AN: I'm so so so so so sorry it took this long to update! I just got round house kicked by life and it killed all creativity in me for quite some time. I hope this chapter makes up for it! I'm already started on Chapter 4 so I hope you've stuck around. Apologies to everyone, but here it is! ALL HAIL ROWLING!
Chapter 3
Ginny awoke to silence. Opening her eyes, she could see the faint sun through her bed curtains. Through the crack, she saw the dust dancing in the air. So pleasant. So peaceful.
Pulling her curtains away, Ginny looked at her clock. 5:14. Just enough time to get ready and make her way down to the Great Hall before everyone really starts to file in.
Sliding out of bed, she slinked across the room to the bathroom adjoining the dorm. The other four girls slept soundly, their curtains still pulled around their beds.
She started the shower, careful to not let it get too hot. She stripped out of her nightclothes and stepped into the water.
The initial contact made her skin sting. The raised lines along her back throbbed as the water pelted her skin.
A miscommunication.
A slip of the hand.
Water on the floor.
A swift strike to her back.
Another.
And another.
And again until the water was up.
Ginny wasn't quite sure what her mother was going to hit her with, but the guilty look on her brother Fred's face was enough to know what was coming. She knew he hadn't meant to miss the cup. It was an accident. Not usually a big deal.
But everything was a big deal and everything had consequences.
Ginny had slept on her stomach for a week after to relieve some of the stinging, but the hot water from the shower always made her jump.
She scrubbed her tender skin and quickly shut off the water. She stepped out into the cool air and endured the throbbing in her back. By October, he back would be fine and it would just be an assortment of faint scars littered across her back.
She dried off quickly and went to gather her clothes: a pair of charcoal leggings, light grey shirt, with a large black cardigan on top. Neutral. Neutral was safe.
Quickly giving herself a side braid, she gathered her book bag and took to the stairs. As she was walking out, a few Gryffindors were making their way out of bed and wandering the dorm halls, trying to wake up.
She crossed the common room, slightly tripping on the rug, though when she looked back, it hadn't been disturbed, and slipped through the portrait hole.
The Fat Lady growled about the early bird just getting sleepy, but Ginny was already to the stairs.
She had learned to move fast. Fast to get things done. Fast to get out of the way. She was light enough to do so. Her footfalls were so light it was as if she didn't bother touching the ground anyway.
As she entered the Great Hall, she found the four tables nearly empty, aside from a few seventh years already hitting the books for their N.E.W.T.'s. The Gryffindor table sat empty. Perfect.
Ginny slid onto the bench in the corner, facing the doors. She didn't want to be surprised by any unfriendly guests. As soon as she sat down, a plate emerged from the table, laden with eggs, bacon, potatoes, and a pile of fruit. Ginny started in on her plate.
The doors to the Great Hall banged open and in walked a gaggle of seventh year girls. Ginny cringed, knowing they were Gryffindor.
The queen bee was Lavendar Brown, possibly the most irritating girl on the planet. She was loud and clingy and, to put it plainly, a bitch to Ginny and anyone else she felt superior too, which was just about everyone.
To top it all off, Lavendar and her brother Ron, had been in an on again off again relationship since fifth year. They were off as of now, but that didn't stop her from being all over him.
But when she wasn't with Ron, she was terrorizing Ginny.
Why so sad, Ginny? Do you think everyone hates you? It's because they do.
There was no reprieve. Ginny quickly finished her plate and grabbed her book bag. She would have to stop next to McGonagall's office to pick up her schedule.
As she stood, the swarm of girls approached. Ginny braced herself for the worst, but it never came. They never even looked her way. Lavendar and her lackeys were busy doting on the mop of black hair in the center of the pack.
Letting out a sigh of relief, Ginny prayed that, although she would never want to be, this mop of hair stayed in Ms. Brown's good graces. They would be in for a mean ride this year if anything changed.
The Library was always a good spot to campout until class started. The tables and couches were nearly empty so she was free to choose whatever spot, though she usually picked the same table. It was smaller and had carvings into just about every inch of the wood top.
Slytherine sucks!
Pureblood power!
Ravenclaw for house cup!
Jackson for Head Boy!
She recognized the typical propaganda that littered the Hogwarts grounds. She also read:
SB & RL
Interhouse Love… Sytherine Babe & Hufflepuff Guy
James & Lily… eventually :)
Gryffindor Gals! Love knows no gender!
The history of lovers and politicians cornered here gave her life and the stories she made for them became better memories than the ones she had. She ran her fingers along the ridges, feeling the marks made by magic so long ago.
"Fascinating, isn't it?"
Ginny looked up suddenly. No one made it this far back in the library. No one except for…
Hermione Granger stood with an armful of books held tightly to her chest. She was shorter than Ginny, but her mane of hair caught her up. Today she had it pulled back into a ponytail. Obviously it was a hard-core study day and she was not to be bothered with hair in her face.
She spoke again, "I love that even though they used magic, it still leaves the same marks that a muggle would with a knife. It's nice to know that we have little things in common, no matter how small."
Ginny sat and listened. There was an awkward pause where she didn't know if she was supposed to agree or continue on.
Hermione shook her head, "Of course I probably should have… I'm Hermione Granger. I'm Head Girl here at Hogwarts."
"I know who you are," Ginny replied. She did know who she was. Hermione shared a dorm with Lavendar, but never followed in her clique. Hermione was one of the few who ever defended Ginny. On one occasion, Hermione had saved Ginny from a particularly nasty engorgio hex. Apparently, Lavendar was having a fat day and didn't want to see anyone who was smaller than her. Hermione had shot out a quick shield charm and blocked the hex. She told Ginny to get out of there before she started in on her. Hermione had a way with words, she heard.
"Yeah, probably, I guess…" Hermione said awkwardly. She paused. "Can I sit with you? I don't like sitting in the open and my usual table has been occupied by a group of first years and I don't really want to kick them out."
Ginny nodded. It wasn't often that people asked to be around her. What was the harm?
"Thank you!" Hermione plunked down her stack of books and slumped into the seat across from her.
"It's no problem," Ginny said quietly. It was the least she could do for her, who had helped her without price in the past.
Hermione smiled. "Well, I'll let you get back to your reading. I have Advanced Transfiguration this morning and, knowing McGonagall, there is going to be a pretty nasty quiz over the summer work." And with that she was enveloped in her text.
Ginny looked down to her book. Advanced Potion-Making. Different Methods of Potion Making…
Down in the dungeons, Ginny sat at her usual table in front by the ingredient cupboard. The class filed in a couple minutes after her, each person taking a seat away from Ginny's table. She didn't mind it, especially in Potions. She liked to spread her ingredients out and not get them confused with anyone else's.
Slughorn emerged from his office, brushing little yellow crumbs off his bulbous belly. He cleared his throat and brushed the crumbs from his moustache. "Alright sixth years! Welcome to Advance—"
Suddenly the door opened again and a boy emerged from the hall. He was tall, but not incredibly. He was slight and had a pair of round, wire-rimmed glasses slipping down his nose. Atop his head was a tangled mess of black hair that seemed to stick up at the strangest angles. Though as messy as it seemed, the mop moved softly as he brushed his hand through his bangs. As his hand moved, a thin red scar in the shape of a lightning bolt sat prominently against his pale skin.
The class was completely silent. Slughorn's words had caught in his throat.
The boy shifted awkwardly, "Umm, is this sixth year, ummm, advanced potions?"
Slughorn recovered quickly, "Ah yes, old boy! Come in and sit. We were just starting."
The boy moved slowly into the room and eyed the empty seat at Ginny's table. He turned toward the table.
"Professor Slughorn! We can make a table of five over here!" A particularly abrasive girl, named Romilda Vane, was standing with here hand in the air. She was smiling suggestively at the new boy and he backed away.
"There's no reason for that Ms. Vane. Not when there is a perfectly good seat with Ms. Weasley." Slughorn adjusted his robes and turned to the board.
The boy quickly skittered over to Ginny's table and sat down across from her.
He whispered quietly, "Hello. Umm, what's your name?"
"Ginny."
He squirmed in his chair. "Hi, Ginny. It's good to meet you."
Ginny just nodded pulling out her book from her bag.
The boy sat awkwardly. "Aren't you going who I am?"
"I know what your name is," Ginny said, pulling out a piece of parchment and a quill.
"Really?"
"Everyone knows your name, Harry Potter."
AN: Did you like it? I hope you did. I know this in no way makes up for the long long long break between updates, but I hope it tides you a little bit :) Thank you for the encouragement and stickin' with the story! I love hearing from everyone so Review or PM me :) Love you!