Summer has come and passed

The innocent can never last

Wake me up when September ends

The leaves were changing colors and Fred found that even as a ghost his heart could leap in both relief and sorrow that the bloody summer was finally ending. He dreaded the return of the students who would stare at him from changed eyes, eyes that had seen a war that had destroyed who they were; destroyed their innocence. His heart flipped painfully in his chest and he wished with all his might that he could disappear until the fall was over.

Like my father's come to pass

Seven years have gone so fast

Wake me up when September ends

The students passed by him barely containing their whispers as their eyes lingered on George's missing half and all but Hermione seemed surprised by his choice to stay on this world; where his twin was. Hermione; she seemed so much wiser than she had seven years ago, if that was possible, and he desperately wished she would not have returned and reminded him of what was. Even Ginny had not affected him so violently and he could only take solace in the fact that Hermione would be gone by the end of the month; he could disappear until October.

Here comes the rain again

Falling from the stars

Drenched in my pain again

Becoming who we are

It was ironic that it would rain on the first day of the new term; just as it had rained the day after the battle washing away the blood and the misery. He stood outside in the downpour as he had done many times before and felt pain as each drop went through his body leaving him with nothing to wash away the memory of Hermione's speech. How she had claimed that these walls held the secrets to becoming who we are and he knew that had he been alive he would have gagged because she was lying; and she knew it.

As my memory rests

But never forgets what I lost

Wake me up when September ends

He watched as slowly the students of Hogwarts came alive and began to laugh and love again and although they were by no means cheerful he was grateful that the tears had finally stopped. They began to talk less and less about the war and its fallen heroes, including him, and more about the next Quidditch match. It seemed that only Hermione still allowed her eyes to linger upon his transparent form, causing him to remember what he lost and a deep yearning for the end of September to spring into his chest.

Ring out the bells again

Like we did when spring began

Wake me up when September ends

The victory bells sounded clearly over the hills of Hogwarts each morning now and Fred could remember when earlier that year he and George had secretly magiked them up there to ring every day; in preparation for the-boy-who-was-practically-immortal's certain victory they had laughingly claimed to their bewildered mother. If only he could go back to that time, and if only Hermione would leave, wouldn't September pass away?

Like my father's come to pass

Twenty years have gone so fast

Wake me up when September ends

He sat calmly in the background as he watched his old friends celebrate Hermione's nineteenth birthday in the Gryffindor common room and he could not help but note that she was one year younger than he had been on the day of his death. He closed his eyes and drifted away to wait until September ended.