A/N Sorry it has taken me so long to update… I am a horrible procrastinator, and had 3 tests and a HUGE paper due last week, therefore I was up till about two am every night trying to get my shit done! Anywho, thanks for the comments… I know it is a little dark, but I don't really know how to lighten up the story with all of the death that has happened... i dont really think having it all light and happy would be very accurate... so sorry if I am depressing anyone…. And I am open to suggestions! ( Miss Havisham was my inspiration for Mrs. Weasley, so if Great Expectations rings a bell, that's why)

I own nothing associated with the Harry Potter Universe. It is JKRowling's ingenious invention.

Chapter 4,

Mrs. Weasley?

Hermione's mouth fell open as she gaped at the sight before her.

The room was dark- all of the drapes shut out the light from the windows. Mrs. Weasley was sitting in a classic looking armchair, staring off into space. Her usually rosy complexion was white and sickly. Her vibrant hair hung dully around her face, looking as if it hadn't been washed in weeks. She wore a black set of robes that were very wrinkled and stained. There were even a couple of rips in the fabric. There was an incredibly vacant air about her. Hermione doubted that Mrs. Weasley had even noticed that they had entered the room.

Ginny was the first to speak. "Mom, mom, we have a visitor. Hermione's come!" She was trying to sound cheerful, but Hermione knew that the sight of her mother had instantly drained any happiness Ginny was feeling.

Mrs. Weasley slowly turned her head towards them. The vacancy was still there. She seemed to look straight past the two of them.

"Hello Mrs. Weasley," Hermione ventured. "It is really good to see you again" For one of the first times in her life, she was completely deficit of what to say.

Mrs. Weasley began to speak, "I suppose they've told you about my Fred." She ushered Hermione closer, and closer, until Hermione was a few inches away. She kneeled down to Mrs. Weasley's level. Mrs. Weasley gave a malicious glare at Ginny, and proceeded to whisper in Hermione's ear, "I don't believe them, you know. He was always playing tricks on us. This is just another one. But they don't believe me, trying to convince me that my baby is gone. Well, he's not. You have to help me find him! Just don't tell them you are. You have to help me find him!"

Hermione felt a slight tug at her shoulder. Ginny was standing there; tears welled up in her eyes. "That's enough mum," Ginny began.

Hermione started to stand up, watching the now desperate look on Mrs. Weasley's face. "Don't tell them you're helping me, or they'll send you away!" She whispered, not seeming to register that Ginny was only inches away. Mrs. Weasley's face slowly lost its emotion, and she turned back to staring at her wall.

She could see that Ginny was about to lose her composure, so Hermione led her out of the room, closing the door softly behind them.

Ginny burst into tears the second the door shut. Hermione ushered her down the stairs, and back into the living room.

She gave her a hug, and said "God, Ginny, why didn't you tell me she was this bad? I am so sorry."

"I, we thought that maybe seeing you would help bring her back to reality, she sniveled. "She thinks we are all out to get her. She wont let us help her do anything. She barely eats what we give her, and hasn't changed her clothes since the funeral. Bill thinks we should take her to St. Mungos, but I don't want her in the hospital. Ron has been saying we need to stupefy her to get her cleaned up, and check out her health, but it's mum! I don't want to treat her as if she were some sort of animal, and if we did that, she would be even more distrustful of us." Ginny's words had begun slowly, but finished in a hurried mumble before she burst into a fresh batch of tears.

Hermione saw that questioning Ginny about what to do with Mrs. Weasley would have to wait until she calmed down, so she proposed some lunch and began set out to the kitchen, leaving Ginny some space.

Ginny came in a few minutes later, looking more composed. She began helping Hermione with lunch. Hermione ventured to ask about the whereabouts of the other Weasley children.

She learned that Bill was off on an assignment for Gringotts, but would come back sometime tomorrow. He and Fleur separated a couple of months after the war had ended. Apparently, she couldn't deal with his lycanthropy any longer. Ron, as she knew, was home on leave from work, and George was rather hard to pin down. He came by every couple of days, but she didn't know where he ventured off to between visits home. WWW had been all but forgotten by George, and Angelina had been running the store since Fred's death. Mr. Weasley pretty much immersed himself with work to hide from the demons lurking at home. He came home late every night, and left early every morning. He even went to the office on weekends now.

There was a knock on the door, and Remus Lupin poked his head into the kitchen. Hey Ginny, just wanted to come check on- Hermione?" he had obviously just noticed her presence in the room.

"Hello Remus" she said, wondering if he was mad at her for leaving as well.

Apparently he wasn't, because he walked up to her, gave her a huge bear hug, and said, "It is really good to have you back with us, Hermione. We were all incredibly worried about you."

He released her from the hug, and sat down at the kitchen table, hearing the past few days events from Ginny, and then going up to see Mrs. Weasley. When he came down, looking slightly more haggard than usual, the three sat down to lunch.