𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑢𝑝𝑜𝑛 𝑎 𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑚 \\ 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗷. 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿

𝐿𝑋𝑉.

— ✩ ☽ ✩ —

𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙞𝙭𝙩𝙮-𝙛𝙞𝙫𝙚

— ✩ ☽ ✩ —

HARRY NEEDED TO go to the Dursleys, and then he wanted to go off on his own. When he pitched the idea to Caroline, she thought it would be good for him. Harry had half expected her to demand him to stay, but Caroline knew beyond the smile he put on for her, he was struggling from Sirius's death. He needed to have some time alone before school started, and Caroline was fine with that.

It was the first week of August that they came to this decision, and Harry left the day after. "You'll write to me, tell me where you are?" Caroline asked, her and Harry standing in the doorway. He had already said goodbye to Remus and Tonks. She gripped his jacket, looking into his eyes.

Harry nodded. "Promise. When are you going to Ron's?" he questioned, having known since the beginning of summer that Caroline was staying with the Weasley's before school.

"Last two weeks before term. I'll see you at school?" Caroline said, trying to mask her sadness, but Harry saw right through her.

He drew her into a tight hug, arms wrapped around her waist. "If something happens with your parents, I'll come back. Just tell me." Harry said quietly, and Caroline nodded. She kissed him and he smiled, grabbing his belongings and leaving Remus and Tonks's house.

        Caroline was bored. She knew she would be, but it had only been two days. Tonks took her to visit her father. It wasn't a fun summer activity, but she hadn't seen him in a few days. They walked through the corridors, nurses saying hello as Caroline passed. "I'll wait out here. Take your time." Tonks said, patting Caroline's shoulder. It tingled, but it didn't really hurt.

Nodding, Caroline shook out her trembling hand, the twitch not stopping. Caroline pushed the door to her father's room open, and she saw progress. He had a little color back in his face. It wasn't much, but it was enough. Caroline sat in her chair, holding her dad's hand as a nurse came in, checking on him. No significant change from the other day. She talked to him as she always did, hoping he could hear her.

Caroline didn't fully realize that Andy Jones wasn't breathing until the monitor started going off. She stood up, lost, confused. She didn't know how to help him. "Dad?" Caroline said, tears pricking her eyes. "Tonks! Tonks, get a nurse!" Caroline shouted, and Tonks instantly threw the door open, her face falling in shock as she saw Andy's monitor indicating that his heart wasn't beating.

Tonks yelled for a doctor and two rushed in, wands raised as they went to Andy's side. "Carol, come here." Tonks said, pulling Caroline out of the room.

Caroline was in too much shock to argue, and they watched from outside the room as the witches and wizards who practiced magical medicine tried to save her father, but they failed. When they lowered their wands and switched off the monitor, Caroline snapped back to life. "Dad? Dad! Don't stop, help him!" Caroline shouted, tears falling down her face as she tossed the door open.

One of the doctors turned to her sadly as Tonks walked up to Caroline, holding her shoulders. "I'm so sorry, Caroline. We did all we could. He's not in pain anymore." the wizard tucked his wand away and left the room.

Caroline knew that her father had been suffering for so long. She had been preparing for this since Christmas. Andy Jones knew how much his daughter loved him, and that was enough. She was sad and angry of course, but she was ready. He wasn't in pain, so she wasn't either. Caroline knew her father wouldn't want her to be sad anymore. For almost eight months, she had been sad, and now she was just grateful for the time they had together. Their last words were happy, their last holiday spent laughing and smiling and hugging. Andy Jones was able to have children of his own, and he picked her. He chose her, he loved her. Andrew Scott Jones was Caroline's father, and he was the best.