Numero Dos
Ginny gave an inaudible whoop of enjoyment as the wind whipped relentlessly through her hair. She bobbed and blew on the breeze across the height of the makeshift quidditch pitch, loving the feeling of being able to look down and pinpoint exactly where everyone was. She let her broom rise higher and higher, feeling the warm summer air begin to drop in temperature ever so gradually.
She was playing seeker for 'team dropout' as Fred jokingly named them, Ginny personally thought it was quite a fitting name; although everyone had been banned from playing their usual positions, Ginny's team consisted of her, Fred, Hermione, Mr Weasley and Lee Jordan. Against them was Harry (playing chaser), Ron, Charlie, George and Bill – by far the strongest team, though Ginny thought they were putting up a decent enough fight.
They were two player beneath the normal count for quidditch team but then the normal count was for normal quidditch, what they played at the Burrow was Weasley quidditch (or quick quidditch, but this proved to be a bit of a mouthful) where almost anything went. That is to say; total chaos.
Ginny looked back on the summer thoughtfully. Harry had been with them since July and had probably had the most celebrated birthday of his life. She thought it was good that he was around people; it took his mind off things. Although when he was around her family had a tendency to ignore her; her mum was so busy seeing to his needs, her brothers at making him feel at home and everyone just generally being a hive of activity around him. Ginny often felt excluded and alone, mostly because Harry rarely spoke to her and therefore no one else did either.
Except to tease her, this was starting to get to her a little. Ginny was mostly used to it since she had grown up with six brothers all of whom had mercilessly teased her at one point or another, but usually one of the others would defend her. When Harry was around though, the teasing kicked up a notch and they all seemed to just assume she would take it. One day she would just slap one of them she knew it…
Ginny curled up in the corner of her room which was warmest. It was the last evening of the summer holidays and for some bizarre reason the strain of good weather had given way to a cold flush that evening causing Ginny to shiver in the light camisole she wore.
She unfolded a dog-eared notebook in her lap, flicking quickly through pages of neat writing until she came to a blank page. Putting her pen gently in the top left-hand corner she began to write;
Sunday 4th September
Well, have now spent four weeks in the company of Harry and I think he's said maybe… four sentences to me. One a week. Sometimes I think it would be so much easier if I hated him.
But I can't. I mean he's just so good and kind, and I know he's been through a lot… but I just wish he'd acknowledge me. Y'know, even as a friend?
I could even settle with friendship – that's how desperate I am for some interaction with him! I know you can't make someone like you, but sometimes I just ache because I like him so much. Why is it always me? Why am I always so unlucky?
I swear every single one of the girls in my year has had at least one boyfriend, some of them have even done you-know-what, why do I have such a problem even getting someone vaguely interested?
Am I ugly? Irritating? I'd like to think that it's just because my brothers scare them away but I don't think that's true. Maybe it's just that I'm too shy… but it's not like I don't try! I do talk to Harry, or at least I try to, but there's never a good moment where he's not busy, or doing something or… anything in fact. I know he doesn't like Cho Chang anymore, or well not really, because of the whole Cedric Diggory thing. The whole dying thing. Still terrifies me I have to say, that Tom could be that brutal. Voldemort – Tom, same thing I know, but sometimes in my memory it's like they're different people.
I guess we'll all die someday, but it's scary thinking about it; I mean where do we go? What happens afterwards? Do we just… vanish?
Anyway, got a little off topic now. I think this year I will try and be better. Try and be louder. Try and get Harry's attention. This is my year. I hope.
Ginny put the pen down and closed the book. Thinking about her life made her unhappy. It wasn't that anything was particularly wrong, but then nothing was particularly right either.
The first tear rolled down her cheek and dripped onto the back of her hand, after that she couldn't stop herself.
The Hogwarts morning was rushed as usual, especially with Ron, Harry and Hermione going into their final year, Ginny in her sixth and all of her brothers wanting to see them off.
Breakfast was eaten in a groggy silence, since none of them had seen seven o'clock for nearly six weeks. Ginny was squeezed between Ron and Charlie and was persevering with eating her eggs despite the fact that every time Ron reached for anything he elbowed her in the chest and Charlie had fallen asleep on her other shoulder.
It was almost a relief when her mother stood up to gesture that it was time for them to leave. Although, Ginny always felt a bit sad leaving the Burrow, she knew she'd be back again soon and Hogwarts was her life. Hogwarts was her path to greater things, she just hoped her ambition would be enough to carry her.
The journey to the train station passed with little disturbance and Ginny found herself once again standing on platform nine and three-quarters. She looked around her at all the bustle and activity and felt apart and alone. Time seemed to stand still for her as people wound in and out of the crowd, hugging and kissing. She felt so very apart from them.
She caught sight of a familiar streak of blonde hair and her eyes were drawn unbidden to it. Draco Malfoy was sliding calmly through the crowds a girl linked casually through his arm. The girl caught Ginny's interest for a second, she was very… striking, not traditionally pretty or even beautiful just very eye-catching. The effect she had on every male in her immediate vicinity was quite obvious and Ginny felt a little jealousy stir arise in her heart. Malfoy looked like the cat that had caught the canary, his smirk nearly sickening.
A slight application of pressure at the small of her back made her turn around and she found herself looking into the eyes of her brother.
"C'mon Gin, keeping moving we do want to catch the train you know." She smiled mistily in reply shaking her head free of her thoughts.
Off to Hogwarts it was then.