Weasels, Dragons and Dreams

Ginny Weasley, fifth year student at Hogwarts, youngest of seven, dropped down in her usual spot on the Hogwarts Express with a thump, tossing her carry on bag to the floor and glaring at the girls around her. "I hate this time of the year." She stated, ignoring the smirks on her friends faces.

"What's up Ginny? Did you have another argument with Harry?" Shana asked, a slight grin on her face. Everyone knew about Ginny's crush on Harry Potter, but no one teased her as much as her closest friends. Anyone else risked a black eye.

"No, I got over that a long time ago. I swear if I even hear the word Quidditch I will scream. All summer long Harry and Ron went on, and on, and on... I don't ever want to see another Quidditch book in my life!" She leaned down, undoing the tie on her bag and pulling out a bag of chocolate from her mother. "Anybody want some? I feel a serious need for comfort food."

"No thanks, we were about to go hunt down the cart. Come with?"

"Nah, think I'll take a nap. Ron woke me up at three this morning, screaming about having forgotten to pack. I hate my family, I never get a decent nights sleep." She sighed, waving them out with a slight smile. "Remember to save me a chocolate frog, would ya?"

"All right! See ya Gin!" The two other girls walked out of the room, already discussing who the cutest guy in Gryffindor was. Ginny was never much of a morning person.

Ginny waited till they had left, then pulled open her bag again. It wasn't as though she were ashamed of what she was getting, it was just... Well, had anyone seen it other then family she would have to explain some things. She smiled, hugging the foot long silver dragon to her chest. She had had the enchanted stuffed toy since she was two, back when it was almost as big as she was. She curled up on the seat, wrapping her arms around the bright-eyed dragon and fell asleep instantly, never even noticing the movements of the toy.

The door to the compartment slid open, revealing Draco Malfoy, who was looking for the Dream Team to annoy. He stopped though, seeing that the only one in the compartment was the little Weasley, not his nemesis. Draco turned, a slight sneer on his face, as he motioned to his lackies. “Hey, I don't need any help with this one, so why don't you guys go-“ Whoosh! The two were already hot on the trail of the food lady. He rolled his eyes, walking into the compartment silently.

He walked up to her, nudging her with his knee. “Hey, weasel, wake up!”

“Go'way Ron, I'm not gonna pack fo'you.” She muttered, rolling over slightly to reveal her sleeping partner. Draco's eyes grew large and something that sounded suspiciously like a snort of disbelief escaped his lips. The small stuffed dragon seemed to smirk at him, its tail waving slightly from under her arm.

“So the littlest Weasel still sleeps with stuffed animals! How infantile! Think of how much entertainment this is gonna be.” He laughed slightly, grabbing for the small dragon, only to have the Weasley girl pull away.

“Go 'way Fred! Las'time you stole Draco 'e whistled...” Her words became mere sounds as she fell even deeper into sleep. By this time though Draco had already fallen into the chair opposite of her with a thump. He looked even paler then usual as he ran his hand through his silver blonde hair.

“She has a stuffed dragon... named DRACO?” At the sound of the name the small dragon looked up. He was well enchanted, having developed a very strong personality over the years. The fact that her older brothers tended to experiment on him added to that nicely. Sometimes he even seemed frighteningly real. Ginny never even noticed though, she was deep in a dream.

Draco sat there, his eyes still wide as he tried to take in all the implications, not to mention making up some of his own.

*********

(In Ginny's Dream)

She was two years old, and she was sitting with the best person in the whole world. His giant black leather jacket was wrapped around her shoulders, as his large hand pointed towards the sky. “See Gin? That's Draco! He's a giant dragon in the sky that watches over good little girls like you.” Charlie said, glancing down at his only little sister with pure adoration.

“Dwaco!” She repeated, tugging the stuffed dragon she had gotten for Christmas by the tail. He too was wrapped up in leather, his bright silver skin glimmering slightly in the starlight. “Dwaco! Dwagon!”

“That's right, honey. Like your dragon.” She smiled, curling tighter into his warmth and falling asleep. He wrapped the slumbering pair up, and carried them to bed.

********

“Whistle, huh? Do you breath fire?” Draco asked the toy curiously. In answer he got a ring of smoke blown in his face and an arrogant grin. If he hadn't planned on using it as a torment device for the next two years he would have wanted one himself. He hadn't seen such a cool toy in ages. “Well, of course with a name like that how could you not be?” He asked, smirking slightly.

He leaned back, pulling out his dog-eared copy of Quidditch through the Ages. If he knew that he and Potter shared the same favorite book he would no doubt have been angry. He didn't even try to wake her up this time, he figured he would have more to torment her with if she kept talking in her sleep as she was. Perhaps even taunt her with the fact she slept with his namesake. Plus, this was the most agreeable he had ever seen a Weasley before... it figured she would have to be asleep.

Ginny turned, her face scrunching up slightly as though irritated. “Draco issnot a stupid name... Go'way Ron.”

“Thank you. That's what I've been saying since first year.” He replied softly, a slight smile playing over his lips. Draco wondered how many of her dorm mates knew she slept with a stuffed dragon that had his name. He would have thought he'd have heard about it by now. “I suppose Gryffindors are too good to talk to Slytherins.” For some reason the word 'Good' didn't sound like a compliment.

She mumbled something, her face relaxing into a smile. If, Draco thought, you forgot about the annoying brother and the crush on Potter... she might even be considered cute. Not that I would like a GRYFFINDOR. What a horrifying thought.

Draco shuddered, burying his nose into the book and trying to ignore the pair on the seat across from him. He thought for a second of leaving to find Crabbe and Goyle, but the thought of dealing with their stupidity when he already had a year ahead of him to deal with it, made him shudder. Even asleep the red head sounded more competent and intelligent then both combined. Not that that was a hard thing to be... He turned the page, not even noticing he hadn't read the first one. Just then the door slid open and a very irate pair of red heads glared down at him. He should have guessed the Weasley twins would offer to supervise the train ride this year.

“What are YOU doing here, Malfoy?” Fred (Or was that George?) asked, his face almost as red as his hair. “You better leave our sister alone!” They sat down, one on either side of him, each with identical looks that promised pain.

“I'm just trying to ignore the snores, Weasley.” He stated dryly.

“Ginny doesn't snore!” Fred responded, then glanced over. “Oh... Yeah. The dragon thing.” He grinned, as though he couldn't help himself and looked over at his brother. “Remember when you made him do that? He was so loud Mom threatened to toss him out of the house, along with us.”

George snickered; both of them seemed to have forgotten Draco was in the same compartment. “But you're the one who made him breathe fire! That was great... Course we slept in the yard for the next week, 'long with the gnomes...” They both grimaced, then turned back to Draco once more. Guess being forgotten was too much to ask for with those two. “So, Malfoy, what's with the invading of our little sister's privacy?”

“It's a free country.” He stated, sitting back with a slight smirk. The two shut up, crossing their arms across the chest, obviously not planning on leaving any time in the near future. “Had I known that she was tormented by her brothers so much I would have let off a long time ago.” He stated, making both of them look irate once more.

“We don't either torment her! It's just...” George stated, a slight grin pulling at the corners of his mouth. “She deserves to be tormented for sleeping with something that has such a stupid name!” Draco glared at them each in turn, making the twins crack up with laughter. “All right, we'll leave you be for now. But if we find out you did anything stupid...” Fred left the threat dangling, which was slightly scary considering the things the twins did to the people they considered friends. Who knows what they would do to an enemy. The two stocky red heads walked out, still laughing at the look on Draco's face.

“Hey, shouldn't we warn him bout-“

“Nah, let him find out for himself.” The last thing Draco heard as the two left was laughter. For some reason a slight tremor ran down his spine. He shrugged it off, opening his book again. The small red head across from his turned slightly, her arms wrapping tighter around her toy.

The door slammed open this time, as yet another irate redhead stood in front of him. "Is there no end of you Weasleys? It's like a plague!" Draco stated, smirking at Ron and Harry. "Perhaps you might tell me why you've so... Graced me with your presence Potter? Weasel?" He no more then spoke when Ron had his throat between his hands.

"YOU WILL STAY AWAY FROM MY SISTER!" Ron yelled, completely ignoring Ginny's slow trip into consciousness. Draco looked up, a slight smirk at the sight of Ginny's irate face. BANG! Ron was hit up the head with Ginny's bag.

"STOP SHOUTING!!" She bellowed, shoving her hair out of her face. "It's your fault I was asleep in the first place Ron Weasley, now get out of my compartment NOW!" She stood up, having to stand on tiptoe to reach his ear, then dragged him out the door. Harry, having seen Ginny have a rude awakening before, made haste to follow the taller red head before she turned on him.

She dropped down on her chair, not even noticing Draco as she shoved her hair out of her face again and complained about annoying brothers. As soon as she looked up her eyes grew large, and she just stopped. Stopped moving, talking, everything, and stared at him.

He was holding her stuffed dragon, looking it over as though to find out how it ticked. "What are you doing here, Malfoy? And how long have you been here?" Ginny blushed, wondering what she might have said in her sleep.

"Long enough. By the way, nice dragon." Draco smirked, tossing the stuffed toy to her and sauntering to the door of the compartment. "One more thing before I go." He stated with a smirk. "Love the name." He then closed the sliding door in her face.

Ginny blushed, though a slight smile played on her lips as she hugged her stuffed dragon. Perhaps it wouldn't be such a bad year after all.