“Ron sent those letters? Are you joking?” Tonks asked with an incredulous tone.
Harry had never been more serious in his life when he answered, “No.”
“But…” Remus struggled to articulate, “But…Why?”
“You must know,” Harry stated matter-of-factly, “I mean, you don’t really think Ron hates Hermione and wants to have nothing to do with her?”
“Er…” Tonks started.
“Well,” said Remus, “ We did sort of think so.”
Harry paused for a moment to absorb all of this new information. So, they actually thought that Ron hated Hermione! That’s really depressing! I mean, Ron could never truly hate anyone! Well, except for maybe Malfoy…
“When did Ron decide to start writing Hermione love letters?” Tonks said, after deciding to break the silence.
“Well, a couple days ago…” Harry began.
“A couple of days ago? He discovered he still loved her a couple of days ago?” Remus asked skeptically.
“Well”” Harry started.
“How does he know he truly loves her if he only discovered it the other day?” Tonks inquired.
“Because” ”
“Yeah, I mean you can’t discover your love for someone in a few days,” Remus agreed.
Harry had grown impatient with all of their interruptions and decided to yell to get their attention, “He has loved her all along! Don’t you understand that? Even the day that Ron stopped talking to Hermione, he still loved her from the whole of his heart! He has loved her everyday that he’s known her! He’s just finally realized how stupid he’s been to avoid her all this time! I think it’s a pretty damn good idea that he’s finally expressing his feelings! It’s a way for him to prove his love once again to her!” Harry, breathing heavily, stared hard at Remus and Tonks.
They looked at each other, and then Harry. They had never seen Harry express something so strongly. Silence filled the room for a very long time. Finally Remus said, “Harry, I know how much you want your two friends to be happy, but that doesn’t mean””
Tonks interrupted him, “Remus, Harry is right.”
Harry smiled at Tonks. Finally, someone agrees. “Thanks Tonks,” he muttered.
“Nymphadora, I know you want them to be happy as well, but that doesn’t mean that it can happen in the span of a week.”
Harry and Tonks nodded in agreement.
“But they’ve been in love before. At Hogwarts, and even after. It was the day that Ginny….” Harry let his sentence trail off as he fought back tears.
Remus sighed heavily and replied in a quiet voice, “I remember.”
Tonks looked as though she was using all her strength to keep the tears from streaming down her cheeks.
“But don’t you think Hermione would want to know that its Ron sending the letters?” Remus asked patiently.
“Yes, but” ” Harry started.
“And you don’t think she’ll be in shock when she finds out?”
“Maybe, but””
“Shocked enough to do something she knows she’ll regret?”
Harry was silenced at this comment. He hadn’t thought it that far. What if Hermione was so shocked that she turned away from Ron and never looked back? Ron would be heartbroken. It would almost be like the whole situation went full cycle. Harry definitely didn’t want that to happen.
Harry tossed and turned in his bed the entire night. His dreams were that of Hermione and Ron; one moment they were happy, and the next, they were each in their own rooms crying silently. He decided that he needed to tell Hermione, and that was that.
Hermione rose from a deep sleep the next morning feeling a lot better than the previous day. She realized that it was Saturday, and that she would have to get out of bed soon and get ready for Ginny’s memorial service.
She took a shower and put on a very long and silky black dress. She smoothed out her hair using her wand and twisted it into a high and graceful bun. She put on a little makeup, just to bring out her beauty a bit. The memorial service was being held at twelve o’clock. At eleven o’clock she was finished, so she sat on one of her chairs restlessly. She got up and sat down frequently, not sure of what to do with her time. She decided to clean her house, which had been getting on the dirtier side the last few days. She had been a bit preoccupied, so she hadn’t bothered to clean it.
She was finished fairly quickly, and noticed that it was ten minutes to twelve. She decided she had better get going, and with a small crack, she Disapparated.
Ron had woken up early to get ready for the memorial, since he had to get there early for all of the preparations. His parents were already setting up when he finally arrived.
“Good morning, Ron,” Mr. Weasley said as he hugged his son tightly. He looked as though she hadn’t sleep all night.
“Good morning, Dad,” Ron replied.
He looked over at his mother, who looked disheveled with her black robes and her haired let down. She looked as though she had been crying for hours, with her red eyes and nose. She didn’t speak, but only came over and hugged Ron for a long time.
They continued with their preparations invariably. About one hundred tables occupied the room. A stage was set up on one side of the tables, on which there was a huge picture of Ginny waving to the camera on her broom. Flowers were arranged on the tables and on the ceiling. Food was set out on tables in huge trays on the side of the tables opposite the stage. And right next to that was the refreshment table, with every drink imaginable in it. By the time all of this was done, people started to arrive.
Ron and Mr. Weasley greeted them at the door, while Mrs. Weasley showed them to a vacant table, silently.
Hermione arrived among the first of the attendees. Mr. Weasley greeted her with a “Hello” and a polite smile, while Ron didn’t say a word. He really wanted to say more that a word, but now was not the time.
Guests flowed in until about two minutes before the memorial started, and Ron was about to begin when he realized, Bloody Hell! Where’s Harry?
Harry screeched to a halt at the door after sprinting from the Apparation point and walked in to the building like a gentleman. He looked around for Ron, who was on the stage staring at him with a look of relief. Harry sat down at the first vacant seat he saw.
Ron cleared his throat, then pointed to it with his wand. He whispered, Sonorus, and said to the people gathered in the room, “Hello, everyone.”
There was a general mutter from the crowd of, “Hello.”
“Er,” Ron started nervously, “We’re all here today to celebrate the life of Ginevra Molly Weasley.” He gulped, and continued, “She was a great daughter,” He smiled at his parents, “sister,” he looked at his siblings, “girlfriend,” he found Harry and stared, “student,” he found all of the Hogwarts teachers and looked at them, “and friend,” He looked at everyone. “She looked at everything in a positive light, and when anything disappointed her, she’d always say, ‘It could be much worse.’ She was an excellent student at Hogwarts, being a Prefect for her sixth year and Head Girl her seventh. She was on her way to doing great things in her life. She really wanted to be an auror and she was already on her second year of training. I just…” He paused for a moment, trying to keep himself together and not cry, and continued, “I just wish this didn’t happen to her.” He couldn’t hold back his tears anymore and they streaming freely down his cheeks. He raised his hand to his lips and kissed it, then placed his hand on Ginny’s picture near her cheek.
Mr. and Mrs. Weasley decided to say a few words, since Ron could no longer speak. Mr. Weasley spoke quietly, “I just wanted to say that Ginny was the greatest daughter anyone could have had and I hope wherever she is that she sees us and knows that we still love and miss her.” He was crying as he spoke.
Mrs. Weasley was sobbing heavily but managed to get out, “W-welubuG-ginny,” before blubbering even harder. They kissed Ginny’s picture, also, which had now changed from Ginny on a broom to Ginny on her last day of Hogwarts, looking overjoyed.
Now, the remainder of the Weasleys’ walked on stage. Fred, George, Bill, Charlie, and to everyone’s surprise, Percy, were all standing still for a moment on the stage. They decided to recite a poem that each of them contributed to writing. It went:
We wish we had not lost you those two years ago.
If we could take it back, we certainly would,
For you Ginny, our sister, who was always so good.
When you left Ginny, our souls did not but ache,
We wish in that bed, Ginny, you would have come awake.
Oh Ginny, we think of you everyday,
How we wish you could have done nothing but stay.”
They added, “We love you, Ginny” to the end of the poem and walked off stage, the saddest of looks on their faces.
Ron had contained himself somewhat to say, “You’re free to talk amongst yourselves. Enjoy yourself because Ginny would want us to celebrate her life, not cry over it. There is lots of food so eat up,” he said smiling happily, though his eyes were filled with sorrow.
Harry stood up, looking for Hermione. He started to walk, and wasn’t paying attention to where he was walking and he accidentally bumped into someone, her drink spilling all over him.
“Sorry, Harry!” She exclaimed rather loudly, “I didn’t mean to get in your way!”
“It’s alright,” he replied. There was something about her voice that was familiar. There was a certain mysterious tone to it. Harry knew he had heard it before. A light bulb lit up in Harry’s head. “Luna Lovegood? Is that you? How have you been?” Harry gave her a hug.
After the embrace, Luna replied, “Yes, it’s me. I’ve been good I suppose. I took over my father’s job recently, so now I’m Luna Lovegood, Editor of the Quibbler…”
Harry finished for her, “‘The most popular wizard periodical in the world.’ Congratulations, Luna, that’s fantastic.”
“Yeah, I suppose. It’s a lot of hard work, though. But enough about me, how are you?”
“I don’t how to put it into words without making it an hour long soliloquy.”
“Maybe another time, then,” Luna suggested.
“Yeah, that’d be nice. What about tomorrow at my house around noon?” Harry asked.
“Alright, see you then. I have to excuse myself, though. See you later,” Luna replied. She walked to the refreshment table.
“Making dates at your girlfriend’s memorial, eh, Potter?” The voice of Malfoy said, from behind Harry.
Harry turned around, looking disgusted. “Malfoy, what the hell are you doing here?”
Malfoy sneered maliciously at Harry’s angered face. “Potter, I thought you were better than that!” People started to turn and stare at Malfoy and Harry.
Harry distinctly heard Fred say, “Was he even invited?” and George reply, “No, of course not…I say we kick his arse.”
“Malfoy, I swear if you don’t leave, I’ll rip you apart with my bare hands…” Harry said through gritted teeth.
“Oho, Potter, are you threatening me now?” Malfoy raised an eyebrow and sneered his terrible sneer.
“Why, yes, Malfoy, I do think I am,” Harry replied sarcastically.
“I don’t think you should take that tone with me, Potter.”
“And what, may I ask, are you going to do about it?” Harry asked in the same tone.
Malfoy made a quick move to punch Harry but was held back by George. Fred took this opportunity to swing a punch at Malfoy before Ron, who had been watching, said, “Fred, George, take that poor example of a wizard outside, please.”
Malfoy sneered one last time, and stated rather loudly, "I'll get you at some point, Potter. Mark my words. And I won't need a wand to get the job done, either."
A few moments later, Fred and George came in beaming. When Harry inquired about them being so ecstatic, George told Harry, “We found a ditch on the way here…and we stuffed Malfoy in it. Hopefully it took him to some place like China.”
Harry raised his eyebrows.
“Don’t worry, though, because he was already unconscious,” Fred added.
Harry smiled as he looked around the room, and finally found Hermione, talking to Tonks. He made his way over and said, “Afternoon, Hermione.”
“Hello, Harry,” she replied, giving him a hug.
“Are you feeling better than yesterday?”
“Oh yes, a lot better.” She smiled politely.
Harry eyed Tonks, who was trying to motion to Harry to tell Hermione about Ron’s letters. Harry understood, and voiced nervously, “Hermione,” there’s something I need to tell you.” Harry took a deep breath, he hoped he could do this.
A/N: Chapter Nine people!! Hope you liked it!! I apologize for the small break between Chapter Eight and Chapter Nine. Chapter Nine was rather difficult for me to write for some reason. I was (and still am) swamped with school, because Junior Year is the worst!! Thanks for all the reviews and reads!! They are greatly appreciated!!