Jasper Smith was getting worried.

He had not seen the girl with the red hair since Christmas, and he hoped nothing bad had happened to her.

And it wasn't just because of her special basket, although Jasper really had been grateful for the food and warmth it provided, but Jasper just missed her presence. She had brought a light to those gloomy sewers, especially when she smiled.

So when, a few months into the new year, she reappeared, Jasper found himself sighing in relief, and vowed that this time, he would tell her just how much he appreciated her visits. Hopefully, she might even grace him with a name.

Something about her had changed, Jasper noted. She held herself different, as though she no longer carried the weight of the world on her shoulders. And, as she neared, he noticed her eyes, which had before always looked so desolate, were bright with life, her step a lot lighter, and her smile full of warmth.

It made his heart feel happy, something that hadn't happened since his Franny died.

And when it transpired the girl was heading straight for his direction without stopping to feed the others, Jasper knew she had gone down there specifically to speak to him, and it made him sit up a little straighter, taller.

"Hello, Jasper," she said, her voice like an angel's. "I'd like to ask a favour of you."

Jasper's mouth fell open, and he found himself looking either side of him in case she was referring to another Jasper instead.

"How-" he managed to splutter, "how do you know my name?"

Her smile reached her eyes as she held out the basket to him. "I know a lot about you, Jasper Smith. I know that you are a good, kind man who one day lost your world, and therefore proceeding circumstances brought you here."

Jasper was speechless. He wondered who'd sent her. Maybe Franny herself, because now he was sure that the girl must be an angel sent down from heaven.

He stared stupidly at the basket she was still holding out to him.

"I'm going to be going away, and I'm afraid I will not be coming back. So I need you to take this basket. It will provide only things for those who need it. For a starving man, a nice hot meal. Or a child on their way to hypothermia, a heated blanket. Medicine for the sick, water for the thirsty. It'll all be in there. All you have to do is reach inside."

Curious, he peered inside. It was empty. Was she on drugs?

Her eyes glittered in amusement at seeing his baffled expression and, crouching down in front of him, she reached inside and pulled out a packet of paracetamol and a bottle of water.

"Have you a headache?" She asked, glancing down at the items in her hand.

Slowly, he nodded. But he had been sure that the basket was empty. Maybe his headache was making him hallucinate?

"It's magic," the girl said casually, as though that was a simple enough explanation. "Look."

She reached in again, and this time procured a cup of steaming hot soup. Just what he needed.

Passing him the soup, she also tried to give him the basket.

"I can't- I can't take that." He said, more afraid of it then anything else. "It's yours."

"I don't need it. I'm leaving the country with my family. Your need for it is greater than mine. And if you reach in now, from it you will find a key in an envelope with an address on it. It's my apartment that will be, from tomorrow, yours. It's all paid for. No rent, no mortgage, and gas and electric bills are covered. Everything else you need will be in the basket. All I ask in return is that you use this gift to help others."

Jasper mutely nodded, his tongue well and truly taken by the cat.

"You're a good man, Jasper. And one who deserves a second chance at life."

She was getting up, walking away. But no, he had to stop her. But how when he could not even speak.

"Wait-" he called before she could get too far. She turned around, smiling, waiting patiently for him to go on.

"Your name?" He said, "I don't even know your name."

Her lips pulled into that beautiful smile, eyes shining brightly. "It's Alia, Alia Malfoy."

*****

Draco and I married pretty much the moment Scorpius Nicolas Malfoy came into our lives.

He proposed the traditional way, presenting me with his grandmother's ring on bended knee ("The only thing that could complete our family now, is if you would agree to let me be your husband.").

I didn't hesitate to say yes, flinging my arms around his neck as my heart soared with such joy.

We had a small registry office ceremony, with Scorpius as Draco's best man and Lulu as my flower girl.

Magda cried throughout the entire service, wiping her tears and loudly blowing her nose, whilst her husband Nick looked bored as fuck beside her.

The only other guest we had was Snape, who looked rather out of place as he sat there in his heavy black robes, clapping awkwardly when we were declared husband and wife.

Scorpius seemed rather fascinated by him, constantly trying to climb onto his lap throughout the small afternoon tea we had organised in a little hotel for the reception, much to Snape's alarm.

It was there we broke the news to Magda that we were leaving to upsticks in Goa.

"But- but that's in India," she gasped, tears filling her already red rimmed eyes.

"I'm sorry, Magda," I said kindly, putting down my cucumber sandwich to place a hand on hers. "But Draco and I have decided it is time for us to move on."

"But what will I do without my darling Lulu? How will I fill my days?"

I looked up at Draco who gave me an encouraging nod. Taking a deep breath, I turned back to Magda.

"There is a woman, Cho Chang. Her fiancé was sadly taken from her before their first born had arrived, and she is struggling to cope and needs a nanny for her little boy. I can give you a thorough recommendation as well as pay your salary. She has little in the way of income, you see."

Not for much longer.

For, with every single last Knut of my winnings, I decided to give it away to the deceased players' families.

I knew it wouldn't even come close to replacing their loved ones, but I hoped it would at least help pay off debts and allow them to live comfortable lives.

And then, before I knew it, the four of us were walking through the airport, ready to board the aeroplane which was set to take us to our new life in Goa.

"Wow!" Scorpius exclaimed with delight as we went along the travelator, his white-blond hair flapping about as he jumped up and down, hand held tightly in mine. "Mummy, it's like magic!"

"Scorpy!" Lula squealed with laughter, reaching down for her big brother from where she was sat on her father's hip. "Scorpy!"

"She refuses to say Dada but doesn't hesitate to say Scorpy?" Draco muttered, the twitch of his lips giving away his quiet amusement.

It was not a stretch to say that Lulu adored her new big brother very much, quickly replacing Draco as her new favourite person. She followed him everywhere, crawling after him like an excited puppy.

And it melted my heart that Scorpius clearly felt the same way, always giving her cuddles as they sat and watched some ungrateful pig called Peppa whine incessantly about something or other on the tv.

"She loves her daddy very much," I murmured, reaching up on my tiptoes to lightly brush my lips against his, "as do I and Scorp."

A soft sigh escaped his lips, and he let go of the suitcase to wrap an arm around me and pull me into his side. "I'm the luckiest man in the world, you do realise that?"

"I do," I smiled, feeling my heart warm with contentment.

And for the first time in my life, I knew I was finally winning.

******

They looked exactly the same, save a few extra wrinkles.

My mum, and my dad.

It took them longer to recognise me though: a person who had changed beyond belief, not only in personality, but looks, too.

"Hello?" My father queried, eyes squinting as I walked towards him down the driveway with Draco and the kids by my side. "Can we help you?"

My mother, who was stood next to him, gasped as we neared, her hand flying to her mouth as her eyes widened in recognition. "Alia? Surely not? They said- they said you were dead. They said you were all dead."

Her words made me freeze and tremble. Next to me, I could feel Draco hesitate as Scorpius's little hand squeezed in mine.

"I'm not dead, Mama." I breathed, trying and failing to keep my voice steady. "I'm here."

Tears swam in my eyes, blurring my vision as she moved towards me, arms outstretched as her strides became more urgent, her sobs getting louder.

I let Scorpius's hand fall from mine as I too ran towards her, not stopping until I collided against her soft body which I had missed so much.

"My baby," she choked as we fiercely clung to one another, "my darling, darling baby."

*****

Mum and Dad accepted Draco and the children into their lives almost instantly, with Dad especially keen to take Scorp and Lulu on occasional trips to the ice cream parlour ("only on a Sunday, mind").

They explained to me through tears about Panav, about how they never wanted me to live with the guilt of not being able to save him.

"Because that's not the only reason you were born," my mum promised. "You were the light when everything else seemed so dark."

After settling in, Draco and I decided to put our wealth and time into the slums. We built and founded a school, put money into making better accommodation, and ran a charity to ensure local families and the homeless would never go hungry again.

In other words, we did our best to make the world a better place.

All of it paid off. The kids were happy and free, my parents were no longer lonely, and Draco and I could finally live in peace.

We were happy, so happy.

Peace at last.

*****

London, UK

"Hold it."

The boy in blue stopped in his tracks as a woman, dressed in a sharp black suit carrying a briefcase, stepped out of a side street in front of him. He frowned, not recognising her, although she looked at him as though he should do.

He tried to push past her, but she was surprisingly strong, reaching out a hand to restrain his arm.

"Play a game with me."

His eyes widened. What the fuck?

"Uh- I'm kinda in a hurry right now," He said quickly, looking agitatedly over his shoulder.

"He won't bother you anymore." The woman said with confidence. "He's already got another customer."

He looked at her now. Properly. She had a sleek black bob that fell around her heart shaped faced without a hair out of place. She was quite beautiful in a non-conventional way. Her green eyes burned hypnotically into his and he found himself inexplicably wanting to stay by her side, needing to know more.

"Play a game with me," she continued, "and I could make you quite rich."

"What game?"

She finally let go of his arm, and, from her pocket, she retrieved a single gold Galleon. "Tales you win, heads you lose."

He eyed the gold coin greedily, thinking of the food he could buy with it. He licked his lips. "What do I win, exactly?"

She opened her briefcase. Inside were bags full of gold coins.

"Ten Galleons."

"And if I lose?"

"Then you give me ten Galleons."

He didn't have ten Galleons on him. He could not recall the last time he ever came close to having that sort of money.

But he needed it, he knew how much he needed it.

"Okay," he answered, licking his lips.

"So?" The girl asked, looking at him expectantly as she held the coin up in her hand. "Heads or tails?"

"Tails."

He held his breath.

To his dismay, it was heads.

He got his excuses in early. "I'm sorry, I really am. But my card was chewed up-"

"It's okay, you can make repayment with your body."

He thought he hadn't heard right. In fact, he actually laughed.

And then the bitch slapped him.

The End