(Ron is very thankful to not be getting any birds sent upon him and that she isn't attacking him anymore. The first times were scary enough.)

He glances at her in surprise, almost shocked to find her still sitting there, and looks at her for a long minute before turning back toward the fire.

"He wasn't even supposed to exist anymore. A lot of wizards might have thought he wasn't gone, but everyone had hoped, right?"

Ron shrugs, half-shivering from the chill or just thinking about it all.

"I thought I'd be at Hogwarts. Head boy, Quidditch captain, winning the house and Quidditch cup for Gryffindor."

He was twelve and had big dreams.