Who: Luna Lovegood & Ginny Weasley What: Ginny's birthday; plus conversations on Harry and Integration Where: Ginny's flat, Hogsmeade When: Backdated! Afternoon of August 11, 2001
Luna's bright yellow dress skimmed along just below her knees as she neared Ginny's home, a package wrapped in bright red and gold between her hands. Tucked safely inside were six oversized cupcakes, strawberry with red sugar sprinkles that seemed to glow, and a smaller box containing a pair of earrings, broomsticks attached by a silver chain so they flew in little circles as you wore them. Though Luna doubted Ginny would have much occasion to wear them, she hoped they would make her laugh.
She always enjoyed the trips to Ginny's, her flat was warm and cozy in a way that fondly reminded Luna of Shell Cottage. Stepping up to the door, she gave a quick, light knock.
Ginny had been listening to a match on the radio (Puddlemere vs. Caerphilly) when she heard the knock from the door. Maybe it was that it was her birthday that made her energetic enough to spring from the sofa and over to the door in a matter of seconds. She didn't even look through the peekhole, which was pretty customary with Ginny.
"Luna!" she exclaimed. "Come in. How are you? I haven't seen you in ages."
Smiling broadly, Luna shifted the box to one hand and gave Ginny a hug in greeting. "Happy Birthday, Ginny."
She followed Ginny inside, comfortable in the welcoming surroundings. It had been far too long, it seemed ridiculous how she'd let herself get so caught up with work and Harry to have gone so long without seeing Ginny. She was such wonderful company, and Luna regarded her as close to a sister as she could have hoped for.
"It's been far too long," she agreed. Holding up the box she asked, "Do you still fancy strawberry cupcakes?"
Ginny accepted the hug with the realisation that it had been a long time since she actually had been hugged. She needed to see her family, and her friends, much more often. "Thank you, Luna."
She wondered what Luna had been up to lately, she hadn't seen her. It seemed like the used to see each other at least once a week... and Ginny had Quidditch, and the movement, and she had visited Grimmauld Place... what else had kept her so far away from her best friend? "It has strawberries, of course I love it. So, sit down, tell me what you've been doing lately." Ginny reclaimed her seat on the couch.
Easing onto the couch, she let her sandal slip off her foot to draw one leg underneath her. It suddenly occurred to her that of course no one had known where she'd been or what she'd been up to, and there were more than a few things she'd needed to mention to Ginny. They hadn't really gotten a chance to talk about the those awful Dark Mark tags, whether or not Ginny was going to go to the gala at the Malfoy's, and a number of other things.
"Work, the usual," she began with a shrug. "Though I have been spending a bit more with Harry lately. We've sort of been seeing each other, and since he's left the Auror program, he's been keeping me amused, I suppose." She could only hope this wouldn't prove to be an issue, but she knew Ginny's thoughts on how things had tapered off between them, and certainly didn't want that discussion to be the main focus of their visit. She wanted this to be about her and Ginny.
Ginny tried to look as uninterested as possible. "Oh, so you've been meeting up and things?" Ginny thought about Harry momentarily. Perhaps Luna's schedule and his were more similar... Harry had come up in the last two conversations of theirs...
Ginny found herself very interested in the strawberry cupcakes that were mentioned. "Do you want tea with the cupcakes?"
Luna's gaze remained on Ginny, taking in her reaction, and mulling over the words. Ginny was perhaps the most level-headed person Luna knew, and that often included Hermione. She trusted Ginny, and trusted her to know that Luna had no malicious desire toward her. When Ginny turned her attention to the cupcakes, Luna smiled softly.
"Tea would just be lovely," she nodded. For Luna, there was little use "And well, more like dating. We recently took a small holiday to Paris. I was meaning to talk to you about it, but things sort of happened so slowly, or rather quickly, and well- the whole situation's a little peculiar. But I wanted you to know about it, you're the first person I've mentioned it to. Can I help you with tea?"
"Oh. How is that going?" Paris? Dating? This was all terribly new information for Ginny, but she nodded. It wasn't horrible news either. Sure, she had once dated Harry, but... well, she wasn't sure how she felt. She hoped Luna didn't expect too much of a reaction, because Ginny wasn't sure how she was reacting, truth be told.
"Yeah, I'd love some help," Ginny said, standing up and walking into the kitchen. She reached for the kettle and put it on the stove. Harry and Luna. It seemd such a foreign idea to her. She'd never imagined it before. She looked back at her friend.
She had always wanted someone good for Luna. And she had always assumed if Harry and herself weren't going to be together, they'd move on eventually. So, he had moved on. She took a few tea bags out of the cupboard.
"Very nicely, I think," Luna shrugged, hollowing Ginny into the kitchen. "I don't really have much to compare it to, but it's really good." She didn't quite feel the need to explain how frequently Harry stayed over, or delve overly deeply into the specifics there. Luna was rather certain Ginny wasn't terribly interested in such details. Or if she did, Luna figured Ginny would inquire. And simply because Luna had been absent for a while, she didn't expect Ginny had been keeping herself holed up at home. "But what have you been up to?" she asked, putting the full kettle of water on the stove. "Practice going well?"
Ginny nodded to Luna's response, and was more than grateful for the turn of subject. "Well, practice is fine, just work," she shrugged, offering Luna a smile.
She thought further about what had been on her mind. A countless amount of things concerning separatists, the articles in the newspapers, and Seeker came to mind. Particularly something he said about trying to get others to try to see things from a different point of view. But how could you know to sway them if you didn't know their particular point of view?
Then Ginny thought of the time Luna had in a message, mentioned something about all of it and her uncertainty, at least Ginny had thought it was uncertainty. "So what do you think of all of this news lately?"
She figured event his was a bit easier than explaining her visit to the not-dead residents of Grimmauld Place, which she thought might actually fascinate Luna... still if she was seeing Harry, it was likely she'd find out in due time.
Brighting when Ginny smiled again, Luna was happy to turn their conversation to what she figured were more comfortable topics. The recent events had done little to ease Luna's concerns about the whole issue of integration; and even Harry's views, which she supposed were the most ardently opposed that she'd heard, were commonplace in their conversations. It was a familiar sort of exasperation with the way things were being run, and Luna was starting to wonder if the Ministry and the Prophet had ever done anything properly, or if it was just some fanciful imagined past everyone wanted to cling to.
She gave a small, though not terribly burdened sigh. "Most of it seems to be further evidence that we're not ready to integrate. I used to think that it could be done, not like they've been trying, but now... it just seems like the Ministry isn't listening again, isn't being realistic about what's actually going on. How has it been here?"
"Hogsmeade hasn't been too different. I expect, since Diagon Alley is right in the center of London it has more Integrationist sways occurring," Ginny stated, half-shrugging.
"I suppose the ideal of Muggles and Wizards co-existing peacefully, is a nice one to believe in," Ginny admitted, "but I think that it is very unrealistic, and could be bad for both sides." Ginny made sure that she sounded candid, as if she hadn't told Seeker these very things quite a few times before. "And the Dark Marks. I'm not sure what anyone would truly get out of doing that, well maybe a sadistic pleasure, but you'd think it'd be pretty dangerous for them." Ginny tried not to grimace at the thought of people finding the Dark Mark was somehow amusing, or somethign someone casually put up just because.
Ginny had already opened up more than before to Luna, so she looked at her friend trying to gauge a reaction.
Luna had to shake her head. Why was it that just when it seemed like peace and stability were possible, the Ministry had to go tinkering and meddling where it oughtn't, and for no reason.
"I just don't understand why people want this," Luna replied, a bit baffled. "There are too many risks, we've been separate far too long - and other people might not realize just how poorly some people understand those who aren't like them." It was true of both sides. As much as she didn't like the appearance of the Dark Mark, she knew it was reactionary, that people were running out of ways to express the fact that they didn't want integration when it seemed like it was being forced on them. "I think people are getting desparate to be heard," she offered without an ounce of approval, and was hardly surprised to hear something like Harry's complaint come out of her mouth, "And with the Ministry so bent on enforcing its will on people, it only enourages dissent to become more secretive, and violent."