Road To Recovery
There are some wounds in life, even magic can't heal. Neville Longbottom learnt this the hard way. For years he waited in anticipation. For the day his parents could finally walk away, completely cured, from St. Mungo's Hospital. For years he was left bitterly disappointed.
Neville had survived the war, with only a few minor injuries or two, but mainly unscathed. Most of his friends and family were unharmed as well; a few wounds, but none worse for wear. He kept constantly alert though. The remaining Death Eaters had scrambled. Those who weren't caught in the final battle were currently in hiding. Although that did not mean they wouldn't make any future reappearances, Neville pessimistically thought. He watched his parents' sleeping forms. No, this time, they would be more careful.
A mass of anger suddenly swarmed in Neville's stomach. How could he get away with barely more than a scratch, while his parents were forced to spend the rest of their meaningless lives in a hospital ward? How was that fair? His parents were never going to recover. They would never give him the love he desperately wanted. Merlin, they don't even recognise his face.
Neville screamed. All the anguish, all the disappointment, all the fury had finally bubbled over, to a point of no return. He grabbed the nearest item and flung it at the floor. Feeling incredibly satisfied when it smashed into a thousand pieces.
His father flinched and frighteningly stared at the remnants of the broken pot. He muttered something indistinguishable and pulled his linen sheet over his head. Acting as it offered him some form of a protective barrier against the outside world. Neville stopped and took a deep breath. He couldn't take his frustrations out on his parents. They were the victims in this mess.
He slid his wand out of his pants pocket and spelled away the broken plant. Neville carefully approached his father and sat an arms distance away.
"Frank? Frank, its okay. Everything is okay. You can come out now," Neville calmly said, slowly easing his father out from under the covers.
"O-O-kay?" Frank stuttered.
"Everything's okay now," Neville promised, "Everything will be okay."
