Imagine that soulmates just have this ability to dream together/meet each other in your dreams regardless of whether or not you two meet in real life
…
Ginny dreams of the ocean.
She dreams of a woman with waves of dark hair who braces her arms on a rock, keeping her lower body in the water. She wears no clothes that Ginny can see — no cover at all. Her body is rounded with extra fat, her skin paler than even Ginny's.
She doesn't ever speak to Ginny. Not even when Ginny speaks to her.
She never moves. She just sits there, arms braced on the rock, lower body in the current, hair mussed by the win. Sometimes she tips her head like she's examining Ginny.
Ginny has never heard of anyone having a soulmate who doesn't speak in their dreams.
She's heard of speaking different languages, but never not speaking at all.
But it doesn't matter. She's drawn to the ocean, anyway. They've always lived on the shores, because they fish for a living.
Or they used to.
Until the boat that came from nowhere.
Looters sank the Weasley fishing boat.
They sank their boat, and they killed every soul on that boat.
The only reason Ginny is alive is because she had the flu and was near death.
The only reason Charlie is alive is because he was caring for her.
If it had been up to Charlie, they'd have left the shore behind and never seen the water again.
But the ocean calls her.
But Ginny's not just going to set out on the seas.
She's going to rule them.
…
Within two years, everyone who dares sail the seven seas knows the name of Ginny Weasley and her crew.
Ginny doesn't know who took her family from her, but she will find out. She interrogates every boat they catch.
They run all over the ocean, chasing dead leads and vague directions, but Ginny will not give up. She will not give in.
Charlie meets his soulmate on a raid of a merchant ship. His name is Draco, and he is all-too-willing to join their crew.
Ginny dreams of the woman in the water.
…
Three years in, they tuck their boat near a rocky island that will give them shelter from the winds of an oncoming storm.
Ginny doesn't expect it to be any different than any other time they've done this.
Except then there's a flash of something that feels familiar but it's swimming away and without thinking Ginny pulls over her overshirt and leaps in.
She finds herself staring into the face from her dreams.
Except that when she glances down, there aren't legs under the water. It's a tail, bright green and scaled.
"You're a—"
"You cannot tell!" says the mermaid, and Ginny is honestly a little surprised that she can speak. "Outsiders cannot know. I shouldn't have been so close to your ship, except that I've seen it in my dreams.
"I've seen you in my dreams," Ginny tells her. "We're soulmates."
The mermaid sighs. "I am the first of my kind to be soulmated to a human. They are not pleased."
"I don't care," Ginny replies. "I'm Ginny Weasley, and I'm happy to be your soulmate. If anyone disagrees, well… fuck them."
The mermaid stares at her, wide eyed. "Astoria," she says after a moment. "They call me Astoria. But you cannot live under the water, Ginny Weasley, and I cannot live on your boat."
Ginny shrugs, and then grins her trademark reckless grin.
"We'll make it work. You'll see."
Astoria smiles softly in return.
…
And they do. Sometimes Astoria accompanies their boat. Sometimes they dock near Astoria's family.
Astoria helps her find the people who killed her family, and bring them to justice.
And Ginny falls in love.
It's not the life she expected. Astoria's father hates her for pulling Astoria away, and Ginny can never actually visit Astoria's home.
But it's enough.
…
Assignment: Gardening 9: write Femslash
Writing Month/Dragons: 637
Auction: genre: romance
Romance Awareness: Day 19. Imagine that soulmates just have this ability to dream together/meet each other in your dreams
Seasonal: Days of the Year: International Talk Like a Pirate Day: Write a pirate!AU
Flowers: Dahlia - (title) Impossible Girl
Shay's Musical Challenge: Pippin - write about trying to discover yourself. alt, write about someone who likes adventuring
Gryffindor Themed Prompts: (character) ginny
Amber's Attic: T7. Mermaid: Write a mermaid!au (5 bonus points)
Lyric Alley: 26. There's nothing I'm not worthy of
Ami's Audio Admirations:
Sophie's Shelf: 15. Ginny/Astoria
Em's Emporium: 1. Lily (Jily Trash): Write a character study. Alt — (au) Mermaid.