A/N: Just as a warning, I tend to overindulge in Regency romance and have thus appropriated the Wizarding World for my own purposes. Shameless plug Examples of this can be found in my stories at Pureblood. I also made Romilda Vane a year older.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, 1998
Ginny smoothed back a silky strand of flame-colored hair as she and her dear friend Romilda Vane prepared to climb into the Thestral driven carriage that would take them away from Hogwarts. Just a few short hours before, the graduation ceremony had finally come to an end, and Miss Weasley was at last able to leave behind the dark, lonely corridors and take her place as governess at Zabini House.
The last two years at school had not been happy ones for the youngest Weasley, as none of her brothers attended any longer, nor did Hermione Granger or Harry Potter. Harry Potter… The familiar nettles of disappointment stung at her heart as she dwelt on the loss of her first love. The gallant hero of the Second War had seduced her one night after a Qudditch match and wasted no time abandoning her to search for the Horcruxes with her late brother and of course Miss Granger. He was married to her now, to the same woman who had jilted her brother and forced him to go on that final dangerous mission alone. Evil bitch, thought Ginny, who had stayed in school for the whole of the war. Though she had been active in opposing the Dark Lord at first, the humiliation of being ruined by Harry Potter had taken its toll. Gryffindor passion, allegiance to Dumbledore's memory, and the Order of the Phoenix had become alien to her, and she had spent her last years at school trying to escape her family's "blood traitor" status.
"Now ladies." Professor McGonagall stopped short in front of them, drawing herself up to an impressive height and straightening her spine so stiffly that she seemed to be in a Full Body Bind. "As you leave Hogwarts, it is prudent that you each reflect upon the education that we have given you here. I shall now bestow upon you this book, which contains stories of true Gryffindors and their heroism. It is my sincerest hope that these tales will inspire you, my dear," she continued fondly, smiling down at Romilda. "You show great promise as a witch." Handing her a thin volume bound in red leather and inlaid with gilt lettering, Minerva embraced her like a daughter.
When Romilda had climbed into the coach, the Head of Gryffindor turned to go. With a wily smile, Ginny called out:
"Oh, Professor McGonagall! Don't I get my Tales of Gryffindor?"
"Oh…Ginny," she said hesitantly. "Well, I suppose so." Drawing another book from the folds of her robe, the woman grudgingly handed it over. "I do hope you will remember your origins, Miss Weasley."
Grinning saucily, Ginny climbed into the carriage across from Romilda, who was already halfway through the first legend. The Thestrals began to beat their unseen wings, slowly lifting the vehicle from the ground and moving off toward the gate. Before they had gone too far from their former Head of House, however, Ginny pushed aside the velvet curtain covering the window and sent her book flying out the window to land at McGonagall's feet.
With a devilish laugh, she turned back to Romilda who regarded her with a mix of horror and admiration. "How glad am I to be away from that bloody place. All those idiots spouting pious speeches about the importance of mixing wizard blood. To hear them, one would think it was a shameful thing to be pureblood. Even my ragged family goes on at ridiculous length. Bill marries a girl who's half Veela, my youngest brother dies engaged to a Mudblood, for Merlin's sake. Gods above, if this continues, noble and ancient wizard blood will be nothing but a memory."
"Oh Ginny, you're so wicked," sighed Romilda. "It would break your mother's heart to hear you say such things."
"Well, as I've not seen her in a year, I don't think it much of a problem."
"Has it been a year?" Miss Vane asked in surprise. "By Hecate, how very sad."
"It's no matter," said Ginny brightly, "seeing as how I've got the job with the Zabinis and all. To think, I'll be a governess in a wealthy pureblood home, proper purebloods, not blood traitors. Surely I shall catch the eye of some dashing society wizard."
Romilda giggled. "Oh, undoubtedly. You were always so popular with the boys until…" She trailed off, embarrassed. "At any rate, I'm certain you shall find a man as lovely as my Seamus."
"I certainly hope so. There are scores of men far richer than Harry bloody Potter, and most of them aren't half-bloods. Gods, if Charlie should marry that Muggle girl he's been courting…And the twins, well, Merlin knows they're a bit 'festive'…I may be the only one in our family to carry on the pureblood lines."
Romilda merely stared out the window, weary of all Ginny's conservative talk. Though the war was well over, and Voldemort had lain in his grave for nearly a year, the Wizarding World was no closer to solving their dispute over blood purity. Toward the end of the war, after Rufus Scrimgeour had gotten himself killed in a battle with none other than Lucius Malfoy, the Death Eaters had seized the Ministry and had once again become the ruling class. In effect, the Dark Lord had accomplished all his aims, save his own immortality. Malfoy was Minister of Magic, his faithful minions headed the departments, and her father had kept his job only because he was unpolluted in blood.
Azkaban, once again guarded by the Dementors, held a number of war criminals: Remus Lupin, Mundungus Fletcher, Alastor Moody, and Nymphadora Tonks among them. Some members of the Order had been spared, Potter for example, for the Death Eaters were secretly glad of the Dark Lord's demise. No longer had they a cruel master who would torture them into submission, nay rather they occupied the whole of the Wizengamot. Muggle-borns were forced into menial jobs, and half-bloods, along with blood traitors, fared little better. Arthur Weasley had been exceedingly lucky indeed in keeping his job at the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office.
"Dear Ginny," said Romilda at last, "you must make every effort to write to me often. I shall miss you so."
"Of course!" exclaimed Miss Weasley. "You've been my only friend at Hogwarts these two years with so many of us gone after the war. And naturally I shall be at your wedding to Seamus."
"You are coming along to my parents' for dinner this eve, are you not?"
"Certainly! I've instructed the driver to take us straight there. I shan't stay long, however. I'm quite eager to begin at Zabini House. Do you know that Mrs. Zabini has been married seven times?"
"Seven! That's beyond scandalous! How do you know that?"
"Blaise was acquainted with Professor Slughorn in our fifth year for that very reason. Apparently she is quite beautiful, though a bit given to flights of fancy. Mr. Zabini, though, is quite religious I hear. The whole of his house is like a shrine to the gods. Their son, however, I do not think much of. I spoke with him at length on the train that year and loathed him at sight."
"Ah, yes, that was the time he called you a filthy little blood traitor," added Romilda gently.
"Was it?" Miss Ginny gave a humorless bark of laughter. "I was called a blood traitor so often that it all runs together. If I had a Knut for every time I've been sneered at by the Slytherin ilk, I should be a very rich woman indeed. But never mind about that now. In time I shall be plenty wealthy."
"So, Miss Weasley, your mother is a Prewett, is she not?"
"Yes, Madam Vane." Ginny gave a sanguine smile as she delicately lifted a forkful of capon to her mouth.
"Her brothers were members of the Order? Fabian and Gideon? 'Twas quite sad when they died fighting Dolohov and his company." Placing aside his copy of The Daily Prophet, Sallustius Vane finally spoke and took a sip of red currant rum.
"Indeed, sir," agreed Ginny, though the event had occurred many years before her birth. "But they did fight on the losing side after all. The well of pity cannot run too terribly deep."
Mr. Vane threw back his head with great mirth. "Upon my word, Romilda, you've brought home the cleverest of young ladies. By the cauldron of Paracelsus, Miss Weasley, you are a delightful creature!"
"Oh, Mr. Vane, you do flatter me," Ginny returned coyly with a marked lowering of her eyelashes. Though Miss Ginevra had resolved to be charming, she found it a waste of her time, on the whole, to be dining in the home of Gryffindors. However, the Vanes were quite rich, a result of trade in cauldrons, and therefore a rung upon the social ladder not to be ignored. Romilda was a dear companion, besides, and Ginny knew well that one must make sacrifices for one's friends.
"You have employment, I hear," said Attia Vane abruptly.
"Yes indeed. I shall be working as a governess at Zabini House. Mr. and Mrs. Zabini have two young daughters who have yet to begin at Hogwarts. I shall be teaching them in French, Charms, Latin, and perhaps a bit of Transfiguration."
"Ginny's a brilliant witch. Her Bat Bogey Hex got her into the Slug Club our fifth year!" praised Romilda enthusiastically.
Mrs. Vane seemed a bit shocked, but her husband said merely, "Ah, the Slug Club. Quite an exclusive group, that was."
"Quite." Ginny smirked, not thinking it prudent to mention that not even Draco Malfoy had been admitted. "Though I am rather relieved to put it all behind me. The war is over, and it's past time to move on."
After the Madeira was consumed, the ladies retired to the sitting room until Miss Ginny excused herself to her bedchamber. The following morning, she and Miss Vane parted ways until the latter's wedding day.