Making Plans, Heading Home
Itching to get out of the commotion of post-war euphoria, Harry, Hermione, and the whole Weasley lot discussed going home, to the Burrow.
"We'll have to take our deceased with us." Mr. Weasley wore the most sullen look as he said this, but he was no longer crying.
"Arthur," Mrs. Weasley began, silent tears still gliding down her newly-aged face, "Isn't there some Ministry department for that? The Department of the Magical Deceased or something thereof?"
"Yes, dear, there is," he began, "But corruption still lies in the Ministry; we can't trust those people until they are gone. The whole lot of them."
Hermione nodded in agreement. She was hugging Ron from the back, watching his face contort with the grief of the loss of his brother Fred. George was standing beside the couple with a mixture of emotions on his face: anger, sorrow, and unbalance.
"I feel so…lop-sided," George whispered, "I mean, I know I only have on ear, but still…Fred was a part of me, and it's a peculiar feeling…knowing that he's gone…"
Ron and Hermione were the only two that heard him spill his heart out, but they could not bring themselves to try to comfort them. They had suffered numerous losses too, and it was too difficult to cope with themselves, let alone comfort everybody else.
Meanwhile, Harry was kneeled in between Tonks and Lupin, gazing from one face to the other, contemplating.
'What will become of Teddy,' Harry thought to himself, 'Is his grandmother willing to raise him? Is she capable of rasing a newborn? Should I take him in?' Harry squeezed his eyes shut; a baby, who hasn't even gotten the chance to know his parents, has already lost them. Teddy, in that respect, was already very similar to Harry, and Harry felt completely at fault for it. Before Harry could take out his self-rage, however, Percy had an announcement.
"Weasleys, Hermione, and Harry!" Percy called, in a surprisingly composed tone, "It's time we all head home. We will be taking our loved and perished ones with us." With that, Fleur and Mrs. Weasley, being excellent house-keeping witches, conjured three silk coverings for their dead. The coverings floated, by the will of the women's wands, gently and gracefully covered their friends.
"Okay," Bill shakily began, "Fleur and I will take Tonks and Lupin. Dad, can you take…" He paused to hold back a sob, "Can you take Fred?"
Arthur nodded, and the three Weasleys used the Locomotor charm on their respective friends, and the large family headed out of the castle. Hermione and Ron were holding hands, clinging to each other, elated that neither had died. Harry and Ginny, however, hadn't yet mended their relationship, thus walking on opposite sides of the group.
"Everybody ready to Disapparate?" Arthur said, "To the Burrow, all of us."
And, with that, the close-knit family all pictured the Burrow in their minds, lifted their wands, and disappeared into the daybreak.
(A/N) If this chapter seems rushed or a little distractedly written, that's probably because it was. I wanted to get one chapter up, hopefully to entice you all, and I had other crap to do while writing it, so…bear with me please. :D Please comment, I love constructive criticism.
