Roads Chosen; Choices Traveled

Chapter 1

The early morning sun shone through the trees and cast a somewhat shadowed light on the pale face of Ginny Weasley, making her seem to glow. The sixteen year old girl sighed deeply as the birds twittered happily in the trees.

What gives them the right, she thought sadly, to sound so happy when I feel so empty. Why is it that I can never be happy the way I want to be? When Seamus liked me, I didn’t like him. When I did like him, he wasn’t interested anymore. Now I don’t care either way and I still feel useless and bored with life.

But Ginny couldn’t lie to herself; it was never really Seamus that she liked. He was a great guy, she knew that, but he never sparked her interest the way Draco Malfoy did. Seamus was a great person, but she never had butterflies in her stomach when she talked to him the way she did when she talked to Draco, even if it always was rude remarks and snide comments. She knew that he would never be interested in her, but she couldn’t help but notice that when she was sitting with Harry of any other boys, the murderous stares he would send their way. Or that he would glance at her when she thought he wasn’t looking. But she was always looking.

She didn’t know what love was, but if it was anything like this, she didn’t ever want to be in love. She had always imagined love like being in a hot bubble bath, warm and relaxing. But this… this feeling she was feeling was more like she was being ripped apart from the inside out.

She wouldn’t ever go out with him anyway, he was stuck up, and he knew it, he prided himself on it, in fact. He was rude to her friends. She really couldn’t be around him without getting so angry she wanted to cry. But for some reason, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was supposed spend the rest of her life with him.

But, despite what she thought at the end of her fifth year, she had spent the entire summer without seeing him once and she had lived. But this was his last year and she still had two more years to go, so she was going to learn to deal somehow. She figured that it would be easier if somebody knew. If she could talk to one of her friends about it, but if she told anybody about her crush on the Sytherin Prince, her brothers would surely find out and he would kill her. And then he would kill Draco Malfoy.

“Ginny,” she heard Ron calling her from the back door of The Burrow. “Gin, mom says that it is time to come in for breakfast!”

“I’m coming!” she yelled standing up and brushing the dirt from her butt and walking to her house slowly.

“Where were you Ginny, dear?” Molly Weasley asked as Ginny walked into the kitchen.

“Outside,” she answered sitting down at the table and reaching for the bacon and eggs and putting them on her plate.

“Morning, Ginny,” Harry said. “Ready to go back to school?”

“Morning, Harry. Can’t wait,” she said as sarcastically as she could manage. Trying to hide the fact that she really could hardly wait.

“Hurry, Ginny, we have to leave in half an hour,” Molly said.

And, true to her word they were on their way to King’s Cross Station half an hour later, but had to turn around ten minutes down the road as Ron had forgotten something that he had to give to Hermione.

As Ginny sat in the car Mr. Weasley had bought with a bonus he had gotten as an apology for the rude way Fudge had acted toward him about the return of Voldermort, she thought about how, after this year, she would never live with Ron again and never have him, Harry, or Hermione imposing on her life again. The thought brought a smile to her face.

“What are you so happy about?” Ron asked as he got back into the car.

“None of your business,” Ginny snapped.

Ron merely rolled his eyes.

Ginny didn’t talk the rest of the ride to the train station.

They pulled into King’s Cross with fifteen minutes until the train left. They got out of the car and Ron and Mr. Weasley ran to get some carts. When they returned, there were ten minutes and just enough time for Mrs. Weasley's talk

“Okay, children, please be good, stay on school property at all times. And, Harry, Ron, no dueling with dark wizards.”

“Yes ma’am,” they all mumbled before being shoved through the barrier by Mr. Weasley.

Harry and Ron found Hermione and were busily talking to her while Ginny went to find her friends, fellow Gryffindor sixth years, Jessica Pedigree, Cindy Roberts, and Colin Creevy.

“Hey guys,” Ginny said as she walked into the compartment and sat down next to Colin. “Hey, Colin, where’s Dennis?”

“With his girlfriend,” Jessica answered before Colin had a chance to.

“Oh, really? And who would want to date a filthy mudblood?” A cold voice cut it. It was a voice that sent shivers up and down Ginny’s spine.

Colin stood up quickly and pulled out his wand. “You take that back, you take that back right now, you arrogant, self righteous prick.”

“Make me,” Malfoy said, rather childishly, in Ginny’s opinion.

But before Colin could do or say anything, Malfoy was thrown from the compartment by a very angry, redheaded, female Weasley.

Everybody turned to stare at Ginny as she walked over and slammed the door.

“Ginny,” Colin said, “it didn’t make me that angry.”

“He… that boy… ferret… makes me so angry. I hate him. I hope that he rots in hell. I want to smash his face in.”

“Don’t do that,” Colin said.

“Why in heavens name not?”

“Two reasons. One: you would get in so much trouble. Two: he is so beautiful; it would be a shame to wreck him.”

Ginny’s bad mood immediately evaporated and she laughed at her friend’s antics. “Colin, you are almost too gay to function.”

Colin just smiled, sat down, motioned for Ginny to sit down, and immediately started gossiping about how slutty Pansy Parkinson looked today and how excited they were about the rumored Valentines Day Ball for the sixth and seventh years.

The only other disturbance they had other than prefects coming in and checking on them, was when Harry, Ron, and Hermione came in to see what Malfoy was talking about, blaming Ginny for nearly killing him.

“Ginny,” Ron said, “you can’t just blow someone out of the train compartment like that. Especially not Malfoy. It isn’t the smartest thing to do.”

“Ron, are you kidding me? I’ve seen you, Harry, and Hermione blow Malfoy out of a compartment at least once. So, jack ass, don’t talk to me about what is and isn’t smart because I’ve done a whole lot worse than blow somebody out of a compartment, and you know that.”

“Oh, really? What have you, daddy’s little girl, mommy’s little angel, done? Ever? In your life?”

“Anything I did in my first year, you bloody shit-head. Now get out.”

“Ginny, I am just trying to protect…”

“I don’t want protection. Got out now Ronald Weasley, before I am forced to tell Hermione about you-know-what.”

“Damn it, come on you guys,” Ron said walking out of the compartment.

Shortly after Ron left out of the compartment, they all changed into their school robes and waited for the train to arrive at the school.

The train slowed to a stop in Hogsmead station and they all climbed of the train and heard Hagrid’s gruff voice calling “Firs’ years! Firs’ years o’er here!”

Ginny’s stomach dropped when she saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione walk over to Hagrid and whisper something to him causing him to look over at Ginny. He motioned for her to come talk to him.

“Yes, professor?” Ginny asked.

“Now, none o’ this ‘professor’ crap. You jus’ call me Hagrid.”

“Yes sir - um, Hagrid.”

“Good girl. Now what’s all this ‘bout yeh blasin’ the Malfoy bloke out of your train compartment?”

“I was provoked. He call Dennis Creevy a… he called him a… a… well he called him something not nice.”

“Jus’ like your brothers, you are. However, all your brothers suffered consequences fer their actions.”

“But-”

“No buts. One night o’ detention. Tomorrow at six o’ clock. You can help me squeeze floberworms.”

Ginny’s nose scrunched in disgust.

“Okay, Hagrid,” she said and turned and walked back to the carriages.

“What did Hagrid want?” Jessica asked as Ginny climbed into the carriage.

“To give me detention for blasting Malfoy out of the train compartment.”

“How did he know?” Colin asked.

“Ron,” Ginny answered.

“That’s not fair!” Cindy said. “Ron and Harry have done that thousands of times and nobody has ever even batted and eyelash.”

“That would be because it was Hagrid’s best friends: the Boy Who Lived and a male Weasley.”

“What does being a male Weasley have to do with anything?” Jessica asked.

“Duh,” Colin answered before Ginny could. “Look at them, they are all hot.”

“You,” Ginny said, “are such a dumbass. No, that is probably not the reason. It’s because two of them were either head boy and/or quidditch captain. And two more of them helped get rid of possibly the worst headmistress Hogwarts ever had. Every male Weasley has done something great at Hogwarts.”

“Oh,” that all mumbled as the carriages halted abruptly.

They all climbed out of the carriages and walked up to the castle. The roomy entrance hall gave Ginny a sense of homey comfort that she could never get anywhere else.

And there he was. Looking at her from around the students struggling to get around them. For a second, the students disappeared and everything stopped. All Ginny could think about was kissing him until she sucked his lungs up his throat.

“Ginny!” Colin called, breaking her from her trance. In one sickening wave, the students and noise came back with a deafening fervency. “Come on, we have to go to the feast.”

They all walked into the Great Hall and sat down, Ginny’s stomach suddenly rumbling with hunger.

Professor McGonagall brought out the familiar three legged stool and tattered sorting hat. She sat the stool down and set the hat down on top of it. She stepped back to let the hat sing its song.

The hat opened its mouth and sang:

More than one thousand years ago
These houses four were formed.
To this day the idea of intermingling
Between has not been warmed.

But this year, old enemies collide
And a relationship will be started,
And for ninety nine years to come
These hearts will ne'er be parted.

For with the union of these souls
A child will come forth
And help the Boy Who Lived
Bring peace from south to north.

So be open minded, don't be fools,
Please, young students, don't let this divide you
Because with this union of fire and ice
Will be a world born anew.

The hall was deadly silent. For the third year in a row, the hat’s song was not about the four Hogwarts houses. The professors looked just as shocked as the students.

Professor McGonagall stepped forward and called the students up to be sorted into the houses.

Ginny’s hunger suddenly forgotten, she sat there staring off into space, not caring about anything but her thoughts at that moment.

‘I wonder who the song could be about. Fire and Ice? What could that mean? I wonder how the hat knows about all of that. I wonder if Professor Trelawney made another prophecy.’

“Ginny,” Colin’s vice snapped her out of her trance, “eat.”

Ginny ate her meal hardly talking at all, still being lost in thought. When all of the students had finished their meal, Dumbledore stood up.

“Welcome to another new year at Hogwarts. I am your Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. Some announcements before I dismiss you all. I would like you all to acknowledge and give a warm round of applause for your knew head boy and girl. Your new head boy is Draco Malfoy, and your new head girl is Hermione Granger,” the students clapped. The caretaker, Argus Filch, has asked me to remind you that Wizard Wiz Bangs have been added to the list of forbidden objects. You can see the full list in his office in the dungeons. This year, I have decided to conduct a little experiment with the prefects and head boy and girl. I want to see all the prefects, Mr. Malfoy, Ms. Granger, and Ginny Weasley in my office after I’m done.” He paused for a moment. “I’m done. Goodnight students. I hope your year at Hogwarts is enjoyable.”

The hall burst into cheery talk and bustling noises. Ginny stood up and started to make her way slowly to Dumbledore’s office. Still lost in thought, she didn’t notice Draco Malfoy walking in front of her, and, as a result, she bumped into him, toppling both him and her over. She landed on top of his back. The first thing that registered in her mind was how good he smelled. Like cloves, a kind of cinnamon spice smell. The second thing that registered in her mind was that she was lying of top of Draco Malfoy. She felt herself turning red and quickly rolled off of him. She stood up, her chest heaving and face so hot she felt it was going to fall off.

“I’m s-sorry,” Ginny mumbled.

“Yeah, well you should be,” Draco said.

Ginny looked up. He was blushing and his chest was heaving too.

Ginny started to walk off.

“Weasley, wait,” Draco started after her.

“What?” she snapped, they were now alone in the hallway.

“Do you need somebody to walk with to Dumbledore’s office?”

“No.” She started walking away.

“Well,” Draco said walking up behind her, putting his arm around her, “you get one.”

“You know, Ron sees you with your arm around me, and he will make sure you never have sex again.”

“I am not afraid of your brother. And anyway, aren’t you mad at him?”

“Yes,” Ginny said. Knowing the person Malfoy was, he was probably plotting something.

“Well, wouldn’t you like to…?”

“No,” she was right, he was plotting something. She shrugged his arm off her.

“Why not?” He sounded taking aback.

“Because, I don’t want to have anything to do with you.” With that, she walked quickly to Dumbledore’s office; leaving a shocked Draco in her wake.

When she arrived, Dumbledore was standing outside of his office.

“You and Mr. Malfoy are the last people I need to talk to, but I need to speak with you first.”

“Ginny followed him into his office and sat down in one of the two chairs opposite Dumbledore.

“How was your summer, Ms. Weasley?”

“Fine,” Ginny answered.

“Good, good,” the headmaster said. “Well, we made a mistake sending out prefect badges this summer. You were supposed to get one and it was never sent.”

“Oh,” Ginny said shocked. She was expecting to be reprimanded for Draco on the train; being made a prefect was the last thing she expected.

Just then, Draco walked in and sat down in the chair next to Ginny and across from Dumbledore.

“Ah, Mr. Malfoy, just in time.”

“Evening professor.”

“Now, let’s get down to business. As I just informed Ms. Weasley, she is now a prefect. This experiment is to see how students react to each other while living in close quarters. So, you will both be sharing a bed room, bathroom, and small common room.”

“What?!” They both shouted.

“You heard me. It will only be for this year. The rules. I need to tell you about the rules. Nobody is allowed in you room except yourselves. You must be in the room after 10:00 at night at all times excluding when you have duties. Is everything understood?”

“Yes,” they grumbled.

“Any questions?”

“Where is our stuff? And where is our room?” Draco asked.

“Ah, your room is on the third floor behind the tapestry of the star-crossed lovers. The password is ‘destiny’ and your stuff is already in your room. You are dismissed.”

“I,” Ginny said as they walked to the third floor, “cannot believe this.”

“Well, one thing’s for sure, it will be a very interesting year.”
To Be Continued.
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