'd be appalled- harboring Harry Potter in her house? It's a scandal…and I'm thirsty!"
Ginny's heart almost stopped. Harry…here?
--
How did you like it? Review please, it's not hard, and if I don't get enough reviews I might not continue…although it is so much fun. :)
