Sorry for the long delay and the filler chapter. Life got ...challenging. But, alas, I'm working on several chapters of this story and a few other projects I'll be posting as well.

I'd love any reviews on how the story is going. Just try to keep it positive, yeah?

As always, JKR owns it all.

When Harry entered the Apothecary behind Arthur his mind was still on Charlie Beth. How she was. Would she be ok while he was gone? Would she ever really be ok again period? He knew he never would.

Arthur's voice brought him out of his musings.

"Now, we can gather what we need here for her last rites in the magical world but I'm afraid I have no idea what would be needed for the muggle part of the ceremony."

Harry didn't even realize that they'd stopped or that he'd been staring at a shelf full of various leaves that had been dried.

"Oh,.. um we need to go to a funeral parlour. Her.." Harry broke off, looked around, and then added, "She wrote down the name of one that her family used but I left it at the Burrow." He took a minute to try and think while ran his hand through his hair, "I can't remember what it was. Sorry, Arthur." He said finally with a sigh.

Arthur nodded, "Not to worry. We'll get what we need here, pop back for it and then carry on." Then he turned and began searching through some of the dried goods.

"By the way, thank you."

Arthur paused and glanced over at him. "For?"

"Not taking us through the floo. I don't think I could deal with seeing anyone right now. With how busy the shops tend to be this time of day… I don't …" Harry wanted to say that he probably wouldn't have had enough patience's to deal with people. Any people. For any reason. But putting it into words just wasn't working out for him at the moment. It just sounded rude, even in his own head. Yet, he couldn't help but still feel that way.

The older man focused on him and said, "Harry, I can't imagine what you're feeling and I know you haven't had time to try and muddle through those feelings." He glanced around the store for a moment and then said, "No one at the moment knows, but one look at you're face and those who do know you, will know that something terrible has happened." Harry nodded and then stilled as Arthur went on. "I loved …that girl… like my daughter, and it hurts to know that she's gone. That she suffered with her illness. But I know it's nothing next to the pain that you're feeling right now and I didn't want to put you in the position of trying to lie well enough to fool people into thinking you're ok."

The words twisted around in Harry's brain for a moment. There were things said there that made his heart pause. "Come again?"

"Look, I'll put it this way. If my Molly passes before myself, I know that that day a part of me will die as well. Like being ripped in half. It's painful to even think about. I was terrified all through the war that I was going to lose her or one of you kids. But I don't think I ever really understood how much it would hurt if she got killed until I saw you after watching that tape."

Harry stared at him for a minute before he asked, "You're not mad?"

"Mad? No." The older man shook his head. "How can I be upset when you loved each other as much as you obviously did. That type of love is once in a lifetime son." Then he sighed. "Disappointed that you and Ginny didn't work out? Yes. I understand not wanting anyone to know about it being… Her. But I'd like to know what happened because although Ginny didn't say anything, which I will be asking her why she didn't, you also didn't say that you had split."

Harry understood the frustration of all the unanswered questions that must be going through Arthur's mind right then but now was not the time, "I know, and I'll answer your questions, I promise but not here. Not now"

With a quick nod, Arthur turned back to gather the remainder of what was needed.

As Arthur continued Harry's mind turned to what else they would need. An Urn for the Library if he could get Minerva to agree with it. Hermione had wanted her ashes spread across the grounds but somehow Harry couldn't imagine a part of her not being in that Library.

It was just part of who she was. Nine times out of ten when he and Ron went looking for her, she'd be reading in the library. He snorted and then thought, 'She'd read Hogwarts a History so often he was sure that she could recite it page for page.'

That's when he got an idea. One that Hermione herself would have definitely lectured him over. Which seemed to make it the perfect idea.

"Arthur?"

"Hmm?" The older man answered as he paid for the stuff and then turned to Harry.

The small grin that crossed Harry's face was out of character for how he'd been feeling not five minutes before "I have an idea."

The look Harry was giving him sent alarm bells off for Arthur, "First will it get us in trouble?"

"Well, a couple of people will probably sniff their noses at it. Annnnd…."

"Ok let me re-state that question." Arthur interrupted him. "Will it get me specifically into any… relatively... bad trouble with Molly?"

"No. She'll probably love it."

"Ok, then I'm in. What do we need to do?"

"Right. First, we have one more stop here in Diagon Alley and then to a crafting store in Muggle London before we go back to the Burrow." Harry said as he opened the door to the shop.