CHAPTER EIGHT: CAN'T BE REALLY GONE
Harry sat on the steps outside the church. He was alone, being as Molly had his kids with her, allowing him his much needed break from people. The funeral had just let out, and mourners were still swarming the place, wanting to pay their last respects to the woman who had been in the center of Harry Potter's heart. He was still clad in the same patched jeans and flannel t-shirt he had had on for three days. He had absolutely no energy to change. He hadn't slept in nearly two days, either. As he played with a new hole that was forming on his jeans, he remembered fondly how Hermione had always been on him to stop playing with the threads, or soon there would be no jeans for her to patch anymore. He made a mental note to take the pants and shirt off as soon as he got home, shred them, and burn them piece by piece. It wasn't like he would ever be able to wear them again anyhow. After all, he'd worn them here, and this was not something he wanted to be reminded of every time he put the clothes on. Nor did he feel like looking at the patches and remembering how much time and love Hermione had put into the small stuff. It would be pure torture to realize that never again would she be able to do it.
Harry suddenly felt two tiny arms feel their way around his neck from behind. He sat there a moment, just enjoying the feel of his son's small but incredibly loving arms embracing the father he knew was sad, and remembering how his young wife had done the same hours after Harry had lost Sirius.
"Hey buddy, how's it going?" Harry pulled Charlie into his lap and looked him in the eye.
"Daddy, where's Mama? I miss her. I haven't had a Mama kiss in a very long time. When is she coming home?" Tears started to fill his eyes, those eyes that looked just like his mother's beautiful deep brown pair.
"I know you miss her. I miss her kisses, too, you know."
"So when are you going to go get her back?"
"I can't, Charlie. Mama's gone to heaven. She can't come back, because God loves her and wants her with him. But she knows you miss her, and she misses you. Someday, when you're really old, God will decide that he wants you with him too, and then you and Mummy will be together again. Until then ,you have to make sure you do Mummy proud here. Okay?"
Charlie didn't say anything, but buried his head in his Daddy's chest and cried, knowing subconsciously that it would be a really long time before he saw his Mama again, and that his Daddy missed her like crazy.
As Harry squeezed the boy who's future now depended solely on him, he did not realize that there was an old and wise wizard, standing invisible just a few feet from where he and his son sat, looking on the two of them and wondering if he had done the right thing after all by taking from them the woman the two of them obviously loved so much.