Everybody's Got A Story

Chapter 1

    The thick London fog had settled on King's Cross Station. The morning was chilled and people were wrapped tightly in their coats, or in some cases cloaks, as they rushed to and from the platforms. Unseen to the everyday Muggle eye, was Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters, where those young men and women, being magically inclined, were boarding the Hogwarts Express, ready for another year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry.

    "Come on Gin, we're gonna be late if you don't pick up the pace a bit!"

    Virginia 'Ginny' Weasley, glared at her brother Ron as he yelled at her to hurry up. This was her 6th year going to Hogwarts and she had had the same trouble every year, her brother was no help at all. Shoving her cart along as best she could while watching out for other pedestrians, Ginny followed after her brother. Ron was busy rushing ahead trying to find his two best friends, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger.

    "Let's see him have to shove a cart this big when he's just my size," Ginny muttered under her breath.

    Ron had grown very tall and a lot stronger during his time at Hogwarts. He'd been made a Beater on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and to the amazement of his entire family, a prefect! His best friends had grown up as well. Harry had grown taller, not as tall as Ron, but a mere few inches shorter. He still wore his hair as shaggy as ever, but on Harry it suited him quite nicely. He’d brought the Quidditch Cup home for the Gryffindor House five straight years and he was still the best Seeker Hogwarts had ever seen. Hermione, a bookworm at heart, was made a prefect like Ron, her hair had become less poofy as she grew older and she now wore her hair in a bun at the back of her head, small curling tendrils escaping everywhere.

    When Ginny lost sight of her brother's mop of red hair, she panicked and gave an extra shove on her cart to get it to move faster. Luck was not with her as her cart began to tip over, having hit a stone in her chosen path.

    A resounding crash caused all activity on Platform 9 3/4 to halt for a moment as everyone stared at a tomato-faced Ginny. When the traffic resumed on the platform, Ginny tried desperately to fit all of her trunks and bags back into her cart. When the drawling voice spoke from behind her Ginny sighed in despair. Her day couldn't get any worse.

    "Why Weasel, you seem to have spilled garbage all over the platform. Really, couldn't you have just left the trash at home?"

    Silently, Ginny finished packing her belongings into her cart, and without turning to face her tormentor she continued forward. A hand on her shoulder stopped her progress as it yanked her quite painfully and turned her around.

    "I will not be ignored Weasel, you'll do a favor to yourself and remember that at least!"

    His fingers were digging into her shoulder so hard that Ginny had trouble keeping her tears inside. She could already feel them welling up and she knew if she blinked even for a second that this pale haired demon would pounce and she'd be living in hell for a year.

    "Get your hands off my sister, Malfoy!"

    Ginny shuddered with relief when she felt his grip loosen and finally release her. She swept her hand across her eyes quickly to banish the forming tears. Draco Malfoy hadn't changed, he was still as cruel and deceitful as ever. His arrogant smile spreading across his face as he turned towards Ron. His pale blonde hair was perfectly placed a top his head and cool grey eyes shone with calculated measure as he looked at her brother.

    Draco was just as tall as Harry, but that also meant that he wasn't as tall as Ron and had to look up at him. Draco's build wasn't very evident thanks to his black robes, but Ginny could imagine him being quite trim and fit underneath all those folds. At that thought Ginny's eyes widened, she couldn't believe that she was imagining Draco Malfoy's body!

    "I will do as I please, Weasley." he replied coolly before turning on his heel and walking away.

    "Ron, let's go, now." Ginny said quickly as she grabbed her brother's hand and pulled him along.

    "But Gin! I wanted to beat that prat right into the ground!" he whined.

     ***

    Sitting herself in the very last car, and thankful that no one else was already inside, Ginny relaxed slightly. Looking out the window she waited and soon the Hogwarts Express was on the move, heading out for another year of toil at school. She'd never admit it, but Ginny found Hogwarts a little dreary, more so with each passing year. Most of the Gryffindors were still enamoured with Harry Potter, the resident 'Boy Who Lived'. And being no exception, Ginny still had her crush on Harry, but her bleak outlook on life seemed to dampen every feeling she'd ever had. It was hard keeping friends when all they wanted to hear was about the summer and how Harry Potter was living under the same roof.

    With thoughts of Harry running through her head, it was to Ginny's utter amazement when her compartment door slid open to reveal none other than the very boy who had invaded her thoughts on so many occasions.

    "Hey Gin, have you seen Ron or Hermione? I'm tryin to find which compartment they're in."

    Ginny's mouth moved, but to her utter embarrassment no sound came out. All she could do was shake her head in a negative manner and make a horrible fool of herself.

    "Um...okay, thanks anyway Ginny," Harry said and then closed the door in search of his friends.

    "Stupid idiot!" Ginny chastised herself as she hung her head and then flopped back to lie down on the seat.

    "Well, there's no argument there."

    Ginny bolted upright and scowled as she saw her newest visitor. "Hello Pearl, so nice of you to join me, it'd be even nicer if you'd leave though."

    Pearl Poundsworth of Slytherin, hadn't changed, her short blood red hair and cruel hazel eyes glared at Ginny at the obvious insult. Pearl was one of those girls that, 'got around' in Hogwarts and the Astronomy Tower was like her second home. Pearl for some odd reason, despised Ginny ever since their second year. Ginny supposed that the added animosity Pearl had shown Ginny during this particular meeting, was due to the simple fact that when Pearl had asked her brother Ron to accompany her to the Yule Ball he'd turned her down. Now Pearl hated anything having to do with a Weasley.

     ***

    As Ginny walked through the front doors of Hogwarts, she was reminded suddenly of her first year, the same year that she'd met Tom Riddle. Shuddering, she shook the thought from her mind and continued towards the dining hall, ready to see who would be added to the Gryffindor house this year.

    "Hey Weasley, don't you think your brother can get a life of his own this year? I mean, it was really funny watching him follow around Potter, but now having both of you and his fan club, it gets a bit pitiful to watch after awhile. Kinda like your an eyesore."

    Ginny whirled around her eyes flashing with rage. There stood Pearl yet again, and chuckling behind her were Crabbe & Goyle, Draco was nowhere to be seen. A relief for Ginny because that meant she only had to deal with the Queen Bitch, and her loyal minions.

    "You know, Pearl, I like how your always prepared for things, but I mean really, Halloween isn't for awhile. You should take off that gruesome mask you have on, you'll scare the first years!"

    With that said, Ginny turned and strolled through the Dining Hall doors, a flabbergasted Pearl in her wake.

     ***

    Pearl fumed as she bore her eyes into the retreating figure of Ginny. A voice from her side startled her and turning, she was surprised to view Draco Malfoy, standing a few feet away from her.

    "You know, with the right connections and influence, she would have made a really good Slytherin," he smirked at Pearl and shrugged as he walked past her into the dining hall.