Draco spent the remainder of the train trip, which truth be told wasn't really that long, fuming over the way the Weaslette had treated him. No one walks away from a Malfoy. Malfoys were the purest, wealthiest and most respected Wizarding family in the whole of England. Hell, possibly the whole world! Now, a Weasley had just blown him off? Ginny. Little Weasley, of all people!
Ginny Weasley was happy. Happy for the first time in years. She sat in the back of an empty carriage. She had changed into her Hogwarts robes but unlike previous years when her robes were ill-fitting hand-me-downs, they were new, foreboding, midnight black robes that had silver clasps done the front. The robe hugged her body in all the right places but not too obviously and still left a lot to the imagination. Over the summer Ginny had worked at a café in Diagon Alley, which paid rather well and had in turn enabled her to buy herself some new robes, and what was under those new robes. Ginny absentmindedly played with the frayed edge of her black denim mini skirt while going over what she was going to do in her head again. Yet, she was still unsure, should she do it before the sorting feast or afterwards? Should she talk to Professor McGonagall, Dumbledore, or perhaps both of them? Would she get sorted with the first years? She didn't want that. How embarrassing would that be? Especially if she got sorted back into Gryffindor? No she wouldn't. She'd go into Slytherin, after all, Draco had said so. But what if she got sorted into Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw? This was no good and she decided that she needed to find Draco again. And with that, she walked out of her dark corner, scaring a few first years that had unwillingly strayed into her carriage.
Draco had taken off his shirt to change into his school robes, when Ginny barged into his carriage.
"Gods above! Didn't your mother teach you to knock before you enter a room?" Draco accused mockingly.
"Yes she did, but in case you've forgotten, I'm trying to distance myself from her and that bunch of Muggle-loving fools," she replied calmly, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "And that, is what I'm here to see you about. I need your help."
"Help? Help? You expect me to help you after the way you treated back there?" Draco stared at her in confusion.
"Oh that? Are you still hung up over that? Not used to the taste of your medicine? Anyway, that's not what I can here to talk about." Before Draco could butt in she continued, "Like I said, I need your help, with the re-sorting rule. I need to know how to go about it. Who should I talk to? When should I talk to them? What should I say to them? What will -"
"Woo - hold up there, little missy," said Draco with his trademark smirk.
"How dare you? You sit there smirking when I'm about to make to biggest change to my life, ever." Ginny began to pace around the carriage.
Draco rolled his eyes. "It's all taken care of. You've nothing to worry about."
Ginny stopped dead in her tracks. "What do you mean 'it's all taken care of'? I haven't done a thing and no one but you knows I'm even thinking this."
"I took care of it. I knew what you were planning to do. So I took the liberty of sending an owl to Professor Dumbledore and arranged for you to be re-sorted as soon as we get to the castle. As I'm Head Boy, I'll escort you to the Headmasters office and from there, well, I guess you can work it out," Draco answered nonchalantly.
"How dare you! You, you -"
"Now, now Red, you don't mind if I call you that, do you?" Ginny shook her head. "Good, now just sit down and relax. After all, we'll be at Hogwarts soon and you'll need all your energy." Ginny sat down slowly and closed her eyes as Draco finished changing into his school robes. "Nice robes by the way. New?" Draco asked. Ginny just nodded her head, keeping her eyes closed. Draco then sat down opposite her and they spent the remainder of the trip in a comfortable silence.
The train pulled up to the station at Hogsmeade and Draco and Ginny hurried off the train to the first carriage they could find. They luckily managed to avoid the Dream Team, neither of them willing to explain what they were doing with the other. They reached the castle before the others and Draco quickly ushered Ginny to the Headmaster's office.
"Humbugs," Draco muttered as they reached the stone gargoyle that guarded the Headmaster's office. When Draco and Ginny had reached the top of the staircase they were very surprised to see Dumbledore standing there, seemingly awaiting their arrival.
"Ah, Miss Weasley, come in and take a seat. Mr. Malfoy, thank you, your help has been most gracious, you may leave now." As Draco was turning to leave, Ginny spoke up.
"Actually Professor, I'd rather like Draco to stay." Dumbledore looked at Ginny then smiled, "Ok then, Mr. Malfoy you may stay. Humbug anyone?"
"No thanks," Draco muttered seating himself in an armchair.
"I'm right, thankyou, Professor." Ginny twisted her hands anxiously.
"Right then. Mr. Malfoy here, informs me that you wish to be re-sorted? Is this correct Miss Weasley?" Dumbledore began.
"It is indeed, sir." Ginny nodded.
"Are there any particular reasons for this unexpected change of mind? Anything I should know about?" the headmaster pressed on.
Ginny shook her head. "I have my reasons. That is all you need to know."
"Very well then. I take it you understand the risks, but I will go over them once more for you. You do know that the House the Sorting Hat chooses for you is final. It cannot be undone. If the Hat chooses to put you back into Gryffindor, you must return to your old dormitory. The House the Hat chooses to put you in is the House you will belong to for the rest of your school career. You may, of course, continue any friendships you have if you so wish. But I must stress, this cannot be undone no matter how unhappy you may become. Do you understand Miss Weasley?" Dumbledore's eyes never once left her face.
Ginny faltered for a moment. She shot a quick look at Draco, who nodded, before she replied. "Yes Professor, I understand."
"All right then, sit over here." Ginny did as she was instructed and felt the Hat being placed on her head. Suddenly a voice began to mutter inside her head.
"Ah… back again I see. Don't think you're suited to your house. Let me see… your brave, yes, brave a very Gryffindor like quality, but yes, yes, your also cunning, strong-minded, inventive. A RULE BREAKER, I SEE! To top it all off, you think like a pureblood… You'd do well in SLYTHERIN!"
Ginny took in a deep breath in. Slytherin. Slytherin. She had just been resorted into Slytherin. She felt like jumping for joy. She could just imagine the look on her brothers' face when she told him. Just as the Headmaster was taking the Hat off her head there was a sharp knock at the door.
"Come in." The Headmaster replied
"The Hat," Professor McGonagall started, "I need it for the ceremony."
"Why of course. I was just resorting Miss Weasley. Here you go."
McGonagall did a double take, staring first at the headmaster before turning her gaze to Ginny, then back again. "Resorting you say?"
"Yes." Dumbledore nodded slowly.
"And do tell, what House was she resorted into?" The Professor asked uneasily.
Dumbledore smiled. "Why Slytherin. She'll do well there, I hope."
"Yes, yes. Well Miss Weasley, I do say it's regretful to not have you joining the Gryffindor ranks once again this year, but I do wish you the best of luck with your new House. You'll be needing it," McGonagall added softly before taking the Sorting Hat from the Headmaster and leaving the room. Ginevra looked at Draco before breaking into a grin. This was going to be a very interesting year indeed.