I do not own Hp and I was not brilliant enough to think up the characters.
Charmed
By Terra Rose
Chapter One
She stepped out of the carriage, her frosty silver cloak falling gently to her feet. Her hair was almost white in the moonlight and her lips shone a deep crimson. This was the famous castle, famous Hogwarts. It was impressive, indeed with all those towers and an enchanted aura surrounded the establishment. She knew all of it to be familiar, every scent and every sensation. She felt a zing of joy to be back. The walk or stride to the massive front doors took a few minutes, and soon she stepped inside the warmth that seemed to embrace her like a mother would. She dusted the snow from her hair and shoulders, taking the cloak hood off to reveal her bruised face.
" Ginny!" Minerva gapped, almost dropping the candlesticks she had lit a few moments ago with a flick of magic.
" Professor." The young girl managed to get out before she fainted, crashing to the hard cold marble floor of her former school.
When she awoke, she knew immediately, instinctively that she was in the hospital wing. She could even smell the lavender soap Madame Pomfrey used to clean the floors. And the sheets were soft like sheep wool. A single candle burned at her bedside and in the candlelight her hair was red, deep crimson, carmine, ruby, however you please to say. Madame Pomfrey strode in a few minutes after Ginny awoke. She had a businesslike face, stern almost, her wand tucked into the apron of her robes.
" Madame Pomfrey!" Ginny greeted happy to see an old friend. But instead of the expected warm affection and concerned smile, all she received was a large flask of strangely colored potion shoved into her hands.
" Drink that." Madame Pomfrey snapped in a businesslike manner, standing with her hands on her hips waiting. Ginny obediently drank the contents of the flask although she was quite certain that one of Fred's socks had been mixed in; it tasted so rancid. The flask was snatched away and the curtain was slid back into place. She sat for awhile in shock wondering what she had done to provoke such behavior from a normally loving and maternal Medi-witch?
Ginny remembered that the school had seemed a prison, before. It's windows seemed bared, it's doors locked, and she had felt ready to scream as the walls and ceilings closed in on her. Ginny lay in the petite bed grasping at her memories, which seemed to be slipping from her mind rapidly. She hardly remembered the carriage trip or even coming to the castle. She had done something wrong, that was all she knew.
With a deep sigh, the headmaster had agreed to let her return to school. However, he looked at her with an odd expression, his blue eyes clouded and his brow furrowed. Severus Snape was summoned to escort her to her room, away from the other Gryffindors. Her room was so close to the dungeons, she could smell the disgusting potions from outside her door.
" What you have done will not be forgiven by the others. They will hate you and make you hate yourself. I know. Look at me; I am cast out of their circle and out of their group. You will be as well." Snape said in a sour tone, his beady eyes never meeting hers as they walked.
" Why can't I join my house in the Gryffindor Tower?" Ginny asked as they neared a strange looking door.
" They don't trust you. You have betrayed them. You have been marked." Snape stopped abruptly in front of a small and oddly shaped door with a lion crest nailed to the door.
" Here is your room, Ms. Weasley. Professor McGonagall will be down to see you quite soon. Don't expect her to treat you as you remember. Things have changed." He explained , departing quickly so as when she turned to ask him another question, he was already inside his classroom down the hall. Ginny stood outside the door for a long while, staring at the fake Gryffindor crest that mocked her with its very presence . Slowly, she pushed the door open and a loud squeak echoed through out the entire hall, the hinges rusted beyond any grease can's redemption. She stepped into the cluttered yet spacious room crammed with knickknacks of all types. There was a single twin bed shoved between two loaded bookcases, yet all she could make out was the end post because there was clothing staked to the ceiling occupying the aforementioned bed. There was a petite desk packed full of miscellaneous books and parchment and a bulletin board covered with pictures of people that Ginny had never seen, all waving at her cheerfully. From the appearance of the room, Ginny deduced that a house elf had never set foot within the confines. Shivering as a gust of wind bustled past her rickety frame, Ginny glanced at the fireplace to discover it was cold and empty. She said a few words while pointing her wand at the fireplace, but it remained still and flameless. She tried a few other spells to clean the place up and found she could not perform any magic.
" No magic in this room," Professor McGonagall announced, stepping into the extremely untidy room, her beady eyes fixed on Ginny," You will do everything the muggle way, Miss Weasley. No magic in this room." McGonagall smiled to herself, taking in the room and estimating how long it would take for Ginny to clean it.
" That is just one of the few restrictions I have placed on you. You may use anything in this room that you find is in working order. Put in the closet anything that you do not use. No magic in this room or anywhere but the few classes that require the use of a wand. You must report to all meals, you must be in this room at 5 in the evening. And you may not, under any circumstances, go into the Gryffindor Tower. You are not a Gryffindor any more."
" My parents?" She looked up into the eyes of the older woman hopefully.
" They have been notified that you are safe and back in school." She replied sharply.
" But do they wish to see me?" Her small flame of hope dying as though McGonagall had gleefully blown it out.
" No, they do not. If that is your only question, I have other matters to attend to. You should clean this room up. You will find some muggle cleanser in the bathroom with rags. You can get firewood from outside. Just go up the stairs and out the door. Classes resume tomorrow. Someone will bring your old books to you later today. The house elves refuse to come into this room so do not expect them." And then she left without so much as a glance, a hug, a thin bit of compassion or understanding. Ginny cleared the bed off, throwing all the clothes to the ground violently. Then she fell on the dusty bed and cried. As she lay there sobbing on the horribly dirty bed, not knowing what to do or say, she was frightened by the sound of her door squeaking open. She looked up to see the door close by its self.
"Who's there?" She asked in a frightened whisper.
"It's me, Gin." Came a soft voice that Ginny barely recognized. Then he appeared out of nowhere, obviously wearing an invisibility cloak. Draco Malfoy stood before her, his designer robes and expensive haircut personifying his reputation . The only thing absent was his trademark sneer. Instead, he stood before her with a gentle expression and his gray eyes alight with adoration.
"Malfoy!" She exclaimed, swiftly getting up from the bed and wiping away at her teary eyes. An injured looked flashed across his face and he narrowed his eyes to consider her.
"Please don't be angry with me, Ginny." He pleaded in the softest whisper, his eyes speaking for themselves. She stared at him intently, trying to comprehend the situation in front of her. Draco Malfoy was standing in her humble living quarters. He was a boy that she remembered only by the animosity and hate he had displayed towards her friends and family. But he was there with a soft look of concern painted on his face, his deep gray eyes clouded with confusion.
"What do you want?" Ginny asked harshly.
"I had to see you. I know now that everything that happened wasn't really you, Ginny. I couldn't believe it at first, but I haven't actually seen you since that day in the library. I have missed you so badly." He smiled sheepishly, stepping forward to embrace her. He gently caressed her cheek, breathing in her scent as he entwined his fingers in her hair. Taken aback, she remained in his embrace and pondered why she felt as though she belonged in his arms. He was the son of a Death Eater. He hated her and she hated him. They were enemies. She came to her sense and pulled away from him.
"I don't know what sort of game this is, but it's not funny. Please leave me alone." She demanded while reaching for the doorknob, but he grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him. He looked directly into her eyes; his own causing Ginny to shiver.
"Sweet Ginny, you don't remember me?"
"Of course I remember you! You are a Malfoy! Son of Lucius Malfoy. He's a Death Eater, rich, powerful. I'm not stupid." She snipped, becoming quite annoyed with him.
"Does Incantanta Verisi L'identité de Handwritting a révélé mean anything to you?" He asked calmly. She growled in frustration.
" I don't know what you are talking about! Please just leave. I don't have time to answer all your stupid questions."
From her spot at the very end of the table, Ginny could just make out her old friends, her Brother, and his friends. She longed to go sit with them, but fear of rejection kept her far from anyone she had known. The second she sat down, everyone moved away from her so she sat alone eating her porridge and wishing so very much that she was dead.
The owls fluttered in like a flock of geese or a swarm of Locust, and a small letter fell into Ginny hands. She recognized Errol, her parent's owl, right away. Her name was written in her mother's fancy Calligraphy on the front; Ginevra Weasley
She tore the yellowish paper open breaking the maroon wax seal. It read:
Ginny,
We have mailed your personal belongings to you. They will be there within the week.
Sincerely,
Molly Weasley
Ginny began to cry silently in her hands, hugging the overlarge sweater she was wearing that had a little g sewn on the front. The formality of the letter confirmed that her mother was also upset with her. She felt like things couldn't get worse.
" Death Eater!" Pansy Parkinson shrieked in Ginny's ear as she walked out of the Great Hall.
Ginny found out by looking at the calendar in the Library that wherever she had been, she had been there for 3 months. A deep gap in her life and no one would talk to her or tell her what she had done. They all assumed that she knew.
Through all her classes, Potions was her favorite for some odd reason. All the other teachers were cold, seating her in the back of the room where she could hardly hear their lesson and she missed a lot of the assignments. Each one gave her a scroll as long as the equator of all the assignments she had to do to catch up with her class. Each teacher had some snide remark to make about where she had been. And the teachers did not restrain the students of their own remarks. Only in Potions was she treated equally, where the students did not make any comments and she sat in the very front, hearing every bit of the lesson. Snape seemed warm towards her as though he had some sort of compassion for her.
Ginny made it through a whole week of Lessons, going to all the meals, being called the worst names she had ever heard of, and staying up till her eyelids refused to remain open doing homework. She hadn't really seen anyone she knew except from her far away seat during meals. On Monday, Ginny's things arrived and were set outside her door. She lugged them all into her room and immediately found all the things she had loved. Her posters, pictures, clothing, even her shampoo. She found the small necklace her mother and father had given her for her 15th birthday. It was a blue sapphire with tiny diamonds all the way around in a choker. She treasured that necklace that her parents were probably still paying off. She put it on right away before the bell rang. She'd be late for Transfiguration if she didn't hurry. She grabbed her book bag as she ran a comb through her fiery hair and settled on leaving it down.
She rushed out her room, squeaking the door open and squeaking it closed. Then she hurried up the stairs and towards the library where she had to drop off a late book. Madame Pince hadn't been affected by the prejudice the other teachers had. It seemed that she was a turtle, safely tucked inside her world of books and oblivious to the outside.
Just outside the Library, Ginny ran into a group of seventh year Slytherins. Pansy noticed Ginny approaching and nodded for Crabbe and Goyle to step in Ginny's way.
"If it isn't little Miss Death Eater. Why aren't you with your Gryffindor friends? Oh yes, you don't have any. They're all ashamed of you. You are no better than a prostitute to them." Pansy screeched in a high-pitched voice. Ginny tried to back up ,but more of the group circled about her. They began to grab at her while the onlookers spit on her and shouted fowl words. Pansy took notice of Ginny's necklace as Ginny started fighting them off with her book bag.
" Look at this piece of crap!" She shouted, grabbing it and yanking it off roughly. Pansy's nails dug deeply into Ginny's skin and she gasped in pain. Pansy threw the necklace on the ground and smashed it with her heel, making it crunch with spite.
" No! That was from my parents!" Ginny yelled as loudly as she could.
" No need for it now." Pansy sang cheerfully. The massive boys pushed her against the wall. Goyle stuck his hand up her skirt so she kicked him in the shins. Crabbe slapped her and she hit the wall. There were a lot more slytherins in the affair now. They began to kick her in the stomach as she struggled to her feet.
" Crabbe! Goyle!" Came a deep voice out of all the commotion and Draco Malfoy pushed his way through the circle of friends.
"Get away from her!" Draco shouted, his eyes becoming red with anger.
" Huh?" Crabbe and Goyle looked at each other perplexed.
" Just leave her alone!"
" But-"
" Do as I say or so help me!" Malfoy hollered loudly, his voice silencing the hallway.
They both let go of Ginny as though she had a disease. At that moment, the bell rang and they all cursed before rushing to class. It was silent for a while so Ginny braved to look up. Draco had knelt and was picking up the pieces to her necklace. He had eyes of charcoal gray, so full of every kind of emotion: love, hate, pain, and desire. The black of his cloaks seem to fit, seemed only to append to his mysterious aura. Everything about him was dark, hidden, and surreptitious. Everything but his hair that fell on his face like shards of glass, pallid gold if there was such a thing.
He handed her the necklace and stood hovering above as if waiting for something. Ginny parted her lips to thank him, but he dashed off promptly in utter quiescence, his black robes flying every which way with his movements. Gone.
Weirdo. Ginny thought as she slowly stood up on her feet. She was in a very dark, dusky hallway with only an echo from a wing above. The library doors were locked and Ginny learned this from her frantic attempts to pull them open. Suddenly, she realized she would have to face McGonagall without a pass. So, with scuffing feet, frightened tearful eyes as round as platters, and an empty pass-less hand, she sauntered into the Transfiguration hall. All the students looked up with horrid smirks like they actually knew her. McGonagall looked at her with beady eyes, her lips curled in and her face narrowed.
" Professor-"
She was given no time to explain. Detention was the only acceptable punishment for tardiness and 35 points was taken from Gryffindor. Why were all these people so cruel? Why was she an outcast? She wanted to know.
"Come in!" Professor McGonagall screeched from behind the wooden door. Ginny faint-heartedly stumbled into the over sized office and tumbled into an antique chair, the springs biting into her backside. The room was freezing like an ice chest.
" What is it?" McGonagall inquired with sharply raised eyebrows.
" Professor, I just wanted to-"
" If you are here to try and get out of your punishment, forget it. You break the rules and you get punished."
" But professor, I was attacked." Ginny exclaimed.
" Attacked? By who?"
" Well, there was a large group of Slytherins. They ganged up on me and Pansy broke my necklace."
" That sounds quite unrealistic, Ms Weasley. Let me see the necklace." Ginny nodded and took the small treasure out of her pocket with a shaking hand to hand it over. The old woman snatched it up and held it in front of her face to examine.
" Ms Weasley. It does not look broken to me."
" That is because Draco fixed it." Ginny stated with a quivering bottom lip.
" Am I to understand that you have no proof of this incident?"
" Well, No. But you can ask Draco! He will tell you what happened."
"I would hardly trust his word. He is just as bad as you are. Please get out of my office and stop wasting my time."
" But-"
" Trying to get other students in trouble? Lying to your Head of House! I will not have it. Get out of my office at once!" Her voice was neither calm nor composed like it had always been in class. Ginny ran out of the room like a spooked chicken, dashing past all the portraits that called her names and the students who did worse. She ran and ran and ran till her legs were so sore; her feet throbbed from the buckle shoes she was wearing. She just followed her feet till she found herself right outside the Gryffindor common room. She just stood and stared at the fat lady, wishing so badly to go inside.
" Password, please." The Fat lady asked timidly, trying hard to place Ginny's familiar face.
" Oh, I'm not going in. Just standing."
Then all of a sudden, the portrait door swung open and a boy dashed out. He ran right into Ginny.
" Neville!" Ginny shouted as she toppled to the floor. Neville was much taller now, not so plump, and more muscular. He smiled and helped Ginny to her feet.
" Hi Ginny." He greeted.
" Oh, hullo." Ginny closed her eyes, waiting for him to say something bad.
" I'm sorry about that. I wasn't expecting anyone out here."
" Huh?"
" I wasn't expecting you to be here. I've seen you at mealtime."
" Yeah, I've seen you too."
" You ok? You look like you're ready to cry."
"I'm fine, really."
" You look dizzy. Why don't you go lay down?" Neville held the portrait door open for her. She hesitated so Neville gave her a small push and she went right in. It was lunchtime so the common room was empty except for a few people. One of them was Hermione Granger who leapt to her feet when she saw Ginny.
" Come on, Ginny. I know you aren't evil like they all are saying. There are too many thing askew. You don't even have to explain. So just come with me and eat with us like you used to."
Ginny shook her head sheepishly.
" Ron hates me."
" He does not."
" I'm sorry. Maybe tomorrow."
And with that, Ginny dashed towards her famous spot at the back of the Gryffindor table. A few minutes latter, Hermione came and sat down next to her along with Neville, Harry, Seamus, and Collin.
They all were so nice, giving her hugs and chocolate frogs. Harry told about a million jokes, Seamus got a green bean stuck up his nose and Hermione gave her a list of books she could read to catch up with her class.
" Guys, why is everyone mad at me?" Ginny asked towards the end of lunch.
" Everyone is saying you joined the dark side and came back begging for forgiveness." Seamus said nasally.
" She didn't join. I know she didn't." Draco Malfoy stated and they all turned shocked.