GINGERSNAPS

76. From The Ashes

Olivia heaved in a breath instantly coughing at the floating ashes.

Cough after cough making her bend over. "It's fine, just coughing up a lung here. I'm fine, don't worry about me." Olivia gasped out sarcastically.

Madam Pomfrey who was standing by her desk came running, and poured a glass of water handing it to Olivia.

Olivia accepted it and glupped down the entire contents, handing it back to the witch. She smacked her lips a couple times and then looked to the crowd of people that still hadn't moved an inch except for Sirius who knelt on the floor. They all had wide eyes staring at her.

She furrowed her brow, "Whats going on? Who died?" She joked chuckling but when she seen the looks on their faces her laughter faded. "Oh gosh did someone die!" She said panicked.

Remus and Charlie let go of Snape and everyone came to the edge of her bed. Fred and George had tears down their matching faces. Snape sank onto the foot of her bed sitting down, his head in his hands.

Remus picked up Sirius from the floor and we're hugging each other. Charlie came around and took the chair next to her bed.

Olivia seen across the room Ginny and Ron were in beds. Ginny had a hand clasped over her mouth, and Ron just kept shutting his eyes pinching his arm, and then opening them back up like he was dreaming.

Harry took the sit on the other side of her bed. Dumbledore stood at the foot of her bed, and patted a hand on her Dads back.

"Ollie," Dumbledore said clearing his throat. "It was you. You died."

"I DIED!?!" Olivia shouted, her eyes popped out, she looked around to everyone nodding in agreement. She looked down at her body the bed was coated in ashes, along with her legs and pillow. "AND DID YOU USE ME AS AN ASH TRAY AFTER I KICKED THE BUCKET?"

Dumbledore pressed his lips together, the faintest of a smirk on his face. George huffed out a laugh, that caused everyone to chuckle.

Olivia just looked at them like they were crazy. When the laughter died out, Dumbledore cleared his throat again.

"No, we did not use you as an ash tray, Ollie." He said shaking his head. He looked down to the ashes she sat in. "If I had to guess, that it was because of you being in your animagus form of a phoenix-"

"Which is mental, by the way!" Said Harry

"And the love you had in your heart for Sirius, that when you sacrificed yourself, those two things combined, you was able to basically rise from the ashes." Finished Dumbledore with a soft smile.

Olivia looked to where Sirius was being held up by Remus, tears rolling down his face. "And don't let it happen again." He said pointedly.

"I go where I am needed, and I was needed to be right in front of you." Olivia simply said crossing his arms.

"No! What you need is to live! What would we have done without you?" Said Sirius standing up on his own finally.

"What would Harry have done without you!" Olivia argued back. Her voice softened as she said, "He needed you more than he needed me." Her lip began to quiver.

Harry picked up her hand. "Well, now we won't have to find out who I needed more. I have you both and I'd like that to stay that way." He said to her.

Olivia blew, fighting the tears threatening to spill over. She felt someone grab her other hand, and seen that it was a tear stain faced Charlie. He smiled softly at her.

A moment passed and Madam Pomfrey sent them away. The nurse helped Olivia to the bathing chamber attached to the room next to her office. While Olivia bathed and changed, her bed sheets were switched for clean ones.

In new pajamas, she climbed into bed and covered up. Everyone waited outside the room, Madam Pomfrey allowed only Snape in while she got settled in.

He took the sit that Harry had sat in. Olivia spoke first. "Dad-"

"You promised. You promised to be safe, and then I find out you died!" Snape scolded her.

"I know."

"You were supposed to be at St. Mungos. You weren't suppose to go to the Ministry. I tried everything I could to help Harry. I kept my promise to take care of him. I contacted Black! I hunted the forest for him! I made sure the Order went after him! And you... you died." Snape told her.

"I know." Was all she could say. "It's the only promise I'll ever break. But you can't expect me to sit around while there is a war, Dad. I plan to fight. And I'm sorry, but the world isn't safe. But I'm gonna try to do everything I can to make it that way."

Snape listened to her. He took in her words, and blew. "Okay." He said accepting that he couldn't keep her out of danger.

"Okay?" Olivia asked.

Snape nodded, "Okay." Olivia smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck.

She took a deep breath in, smelling the scent of iron and herbs. "I love you, Dad." She said in a hushed voice.

Snape, for the first time, wrapped his arms around her too, he held the back of her head with one hand. His heart tighten at her words. "I love you, Olivia." He whispered back.

They pulled apart and the door opened up and everyone came back inside gathering around her bed.

Dumbledore stood in front of her. "There's an important matter to be discussed." He said looking at Olivia, she nodded her head.

"What important matter?" Said Charlie sitting back in his seat taking her hand to hold again.

"Oh Charlie, isn't it obvious?" Olivia said patting his cheek.

Charlie wasn't the only one with a confused look on his face.

She turned to face Dumbledore, looking only him in the eye. Olivia smiled and said, "We're going to fake my death."