Still Smiling

She, she is an image of what happens when one gives away their soul. Hollow inside, like a porcelain doll. In fact, she is much like a doll. Bit by bit, the rosy paint on her cheeks fades away, her shining alabaster skin grows gray and dull, her glowing chocolate eyes reduce themselves to ash. Gleaming copper tresses dull to a flat mass of orange, a fissure appears in her heart, a tear lives behind dull eyes. Yet, through it all, her bright, painted smile never fades. It will never fade, it was made there, she is bound to keep it in place, for she knows that so many lean upon her smile. She hates her smile. It makes her feel false, like she is somehow giving the last of her heart to a lie, a vain hope that someone will see her smile, and maybe they will smile too. She must never let that smile fade.

~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^

Daily Prophet, Issue #12,659, September 7^th

On this day it is to be reported that James Clarkson, Illiana Lovegood, Charlie Weasley, and Colleen MacDougal were killed in a Death Eater raid on Silvereye Dragon Reservation...

A piece of Ginny's heart broke. Her smile never wavered.

~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^

Daily Prophet, Issue #12,687, October 13th

...Lee Jordan, Fred Weasley, George Weasley... dead... Death Eaters...explosion...

Another piece of Ginny's heart chipped out. Her smile did not fade.

~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^

Daily Prophet, Issue #12,702, December 24^th

The following persons have been awarded Order of Merlin, Second Class, due to their deaths in the fight against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Percy Weasley, Nymphadora Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Penelope Clearwater, and Hermione Granger.

Ginny's heart was full of fissures. Her smile did not die.

~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^

Daily Prophet, Issue #13,104, February 14^th

The following is a list of the casualties in the Final Battle Against the Dark Lord.

Bell, Katie

Black, Demia

Boot, Terry

Chang, Cho

Delacour, Gabrielle

Dumbledore, Aberforth

Dumbledore, Albus

Dursley, Petunia

Figg, Arabella

Fletcher, Mundungus

Flitwick, Filius

Goodwill, Lena

Granger, Jane

Granger, Ted

Hagrid, Rubeus

Johnson, Angelina

Johnson, Wesley

Jones, Hestia

Lestrange, Dreah

Lockhart, Amber

Longbottom, Neville

Lovegood, Luna

Lupin, Remus

Malfoy, Draco

Malfoy, Narcissa

McGonegall, Minerva

Moody, Alastor

Pomfrey, Poppy

Potter, Harry

Sinistra, Selene

Snape, Severus

Spinnet, Alicia

Turpin, Lisa

Vance, Emmeline

Weasley, Arthur

Weasley, Bill

Weasley, Molly

Weasley, Ron

Wood, Oliver

Ginny's heart broke. Her smile did not fall.

~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^

Daily Prophet, Issue #13,593

Ginny Weasley was found today in one of the most tragic deaths in history. She died burning inside Phoenix Crypt. It seems that, after blowing the entire wall out, and emptying every single coffin of its inhabitant, she poured kerosene atop all of the bodies as well as her own, lit them all on fire, and flung herself onto the piled bodies of her twelve children and husband. The following letter was found floating above the ash that was the crypt entrance hall.

To Whom It May Concern,

My name is Ginny Weasley, and inside you will find me dead. You will also find that the 'precious remains' of Harry Potter and his great army are in cinders, and I will leave you with only the riddle told to me when I was eleven years old and dying at the hands of Lord Voldemort. 'A falsehood smile no more than a lie, even if the world has died. From an ash a bird is born, doomed to be forever torn. Fire's flame and ash's dust, we fall at the hands of those we trust. Born to be burnt, and burnt to be born.' Never knew what he meant, then. I do now though, and I have fulfilled the Prophecy of the Second Phoenix given by Willow Trelawny.

Still Smiling,

Ginny Weasley

Ginny Weasley died. Her smile died too.

~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^