The Marauders: Year Six #Wattys2017

Ghosts

Ghosts

The first thing Jasper really felt was the warm dampness of a cloth brushing his face, taking dirt away from his cheeks.The fog lifting from the dementors, he was still mumbling "I didn't do it" under his breath, barely a whisper. He stopped the words, his mouth dry and blinked about the room...

"Here, take a drink of water," said a voice and the cloth paused in stroking his face and he felt a cup brought to his mouth. "Drink, love, it's only water."

He sipped and gulped it all down, feeling the liquid go over cracked lips and down his parched throat. When the cup was empty, he murmured, "More?"

"Yes, yes of course... aquamenti... here you are." And the cup was back to his lips.

As he drak the second one, he found his eyes were focusing more clearly and he blinked around to find he was sitting on a bed in a room he did not recognize. Next to him, on the edge of the bed, there sat a witch with kind features - black hair and grey eyes. "Where am I?" Jasper asked.

"My name is Dora," she said, "I'm Charlus's wife... James Potter's mum. You know James, don't you? From Hogwarts?"

Jasper struggled to pull the face from his memory, it was so far bogged down by the weight of the depressive thoughts and memories the Dementors had brought forth. Finally, the face of James Potter came to him and he nodded slowly.

Dora Potter smiled.

The door opened and Mr. Potter came in then, carrying a plate with a thick roast sandwich upon it and a pile of crisps and a bottle of pumpkin juice and he carried it over to Jasper, who was suddenly aware of how famished he was and he practically lunged at the food as Charlus put the plate on his lap and began to devour it with the sort of ravenous hunger that is uncontrollable. Jasper's hands shook as he ate quickly and within minutes the food was gone and Charlus had gone for seconds.

When he'd finished eating the second sandwich and finally felt like his belly was getting full, Dora offered him a change of clothes, "Let's get you into some real pyjamas instead of these nasty rags, shall we? Or would you rather eating and have a hot bath first?"

Jasper found he just wanted to sleep, so he changed and crawled back into bed and Dora Potter tucked him in gently. He clutched the blankets and the pillows, unable to believe how incredibly soft they were, and he fell asleep quickly, his ragged breath steadying and finally falling into the gentle rhythm of sleep.

Dora and Charlus left the bedroom door open, the light in the hallway on, casting a glow across the carpet. They were in the master bedroom themselves, folding down the blankets and climbing in themselves. Charlus let out a long, low sigh as he pulled Dora into himself, hugging her shoulders. "This... this has been a day - a very long day," Charlus said as his arm curled around her and her cheek pressed to his chest.

She nodded. "It certainly has."

"How are you feeling? After this morning, with Sirius?" Charlus asked.

Dora absently ran her fingers along Charlus's collar bone. "I'm alright."

"I'm sorry I didn't warn you that he was asking," Charlus said. "Minerva had mentioned it, but she said she was taking care of it."

Dora said, "Orion's dead, there isn't much he can do anymore."

"No you're right," Charlus replied.

Dora shivered. "Do you reckon James was upset with us for not telling him?"

"I think he was too busy being excited Sirius was blood related," Charlus replied with a smile.