Laughter

Ginny laughs a lot these days.

At first it was for Harry. Her brothers understood what it meant, that she would sit out in the sun, grinning until her mouth hurt from it. If she was laughing, then she wasn't thinking about where Harry was (in danger, danger, danger) and where he wasn't (with her).

Then, it's because someone needs to do it, someone needs to be the one who will smile, because Luna soothes, and Neville leads, and Ginny laughs so that they don't cry.

It scares them sometimes, though, she thinks, - when the Carrows drag her in, and she comes out barely walking because they try to make her cry and Ginny laughs at them.

They've all changed though, Neville's sharper and angrier, Luna hasn't said anything about nargles in months, and people just think that this fierce red-haired laughter is what she's become.

But if it's a little deader each day, well, no one blames her.