A Glimpse of Childhood

Karma ran down the steps of the only home she'd ever known, her five year old feet padding down the carpeted steps as she passed the House Elf heads. She paused to blow a kiss at them, before giggling and running into the Living Room.

"Mama!" She squeeled, streaking into the room on a trail of laughter. The woman turned, a grin on her face, picking up Karma as she ran, making her feet wave in the air before she wrapped her small arms around her mothers neck and grinned at her. "Mama!"

"Karma!" She greeted lovingly, looking into the girl's eyes. She was a spitting image of her mother, though her hair was shoulder length and her mother's was longer. The woman swung the girl around, pulling giggles from the girl herself.

"Can we go to the park, mama? Can we please?" She widened her eyes and looked up at her mother pleadingly, giving the most adorable expression.

"You know that doesn't work on me, babygirl." Her mother teased, placing the girl down. "Not today. Mama doesn't feel too well. Why don't you go play with Jet?"

"JETTIE!" She squeeled, running across the living room to the window. "JETTIE WHERE ARE YOOOOOOOOOOOOU?!"

She didn't notice the quick expression of pain that flashed across her mother's face or the unsteady way she sat on the couch. When she looked back at her mother, the woman smiled happily at her.

She didn't suspect a thing.

Jet ran into the room from upstairs, an angry scowl on his five year old face. "Karma!" He yelled, tackling her to the ground. They rolled around on the floor, him on top for a split second, pushing her shoulders down to the ground. "GIVE THEM BACK!" He yelled. "GIVE THEM BACK TO ME! I NEED THEM!!" He glared down at her, his blue eyes furious. "GIVE THEM BACK!"

Karma fell to the ground, yelling back at him and rolling them over and over. Her shoulder hit the ground hard and she gasped. "GET OFF ME FATTY!" She yelled. "MAMA! MAMA!" She pushed at him, rolling them over again until she was on top.

There were sloppily thrown punches and slaps as they rolled along the carpet, until Karma's mother pulled them apart. "What on earth is going on?" She demanded of both of them, holding the two apart with almost ease, her hands on both the five year olds' shirts.

They both erupted into speech, causing the woman to close her eyes in frustration. "Okay. Jet. You speak first."

Jet glared across the small space between him and Karma. "She stole my picture of mummy and daddy!" He accused. "She took them from my room!" He yelled suddenly. "GIVE THEM BACK KARMA! I NEED THEM!"

Karma stomped her foot. "I DID NOT!" She yelled. "JET YOU LIAR!" She stuck her tongue out at him. "I don't want your crummy pictures! My mummy's right here!" She grabbed her mother's leg to demonstrate, wrapping her legs around it and hugging it to her. "My mummy didn't go anywhere!"

"Karma!" Her mother chastised. Karma looked up at her uncomprehendingly.

"It's TRUE!"

Jet's eyes filled with tears. "FINE!" He yelled, his tears flowing over. "FINE!" He yelled again, turning and running out of the room. He ran down the stairs and into the kitchen, hiding in the cupboard that once belonged to Kretcher. He shut the door behind him, once finally in the darkness allowing himself to cry harder, the sobs raking him.

He'd never see his parents again.

Karma's mother sighed and picked Karma up gently, her eyes following Jet's rapid departure.

"That wasn't nice." She said softly.

"I only said the truth!" Karma said, annoyed. "He's always crying! He's with us now, he has a new family!"

Her mother shook her head slowly. "Once you lose a family, you lose something in here." She tapped the place over Karma's heart.

Karma looked up at her blankly, and the woman sighed, gazing down at her daughter. She was so innocent, happy.

She placed the girl on the ground. "Go apologize." She ordered, shooing her toward the doorway. "Be nice."

"But mama..."

"Now."

Karma pouted and walked off into the hallway.

Her mother watched her disappear down the hallway, her eyes worried. Karma could be a bit... blunt, at times.

Suddenly, there was a pain in her gut, and she doubled over, an arm wrapping around her stomach as she quickly pulled out her hankerchief. Thw woman gave several painfully deep whooping coughs into her handkerchief, her eyes watering with effort not to cry out in pain as her body rejected its nutrients. She waited anxiously for the coughs to stop, hoping that Karma was listening for once. She didn't want her daughter to see her like this.

She took a deep breath, the coughs finally slowing to a stop. Stowing the red-stained handkerchief into her pocket once more, she straightened her spine, ignoring the concerned looks from the portraits.

"I am fine." She told their ancestors, her eyes defiant. She knew the truth.

She knew she was dying.