Chapter Text
Ginny was sitting in the courtyard, staring down at an old photo of her and Fred. The photo shows Fred caring her on his back while they crossed a small lake before it would reset. It’s been five months since his passing. At one point she couldn’t leave her room or even look at George because an empty feeling would fill her chest. No one knew how close the two of them were. No one understood how much Ginny vented to Fred about feeling like the odd one out, or unlikeable, or unloveable.
“I miss you, Fred,” she whispers as a tear fell on the photo.
“Hello, Ginny,” a gentle voice says behind her. She quickly turns, her hair dramatically flipping behind her, and she looks at a pair of sliver-blue eyes.
“Luna—“
“I’m sorry!” she exclaims. “I’ve interrupted your mourning. I hope you can forgive me,” she goes to leave but Ginny lightly grabs onto her hand.
“Please, stay,” she forces a smile. “I could use a friend.”
“I can do that,” she sits down next to her on the bench and stares up at the clouds. “How have you been?”
“Miserable,” she huffs out a sad chuckle. “I feel completely alone and I know I’m not but I can’t help it.”
“That’s okay,” she simply says. “It’s normal to feel that way after losing someone. Especially someone so important and close, but it gets better,” she squeezes her hand and then Ginny looks over at the blonde. Something— perhaps a feeling— jumped inside Ginny’s chest and it made her twitch.
“Oh I’m sorry,” she pulls her hand away and a sad facial expression was painted on her face for a brief second before it goes back to her neutral one. Ginny doesn’t recall ever seeing Luna sad. Not even at the Department of Mysteries. There’s a clear difference between fear and sadness.
“It’s okay—“ she quickly reassures. “It’s okay… there’s so much going on in my mind. I feel like I’m going explode.”
“But you’re not,” she says bluntly. “And that’s a good thing. I know you feel alone and I know you know you’re not but I’ll be here. I’ll always keep you company if you need it.”
“Thank you, Luna,” she hugs her tightly.
“Of course.”
Ginny spent her days hanging out with Luna in the Library, or the Great Hall, or the courtyard. Hermione was the only other friend who had returned but she spent her time reading books, talking to the teachers, and helping rebuild the castle. They would chat in the common room and it was comfortable. Even though Ginny and Harry split apart a month ago. It was mutual. They both were very understanding and there were no hard feelings. While Harry was on the run they just lost romantic feelings for each other. Ginny will always love Harry and Harry will always love Ginny, but now it was purely platonic.
Now, Ginny wasn’t really looking for anyone else. The boys in her year just weren’t interesting anymore and the boys a year younger weren’t interesting either. Plus spending time with Luna was all she really needed. The two girls weren’t the type to gossip. They didn’t talk about boys and drama. Luna would talk about things they used to do as a child and Ginny would make stupid jokes just to make the other laugh.
Her laugh was so contagious. The girls laughed so hard one day Madam Pince had to kick them out of the library for being so loud. Ginny began to notice the small things about Luna. How they never wore the same pair of earring twice in a row. How they would bite her nails while staring up through the Greenhouse skylight during Herbology. How she would always get excited when it would rain and every Sunday she would go and feed the Thestrals in the forest.
It was now February and Ginny was starting to notice how obsessive and protective she was over Luna. But how could she not be? Luna was with her when she would have a breakdown over Fred or her depression. She was there to help her with homework and to make her laugh. It was starting to overwhelm her. Even when the slightest things happened it would send Ginny into a questioning spiral.
“Could you pass me my bag?” Luna once asked Ginny while they were sitting on the grass studying.
“Here,” Ginny replied and handed it to her. Their fingers brushed against each other and Ginny almost dropped her back on the ground.
It got to the point where Ginny was starting to get really confused so she ran to Hermione in the common room.
“Hermione!” she pants; luckily no one else was in there because who would be— besides Hermione— on a Saturday?
“Ginny?” She quickly sets her book down and stands. “Are you alright?”
“No— yes! I’m alright, but I’m very confused and you’re really clever so you will know the answer.”
“What’s your question?”
“Have you ever started to notice every little thing about one specific person that you shouldn’t. Like… all you do is think about them in a way you didn’t know was possible…”
“Yes,” she smiles a bit. “With Ron it was just like that but eventually it worked out… are you developing feelings for someone? Is it guilt you’re feeling because you fear Harry would be mad? I promise you he won’t be— he would be very excited to know you’ve moved on—“
“No, it’s not that. I don’t feel guilty. It’s—“ she gulps. “I don’t know if i can tell you, Hermione…”
“Ginny, you can tell me anything. I know we’ve drifted apart over the past two years but you still are one of my closest friends.”
“I know,” she sighs. “I know but this is different… this is a whole new territory. I don’t… I don’t know if you’d be okay with it.”
“Well you won’t know until you tell me.”
“I think…” Ginny takes a deep breath. “I think I like girls.”
“Oh,” Hermione’s eyes go wide and Ginny isn’t sure if it’s because she’s surprised and disgusted or surprised and processing.
“And I think I’m falling for Luna.”
“Oh,” she repeats again. “I— well, I can’t say I’m not surprised because I am— but that’s wonderful! Of course I’d be okay with that Ginny! It doesn’t bother me who you have interest in.”
“Do you think Ron or Mum—“
“They’d be okay with it Ginny. Your family is one of the most welcoming family I’ve ever met.”
“But— but no one in the family is gay or— or bisexual. What if they look at me differently?”
“Ginny they won’t,” she assures her. “And you don’t have to tell them any time soon. Especially since you don’t sound 100 percent sure.”
“But I think I’m 100 percent sure I’m falling for Luna— or at least I’m 95 percent sure. It’s Luna… how could you not fall for them?”
“Oh, Ginny!” Hermione smiles brightly. “Are you going to them?”
“Are you mad?” Ginny shakes her head. “I could never! I think she likes Neville. She mentions him every once in a while… there’s no way she could ever see me that way. She’s my best friend Hermione.”
“And Ron is my best friend—“
“But you’re straight! It’s not the same, Hermione…” she dramatically sits down on a chair. “I don’t— they would never.”
“Don’t say that, Ginny,” she sits down across from her. “Maybe just ask her how they feel about gay or bisexual people. Luna seems like the type to know it’s okay to like the opposite sex.”
“You’re right… you’re right. But what if she finds out I like her?”
“I don’t condone to what I’m about to say but it is a suggestion that has come into my mind. If she finds out you have attraction to females and you have a crush on a female then mention another girl."
“Like who?”
“I have a crush on Hermione,” Ginny quickly says. Luna looks over at her with the most curious facial expression.
“Oh, no.”
‘I’m a fucking idiot’ Ginny thinks