( happy birthday, ginny... and percy! )
— august twenty fifth, nineteen ninety three
( between chapters two and three of wild )

RORY ARRIVED AT THE BURROW, laughing for the first time all summer. She barely had time to unpack her things in Ginny's room before she was dragged away for a match of Quidditch in the yard. She and George played against Ron and Fred as Ginny begged to get a chance to play. Although Rory was eager to lend her broom to the youngest Weasley, the boys disagreed.

"But it's her birthday party!" Rory complained.

Fred shook his head, "No! She'll just spoil our match!"

Rory dismounted her broom, "If she isn't playing, neither am I!"

And so, without looking back, she entered the Burrow. It was quiet, Mr. Weasley was at work while Mrs. Weasley was at the village, getting things last minute for her daughter's celebration. However, the house was not empty. In the sitting room, sat Percy Weasley, his eyebrows furrowed as he looked down at a book in front of him.

"Hello, Percy!" Rory smiled, "I haven't seen you since I arrived! How're you?"

"Oh, I'm alright," he sighed, adjusting his glasses as he kept his gaze to his book, "good summer?"

"Not at all," Rory said, flopping down on an arm chair next to him, "how was Egypt?"

"Wonderfully interesting," he said, looking up with a soft smile, "it was even better once I turned of age, only got a few days while we were there but... made the end of the trip a bit more... fun."

Fun and Percy were seldom two words that were associated. Wait...

"Percy? Happy belated birthday! You had a birthday on the trip too? Why is it only Ginny's we're celebrating?" Rory gasped.

The boy shrugged, "I'm not into celebrations as much. Besides, I didn't want to take Ginny's special day. She doesn't like sharing much. After what she went through last year she deserves her own party."

"I wish I'd known so I could have gotten you something," Rory tilted her head.

Percy sighed and turned back to his book, "It's alright, really. Nobody else seemed to care, why should you?"

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THE RETURN OF MRS. WEASLEY came with loads of hugs and filled the house with the smell of delicious food. Rory had finished unpacking and was now helping set up the rest of the decorations for Ginny's party. A banner hung in the sitting room, Rory suggested to the twins as they hung it to add Percy's name, but they didn't fancy that idea.

"Rory, dear!" Mrs. Weasley shouted from the kitchen, "Can you go fetch Ginny from the garden? She shouldn't be alone out there!"

Rory nodded, "Of course, Mrs. Weasley!" The girl hurried out of the sitting room and out the back door into the garden. There sat Ginny, her long red hair across the bright green grass as she rested on her back, looking up at the clouds.

"Gin?" Rory said quietly, "Your Mum wants you inside..."

"Of course she does," Ginny groaned. Rory walked over to Ginny and sat next to her, laying on her back next to the girl.

"Are you alright?" Rory asked the younger girl.

Ginny sighed, "No. I know I should be happy, celebrating my birthday and all... I had a really great summer but I'm a bit worried about going back. Do you think everyone is going to hate me? Think of me differently?"

"Ginny! Of course not!" Rory said, "Nobody is going to blame you for what happened! If anything... they'll think you're a badass. Besides, the world has already moved on to the next thing. There's a mass murderer on the loose!" She paused, "We should... probably go inside."

Ginny giggled and got up, holding out her hand for Rory. Rory grabbed it and got up, hugging the girl as she did.

"Thanks, Rory," Ginny said as they walked inside the Burrow, through the garden, "I love having you around. Makes for a nice change."

"Please, Gin," Rory sighed, "you'd rather I was Harry!"

Ginny's face got suddenly red as she chased Rory into the house playfully, the sound of pure happiness escaping her lips.

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just a cute little one shot!! like i said some chapters of this might be on the shorter side but i hope you enjoyed nonetheless! feel free to comment requests <3

i'm going to post chapters as i write them, but they'll all be put in chronological order eventually!!

also thank you so much for 8k followers ahhhh!!!