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Chapter Text

A rush of excitement filled Ginny’s chest as she flipped the paper sign in the shop’s front window from Closed to Open. They’d finally done it. Third Eye Tattoo was officially open for business.

Her girlfriend’s delicate hand slipped into her own. “For all of our planning and practice, I wasn’t sure we’d ever get here,” Luna said.

“That’s funny,” Ginny said with a grin, “I seem to remember that you were the one telling me to have a little faith, that you could actually See this dream becoming a reality.”

Luna shrugged and countered, “Not everything I See comes true the way I expect. I’m glad this one did, though.”

In the five years since graduating Hogwarts, Ginny had played professional Quidditch and Luna had gained a reputation as the best portrait painter in wizarding Britain. Their life together had been happy and uneventful until, almost a year ago, Ginny found herself injured and unable to continue playing.

Luna played a huge role during Ginny’s transition from professional athlete to temporarily unemployed. She did what she could to get Ginny’s mind off of her misfortunes, and one of Ginny’s favorite things to do was watch Luna as she drew. It was so different and awe-inspiring to watch Luna pour her soul into a small, battered sketchbook rather than one of the portraits she was coming to hate.

Ginny also loved to let Luna draw on her body. There was something soothing about the feeling of Muggle markers and pens dragging lightly across her skin, and the result was always so pretty that Ginny hated to ever wash it away.

That’s what started the tattoo conversation.

After Voldemort and the whole Dark Mark, the wizarding world was rather wary of tattoos. Ginny didn’t care. She knew exactly what she wanted, social convention be damned. Luna was a bit skeptical about leaving her artwork on Ginny’s skin permanently, but she played along. They ordered a decent tattooing set from a Muggle catalog and had the needles enchanted for strength and permanence. Luna learned to use the apparatus first on pieces of fruit and then on pig’s skin they got from the butcher, just like all the how-to books suggested. Finally, when she was comfortable enough with the equipment, she gave Ginny her first tattoo on their kitchen table.

Ginny loved to look at the space on her left ribs, just below her heart, and see a pale, grinning moon wrapped gently around the freckled sun. The pain had been more intense than anticipated, and some of the lines were slightly unsteady, but she thought it was perfect anyway. In fact, Luna had since done several more tattoos for Ginny and even a select few for herself.

The idea of such a permanent decision, however, rarely appealed to Luna. She could sometimes See the outcomes of her decisions, and many of those involving tattoos led to regret. Instead, she’d asked Ginny to explore the idea of piercings.

They figured any piercing done with a non-enchanted needle could be healed with a simple charm and, since there was no good way to practice, decided to test that theory on themselves. Ginny bought a bunch of piercing needles, and she and Luna spent a few weeks piercing and re-piercing each other’s ears, noses, lips, and belly buttons. They became quite adept at Numbing and Healing Charms, but eventually Ginny became quite confident in her abilities with a needle.

But needles and occasional Numbing Charms do not a career make. Though they could both live fairly comfortably on Luna’s painting commissions, Ginny needed to work. She’d never been the type to sit idly by and simply be taken care of; she wanted to give as much as she took.

The idea for it all came to her as they lay in bed late one night.

“Hey Lu,” she whispered, tucking a piece of hair behind her girlfriend’s ear.

Luna flipped over to face her. “Hmmm?”

“How fun would it be to open a tattoo and piercing shop? Like the ones our catalogs are meant for.”

“That would be a nice break from reality. I’ll admit that painting nothing but stuffy rich people can be a bit creatively stifling.”

“Exactly. You’d be able to work on your own art, and I could do the piercings and the management stuff.”

“Hah. Maybe you could pierce Minister Shacklebolt’s nose, and I could offer to tattoo his approval rating to his arm for free!” Luna cackled loudly at her own silliness.

Ginny’s face fell at her laughter. “I’m being serious here, Lu. I know it’s not something that’s really caught on in the magical world yet and that everyone will probably think it’s terribly scandalous, but that just means we could be the ones to make it happen. You hate doing those portraits now, and I’ve got to find something to do with my life. I really think we should give having our our own shop a go.”

Luna opened her mouth to respond when her eyes glazed over and her entire body stilled. After a moment, she shook herself a bit.

“You Saw that decision, didn’t you?” Ginny whispered excitedly. “What do you think? Should we do this? What if—“

“I need to sleep on it,” Luna said firmly before flopping back over.

The next morning, she woke up full of enthusiasm and faith that this venture would be a great opportunity for them both professionally and emotionally. If Luna was all in, then so was Ginny.

After a three month whirlwind of Muggle post deliveries, mountains of legal paperwork, a thousand tears, and one relentless dream, Third Eye Tattoo had become a reality.

Ginny sat at her stool behind the counter, flipping through the Muggle catalog for body jewelry. She idly circled new things to add to her future wish list and allowed herself to daydream about the day there was a waiting list for her appointments. As they passed, the patrons of Diagon Alley did a double take to check out the new, scandalous shop, but their curiosity didn’t extend past the front door.

The grand opening was a complete bust. Faces constantly peered through their window, but not a single soul was brave enough to enter. The whole day was an utter disappointment, and Ginny was wondering if maybe she should have just let this idea remain a dream. As she flipped the little paper sign back to Closed, a knock rattled the front door.

“Really? Now?” she groused under her breath.

Ginny threw open the door to reveal Neville Longbottom, potted plant in hand.

“Hi, neighbors! How was the first day?” he chirped.

“Hey, Nev,” Luna called as Ginny showed him in. “It could have gone better.”

Ginny snorted. “I think she means it couldn’t have gone much worse.”

“I saw the crowds hanging around your shop, but I never saw anyone come in. I’m sorry,” Neville said. “Wizards in general, and especially the older generation, just seem averse to change. But maybe all the attention that comes from being Britain’s newest and only magical tattoo shop will drum up some business for you. It took a while for Wallflowers to catch on, but I have to say that being the only non-commercial magical nursery means my business is pretty good these days. It’ll happen for Third Eye. Just give it some time.”

“I hope to Merlin you’re right,” Ginny muttered.

Luna elbowed her ribs lightly. “What my dear girlfriend means to say is that we’re hopeful of the same thing. It will all work out—in time.”

“That’s why I brought you this!” he said, gesturing toward the pot of white heather on their counter. “It’s supposed to bring you good luck and help your wishes come true.”

Ginny couldn’t help the small smile that spread across her face, and she saw it mirrored on Luna’s. Maybe, with each other, good friends, and a little luck, they really could make this dream a reality.

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

Ginny heard the incessant knocking the moment her feet hit the fireplace grate. She hustled out of the Floo to unlock the front door and found herself face to face with Draco Malfoy.

"Weasley, your posted hours say that this… establishment should have been open three minutes ago," he sneered, pushing past her into the lobby.

She quickly stepped in front of him, although she hardly felt ready to go toe-to-toe with the man before she'd had her morning tea. "Good morning to you too, Malfoy. How can I help you today?" she asked in a saccharine tone.

"I want a tattoo, obviously."

"Then you've come to the right place, obviously."

"Let's get on with it, then!"

"I don't do tattoos."

"What do you mean you don't do tattoos? Is this not a damn tattoo parlor?"

"It is, but I don't do tattoos, numbskull."

"Then what in Merlin's name are you doing here?" he growled while scrubbing a hand down his face. "And you may own the place, but here's a little tip—it's not very good business to insult your customers."

"I only insulted you because you deserved it," Ginny shot back. "And I don't do the tattoos, Luna does. Trust me, I'm only good with piercing needles. I can show you if you'd like."

Malfoy flinched. "And when, pray tell, does Luna plan on arriving?" he asked, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Ginny put a fist on her hip. "She'll be here whenever she damn well—" The Floo chime echoed through the empty shop. "Lucky for you, she's just arrived. I hope she's more willing to put up with your nonsense than I am, Malfoy."

She cleared her throat and called, "Lu, you've got a customer!"

Luna quickly entered and raised her eyebrows at the scene in front of her.

"Babe, Malfoy here says he'd like a tattoo. Do you have any openings?" Though it would be the perfect opportunity for vengeance, Ginny knew Luna would never take advantage of it. She hoped she would say no, just to spite the ferret-faced jerk.

Luna made a show of glancing at the clock. "I suppose I have a bit of time. Follow me." She turned on her heel, not waiting to see if Malfoy would join her.

The two blonds disappeared behind the beaded curtain, and Ginny opened the shop and started drafting some promotional materials. Half an hour later, the pair emerged from the consultation area. Draco looked rather pleased with himself, and Luna rolled her eyes behind his back before directing him back to the chair.

"This is going to take a few hours," she told Ginny.

"Need any help?"

"No, we'll be fine. Besides, I don't know that I trust you and Draco together in the same room. Too much potential for property damage."

Ginny's face flamed. "There's—we don't—I—I can control myself if he does!"

"Uh-huh, I'm sure you can. All the same, you're better off out front," Luna said before she kissed her cheek and flounced back to the work area.

Ginny tried to focus on the advertisement she was drawing up for the Quibbler and the Prophet, but she couldn't ignore the pained sounds echoing through the shop.

...

"Ow. Ow. Ouch, woman! Cut it out!"

…

"Sssssss—was that really necessary?"

…

"How can you sit in silence this long? I'm going mad here!"

"Easy. I need to concentrate."

"But do you really need complete silence? Surely we could chat a bit or I could—"

"Unless you want a fat lizard instead of a dragon, hush."

…

Finally, Malfoy sauntered back into the lobby, his chest puffed out to show off his new, freshly bandaged tattoo.

Ginny's eyes grew wide. "Is that...?"

"Why yes, it is a Hungarian Horntail. Draco is Latin for dragon, you know," he drawled.

"So you decided to get a tattoo that looks exactly like Harry's?"

"It's not exactly like his!" Draco thrust his nose in the air and sniffed haughtily. "Mine is bigger."

Ginny tried her best to stifle a laugh.

"Apparently everyone at the Ministry was oohing and ahhing over the one I did for Harry a few days ago, and Draco here decided that he wanted to one up him," Luna explained, fighting to keep a straight face.

"Did not!" Malfoy protested. "I just—"

"I don't seem to remember Harry crying about his," Ginny said through her barely-suppressed laughter.

Luna choked out, "Oh, Draco didn't cry. He just threatened to murder me under his breath every few minutes."

As the two women fought to compose themselves, Malfoy angrily dumped a pile of Galleons on the counter. "There, paid in full! I swear I'm never coming back to this place. I'm going to tell everyone what a terrible experience I had, and that the management is horrendous, and my father will…"

Malfoy kept up his rant all the way out of the shop, and, when the door slammed shut, Luna and Ginny finally allowed themselves to collapse in hysterical laughter.

"How much did you charge him?" Ginny finally asked, wiping the tears from beneath her eyes.

Luna chuckled through her hiccups. "Sixty Galleons."

"That's my girl," Ginny said. "Do you reckon he had the good grace to leave you a tip?"

"The odds aren't good."

"And what are the odds he comes back for a follow-up appointment?"

Luna snorted and started laughing again. "Even worse."

As they were getting ready to close up shop that night, Harry burst through the door of the shop panting.

Luna shot him an exasperated look and then cocked an eyebrow at him. "Let me guess, you want me to touch yours up and make it bigger than Draco's?"

Harry nodded, looking at least a little abashed.

Luna sighed and motioned him back toward the chair. "Come on, I've already got it drawn up."

Chapter Text

Thanks to Ginny's knack for advertising and the rekindled feud between Harry and Malfoy, business had steadily increased. More customers, however, meant more money moving in and out, so it took far more effort to keep their finances in order. That's why, when the silver bell over the door announced a new arrival, Ginny was too focused on the bookkeeping to look up.

"Nice digs, little sis!"

Ginny looked up to see Charlie looking around the shop in appreciation.

"Charlie! What are you doing here?" she cried, nearly bowling him over with a hug.

"Nice to see you too, Gin," Charlie laughed. "I had some time off from the reserve, and I figured I should try to make it up to Mum for missing last Christmas."

Ginny winced. "Good luck with that."

"Kind of figured as much. Though it might be easier now that my little sister has turned into the rebel of the family."

"Yeah, I guess you've heard that Mum's not exactly thrilled about the shop…"

Charlie slung an arm around her shoulders and squeezed gently. "She'll come around. But in the meantime, what do you say we give her something else to bitch about?"

Ginny perked up and then grinned slyly. "Whadya have in mind? A nice ear piercing so that you can match Bill? Mum says that you used to love when she dressed you two alike, but honestly I think you're getting a bit old for that."

"No, you little turd." Charlie rolled his eyes. "I was thinking—wait, you're not the one doing the ink, are you? I've seen your drawing skills and—

"Hey!" she cried, slugging him in the arm.

"Just checking!" he said with a grin. "Anyway, I've always thought that, since I work with dragons and all, it might be kind of cool to have some wings of my own."

Ginny nodded. "Sweet! That'll be right up Luna's alley."

The blonde stepped out of the consultation area. "Hello, Charlie! What'll be right up my alley, babe?" Luna asked.

"Charlie wants his own set of wings!"

"Oh, that sounds lovely. Come on, Charlie, let's go have a little chat."

As they disappeared back behind the beaded curtain, Neville walked in the front door armed with another potted plant. "Hey, Gin! You guys have looked a bit busier this last week."

"Yeah, it's been great. We've really been able to capitalize on the publicity from the old Harry/Malfoy rivalry starting up again." Ginny motioned to the pot in his hands. "What do you have there?"

He grinned and hoisted it a bit higher on his hip. "This, my friend, is an oak-leaved geranium. I've got a couple at my place that are getting pretty big, and I thought you two might like one for your front window. I figure some plants might make this place seem a bit less intimidating, you know?"

Ginny's fingers brushed one of the pink and purple flowers. The blooms didn't seem to have much scent, but the leaves smelled delightfully green and spicy. "Thanks, Nev, that's really sweet of you. I never really considered that. What did we ever do to deserve a friend like you?"

"Helped me organize a resistance against the Death Eaters and let me hang around your shop?" he snarked. "I do have an ulterior motive, though, because I always feel more at home anytime an office or shop has plants around," he said.

"That's because you're more at home with plants than people," she teased lightly. "But I wouldn't have you any other way. I just hope we don't let you down with these little guys—you should know I pretty much have a black thumb. It's a miracle the last one is still alive." She glanced over at the drooping, slightly brown heather. "Er, mostly alive."

The look of horror on Neville's face was almost comical. "I didn't even think of that. I'll just—I'll come over on my way home now and again to check on them. Maybe just don't touch them?"

Ginny laughed and nodded. "Can do. I really appreciate it, and so do they."

The beaded curtain rattled, and out stepped Luna and Charlie.

"Neville Longbottom! Good to see you, mate," Charlie said, pulling him into a back-slapping hug.

"You too, Charlie, you too. Back in England to see the family?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm supposed to make nice with Mum, but I figured that I'd stop here and do something to make her a little madder first. What's new with you, man?"

"Not a lot. I've got the shop next door, so I'm just visiting and dropping off a plant. What about you?"

"Yeah, best to keep Gin away from those. Oof!" Charlie grunted when Ginny's shoe hit his shin. "Nothing spectacular to speak of, I suppose. I did just break it off with a girl back in Romania, so if you know of anyone who'd like a date any time over the next two weeks—but only the next two weeks, mind you—tell them to send me an owl."

Neville pulled uncomfortably at his collar. "Uh, sure thing."

"Say, Nev, are you seeing anyone right now?" Charlie asked with a twinkle in his eye. "I happen to know of a coworker's cousin who is sadly too young for me but might be perfect for you. She's a pretty little thing—"

"That—That—That's all right," Neville broke in. "I-I'm not really looking to date."

"Ah, you say that now, but wait until you see her," Charlie promised, waggling his eyebrows.

"Really, that's all right."

"Come on, mate, trust me!"

Neville was flushed from his hairline to below his collar. "Charlie, I appreciate the thought, but really, I'm—I'm fine. If you'll excuse me…"

The other three watched him all but bolt from the shop.

Charlie's brow furrowed. "Was it something I said?"

Luna rolled her eyes and started tugging him back toward her work area.

"Of course it was!" Ginny cried, following them back. "You all but tried to force this poor girl on him."

"I was only trying to help!"

Luna motioned for him to take off his shirt and then shoved him into the appropriate position.

Ginny took a deep breath and looked at her very confused brother. "Charlie, you have to realize that few people are as interested in dating as you. Very few, in fact."

"I represent that remark."

"What I mean is that you suck at reading social cues."

"Do not!"

"You just kept talking when Neville got flustered and stuttered and turned the color of a tomato, but yeah, that was definitely the perfect thing to do."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

For a long moment, the only sound in the room was the buzzing of Luna's tattoo needle. When she suddenly turned it off, the silence was deafening.

"To my knowledge, Neville has never really dated, even casually," Luna murmured. "I thought he might after the war ended and we all graduated, but he's never mentioned it and neither has anyone else."

Charlie coughed uncomfortably, his ears tinged with pink. "Should I have tried to, uh, set him up with a male kind of friend instead?"

"I really think he meant it when he said he just wasn't interested in dating. I'm not sure he ever will be. Or, if he does pursue a relationship, I'm sure it will be on his own kind of terms. And that's okay, too," Ginny replied.

Charlie considered this for a moment and then nodded slowly. "I don't personally understand, but I can respect that. It takes all kinds of kinds."

"You're a good egg, Charlie Weasley," Ginny said with a smile. "Even if you are an idiot."

Ginny left Luna to do her thing while she went back to the bookkeeping, but Neville stayed at the forefront of her thoughts. It was incredibly distracting. Even though it was closing time, she'd barely finished when Luna walked in, grinning like a fool. Charlie followed in much the same fashion.

"I really think it's my best one yet!" she chirped.

Charlie nodded. "It's bloody amazing is what it is."

He turned around, and Ginny could see that Luna had crafted the most realistic dragon wings she'd ever seen not attached to a dragon. The red tips started at Charlie's elbow and stretched across his hulking triceps, deepening to a shadowy crimson over his shoulders, finally sprouting naturally from just behind his shoulder blades in a shade so dark it was nearly black. Ginny was tempted to reach out and see if the skin felt as leathery as it looked.

"Incredible, Lu. You amaze me every time." She planted a kiss into her blonde hair.

"Damn right it's incredible! Worth every Galleon. The boys back on the reserve are going to be a bunch of jealous gits!" Charlie crowed. "But as much as I would love to stay and celebrate Luna's genius with a needle, I've got to get over to the Burrow and surprise Mum."

"Try not to rile her up too much," Ginny said, hugging her brother goodbye.

"No promises!" Charlie called over his shoulder as he headed out the door.

They quickly cleaned the shop and got ready to Floo home when Ginny remembered the new plant.

"It's got to go in the front window, probably for sunlight," she told Luna, levitating it onto the small window display area. She was twisting it so that the maximum number of flowers would show from the street when she noticed that light was still coming from Neville's shop window.

"Lu, Neville's still here. Do you want to go over there with me and see if he needs anything?"

"Yes, I think—" Luna's eyes glazed over for a moment, and then she shook her head to clear it. "Let's go head on over."

"You're not going to tell me what you Saw, are you?"

Luna smirked. "Nope."

Ginny sighed and motioned Luna out the front door, locking it behind them. She tried Neville's door and found it unlocked.

"Hello? Nev?" she called, poking her head inside.

"Back here, be with you in a moment!" he yelled.

Ginny and Luna slowly made their way to the counter, trying to remind themselves that, despite being enveloped by hundreds of plants, they were not, in fact, deep in a jungle.

Neville came in from his back room, dusting his hands on the front of his shirt. "Gin! Lu! What are you doing here? And how did you get in?"

Luna raised an eyebrow at him. "I think you forgot to lock up. And I might ask you the same question, sir. Aren't you usually home by now?"

"Yeah, but I've got a ton of orders backed up right now. I was just finishing up for the night," he said. "Come on back and I'll give a quick tour of the place."

They quickly realized that the small front area was misleading. Neville's shop was much larger than their own, and it was all growing and work space. Ginny's head kept swiveling about as he pointed out the different areas—the greenhouse corner, order prep and mailing, seedlings, poisonous plants, and so many more that she simply couldn't keep up with.

"This is amazing, Nev. How do you keep up with it all by yourself?" she asked.

"Well, as you can see, it's not the tidiest or most organized place," he said sheepishly.

Ginny looked around and started to notice small things that were out of place. Seed packets were strewn across a workbench instead of being filed in their correct boxes. Leaves, dirt, and other detritus were starting to pile up in corners and under tables. They were all little things, but they likely impeded Neville's ability to work efficiently and comfortably.

"Let's just say I have to do a lot of Summoning so that I can find things," he explained. "I really should hire someone else to work the front end, but I just don't know of anyone who has the right experience and knowledge. I and my customers can't trust the Herbology knowledge of just anyone. So I'll just keep pulling a lot of overtime until I get everything straightened out. I never thought I'd hope that business would slow down, but that's where I'm at."

"What if we helped you?" Ginny blurted out. She hadn't really thought about it, but now that it was out of her mouth, it just felt right. Of course they would help him.

Neville's brow furrowed. "What?"

Luna nodded, smiling at her girlfriend. "Gin's right. What if we helped you out here on Sundays when both of our shops are closed?"

"I can't ask you to do that," he replied. "Besides, you said it yourself that you have a black thumb."

"Ginny might, but I don't," Luna said.

"What is it, National Pick on Ginny Day?" the redhead muttered under her breath.

Luna ignored her. "I'm actually pretty good with sentient and semi-sentient plants. I don't know a lot about mundane plants, but I'm also pretty good with magical plants, especially potion ingredients."

"And I would promise to stay away from anything that's alive," Ginny added. "I'll just help you keep this place a little more clean and organized. I've got all those household charms down pat."

To demonstrate, she pointed her wand at a sink full of trowels, pots, and clippers. With a silent charm, the soap and scrub brush came to life and started to clean them all very quickly.

"I'm also pretty good at the books and advertising, and I can help mail out orders if you need me to," she said, finishing the washing with a flick of her wrist.

"I seriously can't let you guys do that for me!" Neville cried. "It's not like I can do any of the shopkeeping work better than you, and I certainly can't tattoo or pierce someone for you. I have no way of paying you back."

Luna put a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Friends help friends regardless of their ability to return the favor. And who knows? There may come a day when you're in a position to help us, perhaps in a different way. But even if that doesn't happen, we still want to help you, Nev. That's what friends are for."

He opened his mouth as if to argue but instead heaved a deep sigh and relaxed. "Thanks, you guys. I promise I'll make it up to you someday."

Luna's eyes shone with what Ginny thought was mischief. "I'm sure you will."

Chapter Text

Ginny watched yet another client follow Luna behind the beaded curtain, and her heart swelled. Things were really looking up for Third Eye Tattoo, even if Ginny hadn't had any customers of her own yet.

The small silver bell over the door tinkled, and a man walked in out of the rain. Though his face was obscured by the hood of his cloak, Ginny assumed he'd come in for a tattoo consultation.

"Luna's with another customer at the moment, so you'll have to wait a bit if you want to talk tattoos with her," she called out, going back to the advertisement she was drawing up.

"And what do I need to do if I want to have a talk with you?"

Ginny looked up into a pair of dark, expectant eyes. "I only do piercings, Zabini. Looking to add another hole to your head?"

"Maybe I do." He grinned and turned to study the jewelry in the glass cabinet beneath his hands. "What kinds of enchantments am I looking at here?"

She carefully explained all the different charms the studs and hoops were imbued with, and Blaise seemed to pay close attention to what she was saying. Still, she couldn't quite shake the feeling that he'd come to the shop looking for more than a new piercing.

When he'd selected a small silver stud, Ginny asked, "And where exactly would you like this? Your ear, or perhaps your eyebrow?"

"I want a Medusa piercing."

Ginny cocked her head. "You're joking, right? Surely you want something… I don't know, different?"

"Of course not, Weasley." He arched an eyebrow at her, and she swore he could see straight through to her soul. "I always know exactly what I want, and I always get it in the end."

That settled it, the man definitely had another agenda in coming here. She shook her head and gestured for him to follow her back to her work area.

Blaise settled onto the padded bench, and Ginny began gathering the necessary items on a small metal tray. She could feel his gaze follow her around the small room, and she wished she'd remembered to turn on the wireless or that Luna would start working on her client already. Anything to make the quiet less awkward.

"Why?" Blaise asked, shattering the silence.

Ginny couldn't help but flinch. It was the one thing she didn't want to talk about, so of course that's what he'd come here for. She stayed quiet, hoping he'd just give up.

He tried again. "Why are doing this instead of playing Quidditch?" He asked, gesturing around the shop. "Not that it's not a nice place, but I doubt it's what you always imagined doing with your life."

She turned back to him and picked up her marker.

"So, here's how this works. I'm going to put a dot to mark the site of the piercing. If it's not where you want it, let me know and I'll adjust it. If the worst happens and you realize it's not what you wanted until after I've pierced you, don't worry, I'll just heal it and go again—that's what Numbing Charms are—"

Blaise reached up and caught the marker-laden hand reaching toward his face. "Not so fast, Weasley. Before you start stabbing my face, I want to know why you're doing this."

"Because you're paying me to?"

"You know what I mean."

"So? I fail to see how that's any of your business."

"Despite, or perhaps because of, my cunning nature and manipulative tendencies, I'm a very curious man," Blaise explained, releasing her hand. "I work in the Department of Mysteries, and it's the kind of career that's less of a job and more of a lifestyle. My world has come to revolve around information and stories and secrets. I need to know the why's behind the what's. Let's just say your recent life choices have intrigued me, and I can't walk away without knowing the reasons behind them."

She stiffened. "I don't see how my personal life is any of your business."

"There's a reason for everything I do, every question I ask. Sometimes it's not readily apparent, but my information always come in handy for my work eventually. So, look at it this way—you've got an opportunity to help an Unspeakable on a project. It's really an honor, if you think about it."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "You're not going to let this go, are you?"

"Nope," he said with a pop. "But I gather that this is a part of your life you don't particularly want to share, so I'll sweeten the pot. Tell me about your reason why and I'll explain one of mine."

She plopped down on her stool and thought for a moment. "Fine. Tell me why you picked the Medusa."

"I didn't say you'd get to pick which one," he argued.

Ginny set her jaw and looked him straight in the eye. "Then you'll leave empty handed. You walked in here and knew exactly what you wanted. It's not a piercing known for being all that popular or intimidating, which is what I'd expect from you. I want to know why."

"Stubborn witch, aren't you?" Blaise muttered under his breath. "All right, I'll give you the short version. It reminds me of someone I loved and had to walk away from."

"And is that the kind of detail you want from me?"

"Ugh, fine. I'm not sure if you remember, but I left Britain after Sixth Year. I knew we were headed for war, and I didn't want any part of it, so I spent the year at the villa in Greece. It's a beautiful place, lots of light, great food, and gorgeous locals. I met Iliana at a wizarding pub my first night there. She was stunning and vivacious and uncommonly kind, but she also had a rebellious streak I had to admire—hence the Medusa piercing that her family hated. I did the most idiotic thing I've ever done by falling in love with her. I knew it was stupid and did it anyway. When you lot finished off the Big Bad, I tried to convince her to come back to Britain with me, but she didn't want to leave her home and her family. I couldn't really fault her for that, but I had to come back here. I'd wanted to be an Unspeakable my entire life, and I knew that I could get my foot in the door if I came home just as the Ministry started to rebuild. So, I left Iliana and Greece behind me."

"Wow. That… Blaise, that's so sad."

He waved her pity away. "It's been years, and I've got a life I enjoy. I just want a little reminder of her and the sacrifices I've made to become who I am. Now let's get on to the more important topic—you."

"I could just stab you and refuse to answer."

"But you won't. All that Gryffindor integrity and other rubbish."

"I suppose you're right," she sighed. "Let me just find the right place to start."

As she thought for a moment, she marked a spot halfway between Blaise's septum and the top of his lip.

"Let me help," he said. "Why did you quit playing Quidditch just before the start of last season? There were no press releases, no comments in the coinciding preseason reports, no hints of anything. So how did the Ministry and the wizarding world let you, the Quidditch superstar and vaunted war hero, fade quietly into the background?"

Ginny sucked in a deep breath and turned away from Blaise's intense stare. She busied herself with unwrapping all the sterile implements and slowly began to tell a story she'd rather forget.

"I'm not sure how much you know about Quidditch pitches, but there are certain safeguards built in—Cushioning Charms, automated Slowing Charms, the like. About a month before last season started, I fell off my broom at practice. Normally that wouldn't be a problem, thanks to those safety features. But for some reason, the Cushioning Charm failed that day. I suppose I'm lucky it was just the Cushioning Charm, because the Slowing Charm did its job and probably saved my life, but I still hit the ground hard. I spent the next few weeks at St. Mungo's. I had quite a bit more damage than expected, and when it was all over, the healers essentially told me that another fall or even another good hit to the head would likely kill me. I've since found that I can't really stand for long periods of time without getting dizzy, and sometimes I get phantom pains that feel like I'm recovering from the Cruciatus Curse. But I could really deal with all that if…

I tried to go back to practice right before our first match, but I… Damn it, I was afraid to get back in the air. Here I am, this brave, fearless war hero, and suddenly I'm too scared to fly, something I've been doing since I was big enough to hold onto a broomstick. The Harpies wanted the whole thing kept quiet to avoid the bad press. The Ministry agreed to help me keep it out of the papers so that the world wouldn't see what a coward I've become. I still needed a job, so Luna and I opened the shop."

Blaise snorted. "I don't think it's cowardice to choose between your job and staying alive. Personally, I think it was the only truly intelligent decision I've known one of you lot to make. You Gryffindors have a strange personal code, you know that?"

"I didn't just give up a job. I gave up something that was a part of me, something that made me who I was."

She lined the needle up with the purple dot and quickly poked the needle through Blaise's upper lip, "accidentally" forgetting the Numbing Charm. He hissed in pain and shot her a dirty look. She muttered a half-hearted apology, threaded the small stud through, and handed him a mirror to check out his new piercing.

"It looks perfect," he said. He passed her back the mirror and gently caught her wrist. "And even if you did literally stab me with a needle, I meant what I said. You don't have to stare down every single fear you have to be brave. And I know it sucks to give up something that was so much a part of you. But maybe, in sacrificing one piece of yourself, you might uncover another that makes you even happier."

She felt the urge to slap him for being so self-assured about her life and her choices. What did he know of her sacrifices? But then she thought of his Iliana. She thought of Luna and how happy she finally was. She thought of her closer relationships with her family and friends, and she mentally conceded that Blaise might actually know what he was talking about.

Not that she'd ever admit it. "Sweet Merlin, you're starting to sound like Luna—at least she has some Seer abilities as opposed to your tripe. But I suppose I appreciate the thought."

They walked back to the till to settle the bill, and Blaise tipped her quite handsomely.

As he tucked the receipt in his pocket, Ginny couldn't help but ask, "So did you get what you came here for? Have my answers sated your curiosity?"

He chuckled and nodded. "I suppose now that I'm including your information in the project, I can let you in on the details. We know there's a connection between the Cruciatus and brain damage, but there are surprisingly few cases where victims had any kind of brain scan done after the fact. We would use Potter's from after the whole TriWard Tournament debacle, but unsurprisingly he got a concussion during that fight, so they're not a lot of use for us. What we can get is your scans from Hogwarts before and after you were tortured by the Carrows during your Sixth Year—and before you ask, yes, the DoM was read into pretty much everything that happened that year, good, bad, and ugly. We can compare those to your scans after the fall. If my suspicions are correct, they'll show signs of damage in similar parts of your brain, which means I'm on the correct path to finding a treatment for the Cruciatus Curse."

Ginny somehow managed to pick her jaw up off the ground. "So, let me get this straight—you're going to use my brain scans? To try to find a treatment for the Cruciatus Curse?"

"Pretty much," Blaise replied, tugging on his cloak. "There are a few others too, but we thought yours would be the most comprehensive. No one thought you'd be willing to come to the Ministry and give us the necessary background information. That's why I had to come down here and confirm what happened, so we would know whether to pursue this line of investigation or try another route."

"You manipulative bastard! Did you even want that piercing? Was that stupid story even true?" Ginny cried.

Blaise flipped his hood up and shot her an odd look, somewhere between a smirk and a grimace. "Like I said, Weasley, we all make sacrifices."

He stepped back out into the rain, passing Neville in the doorway.

"Was that Blaise Zabini?" he asked, staring after the retreating figure. "What was he in here for?"

"He wanted a piercing. Said it reminded him of someone he once knew," Ginny whispered, her own eyes glued to Blaise's cloak.

Neville frowned. "Seems a bit out of character from what little I know, but I guess I don't really know the guy."

"Neither do I," she said. Ginny shook herself from her reverie and finally turned to face Neville. "What brings you here today, Nev?"

"Just here to check on things," he said, examining the leaf between his fingers before rotating the geranium pot. "Do you two need anything?"

"I think we're good. We've got dinner at the Burrow tonight, so we're going to be headed out soon."

Neville licked his lips. "Merlin, I don't remember the last time I had a real, home cooked meal. Enjoy it for me."

"Why don't you just come with us?" Ginny asked.

"I can't come to dinner with your family. I'm covered in dirt!" he exclaimed. "I'll never get all this off with just a Cleaning Charm, so I'd have to go home and change, which would make me late. I appreciate the offer, but I don't want to track in a ton of dirt or cause a delay. You know how Ron gets when he has to wait on food."

Ginny snorted. "Yeah, I do. Really, you'll be fine as you are. Like my family is going to care. My brothers and I brought in much worse than a bit of potting soil, I promise."

"Gin, I would hate to make a mess—"

With a roll of her eyes, Ginny threw her arms around Neville's dirt smattered torso. He felt stiff and probably slightly uncomfortable in her arms, but she needed to get a point across.

"My family pretty much considers you family, too," she said. "Luna and I certainly do. And trust me when I say none of us will mind a bit of dirt. See?"

Neville relaxed a bit and gently returned the hug. "Okay then, if you're sure. What time should I be over at the Burrow?"

Luna's voice drifted over from the corner, where she stood smirking at the pair. "About half an hour."

Neville quickly extricated himself from Ginny's arms but smiled down at her. "Then I'll see you two there."

He ran back out the door toward his own shop, and Ginny sagged down onto her usual stool.

"Long day?" Luna asked.

Ginny blew a piece of hair out of her face and muttered, "You have no idea."

"Well, did everything turn out alright in the end?"

She slipped her hand into Luna's and smiled. "I think it has."

Chapter Text

 “How many of these boxes did they deliver?” Neville grunted, dropping the last one onto the appropriate stack.

“I have no idea, but I hope it’s everything I ordered. Our inventory is running low, and we still need to send the needles to our enchanter and pick up the last batch from her. I never dreamed that six months into this little adventure we’d already be so successful.” Ginny wiped the sweat from her brow. “Thank you again for spending your afternoon helping with this. Luna’s got clients all day, and I never would have gotten all of this done by myself, especially since using too much magic on them can alter the properties of the inks.”

Neville reached over and smoothed the top of her hair with a smile. “Not a problem, Gin. You know most of my business is mail order this time of year, so when I finish all that in the morning. I’ve got nothing else to do when I close Wallflowers at three.”

“Son, sometimes I think you do more around this shop than the girls,” a voice said.

They turned and saw Arthur Weasley standing in the doorway to the stockroom.

“Daddy!” Ginny cried, running over to fling her arms around him. “What are you doing here?”

“Can’t a man come visit some of his favorite kids?” he replied with a twinkle in his eye.

“It’s good to see you again, Arthur,” Neville said, reaching out to shake his hand.

Arthur grabbed it and pulled him into a hug. “Good to see you too, son. We missed you at the last family dinner.”

“Daddy, you know you can visit whenever you like, but I’m a little surprised that you apparently left the Ministry early to do it,” Ginny pushed. 

“Can you keep a secret from your mother?”

The two young people nodded and exchanged a wary glance.

“I want a tattoo,” Arthur said proudly.

“That’s wonderful!” Luna cried. “Sorry, I thought I heard a commotion back here and decided to come check it out. Lovely to see you, Arthur.”

“You too, Luna Dear.” He looked at his fellow daughter. “What do you think, Ginny?”

She just gaped at her father. “You’re kidding, right?”

“Of course not!” he scoffed. “All the hip kids are doing it these days.”

Neville managed to cover his snort with a cough, but Luna didn’t bother to hide her tinkling laughter.

Ignoring them, Ginny raised an eyebrow at her father. “Have you told Mum about this? How do you think she’s going to feel about it?”

“I mean, it’s for the family. I’m sure she’ll love it,” he said, tugging at his collar. “Though I don’t know exactly what I want just yet. I thought I’d get your opinions since you’ll be a part of it.”

Luna, having finished her fit of giggles, placed a gentle hand on his arm. “What did you have in mind, Arthur?”

“Molly and I have always been incredibly proud of our large family, and we love all the ways it keeps growing. I want to get something to show it off and keep you all close to me at the same time,” he told her. “But I want to do it in a way that’s special to us and can grow as our family does. Is that something you’d be interested in helping me do, Luna?”

The blonde grinned and kissed him on the cheek. “I’d be honored to be a part of this. Let’s go get started on the planning.”

Ginny moved to follow them, but she didn’t feel Neville coming with her. She turned to him and waved him on.

“This is kind of a family thing, Gin. I don’t want to intrude.” Neville’s eyes dropped to the floor, suddenly taking great interest in his soil-caked shoes. 

She walked over and put her arm through his. “You’ve been supporting Luna and me ever since we opened the shop. You all but live here after you close for the day, so much so that we should probably be paying you, and we spend all of Sunday together in your shop. Mum gets upset if you miss family dinners—which reminds me, you’re kind of in the doghouse for missing the last one—and my father calls you ‘Son.’ My brothers pick on you like you’re one of them. You’ve got a Christmas stocking at the Burrow and, most importantly, got your very own Weasley sweater. What’s it going to take for you to realize that you are family, Nev?”

His eyes looked a bit glassy by the time she’d finished her speech, but there was a small smile on his face. “Well, when you put it that way,” he laughed thickly, leading her back to where Luna and Arthur sat in deep discussion. 

“I agree that an actual family tree is the most obvious solution,” Luna was saying, “but I’m afraid it’s quite… self-limiting. The family is, as you said, absolutely enormous and still growing. We could put it on your back and try to make each branch rather small, but I’m still concerned that we’d run out of room rather quickly.”

“I also wouldn’t be able to show it off to anyone else if we put it on my back,” Arthur mused. “So an actual tree is out of contention.”

“What if you put everyone’s faces in little orbs that floated around? You could quarantine them to his arms, and he would have pictures of all of us,” Ginny suggested.

Luna made a face. “I’m good with faces, but I won’t be able to change them as the kids age. In 20 years, Victoire will be grown and possibly have children of her own, but Arthur’s tattoo would still show her as a five-year-old. But I really like the idea of having something float around his arm. That will give me plenty to work with, and we won’t run out of room too quickly.”

“Then what about just having everyone’s names bounce around?” she replied. 

“That could work…” Luna murmured. “But if that’s all they are, then people are going to want to read them, and that much text moving around is going to be really difficult to read.”

“And I’d really like something a little more unique,” Arthur said quietly.

The four sat in silence for a few moments, racking their brains for a new idea.

“I’ve got it! How about little weasel paw prints with everyone’s names and birthdays around them?” Luna chirped. 

Arthur shook his head. “I’m not just sticking to the legal Weasleys with this. I don’t want Harry or Hermione or Neville here to feel strange about their names being stuck in a weasel paw.”

Neville looked at him in awe. “I wouldn’t mind at all, Arthur. I’d be honored to have my name on a Weasley weasel paw.”

“Well, I’d really rather not,” Ginny muttered. “Besides, that’s just dad’s Patronus. And it’s not like we can use everyone else’s Patronus forms—even though most all of us can cast a corporeal one, we don’t know what the kids’ will be.”

Neville nodded thoughtfully until his face adopted a curious expression. “This is going to seem really off topic but bear with me. Arthur, I meant to ask you this at Christmas dinner, but what’s the story behind all the rubber duck ornaments on the tree in your, uh, ‘workshop’?”

Arthur tossed his head back and laughed. “It’s kind of an ongoing joke. One of the things I asked Harry when I met him for the first time was something along the lines of, ‘What exactly is the function of a rubber duck?’ The topic came up at a family dinner right after the war ended, and suddenly I started getting different rubber duck ornaments from all my Muggle-born and half-blood family members.”

“That’s amazing,” Neville chuckled. “What if you turned that into a tattoo? You could have a little rubber duck with everyone’s name on it floating around your arms. That would showcase your love of Muggle culture as well as the size and personality of your family, and Luna could just add new ducks when someone else joins the family. Plus you wouldn’t have to have everything done at once.” The former war hero winced at the thought of having that much tattooed on his body, let alone all at once.

“And I could add little details for each individual family member!” Luna cried. “Like an earring for Bill and knitting needles for Molly and green eyes and that frightening hair for Harry. Oooooh, this would be so much fun!”

“A legion of rubber ducks—I think it sounds like a great plan!” Arthur agreed.

Together, the four spent an hour working on the logistics of the enormous undertaking—the size, design, and particulars for each little duck, which ducks to do first, and who exactly to include. 

When they were finished, Luna wiped her brow and glanced at the clock. “Arthur, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I don’t think we’ve got time to start this today.”

He waved her off. “I wasn’t really looking to start it just yet anyway. I was really thinking of putting it off until Molly leaves to visit the Delacours next month.”

“Then let’s head up front and book you for then. I just hope Mum doesn’t kill you when she gets back from France,” Ginny said with a smirk.

“That makes two of us,” he muttered.

When he’d verified an appointment time, Arthur turned to his tattoo artist. “How much do I owe you for your time today, Luna?”

“Not a Knut,” she replied.

“I can’t agree to that,” Arthur said. “You’re a professional, and I’m availed myself of your expertise, even if we didn’t start on the actual tattoo today.”

Luna shook her head vehemently. “No sir, I can’t take any money from you. You’ve opened your family to so many of us, and now you’re letting me permanently memorialize it on your body. It’s one of the most beautiful endeavors I’ve ever been asked to partake in, and I won’t take any money for it. Your gold’s no good here, Arthur.” She threw her arms around him, and he immediately returned the gesture.

“My sweet daughter,” he said, dropping a kiss on her forehead. 

When they broke apart, he did the same to Ginny and then turned to a hesitant Neville. “Son, it takes a lot more than blood or marriage to make someone family. You’ll always be family to us.” 

And with that, he pulled Neville into a strong, back slapping hug the young man gladly returned. 

Willing the moisture from his eyes, he whispered, “Same here, Arthur, same here.”

Chapter Text

Luna waved goodbye to her customer as they walked out of the shop, the bell tinkling behind them, and turned to Ginny. "Merlin, I hope she doesn't come back again—she was so damn picky."

"Sorry you had a difficult client," Ginny murmured. She walked around the counter and gave her girlfriend a quick hug. "At least the next ones won't be like that."

Luna's brow furrowed. "Who do I have again?"

"Dean and Seamus."

"Oh, good. They won't take too long, and I know they'll be pleasant enough to work with."

The bell over the door rang again, but instead of Dean and Seamus, in walked Neville.

"Here to check on your children again?" Ginny asked with a smile.

He returned her grin as he walked to the back corner to examine the cast iron plant there. "Gotta make sure you haven't hurt my babies!"

Ginny clutched her heart. "You wound me, sir! I promised not to touch them, and I always keep my promises, on pain of death!" she cried, her voice dripping with faux chagrin.

Before Neville could pick at her anymore, the door opened again.

"Sorry we're late, Seamus takes forever to get ready," Dean called, unwinding the scarf from his neck.

"Oh, don't blame this one on me, Mr. I Can't Keep My Hands To Myself," Seamus parried.

Ginny smirked at the bantering pair. "Good to see you two haven't changed a bit."

"Ginny!" Dean cried, pulling her into a hug. "I knew we'd be working with Luna today, but I'm glad to see you again, too!"

As the four were swapping greetings and hugs, Neville called, "What am I? Dragon dung?"

Seamus' eyes lit up. "Hail, the conquering hero! How the hell have you been, Neville?"

The two old resistance leaders met with a strong handshake and slaps on the back. "Don't start with that old shite, Seamus. I killed a snake, not old Moldy Shorts," Neville said.

"Oh yeah, that's all you did." Dean rolled his eyes. "Well, I guess it's good to see you're still immune to Seamus' attempts to boost your ego."

"It's been too long, mate," Neville said, giving the other man the same physical greeting.

"You'd see us more if you'd come back around on pub nights," Seamus said. "You've hardly been out in the past couple of years."

"I'll do my best to be at the next one, but I start really early in the shop, so it's hard to stay out late," Neville explained, regret coloring his tone. "Speaking of which, I need to head back over there. Gin, Lu, are you two still coming over for dinner tonight?"

"We'll be there with the roast," Ginny promised.

"And the wine!" Luna added.

Neville waved goodbye and exited the studio.

Luna turned to her newest customers. "So I understand you two are here for wedding band tattoos?"

"Yeah, when the Netherlands legalized same-sex marriage a few years ago, we started talking about it and decided that it's something we wanted to do," Dean said. "We're headed there next week to make it official."

"That's wonderful! Come on back into the consultation area, and we'll talk about what exactly you two want done."

Luna led the pair behind the beaded curtain, and Ginny sat back down at her stool. She was supposed to be going over invoices, but she her mind was determined to wander elsewhere.

An hour later, Dean and Seamus walked out of Luna's workspace grinning like fools.

"I take it you're pleased with the results?" Ginny asked.

"They're perfect!" Seamus crowed, holding his hand out for her to examine. "I'm an only child, you know, so I wanted to use Granda's ring for Dean, but it was too small for him and too large for me. We decided we each wanted a copy of it tattooed on our hands instead."

Luna had indeed done a beautiful job with the claddagh ring. Dean's was dark and dynamic enough that it still stood out quite well on his deep skin tone, and the dimension on both tattoos was impeccable.

"You still blow me away, Lu," Ginny said, turning their hands over to admire the fluidity and unmatched quality of her work.

The clattering of coins on the countertop broke her train of thought.

"We haven't seen you two in so long, and I hate to just run out like this, but we've got to finish packing our suitcases for Amsterdam," Dean apologized.

"We'll have to get together sometime soon!" Seamus tacked on.

Luna just waved them out the door. "We'll figure it out when you get back from your honeymoon in Paris. Now go! Have fun! Celebrate love!"

"And try not to blow anything up!" Ginny called after them.

The men shot grateful, happy glances at their friends before rushing out of the shop.

Ginny just shook her head. "Some things never change."

"They really don't," Luna said. "But I didn't realize they'd stayed so close to Neville right after the war. They used to go pub hopping a few times a month together until Neville opened his shop."

"How odd. I never would have guessed that. Though we didn't exactly do a stellar job of keeping up with a lot of people from Hogwarts after the war," Ginny admitted.

Luna hummed in agreement. "I wonder why that is."

"Probably because we'd just started dating and spent as much time as humanly possible together," Ginny laughed.

"You're likely correct, but it still wasn't that much time. I mean, you were traveling all the time with the Harpies, and I was being commissioned for painting after painting. Though perhaps those are the same reasons we kind of forgot about some of our old friends. Work, work, work," Luna thought aloud.

Ginny shrugged. "At least we managed to mostly keep up with who was together and made it to all the important weddings and baby showers."

"Yes, weddings," Luna murmured, staring off into space.

If Ginny was right, and she usually was when it came to Luna, they were thinking the same thing: marriage?

There might have been a more tactful way to broach the subject, but Ginny Weasley wasn't exactly known for her delicate approaches. "Lu, would you ever want to get married?"

The blonde looked up at her and smiled. "Very much so, I think. But we need to be in any hurry about it. The Wizengamot won't recognize us as married anyway, and we don't have any major ties to the muggle world like Dean and Seamus. There's no real reason to elope like them. And besides, I'd like for our friends and family to be there to celebrate with us if we ever get to have a wedding."

Ginny shrugged one shoulder. "So we'll fight for it. We'll petition the Wizengamot, talk to some of the old families. I'm sure that if we get Harry, Ron, and Hermione on board, we can make it happen."

Luna's eyes twinkled. "Somehow I knew you'd say that."

"It could take a really long time. Decades even," Ginny murmured, her hand caressing her girlfriend's hair and jawline.

Luna gently kissed the tip of Ginny's chin. "Ah, but you'll be worth the wait."

Chapter Text

"We have come to seek thy holiness!" a voice boomed through the studio.

Ginny's head jerked up and collided with the shelf. She strode out of the storage area, grumbling as she rubbed the back of her head, and found her twin brothers standing in the lobby.

"What are you two on about?"

"Whatever do you mean, dear sister?" George asked, unable to suppress the twinkle in his eye. "We simply came to talk to you about getting an ear pierced."

Fred tugged his ear lobe and grinned. "Get it? Holey-ness?"

She rolled her eyes. "Mum's going to love this. Come on then."

The twins followed her behind the beaded curtain, their heads swiveling about and taking in the shop as they did so.

"What exactly do you want?" Ginny asked, taking a seat in Luna's chair and pulling out a thick catalog.

"Well, obviously Gred here only has one option," Fred joked.

Ginny shook her head. "I mean where exactly were you thinking of getting the piercing? Lobes? Upper shell? Inner cartilage? And what do you want from an earring? You can get them with all kinds of charms and glamours and shields and—"

George held up his hands and shook his head. "Slow down there, little sis,"

"—we just want our ears pierced." Fred said.

"Forge, it seems there's a bit more—"

"—thought that goes into the process. Think we should take a look—"

—at that enormous book? Good idea."

"Thank you, Gred!"

Ginny slid the book toward them. "This is a catalog of the various earrings I can get. I don't have them all on hand, but I've marked the ones that I've got in the shop. You can come see what they look like in real life if you come out to the case. Look through them, pick one to keep in for six to eight weeks, and we'll do it."

With that, she left them in the consultation area and walked back out to the counter.

It took them over half an hour, but eventually Fred and George came out to the front with a list. "We'd like to see these."

She pointed out the half dozen styles they'd noted, providing them with pros and cons of each piece. When she was finished, they looked at each other and did that weird, silent "twin-speak" thing for a minute. Then they turned to face her again.

"We'll take that one," they said in unison. They were pointing to a small silver spike in the back of the case.

"Nice choice, boys. Though I'm a little surprised the two of you would choose something with a built-in communication charm. I thought you two could do that without any help?"

Fred grinned at her. "A twin never reveals his secret."

Ginny led them back to her workspace and gathered up all materials. "Who wants to go first?"

"I'm in a hurry to make my two sides match!" George jumped up on the table and swung his feet. "Let's get this show on the road."

She shook her head but went about marking and verifying the location on George's ear lobe. After applying a quick Numbing Charm, she carefully lined up her needle and took a deep breath.

Just as the needle was about to make contact with his skin, George screamed at the top of his lungs.

Ginny jumped back, nearly knocking over her tray of tools. "What the fuck? I didn't even touch you!"

The two men started laughing like loons, pointing at her and trying to say something she was sure would just make her angrier.

As they started to calm down, Luna poked her head into the room. "Everything alright in here? I thought I heard a scream."

George and Fred collapsed in a fit of laughter again while Ginny's face grew impossibly redder. Once she explained the situation, Luna let out a little giggle.

"It's not funny!" Ginny cried, stomping her foot.

"You have to admit, it's a little funny," Luna chuckled.

The redhead reached for her wand. "I'll show them funny."

She surreptitiously canceled the Numbing Charm and waited for her brothers to come back to earth. When George was finally still enough, she lined up the needle and quickly shoved it through.

"Ouch!" he yelped. "I thought you were supposed to use a Numbing Charm!"

"I guess you took so long that it wore off," Ginny said sweetly.

Fred gaped at her. "That's inhumane!"

She shrugged and said, "Muggles do it all the time," earning another laugh from Luna.

Without another word she threaded the jewelry through and shoved a mirror at him.

"Thanks," George snorted. "Does look good though."

"Your turn Fred," Ginny said, shooing her other brother off the table. "Have you thought about which ear you want it in?"

"Right ear," he replied.

"Still have to match George after all these years?" Luna teased.

He snorted. "More like I need to match him so that people continue to have trouble telling us apart. Well, at least from some angles."

Fred was much better behaved, and he never felt a thing thanks to his Numbing Charm.

On their way to the front of the shop, Ginny handed the twins each a slip of paper. "This is the charm to activate your earrings. It's got the incantation and some instructions, so I'd wait until you get back to your flat to start them up and give them a try."

"Will do," George said as they each stacked the appropriate amount of gold onto the counter.

Before Ginny could give them care and cleaning instructions, their father burst through the door.

"I have great news!" he crowed. Then his eyes landed on his prankster sons, and he raised one eyebrow. "What are you two doing here? I just went by your shop to tell you about this, but Lee said you'd gone to seek divinity, or some other nonsense."

"Of course, dad," Fred replied. "We came to see if Gin could help us on our path to holey-ness."

Arthur's eyes narrowed. "Holiness?"

George pointed toward his newly pierced ear. "See? Now both sides match!"

Arthur heaved a sigh. "Your mother is going to love that. Anyway, since I've got you all here, I'll just go ahead and say it—Fleur's pregnant!"

"Again?" all four young people asked in unison.

"Yep!" Arthur chirped, completely missing their sarcasm and exasperation. "I'm going to be a grandpa again!"

Despite their surprise, Fred, George, Luna, and Ginny shared smile. They knew there was nothing he loved more than doting on his grandchildren.

Luna kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Congratulations, Arthur, that's wonderful."

"It really is, Dad," Ginny added, pulling him into a tight hug. "I'm excited."

"Come on, Dad, let us buy you a pint to celebrate!" Fred said, pulling his father out of the shop.

"Thanks, Gin," George called over his shoulder as he followed them.

She slumped against the counter, and Luna gently wrapped an arm around her waist.

"They're always so full of energy," she murmured. "That hasn't changed since we were all little and they used to chase you down the hill into our back garden."

Ginny chuckled. "Yeah, my brothers can be a bit much. I don't know how mum and dad handled raising all seven of us."

She stared out the shop window at all the passersby. In the middle of the day, there weren't a lot of people milling about. These shoppers were mostly stay-at-home wives and mothers. There were young mothers with babies on their hips, older women out for the day with their daughters, mums trying to wrangle a few children just too young for Hogwarts into behaving. At her age, Ginny felt like she should have felt some kind of pull, some instinct or desire to be one of the women changing diapers and chasing children. Yet, there was nothing. She liked kids, and she wouldn't say she'd never want them. But right now, she just didn't.

"A Sickle for your thoughts?" Luna asked, bringing her out of her head and back to the present.

"I thought it was supposed to be 'a Knut for your thoughts,'" Ginny joked. They'd never discussed that particular topic, and she wasn't sure if this was a good time to bring it up. Better to just redirect the conversation.

Luna hummed noncommittally. "Perhaps that's true. But these are your thoughts, so I figured they were worth more than just a Knut."

Ginny leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Thanks, Lu."

"Now tell me what's got you so… pensive."

Of course she couldn't hide it from Luna. "I was just thinking about Dad's announcement and how much he loves being a parent and a grandparent."

"And?"

"And I don't know if that's something I want."

There, she'd said it. Ginny chewed her lip and looked away, afraid of what she might see if she met Luna's gaze.

Luna gently pulled her chin around so that they were face to face. "It's okay if you don't want to be a mum."

Ginny swallowed. "But do you?"

"Not right now," Luna said with a shrug. "And I'm not getting any younger, so unless I changed my mind pretty soon, I don't know if I'd be able to have one of my own. Though Neville would be a wonderful sperm donor."

"You're not wrong," Ginny laughed. "I think I feel the same way. We've just got so much going on, and I'm happy with my life and where I think it's headed. But I'm afraid to completely rule it out, you know?"

Luna mused, "If we decide we want kids later, there's always adoption."

"I suppose you're right," Ginny said. Maybe they would have their own children someday. Maybe they'd adopt a baby from a foreign country like Muggles sometimes did. Maybe they'd take in a whole passel of orphans from the war and raise them to be tattoo-loving rebels themselves. But she and Luna didn't have to make a decision today, and it felt right to know that, whatever decision they did make, they'd make together.

Chapter Text

The Muggle bar was a bit crowded, but Ginny didn't mind too much. It was the best place to go out with Luna because no one here gave a damn, and none of their friends seemed to mind forgoing magic for the occasional night on the town. In fact, she could see her brother over at the bar chatting up a pair of pretty girls and doing his best to turn on the charm. Despite their giggling and hair flipping, it was clear they were only sticking around for the possibility of a free drink—not that Ron knew that. Harry and Hermione, on the other hand, were out on the dance floor moving in a way that would have made Molly Weasley blush and probably faint.

Neville followed her gaze to the couple and blushed. "My gran would have a conniption if she saw them," he said.

"I was thinking the same thing about my mum!" she exclaimed, inching further into the booth and away from the dance floor.

Luna cocked her head to the side. "I think the way they're dancing looks quite fun. It might be more fun if they were wearing less clothing, though I suppose that's not appropriate for a public venue."

Neville and Ginny shared an uncomfortable glance. Luna's tactlessness was often refreshing, but times like this were enough to make all of her friends hold their breaths whenever she opened her mouth.

"Yeah, definitely not, Lu. That doesn't remotely resemble the dancing I learned. I don't even know where they learned to do that," Ginny told her.

Luna shrugged before sliding out of the booth and extending a hand to Ginny. "Let's go give it a shot."

"Oh ho, no way," she replied. "We can't, uh, we can't just leave Neville here with everyone's drinks."

Neville grinned and waved her off. "I'm fine here, Gin. I've got a pint and a great view of the dance floor," he said with a playful eyebrow wag.

"Some help you are!" Ginny called over her shoulder as Luna pulled her out on the floor.

And that's how Ginny found herself in the middle of the writhing crowd of people, dancing to the thumping bass beat with Luna shimmying back and forth across her body. She had no idea what to do with her hands, her hips, her feet. She felt awkward and exposed, like that nightmare she always had about flying out into a Quidditch match in just her underwear. In other words, she was absolutely terrified.

Somehow, she made eye contact with a sweaty, smiling Hermione. The older witch took in her stiff form and wide eyes before shaking her head and mouthing, "Just let go."

Let go. Easier said than done.

Taking a deep breath, Ginny allowed the bass beat to resonate through her body. She began swaying back and forth to the music, slowly letting her hips and then her shoulders follow. She felt Luna's hands grab her waist, and, before she knew it, they were moving together like everyone else on the dance floor.

"See? I knew you could do it!" Luna yelled above the din.

Warmth flooded Ginny's chest—being with Luna made her feel so brave and alive and ridiculously happy, even over the silliest things. Moments like this were what life was all about.

After a few more songs, the music slowed significantly. Luna moved to leave the dance floor, but this time Ginny was the one to hold her back.

"Come on, one slow song!" she begged.

"Only because I know you love it," Luna grumbled. "But you know I can't lead, so you'll have to."

Ginny pulled her in close and began swaying slowly to the music. The song was sweet and romantic, and Luna felt so perfect in her arms. That same warm feeling from earlier washed over her, and Ginny knew it was time. She'd never said it out loud, and the moment probably wasn't perfect, but Ginny just couldn't hold it in anymore. "Luna, I love you," she whispered into her girlfriend's ear. "I love you so much that I sometimes I can't think straight. I would move mountains, face any fear, topple another government for you. You're it for me."

"The last two I know you can do, but move mountains?" Luna whispered back, a smile playing at her lips.

"I'd take down Ben Nevis rock by rock if you asked me to," Ginny replied earnestly. "Granted, I would definitely use magic, but I'd do it for you just the same."

Luna threw her head back laughing. "I know you would. And Gin, you have to know I would do the same for you. You're my other half."

"Even if you hate the way I lead when we're dancing?"

"I don't hate it…"

"You'll do just about anything to get out of it."

"But I don't always. Because I love you too."

Ginny grinned triumphantly and spun her out with a bit too much force. When Luna stumbled, Ginny brought her back in, chuckled, and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Sweet Merlin, you must."

Chapter Text

Ginny dipped her quill in the ink and circled yet another ad in the classifieds of The Daily Prophet. She was so absorbed in her reading that she didn't hear anyone approach.

"Ginny, dear, you really should pay more attention to who's coming into your shop. Honestly, anyone could have just wandered in here, and the world is full of dangerous people, you know."

She jerked upright. "Mum, what are you doing here?"

Molly plopped a paper bag on the counter in front of her. "Cheese and pickle sandwiches. I thought I would stop by and bring you two some lunch. You can't be eating enough, you're both nothing but skin and bones!"

Ginny fought off the urge to roll her eyes. For once her mother wasn't completely exaggerating—both she and Luna had lost a bit of weight since business had picked up at the shop. "Thank you. I'll see if Lu feels like eating one when she's finished with her current client."

"Make sure she does," Molly ordered. The scowl on her face brooked no argument from her daughter, who recognized the matriarch's "Mother Hen Rampage" look and decided it was best to keep her head down—for now.

Ginny heard the back door slam, and her heart sank. Before she could discreetly warn him about their visitor, Neville walked into the shop and called her name.

"I think you left this in the back yesterday," he said as he walked into the lobby waving a folder she knew was full of flyers and adverts for new flats. His gait faltered only a moment when caught sight of Molly. He dropped the folder on the counter and smiled. "Nice to see you again, Mrs. Weasley."

Molly reached out, pinched his arm, and frowned. "Skin and bones on this one, too. If I didn't know better, I might think all of you kids were starving! Next time I'm bringing extras for Neville."

"Merlin's saggy left—"

"Ginevra!"

"Mum, we're busy," Ginny grumbled. "That's all. You don't have to poke food down us like we're on a hunger strike."

Molly visibly swelled with the reprimand building in her jaw, but Neville beat her to it.

"I don't mind, Gin. It's no secret that I probably need someone to make sure I eat regular meals." He eyed the folder on the counter. "Speaking of secrets, have you told Luna you're looking for a new flat?"

"Don't tell me you're breaking up!" said Molly, her eyes growing wide at the thought. "I thought you two were so happy! Oh, this is terrible, and just when the shop was doing so well—"

Ginny heard footsteps headed for the lobby and hissed, "We're not breaking up!"

The three went silent for a few seconds as Luna ushered her client out the door. As she dropped their money in the till, she said brightly, "Of course we're not splitting up! Why would we?"

Neville nodded toward the folder on the counter.

"Oh good, I thought we'd lost that," Luna chirped. She walked over and picked up the Prophet Ginny had been flipping through. "Anything to add from this one?"

Ginny shrugged. "There are a few places that look decent, but nothing like what we'd be leaving."

"Then why on earth are you moving?" Molly pressed. "I thought you liked living above Mr. Caywood's butcher shop?"

"We do! It's been a great place for us, and I hate to leave it, but our lease is up next month, and last week Mr. Caywood told us he doesn't want to renew it. His niece is getting married, and he wants to let her move into the flat with her new husband. Ergo, they get the flat and we get the boot," Ginny explained.

Luna said, "It's been a bit more difficult to find somewhere comparable, especially on short notice. I won't miss the smell, though."

"Why don't you two come live with me?" Neville blurted out.

The three women turned to look at him with various expressions of confusion.

"I bought an old Muggle cottage in the Cotswolds last year and renovated it," he explained, a flush creeping up his neck. "I was tired of renting a flat that didn't give me space for a vegetable garden or a greenhouse, so I saved up my money for a few years and found this place with plenty of room for a price I could pay in full. Did you know the Galleon to pound conversion rate was so incredible? I've got a spare bedroom you two could use as long as you wanted, rent free."

Ginny winced. "Nev, as much as we appreciate the offer, we don't have enough time these days to pack all our things and move in with you now just to turn around and move to another flat two months later."

"It's nothing personal," Luna assured him, patting his hand gently.

Neville just grinned. "Then come live with me permanently! I think we would make good roommates, and I meant it when I said I had plenty of space. The back garden has this huge elm tree that I've been meaning to put a reading bench under, and there aren't any neighbors for miles, and here, just take a look."

He whipped out his wallet and pulled from it a set of photographs. The pictures were clearly centered on various different plants, but, from what Ginny could see, the cottage was roomy yet cozy. They would have a lot more space than they did in their current flat. The back garden was, in fact, huge, surrounding a tree that she would have immediately climbed in her younger years and with small patio that looked perfect for her morning cup of tea. The bedrooms were about the same size and large enough for all their furniture. The bathroom was bigger than she expected, and it wouldn't be too difficult to share it with two other people. Most importantly, the whole place exuded freedom and tranquility and utter peace. Not to mention the renovations and equipment investments they could make with the money they currently allotted for rent…

"Oh, girls this is lovely," Molly gushed. "And you would be so much safer living with a man!"

Ginny gritted her teeth. Of course her mother would see that as the most beneficial aspect their possible arrangement. Forget the greater financial independence and personal space this would afford them and the fact that they could each hold their own against most opponents. No, they'd be protected by some big strong man.

Molly's pushiness had always grated on Ginny's nerves, and right now it made her want to act out like a rebellious teenager. "This place looks amazing, but we'll need to think on it for a bit. Right, Lu?"

Luna nodded. "Of course. We don't want to rush this kind of decision." She shot Ginny a look that let the redhead know she wasn't a subtle as she thought.

Neville deflated a bit.

"Now just a minute, girls—"

"Mum, it's our decision," Ginny said emphatically, gesturing between Luna and herself. Molly pursed her lips but said nothing more.

"Just let me know when you do decide," said Neville, "but even if you don't want it now, the offer always stands, should you ever need it. I should probably head back to the shop and check on tomorrow's orders, though."

The Weasley matriarch pinched his cheek. "You're a good boy, Neville Longbottom."

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley."

Both girls hugged him goodbye and watched him walk out of the shop.

"I do hope you'll both consider his generous offer," said Molly, "and not just because I want you to. I think you'd all be good for each other. Besides all the positives on your end, Neville could benefit from having more people around, especially people he's so fond of."

He had been happier and more outgoing since she and Luna insinuated themselves so deeply into his life. Ginny hated it when her mother was so insightful. "We'll think about it, Mum, I promise."

Molly swept toward the door. "Eat your lunch!" she called, and then she was gone.

Luna leaned against the counter and sighed. "I know you two have a difficult relationship, but are you always going to be so obstinate when it comes to your mother?"

"Probably."

"You know this a good offer."

"Yep."

"Better than anything we could find in an advert or on a flyer."

"Uh huh."

"And yet you're still going to hem and haw over this, just because your mum, who loves you and wants the best for you, thinks it would be good for us to live with a man. A man who is our best friend and basically family."

Ginny stared hard at the floor. She hated it when Luna brought logic into their arguments, especially when she knew she was being irrational.

"Fine," Luna huffed lightly. "Let me know when you get your arse off your shoulders."

As she walked away, Ginny thunked her head onto the counter. She hated admitting she was wrong, but she hated having Luna mad at her even more. She would give in… eventually.

Chapter Text

Ginny was walking her client out—Merlin, it was the fifth pair of little girl ears she'd done this week, which is not what she'd expected when they'd opened the shop—when she heard voices coming from the consultation area. She glanced at the clock on the wall. She'd had the last client on the books for today, and they were set to close in twenty minutes. Surely Luna wouldn't want to stay late tonight. Maybe someone just wanted to talk for a minute about an idea…

After dropping the money in the till, Ginny sidled up to the curtain. Inside, she heard a familiar voice ask about her, and she shoved back the strands of beads without another thought.

"Hermione! What are you doing here? I thought we weren't doing dinner with you and Harry until next week," Ginny exclaimed. She glanced down at her jumper and jeans—definitely not appropriate for the restaurant they had picked out.

"Breathe, Gin," Hermione said with a chuckle. "I'm just here for a chat with you and Luna."

She raised an eyebrow. "You don't usually come into the consultation space to chat."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I've been mulling over getting a particular tattoo for years, and after seeing the one Luna did for Harry, I've decided it's time. I'm just a bit… nervous. I wanted to learn everything I could about the process beforehand, and I really don't want the entire world to know about it because it's not something I'm comfortable bringing up with just anyone. Luna has so graciously agreed to stay late to talk me through the process and help me decide on a final design. I'm hoping she can start on the actual tattoo tomorrow."

"That sounds about right," Ginny said with a wide smile. "Well, I'll leave you to it while I clean up." She had already pushed back the beaded strands when Hermione's voice stopped her.

"Would you mind coming back when you're done? I'd like your opinion, too."

Ginny turned to look at her. Hermione's eyes steady, but there was something in her expression that piqued Ginny's curiosity.

"Of course. I'll only be a minute."

Ginny bustled about the shop, casting the appropriate cleaning charms on what she could and setting the brooms, rags, and mops in motion to take care of the rest. She locked the front door with a flick of her wrist, and her routine was finished.

When she made it back to the consultation area, Hermione was chatting lightly with Luna about some article in last quarter's edition of Journal of Runic Enchantment. She took a seat in the empty client chair and waited for them to finish their conversation.

"Well, I guess we can get on with what I came here for." Hermione sighed. "I want a tattoo around the scar I got in the Department of Mysteries."

Ginny's memory of that night was still incredibly vivid. Hermione hadn't looked hurt when Dolohov's curse hit her, and it hadn't left any immediate mark. It was only after Hermione started taking the litany of healing potions that a mark even began to appear. The more of those healing potions she took—the more she internally recovered—the more the curse marked her externally. When she was finished, she was left with an angry red mark that initially caused her a lot of pain. Ginny remembered seeing it a few times when Hermione stayed at the Burrow. The wound, which ran from her right hip to below her left breast, had made the redhead shudder back then.

Luna looked at her friend warily. "I don't know that I've seen it since it healed and became a scar. Let me have a look at what I'd be working with."

Hermione stood and removed her shirt.

At the sight of it, Ginny felt herself flinch, and Luna sucked in a breath.

The scar wasn't red or angry anymore. Instead, the long, jagged streak was a pinkish white, with defined edges that didn't feather or branch off from the main line. It was better than Ginny remembered, but it still looked months rather than over a decade old.

"Yeah, Harry still has a similar reaction whenever he sees it," the brunette said with a humorless laugh. "The curse was quite dark, which means this is probably as much as it will ever heal. It doesn't hurt anymore, but it's still rather jarring to see, especially for Harry. I'm hoping this will assuage some of his guilt, or at least make him realize I'm not ashamed of it. I want to show him I've never regretted standing with him."

Luna looked at her canvas for another long moment before her shoulders sagged. "I hate to tell you this, Hermione, but I don't think I can tattoo over it. I've tried to ink over a few scars from dark magic, and not only is it incredibly painful, oftentimes the ink doesn't take well the first time. With a scar that large… I'm sorry, I don't think it's a good idea."

Hermione shook her head. "You're misunderstanding. I don't want to cover it up. I want to work around it and incorporate it into the design."

A grin stretched across Luna's face as she considered the idea. "Now that is an interesting concept. What did you have in mind?"

"I brought some pictures and a few rough sketches." Hermione pulled a stack of paper out of her bag. "Just don't judge me for my lack of drawing ability, okay? I never claimed to be an artist."

Luna took the sketches from her and shared them with Ginny. She'd drawn a few crude, pinkish flowers branching off her scar, like blooms on a tree limb. When Luna flipped to the photos, Ginny recognized them immediately.

"They're cherry blossoms," Hermione explained. "They're symbols of—"

"Beauty and strength and the brevity of human life," Ginny quoted.

When the other two brilliant witches shot her surprised looks, she smirked. "Neville was talking about them the other day. I do pick up on things, you know."

"I think this is a wonderful idea," Luna said. "I love that by using your scar as the tree branch, you aren't hiding it. The juxtaposition with the tattoo will simply highlight the love and personal strength it took to receive and bear the scar. A daily reminder of life's fleeting nature and the need to take it by the horns."

"My thoughts precisely," Hermione replied.

One side of Ginny's mouth quirked up. "Plus, it's going to look beautiful and badass."

Hermione arrived the next day just as Ginny was flipping the paper sign to Closed.

"No Harry?" she asked, leading her friend down the hallway.

Hermione chewed her lip. "I actually haven't told him about any of this. I want it to be a surprise."

Luna met them at the door to her workspace and gave Hermione a big hug. "Are you excited? Or nervous?"

"I think both would apply here," she replied with an anxious chuckle.

Ginny stayed and held Hermione's hand through the process, which took quite a bit longer than they'd initially planned. But it was all worth it for the joy on Hermione's face when she saw her tattoo.

"I can't believe I actually did that!" Hermione laughed as Luna wrapped her mid-section with plastic. "I love it! Thank you so much, Luna."

The blonde hugged her shoulder. "I'm so glad I could do this for you. Just remember what we talked about last night—"

"Keep it moisturized, don't pick off the scabs, no magic applied directly to it, come back for a follow up in two weeks," Hermione recited.

"Exactly!"

At that moment, they heard the Floo chime.

Ginny's brow furrowed. "What the—"

"Gin? Luna?" Harry's voice bellowed through the shop. "Have you seen Hermione?"

"We're back here!" Luna called.

"Sweet Merlin," Hermione muttered, tugging her shirt back on. "I thought I'd have some time to warm him up to the idea before I just showed it to him."

Ginny smirked. "Seems there's no time like the present."

Harry barreled into the small room. "Hermione, what the hell? You said you'd be home hours ago. I was afraid something had happened to you."

"Relax, Harry. My visit just took a little longer than planned."

He scrubbed a hand down his face. "And none of you could have sent a Patronus or Flooed to let me know?"

The three ladies had the good grace to look a bit abashed.

"I'm sorry, we were just in the middle of something," Hermione said. "I didn't think of how it would look to you."

"It's alright," Harry said. "I probably overreacted a bit. Work's got me a bit on edge lately. But what were you doing over here so late? Ginny and Luna could easily have just come over to ours."

Hermione visibly steeled herself and then lifted her shirt. "This."

Harry stared at the tattoo for a long moment before falling to his knees at Hermione's feet. When he pressed his forehead into her stomach, just below the scar, she slowly ran a hand through his hair. Ginny felt as though she was intruding on a terribly intimate moment, but she couldn't pull herself away.

"What do you think?" Hermione whispered.

"I think it's beautiful," he breathed. "I think you're beautiful, and I love you. I hate that you're saddled with this because of me, but I love that you've gotten Luna to turn it into something so amazing."

She harrumphed. "I'm proud of this scar and what it represents. When you went through hell, I stood with you, and I'd do it a hundred times over."

Harry pressed a light kiss into one of the blossoms. "The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all."

"I thought you fell asleep when we watched that film!"

"How could I?" Harry said, standing and taking her hand. "That girl reminded me so much of you."

They shared a look so intense that it almost knocked Ginny back.

"As lovely as this has been, why don't you two love birds head on home?" Luna asked dryly.

For the first time since he'd seen the tattoo, Harry seemed to remember they had an audience. "Oh, uh, hi, Luna, Gin. Yeah, we'll just do that. Lovely to, um, see you both."

As he tugged Hermione out of the room, she laughed heartily. "We'll see you two next week?"

"Of course." Ginny smirked. "That is, of course, if Harry lets you out of bed."

"Shut up, Gin!" Harry yelled.

As Ginny and Luna shared a giggle, they heard their friends Floo home.

"Never a dull moment around here, eh?" Ginny said as they cleaned up before leaving.

Luna nodded. "I suppose. I really enjoy those kinds of surprises, though."

"Well, I've got one more for you." Ginny pulled a Muggle cooler from beneath the front counter and opened it to reveal a bag of ripe, juicy cherries. She held one up and said, "I had these on the brain all night after talking with Hermione, so I popped out to get them earlier today. Want one?"

Luna plucked it out of her hand and popped it in her mouth. "Don't mind if I do."

After they'd both eaten a handful, Ginny leaned over and kissed her girlfriend. It was slow and sweet and tasted of cherries and something innately Luna. In other words, absolutely perfect.

Chapter Text

Today had been… strange.

First, they'd gotten a shipment of iridescent inks Luna had been eyeing for a while but didn't remember ordering. Ginny would have to telephone the company later to make sure it wasn't a fluke, but all the paperwork seemed to be in order. Next, they looked at the schedule and realized the morning appointments, which were the hardest to fill, were all taken and their afternoon was completely clear. If they didn't get any walk-ins, they might be able to sneak out a bit early—something that never happened these days. To top it all off, they hadn't seen Neville all day. He usually popped in to say hello an hour or so after they opened, but when Ginny popped over to the Leaky Cauldron to pick up lunch, they hadn't so much as heard a noise from next door. Yes, today was a strange one.

And it seemed the universe was bent on making it even weirder. When she got back to the shop, Ginny found Pansy Parkinson standing over the display case.

"Hello," she said, dropping the takeaway on the counter, "how can I help you?"

The brunette straightened and gestured toward a set of sparkly diamond-esque studs. "I'll take six of these, three for each side."

Ginny crossed her arms and leaned a hip against the display case. "And what, pray tell, are you going to do with them?"

"I want you to put them along my collarbone."

Ginny's eyes widened a bit. "You mean you want a dermal piercing?"

"If that's what you call them, then I suppose so," Pansy sniffed. "I saw them in a Muggle magazine a few months ago, and they would be a perfect compliment to the dress I'm wearing to the spring Ministry Ball."

"When is that happening?"

"Spring. Duh."

Ginny took a deep breath. "How many weeks until then, Parkinson? You have to give them time to heal."

"Why can't you just heal them as soon as you're finished? If I wanted them done the Muggle way, I would have gone to a Muggle establishment," she sneered.

"Somehow I very much doubt that," Ginny retorted. "I can't heal them right away because there's a good chance your body could over-heal itself and completely close the hole with the jewelry still inside it. I tried it on Luna once and had to turn around and cut the stud out of her. It wasn't pretty."

Pansy shuddered at the thought. "Fine. Will there be anything I can't do while I wait for them to heal?"

"You'll need to wear loose, breathable clothing, keep the area clean, and be watchful. If it appears to be moving or if your skin turns red, come back in and see me immediately," Ginny explained.

"I can handle that," Pansy said with a dismissive wave. "I've got about three and a half months until the ball. Is that long enough?"

Ginny did some quick mental math. "That should do fine, but you'll have to be careful. You really have to baby dermals because you can pull them out if you're not mindful of them. If that happens, you'll have to come back here and let me redo it, which means starting the healing process from square one again."

Pansy sighed. "That's fine, the house elves live to baby me. If you can't heal them, can you at least use a Numbing Charm? I know some people are into the whole pain thing, but that's really not my style."

"That I can do," Ginny chuckled.

When they were finished, Ginny and Pansy walked back to the lobby where Luna was tucking in to her bangers and mash.

"Hello, Pansy," she said, offering an easy smile. "What's brought you in today?"

She tugged aside the neck of her blouse and showed off her new jewelry.

"Those are lovely!" Luna exclaimed.

"Thank you," Ginny and Pansy said at the same time.

Pansy rolled her eyes and dug the appropriate number of Galleons out of her bag. "Thanks for not screwing up the Numbing Charm, Weasley. You said to come back in two weeks for a follow up?"

"Yes, unless you notice something out of the ordinary. In that case you need to—"

"Come in immediately, yes, yes." Pansy started to sling her bag over her shoulder and thought better of it. "I'll see you in two weeks then."

She breezed out of the shop, leaving Ginny and Luna shaking their heads in her wake.

"I hope she's proficient with the Numbing Charm," Luna muttered. "Mine hurt terribly if I let it wear off."

"I remember that," Ginny said, flushing a bit. "Having them between your boobs kept them out of sight, out of mind—at least for you. But she's got elves who take care of mundane things like that for her. I'm sure she'll be fine."

"I suppose." Luna glanced over at the books. "We don't have anyone else on the schedule for today."

The two locked eyes.

"Want to leave early?" they asked in unison.

They laughed hard for a moment. Ginny couldn't help thinking how nice it was to be on the same page as the person you loved. Speaking of which…

As she wiped tears of laughter from her eyes, she said, "What do you say we hunt Neville down and let him know we're taking him up on his offer?"

Luna whipped her head toward Ginny. "You mean it?"

"Yeah," Ginny said softly. "I wanted to agree immediately, and I knew you wanted that too. But when my mum just had to butt in, I couldn't help but want the opposite thing. I don't know, it's just that whenever she sticks her nose in my personal life I just get a little…"

"Stubborn?" Luna offered, shooting a Locking Charm at the front door and then slipping her arms around Ginny's waist. "Ornery? Spiteful? Ridiculous?"

"You don't have to be so honest about it," Ginny muttered, dipping her head to take Luna's lips in her own. She quickly deepened the kiss, and Ginny felt her knees grow weak.

"You're an arse, but I love you anyway," Luna whispered as she moved to nibble on her ear. "You know what I'd really like to do right now?"

"I'm not the Seer here, so you'll have to tell me," Ginny said, tangling her hands in Luna's long hair and pulling her lips back to her own.

Luna bit Ginny's lower lip and tugged gently. "I'd like to take you back to our flat. And then I'd like to take a good look at all the places you have left for me to tattoo. A good, long look."

Ginny shuddered as Luna's lips moved to her neck. "I think that would be a very good idea. Leaving, I mean. Can't very well do that here, and I definitely want to do that."

"Might have to put off sharing the good news with Neville until tomorrow," Luna murmured as Ginny's slipped under the edge of her blouse.

Without breaking their kiss, Ginny firmly gripped Luna's hips and started tugging her toward the Floo. Neville was definitely going to have to wait.

Chapter Text

It was just a date. Dinner. Salads and chicken and wine and dessert. Logically she knew there was no reason to be nervous. That didn't do anything to assuage the storm of butterflies roiling in her stomach.

Ginny squared her shoulders and pulled open the door to the restaurant. A quick glance around the small, intimate room told her that she'd beaten Luna here, and she let out a shuddering breath. She was ten minutes early. Luna always ran a few minutes late. It was all going to be fine. It would be perfect. It had to be.

"I have a reservation for Weasley," she told the hostess, trying to ignore the tremor in her voice. "I'm expecting someone else as well."

She was shown to a small corner table and sank into the padded chair less than gracefully. Ginny tried to focus on the menu, but the words swam on the page in front of her, which just added to the pounding in her head and her chest. Instead of trying to make sense of the menu, she glued her gaze to the front door.

"Good evening, ma'am."

Ginny jumped, and her hand twitched toward where her wand was holstered on her thigh.

"I'm sorry if I startled you," the young waiter said. "What can I get you to drink?"

She stared at his handsome face for a moment too long as she tried to process his words. "I, uh, I think I'll have, um…" She had no clue what she wanted.

He smiled kindly. "Perhaps I can be of assistance?"

Ginny nodded and swallowed. "That would be lovely, thank you."

"First date?"

"That obvious, huh?"

The waiter chuckled. "I've been here long enough that I know one on sight."

"I need it to be perfect."

"Well, you can start out with the perfect wine. How about a nice cabernet? I've got one I'm sure will knock his socks off."

"Sounds great," Ginny murmured, her eyes drifting back to the front door.

As the minutes passed, her foot started tapping. She alternated her stares between the front door, her watch, and the door to the kitchen because that man had promised her wine, and dammit she needed it tonight of all nights and—

"Hello."

Ginny's head jerked around.

She had to remind herself to breathe.

Luna was perfect. She absolutely glowed in a shimmery, pale blue dress that hugged tight to her chest and waist before floating down to her knees. Her blonde curls and sparkling gray eyes just added to her etherealness, and Ginny was reminded of the stories her mum used to tell about delicate fairies with gossamer wings. Luna looked more beautiful than any fairy of Ginny's imagination.

"Hi," Ginny finally breathed. "You look amazing."

Luna tucked a curl behind her ear. "Thank you. You look lovely as well."

She sat across from Ginny, and for a long moment they just stared at each other in awkward silence. When they tried to break the ice, their lines all felt stilted and forced and the farthest thing from the perfect, effortless conversation Ginny had been counting on.

When Luna escaped to the ladies' room, Ginny dropped her head into her hands. This was going to be an enormous failure. This could ruin their friendship. Maybe they should just—

A warm hand slipped a glass of wine into hers.

"You're over thinking it," the waiter said casually.

"Don't you think I know that?" Ginny snapped. "But I don't even know where to start. It was way fucking easier to talk to her when we just best friends."

"Aren't you still friends?"

"Well obviously, but I—"

He cut her off there. "Then talk to your friend. That's where you start."

"That's the best you can come up with?"

The waiter rolled his eyes and said, "I brought liquid courage, too. What more do you want from me?" He then dashed away before she could snap at him again.

Ginny sat back in her chair and sipped her wine as she mulled over his advice. Could it be so simple?

Luna returned a few moments later, looking a bit calmer and her makeup refreshed. What caught Ginny's eye, though, was the little smudge of lipstick on her front tooth. A small imperfection she'd helped Luna correct a thousand times over the past few years. The perfect reminder that they were, first and foremost, the best of friends. She could handle this.

"Lu, you've got a bit of," said Ginny as she gestured toward her own mouth. "Just on your tooth there."

Luna let out a nervous giggle and quickly wiped it away with her napkin. When she was done, she flashed a quick smile at Ginny. "I always do that. Better?"

Ginny nodded and reached across the table for her hand. "Perfect."

Chapter Text

“Who do we have left on the schedule today?” Luna asked as she tucked her wand behind her ear.

Ginny glanced down at their appointment book. “I think you’re finished. I’ve got Sirius coming in about five minutes.”

“Oooh, what does Sirius want?”

“I don’t really know,” Ginny explained. “He stopped by last week to see when we had an opening at the end of the day and just told me to put him down for a piercing. Another customer came in, and he left before I could get anything else out of him.”

Luna nodded. “I guess we’ll find out soon enough.”

A few minutes later, Sirius Black came breezing through their front door with Remus Lupin hot on his heels.

“Honestly, Padfoot, you said you needed to stop by the post office,” Remus huffed.

“I do,” Sirius said with a pout. “I just have something else to do first.”

He turned to Ginny and opened his arms wide. “How is my favorite Weasley doing today?”

Ginny shook her head and laughed. “You’re only saying that because I’m about to stab you with a needle,” she said as they embraced.

“Ginny, Luna. It’s good to see you both,” Remus said, nodding to each of the girls in turn. 

Luna opened her mouth to respond, but her eyes glazed over before she could get a single word out.

“It’s good to see you too, Remus,” Ginny said quickly. Luna hated having people staring at her when she came around from a vision. “It’s been too long.”

Remus shrugged and smiled softly. “Teddy and Dora keep me busy.”

“So does his research for the Ministry,” Sirius said emphatically. “I practically had to drag him out of the house today.”

“Well then,” Luna murmured, shaking her head to clear the residual fog. “Let’s do what you came here for.”

“What are we doing today?” Ginny asked. 

Sirius shot her a roguish grin. “We’re piercing my septum. I want one of those really cool, textured silver rings, the kind with a design on it.”

“Really?” Remus said incredulously. “That’s what you made me leave the house for?”

“You can’t spend all your time in your study,” Sirius tutted. “Besides, Dora told me you needed to do something other than work on that bit of research for you've been so focused on.”

“It’s important,” Remus grumbled. 

Sirius sniffed. “So is having a life. Now, let’s see what you’ve got for me, Gin.”

Ginny nodded and walked behind the case. She gestured to a small section of the enchanted jewelry. “Take a look at these. I think you’ll find something you like in there.”

As Sirius studied the variety of hoops and horseshoes, Ginny heard Luna start up a conversation with Remus about the various enchantments and runes she used in the tattoo process. She watched the tension leave Remus’ shoulders as he sank into the comfort of a deep academic discussion. 

“That’ll keep him busy for a while,” Sirius said, nodding at the pair. 

“Even if it doesn’t, this shouldn’t take too long,” Ginny assured him. “Have you decided which one you want?”

Sirius indicated a small silver hoop. The bottom half was decorated with a series of arching loops, each of which was topped with a tiny silver ball. 

“Kind of looks like a set of brass knuckles,” he commented. 

“It should,” Ginny explained. “It’s got a mild protective enchantment engraved on the back side.”

“Perfect! Let’s do this!” Sirius cried. 

Ginny led him back to her station and began pulling out the necessary instruments. 

“What made you decide on a septum piercing?” she asked quietly. 

He shrugged and said, “I just think they look cool. It doesn’t hurt that it will probably have dear old mum and dad turning over in their graves. I was considering a tattoo, but I want a little more time to think about what I want.”

“Well, Luna knows her stuff. Whenever you decide what you want, or even if you just need to hammer out the details, have a chat with her about it,” Ginny advised. 

“I know she does amazing work,” he said. “Harry’s dragon is incredible, and I’ve been blown away by the few other designs of hers I’ve seen as well. Really impressive stuff.”

“Yeah, she’s pretty amazing,” she said with a dreamy sigh. She absentmindedly swiped at his nose with an alcohol pad.

“You really caught a good one, Gin,” Sirius said. “Smart, brave, creative, and sweet as pie.”

That was enough to make Ginny snort with laughter. “Okay, you had me until the sweet part.”

He frowned, his brows knitting together. “I’ve never seen Luna be anything other than disgustingly sweet to someone.”

“You’ve never had a fight with her,” Ginny argued. “And you weren’t at Hogwarts when the Carrows were in charge. Don’t get me wrong, Luna’s precious most of the time, but she isn’t perfect. The girl has a vindictive streak that occasionally rears its head, especially if she thinks you’ve been cruel.”

“I never would have guessed,” Sirius murmured. 

She shrugged, pulling the needle from its packaging. “Luckily it’s mostly directed at people who are actually evil or at least really mean. Though I do make it point not to cross her at that time of the month.”

Ginny tapped his nose and numbed it before carefully piercing it and inserting the jewelry. When she was finished, she passed Sirius a small mirror. 

“What do you think?”

Sirius turned his head back and forth, admiring his reflection. “It’s perfect. I love it!”

Ginny smiled in satisfaction. 

When they returned to the lobby of the shop, Luna and Remus were still deeply entrenched in their discussion. 

Sirius cleared his throat loudly. “Well? What do you think?”

Remus looked over at his friend, shook his head, and smiled. “Very you, Padfoot.”

“If you ever want to come back and take a closer look at the specifics of our process, you’re more than welcome,” Luna said, patting Remus on the arm.

“I’ll take you up on that,” he replied. “I’ve always wanted a tattoo, but with all these scars…”

Luna perked up. “With our process, that might not matter. Do you mind if we step back into my office so I can take a look?”

Remus’ eyes grew wide, but he simply nodded and followed her behind the beaded curtain,  Sirius and Ginny hot on their heels. 

Luna took Remus’ arm in her hands and studied it for a moment, running her fingers gently along the crescent shaped scars that criss-crossed his skin. After a moment, she removed her wand and slowly waved it back and forth across his forearm. 

“How would you describe the nature of your scars?” she asked, her voice clear and clinical. “Do they behave more like Muggle scars or regular magical scars?”

Remus chewed his lip. “There’s no dark magic to it, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“No, of course not,” Luna said with a wave of her hand. “I just wanted to know if you were capable of removing them with magic, like you would a Muggle scar, or if they behaved like a regular, non-cursed magical scar.”

“I certainly can’t heal them away,” Remus said darkly. “Believe me, I’ve tried.”

Luna traced one of the freshest marks. “I really think you could be a good candidate for a magical tattoo, Remus. I can’t cover dark magic, but I knew that wouldn’t be a concern with you. I also have a hard time tattooing over Muggle scars because they move and change and grow as they age. Magical scars are much more stable. Yes, I really think I could tattoo over these, if that’s something you’re interested in.”

“Absolutely!” Remus blurted out. Realizing his outburst, he clapped a hand over his mouth and chuckled nervously. “I’m not ashamed of them or anything. I’m just… I’m tired of them being my defining feature. I’d love to have something beautiful beside them.”

She smiled knowingly. “Of course. What were you thinking of having done? Anything in particular?”

“Well, I’m not completely sure…”

“A sun,” Sirius interjected quietly.

Remus turned to look at him oddly. “That… Why, Pads?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” he asked. “First, it's the very antithesis of the thing that brings you the most pain. You should be able to carry the antidote—the lightness of the sun—with you wherever you go. Second, you are the sun, Moony.”

“I don’t follow,” Remus whispered. 

Sirius sighed. “No matter what life throws at you, no matter how many times you get knocked down, you always rise. In spite of the fear, in spite of the ache, in spite of every adversity you’ve faced. You persevere in a way rivaled only by the most constant star in our sky.”

A single tear dripped down Remus’ cheek. “You sappy bugger. And all this time I thought you only loved me for my pranking skills.”

Sirius sniffed. “I’ve got to keep up appearances you know.”

“I believe that settles it,” Luna said, rising from her stool. “Let’s do this.”

“Now?” Remus squeaked. 

“Now,” Sirius agreed.

Ginny watched the three of them disappear into Luna’s work room and tried to occupy herself with the bookkeeping. She fiddled with her necklace, trying not to glance down at the ticking clock pendant. As much as she wanted to focus on the shop’s accounting, she was too busy wondering if Luna was right. For Remus’ sake, Ginny hoped she was. 

A few hours later, long after the shop had technically closed, Luna, Remus, and Sirius finally emerged. 

“Let me see! Let me see!” Ginny cried. 

Remus unbuttoned the top of his shirt and tugged it to the side. There, on his right pectoral muscle, was a swirling, lively sun. 

“It’s lovely,” she breathed, resisting the urge to reach out and touch it. 

“Best of all, you can’t see any of my scars through it,” Remus said. 

He turned to Luna and held out his hands in supplication. “I don’t have the words to thank you.”

“Don’t worry about thanking me,” she replied. “Just come back again and let me do something else for you. You’ll make a great billboard.”

Sirius and Remus both laughed. 

“Well, we’d best be going. I’ve got to get this one back to his wife and child,” Sirius said, jerking a thumb at Remus. 

Remus paled. “Shit. What is Dora going to say?”

“Come on, man,” Sirius scoffed. “Whose idea do you think this little trip was?”

“You didn’t…”

Luna smiled serenely. “Let’s just say this wasn’t the first time I’d considered your particular situation.”

“Padfoot!”

“How easily you forget that we were both raised to be Blacks,” Sirius replied. 

Ginny and Luna watched them shuffle out the door, bickering and teasing like the best friends they were. 

“Reckon we sound like that when we fight?” Ginny asked. 

“No,” Luna assured her, “you’re much louder.”

“Hey!”

“You asked,” she said with a laugh. 

“Whatever,” Ginny grumbled. “Oh, I mean to ask you earlier: did you see Neville today? I know we talked yesterday about telling him we wanted to move in, but…”

“We never made it over there,” Luna finished with a gleam in her eye. 

“Exactly.”

Luna shook her head. “I didn’t see him today, and I’m sure he’s already gone home for now. We’ll have to pop in early tomorrow and let him know.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Ginny said. She dropped a kiss on top of Luna’s blonde curls, and then on the tip of her nose, and then on each cheek. “But if I’m getting up early, I need to go home and get to sleep very soon. Well, maybe after some cuddling.”

Luna let out a tinkling laugh and grabbed her hand as they walked toward the Floo. “I can’t think of a better way to end today.”

Chapter Text

Ginny shook the Floo dust from her shoulders and watched it fall to the ground, twinkling in the early morning light. She quickly peeked her head out the door and frowned at the neighboring building’s dark windows. 

“I know Neville gets an early start, but I think you may have overestimated just how early,” Luna said from behind her.

Ginny shook her head and started Charming the brooms and dusters for the morning cleaning. “I know. I was just excited to see him and tell him the good news. He looked so sad the other day when I… well, you know.”

“When you acted like an arse to spite your mother?”

“Are you ever going to let that go?” Ginny asked, shoulders drooping. She hated disappointing Luna. 

Luna pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Just as soon as you apologize to Neville, love.”

Ginny sighed. “I know that you know I didn’t mean to hurt him, and it’s been bothering me since it happened. Mum just drives me spare sometimes, and I let her get the best of me. I’ll try to do better.”

“I know,” Luna said with a sad smile. “And I’m sorry if I’ve been harsh about this. I know how your relationship with Molly is, but sometimes seeing the two of you bicker just makes me miss my own mum because we never made it to that point in our relationship. I think I take that out on you sometimes. I’ll try to do better, too.”

Ginny’s eyes lit with understanding, and she gave Luna a soft kiss. “Love you, Lu.”

“Love you too, Gin.”

Ginny quickly finished her cleaning routine while Luna worked on refining some designs for her clients. Ginny glanced at the clock every few minutes, willing it to move faster so she could talk to Neville. After an hour had passed, she decided to check for any lights on in Wallflowers, just in case she’d missed him arriving. 

Ginny threw the door open and felt it collide with something solid. 

“Fuck, Weasley, are you trying to kill me?” Theodore Nott asked, rubbing his shoulder.

She put a hand on her hip. “You’d know if I was trying. Besides, I wasn’t expecting someone to just be standing outside my door over an hour before we open.”

“Pacing, actually,” he said with a nervous laugh.

“What?”

“I wasn’t standing. I was pacing.”

“Okay… Any reason in particular why you were pacing outside my door this early?”

Theo shoved a hand through his hair. From the looks of it, it wasn’t the first time he’d done that this morning. “Can we discuss this inside?”

Ginny arched an eyebrow, but she opened the door and waved him in nonetheless. “Lu, we’ve got company!”

Luna emerged from behind the beaded curtain and gave Theo a calm smile. “Hello, Theo. I was wondering when you’d come in to see us.”

“Wh-what are you talking about?” he asked.

Luna shrugged. “I’ve seen you at the cafe across the street quite a bit lately. You always angle yourself toward our shop, and the look on your face… I wouldn’t call it wistful, per se, but…”

Theo chuckled humorlessly. “Not as subtle as I’d hoped then.”

“I suppose not,” Ginny said with a smirk.

She and Luna stood silently, waiting for Theodore Nott, of all people, to finally explain why he’d been essentially stalking their shop. But the silence stretched onward, and she could see Theo grow increasingly anxious as he fiddled with his watch and glanced over his shoulder to look through the window to the street outside. 

Ginny knew the exact moment Luna’s curiosity became outweighed by her compassion for the man in front of her. “Would you perhaps be more comfortable discussing whatever this is over a cup of tea?” the blonde asked gently. 

Some of the stress visibly melted from Theo’s face. “That would be lovely, thank you.”

Luna led him behind the curtain into her workspace, Ginny on their heels. She magicked up a strong pot of tea, sat the tray on her desk, and nudged it toward Theo. He busied himself with the milk and sugar and studiously avoided looking at either of the women in the room. 

After a bracing sip, Theo straightened his shoulders and looked directly at Luna. “I would like a tattoo.”

Ginny shared a look of surprise with Luna, but she held her tongue.

“Can you tell me a bit about what you want?” Luna asked. 

“I don’t have anything specific in mind,” he replied. “It’s more that I would like a tattoo in a specific location.”

“I see. Where, then?”

Theo sat his cup back in its saucer and rolled up the cuff of his left shirtsleeve. 

Ginny and Luna both looked at the pale, vacant skin and waited for further explanation. 

He shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “I’m tired of the constant looks I get. It was worse right after the war, when everything was still so fresh. But even now, I still catch people looking to see if I have it.”

“Have what?” Ginny asked as she heard Luna suck in a breath.

“The Dark Mark,” Luna whispered. 

Theo flinched at her words but continued, “Exactly. I’m sick of people looking at my arm and expecting to see my father reflected there. I hear the whispers, wondering if I’ve Glamour Charmed it like Draco has to do. If they’re going to stare, I want to give them something to look at. Fuck them all,” he finished harshly.

“Oh Theo,” Luna said, placing a hand on his exposed forearm. “Are you sure you want a tattoo? It’s not that I don’t want to do it, mind you. I would just hate for you to make such a permanent decision based solely on how it would make other people feel.”

But Ginny recognized the set of his jaw, the steel of his spine. “It’s not just about other people though, is it?” she asked quietly. “This is for you, too.”

Theo nodded. He took another long sip of tea and said roughly, “He wanted me to have it. My own father wanted to brand me with a mark I didn’t want for a cause I never believed in. Before she died, my mother made sure I knew what it stood for. And after Draco had it forced on him…” Theo shuddered, his teacup rattling in its saucer. “I never went home after Sixth Year. I was finally of age, so I ran. I just ran. I went to Provence—my mother’s family has a large property there—and I stayed until I heard the war was over. But it doesn’t matter. When most people look at me, all they see is my father.”

Ginny had seen Nott Sr. a few times, and it was always from afar. But she could clearly see the similarities between father and son—strong jaw, bright blue eyes, dark hair, heavy brow. His genetic traits were almost as distinctive as her own hair. But her family resemblance came with quite a bit less baggage.

“So what do you want them to see?” Ginny asked. “When people see this tattoo, who do you want them to see?”

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Luna grab a quill to take notes. 

“All I want is something that no one could ever mistake for a Dark Mark,” he said softly. “I want something beautiful.”

The quiet moment was shattered as they heard the front door slam shut and then lock.

“Gin? Luna?” Neville’s voice rang throughout the shop. “Are you alright? The sign still says closed, but the door was unlocked.”

“Give us a moment,” Ginny said as she and Luna left Theo in the consultation area and went to greet their neighbor. 

“We’re fine,” Luna assured him as they rounded the corner. “We got here a bit early and had a customer before we even opened.”

Neville was standing in the middle of the lobby, a pot of daffodils in hand. “Oh really? Sounds like a good day for business.” 

Ginny shrugged as she double checked their appointment book. “We actually didn’t have any appointments before lunch. I’ve got a few people who may drop in today for some follow ups, but you know how it is this time of year. You want it to feel like spring, but there’s still some snow on the ground, and nobody wants to get out of the house until it warms up a bit. So Theo was a bit of a surprise this morning.”

“Theo? As in Theodore Nott?” Nevilled asked incredulously. 

“Precisely,” Luna replied, “though we’re still in the idea phase of it all.” She eyed Neville thoughtfully for a moment, and a slow grin crept across her face. “In fact, I think you may be just what I need at the moment. Can you come in with us?”

Clearly confused but happy to help, Neville followed the girls back into the consultation area. Ginny saw Theo’s shoulders tense when Neville appeared, and she watched as they inched toward his ears as Luna gave him the short version of Theo’s story.

Then Luna looked back to Theo. “How would you feel about flowers?”

Theo looked at her blankly for a moment. “Flowers?”

“Flowers,” Luna said with a nod. “You said you wanted something beautiful. And I know that it’s kind of outdated, but I know some of the old families were really into the meanings of flowers. So not only could we make something beautiful, but we could make it say exactly what you’d like to tell the world.”

“I love the idea.” Theo looked down at his arm and then back at the others. “I have a few specific ones I think I’d like incorporated, but other than that, I don’t really know anything about flowers. Believe it or not, my father didn’t feel the need to educate me on the meanings of plants.”

Ginny chuckled softly. “That’s okay. I’m pretty sure that’s why Luna asked the guy who owns a nursery-slash-flower shop to get involved.”

Luna beamed at her girlfriend—great minds did think alike.

“I’d be glad to help! If you don’t mind, that is,” Nevilled quickly tacked on.

“Not at all,” Theo replied. “I think it’s a great idea.”

Ginny stood up and gestured for Neville to take her seat. “It sounds like you all have a great plan, but I’m pretty sure I’m no longer needed here. I’m going to open the shop. Just give a shout if you need anything.”

Ginny quietly went about her opening routine, listening to the hum of quiet conversation and occasional laughter that came from Luna’s office. 

What started out as a quiet morning quickly became rather chaotic. A few clients came back for follow up appointments at almost the same time, and several other people popped into the shop to make inquiries or even appointments. All that activity kept Ginny quite busy, and somehow she missed her friends slipping back into Luna’s booth. Soon enough though, the rest of the shop was empty, and the hum of the tattoo needle was creating a soothing background noise for Ginny’s administrative tasks. 

She checked the clock and, realizing it was almost lunch time, stepped into Luna’s workspace to ask what everyone wanted. 

“How do you guys feel about Indian food for lunch?” she asked. “I’m kind of craving some chicken vindaloo.”

Luna looked up from Theo’s arm. “I could go for some of that lentil soup you tried last time. It was delicious.”

“Got it. Anything for you, Theo?”

“No, thank you. I, uh, didn’t exactly eat anything this morning. I don’t know how my stomach would handle spicy food right now.”

Ginny nodded. “I get that. What about you, Nev?”

He tugged at his collar, and suddenly one of Luna’s posters seemed to really catch his interest. “I’m not sure. I may just pop home for lunch.”

“If you want something else, that’s just as well. I don’t mind making a second stop.”

“I’ve just never had Indian food,” Neville admitted. 

Ginny refused to let her jaw drop. “How have Dean and Seamus never dragged you out for curry?” 

Neville chuckled at the thought. “According to Dean, Seamus’ only real flaw is that he hates spicy food. Not that I really blame him; I don’t like it either. We always just grabbed a burger and fries after a night out.”

“Well then!” Ginny clapped her hands together. “This sounds like a perfect time to try it.”

“I guess so…”

Ginny put a hand on his shoulder. “You can trust me, Nev. I promise to bring back something I know you’ll like.”

He took a deep breath and gave her a winning smile. “I know. Thanks, Gin.”

Half an hour later, Ginny plonked boxes of takeout on the desk in Luna’s consultation room and went to check on the others. 

She entered just in time to see Luna placing the clear protective wrap over Theo’s tattoo. 

“Oh, let me see!” she said as Luna and Neville stepped aside, chuckling. 

She studied the large bouquet carefully. “Tell me about it, Theo.”

“There are certain flowers I had to have. Calla lily, for my mom. Lavender, for my time in Provence,” he said, pointing to each flower in turn. 

“Which also serves as a reminder of how you were able to stand up for yourself and your boundaries,” Luna murmured.

Theo smiled. “Exactly. It’s also a symbol for peace and happiness. A white tulip for forgiveness and sincerity. Vervain for protection, rosemary for remembrance, daffodil for new beginnings. This one here, I think Neville called it a gladiolus? It symbolizes honor and strength of character. Lastly I’ve got pear blossoms — my wand is made of pear wood, you see.”

“Which are known for their resilience. The blossoms are also a symbol of lasting friendship,” Neville added softly.

Ginny tried to surreptitiously wipe a tear from her cheek. “It’s absolutely perfect, Theo.”

“I think so,” he and Luna said at the same time. 

The four of them shared a giggle, and when Luna’s stomach grumbled, they could only laugh harder. 

“Okay, I’ve got to eat something,” Luna said, shooing them all out of her workspace. “Theo, don’t forget what I said about caring for it, alright?”

He quickly finished stacking an absurd number of coins on the counter next to the till. “I won’t forget.” He turned to look at the three of them. “I won’t forget any of it. Thank you so much for everything.”

He hugged Luna and then Ginny, and he gave Neville a firm handshake before striding confidently out the front door. 

“I love my job,” Luna said as she leaned against the counter. 

Ginny wrapped an arm around her waist. “It’s been a good morning, that’s for sure.” Luna’s stomach growled again, and Ginny smiled. “But it’s definitely time for lunch.”

As they dove into their takeout—Nevilled loved his chicken tikka masala—Luna nudged Ginny’s knee with her own and nodded intently toward Neville. 

“Uh, Nev?” Ginny said around a bite of naan. “I was wondering… Does that offer for a room still stand?”

Neville’s eyes lit up. “Of course! Does that mean you’ve reconsidered? After what you said to Molly, I wasn’t sure…”

Ginny felt her face flush in shame. “I didn’t have to reconsider. We always intended to take you up on your offer. Why wouldn’t we want to move in with one of our best friends? But then Mum got involved, and I gave in to my gut reaction to do the exact opposite of what she would want. I swear I’m trying to get better about that. But I hate that, in trying to spite her, I hurt you too. I’m sorry, Nev. Can you forgive me?”

He abruptly stood and pulled her into a tight hug, a move that shocked Ginny. Neville wasn’t exactly known for being a touchy-feely person, so she appreciated just how special this was.

“I’ve already forgotten about it,” he said as he released her. “Just let me know when it would be a good time for me to come help you move.”

“Are you free this weekend?” Luna asked. 

“Absolutely!”

Ginny smiled behind her glass of water. New beginnings. Old friends. Everything was looking up.

Chapter Text

Luna leaned against the counter and sighed as her last customer of the day closed the door behind them. “I’m so glad we’ve taken the afternoon off. I know moving is a lot easier with magic, but I’m still not looking forward to it.”

“At least Nev offered to help. That means fewer trips through the Floo,” Ginny replied with a shudder.

Luna nodded and allowed herself a shy grin. “I’m really excited to move in with him.”

“Me too. All that extra space, the fresh air—”

“No more butcher shop stink.”

Ginny pulled a face. “Yep, won’t miss that one bit.”

The pair shared a small laugh and went about their closing duties. Ginny magically set the brooms and dusters about their daily chores and checked the clock above the door. She grinned. Just half an hour before their very busy weekend could begin—she couldn’t wait. 

Fate, it seemed, had other ideas. 

Five minutes later the door clanged open, admitting a ruddy-faced Cedric Diggory with Cho Chang in tow.

Despite her disappointment, Ginny put on her best professional smile. “Cedric. Cho. What can I do for you today?”

Cedric shot her a grin. “Nothing for me today,” he said, looking over at his partner. “I’m here as moral support.”

Cho tried to smile, but it came off more as a grimace. 

“Are you positive?” Ginny asked gently. “You seem a little… unsure, Cho.”

Cho took a deep breath and nodded firmly. “I’m positive. I’ve been working up the nerve to come in for weeks.”

“Months,” Cedric teased lightly.

“Thanks, love,” Cho said with a small laugh, elbowing him in the ribs. “I’ve really wanted my nose pierced for a while, but my parents are very… traditional. They’re not going to like it. I suppose I’ve just been avoiding the fight, but I’m tired of waiting. It’s my life, and I’ve got to live it the way I want.” She twisted the small diamond ring on her left hand and shot Cedric a meaningful look. 

Ginny gave Cho an understanding smile and gestured toward the display cases. “Alright then. Let’s talk about placements and jewelry.”

Cho slipped her hand back into Cedric’s and followed Ginny. “I just want a ring in my left nostril. Nothing too crazy.”

Ginny nodded and passed her a thin binder. “Sounds like you’ve got a solid plan. This is our catalog, sorted by type of jewelry as well as available enchantments. Anything that’s circled I have in stock. If you don’t see it in the case, I’ve got it stored under the counter, and I’ll be glad to show it to you. Let me know when you’ve made a selection.”

As Cho and Cedric looked through the catalog, Ginny popped her head into Luna’s office. “Hey babe, I may get out of here a few minutes late. Cho Chang showed up asking for a nostril piercing.”

Luna tried to hide her flinch. “That’s fine. I’ll just slip out the Floo and meet you at ours.”

Unfortunately for her, Ginny didn’t miss a thing. “I forgot about your ‘history’ with her. Do you want me to kick her out? We are technically supposed to be closing.”

“No, no,” Luna said with a wave of her hand. “We shouldn’t lose business just because I can’t let go of the past. I just need to finish tweaking this design before I leave.”

Recognizing her dismissal, Ginny shook her head and walked back into the lobby. 

“I think I’ve got it,” Cho chirped, pointing to a delicate silver hoop. “I like that it has a minor glamor charm I can activate to hide it. I didn’t realize I could have the best of both worlds!”

“Perfect! Let me grab one and you can follow me into the back.”

As she pulled the hoop from the storage case, Ginny couldn’t help but notice the way Cedric was staring at a different piece of jewelry. 

“Are you sure you don’t want one, too?” she asked quietly. 

Cedric looked at her and blushed. “Truthfully I think having an eyebrow ring would look pretty amazing. However, it probably wouldn’t go over so well at the Ministry, so I’ll have to pass.”

Ginny shot him an unimpressed look. “Did you completely miss everything Cho just said? You can just glamor it at work.”

“Of course not,” he said with a sigh. “I just… It’s no secret my father has political ambitions for me. And I’m pretty sure the type of vibe an eyebrow piercing would give off is not in line with those plans. So if I can’t ever wear it at work or in public, is there really any point? I appreciate the offer, Ginny, but I’ll have to pass.”

Cho sidled up next to him and wrapped an arm around his waist. “But your father’s plans aren't your plans.”

“I know that, but…”

Cho took him by the shoulders and looked him squarely in the eye. “How many times do I have to say it? If I can defy my parents’ wishes by marrying you, then you can defy yours by choosing your own path. I’m certainly not going to force you, but I need you to know that I would be with you every step of the way. Please don’t hold yourself back because you don’t feel like you have the support. I don’t care if they disown us both. The two of us together can face anything.”

After a long moment, Cedric gave her a small smile. “Even an eyebrow piercing?” he asked.

Cho rolled her eyes. “I’m pretty sure that’s going to be the least of our worries, but it’ll be a good place to start.”

Cedric turned to Ginny. “I saw the sign on the door that said you were closing early, but do you have time for both of us?”

“Of course!” she replied, beaming at the pair. “Which one were you thinking about?”

Cedric quickly pointed out his own hoop, and Ginny led them toward her workspace just in time to see Luna attempting to duck silently out of her office. 

“Luna!” Cho called out.

Ginny saw her girlfriend’s spine stiffen before she turned to face her former housemate. 

“Cho, how good to see you again,” Luna said softly.

“You, too.” 

Cho nervously tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and glanced at Cedric and Ginny. “Would you go first, Ced? I’d like a moment with Luna, if you don’t mind?”

As if expecting it, Cedric nodded and continued on, a reluctant Ginny on his heels. When they were safely ensconced in her workspace, Ginny threw up a Muffling Charm. 

“Are you sure that was a good idea?” she asked him. “Those two don’t have the best history, and that’s putting it lightly. I’m going to be rather pissed at the both of you if Cho upsets Luna again.”

Cedric waved her off. “That’s the other thing that was holding Cho back from doing this. She changed a lot during and especially after the war.”

“We all did,” Ginny grumbled under her breath.

Cedric nodded. “You’re right, we did. And we all look a lot different in the aftermath, both inside and out.” He eyed Ginny’s tattoos for a moment. “Cho is so ashamed of the way she and her friends treated Luna. And she’s ashamed that it took losing friends and acquaintances to make her appreciate the brevity of life and the way a single person can negatively impact someone else’s life in a short amount of time.”

Ginny looked at him appraisingly. “It sounds like you two have talked about this before.”

“At length,” he assured her. “Cho was torn between the fear of facing her past actions and the desire to apologize to Luna. But she decided it was more important to apologize and risk getting the dressing down she deserves rather than continue to let the hurt fester. She came in here hoping to catch Luna and attempt to make amends.” He gestured to himself and smiled. “Hence the moral support.”

“Bloody Hufflepuffs,” Ginny muttered around her own smile. “I swear, your general… goodness rubs off on everyone around you.”

“Cho tells me the same thing. I like to think we just bring out the best in people.”

“Whatever you want to call it.” Ginny turned toward him with her marker, a stern expression on her face.. “Now let’s finish up here.”

“Anxious to be rid of us already?” he teased, turning on the charm. 

Ginny snorted. “No, but yes. As much as I believe what you’ve told me, I’m still not sure how that whole interaction is going to shake out. The longer we drag this out, the more time they have to cause a scene. So yes, I’d like to get a move on so I can make sure my girlfriend isn’t having a breakdown or hexing your fiance into oblivion.”

Cedric blanched at the thought. “Probably for the best.”

A few moments later, the pair emerged from Ginny’s workspace and followed the sound of soft conversation toward Luna’s office. 

Ginny parted the bead curtain and found Cho and Luna sharing a cup of tea. They didn’t look exactly comfortable, but the earlier tension had disappeared from the set of Luna’s shoulders. 

“Everything alright here?” Ginny asked, eyeing Cho carefully. 

“We’re fine,” Luna said in a soft voice. “Promise.”

Ginny studied her for a moment and was pleased to see not an ounce of untruth in her gaze. 

“Well then,” she said, “it’s your turn, Cho.”

Cho nodded and turned back to Luna. “Again, thank you so much for seeing me. It feels strange to tell you ‘best of luck’ when you’re already doing well, but I really do wish the best for you.”

“Thank you,” Luna replied, finally giving up a small smile.

Cho and Cedric followed Ginny back to her workspace, and it was impossible to miss the roar of the Floo as Luna headed back to their flat. Ginny worked quickly and in near silence to finish Cho’s piercing.

When all was said and done, Ginny gave Cho a knowing look. “I’m glad you came and apologized. You might not know this, but Luna and I didn’t have a great history growing up.”

“Really?” Cho asked. “You’re so good together now. I can’t imagine the two of you at odds.”

Ginny hung her head. “What I mean to say is that I was a right bitch to Luna when we were kids. We grew up near each other, and Mum would sometimes have Luna over for the day after Luna’s mum died. As much as my mum wanted to give Xenophilius a break, I think she was also trying to help Luna socialize with children her own age. It totally backfired, of course—Ron and I were terrible to her. We were the first ones to call her Loony.”

Cedric and Cho gasped and shared a look of horror. 

“It was awful,” Ginny acknowledged. “After we got to Hogwarts, I didn’t really have that much to do with her. But during my Fourth Year, when we were both in the DA, Luna and I got partnered together a lot. I actually got to really know her, and she was just so wonderful. It made me sick to think about how I’d treated her so poorly and then ignored her. But one day I sat her down and apologized for everything I could possibly think of, and then I went back through it all just for good measure. I was nearly hoarse by the time Luna stopped me. I could have kept going but I’m pretty sure she was simply ready for lunch.”

“She did the same thing to me,” Cho said with a chuckle. “She just calmly put her hand up and said, ‘Thank you for your apology. Would you like some tea?’”

Ginny nodded. “That’s Luna for you. So I guess I shared all that to say thank you for coming here and apologizing. I know from personal experience that it’s incredibly difficult.”

Cho beamed at her and squeezed Cedric’s hand. “Thanks. That means a lot, coming from you.”

After a beat of silence, Ginny clapped her hands. “Alright, enough of this mushy talk. Let’s get you two out of here. I’ve got a flat to move!” She led Cho and Cedric back to the front, tossed their Galleons in the till, and ushered them out the door. “Don’t forget, if it turns red and itchy or becomes really painful, come back and see me. Have a nice day!” 

She heaved a sigh, turned the lock, and flipped the paper sign to Closed. Finally . 

Ginny grabbed her bag and dashed back to the Floo. A few moments of nauseating spins later and she was spit out into her living room, which was really more of a maze of boxes at this point. It took a minute for Ginny’s vision to clear—an occasional side effect of her injury. When her head finally stopped spinning, she saw Luna curled up on their sofa, hugging her favorite stuffed krup, with Neville seated close at her side. At second glance, she realized Neville was holding Luna’s hand firmly in his lap.

“Hi, Nev,” Ginny said. “Thanks for coming to help. We’re going to need a few minutes before we start any real work, though.”

“Luna told me about Cho dropping by and apologizing,” he said. “Take all the time you need. It’s not like the house is going anywhere.”

She smiled at him, and then she plopped down on Luna’s other side and wrapped her arms around her. “Rough talk?” she asked gently. 

“Not really,” Luna said with a shrug. “It didn’t last long enough to be too difficult. Neither one of us wanted to rehash everything she said and did to me. She actually gave me a really beautiful apology, and then I told her thank you. But we really didn’t have anything else to talk about. We’d been sitting in silence with our tea for at least ten minutes when you came back.”

Ginny gave her a gentle squeeze. “You thanked her for her apology. That sounds different from accepting it. Not that you have to, of course, but I thought your choice of words was interesting. What is it the Muggle therapist told Hermione that she’s always spouting off? That thing about healing and forgiveness?”

“Forgiveness is often a product of healing, but it’s not a necessary step,” Neville chimed in quietly.

“Exactly,” Ginny said. “So if you forgive her, great. If not, maybe it will at least help you clear your head about some stuff.”

“It’s…” Luna trailed off. She took a moment to gather her thoughts and began again. “I’m glad that she’s seen how terribly she treated me, and I’m glad she is ashamed enough that she’ll likely never do it again. But honestly it felt like that apology was as much for her as it was for me. Like she needed me to forgive her so that she could forgive herself.”

Neville cocked an eyebrow. “And you let her think you had.”

Luna shrugged again and then nudged Ginny with her shoulder. “It seemed kinder. Besides, not everyone can give hour-long apologies,” she said teasingly.

Ginny ducked her head in shame. “Some days I feel like I should still be apologizing to you.”

“Stop.” Luna grabbed her chin and looked her in the eyes. “The biggest difference between your apology and Cho’s is that yours was so completely genuine. You said nothing to spare your own ego. I could feel the remorse rolling off you the entire time you were talking, and I believed every word of it. The other difference is that we were little kids when you were mean to me, Gin. You weren’t a popular sixteen year old girl mercilessly bullying someone two years younger than you. You were a shit-head kid who saw the error of her ways and admitted to them. That’s a lot more than most adults can do, you know.”

“I know,” Ginny murmured. 

“Good,” Luna said, giving her a quick peck on the lips. “Then quit bringing it up. It’s all water under the bridge.”

“Speaking of water,” Neville said, trying for a bit of levity, “I hope neither of you are shower hogs. The only real downside to the house is the plumbing. Probably should have mentioned that. It’s nothing major, really. Sometimes the water heating is just a bit temperamental, and I don’t really know what to do about it. One of my customers recommended a friend who fixes things like that, but I haven’t had a chance to owl him yet.”

Ginny grinned. “Neville, I can probably fix it in a few minutes tonight. I grew up in a house with eight other people, so we put a strain on our plumbing pretty regularly. My expertise with household charms also includes most basic and intermediate home repair spells.”

Neville threw back his head and laughed. “I should have known. Ginny Weasley, resident DIY extraordinaire.”

“I think we’re going to be learning a lot about each other in the coming months and years,” Luna said with a smile of her own.

“It’s going to be our Sixth Year all over again,” Ginny said.

Neville nodded. “Like one big sleepover in the Room of Requirement.”

“But this time with no Death Eaters—” Luna replied.

“—and plenty of food—” Neville added. 

“And a lot more alcohol,” Ginny finished with a devilish grin. 

Neville leaned across Luna and smacked her with a pillow. “Of course you would think of that.”

“I’m nothing if not consistent,” Ginny said with a smirk before she attacked him with her own pillow, accidentally beaning Luna in the process. That was clearly the wrong move to make. Before they knew it, their living room had turned into an epic pillow-fight battle zone. The three friends lasted a solid ten minutes before they collapsed in a pile on the couch, wheezing slightly.

“Maybe we shouldn’t have done that before we have to move all these boxes,” Neville said, his voice full of chagrin.

Luna pursed her lips thoughtfully. “We actually told Mr. Caywood that we wouldn’t be out of here until tomorrow evening, so…”

“So let’s just grab the essential boxes and come back for the rest tomorrow after breakfast,” Ginny suggested. 

Neville heaved a sigh of relief. “That’s the best idea you’ve had all day, maybe ever.”

Ginny shook her head and grabbed one of Luna and Neville’s hands. “Not ever .”

Chapter Text

Ginny carefully vanished the crumbs from her late lunch (a cheese and pickle sandwich, courtesy of Neville) and turned back a stack of invoices. It was unbelievable how far Third Eye had come in so little time. Business was booming, thanks in part to some recent positive press. Their finances were consistently in the black these days, and the money they were bringing in seemed to go so much farther after moving in with Neville. Life was very, very good. The only downside was that more business meant more paperwork.

Ginny put down her quill as the bell above the door tinkled merrily.

“I always told George you’d be the Weasley that caused the biggest stir,” said a smiling Angelina Johnson. Alicia Spinnet and Katie Bell followed her through the door, looking curiously around the shop.

“What can I say? I had six older brothers’ antics to learn from,” Ginny replied with an impish smirk. She rushed over and pulled each of them into a deep hug. These women had been in her life since Fred and George made the Gryffindor quidditch team, and they’d never left. She’d been half raised by them at Hogwarts. Seeing her de facto big sisters—and soon-to-be sisters-in-law—always felt like home. She’d been so excited to see their names on Luna’s books for this afternoon.

“You’ve definitely out done yourself,” Alicia said, still looking around. “You’re still the talk of the town amongst the older crowd.”

Katie nodded in agreement. “And after that article in the Prophet, you’re all the younger generation can talk about, too.”

Ginny let out a chuckle. Harry and Hermione had very quietly escaped to Greece for a vacation after working together to close a major creature trafficking case. Somehow, the press had gotten wind of it and followed them. Most of the pictures were of Harry and Hermione on the beach in their swimwear, tattoos on full display. The photos were splashed across the front page of the Prophet, sending a portion of the British wizarding community into shock.

Rather than respond as they usually did to the vultures of the press, Harry and Hermione recognized it as an opportunity. In a move that surprised pretty much everyone, they sat down the next week and gave an incredibly honest interview with an up and coming reporter with the Prophet. Of course they’d talked about life after the war, their tattoos and their meanings. They’d also talked about how, despite fighting a literal war for change and equality, wizarding society was continuing to stagnate. The article had angered a lot of the old guard, particularly within the Wizengamot, but the general public had reacted positively.

When their shop was name dropped in the article, Ginny figured they would have a small uptick in consultations and maybe a few actual appointments. She’d been unprepared for the bombardment of interest that followed. They got owls from all over the UK and Ireland asking questions about scar cover ups, requesting further examples of Luna’s work, wanting information about the tattoo process in general. Luna and Ginny had done their best to keep up with correspondence as well as run the shop, but they wouldn’t have made it through that initial wave of letters without Neville. A month later, things were back to a slightly more manageable pace.

“It’s been crazy around here,” said Ginny, leading them back to Luna’s consultation area. “But business is good, so I can’t complain too much. What are you three in for?”

Angelina flopped ungracefully down on a stool. “Friendship bracelets!”

Alicia rolled her eyes and perched herself on the corner of Luna’s desk. “What Angie means to say is that we’d like a tattooed version of friendship bracelets on our wrists.”

“Basically a strand of each of our favorite colors braided together,” Katie continued, taking the last seat. “That way we can all match.”

“And we each take a piece of the others with us wherever we go,” Angelina finished.

“I think that can be arranged,” Luna said as she parted the beaded curtain. “Did you want just a simple braid, or would you like a more intricate design?”

Ginny excused herself as the planning continued. Paperwork wouldn’t finish itself.

An hour later, a trio of squeals echoed through the building. Ginny shoved her paperwork to the side and walked into Luna’s workspace. The three best friends were gathered around Angelina’s arm, oohing and ahhing over Luna’s work.

“I take it everything turned out well?” Ginny asked.

Angelina shoved her wrist at Ginny. “It’s perfect!”

The green, blue, and yellow “bracelet” was woven in a complex pattern, each color twisting and crisscrossing with the others, clearly a separate strand but inextricably intertwined with the others. The tattoo itself even moved up and down Angelina’s arm, spinning around her wrist like a real bracelet.

“Luna’s the best at what she does,” Ginny said with a smile, looping an arm around the blonde’s waist.

“Why don’t you sit in here while she does ours,” Katie said, hopping up on the padded bench. “It’ll be good to catch up.”

Ginny sat on the spare stool in the corner. “I can always spare a few minutes for family.”

“Speaking of family,” said Alicia, “Fred told me that you two moved in with Neville last month.”

“We did,” Luna confirmed as she prepared her tools. “Our lease was ending, he had plenty of room, and we liked the idea.”

“How’s that been going?” Katie said as the buzz of the tattoo needle began.

“We’re loving it. I’ve gone from living with one of my best friends to living with two of them. What could be better?” Ginny replied. “But I don’t have to tell you that.”

After getting engaged to Alicia and Angelina, respectively, Fred and George had finally enlarged the flat over their shop. Ginny also knew that Lee Jordan, Katie’s fiance, was currently staying in their guest bedroom while his flat was being renovated.

“It’s great living with your best friends.” A wistful look came over Angelina’s face. “I love it when all six of us wind up at the boys’ flat on the same night. It’s insanely crowded, but I like having everyone close like that.”

A haunted look flashed across Alicia’s face. “Especially after everything…” They all knew Alicia’s memory of Fred’s near death experience still reared its ugly head now and again.

“You could all just find a house together,” Luna suggested.

“We can’t do that,” Katie immediately replied.

Ginny raised an eyebrow. “And why not?’

Katie tried to formulate a response, but her reply died on her lips.

Angelina jumped in instead. “It sounds like a pretty great plan to me. I’d live with you all forever.”

“It does sound nice,” said Alicia.

“But what will people say?” Katie asked, chewing at her lip. “I feel like it’s one thing for a couple to live with their best friend. But all six of us?”

“Sod them all,” Ginny said firmly. “The people who care don’t matter, and the people who matter don’t care. If you’re happy, we’re happy.”

“Hear hear,” Luna added quietly, wiping Katie’s arm clean.

“Lee’s flat won’t be ready for another month,” Alicia reminded her, sitting for her turn under the needle. “That gives us weeks before we have to make any kind of decision.”

Angelina nodded excitedly. “And think of all the fun we can have! Midnight margaritas anytime we want them!”

“It really is a lot of fun living with your friends,” Ginny added. “It’s nice to be surrounded by people who just get you.”

She thought of how peaceful their little cottage was. They could all sit in silence—her knitting, Luna sketching, Neville reading—and be perfectly content. And then there were the “cuddle puddles”, as Luna had termed them. If someone had a bad day, or if Neville just needed a little human contact, they’d pile on to the sofa with popcorn and wine and watch a dumb film, their limbs and blankets all tangled together. But more than anything, it was the day-to-day stuff, like cooking dinner and chatting over their morning tea, that brought Ginny the most joy.

“Come on, K,” Alicia prodded. “You know it would be amazing.”

Despite her reluctance, a smile started to spread across Katie’s face. “And if we have kids?”

“Then they’re all raised together, by parents and aunts and uncles that love them all the same,” Angelina answered. “And don’t even start worrying about not having enough room. We have enough money and plenty of magic. We can find a way to make it work.”

Katie’s smile had become a full grown grin. “You know we still have to get the boys to agree to this.”

“Like that will be any trouble,” Alicia muttered.

“If it helps, I’m pretty sure Fred, George, and Lee have wanted to live together since they were kids,” said Ginny. “They probably figured their fiances wouldn’t go for it.”

“Are they in for a surprise or what?” Angelina replied with a smirk.

With that, Luna finished Alicia’s bracelet, wiping it clean as Ginny handed them all tattoo after-care pamphlets.

“Keep it clean, no magic applied directly to it, and follow up with me in two weeks,” Luna reminded them as the three best friends got ready to leave.

“And I expect to hear about your plans for the compound at the next Sunday dinner,” Ginny added.

“I’m sure you’ll hear all about it,” Angelina replied as they all dropped their payments on the counter. “We’ll be back soon!

Watching the three best friends leave the shop arm in arm, Ginny looped her arm through Luna’s. She loved her job, but when today was through, she’d be glad to go home to her best friends.

As if reading her mind, Luna patted her hand. “Just a few more hours.”

Ginny grinned. It felt good to be known so well.

Chapter Text

Ginny wiped the sweat from her brow—household charms were no joke—as she looked around Wallflowers’ back room. Everything was clean and back in its rightful place. She’d sent Luna and Neville home already, and she was ready to get back to them. She tossed a handful of Floo powder into Neville’s grate and waited for the green flames to appear. 

Nothing. 

Ginny groaned. This was the fourth time this month that the Floo in Neville’s shop had gone out. She made a mental note to call the Floo repair service for Neville tomorrow since he was going to be in Glasgow all day. But for tonight she’d have to use the Floo in her own shop

As she locked the front door of Wallflowers, she heard a familiar voice call out, “Ginny Weasley?”

She turned to see Colin Creevey standing in front of her shop. Gone was the nervous, scrawny boy from first year. This Colin was tall and lanky and walking confidently toward her, but his excited expression was still the same.

“Creevey!” she cried, pulling him into a hug. “How have you been?”

“I’ve been well,” he replied with a grin. “Dennis and I have been on the continent for the past couple of years for work. What about you?”

“I played quidditch for a while, then,” Ginny gestured to the shop behind them, “Luna and I started Third Eye.”

“This place is yours? No way!” Colin said excitedly.

“Yep, she’s ours,” Ginny said proudly. “We had a bit of a rough start, but we’ve made a good go of it.”

Colin shot her a questioning look. “Are you both tattooing, or…”

Ginny threw her head back with a laugh. “Please don’t be thinking of my drawings from Herbology. Sprout only passed me because I promised not to inflict my lack of plant skills on the wizarding world.”

Colin rubbed the back of his neck, his cheeks pinking even as he smiled. “You can’t fault a bloke for wondering.”

“Luna does all the tattoo work,” Ginny assured him. “I specialize in piercings.”

“Magical piercings?” Colin asked, intrigued. 

“Magical or mundane. The only difference is the jewelry—magical jewelry can be enchanted to do a lot of stuff, mundane jewelry just looks cool. But magic does make the actual piercing process essentially painless.”

“That actually sounds like something I’d be interested in.”

“Step into the shop with me, and I’ll set up an appointment for you.”

Ginny quietly unlocked the front door and filled the front room with light. “What’s a good day for you?” she asked, flipping through her appointment book.

“Sooner rather than later, I’m afraid,” Colin replied. “I’m only in town until late next week.”

“That’s fine,” Ginny said, waving her hand dismissively, “I build time for drop-ins and follow ups into the schedule. Can you come by at 4:30 tomorrow?”

“That sounds perfect. I’ll see you then.” 

As Ginny stumbled out of the cottage’s Floo, she could hear music coming from the kitchen. Already smiling, Ginny gently folded her arms and leaned against the doorway to watch. Luna was at the stove, mindlessly stirring some kind of sauce as she swayed and hummed to the tune coming from the wireless. Neville was at the other end of the counter, carefully chopping vegetables with a content look on his face. 

“This smells delicious,” Ginny said, making her presence known. 

“Thanks, love,” Luna murmured, still swaying. 

Neville smiled in greeting and said, “Hey, can you start grating the cheese? It’s on the top shelf in the icebox.”

“Sorry I’m late,” Ginny said, grabbing the cheese and grater. “I bumped into someone on the way home.”

“Someone was in Wallflowers?” Neville asked, confused. 

Ginny shook her head. “Your Floo is on the fritz again. I’ll call the repair service for you tomorrow. No, Colin Creevey caught me as I was heading into Third Eye to use the Floo."

“Oh, I remember him,” Luna said, finally breaking out of her musical haze. “What’s he been up to?” 

“He and Dennis are working on the continent, still doing photography, I think. I forgot to ask. But Colin’s coming in tomorrow for a piercing, so we can ask then."

“What time’s he due in?” Neville asked. “I haven’t seen him in years, and he was a huge help during that year with the Carrows. I’d like to say hello.”

“He’ll be in at 4:30,” Ginny replied, tasting the sauce Luna offered her. “Merlin, that’s fantastic.”

“Alright, dinner is finished. Work talk is done,” Luna declared as she levitated their meal to the table. “Nev, can you open a bottle of that merlot?”

Ginny pushed her conversation with Colin out of her mind. Work was amazing, but it could wait. Now was a time for her girlfriend and her best friend. 

The next afternoon, just before 4:30, Colin Creevey strode through the door of Third Eye Tattoo, accidentally slamming it open as he did. Ginny and Luna, who were standing at the counter looking over the books, sighed. 

“You haven’t changed at all, Colin Creevey,” Luna said, smiling gently as she walked around to greet him

“Luna!” Colin cried, sweeping her into a back popping hug. “How have you been?”

“I’m wonderful,” she said serenely. “I’ve got a fantastic girlfriend, a peaceful home, and work that I love. What more could I want?”

Colin nodded in agreement. “That sounds perfect.”

“Speaking of work,” she said, glancing toward her office, “I need to prep for my next client. But we’ll have to have you over for dinner one night before you leave again.”

“It’s a date,” Colin said with a wink.

“Good. Then I’ll leave you in Ginny’s capable hands.”

As Luna walked away, Colin turned back to Ginny with a smirk. “Alright, Gin, do your worst!” 

Ginny shook her head and took out her pen and notebook. “I can’t do my best or my worst until I know what kind of piercing you want.”

“You did mention magical jewelry,” said Colin. “Do you have anything that can help me with my photography?”

Ginny thought for a moment and then began pulling different pieces she thought might be useful. “I’ve got a couple that can help with eyesight. This one improves your peripheral vision, and this one enhances the clarity of your sight. Then I’ve got these—they’re enchanted to increase creativity and improve cognitive function in different ways. And then I’ve also got…”

Together they sorted through Ginny’s jewelry collection and narrowed it down to three pieces. 

“An eyebrow hoop for enhanced peripheral vision, a cartilage hoop for greater hearing sensitivity, and a bridge piercing for boosting creativity.” Ginny whistled, impressed. “That’s a wide variety of options you’ve left yourself with. What’s it gonna be, Colin?”

Colin picked them up and studied them in turn, thinking long and hard about each one. Finally, he turned to Ginny. “Is there any reason I can’t just get all three?”

Ginny’s eyebrows shot up to her hairline. “All three?”

Colin nodded, watching her carefully. 

Ginny sat back on her stool and considered the question. “No, I don’t see any reason you couldn’t get all three. Most people just don’t want to change so much so quickly. You just surprised me, I guess.”

“I don’t see any reason to wait,” Colin said with a shrug. “They’ll all be helpful for my work, and people on the continent don’t seem to care as much about this sort of thing. Plus I can always glamour them if I have to.”

“All right then,” Ginny replied, slapping the counter as she stood. “Let’s not wait any longer. Rushing headlong into something like we used to do.”

A delicate snort came from the other side of the beaded curtain, followed by a quiet, “Gryffindors.”

“Ignore her,” Ginny said with a laugh, leading Colin back to her workspace. “She acts like she hasn’t done the same thing, then had me heal them up when she changes her mind.”

After a few short minutes and some numbing charms, she had the piercings taken care of. 

On their way back to the lobby, Ginny handed him an aftercare pamphlet. “And remember, if something goes wrong while you’re out of the country, you’re more than welcome to Floo us, but another magical or even mundane shop may be able to do more for you than I can.”

“Don’t worry, Gin, I can take care of myself,” he said, reaching for his wallet. “Now how much do I owe you.”

“For you? Just the cost of the jewelry. Let me total it up really quick.” She heard the bell above the door jingle as she moved toward the register. 

Colin gently grabbed her elbow as she passed him. “I’m paying for your labor and expertise, too, Weasley. Not just the jewelry.”

“Better listen to him, Gin,” Neville said with a broad smile on his face. “This man means business.”

“Neville Longbottom!” Colin cried, his face lighting up at seeing his old friend and mentor. 

Neville grasped his hand in a firm shake, and his eyes went wide as Colin used that hand to pull him into a back slapping hug.

“It’s great to see you, mate,” Colin said. “What’ve you been up to lately?”

Neville jerked a thumb back toward his shop. “I run the nursery next door, Wallflowers. Keeps me pretty busy, but I love the work. What about you? Gin tells me you’re on the continent?”

“Yeah, work keeps me there part of the time,” he said noncommittally. 

“What about the rest of the time?” Ginny prodded. “I haven’t seen you around here in ages, so it’s not in Britain.”

Colin scratched his neck again. “So, I actually spend a lot of time traveling, mostly in Africa and Asia. Dennis and I have been working as a team for several years. I do most of the actual photography, and Dennis develops everything. He’s a whiz with that stuff, and he’s figured out how to manipulate magical photos to capture mundane photos. We’ve worked for both magical and mundane publications as photographers, but we’re trying to establish ourselves as photojournalists.”

“Sweet Merlin,” Neville said. “That’s…”

“That’s fucking incredible!” Ginny finished, grinning from ear to ear. “I’m glad you’re doing something you seem so passionate about, and it sounds like something you’re really good at, too.”

“I hope so,” Colin said shyly.

“Don’t forget all of us little people when you make it big,” Neville said, clasping his shoulder. 

“As if I could!” Colin replied, smiling again. “Now what do I actually owe you, Ginny?”

As Ginny opened her mouth to argue, Neville held up his hand. “How about a compromise? Colin, would you be open to swapping services?”

Colin’s face lit up at the thought, and they could almost see the wheels turning in his head as he spoke, his words nearly running together. “Absolutely! You and Luna need headshots for any ad campaigns or marketing you’re going to do. But that’s definitely not an equal trade on its own. How about this? If you can get everyone together, I could do some family portraits for you. It’s not something I do a lot of right now, but if I’m going to really break into photojournalism, I’ll have to be able to do some portrait work as well. Yes, I think this is a fantastic idea! Does that work for you?”

Ginny’s reeling mind took a moment to catch up. She felt like she’d been standing too close to the Hogwarts Express as it passed her going full steam. “That sounds like it would be a fair trade, and I know my mum would love some new family photos. Does this weekend work for you?”

“Sunday afternoon would be great if you can swing it.”

“Then I’ll owl you the details.”

Colin gave them both quick hugs, called out a goodbye to Luna, and left the shop in a whirlwind of noise.

Ginny sagged against the front counter. “Talking to him is still…”

“Exciting and exhausting,” Nevilled finished for her. “It’s good to know that some things never change.”

“I’ll have to owl Mum and have her get everyone organized for the photos,” Ginny said, scrubbing a hand down her face. “I’m sure she’ll want everyone on the same color scheme. Make sure all your clothes are clean and accounted for so you can find something appropriate. Unless you’ve got something you’re willing to charm to the correct color, that is. I can’t ever get the original shade right again, though…”

“Why do I need to color coordinate for photos I won’t be in?” Neville asked somewhat mulishly. 

Ginny gave him her best Molly glare. “You’re part of the Weasley family, and you know it. When we do family portraits, it’s the whole damn family. You’re just as related to us as Harry and Hermione are, and you know my mum expects them to be there. So you will also be there in a matching shirt, or so help me, Neville Longbottom, you will see me embody my middle name to its fullest extent.”

Luna parted the beaded curtain and came to stand beside her girlfriend, presenting a united front. “You know, I was going to add something to that, but I feel like she’s covered everything.”

“This argument is getting old, Nev,” Ginny said with a sigh. 

Neville turned away, looking quietly at his shoes. “Sorry.”

Ginny pushed off the counter and gently slipped her arms around his waist. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that, at least not that way. Truthfully, it’s not the argument I’m tired of. I just wish you saw yourself as the integral part of the Weasley family that you have become.”

She felt Luna embrace him from his other side. “We know you see us as part of your family, Neville. When are you going to finally see that you’re part of ours?”

Ginny heard a wet sniffle from above her. “Thanks, you two. Sometimes, I just…” 

She softly patted his back. “I know, love. I know.”

Neville took a deep breath, swiped at his eyes, and clapped his hands. “Alright, enough of that. Are you ladies done for the day?”

Ginny and Luna shared a quick glance to confirm they were both finished and then nodded.

“Then I believe there are some leftovers and another John Hughes film calling our names,” he said, offering each of them an arm with a flourish. 

With a swish of her wand, Ginny had the shop locked and the sign flipped to Closed. “Let’s go home.”

“Home,” Neville agreed, a look of joy and contentment settling on his face. 

Chapter Text

Ginny shoved the till closed with a bang and sank onto her stool after a very full morning. She’d pierced three sets of ears, two noses, and an eyebrow already today, and she wouldn’t be surprised if a few clients stopped in for follow ups. Luna had finally sent home her first client of the morning, but she still had one more on the books before lunch. 

Ginny’s stomach growled loudly. She hoped Luna’s last appointment wouldn’t take too long—she was dying for some Thai food from that place Neville loved. 

Right on time, Susan Bones swept through the front door, closing it quickly behind her. “I thought it was supposed to be spring,” she declared, fanning her face with her hand. 

“You know how the city heat gets in early June,” Ginny replied. 

Susan nodded, casting a quick cooling charm on herself. “All the stone just makes it feel like an oven.”

“I haven’t seen you in ages, Bones,” Ginny said to her fellow redhead. “How’ve you been?”

Susan leaned delicately against the counter. “I’ve been good, just very busy with work.”

“You Hufflepuffs were always working too hard. What is that you’ve gotten yourself into?”

“I’m a researcher for the Ministry,” Susan explained. “I specialize in the study and assessment of astronomical and celestial impact on rites and rituals that are influenced by the stars and other heavenly bodies.”

Ginny sat back and tried to process everything she’d just heard. “That’s… Merlin, that’s really impressive. At least, I think it is, if I understood you at all.”

Luna breezed into the lobby from her office. “What she means is that she does a lot of complex arithmancy combined with astronomical calculations to make sure that nobody in the Department of Mysteries blows up half of Britain.”

“Ninety-nine percent of the time, it’s nothing nearly so critical.” Susan waved a hand dismissively. “Besides, I do most of my work with other departments, like the Department for the Support and Care of Magical Creatures, or with other research groups, like the Herbologists. The Unspeakables leave me alone for the most part. The most common question my colleagues ask on a day to day basis is about the current phase of the moon.”

“Which is why she’s here today,” Luna offered. 

“If this works, it’s going to be a huge help,” Susan said excitedly. She turned to Ginny with an explanation. “I ran into Luna last week at that coffee shop near Madame Malkin's, and we got to talking about what she did here. I asked her if she could find a way to enchant a tattoo to show the current phase of the moon, and she was confident that she could. So I’m here to give it a go.”

“I also did some thinking about that other design we discussed,” Luna said, leading the other women back to her workspace. “I wasn’t sure if you were still interested. It wouldn’t be today, but I could fit you in for it next week.”

Now that she was back where the actual magic happened, they could see Susan’s excitement morph into nervousness. “Well, let’s see how the first one turns out.”

Ginny’s stomach grumbled loudly again. 

“Do you want to go pick up some lunch?” Luna asked. “I should be almost finished with the first piece by the time you get back.” 

Ginny shrugged. “Sure. You want your usual?”

Luna nodded absently and went back to prepping her tools and Susan’s arm.

“Anything for you, Bones?”

Susan just shook her head, her eyes glued to Luna’s movements.

Twenty minutes later, Ginny returned to the shop, her arms laden with takeout bags. She sat everything out of the way and cast a stasis charm on it. “I brought some for Neville, too. We’ll send for him when you’re finished.”

“Sounds good,” Luna said, wiping the last of the ink from Susan’s arm. “What do you think?”

The two redheads bent over Susan’s inner forearm, studying the small tattoo. The larger part was the outline of a crescent moon, just bigger than a sickle. But Ginny could see Luna’s delicate script curving around the edge: “waxing crescent, second day”. 

“This is incredible,” Susan whispered, awed. 

“Pretty and practical.” Ginny nudged Luna with her shoulder. “You’ve outdone yourself again, Lu.”

“Are you at all interested in the other idea we discussed?” Luna asked her client. 

Susan nodded, much less hesitant than before. “I just wasn’t sure how a patronus would translate to a tattoo, but I trust you.” 

“I can actually create a smoky appearance for your tattoo. It’ll shift in the way the mist from your patronus would naturally.” Luna proposed, “If you want it in something other than the typical bluish gray, I can make that work, too.”

“I like the way that sounds,” Susan said. “Can you show me anything similar to what you’re thinking? I’m a very visual person, and I think it would help me mentally see what you’re describing.”

Luna turned to Ginny. “Can you show her the one on your calf?”

Ginny immediately grinned, propped her foot on Luna’s work bench, and rolled up the leg of her jeans. The watercolor hare was one of her favorite tattoos. Luna shifted her skirt to show the coordinating horse swirling on her thigh. 

“It wouldn’t be exactly like yours,” Luna explained as the colors shifted around the sparkling stars and thin outline of the constellations. “But it’s the same basic concept. Think of it with a more solid, recognizable body rather than just a few dots and lines amidst the color.”

Susan reached for Ginny’s leg then stopped as she glanced up for permission.

“Go ahead,” Ginny encouraged her. “It looks insanely magical, but it just feels like normal skin.”

Susan ghosted her fingers across the inked skin. “They’re gorgeous. But why Lepus and Equuleus, if you don’t mind me asking?”

Luna and Ginny shared a soft smile. Each witch then pulled out her wand and murmured, “ Expecto Patronum .”

Susan smiled wistfully as Luna instructed the hare to deliver a lunch invitation to Neville.  Ginny’s horse galloped around the room, tossing its head proudly before dissolving into mist. 

As the hare hopped through the wall, Susan shook herself from her reverie. “That’s really sweet, you two.”

“Thanks,” Ginny said as Neville’s bear patronus ambled in, letting them know he’d be over soon. 

Standing to leave, Luna asked, “Did you want to set up that appointment?”

“Absolutely,” Susan said. “I wasn’t sure that a beaver patronus could ever make a beautiful piece of art that I want on my body for the rest of my life, but you’ve completely convinced me.”

Thankfully Luna and Susan were leaving the room, missing Ginny’s wince. Luna must be a genius if she could make a beaver look beautiful. 

She heard Susan leave the shop moments later, exchanging words with Neville as they passed each other in the door. 

As she brought the food back to Luna’s office to share with them, Ginny considered her tattoo and the coordinating empty space on her other calf. Maybe Luna would do another piece for her—this time with Ursa Major.