129Author's Note: This last chapter was one I felt more accurately closed the book on my story. This chapter left everything as a tragedy, that's what heartache, and lost love is all about.
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Epilogue 2 – Gravesite visit
It was cold and wet as usual, sighed the woman carrying flowers as she walked past the rows of tombstones after tombstones. She grudgingly continued as she gazed through the drizzling rain to see the tombstone of her destination. The dull grey granite tombstone bore no statue or marble to distinguish it from the others in fact it blended into the background as un-interesting. Often she herself had to remember that it was the sixth tombstone on the seventh row. A fact that wasn't lost upon her as to why the owner of said crypt chosen this very spot. He was describing himself as the lost sixth child in a family of seven magical children. What made it even more tragic was the way the grounds and the tombstone was unvisited and unkempt through neglect by a world that had little time to remember the past.
"Ron," whispered Ginny Longbottom to the gravesite of her older brother on the fifth year anniversary of his death.
Ginny listened to nothing but the rain as she thought of her older brother, Ronald Weasley.
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Ron "Prince" Weasley
March 1, 1980 – November 6, 2013
Professional Quidditch Keeper, War Veteran, and Benefactor to the War Orphanage
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"I thought I might stop by and pay my respects," spoke Ginny as her lipped trembled and she fought to keep from crying. "Oh Ron… I miss you."
Ginny always felt cold whenever she made her yearly visits to Ron's gravesites. She was certain it was from the guilt that she carried since he left the Burrow so many years past.
"You'll … you'll be happy to know that you're an uncle again. I'm expecting to deliver in about six months." Ginny declared with a small smile as she imagined that she was carrying a conversation with Ron. "Neville is thrilled of course, as for me I would very much like for this to be my last. Cause I have no attention of raising seven kids like Mum. Merlin, not in a million years or Neville is going to find his bits hexed off if I ever have to wear another maternity dress after this one. I look like a swollen tomato."
Ginny even smirked at her cheek about herself.
"It's no fun being a mum. I much rather be trying to beat you at Quidditch. Oh… once, just once, I wished I had beaten you. I had a whole speech to memory on what I was going to say to you after we won. I was going to march right up to you and make you see that we still loved you and you were acting like a world-class git. If I had… I should've said it to you."
Ginny started weeping at how many times she angrily refused to talk with a victorious Ron after a match. It made her heart guilty with pain.
"You just couldn't be beat. The Weasley Pride… I think it died with you. All of us see that now." Ginny characterized her family's biggest strength and its biggest weakness.
Ginny stopped talking as a cold wind blew her red hair over her face. It made her reflect and then impulsively change the subject to a friendlier topic.
"Your namesake nephew has been living up to your name. I already have to deal with Mum and Dad going on and on again about raising little Ronnie. Just last week he accidentally broke Mum's new china teapot playing with Fred and George's kids. Ha! Fred even defended him saying that he was rightfully named after you. Ha! Mum just frowned and looked guilty before magically repairing the china."
The story painfully reminded her of when Ron destroyed their Mum's old china cabinet before he left the Burrow forever.
"I… I never did tell you how I felt when you stood up to Mum that day." Ginny spoke then paused as she gathered the courage to confess. "At first, I was grateful that you tried to stop Harry from staying with us and then…"
She paused again as a small tear started to roll down her cheek.
"I was upset with you for hurting … hurting Harry. Merlin, after all that he did to you and me… I still loved him. A part of me still does - first love and all." Ginny wiped off the tears as she continued to confess to Ron's grave. "I knew exactly how you felt whenever I saw an article of them in the Prophet. If it wasn't for Neville or Mum being overbearing I would've gone around the binge too."
She wiped her face from the rain and tears before speaking with her lost brother again.
"I have some more good news the Cannons are going to retire your numbers at the beginning of the season. It's a huge honor, Ron, and I know you're very proud."
The leaves rustled a bit from the wind and rain.
"They uh… they want Oliver to announce it. He agreed and I'll be there too with little Ronnie watching. That will be good. I uh… I should tell you that Hermione is working at the War Orphanage now." Ginny cleared her throat before speaking again. "She told me as much when she visited the other day. She looks good. Well as good as she normally looks; she never was as pretty as one of those models that you dated."
The temperature dropped a bit as Ginny bent down and laid the flowers on his grave. She also happened to catch a glance of a tall dark stranger wearing a black cloak and shawl shifting behind a tree nearby. She had a feeling the person was waiting on her to finish.
"I think you might have a visitor, so I'll be leaving now. Goodbye Ron, I love you brother."
Ginny slowly turned around and walked the same path back the way she came in and only hesitated near the tree that the stranger was hiding behind.
"Hello, Mrs. Potter." She said stiffly not even being polite enough to call her by her first name.
The stranger didn't reply back to confirm her suspicions but the silence between them was all she needed. Ginny continued walking away and only stopped to glance back at the stranger walking toward Ron's grave with a red rose in her hand.
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A/N: I wish you nothing but happiness.