A/N: Hi everyone! I'm so sorry this is late. I've been incredibly sick for the past three weeks or so, and I've had crippling election anxiety on top of that, so this chapter needed a couple extra days. Thank you so much for being patient! I hope you enjoy this chapter! And if you live in the US, PLEASE GO VOTE IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY, please please please please. Please. And please take care of yourselves, today and in the days ahead. This is a terrifying time to be alive. Please keep drinking water and eating regularly and sleeping as much as you can and remembering to disconnect when it gets overwhelming, and if you live in an area where political violence is expected, please keep yourself as safe as possible. I hope this chapter offers you a bit of escapism, and I'll work on getting Chapter 278 out as soon as possible to offer a bit of escapism in that sense too. Thank you for being here, and I hope you enjoy the chapter!
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GEORGE:
Ginny, in true Ginny fashion, was the first to say what we were all thinking.
"I wish we could go back in time," she said shamelessly as she watched Fred and Archie bicker over the arrangement of indoor-safe fireworks. "The New Year's party here a year ago was so fun. I miss... well, I was going to try to narrow it down, but I can't. I miss everything and everyone."
Henry nodded. "Fair. I was just thinking this morning about how much I miss Quidditch practice. A year ago, I was bitter about having Quidditch practice on New Year's Eve, but I reckon I'd do just about anything for even a semblance of normalcy and routine right about now."
"You're welcome to come with me to school. There's nothing normal about it, but there is a routine there," Ginny offered, only half-kidding.
"You could pull a Barty Crouch Jr. and polyjuice yourself as me for the rest of the school year," Archie said. He frowned. "Aw wait, no, you'd have to kiss my girlfriend, and I don't think either of us want that. Never mind."
Henry snorted. "Thanks for the offer anyway. I did say just about anything. I'm very happy not to be in school anymore, and I'd rather keep kissing my boyfriend."
I leaned over then and obliged him, laughing when Ginny tossed a handful of popcorn at us.
Before I could throw it back at her, there was a bit of an uproar in the kitchen. I scrambled to my feet in a panic, but before I could draw my wand, I heard the familiar voice of Bill begging Mum not to cry.
"Ah, great, another couple in this house," Ginny groused.
"Hear, hear," Archie agreed with a rueful grin her direction, which she returned.
Archie and Ginny had become hilariously close friends in the time we'd spent at the Burrow over the course of the holiday, sharing many a secret joke and knowing look. It made sense, seeing as the rest of us loved Archie more every time we interacted with him, but Ginny and Archie were on another level, truly. They matched each other's wit and morbid sense of humor, and whenever they disappeared for a couple of minutes, they both returned looking happier than they had when they left, so I pretended not to notice Archie's flask nor the fact that our firewhisky stash was depleting.
"Well, one half of this couple is going to go greet the honeymoon victims," I said, pushing myself to my feet. "Anyone want anything from the kitchen?"
"Something strong to drink?" Ginny asked hopefully.
"Butterbeer it is," I replied. "Anyone else?"
Henry sniffed the air. "Is that cherry pie?"
"Sure is," Fred confirmed after he sniffed for himself. "On second thought, you can arrange the fireworks, Graye, I'm going to go get a slice while it's hot."
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In the Melancholy Moonlight, Part 5: Dark Matter
Fanfiction"If I lose my way, will I know where to find you?" Lucy Everlin Diggory has many fears. Large bodies of water. Doing poorly in school. The full moon. Losing control. "If you lose your way, you will know where to find me." In spite of her fears, hope...
