Pride and Honor

It was a relatively warm day for Britain at the end of August. The streets of London were filled with chatty shoppers, but the sounds that they made did not compare to the sounds concealed behind a secret doorway in an alley behind a veiled pub; only those who had magic running in their veins were able to see this veiled pub as they walked past it on the busy streets. It is also only people who have magic in them wanting to go through that secret doorway to the town behind it.

Diagon Alley. Today it was filled with students from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, all shopping for their school supplies for the upcoming year. Soon to be first years huddled close to their parents as they went from Gringotts Wizarding Bank to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, their eyes wide with excitement. The second and third year students still ran around eagerly from shop to shop, as the fourth, fifth and sixth years watched with amusement as they ate some ice cream from Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. The Hogwarts students that were in their seventh, and final, year gingerly picked their way through the crowd, ignoring the chaos surrounding them.

All except for two seventeen year old male students who dragged a third, female, between them as they rushed over to Quality Quidditch Supplies to investigate the newest model of racing broom in the window. The taller boy, with red hair positively glowing in the sunlight, pushed his way to the front of the window, leading his two other friends.

"Look at that Harry," he breathed to his friend. "A Firebolt 5000. Think you're going to trade your Firebolt in for that one?"

The boy named Harry peered closer at the broom before taking a step back. A breeze blew down the street, ruffling his hair as it passed, revealing a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead. Everyone who saw that scar knew that he was the Boy Who Lived, Harry Potter, and that He Who Must Not Be Named, the most feared wizard of the century, had given it to him when he was just a baby as he tried to curse him and it backfired. That same night, before the curse backfired, He Who Must Not Be Named was successful in murdering Harry's parents with the curse that turned out to be his downfall.

Harry raised his hand to adjust the black wire rimmed glasses that rested on his nose, his hand brushing against the hair that used to cover the scar unintentionally as he did so, covering it once again from view. "I don't think so Ron," he replied to the red headed boy, Ron Weasley, with a sigh.

"He has a perfectly good broom already Ron," the girl spoke, turning bored eyes away from the window to peer at the crowd around them. "Besides, Harry shouldn't be spending his money on a new broom like that. There are other, more important things that he could buy. Like books, for instance."

"Hermione!" wailed Ron. "Are books the only thing you ever think about?"

Hermione Granger stiffened her back, standing as straight as she could get, her eyes staring straight into his with a look of irritation. While she was much shorter than Ron, whenever she stood the way she was standing with that look in her eye, it never failed to make him seem smaller than he really was.

"Honestly! If you put your face into a book more often maybe you would've done better on your exams last year. You could have even been made a Prefect, or Head Boy."

"Speaking of Head Boy, do you know who got it?" Harry interrupted.

"You mean to tell me that the Harry Potter did not make Head Boy?" a voice drawled, the tone laced with contempt.

Harry, Ron and Hermione turned to the owner of the voice, a tall, white-blond haired boy, with grey eyes and pale skin. Draco Malfoy. He was in the same year as the three friends. Ever since the first day on the train to school, the Hogwarts Express, in their first year, Draco and Harry had been enemies. Naturally, Draco disliked Ron from opinions passed down to him. His father, Lucius, disliked the Weasley family because they epitomized everything that the Malfoys weren't - the Weasleys barely had enough money to support their family, and they were also very friendly with Mudbloods, wizards or witches that come from non-magic parents, or Muggles. Hermione was disliked because she came from non-magic parents, and she was also the top of their class, always shoving Draco out of the spotlight.

And if there was one thing that Draco hated more than being pushed out of the spotlight (as he constantly was by Harry), it was being upstaged by a Mudblood.

Lucius was very adamant about pride and honor for the family name and constantly told Draco that he must live up to the name Malfoy. He was to do nothing to sully the name, and everything to make it better; and also to strike fear into the hearts of those who heard it, or at least have it demand the respect that it deserved.

Draco continued. "Poor Potter. Even if his grades weren't that stellar, you would think that they at least would've felt bad that he has no parents and given him the position of Head Boy."

"Shut up Malfoy!" Harry muttered through clenched teeth.

For seven years now, the same barb was made towards Harry by Draco. It was a weakness to Harry, and more than Draco loved finding weaknesses, he loved to target them with his words. Harry's was his dead parents, Ron's was the lack of money in his family and being continuously overshadowed by first his brothers and now his friends, and Hermione's the fact that she was a Mudblood and a constant bookworm.

Ron turned to Hermione. "You're Head Girl; do you know who the new Head Boy is?"

Hermione shook her head. "They were still undecided when I was told before the term was up last year. I was to get an owl this summer about the new Head Boy, but it never came."

"Pity," Draco drawled. "You would think that someone as smart as you Granger would've figured out by now who was the new Head Boy. Unless you really don't care about your competition grade wise, below you. It's always about being on top, isn't it?"

He smirked, and Hermione wanted nothing more than to wipe that smirk off of his face. "What are you saying Malfoy?"

He parted his cloak, revealing the shiny Head Boy badge pinned to his chest. He clucked his tongue sympathetically, that is, if there was a bone in his body that could feel empathy for someone other than himself. "Sorry Potter, Weasley, but I believe that they felt that brains, money and power were more important in selecting a Head Boy than just a crummy scar on your forehead and a stupid sidekick to go with it."

"Ron, no!" Hermione and Harry said at the same time, each reaching for one of his arms to hold him back from attacking Draco.

Ron shrugged them off, but stood his ground. "I'm not a stupid sidekick," he muttered.

Just then, another red head could be seen walking through the crowd towards the group. Draco's lips curved into a sneer.

"Oh, look. Here comes another Weasley."

Ginny Weasley, a year younger than Ron and the youngest Weasley child, had the same red hair as the rest of the family, only hers was more of a rich russet color than a light cherry color. Her eyes passed by Draco and settled on her older brother and his two friends. She clutched a piece of dark green cloth in her arms, and a smile lit her face.

"Finished shopping yet? Do you want to go to Flourish & Blotts with me? I still have to pick up some more quills and rolls of parchment."

"Hullo Weasley. What's with the cloth?" One eyebrow rose high on Draco's forehead in inquiry. "Taken to making your own robes now? Don't have enough money to buy second hand anymore, or has the embarrassment finally gotten to you?"

His barb hit deep and Ginny's face flushed. She clutched the cloth closer to her chest in hopes to somehow conceal it from him with her arms, but her face, while still blushing, was set into a determined line. "So how much did your father have to pay for you to have that shiny badge? It must've been a lot considering that Professor Dumbledore and the others would never have chosen you as Head Boy based on merit alone."

A moment of shock appeared on Draco Malfoy's face. He was used to having the dazzling trio make half-arsed comments back to him when they got into their verbal fights, but he'd never expected Ginny to reply back with something equally as biting. The astonishment vanished from his face, a sneer taking its place. That comment was a low one considering that since day one Lucius Malfoy had drilled the ideas of pride and honor into him. Doing well in school, becoming Head Boy, that was pride and honor, and no one should be allowed to take what little pleasure he got out of it away.

"I would watch myself if I were you Weasley. You're not high on the favorites lists of anybody who matters. I would hate to know that any of your future comments jeopardized all that you've worked for." He nodded to the Prefect badge on her chest before turning on his heel and storming away from the group.

Hermione placed a hand on Ginny's shoulder, noticing how tense she was and the momentary jump of surprise she gave at the pressure. "It's okay Ginny; don't let him get to you. He's just being a Malfoy."

Ginny shook herself as if she were ridding herself of the moment that passed, a tight lipped smile appearing on her lips. "Does anyone want to come with me to Flourish & Blotts? We're supposed to meet Mum and Dad at The Leaky Cauldron in a little while and I'm not through getting all my supplies yet."

Hermione nodded. "I'll go with you Ginny. I need to pick up some new quill ink. Coming along Harry and Ron?"

The two boys nodded as well. They also needed to finish their shopping as they had spent far more time gawking at the new broom than they thought they had.

"Think we should invest in some invisible ink, Harry?" Ron proposed as they followed the girls down the street. "We could write nasty things about Malfoy with it, and he'll never know!"

Harry laughed, but shook his head no. "How would we know if we'd run out of ink? We won't be able to see it."

"True. They'll probably sell us an empty bottle telling us it's full."

"Honestly!" snapped Hermione. "You would think after seven years you would have learned the Aparecium spell and applied it to the ink so it appears. Am I the only one who pays attention in class?"

"Obviously not," supposed Ron, "since Draco seemed to have made Head Boy."

*

September 1^st finally arrived after much anticipation. The summer holidays, enjoyable and relaxing as they were, never compared to the feeling students received when they were on campus for the school terms. For Harry, Ron and Hermione it was their last year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and it promised to be one filled with fun at every corner. Ginny looked forward to being a school Prefect and perhaps becoming Head Girl when Hermione graduated.

It was barely dawn, and the Weasley's home, the Burrow, was alive with activity. Everyone bustled around getting together their trunks, some at last minute and others reorganizing it. In the midst of what seemed like chaos a plump woman prepared breakfast in the kitchen and called out orders to the others as well.

"Ron, do not forget to pack your sweaters. Madame Duscha from Weather Divination Yearly predicts a cold winter this year."

"Mum!" Ron's faced flushed with embarrassment. Mrs. Weasley's sweaters were all too famous and Ron absolutely hated the ones she made for him. They were always an awful maroon color with his initials crocheted across the chest. Ron never failed to hide his jealously at Christmas when Harry pulled out a Mrs. Weasley sweater that looked far better than the one he had.

"Ron, do not argue with me or else I will not make you one for Christmas," Mrs. Weasley warned her youngest son.

Ginny passed Ron on her way down the stairs. "Better do it Ron; you know she's going to send you a sweater anyway. Only this time it might be worse than all the others combined."

"You too Ginny," Mrs. Weasley called. "I will not have my children freeze to death if there is something I can do to stop it."

Ron laughed at his sister as her face fell. She turned and trudged up the stairs behind her brother to her room to collect her sweaters hidden in a corner of her closet. On her way out of her room, she passed by Hermione who glowed with excitement at the upcoming year. The two girls walked down to kitchen together, stopping only briefly in the living room so that Ginny could deposit her sweaters in her trunk.

The minute they walked into the kitchen, Mrs. Weasley herded the girls into chairs and began piling food on their plates, beaming at each of them.

"Have I told you how proud I am that you became Head Girl and a Prefect? I knew you girls had something special about you, especially my Ginny." She pressed a brief kiss to her daughter's head before turning towards the kitchen door. "Harry and Ron you better hurry down here now or there will be no breakfast for either of you!"

At that demand, footsteps could be heard stomping their way down the stairs and through the living room, stopping just outside the kitchen door. Ginny's lips curled up in an amused smile as both boys walked into the kitchen and took their seats as if they were just not running down the stairs. In their haste, both chests rose and fell rapidly as they tried to catch their breath, and Mrs. Weasley gave both boys a gentle frown before filling their plates with food.

"Hurry up and eat, dears. Your father should be around any minute with a car to take you to King's Cross to catch the train."

"You mean you're not coming with us, Mum?" Ron asked through a mouthful of scrambled eggs.

"Of course I'm coming to see you off. I have never missed a year yet, and I'm not planning to. I'll Apparate in closer to the time when you are to leave. Being there any earlier would be a waste of time since Ginny and Hermione will be too busy directing the students and you boys would be off getting yourselves into trouble. No, I just think I'll wait to come and see you off."

"Why couldn't we come later? There's no reason for us to be there any earlier than we have to," muttered Ron.

"Ronald Weasley," Mrs. Weasley scolded gently, "you will leave with Ginny and Hermione, and you will find something to do while you wait to keep you out of trouble. I do not want any owls to be sent home about your disruptive behavior at the platform."

"Yes, Mum."

For a moment the only sound heard was the sound of four mouths chewing their breakfast before the sound of a car approaching the house drowned them out. Hermione, Ginny, Ron and Harry ate hurriedly, knowing that it was Mr. Weasley with the car ready to drive them to the train station. Ginny was the first to finish, bouncing out of her chair as she took the last sip of her juice.

"I'm going to help Dad with my trunk."

As she sailed out of the room, the sound of three forks clattering on plates rang out followed by the scraping sound of three chairs being pushed back from the table. Harry, Ron and Hermione rose.

"Lovely breakfast, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione said.

Harry and Ron nodded their agreements.

"Molly!" Mr. Weasley called his wife. "Do send out Hermione, Harry and Ron; it's about the time to leave."

"They're coming, Arthur!" She turned to the trio in front of her. "You heard him, get going. I'll be along before the train leaves to say goodbye."

Hermione impulsively hugged the older woman. "Thank you, Mrs. Weasley."

She smiled lightly and patted her head. "Run along now, dear. You don't want to be late for your first day as Head Girl, do you?"

Mrs. Weasley hugged Harry and Ron, and then followed them outside of the house to where Mr. Weasley was standing next to the car that he had borrowed from the Ministry. Harry and Hermione went to check on their respective pets. Harry had a snowy white owl named Hedwig while Hermione had an orange cat named Crookshanks. Both animals seemed positively annoyed at the little fur ball zooming around in its cage, hooting as loudly as its little body could. This was the owl that Ron had received from Sirius Black, Harry's godfather, back at the end of their third year.

Ginny hugged her mother goodbye and kissed her on her cheek. "See you before we leave."

"Come along now, it's time to go," Arthur Weasley said, motioning for the kids to get inside of the car.

Ginny, Hermione, Ron and Harry said quick farewells before sliding inside of the car. Mr. Weasley tapped the end of his wand against the dash and they were off. It didn't take long for them to reach King's Cross and find four different carts to pile their trunks onto. Hermione, Ron and Harry's carts seemed a lot fuller than Ginny's cart because they each had a cage (or a basket in Hermione's case) that held their animals. Ginny looked on, a tinge of jealousy shining in her eyes before she shook her head and continued through the train station to Platform 9¾.

When the four crossed the barrier they were not surprised to find that they were the only ones there. Ron and Harry shared the same look as they wheeled their cart to their usual compartment at the end of the train. Together they lifted their trunks into the compartment and placed their owls on their own seats. Ginny and Hermione had a compartment up at the front which they had to share with other Prefects and of course, the Head Boy, Draco Malfoy. Neither of them was looking forward to spending time in a small space with a Malfoy, but knew because of their standings they had to put up with him.

Ginny and Hermione walked back to Harry and Ron's compartment after they changed into their school robes, Head Girl and Prefect badges shining on their chests. Ron looked up from digging through his trunk, his hair already a mess and dirt on his face.

"Want to play a game of Exploding Snaps before everyone else shows up?"

Hermione looked out the window and saw a few more Prefects pass through the ticket booth. "Sorry Ron, but we're on duty. Maybe later."

Ron rolled his eyes as the girls left. "Yeah, maybe later," he muttered as he carefully constructed a tower of the exploding cards.

By the time Hermione and Ginny exited the train the rest of the Prefects had arrived and assembled by the compartment that they were to share at the front of the train. There were six Prefects in all, two each from year five and up. The only person missing seemed to be their Head Boy, and none of the Prefects appeared to mind much except for the couple of Prefects that were in Slytherin and supported their Slytherin Head Boy. Hermione quickly distributed jobs to the Prefects to keep the order of a new school term in relative calmness. She was determined for all to go well under her.

As she dismissed the Prefects to their jobs, parents and their Hogwarts students began to file through the ticket booth chatting excitedly. The volume rose as friends found each other and began to call out to one another from across the platform. Ginny felt lost in the midst of the commotion. She was a tiny girl compared to her older brothers, barely hitting the 5'6" mark, and while she was taller than the first and second years, everyone else and their parents towered over her. Still, that did not deter her from the mission that Hermione gave her, keep order and answer any questions someone may have.

Ginny had finished doing just that when a stillness came over the crowd of first years surrounding her. They slowly backed away in fear as a tall figure immaculately dressed walked passed them, a smirk covering his face and his Head Boy badge pinned to his chest. Draco's school robes met the requirements yet you could tell that there was a bit of tweaking done to them to make him stand out more. The material for one would've cost a whole year's worth of food in the Weasley home, and they also seem to fit better than the ones made at Madam Malkin's.

"Why, if it isn't a Weasley in this mess. I should've known," he drawled.

"About time you showed up Malfoy," she glanced at the watch on her wrist. "Twenty more minutes and you would've missed the train to Hogwarts. Damn." Her lips curled up into a mirroring smirk.

"I had business to attend to, if you must know Weasley."

"Hermione won't be happy with that excuse."

"And you should know by now that I don't give a damn what that filthy Mudblood thinks."

Ginny turned her attention to the crowd around her. "You should watch your mouth Malfoy, someone might overhear you."

Draco looked around and noticed that the crowd had backed up a few feet leaving the two of them virtually alone in their area. The closest Prefects to them were the 5^th and 7^th year Slytherins, and they would side with him before they would side with Hermione. "Who's going to hear, Weasley? There seems to be no one around who would actually care to correct me. Unless you wish to correct me."

"Sod off, Malfoy."

He placed a hand on his chest over his heart and feigned hurt. "Is that all that you are going to say to me? 'Sod off Malfoy'? I had you pegged for someone feistier; I must've been wrong."

Ginny turned and for the first time that day stared him directly in the eyes, fierce brown eyes meeting bored grey ones. She opened her mouth to give a biting comeback when she heard her name being called. Looking beyond Draco she saw her brother and Harry waving her down, her parents standing behind them talking with Hermione. Her eyes slid back to Draco's, turning into slits for only seconds before she angrily brushed past him and stormed over to her family.

In the matter of footsteps that it took her away from Draco and over to her family, Ginny calmed herself and cleared her mind of the incident. In a family filled with all boys always overshadowing her, she learned quickly to hide any anger or sadness that she felt because she knew if she ever showed it, all she would receive from it was a "Oh, she's just throwing another tantrum because she isn't getting enough attention." Her feelings, no matter how justified they might have been, always seemed to be pushed to the side. However, that never stopped the amount of love that she received from her family, the constant supporting love.

Ginny felt it now in her mother's embrace. Hugging her mother always brought the sense of safety and comfort, her father gave hugs that felt like strength and protection. She loved both her parents dearly, and was constantly aware of everything that they sacrificed for their kids, even if her brothers weren't.

With promises to send an owl when they got in to school, the elder Weasleys waved goodbye before they Disapparated. Mr. Weasley had dropped off the car earlier at the Ministry after he'd unloaded Ginny, Ron, Hermione and Harry at King's Cross. Ginny turned back to the Hogwarts Express and was surprised to see Draco watching her. His eyes slid from hers as he recognized a familiar figure walking towards him.

Lucius Malfoy. His father.

"Hullo Father. To what do I owe the great honor of your appearance?"

Lucius sent a warning look down to his son. "Watch that tongue boy. I came to see you off, as any proud father would do if his son were Head Boy."

Draco looked around them and saw that while a crowd had not formed, everyone's eyes had drifted over to the two, tall Malfoy men. "And are you really proud Father, or just making the public appearance of someone who is?"

A frown appeared on the older man's face. "I am proud that you have done the family name well. Becoming Head Boy will do wonders for the Malfoy name now, but don't think that you can slack off. Pride and honor for the family name at all times. Remember our credo. 'Pride and honor above love and happiness,'" he recited. "Malfoys will go nowhere in life if all they believe in are sunshine and daisies."

Draco's face fell into a frown as well, only one not as firm and angry as his father's-- more like sad and stretched. "So, you've come to lecture me before I leave. How thoughtful."

Lucius continued as if he hadn't heard his son. "You have a lot more work ahead of you considering that a Mudblood is doing better than you academically. How else will we be able to prove that pure-bloods are the best if you let that Granger girl come ahead? You better prove yourself boy. This is your last year to do it."

With that last threat hanging in the air, Lucius turned on his heel and sauntered off the platform. Draco watched him with resentment burning in his eyes, unconscious of the whistle of the train as it signaled its ready for departure. Slowly his surroundings came back to him. There were a few stragglers rushing to get on board the Hogwarts Express and a girl with untamed auburn hair standing a couple of feet away from him staring at him with eyes filled with, what was that emotion in her eyes? Compassion?

His eyes narrowed in on hers. "Figured if you stood still in one place long enough that someone might feel pity for you and dropped you a few Knuts Weasley? Sorry, but I only carry Galleons and I don't think you're worth that much."

Ginny's cheeks tinted pink in embarrassment. Draco had caught her staring and had probably already guessed that she had eavesdropped onto the conversation he had with his father, which she had. She opened her mouth to what? Apologize? For what though? It could hardly be considered eavesdropping if the conversation happened near her. Ginny couldn't figure out what to say. Thankfully, Draco did.

"Get on the train Weasley so we can get to school on time," he demanded. "Now!"

Ginny closed her mouth, looked once more openly at him, then turned and ran into the Prefect's compartment. Draco followed close behind, his footsteps heavy on the platform and his eyes murky with emotion.