When Molly noticed Joanna not talking much she peeked over at her. She found Joanna's eyes browsing across the room as if looking for something. Without so much as a word said Molly knew the question in Joanna's gaze.
"Joanna, there's something I need to tell you, but not here."
Having heard her name Joanna looked back at Molly, she could see the trace of sadness there and a sense of worry fell upon Joanna. Molly quickly surveyed the room for Fred because she knew that Joanna might need him there for support also. She wouldn't take this news lightly.
"Fred!" Molly yelled having seen him in the corner handing off something that looked to be in a Weasley Wizard Wheezes package to what looked to be Roxanne's oldest boy. Molly rolled her eyes but gave Fred the look that said they needed to talk. Fred looked over to Joanna and knew exactly what this was going to be about. Quickly the smile on Fred's face fell as he made his way over to the pair.
When Fred made it over to them Molly stood up and motioned for Joanna to do the same, then the trio made there way to the door. Everyone else either didn't notice or paid no mind for they knew what was happening.
After walking for a few minutes in silence they had finally made it down to the pond. Oh all the memories shared her. They came flooding back to the trio but it seemed that even the fondness of these memories couldn't erase the sad faces shared between them.
"What happened?" It was Joanna's voice that finally broke the silence. It seemed meek and timid almost as if afraid to ask such a simple question.
Molly and Fred shared a look, as if arguing amongst themselves on who would have to talk first. Fred seemed to have lost and spoke up after a while, "Joanna, you have to understand. There has been a lot of changes since you left."
"Fred, you know that's not what I meant. Where is James?" Joanna's voice seemed strained but more sure of herself as she asked the real question she had been dying to ask.
"Gone" was the straightforward answer that slipped from Molly's mouth.
The thickness in the air increase tenfold as Molly's answer brought up more questions and one question that Joanna didn't want to face.
"Gone as in?"
"Gone, as in gone." Molly's voice contained so much remorse and sadness. There was no doubt in Joanna's mind what Molly had meant by the word that time.
"But why? How?" The tears began to well up in Joanna's eyes. It couldn't be true; he couldn't be gone.
Neither seemed prepared to give the answer. Fred stepped forward pulling something out of his pocket. He handed the box over to Joanna.
Joanna opened it to reveal a ring, and a gasp escaped from her mouth.
"He planned to give that to you the day you left. He was going to ask you to marry him." Fred said.
Joanna couldn't take it anymore; she broke down crying. Her legs gave out and Fred caught her in his arms. He held her as she wept. Molly came up and comforted her too with tears now forming in her eyes. This place that had once been a place of happiness and past times, was now tainted with the cold bitter reality they now lived in, one without James.
K, all I can say after this one is please don't hate me! I promise it will get better, "but sometimes things have to get worse before the can get better"