Ghost of Himself

A/N: Well, here is a short ficlet, I hope you like it. Harry and Hermione, of course, but there is a character death. Be warned...

She looked upon the stony face of her best friend. The friend that had stolen her heart of so long ago. The friend that has lost his way and is slowly losing himself.

“Harry?” She asked, rousing him from his contemplation`s.

“What?” He said, irritably. He didn't mean to be so... Frank... So unfeeling. Especially with her. She had been through everything with him... Everything. She was the only thing he had left.

“You did it. You killed him. Harry, you are free.”

“No,” he said, tears coming to his eyes, and his voice raising, “I will never be free! Never! I have never lived without the threat of death on my shoulders. I have never experienced life without someone wanting to kill me, plotting my downfall. I am not Harry anymore. Harry is gone. I am a ghost of myself. I can barely see the good in anything anymore... He has corrupted me. Stolen my life, my way of living. He took it with him... And he took Ron with him too.” Tears were now spilling on his face.

The two of them were kneeling on the Hogwarts grounds, what was left of Voldemort's body to their side. People were constantly flitting around, seeing to the wounded and cleaning up the dead. The side of the castle had caved in, the rubble was now every where.

The Second War was over. Voldemort was dead. But he had taken Ron down with him.

Hermione scooted closer to Harry, and took him in her arms. Her cheeks were also wet.

“Hey,” she said, trying to calm him, as much as herself, “I love you, and Ron did too. He died for all of us. He died pushing you out of the way of that curse so that you could save the world, and you did just that. He is as much as a hero as you are.”

Harry took her face gently in his hands, and slowly lowered his lips on hers. It was a slow kiss. Filled with love, and thanks. They could each taste their tears as their mouths moved together, seeking comfort in one another. They each broke off when air became a necessity.

“I love you too,” Harry said, a little breathless.

Pulling her up, he walked over to the body of their best friend. Surprisingly, Harry and Hermione saw that he had a small smile on his face. And unknown to them, a slightly transparent red-haired young man looked on from near a tree, a smile matching that of his former body, on his face.

Pulling Hermione close, Harry knelt down and closed the eyelids over the blue pools, which now lacked the humorous light that once gave him life.

Hermione sighed, and placed his wand hand, with his wand in it, over his chest.

They both stood up and tears once more flowed from their glistening eyes.

“I'll miss you mate,” Harry said, his voice cracking as he looked upon the pale Ron. Hermione only inclined her head, her throat to constricted to speak.

“Harry, I promise that I will teach you how to live. I will show you that life isn't empty. You aren't gone, you are just lost.” She placed her left hand over his heart, revealing a gleaming diamond ring. “And you will never be alone.”

Harry smiled, even if it was small, it was still an improvement, and placed his hand on hers, revealing a simple white-gold band.

“Thank you, Hermione.”

And together, they walked towards the castle, hand in hand, ready to start their new lives.

A life, in which, Ronald Weasley, and all others who were lost in that fight, would never be forgotten.

*******

“James Bilius Potter!” His mother snapped, “Come back here!”

“What did he do now, mummy?” Asked a little girl with chocolate brown eyes and bushy brown hair, who came up to her mothers side. She was wearing a light pink nightgown with little books on it.

“He took mummy's wand, again,” her mother told her.

Just then, she heard a small crack just behind her, and a second later, strong, firm arms wrapped around her waist. “Hello, Hermione,” said a deep male voice, and one that had driven her crazy for him for almost nine years now.

She turned around in his embrace, “Hello, Harry,” she replied, placing a quick kiss on his lips, “James has my wand again.”

Harry rolled his eyes, and sighed, but a pulling on his pant leg caught his attention.

“Daddy! Daddy!” The little girl squealed.

“Hey, Lily!” He said, picking the girl up and twirling around with her, while her mother looked on with a smile. He set Lily down, and waved his hand, saying, “Accio James.”

James came zooming at them, and Harry promptly promptly caught him, while he was laughing with delight. Hermione snatched her wand back from her son, and took him from Harry's arms.

“It's time for bed, mister,” Hermione told the raven-haired, green-eyed boy.

“Tell us a story, mummy! Daddy, you too! Tell us about Uncle Ron and the bad guy!” James said, smiling.

Harry looked at Hermione, and she nodded.

Harry picked up Lily, and Hermione carried James in his blue, snitch clad pajamas, and headed to their room. Tucking them in, Hermione and Harry sat on the edge of James' bed, where Lily was tucked in, also.

“Uncle Ron, me, and Daddy were fighting the bad guy's servants, when he came up to us,” Hermione said, wording it so the two younsters could understand.

“And he sent the killing curse at me, and Uncle Ron jumped in the way. He saved me and mummy's lives,” Harry continued.

“He was a rohee?” Lily asked, mistaking the word `hero'.

“Yes, he was a hero.”

“Then daddy went on to fight the bad guy. He was very evil and tried to kill him, but daddy won. He got rid of the bad guy, and we all lived happily ever after.”

By this time, the two of them were asleep, cuddled together in the warm room.

Looking at his wife, Harry said, “I still remember that day. I miss him...”

“I know,” Hermione said, laying her left hand over his heart with the glittering ring like she did so many years ago, “I do too.”

Harry smiled, a real genuine smile, and placed his hand over hers, his own band twinkling in the moonlight that was shining through the window.

“He'll never leave us though, Harry.”

“No, he might be a ghost of himself, but no one could ever replace Ron, nor can we ever forget him.”

Closing the shades of the room, Harry and Hermione each dropped a kiss on the foreheads of their children, and left the room.

And once more, that red-haired young man appeared, looking over the small family of his two best friends, and in a voice that echoed through the night, yet was not heard, he said, “And this ghost will never forget you.”

A/N: Well, I wrote this in about half an hour... I think it is cute, yet a little angsty. It is nice to know that Ron will always be watching over them. *sigh* I think I am gonna cry... Or not. Well, have fun! And don't forget to review! I will love you forever!