Perfection
Beautiful. Gorgeous. Perfect. Hermione in my eyes was perfection. I had a dream about her last night, we were back at Hogwarts and I was still a bloody idiot, so oblivious to her. It was so obvious to everyone but me that she liked me, and I was too stupid to admit how I felt. Every time she smiled or even looked at me with those chocolate brown eyes a part of my heart would melt, as cheesy as that sounds. How could 55 years of marriage have gone so fast? Two kids, six grand kids and four great grandkids later and the only person I can thank for all of that is the one person I love more than anything in the world. So I sit here not angry but thankful. Thankful for all of those years we had together. She is in a new place now but at least she isn't in pain. Hermione had resisted radiation and chemotherapy to which I had protested against in the beginning. All she had said was it is must have been her time to go. It hurt me to see her hurt, every day she had gotten weaker and less like herself. Every morning it would be a new source of panic for me when my eyes opened, hoping hers would open as well. But last week, they didn't.
I opened my eyes, the picture of her in my mind's eye was gone. The minister said something about how she was a beautiful woman, mother and wife but I already know all of that. Nobody needs to tell me anything that I didn't already know about how wonderful my wife was. Nobody. I was about to say something about how inconsiderate he was being when someone called my name.
"Ron?" It was Hugo's wife Elise.
Hugo turned to face me, a tear glinting in his eyes. "Dad it's time."
With the help of Hugo, I was able to make my way to the alter; stopping at her casket for a brief moment. "Hi sweat heart" I whispered as I made my way up to the altar, pulling out a piece of paper from my coat pocket. "Hello" I said to the congregation, my voice breaking in the process.
"Hermione Jean Weasley, my wife, and mother of our two children Rose and Hugo was the most wonderful and beautiful person I have ever met. What is there to say about Hermione? No words can give her justice I don't believe, but I will start at the beginning. At age 12, Hermione and I and our good friend Harry met on the Hogwarts express on our way to start our first year at Hogwarts." I smiled at the thought. "She came barging into to our carriage" I smiled "'have you seen a toad?'" I quoted, "'a boy named Neville has lost one' she had said. This was the very first thing Hermione ever said to me and then she moved on to talking about spells which we all know she loved doing." The congregation chuckled and I reminisced, "she intrigued me even at age 12 and I haven't looked back since." I sighed. "We had many good times together throughout the years, too many to list honestly. But all I can say about my wife is that without her in my life, it would not have been as fun. She helped me through the loss of some of my family, she was my rock and I am so thankful for that. She was honestly my world. My life did not revolve around all those little things we believe make us up, in my eyes life revolved around her and I wouldn't have had it any other way."
Rose was crying silently into her husband Brett's shoulder, just looking at her reminded me of Hermione and at the thought tears welded up in my own eyes. I had to wrap this up or I would become a blubbering mess and Hermione would not have liked that at all. "To say that I loved Hermione would have been an understatement, no words can describe what she meant to me." Our granddaughter Annie, Hugo's youngest, was whipping away her tears with a tissue, she offered one to Hugo who was sobbing uncontrollably, he took it giving her a half smile. "But all I can say" I stated "is that I am thankful for our time together, our Rose is a constant reminder to me of her beauty and love, her intelligence and strength. And our Hugo shows me everyday pieces of her courage, motivation, endurance and her unconditional love." I paused to collect my thoughts as two fat tears escaped my eyes as I said "'I fell in love with Hermione the way we fall asleep, slowly and then all at once.'" I took in a short breath "don't forget us sweat heart" I said shakily looking at the portrait on her casket, "because we will never forget you."
I started to move back to my seat, people in the congregation were silently crying. I looked towards my family, all of the people I truly loved were here, all but one that I loved the most. Before I moved to return to my seat I stopped at her coffin, placing a hand on the wood I whispered what we promised each other, "always" I said softly and I sat back down in my seat.