Oneshot for Sunday 22nd August's Prompt of the Day 'Sunflowers'.
For my mum who likes Neville and bought me some beautiful Sunflowers.
Neville Longbottom liked sunflowers. They always seemed to make a room look more cheerful; no matter what the weather was outside. That's why he chose them that day with his grandmother. They were sitting proudly at the front; yellow petals gleaming in the sunlight, overshadowing the pansies and the daisies and the tulips, and those little blue and white flowers that no-one really could ever remember the name of. They looked so beautiful that Neville knew his mother would love them.
Neville knew his mother loved beautiful things. Most of all she loved the colour yellow. He remembered that in their old house, before the worst day of his life, their front room had been decorated with yellow wallpaper, and beautiful yellow and white china vases. Most of all he remembered the picture that had hung in the very centre of the room. The painting had been of a selection of different pots and vases, standing in front of a blue background. These had been filled with a selection of flowers; red tulips, white daisies, violas, bluebells, even some green ivy. But what Neville remembered the most was a bronze jug full of huge sunflowers. The sunflowers had stood proudly over the rest, brightening the room. He loved that his mother would smile every time she looked at this painting. He loved that these sunflowers would last forever; that they would never wilt or die. They would just keep smiling down at the room for eternity. Somehow this made Neville feel a lot safer.
Yes, that's why Neville chose the sunflowers. He clutched them tightly to his chest as they walked quickly down the white corridor. He didn't mind that the petals scratched a little at his chin and almost ran into his mothers' room in excitement, forgetting where they were for one wonderful moment.
Then his mother came into view, propped up on cushions in her hospital bed, and it all came rushing back to him. The dark circles under her eyes and her pale face made his heart sink slightly as he fell back beside his grandmother, suddenly nervous. She was staring vacantly out of the window and hadn't really noticed them come in.
'Hello dear,' his grandmother greeted her, and nudged Neville slightly with her elbow, gesturing at the flowers.
'Hello Mum,' Neville nervously approached the woman in the bed, and gently placed the vase down on her bedside table. 'We bought you some sunflowers.'
The woman looked at the flowers beside her, and for one glorious moment seemed to regain some of the light in her eyes again. But then the light faded and she returned to staring out the window.
Neville's face fell. He sat down at the end of his mother's bed and looked at her.
'My favourite colour's yellow...' He said after a while. The woman turned back to him, and stared at him questioningly. Neville continued. 'Sunflower's are yellow. Do you remember the painting mum? Those sunflowers lasted forever...'
His mother's eyes lit up slightly, so Neville continued; encouraged by her interest.
'You used to love those sunflowers mum, do you remember? You used to tell me that sunflowers were there for you for when the sun wasn't. They lit up a room with warmth, even when there was a snowstorm outside. Do you remember that mum?'
Neville had tears in his eyes, and he was crying, but it didn't matter because she was smiling; she was actually smiling. She was staring at the sunflowers with such longing that Neville was suddenly reminded of the painting, and his mothers laugh and the sunflowers that lasted forever.
Of course, these sunflowers wouldn't last forever. They would eventually wilt and Neville knew he wouldn't see his mother smile again for a long time. But that didn't matter because for the moment she was happy, and it was wonderful and Neville could just pretend everything was alright again.
Oh yes, Neville liked sunflowers. He liked them a lot.