Afterwards

Prolouge

The war was over. I could finally breathe. Voldemort was dead and Harry was alive. With that knowledge I should be happy. But I wasn't happy. My brother Fred was dead, lying beside a vast sea of people I cared about. I still can't wrap my head around it. And then I don't even know where to begin with Percy. I mean he hates dad and the rest of us for a solid 3 years at least and then expects us to be okay with his coming back like nothing ever happened? I know it may be petty, but I am far from being over the hurt that he caused mum and dad. And of course there's that situation with Harry. Upset as I am over everything we have gone through last night and as petty as it may sound I can't get him out of my head. I just want to know where we are at, what we are, and what's going on.
As I sit pondering, wondering about what is going on, Neville approaches me cautiously, "Hi Gin,"
"Hey Neville" I say nothing else but I move over on the bench so he has room to sit next to me. We sit there awkwardly for a time lost in our own thoughts. All around us people are mourning the losses of their loved ones, or rejoicing the fact that this war is over. But no one is really sure of what to do next. I see my family, all huddled around Fred's body, my mum is looking around trying to find me I can tell. I turn around on the bench and put my head on the table, unwilling to be close to them. How could I find comfort by sitting around the now empty corpse that is, no was, my brother? "Ginny?" I heard Neville asking, but I just shook my head letting a few tears escape from the corners of my eyes. I felt the pressure of his hand on my back and I couldn't handle it anymore. I unleashed my sobs uncontrollably and I felt comfort in the arms of poor Neville who was the closest to me. Everything I had felt in the past year, every pain I had endured, every loss was spiraling out of control in my mind and I couldn't help but sit sobbing. Neville sat with his arms around me, patting my back awkwardly. After some time I began to calm down, my heart still beating hard after the exertion I had just put it through. Neville never let me go though, through all of this of which I was immensely grateful.
Finally I sat up straight and wipe the tears from my eyes. Neville looked at me pity in his eyes, "it will all be ok," he said "not now, or anytime soon but eventually. Things will never go back to how they were before but things won't always be as bad as they seem right now." He then kissed me on the forehead and stood up, "if you're okay, I'm going to go find Luna."
I nodded at him, the smallest hint of a smile sprouting on my lips. As Neville left I looked around the Great Hall for Harry. I saw him with Ron and Hermione rushing out of the room. I rolled my eyes.
I don't know what I expected, sure You-Know-Who is dead but why would that stop Harry Potter from being up to some sort of hero scheme with Ron and Hermione. Would he ever just be Harry Potter: regular guy?
Then I smirked to myself, of course not, that's not the man I fell in love with.