Brown Eyed Girl

Chapter 1: In Which Important Things Begin

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Ginevra Weasley tilted her head until it rested gently on the glass window. Her copper hair fell down her back and tickled her neck softly. She let out her breath and watched a small section of the window fog up.

She was sitting in a compartment on the Hogwarts express; the wrong compartment.

Listening to the animated chatter come from three best friends, she wished she wasn't so in love with one of them. Maybe that way maybe she would be in the compartment with her real friends; the ones her age.

Ginny watched the landscape change from the crowded, dirty city of London to the green rolling countryside. She smiled as she passed numerous cows and sheep. With Bella, Joy and the other girls in her house she would have exclaimed and jumped up, knowing her excitement would send them into bouts of laughter. Ginny was known as the center of attention, the beauty, the one always eager for a good time. Ginny herself was not so sure; it got to be too much at times.

Abruptly Ginny stood; she didn't want to be here, pretending to have fun with people who only invited her along to be polite. "I'll be back a little later okay, guys?" she asked, knowing if they said for her to stay she probably would.

Ron looked a little relieved, it was hard for him to try and include her when he really didn't want her there in the first place. "Sure Gin, have fun, I'll see you later." He turned back to the game they were playing, already forgotten her.

Hermione waved, knowing Ginny wanted to be with her own friends and Harry looked up sadly. Ginny couldn't help but feel the familiar rush in her stomach when their eyes locked, "Bye, Ginny," he said, sounding slightly disappointed. Ginny raised an eyebrow; usually Harry couldn't care less about her. She shrugged and walked into the hall, wanting to lose that emerald gaze.

"Oh Ginny, aren't you a prefect though?" his voice came following her, even as she tried to get away. Ron and Hermione had gotten back from the sixth year prefect meeting a few minutes ago. Realization shot through Ginny's mind.

"Oh no!" she exclaimed. "I totally forgot." With that Ginny ran to the compartment in the front of the train. She stopped outside and smoothed herself down, even though she was late, she had a reputation for always looking excellent.

Ginny knocked and pushed the door open. She grimaced as she saw every head in there turn to face her. Including a very smug looking Cho Chang. "I'm uh, sorry, I kind of ... forgot," Ginny trailed off as she sat down.

"Well, now that Miss Weasley is here I guess I can continue," Cho's voice came biting through the compartment. Ginny looked up at Cho, realizing what a bitter girl she truly was. Not for the first time Ginny wondered why Cho hated her so. She guessed it had something to do with Harry, but why would Cho be jealous of her? Ginny had never even kissed Harry. It was too confusing and Ginny merely lowered her gaze, not feeling up for a battle with the feisty girl.

Ginny looked up from under her lashes; trying to see who else was there. Colin Creevey had his camera in his lap, a look of rapture on his face as he watched Cho talk about patrols. Ginny rolled her eyes; how an idiot like him managed to become prefect she would never know.

A quick glance around the room told her Michael Corner was prefect for Ravenclaw along with Luna Lovegood. Ginny smiled at Luna, and tried not to laugh as Luna cracked the biggest smile Ginny had ever seen. "Hi, Ginny!" Luna whispered loudly, ignoring the dark look from Cho she received.

Ginny flicked her eyes to the Slytherins, Jacob Ernwright and Nadine Marcello. Ginny hadn't seen them around often, then again she didn't hang out with Slytherins much. Ginny considered this thought, she was a prefect now. She should promote inter-house interaction. Ginny thought that would be an excellent goal for this year. She smiled at Nadine, and ignored her return look of horror. "Oh well," Ginny thought in her head, "I'll just have to find someone...more accepting."

Ginny looked at the other two prefects, Michael Summerby, who she knew only from Quiddich and Emma Bently, who was Joy's sister. Ginny returned her attention to the Head Boy and Girl, only noting briefly Adrian Schwartz had been made Head Boy.

"So collect your house passwords from us, and we'll have another meeting sometime this month in the Prefect room." Cho finished her speech, a delighted smile on her face. Ginny couldn't help but notice that the whole time she had been there only Cho had spoken.

Ginny went up and collected the gold piece of parchment from Adrian. He smiled at her, "Nice to see that you could make it today, Ginny," he said coyly, a faint smile playing over his lips.

Inwardly Ginny sighed, noting that he was addressing her chest rather than her. Sometime during the summer, Ginny supposed, she had turned from a girl into a woman, and boys sure seemed to notice. Well all boys except Harry, he still treated her as Ron's little sister. Although he did seem pretty, well, weird a little while ago, Ginny thought to herself

"Oh, thanks, Adrian," Ginny said evenly. "It's cool that you were made Head Boy." Ginny tried to edge away from him now, "I've uh, got to meet someone, I'll see you around at school."

Adrian nodded slowly, pulling his eyes always from her body and he turned back to Cho, who had watched the entire thing with a sour expression on her face.

Ginny shut the door silently behind her and walked slowly down the hall. All the other prefects had disappeared pretty fast, even that idiot Colin.

Ginny headed down the corridor of the train, looking for her friends. She shoved her freckled hands into her robe pockets and took her time. In all honestly she enjoyed being the spotlight, but she appreciated time alone as well.

As Ginny headed down the hall, her thoughts filling her mind, she didn't hear a compartment door slide open, or see the blonde boy step through. She did however feel the hand snake out and push her backwards. "Watch it, Weaselette! People are trying to walk here!" The icy voice of Draco Malfoy bit into her sharply.

Ginny stepped back, biting her lip to keep from shouting. Instead she pulled out her wand and pointed it at his face. "Well, Malfoy, maybe you should walk elsewhere," Ginny said, nearly as icily as him.

He smirked slowly, regarding her face with his eyes. As his gaze traveled down her body Ginny crossed her arms. "Let's go our separate ways and pretend we never met, I can see that's obviously what you want."

Ginny searched his face for an answer as he remained silent. She bit her lip again, this time in confusion. Malfoy's cheek twitched and she could tell he was clenching his teeth trying not to say something. "Okay, Malfoy, whatever...." Ginny turned to go, but she felt resistance from her robes. Ginny turned back to see Malfoy holding a fold of the dark fabric from her robe in his hand.

"Weaselette, I'm ... Just ... Don't ... Well ...." Ginny rolled her eyes and turned away from him, positive he was trying to come up with the perfect insult to hurl at her.

"I'm not in the mood for insults, Malfoy," Ginny said impatiently. "Thanks though, maybe later." Her voice was dripping with sarcasm as Ginny tugged her skirt out of his grasp.

Ginny ignored the look on Malfoy's face, indignation and fury. She walked past a few more compartments until she found the one with her friends in it. She pasted her usual bright smile on her face and opened the door. "Hello, hello, where have you guys been all my life?" she smiled broadly, all thoughts of Malfoy left out in the corridor.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Five hours later Ginny, Joy, Amy and Bella all walked out of the train together. Ginny was leading the way, happy to be back in her normal position as leader after a summer with her brother and his friends.

Ginny went first into an open carriage door, glancing casually at the empty space where she knew the thestrals were. She settled herself comfortably and listened quietly to the chatter her friends provided. Smiling contentedly she leaned back against the soft seat.

Quietly she listened to Bella talk about Seamus, occasionally she added into the conversation, but mostly Ginny was thinking about this next year at Hogwarts. She had her OWLS this year, Harry had told her what was on them, Ron had said not to procrastinate and Hermione offered to make her a study schedule. Ginny was nervous, Ron had done well on the OWLS, so Ginny was now expected to do just as well, if not better. It had always been that way in her family. Sometimes she just wanted it to all stop.

Ginny sighed, causing her friends to look at her nervously, "I'm fine," Ginny said, genuinely touched that they were concerned. "Just worried about O.W.L's is all."

"Ginny, don't be silly; that's ages away!" Bella exclaimed, her blue eyes wide.

"Yah I guess so," Ginny said, not really registering what they said after that.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Draco Malfoy sat in a carriage with Pansy Parkinson, Crabbe and Goyle. He had a scowl on his face, but for different reasons. Usually it was because he had seen Potter, Weasel or Mudblood that day, but he hadn't seen hide or hair of the trio. Draco frowned thoughtfully; usually they were hanging around Weaselette, always watching for him to make even the slightest comment. Draco did consider that most comments from him weren't so ... well, kind, but that's what kind of person he was bred to be. "Yup, Draco," he thought to himself, "You have been bred like a friggin racehorse."

If Draco had believed in fate then he would have said it was pure fate that he and Ginny entered the Entrance Hall together. He also would have said it was fate that Peeves had chosen that time to dump a full bucket of water on the both of them. And he also would have said it was pure fate that he felt such a feeling of emotion when he saw Ginny's face. Not annoyed, as his was, or angry as Pansy's was, no Ginny was laughing.

"Well I suppose this happens at your house every other day," Draco drawled to Ginny. "I mean when it rains you have a hard time keeping the rain out with of all those holes in your roof." He smirked at her, though inside he noticed how the smile on her face slipped off just like the water dripping off her chin.

"That was just plain rude, Malfoy!" Ginny said, tears forming in her deep brown eyes. She turned and stomped away, still soaking wet, her friends following her like little chicks following a mother hen.

Draco shrugged and dried himself off with a wave of his wand. He entered the Great Hall with Crabbe and Goyle so close behind him he could hear their heavy breathing. Draco slid into a seat beside Blaise Zabini. Blaise turned in his seat to look at him. "Hey, Draco," he said, running his hand through his black hair. "How was your summer?"

"Later," Draco said hurriedly, glancing around the table.

"Oh that bad?" Blaise asked with a concerned look in his face. Draco nodded but remained silent as the puny first years were sorted. He clapped vaguely when Slytherins joined the table, his mind elsewhere.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Ginny watched the sorting with a half smile on her face. She clapped loudly when the new Gryffindors joined their table, but besides that she remained relatively quiet.

Hermione was the first to notice. "Are you okay?" she asked Ginny as the golden plates filled with food.

Ginny looked at Hermione, noting subconsciously that her hazel eyes were filled with honesty. "Hermione I'm fine, don't worry about me." Ginny took a swig of her pumpkin juice and turned to Joy; asking her to pass the corn.

Unsatisfied with her younger friends answer Hermione watched her carefully throughout dinner. What even she didn't notice was that two other people were watching Ginevra just as closely.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*