I could see spells flying around me, connecting with unfortunate people. There was screaming everywhere. Dementors sucked the souls out of random people. I could see Harry battling with Bellatrix. Harry sent one last spell at her and she let out a scream as she flew backwards, landing in a heap on the ground a few feet away from him. I looked to the man behind Harry who had his wand raised.
Suddenly a curse was hurtling toward my best mate. Harry turned, but it was too late to move. I tried to shout out a counter-curse but no sound came out of my mouth. Before I knew what I was doing, I flung myself in front of the spell. It hit me in the chest and threw me back. I landed at Harry’s feet. I could see the surprised expression on his face. The darkness swallowed me and the world around me disappeared.
“RON!”
Hermione stood silent and still. Her bushy fringe blocked her bloodshot eyes from view. Her skin was pale and had been lacking sunlight for a few days now. Her parents stood next to her, their words seemed so far away.
Dead.
He was gone and nothing could bring him back to life or to her.
“I’m sorry Hermione; there was nothing we could have done.”
Harry’s words echoed in her mind. She remembered the night he had told her. She had been waiting anxiously at home for him, dinner ready on the table, when Harry had knocked on the door, his face still disbelieving.
Molly Weasley had her head buried in her husband’s robes, sobbing furiously. Harry stood beside Ginny who was crying silently and leaning on him for support. Her eyes found Hermione’s and she hung her head.
Fred and George finished shoveling the snow back in over Ron’s coffin and they sniffled loudly. Bill, Charlie, and Percy stood silently next to their parents, their faces blank.
The funeral ended and people started towards the Burrow, all except Hermione. Ginny lingered but Harry pulled her towards the house.
The white rose she had been fingering dropped from her hand and landed silently on the snow.
Why did you have to leave me Ron?she thought to herself.
She stood, back straight and face blank facing the grave. Snow fell lightly around her as memories flooded her exhausted mind.
Ronald Weasley smiled and ran his fingers tenderly through her brown locks of hair as she leaned back into his comforting grip. They were seated contentedly underneath the tree next to the Burrow on a picnic blanket with food scattered around them messily.
“Oh, Ron, this afternoon has been just perfect,” she breathed lightly into his ear. “It’s been just perfect,” she repeated.
Ron brought his lips to hers and they touched softly as he pulled her into an embrace and kissed her passionately.
“Today is almost perfect,” he muttered into her ear and she laughed as he nuzzled her softly and she sighed happily. “There’s one more thing.”
She looked at him with curious, brown eyes and he added, “Close your eyes. No peeking Hermione’,” he said, smiling widely at her and pulling her to feet.
She narrowed her eyes in pretend annoyance but obeyed him and closed her eyes. Ron checked that her eyes were indeed closed and she wasn’t peeking before pulling a small box from his jeans pocket. He bent down on one knee and opened the box to expose a golden ring with a stone on the top of it.
The stone had shades of light pink, red, orange and yellow and had taken him three days and eight shops to find it for her.
“All right, Hermione’, you can open your eyes now,” he said nervously.
She opened her eyes slowly, the grin on her face slid off to be replaced by an expression of surprise. Ron stared at her with sparkling eyes, holding out the box to her, the ring sparkling with the many colours of the beautiful stone.
“Hermione, would you marry me?” he blurted out, his eyes pleading.
She opened his mouth and closed it again like a goldfish. Hermione gulped and stared for a few moments into his eyes.
“Oh, Ron, the ring’s beautiful,” Hermione whispered, her hand on her chest. “Oh, Ronald yes I will, I will marry you!”
Hermione took the ring and placed it on the correct finger. Ron grinned and she smiled brightly before wrapping him in a tight embrace.
“Mrs. Hermione Weasley,” she said softly into his ear and he kissed her up and down her neck lightly. “I love it.”
Hermione’s tears dripped onto her black dress as she stared at the grave of her dead husband. It seemed like just yesterday he had proposed to her. She heard a voice of the past in her mind, softly comforting her.
“Hermione, he’s gone, I’m so sorry.”
Sobs wracked her whole body and she collapsed on the ground and lay shivering in the snow.
How could she even dare to live without him?
Out of Sight, But Not Out of Mind by FlightofthePhoenix
Chapter Notes: Hermione is happy with her life, until it ruined by the War. Her love and husband Ronald Weasley is killed, breaking her heart. Even with comforting family all around, Hermione has never felt so alone in the world