Be My Angel

Chapter 1: Before Dawn

Ginny Weasley found it very difficult to sleep, yet again. Grumbling, Ginny turned over in her four-poster bed, and stared blankly at the dark, cracked ceiling. Sighing deeply, Ginny attempted to shut her eyes, and allow the lure of sleep overtake her. She didn't want to have another sleepless night before her very first day of classes. Ginny found it hard to stay awake in all of her classes, especially Professor Binns', even when she slept well during the night. However even though Ginny wanted to sleep, her effort was in vain. Ginny rolled over again, and scowled into her pillow. Why do worrying thoughts strike in the middle of the night like this?

Mumbling to herself, Ginny crept out of her warm comfortable bed, and head toward the bathroom, treading with care so that she would not wake up any of her fellow roommates. As Ginny was walking lightly toward the girl's bathroom, she eyed all of her snoring roommates jealously. It seemed as though she was the only one in all of Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry who could never get a decent night's sleep.

Ginny slowly creaked open the door to the girl's bathroom, briskly stepped inside, and immediately locked the door behind her. It was quite chilly in the bathroom, and the frigid tile floor gave Ginny a cold shiver. Ginny shuddered and peered around the darkened bathroom. She walked down to the end of the room, where the sinks and mirrors were located. Ginny stared into one of the mirrors that stood in front of her. Ginny cringed when she saw her reflection. Her red locks were limply hanging in tangled lumps from the repeated tossing and turning. There were dark circles under her brown eyes, which made Ginny appear as though she had a very horrid case of the flu. Ginny turned her nose up in disgust, put her hands on the sink and leaned closer to the mirror to get a better look at herself. "I look like Hell," Ginny muttered, as she continued to stare blankly at her reflection, "It is any wonder that Dean dumped me so quickly."

Ginny's relationship with Dean Thomas ended abruptly two weeks before school began. Dean had told Ginny that the relationship was becoming strained, and that the initial spark that they held for one another faded. While Dean was polite during the breakup and kindly asked Ginny if she still wanted to be friends, Ginny felt as though her world was crashing down. The relationship with Dean had been very stable, and it was something that Ginny did not want to let go of. Sadly, she had no choice, but to move on. Even though Ginny made a constant effort to forget about Dean, her thoughts kept wandering to him, and because of these continuous thoughts of her ex-boyfriend, Ginny spent many sleepless nights, tossing and turning restlessly.

Casting one final glare at her reflection, Ginny turned brusquely around, and left the bathroom, hastily. She had no idea what the point of wandering into the deserted bathroom was, but anywhere was better then lying in her bed, and thinking those painfully thoughts about the stability that she had lost. Ginny tiptoed past her sleeping roommates again, and walked quietly into the Gryffindor Common Room.

Eerie shadows loomed in every corner of the room, and the darkness made the common room feel cold and forbidden, rather then warm and welcoming. Ginny yawned deeply, and looked around the shadowy room. "This darkness reminds me of the Chamber of Secrets." Ginny mumbled quietly under her breath before sitting down in one of the comfortable, soft armchairs that was in the corner of the common room.

Curling up in the armchair, Ginny made an effort to rest. Perhaps if she were alone out in the common room, she would be able to fall asleep easier. Yawning again, Ginny shut her eyes tightly, and attempted to sleep.

**

The sunrays shone brightly through the Sixth Year Girl's Dormitory. Hermione smiled happily to herself as she opened her eyes. It was the beginning of a new year. It was a fresh start for her, and her two closest friends, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. After the Trio's particularly rough year last year, Hermione really hoped that this year things would run a lot more smoothly, and perhaps they could enjoy themselves better.

Hermione yawned, as Crookshanks jumped on top of her affectionately. Hermione giggled, and tenderly pet her ginger cat, as she made an effort to wake up. "Hello, Crookshanks," she said sweetly as she scratched Crookshanks's ears.

Standing up, Hermione hurried to the bathroom and immediately got ready for the day with Crookshanks at her heels. Hermione usually walked down the hall to the Prefect's Bathroom to get ready for class, but today she was in a hurry and was far too excited to waste a few minutes time walking down the hall. Hermione quickly threw on her school uniform, brushed her bushy brown hair, and shined her Prefect Badge for the umpteenth time. As Hermione was getting ready, she occasionally peered around the bathroom. It was completely deserted. Hermione snorted. No one, except for her, ever seemed excited to start classes. Hermione adjusted her prefect badge one more time, and headed over to the common room to look for Ron and Harry.

Surprisingly, the common room was mostly empty. Hermione sighed, and shook her head. It seemed that everyone in the Gryffindor House would wait until the last minute to prepare for classes, and head down to breakfast. Hermione peered around the room for a brief moment, and was about to leave, when she saw Ginny curled up in her armchair, wide awake, but looking very very tired. Hermione put on a friendly smile, and gave Ginny a light hearted wave as Crookshanks purred, "Good morning, Ginny. I am guessing that you are awake nice and early, because you're excited to begin classes too?"

Ginny raised an eyebrow, and yawned deeply, "N-N-Not really, Hermione..."

Hermione stared at the girl in front of her. She looked absolutely terrible. There were dark rings under her eyes and she looked as though she hadn't slept in days. Hermione's voice changed to one of motherly concern. "Ginny? You don't look like you have gotten any sleep at all. Are you feeling well? Perhaps you should go and see Madame Pomfrey."

Ginny shook her head. "Nah, I am fine. Don't worry about it, Hermione. I am just a little tired. That is all."

Ginny slowly stood up, and gave Hermione a small smile before disappearing into the girl's dormitory. Hermione stared at Ginny until she disappeared into the girl's dormitories. Crookshanks leapt up into the chair that Ginny was once sitting in, and curled up in a ball. Hermione smiled at Crookshanks, picked him up, and held him in her arms. She stood there staring for a few moments when Ron and Harry finally emerged from the boy's dormitories. As soon as she saw them, Hermione put on an expression of mock sternness, "There you two are. Sleeping in on the first day of classes? For shame."

"Shut up, Hermione," Ron said, while a small smile tugged at his lips, "We all know that you are the only one who wakes up at the crack of dawn, because of 'boring' classes."

Hermione smirked playfully, but didn't say a thing to Ron. Instead, she said to Harry, "Let us go to breakfast, and ignore this slacker. What do you say?"

Harry grinned along with Ron, and the three of them walked out to the Great Hall. Hermione turned to Ron, as they were heading down the hall, and walking by the moving portraits, many, which were still asleep. "Ron? Did you see your sister? She looked sick. Is she feeling alright?"

Ron shrugged, and mumbled, "Well, she has been quite upset since her breakup with Dean. I am sure she will be okay. Ginny is not the type, at least that I know of, to let some boy control her. She'll be fine in time, and as soon as she is, she will be a great Chaser and will help Gryffindor win the Quidditch cup again."

Hermione raised her eyebrows in shock. "She broke up with Dean!?"

Ron nodded as Harry said, "Hermione, you shouldn't have spent your entire summer in France. You have a lot to catch up on."

Hermione ignored Harry's comment and asked Ron, "But why did she break up with Dean?"

"Actually, Dean broke up with her," Ron said, scowling. "I know it is really supposed to be none of business, but I don't like how he handled the breakup. But Ginny is strong. She will get over it."

Hermione was about to ask more questions about Ginny's breakup, but was cut off when they entered the Great Hall. Even though the Gryffindor table was quite empty, it seemed as though practically the whole school was up and about. The excitement of starting new classes emerged again, and Hermione pushed thoughts of Ginny out her mind. She smiled and walked over to the Gryffindor table with Ron and Harry happily. She hoped that this year would be a great one, and she couldn't wait to see what was in store for her.