The Unlikely Marauders - A time travel story

Ginny

The days turned into weeks, and Ginny was adjusting fairly easily. She missed her family, but she had new friends. The hardest part for her was remembering to be careful what she said. Even her weird crush on James was getting easier to manage.
Draco, on the other hand, seemed to be taking this change much harder. Ginny would often catch him walking around with his eyes glazed over, or staring at the Slytherins during lunch.
He looked so lost, it was hard to hate him.

Finally, on a Saturday, Ginny approached him.
He was sitting alone at breakfast, the other boys weren't awake yet.

"Hello, fellow timetraveller." Ginny plopped down on the bench next to him and grabbed a piece of toast.

"Hi, Ginny," Draco looked around for eavesdroppers, then lowered his voice, "You really ought to be more careful."

Ginny rolled her eyes, "How are your new friends?" She buttered her toast.

"They're fine, I suppose," Draco glanced over at the Slytherin table, "Why are you talking to me? I thought you couldn't stand me."

"I can't, but you're the only one I can talk to about real stuff with."

"Peter knows, you can talk to him."

Ginny shrugged, "So, how's Draco Malfoy been handling being a Gryffindor?"

"I hate it, if you must know. I had no idea how competitive, and loud, and crazy Gryffindors are. Do you all ever relax?"

"Nope." Ginny grinned.

Draco groaned.

"So you want to be in Slytherin? Is that your only problem?"

"No..." Draco picked at his eggs, "I don't know how to explain the rest."

"Rant on me, I'll figure it out."

"Okay..." he studied his plate for a moment, "It's just that, well, when I was back in my time, I knew who I was, and where I stood. I was a Slytherin, I was a pureblood, I was a Malfoy. If I acted a certain way, than I could be at the top of the food chain, so to speak. Now...I'm not at the top at all, and I don't know how to get there. Merlin, I don't even know who I am, anymore. Everything that made me who I am is gone, except my father, but that doesn't even count, since he doesn't know."

"Wait. Your father is here?"

Draco nodded toward the Slytherin table. Sitting there was an older student with white blonde hair in a ponytail.

"Oh." This was the first time that Ginny realized that her parents, too, were somewhere in this world. "Whoa."

Draco smirked, as if reading her thoughts, "Who knows, maybe you will get to your own parents' wedding."

Ginny's eyes went wide. "That could be really fun. I kind of want to now."

"We'll see."

"But anyway, Draco, it's okay to create a new you, a better you. If you've lost everything that made you you, than you need to find new things. Things that hopefully you won't lose."

"But how could I do that?"

"No idea. But I'm here for you if you ever want to talk. Also, the other boys in your dorm are pretty cool, and I'm pretty sure they would love to be your friends, if you let them."

"Okay. I never thought I'd say this, but thank you, Weasley."

Ginny blushed, "No problem."

James strolled into the Great Hall, but stopped  stated when he saw Ginny and Draco sitting together. Sirius, who had been following at his heels, bumped into him.

He looked up and saw Draco and Ginny and screamed, "It's my favorite little lovebirds!"

Draco rolled his eyes, "Kindly stuff it, Black."

Sirius mocked offense, "That is rude and uncalled for."

Ginny laughed, "I can hex him, Draco, if you want."

Draco shrugged, "Go for it."

With a wicked grin, Ginny drew her wand.

Sirius's eyes widened, "You're not actually going to--"

"Taran--" Ginny began.

"Ahh!"Sirius took off out of the room, "Crazy girlfriend!"