Ginny looked out the window, waving to her mother who shouted words of encouragement to her. The train started to pull away, and she sat back down in her seat. Across from her sat one of her childhood friends who seemed to be rather engrossed in a magazine. She thought about mentioning to her that it was upside down, but she just shook her head with a small smile on her face. Luna always was an odd one.
She stood, mentioning briefly that she was going to take a look around. She was wandering past several compartments full of chattering students, a few of which were debating on what house they would like to be placed in. She though briefly about that as well, but she assumed that she would be placed in Gryffindor like all of her brothers. She was contemplating this matter when a hand shot out of one of the compartments and dragged her in, sliding the door closed after them. He held one pale hand over her mouth until she registered his blue eyes and light blond hair.
She didn't hug him this time, thinking about the way he looked at her at the book shop. "Who are you?" she asked with a serious look on her face.
"I am Draco Malfoy, son of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, a pureblood." He looked at her, waiting for her to recognize his family name. She thought back on a few of the conversations that she heard from her father. He would talk about how they were a rich and powerful family, but they were also followers of Lord Voldemort.
"What does this mean?" she asked slowly, searching his face for a sign. He looked paler than usual, and he wouldn't meet her eyes.
"It means that we can never be seen together. Your family is a disgrace to all purebloods," he stated seriously. His words seemed forced, but she didn't like where this was going.
She lifted her head in defiance. "I am not my parents. You shouldn't judge me based on their actions."
He shook his head. "You're just a silly girl," he said, turning to leave. One of her hands flew out to grasp his hand. "You will see," she said, her voice strong. He considered this for a moment before leaving. She exited not long after and returned to her compartment. Luna was muttering something about a flying car, and she was greeted by a boy with chubby cheeks and a boyish smile. He was holding a rather large frog that he called Trevor.
A girl that Ginny remembered as Hermione came in, her eyes full of intelligence and her chin lifted high. "Why aren't you three dressed yet? We should be arriving soon." She started to leave but then turned to Ginny. "You haven't seen your brother or Harry, have you?" Apparently not as all knowing as she thought. Ginny shook her head, and Hermione took off, her robes trailing after her like a dark shadow.
Ginny changed into her robes before settling back into her seat with a black journal that she got at the book store. She didn't remember Draco handing it too her, but she figured she was more focused on his amazing eyes. She smiled to herself as she opened the journal. It was just as blank as it was when she first looked at it, but what did she expect? She figured now was a good as time as any to start writing in it. The boy seemed to be preoccupied with talking to Luna about some plant.
She wrote the date in the upper right hand corner and then started with 'I am Ginny Weasley, and today is my first day at Hogwarts. I shall soon reach the school and be sorted….' She came to a sudden halt as she realized that her delicate lettering was slowly disappearing as she wrote. Not long after, words started to appear on the page, but they were not her own. 'Hello Ginny, I am Tom." She felt a shiver run down her spine, but she wasn't sure why. It seemed odd but harmless enough. Perhaps it was similar to the muggle email that her father was yammering about just last week. They were able to send messages back and forth within seconds by using a large box called a computer.
'Hello Tom. It is nice to meet you. How old are you? Where are you from? Do you know anything about Hogwarts?' Her words faded again, and it was odd, but it seemed like she could almost feel him laughing. It wasn't in a mean way. It seemed more like he found her curiosity amusing. 'I am 16, and I was a student at Hogwarts. Where I am shouldn't concern you for now. Have you thought about which house you would like to be sorted into?' She shook her head as she wrote back to him. 'I haven't really thought about which one I would like to be sorted in. I figure I will probably end up in Gryffindor with all of my brothers.' Another shiver went down her spine. He seemed displeased with her reply. 'You should consider other houses. For instance, Slytherin is a great house. Many great and powerful wizards have come from it.'
Her pen was pressed against the page as she started to reply, but the train stopped. Students started to file out of their compartments, so Ginny quickly closed the journal and retrieved her things. The other two did the same, and they left together. On the platform, they were greeted by a great man who called himself Hagrid. He directed the first years toward a group of boats, telling them to leave their belongings on the platform. The boy they were sitting with gave them both an encouraging smile before they parted.
Luna and Ginny sat in a boat with two other girls that seemed to be twins. One would start a sentence and the other would finish for her. Luna, however, seemed to be paying no attention at all. Her hand trailed through the dark water that they were traveling on, and she murmured words about mermaids.
They soon reached the great castle that was Hogwarts, a dark velvet sky draped behind it. Ginny pulled her robe tighter around her to ward off the cool breeze as she considered Tom's words. She was curious about the other houses, but all of her family was in Gryffindor. Its colors were rather gaudy, though, she thought with a smile.
Hagrid ushered them in through the large wooden doors toward a large staircase. He left them only to be replaced by a tall woman that held an air of power. Heavy green fabric with intricate patterns embroidered down the front was draped over her body, and a matching hat sat upon her gray hair that was tucked back in a severe bun. She started speaking about the houses, describing the traits of each. The last one she spoke of was Slytherin. The very word made her face look rather sour. Ginny listened carefully, curious about this house above all others due to Tom's advice.
They were soon taken into the room just beyond the stairs. It was glorious and took Ginny's breath away. Her attention soon moved around the room, surveying the four tables. She noticed her brothers right away, their hair clashing quite terribly with the red and gold colors of their house. She then felt as if someone was watching her, and she soon moved her eyes toward a different table, one shrouded in green and silver. He was there, his pale blue eyes watching her as she walked along with the other students. She could almost picture herself sitting with him at that table, wearing the house colors. There was a girl sitting next to him looking rather mysterious and somewhat dangerous, but he didn't seem to notice her hand sliding down his arm or the words she was purring in his ear. His cool eyes were on Ginny, causing her head to rise with confidence.
The lady was speaking again, drawing Ginny's attention back to the front of the room. Beside her sat a rather old looking hat resting upon a plain stool. She started to call the names of first year students. Each one filtered through the crowd toward the stool, waiting for the verdict. Some looked nervous while others looked as if they already knew what was coming. It took only seconds for the hat to decide for a number of students, many of which were placed in Slytherin. Ginny started to feel a bit dizzy, her eyes unconsciously drifting toward the table draped in green and silver. She found the pale blue eyes, but they looked darker, angrier. His features were a bit sharper as well. The girl next to him seemed different as well, and then Ginny realized they were in fact different people. Both seemed to have a resemblance to Draco, but he was nowhere to be found. The girl leaned in to place a kiss just below the boy's jaw, causing Ginny to blush. Her hand slid behind his neck, pulling his attention toward her. He roughly claimed her lips in response, and Ginny could feel her heart starting to race
"Luna Lovegood," called the lady in green, shaking Ginny from her reverie with the familiar name. Luna gave Ginny a small smile before making her way toward the front of the hall. The lady placed the hat gently upon her head, and it took only moments before it shouted, "Hufflepuff!" Luna jumped off the stool and bounced toward the table of clapping students.
More names were called out, and Ginny's attention again drifted back toward the boy with blue eyes. The mysterious couple from before had disappeared, and Draco was there once more. He was still looking at her, emotions shifting across his face. She nearly missed it when her name was called. Still wrapped in her own thoughts, she drifted toward the stool. She sat down upon it carefully and looked back out upon the sea of students. The hat was placed on her head, and she started to hear thoughts race through her head. They were not her own though.
'Ah, another Weasley, just as brave as the others I see! You would do well in Gryffindor, but there seems to be something more. You share a similar sense of mischief with those twins, but it's a bit different. You yearn for adventure and long for attention that you've been denied all these years because of your brothers. I see you have a strong sense of loyalty, but it seems to be a bit torn. There is uncertainty I see. You wish to please your family, but deep down I can sense a desire…"
It seemed like hours passed before the hat came to a conclusion. She looked out at her peers but everyone seemed out of focus. Her heartbeat seemed erratic and an odd ringing had taken up residence in her head. She barely registered that the hat seemed to pull itself up straight, ready to announce its decision. "Slytherin!" it stated loudly. Everything snapped sharply back into place, and Ginny breathed in deeply. It took her a minute to process what had just happened. It took her even less time to register that no one was clapping. Shock seemed to hang in the air. A Weasley had just been sorted into Slytherin.
Ginny searched for a sign of acceptance from her house, quickly running along the table until they landed on Draco. He didn't share the same look of hatred that the other Slytherins seemed to be regarding her with, but his look didn't seem quite so encouraging either. The lady standing next to her was frozen in place, a look of confusion on her face. Ginny then looked to her brothers. She noticed Ron and Harry had joined Hermione sometime during the sorting. They all were wearing looks of horror, and Ron started to stand. Hermione pulled him back down beside her. The twins didn't look angry, just a bit confused.
"You best go find a seat," the lady finally stammered as she removed the hat. Over the lady's shoulder, she saw a man with dark hair and a black robe give her a small nod, though his face looked as though he had just tasted something bitter.
Ginny slid off the stool, and she walked slowly toward the table of green and silver. Just a few feet down the row, she heard a shout that she recognized as Ron's. "This is ridiculous!" He nearly fell over the bench before starting to march toward the lady holding the hat. Harry and Hermione quickly followed, grabbing for Ron, trying to get him to stop. The lady held up a hand. "Please return to your seat, Mr. Weasley." Harry finally grabbed a hold of Ron, and Hermione was speaking words to him that Ginny couldn't hear. They returned to their seats, but Ron didn't look happy about it.
Ginny continued to make her way down the row, finally stopping behind the only person she knew. "Do you mind if I sit here?" she asked softly. Draco regarded her with cool eyes but made his decision. He nodded to the boy next to him, and he moved over. Ginny sat down gracefully in between the two, her expression guarded. "I guess you aren't like the rest of your family," he stated quietly, before returning his attention to the front of the room. Those around her shot her looks of disgust, anger, and curiosity. One girl, whom Ginny recognized as another first year, gave her a small smile.
The sorting ceremony continued without incident, but the fervor from before had dissipated. The headmaster ended with a closing speech, stating a few rules and announcements. Finally, with a wave of his hands, food appeared on the tables and conversation seemed to erupt. Many students from a number of tables were sending not so inconspicuous looks in her direction, but Ginny tried to ignore their glances.
She kept her hands in her lap and tugged the handkerchief gently out of her sleeve. She kept her expression cool, but beneath the table she pulled the fabric nervously between her fingers. Draco glanced down at her hands, and smirked slightly. He leaned in to whisper in her ear. "Don't show weakness."