Second Hand

Rating: PG

Genre: Fluff/Humour/Family

Summary: Ginny's sick of wearing her brothers' cast offs. Maybe Charlie can cheer her up?

Characters: Ginny Weasley, Charlie Weasley

Pairings: None.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, I just like to play with the characters!

A/N: Myeh, I quite like this one! I feel warm and fuzzy whilst reading it! It's only MW spellchecked, so it's not perfect, but I think it's readable.

Now for Review answering!

Swingflip Thank you very much! I'm glad you like it!

MatoakaWilde Thanks! I like the idea of Fred being the louder, slightly more sociable twin, but with a bit more of a temper than George. I like to think they only really act differently when apart or it's just the two of them.

Wife of Remus the Wolfie Thank you! And here you go, Update!


Elledreamer Thank you! I'm glad you noticed my attempt at different atmospheres!

Thank you to my reviewers! Without them, I couldn't find the motivation to write! So please do keep reviewing, 'cos I love, love, love to read them! I also love POLITE constructive criticism!

Anyhoo….On with the show!

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Ginny Weasley stared crossly at her reflection. A small, skinny, freckly girl wearing a too-big jumper, huge boots and holey, striped, stockings stared back.

She lifted an arm to inspect her 'dress.' The sleeve carried on way past her hands and she sighed at the faded letter 'F' knitted across the chest. The jumper-dress was discoloured and a little lumpy after one too many washes. It went right down past her knees several burn marks and unidentified stains blemishing the hem.

Fred's old jumper, Ron's old boots and her mum's old stripy stockings from when she was ten.

Ginny was second hand personified.

She sighed and flopped backwards onto her shabby bed staring intently at the owl poster, mounted on her slanted ceiling. The tawny owl was slowly edging its way towards the bright white snowy bird on the opposite side of the poster.

It was awful being the youngest sometimes. It really was. Everything she owned -except underwear, toothbrushes and the odd knick knack- had belonged to one of her six brothers.

She bit her lip as the snowy owl snapped its beak at the tawny, causing it to ruffle its feathers reproachfully and quickly swoop out of frame.

There was a knock on the door.

"Who's there?"

"It's me!"

Ginny's face lit up, she leapt from the bed and rushed to open the door.

"Charlie!" she grinned, leaping into his arms.

"Hey Gin!" he said scooping her up and swinging her round before carrying her over his shoulder back into the room and plopping her on the bed. Ginny laughed and kicked off her oversized boots as her older brother sat down beside her. "How's my favourite baby sister."

She poked him playfully.

"Firstly, I'm not a baby, and secondly I'm your only sister!"

"That's what you think!" he said grinning. "I'm sure Ron will be green with envy when he sees you're my favourite girl!"

She rolled her eyes but could not keep the amusement from her expression.

"What's Romania like?" she asked, earnestly.

"It's amazing, Gin." He replied, his eyes sparkling with delight. "You, Bill and the twins would've loved it."

"What about Ron and Percy?"

"Percy is too much of a wimp and Ron would've hated the insects."

Ginny laughed.

There was a comfortable silence as Charlie stood and explored Ginny's cupboard-like bedroom, her old 'Chudley Canons' posters and endless photos of friends and family scattering her walls, moving and blinking at the two siblings. On the wall opposite her bed a shelf was mounted, atop it was a collection of second hand books and a half eaten packet of 'Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans' (payment from Fred and George after Ginny wriggled under Percy's bed and attached firecrackers to his shoes for them.)

Charlie grinned and took down a roll of tattered parchment.

"Blimey, I remember this!" he laughed, unfurling the yellowing paper to see fading ink words scrawled across the top.

"'Gred and Forge's Marvellous Muggle Magic'" He read allowed. "That was for Dad's birthday wasn't it?"

Ginny nodded.

"They forgot to get him anything so they performed that instead." She shook her head, smiling. "Dad loved every second of it."

Charlie's face cracked into a warm familiar smile.

"God, I've missed you lot!"

Ginny's face fell slightly.

"We've missed you too." She said quietly. "Maybe you should go see the others; do they even know you're here?"

"Mum and Dad do, yeah." He replied thoughtfully. "Our dear brothers however, are ignorant to my presence."

"Go and see them then, Fred and George are way excited about showing you their new inventions and Ron and Percy have been talking about you and Bill coming up for ages."

Charlie smiled softly at her.

"Ah, but then I'd have to explain to them I only got my sister a present!"

Ginny stared up at him in wonder. He laughed at her.

"You got me a present?"

"Uh huh."

"It's totally new?"

"Of course!"

She gaped at him. Beaming, he jammed a heavily freckled arm into his pocket and pulled out a small grubby package. She took it tenderly and unwrapped it with great care. In her cupped hands lay a tiny pendant, a minute red phial with a silver dragon wrapped around it, attached to an elegant chain.

Charlie leant in and nudged the red phial with a short, strong finger.

"That's real dragon blood." He whispered, blinking his curly red locks out of his eyes.

Ginny paused for a second, fingering the silver necklace as gently as possible before throwing herself into Charlie's arms.

"I love it!" She cried. "Put it on, put it on, put it on!"

Charlie fumbled with the chain.

"Don't tell the others." He whispered. "They'll all want one."

Ginny snorted. There was a pause as he struggled to hook the link through one of the tiny metallic hoops. Finally, he succeeded and took a step back.

"I'm off to go see our dear brother's now, okay?" He ruffled her hair, fondly.

She nodded, smiling as she watched her brother wander off into the hallway. Ginny waited until he was out of sight, closed the door and spun around to face her mirror. The glittering necklace hung cheerfully around her neck.

All of a sudden, her second hand outfit didn't seem so bad.