"Hey, Gin," I say when I notice she's waking up.

"Harry." She reaches her wrinkled hand out to mine.

"How're you feeling?" I ask quietly as I take her hand. She gives me a small smile, but that's all she gives me. I know she doesn't feel her best. "You look better."

"Harry," She whispers and shakes her head, "Don't fool your self; we all know what's going to happen." I gulp.

"Ginny, don't talk like that. You're going to be fine. Even the healers said so; it's just a small case of the flu." She reaches her hand up to my cheek and I cover it with my hand.

"I need to know that you're going to be okay." Her crackly voice breaks through. I feel a bubble form in my throat and shake my head.

"Gin," I say, sniffing.

"Harry, I'll be okay too." She says, looking up over the frame of her glasses, "Don't worry about me. And I know you'll be fine. You have James, and Al, and Lily, and Teddy, not to mention all of the little ones."

"Ginny, stop saying that. You're not leaving us just yet." I say as I feel the bubble pop and my lip starts to tremble.

"Harry, it's time." She says, her hand starting to tremble in mine.

"You can't go. Not now." I say with tears rimming my eyes, "All the kids; they'll be heartbroken."

"Just tell them the truth. Grandmum is going to another chapter in her life." She says with a peaceful smile, "They'll be fine."

"What am I going to do?"

"You'll make it through. You have Ron and Hermione and the kids by your side. And I'll be there with you, just not in the way we're used to." I'm crying now. I can't help it. She's been everything to me. We've been married for fifty-eight years, together for longer than that. And to think of life without her by my side—well I can't do it. I can't lose her now. Not after everything we've been through, "Harry, you can't have expected us to live forever. It's apart of life."

I glance up at her, at her now silver hair, and thin framed glasses. At the noticeable wrinkles above her eyebrows and at the corners of her mouth. But, although most of her appearance has changed over the last fifty-eight years, one thing has been kept constant. The chocolate of her eyes. As I'm sure she'd say the same thing about me.

"I'm tired, Harry," She whispers, "let me go." She breathes evenly.

"I love you, Ginny."

"I love you too."


Seven Months Later…

It's been seven months. Seven months since I lost her. And I feel like I have no one anymore. The kids come over to entertain me. Ron and Hermione visit almost everyday to have breakfast. But, even with the company, I feel lost.

There's a constant ache in my chest which I believe is my heart broken in two. Ginny is gone. And here I am going through old photo albums as if she's going to come through the door after a trip from the supermarket.

"Dad?" I hear from the room over.

"Living room." I reply. My son walks into the room and takes a second to observe what I'm doing.

"What's wrong, James?" I say as I put down the photo that I took of Gin back when I was eighteen and we were having a picnic near the woods behind the Burrow.

"I just wanted to talk to you." James says as he takes a seat in the chair across from my seat.

"About?"

"Nothing in particular." I give him a long stare and then lean back into the warmth of the recliner. His eyes sweep over the worn coffee table and then back to me, "I don't know if Mum would have liked this." He says as picks up one of the photos, "She wouldn't have wanted to clean up the mess." He says, giving me a lopsided smile.

I give him a small nod with the same small smile I've seemed to be giving everyone lately.

"So, how's Alice?" I ask to get this visit over with.

"She's good, taking the fact her baby is moving out a little hard but other than that she's doing really well."

"Letting your youngest move out is hard. How are you holding up?"

"Fine. It's just now I understand why you and Mum weren't crazy with Lil moving out." James says, leaning back. I nod. "So, how are Uncle Ron and Aunt Mione doing?"

"Fine, I think; we didn't have breakfast this morning."

"That's unusual."

"I guess. So instead, I just went searching for these." I say, gesturing to the photos scattered on the table.

"So, Al told me that he needs help with a few cases he has received. He wanted me to ask you if you wouldn't mind looking over a couple of files. You know, a fresh pair of eyes may help."

"I'll floo him later tonight." I say picking up another photo from the table.

"Alright, Dad, how about we put these away and we can go take a walk or something."

"I'd rather just stay here." I say shaking my head.

"No, Dad, I think you've had enough with the photos."

"James, I'm fine."

"Are you? Because you aren't acting like yourself anymore. I understand that you miss Mum but you have to stop torturing yourself." James says standing up from the seat, "Aunt Mione told me that she's never seen you so torn up before. It's like you're not even here. You stay in the house depressed and when someone comes to pay you a visit you act like you don't want them here. I know for a fact, Mum would hate this."

"What gives you the impression you know how she'd feel?"

"Because she was my mum. I knew her for my entire life."

"Well I knew her for a lot longer than that, son." I snap, "And I don't appreciate you passing judgment calls on how I live my life now that I'm alone. Because, as I understand it, you have no idea what it's like to lose the love of your life for good."

"No, Dad, I don't know what that's like. But I did lose someone too. I lost my mother and I was devastated. But then I realized how lucky I was to have such an amazing person in my life for fifty-six years. Most kids lose their parents before they turn forty." James says, his face turning red like his mother's used to when she was angry, "You shouldn't be moping about how you don't have her here anymore. You should be celebrating the fact that you got to spend an amazing sixty-seven years with her in your life. Whether you barely spoke, or were friends, or more than that. You still got to know that if everyone else turned on you, Ginny Weasley was still there for you."

I stay quiet; I'm not in the mood to argue with my son over how I should feel. I'm just sad, okay? Is that not enough?

"Why can't you just say how you feel? Trust me, if you do you'd feel a lot better." James pleads as he plops back down on the opposite seat from me. I shake my head. "Dad, I know you're used to being the tough guy who doesn't show his weaknesses. I understand that's how you were raised and taught in the auror department. But, you would open up to Mum. How about you open up to me?"

I close my eyes to sort out how I'm feeling. A mix of anger, sadness, and mortification hang over me like thick fog in the air. I sigh and look back into my son's eyes. The eyes his mother had.

"I've tried to be grateful for the time I got with her. But then I look back and I think of all those stupid, little arguments we got into and I realize all that time was wasted. Those times when we got so mad at each other that we wouldn't speak to one another for hours, are the hours that I wish I could have back." I say picking at my fingernails, "And all those years that I didn't acknowledge her hang over me. I don't care if I was thirteen, how did I not see her?"

"You had pretty big things clouding your mind then; take for instance, a brewing war?"

"Or all that time I spent fawning over some petty crush that I knew wasn't going to last?"

"Dad, you can't beat yourself up for liking another woman when you were fifteen. That was apart of your and Mum's story. If you didn't fawn over Ms. Chang, Mum would never had decided to try to get over you, and if she never tried to get over you, she wouldn't have dated Mr. Thomas, or that Michael guy, and if she didn't date those two, you would have never come to realize how great of a person she was. Sure you can look back at all those opportunities missed, or you can relish all those memories you had."

I run my hands through my thinning, white hair.

"Look, Alice is expecting me for dinner soon. Would you like to join us?"

"I'm okay," I reply, standing up from my old, patched up recliner.

"Are you sure?"

"James, go spend time with your wife." I say, patting him on the back.

"Okay. If you need anything, we're a floo away." James replies, giving me that concerned look that parallels his mum's.

"Okay."


A few hours later…

Al had sent me those files he wanted me to look over by owl. I decided to take them up into my study like I used to when I was Head Auror. Reading through these cases, I realize how mild these are. He wanted me to revise a case about a robbery with the suspects being two teenage boys? This all must have been a ploy to give me something to do. I rub my eyebrows in frustration. Deep down I appreciate the concern but, to be honest, I didn't need to do this.

"Harry?"

Wait, I know that voice.

"Harry?"

What time is it? Only nine o'clock? Did I forget to take some of my medication?

"Harry, don't act like you can't hear me."

I look up and am met with a figure leaning on the doorframe of my office. I must be going mad. It's Ginny. Young Ginny. But with a cloudy grey complexion and a white dress on.

"Oh, so now you can see me?" She giggles as she walks into my study and plops down in the chair my wife used to always sit in when she wanted to distract me. I think she notices that I'm frozen in my seat, there's no way that she's here. This must be a dream.

She gives me an uneasy look and then glances over her shoulder.

"Did I say something?" She asks in a weird way, "Oh, what am I thinking? You must be petrified." She mumbles to herself like my wife used to when she was passing a thought, "Harry, I know this is weird but I decided to pay you a visit because you're acting ridiculous."

"Ridiculous?"

"I told you that I wanted you to be okay. I wanted you to stay happy. I guess I didn't make myself clear."

"This is all in my mind." I say quietly to myself.

"Is it?" She asks in that daring sort of way my wife would use. "Harry, remember when I was seventeen and I was facing so many demons and you finally snapped at me and told me that it was acceptable at first but it's time to move on? You also said that everyone was dancing around me because any little thing would set me off? Well, now tables have turned and I'm telling you this."

I close the file on my desk and blink my eyes a couple of times. Nope, she's really here.

"I have reason to be sad though. I'm all alone."

"No, you're not. You have James, and Albus, and Teddy, and Lily, and all the nieces and nephews. And you still have Ron and Hermione, and they're trying so hard to keep you company because they understand you're sad. But, you're not making it any easier by not letting anyone in."

"Listen, I've already heard this from my son today, I don't need my mind to be conjuring up some image of my wife to make me feel worse."

"Well, it was James' visit that was grain of salt that tipped the scale on me coming to visit you. And I was saving my only visit for a much happier time."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Everyone gets one visit after they die. You're parent visited you, the first night you were at the Dursleys; they didn't know that you were only allowed one. When I moved on, that was the first thing they told me; save my visit. So, I did, until now. Sirius visited Remus. Remus and Tonks visited Teddy. Dumbledore visited his brother. And now, I'm visiting you to tell you that I want you to be happy. And I want you to move on."

"What if I don't want to move on?"

"What if I said that I'll come back and haunt your arse until you do?" She says with the quick, wittiness she used to have. She gets up and walks to the shelf among the wall and picks up our wedding photo. "I want to see you happy like you were here." She smiles at the photo.

"Easier said than done."

"Well, not immediately, that's impossible," She says glancing back at the photo, "Just work towards being that happy. For the kids sake. Because, as I remember it, you told me the kids would heartbroken that I'm gone, but they'd be even more heartbroken if you left and they knew you weren't happy." She says, placing the photo on my desk.

I glance at her with a confused look.

"What? I don't care if things go out of place now; it's not my mess to clean."

I crack a smile. A genuine smile. A smile that I haven't made in seven months. But then her smile fades and she looks over her shoulder swiftly.

"I have to go." She says, standing up again.

"What? why?"

"I can't stay here forever." She says, walking backwards to the door. "But you'll see me again. When that time comes, it will be in much brighter spirits and hopefully I won't look so ghastly." She says surveying her grey-toned arms.

"I love you, Ginny." I finally whisper.

"I love you too, Harry." She says back with a mischievous grin. And before I know it, she winks. And disappears. She's gone now. Truly gone.


The next morning…

That must have all been a dream. I mean, I woke up this morning in my bed; the last thing I remember of last night was a figure that looked like Ginny, winking at me before disappearing in thin air. But, at the same time it all felt too real.

I walk down to my kitchen and am met with the usual emptiness it's had for the past seven months. I make myself the same old cup of coffee with the same old coffee mix I've used for the past decade. I sit down at my table where my daily newspaper lays every morning. Luckily, for society's sake, the Daily Prophet has been redeemed once Rita Skeeter and her blasted editors retired.

"Dad?" I hear a voice from the room over. I brace myself as I use the table to guide me to my feet. I walk into my old family room where I'm met with my second son's face formed in the flames of my fire place.

"Albus?"

"Hey, Dad, how're you this morning?"

"As good as I am every morning." I reply taking a seat in front of fireplace.

"Well, I just wanted to floo you to ask if you have those files ready for me to take."

"Oh, yeah, they're in my study." I say pointing toward the staircase.

"When you get the chance can you send them to me? It's not urgent, but I do want to completely close these cases today."

"You could have closed them yesterday. Before sending them over to me." I say, standing up with the stiffness age has caused me to acclimate to.

"Yes; I could have, but I felt as though if there was something that slipped through my fingers, my dad would catch it." Al says with a small smile.

I gave him a quick nod and turn on my heel to go get the documents. I walk up the stairwell, using the rail to support myself. And soon enough, I make it up to the doorway to my study. I swipe the manila folders from the top of my desk and am met with a sight that makes me pause.

My wedding photo is out of place.


A few hours later…

"Harry, you alright, mate?" Ron asks, nervously.

"Yeah, I'm good." I say, glancing up from my steaming coffee.

"You sure?"

"Absolutely." I smile. Ron glances at Hermione and then back to me.

"What's gotten you in high spirits?"

"Am I not allowed to be in a good mood?"


Fiver years later…

"Dad?" Lily's voice cracks through the blackness. I crack open my eyes and am met with the overwhelming, fluorescent lights. It hurts but I need to fight for a couple more minutes. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay." I say, groggily.

"You gave us quite a scare there." She says with a look of concern etching on her face.

"Dad, do you know what happened?" James asks after a moment of silence passes.

"Not really." I reply.

"You stood up from the table and told us that you didn't feel well. And then you just collapsed onto the floor clutching your chest."

"Heart attack?"

"No, they said it was some type of heart murmur that you weren't ready for."

"Are you sure you're feeling okay?" Al asks, scared. I think we all know what's going to happen.

"I think we all know how I really feel." I say, closing my eyes.

"Dad?"

"You three have been amazing."

"No, Dad, don't start that." James says from his chair.

"And I want you to know that I love you all so much. You guys gave me a family."

"Dad, please, don't—" Lily says, her voice cracking at the end.

"Kids, it's apart of life. I want to make sure you guys will take care of your Uncle Ron." I say, as Lily takes my hand.

"Of course, Dad." Al says with his eyes turning a pinkish color.

"No, Albus, he's not leaving us tonight." Lily snaps at her brother.

"Lil," I whisper, looking into her eyes she got from her mother, "don't make this harder than it needs to be."

Silence fell into the room with the exception of a couple sniffles and Lily's tears.

"You promise you won't let Ron fall into a hole?" I ask, "He's going to feel all alone now that Hermione and I are gone."

"We promise." James says, tears starting fall.

"Don't cry; you'll see me again."

"I just don't want you to die yet." James whispers.

"I understand. But, I'm going to see Ginny again." I say, smiling, "And that puts me at peace with everything."

"What about us?" Lily cries.

"I'll be right here with you. Just not in the way we're used to." I say, quoting my wife.

"I love you, Dad." She whispers before dissolving into tears. I give her a final smile.

"I love you three so much." I whisper, before letting go.


"Harry?"

"Ginny?" She nods, "Ginny!" I run to her and pick her up in my arms and spin her around. She wraps her arms around my neck tightly.

I'm young again. My white hair is now black. My age spots have vanished. I can move with no pain. I don't need my glasses anymore. Everything is beautiful here. Especially the red head in my arms.

She pulls back with a radiating smile and holds out her forearm to me.

"See?" She says, nodding to it, "Not nearly as ghastly."