Prologue

ron

Something stirred in him

Ron…please

A familiar voice, but it's so distant…so weak.

…Ron…I'm sorry…please

He sees her, but a flurry of white is blocking her image. If only he could get a little closer.

…tell everyone I love them…tell them…I'm sorry…

He could almost touch her, but suddenly came a flash of light and the only thing he sees is flaming red hair.

"AH!"

Ron Weasley woke up with a start. His body covered in sweat but he's shivering.

"Ron what's wrong?" said Hermione lazily as she turned over in their bed.

She snapped out of her drowsiness when she saw Ron's pale face. His skin cold to the touch.

"Ron!" she said in a louder than usual voice as she started to wrap the blanket around him, "What happened? Why are you like this?"

"It was a dream…but it was so real. So cold," said Ron talking to himself. His eyes were not here. There was something distant about them.

"Ron…RON!" yelled Hermione as she grabbed his head and forced him to look into her eyes.

She nearly let go when she saw the fear in his eyes. There was sorrow yet it wasn't understandable. Shock was the best thought that came into Hermione's mind. There was something that Ron known that happened but he did not understand it yet. She began to rub the blankets against his skin, trying to generate heat. Ron just stared off, still mumbling his eyes slowly getting drowsy.

"…ginny…," Ron said faintly, but no one was there to hear. Hermione had gone down to make some tea.

It was the coldest winter on record for London. Even those who seen the brunt of terrible winters considered this year to be particularly nasty. They felt as if the very earth was trying to go to sleep, into another ice age. Feet of snow covered the streets, causing many missed school days, work stoppages and closed stores. Even the wizarding world who had their own convenient ways of handling winters, found this year to be particulary bothersome.

"How are you?" asked Hermione, as she started on dinner.

"I'm fine Hermione," said Ron, a bit cross. She's been asking that every hour on the hour for the past few days.

"I'm just checking up on you," she said as she magicked a spoon to stir the soup, "you had me worried the other night."

Ron rose from the work that he laid out on the table. He looked a the back of his wife, still tending to the pots and pans.

"I would feel better if I could get back to work at the Ministry," said Ron, frustrated at the blizzard raging outside, "at least that would keep my mind busy."

"You know as well as I do that they are closed because of the weather. Besides, imagine it like a extended holiday. Christmas break is coming up enough soon, and we'll get to see everyone again," Hermione said cheerily.

"Oh that's rich," said Ron, his tone lightening up a bit, "coming from the person who always tells me to 'be more serious about your work' or 'just finish it up tonight so you can have a fresh start tomorrow morning'. Very funny coming from the most hard working witch of our age."

"Oh you stop now," said Hermione, taking it as a compliment, "there's nothing wrong with a bit of hard work."

Ron stopped. He looked at his work again, but even the mundane and endless paperwork that he had to fill out madeno difference to how he felt. It only made him focus more on what happened a few nights ago. He felt if his heart had sank a few inches and would never get up again.

"It was Ginny," he said quietly.

Hermione stopped the knife chopping up vegetables.

"It was Ginny I heard the other night," said Ron in a very solemn voice.

Ron could see her breathing quicken. He had spoke on a very touchy subject.

"I heard her Hermione. I don't know if I was going mad or not, but I heard her. She sounded weak. And she told me she was sorry…and that tell everyone she loved them. I don't know what that means, but there's something wrong."

She didn't listen to him. There was a thump against the kitchen window. They looked out and thought it was some of the neighbourhood kids throwing snowballs again. But as they were about to talk again, there was pecking and scratching. Hermione looked cautiously but Ron instantly jumped from his chair, knocking it over and opened the window. A flurry of snow came bursting in, blowing out the torches. Ron had brought something into the house rushing to the fireplace. The blizzard howled through the window.

"Ron!" yelled Hermione as she aimed her wand at the window. It struggled to close, but even in that short period the wind outside had frozen the sliders. She yelled ar Ron again as she made her way, protecting her face with her hands and with a great effort managed to shut the window. A small mountain of snow rested against the wall.

"Ron! What is a matter with you? What is it that you got there?" yelled Hermione, brushing the snow out of her bushy brown hair.

Her face froze as she looked at the bundle that Ron was gently talking to on the hearth. The light of the flames flickered over a snow white owl, shivering. It's small beak weakly clicking and it's feet barely moving. Melted snow pooled under it's back, as it laid there soaking wet. Hermione rushed out of the kitchen and a moment later, she brought a small blanket, and wrapped the owl in it.

"Hedwig…why…how?" sputtered Hermione, trying to be as gentle as possible.

She looked over to Ron, but he was silent. He propped himself against the wall, looking tired, but it was only when he turned mouthing something she noticed tears streaming down his face. She looked down, and saw a small piece of parchment.

With trembling hands she brought it up to the light and read the scrawl on the tattered paper.

To Ronald and Hermione Weasley

Ginny has passed away.

Please make necessary arrangements to retrieve her body for a proper burial.

It was her final wish.

-H.P.

Hedwig cooed quietly as she felt tears softly fall into the ruffles of her feathers. It was silent in the Weasley household as the fire crackled warmly.