So why is Ginny in Harry's and Ron's year?

Why are the Weasleys so pureblood-aristocratic? Is that another fanfic cliché?

And why is there a graffitied tunnel surrounding the steam-engine train instead of country scenery? Are you trying to make this a complete opposite of canon? I'm not critisizing, honestly, I'm just genuinely curious.

My only critisism of this chapter is that the line, "I expect that you spent a lot of time with Julie, your girlfriend." sounds forced and is phrased awkwardly besides. Dean saying they broke up sufficiently shows that Julie was his girlfriend, and regardless of that, the words "your girlfriend" shouldn't be tacked on and left to dangle awkwardly at the end of the sentence.

I found Snape to be accurately portrayed insofar as I can judge, his AU position below Harry notwithstanding. His sarcasm and thinly veiled manner of speaking seem fitting of his personality, and his reaction to the Sorting makes sense. Snape's potential reaction to having Harry in Slytherin is ambiguous. On the one hand he's a constant reminder of his father, who he hated, but on the other hand he's also a reminder of Lily, who he liked, and Snape could see Harry being in Slytherin as a triumph over James and the other marauders. This is all ignoring canon, based solely on what you've written. With DH in the picture, I'm inclined to lean toward his reminder of Lily being a bad thing, and thus a dreaded torment for Snape. Again, I don't know how much you're trying to repel from canon, this is just my personal take on it. I hope it helps.

So, in your responses to reviews, you mention that Hogwarts was closed last year. But, if everyone missed last year, wouldn't Ginny have missed too, therefore only be in sixth year while Harry's in seventh?

Ginny, Head Girl? I can certainly understand her grades, what with not being able to date or anything, but Hermione is in the same year, for some reason, so maybe it was a coin flip?

Some minor nits to pick:

"Perhaps this year would be different, she thought." This should be in present tense--"Perhaps this year will be different, she thought."

". . .would free her from its affects." Affect is always a verb, you want "effects" in this case.

". . .make it easier to play court to Ginevra. . ." Shouldn't that be "pay court"?

Great chapter! Hope your health issues don't interfere too much with your life, and that you can continue to write.
Thanks!

I must admit that while I am fascinated by your story, I am to some extent disgusted. I have been forced to grow accustomed to some measure of sexism within fanfiction, however here it is displayed unusually blatantly.

My major problem is the fact that Ginny might be flattered by a perfect (though attractive) stranger calling her his, and explaining his actions to her brother instead of to her. This not only portrays Ginny as an airhead concerned only with finding a rich and attractive husband, but as an object of property, belonging to both her brother and Harry.

While in contract-marriage fics, some amount of this is expected, it would be more politically correct if sexism was confined to the actions of the irresponsible/archaic men who formed the contract, not within the interaction of the couple in question.

If a man was approached by a woman who:

"took the initiative and reached down to hold [his] left hand in [hers]. Raising it up, [she] bent forward whilst still maintaining eye contact with [him]. [She] then slowly spread the fingers apart and licked gently on the web between [his] middle and ring fingers with the tip of [her] tongue"

If she then explained that no impropriety had been committed but that she was merely claiming what was hers, it would be an exchange that would not belong within a Teens rated fic, and which would be highly insulting in any other context.

I protest that it is just as insulting to a woman who is the subject of such an exchange, even if disguised under the name of romance.

I hope I will not be so disgusted again.