Author: Crystal
Spoilers: All the HP books through OOtP, the HP Lexicon, and JK Rowling’s web site
Email: clarimonde AT gmail DOT com
Notes: Comments, criticism and feedback greatly appreciated.
Well, I’ve chosen Dean Thomas, would you say he’s better? asked Ginny vaguely…(OOtP, US hardback edition, pg. 866)
At the end of OOtP, Ginny Weasley, who has just dumped Michael Corner of Ravenclaw, announces that she has “chosen” Dean Thomas – much to her brother Ron’s dismay. Does this mean that Ginny and Dean are actually a couple now? We don’t know. At this point, canon can be read to mean that yes, they are dating, or that Ginny has her eye on Dean, or even that Ginny is just having fun teasing Ron. He appears to want Ginny to date Harry (ibid.) but Ginny is a big girl and can choose her own boyfriends. She doesn’t appear to need Ron’s approval.
I believe that Ginny/Dean is more than just a purely fanon ship, even if the two of them aren’t a full-fledged couple. Why would Ginny bring up Dean’s name in a romantic context just for laughs, when she knows her brother is a Prefect and shares a dorm with Dean, and that things could get quite strained between them? Ginny is an outgoing girl with a strong personality, and if she has her sights set on Dean she would certainly let him know how she felt. When Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is released on July 16, no doubt we will find out more about their relationship in canon.
Ginevra Molly "Ginny" Weasley is the youngest child of Arthur and Molly Weasley’s seven children, and the only girl born to the Weasley family in several generations. Dean Thomas, meanwhile, was born and raised in London to a Muggle mother and wizard father. He never knew his biological father, who left the family before he was born, and apparently does not know he’s a half-blood and not a Muggle-born. He lives with his mother, stepfather, and a large family of younger brothers and sisters (JK Rowling website). Apparently, Dean’s father left his wife and son because he thought they’d be in danger from the Death Eaters – this proved to be true as he was killed soon after by them. If Dean becomes curious about his origins, Ginny, who is pureblood, could help him. And while there is no evidence that Ginny has inherited her father’s curiosity about Muggle life and culture, if Ginny evinces any such curiosity, Dean could introduce her to such concepts as Muggle football and posters which don’t move. Arthur would probably be delighted if Ginny brought Dean home to the Burrow – here would be someone he could discuss Muggle items with.
Ginny is a fiery Leo, born August 11 (HP Lexicon). OOtP, where we really got to know her, showed her as a strong-willed, determined and take-charge personality. Dean is quieter and more laid-back, refusing to take part in the Harry versus Seamus feud in the Gryffindor dorms (OOtP, US hardback edition, pg. 219-20). This quietness and calm would make him a better match for someone like Ginny than another aggressive type – Dean would probably be very happy with Ginny wearing the trousers in their relationship which she seems inclined to do. She has "chosen" him – I would not be surprised to find out in HBP that she was the one to ask him out on a date first. Dean was not connected to the traumatic events of CoS – he does not know that Ginny was possessed by Voldemort, he did not have any part in rescuing her. From Ginny’s point of view, he would be refreshingly normal, with the added plus that he would be rooting for the same Quidditch team that she plays on (no sulking Michael Corners here). Someone laid-back, quiet and normal would be an ideal match for Ginny at this point in her life; and Dean could do with a girl who has a sharp intellect and interesting personality, not just a pretty face.
Will the "other D/G ship" sail in HBP? It seems possible, even probable, though we will have to wait until July 16th to find out.
There is no one "famous" or prototypical Ginny/Dean fic, but here are some links to good fics which feature them as a couple. Thanks to those who responded to my request for recommendations in the Daily Snitch:
Harry Potter and the Staff of Serpents by Aragog (excellent long, chaptered story which includes some Ginny/Dean as well as others; PG-13)
Drawing Pain by ColoraturaDesdemona (angsty dark fic; PG-13/R)
Volcano by Hyacinth (Ginny/Dean, also Ginny/Harry, PG-13)
Into and Out of the Red by SnapeJuice (sweet, fluffy and well-written Ginny/Dean romance; PG)
For Ginny/Dean ship discussions, fic recommendations, etc:
S.S. Artist’s Flame thread on FA
artistsflame - Ginny/Dean community here on LJ