Who's Afraid of Virginia Weasley?

There's a song I've been listening to

Up all night

There's a voice I've been hearing

Saying it's alright

When I'm happy, I am sad

But everything's good

It's not that complicated

I'm just misunderstood

Prologue: Family, School and Other Things that Suck

Family is an interesting concept. Very few species of animals actually stay in touch with their families after the initial nursing period. What does this teach us? Animals are smart. Of course some animals also mate with their families, which is just ucky, so maybe they're not really that smart. Humans, for some god knows reason, feel a need to stay in contact, even live with their families. Personally, if I had a choice I'd run screaming for the hills, but being a minor, I'm stuck here.

As a child I simply adored my brothers, all six (yes, six that wasn't a typo). They were practically gods to me. And I take no shame in admitting : I was a very stupid child. I tried to emulate them in every way. Following them around and subsequently, annoyed the crap out of them. Then I discovered that I was indeed, female. And as a female it was okay for me to like "girlie" things. Of course my brothers didn't carry the same interest in nail polish and dolls as I did. Except Perce, I never did figure that one out. Don't get me wrong, I was still up for a good a good game of "Who bleeds first" but I was also concentrating on, oh say, what color the blood would go with in the decor of my Barbie penthouse. Everything was decent after this point until I made another startling realization. That being: Boys, or more to the fact that I liked them, a lot.

Brothers, as a general species, don't understand the simple fact of life: Their sisters will eventually grow up and began to notice boys as something other than cootie factories. Brothers are an interesting paradox: They won't hug you, but they'd kill for you, especially when the person you ask them to kill is a former male 'acquaintance'. Boys, in understanding their own nature, however disturbing that thought is, feel the need to destroy an enemy a.k.a. their sister's boyfriend. This is chiefly the reason I don't introduce my dates to the family, that and my mom starts talking about marriage.

Most of my time, however, is spent at school. Ah school, what can one say about school. It sucks, the only time you ever get attention is when a teacher calls on you and you don't know the answer. Then, of course, everyone laughs at you. And then after your moment of torment is over you slink back into the shadow as the rest of the world gawks over the famous trio: Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. They're like the 3 musketeers, no one cares about the fact that there were actually four musketeers. No one ever remembers poor ...what's his face. Just like no one remembers me. I was the supposed heir of Slytherin; I caused near, bloody apocalypse. Does anybody remember? No! One of these days I'm just going to set myself on fire and run naked through the halls, except you know, on fire.

Stupid....stupid people.

On the bright side of the whole nearly getting a bunch of people killed, I've given up caring. I no longer give a flying fuck what those rat bastards think about me. If they even think about me. I've changed. I'm no longer the 'little sister' or the girl next door, I'm a bad ass slut. Well, okay not so much the bad ass part and I'd like to think I'm not overly slutty. I mean, I likes my men and all, but I'm not easy. So I'm a sorta bad ass, kinda slut, does that even make sense? But hey, I don't care! I don't, really....stop looking at me like that....I really could care less!

Do I?

Chapter 1: Behind the Eight Ball

"Gin," a tall 16 year-old, red headed boy, tapping his wand impatiently on the banister, calling up to his sister, "Get your ass down here we have to go!"

Upstairs, Ginny, a girl of fifteen with the same fiery red hair, was nearly completely hidden under her bed. Only her legs up to the knee could be seen. She mumbled something along the lines of, "Stupid Prat!" before exclaiming a very loud, "Ah-ha!" Sliding out from under the canopy bed piled with clothes, Ginny Weasley held a black boot in her hand triumphantly.

"I'm coming, I'm coming you big toothy git," she mumbled to herself as she rushed to the stairs and attempted to slide down the banister. Looking very suave as she fell on her ass at the bottom she covered quite nicely saying, "I meant to do that."

Ron just shook his head and gave her a very annoyed look.

"What the hell took you so long. Were you giving birth up there something?" Ron rounded on his sister, "We're supposed to meet Harry in a half hour!"

Ginny ignored her brother, something she was very good at, and made her way towards the fire place.

"Chill, you'll have time to gawk at all the shiny things before we have to meet Harry."

She grabbed a pinch of shiny powder out of the pot on the mantle piece and threw it at the flames.

"Now hurry up, we don't wanna be late, do we?"

She grin at her red-faced sibling, stepped into the fire and disappeared.

Diagon Alley was always bustling this time of year, students rushing back and forth, parents spending entirely too much money...and rushing back and forth after students. Mrs. Weasley had finally decided to snip the apron strings and allowed the two teenagers to go out in public alone. Of course the real reason why was because her and Arthur hadn't been alone in the house in eight years, but she wasn't about to tell them that. It had been at long debate at the Weasley residence on whether is was safe, what with the resent Death Eater attacks. But grudgingly, at Mr. Weasley's prompting, their mother had agreed. Besides it was Diagon Alley, for Pete's sake, it's not like it was London's south side.

The siblings peered into the window of Quality Quidditch supplies. As Ron drooled over the new Carpathia 270 broomstick, Ginny indifferently ate her ice cream.

"Do you know what I would do if I had that broomstick?" Ron asked rhetorically, "I would fly around and pickup hot chicks and..."

"Then you'd wake up," Ginny said bursting his bubble. Ron didn't seem to take any notice of this comment. He just calmly lifted up his ice cream cone and gently pressed it against Ginny's cheek.

Ginny shrieked in surprise before retaliating. She took of the top scoop and shoved it down the back of Ron's robe.

"Ahhh." He made a face. "..Though strangely refreshing," he said, recovering from his surprised and putting on a devilish smirk.

Ginny nearly lost her balance, she was laughing so hard. Ron's face was on verge of breaking too. He lunged toward her, surprising her. She jumped out of his way, turned and ran through the crowded street. Dodging people left and right she finally managed to duck into the bookstore. Surprisingly there weren't that many people in the bookstore. This struck her as odd considering most of the people in Diagon were buying school supplies.

Unfortunately for our heroine, she didn't realize that most of the people in the bookstore were wearing black cloaks and masks until she ran into one. With a stifled, "Ooof," she stumbled backwards. The Death Eater glared viciously at her, at least that was the impression she got, not actually being able to see much of the expression, because of the mask. Suddenly there was a loud explosion from the back of the store. She was thrown off balance, backwards and hit her head on something that can only be described as hard. Ginny barely had time to realize she had fallen, when she felt a sharp pain and everything went black.

Ron chased Ginny to the book shop before running into the door in a very painful fashion. Rubbing his noise, he got to his feet and said in a overly-loud voice, "Oh, look Honeyduke's is having a sale on Chocolate Scrumditallyumptious ice cream!" Hoping to lure her out of the bookstore he turned and pretended to tiptoe away. However, his snicker of triumph was cut short by a loud crash from in the store. He turned around and was promptly hit in the face, again, by the door being opened. In the doorway stood a very large, very intimidating Death Eater. The Death Eater turned toward Ron and lifted his wand.

Ginny came to slowly. Always the bright girl, her first thought was, 'Why am I on the floor,' followed by, 'I think I should get up now,' and then, 'Ok body, 1 2 3 Move... OK that didn't work.'

Ginny was vaguely aware of the noise around her particularly that of the shopkeeper's screams. She grudgingly opened her eyes and looked up to see the back of a man finishing off the shopkeeper in a flash of green light. There was a sickening thud and then silence. The tall dark figure seemed to sense her presence and slowly he turned toward her, wand raised ready to strike.

She had recognized him. 'I know that face,' she thought. He looked older and but still as handsome as before, except for those eerie scarlet eyes. It was him.

"Tom?" she asked in disbelief. The man stared at her and tilted his head in confusion. For a moment, his eyes turned from red to a cloudy gray. Then the moment was broken by the sound of the Aurors crashing through the shop's tiny doors. The Death Eater Disapparated with a small pop.

The Aurors and Ron rushed in. The events that followed were a bit of a blur, to Ginny. Without remembering how he got to her side, Ron scooped her up and let her cry on his shoulder. She hadn't even realized she'd been crying. He comforted her, hugging her and telling her everything was going to be ok. The Aurors questioned her but Ginny was too upset to speak and they let Ron carry her home.

Later, after everything had settled down, Ginny lied, wrapped up in a blanket in front of the fire. In the other room, unknown to it's occupants, she could hear everything being said.

"What happened out there? Why didn't you watch her?" Arthur asked, clearly upset.

"Arthur, don't yell at him, it wasn't his fault that Vol... he who-must-not-be-named attacked. He's only a child. It's my fault I should have went with them." Mrs. Weasley rung her hands and paced the kitchen.

"I'm sorry Ron, I'm just upset. I mean ... I don't know. I just don't know. How could this have happened?"

" I told you, Ginny and I were just having fun, playing around, waiting for Harry to get there. I was chasing her and she ran to the bookstore. I chased after her and I slammed into the door. The next thing I know, there's a crash and a Death Eater comes out of the shop and raises his wand."

At this point, Molly put her arms around her youngest boy, wondering what their world is coming too.

"Then all these Aurors come and arrest the guy. Then they break down the door and there is Ginny, lying on the ground. She looked so scared and confused. I went to her side and she started to cry." Ron said shaking a little still. "I tried to talk to her, everyone tried to talk to her, but she wouldn't say anything. I'm sorry, I should have been with her."

"It's okay," Arthur hugged his son, "It's not you're fault. I just thank the gods neither of you were hurt, and that Harry wasn't there. Who knows what might have happened if he was."

In the other room, Ginny t watched the dancing flames of the fire. 'Oh, Tom...'

Chapter 2: Feast or Famine?

Ginny stepped onto the platform, immediately met by the din of conversation. What sounded like parents, children, grandparents, and a few misplaced servants, loaded trunks on trains, said their goodbyes or just gossiping ideally about the previous summer and the upcoming school year.

Ginny glanced around, looking for the people she knew, or at least the people she didn't mind talking to. Ron and Hermione had come through behind her, but they were entirely to wrapped up in themselves to be any use. She spotted Seamus on the other side of the platform, talking animatedly to Dean. From the look of his hand gestures, it was about a girl. Of course, the only things Seamus ever talked about were girls....and alcohol.

Grudgingly, Ginny made her way to the train. The conductor appeared at the doorway, calling out, "All aboard!" Which signaled a mad rush for the doors. Ginny slunk to the back of the crowd, and waited to get on the train.

By the time she actually got on the locomotive, she had to fight her way to a back car. Finally, she made it to the last car, sliding the door open, she glanced in, no one was there.

Throwing her carryon bag on the seat she slid in and closed the door behind her. Sifting through her bag she found her head phones and plopped down on the seat, contented. There was a duffel bag across from her but other than that the cabin was empty. She turned on her CD player and leaned back staring out the window and trying to be oblivious to the thoughts that had plagued her since Diagon Alley.

Draco had arrived early to the station and boarded in the back, staking the last cabin for his own, he threw his bag in and made his way back out to the platform, to check on the rest of his luggage.

One of the workers had already loaded them, his parents, or rather Father (his mother could never be bothered to do such trivial things like seeing her child off to school), had left already. The only people currently on the platform were a few first years and some weeping mothers.

He decided to go back to his compartment and start on that DADA essay, he'd been meaning to do that for the last 3 months. Of course, by then a great deal more students have shown up and were loitering about and generally blocking his path. He'd just about reached the door to his compartment, when the whistle rang out and the eager students bum rushed the doors.

After several minutes of trying to politely make his way through the crowd (after all, a Malfoy is nothing if not well mannered, right), he finally gave in to the less generous and infinitely more controlling side of his personality and shoved his way to the doors. A few first years could be heard crying and some of the elder kids muttered a few profanities, but on the whole, the crowd generally excepted Draco's rudeness, it wasn't one of his more uncommon traits. He finally reached the last cabin, a few minutes later, in desperate need of some solitude. Not so fortunate for him, it was already occupied.

Ginny didn't hear the cabin door slide open, nor did she hear the sting of rare offending comments made by the tall blonde boy who entered. She was too busy listening to her CD, and ultimately ignoring the world at large.

Draco sat on the opposite corner thinking of how boring this year was going to be and perplexed over his DADA assignment. He didn't see the point in doing it anyway. As far as he knew they didn't even have a teacher yet this year. They hadn't had a permanent teacher since he got to this school. First they had Quirrell but Potter had vaporized him or something. Then they had that idiot Lockhart who Potter drove insane. Then of course Lupin, probably the only one Potty didn't run off. He actually liked Lupin, not that he'd ever admit it but he learned rather a lot in that class. But Lupin had to leave because of that whole werewolf scandal. Fourth year they'd had Moody; he had hated him with a passion. The 'whole' ferret incident had tainted an otherwise good year. He really should have thanked Potty for getting rid of that one, but the thought of talking to Potter in anything but a condescending way gave him a bit of nausea. Last year they had started of with Professor Gladstone but there was a bit of unpleasantness on a Hogsmeade trip she chaperoned, one of the first Death Eater attacks of the year come to think of it. After that the teachers had all taken turns preparing lessons. It was more than a little confusing.

He seriously hoped that this year they would have a good teacher who wasn't going to die or leave halfway through. Just then he heard the noise of the witch with the food trolley. The door slid open and a cheery voice said, "Can I get you and your girlfriend anything?"

At first he was going to protest but then he thought, 'this could be fun.'

"I'll take some Bertie Botts please."

"How about a Chocolate frog for your sweetheart?"

"She's watching her junk food intake the baby's on the way, our second you know," Draco said laughing inwardly.

"Yes, little Draco junior's at home with his grandmum," Ginny said having looked up from searching through her bag. Draco nearly laughed but turned it into a coughing fit and kept his cool.

"So what do you think about baby names for our little bundle of joy?" Draco asked the witch.

She looked flustered, "Here are your beans dear." She gave him the beans and rushed off without getting payment muttering, "They're getting younger every year."

Ginny and Draco looked at each other and busted up laughing.

"Nice going Weasley, I didn't realize you people could be funny."

"That's no way to talk to the mother of your child," Ginny said with a smirk, "Pass the beans over here, I am eating for two you know."

"How do I know the child's mine, for all I know it could be Snape's child?" Draco asked not relinquishing the goodies.

"Maybe if you were carrying it would be," she said and laughed, "Eww...visual."

Draco spit the bean out and hit her in the head. "That's disgusting Weasley, but I bet your still thinking about it aren't ya?"

Ginny laughed, "Oh yeah, your two pale, naked asses bobbing up and down."

"Shut up," he said becoming flustered.

Ginny just smile wider.

"Stop thinking about it!" he yelled.

"Actually I was thinking about you and that hot guy from Placebo," she said still smiling.

"Weasley you are....you listen to Placebo?" Draco asked in shock

"Listen? Brian Molko is my God! You listen to Placebo? But they're a Muggle band."

"I'm not completely cut off from their culture, besides I've been doing a lot of rebelling lately. Hence the clothes." He undid the clasp at his neck letting his robes fall at his sides. Under it he was wearing a tight black shirt and ripped jeans.

Ginny's eyes grew wide. "Holy fuck monkeys Malfoy! Quidditch has been kind."

A reddish tint appeared on his cheeks but he played it cool. "I try."

"Eww, I'm thinking about Malfoy as a possible weekender," she said vaguely disgusted.

"What are you babbling about?" he asked slightly confused.

"My weekend list, people I'd fuck on the weekend. Like Brian Molko, Harry, Lupin, Oliver Wood, Roger Davies...oh wait, I already did him, that Sirius Black guy because criminals are sexy...."

"You perplex me Weasley," he stated, "So, am I on that list?" He leaned in slowly

"Maybe..." she said with a smirk. "But I don't think I could afford you, I hear you go for a high rate."

"Of course you couldn't afford me Weasel, you couldn't afford a stick of gum," he countered.

"So what is the rate for little blonde whores, or should I ask your daddy? Or his he to busy licking the dark lord's boots?"

"Fuck off Weasley," he said annoyed with where this conversation was heading.

"Struck a cord, did I?" Ginny asked starting to feel starting guilty. She put her headphones back on and sat with her back towards Draco. "I'm sorry," she whispered not expecting Draco to hear.

'She's changed. I remember second year when she first came and she was this mousy little thing who used to chase after Potter and now she's got this "Fuck Everybody" attitude and apparently she has. She's such a Bitch, I think I like it.'

It was cold and she was running, but she didn't know why. There was something behind her, she could feel it's hot breath on her back. She had to run. There, a light, she had to get there.

She was in the Chamber. The Chamber of Secrets. It was dimly lit by candles and it was beautiful. In front of her, with his back to her, was a dark-haired man.

"Tom," she whispered. He turned, and looked at her through gorgeous green eyes. "Virginia." He rushed to her.

He held her and he kissed, slow and melting. She pulled back to look at him, her Tom. And he was different, older. Still beautiful, still hers, but older.

"I love you, Virginia. I always have." He smiled at her. "You know there was no other way. I had to do it."

She looked in his eyes. "I know." She smiled back at him. But there was something wrong, his eyes weren't green anymore, they were red, and his skin was melting off, exposing a scaly green skull.

She screamed. It was all she could do. He was still gripping her from their embrace.

"Virginia, why? Why did you let them do this? Why?" He was shouting at her in anger now.

She kept screaming, not even consciously aware she was doing it. She fought to get away, but she couldn't.

Then something cold... in her hand. She looked down, a dagger. A green, jeweled dagger. She thrust it forward. There was blood, so much blood, everywhere, all over her.

"Ginny?" a small voice asked, not Tom's voice. "Ginny, why?"

Ginny looked up into green eyes. Harry's eyes. Harry's blood all over her. She screamed.

"Weasley!"

Ginny was forced back into reality.

"Weasley, wake up!" an angry drawl flooded her ears. She was sitting up holding someone, someone blonde. "Malfoy?"

"Yes, it's wonderful you're awake and all but would you kindly detach yourself from my head," Draco shouted, muffled through her body. Ginny quickly separated herself from the blonde boy.

"Yeah sorry...." Ginny said softly, staring off into space.

Draco leaned away from her, into a sitting position, slightly embarrassed with himself. "Yes, well, just...em.. don't let it happen again."

But Ginny wasn't registering him anymore, she had leaned back onto the window and was holding herself, rocking slightly.

"Weasley?" Draco asked in concern. "Weasley, are you okay?" He leaned forward and reached out to her. Ginny cringed back.

"Don't touch me, Slytherin," Ginny spat, glaring at him. "You'd betray me too."

Draco backed away from her, she looked murderous. "Okay now your freaking me out, Weasley."

Ginny turned to face the window. "I killed him," she whispered, "Oh god, I killed him." She was sobbing now, "I didn't mean to, he's going to kill me, I had to." She looked up at Draco again, pain and fear shown through her eyes. "Don't let him get me, please." She sprang towards him, clinging to him for dear life. "You have to help me, I know you can, you're the only one who can. I don't have anywhere else to turn."

Draco was taken aback. A minute ago this girl looked like she was about to kill him, and now she was asking for his help, clinging to him like a life raft. Unsure of what else to do, he put his arms around her, and held her. Rocking like a mother with child, he comforted her, whispering, "It's okay, no one can hurt you..."

They rocked for a bit, Ginny softly crying into Draco's robes. She looked up at him, their eyes met, and without them realizing it, so did their lips.

The kiss was dizzying, soft and intoxicating. The rest of the world vanished to them, they vanished.

At about the same time for each, natural defenses kicked in, and they realize what they were doing. Ginny pushed away first, not that Draco wouldn't have done the same, given the time. Looking at each other uncomfortably, their moment was broken, reality had once again reared it's ugly head.

Draco spoke first. "I knew I shouldn't of eaten that purple Bertie Botts bean," he laughed uneasily.

Ginny just looked away. "Well, gee, em..." she looked at her bare wrist, "Look at the time I've got to go, you know put on robes and, um, things." Ginny gathering her things and zipped them into her bag, she got up.

Draco sat back, looking equally as uncomfortable. "Yes, you do that, with the robes and such...."

"Yes, I will." Ginny made her way to the compartment door, stopping briefly to look at Draco.

"So, Weasley...." he gradually regained his composure, "Am I on your weekend list now?"

Ginny turned to go, smiling to herself. "Maybe, but I prefer Brunettes." And with that she left.