Author: Sazmuffin
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Title: Deceased
Rating: M for later chapters.
A/N: Challenge on another site. Two-shot. Slight Harry/Ron in the first chapter.
Minerva McGonagal gazed out the large window as the owl took flight into the black night. Erol flew groggily, and Minerva worried briefly for its safety. She watched him fly away until he could see Erol no longer, and sighed at the loss.
It took Erol all night to fly to the Burrow, the infamous home of the Weasley family. Nothing short of insanity went on here - dishing washing themselves, jumpers sewing that last knot, eggs and bacon sizzling on the skillet of their own accord. The head of house sat at the table, reading the Daily Prophet. His family sat around him, minus a few. Percy still remained anonymous, Bill was busy being a new father, and Ginny was finishing up her last year at Hogwarts. Thus sat Fred, George, Charlie, and Ron.
Speaking in solemn tones as their mother and wife doted upon them with tasty foods, Charlie leaped up from his seat, Erol flailing wildly from the window, into his lap. "Merlin's mercy, Erol!" he shouted, as the terrified bird flew from his seat and into a bowl of grits.
"Well, at least he's spoiled the grits," Fred elbowed George, smirking. They hated grits.
"What's he have?" asked Molly, taking a large package and an adjoining letter from the family owl. The Weasleys, it said, inscribed in blue ink. Stamped in the upper left corner, it read in all capital letters, DECEASED. Her nimble hands opened it up, retrieving a letter addressed to them as well. Reading it aloud, she said,
"Dear Weasleys,
I want to thank you for the hospitality you've shown me for the past seven years. You treated me like another son of yours, you made me feel like I was a Weasley. There is nothing I could do or give to you to ever pay you back. I can only hope this will suffice for the time being.
All my love,
Harry."
Molly Weasley choked back a sob as she pulled out a large, velvet change purse, sagging heavily with gold coins. Ron's face scrunched up, hoping for just one day where the tears would stop coming. Opening its companion letter, Molly read it aloud as well,
"Harry left this in my possession before he went to kill Voldemort. He told me to give it to you no matter what the outcome was. He left all his possessions to your family, including the home in the Hollow and his bank account at Gringotts in his will. With a grin, he told me personally that Ron was to receive his Firebolt.
On a sadder note, his service shall be next week, July 31st, his birthday. Your family is the large majority of his honored guests. If Ron will have it, please have him speak at the funeral. Harry would've wanted it that way. It's a silly thing to ask, because I know Ron would do it even if spiders were crawling all over him.
Sincerely,
Minerva McGonagal."
-
Ron's red hair clashed brilliantly with his black attire, as he stood at the podium, gulping back more salty tears. He looked into the sad, familiar faces of the crowd. His gaze drifted to his family, sitting tall and not bothering to wipe away their own tears.
Holding his speech in his hand, Ron quickly bunched it in his fist with crushing power. "I had a speech prepared," he started, shaking his head and chuckling lightly. "But nothing written could ever amount to what I feel. Harry was my best mate, he was like my brother. I've known him nearly all my life. We've saved each other lives countless times and gotten into so much trouble that I'm sure Professor Dumbledore would've loved to be rid of us. I wasn't given the chance to save his life one last time; he went into his last battle knowing the outcome. He told me that the last time I ever saw him alive. He is the single most amazing, most brave person I have ever had the privilege to meet.
"The rumors are true; I loved him. I'm not afraid to admit that. He loved me, and he was proud of that fact, just as I am. There isn't anything I wouldn't give to have him back," Ron closed his eyes briefly before continuing, "I'm not going to stand up here and say Harry had a great life, but he did all he could to make that true. He lost the people he cared most about when he was small, he went through a lot of bollocks that no one ever deserves to go through. To say we'll all miss him is an understatement. Thank you."
Ron sat down next to Fred, who grasped his shoulder in a loving, brotherly way. Ron watched in a daze, not entirely hearing what the priest said or what anyone else said to him later on, for that matter. The only thing that mattered was that Harry was gone, and never coming back.