I'm Movin' On

I've dealt with my ghosts and I've faced all my demons

Finally content with the past I regret

I've found you find strength in your moments of weakness

For once I'm at peace with myself

Ron stood up and dusted off his shirt. He turned and surveyed the room he'd lived in for the past eighteen years. He'd pulled down his old Chudley Cannons poster and packed it away, revealing a dark rectangle among the faded paint. His clothes, that had just moments ago occupied the closet, were tossed haphazardly about the small room; some scattered on his bed, some on the floor, others on the cot that Harry had slept on. Ron hadn't bothered to take it down, eventhough Harry would never sleep in it again. Just the thought of his late best friend made sorrow well up in the pit of his stomach, and he would have cried, but there were no tears left in him. They had all been used up in the few weeks following the fall of Voldemort, and the deaths of Harry and Hermione. A dry sob choked him, but he wiped his dry eyes and stared, vision blurry, at the room.

As he folded the dress robes Fred and George had bought him, he thought back to the final battle. Ron had been dueling with Draco Malfoy, Hermione had been battling Bellatrix Lestrange, and Harry had been fighting Voldemort. Ron and Harry had been mad at each other, and weren't speaking. Looking back, Ron couldn't even remember what it was about. All he knew was that their final words to each other before the battle had been clipped and bitter. How he regretted that now!

I've been burdened with blame, trapped in the past for too long

I'm movin' on

Draco had aimed a Killing Curse at Ron, who jumped aside to dodge it. However, the jet of green light had hit Hermione, killing the young woman instantly. Ron had cried out to her, and Harry, hearing the cry, had turned around. Voldemort had raised his wand, his thin lips moving to form the words "Avada Kedavra". Ron had started to warn Harry, but Draco had hit him with the Cruciatous Curse. Ron, lying on the ground, screaming in white-hot pain, had watched in horror as Voldemort finished the incantation. Harry, however, jumped aside enough to avoid the brunt of the curse, but it blew past his side, leaving a large, gaping wound.

Harry had fallen to the ground, but when Voldemort came over to finish him off, Harry had summoned up all of his power and killed Voldemort. Ginny, with a well-placed Bat-Bogey Hex, had managed to distract Malfoy long enough for Ron to crawl over to Harry. They wouldn't have survived if the Order of the Phoenix hadn't chosen that moment to arrive. After a few Stunners had considerably thinned out the Death Eater's ranks, the remaining ones surrendered. All of them had been executed shortly after. However, none of this made the "victory" less bittersweet for Ron, as Harry died the next day in St. Mungo's.

I've lived in this place and I know all the faces

Each one is different, but they're always the same

They mean me no harm but it's time that I face it

They'll never allow me to change

A knock on the door brought Ron out of the past.

"Come in," he called, trying to fight back his emotions and keep his voice steady. The door slid open and his younger sister walked in. She looked around the room apprehensively.

"Are you okay?" she asked nervously, clearing off the corner of Ron's bed and perching on it, looking uncomfortable. She leaned forward, resting her head in her hands.

"I'm fine," Ron responded instantly, but even to him the words sounded defensive. Ginny gave him a look so reminiscent of Mrs. Weasley that when Ginny started to speak, the higher-pitched voice that came out startled him.

"No, you aren't. If you were fine, you wouldn't be leaving. Ever since H... that night, you don't talk to anyone and you barely ever come down and eat with us. Talk to me!"

"I told you already; I'm fine!" That definitely sounded defensive.

Ginny still wasn't fooled, however. "If you're so fine, why are you running off to America? Why abandon the life you have here if nothing is wrong?

Ron stood up and paced the room like a tiger in a cage that was far too small. "Merlin, Ginny!" he hollered. "I've told you!"

She got up and gave him a hug. "No, Ron, you haven't," she replied, her voice soft and gentle. Ron pulled back and collapsed onto the cot.

But I never dreamed home would end up where I don't belong

I'm movin' on

"It's this place; it just suffocates me! There are too many memories lurking in every corner, behind every door. Every witch and wizard in the country either pities me or blames me."

"Nobody blames you but yourself, Ron," Ginny interrupted.

"Well it's my fault anyway," he snapped. "If I'd just taken the his, Hermione and Harry would still be alive." He ran his hand through his red hair and bit his lip anxiously.

"Ron, you had no way of knowing Hermione was behind you. I was there, remember? I saw the whole damn thing! It's not your fault that they died."

"Harry would have taken the hit."

Smack! Ron almost fell off the cot as Ginny slapped him. He sat back up and rubbed the red handprint on his cheek gingerly.

"Ron, Harry would have dodged the hit as well, and you know it. You have to quit beating yourself up over what happened. No one blames you, and you shouldn't blame yourself either."

"Fine. Then every magical being in Britain pities me. Bloody hell that's even worse. I've just got to get out of here."

"Ron, don't leave us. Mum's been crying ever since you told us you were going. Dad's worried sick, hell, we're all worried sick. We've all been nervous since they died, and now, well, this kind of confirms our fears."

"See? That's my point! I want, no, need to get out of this place where everyone feels sorry for me and go somewhere where nobody knows me."

I'm movin' on

At last I can see life has been patiently waiting for me

And I know there's no guarantees, but I'm not alone

Ginny's eyes glistened with unshed tears. "If you insist on going, I guess I can't stop you. But please, take this with you." Her voice thick with emotion, she slowly unhooked a slender gold chain that hung around her neck. A simple gold charm in the shape of a phoenix dangled from it. The girl fastened the necklace around her brother's neck, tucking it carefully under his shirt. She then stood up on tiptoe, kissed his cheek, and buried her face in his chest, arms wrapped around him.

"I'm going to miss you so much!" Ginny sobbed. Ron kissed the top of her head.

"I'm gonna miss you, too, Gin," he replied. Ginny pulled back and walked to the door, face glistening with tears. As she opened the door, Ron swallowed and called after her. "Gin?" She turned and looked at him. "I love you, Ginny, and I love our family, I just can't stay here any longer. It's not anybody's fault. Remember that."

She smiled weakly. "I love you, too, Ron." She passed across the threshold and was gone. Emotions tossing about like a ship on stormy seas, Ron returned to his packing. He took out his wand and moments later all of the clothes, books, and other items were packed neatly away in four trunks. He then shrunk them small enough that they could fit in a small bag. He looked around the bare room uncertainly, then slowly turned and walked out into the hall.

There comes a time in everyone's life

When all you can see are the years passing by

And I have made up my mind that those days are gone

As he walked down the long, winding staircase, the sad faces of his family greeted him from each landing. He hugged each of his brothers goodbye, then stepped into the kitchen. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were in there. Ron went first to his father and gave him a hug goodbye. The man's face paled and his expression was solemn as Ron moved over to his mother. Mrs. Weasley burst into tears as Ron hugged her goodbye. This made Ron feel terrible, but he just couldn't bear to stay in the Burrow any longer. He told his parents he loved them and left the house. The kitchen door closed behind him with a final snap, as if even the house knew he wasn't coming back.

I sold what I could and packed what I couldn't

Stopped to fill up on my way out of town

I've loved like I should but lived like I shouldn't

I had to lose everything to find out

Ron walked to the road, then stuck out his wand hand. A loud rumbling alerted him to the arrival of the Knight Bus. The door swung open to reveal the pimply conductor, Stan, and the wrinkly old driver, Ernie. Ron soundlessly handed Stan a handful of Sickles and allowed himself to be shown up to a empty chair on the second level. Ron told Stan his destination (the Diagon Alley International Floo Station) and spent the journey staring out the window, not really seeing the landscape flashing by.

When the bus squeaked to a halt at Diagon Alley, Ron jumped off and strode away. He worked his way through the crowded street to the Station, then fought his way through the tumultuous crowd inside to a booth. There he bought a ticket and a small bag of Floo powder.

"Grate D-38," the kindly witch behind the counter told him. "That grate connects to all of the major California grates."

"Thanks, Ma'am," Ron replied politely, then left to find his grate. After spending 20 minutes reading confusing signs, he managed to find his grate and got in line. He purposely avoided the eyes of his fellow travelers, most of which were looking at him curiously. After waiting in line for ten minutes, he approached the barrier in front of the grate. The tired wizard behind it took Ron's ticket and looked at his I.D., then ushered him on through. Ron tossed his Floo powder into the fire, stepped in, shouted "San Francisco!" and vanished.

Maybe forgiveness will find me somewhere down this road

It took him longer than he thought, but he finally saw his exit. He stepped casually out of the grate and was greeted by a portly witch with a wide smile. She directed him to Customs, where he presented his wand for inspection and registration. The witch who helped him there pointed him in the direction of the hotel Apparition points. He walked to the Merlin's Inn point, then quickly Apparated to the hotel.

I'm movin' on

It was a nice, clean hotel, with a slightly rustic feel about it. A bellboy showed him to his room and gave him a key. Ron accepted it and went into the room. It was spacious and airy, with a balcony and wide window overlooking the bay. He made a beeline for the windows and opened them, letting the warm, salty air wash over him like the tide. He smiled a small, soft, worried smile; a mere ghost of the smiles that had overtaken his face when he was at Hogwarts with Harry and Hermione.

I'm movin' on

Somehow, being oceans and continents away made everything easier to face. He knew that he was slowly beginning to accept that their deaths were not his fault, that there was nothing he could have done. It was hard to admit it; he needed someone to blame and the most likely candidate was himself.

Ron glanced over his shoulder at the trunks by the bed, begging to be unpacked. -They will just have to wait- he thought as he walked out onto the balcony and stretched out in one of the chairs. Right now, he had done all the moving he wanted to.

I'm movin' on