Written for Round 7 of Season 2 of the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition for the Falmouth Falcons as Beater 1.

Prompts: (1) happy, (13) all dialogue

Disclaimer: No money was made.

Word count: ~1,300

A/N: I've been thinking about doing an all dialogue fic for a while now...and I guess this just kinda fit?

Non-magical!AU (kinda - none of the characters have any magical abilities but that doesn't mean magic and the supernatural don't exist)

.x.x.

"Mr Potter, have a seat."

"Doctor…er…Dumbledore?"

"Lemon drop?"

"Er…no thank you."

"…"

"Er…Doctor?"

"Yes?"

"I think…I think I'm…I've been seeing things lately and…and…is that strange? Am I going mad?"

"We all see things, Harry."

"No, but, I mean, things I shouldn't be seeing."

"What do you mean?"

"Well about…about a week ago—last Tuesday—I started seeing…seeing…well, I guess ghosts…and they just…just keep following me around."

"And do these ghosts talk to you? Tell you to do things?"

"No. They're kind of just…there. I haven't been…I mean, I've been trying to avoid them."

"And how do you know they're ghosts?"

"They're…they're my…my parents."

"So you recognize the two figures?"

"…Wait…can you…can you see them too?"

"Of course not, Harry, my boy. These apparitions are purely your own. I can no more see them as you can see mines."

"Yours? Do you…do you have ghosts, too?"

"We all have ghosts, Harry, some more real than others."

"But, I don't understand. Why did they appear now? Why couldn't I see them before?"

"Well, what happened to you last week Tuesday?"

"I…my…My boyfriend…he gave me a ring last week."

"And you are not happy about it."

"No! I am happy! I mean, Draco's great. He's always…just…I guess this just wasn't what I'd expected."

"Disappointed?"

"No! Maybe…a little bit, yeah. But…I thought…I thought he would propose. But it was just the ring. A ring. Haha…it wasn't even that nice a ring."

"Is that the ring?"

"Er…yeah. It's a bit ugly, isn't it?"

"To each their own."

"He did it to annoy me. He knows I hate gaudy things like these but he'll get them for me anyway."

"You must like it somewhat for you to be wearing it now."

"I wouldn't say I like it. But it's the closest I've gotten to what I wanted."

"Does he know what it is you want?"

"No, I mean, we've never actually talked about it…this."

"Why don't you talk to him about it?"

"I don't know…maybe it's too soon…wait…is that…do you think this…the ring…has something to do with the ghosts?"

"I can't answer that, Harry. Only you know the answer. It seems our session is almost up here. But why not think about it? Maybe talk to him about what you want—how you feel—and come back next week."

"Doctor?"

"Yes?"

"Do you really think that? You don't think I'm mad, do you?"

"I think you're under a bit of stress. Take a moment to think over what it is you want from your relationship with Mr Malfoy and we can talk more about it next week."

.x.x.

"Harry! Have a seat. Lemon drop?"

"Er…no thanks."

"Hmm…suit yourself."

"…So…er…Doctor…I thought about what you said last week."

"Yes?"

"And I'm not sure. I mean, we've been together two years, and it isn't the first time he's given me something like this, and it isn't even a really nice ring…I mean, he probably hates the thing as much as I do, and I have no idea why I'm still wearing it, and—"

"Breathe, Harry."

"…Sorry."

"No need to apologize. Now, why don't you tell me about the ring? And you can calm down a bit."

"Oh, well…there isn't really much to tell. He said he found it somewhere…he didn't really mention where though."

"You said he'd hate it as much as you, so why do you think he got it for you?"

"That's…that's something we do, sometimes, actually. He'll get me things he thinks I'll hate—like this ring—and I'll get him something equally horrid in return—like a baseball cap."

"And you often get each other gifts you both dislike?"

"Well, yeah. Then we both wear it and see who gives in first. I guess it's because we used to always compete, back when we were kids, and it just kind of carried over."

"Have you known Mr Malfoy a long time then?"

"We grew up together. Kind of. We've been arguing since we were eleven."

"That's a rather long time."

"Yes."

"And yet you still think it's too soon?"

"Well, I mean, my friends…Ron and Hermione dated for nearly seven years before they got married and they've known each other for much longer before that. Draco and I…we've only been together for two years."

"You can't base your relationship around someone else's. The question is whether you feel it's too soon or not."

"I…I don't know."

"Why not think it over some more and we'll speak again next week?"

.x.x.

"Doctor, I've thought about it and I don't think it's too soon."

"No?"

"Yeah. I mean, I…I do love him. And I want to settle down one day. And it would be great if it were with Draco, I think."

"Good."

"But Doctor, I don't get it. Why am I still seeing the ghosts?"

"Do you see them always? Or only some of the time?"

"Always. They follow me wherever I go. I can't seem to catch a break. Even after having thought about what the ring meant and why I might have been upset about it, I still can see them. And…and…they've grown in number."

"Grown in number?"

"There's more of them…er…I mean…now my godfather…he's with them, too."

"May I see the ring?"

"Sure."

"Have you tried taking it off since?"

"No."

"…"

"…Does…do you think that has something to do with it?"

"Perhaps."

"Doctor?"

"What an interesting mark on it. Too bad for that crack."

"Yeah. It was cracked when he gave it to me."

"…"

"Doctor?"

"Yes, Harry?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Obviously, you've just done so. But why not ask another?"

"You said in our first session that you also saw ghosts…who do you see?"

"…My sister."

"Sister?"

"And my mother and father."

"So…I'm not mad?"

"Harry, I think we're all just a little mad. But it's how we deal with the madness that makes all the difference. After all, life is just a little bit mad, don't you think?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, I think that about wraps up our session. I think you've gotten yourself right where you need to be. I don't think we need any further sessions, do you?"

"But what about the ghosts?"

"I think removing the ring for a while will do the trick."

"Are…are you sure?"

"If putting on the ring caused the visions, then taking it off seem to be the most logical solution, don't you think?"

"I guess…"

"Well, then…"

"Doctor? How did you know his name?"

"Whose name?"

"Draco's. You called him Mr Malfoy even though I don't think I've ever mentioned it before. I've…I've been wondering about it…"

"…Goodbye, Harry."

.x.x.

"Can I help you, sir?"

"I'm sorry, but I'm looking for a Dr Dumbledore?"

"Dr Dumbledore? Dumbledore…Oh! I'm sorry, sir, but Dr Dumbledore is no longer with us."

"What? Why? Do you know how I can reach him?"

"Sir, Dr Dumbledore has passed away."

"What? When? He looked great the last time I saw him!"

"Sir, Dr Dumbledore died over a year ago."

"What? But…but I just…I had…I saw him…saw him last week."

"Sir?"

"No, sorry. I just need a moment. Er…thank you."

"No problem. Do you need further assistance?"

"No. No, I'm fine. Thanks. Bye."

"Have a good day, sir."

.x.x.

"Where did you say you got the ring?"

"At some auction for this dead guy's things. Why?"

"Who?"

"Who? I'm not sure. Odd name. Dum-something-or-other."

"Dumbledore?"

"Yeah, that's it. How'd you know?"

"It's…it's nothing. Lucky guess…or something, I guess."

"Listen, Harry, are you all right? You don't look too well."

"I'm fine."

"Fine? You look like you've just seen a ghost."

"Yeah…I think maybe I have."

.x.x.

"Draco...I know we haven't really been together long...but...do you think maybe you'd wanna get married?"

"Harry Potter! Is that the ring I gave you?"

"Er...maybe?"

"You're going to propose to me with that ugly thing?"

"Yes."

"I'll kill you."

"No you won't."

"Arse."

"Is...that a yes?"

"...Maybe..."