Chapter Text
Prologue:
In the weeks and months that followed the war, Ginny Weasley tried to do everything to throw herself back in life and just be normal. She no longer needed to jump at every little thing, even her own shadow. She didn’t need to feel empty and alone, because the love of her life, Harry Potter, was back, alive… just and she was never going to let him go again. Of course, he did not know that. She just was waiting to see if he dared break up with her for ‘protective and stupid, noble reasons’ again. Because then, she would probably have to kick his arse.
Her older brother, Ron, had finally got the girl of his dreams and no longer was brooding and moping about the place. Ginny concluded that his girlfriend, Hermione Granger, truly deserved a medal. She found that utterly adorable (and equally annoying) but Ginny thought it was a miracle for someone to put up with her brother’s shit but she knew Hermione was up for the job.
Her best friends, Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom, had decided to take their friendship to a relationship. Before they were together, Ginny found the idea of them cute but now they were together, she was not so sure. She did not want to get involved as she trusted them to be mature adults about it but she would be there if either of them ever wanted to chat.
It was now July and it dawned on her that there was a series of birthdays coming up that she wanted to plan. She enjoyed the thrill of planning. It kept her mind busy and focused. She had begun channelling her grief for her lost loved ones in doing things that are productive. At one point though, she was worried that Harry would force an intervention on her when she decided to attempt to colour coordinate her wardrobe and would freak out if her mother put her clean clothes away wrong. Ginny accepted that with her grief, she had developed OCD but she had it under control- for now.
She called a meeting with her boyfriend, brother and friends to start planning the birthdays. She had a big notepad and pen at the ready.
‘Uh-oh, she's on a mission, what is it this time? You want us to deal with the gnomes?’ Ron said in a funny tone.
Ginny rolled her eyes ‘Ha ha, very funny, Ronald. Actually I have brought us together because we have a number of birthdays coming. Yours’ she pointed to Neville
‘Yours’ she pointed to Harry
‘My big one’ she said with a smirk.
‘Percy’s. Then yours’ she pointed to Hermione.
‘Oh no, don’t worry about me’ Hermione tried to say.
‘Oh yes, Hermione, you are turning 19. We need to celebrate your last teenage year before you get old,’ Ginny replied, with a smile.
‘She’s got a point’ Ron said cheekily. Hermione scoffed and playfully slapped his arm. She then giggled though.
‘So Neville, you’re first. What would you like to do?’ Ginny turned to her best friend.
‘Erm… I’m not fussed. Gran will probably want to do something on the day. Spend some time with Luna’ Neville squeezed Luna’s hand who did not return the same pressure which Ginny noticed ‘I wanna visit my parents for sure but it would be nice to spend some time with you guys. Maybe the Leaky Cauldron? If we book ahead, they will give us a private room. Just thinking Harry will probably get mobbed again. Don’t want a repeat of that’
‘Definitely not’ Harry agreed as Ginny wrote down what Neville had said. She then turned to Harry.
‘You’re next, my love. What would you like to do for your birthday?’
‘Time with you of course’ he beamed ‘Don't need anything too big. Your birthday is more important’
‘Excuse me! Just because I’m turning of age, doesn’t make your birthday any less important. It is now a top mission of mine. Leave it with me, it will be better than my present last year’ she winked at him and then kissed on the cheek.
Ron coughed and Ginny rolled her eyes.
‘So Percy, Ginny?’ Hermione asked.
‘Ah, yes, we are throwing him a surprise party. He is going to think we have forgotten’
‘What? You’re still fucking with him?’ Ron questioned and scoffed.
‘Look, he is our brother and I’m happy he is back but he is the one who pissed off for three years after being a total dick to Mum and Dad so yeah it is what he deserves’
‘He came back! He saw the light!’ Ron complained and rolled his eyes.
‘Yeah, because he fell in love with a half blood. It is alright, I like Sarah but he needs to know what he did wasn’t okay. Once we have the party, I’ll calm it down’
‘You better! Fred wouldn’t want this’ Ron sighed.
‘Low blow, Ron’ Harry said. Ginny smiled at him.
‘Oh yeah, take her side now that you’re….’ Ron’s voice trailed off.
‘Yes, don’t finish that sentence. Now my birth-’
‘Is being planned by your mum and I’ Harry cut across her. Ginny pouted. ‘Sorry, darling. It is a done deal’
‘Fine… I guess. So my birthday is Fleur’s mystery trip to Paris followed by more mystery from my mother and boyfriend. Great’ Ginny sighed and wrote a cross through her name on her list.
‘Fleur’s mystery trip to Paris?’ Harry questioned and shot up an eyebrow.
‘Yeah, she is going to help me find a French boyfriend who will tell me what they are planning for my birthday’ Ginny replied, deadpan and resisted a smirk.
‘A French boyfriend? Well, he hasn’t met me’ Harry told her, with the same deadpan expression.
‘Alright, can we move on now?’ Ron coughed and looked visually uncomfortable.
‘You know, Ginny, I might have to join you in finding a French boyfriend. One who is more romantic than my current one’ Hermione then said.
‘Mmm, yes. More gentle’ Ginny mused. She coughed to hide a laugh at the expression on Harry’s face.
‘More thoughtful’ Hermione added and sighed for dramatic effect.
‘More expressive’
‘More in tune with my needs’ Hermione coyed with a shrug.
‘That wasn’t what you were saying last night’ Ron said and turned to him. Ginny’s mouth fell open and gasped. Harry could do nothing but stare at them.
‘So Ginny, you have already mentioned Percy’s birthday so what about Hermione’s?’ Luna chimed in and was keen to change the subject. With one last disgusted look at Ron and Hermione, she turned to Luna who had been very quiet with Neville.
‘Well, it falls on a Saturday so luckily for Hermione, she won’t miss any more school’ Ginny replied. She was concerned about Luna who usually loves a party.
‘Schedule some time for me… just me’ Ron said. He kissed Hermione on the cheek who giggled and then he squeezed her thigh. Ginny faked throwing up and shook her head. As she did that, Luna stood up and walked out of the room.
‘Great, your PDA has made her feel uncomfortable. Well done, Ronald!’ Ginny exclaimed but the comment did not her usual level of sass because she was worried about her best friend. She and Harry shared a look of concern. She nodded and left the room to find Luna.
She found her outside near the gnomes and was crying.
‘Hey, the gnomes aren’t that bad!’ Ginny told her and lightly tapped her on the arm.
‘Sorry, you are trying to be productive and lovely and I am ruining it’ Luna sniffed and turned around. She wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her jacket.
‘Don’t say that. What is it, Luna?’
‘I feel stupid. It is nothing really…’
‘Luna Pandora Lovegood, you tell me what is wrong now!’
‘I’m worried about me and Neville. I don’t feel like… I just don’t think we are right. And seeing Ron and Hermione now, it just…’
‘Is this about sex?’ Ginny asked and raised an eyebrow.
Luna nodded and looked away. She ran her hand through her hair.
‘Well you know sex doesn’t define a relationship. If you haven’t done it, that is fine. It is your body and your choice to do what you want with it’ Ginny replied and reached out to touch her arm.
Luna turned and sniffed ‘but I’m worried about what it would mean if we don’t. How he would see me’
‘It doesn’t mean anything. Not like how you’re thinking anyways. Look, me and Harry, we haven’t either’
The blonde’s eyes widened ‘you haven’t? I thought… I mean… why?’
‘I wanted to. He wanted to. But then, even though I don’t see that we ever broke up but we were only together for about 9 weeks before everything happened, we just wanted to have a normal relationship as much as possible and this, I am his first proper girlfriend. Just wanted to enjoy being young and teenagers. It is not like it is not going to happen. We are just being in the moment’
Luna nodded ‘but have you done anything past kissing?’
‘That isn’t going to help you, Luna’
‘Ginny….’
‘Yes, we have but that is our choice. Our pace. If you wanted to try things with Neville, then go for it, it doesn’t have to be full blown sex. Just talk to him, Luna. He might have his own feelings about it that he is scared to share’
Luna nodded again and walked back towards the house. Ginny linked arms with her and gave her arm a small squeeze.
They walked back into the room to see Ron and Hermione nowhere in sight.
‘Let me guess, upstairs?’ Ginny asked with a frown. Harry nodded, with a similar frown.
****
‘Is everything okay with Luna?’ Harry asked Ginny a little while later. They were sitting in her room. She sat on the floor with her back towards her bed. She was putting together final plans for the party. Harry was laid on her bed and sat up.
‘I can’t break her confidence, sorry. Girl code’
‘But she is alright?’
‘She should be. If not, she knows I am here for her’ she replied with a sigh.
‘You’re a good friend’ he kissed her hand and squeezed her shoulder.
‘I do try my best… Now come on, I need to show Ron and Hermione these plans’ she jumped up like an excited child. She grabbed his hand and went running up the stairs.
They reached the attic and stopped outside the door. Ginny put a hand up to stop Harry and she put her ear against the door. She couldn’t hear anything. He went to open the door but she stopped him.
‘Wait, if you go barging in there, we will be just as bad as him’ she told him
‘Alright, who are you and what have you done with my girlfriend?’ he asked. She felt herself being backed into the door with no escape. He was leaning against the door. She was aware of his arm at the side of her and him being very close.
‘She’s right here’ she said, her mouth dry. She leaned in and he closed the space. He was waiting for her. His mouth on hers, her arms around his neck and his hands finding themselves tangled in her hair. She felt herself leaning back more in the door when it opened and they went stumbling into Ron’s room.
‘Can we help you with something?’ he asked whilst laughing.
‘Yes, I came to talk plans’ Ginny replied and scrambled the pick up the papers she had dropped in the middle of the kissing.