"..and then when Peter walked in, we all sprayed him with glitter, it was hilarious." Jessa finished her story with a giggle. Her mother was only half-listening but she was smiling and that was more than enough for the fifteen years old. "Did you go to Hogwarts, mum?"

Deidra opened her eyes slowly, "I did, yes. A long, long time ago".

Jessa straightened up from her mother's lap. "You were a Slytherin?"

"Ravenclaw." Deidra smiled and in one of those rare moments, she looked down into her daughter's eyes. "You're beautiful." It was only a whisper but Jessa heard it and her face literally brightened. She was beautiful, her daughter, so excited and spirited, it was so tragic she came late, at a time where no one had the energy to try and make life a happy place for her.

"Were you and dad friends back then?" No one ever answered Jessa's questions, but today her mother looked better, much better.

"Yeah. Best friends." Deidra smiled sadly and touched her daughter's cheek.
"He was in the first memory of my Patronus."

"How come you're always mad at each other now, then?"

Deidra sighed and sank back into the pillows.