Disclaimer: I own neither characters recognized from the Harry Potter franchise, nor recognized lyrics from Christina Perri's Jar of Hearts, which inspired this ONESHOT. ^v^v^v^
Don't Come Back For Me
The day I died was, all in all, a great victory for our world. Harry defeated Voldemort mere hours after I died in that corridor at Hogwarts. I decided I didn't want to move on- I wanted to stay. During the brief stalemate, when everyone gathered the fallen, I watched as my family cried around my body. I wasn't entirely sure I'd made the right choice to come back until I saw Angelina start to pass them and then stop suddenly, a look of great pain passing over her beautiful face. She turned and slowly walked over to where my body lay on the floor of the Great Hall. Silent tears trailed down her cheeks to fall onto my pale face, giving the false impression that I, too, was crying. Ever so gently she kissed my unfeeling lips and then I knew; I had made the right decision.
Five years later, found me haunting Angelina's little cottage by the sea not too far from Shell Cottage. We were sort of happy; I mean we couldn't really touch, could we? If I tried to give her a kiss or hold her hand, she couldn't stand it for too long because of the cold, and forget hugging.
Two years after that, I started noticing a real change in her. She was distant towards everyone but me. There was someone else, four in particular someones, actually, vying for her attention. I knew from all of the different owls frequenting the cottage, because usually her fan-mail was sent to her manager and screened, then handed out after practices. She was a pro-Chaser, did I mention that? Yeah, for the Holyhead Harpies, just like Ginny after she had finished at Hogwarts. The more attention she got from these suitors, the more bitter she became. I told her that I would understand if she wanted to move on, but she said she wanted to be with me.
"I lost the love I loved the most," she told me.
"But," I argued after she had escaped to her favorite chair by the fire, curtains drawn to keep out the sun, "I'm afraid you're going to catch a cold from the ice inside your soul. You need to be around the living, Love." But she didn't hear me.
Ten years after my death, Angelina had become depressed and bedridden. I was afraid she would try and hurt herself, fatally on the bad days. I knew she needed to let me go. I let Ginny and the rest know what I was going to do, they all agreed it was best. I was going to go back to Hogwarts and let Angelina get on with life. I would miss her fiercely, but I was killing her. I went to her while the others waited outside. She was sleeping again, so I put my hand on hers. After a few seconds she stirred and slowly opened her eyes. She took one look at me before tears began gathering in her eyes.
"No," she all but whispered, having such little strength.
"I've seen you struggle for too long, Love," I whispered.
"Don't… I need you…"
"You've learned to live half alive for me, but with all my heart, I don't want to see you where I am. You can't die for me."
She looked at me, stunned. Like she couldn't believe I had figured out her plan- to do whatever it took for us to be together. It broke my heart.
"I want you to live… for both of us. So don't come back for me. Don't come back at all," I kissed her the best I could and left her to live life without me.