As she reached the first floor, Ginny made a circle around her with her wand, applying both a modified type of Confundus and an Obliviate. It basically ensured that her family would not recognise anything out of the ordinary with her, while still realising that something was different about her and she somehow had always looked like that.
She entered the packed Living Room just as her mother finished telling Harry how it worked. "Oh, Ginny, thank goodness! What took you so long?" she said, exasperated and annoyed. Ginny, instead of answering, simply bowed her head and stood behind Percy, next to her father. She would be last, she knew. Her mother would never dream of letting her take the Floo herself. Ginny snorted. The dangers that came with two-person Floo was far worse than risking Ginny some freedom.
"Now, Harry dear, speak very, very clearly!" her mother said with a warm smile. Harry, gulping distinctly, grabbed a handful of Floo and threw it in the fireplace. Stepping in, he for some reason managed to actually say "Diagon Alley," this time. Next went Ron, her father, Fred, George and finally Percy. "Hurry up, Ginny," her mother said briskly, grabbing her wrist and flooing her to the small Floo/Mail office in Diagon Alley. Ginny rolled her eyes, but kept her mouth shut. She would most likely be disowned because of that stubborn Sorting Hat. Why the stupid thing wouldn't just put her in Ravenclaw she didn't know. Oh well.
"Now," her mother was saying to the group, "why don't you all get what you need for Potions and me and Ginny will go to Gringotts to get some money, and then we can all meet up at Flourish and Blotts?" The way she said it made it seem more like an order than a suggestion, but nevertheless there were affirmative nods from everyone in the group except for Ginny.
As her mother walked froward to the Goblin Teller at the desk (having offered to take some money out of Harry's vault for him), Ginny hung back and took a seat on one of the small plush two-seat couches near the Entrance. To her suprise, Draco Malfoy took a seat next to her, smirking.
"You know, I almost thought you were going to be a Slytherin, except for the fact that you entered with her," he gestured towards her mother.
Ginny laughed softly. She was met with incredibly shocked looks by Malfoy as she said, "Oh, you underestimate me, Heir Apparent Malfoy. Tradition is broken sometimes, is it not?"
This time, it was Malfoy's turn to emit a soft laugh. "Charmed to meet you, Young Lady Weasley," he said, bending down and kissing the top of her hand. "And welcome to Slytherin."
Ginny had no chance to answer as she had to go rejoin her mother before she saw who she was talking to. As she was going past the arch to enter the caves, she looked back at Malfoy and curtsied. She was met with a genuine smile. 'Oh, this is going to be fun.'
They met up at Flourish and Blotts, as agreed upon, and after her mother's horrendous display of affection for Gilderoy Lockart and Harry's terrible handling of a public situation, they came to face to face with the Malfoys.
"Bet you loved that, didn't you, Potter?" Malfoy spat, and Ginny realised just how different he acted. Less subtle. Ha, maybe he was smarter than she had thought. Ginny had no reason or desire to defend to defend Harry. Potter, she admonished herself. She was disgusted with the atrocious crush she had has on Potter. Honestly!
Harry was about to respond, but was interrupted by the fight between Sr. Malfoy and Ginny's father. Both Ginny and Draco looked at their parents with scandalized expressions. They gently moved to the side, out of view of everyone else.
"I should say, Heir Apparent Malfoy, that I did not expect such behavior from The Significant Lord Malfoy," Ginny said.
"I assure you, Young Lady Weasley, neither did I," Draco answered. He obviously refrained from insulting her father, to see how she would react.
Ginny laughed softly. "My father, although I am loathe to call him that, did not surprise at all, naturally."
"My, Young Lady Weasley, you have quite the sense of humour!" Draco stated.
Ginny fixed her eyes on him in a cold stare. "Lady Ginevra will do just fine. At least until I am sorted and we have established seem type of firmer connection."
"In that case, it would be rude of me for not to offer for you to call me Heir Draco, wouldn't it?" He did not waver under her intense stare.
Seeing that the fight was over, the two returned to their respective side's, although Ginny with a look of disgust on her face. Lord Malfoy, noticing the appraising way Draco was looking at Ginny, did not slip the Diary into her books. Instead, both Ginny and Draco saw him slip it into one of Ron's books. They fixed each other with a smirking stare, as Draco and Lord Malfoy left the bookstore. Hey, she had gotten her books free, that was always a plus, right?
Back at home, Ginny told her mother, "I will not be needing Aunt Marge's old wand. I found one in the attic that fit me much better."
"Fine, as long as it doesn't belong to someone else. And what were you doing in the attic, alone?! I don't want you going there, understand?" Her mother fixed her with a harsh glare.
"Yes, mother." Ginny walked up the stairs to her room. "Not for long," she told herself. 'Not for long.'
Author's Note: Been a while! Reviews always appreciated, they're the only reason I get out more chapters! The no-pairing until Third Year rule may have been slightly pushed aside for this chapter, but I can promise you at least no kissing or date until Third Year!
Thank you for reading,
Eliz.