It is over. The war is done. Voldemort is dead. Harry is alive. If the war is over, and Harry is still alive, then why do I feel such dread, such sadness?

The answer comes to me when I enter the great hall. When I look at the bodies on the floor, the injured being nurses near the wall. When I look at the cluster of redheads surrounding something. When I realize it is more than one something. It is three somethings. Fred. Tonks. Lupin. I approach my family, tears streaming down my face, joining the thousands already being shed. We hug each other, trying to come to the realization that Fred is dead.

Hours pass. People begin to leave Hogwarts, taking dead family members with them. We stay. Some members of the Ministry show up to collect bodies. We stay, protecting Fred, Tonks, and Lupin. Eventually, Bill suggests we leave. Slowly, carefully, we assemble ourselves. An army of Weasleys. Mom carefully lifts Tonks. Dad lifts Lupin. George starts to lift Fred, then breaks down crying. Bill picks up Fred instead. Percy envelops George in a hug. Hermione takes my hand. Ron holds her other hand. Harry sets his hand on Hermione’s shoulder. We apparate to the Burrow. Charlie is there. So are Andromeda and Ted Tonks, with Teddy. Everyone begins crying again. Eventually, we manage to find our way to our beds.

I wake up the next morning. The sun is shining through the window. For a moment I begin to smile, until Hermione walks into my room. She is scraped up and covered in grime. I probably am, too. We walk downstairs. Over the next hour, everyone gathers in the dining room. Breakfast is horribly silent. After breakfast, Dad apparates to the Ministry. He returns hours later with three sets of papers. One is for Fred. One is for Lupin. One is for Tonks. He tells us that each set contains information for their funerals and burials. There will be two funerals for each of them. Everyone who died during the battle will be given a funeral at Hogwarts. Then, there will be individual funerals for each person. Then they will all be buried, at Hogwarts.

I return to my room and cry. I don’t come out for lunch. Mom brings me some food. I don’t eat. I fall asleep crying.

The next day is cloudy. I cry again, all day long. Why? Why Fred? He was such a wonderful person, so young and full of life. He always managed to bring a smile to everyone around him. As for Tonks and Lupin, why them? Tonks had just had a baby, and they were finally happy. Why did they have to die, leaving the world bleak and gray?

The next morning is sunny again. I pick up my wand carefully from my bedside table and cast a silencing spell on my room. Then I start to yell at the world. Why is it so sunny? How can the sun be shining when Fred is gone? Why did they all die? They were all so young, and none of them deserved to die. Then a new thought forms in my mind. Harry. Harry is the reason behind all of these deaths. This is a relief. I have someone to blame. Harry is responsible for Fred, Tonks, and Lupin, and hundreds of others. If he hadn’t taken so long killing Voldemort, Fred would still be here. Then I start to cry again.

The next few days are cloudy again. Slowly, each person in the family manages to return to living. George can’t. I can’t. Fred was George’s twin. Fred was the only brother I was ever close to.

Two weeks after the battle that changed all of our lives, the Ministry holds the funeral for all of the fallen witches and wizards, recognizing those that died not only in the battle but also during the rest of Voldemort’s reign. I go, and try to listen. The list of names is long, so long. I begin crying again. I don’t stop. George cries, too.

Another week passes. I remain in my stupor, spending every day crying. Then the day comes for Fred’s funeral- and burial. I manage to get up and shower, but I do so robotically, as if I can no longer feel emotion. Mom has made me a beautiful black dress. I put it on slowly. Hermione comes into my room and braids my hair, then pins it up. She turns me to face the mirror. “You look beautiful,� she whispers in my ear. I look at the girl I see in the mirror. Her dark brown eyes stare back at mine. Her long, red hair has been braided in a circle around her head. She dons a black dress. Each movement she makes only adds to her beauty. But the reflection I see, it isn’t me. It doesn’t show the apathy I feel. The emptiness in my heart. The part of me that died with Fred.

We go to the funeral. I manage not to cry, until they begin to lower the coffin. Then I look at George, at the tears running down his face. Fred is gone. His body is being lowered into the earth. Now I have no chance of seeing him again. We will never laugh together again. As this realization comes, I begin crying. Tonks and Lupin have one funeral. I cry through the entire thing, barely able to see them being lowered into the ground side by side. They are gone, too, leaving Teddy Lupin an orphan. He has no parents, no siblings, no aunts and uncles, no cousins. I am carried home from the funeral and up to my bed. I don’t object as my mother gently eases my dress off my shoulders and pulls a nightgown on me, then tucks me into bed.

I don’t move for the next several days. I try to, but I just don’t have the strength. I just lay in bed, not speaking, not moving. My family enters my room, trying to coax me into activity. I eat the food I am given, but do nothing else. All the while, I think of Fred, how I will never see him laugh. He will never make another joke, never pull another prank. I feel numb. So numb, I can’t cry.

Days pass. Then weeks. One morning, I wake up and hear birds chirping outside. My window is open. Slowly, I get out of bed and walk over to my window. I breathe in deeply, smelling the flowers of the summer. I look up at the sky, at the sun shining. There are no clouds in any direction. Suddenly, I feel the need to live. I have wasted so much time not living, over a month. I quickly shower and dress. Then I run downstairs and grab a bagel. I eat it outside, walking around in our yard. I think, slowly, of all the things Fred would want me to do and how he would want me to live my life. George.

After my realization, I begin to care for George. Bill has returned to Gringotts. Charlie has returned to Romania. Dad has returned to work. Mom travels across the country, repairing damage caused by the war. Ron takes over Fred and George’s joke shop. Percy helps him. Hermione leaves to get her parents. Harry travels across the country, repairing lives. George stays in bed all day, doing nothing. I sit with him, talking to him. He needs someone to be there.

A week passes. I talk to him about the family and how each person is doing. Then another week passes. I talk to him about my feelings and how my perspective of the world has changed. I am no longer numb with pain. I still miss Fred and still mourn his passing, but I have continued living. More importantly, I have found how to live. A third week since I awoke begins, marking two months since the battle.

“Morning, George,� I say as I enter his room. I set his breakfast on his lap. He picks up the fork and begins to eat, as usual.

“Thanks.� I look at him in shock, but he doesn’t say anything else. When I bring lunch, he says the same thing. Same with dinner.

The next day, I walk into his room with breakfast. He is awake and looking out the window. More importantly, he is standing out of bed, dressed and showered.

“Good morning, Ginny. I fancy today will be a good day.� I drop the plate in shock. “What? Am I not allowed to speak?�

“No. It’s just.... It’s been two months since the battle. You haven’t made hardly any progress, just sitting on your bed all day, every day. But now, now you’re healed.� I pause for a moment. “Want to go for a walk?�

“I’d love to.� George and I go for a walk through our yard. We don’t walk far, but we still walk. And we have a conversation, the first conversation I’ve had in months. We talk about the weather and the flowers. What we will do now that Voldemort is dead. We steer clear of any mention of Fred, or any of the others who have died.

Slowly, we repair each other. We continue walking through the neighborhood each morning, gradually lengthening our walks. At breakfast one morning, an owl comes with a letter for me. It’s from Hogwarts. George immediately grabs my hand and we apparate to Diagon Alley. We shop all day, gathering my school supplies. When we return home, I feel another purpose in my life. I will go to Hogwarts and continue studying. I can move on.

September first comes. George takes me to the train, even though I don’t need an escort. I promise to write him every day.

The school year begins. Students are missing, but we pretend not to notice. Many students who do come to school are still in a stupor, feeling no emotion, simply doing what they have to do to stay alive. I help in every way I can. George keeps me updated with what is happening at home and how the family is doing. I read his letters each day, treasuring each word. We are moving on. We will overcome this.

I return home over Christmas. Bill and Fleur come visit. Fleur is pregnant. Charlie visits, too. He has a girlfriend in Romania. Percy works at the ministry with Dad. George has returned to Weasley Wizard Wheezes and is the manager again. Ron works with George. Our family is almost perfect. Fred is still gone. There is still a hole in our lives.

Christmas is quieter than usual. There is less laughter and less happiness. I don’t go home again until summer, after I have graduated. I apply for a job as Chaser for the Holyhead Harpies. I save up enough money to buy a flat to stay in. I leave my past behind and begin looking towards the future. I return home three times a year- Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Other than that, George is the only person in my family I speak with. We visit regularly.

My life gains meaning again. I attend practices and work hard. We win some games, and lose others. Eventually, the final game of the season comes. We train harder than ever. The game is against Montrose Magpies. The dreaded day comes.

I enter the stadium on my broom, flying in formation with the rest of the team. The two team captains shake hands. We place ourselves in position for the game to begin.

The Snitch is released. Then the Bludgers are released. Finally, the Quaffle is tossed and the game begins.

The game has begun, and the Montrose Magpies have the Quaffle.

“Campbell! Maddock! Cornfoot! Maddock!� The Chasers are tossing the Quaffle back and forth, successfully evading my attempts to grab it. I see it coming and reach up to grab it. My fingers brush the edge of the Quaffle, and it gets knocked off course.

“Val!� I shout, knowing that she is in position. Luckily, there is no Bludger headed her way. Valmai grabs the Quaffle and shoots down the pitch towards the hoops. She scores once, twice, three times before Cornfoot grabs the Quaffle from her.

Alicia and I are waiting, though, and we manage to block him. Unfortunately, we forget about Maddock, who is directly above Cornfoot. Cornfoot tosses the Quaffle straight up.

“Maddock!� the commentator announces. “Campbell! Cornfoot! Campbell! Maddock-- no-- Spinnet! Weasley! Morgan! Campbell! Weasley!� The names continue to rattle off as we battle back and forth, each of us trying to move the Quaffle just a little closer to the hoops. I toss the Quaffle to Alicia. Campbell intercepts it. It goes to Maddock. Then Valmai takes it from Cornfoot. Back and forth, back and forth. I can feel the audience holding their breath. The Magpies score. Then we score. They score twice more. They score again, and we are tied. This continues for some time. I begin to feel fatigue, and I can tell that the other two Chasers on my team and the three Chasers on the other team are tired as well. The Magpies call for a time-out.

“Ginny,� Gwenog begins, “good work. Keep your eyes on the Quaffle. And Alicia-� she pauses- “and Val, we’re changing tactics.� She motions us closer. “Val, you get the Quaffle to our end of the pitch. Alicia, I want you to get in the way of their Chasers as much as possible. And Ginny, you stay low,� she whispers. “Val, once you get the Quaffle to our end, you or Alicia needs to get it. Ginny, you need to position yourself directly below the two of them. Once one of you gets the Quaffle, drop it. Ginny, you know what to do then.� The three of us nod before mounting our brooms.

“Campbell has the Quaffle! Now Cornfoot! Spinnet! Maddock! Cornfoot! Campbell! Morgan! Campbell! Morgan! Maddock! Cornfoot! Spinnet!� That’s my cue. Alicia drops the Quaffle, and I am waiting. I catch it and immediately dash across the field, urging my broom to go faster. I aim straight for the bottom of the middle post. I can hear everyone behind me. I know the viewers think I am going to crash, but I turn at the last second. Straight up now, past the post. Alicia positions herself. I toss the Quaffle to her. She catches it and makes a goal. Then another. I continue racing around the pitch, hoping that the Magpies are chasing me. They eventually realise that I no longer have the Quaffle, but not before Alicia can score three goals. We are thirty points ahead.

I am doing a little victory dance on my broom, watching as the Magpies begin making a beeline for Alicia. That’s when I see it. The Snitch. I have to let Cho know where it is before the other Seeker sees it. Luckily, she looks my way. I nod a little, raising my eyebrows a tad. She gets the hint. In seconds, one of my best friends is at my side, snatching the Snitch out of the air. Then the pitch erupts in cheers, for the Holyhead Harpies have won the final match of the season. We are the champions.

---

After the game, my teammates and I exchange high-fives and congratulations in our locker room. Then, slowly, we begin to remove our Quidditch gear. There will be parties to attend, people to see. But before that, we all require a good shower and a change of clothes.

I finish packing away my things and floo home. George is there, waiting for me.

“Hey, sis.� I look over at him and my smile grows. “Congrats on winning the final game.�

“Thanks.� I give my brother a hug. “Now I should probably go shower...�

“I definitely agree.�

---

Forty minutes later, I step out of my bathroom- and into my bedroom, where my dress is laid out on my bed. I can’t stop the grin that spreads across my face as I step into the silky gown. As it settles on my shoulders, I look in the mirror. The woman I see is not the same as the woman who tried out for the Holyhead Harpies. That woman was sad and desperate. She was struggling to overcome the death of her brother. This woman is happy. She has had three years to recover. And she is now beautiful.

---

“Wow.� George looks at me. I can tell from his expression that I look as radiant as I feel. “Why so beautiful, sister dear?�

“You never know. Tonight might be the night I finally meet the man I want to marry.� I look up at my brother as he grabs my arm. Together, we apparate to the party.

---

“Ginny! Come meet my friend!� Cho pulls on my arm. A small laugh escapes my lips as she begins to pull me towards a handsome young man. “This is Edric. Edric, this is my best friend, Ginny.�

“Pleased to meet you, Ginny.�

“And you as well.� I look around the room for a minute. “Who else is here that would be of interest to me?�

“Well, I think it might be best if I show you.� I follow as Cho winds through the crowd, leading me to who knows where. We slowly wind our way through the entire room, ending up by a door, but not the one I entered through. “There are some things behind this door that will- shock you. And, just remember, this wasn’t my idea.� I place my hand on the door knob, ready to turn it. Cho turns and returns to the party in the room. My heart speeds up. My stomach becomes a knot. One thought remains in my mind- who is behind this door? Then I turn the doorknob. Slowly, I pull open the door. I look in the room, and then everything goes black.

---

“Ginny, Ginny wake up,� someone calls. My eyes slowly open. George is over me, and Cho is next to him. I smile at seeing my brother and best friend. George helps me to sit up, and I look around the room. The first thing I register is an abundance of red hair. I look away from that, and see Hermione.

“Hey, Ginny,� she says. “Good seeing you. Sorry we gave you such a fright. I told them it was a bad idea, but they wouldn’t listen to me. Especially your parents.�

“Ginny! Oh my gosh dear I haven’t seen you in forever you never write where have you been what have you been doing- I’m just so glad you’re alright.� My mom is holding me tight, and I can’t help smile, at least a little. I look over my mom’s shoulder and see George in the corner, holding in laughter. This makes me smile, and then I see Cho beside him, laughing quietly. I screw up my face and look at George. This is too much for him, and George begins to laugh. Cho laughs louder, and then I join in. Once I start laughing, so does everyone else. We laugh and laugh. Ron comes over to me and squishes my face, then Bill does the same. Fleur smiles at me, then introduces me to my niece, Victoire. Charlie is here, too, and so is Percy.

“Well, Fleur and I need to take Victoire to her well-check. Bye, Ginny,� Bill says.

“Bye,� I reply.

“Ginny,� Ron whispers in my ear, “I’m taking Hermione to dinner tonight.� I look at Ron and then Hermione. She is standing right beside him. I smile, and nod.

“Bye, Ron. Bye, Hermione.� They leave. Cho sneaks out, and then George leaves. Charlie and Percy say goodbye, and then my parents leave. I sit down on the chair in the room, exhausted. I never knew seeing my family for the first time in a few years would be so momentous. I smile, thinking of the red hair in the room. Victoire was adorable, and Ron was even taller. Mom and Dad had more wrinkles, but they are getting old now. It was just like old times, when we would come home from Hogwarts each summer. We would all gather together in one room, squished up against each other. Hugs were demanded, and Mom would always say something sentimental about how we were family. Then Percy would make some pompous remark, and Ron would start laughing. Then George would nudge Ron to get him to be quiet, and then Fred would- I pause in my thoughts.

“That’s what was missing,� I say to myself. My smile disappears, and then movement catches my eye.

“Ginny.� I look at the boy who spoke my name, then realize he is no longer a boy. He wears new glasses, making him look older. His hair has calmed down and now lies flat on his head. His hands are in his pockets, and he doesn’t look anything like he used to.

“Harry,� I reply. I stand up and look him in the eye.

“It’s been a while.�

“Yeah, it has.�

“I think the last time we had a conversation was-�

“When you told me I had to temporarily leave the Room of Requirement.�

“Yeah.� There is silence in the room for a moment. “What are you doing for dinner tomorrow? I’ll meet you at the Burrow.� Harry leaves the room before I can say anything. I close my eyes and then Apparate home.

--

George walks in the door and I just look at him.

“Like I said, it wasn’t my idea,� he immediately says before loosening his tie.

“I don’t care about that. I think it was a good idea. It had been too long. But who on earth thought it would be a good idea to have the whole family come to the party?�

“Not me!� he exclaims. “And stop looking like you’re going to murder me.� I close my eyes and try to relax.

“Sorry. It was nice seeing everyone again. It was just a little,� I pause for a second, trying to think of the right word. “Overwhelming.� I sit down, suddenly dizzy.

“What’s wrong, Ginny?� George asks, sitting on the couch next to me.

“He was there.� George remains silent. “He asked me to dinner, but he didn’t actually ask. I’m supposed to go home tomorrow so he can come kidnap me and take me somewhere I probably don’t want to go. George, I don’t think I can face him. It’s all his fault, you know, what happened. And how exactly am I supposed to sit there with him for who knows how long pretending to be civil and not yelling at him?�

“I think you are tired and we should both go to bed.� With that, George stands up and walks into his bedroom, shutting the door. I eventually manage to repeat his actions, taking off my dress and putting on my pajamas.

--

The next morning, I show up to practice right on time. It’s horrible. Our win seems to tell our coach that we need to work harder, not take a break. We spend the entire morning on the ground, building strength. Our coach gives us ten minutes to eat lunch, and then we are back on the field, but in the air this time. Three hours later, we get a three minute water break. The day concludes at seven, totaling five hours of strength, three hours of flying, and four hours of drills. No one speaks as we change out of our uniforms and shower, and we all apparate home for a good nap.

George isn’t home when I get there, so I figure he is at work. I go in my room and look through my clothes, thinking about where I should go tonight. I might head to Diagon Alley for the evening, but I haven’t been to Muggle London for a while. I suddenly remember last night, seeing my family again. Maybe I’ll go somewhere with Hermione and ask her how people have been. I hear an owl at the window and open mine up. It’s a generic owl carrying a package. I take the package and look at the note on top. I hope you didn’t forget about tonight, it says in a familiar script. I open the package and pull out a light blue dress and put it on. The dress is so extremely flattering I can’t help looking at the note again. I still don’t know who wrote it, so I decide to apparate to the Burrow in hopes of finding Hermione.