Written for The Houses Competition
Head of House Hufflepuff
Prompts: Rivalry; Glaucous; Frying Pan
Word count: 2,413
Beta: Magi Silverwolf
MC4A - Paranormal Phantasm
Fill Number: 2
Representation(s): Magic; Life Lessons; Ginny Weasley; Polyamory; Hero/Saviour; Luna Lovegood
Bonus Challenge(s): Casper's House; Creature Feature; Second Verse (Not a Lamp; Ladylike - Aggressive); Second Verse (Mouth of Babes); Second Verse (Middle Name; Tomorrow's Shade; Unwanted Advice; Some Beach); Second Verse (Unicorn - Bisexuality/Asexuality; Three's Company; Brooms Only); Second Verse (Misshapen Pods); Second Verse (Hot Apple; Mermaid; Sitting Hummingbird)
He was perfect; she knew this. She had known that he was perfect ever since she was a little girl and her mother had told her stories about him. He was brave, strong, cute, and powerful. He was the Boy-Who-Lived. He was the one who had brought their world out of the darkness they had been trapped under for so long. He was hers.
Ginny couldn't believe she had met Harry Potter before she joined him at Hogwarts. She knew at that very moment that the Fates were smiling down on her. She was destined to be together with Harry Potter. She couldn't say anything; the truth of what she knew far too overwhelming. Instead she watched as he left for Hogwarts with her brothers, knowing that he would return to her and that she would join him next year.
The morning she came downstairs and found Harry Potter sitting in the kitchen shocked her. She had been thinking about him ever since she had seen him on platform nine and three-quarters. Now he was in her home, waiting for her to come downstairs. He smiled at her and said hello, Ginny couldn't breathe. She decided it would be best to continue as she was; there was time enough for them to get to know each other better when they were both at Hogwarts.
When she met Tom, she almost forgot about Harry. Almost. Tom couldn't keep her away from her love for too long; their bond was too strong for that. She would tell Tom everything about Harry, expound on his many positive traits and state that there were no flaws to be found in the Boy-Who-Lived. The vague flashes she remembered of blood, snakes, chickens, and messages were drowned out by thoughts of Harry.
When she woke up down in the Chamber of Secrets to find Harry Potter hovering over her looking concerned, she smiled. She knew he loved her. The fact that he had saved her life merely cemented that fact and she would never doubt his love after this. She needed no more proof that their love was written in the stars for the centaurs to see, that they were destined to be together. If even a basilisk couldn't succeed taking her Harry away from her, what could?
She feared for his life the very next year when Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban just to hunt down and kill her love. Black was no basilisk, but he was the right hand of You-Know-Who. Black would stop at nothing to get revenge on her Harry for vanquishing his master. She was there for Harry, always by his side, waiting in the wings and ready for him to look to her for comfort. He never did. He looked to Hermione and Ron and even Neville Longbottom.
Ginny accepted it. She knew that they would have to be discreet in their relationship. Harry was the Boy-Who-Lived, after all. There would be many people who grew jealous of their love and tried to break them apart. They wouldn't succeed, of course, but Ginny knew that Harry worried for her and was protecting her by not acknowledging her love openly.
Her third year was horrible. She had to stand by as her darling Harry was entered and forced to participate in a tournament that was deadly to those far more experienced than he. She was comforted by the fact that none of the other competitors had ever fought and defeated a Dark Lord. Harry would be fine, she told herself. He defeated You-Know-Who when he was just a baby. He was much more powerful and experienced now. Nothing would be able to hurt him in the Triwizard Tournament.
She nearly killed her own brother when he turned up in the Black Lake as what Harry would miss the most. That was supposed to be her. She was the most precious thing to Harry and he was hers. Then she remembered that it was because of Ron that she and Harry were so close now, that they had even met in the first place. Of course Ron would be precious to Harry. Ron reminded Harry of her. Ginny found herself extremely grateful to her brother after that.
When the Yule Ball was announced, Ginny waited anxiously for Harry to ask her to go with him. She waited and waited and waited. He never asked her; he never asked anyone and finally she agreed to go with Neville Longbottom. Soon after, Harry asked Parvati Patil to go with him and Ginny was tempted to unleash the full fury of her Bat-Bogey Hex on the other girl.
She contented herself with the fact that Harry and Parvati would be in the spotlight the entire time and thus she could keep an eye on them. She trusted Harry not to betray their love but she didn't know about Parvati. The girl might decide to try and steal Harry from her and Ginny couldn't have that. There was no other person that was as suited to Harry as Ginny was and they both knew it.
Ginny spent the entire night watching Harry as she danced with Neville. She didn't notice Neville also watching Harry with a slight frown on his face. All she cared about that night was making sure Parvati didn't try anything with her Harry. She would not lose him to the temporary charms of a slightly older witch. Ginny's love was true and lasting and worth far more than a brief snog in the bushes.
Ginny barely noticed when Harry started to gravitate towards spending time with Luna and Neville more in her fourth year. She likened them to Ron and Hermione and deemed them unimportant. Harry's life was growing tougher; he had a lot on his mind and his friends were there for him. She wished she could be there for him as his girlfriend openly but knew they shouldn't flaunt their love to the rest of the school. Especially when Umbridge was stalking the corridors and ready to give detention to anyone showing even the slightest bit of happiness.
She watched him from a distance when she could. He would often go into the Forbidden Forest with either Luna or Neville and sometimes both. They would stand near the thestrals that she couldn't see, feeding and patting them occasionally. She scoffed as Luna taught Harry about art. Harry didn't care about whether the sky was kingfisher blue or glaucous; blue was blue.
Her Harry was a warrior, not an artist. Luna didn't know Harry as well as Ginny did. If she did, maybe she would have seen that Harry was faking his interest in her stupid lessons on colour shades. Neville walked around the thestral clearing and pointed out various plants, stating random facts. It was incredibly dull. Ginny didn't know why Harry continued to pretend to be interested. But then, maybe it was due to the dullness of it that he continued. Umbridge would be bored out of her mind if she tried to find something to charge Harry with.
It was only after the war was over and You-Know-Who defeated for good that Ginny started to think there might be something wrong with Harry. There was no longer any reason she could see for them to still hide their love and yet he still had not approached her. She knew he loved her. Why was he making her wait longer for him?
She had expected a proposal within a few days of You-Know-Who's defeat and yet she had seen nothing of Harry even five months on. She had been patient enough, she thought. It was time to take the gnome by the ears and throw it over the wall. With great precision, Ginny got dressed in her finest clothes and carefully applied makeup to her face. She was ready to start the rest of her life as Mrs. Potter.
She knew where Harry lived now. Of course she did. He had decided to stay in number twelve, Grimmauld Place with Kreacher. He had also taken in Luna and Neville. Ginny wasn't sure why but she knew that her Harry had a kind heart and figured they were in need of a safe place to stay. In her handbag was the small vial of love potion her mother had pressed into her hands yesterday. Just in case, she had said, your father needed some encouragement too.
It was Luna that answered the door when Ginny knocked. She smiled somewhat distractedly as she said, "Harry's in the kitchen. We wondered when you'd come."
Used to the strangeness of the Lovegood, Ginny ignored the last part and instead made her way into the kitchen. Harry grinned at her from where he was standing over a frying pan, cooking scrambled eggs for lunch. Neville was sitting at the kitchen table, reading a book and drinking a cup of tea. Luna glided in after Ginny and slid into the chair next to Neville, stealing his cup as she did so.
Ginny refrained from raising an eyebrow. She hadn't thought Luna and Neville would end up together but she had only really paid attention to them when Harry was in the vicinity. Speaking of Harry, he was now turning off the stove and grabbing plates from a cupboard.
"Hey, Ginny," he greeted. "You want some lunch? We've probably got enough to go around."
Ginny shook her head. The butterflies in her stomach wouldn't allow her to eat. The anticipation was killing her and she could barely stand to wait another second for Harry to sweep her off her feet and propose to her. They had both remained single as they waited for this moment. Surely now, he would finally show the world just how much he loved her.
Harry did nothing but shrug in acceptance and continue scooping the scrambled eggs onto the plates with toast. He gestured for her to sit as he carried the plates over to the table and the three of them started eating. Ginny did so, not taking her eyes off Harry as he wordlessly refilled the cup Luna had stolen from Neville with tea from the teapot already on the table and then proceeded to steal said cup from Luna.
Finally, she could take it no more. "Would you just propose to me already?" she burst out.
Harry froze; Neville stared at her in shock and Luna made a little 'ah' sound. Slowly, Harry set his fork down and asked, "I'm sorry, what?"
Ginny huffed in annoyance. "I said, would you just propose to me already. It's been months since the battle and there's no reason to stay discrete any longer. Why won't you just come out and say you love me so we can get married and start a family together?"
"Er," was Harry's eloquent response.
"You misunderstand the situation, Ginny. Harry has not proposed to you as he is in a relationship with the two of us."
Ginny turned shocked eyes towards Luna and saw Neville nodding in agreement to her words. "You're lying!" she spluttered. She turned her attention back to Harry, "Tell me she's lying, Harry."
Harry merely shook his head, "'Fraid I can't do that, Gin. She's telling the truth."
Her entire life came crumbling down around her. She stared in horror at Harry. This was her destined mate, the one she had waited for her entire life. They were supposed to be together. They were blessed by the Fates themselves and now he was telling her that he was with two other people? Her fingers twitched towards her handbag and the small vial lying within.
Before she used it though, she would have to get rid of Luna and Neville. "I see," she said numbly, getting up as though she accepted his words and was ready to leave them alone. Harry stood up to walk her to the door and she smiled at his kindness, he still loved her. With that thought strengthening her resolve, Ginny pivoted quickly, picking up the frying pan and aiming it straight at Neville Longbottom's head.
Her attack was stopped in mid-action by Luna who quickly cast a freezing charm on Ginny. She was frozen, her face screwed up in hate as she tried to break free and attack the two who had dared try to steal her Harry away from her. Luna tutted. "I hoped this wouldn't happen but it has. You should leave, Ginny; you don't belong here."
Ginny felt the rage boil inside her, igniting her own magic that fought back against the charm holding her in place. Neville moved out of the path of the frying pan, coming to stand next to Harry and wrap him up in a hug as he stared at Ginny in confusion. Ginny wanted to kill him. Harry was hers. No one else was allowed to touch him.
Luna stepped closer and whispered into Ginny's ear. "I'm sorry about this, but there is no other way for all of us to live peacefully for you will never give up. I cannot allow you to harm Harry with your obsession. Imperio."
Ginny felt the calm wave of mindlessness sweep over her. She knew she should fight it but it was so peaceful. She had been so angry before but she couldn't remember why; she liked the calm more. Forget about your love for Harry Potter a voice told her and Ginny considered it for a moment before accepting the command. What had her love ever given her anyway? Leave now and don't bother us again.
Ginny set the frying pan down in a daze and headed out of the kitchen towards the front door. She would leave, she decided. She wasn't wanted in this place and she shouldn't drop by again. As she walked down the front steps and onto the footpath, she heard Luna's voice call out from the open door.
"Lovely dress, by the way. Glaucous looks beautiful on you."
There was a stab of frustration at the strange name for the shade of blue but it was quickly smoothed away by the haze still in her mind. Somehow she knew that the haze would leave when she returned to the Burrow and she decided to do just that. Perhaps she should focus on trying out for professional Quidditch teams instead of trying to start a family straight away. Yes, that was a good idea. She would do that, she decided.