Disclaimer: I don't own anything except… Okay nothing…
A/N: This is my gift for Cody. I was so tempted to just write a MMAD fic, since that is my specialty, but then I decided, since this for the Charming Roots board, that I should try and go with the spirit of things. LOL. So here you go, my poor, feeble attempt at a Charming Roots story, alright?
Just To See You Smile…
Filius made his way through the long, cold, sterile halls of St. Mungo's hospital. He had walked this way many times over the past year; each time felt like the first time, and yet, he felt as though he had been doing it for years. He felt cold… lost… and completely alone every time he came here. And yet, in a strange way, it gave him a sense of comfort. As long as she was here, that meant she was okay, and that she was being taken care of. That was all that mattered, right? So what if she was not home, where she rightly belonged? So what if she was not spending the last bit of time she had left here on earth with the family that loved her? She was getting the care she needed, wasn't she?
In his hands he carried a pot full of beautiful white carnations. Those were her favorite flowers, and always had been as far back as he could remember. Oh, how she had loved to spend hours in her garden, just tending to her beautiful carnations. She had other flowers, of course. Geraniums, roses, fleur-de-lys, and baby's breath… All of these were her favorites. She even had a small group of tiger lilies, which had been his favorite. And yet, for all those beautiful flowers, with their bright colors and breath taking fragrances, she had always favored carnations. He had never known why exactly, but he never really cared for the reason.
He turned the corner and perceived before him the last, long corridor which separated him from his destination. With a huff of breath and a sense of determination about him, he toddled as best he could down the hall, his arms aching from carrying the flowers. He knew he could use his wand to help him, but he knew he would feel more accomplished if he carried them by himself. He always felt good about himself when he did things the old muggle way, even though using a wand might make things easier.
He finally reached the end of the hallway and stopped in front of the door he was looking for. It was the same door he had been coming to every day for the past year. It was the same door that, despite its neutrality to the woman behind it, brought a small semblance of comfort to him, for it meant that he was only a few feet away from seeing her. He set the flowers on the floor in front of him and, pulling out his wand, used it to whisper the Aguamenti spell. He had already watered it a bit earlier, but he felt as though he had not watered it enough. Once he was finished, he picked it up again and walked into the room without knocking. It would be her naptime, so he knew that she would not hear him knocking.
When he entered, he smiled to see that he was right. There she was, sleeping as she always was at this time of the day. Her head rested upon her pillow and her hair was all mussed around her. She had probably not wanted them to brush it out, as she was prone to do. This made him chuckle slightly. She didn't like to have anyone else brush her hair, and it seemed as though she didn't want to brush it herself. But the thing that caught his attention the most was her smile. He always felt good when he saw her smile. It was as though, no matter how bad things were for her, just to see her smile was comforting for him to see. That smile was comforting, solid, and beautiful. Setting the flowers beside her bed, he sat down next to her and took her hand, waiting for her to wake up.
Ooooooooooo
A week had passed, and, unfortunately, so had she. Filius somehow knew that she wouldn't have lasted since the last time he'd seen her. Last week was the last time he was able to see her because the medi-witches and medi-wizards had said that she had been getting worse, and therefore she was not allowed visitors.
Despite the fact that he had known all this, he was still devastated when he had heard the news. She was, after all, a very important person in her life. She had been there for him for all the major events in his life, and now she wasn't there anymore. The funeral services had been absolutely beautiful, and the best he could have hoped for. And when the others had left the gravesite, and he was left all alone, he felt a heavy weight upon his heart. She was gone and now he had no one. A hand rested upon his shoulder.
"She's gone, Filius," the voice said. He nodded.
"I know," he said. "And that scares me." He turned and looked into the sorrowful eyes of his wife. "I miss her, Pomona." She nodded.
"I know, my love. I know. She was your mother, and nothing can ever replace her in your heart." With that, she took his hand and stood there in silence with him. That was what he needed at that time. He needed silence. He needed love and companionship. But most of all, he just needed to imagine her smile. The loving smile of a mother, which could calm and soothe any child's fear.
What he wouldn't give just to see her smile.
A/N2: Okay this one just totally took me by surprise. Hahaha. As I had started it, the song "Just To See Your Smile" came on and I was about to make it all about Pomona and Filius, but then I thought it'd be kinda cool to do a fic about his mother dying. Kind of. LOL. Hope you like this Cody. Read long and prosper. Always Hopeful