Chapter 1 - Tout je Rêve d'est un Ami
"So?" her mum pressed. "What will it be?"
"What do you mean?" Ginny said, confusedly staring at the shiny badge on her bed.
"Your gift!" her mother exclaimed, clapping her hands together in excitement. "For becoming a prefect! Percy got an owl, and Ron got a broom, so what are you going to have?"
"You mean it?" said Ginny, gaping at her. When her mom nodded, she squealed with happiness, hugging her mother around the middle, her heart rising in her throat.
"Well?" Molly said.
Ginny paused. There was something that she did want – over everything else.
A friend.
Yes, she did have friends at school, but they weren't close like the trio was. She wanted someone she could talk to confidentially, to share secrets with and to
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"I'll be in Flourish and Blotts – meet me at the Ice Cream parlor in a half an hour!
Ginny waved as her mother disappeared into the crowd, a flash of red standing out among the brown and blond heads.
She made her way into the cramped (and smelly) pet shop, where dozen of cages were shoved onto wooden shelves and benches. She made her way to the back of the shop where the baby owls were kept. She looked inside the cage and saw what looked like little fur balls practically bouncing with excitement when they saw Ginny peering in at them.
She reached inside and pulled out a small brown one, which purred like a motor when she stroked it.
"Hello, sweetie," Ginny cooed. "Would you like to come home with me?"
An odd, squealing noise came out of the tiny owl's beak, and Ginny took that as a yes. She made her way over to the counter, holding the owl and pulling galleons out of her cloak.
"Can I be of assistance, dearie?" said the old witch behind the counter, examining her closely through thick glasses.
"Yes," said Ginny. "I would like to purchase this owl."
The witch nodded slowly and held out a wrinkled, slightly shaking hand. "A beauty, she is. That'll be three galleons, but for 4 you get a cage and food."
Ginny handed her the gold coins and placed her new pet inside the silvery bars of the portable cage, gazing at it happily. She hooted ecstatically, hopping around in her new home.
Ginny looked at her watch and yelped, scrambling for her bags to meet her mother for ice cream. She ran down the cobblestone streets, one hand holding the owl cage and the other holding on to her hat to keep it from flying off.
"Ginny!" her mother called. "What took you so long?"
"Lost track of time," panted Ginny, clutching a stitch in her side.
"Oh! You got an owl!" said her mum, seeing her gift. "What is her name?"
"Aladra," said Ginny fondly, "And she's only 5 months old!"
"What a cute owl!" said Mrs. Weasley, holding it in her hand.
"Mum," said Ginny quickly, "I wouldn't do that if I were you – "
A dripping noise cut her off as Ginny looked at her mum, half apologetic, half laughing.
"She's not – er – potty trained," said Ginny weakly.
They both looked at each other for a second before they burst out laughing.
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"FRED AND GEORGE WEASLEY!" Mrs. Weasley bellowed. "YOU GET BACK DOWN HERE THIS INSTANT – "
A loud explosion shook the walls as two identical red heads bounded down the stairs, looking ashamed and covered in soot and ash. Mrs. Weasley swelled like a bullfrog as she shouted at them. Ginny grinned. Music to her ears.
".....IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY! WHAT A FINE EXAMPLE TO SET FOR YOUR DAUGHTER, FRED! AND YOU, GEORGE – WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE TAUGHT YOUR SON TODAY? HOW TO MAKE THINGS EXPLODE?"
The twins winced as the walls shook again, this time not from chemical combination.
Mrs. Weasley seemed to calm down a bit, but was still liable to breathe fire. "You two," she hollered at them. "The garden needs de-gnoming again. Ginny, you can help them."
"Can we help?"
A male voice entered the room, spoken from a dark haired boy of 17. A red headed boy and brown haired girl followed him.
"Are you sure, Harry?" said Mrs. Weasley, looking uncertain. "It's not exactly the best job in the world."
Harry grinned, and Ginny tried to remember why she didn't like him anymore. "Anything Weasley is first class," he said, and Mrs. Weasley blushed redder than a tomato.
"All right, then," she said, giggling. "I'll make some mashed potatoes, and corn, and cabbage, and treacle tart..."
She bustled around, tapping things with her wand and muttering. Harry and Ginny followed Fred and George outside and began the set task. The air was soon thick with flying gnomes.
"Nice one, Ginny," said George. "But I bet I can get mine past that stump."
Harry laughed, throwing three or four gnomes at the same time. "You couldn't get it past that that tree!"
George waggled his eyebrows at them, making Ginny giggle. "Oh, you'd be surprised what I can do Mr. Potter," he said, grabbing a gnome and tossing it high into the air. It flew fifteen feet high, and fell down hard on the ground five feet away from where it started.
Harry sniggered.
"Pitiful."
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A:N:There's my first chappie! Future happenings include more Draco/Ginny action – Ginny is saved from an unexpected visitor.