Archive of Our Own ^beta

Ginny is in the middle of brushing her teeth when Luna embraces her from behind.

"What?" Ginny tries to say, but with a mouthful of brush and toothpaste the noise that comes out is, "Wflysh?"

"It's a hug," Luna says, squeezing a little tighter. "I thought you might need one."

Ginny removes the brush from her mouth and spits foam into the sink. "Why now?"

"Why not?"

"Okay, then," Ginny says, putting down her toothbrush.

She turns and Luna loosens her grip so that Ginny can swivel on the spot. Then Luna wraps her arms around Ginny's waist again, pulling her in tight. After a moment of awkwardness, Ginny reaches her arms around Luna's back, hands meeting over her shoulderblades.

Luna gives a contented sigh that seems to come from her whole body, and rests her forehead on Ginny's shoulder. Ginny takes a deep breath herself, releases it, and feels the tension seep from her limbs. They stand like that for a while, just hugging and breathing, until Ginny finds a smile spreading across her face.

"Thanks," she says, when Luna lets go.

"Everyone should get a hug when they need it," Luna says seriously.

A few minutes later Luna hugs Neville, who looks almost alarmed and stands there stiffly, arms by his sides. It's all Ginny can do not to laugh.

Ginny sees Luna hug five different people that morning, several of them twice. Within a few days Neville is holding his arms out wide as Luna approaches, and enfolds her in his arms with the same comfort that he holds Trevor or his mimbulus mimbletonia.

After that, the hugs seem to become contagious. Whenever someone gets back from detention with the Carrows they get hugged. After successful missions people get hugged. There are hugs in between lessons in the corridors and in the dorms before bed, and even students too young to join the DA start snuggling in public. All manner of hugs get exchanged: gentle hugs, tender hugs, joyous hugs, rib-crushing hugs, and thank-merlin-we-survived hugs. The resistance, Ginny decides, is made up of 70% principle, 10% sheer rebelliousness, and 20% hugs.

It's not the same after Luna is taken from the train, but they need the hugs more than ever.

"Remember, everyone gets a hug when they need one," Neville tells everyone during their meeting in the Room of Requirement.

"We should make it a rule," Lavender says, and Ginny gives her a quizzical look. "A proper rule, I mean. Like the ones on the wall."

The rules have been written on the wall since their first DA meeting, and new ones are added when needed. At the moment, they read:

1. No Carrows or Death Eaters allowed.
2. Don't tell any non-DA members what we're doing. Even your family.
3. No (wo)man alone, unless you tell someone where you're going.
4. Any plan that might hurt people requires a majority vote.

There's room for an extra rule, and this one might just be the most important.

"I think Luna would like that," she says slowly. Ginny looks at Neville, who shrugs.

"Put it to a vote?"

Everyone except Seamus votes for the new rule about hugs. "Seems a bit girly," he says, when Neville cocks an eyebrow at him.

"I'll show you girly," Lavender replies, and engulfs him in a hug. Parvarti and Hannah pile in behind her, and Ginny adds herself to the throng. She grins across at Neville when he joins the group hug from the other side.

When Luna climbs into the Room of Requirement several months later, Ginny runs across the room and grabs her in a hug so enthusiastic that it's almost a tackle.

"Hi," Luna says, beaming.

Someone presses against Ginny's side - judging by the hair it's probably Padma - and then there's a warm body against her back. The whole DA gather around them.

"Hi everyone," amends Luna, and gives Ginny a squeeze. "It's good to be back."