Scorpius' dreams were blank, a pitch black screen like one of the Muggle televisions, and he had a strange sense of peace, waiting for the black to show him what he needed to know.

The peace left him the moment that the pictures turned on.

They were all pictures of Lily dying. From her disease. In many, many, many ways. And all of them were painful.

In his dream and outside it he was crying thick, wet, sloppy tears. This was what he was afraid of most. He couldn't bear it. It was too much...

And he realized something.

He didn't think he could live without her.

He would commit suicide before live without her.

Then he was back in front of the black screen, crying and sobbing. It was too much...too much...she couldn't die...she just couldn't!

She doesn't have to, you know

Scorpius jerked, horror filling him, realizing that something had entered his dream "Who's there?"

A friend, wanting to help you.

"What were you saying...before?" Scorpius figured it was just a dream, and he might as well listen to the dream-intruder

Lily, your Lily...she doesn't have to die

"I wish I knew how to prevent it."

I can grant that wish. I can tell you the cure, and when to find it.

"The doctors can find no cure."

But I can, and I have.

Scorpius hesitated, his better judgment catching him "How do I know you're telling the truth?"

The screen flashed faintly for a moment, a hint of red left on the screen You can't.

Scorpius nodded. If it had told him anything else, he wouldn't have trusted it "What's the catch?"

No catch

Scorpius hesitated, narrowing his dream-form's eyes "Well, all right. What is the cure?"

A nameless plant that grows in an unnamed forest in an unnamed country in an unknown world...well...unknown to your people.

"How do I get the plant?"

You go there, of course. I can take you there, right now, if you wish.

"Now?" Scorpius asked, and in his mind's eye he saw a picture of Lily laying beside him "I..."

Now the dream-intruder urged her time is limited. You need to leave now.

"I...well, I...I guess..." Scorpius knew that her time was limited and that made him want to leave even less, but he knew that he could not just let her die.. "I'll go."

Good boy. Now, I must warn you, in this new world, your magic will not work. You will have to endure things your kind hasn't for centuries.

"I can do it," Scorpius said confidently "for Lily"

So, if you will hand over you wand, I will keep it for safe keeping.

"I...I..." Scorpius was not too sure about giving the dream-intruder his wand. He never parted with it. Ever.

Hand it over, boy! The dream-intruder's voice was sharp, but it seemed to catch itself and calmed down For your girl, boy, for your Lily.

Scorpius felt something take over him for a split second, and he nodded. "For Lily." and, instinctively knowing what to do, he tossed his wand into the screen, which swallowed it up immediately.

Good, good...now, sleep all you want. You may not be able to sleep in the other world. When you wake, on the ground beside the bed on which you rest will be an object. Pick it up, and you will be on your way.

"Can I wake up now?" Scorpius inquired, feeling that every passing second was a wasted one

If you wish said the dream-intruder, and Scorpius felt it leave.

Scorpius woke, and looked to his right at Lily. There she was, peaceful, and safe for the moment. He smoothed that red hair, and then, without looking away from her, felt around on the floor, touched something, and then was gone.