Ron and His Ghosts

Just Up The Stairs

Before he lay down he glanced at the clock. 12: 58. Wasn't it just midnight?Obviously no one was there to answer his question but he knew that he wouldn't be alone for long.

He  just watched his nineteen year old self get drunk on his birthday and relived moments that were still etched in his brain every time Hermione smiled at him; which were happening less and less these days.

But he knew that she had to love him. She was the one to kiss him first, she had held his hand in the hospital, she voiced how brilliant she thought he was, she chose him over Krum, she agreed to marry him in a beautiful, overly excited matter, and she had to love him.

In all these thoughts he didn't hear the roaring of laughter coming from the other side of the room. He carefully glanced over and saw the strangest ghost he had ever laid eyes on. It almost had the body of a cartoon character. Lanky, thin, in a shape that you would think if it were to walk their body would be jelly.

The strangest part was the heads. Almost like fluffy, there were three. Though these were not identical; it was strange but he knew all of the heads: Fred's, Mad eye Moody's, and little babies head. All of it made no sense. Especially the baby. He felt like he knew the little girl, but couldn't make sense of who she was exactly.

"W-what's g-g-going on?" Ron had no problem with Past. A sad but normal ghost. He didn't know what was going on with the creature in front of him. Snape said that he would be visited by three ghosts.

The three heads just burst out in laughter at his question. It was odd to see so much joy on Mad eye's face. Was he happier dead than alive?

"Idiot!" Fred burst out in between laughs, "You'd think that after he just saw his past he'd know what we were here for."

"I need to talk to Snape about describing the situation more." Moody breathed out wiping nonexistent tears from his eyes with the cartoon arm. The baby laughed. It was an adorable laugh that you couldn't just not love. But it panged his heart that this little baby had died.

Whose had she been? He would obviously have known her for her to be here.

Fred had stopped laughing but a smile was still present on his face. "Why so deep in thought little brother?" This pained Ron. Fred stood there as a ghost smiling as though he were alive. It was probably rude to ask why.

But, he wanted to ask who the baby was. Why they were all there on one body? He had so many questions. "What have you got to show me?"

"Something that will pain you very much." Moody croaked out in between laughs.

It was a little squeak. One that Ron barely even caught between Moody's and Fred's bellowing laughs. "Daddy!" His eyes shot to the little baby giggling that adorable laugh again.

The baby was his? How was that even possible? He would have remembered his own child dying. This was when Ron realized how young this baby was. A newborn; almost. She seemed to be a bit older than she looked on the outside.

"Ron?" Fred was staring at him trying to act serious and failing. "It's Joy." Joy? As in Hermione's miscarriage Joy. The baby that was eight months through and died. The loss that caused them to be more careful when she finally got pregnant with Rose. His first daughter was standing in front of him. His heart broke at the sight.

"Okay Ron. Let's... go." he hadn't even touched them but suddenly was standing in his bedroom. Hermione and Rose lying on the bed with the radio playing a soft music.

"Rose I think it's time you go to bed. It's getting late." Hermione says sitting up and looking down at the little ginger haired girl.

"No. I'm old enough mum. What's going on between you and dad? I mean I heard the fight earlier. So, you're probably going to get separated right?" Ron couldn't tell his daughters emotion when she said this. Whether she was happy or upset. From their conversation earlier he wouldn't be surprised if she was happy.

"I hope not... I love your father. But lately he's not been himself." Hermione sighed.

"I think he's the same."

"That's the problem..." She muttered so Rose couldn't hear her. "I mean lately as in since we were seventeen. Now, off to bed! Otherwise, you'll sleep all of tomorrow." She kissed the little ten year old on her head and pushed her out of the room. "Love you!"

"You too!"

Then Hermione did something that surprised Ron. The three next to him were laughing again but he blocked them out. Hermione pulled her knees up to her face on and cried. Crying as silently as she could not to wake the kids or the Ron who she thought was downstairs on the couch sleeping.

It was paining him that something he thought nothing about had made her suffer. He could not, not admit that he had flirted a bit with Padma. He didn't know why though. All he could think of was fear. Scared to be alone if Hermione left him. Enough that he needed to have backups in case she did. Or he like the feeling of women wanting him. He was starting to realize what a monster he really was.

Without even noticing Ron started crying too. He knew that the ghost heads were now laughing at him and probably calling him a baby but... in reality; he's needed to do this for a long time.

So for what felt like eternity he sat there on the floor next to his wife and cried. He didn't really want to go on with the night. Watch more people pain or hate because of his actions; but knew it inevitable.

"If I were to touch her arm, would she feel it?" Ron croaked out wiping a few tears away.

Moody sobered up before finally answering his question, "She will not be able to feel the touch or the hand but she will feel the warmth." Then burst into another fit of laughter.

Ron then stood up and sat down next to Hermione on the bed. He then put his arms around her. She felt warm and kinda vague but was there. She was there and was beginning to calm down the longer he held on to her.

He then knew that the sensation of love and warmth was flowing into her as well as him causing him to settle down as well.

Then without even touching the weird figure he was no longer holding on to Hermione and now stood in the burrow.