Chapter Three: The Golden Years
I can’t believe Dad is gone.
His death wasn’t really a shock because he had been sick for months now but you always think you have more time. I wish he had more time.
Mum is a wreck and I’m trying to hold on just for her. Why did he have to get sick? He could have lived another 10 years or more but he succumbed to his illness at only 83. It’s especially sad because both Rosie and Natalie are expecting and he never will get to see his great-grandchildren.
Family has been filtering in and out of the house all day. And really when I say family I mean Ron’s side of the family because now only Mum is left on my side. Molly, Arthur, all of them, they’re all walking reminders that we get to live well past 100 but Dad didn’t and Mum won’t either.
Sometimes I wish there was a spell that I could have cast on my parents to make them live longer but I never looked it up. The only thing I know of was the Philosopher’s Stone and I’m sure there are spells of that kind out there but it is such a sin against nature. No one, Muggle, witch or wizard, should be capable of making themselves immortal. Look where that ideology got Voldemort. But I wish I had one more day with Dad. I hope he knew how much I appreciated everything he did for me. I feel like I never really got to tell him that.
Ron has just come home for work now. I can’t believe he and Harry are still Aurors. To be honest I think he’s almost ready to retire. Everything has changed so drastically since the war and life is so much easier than it used to be. Of course Aurors are still needed but Ron reckons it’s about time a younger generation took over.
He’s over by the sink talking with Bill, George and Percy. Charlie couldn’t make it today as he’s still in Romania. I doubt he’ll ever leave that country. I know Ron feels guilty that his family gets to live so long when mine won’t live to see the next decade. It’s all really depressing actually but Mum is sitting next to me and we’re about to go over plans for the funeral so I have to keep it together for her.
I sigh a bit harder and louder than I intended. Ron excuses himself from his brothers and takes a seat next to mine. No words have to be said; we know each other too well.
And for the first time today, I feel a light shining in the darkness that has been suffocating me since yesterday. I know that Dad is gone and Mum will be soon and I’ll always be a bit jealous of Ron’s side of the family for their longevity. But I’m a part of their family as well. I look forward to the rest of the time we will have with each other.
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At this moment, I’m on the sofa in our sitting room being engulfed by grandchildren and I couldn’t be happier. Well the day I found out I would be put on a Chocolate Frog card was brilliant. And marrying Hermione of course… and the birth of our children... But this is something different. This is contentment.
Rosie and Hugo have three children each. Rosie’s are Gracie, ten, and twin eight-year olds Rowan and Finn. They act so much like Fred and George sometimes it’s scary. And Hugo’s are Elena, also ten, Charlotte, seven, and the youngest of them all is Liam, six. They all have bits of Hermione and me: a smile, a personality trait, a facial expression. I’m proud to say they all have a variation of the Weasley red hair. That gene will probably never die out or at least I hope it won’t. And now all of them are attempting to give me a group hug.
I tell the lot to take it easy and they calm down a bit because they want to hear a story. Even Gracie and Elena still like to hear my stories. I know in a couple of years they’ll be too old for stuff like this so for now I’m making the most of it.
Hermione just finished cleaning up the dishes in the kitchen and is leaning against the doorway taking in the sight of me with all our grandchildren. I know she’s feeling the same thing as well. We both feel fulfilled.
I clear my throat to start but Charlotte interrupts with a question.
“Don’t you want a book, Grandpa?”
“I don’t need a book this time, love.”
I know what story I’m going to tell them today. Gracie and Elena will be going to Hogwarts next year so I feel it’s as good a time as any and I begin.
“It all started when I was sitting in a compartment on the Hogwarts Express with the Boy-Who-Lived. I couldn’t believe my luck. He was talking to me of all people. Then out of nowhere, this bushy haired little girl comes barging in asking if we’d seen a toad. ‘Who was this girl?’ I thought to myself. Little did I know that I was fast becoming friends with the Harry Potter and I had just met your future grandmother…”
I look at Hermione and a smile plays on her lips. She takes a seat and starts up her knitting. I know she wants to be here as I retell this moment. It is, after all, the story that changed our lives forever.
Six pairs of eyes are on me now. I shift to make myself more comfortable and continue telling one of the best stories I know.
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HAPPY 100TH BIRTHDAY HERMIONE!
This is screamed at me as I enter the front yard of the Burrow. I cannot believe I’m 100-years-old. I outlived Dad by 17 years and Mum by 11 and I still have plenty of life left in me. Merlin, I really miss them…
But looking around, my whole family seems to be here. Five generations of Weasleys in one spot. It’s the biggest family gathering I think we’ve had in a while. I realize I’m still grasping Ron’s hand in surprise. I don’t know how he managed to keep this a secret from me but I give him a big hug and kiss his forehead to show how much I appreciate this.
I start making the rounds to say hello to everyone. I should have expected but never really imagined the Weasley clan could get so large. I immediately go to my children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. I have great-grandchildren. That still boggles my mind. Rosie asks if I’m all right because she wasn’t sure how I would react to turning a century old. I tell her I feel great and it’s the truth.
Harry and Ginny are here with the whole Potter family. I just saw both of them the other day but it’s great to see them together with all of their kin. I’m still amazed at how we’re all basically 100-years-old yet we look like we’re about 60. When I was young I thought about how I would look at 100 but you can’t appreciate how odd it is until you finally make it this far.
All of Ron’s brothers are here. Even Charlie! He’s the only Weasley that didn’t marry but there are so many of us it really doesn’t matter that he didn’t settle down. It’s occasions such as this that Fred is sorely missed. I think he would have very much loved to rub it in my face that I was so old.
Finally I get to Molly and Arthur and my heart bursts when I see them. They’re about 135-years-old and it shows. They remain seated next to each other because they can’t really stand for long. Ron comes over and starts talking to his parents asking if they need anything. It’s both endearing and heart-breaking at the same time to see that they’ve switched roles. Now Ron is the one taking care of them. They deserve all the love we can give them.
In a way this is as much a party for me as it is a tribute to them. They are surrounded by generations of family that are here because of their love for each other. None of us would be here without their fierce devotion to family and words can’t express how much that means to me because I truly love being a part of their lives.
Ron conjures up glasses of champagne for everyone and raises his glass.
“To Hermione. Cheers, love.”
Everyone smiles and echoes the sentiment.
I raise my glass to Molly and Arthur and give them a silent nod.
Cheers to you both and thank you for everything.
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Mum’s funeral was really beautiful.
I can’t believe both Mum and Dad are gone. They lived such long and fruitful lives that I’ve come to terms with their passing but they’re your parents, you know? How do you get over the death of your parents?
Dad died about a year ago and I still wish I could go to the Burrow and have a nice long talk with him about the latest Muggle devices or take him for a drive in our car. I know he loved to do that. Sometimes I wish we could play a final game of Wizarding Chess just so I can show him how much I cared. Anyway, I knew Mum wouldn’t last long after he died. They were soul mates and when part of your soul dies, you can’t wait to move on to be with them again.
You could see it in Mum’s eyes those last couple of days before she went. She was ready to see Dad again. She passed in her sleep and I swear there was a smile on her face. She certainly looked at ease about it all.
Now we’re standing a few yards away from the graves of both my parents. Mum is finally at rest with Dad. Hermione is crying next to me. It’s like she’s lost her Mum all over again. I don’t know how she did it so long ago. I don’t know how she managed to keep on going knowing that she would live so much longer than them. She didn’t even have a support system on her side to lean on. Thankfully there were enough Weasleys to help her out. There’s always enough Weasleys.
Harry has an arm around Ginny and is standing over their graves. He says something to the grave, puts his fingers to his lips then brings his hand down and touches the headstone. My parents were the only ones he’s ever really had. They thought of him as a son and I know how deeply he appreciated that. I hope he’ll be okay.
They come over to us and for some reason I notice just how old we all look. I guess when you’re faced with the death of your parents, you realize just how old those closest to you have become.
We start to walk away and I look over my shoulder at their graves.
At least I know you’re together again. Say hi to Fred from me.
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There is a wall in our sitting room, the largest wall in our home, and it’s full of photos of our life together. From our first year at Hogwarts to now: 147 years of snapshots depicting every important moment we’ve ever had.
It’s a beautiful thing to behold, these moving images of our life together. Small snapshots of moments I don’t ever want to forget. Seeing our family and friends through the years is like walking down memory lane. Harry said it’s like looking into a Pensieve but having never been in one myself I’ll just have to take his word for it.
Lately, Ron and I have taken to sitting on the couch and looking at all these photographs. We get lost in them for hours as we relive everything that’s ever happened to us. We’ve lived a long life. It’s been hard sometimes, sad and traumatic during the worst of it. But the good times definitely outweigh the bad.
There are pictures on this wall that I especially love. Ron, Harry and I through the years at Hogwarts. Ron and my first real date. Our wedding. A picture of us in the kitchen attempting to cook. Rosie and Hugo through the years. Quidditch games and graduations. Our children’s weddings and their babies and their baby’s babies. So many photos of family and friends. But my absolute favorite is the very first picture on this wall.
It was taken at the very end of our first year at Hogwarts. Just Ron, Harry and myself. By that time we had solidified our friendship to one another. Really we were closer than friends even then but I don’t think any of us knew it at the time. Had it not been for that first year at Hogwarts, I don’t know how my life would have ended up. The possibility that I may never have met Ron and Harry almost terrifies me. I don’t think I ever felt like a whole person until I met them. And I didn’t think it was possible to love someone as much as I love Ron.
I know in my heart that our time is almost up. Most of Ron’s brothers have already passed. They led good lives and were surrounded by those they love the most in the world. Ron misses them but he says he’ll be glad to see them again down the road.
I think of the way Molly died, not long after Arthur because she couldn’t live without him. I know in my heart that if Ron went first I wouldn’t last a month. Our lives are so entwined that we are now one. The thought of living just one day without him is unbearable.
I lean my head against Ron’s shoulder, an intimate gesture that has lasted throughout the years. He takes my hand and squeezes it. I’m not afraid but I hope that there’s more to death than just dying. I really, truly hope that there’s something else that lies ahead even after we’re gone.
And I hope that Ron will be there with me throughout it all.
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There’s a wall in our sitting room full of photos. It’s my favorite thing about this home that we’ve lived in since we got married all those years ago. There are pictures here that span the entirety of our life together: 147 years of images are on this wall depicting everything that made us who we are today.
Harry says it’s like looking into a Pensieve and I’d like to think it’s true. Hermione and I have been spending a lot of time sitting on this couch and looking at all these moving memories. We’ve all lived a long and happy life. We’ve been through so much and I like sitting here remembering it all.
I have my favorites of course. Pictures of events at Hogwarts with Hermione and Harry. The photo of our family trip to Egypt before my 3rd year. Hermione and my first date. Our wedding. Stages of Rosie and Hugo’s life. Hugo in his Puddlemere United robes and various Qudditch World Cups we went to. Me, Harry, Hermione and Neville holding up our Chocolate Frog cards. Graduations and weddings and birthday parties. Family and friends. But there’s one here that is my absolute favorite. I haven’t even told Hermione about it although I think she knows.
It’s the one we took of the three of us at the end of our first year. It’s the earliest photograph we have of each other but the looks on our faces seem to say it all. We had formed such a deep bond by that point but I didn’t realize how much Hermione and Harry’s friendship would affect my life. What if I hadn’t met Harry in King’s Cross? What if Neville never lost his toad? What if Hermione was sorted into Ravenclaw?
As I look at that picture though I realize the “what ifs” don’t really matter. What matters is it happened. Our friendship was more real to me than almost anything. It felt just like they were family. The minute Harry and I saved Hermione from that troll, somewhere inside me I knew.
And now I know that I’m going to die soon. It sounds more morbid than it really is. I lived a long life and it’s my time to move on. I know that there’s more to death then just dying. I know I’ll see Mum and Dad and my brothers again. It’ll be really great to see Fred especially; it’s been so long since I heard him laugh. All George thinks about these days is seeing him again.
The only thing I’m really afraid of is losing Hermione first. It’s really selfish of me but I don’t know how I’ll live without her. I think back to Mum’s funeral and how I thought about Mum and Dad being soul mates and how you can’t live long when a part of your soul dies. I’ve thought about that every day since; that’s how I feel about Hermione. I just won’t be able to live on without her by my side.
As if she reads my mind, she lays her head on my shoulder. An intimate gesture shared between us more times than I can count. I take her hand and squeeze it. The touch of her hand in mine gives me reassurance. I’m not afraid of death. I look forward to what lies ahead.
Until then I’ll live out the rest of my days with her by my side. Whatever will happen is going to happen. But Hermione and I will be together always.
The Story of Ron and Hermione by WeasleyFamilyLove
Chapter Notes: Chapter Three of Three
Disclaimer: These characters belong to J.K. Rowling. She is a genius and I thank her for giving us such beloved characters.
Chapter Endnotes: That's it! I hope you all enjoyed the story and I really hope I did Ron and Hermione justice.