Authors Note: If I've said it once I must've said it a bazillion times, NO I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER!!! Im sooo above that… ok maybe not cuz im not even coming up with my own characters or settings im just using hers with my own plot so I guess im NOT above nething… ok ima quit while im ahead ok??? Ok
Out of this world
Chapter 3: Back Again
Ginny sighed as the Hogwarts Express screeched to a stop in Hogsmeade station. This year was going to be just like every year, she knew it. The only good thing was that she didn't have O.W.L.'s or N.E.W.T's to worry about. In fact she had done outstanding on her O.W.L.'s the previous year. Her mum had been so proud she'd bought Ginny a kitten of her own. She had named it Hecate because it was a hellish creature. Already several of Ginny's regular clothes had holes in them from stray claws.
At this moment, Hecate scrambled around Ginny's ankles, finally awake after sleeping the entire train ride on her trunk. The black little ball of fluff seemed to enjoy trying to hold on to Ginny's robes as she walked, which was rather entertaining to passerby and rather unnerving to Ginny herself. She reached down and scooped the kitten up cradling it in her arms.
As Ginny hopped off the train, Hecate pawing through her hair, she heard Hagrid's familiar voice ring out over the racket. Calling the first years over to him so he could lead the across the lake as tradition dictated.
"Firs' years over here! Firs Years!"
Ginny smiled as the memory of her crossing, it hardly seemed as terrifying now as it had been the night she had done it. The highlight of the trip across the school lake had been when a year-mate of hers, Colin Creevey, had fallen into the lake and been pushed back out by the giant squid that lurked in its dark depths. The memory was one of the fonder that Virginia had stored up over the past 5 years. For the most part Ginny had hated being in her brothers shadows and consequently never really enjoyed school as much as she could have.
"Firs' years! Al' righ' there Harry?" Ginny heard Hagrid's husky voice echo over the landing. Of course Hagrid would say hello to "The Boy Who Lived" and not to the girl who had at one point been used by Voldemort himself. No it would seem obvious that Harry would get the hello and not her.
Ginny sulked all the way over to the carriages that would bring her up to the school. When she looked around she was shocked to realize that all but 1 had already left. She walked over to it and hopped in, only to find herself sitting across from Draco Malfoy. As she sat down and arranged her robes, Ginny couldn't help but notice that the pale grey eyes hidden beneath strands of his platinum blonde hair were upon her.
Hecate was still pawing at Ginny's hair, straightening it with her fine claws, when she realized there was some one else in the carriage. Immediately the bright blue eyes focused on the person sitting across from her. Ginny watched as Hecate cocked her head to the left questioningly and then hop onto Draco's lap. A surprised Draco looked down at a black kitten, barely the size of his hand, curling itself into a ball on his knee and purring very loudly.
"New pet?" he asked in a soft tone so as not to disturb the sleeping cat.
"Yea, my mother got her for me over the summer for getting 10 O.W.L.'s this year." She replied, slightly taken aback by the lack of hostility in Draco's voice.
"She's sweet. What's her name?"
"I actually decided to call her Hecate. It seems to fit her well, she is a rather evil little kitten." Ginny laughed as Hecate lifted her head and glared at her as if to say 'Quit that you're ruining my act!'
The carriage ride up to the school was actually a rather pleasant one as she and Malfoy didn't exchange any hostility towards one another and just enjoyed each others company. Ginny was almost sad to hop out of the carriage and head inside, Hecate staring out of the top of one of the pockets in her robe. She walked into the Great Hall and smiled slightly as she saw the familiar lights and decorations.
Over at the Gryffindor table, Seamus Finnegan waved her over to a seat next to him. They had gone out last year and when things hadn't worked out between them they had remained friends. Virginia smiled and went to sit down. Seamus was probably one of her only true friends at Hogwarts. She was sure the other friends she had didn't really care about her, but she never doubted Seamus.
She looked up at the Head Table and tried to see who the new teacher was. Ginny's eyes scanned the table for someone she didn't recognize but didn't seen anyone new.
"Hey Seamus, who's the new D.A.D.A. teacher for this year? I don't see anyone new up there." She said looking at her sandy haired friend with a slight grin.
"I would have thought you to notice straight off. Lupin is back!" he replied grinning back at her.
Virginia gasped. Remus Lupin had always been her favorite Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. He was the only one (next to Moody who turned out to not even be who she thought he was) that had actually taught the classes something worthwhile. When he had left after people found out about his wolfish characteristics, Ginny had been exceedingly upset over it. Now she was just overjoyed.
The main door opened to the Great Hall and Professor McGonagall strode in with a long line of first years following her timidly. Each had a varied expression of fear traced across their faces. Ginny laughed as she watched one of them trip and stumble into the girl in front of him. It was like dominoes, the second the first fell all the rest went down one after another. The Hall erupted into gales of laughter as the boy stood up burning bright red. McGonagall's lips were pursed in obvious frustration as she waited for the hall to calm down.
After all the first years were sorted, and Dumbledore had given the beginning of the year speech, the plates filled with food in front of them all. Hecate climbed onto the table and shared a plate with Ginny while Seamus and Colin, who had come to sit next to her, told Ginny about their summers.
"Yeah so Ireland was alright I suppose. Me mum was driving me up a wall with all the chores she wanted me to do though. I almost screamed!" exclaimed Seamus.
"My summer was great. I helped my dad on his milk rounds and got to hang out with a lot of my muggle friends. What about you Gin, how was your summer?"
"It wasn't anything spectacular. I'm just glad to be back here for a while. Mum was getting to me! I hate being the 'baby' of the family!" Ginny sighed into her plate and looked up to see Draco staring at her from across the hall. She gave him eye for eye for about 2 minutes until she blinked and he looked away. She idly wondered what he was staring at.
It felt like hours until Dumbledore told them all to go upstairs and get to bed. Virginia's eyes felt weighted with exhaustion as she made her way up to the common room. The black cat was nestled against Ginny in her arms, fast asleep. Utter exhaustion was drowning Ginny as she fought the urge to just go to sleep on the stairs. As soon as her head hit the pillow in her dorm, Ginny was out like a light, the small kitten curled up next to her.
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A/N: ok so I gave her a cat… what can I say I felt bad for her, she seemed so lonely… As for Draco, why do YOU think he was staring at Ginny so intently??? Bet I can answer that!!! Review lots ok?? I wanna know if you people like my story, and yes I kno its not really R rated right now, but it will be… soon… and I don't wanna hafta trouble myself by having to re-rate it later on… newayz, luv yas lots R/R!!! byez!!! Oh and if ne fellow hp fanfic'rs recognize parts of their stories in mine, its cuz I really liked ur story and thought it would work well with mine… like the cat… so im sry for borrowing the IDEAS, but I did work with them to make them more my own so we cool??? thanx