I do not own anything you recognize from the Harry Potter series. That rightfully belong to J.K. Rowling, I do however own my OCs.

Chapter 5: "Girl" Time

Willow awoke early, much too early. The exhaustion from her "welcome/Birthday" party had not been slept off yet. She was actually glad for the exhaustion. Why? because it excused her from the nightmares.

It was then that she realized her rude awaking was not voluntary: someone was bouncing on her bed. Her first thought was her owl,(1). But then her brain caught up, "Why would your foot tall, caged owl be jumping hard enough to shake you?"

She devised a simple, but effective plan. Her toes found the sides of said annoyance and pushed. The screech that followed was too girly for even Fred to pull off: Ginny.

"Ginny! Go away."

"Ouch, that hurt! And no! We're going shopping with your birthday card things! I'm tired of sharing my clothes, no offense."

"That was kinda the idea of pushing you off the bed, and I wouldn't mind my own clothes either," giggled Willow, but her girl instincts took over and she was wide-awake. She ran through her room and pulled on some jeans and a polo shirt; she didn't really favor robes. It must have been a minute maybe two; Ginny had just made it downstairs. They downed a hurried breakfast and then flooed with their chaperon Bill to The Three Broomsticks. They told Bill to wait there, but he insisted on making sure they were safe. They didn't protest, in hope he would carry all of their stuff. However, it did make their "girl" time strange, what with Bill behind them at all times.

Ginny had been curious about Willow the entire week she had been awake, and in that small time they had bonded. But there was still so much mystery surrounding her best friend, she needed to decipher her a bit.

As they entered a small store that sold Muggle clothing Ginny started her questions. "So I'm gonna ask you some questions. You know, some stuff I need to know about my best friend." She looked at Willow to make sure it was okay, she smiled and nodded as she started ripping through the T-Shirts. "Okay! Um, what's you favorite color?"

Willow raised her eyebrows, but answered nonetheless, " Purple, and yours is orange. These are important questions?"

"Of course they are! What if … um … someone wants to buy you … something and they say, Oh Ginny you're her best friend what's her favorite color? And I go, I think its purple but I don't know. They'll think I'm a horrible friend," she finished dramatically. "Okay, what is your favorite animal?" She answered fox and, "Well, unless dinosaurs are considered," and named Ginny's, a horse. "I knew that one!" she said with a lot of excitement one comes to expect with Ginny, "Okay favorite thing to wear?"

"You're running out of questions already aren't you?" Ginny looked away and Willow laughed, "Well, I'd have to say anything comfortable, I guess."

"I'm just getting a slow start?" Ginny tried to cover with, "But I agree with you! Okay, favorite thing to eat?"

"Your mom's chicken soup. Best that I can remember," said Willow with a smile.

"It is amazing. Now I'm running out of questions. Who's your favorite of my brothers?"

"That is an interesting question."

"That's not an answer."

"Right. Well, I love them all. The twins aren't at the top because well they get annoying. A lot. Percy is a bit enthusiastic, maybe overenthusiastic. Ron's okay, haven't really talked to him much. Charlie is a lot like the twins with a bit of Ron thrown in to mellow him out, ya know? So, I'd have to say Bill, he's my favorite cus' he's cool." She finished stretching to put her arm around Bill, who couldn't tell if she was kidding or not. But the look on her face told him she was only kidding about the reasons.

"Really? I always thought he was a little lame," teased Ginny. "So, are you excited about school?"

"Of course I am," Willow began bouncing, the way she always did when Hogwarts came up.

"You are a little overexcited," Ginny told her with a smile; Willow's witty retort was a childish cry of MEANY! "So what house do you think you'll be in?"

Ginny had to repeat her question many times; Willow's eyes had landed on the sneakers, Converse to be precise (he he.). As Willow bought her assortment of shirts, jeans (skinny! Mostly), hoodies (with dinosaurs), and Converse (purple, grey, and black), she looked deep in thought. "Well, I guess Gryffindor. You'll definitely be in it, oh don't look so worried, and it'd be nice to know I'm considered brave. But Ravenclaw would be cool too. I'd be disappointed with Hufflepuff and suicidal in Slytherin." Her last words made Ginny laugh.

"So what class are you looking forward to most?"

"I've actually been thinking about that", Willow began, "I think it'll be between Herbology and Defense Against the Dark Arts, but Care of Magical Creatures should be fun."

"I want to do Defense Against the most," Ginny mentioned. "Let's go get a butterbeer!" The trio headed into The Three Broomsticks, to get a drink and escape the summer heat. As Bill went to get their drinks Ginny asked her most important question, one that she didn't want Bill to listen in on. "So, how have you been remembering anything about your parents?"

Willow became instantly somber; she didn't want to tell anyone. But having one person to talk to would be nice, and Ginny being her best friend was the best candidate. "Well, I've been having this nightmare. It's the night they died. T-there's a black cloaked figure. My dad t-tells me to run and then together they face the person." She was crying and Ginny had sat next to her, knowing that it would help if she let it out. "They didn't even bother to pull out their wands. I was running and there was a bright flash of light. They were lying on the ground. A-and the the figure turned on me. They muttered something I couldn't even hear. Then," she didn't want to keep going, the next part was too confusing. Bill had come over, and seeing Ginny's arm around a crying Willow he decided to take a walk, crying girls were never simple. "Then I wake up." She wasn't ready to share the last parts of her dream, not yet. Ginny knew she was hiding something, it was obvious, but she decided not to push her.

"You guys okay now?" asked Bill when he came back. They nodded and he handed Willow a tissue to dry her eyes. "Then we better get back, it's almost time for dinner." They hurriedly went back to the Burrow. The goal was to avoid one of Mrs Weasley's punctuality lectures.

Willow momentarily left to put all of her bags in her room. She ran up the stairs and on the second landing she looked back to tell Ginny she'd be right back. As she turned around to continue up the stairs she ran right into someone, resulting in her falling down three steps and landing on her back.

"You must be Willow," said a raven-haired boy with bright, apologetic eyes.

(1) I need a name for her owl! I was thinking of something kind of silly? Like Pyx or Buggles ^_^ Remember its a black and purple boy!

A/N- I shorten Defense Against the Dark Arts to Defense Against or just Defense because the use of DADA urks me. Review please! Oh, and I know this chapter is boring, but it kind of establishes some facts about Willow, and I know I repeat the dream a lot but it will sort of be added to every few chapters. And if you're one of those people who doesn't really care what a character wears =P. I just wanted you to know what she likes to wear, and it isn't necessarily punk(?) or anything, its unique(?) I guess.

Well remember REVIEW, because you love me. (Well my story anyways)