Of Shindigs and Shooting Stars
“I still don’t understand how you fitted in there until you were eleven,” Ginny said quietly. “It’s… tiny.”
Harry stood next to her. Coming back to this house had been for closure, but he didn’t remember his cupboard being quite so pokey.
“I was definitely the smallest in the year,” he said uncertainly. “It felt a lot bigger at the time.”
She laced her fingers with his and smiled weakly. “Come on, birthday boy,” she murmured. “Let’s get out of here.”
Harry agreed wholeheartedly, and moments later, they were safely ensconced in the wards of The Burrow, where setting up for Harry’s nineteenth birthday was in full swing.
“I thought I agreed to a small gathering?” Harry asked faintly.
“Well, you are the saviour of the wizarding world,” Ginny pointed out fondly. “And it is my mother,” she added as an afterthought.
Harry grimaced his agreement.
Much later, when Harry had successfully stumbled his way through a speech and the party was in full swing, he tugged Ginny away from the festivities.
“Where are we going?” She asked, surprised. “Is everything okay, Harry? You’ve hardly let go of my hand all evening.”
“Yes,” Harry said distractedly. “No. Everything’s fine, Gin. I just wanted to - I need a minute.”
“Your arms are purple.”
“What?” Harry shook himself out of his thoughts. “Oh. It’ll be - it’ll be George, I’m sure. He’s bound to be testing something.” He rubbed ineffectually at the shimmering on his arms, which ranged from deep purple through shades of blue and into an iridescent green. “Ignore it, Gin. I -” He took a deep breath and held it, digging in his pocket.
Ginny’s mouth dropped open as he tugged the box free and sank to one knee.
“Ginevra Molly Weasley,” he said thickly. “I - had visions of doing this really smoothly in front of a small gathering of our family and friends tonight, but - well.” A swell of noise from the party reached them and Ginny chuckled, tears already welling. “In the end, this is better. Just me and you… that’s how I want to spend my life, Gin. We spent too much time apart because it was safer, and I don’t ever want to have to be apart from you again. I love that you understand me better than I do, I want to spend forever with you. Will you marry me?”
“Yes,” Ginny sobbed, almost cutting him off. “Get up here and hug me, you great lump, and show me that ring.”
Harry laughed and spun her around. Overhead, five stars streaked by on their inky background, and he thought that perhaps Moony, Padfoot, Prongs, Fred and Lily were all looking down on them.
“Congratulations,” Luna said dreamily as Harry and Ginny attempted to sneak back into the crowd half an hour later. Startled, Harry jumped protectively in front of his fiancée.
“What?” Harry spluttered, although it came out closer to a hiss.
She looked between them. “You don’t know,” Luna said. “Harry, look at your arms.”
“Yeah, I know, George -”
“Not George.” Luna frowned. “What do you know about Occamy?”
Harry opened his mouth, then paused. “Nothing.”
“You have a creature inheritance. You have some research to do. And Ginny?” She stepped closer and whispered something. Ginny’s eyes widened and her hand crept to her belly.