Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters

Rating: K+

Pairings: GW/LM (Mentioned GW/CD)

Please enjoy!

It was hard for her to go about her days as normally as possible while he was gone. It never seemed that anything would be normal until she knew he was home, safe and warm in their big bed. She let him go fight in the war because she had seen the sheer determination in his eyes; she couldn't have said no. When he left on that cloudy afternoon some months ago, the words they spoke didn't seem like enough, yet the ones they didn't say seemed inadequate with what needed to be said. I love you, sure, I'll miss you, yes. But they never voiced to each other the one thing that neither wanted to hear. What if you don't come home? Now, it just seemed as if not hearing any news about him was keeping her alive. If he had sent her anything, she would have been too happy for the day when someone came to her door and gave her the news she didn't want to hear. She looked out of the window of her kitchen and she immediately saw the black car in the driveway and the men in their uniforms coming to her front door. The china plate she was drying off, fell to the floor and shattered….

When they come to you on your doorstep with somber faces and a look in their eyes that means something bad happened, don't they understand that they're already telling you the bad news?

One of the men knocked on the door three times and then his hand returned to be clasped with the other in front of him. She stood on the other side of the closed door, her forehead resting upon its cool wood surface. The men outside knew she was home and knew what she must be thinking; they waited patiently. Her will power forced her to open the door, she wasn't a coward, she wasn't going to receive the letter under the crack in the door. She would need someone to comfort her because she was alone in the house and no one else was there. The door swung open and she met her brothers' eyes with a look that only they would understand. They gave her one that anyone would understand. She could see the unshed tears in their eyes, she felt them come forward and hug her…it was silent all around.

When they wrap you in their arms and whisper silent apologies and promises and cryptic tales, can't they feel your heart breaking? When they shudder with silent tears, can't they hear the noise they're making?

She could hardly breath, not because of their hugs, but because of what she knew they were going to say. It was too loud even though nothing made a sound--it was just too loud. She began to think of all of the good times she and him had shared together and the times they had fought over silly things. She remembered the love that never seemed to fade or fizzle, but that continued to grow. A sob tore out of her chest and the tears started to fall like heavy rain. Despite her two strong big brothers holding her up, she fell to the ground, her sobs still loud and carrying. "He can't be dead! He can't be dead! I won't let him be dead!"

When they see you start to fall to your knees and you begin to shake and you begin to sob, can't they see they just murdered you? Can't they feel the earth stopping? Can't they feel the mountains trembling? Can't they hear the children screaming? Can't they hear your loved one's mourning? Can't they…? Can't they…?

That day the rain had started to fall and the sky seemed to be crying with her. Such a brave beautiful soul, gone forever from his family, and from the one who truly needed him.

She didn't really want a funeral, but they had one anyway.

She didn't really want to be there, but they brought her along anyway.

She didn't want to cry as they lowered him into the ground, she cried anyway.

She didn't want to have to leave him alone in the cemetery, but her mother took her away.

She didn't want to go back home to their empty house, she went to the neighbor's instead.

She didn't want to talk about things, she and her neighbor talked all night.

She didn't want to move on, but one day she found the strength to really say goodbye.

She didn't want to love again, but somehow, love found its way back to her.

She never wanted to marry, they had a summer ceremony.

She didn't really want children, their first came along a year later on a late August evening.

She didn't want her little boy to have a name, her husband named him after the one she would always love more.

"We'll call him Cedric, after a very brave man." She didn't want to smile when he said that and she didn't want to kiss him and say thank you. "I love you Lucius." His silver eyes had shone brightly that day and he couldn't stop the tears that came into his eyes as he whispered just before he kissed her, "I love you too." Their little son Cedric opened his eyes which were just as brown as his mother's. "I'm glad he has your eyes Ginny." Ginny smiled, "I'm glad too, but he has your hair." Lucius smiled and sat down next to his wife, happy that she was finally moving on and beginning to love him to her fullest ability. Nothing could ever replace Cedric Diggory, but Ginny Weasley realized that Lucius Malfoy could heal her heart and nothing else but her life now, mattered any longer.

The End