Disclaimer: most of the characters don't belong me; they belong to J.K. Rowling, Scholastic Books, Warner Brothers, and various other people. I'm merely borrowing them for my and other people's enjoyment, and am making NO profit off of it.
Author's Note: When reading this, please keep in mind that it was written mid-2004, well before HBP. The story is, of course, completed, and I'll try to do weekly updates. Thanks for reading and reviewing!
Also, I'm having some trouble with upload it….it's cutting off the chapter before the end. I'm sure it's just something on my part, since I've never used Portkey before. So if this shows up a million times before it's completely right, I'm really sorry!
Chapter One
When I looked back on things later I should have been suspicious. It started about midway through my fifth year. I was always clumsy, so it wasn't anything but a common occurrence when I tripped down the stairs one day after Charms. The uncommon occurrence was that Draco Malfoy helped me up and handed me my things. I started at him for a moment, and he looked at me, as if studying me.
"I met your brother Charlie this summer. He's a good man. Asked me to look after you," he said, before sweeping off in the direction of the Great Hall. I wrote to Charlie that night and asked him if this was true. After two days of constantly looking at the window, an answer came back.
Ginny,
Yes, Draco was telling the truth. He came to Romania this summer, and stayed with us here. He's a very good fellow deep down. Don't give him a hard time this year; he's had a rough life. That's all I'm going to say, and even that's too much. Don't mention it to him, all right? I'll be home when you get back from Hogwarts, so look for me on Platform 9 ¾
Your brother,
Charlie
Charlie's reply was the next odd thing. In all my years- and all Ron's years- at Hogwarts Charlie had never seen us off or met us as we came back. He was always too busy with the dragons in Romania. Still, I pushed aside my suspicions and looked forward to seeing my eldest, and favorite, brother. I became more and more anxious to see Charlie as the school year came to a close, although when it was time for me to sit the O.W.L.s, he was momentarily forgotten.
Finally, the day came when we boarded the Hogwarts Express. The ride seemed slower than ever, and I spent most of it looking anxiously out the window. My anxiety must have shown, though, because soon Harry, Ron, and Hermione were asking me if I was all right. I slipped out of the compartment, intent on taking a walk to clear my mind.
That was when the next, and final, odd thing happened.
I ran into Draco Malfoy about halfway to the bathrooms. He did not insult my family, our financial status, or my hand me down books and clothes. Instead he gave me a studying look again.
"Watch where you're going, Weasley," he said softly. After a moment of thinking, he added, "I suspect I'll be seeing you this summer." Before I could ask what he was talking about, he had turned into the compartment to my left. I started at the spot where he had been before turning around and going back to the compartment I'd come from.
When the ride finally came to an end, I was the first one off the train. I looked wildly around and saw Charlie standing with Mum, grinning like mad at me.
"Charlie!" I called out, and ran to him. He picked me up in a hug and spun me around, just like he used to do when I was younger. I laughed as he set me down. "You've got some explaining to do," I said as Mum greeted Harry, Ron, and Hermione with a hug for each of them.
"Later," he said quietly, and I knew the topic was closed. He looked away from me and at the train. "You know, I miss Hogwarts," he said wistfully. I laughed.
"I don't. I'm ready for a break from there." Before we could continue our conversation, however, Mum pulled me close for a hug.
"Just because Charlie's here doesn't mean that you get to ignore me," she said, trying to keep the cheerfulness in her voice and the tears out. That should have been another warning sign, but as Mum's a very emotional person I just assumed she was very happy to see us all.
Charlie and I didn't get a chance to talk that night because the instant we were home, Mum sent me upstairs to unpack. When I finished unpacking, I headed downstairs, planning on talking to Charlie, when I heard my name and stopped where I was.
"It's too dangerous! Ginny's only sixteen!" mum said fervently. I heard the laughing that I instantly recognized as Charlie's.
"Mum, that's how old I was when I went for the first time. Anyway, if she has the Gift then she won't be in any danger at all. If she doesn't, then she can stay a week or two, and then come home. I promise she'll be safe," Charlie said.
"Yes, but Ginny's my little girl," Mum said sniffing.
"Just think about it, will you?" Charlie asked, sighing. Mum's answer must have been a nod or a shake, because soon the door started to open and I pressed myself against the wall so that they couldn't see me. Charlie came out first and held the door open so that Mum, who was wiping her eyes, could leave. She went directly for the kitchen, but Charlie stayed where he was.
"How much of that did you hear, Ginny?" Charlie asked, a small grin on his face. I feigned innocence.
"Hear what?" I asked, continuing down the stairs.
"I've grown up with Fred and George, too, Gin. I can tell when someone's lying. It's all right; I won't get mad. In fact, I wanted to tell you all along, but Mum's not too happy about it," Charlie said, leading me into the living room that Mum had just vacated. I sat down on the nearest chair and looked at him.
"Not much, just the end of the conversation. Something about me going and having the Gift?" I said, looking questioningly at him.
"I can't tell you about the Gift yet, but I'm trying to see if Mum will let you come with me to Romania for a while this summer. She seems to be under the impression that it will be dangerous or something," Charlie said, rolling his eyes. I laughed.
"I would love to come to Romania! Is there anything I can do to convince Mum?" I asked, looking up at him eagerly. Charlie sighed.
"No. Don't let on to Mum that I told you. I'll talk to her and dad tonight and see if I can convince them. I need to get back. Tedros will be lonely with out me," he said as he stood up from where he had been leaning against the piano.
"Tedros?" I asked, curiously. Mum never let him talk about dragons and Romania to me because, I suppose, she was afraid that I would be like Charlie and want to work with them.
"My dragon. He's a Swedish Short-Snout. C'mon. Let's go help mum with dinner in an attempt to butter her up," he said and ushered me out the door.
I went to bed that night before a decision had been made, but early the next morning Charlie woke me up. He was grinning like mad, and at once I knew that Mum was going to let me go.
"Time to get up. You need to pack because I need to get back today. Mum says I need to bring you home in two weeks if things don't work out, or with two weeks remaining in the summer if they do," Charlie said, pulling my blanket off of me. I shivered and tried to pull the blanket back on.
"Give me five minutes and I'll get up," I yawned. I was an early riser, but always needed a few minutes to get completely woken up.
"All right. I'll be downstairs with Mum. You can either go directly down there and eat breakfast and then pack or you can pack first. We need to be leaving within the hour, though," he said and left the room. Within the hour? I thought to myself. It doesn't give me much time to pack. I hurried out of bed and pulled off my Weird Sister's shirt and plaid pajama pants and pulled on a pair of faded blue jeans and a Celestina Warbeck shirt. I combed my hair, and then spent twenty frantic minutes packing everything that I thought I might need in Romania. When I was sure I had packed everything that I could think of, I almost ran downstairs to eat breakfast. Mum was standing in front of the stove, cooking bacon, and looking like she had been crying for several hours. Charlie was sitting at the table, drinking a mug of tea, and looking at Which Broomstick. He looked up when I entered the room, and smiled at me.
"I met her once," he said, pointing at my shirt. "She was quite nice and seemed rather interested in my, uh, job." He looked nervously at Mum, who glared at him.
"Eat up, Ginny, dear. Merlin knows when you'll get another decent meal," she said, piling my plate with more food than I thought I was going to be able to eat. Charlie sighed in exasperation.
"We eat perfectly healthy meals," he said, rolling his eyes at me. I giggled and started to eat my breakfast.
It took thirty minutes for me to eat my breakfast, and then it took another ten convincing Mum that I didn't need any more to eat. She kept looking at me with her eyes full of tears when she thought I wasn't looking. Finally, the time came for us to leave. Mum didn't even try to hold back her tears as she hugged me.
"Be good, Ginny, and make sure Charlie keeps you safe," she said.
"Mum, I went through this last night-" Charlie started, impatiently, but was cut off by Mum.
"Charlie. One more word and she won't go," she snapped, and he was quiet. After fifteen minutes of Mum fussing over me, we boarded the Knight Bus and were on our way.
"So, what can you tell me about why I'm going?" I asked Charlie as we sat at one of the round tables on the top story. He sipped his drink and thought for a minute.
"Well, everyone at Hydes- the dragon Reservation that we're going to- is a member of the Council. We help Dumbledore and the Resistance. I can't really tell you more than that until we get there and you get tested," he finally replied. There was a loud bang! and the Knight Bus stopped in front of a large stone manor that was surrounded by grassy fields as far as the eye could see and, to my heart's delight, dragons! "Here we are," Charlie announced, standing up from his chair. We quickly left the bus and that's when I heard it. A voice in my head, that is.
Welcome back, young one, the voice said. I jumped. Hearing voices, even in the magical world, is a bad thing, so I didn't mention it to Charlie. I heard the voice again.
So, this is the one you've told me about. Hello, little one, the cool, calm voice said.
"Er, hello," I whispered. Charlie immediately turned to look at me, giving me an odd look.
"You heard about Tedros speaking?" he asked me. I nodded, and then heard the voice speak again.
Of course she can hear me. The little one is special beyond what you expect. Lunchtime, the voice, which I now realized was Tedros', said again.
"I'll take you to your room, Ginny, and while you get settled in I'll feed Tedros, and then speak to the Council members," Charlie said, leading me towards the manor.
The room was a lot larger than my one at the Burrow. It was a circular room, much like the ones at Hogwarts, and held a large four-poster bed with yellow hangings, a dressing table, wardrobe, desk, and bookcase. There were six large windows, giving a magnificent view of the grounds. Everywhere I looked I could see dragons being fed, bathed, or flying. Slowly, I started unpacking my clothes. I had been at work for twenty minutes when the door opened, breaking my reverie. A tall woman with white hair and blue eyes strode into the room. She was wearing tan dragonhide pants and had on a fitted deep purple tunic. Her white hair was pulled back into braids, which were knotted when they connected at her nape. She was carrying two packages that were wrapped in brown paper. She smiled at me and placed the packages on the bed.
"Hello, Ginny," she said warmly, and shook my hand. "My name is Eloise Sloan. Most around here call me Sloan, but you can call me either. I'm the Head of the Council. Your brother told me that you were able to talk to his dragon. Is that correct?" She took a seat at the desk as she asked me.
"Er, yes, but I'll promise not to do it again if it's illegal," I said, quickly. I rather liked this woman and did not want to get on her bad side. She laughed a very tinkling laugh.
"Oh, sweet, it's not a bad thing. It's just very unusual, you see. I've brought you your dragonhide pants and a green tunic," she said, pointing to the packages. "If you'll just change into those down I'll send Charlie up in a few minutes to get you and you can meet Goldenwing." She stood up and started to head towards the door.
"Goldenwing?" I asked curiously.
"Your dragon," she said simply, before leaving. I stared at the door in amazement. I hadn't been here for an hour yet, and I already had a dragon.