Who: Ron and Bill Weasley, Remus Lupin What: Removing and Restoring Memories When: Monday evening Where: Ron and Susan's house in Devon Rating: R for
Ron was pale and drawn. His eyes, unfocused and red, were rimmed in dark blue. He hadn't eaten. He hadn't slept, except when Susan got him high and held him through the night. He was a wreck, and he knew it. It had been hard making it through the day on Sunday. He, Susan, and Penny met with Ginny and Rabastan for dinner, and Rabastan had given them marvelous news. Ron had smiled and acted excited and engaged, but as soon as they made their way home, Ron curled up on the couch held himself until Susan could sit with him again.
Ron had seen some terrible shit in his life. He'd been in the Battle. His mum and his brother had died. Harry had been killed and strung up and Ron had seen all of that. Ron had rescued his friends from a massacre at Katie and Angelina's apartment. Yet none of it had affected Ron as much as Hagrid's death had.
He couldn't even mourn. He couldn't think about the happy memories he had of Hagrid because each mention of the lovable giant brought back the giant's head on a stake over Harry's grave; blood dripping down to stain the earth over Harry. Each booming laugh in his memory brought back the way Hagrid's mouth hung open, and his tongue escaped from his dead blue lips. He couldn't even think of the way Hagrid had tried to dress himself up for the Yule ball, and had matted his hair with grease to calm it because all he could see now was the way his blood clotted in his beard and hair. It had made Ron vomit more than once.
It wasn't that he wanted to think these thoughts of his friend. He didn't want to think of his passing and only see the end result. He didn't want to think at all. Susan and weed helped. Sleep didn't. Waking didn't. Working didn't. It was there, no matter what he was thinking about, no matter what he was doing.
So he had asked Bill to take it. To take that memory. Take it so Ron could forget that last horrid moment of his friend's life. And he was counting the seconds until the memory would be gone.
Ron was alerted when Bill came-a chime telling him that his family had come. A second alerted him to Remus. Ron stood, handed his journal and any other materials that mentioned Hagrid by name to Susan. He wouldn't be looking at them for a few days. He kissed her and went to meet his guests in his garage.