A/N: I love Neville and Ginny together. I just think they're cute. The points of view will switch in this story, but hopefully not an annoying amount once we get settled in.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, spells, or places you may recognize. I am sure I'll make up people, places and such though. That is one point of being an author.
To Be With You
Chapter 1: Expectations
Gin's POV
As I sit here looking around the room at my best friends I almost decide not to go through with our plan. I'll certainly miss the lot of them. With that sad thought taking over I take a few minutes to study each one of them, memorize them. Hermione was the first girl friend I had, since she was my brother's best friend. She's practically my older sister; she is dating my brother after all. Then Luna came into the picture and the three of us all became best friends. We're the kind of friends who tell each other everything, or at least that's what the other two thinks. I certainly keep my secrets. As I watch them converse and joke around happily I know they'll get along perfectly with out me. I swing my eyes to the right a little more and my eyes hit the youngest of my brothers, Ron. Though out of the six brothers I have he isn't my favorite or the easiest to get along with, him and me are the closest, but that's only because of our age being closest. With only one year separating us we have the same friends and a lot of the same interests. And I can tell he, just like Luna and Hermione, will get on perfectly with out me as I watch him converse with his best friend. Ah, his best friend who happens to be my boyfriend. Harry Potter. I feel slightly bad for leaving him. Who wouldn't in my case? He is my boyfriend; he loves me. And even though it will take time I know he'll get along just fine with out me as well, eventually. He'll find some one else to love him the way I just can't. As if he senses me watching he looks up and smiles widely at me. I smile back, as is expected of me. And therein lies the problem; it's what is expected. No one bothered to ask if it's what's wanted.
Well except one of course. My fifth friend in the room. He didn't have to ask really though. He understands me perfectly with out having to ask. He already knew. He just needed to coax me to admit it. He has the same problem after all. I turn my head to him and I can see he is doing the same thing as me – studying, memorizing. After a few minutes of watching him he turns his eyes in my direction. I can see the same hesitance in his eyes that I know must be in mine. After all he is leaving behind the same friends I am. And a girlfriend also. As I smile a reassuring smile to convey that things will be okay I see it almost immediately leave his eyes. My smile widens from ear to ear in response and I know it must have left my eyes too as his smile copies mine.
"Everything will be perfect Neville. You'll see." I say quietly so as not to attract any attention to our conversation.
"I know Ginny," he replies equally quiet. "I'll miss them alot though."
"So will I Nev, but you do remember why we're doing this?" I ask hoping that he won't change his mind and partly teasing because I know that won't happen. He's been waiting longer then me for this chance.
"Of course I remember. I could never forget it," he replies hastily. "You wouldn't honestly think I could forget something like that?" he asks.
I let out a small giggle at his tone. "Of course not." Came my simple reply. I can see him visibly relax as he realizes I was only teasing. I take another look around at our four friends, still talking in pairs of two, and let out a small sigh. After another minute I ask, "Are you ready for tonight Neville? Once we're gone there is no coming back to this same life. Everything's going to change."
He looks at me with a grin that would make any girl swoon, but that he saves for just me, and says, "I've been ready for years Ginevra. And we won't need to come back to how things are now. You said yourself everything will be perfect."
I just smile gratefully at him for the reassurance, leaving us to fall into a comfortable silence. I begin to think of the night ahead.
Nev's POV
While she slips into thought I allow my thoughts to take me away too. Life for Gin and me was full of two main expectations. So we have simply done what was expected of us. The first we don't mind. We are expected to give our assistance and devotion to Harry. We would do that even if it wasn't expected and we have since the war started and earlier. Though her other expectation is higher then mine I still have mine. Unfortunately whoever set these expectations didn't take us into consideration. I can tell you the main players in setting them too.
The whole wizarding world expects Ginny to love and one day marry the great Harry Potter - especially her family who want him as an official family member. Harry loves Ginny, so naturally she will love him in return and make him happy. No one stopped to care if she actually did love him. Don't get me wrong she does love him. She just loves him the same way she loves Ron. Which is why she insisted she wanted to take it slow with him, take their time. She doesn't want to have to marry him, sleep with him, share a bed with him, and have children with him. But none of them take the time to care if she wants any of that or not.
My expectations are from far less people. To those people though they mean the world. I'm supposed to love and marry Luna. It's the same situation though. I love her, but like I would love a sister. I opted to make the same "we should take it slow" declaration as Gin. Only a few handfuls of people expect this of me, any one close to Harry really. The three most avid being 'The Golden Trio' themselves.
The trio, Gin, Luna and I make up the closest group of friends you'll find around. And that's where my expectation came from. The pressure came from the trio a few months after Harry and Ginny got together again. I decided just after they did that I needed to find a girlfriend. I was head over heels for Gin, but clearly wouldn't get a chance. Between Luna, Gin and me we made up our own trio. The others always needed their trio time that left us to have our own. We often kidded around and called ourselves 'The Silver Trio'. In that time over the years I got to know and understand Ginny better. Luna usually was off in her own world, occasionally talking about silly things none of us ever believed existed, but whole heartily pretended did for her. So in that time I fell in love. And once I realized it wouldn't work because she now had Harry, I decided I would try to move on. Here is where 'The Golden Trio' and their stupid expectation came in. Once they finally noticed I wasn't just having dinner with Gran and had gone out on a few dates they had to have their say in it. They insisted I date Luna. Said that we would be perfect together. On the inside I was furious with them. I had realized right away their reasoning. They were afraid. For almost five years - since the end of my fifth year at Hogwarts - it has been the six of us. With Harry and Ginny and Ron and Hermione paired off there was no concern of outsiders in our group yet. So they expected me to be with Luna to keep the group the same. They were afraid they would lose or gain someone from our circle. They lost alot in the war and didn't want to risk more. Yes, Luna was sincerely interested in me, but I just didn't think of her like that. But with the constant pressure from them and the fact they convinced Luna I was interested and to make a move, I had caved and got together with her to calm their fears.
That was just over two years ago that I caved. Things with Luna were comfortable enough, but I just wasn't content. I wanted that all-consuming love. Gin had the same problem but she was going on two and a half years soon. It didn't take long for me to realize she probably felt the same way in her relationship I did. I saw the similarities in our relationships and how she and I responded to them. So I decided to coax her feelings out of her.
"So, Ginny, how have things been going with Harry?" I ask as nonchalantly as possible once sure no-one would over hear us.
"Oh, they're going fine I suppose," is her reply.
Realizing how difficult this could get and slightly nervous because I know well enough that her temper will come quickly if I say the wrong thing I decide to approach this at a personal angle. "Do you know why I got together with Luna, Ginny?" I ask. She looks at me with confused eyes and a small shake of her head so I continue on. "I'll trust you with my secret Gin. Then you can trust me with any of yours." I pause for a minute to let that sink in. " The others insisted her and me would be a perfect couple. Even though I had tried to tell them I wasn't interested. They expected us to be together so that we could secure that our group wouldn't suffer in anyway – like what would be risked if we were with someone that was outside our group. They never said those words of course, but I know. It was expected so it was done. I love Luna, I just don't happen to be in love with her," I finish off with.
After staring at me for a long moment, as if trying to comprehend what I had said and judging my motives, she nods. "I understand," she says quietly. "I do love Harry, but I'm not in love with him either," she continues on with. I know something else was coming so I just wait patiently for what she has to say. With a humorless laugh she says, "Expectations can sure put you in interesting situations, huh? I mean look at us. Dating people we look at like family, just because others want us to. When the reality, for me at least, is that there is someone else you much, much rather be with."
"Trust me, I have the same reality," I reply dryly. "Maybe one day we can get lucky and be with who ever we want. I'd risk anything to be with someone I was in love with rather than just some one I loved," I say looking intently at her hoping she'll get my hidden message though I know she won't. Not yet at least. At least she knows she can come to me when she wants to spend time not pretending anymore, because even her admirable acting skills need to take a break sometimes.
I'm torn out of my memories by Ron hollering at me, "Oi, mate! Stop looking so serious over there and get over here to check out this package Harry just got of Fred and George's newest products." Shaking my head I get up to join them.
"Not intending to test them out on me this time are ya?" I ask once I'm seated.
Ron grins sheepishly at me, no doubt remembering the last package and the rather interesting scene made when I unknowingly ate a sweet out of it. Though slightly unpleasant it was worth the trick to be honest. He had offered it to me as a normal candy and it was anything but. Apparently the twins invented a sweet that would turn whoever eats it into the animal that whoever offered it most fears. A genius bit of work. He was laughing his head off after the pop until he realized I was a humongous spider and proceeded to scream like a girl until it wore off.
"Not you this time mate," says Harry well picking carefully through the box. He quietly adds, "We're going for Hermione, should be interesting."
I briskly reply with, "I want no part of that. I'll leave the two of you to deal with her wrath."
Gin's POV
I'm drawn out of my thoughts as I hear Ron call Neville over and I decide it's time for bed despite the relatively early hour. The more sleep I can get now the better seeing as our plan will keep us awake all night.
Standing I hurry over to Hermione and Luna to make my excuses for bed and then hug the both of them goodnight. I then retreat to the couch the boys are gathered on just as Neville finishes declining to prank one of us girls.
"And who's wrath exactly are we dealing with?" I ask with a raised eyebrow.
Ron and Harry look at each other as if deciding if I would tattle or not before I hear the simple and quiet reply of, "Hermione."
I snort in laughter and say, "Good luck with that. I'm only glad that I am going to bed and will not be at any sort of fault for this."
Harry glances at the clock before asking, "You're going to bed already? It's early still the rest of us will be up for hours."
"Well I'm sorry if I felt tired. What in the world was I thinking?" I reply sarcastically.
I hear a muttered, "Sorry Gin." And with that I give Harry a quick kiss goodnight. As per my bedtime routine, I move and kiss my brother's cheek. Then proceed on to kiss Neville's cheek as well, but Neville gets an added whisper of "I love you. Tonight's our night." Receiving an inconspicuous nod I turn and go get my rest. I only look back once knowing I'll miss them all terribly, but that it'll be worth it to be happy with Neville.
Nev's POV
Once Gin's out of the room I decide I should be getting my rest to. "Well guys I think I'm gonna call it a night too."
"What? Why so early?" Harry asks.
"Well besides being tired I agree with Ginny when she says I would rather be in bed and have no chance of being at fault for whatever your prank turns out to be," I reply logically. With that I say goodnight to the two boys knowing it's the last time I'll see them for a long time and make my way over to the two remaining girls. After receiving a hug and kiss on the cheek from Hermione, I kiss Luna and head towards the hallway that leads to my room. I only look back for a few seconds knowing I'll miss them all greatly, but that it'll be worth it to be happy with Ginny.
