Title: Close Your Eyes
Author: Lady Arianth
Chapter 1: Trust

"Ginny dear, hurry or we'll miss the train!" yelled an impatient Mrs. Weasley from the kitchen.

Ginny took one more glance in the mirror and frowned the girl staring back at her. Sure, Ginny had never been considered ugly. Harry constantly reminded her of how beautiful she was, but she just didn't see it. She wasn't too tall, but she wasn't short either, she had curves in all the right places, gorgeous red hair, and eyes that would entrance any living thing in sight. But there was something missing. There had been, ever since her first year and her encounter with Tom. He stole a huge part of her away… her happiness, her love, and she was afraid she'd never get it back.

"Gin-ny!" yelled her mother, disrupting her thoughts once again.

"I'm coming mum!" Ginny called as she sighed and raced down the stairs.

The trip to the station was normal and dull. Her parents going through their checklist for the fifteenth time, lest one of them forget something. She could see out of the corner of her eye that the ever-attentive Hermione had dozed off even.

The usual hustle and bustle of the station gave Ginny the chance to sneak off to her own compartment, while the Ron and Harry argued over quidditch and Hermione followed, half-asleep already. Ginny made a note to talk with her friend about this later, but right now she needed the quiet and relaxation. She found solace in a compartment towards the very back of the train and finally settled in.

She had just laid down when, all of the sudden, the door to her compartment swung open. To no surprise, it was Malfoy. She just couldn't escape him, even without the golden trio around. The surprise, however, came when she realized he was alone. He glanced awkwardly at Ginny, seemingly debating his options. Apparently he decided sharing a compartment with a muggle-loving weasel would be considerably better that his alternative, whatever that might be. Ginny closed her eyes again as Draco sat down across from her. The time passed in silence for a while, Draco somewhat admiring the little weasel. She wasn't afraid of him, that's for sure, yet she didn't offer any insults either, much unlike the older weasels.

"So, Ginny, is it?" he asked, breaking the silence between them both.

"Your name, it's Ginny, right?" Draco repeated at her questioning gaze.

Ginny shrugged, closing her eyes yet again, and muttered, "Depends on the day, and your mood, I suppose. I was getting quite attached to Weaslette, but if you rather my proper name, it is Ginevra. Anyone who's ever called me that, however, has found themselves and their entire family regretting the day they were born.

"Yes, it's Ginny," she finished, after opening her eyes and seeing his shocked expression.

Draco was amazed by her forwardness, but quickly covered for it with his trademark Malfoy smirk. There was something else about this girl; something he was sure no one else saw...something that demanded respect. She closed her eyes, once again, and Draco soon followed suit. Right before drifting off, he realized the bond that had formed between them, however silent. It was trust. They trusted each other enough to let down all of their defenses.

An hour or so later, the train came to a screeching halt, flinging them from both their dreams and their seats. Draco soon realized his awkward position on top of the girl and tried to move, but he was unable to take his eyes away from hers. Ginny could feel his heart pounding, matching her own rhythm and stirring things inside her she didn't know existed. The silence between them could be cut like a single, fragile thread. The thread was broken upon hearing her three friends screaming her name, considerably worried. Draco quickly stood up, offering his hand, and Ginny accepted without a second thought.

"Well, goodbye then," Ginny managed.

Draco seemed to come to his senses, as he sneered, "Whatever, Weasel. Get out of my sight."

She glanced at him, uncertainty in her eyes, yet all she receive was a cold stare in return. She quickly made her way out of the compartment, letting out a breath she hadn't known she was holding.

'What on earth was I thinking?!' she mentally chastised herself later that night, as she made her way to supper. She couldn't believe she was so nice to him. She was practically flirting! And for him! That Asshole! What, had the universe completely flipped?

'Who cares? The boy's pretty damn fine,' challenged her other side.

'Eww,' she thought, making face and dismissing all thoughts of the blonde from her head.

She couldn't deny it, though she tried. Deep down, there lie some attraction between them. Something she hadn't felt, even with Harry. But then again, Harry wasn't the spawn of Satan and he didn't exactly hate her either.

She gathered herself upon reaching the Great Hall and walked towards her friends, sitting down in between Harry and Neville. For some reason, she just couldn't let go of her thoughts. All she could see in her mind was his face. His eyes…

In a dark corner across the room, those same silver eyes watched as the red head took a seat amongst her friends. He felt a pang of jealousy as he saw Potter lean over and whisper something into her ear, making her smile and laugh a little. Jealousy he would have to berate himself for later.

Unbeknownst to either, another set of eyes watched closely. He sighed inwardly. It would take a lot of work to break through the walls the boy had built around himself over the years. Quite a lot. And he knew just who could do it. Eyes twinkling mischievously, he stood, and the room grew silent.

"And so begins a new age. One of trials and dangers beyond your imagination. I can only hope that I've taught you well." He closed his eyes for a moment. And if you looked closely, you'd have seen a single tear escape. No longer did they hold their spark, yet hope remained.

End of Chapter 1

Thanks to Whimsical Firefly for pointing out that Ginny's name is not Virginia.

As you can probably tell, this has not been beta'd. Have no fear, the next chapter will be!

-Arianth

Disclaimer:

I own absolutely nothing. I'd love to claim the plot, but it wouldn't even exist without our dear J.K. Rowling.

Full Summary:

"And so begins a new age…" A dark time falls upon the magical world and the muggle world alike. Powers arise and unimaginable fates are revealed as everyone struggles to keep a balance. Yet there seems no balance for Ginny, as her world flips upside down and she is asked to do one task…a simple one at that. Befriend Draco Malfoy…

Simple, right? Hah! You try it!

It contains romance, and will hopefully have some humor as well, but it's going to be angsty and full of action along the way. Did I mention it will be angsty? Lol, if you don't like dark, emotional fics, this might not be the best for you. We'll see how it turns out…