Chapter 4
Monday November 4th, 1997
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
10:21 a.m.
Josephine was far from a happy woman as she made her way through the halls of Hogwarts. Fortunately there were no students around to be freaked by Serephine with her, but even then she really wouldn't have cared. The night before she had received a letter from Pansy and Millicent informing her of the events that took place upon their return to the school, and the Headmaster's decision in regards to Ginny... She was not going to stand by and watch him take away Ginny's Gods given right. Even if she had to seek the removal of the man from his position to see it set right.
Monday November 4th, 1997
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
10:25 a.m.
Ginny had once again been summoned to the Headmaster's office and was in the process of making her way there, reading her Transfiguration book as she went, when she found herself once more laying on her back on the ground, looking up at the person she had just walked into.
"Mother Goddess, why do you keep doing this to me?" groaned Ginny as she hid her face behind her hands.
"I'm not quite sure why she keeps having you run into people either," Josephine smiled as she held her hand out. "Come on Ginny, let's get you up."
"Thank you Milady," replied Ginny when she was back on her feet once more.
"Your welcome, how are you doing?" Josephine asked softly.
"I'm fine," Ginny said quietly.
"Are you sure?" Josephine countered softly as she took in Ginny's appearance, noticing she was still wearing one of her older robes, not the new clothes they had bought.
"I'm sure," Ginny said. "If you'll excuse me Milady but I'm late for a meeting with the Headmaster," she said with a small awkward curtsey before stepping around Josephine and walking towards the statue guarding the entrance to Albus' office.
"Ginny," Josephine called as she crossed the distance between them. "I was on my way to see him as well, mind if I walk the rest of the way with you?"
"If it pleases you Milady," Ginny said, not meeting Josephine's gaze.
Josephine nodded before they started on their way again, before stopping and reaching out to touch Ginny's arm to stop her as well. "Ginny, I have a question for you; I hope you will give me an honest answer..."
"What would you like to know Milady," asked Ginny, not turning to face Josephine and keeping her eyes downcast.
"If Dumbledore hadn't interfered, would you wish to continue your weekends with Eva, the girls, and I? Even with his interference, if you could, would you still wish to join us?"
"Yes Milady but I have accepted the fact that there will be no more weekends for me to spend with you," Ginny said.
"Perhaps there still might be," Josephine countered gently. "Come on, let's go see the Headmaster."
Ginny stopped in front of the statue and gave it the password, granting her and Josephine entrance to the stairway leading up to Albus' office. Once they reached the top, Ginny stopped to knock only to have Josephine simply open the door and walk through it into the office, leaving Ginny out in the stairwell in shock.
"Ms. Malfoy?" Dumbledore asked surprised as he rose. "Might we be able to reschedule an appointment? I already have a meeting right now..."
"Actually Albus, I believe my business and your business involving Ginny and Mrs. Weasley are one in the same, so I would rather stay."
"Speaking of my daughter, where is she?" demanded Molly.
"Ginny?" Josephine spoke softly turning to look at her and send her a smile. "I ran into her downstairs and she was kind enough to walk with me here..." she continued looking back at the two in the office.
"Ginevra, get in here immediately," Molly ordered sternly.
Ginny swallowed nervously before stepping out of the shadows on the other side of the door and slowly stepping into the office.
"Is it really necessary to treat her so Molly?" Josephine asked evenly.
"I will treat my daughter how I see fit Ms. Malfoy and I would appreciate you kindly keeping your opinions to yourself. I have enough trouble keeping my daughter in line without your interference," argued Molly. "Come here Ginny, we're leaving."
Her mother's last comment caught Ginny's attention in a very unpleasant way, causing her to suddenly look up at her mother but seeing the furious look on her mother's face she quickly dropped her gaze back to the floor and started slowly walking across the office.
"Sit down Molly!" Josephine ordered as the room suddenly seemed to grow smaller and she seemed to grow larger almost... at least to Ginny's mind. To Ginny's surprise, her mother did. "Now," Josephine began as everything went back to normal appearance wise. "I'm sure you do remember at least some things from your childhood Molly, as such you should know that a young noble can not be treated the way you have been treating your daughter..." she continued softly, but the hint of anger still underlying her voice.
"My daughter is not one of you," snapped Molly.
"I truly hate to be the one to destroy your little fantasy world Molly, but you are one of 'us' as you put it, even if we have no desire to claim you. Your children are nobility whether you have told them or not. Your father was the Earl of Rosewood... just because you have an irrational hatred for your own kind doesn't mean you can change the fact that you are of noble blood, noble blood that runs through your children's veins."
"And I thank Merlin everyday that I managed to escape from the prison that was my life," Molly snarled. "I am not about to let my only daughter get caught up in all that nonsense and trapped in a marriage she doesn't want. One day soon she'll be married to Harry, the man she's wanted to marry since she was a little girl."
"Have you actually asked her who she wishes to marry?" Josephine countered evenly. "Or are you doing to her the very thing you claim your father did to you. Your father wouldn't have forced you to marry Lord Pembrook if you had simply told him that you didn't love him. The only thing he wouldn't have stood for was you marrying a commoner, which was your plan the entire time..." Josephine countered quietly. "Regardless of how you feel about the nobility, your daughter is still the granddaughter of the Earl and Countess of Rosewood. She has every right to be trained like her peers, by an older member of the nobility. You, Albus, and the rest of the wizarding world have no choice in this. Even the Minister of Magic himself cannot dictate what she does. It is her choice and her's alone."
"I don't need to ask her who she wishes to marry because she has made it quite clear since the minute she could read about Harry Potter that one day she would marry him and I would never force her to marry anyone," argued Molly. "And as for your training, Ginevra does not require it because she will never have a need for it since she will never be accepted in your world; especially once they find out she's a Weasley. We know exactly how your kind feels about us."
"Molly, my dear, your husband and you are disliked in our world as you put it. But your children are not judged by their name or blood. They are judged by their actions, just as you and your husband were judged on your actions. We do not dislike you because you are a Weasley; we dislike you for what you did to your father and mother. For what you did to all of us who once embraced you with open arms before you betrayed the trust and faith of your peers," Josephine countered softly. "Perhaps it would be best if Ginny return to class and the three of us can continue this conversation..." she suggested glancing at Ginny.
"The only place my daughter is going is home with me," countered Molly before Ginny could say anything.
Josephine glanced at her before looking at Ginny, "Do you wish to go home with your mother Ginny? What would you like to happen? Here and now, in the next few weeks and months... What do you want?"
Ginny stood there staring at Josephine for a few minutes, not quite sure what to say. No one had ever asked her what she'd wanted before. "I would like to stay here Milady and continue with your lessons," she said quietly.
"Then so you shall," Josephine nodded, raising a hand when Molly and Albus both started to interrupt. "Why don't you return to class little one, I'll arrange things with the Headmaster and your mother. You don't need to miss your classes and give cause for you to have to miss this weekend after all," she continued softly.
"Thank you Milady," Ginny said with a small nod towards Josephine, before turning around, throwing a look towards her mother as she turned and made her way out of Albus' office.
Monday November 4th, 1997
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
5:43 p.m.
Ginny had been walking on eggshells ever since leaving the Headmaster's office. She had been floored when Josephine actually asked her what she wanted, that had never happened to her before. Usually people just forgot about her and never bothered asking her anything. The rest of her afternoon classes seemed to fly by in a fog, her mind being occupied with what was going on in the Headmaster's office.
It was now almost dinner and she still had yet to hear of any outcome from the meeting. /-/They can't still be arguing with each other can they?/-/ Ginny thought to herself as she made her way down towards the Great Hall.
"Hey Pans," Millicent said, getting Pansy's attention. "Isn't that Josette's owl?" she asked indicating the owl that just swept through the Great Hall and out into the Entrance Hall.
"I think you're right," agreed Pansy. "Come on, let's see where she's going," she said as she rose from the table, Millicent following suit before they both made their way out of the Great Hall.
Ginny was almost at the bottom of the stairs when an owl flew in out of the Great Hall and landed on her shoulder, holding out it's leg for her to remove the piece of paper attached there. As soon as Ginny removed the letter, the owl hopped off her shoulder and settled on the banister of the stairs and sat there, almost as if it was watching her. After looking at the bird for a few minutes, Ginny turned her attention to the letter in her hand, quickly opening it.
Dear Ginny,
I wanted to let you know as soon as possible, you are allowed to leave the school once more and we hope to see you this weekend. Your mother has agreed to abide by the rules set for you as a noble child, but if she or the Headmaster give you any more trouble in regards to your weekends with Eva, the girls, and I, please do not hesitate to contact me and I will take care of things.
I'm so happy you are going to continue spending time with us.
See you this weekend.
Josette
"Sweet Merlin," Ginny gasped as she collapsed to the floor, her knees giving out on her just as Pansy and Millicent arrived in the Entrance Hall.
"Ginny?" Pansy and Millicent rushed to her side. "Ginny what is it? What's wrong?"
"How…"
"How what?" Millicent asked confused.
"How…" Ginny trailed off as she handed Millicent the letter.
"How did Josette get them to let you go?" she guessed after reading.
Ginny nodded, not sure her voice would even work since she'd only managed a single word since receiving the letter.
"Girl, there are some things we don't question in this life," Pansy smiled as she helped Ginny to her feet. "And how Josephine Malfoy manages to get some things done is at the top of that list. But as best we can figure, she's royalty girl, people tend to listen to her no matter how much they don't want to."
"Ron is going to flip. He was so smug last night and all day today," Ginny said as they neared the Great Hall.
"It will do him good to learn he's not always right," Millicent smirked. "Don't worry about your brother. You know if the need arises, we can always see about having you moved to the Slytherin dorms because your fellow housemates are treating you horribly since learning you are nobility. And you can spend as much time during the day with us as you like."
"I'd like to keep this as low key as possible for now," Ginny said.
"Then we will do our best," Pansy nodded. "Do you want to sit with us at dinner?"
"Would you mind? The less I have to deal with Ron the better."
"Not at all," Millicent smiled. "Come on, we'll introduce you to Blaise and Draco properly. Their bark is much worse than their bite, and Draco is just a moody little prick half the time so ignore him. We don't ask; Blaise is the one he talks to..."
"Alright," Ginny agreed, a little nervously.
"Breathe Gin, none of us bite. And your brother is stupid but I doubt he's stupid enough to go up against Blaise and Draco again, along with the entire Slytherin House so he can say something," Pansy smiled encouragingly.
"You obviously don't know my brother," muttered Ginny as they entered the Great Hall, which immediately fell silent when the three girls, one of which was a Gryffindor, made their way over to the Slytherin table.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, kindly stop staring and return to your meals and conversations, and kindly don't start gossiping in those conversations," Blaise drawled as the three stopped by Millicent and Pansy's usual seats, near Blaise and Draco. The majority of the school did just that, save some of the Gryffindors across the room. "Evening ladies, Ginny it's good to see you again," he smiled. "Draco, be nice and say hello to Pansy and Milli's friend."
Draco merely gave a sort of grunt, huff thing. "That's Draco speak for hello, welcome to the table," Blaise rolled his eyes.
"Hello," Ginny greeted quietly.
"How's your wrist?" he asked softly after passing the plate of roast beef to Pansy who passed it on to Ginny, Millicent on the end.
"Much better. Thank you for yesterday," Ginny said as she helped herself before passing the plate to Millicent.
"You're welcome, I only wish there hadn't been a need for our help," Blaise smiled gently. "So I hear that you have met Serephine," he continued.
"A.k.a. Josette," Pansy whispered in Ginny's ear. "Code," she added with a wink.
"Oh, yes. She's been very kind to me, even if I did meet her the way I seem to meet most Malfoy's these days," Ginny replied.
"How's that?" Draco asked joining the conversation, a small smile playing around his lips.
"Merlin be praised, he speaks," Blaise chuckled before ducking as Draco reached over to smack the back of his head.
"Much the same way I ran into you the other week. I walk into them and then end up looking up at them from where I land on the ground," explained Ginny, thinking back to the one and only time that didn't happen.
"Hmm, thankfully there aren't that many of us then, might get rather painful after a while if this is some sort of jinx," Draco smiled.
"Thankfully there aren't that many of you, the four of you are enough to drive the world crazy," Millicent countered with a smirk.
"Watch it Bulstrode, I might be forced to tickle you," Draco hissed under his breath so the majority of those gathered wouldn't hear, but there really wasn't any malice or threat in his voice.
"Oh I'm so scared," Millicent teased. "See, we aren't scary," she winked at Ginny.
"Gin?" Pansy frowned when Ginny dropped a few shades of colour, following her line of sight she spotted the problem - Ronald Weasley was on the warpath, his skin somehow the same shade of red as his hair. "Oh Merlin, we have trouble coming and he looks about ready to turn into a tomato."
"Or cherry," Millicent suggested. "Come on, why don't we escape and go get something from the kitchens and have dinner in the common room?" she asked looking back at Ginny.
"Please," Ginny pleaded.
"Go ahead girls, we'll hold off the volcano," Blaise nodded before he and Draco rose and made their way towards Ron.
"Weasley," Draco called as they drew close. "So do you know yet if we're going to be stuck in detention together? Even though it's your fault we got it in the first place?"
"Come on," Pansy rose, "They know how to push his buttons enough to get his full attention, we can sneak around the front by the head table and come down the centre aisle to reach the doors."
Ginny nodded and followed closely behind Pansy and Millicent, ignoring Harry and Hermione as they made their way past the Gryffindor table and out of the Great Hall all together.
"So what do you feel like for dinner," Millicent asked as they approached the kitchens a few minutes later.
"Nothing too heavy actually, my stomach's been in knots all day long," Ginny said as she tickled the pear to let them into the kitchens.
"I bet," Pansy nodded before approaching one of the house elves. "Please have the usual meals for Millicent and myself sent to the common room, and something light for Ginny as well."
"Yes Miss. Pansy," the elf nodded. "Would you like desert too?"
"Usual?" Pansy asked looking at Millicent.
"Definitely, chocolate is our friend today I believe," Millicent agreed.
"It shall be there shortly Miss Pansy, Miss Millicent, Miss Ginny," the elf nodded once more before scurrying away to work on the food.
"Come on Gin, time to learn how to get into the dorms anytime you want," Millicent smiled.
"Is this even allowed?" asked Ginny as they started on their way to the Slytherin dorms. "I mean I'm a Gryffindor. Am I allowed in the Slytherin dorms? Will Professor Snape allow this?"
"Hon, Snape doesn't cross any of us as long as we aren't say... running off to burn the school down. He may frown and huff and puff but that's it. He's got noble blood but he's not acknowledged by the nobility so he knows better than to piss a noble off," Pansy smiled.
"Excuse me?" asked Ginny is shock.
"Probably just totally confused you huh?" Millicent asked with a shake of her head as they approached a picture of Salazar Slytherin. "Etiquette," she told the painting of their House Founder. "Don't worry, it never changes. After all, who would think us big bad Slytherins would have 'etiquette' as our password," she told Ginny with a smile as they passed over the frame after Salazar had swung open.
"I'm definitely confused," admitted Ginny.
"You're allowed to be," Pansy smiled. "Come on, we're going to the second common room, then we'll eat and answer any questions you have. Deal?"
"Second common room?" asked Ginny in confusion.
"We have a second common room; our dorms are under the lake hence all the lanterns. No natural light. But some of the rooms, instead of having regular ceilings have glass ceilings so you look up and you're looking at the lake. It's much prettier underneath than you might imagine from looking at it from the castle or grounds."
"There's a second common room," Pansy continued, "Well originally I think it was Salazar's study or something we turned it into a common room over the years, it has the glass ceiling. We have both because some people don't like sitting and looking up to see a fish go swimming over their heads, though it is wicked fun when the mermaids come by."
"Wow, no wonder Harry and Ron freaked out after being down here," Ginny said.
"Oh, so that must be who was parading around as Crabbe and Goyle back during second year," Millicent chuckled. "We always wondered who it was that had locked them in the closet... Pansy lost it when Blaise commented he had seen them come out of the closet."
"Oh come on, admit it... you wouldn't be surprised to find out they were a couple," Pansy countered rolling her eyes.
"You bet I would, that would require them having the brains to even identify what those feelings are," Millicent argued.
"Ongoing argument," Pansy shrugged before opening a door they had come to at the end of the hallway. "This is the second common room," she smiled before stepping aside so Ginny could enter.
"Wow," Ginny said as she stepped into the room. "And if you ask me Ron's probably about as thick as the two of them combined. Why do you think he ended up with Padma Patil at the Yule Ball back during the Triwizard Tournament? He needed Harry to find him a date because he was too chicken to ask Fleur or Hermione out himself."
"That is sadder than I thought your brother was..." Pansy just shook her head.
"I can't believe Potter actually found him a date after everything your brother put him through... We all thought for sure that Harry would never forgive him for betraying him like that..." Millicent shrugged. "Low and behold the boy is either stupid as can be, desperate for friends, or is just entirely too nice and forgiving..."
"Ron was his first friend, I think he feels a sense of loyalty towards him," Ginny shrugged. "I don't know if it would have been better if Harry had befriended Draco instead of Ron, at least maybe then I wouldn't have Mum pressuring me and Ron jumping off the deep end all the time."
"Girl... no offence to your family but please tell me all of your brothers are not stuck up little pricks like Ron..." Pansy sighed. "And I never thought I might feel sorry for Potter... why he met Ron before Draco... for Potter's sake and yours."
"Only Percy is worse then Ron, but then he's disassociated himself with us, much to Mum's annoyance, which could be one reason why she's on my case all the time trying to keep me in line," Ginny said, mocking her mother perfectly. "As for Harry meeting Ron first well that was Dumbledore's fault if you ask me. He sent Hagrid after Harry but never bothered to have Hagrid tell Harry exactly how to get onto Platform 9¾. We happened to come along and Harry stopped us to find out how to get through the barrier. Then the only seat open for Ron was in Harry's compartment. As far as I'm concerned, Ron lucked out when he met Harry, who would have been better off without him. Certainly would have been interesting if Harry had met Draco first, probably wouldn't even be a Gryffindor if that had been the case."
"Bloody hell, why does that not surprise me about our esteemed headmaster," Pansy sighed in disgust. "And you know that is just scary as hell, Potter a snake... though the boy does speak snake..."
"Oh that was the funniest thing that day - I can't believe people actually thought he was telling the snake to go after Finch-Fletchley... he's too good to do that. Hell as much as the lot of us are evil little demons, we wouldn't sic a snake like that after a fellow student... well unless it was to save ourselves or something," Millicent mused.
"Yeah well…" Ginny trailed off.
"You okay?" Millicent asked concerned, feeling a shift in the undercurrent somehow.
"You don't know do you?" asked Ginny quietly as she walked over to the fireplace, staring off into the flames.
"Don't know what?" Pansy countered softly.
"About the Basilisk," Ginny said, still not turning around.
"From second year?" Millicent asked with a frown. "The one Voldemort's younger self let loose on the school?"
"It wasn't him…at least not directly," Ginny said quietly, her eyes still on the flames.
"What are you talking about?" Pansy asked completely confused now.
"It wasn't To…Lord Voldemort," Ginny corrected herself. "It was me," she sobbed.
The two exchanged equally confused looks before hurrying across the room and Pansy pulled Ginny into a hug, Millicent reaching over to rub her back. "Hey, shhh, it's okay. Whatever happened it's not your fault..."
"It was me; I set the Basilisk loose on the school. I didn't want to do it but he made me, he forced me to do it. I wish Harry had just let him kill me when he had me in the Chamber of Secrets…"
"Hey, hey," Pansy shook her head as she pulled back and forced Ginny to look at her. "Listen to me Ginny Weasley, I don't know what happened. But you yourself just said that he forced you to do it. That makes this not your fault. Don't you dare blame yourself for what happened. And you know what; I thank God that Potter didn't leave you. Because youare a jewel and are too good a friend to not have in this life."
"I'm nobody Pansy. I live in the shadows. It's only because I ran into Lo…Lady Malfoy that day in Hogsmeade that you guys even noticed me, let alone care about me," Ginny countered as she pulled away and walked across the room, collapsing into one of the couches. "The best I can hope for in this life is doing as my mother wishes and marrying Harry."
"Hey, don't talk like that," Millicent argued. "Look yes we admit that we never paid attention to you before... But you know what, that was our mistake. Cause girl, anyone who doesn't know you, the real you or at least the you that you are comfortable letting people know... well they're all missing out on one of the greatest things in life cause girlfriend... you are the real thing. You're sweet and kind and caring and loving..."
"And you can't let your mom control your life," Pansy added evenly, but with a soft smile to show she wasn't ordering or anything like that.
"And the minute they find out I'm a Weasley, any chance I may have had will be gone," countered Ginny. "Besides the one I want I can't have so what difference does it make if I marry Harry. At least I know he'd be a kind and decent husband."
"Girl... if people judge you because of your family they are fools. We were... and if you mean anyone else in the world of nobility... it doesn't matter that your father is Arthur Weasley and your mother is Molly Prewett Weasley and your siblings are the Weasley brothers... what matters is that you are Lord Prewett's only granddaughter, and none can deny that because you are the spitting image of your grandmother. As for the choice you have between Harry and this other guy that you want... don't make it simply because Harry will be a kind and decent husband. You don't have to make that decision now as it is, you are only sixteen, and you have time to decide on marriage... Let your own heart decide, not your mind or someone else's mind."
"My heart has no say Pansy because the man I want, I can't have."
"But you never know, perhaps things will change in the next few years. The man you want might be available or you may meet someone else... Or perhaps you will fall in love with Harry... You never know what difference two years might make. You never know what difference two days might make... look at how things have changed in only a month for us," Pansy argued lightly.
"I don't know Pansy, everything's just happening so fast," Ginny said running her hands through her hair.
"We know girlie, we know," Millicent spoke up gently. "Unfortunately there is so much to do in a small percentage of the time you should have had... it's not going to slow down all that much. But you got to know, me and Pans, Gabby, Eva and Josette especially. We're all here for you, night, day, whenever. Yes we all just met each other so to speak, but you got us for life, nothing's going to change that. No matter what tomorrow brings, if you marry Potter or run off and join a Muggle convent, we're still going to be here."
"I think I need to lay down for a while, my head is spinning," Ginny said quietly.
"Want to lay down in our room?" Pansy offered. "No one will bother you, promise."
"You wouldn't mind?"
"Not at all," Millicent agreed. "Perk, we have a private suite the two of us. You're welcome anytime."
"Thanks," Ginny said standing up. "Uh…which way?"
"Come on," Pansy smiled as they led the way to the door to the common room, and then led her up a set of stairs to their room. "We're unique, we have keys down here," she continued opening the door and letting them in, before crossing the room to one of the two desks and opening a drawer. "And here's a key for you. Bedroom is the door on the right; bath is the door on the left. Bath has a glass ceiling so don't freak, but the bed has a regular ceiling."
"You can use either bed, no big," Millicent added.
"Thanks guys," Ginny said as she took the key and put it in her robe pocket before laying her robe across the foot of one of the beds.
"Welcome," Millicent answered as they turned to make their way from the room and let her be.
"Sweet dreams," Pansy added with a smile before they left.