Part: Rainy Tears
Rating: Everyone
Setting: Pre-HBP
Status: Completed
Words: 1,467
Updated: May 20, 2004, 11:14am
Rainy Tears
Rainy Tears
Sunlight glinted off the shiny grey of the large tombstone.
Everywhere else, the day was a happy one. One of the first days where it was truly thought to be "summer weather". Children dragged reluctant parents to watch them at parks, young lovers packed picnics for the countryside, the elderly sat in the sun, teenagers flocked to beaches.
But here, in the cemetery, the weather made no difference. It didn't matter to the people inside the white picket fence that surround the burial grounds whether the day was cold and grey, or was warm and sunny. Nothing as trivial as the weather mattered to them anymore.
On this particular day, the cemetery had few visitors. One elderly man sat, as he sat every day, in front of his wife's grave, making no effort to hide his tears. Another woman placed white lilies on the tiny grave of her youngest son.
Another woman, with deep auburn hair, stood in front of a line of graves in the very centre of the graveyard. She was clothed in all black, and a black veil hid her face. Her hair spilled over onto the back of her dress, a contrast against the black.
Ginny read the gravestones, as she had done every day for months.
Frederick Henry Weasley
April 1, 1978 – June 3, 1997
Died honourably, in struggle against Voldemort.
‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.'
-Matthew 11:28
She didn't understand why people put Bible verses on tombstones. Her family wasn't especially religious. Yet, somehow, the verse was comforting.
Fred…dear, dear Fred. His name brought tears to her eyes. The pain of losing him was almost unbearable.
It had not been painful, they had told her. Voldemort had simply performed Avada Kedavra. Fred had not suffered.
But why, she thought, again and again, why would anyone want to murder Fred?
Her logical side explained, very calmly to her, that Fred was just another murder in the masses of unexplained, motiveless killings Voldemort and his Death Eaters had performed. But her emotional side couldn't accept that. Fred was so happy, so full of life. He was always there with a smile. Why remove a joy like that from the world?
George Andrew Weasley
April 1, 1978 – June 3, 1997
Died in attempt to save his brother
‘Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you…'
-John 14:27
George…oh, George. Memories flooded back to her, memories of being young at the Burrow, older at Hogwarts. She had loved him so much.
He was trying to save Fred. He was killed in the struggle. Ginny hated to think about it.
But she expected it from George. George would do anything for any of his family – it was no wonder that he gave his life for Fred.
He had loved his twin, and Fred had loved him back. They were inseparable, through practical jokes, schoolwork, girls, everything. One without the other was nothing. They wouldn't have wanted to live past each other.
William Arthur Weasley
February 4, 1972 – June 24, 1997
Cherished son
Caring brother
Beloved husband
Wonderful father
Ginny nearly choked with tears when she read this one. Bill…her brother. Gone forever. And poor Fleur Delacour, his wife. He had left a daughter, Claire, and a son, Jean.
Death Eaters had shown up at Bill's home. Bill was able to get Fleur, Claire, and Jean to a safe place in time, but the Death Eaters reached him before he could Disapparate himself. They tortured him, and then killed him.
Tears were streaming down Ginny's cheeks by now. Next to Bill's grave was another:
Fleur Delacour Weasley
August 4, 1977 – July 4, 1997
Died of a broken heart
That was all the grave said, and Ginny could barely bring herself to look at it. Claire was an orphan now, under her care.
She moved on, unable to bear the sight of Fleur's grave. Now, there was a very large stone, separated into four sections.
Arthur Gavin Weasley
December 22, 1954 – July 10, 1997
Died in combat against Death Eaters
Beloved father
Amazing husband
Charles Matthew Weasley
June 6, 1973 – July 10, 1997
Died in combat against Death Eaters
‘We will never forget.'
Percival Louis Weasley
May 25, 1975 – July 10, 1997
Died in combat against Death Eaters
Forever remembered as father, son, husband, and brother
Ronald John Weasley
March 14, 1980 – July 10, 1997
Died in combat against Death Eaters
His memories will forever be cherished
Ginny nearly choked as tears cascaded down her cheeks in rivers. Dad, Charlie, Percy, and Ron – all on the same day! And so close to the other deaths. Ginny sobbed, and buried her face in her hands.
Ron had been just out of Hogwarts, just back from his honeymoon with Hermione – so eager to help. His first battle, and he and so many others were slaughtered.
Charlie, who she was told, fought to the end. His body, along with thousands of others, was left lying on the ground as the Death Eaters continued their horrible ordeal.
Penelope had always said, crying, that Percy had just found out about her being pregnant with their second child that morning. To get him to accept that Voldemort was back was a struggle, but once he did, he was ready and willing to fight for Dumbledore.
And her father…oh, god, her father. He had been out fighting since Voldemort's rebirth…she couldn't imagine what it must have been like that day. He was struggling to save Percy when the Death Eaters grabbed him. He tried to duel with them, but they killed him before he had a chance. Ginny had been heartbroken when she heard the news.
Her eyes drifted to Ron's grave again. Only a month and a half after his death, Hermione found out she was pregnant. More tears escaped her eyes for the little baby growing in Hermione's tummy that would never know its dad.
The next grave was perhaps one of the most painful of all.
Molly Perkins Weasley
November 8, 1954 – July 21, 1997
A Mother to remember
The doctor's said it had been a heart failure. They said it had been too much stress, nearly all of her seven children dying at once.
"What about me?" Ginny had felt like screaming at her dead mother. "I'm still here! You left me all alone!"
She instantly regretted her anger. Her mother was dead, and here she was feeling angry about it, instead of properly sorrowful. But she couldn't help it.
Past those were the many other recent Weasley family graves:
Jean Michel Delacour Weasley
August 19, 1994 – July 10, 1997
Died in his sleep
Angelina Johnson Weasley
September 3, 1978 – February 6, 1996
Died in childbirth
Cherished wife
Beloved daughter
Our beloved babies,
Elizabeth Angelina Johnson Weasley and Frederick Henry Johnson Weasley Jr.
February 6, 1996 – February 8, 1996
Ginny sobbed, as she did every day. She had seen too many gravestones in her life.
And the next one was the hardest to bear. Forcing herself to look up, she read the inscription on the grey slab.
Harry James Potter
‘The Boy Who Lived'
July 31, 1980 – July 31, 1997
Defeated Voldemort, but died with him
We will never forget the Boy Who Lived
Forever Harry Potter
Ginny traced the words on the headstone. The tombstone was missing so much – Harry's life was so much more. She ran her fingers over the letters of his name: Harry Potter. Her one and only love. Her husband.
Why? She thought to herself. Why did he have to give up his life? Why did he have to leave me?
She fell to the ground, sobbing. "Come back to me, Harry," she whispered. "I can't live without you."
It had been one summer, and she had lost her family. She had lost everything she had ever known. She was the only original Weasley left.
She could only cry. She had cried so many tears, and yet she never seemed to run out.
The sky, which was a second ago so clear, suddenly began to cry with Ginny. Rain poured down into the graveyard.
Everywhere else, people were running for cover, ducking under beach umbrellas and hiding under a play place to avoid the rain.
But here, in the cemetery, the weather made no difference. It didn't matter to the people inside the white picket fence that surround the burial grounds whether the day was cold and grey, or was warm and sunny. Nothing as trivial as the weather mattered to them anymore.
The rain pelted down, wetting Ginny's already damp cheeks.
One could not separate the rain from her tears.
The End
