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Backroads and Boulevards

Summary:

Luna loves Ginny, and Ginny loves Luna. That's really all.

Notes:

(See the end of the work for notes.)

Work Text:

The drive to the Quidditch stadium is long and cumbersome, but Luna doesn’t mind, not really. It is time that she could spend with Gin, even if it means waking early. Even if it means driving an extra half hour out of the way to the small apothecary and potions shop where she works with Neville and Draco. In fact, Luna had learned to drive specifically to spend more time with Gin, and truthfully, Gin looks forward to the drive too.

Luna had found a beautiful route that took Ginny by her favorite parts of the city. It took a little longer, but when the Holyhead’s away season occupied Ginny for days, sometimes even weeks, she found herself longing for the morning ride to work, regardless of the fact that the stadium was really just an apparition away. The rides aren’t really anything amazing, or special. Sometimes the two don’t even speak; they just sit in a contented silence, listening to the whirr of Luna’s robin-egg blue, beat-up Cortina, as the faint notes of a strings symphony drift into the space.

Classical music. That is one of the things Ginny had learned, in the last five years since the war, that Luna loved. The swooping and swirling of a string section was always Luna’s favorite. She said it reminded her of flying, and when she was imprisoned in the Manor, Draco would sneak down to the dungeons with a magical wireless and switch through the stations to find one that wasn’t broken up with static. The station was always classical, and it was always strings. And God, does Ginny understand, because after spending countless hours locked in the Room of Requirements, hiding from the Carrows, flying reminded her of hope.

There are other things that Ginny has learned about Luna. Like how she loves a cup of herbal tea in the morning, with just a dollop of honey, not quite stirred in, when she woke up. She knows that Luna never expects Ginny to come by when she’s tending to the shop, but she’s always happy when she does. She knows that Luna’s nightmares are particularly terrifying for her, even though she can only describe them as blurred and spinning colors and the sounds of someone else’s screams. She knows that when Luna has one, she won’t cry out, but she’ll reach for Ginny in the middle of the night and hold her impossibly tight. Ginny knows that Luna prefers to feed their garden gnomes jellybeans and jasmine, rather than throw them out of their yard. Startlingly, the gnomes seem to have taken to Luna, too.

Ginny knows that Luna’s favorite color is yellow, and her favorite fruit is strawberries. She knows that her favorite season is spring and her favorite flowers are hydrangeas. Ginny knows that Luna’s favorite holiday is Christmas, but only because it was her mother’s favorite time of the year, before she passed. Ginny knows that Luna loves her with all of her heart. And that’s why, today, on the way to work, she is finally going to ask Luna to marry her.

But here’s the thing: Ginny doesn’t feel like Luna is going to say no, but she is worried that she won’t know if Luna says yes. She loves Luna, really, and her far-off gaze and slightly barmy interjections are what make Luna, hers, but if Luna begins to spout something about Nargles, or Blibbering Humdingers (whether they’re real or not isn’t the issue), as an answer to Ginny’s question, then how will she know, if Luna has said yes, for certain?

Luna’s gaze wanders to Ginny for the fifteenth time in the last five minutes. Luna doesn’t try to keep her eyes on the road, she knows that would be a futile mission. Her girlfriend is lost in thought, and Luna wishes she could smooth out the pinch between her brows, kissing there gently, but taking her hands off the wheel has never been a smart move. Luna learned that the first time she took Ginny driving, but she couldn’t help being drawn to Ginny’s bright eyes. She can’t help but look for constellations among her freckles, and trace the stars on her skin. Smiling to herself, Luna adjusts her hands on the wheel, “What are you thinking about, Gin?” She murmurs, a tinkling laugh erupting from her chest. “You look so serious. Are you worried about Harpies? I know you all are getting new management this year.” It is the first practice of the season, and Ginny always has a tendency to be a bit on edge, before that first practice, worried that she wasn’t going to fall back into the swing of things.

Ginny starts, “Oh. Uh. Yes! I mean, no. I mean, maybe?” Luna giggles again, chancing another glance at Ginny, but remains silent. Sometimes, she’s noticed, Ginny just needs to talk through things by herself. Ginny sighs, before running her index finger over the pink bow of her lip. “Yes. I’m a bit worried, only because new management means a whole new team dynamic. I’m never quite sure how that will go, but that wasn’t what I was thinking about,” Ginny chances a glance at Luna and sees her grey-blue stare gazing calmly through the window, her lips quirked up into a faint smile. Hesitating, she looks down at her hands, knotted in her lap, “Oh, bollocks,” she mutters to herself, “Just say it.” Luna giggles again, carefully reaching over the console to grab Ginny’s twitching right hand. Ginny starts, gazing at Luna’s long fingers, pale and smooth. She admires the contrast to her freckled, tan, calloused hand.

They continue to ride in silence. The entire while Ginny has known her, Luna has been patient as a saint, never pressing Ginny to explain what’s wrong, somehow knowing that Gin would tell her, eventually. Inspiration strikes Ginny. Slowly, so as not to draw Luna’s attention, she pulls out the ring she has been carrying in her pocket. It’s simple, braided metals resembling tree branches, infused with bonding magic. She had it made by Griphook (two years ago, if she’s honest). He still owed her a favor from the war. Slower and slower yet, she picks up Luna’s left hand, and slides the ring onto her finger, watching in awe as it expands, then contracts to fit Luna’s hand perfectly. Briefly, it glows red and then settles into its final form.

Luna, distracted by the heat of the shifting ring, looks down. Abruptly and out of form, Luna pulls off to the side of the road, not even glancing around her to see if she has disturbed traffic. She pulls her hand gently from Ginny and rubs her finger over the ring. “It carries bonding magic,” she says, finally, looking up to lock eyes with Ginny.

“Yes,” Ginny murmurs back. Overwhelmed with the weight of Luna’s stare, Ginny turns to look out the windshield, hand coming up to rub at the back of her neck. After a beat of silence, (that seems to stretch out for an eternity) Ginny starts to stutter an apology, “I- I know it’s stupid-” she stammers, just as Luna whispers “Yes.”

“I’m sure it seems sudden, and that we haven’t really talked about marriage-” Ginny continues before realizing what Luna has said, “Wait. I’m sorry, what?”

“Yes. Yes, of course I’ll marry you,” Luna says, tears falling freely down her face, catching in her luminescent smile. “Of course,” she says again before reaching to pull Ginny into a kiss. Ginny, still dumbfounded, allows Luna to pull her forward, only springing into action as Luna presses her lips to hers. The kiss is messy, too many teeth and tears as their smiling mouths knock together. They hold onto each other laughing, for a few moments, allowing their complete and utter bliss to fill the moment. After a pause, Luna pulls away, leaning across Ginny to the dash, where she opens the compartment and pulls out a small wooden box. Handing it to Ginny, she leans back to brush away her tears and watch as Ginny opens the box. Nestled inside, among a deep forest green velvet, is a simple gold ring, braided together to form an endless knot in the center. Ginny starts, looks up at Luna, and laughs breathlessly in disbelief, “Were you going to-” she trails off.

Luna smiles at her, a bright and beautiful smile, “I was going to ask you after practice tonight at Harry’s birthday party. Draco thought it might be a good idea to double it as an engagement party, but it rather seems as though you beat me to the punch,” she replies, answering Ginny’s unfinished question. Both of them stare at each other before beginning to laugh again. Ginny pulls Luna into a hug, rocking her as she says, “Should we redo this whole thing at the party tonight? I’m sure everyone’s expecting a show.” Luna laughs and pulls back to cradle Ginny’s face in her hands.

“No, I’m quite sure that everything worked out the way it was meant to,” she answers, a twinkle in her eye. Turning forward, she puts the car back into gear and slowly drives back onto the road, never releasing Ginny’s hand from her grasp.

“I love you,” Ginny blurts, blushing at her outburst.

Luna looks at Ginny and smiles, “I love you too.”

Notes:

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