A/N- Bet y'all thought I was dead. Yup, I'm terrible and I suck at writing. Pls lower your expectations. thankA

A/N- Ps. PLEASE PLEASE DON'T HATE ME. IM TOO SENSITIVE FOR THAT.

Across the room, Luna catches Ginny's eye and smiles cheerfully, hopefully, at her. Everyone else is feasting but Ginny picks at her food like she doesn't know how to eat. It worries her.

It worries her even more when her smile is returned with a scowl.

….

Ginny wakes up to cherry scented, sunlit rooms with ebony bedposts and sunny coloured sheets. And groans (but she wants to sob). This is real. She'd almost forgotten. She's not supposed to be here. Wasn't she supposed to have woken up in a room with majestic red sheets with golden seams?

Because Ginny doesn't wake up in the first year, girls Gryffindor dorms like she's should. And house colour doesn't run in blood, no matter how red her hair is.

Because Ginny Weasley wakes up in Hufflepuff. How… pathetic.

Sure the 'puffs are a nice lot and all, but that's all anyone ever hears about them. Nice. Good. Alright. Fair.

Last night was supposed to be the best of her life. She thinks it might've been the worst.

When the Sorting Hat had spoken to her, the sense of dread was there but surely… Gryffindor was for her, right? It was in her blood. As it is for all Weasleys. Like a birth-right.

"You have a keen sense of justice, Miss Weasley." It had said. It had mentioned justice in the song too but she hadn't been certain which house it had referred to.

"And plenty of loyalty. A hard worker." Those traits had been easy enough to define.

"But you're just another Weasley, I see. Your thirst to be with your family is great. You've got an instinct to protect those you care about the most."

It had been a toss-up, she'd hoped. And she'd hoped it'd choose family.

The Sorting Hat had shouted "HUFFLEPUFF" and Ginny had found herself petrified. The hall was not silent but filled with barely concealed whispers and murmurings. It made Ginny want to run away but she didn't. Perhaps, she'd thought, if she stayed there long enough, the hat would apologise, say it had been a mistake. Of course she's a Gryffindor, how could she be anything else?!

Eventually Professor McGonagall had told her to move on and a slow, awkwardly polite applause had begun to fill the hall. Ginny fought off stinging eyes and braced her shoulders. When she'd managed to sit down, those around her regarded her with confusion but also wariness because nobody had been quite sure what the hell just happened. She hadn't met anyone's gazes for the rest of the feast.

It's almost breakfast now, but all Ginny wants to do is stay in bed in spite of her empty tummy. She probably won't work up an appetite ever again. What's the point anyways? Sure she could have it worse. She could have woken up in the Dungeons surrounded by green and silver and evil little snakes. "As long as we're not in Slytherin" She'd told Luna yesterday. She almost snorts. Look how great that turned out,

"Hey Tom." she writes, pulling out her diary and quill from beneath her pillow.

"Hello, Ginny. Is the feast over? It took longer than I expected." replies Tom in his neat, loopy cursive.

"sorry," she sighs, pausing a little. What if Tom hates her or thinks she's pathetic? He wouldn't be wrong but… "It's the next day now, actually. It just forgot. Sorry."

"That's alright, Ginny. We all make mistakes. Just don't do it again."

"thanks tom."

"How's Gryffindor treating you? Are your brothers well? Have you made any new friends yet?" At this, Ginny stops. Tom's going to be so disappointed. He'll ask her to give him to someone more worthy.

"Ginny… Ginny, what's wrong? Why is there water on my pages? Ginny…?"

"Sorry." she scribbles quickly. "I'll go get a tissue."

"Ginny, are you crying?"

She slams the book shut. Tom definitely hates her. Or he will. It's not like she hates her housemates in Hufflepuff (she is one herself after all), but there'd always been some sort of superiority that other houses, even Slytherin, had had, like they'd passed some sort of criteria - a test perhaps - on her very being. And Lady Hufflepuff had said that she'd "take the rest".

That's it.

That's all she is now, "the rest." Just this year's leftovers.

Guiltily she flips the book back open, hurriedly writing something about getting ready for breakfast, ignoring Tom's worried exclamations. He's a good friend to her. Her best friend.

"You can trust me, you know." he says at last.

"Bye, Tom."

Ginny doesn't talk to any of the girls in her dorm. They seem nice enough, it's just… exhausting, and she doesn't feel like it. Maybe later.

As she makes her way to the table (the Hufflepuff table, her table), she sees Luna Lovegood catch her eye. No. Just because Ginny's not as Gryffindor as she once thought she was doesn't take away from the fact that Lovegood's been a slimy Slytherin all this time. Promptly enough, the warm smile she's sent is ignored and Ginny turns quite deliberately away and sits down, ignoring her brothers as well.

Somehow, Ginny is both hungry and not hungry at the same time. The food makes her stomach flip over and churn, but her mouth is watering from the scent of perfectly fried eggs, grilled bacon and sausages which is both delectable and slightly nauseating all at once. It's rather confusing actually. Nevertheless, she's got a big day today, so slowly Ginny nibbles on a bit of toast with chocolate spread and takes small sips of her pumpkin juice.

At the other side of the hall, she hears a rather large commotion going on. Curiously, she turns and, with a jolt, recognises her mother's livid voice.

A howler. Her brother has a howler. It's not that much of a shock, really, when she hears what Ron and Harry have done, of course they'd get a howler. But it does sting when the letter turns to her across the hall and says "Ginny, dear, why haven't you written yet? You did say you'd write before bed. Well, make sure to write us tonight. Have fun in Gryffindor! We miss you so much."

There's a wet kiss sound before the letter tears itself to shreds. Nobody says anything but Professor Sprout meets her eye and casts her a sympathetic glance. She looks way quickly. How could she understand? She's the head of house. She's proud to be in Hufflepuff for God's sake! Hair from behind her ear gets untucked and Ginny lets it hide her face like a curtain. She wants to run but somehow she knows that's what's expected of her and she won't give anyone the satisfaction.

Her body tenses up and she clenches her fists and eats as slowly and calmly as possible. There's time to wallow later, not in front of the whole school.

According to her timetable, the first lesson she has today is flying with the Gryffindors and the thought of seeing the house she should be in makes a deep, heavy feeling weigh down in her chest. What if they look down on her? Or what if they laugh? She hasn't made any friends yet so she doesn't think anyone will be there to defend her if that happens. Even if she did have friends, they still wouldn't. They're only 'puffs after all.

When breakfast is over she has around half an hour each to collect her things from her room and find her next class, which shouldn't be too hard given it's outside. It shouldn't be. But as soon as she steps out into the sunny lit common room, filled with bright warmth and fragrant floral smells, Ginny feels her throat constrict and tighten and - God - none of this seems worth it. She just wants to run. She shouldn't be here.

The girls dormitory bathrooms are a quick escape. Everyone wants to be prepared and on time for the first class of the year so nobody comes in, which Ginny takes advantage of. She locks herself in one of the stalls just in case, and lets hot, shameful, fat tears river down her eyes and drip down her hands. They don't seem to stop. Ginny almost doesn't want them to.

No wonder she's not in Gryffindor if all she's gonna do is sit in the toilets and cry like a baby.

The sorting hat wasn't wrong after all. It doesn't matter that she's a Weasley. Only the braves go in Gryffindor. And she's a 'puff. Leftovers.

What's mum and dad gonna think? They'll be disappointed, surely, but they'll be nice about it. Say they'll love her and be proud of her in spite of her status. Pitied. Ginny doesn't want that. She doesn't want to be loved in spite of something. But she can't change it. This is her failure. They'll be quietly disappointed. It'll break their hearts.

Eventually, Ginny leaves her stall and stalks slowly out. And stops. She looks long and hard at herself in the mirror. Eyes red and scratchy and nose snotty, it's obvious what she's just spent her time doing. Her violently red hair clashes weirdly with her yellow and black tie and it looks kinda disgusting. She's worn her brothers' ties before, just to see what it felt like, and decides the Gryffindor red and gold is much more suited to her.

Without even realising, her hands are already scrambling to undo the knot and she pulls it of roughly, chucking it to the cold, wet bathroom tiles with all her might. She wants to burn it. She doesn't though, because that's expensive and she doesn't want to get into trouble for starting a fire and upset her parents even more and she doesn't know the spell for fire.

By the time Ginny makes it to the pitches, books for her next classes in hand she already knows she's late. Class has started. Gee what a great way to start the term! She tries to slip in quietly, unnoticed, but Madame Hooch's gaze finds hers immediately and Ginny squirms beneath it.

"How nice it is of you to finally grace us with your presence, Miss Weasley." She says loudly and around forty sets of eyes settle on her. She cringes. Suddenly flying doesn't seem so exciting anymore.

Ginny doesn't say anything, just looks down at the floor, wishing to be anywhere but here. The lesson proceeds and Ginny's been flying before so she's quite good but Madame Hooch doesn't praise her so she's nothing special really.

She has potions with Slytherin and Ginny avoids Luna's smile and forgets to pay attention to the drone of Professor Snape's voice rambling about the superiority of potions.

Herbology with Ravenclaws who live up to their reputation of know-it-alls and honestly talking about plants, however magical, really isn't that riveting.

Then lunch in the Great Hall where nobody is really talking to her cos she's already lost them points by being late.

Transfiguration with Ravenclaws.

Charms with Gryffindors.

The whole day is wholly exhausting yet unsatisfying. Most of it is spent trying to dismiss the hollow feeling curling up in her stomach than reveling in the wonders of magic.

There's a good hearty lasagna for dinner with rolls of buttery garlic bread and raspberry jelly for dinner. Ginny stuffs herself uncaringly with it and pays no regard when her body's full.

...

"Hi mum and dad,

I miss you too. Hogwarts is great!

Love from,

Ginny."

...

"Ginny. Are you finally going to tell me what's been bothering you."

"Okay."

"…Well?"

"Tom, -I'm- -I-didn't-"

"Yes?"

"I'm -hu-"

"Not Gryffindor. I'm not Gryffindor"

"Tom?"

"Tom?"

"?"

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"Then what?"

"Ginny, I'm not going to judge you. I'm your best friend no matter what. I'll always care about you. You could be a squib for all I care. Or a Hufflepuff. The point is, I'm your friend. You can tell me everything."

"Yeah."

"Yes what?"

"You guessed correctly."

"You're a squib? But you got your letter and"

"No, the other one."

"Oh."

"Ah… Ginny that doesn't change anything. You can still be a brilliant witch in spite of a few failings. You're so much better than this, I know it. I'm still your best friend you'll never have to worry about that. You have me after all. I'll make sure you'll make them regret every sorting you with those duffers."

"Thanks Tom… but I don't think we shouldn't talk about them like that. It isn't nice."

"Ginny, I know you're thinking it too. You're better than them. They don't deserve you. You have potential. You can do great things. You can let yourself be weighed down by trivialities such as whether it's nice or not to recognize those that are below you."

"It just makes me uncomfortable."

"And that's what got you into this mess. You're too kind Ginny. You need to realise your worth before the rest of them drag you down. You're kind. And that's fine. But I'm your best friend, I know you. You're much too good to be any 'Puff."

"Really?"

"Yes. I know all about these things. All you have to do is follow my lead and you'll be on your path to greatness."

A/N- This was so sucky? Ik but anyways. Thank you for sticking with me. I love you all so much im so grateful. 3 3 You're all so so so precious to me.

-Mercia