“feel like we’ve been falling down // like these autumn leaves (but baby, don’t let winter come // don’t let our hearts freeze”
Ginny Weasley couldn’t abandon Hogwarts and go off with Harry, even if she desperately wanted to. Ron was already going and three people on the run were not great odds, but both of the Weasley children gone? That would raise even more flags.
But she worried for Harry, Ron, and even Hermione, whom she didn’t get along with all the time. They were fighting a losing battle and Ginny knew she’d go down swinging, but a part of her wants to just grit her teeth and bare it for the other people close to her. Especially Luna Lovegood, who abhorred violence.
Luna, the girl who’d only joined Dumbledore’s Army two years ago so that Ginny wouldn’t be the only other fourth year. Luna, who hated fighting and saw combat as a tragedy, no matter who wins or loses. Luna, who’d been her saving grace throughout this time at Hogwarts when she had to be someone she wasn’t, all for the safety of others.
Death Eaters infiltrated and rule the castle. Draco Malfoy’s become Head Boy alongside the girl he’s always had attached at his hip: Pansy Parkinson. Ginny never liked her or her cattiness, but she embodies it and the prevalence for pureblood supremacy.
The sorting hat almost put her in Slytherin six years ago. She became the vessel for the Heir of Slytherin, doing his bidding. And if she can rewear that identity to save more people, it would be the right thing to do.
But she doesn’t have to pretend with Luna. Not anymore.
The Room of Requirement is practically never empty. And it isn’t now, with a handful of terrified students using it as a reprieve from the war. Ginny’s no different and neither is Luna.
Luna awaits for her nearby underclassman with an arm she’s bandaging. The blood shows up on the other end and Ginny can vividly imagine the scare that’ll develop underneath here, but if punished with violence, they cannot go to the Infirmary for healing. They must do it themselves.
Or have someone else do it, at the risk of being punished themselves. And Luna’s always been selfless that way. She would rather herself suffer than someone she doesn’t know.
“Feeling good, kid?” Ginny asks, sliding next to Luna.
The ravenclaw child nods, tears slowing into sniffles. The pain’s probably gone—Luna’s adept at healing charms, more so than Ginny is anyways. And she wouldn’t have let the poor kid suffer in pain.
“Don’t put any pressure on it and try to change it tomorrow with this.” Luna passes him the roll of gauze that the Room of Requirement conjures, “And if you need help, ask me. I don’t mind doing it again.”
The kid nods, “Okay, Miss Luna.”
He skitters off to another corner of the Room of Requirement, not confident enough to leave the safety of this enclave.
“How are you holding up?” GInny asks first, wrapping her arm around Luna and placing herself between Luna and the door, “Been patching up a lot of kids?”
“No more than usual.” Luna answers, “And myself? I’m fine, I think. Nothing unusual.”
“You plan on going home for the Christmas holidays?”
Luna nods, “I can’t, not see my father. He must be terrified.”
“My parents have been checking up on him, you know?” Ginny absentmindedly rubs the tips of her fingers on Luna’s shoulders, “They say he’s doing alright, all things considered.”
“I know my father.” Luna smiles, but stares off into the distance, as if looking directly at him all the way back in Ottery St. Catchpole, “He’ll be better when I’m home.”
“I think that’s true…” Ginny trails off, “I wish I could join you.”
Luna turns to her and sighs, “The Carrows are making you stay?”
Ginny nods, “They made me prefect because Flowers fled, but I know that they don’t trust me.”
“You’re doing your best.”
“Yeah, everyone’s going to think that I suddenly embraced pureblood supremacy and ‘came to my senses’. I’m going to have to rebuild my reputation with everyone after the war.”
“You are nothing like them.” Luna leans into Ginny’s embrace, “Someone had to do it.”
“Yeah, and Neville’s nowhere near as good of an actor as I am.” Ginny snorts, trying to break up the sad, hopeless mood they’ve been trapped in.
They exist in as much silence as they can, with other people existing around them, but not bothering them whatsoever. But Luna breaks the illusion.
“Be careful, okay?”
“You’re the one going out into the world.” Ginny tells her, trying to laugh her way out of despair, “Hogwarts is safe, remember?”
Luna indulges her and laughs, muttering an “okay” before existing in silence once again between the two of them.