Chapter 1:
Simple Things That Start It All
Cheers rise up and thunderous joy fills the Burrow. Everyone rambles on, most at the same time, unable to contain this happiness overwhelming them.
"I'm so proud of you Ron and Harry! We now have two aurors in our family!" Molly Weasley squeals. The two had just received their acceptance letters this morning and tonight's their celebration dinner. Of course, they aren't professional aurors yet, the letter's more of an acceptance into training, but it was close enough for Molly Weasley and her family.
Only the youngest Weasley is sitting by herself, her face smeared with a fake happiness as an attempt to hide her gloom. It isn't that she's not happy for them. I mean, it's her brother and her boyfriend of six months; of course she's happy for them. It's just that they're not listening to her. Acting as if she didn't exist. If she tried to talk to talk to anyone, her parents, her brothers, and even Harry, they would get distracted, forgetting they were even talking to her. And Ginny Weasley does not like being ignored.
Closing her chocolate brown eyes in an attempt to calm down, Ginny's fingertips begin to tingle. Scrunching her hands into fists only causes excruciating pain. Flames bloom in her byes when she opens up her fists, attempting to make the painful tingling cease. From the bottom of her hand to her fingertips, the irritation's sucked out. Ginny just sits there, not glancing up, nursing her hands.
Shrieks ring out, causing Ginny to jump, being broken out of her reverie in the process. Ginny looks up, only to let out a shocked scream. Everyone else fumbles with their wands while Ginny just sits there, paralyzed in her wooden chair. Her only thoughts are 'Was that me? How did it start? I didn't hear someone start it.'
Before anyone is able to put the fire out, Ginny, without a second thought, shouts, in her thoughts, 'Stop! Go out!'.
The burning flames flicker and stop their growing into a huge fire. In a puff of smoke the fire dies, leaving the table appearing as if it has never been touched by flames.
"What just happened?"
"What the heck?"
"Were we imagining it?"
"Who put it out?"
"Who started it?"
"Bloody hell! It doesn't even look like it was burning!"
More anxious chatter is spoken, everyone at once. You can easily reach your hand up and touch the tangible shock weaving its way throughout the burrow.
Tired of everyone shouting at each other, Molly yells, "Everyone! Shush!"
Mouths clamp shut and all eyes turn to face Molly Weasley.
"Thank you," Molly nods, "I know none of us know what happened just now, but you all need to calm down. Everyone should get to bed now since we're going to Diagon Alley tomorrow morning."
The group nods and wanders to their rooms, as if they're zombies with no control over their own movement. Ginny follows behind her brothers Bill, Charlie, Percy (who has recently accepted them as a family again), Fred, George, and Ron, and her boyfriend, Harry. Ginny flops on her bed, listening to it creaking underneath her. Relieved that Hermione isn't here since she can have her own room, Ginny drifts into the land of her thoughts.
'What just happened? Was that me?' Ginny thinks, gazing at her no longer trembling hands. 'It couldn't have been me…I didn't have my wand out…but no one else did either…'
With these thoughts pounding themselves in her head, Ginny floats into a restless and dreamless sleep.
The Next Morning
Birds chirp and the morning dew shines, welcoming the yellow orange sun in their own way. Sunbeams illuminating Ginny's room is not her favorite wake up call. Actually, she doesn't like any wake up calls, but that's beside the point. Letting a small moan escape her lips, she stretches and manages to climb out of bed, slowly, but surely.
"Ginny! We're leaving for Diagon Alley in a couple of hours! You better be up!" Molly shouts. It isn't really necessary for Molly to shout, seeing as how she's standing right outside Ginny's bedroom door.
Inwardly, Ginny groans. 'Great. Another day to celebrate Ron and Harry's successes and forget me.' But, of course, Ginny can't voice this opinion. "I'm up Mum."
"Good." Molly says before moving on to the next room.
Ginny hurries to the bathroom, know if she doesn't get there first, she will never be able to take a shower. Running into the bathroom, Ginny swiftly shuts the door in Ron's face before he could get in the bathroom.
"Ginny! I was about to go in there!" Ron complains.
"So?" Ginny giggles as Ron storms off in a huff.
Stepping into the shower, she turns the water to an almost boiling temperature. Hot is so much better then cold in her book. Closing her eyes, she lets the hot water run over her. She releases a contented sight and begins to wash up. She's soon finished and wraps a white towel around her form, its softness a comfort to her. Ginny skips to her room, in the process ignoring her brother's comments, of "Finally!" and other complaints.
After performing a quick drying spell on her hair (since she's going into her seventh year, Ginny can do magic outside of school. A definite blessing.) Ginny grabs some clothes out of her closet. She pulls on some blue jean shorts and a short sleeve shirt then puts a torn-up emerald green robe over them. Then, Ginny runs a brush through her red hair, allowing it to cascade to her waist and she pulls it back into a half ponytail.
The aroma of blueberry pancakes drifts into Ginny's nose and a wide smile spreads across her face.
"Yes! Pancakes!" With that, Ginny practically runs to the kitchen.
After everyone's eaten and showered the Weasley's (plus Harry) apparate to Diagon Alley.
Ginny can't help but smile at the normalcy of everything in the alley. People milling around the streets, store owners trying to advertise their 'better' products, and of course, different types of animals squawking. It seems that she's a part of the normalcy as well, since no one can read her confusion since it's not being shown outwardly. Each member of the Weasley family bustles off to do their own thing (most of them went with Mrs. Weasley to help her choose something for Ron and Harry), leaving Ginny Weasley by herself. Ginny shrugs and begins to wander around.
Sitting in a small corner, almost completely hidden by stores beside is, is a tiny shop. Made of gray stone with arched stain glass windows by the old oak door, it's an odd site next to the more modern stores. Above the door hangs a wooden sign. Inscribed on it is something in a different language, but Ginny can read it with ease. Welcome Elementalists of All Clans.
"I've never seen this shop before," Ginny whispers to herself, pushing open the door. It lets out a loud creak that almost sounds like a low groan.
It's a cozy little place with its jade green carpet and its walls painted a sea blue. Hanging from the ceiling are different colored beads. Some are different shades of purple, some are different shades of blue, some are different shades of green, and some are different shades of red. Beautiful paintings, pottery, clothing, and sculptures fill the shop, but what draws Ginny's eye is not any of those. On one of the shelves is a collection of jewelry, and as she nears them, every stone on them becomes fiery red. Ginny picks up a simple silver ring with a stone on it in the shape of a heart. Placing it on her finger, she studies it with a small smile.
"Beautiful craftwork isn't it?" Shrieking, Ginny quickly puts the ring back where it belongs.
In front of Ginny is an ancient lady with huge glasses that cover half her face, and gray hair pulled back in a high bun. She dons a lavender dress that reaches the floor and a multi-color shawl. The sight would've been hilarious, but since the lady's height barely reaches Ginny's waist, it isn't. Before Ginny can say anything the lady speaks again, "To what do I owe this visit One of Fire?"
"Huh?" Is all Ginny can manage. 'One of Fire? Why is she calling me that?'
Curtsying low, the lady hands Ginny a scroll. "This belongs to you, but don't let your family see it. Good luck, my dear One of Fire."
"Wha?" Ginny cocks her head to the side, more confused then ever.
"No time for idle chitchat, your family's looking for you. Remember do NOT mention this to them. And come back to visit me sometime." With that the lady basically shoves Ginny out the door.
She barely had a chance to shove the scroll in her robe pocket, before her mother came running up to her, "Ginerva Weasley! Don't go running off like that ever again! We looked everywhere for you!"
"Sorry Mum," Ginny mumbles, looking at her shoes. 'Why can't Mum ever realize that I'm not a little kid anymore?'
"Now let's go home. Everyone else has already apparated home."
Ginny nodded, and with the signature pop, apparated.
A/N: This is the first chapter of my Remus/Ginny novel. Remus doesn't make an appearance yet though. Just read and tell me what you think…it's needs a bit of fine tuning, polishing, and of course editing. Constructive criticism is wanted. And if someone want to be my beta reader, it'd be much helpful.