Chapter 20.
After Harry had apparated away, Ron had gone back to see the healer in charge of his daughter. He found the woman giving
her a check over.
'Healer?'
'Yes Mr. Weasley?'
'When can I take her home?'
'Anytime she wakes up. All her bones are healed, no bruises or cuts. The only wounds are going to be mental, and she can
only have small amounts of food at a time until her stomach is back to it's proper size.'
'I understand, thank-you.'
The woman nodded and left. Ron looked around the room struggling to comprehend just how many books the Hogwarts
staff had given her. To take time Ron adopted to clean up the mess (which he knew straight away that she had gotten from
him) the muggle way. He frowned when he saw the amount of make-up she had, but only groaned when he realized it was all
from his niece. 'Well at least she knows not everyone will reject her.'
As Ron carried on clearing up, he began to think about the life Francheska had left behind; her school, her friends, the job
she'd told him about, the job she wanted in the future, the boy she was supposed to be going to the year 11 prom with.
'I wouldn't worry, all that belongs to Francheska Weinstein. She no longer exists.'
Ron jumped at the sound of his daughters' sleepy voice. He turned to face her.
'But your feeling and memories will always be there, whoever you are, whoever you look like.'
She sat up and played with her hands.
'They'll fade in time.'
The way she was avoiding his gaze, the way she was slouching, the way in which her nose was twitching to stop the tears
from falling, the way she whispered to cover her voice breaking was all déjà vu for. She looked as if she had given up and
was just going to exist.
'I know I'm acting like Uncle Harry.'
Ron was brought back to the present with this. He stared into his eyes with Hermione's face; he saw the same pain and
sorrows etched behind them. The similar horrors no child should see.
'Yes your past is like his and look at him now, married and with a family. What happened every year only made him
stronger, more determined to defeat Voldemort and not be tempted, not to take the easy way out. He could have let Death
Eaters kill him, or his own quilt and blame, just so he could once again be with his parents and Sirius wherever they are. But
he knew they'd given their lives so he could live. You can get through this. Yes there'll be tears and tantrums, but one day,
you'll find love, in a partner or friend and you will look back and think how could I ever have thought this couldn't happen to
me?'
Ron had crossed over to the bed and had placed his large hands on hid daughters fragile frame and locked eyes with her.
She cried despite her hate of it and swipes at riding herself of them.
'When can I come home?'
They both smiled.