A/N: I've always wanted to write about Neville and his mother, so I'm excited to have finally found time to write this little oneshot. So read and enjoy!
DISCLAIMER: jkr owns
A small, round faced boy walked quickly into the psychiatric ward at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. He stopped in front of a wooden door, baring a small plaque: Longbottom, Alice. The child hesitated for a split second, before slowly turning the doorknob.
"Hi, Mum." He greeted softly.
The woman lying in her bed did not look up. Her dull, empty eyes followed the trail of a raindrop as it streaked down the window.
The boy walked tentatively towards her and took a seat on the bed. He placed his hand lightly on her knee, and the woman turned her muted eyes to look at him.
"It's me Mum, Neville, don't you remember?"
Neville's eyes stung with tears at her vacant stare. He knew that he shouldn't cry, he hadn't expected her to recognize him – she never does.
He dug around into his pocket for a moment and drew out a crumpled letter. He held it out to her with a trembling hand, and Alice took the paper from her son.
Neville watched closely as she opened the parchment, looking at it for a moment, before letting the letter slip from her fingers and flutter onto the ground.
Neville stooped and picked the letter up from the floor. He hastily wiped a stray tear from his cheek, before stowing the letter away in his pocket.
"It's from Hogwarts Mum, I've been accepted." He mumbled quietly, his words hanging silently in the air.
Alice Longbottom's expression never changed, her gaze had drifted back to the rain-smudged window. Her face was gaunt, pallid skin stretched tightly over sharp bones. Her hair was grey wisps, cropped close to her skull. She no longer held the beauty of her youth; it had left along with her sanity.
Neville could hear his name being called from the hallway, and he knew it was time to go.
"Coming, Gran!" He shouted back.
Neville leaned over his mother's frail body and planted a firm kiss on her cheek. He said his goodbyes and promised to be back soon, ignoring the hurt at his mother's unresponsive expression. Finally, Neville stood and wiped his wet eyes; he said his final farewells and started for the door.
That's when he heard it. It was a quiet, guttural sound, but it was enough to make Neville's heart soar. He turned quickly and raced back to his mother's bedside, where she spoke in another series of quasi-silent sounds.
Her son watched wide-eyed as Alice dropped a crumpled bubblegum wrapper into his waiting hands. And his eyes once again filled with tears, although now for different reasons entirely.
"Thanks Mum, I love you."
And Neville couldn't help but smile as he left St. Mungo's that day, the bubblegum wrapper still clutched tightly in his hands, waiting to be deposited in his bedside drawer with the rest of his mother's gifts.