Chapter One
It was a cool day in September. September first to be exact. It was raining, which needless to say, did not agree with all of the students who were rushing to the train station through puddles and muddy spots in the parking lot. The clock read 9:11A.M. and still not all the students who were attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had arrived at the Platform 9 and 3/4.
Ginny Weasley was one of the students who had not yet arrived. At 9:11A.M., she was standing in the parking lot, sopping wet, waiting for her brother, Ron, to get out of the car. It took him a seemingly long time to get out of the Ford Anglia that had been rescued from the Forbidden Forest at the end of Ginny's fifth year. In reality, it only took him a few seconds. Ginny looked up at the giant clock that stood above the train station.
"C'mon Ron, we're gonna be late!" she moaned, brushing her wet, tomato red hair away from her forehead to keep it from dripping into her eyes. She watched him struggling with the trunks in the trunk of the car before losing her patience entirely. She whipped her wand out of her pocket and pointed it at the trunk. "Accio trunks!" she yelled.
Ron and her trunks flew from the trunk of the car, landing neatly at her feet. "Now come on!" she said, grabbing her trunk and dashing off towards Platform 9 and 3/4, eager to get out of the rain. Ron followed behind her, keeping an eye out for Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, his two best friends. He was also keeping his eye out for Draco Malfoy, who, at the end of last year, had taken to watching Ginny with a keen interest.
"Speak of the devil," Ron murmured, as he watched Ginny being ambushed by Draco Malfoy. Malfoy had grabbed Ginny's arm and was trying to pull her towards a compartment. Ron suspected that it was empty. "Hey snakebreath!" Ron said, striding over to where Ginny was standing her ground. "Leave her be."
"I beg your pardon?" Draco said, looking up. "I'm terribly sorry, I don't think I heard you. I normally don't listen to weasels." Turning back to Ginny, he said, "C'mere you!"
Ron hardly had time to think before he acted. He drew back his fist and slammed it forward into the back of Draco Malfoy's head, submerging it in blonde hair.
"Thanks for that Weasley," said Malfoy, rubbing the back of his head. He let Ginny go and slammed his elbow into Ron's stomach on his way into a train car, causing Ron to double up with pain, clutching his stomach.
Ginny grabbed Ron's arm and heaved him into an upright position. "Ron, we've got to get on the train or it'll leave without us!"
"I can't breathe," panted Ron, still clutching his stomach, as Ginny pushed him from behind towards the train as she pulled their two trunks. "I can't go any farther. Ginny, you'll have to go on without me. It's not a big sacrifice. I'm sure I can find a way to get to school before the sorting ceremony."
"Ron, quit the heroics crap," said Ginny. She sidestepped Ron and got onto the train, pulling the trunks up behind her. "Now give me your hand," she instructed.
Ron grabbed her hand as the train blew its whistle and began to slowly move. "Now jump!" said Ginny, yelling over the noise of the train. Ron jumped. It was pathetic, really, how hard he tried, and how far he made it. Luckily for Ginny's strength, (built up by playing Quidditch), she heaved him aboard.
"Let's find a compartment," Ginny said calmly as Ron looked at her in a new light, as a strong, secure, sixteen year old.
Ron managed a garbled 'okay' and followed Ginny down the corridor as she searched for a compartment that was either empty, or filled with friendly faces. They walked the length of the train without finding a compartment full of friends, so Ginny decided to settle in a compartment that appeared empty.
Granted there were a few trunks on the shelves, which Ron said belonged to Harry and Hermione, but Ron and Ginny paid no mind to the belonging and set their things on empty shelve space before relaxing into the comfortable seats. Ron was asleep within minutes, for they had awoken at 5 o'clock in the morning to get their things packed, and Ginny was reading the latest edition of the Quibbler, which she was now sent for free, because she was Luna's friend.
A fat witch knocked on the compartment window and slid open the door. "Anything off the trolley dear?" she asked Ginny.
"Hmmm," Ginny said, looking up. "Oh, no thanks. I've already eaten."
"Well if you decide you want anything, I'll be up at the front of the train with the conductor."
Ginny murmured her thanks as the trolley witch left the room and closed the door. She had just gotten back into the mood of the article, (How to Tame Your Tarantula), when a loud snore from Ron disrupted her reading. She tried reading again, only to be interrupted once more by Ron's snores.
"Oh for goodness' sakes," Ginny cried, picking up her things and leaving the compartment. She wandered the length of the train again, stretching her legs, looking for a familiar face. Seeing no one, she realized that they must all be at the prefect's meeting. Meaning that Ron had missed it. Oops.
She settled into another compartment a bit away from the one she had been sharing with Ron. She had finished the article about tarantulas, and was beginning to read 'Where did all the Crumbly-Horned Snorkacks go?' when the door opened, interrupting her once more.
"I'm tired of all you people bothering me!" Ginny shouted irritably, standing up to shut the door, only to find herself face to face with Draco Malfoy.
"I'm terribly sorry weasel," he sneered, "but this is my compartment. Can you not tell?" He motioned to the walls and the trunks on the shelves.
In fact, Ginny had paid no attention to her surroundings since the moment she had walked in. She glanced around the compartment. It was obviously the compartment of a Slytherin. The walls were green, the trunks were a deep emerald green, the window shades were green . . .
"I'm sorry, I . . a . . . just, I'll leave now," Ginny stammered as Draco advanced on her, backing her into a wall.
"Scared, Weasley?" Draco whispered.
Ginny nodded.
"You shouldn't be," he said, and he brought his lips tenderly to hers, capturing them in a lasting kiss.