"Great," sighed George, "I thought they'd never leave?  Where do we start?"

            "Where do we start?  Quidditch of course!" said Fred brightly.  "Reckon Dad locked up the bludgers in his shed?"

            "Mum said no bludgers," Percy looked up from the letter he was trying to read discretely under the table.

            "All right then, let's use Petey!" Fred made as if to get up from the table.

            Ron finished the last of his orange juice with an audible gulp, "You will not!"

            "Can I play?" asked Ginny hopefully.

            "Excellent idea!  Ginny can be the bludger." said George brightly.

            Charlie gave him a withering look, "We'll use apples for all of the balls and that's that."

            "Can I play?" asked Ginny again.

            "Not unless Percy plays or it won't be even," said Ron with an air of mock wisdom.

            "I'm not playing, I've got stuff to do." with that Percy made his way from the table.

            "Bet he's going to polish his Prefect's badge again, stupid git." said George looking at Percy's retreating back.

            "See Ginny, you can't play, 'cause it's not even," Ron said stubbornly.

            "Please Charlie, can't I play?"  Ginny turned to him imploringly.

            "Look, Ginny can take my place and I'll referee," said Charlie with resignation.  As the second oldest he was used to compromising. 

            "Ah no!" protested Ron.  As the second youngest, he was not quite as used to compromising as Charlie.  "Ginny's such a brat, she always gets her way!"

            "Come on Ginny," cajoled George.  "Just let Charlie get a couple of games in, then you can play, okay?  You can ref it you want."

            "Come off it George! You know she wouldn't know a foul from her ar-

            "Ron!" Charlie exclaimed in a warning tone.

            Ginny decided she'd had enough.  "Forget it!  Who wants to play a stupid game anyway?"  With that she pushed her chair back and stomped upstairs to her room.  For a minute she strained her ears hoping to catch Charlie canceling the game to punish the boys for being mean to her.  But a second later she heard the sound of the back door opening and shutting.  She turned to look out her window and saw the boys heading up the little hill, brooms slung over their backs.

            With a sigh, Ginny let herself fall back on her bed.  She laid there, absentmindedly stroking her blanket.  How well she remembered when Mum had knitted it for her.

            "Mum, what are you doing?"

            Molly Weasley smiled kindly at her daughter.  Normally she liked to knit in peace, but she knew how hard it had been for Ginny these past couple of months now that Ron had left for school.  It saddened her to see Ginny drift aimlessly from room to room between her lessons.  Molly shifted and patted the worn couch companionably.

            "I'm knitting a sweater."

            "But I thought you finished all of our Christmas sweaters last month," said Ginny as she ran her hand over the soft, emerald green yarn.

            "Oh I did, Love," she said as she counted stitches, "But Ron owled me about a little friend of his that probably won't be getting any Christmas presents."

            Ginny frowned.  "Why not?"

            "Well, you see, he's an orphan and…"

            "Mum!" Ginny clutched her arm suddenly, causing her to unravel several stitches.  "Is this sweater for Harry Potter?"

            Mrs. Weasley nodded, "Yes Dear, this sweater is for Harry."  She looked at her daughter and was startled to see that her eyes were very bright.

            "Oh Mum!  Can I make his sweater?  Can I please?"

            "Ginny," Mrs. Weasley pointed out, "You don't know how to knit.  Remember I tried to teach you last summer, but you didn't want to learn because you were busy playing Quidditch with your brothers."

            Ginny glanced around guiltily before answering, "But I remember some of the stitches you showed me, and you can help me.  Please Mum?"

            Mrs. Weasley looked at her daughter's imploring face.  She sighed as if the idea went against her better judgment, but said, "All right Dear."

            Mrs. Weasley was surprised by the enthusiasm with which Ginny undertook the task.  The first couple of days were difficult for both of them as she constantly had to correct her and a few times she made Ginny unravel and go back where she'd missed some stitches.  But Ginny persisted and finally caught on so well, that she hardly needed any help at all.  Mrs. Weasley decided to take this opportunity to knit Ginny a blanket so that they could work on their projects together.  Ginny insisted that the blanket be made of the same emerald green yarn as Harry's sweater.  They sat together, knitting and chatting for hours on end.  A couple of times Ginny even begged Mrs. Weasley to tell her the Harry Potter story she used to tell her when she was little, about the rise and fall of the Dark Lord, the death of the Potters and Harry's mysterious survival.

            In the end, Molly was truly grateful that she had spent this time with her youngest, as she too would be gone next year.  She was also thoroughly surprised by the fine sweater that Ginny produced which surpassed hers in craftsmanship.  She wondered if her sons would notice.  Just before their trip to Romania, Ginny helped her wrap the boys' presents and insisted on wrapping Harry's herself. 

            Ginny sighed at the memory.  She remembered picking up her brothers at King's Cross at the end of term, how Harry Potter had thanked her mother for the sweater.  Ginny had been bursting to say that she was the one who made the sweater.  Somehow she couldn't bring herself to say it.  The very thought of actually talking to the hero who defeated You-Know-Who, set her stomach all a flutter. 

            Hearing laughter, she returned her attention to the window.  Her brothers were having a rowdy game.  Ron was hanging on to the back of Fred's broom in what was obviously a foul.  See Ron, I do know what a foul is.  Ron, she thought darkly.  Ron had changed so much.  He used to be Ginny's best friend, her constant companion.  They used to do everything together.  It was always her and Ron against the twins.  She always defended Ron when they teased him and vice versa.  Like the time Fred burned Ron's tongue with an acid pop.  Their mother had been furious, but it was nothing compared to Ginny!  Nobody made her Ron cry!  But since returning home from his first year at Hogwarts, Ron no longer seemed to need Ginny's company.  In fact, he seemed to feel she was a nuisance.  It was this whole business with the Sorcerer's Stone, thought Ginny.  It had made Ron a bit bigheaded.  And there was the fact that now Ron had other friends: Harry Potter and Hermione Granger.  Ginny had never actually met Hermione, but it annoyed her the way Ron talked constantly about her; Hermione is so smart, Hermione, the cleverest witch in their year.  Harry, she could understand.  He was another boy and he was a famous hero and all.  But this Hermione, well, why did Ron need her when he already had Ginny?  Still, Ginny tried her hardest to keep an open mind.  She would have to see her at school next term, after all.  Maybe she and Ginny could even be friends.  She'd never really had a girlfriend before.  Ginny sank back on her bed with this gloomy thought.

            Suddenly she sat straight up.  This was stupid.  Why was she sitting around moping when the house was full of people?  Surely she shouldn't be lonely with her brothers at home.  As the boys outside were still busy with their game she decided to try Percy first.  What the heck?  At least he was someone to talk to.  She walked over to his closed bedroom door and tapped lightly in case he was studying.  There was no answer.  Perhaps he was asleep?  She opened the door.  Percy was not asleep.  In fact, he was sitting at his desk so intent on what he was writing that he hadn't heard Ginny's knock or when she came in. 

            "Perce?  Are you doing homework?"

            Percy started at the sound of Ginny's voice, accidentally spilling his inkbottle over the piece of parchment he was writing on.  "Ginny!" his eyes flashed behind his severe glasses.  "What do you want?  Can't you see I'm busy?  Don't you ever knock?"  He fumbled around with quill, ink and parchment.

            "I did knock, but you didn't answer.  I just wanted to see what you were doing because I'm bored.  You wanna play gobstones?"

            "No," he said petulantly.  "I don't!  Now go away.  I'm busy."  Percy shuffled his parchments for emphasis.

            "Are you doing homework?"

            "That is none of your business.  Now go do something productive.  Read a book," he got up from his desk, ushering her out of the door.  "Write a poem, de-gnome the garden, but whatever you do, next time knock!"  He slammed the door shut behind her.

            "I did knock!" growled Ginny, though she doubted Percy heard her as he had just cast a locking charm on his door.  "I hope you get cited by the Ministry and it goes on your record and you get expelled from Hogwarts!"

            "Go away!" came his muffled response.

            Ginny decided she had no other option but to go outside and insist that the boys let her play.  Just as she reached the boys she heard Ron call time because Errol, the Weasley family owl, had just landed in a faint over Ron's broom handle. 

            "Time!  It's Errol.  It's from Hermione.  Perhaps she's been able to contact Harry!"

            "Yes, let's let Ron read his girlfriend's letter!" called out George as he landed next to Ginny.  Fred and Charlie continued in a two-man game.

            "Sod off!" called out Ron as he hovered on his broom in mid-air while reading his letter.

            George slumped down next to Ginny in the shade of an apple tree.  "And what is little Ginniekins up to?"

            "Shut up!" hissed Ginny edging away from him.

            "Aw come on!  You're not still put out about this morning, are you?  We were just teasing."  He pulled a remorseful face that made Ginny reluctantly forgive him.  He might be part of the terrible duo, but Ginny knew that George by himself was usually not bad.

            Ginny looked up at Ron then turned to George, "Do you think that Hermione girl has gotten a hold of Harry?"

            "Can't say," answered George looking thoughtfully up at Ron.  "Hope she has though."   He looked over at Ginny, "Oy, no need to look like somebody's died."  Ginny shuddered involuntarily.  "Besides, Gin, you don't even know him."  He looked at her with concern.  "What's up?"

            Ginny glanced up at her other brothers before glancing at George.  His eyes were wide and enquiring.  She knew she was taking a chance, but she felt like she had to tell someone or she'd bust.  "George, I can't explain it, but I feel as if I've known him all my life.  I know it doesn't make sense.  I feel as if he's someone I knew a long time ago, but I haven't seen in a while.  I reckon…I kinda….fancy him," she said with surprise.  The fact that George didn't laugh encouraged her.  "You know him, so tell me, what's he like?"

            George blinked thoughtfully for a few seconds, trying to collect his thoughts.  "He's different from what you'd expect.  Real nice bloke.  Doesn't think much of his fame.  One bloody good Seeker.  He'd real modest too.  Not like Ron who still can't get over the giant chess thing.  I think it's because he had a rough life with his Muggle relations, you know?"

            "I know!" burst in Ginny indignantly.  "When Mum told me he wouldn't even be getting any Christmas presents…"

            "Say," said George, looking at her suddenly.  "Did you see the sweater Mum sent him for Christmas?  Much better than her usual efforts."

            "I saw it," said Ginny turning several shades of red.  "In fact, I made it."

            "You did not!"

            "I did so!  Only please, promise you won't tease George!  Please?"

            George broke out in a grin.  "Okay, so long as you make mine next year."  The both looked up at Ron as he landed in front of them.

            "What are you two going on about?" Without waiting for an answer, he said, "Hermione says she's not heard from Harry either.  Not even a thank you for the birthday card.  Guess I'll tell Dad when he comes home.  She says she's finished her potions essay though, which is excellent as now I can copy it."

            "Good thing you found a smart girlfriend Ron," smirked Ginny.

            Ron spluttered in protest as George sprang up and tugged on his ear.  "Aw, look at his little ears turn red.  True love that is."

            Ron slapped his hand away and made a very rude gesture at his brother.

            The rest of the afternoon passed companionably enough with Charlie forcing Percy out at wand point and insisting he join their Quidditch game so that Ginny could play.  In the evening when they all retired to their rooms, Ginny lay on her bed, snuggled under her emerald green cover, wondering what the coming year would bring her.  Would she ever really find a friend?  Her brothers were all right, though the teasing did become trying at times.  Besides, it wasn't as though she could confide in any of them.  Already she was regretting having been so open with George.  He was probably having a good laugh with Fred about it right now.  Ginny shuddered.  Then there was Harry Potter.  Ron's best friend.  Would he be her friend too?  Would he even notice her?  If he did, what would she say to him?  He was Harry Potter!  And she was just…Ginny.  Youngest of seven, from a poor family.  She cringed remembering how Mum had explained to her how she would have to be content with second hand robes for school, as they couldn't afford new ones.  She sat up suddenly.  What would Harry think about her second hand robes?  She lay back down, pulling a pillow over her face to stifle a moan.  Once again she wished for a friend.  Someone to confide in.  Someone who would understand her.  With these restless thoughts, Ginny fell into a fitful sleep.