Disclaimer: I do not own it.
Author's note: Written for the Hogwarts Online forum collection number two. Link in my profile.
We walked slowly to the grave of my brother. The leaves of orange, brown and red swayed in the wind. We stared at the name. Hermione sat sobbing, while I bent down and traced his name with my finger. We still couldn't believe he had been gone for over a year now. I remembered my last conversation with Fred. It had been about Harry. I remembered it well as I stared into the changing colours of leaves..
Fred had seen our dad yell at me and order me to stay here. Fred sensed I was upset and came over to comfort me.
"Ginny, stay here," Dad, ordered me He didn't want me going through the Great Hall and fighting in the war. But I wanted to fight. I looked at Harry, and Harry nodded in agreement with my father. Fred saw my face, told the others to go on and he'd catch up. He pulled me aside, away from the others.
"Gin, he's only doing this to protect you. He doesn't want anything to happen to you," Fred said calmly.
"But, I want to fight. Merlin's beard, Fred, I'm old enough," I stated in a firm voice.
"I know, Gin. But, he still loves you. I overheard Harry talking to Ron before they left. He doesn't want you to die," Fred stated.
"He still loves me? I'm not going to die," I said.
"How do you know that? Any one of us could die fighting for freedom. A great honour that would be, but an even greater sorrow for families. As soon as the last student is gone I want you to go and stay at the Hogshead." Fred said. "Look, I have to go now, they need me," Fred gave me a quick hug and took off.
The rustle of the wind against the trees brought me back to the present. To where the fallen heroes of the Second War were laid to rest.
"I'm sorry I broke my promise. I'm sorry I went and fought, and didn't stay like you told me to," I said out loud, crying. Hermione took me by the shoulders and I sat down.
"Ginny, it's okay, I'm sure he knew that there was no stopping you. And if he was here then he would have told you that there was nothing to forgive." Hermione said softly through her tears.
"I can't get how bad Fred's body looked out of my head. No matter how much I try. It's there when I close my eyes at night. I sometimes hear Mum crying down the hall. We can't do anything for her. Not even Dad can. He's tried cheering her up, but he'll just start crying too," I said. I stopped crying long enough to notice a red robin sitting on Fred's grave.
"There is still hope," I said softly. Hermione looked at me confused, and then looked at the bird.
"What do you mean?"
"Colin told me that a robin is a symbol for hope. The robin is also a symbol for happiness," I said.
"Ginny, look, there's a robin in the trees of the Forbidden Forrest," Colin said to me as we walked from Care Of Magical Creatures to Herbology. Colin and I often walked together. He was my best friend aside from Hermione.
"How do you know this?" I asked him staring at the bird that sat in the distance.
"My father's a bird watcher," Colin said.
"I thought he was a postman?" Colin laughed.
"He is, but as a hobby he watches birds and writes down what he sees. He goes to meetings about birds. He writes to me telling me what birds he sees. That's when he told me if I ever saw a robin, it meant there is always hope. And there will be happiness in the future," Colin said.
"So, a Robin is a symbol of hope?" Hermione said bringing me back from my thoughts.
"Yes. It means that even during time of trouble, there's room for hope. Robins have been my favorite bird since then," I said truthfully.
"What else does a robin mean?" Hermione asked me.
"A new beginning," Hermione nodded. I didn't need to explain that one. It was self explanatory.
I stood up, moved a few rows to where Colin's gravestone stood and sat down. I started crying again, for I remembered seeing Colin's body in the line with the others. It pains me to think that my best friend is gone, and my brother are gone, but I know there is still hope. Hermione followed me. I turned back to look at the robin on Fred's grave, but the robinhad left. Hermione put her arms round me and we cried together. We cried for hope, we cried for love, we cried for those who died to fight for freedom, and we cried.