The rain fell hard on her umbrella as the rest of the Weasley family made their way back to the ministry car on the side of the road. She stayed behind and watched George. He was hunched over at his brother's grave. She felt someone put a hand on her shoulder.
"Are you coming back with us?" Ron asked her.
She shook her head. "Someone needs to stay with him."
Ron just nodded and gave her shoulder a squeeze. She looked beyond him to Harry, who nodded at her, and put a comforting arm around Ginny, guiding her toward the car.
Hermione walked forward and stood behind George, letting her umbrella shelter him from the rain. He gave a loud sniff before turning around and looking at her. His hair was matted down to his head, and his eyes were red and puffy.
"What do you want?" he asked, turning back around and looking at the tombstone in front of him.
"Thought you'd like some company."
George just nodded. "He's really gone, isn't he?"
Hermione kneeled down next to him and nodded, being sure to keep the umbrella over their heads.
George nodded again. "Sometimes I wake up, and I forget that he's gone. And I go out into the kitchen to tell him this great idea I have, and he's not there." He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "This isn't fair!"
He began to sob then, and Hermione wrapped her arms around him, the umbrella lying forgotten next to them.
"I just want him to come back."
They were silent for a while. A strong gust of wind made them look up. The leaves were rustling and the trees were nearly bending with the force of the wind. Hermione's umbrella was whisked away and floated across the graveyard and into the nearby woods.
Their silence was broken by Hermione's hysterical laughter. George looked at her with an eyebrow raised into his hair.
"Don't you see, George? He's been here all along." She smiled at him.
George looked skeptical, but Hermione thought she saw a small smile on his face.
"He just stole your umbrella, didn't he?"
-End-