Disclaimer: I do not in any way own Harry Potter and co. All rights belong to J. and the publishers.

Cunning Like A Fox

By: Jodelle

"And I don't understand why I sleep all day
And I start to complain that there's no rain
And all I can do is read a book to stay awake
And it rips my life away but it's a great escape
Escape ..."

-No Rain, By: Blind Melon

Ginny Weasley walked down the hallway in only her socks her shoes held in her right hand. As she walked silently she swung her shoes back and forth by the laces. An odd thing to note was the fact her eyes were closed.

She wasn't so much seeing as she was sensing the things around her. Filch was one floor up from hers, Snape was by the Library, and Mrs. Norris was by prefects bath. This was an aurors technique only taught to those the aurors knew they could trust. Some people joined the aurors with the sole purpose of learning all their secrets so they made up a rule that you had to be with them a minimum of ten years to learn some of the more valued techniques.

Ginny remembered that the Room of Requirement which she was seeking was on the seventh floor by that ugly tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy teaching Trolls to dance the ballet. She needed someplace quiet to think as the effect of living in what felt like living in a dreamworld was slowly driving her mad with every passing moment.

It was frustrating to be so young again. Suddenly she wasn't in charge of her life. She had no job, no home of her own, no way to explain her abilities. The Aurors had no idea one of their greatest assests was a fiesty redhaired youth who was for the larger part unknown to them as anything more than Arthur Weasley's only daughter.

It had taken what felt like hours to reach the tapastry made familiar to her by the DA's use of the room by it. She felt a wave of nostalgia rush over her like a tidal wave and felt tears prick in her eyes. Ginny knew all of these people and none of them knew her. She was just the poor girl who had almost gotten killed her first year and had then been ushered onto a plane to France never to be heard of again until now.

She started pacing infront of the blank wall. Ginny thought furtively about the aurors station. She wanted her journal, her photos, her training equipment...hell anything that would make her feel at home. It took about five minutes but there it was the door to the Room of Requirement.

Inside was a dimly lit room brightened only by small stack of everglow candles. They were all that was allowed in the aurors station because they'd spelled the candles to burn out whenever nobody was around to mind them. This was a precaution used to make sure that the important files kept in the aurors station would never be ravaged by fire.

As Ginny stepped through the door the room brightened significantly. There was now enough light brightening the room that Ginny could easily read her nameplate hanging from a rusty nail above her spacious cubical. She cried freely when she came across photos of family in friends that by all laws of reality shouldn't exist in this world.

It was then that she was taken by a frenzy where she tore through the room like a storm searching for things that she'd thought to be lost to her forever. When she finally calmed down she had found her old camera, thousands of photos all crammed into her filing cabinet, all her school things such as awards and the like, several momentos saved from the wreckage of the Burrow after it had burned down, an extra auror uniform, and an entire bookshelf worth the books shrunken down to fit inside a drawer.

She grabbed her favorite book and started reading. It was titled "The Craft of Intelligence," and was written by Allen W. Dulles. It was a great book about espionage. Ginny could feel her mind easing of stress as she slipped into a state more comfortable than sleeping. It was like meditating how it helped her clear her mind.

Always careful she slipped out of the room only to double back once it had disappeared with a new request. She asked for it to turn into her old apartment which would be viewed as odd by anyone outside of her circle of friends because it was practically empty. The only room with things in them were her kitchen and her bedroom since she was up at the office so much she might as well have lived there.

She crept into her bedroom and threw herself onto the bed. She snuggled into the black silk sheets and burried her face in the feather pillows smiling unconciously. With a snap of her fingers the curtains started to close around the bed and she was so sleepy she forgot to cast the protection spells.

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Lost and insecure
You found me, you found me
Lyin' on the floor
Surrounded, surrounded
Why'd you have to wait?
Where were you? Where were you?
Just a little late
You found me, you found me

-You Found Me, By: The Fray

"Blaise, I can't find Ginny," Pansy said as she came down the stairs from the girl's dormitory. She looked a little worried but wondered if Ginny had simply gone to the kitchens or to the library as Pansy did early in the morning sometimes. It took some finangaling but after some begging Milicent let Pansy borrow her cat who had a nose as good as any bloodhound.

It took about fifteen minutes of searching when she and Blaise came across a door that she'd never seen before in all her years of being at Hogwarts. It was an elegant door with molding that shined from inside illuminating the magical creatures carved into the door.

Pansy held her wand out slowly opening the door which revealed what appeared to be somebody's apartment. This was unusal to come across as she'd never heard of the teachers having rooms much different than the students dorms the professors rooms were the same only more spacious.

She walked through the empty living room and peered into the kitchen. There were all sorts of sugary candies in the cabinets that had her almost drooling. She didn't recognize a lot of the sweets as they were muggle brands but they looked delicious.

She looked into what appeared to be a bathroom and her jaw dropped. It was the most elegant bathroom she'd ever seen. There was a huge bath large enough to swim in that doubled as a jacuzzi with jets that made the water bubble. It was odd that the bath was empty yet bubbling away. Pansy wondered who lived here. Surely this was a teachers room so why would Ginny be here?

She then hear a soft beeping sound. Pansy followed the sound and Blaise was at her heels. He grabbed her arm making her stop in her tracks. "If this is a teachers room let me go first so you won't get in trouble Pans." Pansy bit her lip but nodded allowing Blaise to shoulder past her and enter through the door.

There was a moment of silence before Blaise said in a loud whisper, "Come in. No teachers are here just Weasley." Pansy needed no more prompting to rush through the door. The sight she beheld made tears prick in her eyes. There was Ginny looking fitful in her sleep with tears dripping down her cheeks. She was covered by heavy blankets but still appeared to be shivering.

Pansy had been trying to help Ginny adjust to life at Hogwarts but it appeared she hadn't been coping as well as hoped. She was probably dreaming about the Chamber of Secrets. Her heart went out to the former Gryffindor. It was true that she'd been nasty initially but that was because Blaise had been flirting with Ginny. The only rule her friends knew was don't get between Pansy and Blaise.

They'd been quiet but Ginny still sat bolt upright her wand aimed on them. She looked like a deer caught in headlights initially but then she came to her senses lowering her wand and pushing the covers back. She sat on the bed crossing her legs underneath her meeting the Slytherins questioning stares.

"This is what home looks like. We're in the Room of Requirement...this room turning into whatever you want. I wanted it to look like my old home and vuala here it is identical rooms down to how much dust there is by the fireplace."

Pansy looked delighted. "Once you're done getting dressed can I you know change it into my houses library?" She knew something was wrong with Ginny but she also knew she wasn't going to get any answers from her right now.

Ginny yawned rubbing her sleepy eyes. "Sure. Give me ten minutes and I'll be ready." Ginny walked with them into what was supposed to be the living room and thought hard making a comfy loveseat appear winking at Pansy while Blaises back was turned. They could get close and cuddle if they wanted she thought as she herself had no interest in Blaise.

True to her word Ginny was don't in ten minutes down to the second. She wasn't wearing her uniform but rather beautiful robes with a gothic edge to them in short aurors robes. As she was a wiz at sewing and she'd made them from a mental picture in her mind.

Pansy squeeled. "You look so cool in those. What are they supposed to be...I mean they're surely not dress robes." Ginny smiled widely, "No, definetly not dress robes, these are my take on what an auror should dress like."

"Spin! Let me get a good look at you Gin." Pansy demanded. Ginny laughed spinning like a dervish and then stoping to curtsie. Pansy nodded before grabbing Ginny by the wrist and dragging her out the front door of her 'apartment.'

They followed by Blaise walked a short distance before turning around. Pansy almost ran to the door to the Room of Requirement. She flung the door open and Ginny gasped at the room full to the brim with books. It was bigger than Hogwarts library and that was saying something. Ginny had once had a dream of owning her own library because she wanted to be able to visit it whenever she wanted heck even in her sleep if that was her desire.

They spent there whole day there as it was Saturday. Well most of the day anyways. After awhile Blaise and her left Pansy to her newfound delight Blaise to go find Draco who he shadowed while Ginny went out onto the pitch.

She took deep breaths of the sweet humid air. Then taking out her wand she summoned her broom metally picturing it until it came to stop beside her. Her grin was so wide it split her face in half. And even better nobody was out on the pitch.

Ginny raced around the pitch looking as at ease there as she looked graceful on the ground. She did a wronski feint followed by a sloth grip roll. She flew widely as if trying to defy gravity with even more dangerous stunts. She then settled for lying on her back balanced on the broom to stare up at the clouds.

That was when she heard the clapping. She almost fell off her broom she was so startled. She clutched her broom briefly remembering that techniquely it was the only thing keeping her in the air.

She peered down at the ground glaring slightly at the people who had taken her out of her reverie. It was a large group of Slytherins all smirking no doubt.

Ginny slowly descended to land with a silent catlike grace. She frowned when the Slytherins came to meet her. She looked put out. There went her quiet time.

One of the first year Slytherins exclaimed, "That was brilliant! Will you teach me that move where you..."

"It's called a sloth roll grip kiddo," Blaise interjected, " And you're not skilled enough to learn that yet." Even he looked impressed. While she didn't mind some of the attention she felt deep loathing bursting inside of her when Malfoy showed up.

"Wow, Weasley, a little suicidal today?" Malfoy said grinning broadly.

Ginny scowled. "There's no fun in flying if it's not a little dangerous. And it's part of my-"

"Training, right. I'd heard that aurors have to be able to fly with some degree of grace as it's required in missions where apparating would give you away." Draco said this smoothly while Ginny bit the inside of her cheek to keep the insults at bay. He hadn't done anything wrong yet but she still wanted to bite his head off.

"So Weasley. What would you say to being our chaser?" Draco slipped in while she was distracted with her own thoughts. Ginny looked up confused before the worlds were absorbed.

"N-"

"Now Weasley at least give it a bit of thought before you flat out refuse!" Draco said frowning.

"Why should I!?!" Ginny demanded hotly. "I could use the time for studying for the auror exams. Quidditch is a waste of time. And I'm not that great at it." Ginny confessed.

"Oh, but you are and I'm not very free with compliments Weaslette. If you don't become our chaser I could make becoming an auror very difficult for you. I have my connections in the ministry Weasley."

"Are you threatening me! If you dare try I'll make sure you lose every game we're in! Even the one's against Hufflepuff!!!"

Draco looked like somebody had slapped him. "Touche Weasley. I don't doubt you could make me regret putting you on the team but even you've got your pride. You couldn't bear to lose to Hufflepuff anymore than I could."

Ginny looked like she was about to kill him and Blaise noticed this stepping infront of Draco. "Ginny, as a whole burst for your ego let me tell you that you are that good. This prat is just desperate as our best chaser had to quit because he's failing classes. Don't doubt he knows you could kick his arse any time of the day especially decked out like you are."

Draco opened his mouth to deny this when Ginny burst out, "But -but- it's not fair! This doesn't benefit me at all! Isn't that the whole reason for being Slytherin to meet your ends. I don't care if it's selfish! I don't care if I'm supposedly wasting talent...I don't like the attention. I like the things calm and quiet although I admit to liking a good adrenaline rush like anyone else. Being an auror is about stealth being invisible and I'm good at that."

The little first year looked up at her with pleading eyes. "-But you're so good! Please play! It would keep you in shape for your auror exams and you'd never be bored. My Uncle used to play and he's amazing just like you. It's always fun to watch people who are good at what they do!"

Ginny sighed and the Slytherins could tell she'd broken. "Alright Ryan I'll do it if you stop giving me those puppy eyes."

The boy grinned. "You remembered my name!"

"Sure did. I was being sorted too you know."

"You're cool! I like you," the boy said matter of fact.

Ginny smiled a bright smile, "Ah, nice you think so...Right so when are practices?"

Blaise conjured up a pen and paper writing down the times of practices. "By Gin. Meet us on the path that leads to Hogsmead tomorrow at seven. We'll get permission from Snape to get you're quidditch uniform."

"Fine!" Ginny said quietly walking away from the pitch feeling drained. Her protests weren't very strong because she'd been lying. In her old world she'd gotten injured severely once and had almost died. Flying outside of games was safe in her mind but flying during a quidittch match gave her shivers. She couldn't help but feel scared as she walked back into the castle.

A/N: I hope you like it.

She's feeling homesick! Poor Ginny.

-Jodelle