Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter etc, please don't sue me!

A/N: Hi All! This story will be over 20,000 words. I hope you enjoy the story XD

Warnings: AU - no war, language, questionable morals, no Hermione/Harry/Ron goodness to be found here, possibly OoC – depending on your perspective – to me, however, I would debate that they fit the rough mould when you remove the war. Also, the war doesn't exist in this one.

Ginny Weasley had a secret; and that was a novelty in her family. Being the youngest and the only girl, meant it was hard for her to do things without her family noticing. But she succeeded with this, and that thrilled her almost as much as the actual secret.

She was a thief.

A master thief at that.

Admittedly, it had been a strange career choice, but it was one she'd had since her father showed her a particular Muggle movie as a young child. From that point on, Ginny had been enthralled with the idea.

She didn't do it because she was poor, she did it for the thrill. The rush. The hit of adrenaline shooting through her veins as she undertook her challenge and the flush of success that always followed.

She twiddled her fingers as she sat on the hard, old chair; waiting for everyone to finish packing for school and join her in the kitchen. Looking at the ticking clock on the wall, she could see they were due to leave for platform nine and three quarters in seven minutes. Listening carefully, she heard her mother shouting two floors above at Ron, who had yet to finish packing. Leaving in seven minutes seemed more unlikely than she previously thought. An increasing tremble through the floor told her that someone was running lightly down the stairs; it was probably Hermione, the boys tended to thunder down when in a rush and her mother had long since lost the ability of lightness. A smell of metal and dust reached her nose and she figured the twins had snuck into the room using a silencing charm.

'Hello, Gred,' Ginny said and then turned towards her brothers.

'Gin Gin, you spoil our fun,' two terrible voices whined in union, pouting at her satisfied smirk.

'Nevertheless-'

'We came-'

'To wish-'

'You'

'A good-'

'School year-'

'Little sis.'

Ginny rolled her eyes at the antics of the identical boys in front of her and wrapped them each a tight hug. 'I'll miss you two the most,' she whispered in their ears.

'Likewise,' they replied.

'By the way,' George said, 'have you seen our book?'

'Book? Which book?' Ginny asked.

'The book, Ginny. The one with the list of all the pranks we've pulled since starting at Hogwarts.'

Yes, yes, I have. It's in my horde of most prized possessions, she thought.

Putting her finger to her lips in a picture of pondering innocence, she answered, 'No, I haven't. Don't you keep it under lock and key?'

And fifteen different enchantments - so paranoid.

The twins whimpered, sounding like a starving puppy begging for a morsel from a grand banquet. Once a month, the twins would take a full day to review their book and relive the good memories; without it, they felt like the sun would never again shine on their freckles.

Ginny would slip it back into their safe eventually, she was closer to the twins than anyone else, having bonded over trickery and cunning, and that meant she would always return their things if she acquired them; not that they knew of her secret career.

'Are you sure one of you didn't spill some potion that you were creating on it and turn it into something else?'

The twins spun to face each other, jaws opening and closing, eyes wide, 'What did you do‽' they shouted at each other in perfect timing.

Ginny dropped her head and let her silky hair brush gently down her cheek to cover her smile, pretending to look for something in her messenger bag.

The twins pounced on each other and tumbled with a thump to the floor just as Hermione skipped in. And promptly tripped over them.

Hermione yelped and Ginny gingerly stepped over her brothers to help the girl stand among the flailing limbs.

'Thanks, Ginny,' Hermione breathed.

'Hazards of a Weasley home, you should look before you enter a room, actually I'm surprised you didn't… unless you wanted to land on my two brothers…' Ginny let her though waft in the air and was answered by Hermione's blush. 'My apologies then, for helping you up,' Ginny said with a mischievous grin.

Hermione's heightened blood spread to include her neck. 'N-no, you're completely off track.'

'Mm hm.'

Hermione immediately busied herself by getting her trunk into the waiting car, face and neck still flushed.

Ginny sat back down and started to drum her fingers on the kitchen table as she watched her battling brothers. Fifteen minutes after she heard her mother shouting, Ron came down the stairs, hauling his thumping trunk behind him. Ginny rolled her eyes at her youngest brother's dishevelled appearance, he looked like he did in his first year going to school, right down to the smudge of dirt on his face… or is it food? Harry was behind him, carrying his luggage carefully - thanks, no doubt, to years of Dursley conditioning.

'Ginny, why are you sitting there? You should be getting ready!' Molly shrieked.

'All my belongings that I plan to take are packed in the car,' Ginny said in a bored tone.

'Oh! Well, I'm glad one of you is ready. Ron, why can't you be more like your sister?' Molly scolded.

Ron shot her a dirty look, but Ginny just rolled her eyes; it wasn't her fault Ron didn't plan ahead and it wasn't like leaving for Hogwarts today was a surprise, being the first of September and all. Ron seemed to disagree and showed his further displeasure by knocking his trunk into her chair; she would have fallen if her reflexes weren't excellent.

Fine, be that way: but I'll be damned if I tell you about the dirt on your face.

Arriving at the station late, as always, the group rushed to the platform, clattering and banging the whole way; Muggles shooting them judgmental looks as they raced by. When Ginny waltzed quietly onto the platform after her running family, she paused to glance around, trying to spot her friends.

The platform was beginning to empty of students, tearful parents stood waving as they looked for their children in the windows.

Seeing her family near a carriage which was usually full of Gryffindors, Ginny made her way over to say goodbye. As she neared, Malfoy sweep passed Ron and muttered, 'I know you have no social abilities, Weasel, but I would have thought you could at least not stink up the general area by using some soap and water occasionally; or do you think that your stench attracts the bush-haired-girl-you-wish-was-more-than-a-friend?'

Ron snarled in response, 'Sod off, Ferret.'

'Gladly, I can only hold my breath for so long.' Malfoy sauntered away as Ron watched with narrowed eyes, hand spasming towards his wand.

Ginny twitched her nose in irritation, she didn't like Malfoy, however she didn't have the same level of animosity with him that Ron had (for some reason Malfoy hadn't picked on her since her first year), but with Ron's dirt‑smudged face and Hermione's wild hair she couldn't dispute his comment… and her brother did smell a bit - like stuffy sweat - no doubt from sleeping in a room where quidditch clothes lay on the floor for days under bright, closed windows.

Ginny gave her parents a hug and then jumped onto the train, hauling her belongings behind her.

'There is a free space in our carriage, Ginny,' Harry offered.

'Thanks, but I want to catch up with some people. Later,' she said with a wave and wondered down the carriage, peering into doors in her search. She liked the trio, but they were a tight-knit group who only included her when it suited them, not really good friend material. She found her true friends in the next carriage.

'Hi all, how was your break?' she asked as she levitated her items onto the luggage rack and sat down in the cushy spare seat.

'Wonderful, and yours?' Luna replied.

'Very good, although I wish for one year we didn't have to rush through the train station to make it before the Hogwarts Express leaves!'

'Did Ron lose something again?' Luna asked.

'No, he just didn't bother to pack.'

As Luna and the other two gave Ginny their commiserations, Ginny turned to ask how their holidays were.

'I spent mine in the British Museum,' replied Kate Axton, a Ravenclaw who Luna had introduced her to. Kate was in her Potions class and the two often partnered each other in the lesson with great success.

'That sounds sooo dull! Why would you do that? Oh wait, I forgot, Ravenclaw,' replied Meadow. Meadow was from the ancient Ainslie family and a Slytherin through and through; it wasn't surprising she had developed a cunning nature after her Hufflepuff parents allowed their humour rather than sense to name her - as Ainslie also meant meadow.

Kate whacked her friend over the head in response as Luna and Ginny giggled at their antics.

'Well, what did you do?' Kate demanded.

'I went to a quidditch training camp,' Meadow replied. 'I am hoping to make the team this year.'

Ginny offered her friend a sympathetic look. Meadow was overlooked by the Slytherin Quidditch team captains continuously for two reasons, and two reasons only. One, she was a female and the captain of the Slytherin team was always some sexist boy. Two, her name was Meadow and they never even gave her the beater stick to trial with.

By the time they finished telling their holiday stories, they needed to change into their school robes.

A short while later, Hermione and Ron poked their heads in the door, the former announcing it was time to change into school robes.

Hermione really does take her prefect duties to the next level.

'Oh,' Ron frowned when he saw Meadow's Slytherin robes, 'you still friends with this snake? You should know better by now, Ginny. Don't you remember what happened last time you befriended a snake? You almost died.'

Ginny glowered at her brother. 'I've told you before - butt out of it, I can be friends with who I wish, Ron. Merlin, don't be so prejudice.'

'I should take points from you for being rude to a prefect,' Ron replied with a light flush on the back of his neck.

'The way I see it, you are failing in your prefect duties by insulting younger students in other houses, perhaps I should report you?' a bored voice drawled as Malfoy sauntered into view.

'Sod off, Ferret.'

'How original,' Malfoy said as he brushed some non-existent lint from his robes.

Ron went completely red, he hated to be ignored and Ginny had to admit Malfoy used this against her brother with great success. Ron launched himself at the blond, but Malfoy quickly flicked his wrist and a shield charm sprung up - Ron bounced violently off it.

'What's going on here,' came Neville's voice, it had a surprisingly authoritive tone.

Malfoy looked at Neville and drawled, 'Weasley here was insulting a sixth-year Slytherin. I warned him that it was unseemly behaviour for a prefect to insult lower year students of other house. He got upset and attacked me, so I used a shield charm to protect myself, he threw himself into it and here we are.'

Neville looked hard at Malfoy and turned to the two Ravenclaws, the closest around to impartial observers. 'Is that an accurate summary?'

Kate and Luna nodded.

'Ron, I'm sorry, but I am going to have to report this,' Neville said.

'I'm your friend!' Ron said aghast from the floor.

'And the head boy. I can't show favouritism and overlook an attack on a prefect and verbal abuse of younger students.'

'But, it's Malfoy! He's picked on you for years!' Ron replied.

Neville shrugged and eyed Malfoy. 'I don't like him, but you are the one in the wrong. Sorry. Hermione, perhaps you and Ron had better leave this carriage. You too, Malfoy.'

Malfoy looked at Neville for a moment and then offered a nod of acknowledgement before walking away. Hermione dragged Ron in the other direction.

'Congratulations on being awarded head boy, Neville,' Ginny offered. 'From how you handled that, I think you will be brilliant.'

'Thanks,' Neville answered with a smile. 'At least it can only get easier from here: having to handle Malfoy and a friend as my first task is a bit… well, it will be easier from now on.'

'I'll admit I'm astounded Malfoy actually did as you said,' Ginny added.

'So am I, but if he actually decides to continue acting like that, then my year will be simpler; especially if his housemates follow his lead.'

'So who's head girl? I saw Hermione didn't have the badge,' Kate asked.

'Yeah, Hermione was a bit upset when the head girl was announced. The head girl is a Ravenclaw named Lauren Paityn.'

'Oh, she's nice. A good choice, I think,' Luna said.

'Yeah, McGonagall mentioned that school achievement was not the only criteria, the head students needed to be people approachable to everyone in the school. Hence why Hermione was unsuccessful.'

'Mm, she isn't really very approachable to other houses,' Meadow added. 'Does she even have friends in other houses?'

'Not really,' Ginny admitted. 'But she is nice to them; just a bit too wrapped up in studies and keeping Harry and Ron out of trouble, I suppose.'

'Well, I had better be off to continue patrols,' Neville said with a wave goodbye.

Ginny frowned in thought after he left.

'What's wrong?' Luna asked.

Ginny groaned and slumped across the seats dramatically.

'Sitting at the Gryffindor table will suck tonight. Ron will be pissed I didn't defend him and Hermione will be upset over missing out on the head girl position. And when Ron finds out about the dirt still on his face, he's going to flip.'

A/N: Hope you enjoyed chapter one as much as I did writing it. I love spunky Ginny! If you see any Oxford English punctuation/grammar corrections, please PM me so I can fix them up. Otherwise, reviews and favouriting make me ever so happy XD