Disclaimer: Unfortunately, my name isn't J. K. Rowling...which means that I own nothing. While you guys read, I'll go cry in a corner about the fact that I didn't create this marvelous world and these amazing characters.

I holed myself up in the library again on Sunday to finish my remaining homework but by the end of classes on Monday and Tuesday, I was sliding right back down the mountain of homework I had just climbed. It was with an almost happy heart that I was meeting Astoria tonight to do some of my ever-present homework.

I had told Evanna and Florence that I needed to go study in the library and when they wanted to come with me, I pointed out that I worked better alone. I could tell they were huffy with me but I didn't really want anyone to know that Astoria was helping me.

Astoria was waiting for me at the back table we had occupied before. She had books piled beside her with a little stack of parchment pushed to the side. As soon as I sat down she demanded to see the homework I had to do and then she wasted no time starting to explain the components of the Strengthening Solution for Potions.

Astoria and I met up again that Saturday. I found that she was very easy to get along with even though she was a Slytherin. By our fourth study session, we were laughing and cracking jokes with each other.

"You know," I said, packing up my bag after our seventh study session. "With your help, I've been working slightly ahead of everyone else."

Astoria beamed. "That's great. I'm glad I can help."

"I now give you the title of friend," I said in an uppity voice.

Astoria rolled her eyes but couldn't keep the smirk off her face. "Let me send an urgent notice to the Prophet so the fact that Ginny Weasley and Astoria Greengrass are friends will be spread around the world."

I led us out of the library under the piercing gaze of Madam Pince and we strolled through the torch lit corridors.

"So what have you been telling your friends you've been doing when we're studying?" asked Astoria.

"How did you—?"

She grinned. "Lucky guess. I figured you wouldn't want to tell your friends you were hanging with a Slytherin."

"My friends are very Gryffindor," I said.

"But you're not?" she pressed.

"I'm not ashamed of our friendship if that's what you're asking," I said. I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "I just haven't told them because I didn't want to deal with the looks and the questions."

"So you aren't ashamed of me?" she clarified with a mocking grin on her face.

"No, I'm not."

"Good," clapped Astoria with glee. "So then you'll have breakfast with me and my friends on Monday?"

I stopped in my tracks. "Hold on there. I never said anything about sitting at the Slytherin table and I definitely never said anything about your friends."

"Sitting at a different house table isn't illegal," said Astoria. "In fact, I'm sure the teachers would piss themselves with excitement that someone is taking their inter-house unity spiel seriously."

I started moving again along the corridor. "Let's say I had breakfast with you…there's the simple matter that I don't like your friends."

"Ah, c'mon," said Astoria, elbowing my playfully. "They've gotten better, haven't they?"

Astoria was right in the fact that the Slytherin group had definitely been acting more cordial towards me. They used to jeer at me whenever possible; making fun of my red hair, my family, my lack of wealth, and my blood traitor status. Now, whenever I pass Blaise, he gives me a small nod and a Slytherin girl once helped me pick up some books I had dropped.

"True…they are better towards me," I agreed uncertainly. We had stopped again since we had reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"So it's settled. Great Hall on Monday at seven." Astoria smiled and pranced down the corridors back towards the dungeon.

The next day Harry, the new Quidditch Captain, held Quidditch tryouts for Gryffindor. Last year I had played reserve Seeker when Harry was banned from the team but I had decided to try for Chaser this year.

Most of Gryffindor house seemed to have showed; from second years, nervously clutching the school brooms, to seventh years who towered over everyone looking coolly intimidating. I was happy to see Harry well, especially after the broken nose he suffered on the train.

Harry started trials by getting us to form little groups and fly around the pitch once. I noticed right away that that was smart. The first group of young ones looked like they had never flown before. I tried to stifle my laughter when one boy looked so surprised that his broom lifted off the ground that he promptly crashed into a goalpost.

I could see that Harry was starting to get angry when a group of idiotic giggling girls only fell about one another when Harry blew the whistle. What seemed to really get on his nerves though was a group of Hufflepuffs who tried to try out.

"If there's anyone else here who is not from Gryffindor," roared Harry. "Leave now, please!"

I watched as a group of little Ravenclaws sprinted off the pitch, snorting with laughter.

I flew in a group with Katie Bell, Dean Thomas and a few other people who I didn't know. When we landed, Harry jumped into Chaser tryouts.

After two hours of watching to see how certain people worked with others, how we dodged Bludgers and how many goals we scored, Harry named the Chaser's he had chosen. There was Katie Bell who had been on the team for five years, a third year named Demelza Robins who was really good at dodging Bludgers and me. I didn't want to be cocky but knew I had outflown everyone and I had scored seventeen goals; more than the other two combined.

I went and sat in the stands with Katie and Demelza while the Beaters tried out. It only took about 45 minutes for Harry to name Jimmy Peakes and Ritchie Coote as the new Beaters. Jimmy was a broad chested third year who had hit a Bludger so hard that it looked like Harry would have a concussion when it collided with him. Ritchie looked a bit weedy but I noticed that he had excellent aim.

Jimmy and Ritchie got to sit down while the new Chasers went back down on the field to throw the Quaffle for the Keeper tryouts.

Cormac McLaggen, who I recognized from Slughorn's party, tried out and he was fairly good. I felt a rush of pleasure when he veered in the opposite direction on the fifth throw, letting the Quaffle in.

Then my brother Ron was up. He played well when no one was watching him but that definitely didn't help him during a Quidditch game. I said a silent prayer that Ron could keep his head in the game as I watched Katie zooming up the pitch with the Quaffle under her arm.

Ron saved that one and I let out a breath I hadn't realized I had been holding. Katie caught the Quaffle and tossed it to me. My turn.

Ron saved one, two, three, four, five shots in a row.

"Good job Ron!" I cheered, flying to meet him.

"I thought I wouldn't get that fourth one. Tricky shot from Demelza, did you see, had a bit of a spin on it—"

I stifled my laughter so has not to take some of the happiness Ron had at being made Keeper. "Brilliant save."

We all flew back down to the ground around Harry who looked like he was having words with Cormac McLaggen. I didn't catch what they were saying but Cormac looked like he wanted to punch Harry. Finally, after whatever Harry said, Cormac stormed off in the opposite direction.

Harry then turned to us with a smile. "You all flew really well—"

Katie and I trouped back up to the castle together after Harry arranged our first Quidditch practice. It was quickly getting dark and I started to panic that I wouldn't have enough time to complete another star chart for Astronomy that was due tomorrow.

"That was a brilliant tryout you had Ginny," said Katie, holding back a tapestry from a hidden stairwell so I could slip through.

"You too. You outflew those other seventh years like a comet," I said, leading the way down the corridor to the Fat Lady.

"I don't know about you but I'm going for a hot shower," said Katie, stopping in front of the Fat Lady.

"Witherwings," I said. I gestured for Katie to enter and then I followed. "I wish. I have to finish this star chart and then I can take a hot shower."

"OWL year is tough, isn't it?" grinned Katie.

"You're telling me," I huffed, collapsing into an armchair by the fire.

Katie clapped me on the shoulder as she passed to go to her dormitory. "Well good luck N. E. W .T. S are worse."

"Good to know," I muttered, dropping my broom in the armchair beside me and pulling my star chart out of my bag.

I tugged at my skirt self-consciously as I stood in the doorway to the Great Hall on Monday. I had left the dormitory before Evanna and Florence woke up but I knew that they would know something was up the moment they spotted my red hair at the Slytherin table.

"Ginny!" called Astoria, waving me over. It seemed every head in the Great Hall turned to look at me as I slid into the seat between Astoria and Blaise at the Slytherin table. Even Dumbledore was looking at me with what I thought was a worried twinkle in his eye.

As I sat down, I realized how small I was compared to the others around me. No one was staring at me like I didn't belong so I assumed that Astoria told them that I would be eating with them.

"Guys, this is Ginny," said Astoria, unnecessarily gesturing to me.

"Ginny, you know Draco, Blaise, Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy of course," said Astoria. When I nodded, she continued with her introductions.

Theodore Nott was a thin sixth year with sandy brown hair and dark, bottomless eyes. Daphne Greengrass was Astoria's younger cousin and I saw that Astoria definitely got the majority of the good looks in the family. And there was also Zane Rowle, a tall and well-muscled fifth year with hair as black as night.

"—and that's the gang," finished Astoria.

I stayed silent and nibbled on some toast as I let them talk over me. I noticed that Draco, seemingly the most talkative one, remained silent too.

"So are you going to tell us why Weasley is here?" asked Pansy with a sneer.

"She's my friend," Astoria stated simply.

Pansy shot me a glare and I smiled brilliantly right back at her.

"Well I don't like it—or her."

"Don't worry Parkinson," I said, standing up. "The feeling's mutual." I wasn't about to stay silent and let Pansy have some go's at me. I wasn't some shy girl incapable of standing up for myself.

I was about to stalk back to the Gryffindor table when Astoria grabbed my sleeve and tugged me back down. She glared Pansy down with a smirk. "If you don't like her, you can go sit somewhere else."

Pansy huffed and crossed her arms over her chest but she stayed where she was.

"Don't worry Weasley," said Blaise, throwing his arm over my shoulder. "We'll take good care of you."

I grinned despite myself and lightly elbowed him in the ribs. "I'm a big girl; I can take care of myself. After all, I'm not a little girl."

Blaise's eyes gave me the once over and he quirked an eyebrow. "I'd say you're pretty grown up."

"You're a prat," I laughed, smacking him on the shoulder.

Despite them being from Slytherin, I felt myself relaxing in their presence and joining in on the comfortable banter. After all, I wasn't one to usually let a bit of discomfort make me mute. And even if I was a bit uncomfortable, I would fake it so as not to give the Slytherins the satisfaction.

"Looks like you've finally met a girl who doesn't swoon for you," chuckled Zane.

"I'll get her to come around," said Blaise nonchalantly, knocking his shoulder against mine.

"Fat chance Zabini," I said, remembering what I heard Pansy on the train saying about Blaise fancying me.

"Ooo, shot down," laughed Daphne, throwing a piece of toast crust at Blaise.

Blaise frowned, tore crust off of his toast and tossed it at Daphne. Unfortunately for Daphne, she had the first three buttons on her school blouse undone to display more cleavage and the crust landed right in her bra. Her face flashed crimson and the entire group—including me—burst out in raucous laughter as she fished the crust out of her bra and did her buttons up to her throat.

It was just my luck that my friends walked into the Great Hall at that moment. Obviously they heard the laughter from the Slytherin table and they both glared at the noise as they walked in. The surprise written on their faces as they spotted my highly noticeable mane of red hair sitting among Slytherin was priceless.

"Uh oh, looks like we're in trouble with your friends for stealing you," laughed Astoria, gesturing with her chin to the glowering Florence and Evanna.

I could see that they were about to come over and demand answers so I frantically gestured for them to keep walking. Evanna looked confused but I saw dawning comprehension on Florence's face. She grabbed Evanna's robe sleeve and dragged her to the side of the Gryffindor table where they could sit and watch me.

"They'll get over," I said, uncertainly.

Florence and Evanna waited until we were in Charms right before lunch before they assaulted me with questions. We were working on Banishing Charms so we were able to hold a conversation without being overheard as pillows we were supposed to be banishing into a box flew across the room.

"Why were you sitting with the Slytherins?" demanded Evanna as she prodded her cushion with her wand tip.

"Astoria asked me to sit with her and her friends."

"So you're on a first name basis with them?" spat Evanna.

I snickered. "Of course. Astoria is my friend."

"But they're Death Eaters," said Florence, flicking her wand at her pillow. It rose up, flew across the room, and settled neatly into the box.

"Not all of them are," I replied, trying to mimic the way Florence had flicked her wand.

"Name one person in that group that isn't a Death Eater," demanded Evanna.

I thought for a moment. "Blaise Zabini."

Evanna's cushion twitched as she kept prodding it but it didn't rise off the desk. "Where's the proof in that?"

"The Slug Club. He was there on the train when Slughorn had that bloody meeting and everyone knows Slughorn has no interest at all in Death Eaters."

"That's only one person!" scoffed Evanna.

I laughed. "You only asked me to name one person."

"I don't think Pansy Parkinson is a Death Eater," interjected Florence. "I mean, she's mean but not that kind of mean. Plus, I think she would think being a Death Eater is beneath her."

Evanna looked grumpy. "So two whole Slytherins aren't Death Eater's. Big deal."

I swished my wand and my pillow flew up, lost strength halfway across the room and flopped onto the stone floor. I huffed and summoned it back to me. "I don't think Daphne Greengrass is a Death Eater either. She's not bright enough and I think she would think it's beneath her just like Pansy does."

"What about your friend, Astoria?" pressed Evanna. She prodded her cushion too forcefully and her wand tip singed a hole in the cushion.

"I don't think she is," I said, ignoring the clenching in my stomach. What if Astoria was an aspiring Death Eater? Or worse, an official Death Eater?

"You can't be sure?" said Florence, her voice gentle.

I shrugged as I flicked my wand at my cushion. To my surprise, my cushion flew up and landed gracefully on top of Florence's cushion in the box. "There's no way I can be sure unless I ask."

Evanna was now whacking her cushion angrily with her wand. "Then maybe you should ask!"

"Don't be daft," I snorted. "You can't just go up to someone and demand to know if they're a Death Eater."

Evanna huffed and continued to whack her cushion.

"And even if I don't know if she is a Death Eater or not, I'll keep being her friend. For all we know, she could have no affiliation with Death Eater's except for some school friends. I'm not going to end a friendship just because I'm scared that Astoria might be a Death Eater," I continued.

"I don't like you hanging out with them," said Evanna, now twirling her wand dramatically over her cushion.

"Well you'll have to get used to it," I sighed. "I'm sitting at dinner with them."

"We promise to keep your brother off your back at dinner tonight then," said Florence, watching Evanna jabbing the air above her cushion with her wand.

Florence and I took pity on her and we both raised our wands to banish Evanna's cushion. The combined spell made the cushion zoom across the room and it hit little Professor Flitwick right in the face; toppling him off his pile of books he stood on to teach.

"Oops," laughed Florence.

After lunch we had Care of Magical Creatures with the Ravenclaws. Florence and Evanna gained a supporter in questioning me about my new friends when we joined up with Adrian, his friend Nicholas and my friend Luna Lovegood as we walked down the sloping lawn to class.

"So what's this I hear about our little Ginny sitting among serpents today at breakfast?" asked Adrian with a wide grin stretching across his face.

I playfully shoved him. "None of your business."

"Ah, but it would be your brother's business, would it not?"

I glared at him. "You wouldn't."

Adrian laughed and tousled my hair affectionately. "You're so easy to bother. I wouldn't tell your brother."

I flipped my hair. "Good, it wouldn't be any of his business anyway."

"So, are you going to tell me why you sat at the Slytherin table?" asked Adrian.

I sighed. "Astoria and I are friends. She just asked me to sit with her and her friends for breakfast today."

"And for dinner," added Florence.

We had reached Hagrid's hut where a handful of other students were waiting. The group of us settled in the grass to keep talking while we waited for Hagrid.

"Dinner too?" asked Luna.

"Yes, dinner too. Astoria asked me to sit with them again."

"Astoria is the one with the dark brown, curly hair, right?" asked Nicholas.

I nodded. "Yeah, she's sixth year."

Adrian grinned. "She's very good looking. A lot of guys fancy her."

Nicholas looked to me with dawning comprehension on his face. "Kind of like you!"

"What?" I asked.

"C'mon Ginny, you must know that you're the most popular girl in our year," scoffed Luna. "Every guy in school fancies you."

I blushed deeply. Was what Pansy said about a lot of guys liking me true? I mean, I knew I wasn't ugly and a few guys had asked me to Hogsmeade but I couldn't imagine as many guys liking me as Luna was insinuating. "I have a boyfriend. I don't care if the entire male population dreams of themselves fancying me."

"That's right," said Evanna, clapping me on the back. "Stay true to Dean and Gryffindor."

I rolled my eyes but was stopped from making a retort by the appearance of Hagrid.

"Ugh," groaned Evanna, pushing herself to her feet. "Class time."

Review please!

Before anyone tells me that Astoria Greengrass is actually in 4th year and Daphne Greengrass is in 6th year during the events of Half-Blood Prince, I changed how old Astoria was for the purpose of my story. Also, Astoria is actually Daphne's younger sister but I made it so Daphne was Astoria's younger cousin. Sorry if this confuses you a bit :)