PART 2: The Lost Shall be Found (Chapter 7-13): The war is over but for Ron, the price of victory is too high to endure. Life passes him by meaninglessly. Only one person can save him from his emptiness but she is nowhere to be found until one day when everything changes, throwing Ron into an emotional rollercoaster that he cannot control.

Important: This is a Ron/Hermione romance, so even though this chapter may seem to contradict that, don't worry. All I can say is that this is the only chapter without Hermione.

Chapter 7: Grief

The headstone stood in the cemetery, handsomely shimmering as raindrops fell onto it. Carved in the centre of the stone were the words:

Hermione Granger
1979 - 1997
She will never be forgotten.

Surrounding the headstone were many solemn figures, dressed in black, huddled under large black umbrellas.

It was a private affair; one that the public eye was carefully excluded from. Hence, to the Daily Prophets dismay, they were declined the opportunity to send a reporter to the funeral. Hermione was after all one of the most prominent war heroes of the Second War.

Mrs. Granger stood beside her somber husband, her arm linked with his, tears running down her face as the minister's words drifted through the air and into the ears of the mourners.

Ron stood to the side, staring right through the headstone, into nothingness. His eyes were expressionless; hollow as the grave on which the stone sat. Hermione's body was never recovered, presumed destroyed by the fire that engulfed the ditch near the forbidden forest that fateful day when the Dark Lord fell.

Ron could not bring himself to accept her death. He refused to acknowledge the stone standing in front of him. He refused to hear the words the minister spoke. He refused to give Hermione's eulogy, when asked by her parents. Harry was doing it.

"Hermione is known by most as the smartest witch Hogwarts has seen in the last decade, as the hero of the Biological War, as the witch who single handedly brought down numerous high-profiled Death Eaters during the Battle of Hogwarts; but I…I knew her…to…to…be," began Harry. His steady voice was breaking, tears escaping from his eyes.

Harry paused, clutched Ginny's hand and recollected himself. "But I knew her to be so much more. She was a loving daughter and a devoted friend…," spoke Harry.

Ron shut Harry's voice out. "She's not gone," whispered Ron, trying hard to deny the obvious. He had not shed a single tear; if he did, he felt that he would be admitting that she was in fact gone.

His mind drifted away as he pushed the scene in front of him: her funeral, out of his mind. He tried to concentrate on something happy, something Hermione, but he couldn't. Every time he tried, all he could think was that she wasn't here, with him. The war was over and he wasn't happy, he could not enjoy the peace around him because of the hollowness in his heart, the big gawping wound in his heart that would never be healed.

Ron vaguely remembered the days following the death of Voldemort. He had been unconscious for three days, oblivious of what had happened outside of the great hall, oblivious of Hermione's absent. That day when he woke up, his world seemed to stop…

Ron's head pounded. He wanted to open his eyes but he felt too tired to move an inch. He could hear voices around him. Where was he?

"Please, Ron, don't leave us…please," sobbed Ginny, holding his hand. "I can't handle it; you have to come back, PLEASE! I can't lose you too…Harry can't."

'I'm here Ginny. I haven't gone anywhere,' he tried to say, but couldn't, he felt too weak. Slowly, painfully, he squeezed her hand, assuring her that he hadn't left.

"He moved, he moved! Oh, Ron. Wake up, Ron, please."

He couldn't bear to hear her desperate pleas. Slowly, he opened his eyes and smiled weakly. His eyes scanned the room. He wasn't in Hogwarts, he was at St. Mungo's.

"It's alright, Ginny," he whispered, hoarsely.

Ginny flung her arms round him. "Oh Ron!"

She pulled away and Ron could see the pain in Ginny's face.

"What's wrong?" asked Ron.

Ginny shook her head, lost for words.

"Wher—" began Ron, but was interrupted by Harry, who just walked into the room.

"Ginny, I'll stay with him, you go get some sle—Ron, you're awake!" exclaimed Harry. Harry looked like he had barely slept and his eyes, they were so haunted.

"Where's Hermione?" asked Ron, fear rising in his chest.

Ginny and Harry exchanged a glance and looked away from Ron.

"Ginny, Harry…please, don't tell me…"

"She…" choked Harry, unable to continue.

Ginny prevented tears from spilling out as she grabbed Ron's hand again. "Ron…"

"Don't say it," said Ron, shakily, "It's not true." He closed his eyes and began to shake. "She's fine, she's fine."

"Ron, don't do this. She's…she…didn't…ma…make it," sobbed Ginny, her tears finally giving way.

"No, No, No," repeated Ron, trying to drain Ginny's voice out. He wouldn't believe it, he would never believe it!

"Ron, Ron," a voice called from the distance. He snapped out of his memory and back to the funeral. Ginny was looking at him, worriedly—seemed to be the only way people looked at him nowadays.

"It's over. Would you like to be here alone?" asked Ginny as people started to disperse.

"No," said Ron, abruptly. He didn't want to have anything to do with that stone that was suppose to represent Hermione. How could anyone think that that stone represented his beloved Hermi…he shut his eyes, erasing the sight of the stone from his mind.

Ginny slowly led him to the car. He felt the pain of wounds every time he took a step. It was nothing. He knew he would live with pain for the rest of his life. The pain of losing Hermione was more painful and agonizing then any physical pain.

He remembered finding out that the man who had…had…well, that he was dead. Death was too easy a punishment for him. Ron wanted to…well, he couldn't now.

Harry was leaning against the car, waiting for Ginny and Ron. He opened the back seat when he saw them coming and slid into the car, Ginny and Ron following behind him. Fred, George and Charles were already sitting inside. Mr. Weasley, Mrs. Weasley and Bill were in the front seats. They all sat silently as they drove to the Burrow.

As they approached the house, they could see a woman standing by the door.

"I wonder who that can be?" said Mr. Weasley.

They pulled into the driveway. The woman walked up to the car and bent down to the window. "Any comments on the funeral, Mr. Ron Weasley?" Ron kept silent.

Harry swung the door open, angrily.

"Mr. Potter, any comments?"

"Don't you people learn? No comment. Have some respect," said Harry.

Ginny got out of the car and then Ron.

"Would you say that you would have married Ms. Granger if she had lived, Mr. Weasley?" inquired the reporter. Ron looked at her in shock. His felt like wringing her neck, but he kept quiet. He shoved his hands into his pocket, to stop them from shaking and entered the house.

"Get off of my property," said Arthur, through clenched teeth. It took a great deal of persuasion and yelling from Molly before the reporters left.

Ron trudged upstairs to his room. He sat on his bed and sighed, wringing his hands, staring at a picture of Hermione, Harry and him. It had been taken in the last month of their last year of school. They all looked so happy. Hermione stood between the two boys, her arms wrapped around their waists.

Lately, his name appeared in the Prophet, frequently. He remembered a time when he would feel the slightest twinge of jealously over Harry's recognition but now he would gladly give it away. Wherever Harry's name appeared, Ron's did, along with Ginny's. Ron and Ginny were given almost as much recognition as Harry for Voldemort's death. There was even an article solely on his efforts in the War.

All three of them had received The Order of the Merlin, First Class, even though Harry was the one who actually drove the sword through Voldemort. Hermione also received the same recognition for her invaluable contributions to the War.

Where Hermione's name was printed, Snape and Ron's were usually there, as well. He was the one who had saved Snape, who had information on the antidote. He was also the one to relay the pureblood information on the last ingredient of the antidote.

He looked down at his palm. A faint mark crossed his palm. He had cut his hand and dripped his blood into the antidote that was left abandoned in the dungeon that fateful day, finalizing the first goblet of antidote. Everyone who was once ill was now perfectly fine.

He didn't care that he finally succeeded where his brothers did not. He would trade it all to have Hermione back.

"Hermione, please come back," pleaded Ron.

He picked up his glass of water and brought it to his lips. His hands were trembling. Lately, they were always shaking, he couldn't stop them. He spilt a bit of water.

Without thinking, he threw the glass across the room, causing it to fall into a million pieces.

"Ron!" cried Ginny, running into the room, hearing a crashing sound. "Are you ok?"

"No." He began to shake, uncontrollably, staring at the shattered glass.

"I want her back, Ginny," gasped Ron, his words sounding choked. "I want her back." He fell to his knees and dropped his head into his hands. His whole body shook, at last, his emotions rushing out, like an angry waterfall, trying to escape a dam.

Hot, angry, tears soaked his face, his body racking with sobs. He tried to stand up, he tried to stop the tears but he couldn't. He wanted to throw something; he wanted to…he wanted to…

"I don't want to live without her," cried Ron, "I can't."

"Oh Ron," sobbed Ginny, wrapping her arms around him. She couldn't bear to see her beloved brother suffer like this, it was almost worse than Hermione's death.

"I…I love her. How…how can I give…give up someone I love?"

Ginny didn't know what to say…there was no right answer. Every since Ron found out about Hermione's death he had retreated into a dangerous isolation, ignoring everything around him, including his health. Wounds that should have healed by now still caused him to wince when he walked. Ron, who usually had the largest temper, was eerily silent. And now, when he was letting go of his emotions at last, she didn't know what to say.

"How, Ginny? How? Every moment, I see her, I see her in my mind…but I can't reach her, I can't touch her, I can't hold her."

Ginny hugged him tightly, "It takes time, Ron. Time will heal your wounds, at least partly." She closed her eyes. She hoped she was right.

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Short chapter, perhaps a bit too angsty? The story's going to take a 180 turn because they are no longer in a war. I hope you like. Please tell me what you think...please review! Thanks.

Review Replies

Silverthreads: I loved your comments. As a plot advancer, it was imperative that everything fit. Thanks so much. Weasleygirl-ca.

onesongglory9: Ooo, fellow Canadian! I figured Calgary meant the city, but I didn't want to jump to conclusions. You're the first person to understand what 'ca' meant :D. I'm from Mississauga—it's a relatively big city but it's overshadowed by our oh so big neighbour, Toronto, lol. Thanks so much for the review. Weasleygirl-ca

dancerrdw: Pretty quick update, hope u like. Thanks, Weasleygirl-ca.

ilovefireyredheads: Aww, thanks! Another rather odd turn but you'll see soon :D. Weasleygirl-ca.

AmyChris: Yeah, when I went to read your fic, I saw that you're from Canada and it sure is nice to see other Canadians :D. This is my first real fanfiction too, though I first posted it on another site years ago and am putting up a revised version here. Thanks so much for the lovely review. Weasleygirl-ca.

Fallen Angel Of The Skies: Thanks! Weasleygirl-ca