A/N: Hello folks, I would like to take this time to thank all of you who has stayed with me and this story, for as long as you have. I know it has been a long time since the last time I posted, and for this I do apologize. Real life hasn't really been kind to me or mine. School has been hectic and time consuming and writers block doesn't help any.
I would like to thank my beta-readers for all their wonderful help and patience; this story wouldn't even be half as good as it is. Though that isn't saying much, now is it?
So thank you all once again and I hope you enjoy this chapter and that it is worth the wait.
Jade Skywalker
Disclaimer: Alas I own nothing; most of these characters are part of the Harry Potter world. Although I do claim Jacen and Destiny as my own (Um… well minus that they are meant to be in the world of Harry Potter). You get the idea, what you recognize I don't own.
Chapter Twenty-One
The Sock Hunt
Godric's Hollow
Two Days Later
On the quiet street stands a friendly looking home with two levels. Within this home in the second room from the right of the stairs on the second floor lays things left best unknown to the adult world. For the mind of a child runs the place, which means in simple terms, the room is orderly and yet a disaster at the same time. Something only the person within the room can achieve, for everyone else it is a clean room, but nothing is where it should be. The walls are painted with three colors, blue, soft green, and of course a pale red that lines the floor boards. Some would think this to be a horrid looking room; they would have to see the way it was intricately entwined with each other to understand that this room was perfect for the single habitant of the room. Then again not much can be said about the mind of a woman, even if it is a young woman. The way their minds seem to be wired and arranged has caused many a man to become more than confused. Then again, men aren't much better mind you.
Within in this room there is a single bed, a bed that is neither small nor large, just in between. There are a few things littering the floor, but the green shag carpet is clear to see. The walls have some pictures on them, mostly of the family and some of different collectable pictures, like an enlarged chocolate frog card. There is a dresser drawer to the right of the door, which is next to an open space in the wall where the family pictures are hung. Next to the pictures is a window that is in the center of the wall. Directly across from the window, against the adjacent wall is the bed. There is another window directly at the head of the bed. On either side of the bed is a nightstand; on one resides a Muggle alarm clock. On the other nightstand resides a small personal stereo. The rest of the wall is home to a group of bookcases. Bookcases that are loaded with many different subjects, from Magical and Mythical to Muggle and Real life topics. A trait picked up from her mother and encouraged by someone who shouldn't exist, but does. In front of the books, she has different types of toys from both the Muggle and Magical world. In the corner, next to the walk in closest, are three layers of a net like object containing all sorts of stuffed animals. All of her collection of stuffed animals, of Magical and Muggle origin, is contained in these three nets, all that is, except for one. A stuffed animal in the shape of a fox, it is small and fuzzy and her most prized possession, which can be found on the bed beside the figure lying under the covers. On the other side of the door, there is a bureau with a mirror on the top and a chair that goes in the center and two drawers on either side of the chair.
As the sun starts to gain height in the morning sky; a single hazel eye opens to look at the light filtering into her room; a smile spreads hugely across her young face as she opens her other eye, eyes similar to her fathers more than her mothers. She throws the covers off of her bed and sits up, brushing her red hair out of her face as she does so. "We're going to Diagon Alley today," she says excitedly to herself, though they do visit Diagon Alley often throughout the year, these trips are always more special. When the family goes to Diagon Alley to purchase supplies for the school year, all the kids get to choose one thing to buy, within reason, and then they get to have ice cream. It has turned into a family tradition of sorts and turns out to be the greatest visit to the Alley. Then as quickly as it had appeared, her smile disappears as she remembers this will be Jacen's first year at Hogwarts. Now that Jacen is leaving, it will leave her all alone. She is afraid, he'll no longer need her in his life once he gets new friends at school, what is a sister compared to friends. In the past it has always been Jacen and herself against the world; then she shakes her head as she corrects her error. It's always been Jacen, her, and Ghost against the world, two siblings and one apparition. Though it seems as though Ghost was always there to protect the two of them, at least he has been there for as long as she can remember. She can't remember a time in her life where she never knew of Ghost. She loves her Ghost and is saddened by the fact Jacen can't see him as well. Though Jacen my not be able to see Ghost, he still believes in him. It was when Jacen finally confessed to believing, he received the surprise of his life the next time Ghost was with them; Jacen could hear him. Since that day, Jacen and herself have claimed Ghost as their brother; he lives up to the title much better than their other brother Harry.
Pushing herself off the bed Destiny slowly stands up wanting to get dressed before her mum comes to wake her up. She looks down at her bed clothes to see her favorite pair, the ones with little froggies all over them. She sighs softly in frustration as she once again has to remove her long hair out of her face. While making her way towards her closet, Destiny glances at her mirror. With that fleeting look her smile returns brighter and stronger than before. For there, propped up on the mirror is a note, a note with handwriting she has come to know very recently, a note written by none other than Ghost. For she knows no one in her living family can have that small or nearly unreadable rushed handwriting, not even her father, her mothers handwriting is perfect and clear, and Jacen is much larger, Harry's is, well lets not go there. As she turns to head towards the note, she can't help but feel giddy with anticipation and lightheartedness as she tries to guess what Ghost might want to tell her.
Hey there Dissy,
I remembered really late last night, or was it this morning, that you were going to Diagon Alley today. I also remembered what else this year means for you and Jacen.
Jacen will be fine and so will you. It will become boring, yes. How do I know you ask? Easy I got this information from Ginny many years ago.
I understand what it's like to be alone, but you need to realize you are not really alone. You have your family. Jacen will always be there for you. No matter what happens, you will always have me. Smile Half-Pint, for if you don't the world will become a much sadder place than it already is.
Remember to smile for me.
Ghost
Destiny smiles as she reads the note, her mind traveling back in time to the first time she had seen this particular handwriting. It wasn't too long ago, a year maybe two at the most.
*Begin Flashback*
"I don't care Jacen," Destiny says with a sad sigh, "Harry, will always be mean to me it's just something that has always been, you know this."
"I know Destiny," Jacen says with a sigh of his own. "I wonder what Ghost would have to say about this," he says as he drops down in the chair in the front room of the house. The two of them are currently the only ones on the first floor. Their parents are upstairs in the study, and Harry, well; they don't really care where he is as long as he isn't with them.
"I talked with him about this a little while ago, but he had to go. Something in his world wasn't right and he had to help her," Destiny informs her brother with a worried shake of her head. Though she is young she knows enough of the world and the war around her to know of the trouble and pain that comes with being alive. She learned this at a very young age.
"I don't like that Harry puts those stupid things in your room," Jacen sighs out sadly and looks to his sister as he realizes what she had just said. "Ghost is in trouble," he questions softly.
"No, SHE is in trouble," Destiny repeats with a sad shake of her head. Opening her mouth to speak again, she is interrupted by a single piece of paper floating down in front of her and her brother. The paper appeared as though out of nowhere. The two of them stand there looking at the paper with wide eyes. "Jacen, what is that doing here," Destiny questions with a loud swallow.
Jacen shakes his head in confusion, reaching out he snatches the piece of paper from the air. His hazel eyes take in the words on the paper with caution. As he reaches the end of the paper his eyes widen farther only to instantly close as he starts to shake his head, as though trying to make something disappear from his mind. Opening his eyes again he re-reads the paper again, blinking in confusion he looks up at Destiny, "Um… Destiny," he starts only to pause and clear his throat noisily. "Has Ghost ever written to you before," Jacen finally asks.
Destiny looks at Jacen with a look of confusion, "No, why," she asks unable to understand why he is asking suck a thing.
Jacen hands over the letter to his sister, "Because apparently this was written by him to tell you something he couldn't when he had to go," Jacen explains softly, his voice hoarse.
Destiny takes the paper from Jacen and reads it over herself, her eyes widen with mirth as she reads how he suggests taking care of the problem her older brother causes. As she reaches the bottom of the note, she sees something that informs her Ghost really did write this, he really did send this. He just called her Dizzy, something only Jacen and herself know about. "I like that," she says with a giggle.
*End Flashback*
Shaking her head Destiny returns her thoughts to the present. Looking down at the letter in her hand again, she smiles at the care and concern Ghost has for her. She also knows the amount of energy it takes for him to do something like this, which is why he very rarely does it.
With her smile still firmly in place, Destiny places the note back down on the dresser, where she found it a few short moments before, she returns to her business of getting dressed for the day. Ghost always seems to know what to say to make her feel better and he knows when she needs it the most. She loves the fact he writes to her now she can finally read words and sentences. It may be two years until she can go off to Hogwarts herself, but she still is the smartest Potter child. A fact her oldest brother Harry ridicules her about constantly, Jacen is silent about it, but Ghost, Ghost encourages her to be who she wants to be. He encourages her even if it means she is another bookworm in his life. Oddly enough she is a bookworm because of Ghost.
Destiny pulls out some Muggle clothing; a blue tee-shirt with the word PRINCESS printed across the front in red and has different pictures from the Disney movies just below the word, a gift from her father as he was visiting the Muggle theme park in the California for an Auror convention a few years back. The pants however, are a different matter all together. They are a red denim pair and they match the shirt. She throws them on her bed and tears off her nightdress; once again she throws them onto the mangled lump that used to be her neatly made bed. She quickly changes into her shirt and pants before starting to look for her socks. She huffs out a breath as she realizes that she once again forgot to get her socks. With a shake of her head she goes to her dresser drawers and pulls open the top drawer, her mind focused on only the drawer rather than anything else in the room. As she looks into the drawer she realizes none of her socks are in there. With a sigh she pushes the drawer closed and then goes to the next one down, knowing she had put them there a few weeks ago. Only to find out, she hadn't put them there this time. Impatiently she pushes that drawer closed as she is finally able to comprehend she should just listen to Ghost and put her socks in the same place each week, thus allowing her to know where they are at all times.
With her top lip between her teeth being kneaded absently as she tries to locate her socks, she hears the door to her room open; she looks up ready to huff at Harry or Jacen for not knocking first, only to see her mother's welcome face smiling at her. A smile crosses her face as she sees the surprise on her mother's face, knowing her mother is surprised to find her up so early in the morning and having got herself up. "Morning mum," she merrily calls out as she closes the next drawer as well, having come up empty yet again.
****
"Morning dear," Lily Potter greets her youngest child cheerfully, an amused smile crossing her own face as she realizes Destiny has yet to locate her socks. Lily Potter shakes her head as she realizes this, she stands in the open doorway just watching the amusing scene before her. Unlike her daughter, she decided to wear Wizard clothing similar to that of the Hogwarts uniform, but more adult in nature. Leaning against the door frame, Lily decides that today they have time to waste, seeing as she didn't have to wake Destiny this morning, so she has time to watch how her little girl looks for her socks. Something they normally don't have time for, so she usually points them out to Destiny long before now.
With a shake of her head in self-recrimination Destiny Potter mutters exasperatedly under her breath to herself, "I really should listen to Ghost." With snort she bends down and opens the bottom drawer. "He hasn't led me astray before, he wouldn't now," she grunts as she rolls her eyes.
Lily smiles wider at Destiny's mumbled words, knowing that Destiny doesn't realize she had spoken out loud. It took a long time for Lily to accept the fact Destiny had an imaginary friend. Then one day she received a shock she still doesn't know if she has recovered from. She remembers the first time Destiny started talking about someone she liked to call Ghost.
*Begin Flashback*
Destiny had almost been two years old when she had first started talking clearly, there were words that were clear and understandable; unfortunately one of those words was something she picked up from her father.
It was on one such occasion that Destiny had showed Lily once again what her husband had taught their youngest child. She had been cleaning out the washer when Destiny walked into the room carrying an open container filled with punch. Lily had been weary of what was about to happen, it always seems that whenever she is doing the clothes something happens, no matter what.
And this time was no different.
Destiny toddled over to her happily, only to promptly lose grip of the class she had in her hand. With a broken heart Destiny looks down at the mess she has just caused on the freshly laundered clothes only to speak words that left Lily wondering and trying with great difficulty not to laugh. "Oh shit, Khos getit," it had taken Lily another year to figure out who she had been telling that to, only to instantly figure it was an imaginary friend.
* End Flashback*
Even to this day, the memory of the first time the word Ghost slipped from Destiny's mouth causes Lily to smile at the innocent way in which her daughter had cursed. The conversation she had had with James afterwards is also a memorable one, given only to the fact that James had nearly knocked himself out after laughing so hard he hit his head on the table as he fell off of the couch.
No matter how long they knew of the presence known as Ghost, Lily never really believed it to be more than just an imaginary friend in which her daughter had seemingly needed even at such a young age. Even then Harry used to be mean to Destiny and Jacen, if anything it has gotten worse with time. The event that had solidified the truth in her mind that Ghost wasn't imaginary is fresh in her memory just as the day it had happened.
*Begin Flashback*
Lily reached up with sweaty hands and wiped the sweat from her forehead before releasing a tired sigh, this was one thing she didn't miss while working at Hogwarts. During the school year her husband helps her do the chores around the house. Unfortunately today is a rather hot and sunny August day.
Closing her eyes and leaning her head back as she takes a moment to let the tension release from her overworked muscles, her mind suddenly realizes that she hasn't heard anything for a time from any of her children. Something every mother learns to dread, children always seem to be doing what they shouldn't be doing when they are quiet.
Releasing another sigh, Lily pushes herself up off of the floor, standing on suddenly shaky legs. Making her way around the house to locate each of her children, she quickly learns that Harry is most definitely up to no good; however, Jacen seems to have fallen asleep as he was playing a video game. Something he seems to have made a habit of. Destiny on the other hand, Lily hasn't yet been able to locate.
Deciding to check the backyard, a place Harry had tried to get Destiny to become afraid of after he played a rather cruel joke on her, something that hadn't worked to Harry's liking. His trick backfired on him and instead of scaring Destiny he ended up making her laugh for nearly an hour straight.
Lily made her way to the back door fully not knowing what to expect, with a soft shrug of her shoulders she pushes the door open and steps out onto the back porch of the house. Upon stepping out of the house Lily becomes instantly fearful as she spies her youngest child on the highest part of the largest tree in the yard. A tree that is as old as the town of Godric's Hollow, if not older. However old the tree is, it is becoming weak in the upper branches, branches that are now supporting her daughter, and not very well at that.
Lily's eyes widen in horror as she hears a loud cracking sound from her position of nearly fifteen meters away from the tree. Her hand instantly goes to where she carries her wand holster, only to realize she doesn't have it on her. Taking off at a dead run, Lily is forced to watch helplessly as the branch beneath her baby girl gives out and her daughter falls to her inevitable death, as she is running, Lily is screaming Destiny's name and mentally praying to all of the Gods she knows and Merlin too, that her little girl will be alright. In her heart, Lily knew there was nothing that could be done; she was going to lose her baby girl.
With a breaking heart, as her feet take her closer to the tree at what seems to be in reverse, she watches as Destiny reaches the last part of her fall. Any moment now and death will be in her life once again. Only to stop in her tracks as Destiny is suddenly floating in mid air as though she were in someone's arms.
As Lily stands there with wide eyes, her mind instantly supplies any possible logical explanations for what it is she is seeing. It has been known in the magical world that children can have unknown spurts of magical emissions which can happen to save their lives. So this isn't something that is completely impossible, it just isn't something that happens everyday, either. What Lily can't explain away is the fact it really seems as though someone else is there.
The way Destiny is still in the air, her legs are titled up and so is her back, just as she is when James carries her off to bed or some other such thing. The fact that even though death is no longer going to happen, she is still floating in the same place. What is going on here, Lily's mind screams out in confusion. She knows something like this isn't possible, she knows this hasn't ever happened before and there is no explanation for it.
As Lily tries to figure this out, her mouth hanging open in shock, she watches as Destiny turns away from her fully and starts giggling madly, almost out of control. This act confuses Lily more, however, the next thing to come out of Destiny's mouth cemented a great deal of things for Lily, and confusion was one. "Ghost!! What are you doing?" she asks between gasping breathes. "Catching me," Destiny seems to be repeating someone's words as her feet get lowered carefully to the ground allowing her to stand on her own two feet.
Lily blinks in stunned shock as she watches this scene unfold, her mind having already come to a complete stop. Therefore when Destiny proceeds to throw herself at the thin air before her and wrapping her arms around something Lily now realizes is real and that she and the others just can't see, her thoughts are interrupted by Destiny as she proclaims with a giggle, "I love you Ghost."
*End Flashback*
From that day forward, Lily accepted Ghost as being a real friend, albeit an invisible one, and not an imaginary one. With a shake of her head she forces her thoughts back to the present. "What did Ghost tell you this time," she asks with raised eyebrows, the curiosity and mirth clear in her voice as she leans leisurely against the door frame to her daughter's room. Lily knows that Ghost has given her daughter a great deal of advice and that for the most part Destiny seems to listen, but it seems she hasn't this time for whatever reason.
"He said I should put my socks in the same place all the time," Destiny says as she all but slams the bottom drawer thoroughly disgusted that she has not found her socks yet, and heads over to her bed. "He says it'll help me in locating them," she continues as she drops to her knees and then onto her hands when she reaches the edge of the bed.
"Did he now," Lily questions with a small laugh as she watches her youngest child try and locate her socks as though they were the size of a dime and could hide anywhere. She is also highly amused at how Destiny seems to be in a right huff at being proven wrong by Ghost once again. Ghost seems to be the only one who can cause Destiny such a problem; he can get her in a right mood one moment only to send her to hysterics the next.
It had taken Lily some time to get used to having Destiny talk about Ghost as being, well, a teen age boy. A boy who is as Destiny states "He's just a boy mum, how am I supposed to describe him better for you to get a picture of how he looks. He's just a boy," only to shrug uncomprehendingly at her interested mother who doesn't have a better picture of the boy, teenager, male that has saved her daughters life. Not only doesn't Lily know what he looks like, Destiny refuses to tell her Ghost's real name. Destiny just says, "He's my Ghost."
When Destiny started talking about Ghost on a regular basis she decided to talk to Dumbledore about it, wondering if there was a magical reason this could be happening. Lily also knew that Destiny wouldn't talk to strangers about Ghost, since Dumbledore was well known around the house it was the best source of information. When Dumbledore came over for dinner one night he found it fascinating and talked with Destiny about Ghost. They talked for nearly an hour, but this could be explained away with the fact Albus Dumbledore is a child at heart himself.
After the first time he talked to Destiny, he told Lily and James that it was magical but he couldn't really tell if it was Destiny or something else. All he could truthfully say was that there was no harm in allowing her to continue to talk to her imaginary friend.
After the tree incident he proclaimed (officially) Ghost means them no harm, even though Dumbledore himself was at a loss as to why Destiny was the only one who could see or hear Ghost, but he said that since the event with the tree he could now feel a presence of someone else in the house, someone very powerful, young, and oddly enough good. Albus admitted that he has never heard of a 'haunting' of the likes of Destiny's Ghost, but not to be afraid of it and not to discourage Destiny from talking to or about Ghost, he even went so far as to suggest they ask Destiny about Ghost.
Shortly after watching her daughter being saved by some strange entity that she could not hear nor see, Lily wasn't sure she wanted to have this entity hanging around her children. What if he did something to hurt them? Is he trustworthy for her children to be around? So many questions running around in her mind, she just didn't know what to think or to do. So she decided to wait on any decision knowing this entity has been with them for longer than she knows, she decided to see what this 'Ghost' really did to and with her daughter. Lily finally took the time to listen to what her daughter was telling her about her friend. This is another thing that showed her Ghost is real, and she would have known sooner that she did, was the advice he gives to Destiny. Lily remembers one day just after Destiny had come home from the library with an arm full of books she was excited to read, only to have Harry make fun of her for being a Bookworm and a Know-It-All.
*Begin Flashback*
"You're a know-it-all-bookworm," Harry shouted out with a menacing laugh as he ripped the book away from his little sister. "No one's going to like you, you will be all alone," he taunted the little girl as tears started rolling down her cheeks. "Go on," Harry nearly screamed at Destiny unknowing that his parents had just arrived to see this scene. "Go cry to mummy and tattle on me for speaking the truth you little know-it-all-brat," he threatened in a low and vicious voice. Without waiting for him to say anything else, Destiny took off at a run up the stairs; her sobs could be heard until her door slammed closed. "That was just too easy," Harry laughed victoriously as he started to rub his hands together, pleased with his result. That is until his parents made themselves known, and he was grounded for a month with quite a list of chores to do, none of them pleasant.
Lily had left her eldest son not too long after, hoping to be able to help Destiny understand that it's okay to be who you are, no matter what anyone else thinks or says. Trying to mentally prepare herself for the conversation she knows is about to come, the tears she will have to sooth, the pain of a broken heart that her own brother could say such cruel things, and things unimaginable to adults. Lily realizes there is no way that she can ever prepare herself for the coming conversation, but she wouldn't hand it off to someone else for the world, she loves her daughter.
As she approached the door to Destiny's room, Lily pauses as she takes a deep breath, only to pause as she hears laughter from the other side of the door. Blinking in surprise she gently knocks on the door, wondering all the while what is going on here. "Come in mum," Destiny calls out further surprising her mother.
Lily opened the door to find Destiny sitting on the top of her bed looking back at her, a smile gracing her young face. "Hello dear," Lily says as she makes her way into the room and sits down on the end of the bed. "How are you," she asks wondering why she doesn't have to hold her daughter as she cries once again about how Harry has treated her.
"Oh, I'm alright mum," little Destiny says with a beaming smile.
"We heard what Harry said," Lily said wondering if her daughter was trying to hide the truth from her, if Destiny was scared what Harry would do to her if she told.
"I know, Ghost saw you before he came up here to talk with me," Destiny says with a dismissing shrug of her shoulders.
"He did," Lily questions in shock, she still isn't used to having Destiny talk so freely about her friend.
"Yeah, he told me people like Harry get off on other people's pain. He also told me it doesn't matter if I read or not, if I like to learn or not, there are people who will love me no matter what I do or become. Ghost told me his best friend is a Bookworm and he has since become one himself, but wouldn't change a thing and he wouldn't want me to change either. Ghost doesn't mind having two know-it-all-bookworms in his life and is in fact honored to know two people who are able to save his sorry butt one day," she explains with a small laugh at the last part. Destiny knows who Ghost is talking about, but she hasn't ever shared this information with anyone else before. Truthfully she hopes her mother doesn't catch that little slip-up.
Lily sighs in relief as she finds Ghost explanation a good one, one that a child could better understand. Better than anything she could have come up with herself, with such short notice.
*End Flashback*
"Yes," Destiny says as she pokes her head under her bed looking for her offending socks. "If he were here now he would be smirking at me rather than laughing like you," Destiny says exasperatedly, as she is once again unable to locate her socks once again. Pulling her head out from under the bed Destiny looks over at her mother, her red hair going in all different directions, Lily can see the look of frustration in her daughter's eyes, she knows Destiny is getting tired of not being able to find her socks, something that should normally be easy to do.
"Would he now," Lily say knowing that asking open ended questions is the best way to keep her daughter talking about Ghost, her curiosity about a figure, a person she has never met rising more and more with each passing day.
"Yes," Destiny says as she starts to crawl from the side of the bed she is currently on to the other side.
"Why is that," Lily questions softly not really understanding why this seems important but is curious just the same. Lily continues to watch her daughter from her place by the door as she shifts from one side of the door frame to the other.
"Ghost hardly ever laughs; his life has made it so laughter doesn't come freely to him. He does however try to get everyone else to laugh," Destiny says as she shakes her head as she looks at the shirt she had tossed on the floor last night as she was going to bed. She pauses in her crawling to pick up the shirt and toss it over her shoulder as though that is helping to clean her room. "Ghost says laughter is one of the best things in life," she finishes as she continues to search for her very illusive socks.
"One of," Lily asks wondering about the comment about how laughter doesn't come freely to Ghost, her voice sounds almost distant as she tries to place this piece of puzzle with all the others she has picked up about Ghost over the years. As she asks this question Lily fully realizes how much Ghost has influenced her daughter's life and she finds herself very grateful to him and is saddened once again by the fact she can never express this thanks.
"Love, trust, and family are some of the others he considers to be very important," Destiny says matter-of-factly from her position on all fours from the floor having finally reached the other side of her mangled bed.
"Smart Ghost," Lily says honestly with a nod of her head. She has come to understand that though she can never meet this Ghost, she is honored to get to know him through her daughter.
"Very," Destiny's muffled voice floats to her from under the bed once again. "Though he hardly ever laughs, I think I remember actually hearing him laugh once," she pauses in thought, "Maybe twice," she admits sadly as though only to herself. "And I can't help but feel as though something's wrong," she says deep in thought, trying to figure out why Ghost hasn't been acting as he's always does, as she pulls her head out from under the bed and looks over the top of her bed and at her very amused mother. Destiny shakes her head as though trying to dismiss the feeling of wrongness as she stands up and heads back over to the closet to continue her search.
"What do you mean," Lily asks worriedly. She takes a moment to look around the room to see if she can spot these illusive socks. Only for her eyes to fall onto the chest of drawers, simply to just to shake her head with a slight smile at what she sees there.
"Well normally, Mione helps him with his dreams, but it seems she isn't able too lately," Destiny's worried disembodied voice answers slowly. "Our family isn't helping him either," she continues oblivious to her words, her voice sounding odd as she talks from within the closet. "I don't understand why Mione isn't helping, she always helps," Destiny says as she steps out of the closet and looks over at her mother sadly.
Lily, however, takes notice of her daughter's choice of words, "Family," she asks stunned and very confused.
"Family of the heart mum, not of the blood," Destiny corrects her mistake as she realizes how her mother might have taken what she had said. All of her family doesn't know Ghost so how can they be expected to help. She has been listening to Ghost all this time so she doesn't really think about it anymore, family is family no matter how it has come to be.
"Do you know them," Lily asks with utmost curiosity, wondering if her daughter has picked up more ghosts, more friends. And is thoroughly surprised to find she isn't worried. For she knows on some fundamental level, that simply boggles her mind, from the depth of her soul she feels she can trust Ghost and anyone Ghost is friends or even family with can't be too bad either.
Destiny looks away from her mother, "No," she says as she continues her quest to find her socks. "I've never talked with them, never met them or anything," she explains as she continues to look. "Ghost just talks about them, for example I know Mione isn't her real name, but I can't pronounce it so Ghost told me never to never tell her about his nick name for her and ever since I call her Mione," she explains as she makes her way over to her book case, looking on top of the books to see if her socks are there or not.
"But you called them your family," Lily asks quietly not wanting to stop her daughter from giving her more information about her Ghost, as she shifts from one side of the door frame back to the other. She has learned more about Ghost during this single conversation than she has in all the years Ghost has been part of their lives. Destiny doesn't usually like to talk about Ghost because of Harry, she is reluctant to give any information out in fear of that information getting to her oldest brother, who would then turn it around and use it against her. Destiny knows her parents won't tell anyone, but years of dealing with Harry have trained her to be very careful.
"Ghost is my brother, my family, therefore they are too," Destiny states matter-of-factly though a small smile can be seen as she continues to search for her socks on the floor and the bookcases in her room. "Just as Ghost says I'm part of his family and by extension so are you," she says honestly as she looks at the ceiling of her room as though somehow her socks would be hiding up there, just out of her reach.
"I wish I could meet him," Lily whispers softly, seemingly to one but herself.
"Where are my socks," Destiny questions loudly as though demanding the room to give her their location. Lily watches as Destiny nearly jumps out of her skin in shock, "GHOST!" she yelps as she whips around to look, according to Lily, at nothing. Destiny puts her hands on her hips and glares into the nothingness in front of her. "It isn't nice to scare people like that," Destiny growls out at the new intruder.
Lily watches as her daughter speaks to thin air, yet she feels within her heart her daughter is speaking with someone, someone who it seems is family, she just can't see him. "And just what is it you think you are smirking at," Destiny question as her eyes trace something Lily wishes with all her heart she could see.
Lily watches in amusement as Destiny's eyes pointedly follow someone over to the chest of drawers. "Yes I am looking for my socks," Destiny points out offended, knowing she is about to be teased about misplacing them once again. "I already looked in there," Destiny says as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. Destiny blinks in question, "What do you mean, 'what about on,' why would I…," she starts to ask but stops abruptly when she realizes her socks are in fact on TOP of the chest of drawers which she had looked IN a few minutes ago. Destiny huff out a breath of exasperation as she sees her socks so plainly in clear sight, "I know you told me so," she says with a shake of her head at what she's being told, her hands drop limply to her sides as she has lost this argument once again. Deflated Destiny makes her way over to the chest of drawers.
With a hand covering her mouth to hide her laughter, Lily watches as a smile crosses her daughter's face. When she had first come into her daughter's room to wake her she had thought she knew what to expect from her daughter. She knows what today means to Destiny, she knows and can understand how Destiny has been feeling about it. She knows Destiny is worried her older brother Jacen will forget about her when he leaves for Hogwarts on September first, something Lily has been trying to sooth her daughter's fears about for awhile now. So to walk into the room to find her daughter not only mostly dressed but also in a good mood was somewhat of a surprise, and she can't help but wonder what Ghost had said to help whereas she, herself, has failed to do so.
"You're impossible Ghost, you know that right," Destiny says exasperatedly as she tries to throw a glare in the direction Lily can only assume is where Ghost is. "Yes I got it," Destiny says as her voice and glare softens considerable. "Do you believe what you wrote," Destiny asks smiling softly, hopefully, and Lily's eyes widen in comprehension at that. Destiny has never said anything about Ghost writing to her.
Destiny's smile widens at the response she received from Ghost, "I know he loves me, but you promise he won't forget me," she asks almost pleadingly, her smile instantly slipping from her face, her eyes start to fill with tears once again at the thought of Jacen forgetting her. A moment of silence follows this statement and Lily's heart goes out to her daughter but she knows that if she were to interfere now Ghost would leave to allow her to try and help, to try and keep from interfering with Destiny's and her relationship.
"No, you would never lie to me," Destiny rushes to say, insisting she would never distrust one of the few people in the world she trusts more than anything. "What do I do," Destiny questions sadly in response to what Ghost had said. "That I can do," she says with a relieved smile.
"What," Lily asks curiously, unable to stop herself.
"Love him," Destiny answers her mother distantly, as she still looks at where Ghost is. Destiny's eyes furrow in concern, "Are you okay," she asks concernedly to the emptiness she is looking at. "Then why don't you sleep," Destiny asks in a worried voice. "Well where is Mione, why isn't she there helping you," she almost demands.
"What do you mean you are no longer in the same place as her," Jacen's voice questions worriedly, causing both Destiny and Lily to jump. Destiny looks over at her brother quickly, throwing a glare his way as he leans on the opposite side of the door frame than his mother, before returning her gaze back to Ghost.
Lily looks down at her son in shock; she hadn't known he could hear Ghost. She absently notes he is dressed in jeans and a plain t-shirt which enhances eyes that he had gotten from his father. Lily once again remembers with a slight pain that none of her children have inherited her eyes, they are all James' eyes and except for her daughter, his hair and eyesight as well. Lily shakes her mind out it's reverie and looks at her son in question only to receive a shrug in response right before Jacen looks at Destiny and then to where she is looking, a sad look crossing his eyes once again at not being able to see Ghost as Destiny can.
"And the dreams," Destiny inquires worriedly, knowing what the dreams mean for Ghost, as she ignores the happenings between her mother and brother.
"What did you do," Jacen queries after a moment his brow furrowed in thought as though thinking what he would do in the same circumstances as Ghost.
"The right thing," Destiny says seeming to be repeating something that has been said, the confusion clear in her voice.
Lily watches as her two children listen to an explanation she wishes she could hear. From what she can see in their eyes and on their faces, Ghost's words are making a really good impression on her two youngest children. She smiles as she watches them raise their eyebrows in question to something they have been told.
"She didn't say that," Jacen says disbelievingly, unable to understand how it is she could have said what she had to Ghost. After a moment Jacen nods his head in understanding as he listens to a voice only him and his sister can hear.
"So just because it is the hard thing to do, you should still do it?" Destiny questions curiously, trying to clarify what Ghost is telling them.
"Where were you when Harry needed to learn that," Jacen asks more seriously than Lily has ever seen Jacen ever act before. Yet, she would more than likely agree with whatever it was that Ghost had said.
"Let me get this straight," Destiny says looking deep in thought, "I should do the right thing at all times," she says in question.
"Even if it is the hardest thing to do," Jacen finishes for her, his tone distant as though he is thinking of some deeper meaning than Lily can figure out, having only heard only half of the conversation.
"Ghost," Destiny says with concern obvious in her tone of voice. "You had better get going," she states as though she knows something no one else does. "No," Destiny nearly laughs out, "I'm not trying to throw you out," she says unable to stop a slight giggle from slipping passed. "Why," she questions incredulously, "Because you're starting to fade," she points out and then all of a sudden both Jacen and Destiny start to giggle causing Lily to become more confused than she had been throughout this entire conversation.
"Bye Ghost," Jacen calls out trying to contain his chuckling.
With a smile on her young face Destiny giggles out honestly, "Bye Ghost, love you."
"We will," Jacen promises.
After a second or two of silence Destiny turns around to face her brother and mother, a smile still lingering on her face, then she looks over at her 'found' pile of socks. Snatching a pair she shrugs to herself as she heads back to her closet to grab a pair of shoes, only to sit down on the bed to put them on. Lily turns to Jacen as he watches his little sister make her rounds around the room.
"Why didn't you ever tell me you could hear Ghost," Lily asks softly, not wanting him to think she is upset with him.
Jacen looks up at her and starts to blush in embarrassment, "It was a secret for Destiny and me," he admits truthfully. "Besides I haven't really had a chance to tell you without Harry around," he rushes to add as she was about to comment.
Lily sighs as she hears this, "Can you see him as well," she asks and he shakes his head no in response. "Does he write to the both of you," Lily asks after a moment to think about this revelation.
Jacen smiles at this, "Sometimes he does," he admits. "He tries not to do it very often, it tires him out terribly," he explains to his mother just as Destiny jumps off the bed and makes her way over to the pair.