May 5th was a beautiful sunny day with a gentle breeze. Perfect for some family time. A picnic or a game of quidditch or maybe even a funeral…On May 5th 1998 Fred Weasley was put to rest in a family cemetery right outside the famous aunt Muriel's house. The Weasley family and their friends were all gathered around the grave as they put the body of a beloved son, brother and friend Deep in the ground and they all had the same thought. Nothing will ever be the same. Not when you see the ghost face of one son buried. Not when you hold back the twin so he would not jump in the same grave, trying to share the room with Fred like he always had shared everything else. Nothing would go back to normal when you volunteer to throw the first fist of soil on your brother so your parents wouldn't have to start. Life will change so will you…
Ginny's arm was wrapped around her mother, holding her on her feet for a few more moments until they could go back inside.
"This is not what he wanted. This…This is not right"
She rubbed George's arm with her free hand.
"I know…It doesn't feel right. Not here"
While Bill and the remaining members of the order had tried to fix Burrow up so they could move back in, the damage to the old building was catastrophic. There was only a slim chance of repairing it and they couldn't hold the funeral back any longer…they had to put Fred to rest and the family cemetery was their second best option.
When everyone started to go back in the Aunt Muriel's house, Mr. Weasley wrapped an arm around his wife and kissed the top of Ginny's head with a pained smile" Why don't you guys head back first, I'll stay with your Mom." Ginny took one last look at the Fred's grave and nodded before gently pulling George away but he didn't budge" I'll stay too…" He looked at his father and he simply nodded. She sighed in defeat and refused the comforting embrace of Bill before heading back to house with slow steps, biting his inner cheeks so she could hold the tears back, not sparing a single glance towards Ron who was in Hermione's comforting arms. A chill ran down her spine and she suddenly felt lonely, more than the past few days. She wrapped her arms around herself and walked faster but not inside the house. She couldn't face the crowed right now. She couldn't accept their words and tears. Grief's hands were suffocating her. Maybe it was selfish or even childish but she just wanted all the tears, the depression and the funerals to end. She wished lost people would start to show up alive instead of in bloody tortured pieces or not found at all. Her body and eyes were in desperate need of one full night sleep. No more nightmares. She was just…done. It didn't feel like the war was over. Not yet anyway…or maybe not for her. By then she was almost running, running away from all the pain when she hit a solid barrier and stumbled back. Angry tears flashed in her eyes. She raised her head and was ready to hex whomever that blocked, her path but there was nothing in front of her. The Green grounds stretched on for miles with no sign of anyone. She frowned in confusion and turned, looking in every direction but no one was there…Or maybe no one visible. She sighed at the sight of muddy footprints in front of her. Although it could have been anyone, even a deatheater, waiting for revenge but no deatheater would stay on the same place, only to make sure she was not hurt. She sighed again and moved back to her feet, staring ahead of her. Where she guessed Harry was standing and stretched her hand, feeling the silky fabric of the invisibility cloak under her fingers and felt how he shivered underneath. She stared with a tear-stained face and breathed his scent. Even after the breakup, he still had this effect on her. Like something would release in the back of her brain, calming her down at the presence of him. Almost like a drug. She had so many things to tell him. She wanted to scream at him for not being here all along, for showing up under an invisibility cloak like a coward but then again, they had already broken up. Hadn't they? She had no right to say those things. She bit back the words and pulled her hand away. Their relationship never felt finished for her and she always thought he felt the same but there was no going back to where they were. They couldn't go back to one year ago. So much had happened. So much had changed. Even if she needed him so bad right now, she couldn't fix anything between them. In that moment when Harry had just stood there, not taking off the cloak, Ginny felt like she was 12 again. Harry didn't love her, not in the way before or maybe he never truly did. He didn't take off the cloak. He didn't say a word or even touched her hand when she stretched it. He was just being polite. Just Being Harry…and Ginny was just his best friend's sister. She moved back from him and moved back to the house, feeling rejected. Somehow, the break up never felt this fresh and raw. One year ago, it felt like a Goodbye, like they would be together if they could, like he actually loved her But at that silent encounter it felt like a breakup. She couldn't help but miss the last year's breakup. Only if she knew that under the other side of the cloak there was a shivering pale boy with blood and mud covering him from head to toe. His wand arm shaking. His lips were dry while his eyes were wet. He followed her with his wavering gaze and his throat closed tightly yet he struggled to call after her" Gin…" But she never heard and never looked back, moving away, disappearing in the house. The shiver in his body only got worse and he tried to follow her in the house but his feet refused to move at the sight of the fresh grave. He froze when he saw how broken Molly and Arthur looked like. How empty George's expression was. Nobody wanted him here. Even if by some miracle they would forgive him for the loss of Fred, they would be horrified at what he had become. They would be scared and in a grave danger. What if he accidently hurt one of them?He couldn't risk anyone getting hurt. Nobody would understand he had not mean any of this. They would never accept him if they knew he could no longer control his magic or If they knew he had killed two men is such a terrible way. The last thing that Ginny heard was the soft crack of apparition." So it's done. We are done." She thought.
"He didn't even show up…"
Hermione didn't need anyone to tell her who was Ron talking about. While she was trying to reason with herself and offer an excuse for Harry, she couldn't help but feel upset as well.
"I don't know Ron. Harry never does things unless there is a good reason for it"
"I tell you what it is. He's blaming himself again." Ron frowned and leaned back on the couch they were sharing. He knew How Harry would feel guilty after all these deaths. The question was, did he blamed Harry as well?
"Well, that's to be expected. But there was no way we could figure out everything sooner."
"You're right but maybe…maybe if he had just went in the forest in the first place…"
"RON" Hermione cut him short with a horrific expression.
"What? He didn't die Hermione…He wouldn't die but maybe others could live" Ron was staring at George from the window, all the while thinking about the Fred and all the people they had lost. Hermione took a deep breath, She knew Ron was hurting and she couldn't blame him for wanting his brother back. Merlin knew how much she wanted her parents back with her.
"I'm not saying I want him to die so others could live…I don't want Harry to get hurt. I …I just…"
"You just wish everything had worked out differently. We all do Ron. Harry more than anyone"
Ron nodded, rubbed his face, and pulled her closer so their knees were touching, holding her hand. "I couldn't have said that better. Always the smart one." Her cheeks flamed up in a rosy pink color when he praised her, squeezing his hand. Ron had always called her smart, it was nothing new but with everything changing between them, even the simplest conversation felt more intimate, nothing like a conversation between two friends, even if they contained the same content. Ron broke the silence after a few moments." That's why I wanted him here. That way, nobody can blame him for living Hermione. But when he doesn't show up, everyone talks or wonder. Like it's not his right to live."
Hermione was about to give him an answer when she got distracted at the sight of an upset Ginny. "Come here Ginny, take a seat. I'll get you some tea" She squeezed Ron's hand before letting go, moving past the people and making her way towards the kitchen. To Ron's surprise, Ginny didn't refuse Hermione's offer and took her place on the couch, trying to steady her breathing.
"Alright?" Ron asked while leaning in to comfort her, thinking she was probably upset over Fred as well. Which she was, only not entirely.
"He was here…Harry I mean"
Ron sat straight and suddenly looked more interested, taking the cup of tea from Hermione the moment she came back and hand it to Ginny." What did he say?Was he OK? Why didn't we see him...? Wait…He came to see you?"
"Ronald, let her talk!" Hermione scolded. Ron's ears turned pink.
"Sorry" Only Ron sounded a little protective besides being curious about Harry. Ginny took her time sipping her tea before looking out of the window "He didn't say anything. He was under the cloak"
Hermione raised her eyebrows" Then how did you know it was Harry?"
"I just know" Ginny answered with a hint of annoyance. Hermione and Ron shared a meaningful look. There was a possibility that Ginny had just imagined Harry was here. She hadn't talk much since they came back from the castle, refusing to open up about the previous year but all of them sort of avoided the topic as well.
"Who was under the cloak?"
The trio's attention diverted to Bill. He was holding a tray of muffins, offering it to each of them. Before Ron and Hermione could think of an answer, Ginny spoke" Harry"
Bill nodded and seemed quite convinced." Was he OK? Haven't seen him for a while."
Ron rolled her eyes" yeah, she hadn't either."
Ginny's cheek turned red in anger" I know it was him. You don't have to believe me if you don't want to"
"Well I don't!" Ron shot back. With that being said, Ginny stormed out of the room and away from them.
Hermione was looking at Ron with a very disapproving look but Ron looked away.
"I meant to ask you. Do you know how Harry is doing? It's still quite dangerous out there. They have found the remaining of two men two days ago. Not much had been left. Blown up apparently."
Hermione's concern only grew" Not really. We haven't seen him since the day after the battel. We thought he needs some space and he'll come back when he's better but he hasn't yet."
Ron shifted on his place and his blue eyes focused" Should we be worried? Making a search team maybe?"
Bill shook his head" I'll see what I can find. Send him an owl and if he didn't show up or sent a proper replay tomorrow, we start searching."