HELLO ALL! By all I mean the few that have read this... I'm going to pick up the story soon. I promise. It'll get exciting. Next chapter, I promise. Right now I'm just revealing you to some of her traits. We all have to go through that. After this chapter though.

Around the time of Halloween Ginny and Marcie were sitting around a table in the great room. "Flush," Marcie smiled and showed all her cards to the people around them. They all booed and threw in their cards hissing with disapproval. Marcie just laughed shaking her head as she collected her winnings that consisted of different goodies. One of the best things in there was a small pile of coins. Other than that, it wasn't the highest stake game of poker she had played in her life, but she would take what she could get. Marcie gloated her victory and started to shuffle the cards again. "Who wants to play again?" Marcie asked and everyone stood shouting their disagreement. Ginny laughed as some of them acted as if they were going to walk off, but then they decided it was better than doing nothing and sat back down.

A barn owl soared into the Great Hall and glided toward their table. Ginny stood turning to Marcie, "Leave me out of the hand. I'll be back in a bit." Ginny walked briskly down to the back door and out of the Great Hall. Sitting down at one of the statues Cinna landed next to her. She pet his head smiling before untying the note from his leg. She pet his head again and then turned away slightly to read the note:

Dear Ginny,

You've been writing a lot lately, and I feel like it's taking me so long to reply. We've had a small hex infestation at the ministry by a couple of pranksters whose parents were followers of Voldemort. I'm sorry for being so absent.

Winter break will be here soon enough. I'll be able to see you at the Burrow then. Your mum misses you. Ron says he hears about you all the time on phone calls. She's so proud of you being a Prefect just like your brothers. We're all very proud of you, and I can't wait to see you.

This Marcie girl sounds interesting. Her past is foggy though. There's really no information on her in the database. As far as the ministry of magic is concerned there's really nothing to say. She's a pureblood. American. Her middle name is Lee. Other than that she has no past… I'll dig a little more to see if I can find more about her, but you'll have to ask your mum about her coming for winter break. I'll see you then.

Love,

Harry Potter.

Ginny smiled and decided to reply later as she slipped the letter into her robes. She dismissed Cinna and let him fly out on his own for the time being. She would let him into the dorms later at night. She looked back into the Great Hall where Marcie was collecting the winnings of yet another round. She could really clean people out when it came to bets. She ran all the bets for Quidditch and made enough money to pay for her butter beer obsession.

"Weasley!" Marcie dismissed their group and the all went on mumbling complaints about their losses. She held up the bag of coins she had scored and smiled. "Wanna go to Hogsmeade?" She shouted it out for everyone to hear, but no one paid her any attention. No one snitched on Marcie. She hadn't been there for long, but she was always the one making sure everyone knew that she was the one that set you up, not the other way around.

"Yea," Ginny made sure the note was secure in the pocket of her robes. Marcie met Ginny outside the great hall and the two headed towards the entrance to all the tunnels. "So are you looking forward to winter break as much as I am?" Ginny asked smiling as they reached the court yard where the fall wind pushed against them violently sending their hair flying.

"I'm really excited. I really don't have anywhere to go though," Marcie rubbed her neck which was a frequent nervous habit she had developed. She scratched the spot behind her ear for a moment and then she moved her hair back into place and smiled happily. "My parents don't spend much time around anymore. They shipped me off, so I'm thinking they don't want me back." She shrugged and let it go as if she had never said it.

"I'm going to ask my mum if you can come over to the Burrow for break." Ginny admitted knocking Marcie in the shoulder. "Unfortunately, all of my brother's will be there." Ginny sighed as if she truly believed it would be terrible. Then she looked over at Marcie to make sure she knew she was joking.

"But your beau will be there, no?" Marcie asked as they came to a manhole cover. She pulled the metal cover off and dropped down into the tunnel.

Ginny looked around for a moment and cursed as she saw that McGonagall was turning the corner into the hall they were in. She jumped down into the hole and Marcie shifted the cover back into place. McGonagall walked right over them and both girls looked at each other and smirked before they started walking the way towards Hogsmeade. "Yes, he will be." Ginny said as soon as they were out of earshot.

"Then I can't wait to meet him." Marcie turned away letting silence make its way into the tunnels. Ginny let her go into oblivion as long as she kept walking.

They swerved into the next tunnel and continued on in perfect silence. There was the slightest bit of white noise that joined the air when they got closer to town. Not so much machinery, but the sound of working and life. The floors of the shops became the top of the tunnel and shadows passed into the tunnel where people stepped over the cracks of light. There was talking and excitement from the candy store. The Three Broomsticks had a noise like no other. It was like any pub where there was joy and drinking, and this was their stop. Ginny grabbed the handle to a small square door on the ceiling and yanked it downwards. A foamy drink dripped into the tunnels and both girls avoided it as much as possible as they pulled themselves up into the Three Broomsticks.

The two sat a table towards the back where they were offered butterbeer by a shy waiter who ducked in and out of the people that threatened to knock him over. They wouldn't do it on purpose, but they were so caught up in their own conversations or actions that they didn't realize they were endangering all who surrounded them. Marcie still stayed distant as they sat there until the Slytherin Prefect found her.

"Snuck out again Marcie?" Marcie turned around to face him with a smug look that was flirtatious. She assured him she had and he took the time to take a seat next to her at the table. "So who's this?" He asked sitting a little close to Marcie to be friendly.

"James, this is Ginny. Ginny, James: Slytherin house Prefect." After Marcie's introduction James lifted Ginny's hand and was going to kiss the back of it but she withdrew her hand and shook her head. She knew about James and his…ways. There were plenty of rumors about this guy. Well, "rumors" was the wrong word. They were really came straight from his past girlfriends…or flings? They really weren't around for long.

He was a bigheaded jerk and was aware that he looked good. His dark hair and matching eyes were the first part of his looks. The physique he held so perfectly was magnetic making him nearly irresistible. He used it to his advantage. Any girl he wanted he would just spend a few hours flirting and then had her wrapped around his finger. They claimed he was the one for the two days they were together. Then they were found being comforted by Moaning Myrtle in the girls' lavatory.

"So Marcie," James looked at Ginny for another few seconds before turning to Marcie who seemed to be ignoring Ginny's caution for the boy, "see you later?" James touched her cheek with a gentle hand and then stood and left without getting her reaction. He was already sure she would be happy to see him later.

"Him?" Ginny asked as Marcie got a huge glug of butterbeer.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Marcie demanded before bringing the glass back to her lips to take another swig.

"Out of all the seventh years in Hogwarts you had to choose James Tyler?" Without a moment of pause Marcie spewed her drink. It misted out from between her lips sufficiently coating Ginny in a thin layer of sticky liquid. "Bloody hell Marcie!" Ginny complained scraping her chair across the floor as she stood up.

With a huge gulp of air Marcie was able to get out an apology. The apology wasn't really sincere because the only thing the incident did was make her laugh harder. "I'm not dating James though." Marcie rolled her eyes and set down her butterbeer this time for good. "I just let him act like he's gonna get somewhere. It'll keep him entertained. Ready to go?" Marcie asked tossing some money on the table.

"I'm covered in butterbeer. I was ready to leave five minutes ago." Ginny griped the whole way through the tunnels. It only made Marcie laugh though. Finally they reached the spot where they started and they struggled to move the tunnels cover, but as soon as they did they pulled themselves back into the courtyard.

By this time it was late at night and the stars could be seen shining over Hogwarts. The moon was bright a bold against the dark sky. Its silver sheen covered the campus and cast wicked shadows in the hall that look almost eerie. When they reached the stairways they parted to their different paths. "I'll see you tomorrow in Dark Arts class." Ginny shouted over the vast space that had been made by the moving stair cases.

"See you then."

Within the next couple of weeks Ginny was able to write her mother about Marcie staying with them for break and Harry about doing more digging on Marcie's past. Officially, Ginny was bringing home a guest for break. Of course, this was confirmed only a few days before Ginny got this message:

Dear Ginny,

Clearly this girl Marcie has been very aloof before she came to Hogwarts. I checked her record with Beauxbaton. It's clean. She barely had any detentions. She's not absent to classes. I don't understand why you seem so worried about her. There's barely anything to her. The only thing interesting is her last year; she was supposed to finish school over in France, and then she just…well, she drops off the face of the Earth. No one hears from her for almost two years, and now she pops up at Hogwarts to finish school.

There's nothing else I can find on a Marcie Blackwood.

There was one story on an online newspaper about a girl names Marcia Blackwell. It could have no relevance, but she attacked her stepfather. The whole story was about how some weird fire that happened made their house burn down. They blamed Marcia for arson. That was when she was ten. She spent two years in a reform school and therapy. Once she turned twelve her parents sent her off to a boarding school in France and never welcomed her back home.

Like I said, this could have nothing to do with Marcie, but it was kind of odd how it popped up. I'm going to look further to see if there's really any connection, but I'll get back to you soon. I hope you don't mind, but I've let Ron and Hermione in on the investigation so that I'm spying on my own come winter break. Hope you're not mad.

Love,

Harry Potter.

It sounds pitiful, but please review. I like to hear feedback, especially if you think I can improve! I find it to be the whole point of these kinds of sites. Please help me improve.

Sincerely,

wisegirlindisguise