The Family You Choose
It was one of those rare evenings when the common room was quiet. Most students were either in their dormitories finishing their homework or out in the grounds, enjoying the fading warmth of the late afternoon sun. The crackling of the fire was the only sound in the otherwise still room, and Ginny Weasley, Dean Thomas, and Neville Longbottom found themselves in an unspoken agreement to simply enjoy the peace. The trio had gathered by the fire, each lost in their own thoughts, but the comfortable silence between them was enough to bring a sense of calm.
Ginny, as usual, was the first to break the silence. She had her legs curled up beneath her, her eyes focused on the flames dancing in the hearth. There was a slight furrow in her brow, a sign that something had been occupying her mind. “You ever wonder what it would have been like if things had been different?” she asked, her voice soft but filled with a quiet curiosity.
Dean, who had been staring into the fire with a contemplative look, glanced at her. “Different how?” he asked, his tone casual but attentive.
Ginny sighed, her gaze shifting to the two of them. “Like, if we hadn’t been sorted into Gryffindor. If we were somewhere else, with different people. Would we still have found each other? Would we still be this... connected?”
Dean chuckled softly, a humorless sound. “I think the Gryffindors are what we make them. What we all make them. And besides, if I hadn’t been in Gryffindor, I probably wouldn’t have met you two. And honestly? I think I’m better for it.”
Ginny smiled faintly, appreciating the sentiment. She had often thought about her family’s connection to Hogwarts and how she had felt so deeply tied to the people she had come to call her family. She’d never quite understood it fully until now—how sometimes, the people who weren't bound by blood could feel like family in ways that went deeper than anything she had experienced before. But she didn’t want to say it aloud; the moment felt too tender for words.
Neville, sitting on the armrest of an old chair near them, shifted slightly, his fingers nervously tapping on the arm of the chair. He had been listening closely, but there was a hesitation in him, something that kept him from speaking up. Ginny caught his eye and could tell something was weighing on him. She tilted her head slightly in a quiet invitation to share, but it was Dean who first noticed the flicker of uncertainty in Neville’s expression.
“You okay, Nev?” Dean asked gently. “You’ve been a little quiet tonight.”
Neville looked down at his hands, unable to meet their eyes at first. It was always easier to avoid confrontation, even with his closest friends. But there was something about this moment—the softness of the conversation, the warmth of the fire—that made it feel like it was the right time to open up. After a deep breath, he finally spoke, his voice a little unsure but steady.
“You know,” Neville began, “I’ve been thinking a lot about what you said, Gin. About... family. I’ve been feeling like I belong here, with all of you. Like I’ve finally found a place where I’m not just... the awkward one who doesn’t fit in. And I realized, I think that’s the first time I’ve ever really felt like that.”
Ginny’s eyes softened as she listened, her heart warming at the honesty in Neville’s voice. “What do you mean?” she asked, her voice a little quieter now.
Neville swallowed, a nervous flutter in his chest. “I guess... for so long, I always felt like I was supposed to be someone I wasn’t. I thought I had to be like my parents. I thought I had to be perfect, because that’s what everyone expected.” He paused, gathering his thoughts before continuing. “But here, with all of you, it’s different. It’s like... I can be who I am. And I’m not afraid to mess up or be scared anymore. And it’s because of all of you. You’ve made me feel like I’m a part of something important.”
Dean leaned forward, nodding in understanding. He knew exactly what Neville meant. “Yeah,” he said quietly. “I’ve felt that way too. Back home, I never really had the same connection with my family. My parents, well... they weren’t always around. I grew up feeling like I was on my own most of the time. But then, when I came here, I found a group that actually felt like family. I mean, look at us now,” he said with a smile, glancing between Neville and Ginny. “We’re all in this together, and it’s been that way for a long time now.”
Ginny smiled, a warmth blooming in her chest at the thought. “I don’t think I really realized how lucky I am to have found you all. When I first got here, it was... I don’t know, a bit overwhelming. I was just the youngest Weasley, you know? I didn’t really know where I fit in. But over time, I realized that I didn’t have to be anyone else. I didn’t have to prove myself, not to anyone in this room. You all accepted me for who I am. And that... that’s rare. And it’s something I don’t ever want to take for granted.”
Neville smiled, a slow, genuine smile that lit up his whole face. “I guess that’s what makes this family so special, huh? It’s not just blood. It’s the people who choose to stay, the people who choose to show up every day, no matter what. And that’s what makes it real.”
Dean nodded, his expression thoughtful. “You’re right. Family is about the people who choose to be there, the ones who stick with you when things get tough. It’s not about where you come from, it’s about where you end up. And right now, this... this feels like home.”
The three of them sat in silence for a while, the weight of their words settling in the air around them. The flickering fire in front of them seemed to mirror the emotions running through their hearts—something deep and strong, like the bond they had formed over the years. Ginny, Dean, and Neville had all come from different places, carrying their own struggles and burdens, but somehow, together, they had created a family of their own. A family that wasn’t bound by blood but by the unspoken understanding that they would always have each other’s backs.
“I’m glad I have you two,” Ginny said softly after a while, breaking the silence. “You’ve helped me more than you’ll ever know.”
Dean grinned, his easy smile returning. “Right back at you, Ginny.”
Neville smiled as well, though his eyes were full of something deeper, something quieter. “I’m glad I have you both too. I think... I think this is where I’m meant to be.”
For a long time after that, none of them said anything. They didn’t need to. The warmth of the fire, the understanding between them, was enough. They had found each other. And in that moment, they knew that no matter what happened in the future, they would always be a family. The family they had chosen.
And that, in itself, was a rare and precious thing.