Ginger Malfoy

Quidditch Trials and Tribulations

After an embarassing and failed attempt at trying out for Chaser, Ginger was ready to take up Flint's idea and try out for Seeker.

"Watch your head, Malfoy," someone yelled.  Ginger ducked just in time to dodge a flying Bludger.

Ginger squinted into the misty fall air to catch a glimpse of the Snitch before one of her fellow Slytherins did.  She finally spotted it by the far Keeper's head.  She sped her broom up as fast as she could until the golden sphere was about two yards ahead of her.  Then she had to stop so that she wouldn't run into the Keeper.  

The Snitch flew above their heads, and she accelerated for it, feeling the breath of her housemates on her back.  She looked down and realized that she could have a pretty nasty fall from this height.  She forced herself not to think about it and instead focused on the tiny winged object in front of her.

She thrust out her hand and felt it grasp nothing at all.  She could have sworn the Snitch was right there.  She saw that it had dove down at just the right moment, ditching both her and the others trying out for Seeker.

Ginger dove, following the Snitch, and then saw something falling in the corner of her eye.  A person.  The Keeper.  The Bludger had hit him straight in the face.  She gasped as he hit the ground.  

She hovered by the Keeper's goal post as she waited to see how badly injured he was.  She barely noticed that someone was trying to throw the Quaffle into the ring at her right.  She barely noticed when she caught the Quaffle and threw it back the other way.  She didn't even notice that she was subconsiously playing Keeper until she heard Flint saying, "Who says first years can't play Quidditch?"

By the end of trials it because blatantly obvious that she was not a Seeker or a Chaser but a Keeper.  And it surprised no one when she got a spot on the team.  Except Ginger herself.

Ginger retreated back to the Slytherin dorms after a tiring day and laid down for some well-needed rest.  It had been a month since the party incident, but she was still ashamed.  She was also mad because she had lost her privilege to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas, which she had really wanted to do.  She wanted to enjoy the castle without books and classes and older kids.  

She was going to go to the Burrow to stay with her grandparents instead.  That only meant two things.  Scoldings and Weasley sweaters.

She was looking forward to getting and giving presents, though.  The lone advantage to staying at the Burrow was that she could buy everyone presents.  There was no way to get presents while at the school until she was old enough to go to Hogsmeade.

Ginger stared at the snowflakes dancing through the air until she drifted off to sleep.

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Christmas break seemed to come all too quickly and Ginger and Rose were soon on the train heading back to London.  When they got there, their grandfather's new red Ford Anglia was waiting for them, full of redheads and one brunette.  Arthur, Molly, George, Ron, and Hermione waved to the girls and they stepped into the small car.  George, Ron and Hermione must have already been staying at the Burrow for a few days if they were here now.  

On the car ride home there was no mention of the party or the Howler.  They talked of Quidditch and Christmas and George's new job at the Ministry.  Ron and Hermione were curled up together in the backseat next to Ginger and Rose, and George and Ginger's grandparents were in the front.  Ginger had no idea why Ron and Hermione had to be so...close...all of the time.  Eww.

They finally arrived at the tall house (it takes longer to drive a Ford than fly one) and everyone helped Ginger and Rose carry up their luggage.  George took Cissa's cage and almost got his finger bitten off when he stuck it in between the bars.

"Uncle George!"  Ginger laughed.  "Don't do that!"

"Well, you could have told me that the thing bites!"  George pretended to look disappointed in her warning abilities.

"Oh Cissa, you don't bite, do you?" Ginger walked up and stroked the bird in her cage.  Cissa hooted contentedly.

George rolled his eyes and handed Ginger the cage.  Ginger went up and saw that everyone had put her stuff in a pile on the floor.  She had some cleaning to do.

After Ginger had tidied up, she went downstairs for supper.  7 places were set, and she took the spot next to George that she knew had once been occupied by her uncle Fred.  She wished she could have met him.  He sounded so amazing when people talked about him.

Ron, Hermione, and Rose sat together on one side of the table.  Arthur, Molly, George, and Ginger sat on the other side.  They ate turkey and treacle tarts until they were full.  They talked about anything and everything, and Ginger displayed her signature Malfoy smirk whenever George made a bad pun.  Rose and Ginger told their families about Lobelia and Alex, who were the only friends they had that the Weasleys didn't already know.  

Arthur announced that Draco and Ginny would be arriving the next day, the 23rd, and that Luna, Harry, Albus, and his older brother James would be at the Burrow the day after, on Christmas Eve.  Ginger was both excited and scared to see her parents.  She hoped that her mother thought that the Howler was sufficient punishment.

When supper was over, Rose and Ginger went to Ginger's room and talked for hours.  When they noticed that it was getting really late, Rose went to her room, wishing her cousin good night.  They both floated off to sleep and dreamed of Christmas presents.

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A/N: A little boring, I would suppose, but I hope you'll like the Christmas chapter!  (:  Vote if you liked it!  Comment!