Author Note: Sorry I needed to get this out of my skull. I am still working on the other main stories. I promise.
===xxx(begin)
Ten year old Ginny Weasley jumped on her brother Ron's back from a low tree limb, "Gotcha!"
He was currently running through the orchard with his broom when she did this. Causing him to trip and fall throwing the broom off to the side. He rolled over wrestling with her until she was pinned under him.
"Aww Ron. One of these days I'm gonna be powerful enough to pin you." She pouted as he got up.
"Yeah keep thinking that squirt. I'll always be your big brother." Ron said laughing.
"So do you think you'll meet him at Hogwarts?" She asked eagerly.
"Meet who?" Ron replied acting disinterested in who she was talking about.
Huffing Ginny exclaimed, "Harry Potter you goofball. He's going to be coming there this year. I need you to introduce me to him."
Ron laughed, "Oh and why would he want to be introduced to a little squirt like you."
Ginny pouted, "I'm not going to be a little squirt forever you know."
Ron looked at her with a frown, the thought went through his head that he knew she wouldn't. That's why he had to be a better big brother.
To Ginny though he said, "Yeah you will. You'll always be a little squirt."
Ginny stuck her tongue out and grabbed his broom. Taking off to fly to the house making Ron go chasing after her.
===xxx
Ginny was having trouble controlling herself. They had driven to London in her dad's car as a treat. This was the year Ron was going to Hogwarts and she was looking everywhere at once. They found a small black haired boy standing outside the entrance to the platform. She thought he looked lost and harmless. She ignored him because she was still looking around for the heroic Harry Potter. The books she had read about him said he was tall and handsome and so mature for his age.
Ron and the boy had gone through the entrance and she followed with her mother. They had paused while the boy went on ahead. Ginny was looking around with a frown.
"What's wrong squirt?" Ron asked tapping her on the shoulder.
"I don't see Harry Potter!" Ginny pouted.
"Maybe they snuck him onto the train already, or he's already up at Hogwarts to hide from all his fans." Ron suggested.
"You think?" Ginny asked suspiciously.
"Yeah. That's it. I mean its not like he heard you were coming and hid from you." Ron laughed.
"He better not have." Ginny declared.
"You behave for mum." Ron told her.
"I will." Ginny gave her brother a hug. "Tell Harry Potter about me?"
"I'll try to remember." Ron said.
===xxx
Eleven year old Ginny had just blown her candles out on the cake her mother had baked. She was excited because they would be going to Diagon Alley to get her school things tomorrow.
She was still sitting up in the living room playing with the doll when Ron came down to go to the kitchen. "Hey mum said to save the rest of the cake until tomorrow."
Ron stopped and looked into the living room, "What're you doing still up squirt?"
"I can't sleep. I'm going to get my school stuff tomorrow."
"Yeah. So much fun." Ron scoffed.
"Oh just because you don't like school doesn't mean I won't. Its going to be so exciting. Wonderful. All the stuff I'm going to learn and the friends I'm going to make. It'll be terrific. Better than being stuck here all day with just mum." Ginny confessed.
Sitting beside her Ron put his arm around her, "Hey. There's a lot of work and stuff you got to watch out for at Hogwarts. I told you about what happened with me and Harry and Hermione last year."
Ginny thought for a moment then shrugged, "Yeah but this year is going to be better. You'll see."
===xxx
Ron woke up in the desert tent he had managed to get for himself. He had originally been forced to share with Percy but neither of them had wanted that so their dad had copied the simple pup tent and put Ron and Percy at opposite ends of the camp.
Ron heard some whimpering cries that woke him. Coming out he realized that Ginny was sitting on the stones not far from his tent. At the very edge of the big desert. Pulling his robe on he shuffled over to sit beside her. She leaned against him and cried.
"What happened?" He asked worriedly.
"I had a bad dream. I dreamed he made me kill you." Ginny said between sniffles.
"Hey I'm your big brother. I'll be fine. Besides you'd have to get a lot better before you could take me in a duel." He said reassuringly.
Ginny laughed uncertainly, "Not if I bat bogey you."
Ron sarcastically made an ooh sound, "I'm so scared of one trick. I know all kinds of spells, and can fight. You'll have to get a lot better than just the bat bogey to get me."
Ginny rolled her eyes but stared out into the desert. "What if he comes back?" she asked softly.
Ron hugged her, "You tell us. You do whatever you can. Don't keep it to yourself."
Ginny sighed, "You know how mum is so scared of him. She acts like the slightest cut is a curse from him. And I tried to tell Percy when I was. When he was making me do things and Percy dismissed it. Fred and George ignored me. Their too busy with their stupid joke shop plans."
"See you went to the wrong brothers. You shoulda told me." Ron said.
"You were busy helping Harry deal with all that heir of Slytherin stuff. And then your friend Hermione got hurt. I was scared to tell. What if he blamed me for her getting hurt." She asked worriedly.
Ron sighed, "Harry would have understood. He wouldn't have blamed you."
Ginny looked at on soulfully, "I'll never be able to make it up to Harry. I hurt so many people when he was in me."
Ron put his hands on her arms and looked deeply into her eyes, "Ginny. That wasn't your fault. You're not to blame for what happened."
Ginny looked shamefully at the ground. "How can you say that."
"Cause you're my sister and I know you. You wouldn't hurt someone unless they tried to hurt you. Otherwise Percy would have his nose bat bogied off by now."
Ron laughed.
Ginny smiled weakly, "Yeah I guess."
"I know. So you're going to be okay."
Ginny hugged Ron, "Thanks Ron. Thanks for believing in me."
"Of course I do Gin." Ron hugged her back.
===xxx
Ron and Ginny were relaxing after getting back to the Burrow for the summer. Ginny was still amazed and sad her favorite professor was a werewolf and that Ron's pet had had a major secret.
Ginny was shaking her head, "I cannot believe your stupid rat was actually a secret death eater."
Ron sighed, "I know. Crazy."
Ginny started laughing.
"What?" Ron glared at her.
"He watched you jerk off." She laughed, "I'm surprised he didn't throw himself in front of the cats on purpose after that."
"Yeah well Percy had him before me. So he must have watched him do that too." Ron laughed.
Ginny slowly stopped then got a horrified look on her face. "What if he liked that?"
Ron stopped laughing then got a disgusted expression, "Uh. You had to mention that. I could have been a lot happier not thinking about it."
"Aww. I'm sure he hated every minute of living with you." Ginny consoled her brother.
"Yeah. Thanks for the support." Ron snorted.
"What you wanted him to be happy?" Ginny asked in shock.
"Well when I thought he was a rat, he was my rat. You know. Something that was mine to take care of and have." Ron sighed.
Ginny sat beside him, "Oh. Yeah.."
"I get hand me down clothes, I get hand me down pets, books, cauldrons. Mum and dad get you a lot more new stuff." Ron pointed out. "Me I'm an after thought at best."
"Well being a girl I do kinda need some different stuff that you guys can;t hand me down, but they still give me a bunch of hand-me down stuff too." Ginny agreed.
"I know. Maybe someday eh?" Ron smiled, "Maybe someday I'll be a big Quidditch star and have endorsement deals and a bunch of money."
"Yeah, maybe me too. Maybe we'll play on the same team." Ginny suggested.
Ron rubbed his fingernails on his shirt, "Well when I get to be the big star and captain I'll see if I can fit you into the team. If you're good enough."
She shoved him, "If I'm good enough. Go grab your broom and I'll show you how good I am mister."
"Follow my lead?" He asked with a grin.
"You'll be eating my dust!" She said running for the broom shed.
"Yeah right." Ron grinned following her.
===xxx
Ron was pacing in his room in Grimmould Place while Ginny sat on the bed reading a magazine.
"Ron you're going to pace a hole in the carpet." She said.
"Harry's life is hanging in the balance due to a stupid court case and you're just sitting there reading a magazine." He huffed.
"Well Hermione is in the kitchen working on a potion with Sirius so its not like I can talk to her." Ginny said. "Sirius has really started liking her. I think Harry does too."
"I thought you liked Harry?" Ron had stopped pacing and turned on his sister.
"Oh I do he's nice. But he likes Hermione. And Neville likes me." Ginny turned a page slowly.
"Oh? Neville did take to the Yule ball didn't he?" Ron asked sitting on the foot of the bed.
"Yeah he did." She happily said.
Snatching the magazine out of her hands Ron grumped, "He came back to the dorms awfully late that night."
Snatching her magazine back she rolled it up and smacked Ron with it. "Yeah, so what?"
"So he had a very large goofy grin on his face when he came back." Ron glared at her.
Ginny scoffed and held her hand to her chest sarcastically, "Are you implying I did anything impolite to the boy."
"No. I'm implying he importuned upon you." Ron grumped.
Ginny looked at her brother then started laughing, "Importuned upon me? What?"
Ron rubbed his neck sheepishly, "I bought a book on improving your vocabulary. I thought Hermione might like me more if I could use bigger words."
"Harry doesn't use big words."
"I know." Ron glumly said.
"We kissed."
Ron looked up at her, "What?"
"Neville. After the dance we went off and we kissed. And we talked. He showed me some of the plants he takes care of in the greenhouse. He's really sweet." She said.
"He didn't try anything." Ron said more than asked.
Ginny sighed, "No. As much as I wish he had. He was a perfect gentleman."
Ron laughed, "You're incorrigible."
Ginny unrolled her magazine and started reading again, "Oh absolutely."
Ron got up and started pacing again.
Ginny sighed but said nothing.
===xxx
Ron was sitting on his bed rubbing the scars on his arms. The brains had wrapped their tendrils around his arms so tightly. The thoughts the brains tried to push into his mind he still tried to forget.
He ignored the knocking on his door. Eventually it stopped. Then the door opened and Ginny strode into the room.
"Hey you going to come join us or what?" She demanded.
Ron looked at her darkly, "Bugger off."
"Not with you brother. Besides Neville is busy." She cheekily said.
Ron frowned as he still rubbed his arms.
Ginny sighed and sat on the bed beside him. "Does it still hurt?" She asked gently in concern.
Ron shook his head, "No. My arms don't hurt. I just remember things I never did and I'm confused. I keep having thoughts about things."
She put her arm around his waist, "Hey c'mon bro. You're the big brother right? You're stronger than some stupid brains."
Ron shrugged. "Maybe. I failed Harry. I failed Hermione. I almost got myself killed." he mumbled darkly.
Ginny pulled him around so she could look in his eyes, "Ron. We all fought against trained experienced Death Eaters. A bunch of clueless kids. Dad is amazed and proud that we all survived as well as we did."
"I was supposed to be Harry's sidekick. Everyone considers me his sidekick." Ron lamented.
"Ronald Weasley. You are not a sidekick, you are a good friend. Harry doesn't consider you a sidekick." Ginny encouraged Ron.
Ron sighed and looked at the floor dejectedly.
"Besides you're going to make a great uncle."
Ron looked at her sideways. "What?"
"Yeah. Luna and I had sex and she got me pregnant. We're going to have to get married and I want you to be my matron of honor."
He looked askance at her.
She was smiling hopefully. Finally he started snickering, "Really? That's the best you could come up with?"
Ginny shrugged, "Well if I'd said Neville did that you'd probably have gone off on him."
Ron considered that before smiling, "Nah. Neville is pretty good for you."
"So you approve?" Ginny asked in surprise.
Ron grinned, "Well let me talk to him and make sure he understands what it'll take to date you first though."
"Oh?" She asked crossing her arms.
"Yeah. Someone's got to warn him about you." Ron joked.
She grinned, "I think he'll figure it out."
"Hey is mum making dinner yet?" He asked as his stomach rumbled.
"Yeah. You better get downstairs if you want to get anything." Ginny said standing up.
Ron followed her, "There better be scones left."
===xxx
They were getting ready for Fleur and Bill's wedding. Ginny had finished her dress and makeup walking out to find Ron hovering by the food table.
"Hey save some for everyone else." She huffed.
Ron turned to look at her then frowned, "Do you have to show that much skin?"
"I am not showing that much skin. I'll have you know mum approved this dress." Ginny huffed.
"If you jump up and down you'll give everyone a show."
"I'm not very likely to be jumping up and down bunghole. At least not until after the party and Neville and I go off." She said naughtily winking.
Ron sighed looking around the tent, "Assuming we don't get attacked. You do have your wand at hand."
Ginny looked around, "Yeah its in my garter."
Ron rolled his eyes but nodded, "If anything does happen take care of Lavender for me please."
Ginny was happy that her brother and Lavender had managed to work out their problems. Harry and Hermione declaring their love for each other probably helped motivate him. "I will. You make sure you stay with them and help. Take care of them for me."
Ron patted his sister on her arm, "I will. I promise."
She looked around, "Do you think anything will happen?"
"Dad's as nervous as a mouse in a cat show." Ron stated.
"Yeah. Hermione has her stuff ready to go?" Ginny asked.
"If anything happens we won't come back until we've done what Dumbledore wanted." ron reminded her.
"I know. Be careful Ron. I'll miss you." She said swallowing nervously.
"I'll be back before you notice me gone." He joked.
She suddenly gave him a tight hug. Hugging her back he held her briefly.
Breaking apart he two of them said, "Take care."
===xxx
It was raining as the crowd silently moved away from the grave. A mound of fresh dirt over the brother that had been lost. Ginny felt the rain soaking through her clothes, chilling her. She looked at the stone with rain and tears running down her face.
"You said you'd come back. You said you'd be back before I even noticed. I notice now. I'll always notice. I'll miss you big brother." Ginny cried. The rain running over the words on the stone blurring them.
Neville came up and put a cloak over her. She leaned against him as they stood silently for a long time before she finally turned and walked away with Neville's arm around her waist.
Her Quidditch career was long and spectacular. She won many awards and sponsorships before she retired to become a full time wife and mother. She would take her son to visit the uncle he was named after frequently. She would tell him all about him on these trips. About how he was the one she looked up to, the one she had counted on and tried to emulate. How without his love and support she would never have become the person she was.
===xxx
Ronald Franklin Longbottom stood in a quiet graveyard in Ottery Saint Catchpole. He was visiting the now much weathered stone of the uncle he never met, but knew so much about. Only this time he was alone. A middle aged man who had gray just beginning to show in his hair.
"Hello Uncle. I'm pretty sure you already know but I wanted to do what mum said one last time. Her final words were to warn you she was coming home." He paused unsure of what to say, usually his mother had been the one doing all of the talking. Telling her brother about the things that happened since the last visit. Luna and Seamus, Harry and Hermione, her and Neville. All of the children and grand children. She had come once a week, then once a month as her health declined. She always came though to sit and talk. To wipe the dirt off and leave fresh flowers.
"I wish I could have met you. The way mum talked about you made you sound like a great guy. Well goodbye. I will probably not visit as often as she did but I'll still visit. Especially as her and dad are buried just a few rows over. Not far from Gramma and Grampa."
He wiped his eyes as he thought about how all of the hero generation as the press called them had passed over. Only his honorary aunt Luna still remained. She seemed timeless to him.
"Well goodbye." He said laying the fresh flowers on the stone as his mother had done so often before. As he left he stopped and looked into the sky. Two redbirds circled and danced overhead before flying off into the setting sun.
===xxx(Review Responses)
TomHRichardson: Thank you. I figured Daphne would be one to get that kind of tattoo. And then dare you to call it a tramp stamp...And no not TMI. Cool. I used photoshop in the story as it has almost become a generic term for manipulating a photo, sort of like a coke or kleenex.
Jadesaprexiv: Indeed. I've done a lot of abyss staring in my life. That sounds like a very interesting definition of a Boggart. It makes too much sense. A quote I've heard says roughly "You look in the mirror everyday, you either accept what you see or you stop looking in mirrors." Yeah Colin needs a good storyline sometimes. I've read Identity Crisis. That is a good tale. And of course Hermione would have that happen, what other use is there for photoshop. Lolol.
Dennisud: Yep. One of the first things they discovered in Pompeii was the wall graffiti advertising the brothels. The Venus of Willendorf. Just good ol human nature. One reason I would not want to be the guy who cleans the holodecks on Star Trek...
OfficerDonNZ: Yep and back to the heavy with this one. Colin was never in any serious danger, at least as long as he held the power to alter Hermione. Lol.