A/N: Sorry for the dely on this one guys! My muse has been a little hard to come by lately with this fic.
Thanks for all the reviews I've recieved. you guys are BRILLIANT!!! It brings a smile to my face knowing that you are enjoying my writing.
-CHAPTER ELEVEN-
Nightmare
The next day, at breakfast, Marie sat on her own at the table as Hermione had decided to go and speak to her mother about last night. Sighing, Marie pushed her food around her plate and thought about her mother and father. They very rarely had time to themselves, and now that Poppy had put Minerva back on bed rest, they had even less time together and when they were together, they couldn't do much because of Poppy's strict orders. For the first time since finding out she was going to be a big sister, Marie wished that her mother wasn't having the child. Not for her sake. But for her mother's. Marie hung her head low after the thought had passed through her mind and scolded herself for thinking such a thing. Marie pushed her plate away from her and left the Great Hall, heading to charms, but when she got there, her father was waiting for her outside the classroom.
"Dad. What are you doing here?"
"You've been excused from your lessons for the day."
"But –"
"Please, kitten. You're mother's going frantic after she heard what happened last night."
"I'm sorry, dad."
"It's okay, Marie. But I think you're mother wants to hear the whole story."
"Okay, daddy." Marie hung her head and followed her father to their rooms. When they arrived Marie went to her mother and embraced her.
"Are you okay, honey?"
"I'm tired mom."
"I know, sweetie. Do you want to tell me what happened last night?"
"I was so tired after our sessions that I couldn't keep my eyes open. Hermione took me to her rooms and I went to sleep in her arms. I was so tired, yet happy. But, I had a nightmare." Marie got herself onto the bed with her mother and snuggled up to her.
"Do you want to tell me about it, kitten?" Minerva ran her fingers through her daughter's hair, soothing her.
Marie nodded. "Only you though, please."
Minerva nodded and turned to the other two occupants. "Albus, Hermione, would you both mind leaving us for a while?"
"Of course not Minerva." Hermione squeezed Marie's hand and promised her she would see her later.
After the door had closed behind Hermione, Albus sat on the edge of the bed and took Minerva's and Marie's hand. "Are you sure you want me to go kitten?"
Marie nodded and looked at her mother.
"I'll speak to you about it later, Albus."
"Okay, Tabby." Albus pressed a kiss to Marie's forehead and one to Minerva's lips before standing and heading to the living room, leaving his girls to talk.
"What's wrong, honey?"
"Nothing. I just wanted to talk to you with no interruptions. You know what Hermione and dad can be like."
Minerva and Marie shared a giggle. "Yes." Marie snuggled closer to her mother and Minerva held her protectively against her. "Are you going to tell me about this dream of yours then?"
Marie nodded, took a deep breath and grabbed hold of her mother's hand before starting. "It started off happy, like all my other dreams, only this one was slightly different. It was all five of us; me, you, dad, Hermione and a baby girl. We were sitting in the living room. Me and Hermione were sat in front of the fire. You were sat on the sofa cradling the baby while dad was holding you. We were talking about transfiguration and dad had said something that mad you laugh." Marie paused and smiled.
"It was something about you breast feeding." Minerva giggled and once she had calmed down, signaled for her daughter to carry on. "Your laughter rang through the air, but you stopped suddenly. Dad immediately pulled you close and came and held me protectively. Hermione and dad were shielding us from a tall dark figure that was now in the doorway. I couldn't tell who it was at first, but I knew that you knew because you were crying, holding me and my sister closer than you ever have before. I'd left my wand in my chair, but you had yours in your pocket, like you always do. I noticed that the figure was wielding my wand and pointed it at you. They didn't even have to say anything and you were writhing on the floor trying not to scream out in pain so you wouldn't frighten the baby. While I was distracted with trying my best to help you, she cast the same spell on Hermione and dad and the baby –" Marie stopped and quickly wiped away the tears that had started to fall and stopped the ones that were threatening to tumble. Taking another deep breath, Marie continued, "I looked up at the doorway and there was no-one there, just my wand, on the floor. I crawled to the baby and lifted her up, she wasn't breathing and her eyes were white. I turned to Hermione, then dad and they were both starring back at me with unseeing white eyes. Then when I turned to you, you were reaching out to me. I held your hand and said everything was going to be alright. You shook her head told me 'I love you, I always will' and then closed your eyes. But, they snapped open and they were unseeing, like the others." Again Marie stopped. Her mother was holding her tightly to her, her own tears had started to fall and Marie had given up on trying to hold hers back. Taking one last deep breath, she finished telling her mother about the previous night's nightmare.
"I closed my eyes, hoping it wasn't real, but when I opened them, all I saw was your face. It morphed from the happy, loving one I see on a daily basis to the unseeing, pale one that had refused to let go of my hand after you had … I can't get that image out of my head. I keep seeing it every time I close my eyes, or I let my mine wander, or even if I'm alone. I truly hate it mom." Marie finally collapsed in floods of tears. Even the thought of her mother dying was one she didn't want to have. But having to see her pale, unseeing face every time she shut her eyes, even for a second. She hated that she couldn't be in the dark without seeing it. What she had failed to tell her mother was that she had had that dream before, only her mother had lived and held her close while they both cried over the lose of the other three.
"There, there, baby. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere, I promise." Minerva held her daughter and ran her fingers through her hair while whispering comforting words into her ear.
"Are – are you going to tell dad what I told you?"
"There's no need to kitten."
"Daddy?"
"I heard everything." Albus sat on the bed with his angels. Marie was gently pulled onto Albus' lap and Minerva snuggled up to her husband. "I'm not going anywhere. I promise. I'm right here, for both of you." Albus pressed a kiss to Marie's forehead and one to Minerva's hair.
Marie rested her head on her dad's chest and reluctantly closed her eyes once her parents had reassured her that they weren't going anywhere and thought about what it would be like to walk.
TBC...
