The journey to Grimmauld Place had been exhausting. They could not ask the Ministry for cars so they had all been crammed into one ordinary people mover. All of them. In a space that small. Including Fred and George. Her mother had placed her between Fred and George in a vain attempt to stop them destroying the car or anything else. All this had done was make sure she took the brunt of any pranks.

Just outside London they had 'accidentally' let off several Fillibuster's fireworks leaving her with considerably less skin and hair. They had then tried to cheer her up by dropping Bounce Bombs out the window to blow up behind the car. The look on her Dad's face as the Muggle motorists yelled and swerved had been priceless. When they were nearing Grimmauld Place they had let off a Dungbomb. This really was an accident as neither of the twins had a burning desire to suffocate and as they pulled up everyone jumped out of the car choking and swearing; staggering over the grass.

"I take it you didn't find the journey boring then." said a composed Dumbledore with a twinkle in his eye.

"Dumbledore!" gasped Molly "We didn't know you would be here"

"Well I have to be" he said handing out slips of paper. "Ta" he said and disappeared with a small pop. Ginny read it and looked up as a house appeared; she smiled realizes Dumbledore must be the secret keeper for the headquarters.

They all walked to the door and Arthur rang the bell loudly.

"TRAITORS! FILTH OF MY BLOOD. YOU DIGUST ME!" they took a synchronized step back in shock. There was a banging inside and more yelling before a slat opened in the door. Mad Eye Moody looked out at them suspiciously.

'Hullo' he said loudly over the continued screaming. 'you're going to have to help me with the door. It sticks.' They all pushed at the door as Moody pulled and eventually with a protesting screech the door swung open and they all collapsed over the threshold.

'Yes well we really must get that fixed.' growled Moody. He eased himself out from the space between door and wall and strode over to the screeching portrait. He pulled the curtains shut with a snap and turned as a tall dark-haired man came striding down the hall.

'Hullo all' he said pulling Ron to his feet so the others could get up.

'Sirius' sighed Ron in relief 'I was wondering where you were'

'Well' said Mrs Weasley pulling herself up 'that was an interesting start.'

'I'm afraid it won't get any better.' said Sirius moodily 'The house is a mess. Me and Moody have cleared the kitchen and a few bedrooms but that's it.'

'Well' said Mrs Weasley briskly a manic glint in her eye Ginny knew all too well ' at least we won't be bored'

Everyone started to move towards the kitchen but Ginny just lay where she landed contemplating her new, shiny future as a cleaner. She stared at the ceiling and groaned, then a shaggy head moved into her line of vision and she jumped.

'You need a hand' Sirius growled at her. He had a low voice that was gravelly from disuse.

'No I think I'll just stay here thanks. They're only gonna talk about 'The Situation' in low, tense voices while Ron falls asleep and Fred and George plan something devious.'

'Yes, but they'll be food' he said eyes twinkling. Her eyes brightened and she got up.

'Lead the way' she said and he laughed.

Ginny was right about the conversation over dinner; they discussed 'The House', 'The Situation' and various other subjects needing capital letters and The's. Her attention wandered. She knew nothing important would be discussed in front of 'The Children'. Her eyes wandered over the kitchen, it obviously belonged in a dark wizard's house. The lighting was poor but the fire made it warm. Her eyes drifted over Mad Eye. She had spent many DADA lessons just looking at that face, you could watch it for hours and she had. She studied the broken, mangled nose and the deeply scarred eye socket with its madly whirling eye. Suddenly the eye stopped spinning and came to rest on her. It winked and she smiled. Mad Eye had always liked her because he generally mistook her in depth study of his face for the constant vigilance he was so fond of.

She looked away from him and turned her attention to the man across from her. Sirius Black the escaped convict was sitting two foot from her. She smiled inwardly. It wasn't every day you had dinner with an Azkaban escapee. He had finished his meal long ago and was glaring at his glass.

'If you stare any harder it'll shatter you know' she commented. He looked up surprised and grinned.

'Actually I was trying to turn it into firewhiskey' he joked.

'There's a bottle on the shelf y'know' she said gesturing.

'Ah but then people would know' I grinned back and he returned his attention to the other adults. He was soon looking depressed again. That was what happened if you listened to them she thought they depress you. She looked away from them and studied the table. It was deeply marked with burns and scars and looked like it had an interesting history. She stroked a hand over it and leaned closer. Her mother, mistaking this as a gesture of extreme tiredness meant to be read as an invitation for being sent to bed, said

'Ginny dear you should have been in bed hours ago' she looked around and noticed Ron, Fred and George were already asleep and looked at her watch. 'Well actually it's way past any of our bed times. We should all go up. Sirius if you would be so kind?

Sirius led them up the main staircase and dropped the off one by one at their rooms. As they walked through the hallways Ginny noticed that may of the rooms were still locked and strange noises came from behind some of them. Ron was dropped off yawning on the first floor and Fred and George on the second. Molly, Arthur and Mad Eye were on the third. Sirius led Ginny up to the forth floor where the staircase ended.

'Be very quiet' he said turning to her and whispering 'we don't want to wake anything up. This is the floor where we're bringing all the most dangerous or unpleasant things we find.'

'And that includes me?' she whispered. He chuckled.

'No. Your mother said you wanted a room of your own if at all possible so you're in the attic. It's very small but you won't have to share.'

'This place is huge' marveled Ginny as the corridor just kept going.

' The Most Noble House of Black' he sneered 'parts were for servants though. Like the kitchen we ate in; that never would have been visited by the family. Its all very old-fashioned.' They reached the end of the corridor and Sirius opened a door made to look like paneling. Inside was a tiny wooden staircase.

'This is the way to the servant's quarters. I personally prefer them to the rest of the house' he said voice rising as they climbed away from the fourth floor. He led her up onto a narrow landing through a trapdoor with a protective covering of cobwebs. 'Won't be catching Ron up here then' thought Ginny. Sirius led her into a small clean dry room and lit a candle with his wand. Then he moved to the door saying

'Sleep well Ginny'

'Night Sirius' she said and heard the door click.