Just You

"Be good for Granny," Ginny threw a kiss through the green flames of the Floo-fire. Jamie giggled, mumbled something in his very own language and cheerfully waved his chubby little hands. He was such a good baby. She pulled her head out of the Floo. For a moment she knelt in front of the fireplace, watching as the green tint faded from the flames.

Her life ought to feel perfect. Married to the love of her life. A beautiful, healthy son. The career of her dreams.

Only it didn't.

The flames licked at the wood. A branch broke off. Its fire died. The glowing embers crumbled into white ashes. Ginny sighed and rocked back on her heels. Straightening her shoulders she turned around.

"Harry. We need to talk."

oooOooo

Astoria led Narcissa Malfoy down the corridor towards Draco's office and hoped that her voice wouldn't sound as weak as her knees felt.

If she'd just stayed silent …

She knocked perfunctorily. "Draco, your mother is here." Then she turned to Narcissa. "Please, Mrs. Malfoy, just go right in."

The woman looked at her sadly. "You used to call me Cissy. Do you remember? When we came to the Grange for summer picnics."

Astoria winced. "I –" Helplessly she shook her head.

Cissy's smile was brittle. "Don't worry, Miss Greengrass. I do – understand."

oooOooo

As she ran, Alina's mouth worked, but no sound emerged. In her mind her voice, screamed: "Hermione! Hermione!"

Hermione must have heard her nevertheless, sturdy leather-soles pounding the path. But she didn't react.

Then Alina threw her arms around Hermione and dragged her away from the cliffs. Packages and parcels went flying everywhere.

oooOooo

"Hey, love," Ron cried as he shoved the door open with his shoulder.

"Oh, Ron!" Lois exclaimed, beaming at her husband over a huge bouquet of flowers. "These are wonderful!" She needed both arms to hold the flowers, there were so many. Smiling, she shook her head. "Why? What's the occasion?"

Ron flushed, right to the tips of his ears. Looking down at his shoes, he mumbled. "None, really. I just … well, I SAW them. And they, well, they looked so, well, flowery, you know? And bright, kind of. And then I thought of you. And – do you like them?" He glanced at her. "So you do like them?"

Lois carefully laid the flowers on the table before she embraced Ron. He cuddled her tightly. "Thank you," she whispered. "Do you know? That's the first time I've ever received flowers for no reason at all."

"Really?" For a moment, Ron didn't move or speak. Then he pressed his lips into her hair. "But there's plenty of reasond, Lois."

"Really?" she echoed, a little confused.

He nodded solemnly. "Yes. It's … well, you. Just … you. That you are you. For me, that's reason enough."

oooOooo

It took a while to sort everything out, from the mess of packages and bags scattered all over the path to what was wrong to start with. Initially Hermione had been shaking too hard to hold a pen.

When Hermione had finally jotted down her story, Alina couldn't stop shaking her head. Inwardly she fumed, but she wasn't about to let Hermione see just how worried or angry she was.

so where's that stupid package you lost? scratched Alina's new Quick Quill on an equally new piece of 'note-it'-parchment.

"Down there," Hermione said and pointed to the cliff. She bent over her notepad and quickly wrote a few lines: Don't bother. It was mostly powders. They'll be damp by now, and useless.

Alina sighed silently. still, her quill wrote, safer to get 'em up here and dispose of them properly

She walked to the edge of the cliff and stared fiercely at the parcel wrapped in brown paper that lay on the rocky outcrop down below.

"ACCIO!" she thought and held her hands in front of her.

Obediently the package lifted and hurtled upwards until it landed safely in her hands. Alina fixed a careful smile on her face and turned around.

here, she mouthed, knowing that the Quick Quill was spelling out the words instantly just to the left of her head. looks fine to me

Hermione smiled. "Thank you." Then she bit down on her lower lip and scrawled a few more words on her notepad.

better get going – Severus will be waiting

Alina nodded. Before Hermione could walk away, she caught her arm and pointed her chin towards her floating parchment.

"If you don't tell him everything, I WILL."

Hermione's shoulders slumped. "You're much too direct for a Slytherin," she complained.

Alina laughed soundlessly. i caught that – and whatever works when dealing with Gryffindors

Mentally, she made a note to talk to Professor Snape during their next tutoring session. She didn't trust Hermione not to try and slither her way around telling the full story …

oooOooo

"Mother," Draco said softly. "Please sit down. – Astoria, I think a Calming Draught, some tea and sandwiches, if that's not too much trouble."

The girl, white as a sheet, apart from two spots of colour burning high on her cheekbones, quickly shook her head. "Of course not." She fled the room.

His mother stared at him as if she'd seen –

Draco smirked: yes, his mother was looking at him as if she was seeing exactly what she was seeing.

A ghost.

Narcissa bowed her head. Without looking at him, she said quietly, "Oh Draco. I had such plans for you. I could see everything so clearly. Your wedding banquet. The birth of your first son. Your first day as the youngest member of the Wizengamot. Down to the perfect robes for the occasion. Parisian, you know?"

Draco just shook his head.

When Narcissa looked up at him, her eyes were brimming with tears. "And now," she whispered, "what I wouldn't give just to hold you one more time."

For a long moment Draco stared at her. Then he drifted closer.

"But you do, mother," he murmured. "Every other night. In your dreams."

oooOooo

A/N: The idea that the ghosts/spirits/souls of the dead can enter your dreams is probably as old as humanity, I guess. The best ghost story in HG/SS fandom is - IMNAHHO - "Unfinished Business" by Ramos. Textual allusions to that story are intentional expressions of humble appreciation.

But the experience of ghosts coming to you in your dreams is my own.

Thank you for reading! Comments are always welcome: if something made you frown or smile, or if there's a line that you really enjoyed ... feel free to drop me a line and let me know.