My unbeating heart almost had a jumpstart when I opened my eyes to find myself in the Forbidden Forest. The scents and sounds were dulled to the point of almost non-existence, but I knew they were there. Above me, patches of grey sky could be seen between the interwoven tree branches. It looked exactly the same as it did the last time I was here.

"Talis?"

I turned my head as someone called my name.

That voice.

No. He's not -

"Talis, you're here."

There he was. A faint stubble now shadowed the lower half of his face. His clothes were ragged and muddy. Bleeding scratches striped his face and hands. Ink black strands of hair were in a chaoitc mess upon his head. He's aged, and not just physically. There was an older air about him, and I silently cursed myself for not being there for him, to help him through the hard times. Those emerald eyes became misty as he stared at me. He was beautiful, just like the last time I saw him.

"I told you I'd always be there for you, my love," I whispered.

A whisper caught my attention, and I realized Harry and I were not alone. I was standing in a clearing with four other people, other than Harry. On my right stood Sirius Black, Harry's beloved godfather. He looked refreshed as if years had been taken off his soul. Beside him was Remus Lupin, still scarred and handsome. He gave me a small wave, which I returned. On my left was a man and a woman. The man shared the complexion and messy black hair with Harry. The woman was lovely with long deep red hair and brilliant emerald eyes. They had to be James and Lily Potter, Harry's parents.

Lily pushed her long hair back as she hungrily took in the sight of her grown son. "You've been so brave," she said, her voice soft but powerful.

James smiled broadly, though his eyes glistened with unfalling tears. "You're nearly there, son. We're so proud of you."

Harry stared around at the group; I smiled when his beautiful eyes roved over me. How long has it been since I stared into those emerald depths? The love I felt for him seemed to pulse outward in waves.

"Does it hurt?"

"Not at all," Sirius answered. "Quicker and easier than falling asleep."

Lupin looked from his best friend to Harry. "He wants it over. He will want it to be quick."

"I didn't want any of you to die," Harry said quietly. "Any of you. Remus, you just had your son -"

Remus had a son? No...

"I'm sorry as well," siad Lupin, "that I will never get to know him. But he will know why I died, and I hope he will understand. I was trying to make the world a safer, happier place for him."

"Talis."

"Yes, my love?"

Harry hastily wiped away a tear. He approached with cautious steps as if I would vanish if he got too close. He reached out a dirty, scarred hand. I held mine out, but his went straight through when he tried to touch me. Oh, how I craved his touch... "I miss you so much," he said, voice barely a whisper.

"I told you I'd love you beyond death, Harry," I said, ignoring the smiles the rest of his family flashed at us. I carefully cupped his face with my ghostly hand.

"I'm sorry, Talis." Harry stared at me, shame dimming his eyes. "Ginny and I... We - I-I mean -"

I smiled at him as he fought to find words. "I did not expect you to stay stuck in the past, love," I said. "Moving on is natural."

"She's not you."

"I know," I said with a breathless laugh. "It's okay, Harry. I'm not angry. I love you too much to be angry."

"You'll stay with me?"

I smiled as James said, "Until the very end."

Harry tore his gaze away from mine to look at his father. "They won't be able to see you?"

Sirius stepped forward and pointed at Harry's chest, at his heart. "We are a part of you. Invisible to anyone else."

"What if I -"

"I'll be right there to fetch you, love," I promised.

"Stay close to me," Harry requested softly.

I smiled and fell in step beside him as he started walking deeper into the forest. His mother was on his other side, so close their arms brushed. James marched beside her, occasionally glancing around as if memories were flooding back to him. Remus and Sirius were by me, keeping pace with strong strides.

The trees grew thicker, blotting out whatever grey sky peeked through the tangle of branches. Harry pulled his cloak tighter around his body, which had filled out with wiry muscle. I wished I had a corporeal body, then I could actually touch him, feel his skin under my fingertips, his lips pressed harshly against mine. There was nothing I could do about it, and it killed me.

Voices caught my attention, echoing off the trees. I stretched out my arm in front of Harry, stopping him. Two figures appeared from the trees: Yaxley and Dolohov, a couple of Voldemort's Death Eaters. Both were as ugly as I remembered.

"I'm telling you, I definitely heard something," grumbled Yaxley, peering around. "Animal, you think?"

Dolohov shrugged. "That half-breed Hagrid had a bunch of stuff in here."

"Time's nearly up." Yaxley glanced at the watch on his wrist. I was kind of surprised he could tell time. "Potter's had his hour. He's not coming."

"And the Dark Lord was sure he would come! He won't be happy." Dolohov visibly winced.

Yaxley muttered under his breath then the two Death Eaters slunk deeper into the forest. I glanced at Lily, and her green eyes were filled with fierce love for her son. Beyond her, James nodded encouragement when Harry looked at him. I sucked in a deep breath I did not need to calm my nerves. Harry paused for a moment to look at each of us in turn then followed the Death Eaters. After a few minutes of walking in silence, light outlined Yaxley and Dolohov.

A fire burned in the middle of a clearing. Collections of filthy spider's web clung to the trees and sat in piles on the leaf-covered ground. This used clearing of Aragog - I recognized it - but there was no sign of the gigantic spider, or his kin. In their place, was a gathering of Death Eaters, masks glinting from the flames. Those that were not masked showed off dirty faces that promised death to anyone who looked at them wrong. Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy were amongst the group, as was the werewolf Fenrir Greyback. All were sporting injuries of some nature, and I felt a wave of savage satisfaction. Bastards deserved whatever happened to them.

Voldemort was standing near the fire, head bowed, Elder Wand - a wand of great power and legend - in his folded hands. His great snake, Nagini, was in some sort of bubble-like cage behind him. She hissed quietly to her master as he stared at the two newcomers.

"There is no sign of him, my Lord," Dolohov said as he and Yaxley approached the group.

"I thought he would come," Voldemort said in a high-pitched voice. He toyed with the Elder Wand with his long fingers.

I shuffled closer to Harry, allowing our shoulder to brush. I felt him shiver as my arm flowed through his. With the simple touch, I poured all my love into him, willing him to continue on, promising him that he would be okay. His emerald eyes caught mine for a long moment.

"Stay," he breathed.

"I'll always be with you, Harry," I replied just as quietly, though none of the Death Eaters could hear or see me.

Harry's eyes glimmered with unshed tears. He held out a hand, palm-up to reveal a small dark stone that seemed to be shimmering with anient magic. It took a moment for me to recognize it: the Resurrection Stone. He had used it to bring us - his family - back to him. "I love you, Talis Corvus Potter."

My heart swelled dangerously. "I love you too, Harry James Potter."

"It seems as if I was... mistaken," Voldemort's voice echoed through the clearing.

Harry's hand tilted, and the stone started to tumble. "You weren't." The stone fell to the ground, lost among the leaves.

I felt a tug in my chest, in my heart, then I was yanked to the side. With a soft whoosh of air, his parents, Remus, Sirius and myself vanished into Harry's heart, to love him, to protect him.

As long as he stayed strong, he would survive.

-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-

My eyes opened for a second time.

I was no longer in the Forbidden Forest.

No.

I was at King's Cross station, but it did not look like how I remembered it. Instead of being colorful and full of life like it usually was, everything seemed to be washed in shades of white and grey. There wasn't a sound, no bustling of an ivisible crowd, no deep whistle of the Hogwarts Express, nothing. I glanced up and down the track. I could not see anything except white mist at either end.

A flash of irritation made my blood boil. Was this some sort of sick joke? Where the hell was everyone? What was going on?

Then there was a sudden pain in my head. I dropped to my knees and clutched my hair in my hands. I harshly grit my teeth as I closed my eyes against the pain. In my mind I could see faces: Lily and James Potter ... Sirius Black ... Remus Lupin ... Severus Snape (I cringed at the image of my father-figure) ... Fred Weasley (I had to muffle a cry of sorrow) ... Nymphadora Tonks ... Uncle Salo! No! I could not stop the sob that finally escaped. No, not my uncle! Why?! Why him? Tears forced their way past my closed eyelids, making my eyes sting. That left Melody, the sister I never had the pleasure and privilege to meet, as the last of our kind.

I should have just killed Blue that day. As soon as I had seen him I should have taken his pathetic life. Then I would still be alive. I would still be with Harry.

Harry...

My love. My life. My everything.

I let out a choked sob as an image of my beloved flashed forward. Had he survived? Did he kill Voldemort?

I was so lost in self-wallowing that I did not hear the footsteps until they were within a few feet of me. A weight dropped down beside me, and a warm hand touched my bare shoulder. I opened my eyes as another hand, tanned from being in the sun, and bearing the words 'I must not tell lies' crossed my line of vision. It cupped the side of my face, thumb caressing my cheek. Gently, it turned my head until I was met with the most glorious sight: Harry. I barely saw his bright smile before he attacked my mouth with enough vigor to take my unneeded breath away.

The hunger, the need, the raw emotion.

The hand on my shoulder gripped the strap to my muscle shirt. I grunted as he pushed us over onto the glowing white tiled floor. His mouth never left mine until I finally tilted my head back, gasping for breath. The lull didn't last long. Harry was right back at it. My hands came up to clench the back of his now clean black shirt. After a moment I became aware of something wet dripping onto my face. I opened my eyes to see his beautiful face glimmering with tears. Slowly, I moved away enough to whisper his name. "Harry. Why are you crying, love?"

Harry choked on a sob, green eyes hooded and shimmering, then buried his face in my neck. I could feel his breath fanning againt my skin. One of my hands left his back to gently stroke through his hair. I held him tightly as he cried. "It's okay, Harry," I whispered against his inky locks. "I'm here. I'm here. Breath, baby. It'll be okay."

It took what felt like an hour - and it probably was - for Harry's sobs to turn into hiccups and sniffles.

"Harry?"

"I miss you," he finally said, voice hoarse. "I miss you so much."

I smiled faintly. "I miss you too, Harry."

"You died," he whispered. "In my arms. There - There was so much blood." A shudder shook his frame. "No one could heal you." He sniffled loudly. "Then Sirius... Bellatrix killed him. I lost both of you."

I kissed the the top of his head. "Sirius and I are always with you, Harry. You may not be able to see or hear us, or even touch us, but we're still here. I'm still here."

"I want you back with me."

"I know. I'd do anything to be with you again."

"Why couldn't you become a ghost?" he demanded quietly. "Then I could see you."

"They did not give me an option button," I said with a light laugh, "or else I'd be haunting the castle by now." I brushed my fingers through his hair. "But you have Ron and Hermione... and Ginny."

"They are not you."

"You can't dwell on the past, Harry. Many people have wasted away because they could only focus on the past and not the future. You don't have to forget me, love. But you shouldn't live each day in sorrow." I kissed the top of his head again. "Remember our good times, like when we would go to the lake to skip rocks. Or when we started Dumbledore's Army; you were so proud that day. Or even the times we made love to each other." I nuzzled his hair. "If you want to keep my memory alive, please make sure it's the good stuff. I don't want to be remembered as a monster or a horrible lay."

I could feel Harry's lips curl into a smile against my neck. "You were never a monster, Talis. And we both know you are not a bad lay." We chuckled contently for a moment. "When you died, it felt like the world was crushing me. It was too much. I had just gotten you back after our fight." His hand grabbed a fistfull of my muscle shirt. "I loved you so much, Talis. I still do."

"Does Ginny treat you well?" I asked after a moment's hesitation.

There was a pause then Harry nodded slightly. "She does."

"She always seemed like the understanding, loving kind."

"She's not you."

"I'm glad about that. Harry, if she is good for you, then go for it. I'll always love you - more than you'll ever know or I could put into words. No one could ever replace you."

"Or you," he whispered.

From somewhere to our right there was a flash of blue. I turned my head a bit to see Albus Dumbledore approaching us. His pale blue robes swayed in a breeze that did not exist. I gently tapped Harry on the shoulder; he lifted his head with a questioning grunt, but resume his position when he saw his old Headmaster.

"They get you as well, Albus?" I asked as Harry tightened his grip on me.

"I'm afraid so, Talis. The Killing Curse."

"Figured they'd use something flashy," I said. "Who?"

Albus came to stop a few feet away from us, his blue eyes soft and calm. "It was Severus. Draco Malfoy was order to kill me by Voldemort, but Severus claimed my death for himself instead."

"You asked him to kill you." It was not a question.

"Indeed I did. The curse from the ring was already taking my life, sapping my strength. Severus took me out of my own misery." Albus smiled almost solemnly down at us. "It came as a rather large shock when I was told you had died, Talis. At the hands of Blue Jacobs. It must have been difficult, to duel and kill the man who betrayed you after loving you for so many years."

"Can't say it was a pleasant feeling," I said, "but it was one less Death Eater to deal with. I honestly imagined I would have gone out with a bang or something. Not looking like I lost a duel with the Bloody Baron." I sighed quietly, reveling in the familiar weight of Harry on my chest. "So much has happened since then."

"And I am afraid we can not talk more at the moment, my friend." Albus looked past me to Harry. "You must return, Harry. There is still much left to do."

When Harry did not move, I nudged him off gently. He stared down at me with those eyes, so green they put emeralds to shame. Quietly, we helped each other to our feet. Once we found our footing Harry embraced me, squeezing tightly, and I returned it full-force.

Harry breathed in deeply, then exhaled softly. "Will I see you again?"

"Of course you will," I replied, moving back a bit so I could look at him. "And if you ever need me, just remember that I am right here." I took a step back, then placed a hand on Harry's chest, over his heart. Harry brought up his own hand and rested it over mine. I leaned forward to kiss his scar. "Go back to life, Harry. I'll be waiting for the next time I see you."

Harry hastily wiped away his tears.

"Remember that I love you, Harry James Potter."

My beloved made a weird sound, a combination of a sob, a hiccup, and a laugh. "And I love you, Talis Corvus Potter."

I smiled at him, feeling my own eyes starting to burn with tears. "Go back. I'll see you again."

Harry sighed quietly then closed his eyes. It was sudden. One moment he was there, the next he was gone. I drew in a shaky breath, bringing a hand up to swipe at the tears that managed to fall.

"Come, Talis."

I dropped my hand and stared at my old friend.

Albus smiled kindly at me. "Come," he repeated. "Your uncle would like to discuss some things over tea." He came forward to rest an arm over my shoulders. "We have much to tell you, my friend."