I realize that I took quite a bit of time getting this chapter out, and I'm sorry. But I do have an excuse. I just finished the past two weeks of finals (which are evil) and had very little time to write. Then, when I had most of the chapter done, ready for tweaking and all that, my mom wanted me to attend a movie with her. (WARNING: do NOT see Spanglish.) Whilst we were at the show, my dad's friend put in a new operating system. By some spark of fate, everyone's things are now gone, including the first version of this chapter. Which forced me to take the time to write it all over again.

It wasn't how Ron expected his first kiss to be, despite all his secret hopes that it would be with Hermione. But that part of his existence–real kissing–was through. He didn't know if it even counted as a real kiss, for they hadn't exactly touched. But it worked. Somehow, it worked.

She gave a small laugh and brushed at the rest of her tears. "I can't believe I just did that," she said. "Oh, Ron, you must think I am so stupid. But I missed you so much...." Another laugh, and she shook her head. "I'm thinking just like Luna. In fact, I'm worse than her."

"How did she come in the conversation?" Ron scanned the room, half-wondering if someone else might be hiding in a corner.

"I just kissed..." She put her fingers to her lips. "I just kissed you, Ron. Sort of. And... well, you're... dead."

"But I never dreamed about kissing Luna."

She laughed again, something harder and more real. "Well, thanks for that comfort, Ron. But... I don't know. Thanks for doing that."

He should be the one thanking her. "I think we're both crazy."

"Yes, we are." She leaned against the wall, drawing a deep breath. "Would you hate me if I said I still think this is nothing more than a really bizarre dream?"

Ron tried to also fall against the wall. It didn't work. "None of you are really going to accept this."

She hesitated a moment, then turned to him. Her eyes were red from crying. "I don't think you have any idea what this is like for us. Any idea. I know we've been going over this repeatedly, but... Ron, it's just so fascinating and wonderful. You're back."

Of course he was back. He had only been secretly watching all of them for several weeks. Yes, he was back, but he was also still completely and utterly dead. Just when he dared to actually speak to everyone, the full meaning of that had to come roaring back. "But about what Ginny said–"

"I know." Hermione's words were far too loud. "Ron, that's something else we discussed, if you were paying attention. I'm perfectly aware that you're... oh, dang, and I can't even say it." Her hand flew to her forehead. "But I could care less, Ron. This is something people dream about. You know, I really did hope you would come back and haunt us. Not seriously, I mean. Because I didn't think you would. But you are.." She blushed. "I'm rambling again. It's just so wonderful to see you, Ron. I'm saying you're name a lot, aren't I?"

It was good to hear her say it. "I don't mind." What was he responding to? Her statement about his death or his name?

"Ron," she repeated, and smiled. "I missed you so much."

"Hermione." It was nice to say her name, too.

For a long time the room was dead silent. Hermione seemed lost in her own thoughts.

And then she spoke.

"Our Quidditch team really sucks without you."

"Quidditch?" What was she bringing that up for? He stared at her, amazed, and then laughter burst from him. "Why are you talking about Quidditch?"

"I don't know." She joined in laughing, much harder than him, her face turning red. "I don't know. But I mean it. You really were a good Keeper. And the team is terrible without you."

That was probably true. "But why are you bringing it up?"

She shook her head, gasping for breath. "I have no idea. It just popped into my head. I don't even know why it's so funny."

"You don't even care about Quidditch."

"I know. I don't and I never will." For a moment all she could do was laugh. "I can't even try to understand it. Ron, I think I am crazy."

"Yes, you definitely are."

That just sent her into hysterics.

It was probably one of the more entertaining things Ron had ever seen. Hermione laughing her head off over Quidditch. "Are you okay?"

She could only nod and wave her hand at him.

He really hoped no one would walk in. The sights of Hermione Granger in hysterical giggles and the piled remains of Snape's desk could not be a pleasant combination. Then he realized that he was also laughing. How long had that been going on? The two of them in the potions dungeon laughing over as something as trivial as the Quidditch team. Even when there was nothing funny about it.

Then the door opened, almost hitting Hermione, which only made her situation worse. Harry entered, Ginny right behind him. Harry's eyes fell on Ron, and a moment of horrified confusion rushed over his face before a smile broke through.

"You really didn't leave, did you."

Ron coughed back the rest of his laugh. Perhaps he should have left. Or at least went invisible. Just to see what Harry would have done. "I thought about it."

Harry shrugged, looking very relieved. "I... was worried you would. And then this all would really have been a dream or something. And it wouldn't have been funny at all. So don't laugh." He paused. "That isn't what you were laughing about, was it?" He glanced at Hermione.

Ron shook his head.

"Then what was so funny?"

"To be perfectly honest, Harry, I have no idea. Hermione started it."

Ginny forced a tiny giggle. "I don't even want to know." Her eyes were still red and rimmed with tears, but she looked much better than before.

She wasn't mad at him, was she? Ron suddenly wondered. But it was hard to keep such thoughts with Hermione trying to recover from her giggle attack.

Harry took a deep breath, clearly trying hard not to laugh himself. "This is so weird. You're... dead, and we're actually having fun. I think. It's way too normal."

"I know," Hermione managed, forcing herself to sit up. "But... it's nice. Better than anything else that's been going on. But weird. And weird and normal should not be the same thing."

Harry finally gave way to a laugh. "I didn't think I could ever feel this way." He gave a quick look at Ginny. "Where's... Percy?"

Percy? Ron instinctively glanced over his shoulder before he noticed his now-bare wrist. During the moment with Hermione he had forgotten about Percy, but now... he still wasn't used to him not being somewhere around.

"He left," Hermione said. "The Baron separated them." She looked ready to find humor in that as well.

"He left?" Ginny echoed. She sighed, her arms dropping to her side. "I... do you know where he is?"

Ron shrugged. "He just left."

"Oh." Her eyes lingered at the floor, somehow unwilling to look at Ron; he could feel that much. "I... I wanted to talk to him. And you." Her gaze whipped away from the floor. "Ron, I'm really sorry about what I said."

"Even though it's true." He didn't realize he had said that aloud until Ginny stared at him. He cringed; he hated that look coming from her.

"Of course it's true," Hermione said, now much more solemn. "Ron... this feels so strange talking about your... death when you're right here." She shook her head, an ironic smile at her lips.

Once again the mood had been killed.

"At least you came back to haunt us," Harry said, seemingly amazed at his own words. "How–how long are you going to be doing that, Ron?" He stared at him, with no much more concern than as if he were asking about the homework they had both ignored.

"How long?" Ron hadn't really thought about that. He had died, been chained to Percy, and had just happened to hang around the school. What was he supposed to do after her? But he couldn't stay forever. He suddenly realized that. It wouldn't work. "I... I don't know."

Harry's eyes dropped momentarily to the ground. "It won't work, will it? Ginny is right."

"But I really am glad to see you," Ginny said quickly. "And Percy. Which is why I wanted to talk to him." She sighed, thinking. "Ron, I think you should go see Mum and Dad and everyone."

Not this again. "I... why?"

"I think it would be really good for them." She was pleading now, her brown eyes on him. "Ron, do you have any idea how much they miss you? Even if you do disappear again right after... at least they could talk to you one more time. They'd like that."

Talk to his parents and brothers again. Have them actually see him. Hadn't it been what he had wanted to do ever since he had been killed? If Percy hadn't ever said anything?

"And make Percy go."

"Percy?" He blinked. "Ginny, he wouldn't– you know how he feels."

She nodded, more tears coming. "But we know what he did. Please, drag him along. Make him go."

Percy would never agree to that. It had taken so much pressure just to make Percy become visible for Ginny.

"Ron, please," she begged.

Harry sniffed. "I don't think Percy would listen."

Ginny stepped on his foot.

He sighed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

"He's not so bad," Ron heard himself say. Grudgingly.

"Then you'll do it?" Ginny asked, eyes gleaming. "I'm sure you could make him do it. Haunt him or something."

"Haunt another ghost." Smiling, Harry shook his head.

"You can force him."

Ginny had always been good with talking.

Ron sighed. He had no idea how this would be possible. But even if it were just him... He could feel his entire body tingle just as if he had been dragged through the girls' dorm barrier. If he could just talk to Mum and Dad... "Fine. When... when do you want me to get him?"

Ginny smiled. "Now."

The search, amazingly enough, wasn't hard. Percy was waiting outside the dungeon door, a frown etched into his face and his arms crossed over his chest. Apparently he was invisible, or Harry and Ginny wouldn't have asked where he was. Ron almost didn't see him.

"Done chatting yet?" Percy asked.

Again Ron stared at his wrist, void of that stupid dangling rope. "Were you–?"

Percy shook his head. "Don't worry, the bindings really are off. I went clear to the far side of the Quidditch field before I came back. And I assume you were fine."

Quidditch. Ron almost laughed. "So, why were you hanging out here?"

He shrugged. "Why were you talking to Hermione so long?"

"How did you know I was talking to Hermione?"

"She was hiding in the corner when I left. So what happened?"

Did Percy really want to know?

"You are so weird."

Ron realized he must have been blushing.

" I noticed Ginny and Harry come back."

Ginny. Ron had almost forgotten she had given him a mission. "She... she wants to apologize for what she said."

Percy didn't so much as blink. "I heard."

Silence. "Oh." The walls couldn't be that thick.

"I'm... sorry about what I said to her." Percy fingered the edge of his robe.

Ron glanced back at the dungeon door. "She's still in there. Go apologize to her yourself."

Percy shook his head. "Not right now."

To deny Ginny that much? "Why not?"

For a long time, Percy stared hard at Ron. It was all Ron could do to stare back. Then Percy sighed. "Forget it."

Perhaps it wasn't the best time to bring up Ginny's request, but somehow it slipped out. "She thinks we should go see Mum and Dad."

"Then go see them. We're not bound together anymore."

"She wants us both–"

"I heard that, too." Percy's voice was much too loud for the little hall. Then he burst away from the wall, straight down the corridor.

Ron flew after him. "You talked to Ginny!"

Percy didn't turn around. "Ron, I can't. We've been over this a hundred times. They now know I'm dead, they know what happened, why can't we leave it at that?"

This was going to be impossible. "Percy–"

"Like I said, you know why they can't see me. It's best this way." He plummeted through the floor.

Ron dove after him. It was still odd to go through floors, ending up from one dungeon to one even lower–some other classroom Ron had never seen.

"Why are you following me?" Percy said icily, barely glancing at Ron.

"Why were you waiting for me?"

"That is none of your business."

Ron bit his lip. How could he have told Harry that Percy wasn't "so bad"? "Ginny saw you. How horrible was that? It only went bad when you made it. So why can't you talk to Mum and Dad and the twins...?"

"You know what I did. And I know what I did, probably more than anyone. Do you what it's like, Ron? Do you have any idea what it's like to suddenly realize what a horrible mistake you have made and how impossible it is to go back?"

"So you prefer to make it worse?" Ron hoped that would hurt.

Percy visible cringed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Apparently it didn't hurt enough. "So you don't care about any of us as much as you do about that little stunt you pulled?"

There was no response. It was infuriating. Ron could feel the anger welling up inside of him. He had been over how Percy had left... and now it was suddenly all coming back. "If that's how you feel, then why do keep hanging around here? Why did you haunt everyone?"

Percy froze, his back to Ron.

Even the air was cold, as far as Ron could tell. "Why did you stay here? Why didn't you go haunt the Ministry or some other place or even go to the spirit world? Why did you choose not to go to the spirit world?"

Slowly, Percy turned around. "I don't know."

That wasn't the answer Ron had expected. "You have no idea why?"

Percy shook his head. He wasn't looking at Ron. "It was subconscious, like you. I died and here I was." He closed his eyes, sighing. "The Baron," he muttered.

"The Baron? The Bloody Baron is your reason for staying here?"

Percy almost looked as if he would laugh. "No... but the Bloody Baron said something before you showed up. He said... oh, never mind."

The fury began to slide back to wherever it had come from. "But why did you choose to stay around here? The school and the house?"

"I was mostly at the house before." He drifted down to the level of one of the desks. "I didn't know where else to go. Ron, I can't face them. Not after what I've done."

"But they know what you did for the Order." Great, now he was comforting Percy.

Percy sniffed and stared at the ground. "Yeah, I can pass information to the Order but not say a word to them. They hate me. You and everyone heard the fight I had with Dad."

"That was pretty bad." Ron smiled. It was almost funny.

"So I can't just wander back and expect to welcomed. Like it was their fault."

"Ginny doesn't hate you." Ron dropped down to one of the desks across from Percy's. Why were they having this conversation?

"Yet I sent her screaming from the room." He sighed.

"She apologized. Sort of."

Percy said nothing.

Ron stared at a scrap piece of parchment that had fallen on the floor. Doodles created a border. He tried to think of a spell that would set it aflame. "I don't hate you."

Silence. Why had he said that?

"Well, that's nice to know." Percy was now staring at the parchment as well. "So... when you had every chance to go visible while we were around them, why didn't you?"

He was right. "That's not a fair question."

"Really?"

"You told me I shouldn't."

This time Percy really did laugh. "Since when do you listen to me?"

With a sigh Ron left the desk. This was getting weird. And if Percy wasn't going to budge... "I needed someone to blame. I'm going to go home."

Percy's head jerked up. "To... see everyone?"

"To do what Ginny said. Which is basically that. So, yeah."

"It'll be a mess," Percy warned.

"No, it won't," Ron replied. He could visualize the kitchen in his mind, how it had always been. Hopefully they'd all be there, somewhere in the house.

"Yay!" someone exclaimed.

Ron's concentration broke, zapping him back fully to the classroom. Cornelia, Dream, and Jillie had just burst into the room, throwing spectral confetti everywhere that floated above the desks like bits of mist.

Percy stared at them in horror. "What are you doing here?"

"You were actually talking," Cornelia said with a grin. "We're so proud." Immediately afterwards she burst into blue flames.

Jillie nodded enthusiastically. "It was fun watching you."

Dream had a "I hate Gryffindors" look on her face, but she also smiled.

Ron hoped she wouldn't attack him.

"It's also a Ron celebration," she said, winking at Ron. "I saw you and Hermione. Don't worry; though my heart is broken, I will recover."

Percy's stare turned to Ron.

"And it's also a celebration where we could bug you," Jillie said. "We haven't had this much fun since that Malfoy guy drowned Dream in the lake."

Dream's smile disappeared.

Ron forced a laugh. It was actually nice of them to do this. Also incredibly weird. "Thanks, I guess."

"We really do appreciate it," Percy said.

"You're welcome!" Jillie squealed.

Perhaps it was the best time to leave now. Shaking his head, Ron once again focused on the kitchen at the Burrow.

And then he was there, right above the table. The kitchen was empty.

For a moment he wanted to scream. They were making this so difficult. Why wasn't Ginny around being helpful when she needed him?

Maybe the girls knew their ways around the place... Ron wouldn't be surprised.

They weren't... somewhere else, were they?

"They're in the living room," a voice called out.

He almost did scream that time as he spun around. "Percy? You came?"

Percy shrugged, refusing to smile. "I couldn't be their by myself. With them. But I'm not..." His voice became more solemn. "I can't. But they're in the living room. I can hear voices."

They were so close. "I can't believe I'm doing this."

"Harder than it sounds, huh?"

Go invisible, Ron told himself. That would help, at first. No. If he did that, with the way he felt right now, it wouldn't work. Just do what he had done with Ginny and Harry.

Except he hadn't shook so much with them. Why was he shaking so much now? How was that possible without a body?

Percy gave a derisive laugh.

"Shut up," Ron said automatically. Then, trying not to think, he rushed through the wall into the living room.

They were all there. His parents, Fred and George, Bill, Charlie. Only Ginny was missing. For all Ron knew, she was back in Snape's dungeon. Maybe getting in trouble for the desk. But other than her, it was all of them. His family, just sitting around... talking, Fred and Bill playing a board game on the floor. Why did he always have to intrude on games?

He couldn't start crying.

They didn't notice him. Maybe he should say something. Like he had with Harry and Ginny. But his mum and dad... they seemed so upset about something.

Duh. They had just found out about Percy. Why wasn't Percy here? Right now they probably needed to see him more... He shook his head. Why was he thinking this way?

It was his mum that looked up first. From her chair, where she was writing something, she just happened to glance up.

He felt her eyes freeze on him. He tried to smile.

One by one, everyone else looked up. His dad fell from his chair.

"Ron," his mum whispered.

The name thing again. It still didn't matter. "It's me," he said softly. "I'm... here."

Fred's hand smashed through the board game pieces. "Is this a trick?"

"Yes, Fred. Someone would pull a trick this sickening."

His mum's eyes filled with tears. "No, they wouldn't. Oh, my baby."

Slowly, his eyes on Ron, his father climbed shakily to his feet. "Ron? Is this real?"

Charlie, too, was standing up. George could only stare. "But Lord Vold– he killed you."

"Don't bring that up," Bill hissed.

Then George began to laugh. But he was also crying. That wasn't something one would usually see George do. "You're haunting us." It wasn't an accusation. "You know, I was kind of...kind of hoping you would do this."

"We weren't supposed to...see you." A smile broke through on Bill's face.

This time Ron really could smile. "I... I really missed you."

"My son," his father said softly. "Ron?" He extended his hand.

Ron didn't even attempt to shake it. It wasn't fair. "I can't touch you."

"But you're here," his mum said. Now she was also on her feet, tears pouring from her eyes. "I can't believe I'm seeing this. I don't think I ever got to tell you that I love you. Oh, Ron."

Ron could feel the tears rushing down his face now. It was almost embarrassing. "It's okay, Mum. It's okay."

She smiled, the tears still coming.

"It is Ron," Fred said. "Wow, you really do want to haunt us." It wasn't even teasing coming from him.

And there wasn't even any screaming.

His dad quickly wiped the tears from his eyes. "This is unbelieavable," he murmured. "It's almost like... a repayment for..." His voice trailed off.

He was no longer staring at him, Ron realized. None of them were.

His mum gave another sob.

Slowly, Ron turned around.

It was Percy. And it looked like everyone else could see him.

SHOUT OUTS!

ArcherofDarkness: Hmm... I don't think the family knows the exact way Percy died... so I believe the twins would most appreciate that method.

Crystal Lightning: But she sort of got a kiss....

db: Thanks

duj: Dude.. You're good. That was a wonderful analysis! The way I'm thinking is that Percy isn't too proud to go back to his family–he doesn't feel worthy.

ichigo: Peeves only has power among the spirits. And trust me, it's not nearly enough power to give him control over life and death. Peeves is more of a supervisor than an almighty deity. Most of his power comes from his abilities to touch objects and annoy people.

Lady Kazaana: Look! It's that Ari girl! Yes, you kind of figured it out.

Lahar: Awww... I'm glad you liked that much.

Libby Bird: I actually only have one or two more chapters after this one. Sorry.

Krenya: Aww, did I make you cry? Or is that because the story is so bad? Are you still in the same dorm, by the way?

Pline: I would bring Ron back if I had that nifty machine from the Casper movie.

Quixotic-Feline: Well, I was in a stupidly-girly mood when I wrote it. I'm like that. I couldn't resist.

Remmy Wolf: Cursed people who steal names!

rosepetal13: Oh, no! Hermione won't kill herself. Though that is a fun idea...

Tabitha78: I don't know if Ron will ever be able to utter "I love you" to Hermione, but I'll see what I can do. And yes, Percy and Ron still must realize how they really have bonded.

: Don't worry; it's not yet over!