For Quidditch League, Chudley Cannons, Chaser one. Write about Dilys Derwent. Optional Prompts: "Please tell me you're being ironic.", Sinking, History

Word count: 974

Thanks for Jas for betaing

For my team because I might have made you panic by posting so late

Dilys was very annoyed. She was trying to sleep, like she usually did at night, when there was a tapping on the corner of her portrait frame.

"What?" Dilys grumbled, opening her eyes. All she could see was a mane of curly red hair.

"Haven't I seen you before? Somewhere else other than here?"

Dilys yawned and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "No. Or at least, I haven't seen you. I have another portrait at St. Mungo's."

"Oh." The girl nodded, her eyebrows furrowed slightly. "Maybe. My mum works there. She takes me sometimes during the summer holidays when Lucy and I are arguing. Which actually happens quite a lot… Huh. I never go to Dad's office ever. That's fine. His work is bo-ring! Mum's work isn't all that exciting either though. I saw a person with a kettle spout for a nose and-"

Dilys was wondering how long this kid could go on for, but she thought it might be rude to fall asleep during the girl's speech. What was this girl even doing awake at this hour?

"I'm Molly by the way. Molly Weasley." The girl- Molly- finally said. She looked around the room, tapping her foot. "What did you do to get a portrait there anyway?"

Dilys groaned inwardly. Now Molly was initiating a conversation she didn't want to have.

"I- I actually don't really know. I wasn't anything special. I couldn't even save the one person that mattered." Dilys still remembered her last night as a healer. Her last night with him.

"Hey. Hey, you're still with me, right? Stay with me." Dilys clutched her patient's hand and looked into his half closed eyes. Dilys bit her lip, trying not to cry. "Arch. Hey, Arch. Don't worry. I'll heal you." She wondered briefly if it was allowed for her to have a relationship with her patient, but she pushed away the thought. She needed to heal him.

"Did you ever think that maybe you shouldn't?"

Dylis looked around the small hospital room, looking for something, anything, that could heal Archie, but she was certain she tried everything she could.

"Shouldn't what?"

Archie's head started to loll, and Dilys gently pushed it back up.

"Shouldn't heal me." Dilys didn't think she heard right. "You," Archie took a rattling breath, and Dilys's heart hurt. "You tried so much already. Don't you think it's just time to…" Archie trailed off but Dilys knew what he was thinking.

To let it go and pull the plug?

"No. Arch. We'll find a way. We always do." Dilys wasn't ready to let him go.

Archie took another deep breath, and Dilys saw the projection of his heartbeat sinking.

"No. No, we can save you. We will." But even as she said it, she knew that he would finally be the one that she couldn't save.

"I love you." Archie's three words were so quiet, but Dilys was sure he said them.

And then he was gone.

Just like that, he was history.

With a deep breath, she walked out the room and out of the building. She didn't plan to return. She didn't want to feel that pain ever again.

"Are you done?" Dilys was brought out of her thoughts with Molly's voice.

Dilys shook her head. "Done with what?"

"Spacing out. Whatever you were thinking about, I didn't hear it. I'm not an ESPer."

"ESPer? Nevermind."

"It doesn't matter that you didn't manage to save one person. You probably saved lots of other people." Dilys shifted in her seat. She did save many people. There was a time where she might've priding herself on her healing skills, but not anymore. She failed her one love, and she could never forgive herself for that. Curse this student for bringing up that old memory again.

"Have you ever been in love?"

"Please tell me you're being ironic. Or sarcastic. Or whatever the word is. Love makes me gag."

"No… Well, have you?"

"Woman, please. I'm fourteen. I hardly think that's enough time to fall in love."

"It's plenty." Dilys smiled sadly.

"What happened with you?" Molly asked after an awkward silence.

"Excuse me?"

"Weren't you ever young at one point? I mean, you're ancient now but way long ago. Like maybe ten hundred or twenty-"

"I am not that old! And yes, I was young once. So what?"

"So maybe you should remember what that felt like. You're so twisted up with this dead love of yours that you're forgetting to live."

Dilys stared at Molly, and Molly stared back.

"I'm dead. I can't live," Dilys reminded her.

"Oh." Being reminded of one's death put a damper on any mood.

"I still don't get it. Why were you given a portrait in St. Mungo's if you were such a rubbish healer?" Molly demanded. "They don't just give them out to anyone."

"I don't think it should be there. I don't deserve it."

Molly gave a large sigh. "If only wizards used the internet."

"The inter-what?" Dilys asked, mildly confused.

"The internet. Online… I don't know how to describe it." Molly threw her hands up. "If wizards used the internet, I could probably just look you up. Then I wouldn't have to talk to you. No offense."

Dilys took offense. "What's wrong with talking to me?"

"You just never get to the point. We've been here for like an hour- extraordinary that nobody's come in yet- and you still haven't told me why you have a portrait in St. Mungo's!"

Dilys sighed and looked Molly in the eye. It was time to tell the truth.

"There was a lottery of which healer should be put there. I won."

Molly stared at Dilys, and Dilys returned the stare.

"Okay," Molly said, turning to leave. "I might actually believe that. Nice talking to you."

And then she left.