The Fragility of Life
This was written for the Fire The Canon's 'Snakes and Ladders' Challenge, and also for the 'Let's end this the way we started it competition' by MermaidGirl34, for which I had to begin and end with the word 'life'.
Life is amazing when you take the time to think about it.
That's what Frank Longbottom is thinking as he cradles his young son. He still finds it hard to believe that Alice and he had created this little baby; they had brought him into life from nothing. He had watched with amazement as the bump grew and grew and grew as the months went on, blossoming into life throughout the spring. He remembered rushing her into hospital, her small hand a death grip around his own.
He thought back to when it all sank in and he realised he was going to be a father. He was sitting in the hard plastic seats of St Mungo's, nervously watching as the spell to determine the sex of the baby seemed to go on for ever. When they were told Alice was carrying a little boy, his eyes met his wife's and it suddenly dawned on him what this meant, and that it much of his time would be devoted to this growing life.
He felt so responsible for this little boy. He had never looked after anything before, not even a pet as his grandmother never allowed him one. Unless you count Alice, but she was determined to keep doing what she could without help, almost until the end of her pregnancy, although this didn't stop him trying to help. She had always been independent, even when they were dating, and he admired her courage for doing so. Therefore, his lack of experience terrified him, he had no idea what he was doing and he was afraid of messing it up. This wasn't entirely true, as the moment he discovered Alice was expecting, he had visited Diagon Alley and stocked up on childcare books, determined to right for his son, but with the future seeming uncertain, he felt so unprepared.
But no matter how much he learned, the world was so unpredictable. The wizarding world was at war, people were dying each and every day. Friends, family members, old school friends he hadn't seen in years – the papers would be full of news of the dead or missing. Many had gone into hiding or were considering it, but they were determined to fight on, assuming their status as pure-bloods would protect them from the worst. The war was dangerous enough without them both being members, let alone active members of the Order of the Phoenix. He had tried to talk Alice into leaving, but she would not hear it, despite the number of members slowly decreasing as they were picked off one by one. This only hardened their resolve to keep on fighting against Voldemort, to avenge these deaths and in order to make a better future for their son.
Despite the dangerous times, the thought of terminating him never even entered their minds. The Healers had suggested it as a possibility, due to their status as Aurors, but they wouldn't hear it. From the moment they found Alice was expecting, their determination to do the best they could only had the effect of upping their plans against Voldemort and his Death Eaters. They threw themselves into their Auror work and the Order's plans with new vigour, resolute that this baby would not grow up in a war torn country.
"I best take him up to bed now," Alice's soft voice says, bringing him back to the present. Leaning over him, she gently scooped up Neville in her arms, kissing his forehead. He smiled at the tenderness of the gesture.
"I'll put the kettle on, it's still early," he said, getting up from the chair. He watched his wife leave the room before he retreated to the kitchen. Listening to the whistling kettle, he began to hum his favourite song when he heard the unmistakable sound of apparition, followed by hurried footsteps, his heart hammering in his chest. Grabbing his wand from the counter top, he darted into the living room, adrenaline pumping through his body.
His world stood still as the door slammed open and he recognised the four figures. Four of most notorious Death Eaters, led by the worst of all – Bellatrix Lestrange, followed by her husband and his brother. The last one was someone he had only heard about but never seen, although he recognised him instantly – Barty Crouch's only son.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Bellatrix Lestrange asked, twirling her wand around her hair in mock innocence.
"I do believe that is Frank Longbottom, Auror and known member of the so-called Order of the Phoenix," Crouch said in what seemed to be a bad impression of his father's pompous voice.
"Where is the Order located?" one of the men shouted.
Frank said nothing, keeping his grip tight on his wand. He hoped with all he had that Alice would stay upstairs with Neville, and that neither would be heart.
"Where are the Potters?"
"Moody?"
"Dumbledore."
The interrogation continued as they repeated names, threatening him with spells but never actually casting anything. It was not long, however, until they decided enough was enough.
"I guess you'll need a little persuasion," Bellatrix said, fingering her wand.
Then the sound he dreaded most, the hall door opening and his wife running in, her wand in the air. He saw all four heads turn to face her, and saw the glint in Bellatrix' eyes as she lifted her wand.
"Well, if you're not going to talk, maybe your pretty little wife will," she snarled. "Crucio."
Without a moment's hesitation, he threw himself in front of his wife, wincing as the curse hit him. He had experienced the cruciatus curse a few times previously, yet at the same time it was like no pain he had ever felt before. It seemed to last an eternity, every nerve on his body feeling like it was on fire.
He could hear Alice screaming his name in the background, but found himself unable to reply.
Instead of stopping after one curse and interrogating further, his torturers seemed to get carried away, he could hear the unmistakable sound of Lestrange's laughter.
As curse after curse hit him, he felt his grip on his mind slipping and his senses deteriorating, only one thought keeping him there: that he would do anything for his wife and son, even if it took his own life.
A/N: I realise that Frank and Alice weren't actually interrogated until after Voldemorts downfall, but for the sake of this story it is before :)