Don't own HP or Death Cab For Cutie. Inspired by the DCFC song "The New Year" (coincidentally, I don't own that either). Sister-shot to "Steadier Footing", so read that too—it's a bit longer. R&R.
.x. So This Is The New Year .x.
Ginny smiled at Neville from across the room. He grinned shyly in return, and she slinked over.
"To the new year," she said, raising her glass of butterbeer.
"To the new year," he replied, and they both drank in. Ginny looked around—the Burrow was brimming with Wealseys and Order members, all of whom had come to celebrate the coming of a new year, a year in which Voldemort would not haunt them. On the wall next to them was a photograph of Ron, taken months before his death; he beamed at her and waved enthusiastically. She smiled and waved back.
"How's the real world?" Ginny asked him.
"It's alright, I guess. Nothing like Hogwarts, though."
"Is anything?"
He laughed; how could she be so funny without even trying? "How's school?"
She looked sideways at him. "Lonely."
"Well, then I'll owl you every day for the rest of term," he declared.
"Really?"
"Yes, ma'am."
Ginny beamed. "Alright."
As they smiled at each other, blushing slightly, the people around them began to count down.
"TEN!"
"NINE!"
"EIGHT!"
"SEVEN!"
"SIX!"
"FIVE!"
"FOUR!"
"THREE!"
"TWO!"
"ONE! HAPPY NEW YEAR!"
Neville and Ginny reached in for a hug. As they pulled away, Neville quickly leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers. The pair blushed beet red as their nerves fluttered into a frenzy, but everyone around them was too wrapped up in their own affairs to notice that anything unusual had happened.
"Happy new year, Neville," she said.
"Happy new year."
Their eyes met again, but this time, there was something different in the gazes. As Tonks approached Ginny, pulling her away from him, all she could think about was the promise of owls…