A/N - This is what happens when I get stuck in rewrites for the next "I'm Coming Home" chapter. I have three or four of these little one-shots in my computer in the midst of other brain dumps revolving around the pocket dimension I created for "I'm Coming Home." This story will no doubt be updated erratically, seeing as it is not priority, and be a cluster fart of different writing styles.

I hope you all enjoy.

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, :(

Rating: K - K+ (Indirect mentions of torture)

Frank and Alice:

Love Is

Peace

Theirs was not an epic love story. It was not a something that people would sing about or write to. Theirs was a love that was long coming and simple. Franklin Joshua Longbottom had known Alice Jane Prewett for almost his entire life. Somewhere, within the bowels of one of their family estates there are pictures of the two of them clad in nothing sitting in a few inches of standing water smiling up at and waving at the camera with smiles so wide it seemed as if it would break their face in two. They grew up together, played together, laughed together, cried together, and at some point looked back and saw that they were tangled in each other that attempting to detach themselves would be disastrous on both parts.

Without the war they would have danced around in their odd codependent 'friendship' for many years before one of them got up the courage to make a move. But they did not grow up without a war. They grew up in houses that felt the beating heart of conflict long before the daily prophet decided the story profitable.

They grew up the children of aurors who watched as their fathers came home bloodied with wayward smiles and promises that everything was fine. Even though they knew it wasn't. At age fifteen when they took their career counseling they both told Flitwick, their head of house, they were certain that they wanted to be anything other than aurors.

Their friends had not understood.

Their friends had not seen.

Their friends thought them selfish fools who valued their own life above that of others.

Their friends thought them cowards.

Frank Longbottom and Alice Prewett where many things. Cowards was not one of them.

They both wanted to stay away from the profession for the same reason. The late nights were they lost sleep sitting atop of stairwells holding tight to rails watching their fathers be dug to the living room rug by other aurors. Watching as a their fathers, a parental figure that should be infallible, bloodied the rugs and fought for breath.

They would not subject their children to that.

They would not let their children know such horrors at such a young age.

Frank Longbottom and Alice Prewett where many things. Proud was one.

In the summer before their fifth year both swallowed the words that sat on their throat as they saw their fathers killed and their mothers morn. Both knew that they needed to fight on. To protect the people their fathers now couldn't.

The Hogwarts express their sixth year was a stressful one for both of them. Walking onto the scarlet engine with their pride swallowed in their throat as they faced each other.

"You," Alice had asked after a few minutes of choked silence. Frank had only nodded and it was enough to send Alice propelling forward into Frank's arms.

There she found peace, as she had every time before.

They however were no more than friends in that year, in fact it was not until valentines day of the following year that they tripped over each other and fell into something akin to love. Both literally and figuratively.

Frank had asked Tiana Greegrass, a Ravenclaw the year below them, to be his valentine, arranging a reservation at Madam Puddifoot's a month in advance. She had agreed originally, until she was asked by someone else the day off and informed Frank by way of owl.

In his dejection Frank had not seen Alice until they were lying in the snow tangled in each other's limbs. From a few feet away a young Lily Evans laughed at them.

"Where's Tia?" Alice had asked, and Frank just shook his head and Alice understood. Taking her hand in his they went to Madam Puddifoot for about two seconds, then turned to a waiting customer who had not made reservations and told the hostess to sit them and led Alice to the potion shop were he spent half the day listening to Alice talk animatedly about potions that admittedly all seemed the same. Next they went to the herbology shop and Frank regaled Alice with similar information. Their date commenced with a trip to the kitchens because they never did get a chance to eat.

It was weeks before either even realized that that constituted as a date, or that the butterflies in their stomachs meant something other than eating old treacle tart.

They married right out of school. Some huffed at the short courtship but Frank and Alice saw no problem with it, nor did their Mothers.

The ceremony was simple, and muggle.

Alice's heart was beating out of her chest as she listened to the priest.

Frank had taken her hand in his own and gave it a small squeeze.

Alice's body reacted immediately calming down.

Frank once again had given her peace.

They had wanted to wait to have children till after the war.

They were aurors, but they were going to quit soon after the war was won.

Do something simple, something domestic. A potions and herbology shoppe maybe.

Neville Franklin Longbottom was not planned. Welcomed, of course, but not planned.

Quickly the pair pulled away from the war.

Scared for their son.

Scared to be the adult that would be bleeding helplessly on the floor.

They had not been in the war for almost a year when it happened.

They were removed,

They were not even in England.

Lying on the floor their blood mixing in pools on the floor the two reached out to grasp each other's hands. Both pairs of eyes searching for Neville who had not even been in the house.

As they slowly descended into madness they held on to each other.

Just as tight as they had when they were covered in nothing but bubbles.

Just as tight when they swallowed their words in sixth year.

Just as tight as when Alice had finally asked Frank on a second date.

Just as close as at their wedding.

Just as close as when the fear set in that they were with child.

"Sorry," Alice whispered, Frank did not nod his head. Nor did he shake it. He stood blankly into the ceiling above showing no recognition of know what his wife was saying at all.

That did not matter to Alice however as her own brain slipped away.

Holding tight to the hand of her husband she had found the same peace he had always offered.

Though I have a few others pre-written feel welcome to leave a request for your favorite pairing in the review box.

Thank You For Reading.