„What can I get you two ladies?"
Dominique tried to hid her smile while the barista behind the counter tried not to stare too hard.
„I'll take a vanilla latte, please. And you, Vic?"
Victoire shrugged while studying the Café's card at the wall slowly, before deciding to go with her sister's decision.
„I'll take the same."
The boy with the name tag that read ‚STEVEN' nodded cheerfully.
„Coming right up. Why don't you sit down already, I'll bring your drinks to you."
The girls nodded and sat down on a small table behind some plants.
„I didn't even know there was a Café here.", Victoire commented, looking around the shop. It was a small place, hidden behind the mall.
Dominique grinned. „I figured. Not many people come here, that's why I like it so much."
Victoire hummed and wanted to say something else, when Steven arrived with their drinks.
He put the two cups carefully on the table and pushed one of them in front of Dominique, and the other one in front of her sister.
„Sweet.", Victoire commented on the heart made out of cocoa powder on her drink. Steven just shrugged, and if he was blushing, he didn't make it that obvious.
„So, I have seen you around here a lot", he said, looking at Dominique. „But I would have remembered you, if I had met you before." His gaze fell on the blonde girl across from Dominique.
„It's the first time I come here", Victoire admitted, an amused smile on her face. „That's why you've never seen me, I'd say."
Steven rested his arm on the back of her chair and tilted his head to the side.
„And, do you like it?"
Dominique watched the exchange with a small smile on her lips, her sister was looking up to the guy and nodded.
„So far I like it, yes."
The dark haired barista nodded satisfied and shift from one foot to another.
Suddenly, they were interrupted by a loud melody and vibration. Victoire made an apologizing face and grabbed her phone out of her bag. „Sorry, I gotta take this."
She looked at the display and raised her eyebrows, before answering the call.
„Hello?…Yes, this is she."
Dominique watched her sister listening carefully to the person on the other line; her face becoming happier with each word spoken apparently.
„Really? Thank you! Thank you so much."
She was ecstatic when she put her phone down and her blue eyes were shining with joy.
„That was the admission officer from the University in Bath! I got in! Oh my god, I got in!", she announced cheerfully.
Dominique's eyes widened and she let out an amazed laugh. „Oh my god, Vic, that's amazing! Congratulations!"
She knew how much Victoire wanted to get into that university, she had had her applications ready since January. And now, only a month after she graduated, she was accepted.
Victoire was still smiling when she grabbed her phone again.
„Oh my god, I have to tell Teddy."
She was pressing a few buttons, before she held the phone to her ear, obviously awaiting an answer, missing the shocked look her sister was giving her.
Only when the woman on the line told her the number she had called was not available, her expression changed.
Dropping the phone, Victoire gasped and put her hands over her mouth, her eyes wide and starting to fill with tears. She pushed her chair back and got quickly up, before she fled the cafe.
Steven, who was still standing at their table, stared after her, obviously very confused. „What just happened?"
Dominique just shook her head and opened her mouth to explain, but decided against it. She pulled out a bill from her purse and put it on the table.
„I'm really sorry.", she said with a small smile and quickly followed her sister out of the building.
It didn't take long before she found her, as she had apparently only made it around the corner before breaking down. She was leaning against the wall, her face red and tear streamed. She had her eyes closed, but there were still tears coming out of her eye lids. Dominique approached her sister with slow steps and put her hand on her shoulder.
„Hey", she said soothingly as she stood next to her. The elder girl was sobbing silently. „Vic, hey." Dom brushed some of her sister's blonde hair from her face. „It's alright, Vic."
But Victoire's sobs only grew louder and suddenly she fell into her younger sister's arms and buried her face in her shoulder. Dominique quickly put her arms around her sister, glad to be able to comfort her in a situation like this. It hurt to see that her, her strong, proud, older sister, was still hurting that much. It had been five months since Teddy had died, and she had still not found closure. A part of Dominique wondered if she ever would. A big lump formed in her throat and the tears started to prickle in her own eyes. Quickly pulling herself together, she stroked her sister's back and kissed her light hair.
„Shh, shh.", she murmured. „It's going to be fine, I promise. You're going to be fine. I'm here for you." A single tear made it's way down her right cheek as Dominique continued to hold her older sister in her arms.
Harry could hear Ginny calling him down for dinner, but pretended he didn't. He didn't feel like eating right now. Ginny would understand, she always did, even when he didn't deserve it.
Sighing, he lied back down on the bad, facing the ceiling again. He heard his three children running down the stairs, and then chairs being pushed back. Ginny knew he wasn't going to come down tonight, not after the nightmare he had last night. It had been weeks since he had had the last one, and he had been fine since then. But now he felt like before, the guilt eating him alive. Like he could sleep for days without getting up. So he lay there, hearing his family enjoying dinner downstairs, plates moving, knives and forks rattling.
„Oh my god, get over yourself."
Harry sat up immediately, eyes wide, and mouth hanging open. Across from him, at the door stood Teddy, arms crossed.
„T-teddy?"
He looked like he always did, sandy brown hair falling into his eyes, wearing one of his plain sweaters.
He made a few steps into the room and stood before his godfather.
„What is it with you? You pretend like you're the one who's dead!"
Harry swallowed, still in shock after seeing someone who he thought he would never see again.
„How can you…what?"
Teddy shook his head and sat down next to the man.
„Uncle Harry, why are you not downstairs? Aunt Ginny made dinner, you should be with your family. Why are you here?"
Harry's eyes started to fill with tears.
„I…I can't…", he stated, reaching out a hand to touch the boy next to him. This couldn't be real, Teddy was dead. He had been for five months now. So why could he touch his cheek now? Feel the warmth in them?
„This is a dream, Uncle Harry.", Teddy said.
„I know", he answered without removing his hand. „I don't care."
Teddy smiled one of his famous half-smiles that Lily had always adored so much.
„You need to stop blaming yourself for something you had no control over."
Harry shook his head and removed his hand, as it started to shake now.
„But I did, didn't I? If I hadn't brought up the topic, we wouldn't have fought and-"
„If, would, could? You can't know for sure, maybe I would have gotten hit by the car anyway? I'm the one who ran on the street without looking first! Not you."
„But maybe-"
Teddy cut him off again, this time more stern.
„No! Look, I know I didn't say it often, but you know how much I loved you guys, right. Especially you." He smiled gratefully. „You were like the father I never could have. And I'm more than thankful for that."
Harry let out a sob.
„I miss you."
Teddy looked at him with sad eyes.
„I know. I do, too. But they're still with you. And they need you more than I do now."
Harry wiped away his tears and nodded.
„I know, I just-"
„It's okay. They know. But you have to be yourself again. Start taking care of them, and yourself too."
Harry took a deep breath, before he finally said what he always wanted to say since that day.
„I'm so sorry."
Teddy laughed quietly.
„I know, but like I said. It's not your fault. Stop blaming yourself. Go downstairs. Have dinner. And eat a portion for me too, will you?"
Harry just laughed before he felt himself being shaken.
„Daddy!"
Green eyes fluttered open.
„Daddy, dinner is ready!"
Lily was standing over him, a small smile on her thin lips.
Harry sat up and nodded.
„Alright, sweetie, I'll be right downstairs. Go ahead."
Lily grinned and did as she was told, while Harry stood up; slowly looking around the room, but finding nothing that indicated that somebody had been in here while he
was asleep.
Smiling satisfied, and feeling more peaceful than he had in months, he followed his daughter out the room and joined his family at dinner.