Disclaimer: Most characters, ideas, worlds, and places are copyright J.K.
Rowling. Original plot, characters, and places are mine. If I have
inflicted upon any copyrights, please notify me. Thank you.
Chapter 8: Regain A Brother
With my heart pounding, I walked down the busy street. I could feel the end coming closer with every step. I wanted to say goodbye to all my friends, and my family. I wanted to tell them I'd be with Harry and they wouldn't have to worry about me.
The day was a sunny one, perfect weather for an outing with friends. Children danced around the park, screaming and playing and running. I stopped for a moment and gazed at a couple. The lady was smiling, and the man had his arms around her, with a grin on his face. They watched their kids run around them in circles, smiles on their faces, and candy smeared across their mouths. The whole family was happy and laughing, and having a good time together. I couldn't stand to see them, so I walked on, glancing at the ground and watching my paces.
"Oh, excuse me…" a voice said abrupt. He bumped into me, sending my book bag and some of his papers to the ground. I pushed my glasses up my nose, and gathered my things, pulling my head up to see who he was.
"Oliver?" I asked, quite surprised.
"Why, Parvati!" he said, a grin across his face. He held out his hand, but I just stared at him, blinking. He raised his brow and chuckled. "How have you been?"
"Fine," I lied. "You?"
"Oh, I'm just fine. In fact, I was just talking about you with Missy; you met her, didn't you?"
"Yes…" I said, thinking of the time.
"Gee, I haven't seen you, since…" he scratched his chin, and then glanced at his feet once he realized. "Well, I haven't seen you in a long time!"
"Since the funeral," I replied.
"Yeah, that's it…" There was an awkward silence between us. Then he changed the subject. "You really should come over to our house someday for dinner. Meet the little ones!"
"Yeah… maybe…" I said. He queried about Hermione and I said she was fine. Then he asked how I was getting along in the P.W.M.W. I told him I wasn't with the ministry anymore.
"Then how are you supporting yourself?" he asked.
"I don't plan on being here much longer…" I replied. This upset him. He gave me a weird look, and then once he noticed what I meant, he frowned.
"Ah, don't say that Par…" he whispered. "I'm sure you'll find a more suitable job."
"I'm not so sure…"
And with this, the conversation ended. We said our goodbyes, and he walked off into the distance of the street. I could no longer see his tall head over the passerby, and I no longer felt his presence. I was glad I had run into him once, before I hadn't gotten the chance. When Harry had left, Oliver was always there for me, but after he died, our friendship broke and we didn't see each other.
I lifted my hand and pushed the small doorbell button. After the huge fight between Ron and Lavender, I had thought he never wanted to see my face again, mainly because Lav was my friend I had tried to support her by telling Ron it wasn't all her fault, but when that tall red-head answered the door, my heart began to beat again. He grasped me in his arms and held me tightly. I could feel the resemblance between best friends, and I hugged him back, a tear shedding from my eyes. He let go of me, and stood back to look at me silently, then he hugged me again. Standing there, I felt as if I had lost a best friend and just now gotten him back. For the first time, I was actually happy. He opened the door, pulled out some tea, and seated me.
"Par, Par, Par."
"Ron. Ron. Ron," I replied, a smile forming on my face.
"Some days I just hate my life, but…" he put his hand on my shoulder and smiled, "I'm so glad to see you!"
"Me too, Ron. It's been too long."
"Way too long," he sighed. "How's Herm?"
"Oh, just fine," I said. He could tell my voice was a bit dull.
"And how are you?" he asked.
"I'm…fine…" I lied, again. He gave me a funny look.
"How's the P.W.M.W?" he asked.
"Oh, Kate fired me…"
He glanced at the ground, and poured both of us more tea. "Well, you'll get a new and better job!" I laughed.
"What?" he exclaimed.
"That's what Oliver said," I replied, giggling.
"Ah! Oliver! How's ol' Oliver doing?"
"Great, I ran into him on the way over."
"I was beginning to think you would never remember me. You haven't been over here in what? A year? What's happened Parvati…?"
"I don't know Ron. I always thought… after Lavender and everything, that you hated my guts…" I whispered, looking at the ground.
"Hated your guts?" he laughed. "How could I hate my best friend's wife?"
"Widow…" I corrected. His smile turned to a frown, and he stroked my hair with his hand.
"He's up there right now," he said, pointing to heaven, "watching us. Oh, I know we miss him, everyone does, but you just have to remember…he will always be there for us. Always."
"You're right Ron… but… I miss him terribly…"
"We all do." He pushed back a lock of my hair, and wiped a tear away from my cheek. "We all do…"
After an hour of talk, I glanced at my watch and then back at Ron.
"Say, where are the kids?" I asked, looking around.
"Lavender's got them for the week," he sighed. "You can always come over next week, boy; Fay and Will haven't seen you in a long time! They sure miss you."
"Oh, well, I would but…" I glanced at him and saw a confused look upon his face. "Well, I'll be here then…"
He smiled, and put away the teacups. I knew I wouldn't be there next week, but maybe he would just assume I was caught in traffic or couldn't make it. I gave him a half-smile and told him I should be heading out. He handed me my coat and kissed me on the forehead. I waved back to him and walked back down onto the steps. I didn't want to go back to my dream world unless I had to, so for now, I would have to walk everywhere, or take a cab.
Chapter 8: Regain A Brother
With my heart pounding, I walked down the busy street. I could feel the end coming closer with every step. I wanted to say goodbye to all my friends, and my family. I wanted to tell them I'd be with Harry and they wouldn't have to worry about me.
The day was a sunny one, perfect weather for an outing with friends. Children danced around the park, screaming and playing and running. I stopped for a moment and gazed at a couple. The lady was smiling, and the man had his arms around her, with a grin on his face. They watched their kids run around them in circles, smiles on their faces, and candy smeared across their mouths. The whole family was happy and laughing, and having a good time together. I couldn't stand to see them, so I walked on, glancing at the ground and watching my paces.
"Oh, excuse me…" a voice said abrupt. He bumped into me, sending my book bag and some of his papers to the ground. I pushed my glasses up my nose, and gathered my things, pulling my head up to see who he was.
"Oliver?" I asked, quite surprised.
"Why, Parvati!" he said, a grin across his face. He held out his hand, but I just stared at him, blinking. He raised his brow and chuckled. "How have you been?"
"Fine," I lied. "You?"
"Oh, I'm just fine. In fact, I was just talking about you with Missy; you met her, didn't you?"
"Yes…" I said, thinking of the time.
"Gee, I haven't seen you, since…" he scratched his chin, and then glanced at his feet once he realized. "Well, I haven't seen you in a long time!"
"Since the funeral," I replied.
"Yeah, that's it…" There was an awkward silence between us. Then he changed the subject. "You really should come over to our house someday for dinner. Meet the little ones!"
"Yeah… maybe…" I said. He queried about Hermione and I said she was fine. Then he asked how I was getting along in the P.W.M.W. I told him I wasn't with the ministry anymore.
"Then how are you supporting yourself?" he asked.
"I don't plan on being here much longer…" I replied. This upset him. He gave me a weird look, and then once he noticed what I meant, he frowned.
"Ah, don't say that Par…" he whispered. "I'm sure you'll find a more suitable job."
"I'm not so sure…"
And with this, the conversation ended. We said our goodbyes, and he walked off into the distance of the street. I could no longer see his tall head over the passerby, and I no longer felt his presence. I was glad I had run into him once, before I hadn't gotten the chance. When Harry had left, Oliver was always there for me, but after he died, our friendship broke and we didn't see each other.
I lifted my hand and pushed the small doorbell button. After the huge fight between Ron and Lavender, I had thought he never wanted to see my face again, mainly because Lav was my friend I had tried to support her by telling Ron it wasn't all her fault, but when that tall red-head answered the door, my heart began to beat again. He grasped me in his arms and held me tightly. I could feel the resemblance between best friends, and I hugged him back, a tear shedding from my eyes. He let go of me, and stood back to look at me silently, then he hugged me again. Standing there, I felt as if I had lost a best friend and just now gotten him back. For the first time, I was actually happy. He opened the door, pulled out some tea, and seated me.
"Par, Par, Par."
"Ron. Ron. Ron," I replied, a smile forming on my face.
"Some days I just hate my life, but…" he put his hand on my shoulder and smiled, "I'm so glad to see you!"
"Me too, Ron. It's been too long."
"Way too long," he sighed. "How's Herm?"
"Oh, just fine," I said. He could tell my voice was a bit dull.
"And how are you?" he asked.
"I'm…fine…" I lied, again. He gave me a funny look.
"How's the P.W.M.W?" he asked.
"Oh, Kate fired me…"
He glanced at the ground, and poured both of us more tea. "Well, you'll get a new and better job!" I laughed.
"What?" he exclaimed.
"That's what Oliver said," I replied, giggling.
"Ah! Oliver! How's ol' Oliver doing?"
"Great, I ran into him on the way over."
"I was beginning to think you would never remember me. You haven't been over here in what? A year? What's happened Parvati…?"
"I don't know Ron. I always thought… after Lavender and everything, that you hated my guts…" I whispered, looking at the ground.
"Hated your guts?" he laughed. "How could I hate my best friend's wife?"
"Widow…" I corrected. His smile turned to a frown, and he stroked my hair with his hand.
"He's up there right now," he said, pointing to heaven, "watching us. Oh, I know we miss him, everyone does, but you just have to remember…he will always be there for us. Always."
"You're right Ron… but… I miss him terribly…"
"We all do." He pushed back a lock of my hair, and wiped a tear away from my cheek. "We all do…"
After an hour of talk, I glanced at my watch and then back at Ron.
"Say, where are the kids?" I asked, looking around.
"Lavender's got them for the week," he sighed. "You can always come over next week, boy; Fay and Will haven't seen you in a long time! They sure miss you."
"Oh, well, I would but…" I glanced at him and saw a confused look upon his face. "Well, I'll be here then…"
He smiled, and put away the teacups. I knew I wouldn't be there next week, but maybe he would just assume I was caught in traffic or couldn't make it. I gave him a half-smile and told him I should be heading out. He handed me my coat and kissed me on the forehead. I waved back to him and walked back down onto the steps. I didn't want to go back to my dream world unless I had to, so for now, I would have to walk everywhere, or take a cab.