Beginnings [Ginny Weasley, Part 1]

Chapter 17

Since morning, Burrow is in chaos would be the understatement of the year. Mom is getting super hyper. Why? Because today we are off to Romania. I can hardly keep calm because I get to meet Charlie after so many months. Okay, maybe not after so many months but still a sister can yearn for his brother. It's not a big deal.

I stand in front of the mirror checking myself out. I have to be presentable, after all, Ginny Weasley has a reputation to live up to. After being satisfied with my ceaseless frock and perfectly combed hair which in few hours would be a mess, I went downstairs. I made my way to the kitchen smelling the soul-soothing aroma of apple pie, ahh my favourite.

"Mom, can I eat one?" I asked pointing towards the apple pie which looked as if it was calling me to eat it. What? No, really it did look like that.

"No Ginny, I have made those for travel. Wait for some time." She said and went to her room, probably picking her handmade sweaters. Mom has a Christmas tradition where she knits a sweater with the initials of whom it belongs. For example G for Ginny. It's her gift wrapped in love for her family members but this time she has also knitted a sweater for Harry because she says he might not have many presents for Christmas and I had wholeheartedly agreed, not only because he is my biggest crush, of course, that is the main reason, but because nobody is allowed to be sad on Christmas. There should be ample love for everybody during Christmas, that's the Christmas spirit.

There are so many stories related to Christmas sweaters that we had always reminisced every year. I guess this year I will cherish them alone, in train. What else is a person supposed to do in her free time in Romania? I should have read a book on travelling but again, I don't like reading much.

"Ginny, stop idling your time and bring your luggage from your room." I gotta run before Mom goes all mad on me.

"Wait Ginny, I will help you bring the bags." Dad said and I smiled, excited to see the bags all floating to the drawing-room, favourite part of travelling. But again my life story is written with so many tragic ends that every time I yearn for something, it just goes whoosh. To kill my excitement, dad manually picked my bags and I looked at him questionably. Dad chuckled looking at me. "Molly and I have decided not to do magic where we can help it till you go to Hogwarts." He patted my shoulders and I was left shell shocked. No more exciting magic? What did I just hear? Wow, my wait for Hogwarts just got longer. Sulkily, I went downstairs.

"Mom, why you and Dad decided not to do magic?"

"Ginny dear, we didn't stop doing magic but we stopped doing magic unnecessarily, till you go to Hogwarts." She smiled.

"But why?"

"So that we can remind you that not always magic is the answer. You can use two wands given, that's your hands." With this, she busied herself in packing appetizers. Why am I the only sole victim of their experiments? No more magic, I didn't see this activity when Ron was going to Hogwarts. Internally smacking my head, I sat on the sofa.

"Okay, Molly time to leave. I hope everything is packed?" Dad looked at every luggage as if scanning those. I laughed and Dad raised a brow to me. To avoid any question, I picked the nearby Daily Prophet and Mom nodded.

"Let's go."

***********

Since childhood, I have hardly travelled by train or to another country for the record. I love travelling by train. You get to see so many amazing scenic views and time doesn't seem to just fly by, like even if you blink your eyes, you can still cherish the view. I love magic but like Dad says even muggle things have their own joy and travelling by train is one of these joys.

So, whenever I get to sit on a train, the window-side seat is my seat, nobody gets to sit at it.

"Ginny, I don't understand your fetish with window seats." Mom mumbled behind me causing me to chuckle. I shudder and looked for my father. "He's coming. Now, sit properly." I wanted to make a face so badly but then my tantrums are not taken well by Mom. So, if I want to throw a tantrum, I will throw it either in front of Dad or in front of my brother, with Mom I am on my best behaviour.

Every Christmas I am the most loved one. I am given the most gifts because I am the youngest. I get gifts from my parents and also, from each of my brothers, call me highly pampered but this is me. My Mom says that everybody is spoiling me and in Hogwarts, I will get great difficulty settling in. I believe it won't be that difficult, although I do get pampered a lot but I have also seen my share of the hardships. But then, how could I say something when I haven't experienced it.

Last Christmas, George and my sweaters got exchanged and it was the most hilarious Christmas ever. How? We opened our presents as we were supposed to but unintentionally, Mom has wrapped my sweater in George's gift and vice versa. After the mishap, George refused to exchange the sweater and said "Mom has gifted us these sweaters with a lot of love and affection and I will not give my share of affection to you, Ginny." I am quoting his exact words.

For the whole day, he wore sweater of my size which seemed like a cropped sweater compared to his body size. In return, I had to sport his sweater which covered me from top to bottom and it felt as if I was wearing a sack, it was fun though! Might not for Mom, who was fuming but then, there was a burst of laughter in the whole Burrow that day. Mom had smack her head and from that time she has made a mental note to check our size and gift wrapping twice. Every Christmas has been a different story for Weasley and this Christmas won't be the exception. Wherever we are, in whichever condition we are, we will always be connected.

I wish everyone will be celebrating Christmas Eve with the same excitement as we celebrate it at home, with the same love. I will write each one of them a letter tomorrow, once I reach Romania.

But till then, I can use my time and sleep. With the thought, I drift off to sleep.