Ron and His Ghosts

The visitor

"Why are you sleeping down here Dad?" Hugo asked as Ron set up his new bed on the couch. Hugo was already in his pajama's waiting for Ron to come up and wish him and Rose goodnight.

"Because your mother is angry at me."

"Why?" Hugo asked.

"Because he takes mom for granted." Piped up a voice from the bottom of the stairs. Rose stood there in her pajamas as well, obviously angry.

"Rose! Are you ready for bed?" Ron asked her with a smile trying to ignore her remark.

"You wait Hugo. Mom and dad will be separated in less than a year." Rose said ignoring Ron in general.

"Rose!" Ron bellowed causing her to jump and face him. "Respect me! I am your father! Don't be telling your brother that your mother and I are separating . We are just fine."

"Yeah? Well when married people are okay, one of them doesn't sleep on the couch." Rose grunted stomping back up the stairs.

Ron turned back around and finished making his "bed". 

"Come on Hugo." Ron said gesturing the boy towards the stairs.

Hugo didn't budge. "You have never slept on the couch before dad... And Eddie said that when his parent got separated, the first sign was his dad sleeping on the couch."

"Well, this is different. Come on. Time for bed." Ron said not following up on the fact his son was asking his friends about the subject.

They both walked up silently and Ron put the little eight year old in his bed and left without another word.

On his way downstairs he heard whispering coming from the door on his left side. His room.

The way Rose was acting tonight actually surprised him. They had always had a close bond and had many good laughs. Maybe she was scared. Or maybe like her mother and when mad turn against you and say things they don't mean.

Not even bothering to eavesdrop he hurried downstairs and turned on the TV, which Hermione recently taught him how to use.

Ron bolted awake by the sound of something hitting the ground. He pulled out his wand in defense and held it out in front of him. "Homenum revelio." He said. Nothing happened. He figured by this that it either fell by itself or it wasn't alive.

Ron stood up slowly and walked towards the kitchen, the direction from which it came from. Everything was quiet and Ron was in total darkness. "Lumos." He whispered.

Holding the light out in front of him and entering the kitchen he saw nothing. No one was there. But on the floor all the china that Molly had gotten for Ron and Hermione's wedding lay shattered and broken. Deciding to repair it later Ron held the light around the rest of the room hoping to see something. A trace of what would have caused it.

After a minute of searching he decided no one was there and started to walk back to the couch when a cold substance flew right through his body causing him to jump and point his wand out again. Standing in front of him was a translucent being floating there in the air intently glaring at Ron. "Who are you?" Ron asked trying not to sound scared and held his ground.

"You should know." The voice said loud and booming.

"Can you be quiet? My family will hear you!" Ron said rushing to quiet the ghost.

"They can't hear me!" It boomed again. "Now you know who I am!" Ron looked closely trying to decipher the face in the dark. After a second the black hair and etched frown became familiar.
"Professor Snape?" Ron asked quietly, "Why are you here?"

"To... warn you." Snape said quieter, sending shivers down Ron's spine. "You will be visited... again."

"Again?" Ron was in disbelief "By who?"

"Your three ghosts." He stated floating around to the other side of Ron. Ron turned to him.

"What are you talking about? Who are my three ghosts? I don't understand." Ron said. Snape shook his head almost disapprovingly. "Your past. Your present. Your future. They will all be coming at a different time of the night." Snape held up three fingers. "Midnight. One. Two."

"Why are they coming?" Ron asked wrapping his head around this conversation.

"To help you fix your future. You dimwit." Snape's ghost floated up and out of the room, leaving Ron alone in the dining room. Forgetting about the broken china Ron shuffled back to the couch and sat down staring at the clock on the wall. 11: 37. Twenty-three minutes. He laid back down and dozed off until the clock chimed midnight.