Disclaimer: I own nothing that anyone other than me would want. Therefore,
that includes these characters, who belong to the very rich and talented
J.K. Rowling.
The Least Likely Prince Charming
Chapter 1 - The Vow of the Brokenhearted
Ever since she was little, Ginny Weasley has always loved fairytales. There was just something about those stories, with the handsome and brave hero coming to rescue the damsel in distress, that had always appealed to Ginny. Her favorite story of all was about witch named Cinderella. In the story, Cinderella was a good witch whose father married an dark witch with two daughters. When her father died, the evil stepmother took Cinderella's wand and locked it away in a charmed box, and forced Cinderella to cook and clean, and wait on her stepsisters and her stepmother constantly. Ginny related to Cinderella in a way, not because her family was mean or treated her badly, but because she was the youngest of seven children, and the only girl, in a family which had to scrape by to make ends meet. So Ginny knew what it was to not be able to do or have what your friends did, and she understood how Cinderella must have felt to be left out all the time.
So, like the story, Ginny waited for her Prince Charming to come along. Someone who was brave and honest, someone who wouldn't care about how little money her family had, or how ragged her hand-me-down robes were, or how Ginny couldn't buy a lot of things at Hogsmeade like the other students did, because she didn't have enough money. When she was younger, Ginny had thought she had found her fairytale prince, (who wouldn't think HARRY POTTER was the embodiment of everything a perfect fairytale prince would be), except for the fact that Harry didn't even know she was a girl. So Ginny gave up on her fairytale dreams, and began her string of boyfriends.
Ginny was in her sixth year now, and she had as many boyfriends as years, since her third year at Hogwart's. In her third year, she had started dating Michael Corner, whom she had broke up in her fourth year for being a complete git. He threw a huge temper tantrum, all because she caught the snitch and his house had lost. So, Ginny had said, bye-bye to Michael, Michael had turned around and comforted Cho, the Ravenclaw seeker in her defeat, and Ginny had moved on to Dean Thomas, a fellow Gryffindor. Her relationship with Dean lasted over the summer and into the beginning of her fourth year, and then they broke up because he cheated on her with Lavender. Ginny had walked in on a snogging session they were having in the broom closet beside Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Dean still winced whenever he saw Ginny with her wand visible, as a bat bogey hex is never completely forgotten. Ginny then moved on to start dating Colin That relationship lasted a little bit longer than her others, she dated him until the summer between her fourth and fifth years. There break-up was mutual, as they both felt they were more like friends than boyfriend- girlfriend. Ginny's fifth year was spent with Seamus, and she really felt like he was her prince charming. He was always so sweet to her, and was always doing nice things for her, like sending her little "thinking of you" notes by owl post. But, as with all of Ginny's relationships with the opposite sex that were not brotherly relationships the relationship had ended. Ginny was still confused and heartbroken by the break-up, which had occurred at the end of the last year, before getting on the Hogwart's Express. Seamus had given her a nice speech, filled with phrases like "I just don't feel THAT way about you" and "I always want to be your friend."
"So, Ginny, do you have everything packed for school this year?" Hermione asked her, startling Ginny out of her reminiscences, as she looked up from the book she was reading. The girls were in the room they shared in the Order's headquarters. Hermione had come to stay this summer, due to it being unsafe to be a muggle born wizard in London right now. Hermione has been one of Ginny's best friends for years, and has followed along with all of Ginny's boyfriends (and unrequited crush in her first, second, and third years). Hermione had agreed with her reasoning when she broke up with Michael, comforted her when she caught Dean and Lavender snogging in that broom closet, listened to her vent about Colin being such a good friend but not a good boyfriend, and hugged her and comforted her when she cried so many times about Seamus.
"No, I haven't really felt like thinking about going back yet." Ginny said, looking back down at her photo album. The picture she was looking at showed a scared Ginny cowering at the far edge of the picture looking at the spot were her picture mate used to be, but was now only a torn edge. Ginny supposed that her picture image was afraid she would light it on fire like she did the one of Seamus.....
"Well, you should think about packing Gin. We don't have much time. I've already gotten everything but a few changes of clothes and all my books packed. I need to read those you know. NEWTS for me this year. How did you do on your OWL's, anyway?" Hermione asked Ginny.
Ginny put the picture back in the album and looked at Hermione. "I'm surprise Mum didn't tell you, yet. I guess she just hasn't had time to go telling everyone yet, with all the Order stuff going on right now. Anyway, I got a lot of Exceeds Expectations and Outstandings and only one bad mark in Divination. That was probably because I told the examiner I saw a fire in the crystal ball and predicted that there would be a fire somewhere at Hogwart's that day.... turned out it was just the reflection of my hair I saw." Ginny joked, as she put the album back in the box underneath her bed.
"I told you not to take Divination Ginny, but you had to listen to Ron and Harry when they said all you had to do was predict your own death in numerous freak and improbable accidents and it would be an easy A." Hermione lectured, with a smile on her face.
"Yeah, well I guess I won't have to listen to the dimwit anymore, now though. Divination is done for me now, thankfully. Well I guess I should start thinking about packing now, huh..." Ginny stated, looking around at all the stuff she had yet to even start packing.
"Need help, Ginny? I'm only reading some stuff for advanced potions right now and it's boring me to sleep. Helping you pack would wake me up a little bit." Hermione offered, closing the thick book she was looking at and rubbing her tired eyes.
"Sure, Hermione, I could use the help. It's not everyday that a lowly prefect gets to order the Head Girl around." Ginny joked, with a little laugh. Hermione had just received the letter informing her of her Head Girl status yesterday, and was still quite excited about it. Ron felt left out, however, because Harry was the Head Boy and Hermione was the Head Girl, and he was just a prefect, but he would get over it. Ginny had been a prefect since her fifth year, which overjoyed her mother, but disappointed Fred and George greatly, as they thought she was there best protege on the not so strait and narrow path.
The girls started pulling things from Ginny's closet and drawers, with Hermione occasionally asking Ginny if she wanted to take this or that. All of Ginny's clothes were packed and it was just the little things left when Hermione pulled out the album that Ginny had been looking at before. "Do you want to pack this?" she asked, as she opened it up. Hermione gasped as she saw the scared looking Ginny cowering in the corner of all the ripped pictures in the album, and asked "What is this, anyway?"
"You are looking at the romantic history of a relationship loser." Ginny said, and grabbed the album off of Hermione and hugged it to her chest. Hermione looked at Ginny with pity in her eyes. Hermione knew how hard Ginny was taking her break-up with Seamus, and this album of ripped photographs showed Hermione how much all of Ginny's break-ups had affected her.
"Ginny, do you want to talk about it? I know you really like Seamus, and took the break-up rather hard, but you seemed to be fine this summer." Hermione said, pulling Ginny to sit next to her on the bed. Ginny looked at Hermione, and seemed to be struggling with herself about whether or not she was ready to talk about what has been troubling her all summer. Ginny, being the practical girl she is, finally decided to herself that she did need to talk to someone about what was bothering her.
Ginny took a deep breath and looked at Hermione and started to talk. "Okay, Hermione, let me ask you, where did I go wrong? I would really love to know what I am doing wrong. Is it my hair, is it my personality, is it just me? Why can't keep a boyfriend for more than a year? What is wrong with me? I don't know what I am doing wrong!!" Ginny ended her tirade, and put her head on Hermione's shoulder.
Hermione was glad that Ginny had finally opened up about how much all of her break-ups have affected her, but in truth, Hermione didn't know what to say to her. Any question that came from a book, Hermione could answer, but when it came to relationships, she was just as clueless as Ginny. Hermione said the only thing that popped into her head, and hoped that it was the right thing. "Ginny, you aren't doing anything wrong. It just wasn't meant to be." Hermione hated using cliches, but she could really think of nothing else to say.
"Well, then, what is meant to be?" Ginny countered, not asking Hermione this, but asking the world in general. "Why did Dean snog Lavender? Was that meant to be? And while we are at it, was Michael being such a stupid git about a Quidditch match meant to be?" And then Ginny asked the question that Hermione knew was the root of what was really troubling her, "Why wasn't I enough for Seamus? " as she flopped down on the bed and stared at the ceiling.
Hermione still didn't know what to say to Ginny. She knew that Ginny was heartbroken by Seamus, but Hermione had never had the boy she cared deeply about break up with her, so she didn't know what to say. Heck, Hermione wasn't one to be giving out love advice. Hermione was still in a pseudo friendship, I love you but can't tell you, kind of thing with Ron. So Hermione did some quick thinking and sorted through her cliches again, and then said to Ginny, "You may think he was the one for you now, but someday, you'll meet your prince charming, and you'll be glad that things didn't work out with Seamus."
Ginny didn't say anything, and she just looked at the ceiling. She just stared for a while, sorting out all the thoughts in her head. It was then that Ginny made her decision. She sat up suddenly on the bed, and looked at Hermione. Hermione saw the stubborn look in her eyes, and knew that Ginny was through acting defeated. Hermione was hopeful that Ginny was prepared to get over Seamus and move on, until Ginny opened her mouth and spoke.
"Hermione, by Merlin's oath, I officially make this vow, to last at least until I complete my career at Hogwart's: I officially give up on boys! I plan to spend the rest of my Hogwart's days, single and free of romantic entanglements. I officially give up on boys!!!." Ginny vowed.
Hermione looked at Ginny and really hoped she wasn't serious. But, something about that Weasley look in her eye - the one that Ron gets right before he turns into the most stubborn git in creation - made Hermione think that Ginny was serious. Hermione felt a pang of pity for any of the nameless and faceless boys who will ask Ginny out this year. She sighed as she thought of poor Madame Pomfrey and the rash of bat bogey hexes she will have to deal with this year.
If Ginny knew that fate was listening to her vow, she might have decided not to follow through with it. Because every witch and wizard knows that fate has a strange sense of humor. And, upon hearing Ginny make her vow, fate decided it was time to make things interesting for the red-headed witch. It was time for Ginny Weasley to meet her fate, whether she wants to or not.
The Least Likely Prince Charming
Chapter 1 - The Vow of the Brokenhearted
Ever since she was little, Ginny Weasley has always loved fairytales. There was just something about those stories, with the handsome and brave hero coming to rescue the damsel in distress, that had always appealed to Ginny. Her favorite story of all was about witch named Cinderella. In the story, Cinderella was a good witch whose father married an dark witch with two daughters. When her father died, the evil stepmother took Cinderella's wand and locked it away in a charmed box, and forced Cinderella to cook and clean, and wait on her stepsisters and her stepmother constantly. Ginny related to Cinderella in a way, not because her family was mean or treated her badly, but because she was the youngest of seven children, and the only girl, in a family which had to scrape by to make ends meet. So Ginny knew what it was to not be able to do or have what your friends did, and she understood how Cinderella must have felt to be left out all the time.
So, like the story, Ginny waited for her Prince Charming to come along. Someone who was brave and honest, someone who wouldn't care about how little money her family had, or how ragged her hand-me-down robes were, or how Ginny couldn't buy a lot of things at Hogsmeade like the other students did, because she didn't have enough money. When she was younger, Ginny had thought she had found her fairytale prince, (who wouldn't think HARRY POTTER was the embodiment of everything a perfect fairytale prince would be), except for the fact that Harry didn't even know she was a girl. So Ginny gave up on her fairytale dreams, and began her string of boyfriends.
Ginny was in her sixth year now, and she had as many boyfriends as years, since her third year at Hogwart's. In her third year, she had started dating Michael Corner, whom she had broke up in her fourth year for being a complete git. He threw a huge temper tantrum, all because she caught the snitch and his house had lost. So, Ginny had said, bye-bye to Michael, Michael had turned around and comforted Cho, the Ravenclaw seeker in her defeat, and Ginny had moved on to Dean Thomas, a fellow Gryffindor. Her relationship with Dean lasted over the summer and into the beginning of her fourth year, and then they broke up because he cheated on her with Lavender. Ginny had walked in on a snogging session they were having in the broom closet beside Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Dean still winced whenever he saw Ginny with her wand visible, as a bat bogey hex is never completely forgotten. Ginny then moved on to start dating Colin That relationship lasted a little bit longer than her others, she dated him until the summer between her fourth and fifth years. There break-up was mutual, as they both felt they were more like friends than boyfriend- girlfriend. Ginny's fifth year was spent with Seamus, and she really felt like he was her prince charming. He was always so sweet to her, and was always doing nice things for her, like sending her little "thinking of you" notes by owl post. But, as with all of Ginny's relationships with the opposite sex that were not brotherly relationships the relationship had ended. Ginny was still confused and heartbroken by the break-up, which had occurred at the end of the last year, before getting on the Hogwart's Express. Seamus had given her a nice speech, filled with phrases like "I just don't feel THAT way about you" and "I always want to be your friend."
"So, Ginny, do you have everything packed for school this year?" Hermione asked her, startling Ginny out of her reminiscences, as she looked up from the book she was reading. The girls were in the room they shared in the Order's headquarters. Hermione had come to stay this summer, due to it being unsafe to be a muggle born wizard in London right now. Hermione has been one of Ginny's best friends for years, and has followed along with all of Ginny's boyfriends (and unrequited crush in her first, second, and third years). Hermione had agreed with her reasoning when she broke up with Michael, comforted her when she caught Dean and Lavender snogging in that broom closet, listened to her vent about Colin being such a good friend but not a good boyfriend, and hugged her and comforted her when she cried so many times about Seamus.
"No, I haven't really felt like thinking about going back yet." Ginny said, looking back down at her photo album. The picture she was looking at showed a scared Ginny cowering at the far edge of the picture looking at the spot were her picture mate used to be, but was now only a torn edge. Ginny supposed that her picture image was afraid she would light it on fire like she did the one of Seamus.....
"Well, you should think about packing Gin. We don't have much time. I've already gotten everything but a few changes of clothes and all my books packed. I need to read those you know. NEWTS for me this year. How did you do on your OWL's, anyway?" Hermione asked Ginny.
Ginny put the picture back in the album and looked at Hermione. "I'm surprise Mum didn't tell you, yet. I guess she just hasn't had time to go telling everyone yet, with all the Order stuff going on right now. Anyway, I got a lot of Exceeds Expectations and Outstandings and only one bad mark in Divination. That was probably because I told the examiner I saw a fire in the crystal ball and predicted that there would be a fire somewhere at Hogwart's that day.... turned out it was just the reflection of my hair I saw." Ginny joked, as she put the album back in the box underneath her bed.
"I told you not to take Divination Ginny, but you had to listen to Ron and Harry when they said all you had to do was predict your own death in numerous freak and improbable accidents and it would be an easy A." Hermione lectured, with a smile on her face.
"Yeah, well I guess I won't have to listen to the dimwit anymore, now though. Divination is done for me now, thankfully. Well I guess I should start thinking about packing now, huh..." Ginny stated, looking around at all the stuff she had yet to even start packing.
"Need help, Ginny? I'm only reading some stuff for advanced potions right now and it's boring me to sleep. Helping you pack would wake me up a little bit." Hermione offered, closing the thick book she was looking at and rubbing her tired eyes.
"Sure, Hermione, I could use the help. It's not everyday that a lowly prefect gets to order the Head Girl around." Ginny joked, with a little laugh. Hermione had just received the letter informing her of her Head Girl status yesterday, and was still quite excited about it. Ron felt left out, however, because Harry was the Head Boy and Hermione was the Head Girl, and he was just a prefect, but he would get over it. Ginny had been a prefect since her fifth year, which overjoyed her mother, but disappointed Fred and George greatly, as they thought she was there best protege on the not so strait and narrow path.
The girls started pulling things from Ginny's closet and drawers, with Hermione occasionally asking Ginny if she wanted to take this or that. All of Ginny's clothes were packed and it was just the little things left when Hermione pulled out the album that Ginny had been looking at before. "Do you want to pack this?" she asked, as she opened it up. Hermione gasped as she saw the scared looking Ginny cowering in the corner of all the ripped pictures in the album, and asked "What is this, anyway?"
"You are looking at the romantic history of a relationship loser." Ginny said, and grabbed the album off of Hermione and hugged it to her chest. Hermione looked at Ginny with pity in her eyes. Hermione knew how hard Ginny was taking her break-up with Seamus, and this album of ripped photographs showed Hermione how much all of Ginny's break-ups had affected her.
"Ginny, do you want to talk about it? I know you really like Seamus, and took the break-up rather hard, but you seemed to be fine this summer." Hermione said, pulling Ginny to sit next to her on the bed. Ginny looked at Hermione, and seemed to be struggling with herself about whether or not she was ready to talk about what has been troubling her all summer. Ginny, being the practical girl she is, finally decided to herself that she did need to talk to someone about what was bothering her.
Ginny took a deep breath and looked at Hermione and started to talk. "Okay, Hermione, let me ask you, where did I go wrong? I would really love to know what I am doing wrong. Is it my hair, is it my personality, is it just me? Why can't keep a boyfriend for more than a year? What is wrong with me? I don't know what I am doing wrong!!" Ginny ended her tirade, and put her head on Hermione's shoulder.
Hermione was glad that Ginny had finally opened up about how much all of her break-ups have affected her, but in truth, Hermione didn't know what to say to her. Any question that came from a book, Hermione could answer, but when it came to relationships, she was just as clueless as Ginny. Hermione said the only thing that popped into her head, and hoped that it was the right thing. "Ginny, you aren't doing anything wrong. It just wasn't meant to be." Hermione hated using cliches, but she could really think of nothing else to say.
"Well, then, what is meant to be?" Ginny countered, not asking Hermione this, but asking the world in general. "Why did Dean snog Lavender? Was that meant to be? And while we are at it, was Michael being such a stupid git about a Quidditch match meant to be?" And then Ginny asked the question that Hermione knew was the root of what was really troubling her, "Why wasn't I enough for Seamus? " as she flopped down on the bed and stared at the ceiling.
Hermione still didn't know what to say to Ginny. She knew that Ginny was heartbroken by Seamus, but Hermione had never had the boy she cared deeply about break up with her, so she didn't know what to say. Heck, Hermione wasn't one to be giving out love advice. Hermione was still in a pseudo friendship, I love you but can't tell you, kind of thing with Ron. So Hermione did some quick thinking and sorted through her cliches again, and then said to Ginny, "You may think he was the one for you now, but someday, you'll meet your prince charming, and you'll be glad that things didn't work out with Seamus."
Ginny didn't say anything, and she just looked at the ceiling. She just stared for a while, sorting out all the thoughts in her head. It was then that Ginny made her decision. She sat up suddenly on the bed, and looked at Hermione. Hermione saw the stubborn look in her eyes, and knew that Ginny was through acting defeated. Hermione was hopeful that Ginny was prepared to get over Seamus and move on, until Ginny opened her mouth and spoke.
"Hermione, by Merlin's oath, I officially make this vow, to last at least until I complete my career at Hogwart's: I officially give up on boys! I plan to spend the rest of my Hogwart's days, single and free of romantic entanglements. I officially give up on boys!!!." Ginny vowed.
Hermione looked at Ginny and really hoped she wasn't serious. But, something about that Weasley look in her eye - the one that Ron gets right before he turns into the most stubborn git in creation - made Hermione think that Ginny was serious. Hermione felt a pang of pity for any of the nameless and faceless boys who will ask Ginny out this year. She sighed as she thought of poor Madame Pomfrey and the rash of bat bogey hexes she will have to deal with this year.
If Ginny knew that fate was listening to her vow, she might have decided not to follow through with it. Because every witch and wizard knows that fate has a strange sense of humor. And, upon hearing Ginny make her vow, fate decided it was time to make things interesting for the red-headed witch. It was time for Ginny Weasley to meet her fate, whether she wants to or not.