Disclaimer: I don't own Potter Property. What a shocker, I know. =P
1. The Engagement
Hannah smiled up at Neville as they rang the doorbell to her father's house, his hand tightly wrapped around hers.
"What if he doesn't approve?" Neville said, his words full of anxiety and nerves.
"If we can get by your gran, I'm sure we can get by my father," Hannah replied, trying not to laugh at the Gryffindor's unease. "He's not half as intimidating as her and he's much more lenient with me." He rubbed his arm. "Especially since my mum died."
Neville wrapped an arm around her, fully aware of the strain her voice. The door opened slowly, her father standing behind the crack, forcing a smile on his worn face.
"Hannah…Neville…please, come in." He stepped aside, his face in need of a shave.
"Hey, dad," Hannah said, wrapping his arms tightly around him. "Have you eaten today?"
"Mhm. I had some eggs and bacon."
"Good, good."
"Come in, take a seat. Do you want some coffee? Tea? A sandwich. Neville, have you eaten this afternoon?" Mr. Abbot walked into the kitchen, his shoulder stooped.
"Sit down, you two," Hannah said, reaching into the cabinet. "I'll make you some tea." She flipped through her father's fridge, making sure he was taking care of himself, before putting water in his teapot.
"So, Neville, how has work at the school been going?"
"It's been alright," Neville replied. "I still haven't gotten used to the idea of being a professor, though. I still think I should be in school, never mind teaching."
"Well, you did spend four years working as a consultant for toxic plants for the aurors," Hannah said. "You're more than qualified to teach teenagers about plants."
"It's still weird to be working with Minevera and Sybil and Flitwick." Neville ran a hand through his hair. "And I hate correcting papers."
Mr. Abbot chuckled. "I was never that good in writing, either. Are you still renting out a place in Hogsmeade?"
"Yeah. I will for a while, too. I don't like living in the castle. There are…too many memories." He glanced up at Hannah, who was preparing three cups for tea .
Mr. Abbot grunted in agreement.
"Dad, are you going to sell the house?" Hannah asked, pouring water carefully into the cups.
"Why do you ask?" He twisted in his chair to watch her.
"Well, it's just that you've been talking about it for awhile, now," she said. "The last I heard, you were making sure the plumbing and wiring was solid before talking to a realtor."
"The roof still needs to be replaced." Hannah put the cups of tea on the table. "Did you find the sugar?"
"Oh…you take sugar?"
"Neville doesn't?"
"No. I'm trying to cut him back." Hannah smiled warmly, putting her hands on Neville's shoulders. "He consumes far too many sweets for one man."
Neville picked up his cup, his cheeks bright red, and took a sip.
"Good, take care of him, Hannah." Her father took a sip of his drink. "Do you two have any plans?"
"Well," Neville said, reaching up and taking Hannah's hand in his.
"We're engaged," Hannah said, her face bursting with happiness.
Her father's eyes widened briefly before easing into a wide grin, tears in his eyes.
"Congratulations! Have you picked a day, yet?"
"January fourteenth," Neville said surely.
"But we won't be going to Australia until the summer." Hannah squeezed Neville's shoulders.
"Anything particularly special about that date?"
"It was…it was the date my parents were married," Neville said, his voice small.
Mr. Abbot nodded, understanding.
"Come with me," he said. "I have some things I think you should see."
Mr. Abbot led them to his attic, dusty and old. He pulled some boxes off some storage shelves and put them on the ground. He pointed to two.
"I think they're in there," he said, scratching his head.
Tentatively, Hannah pulled back the flap of the box. She stared at the contents for awhile, Neville looking around the attic full of old toys, furniture, and boxes upon boxes of things.
"Dad…" Hannah whispered. "I…I didn't think you kept all of this…"
"I tried to get rid of it," He said, starting to put the excess boxes back on the shelf. "But I couldn't. I…I couldn't. I'll leave you two alone." He slipped down the stairs.
"What is it?" Neville asked.
"My…my mother's wedding robes…I…she went traditional…just like…just like we want to…" She looked up at him, tears clouding her eyes. Neville crouched next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, watching her sift through the box of wedding things -- pictures, glasses, favors, everything her mum had preserved.
3
Neville led the way through the halls of St. Mungo's, following the path he had taken thousands of times to get to his parent's room. Hannah walked shortly behind him, still confused by the maze of hallways, doors, and desks.
"Hello, Mr. Longbottom," the receptionist on the foruth floor said. "I believe your parents are awake, now."
"Thank you," Neville said, Hannah's hand finding his. His hand reflexively wrapped around hers, her palm sweaty. "Are you nervous?" He looked at her, amused.
"I don't like hospitals," she said softly, stepping closer to him.
"It'll be alright," Neville said. They passed by a man with his left hand backwards on his wrist, boils popping up on his skin. He lowered his voice and nodded in his direction. "They need a yellow lily to cure that. It'll take the sting away from the boil and subdue the swelling."
"That's disgusting, Neville."
He chuckled and pulled her down to the Janus Thickney Ward.
"Neville," the receptionist said, nodding.
"Kyle. Are my parents still awake, do you know?"
Kyle glanced down at his desk.
"Yes, it seems they are."
"Thank you," Neville said, dragging Hannah after him down the hallway.
"Do we have to do this now?" Hannah asked, nervously playing with her hair in the window of a room.
"Hannah…they aren't going to attack you…"
"I know, it's just…I don't understand…"
"They were tortured, Hannah, what is there to understand?"
"I just…never mind."
"They're my parents, Hannah."
"I know, I know. I'm…I'm sorry I said anything." She turned to him and gently put a hand to his face. "Alright? I won't say anything else about it, ok?"
"Please try to understand. We have to tell them."
"But they can't…"
"For me. Do it for me." Neville squeezed her hands. "It's important. They can't…they can't be there. This is the closest we can bring them."
Hannah sighed and closed her eyes. She nodded and opened the door.
"Hey mum, dad," Neville said, entering the room. "What are you doing in the same bed, again? Mum, you know the healers don't like it when you sleep with dad." Neville sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Hannah stood slightly back, watching his mum look at him like he was a threat. "No, no, it's ok, mum. I'll let you stay with dad." Slowly, the woman eased back onto the bed, laying next to her husband. Neville sat down on the empty bed and looked at them. "I'm returning to Hogwarts for another year of teaching. I think I told you I was questioning returning. I mean, no one really wants to learn herbology, anyway, so there really is no point. But Minerva…Minerva asked me to be head of Gryffindor." His voice trembled. "I couldn't say no to that." His dad traced his mum's face, her features, her jaw, her cheek. His mum smiled at his dad. "I'm going to be head of Gryffindor. Our house." Hannah could see the pride radiating off of Neville's face. "Everything's falling into place. Everything. The war is over. Voldemort is dead. Harry and Ron just busted a dark wizarding cell. There's peace. I stopped…" He glanced briefly at Hannah and dropped his voice. "I stopped having those dreams. And…and I don't think they'll come back." His dad looked at him for a few seconds before his mum touched his dad's face. "You've met Hannah, before, she's standing over there. I'm sorry this visit is going to be short. We have an appointment to get to." Hannah saw the conflict in his eyes at the lie. Shame came over her. "Like I said, everything's falling into place. I asked Hannah to marry me. Just like you did to mum, dad. On my knee by the lake at Hogwarts. She said yes. I think there was probably more screaming from her than from you, mum, but she still said yes." Both of his parents looked at him, blank looks on their faces. "We're getting married. The fourteenth of January. When you got married. We're doing it at Hogwarts, too. Shacklebolt thinks it should be a public wedding. I'm…me and Harry, we're both called children of the war. Born in the first, lost our parents, fought in the second, worked on the reconstruction. Now I'm having a key role in the forming of the next generation." Neville grinned. "We haven't decided, yet, but it's definitely an option. I think Hannah would like a big wedding, between me and you. She likes big events." He turned and grinned at Hannah, standing awkwardly to the side. "Oh, and gran sends her love."
Neville stood up and wrapped his arms around his mother gently and then did the same to his father. They both smiled at him. As he turned to walk away, his mum grunted and reached into the pocket of her bathrobe. Neville turned around to face his mother, standing up in slippered feet, holding out a fist. Grinning, Neville took her hand. His mum dropped a bubblegum wrapper in his palm.
"Thanks mum," he said, carefully putting the wrapper in his pocket.
He took Hannah's hand and the pair of them left, not shutting the door all the way when they left.
"Do you feel better?" Hannah whispered, intertwining her fingers with his.
"Yes." He smiled at her.
There was a tap on Hannah's shoulder. She jumped and turned around to face Mrs. Longbottom. Neville's mum offered a fisted hand. Hannah stared at her for a few seconds.
"Take it," Neville urged, nudging her slightly.
Trembling, Hannah held out her hand and Mrs. Longbottom. His mum dropped bubblegum wrapper into her hand. Hannah looked at the grinning woman. Mr. Longbottom shuffled out of his room after his wife, looking almost proudly at his son.
"Th-thank you," Hannah said.
"I'll be by later this week," Neville said, wrapping his arms around his mum.
Mrs. Longbottom nudged away from him and walked up to Hannah, slowly wrapping her arms around the young woman. Hannah returned the hug.
"Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom!" A healer said, hurrying down the hallway. "Come on, let's get back in your room, shall we? Sorry about this Neville."
"It's quite alright," Neville said. He waved goodbye as his parents returned to their room.
"Neville," Hannah said softly, walking next to him, her eyes focused on the wrapper in her hand. "Can I come with you later this week?"
Neville stopped walking and looked at her, his eyes wide and face pale as if he had just seen the ghost of Voldemort.
"Oh, if you don't want me to, then it isn't…"
"No. No, that isn't it." He smiled broadly and wrapped his arms tightly around his fiancé. "I just…I never thought you'd ask to see my parents." He wrapped an arm around her and made their way to the aparation point.