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Chapter One: Friends?

The train ride to Hogwarts seemed longer than usual. The witch with all the treats had passed by their room hours ago, and Ginny had long since finished her chocolate frogs. Her friends around her were talking up a storm, but Ginny refused to delve into the conversation. They were all bragging about their O.W.L.'s and what their parents had done by way of an award. All Ginny got was a congratulation dinner while her friends got new brooms, or other equally expensive gifts.

Money. That was one topic of conversation Ginny totally refused to join in. Other than that she was the chattiest of them all. And because of her understanding smile and bright friendly eyes, she was the most popular girl in her year. When ever you needed someone to talk to, Ginny was the one you would turn to. If you ever needed a shoulder to cry on, Ginny's was always there.

It's not like she conciously did it. She was just naturally so friendly and kind. But there was another side to Ginny. The side no one knew about. While everyone poured their souls out to her, no one was ever around to hear Ginny's problems, so she just jotted them down in a Muggle notebook (long ago refraining from any magical journal), and doodled in her spare time.

Right now she was drawing a very exuburant Mary Hatchpeak. She was a fellow Gryffindor and was always so hyper you wondered if sugar water ran in her veins. Next to the picture Ginny wrote her feelings about Mary; Sweet, hyper, loves life, good friend.

"The train stopped!" Someone yelled, and Ginny closed her notebook and followed the other sixth years to the carriages that would take them to Hogwarts.

The night was a cold one and Ginny clasped her robes tighter. "Ginny!" Someone yelled from a carriage. It was Hermione, waving for her to join them. She exited her group of friends and walked towards the carriage Hermione was in and knew Ron and Harry would be there too, but just before she got there, Neville climbed in.

"Sorry, Gin." Hermione called back, shrugging her shoulders.

"No problem." Ginny said, walking towards another carriage But they were all full. Everyone gave her a pittied look and watched as she moved from carriage to carriage. She finally found one that was near empty. Only one person was in it and they were leaning against the side, looking out the window.

"Any one sitting here?" Ginny asked, climbing in.

"No, go ahead." The person said without turning.

Ginny situated herself in the seat and prepared for the ten minute journey to the castle. The silence in the carriage began to scare her. She wasn't used to sitting in silence, someone or other was always talking. She looked at the person sitting kitty corner her and tried to figure out who he was. He wasn't a sixth year, that was sure. Definately not younger, either, so he must be a seventh year. Not a Gryffindor...hmm, who is he?

Suddenly, the figure turned to see Ginny, and her mouth fell open. Draco Malfoy!

"You look like a fish, Weasley." Draco said, noting her opened mouth, then turned to look back out the window.

Well, he obviously knew her.

Ginny was sort of dishearted at his statement. She wasn't used to having people be rude to her, even if they were Slytherin. She even helped tutor some of them, and had gained their respect somewhat...all but Draco's. Ginny realized why she hadn't recognized him; Crabbe and Goyle were no where in site.

"Where are your friends?" Ginny asked to strike up conversation.

"They're not here, obviously." Draco said without taking his gaze out of the window.

"I'm sorry, I just--" Ginny started, but was cut off.

"You were just what? Trying to sympathize with the poor Slytherin? Look, Weasley, I don't need someone to cry on, so just bugger off."

Ginny was completely affronted. She was not used to such behavior, not since her first year. But Ginny set her features in determination. She always won over people's affections. She was determined to crack the shell around Draco.

"Are you excited about your seventh year?" She asked.

No reply.

"I mean, you'll be graduating and everything. I heard you were thinking of coming back and being Snape's assistant."

Still no reply.

"I can't wait till I graduate. Dad promised me a position in his department, and--"

"Ginny, shut up!" Draco yelled.

Ginny smiled despite the harsh words. He'd said her first name, and that was a start.

* * *

Draco thought he had Crabbe and Goyle around his finger. He thought he could make them follow him around, and that they would obey him, no matter what. He thought wrong. When Milliscent asked Crabbe to sit in the carriage with her, he grinned stupidly and agreed. Goyle followed him, and Milliscent's friend took up the extra seat, leaving Draco alone.

Then he thought it must have been a stroke of luck, for he found an empty carriage in which he could brood over the events of the past summer. Voldemort's supporters were being caught, one by one, and those who weren't sent to Azkaban were either dying, or loosing their interest in this loosing battle. His Father was never home, his Mother was worried to death that Aurors or Death-Eater's would barge down the door and take them away.

Finally Draco had time to just be alone...then she came in.

He knew it was that Weasley girl...Geenie, or Gina or something. He noticed how popular she became in the past two years. Noticed even how some of the Slytherin's warmed up to her. It sickened him. Everything his life was made of was being torn down by this red headed vixen. It took him months to get the Slytherin's to hate the other houses, and then here comes this Ginny (that's her name!), trapsing along Hogwarts shouting "Peace, Love..."

The nosy little Muggle lover even had the nerve to speak to him.

Finally, the carriage stopped, and Draco barged out of the carriage as if the plague was in there. It seemed he would have to face this year without his cronies. He noticed how Crabbe and Goyle walked right past him.

The Great Hall was warm and welcoming, but Draco faked sick, and headed down to the Slytherin Common Room. The fires were lit, so he drew up a high backed chair and sat.

What terrors will I do this year? He thought, remembering how he had finally won a Quidditch game against Gryffindor last year. The entire school minus the Slytherin's were angry and disgruntled, but Gryffindor's won the House Cup in the end.

All of a sudden Draco felt very lonely. A strong breeze was rattling the windows, and the fire didnt' seem as warm. He looked around the common room, the many empty chairs standing tall and intimidating. He finally turned to face the fire, and watched as it shot upwarts, twisting and turning...it almost reminded him of something...someone...but who?

Just then the Slytherin's entered, well fed and ready for bed. Draco waited until every last one of them were gone before he went to his dorm. Crabbe and Goyle were sleeping peacefully, even if they were snoring up a storm. Draco climbed into his bed, not bothering to change. He pulled the curtains of his bed shut, the Silencing Charm blocking the snoring from entering. Draco wished he was anywhere but here. He wanted to get school over with so he could just...

What did he want to do? Would the Dark Lord still be in power by the time he was out of school? Even if he was, Draco didn't want to join. He had mature somewhat in the past year. Muggles weren't as horrible as he thought they were, but he still believed they shouldn't be allowed to practice magic. That Hermione Granger must be cheating, she wasn't even half witch.

Draco finally fell into a dreamless sleep, not anticipating the next day.

* * *

"Cursed Cows!" Ron exclaimed the next day at breakfast. "Why do we always get potoins with Slytherin?" He shot an evil stair towards the offending parties table.

Harry both looked at his schedule and groaned.

"What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger, right?" Ginny said, not taking her eyes off her plate.

Ginny had many offers to sit with her friends during meals, but she preferred to sit with her brother. It sort of reminded her of home, and since they were the only Weasley's left at Hogwarts, she felt they ought to stick together.

"Ginny, I don't think you understand what it's like to be in Snapes class with a room full of rottin Slytherins." Ron looked at the rest of his schedule. "At least we don't have Divination any more. Oh, look, Herbology with the Ravenclaws! At least I'll get an A in that class."

"Ron, you have to stop copying off other students." Hermione said between mouth fulls of food. "How are you going to feel when you take your N.E.W.T.'s and not know a thing?"

"I guess we'll find out when the time comes, eh?" Ron smiled.

"Ginny, what do you have?" Harry asked, trying to include her more.

Ginny looked down at her scheduled, and smiled. "Muggle studies first, then lunch, then Care of Magical Creatures...wait, it says I'm in Advanced Care of Magical Creatures...we have that here?" Ginny looked up, confused.

"I think I remember McGonoggal talking about that last year. She said that they were going to have a lot of Advanced classes this year, but only sixth and seventh years could take them...you obviously do good in that class." Hermione smiled proudly.

"But I want to go into the Muggle department...they should put me Advanced in that class." Ginny complained.

"Hermione, you got all Advanced classes." Ron said, peering over her shoulder.

Hermione pulled her schedule out of Ron's eye site. "So I do, heh heh, waddya know?"

"When were you planning on telling us? When we realized you weren't in our classes?" Ron looked morose.

Before Hermione had a chance to talk the bell for first classes rung, and she quickly got up, carrying her overly full book bag with her. Ron and Harry got up and headed down to the dungeons while Ginny walked with a couple of friends to their first class.

Ginny didn't know why, but she was enchanted by Muggles. Her father fascinated her with all the gadgets he'd bring home; below-dryers, fast lights and yella-phones. All too soon her class got out, but she still had a couple of hours before lunch.

"Do you wanna go to the common room and play Exploding Snap?" Mary asked as they exited the class room.

"Nah, I'm gonna go to the library." Ginny replied.

"You better watch out, Ginny, or you'll be the next Hermione, Miss Headgirl." Mary laughed, kissed Ginny on the cheek good-bye then left.

Ginny waited until Mary and her other friends rounded the corner before she headed towards the double doors that led to the Hogwart's grounds. Last year during the Easter Holidays Ginny had wondered the grounds, in search of a quiet spot to read. She circled the lake until she came to a very thick grove of trees. She crawled her way through the tangled roots until she came to a small cove that was completely hidden from the rest of the grounds. She smield as she sat at a grassy bank that sloped down into the still waters of the lake.

This is where Ginny was heading towards. She had hidden a blanket under a large tree root. She unfolded it and sat on it, pulling out her notebook. The image of Draco in the carrigae last night came to her, and she felt impressed upon. She took her quill in hand and began drawing very fine, definite lines. She placed the quill in her mouth, trying to remember exactly how his hair fell past his forehead, grazing his eyes. She drew his lips to perfection, capturing the essence of a smirk. His eyes, though, she couldn't quite get them right, so for the moment she left them blank.

"The eyes are the doorway to a persons soul." She remembered Dumbledore saying once.

Ever since she had been reluctant to draw a person's eyes before truly reading them. But how am I going to stare into his eyes without him thinking I'm loony? She thought.

She placed the note book beside her and layed herself down, feeling the wind carress her cheek. The days were still warm, it seemed as if summer was reluctant to leave. Ginny smiled, as she unhooked the clasp to her cloak, revealing the Gryffindor colors of her school uniform. She removed her shoes from her feet, and began to wade in the waters. The water felt refreshingly cool on her feet, and she began to pick up little shells that glinted in the sun light.

"Better watch out for the grindylows." A voice said from somehwere up above.

Ginny glanced at the top of the trees to see a figure hidden behind the leaves, sitting on a tree branch.

"Who is that?" She called, trying to shield the sun from her eyes by placing her hand over them.

The figure jumped from the branch, and came to the waters edge. Draco folded his arms as he took in the rumpled figure of Ginny.

"Join me, it's nice." She said, ignoring the smirk.

For a moment Ginny thought he was about to, when he kneeled down and cupped his hands, splashing water on his face.

"No thanks." He stood, rubbing his wet hands through his hair, then sat on her blanket.

Ginny almost passed out when she remembered she left the notebook open to the page where she had been drawing him. She scrambled to the shore and tried desperately to reach the blanket before he saw, but it was too late.

"Nice." He said, the notebook in his hands. He flipped through the pages, quite aware of Ginny's blush. "Only--there's nothing written by my picture, and my eyes aren't drawn. What, you think I'm not worth commenting on? I know I'm not 'sweet, hyper, love life,' or, heaen forbid, your 'good friend,' but you could have put 'devilsihly handsome, evily cunning and nice bod.'" Draco smiled as he saw her blush deepen.

Ginny grabbed the notebook out of his hand and made a mental note to place an invisible charm on it. "You weren't supposed to see it...no one has."

"I'm honored." Draco said mockingly, putting his hand on his chest.

Ginny noticed that he wasn't in school uniform. He wore black slacks and a green tanktop, she could see his cloak lying in a heap by the tree he was sitting in before. Why didn't I notice it? Ginny berated herself.

"What are you doing here, any way?" She asked, looking out towards the water.

"What, do you own this piece of earth?" He bit back, also staring at the water.

"I just didn't think that...well, you were into nature."

"Obviously someone does...Advanced Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures."

"I'm in Advanced Care of Magical Creatures!" Ginny exclaimed facing Draco.

"Like, omigosh, we totally have to write notes to each other and swap wands!" Draco immitated her excited expression.

"I'm sorry, Draco, but you're making it very hard for me to befriend you." Ginny said softly.

"Befriend me? What makes you think I want you to befriend me?"

"Didn't you hear Dumbledore the other night? That speech about a chain is only as strong as it's weakest link...united we stand, divided we fall? Love your friends and pray for your enemies?" Ginny saw the very confused look on Draco's face and took it he wasn't paying attention. "Well, I'm going to follow his advice, and I predict that by the end of the year we'll be good friends." Ginny smiled.

"Not if I can help it." Draco stood, walked to his cloak, picked it up then left.