- Chapter 3 -

*Ginevra Weasley*
I stepped out of the car and out to the gates of the Palace I once had called home. The driver followed me and carried my bags until I reached the grand doors where my brothers were waiting to greet me.
"Ginny!" said Ron, quickly hugging me.

"Hi Ronald ..." I muttered. "Where's our father?"

"He's erm ... inside," Fred and George said at the same time. I nodded and walked through the doors. The hall was just as it had always been. Grand, large, full of antiques. I suddenly wanted to run about wild in the palace, after all I hadn't been in it to stay for years now.
I ran up the old mahogany stairs and rushed into my room. I gasped. My bedroom was the same as it had been when I was about eleven years old, the carpet was a soft lavendar colour as the walls were, my four poster bed stood in the corner by the window and my wardrobes stood against the opposite wall.
I walked around slowly, touching my dolls' house and toy bears gently as I went. It was like a dream, being back in that room.
I heard a small knock at the door and turned to face my Mum and Dad. I ran to my mother and hugged her tight as she whispered,
"It is good to have you home again, darling, we missed you so."
I let go of her to see my Dad standing next to my Mum, smiling softly. I glared at him. It was his fault I had been sent away to that awful school. I had made best friends there, and a lot of them, Heather, Abigail, Jade, Emily ... and that was just my first day there! He saw the look on my face and stopped smiling immediately. It had been a long day for me, so I said quickly,
"I'm quite tired after the journey down here, I'm going to bed. Goodnight." and at that I shut the door and got ready for bed.
During the night I smiled into the old familiar silky duvet. It felt so good to be back here, at home, at last. I just wished that I had never left to begin with.


+Harry Potter+
"Well?" I asked Ron, concerned, "How is she?"

"She's fine," Ron replied, yawning. "Bloody **** she must be tired after the trip back, I haven't went anywhere and I'm tired ..."

"You're always tired though," laughed Hermione, "You're the Prince of Peaceful Sleepland!"

"Is that a place?" asked Ron stupidly.

"No!" Hermione and I said at the same time.

"Oh ... **** it. I was hoping it was real. If it was I would live there ..."

"We know you would. You can be so stupid sometimes, Ron. I mean thick," I said, shaking my head at Ron. "Anyway about Ginny, is she ok? How was the journey for her? What does she look like, the same?"

"Why would you care about what she looked like?" said Hermione looking at me mischeviously. I felt my face burn red.

"I ... I w-well I er ... you see ..." I stuttered struggling to make up an excuse. I didn't want to tell her about my infatuation with Ginny. Hermione smirked.

"Oh I see, you like her, don't you?" she sneered.

"No!" I said a bit too quickly. Ron turned to me.

"Harry mate, you like my sister? Isn't she a bit uh ... young for you?" he finished.

"Young? She's seventeen," I said staring at Ron. I knew what he meant. He didn't want anyone going out with his sister, he was still protective of her.

"Well, no not ... er ... young but um ... you know what I mean," stammered Ron slowly.

"Yeah. Anyway I don't like her!" I replied.

"What ever Harry," said Hermione, grinning. She knew. She knew that I liked Ginny, and hopefully she wouldn't tell Ron.


~

!Draconis Malfoy!
I woke up at ten o' clock, freezing. I yawned, stood up and glanced out the window. Snow flakes were falling from the cloudy grey sky, and when I breathed I could see steam. It would probably be warmer outside than it was inside, so I grabbed my coat, pushed the stiff door open and stepped outside.
My eyes hurt because it was so bright. There was snow or ice everywhere. I walked up the small path, deciding to go to the town. Where else could I go in weather like this?
When I reached the market in town I looked around, trying to spot something I could maybe steal. No, not steal ... borrow. Without permission.
Whilst I was looking for something to borrow I spotted the girl I had seen the night before at the Palace. She was dressed grandly and was walking with a red-haired boy with lots of freckles which I supposed was her brother, a girl with long, brown, bushy hair and another boy with jet-black hair and green eyes which were hid behind rounded glasses.
It was the boy with the glasses I recognised most. I felt hate for him all of a sudden, even though I didn't know who he was. Then I remembered.
Years ago, when I had worked in the Palace, I had seen this boy. He was called Harry and he was a friend of the Prince's. The Prince ... the red haired boy walking with the girl. Prince Ronald.
He had had a girlfriend ... Hermione. She had had long, brown, bushy hair and brown eyes. She had talked to Princess Ginevra and I once in the Palace ...
Hermione was the girl who was walking with the Prince, Harry and the other girl. Then I remembered who the redhead girl was. Princess Ginevra. She had been decent enough to talk to me, even though she knew she would get into trouble if anyone had seen her.
I felt like walking up to her and starting a conversation ... then I thought what a stupid idea that would be. She probably forgot who he was. Anyway what would the conversation be about? "Hi, I'm Draco and I used to work in the kitchens in the Palace and you spoke to me, remember? And then Hermione came over ..."
What a stupid idea. The King, her father, would probably have me killed if I had said that anyway. I watched them walk on and decided to follow them. I had nothing better to do.
The thought of stealing - no borrowing - had gone out my head completely.