Disclaimer: The characters are not mine, they are JK Rowling's, I am just playing with them.


Giving Up and Letting Go

Hexes, jinxes, and curses were flying everywhere. Death Eaters were advancing left, right and centre. They were throwing killing curses and cruciatus curses around, not caring who they hit.

Hermione was locked in combat with Bellatrix Lestrange. Bellatrix was more advanced than Hermione but Hermione was the brightest witch of her age, she was more than a match for her. There was an enormous flash of light and Bella jerked her head. Hermione followed her gaze and she could just see Harry and Voldemort raised about a foot off the ground.

"My Lord," she heard Bellatrix yell and Hermione took advantage of the distraction to stupefy her and bound her up. After she had finished binding Bellatrix she turned her attention towards the battlefield; it was illuminated by the light Harry and Voldemort were shooting between them.

Bodies littered the dark ground. No Death Eater was left standing and many of the order were down. The only people left fighting now were Harry and Voldemort. Hermione gazed at them for a minute then turned around and started to search for, and try to identify, the dead, especially ones in the order, ones which would affect her most.

Suddenly she heard Harry shouting to Voldemort,

"Your as good as dead, Voldemort," he said calmly. "Look around you; all you faithful followers are either dead or going to Azkaban very soon. Your Horcruxes have all been destroyed and now you will be defeated, defeated once again by Harry Potter." There was another huge flash of light and both Harry and Voldemort seemingly disappeared.

"Harry!" Hermione cried, running towards the place she had last seen him but thick, warm hands stopped her from going any further. She looked up at her captor and saw the familiar face of Ron Weasley staring down at her. He pulled her into a strong embrace and silently, they knew he was going and decided to leave him to Ginny. Hermione couldn't help but sob gently into his shoulder.

Ginny heard Hermione's scream, she stopped trying to identify bodies and ran. As she got closer to where she thought Hermione was she saw a light fading. Tears made lines through her blackened and bloodstained face, her clothes were ripped and torn, she looked a right sight, anyone who saw her would have thought she must look like that because she had dressed up for Halloween.

She tripped and looked down to see the body of a man who barely looked like a man. He was waxy and distorted. His eyes were red slits and he had a murderous look in them. Ginny knew that this was Voldemort's dead body; she knew Harry would be somewhere nearby. She called his name and heard a feeble "Ginny," reply to her. She ran over to where she heard the cry and saw Harry smiling up at her. He looked terrible; his face was covered with dirt and his clothes were a mess.

"Oh, Harry," Ginny said, with a smile on her face and a laugh on her lips, kidding herself that Harry would be alright, even though, somehow, she knew he wouldn't be. "Look at you, you're a mess." She couldn't help but laugh at her tone and saw Harry smile weakly; telling her she was alright, but the sorrow in his eyes told a different story.

"Ginny," he said, and Ginny somehow knew what was coming next, "Ginny, you know how much I love you, but I just can't, I just can't go on. I love you Ginny, but I'm dying. I'm so sorry, I can't help it. I love you." Ginny's tears splashed his face as he breathed his last breath and passed away. Years of waiting for him and it all came down to this.

"I love you too," she whispered to his dead form, trying to cling on. She gave his limp, dead form one last kiss and told him what he knew already. She could see Ron and Hermione huddled together, caught up in the moment, watching her carefully. She gave them a quick, sad nod full of meaning and saw Hermione dissolve and Ron trying to be strong but finally giving in and crying.

There was a small amount of people who survived the war. All of the order who remained came to Harry's funeral. Molly, Bill, Percy, Fred, George, Ron and Ginny all came, they were the Weasley's who had survived, and of course Hermione came. Ginny stood a little separate to them, a bit closer to the grave and Ron and Hermione stood just behind her. Tonks and Lupin were there as well. Luna came as well, she had fought alongside Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny, she had proved herself to be much more than 'Loony' Lovegood, she had kept everyone alive, happy and in fighting spirit during the most darkest of times. That was it. Everyone else had perished. This was the small congregation that was left and they had all turned out to say goodbye to their beloved Harry.

Everyone stayed just staring at the grave after the small ceremony had finished. Ron and Hermione stood holding hands, knowing that they should live every moment together as if it was their last after having seen how Harry's life had been cut short and a whole had been ripped in Ginny's heart, she would never be the same again. Tonks and Lupin each laid down flower and left. Ron and Hermione left their flowers and Hermione said,

"Goodbye, Harry," Ron nodded after she said that and they went and sat down on a bench in the graveyard. Then Luna said goodbye and the rest of the Weasleys, except Ginny, paid their respects and left.

Ginny was left on her own, with Ron and Hermione sitting waiting for her. She kneeled over the gave and placed a red, red rose on top of it and scattering some ash whispering

"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust," and, leaving one small tear behind she disapparated away, leaving Ron and Hermione there sitting, still waiting, waiting for the day their friends would come back.