When the Songbird Sung

A/N: I do not own anything associated with the amazing world of Harry Potter.

This short drabble was written for the War of Angels Competition run by NightmarePrince on the Harry Potter Fanfiction Challenges forum. My prompt for this round was songbird, and the fic had to be a drabble of between 500-800 words on our OTP during the First Wizarding War (the events below of which I count as it hadn't quite ended for everyone on Halloween night). Since I don't have a particular OTP, I decided to try for Frank and Alice Longbottom- as always I hope I did the pairing justice and that you enjoy this :)

Word count: 796

Stretching out his muscles and cracking his neck from the Apparation, Frank gave a satisfied smile- he had made it back to his family. He couldn't wait to see their faces when they saw what he had managed to do, and promptly skipped up the darkened hallway to the only bedroom of the quaint house.

Pushing open the door quietly, he crept in. Alice was sitting on the edge of their bed, gently rocking their distressed son as his chubby little fingers enclosed around her slender finger. Frank watching as her movements were illuminated by the flickering candle on the dresser; its dancing flame capturing the traces of auburn, copper and gold in her soft hair. Sensing his presence, she gave him a look of relief and invited him to sit next to her.

"How is my baby tonight?" he asked as he brushed Neville's fine hair.

"Are you talking to me or to Neville?" Alice replied coyly, pecking him on the cheek.

Neville appeared to have settled somewhat by Frank's presence; his face alight with a smile flanked by two tiny dimples. Alice gently placed him into the cot beside their bed, placing her lit wand nearby so that it could allow the tiny bird and flower shapes of the mobile as it spun around Neville's small body. When she was sure he would not stir, she turned to him with a sad smile.

"I still cannot believe that the Potters are gone- Lily, James- I cannot imagine ever losing you," he clasped her hand, rubbing it as her lip began to quiver.

"I know, and I you. But we are safe now, He has fallen and the war is over-"

"but the Death Eaters are still abroad-"

"-and Moody is taking care of them, don't you worry."

Every night of the past week, he had found himself trying to console Alice after the loss of their dear friends. He could understand her fretting, especially as Albus had ordered them to remain put even after young Harry Potter had saved their world. He knew it was just a precaution, yet he also knew that his wife was sick of staying in the small cottage set up for their protection.

Reaching into his purple robe's deep pocket and withdrawing a small package, he tilted Alice's worried face towards him.

"I have something for you," he pressed the package into her hands as she looked up at him in surprise, "go on, open it."

She tentatively began to untie the brown string, taking care not to rip the brown parchment. As she worked, Frank allowed a smile to grace his features.

"I know you miss our old home, and we will be back there soon. But for now, I thought this would cheer you up," her eyes shimmered with tears as she caught sight of the object's sky-blue colour, "I had to pick up a few books from there, and this caught my eye in the cabinet.

"You didn't?" Alice looked up at him horrified, pausing in tearing off the final piece of parchment.

"I did," he grinned, "go on, keep going. I was extra careful, don't you worry; I was quick and no one followed me."

"Frank- you know anything could've happened-"

"but it didn't," he smiled as she rolled her eyes and, in spite of herself, examined her present.

"Oh Frank! This, this is, oh Frank," the tears fell from her blue eyes gently and she folded her arms around him.

The ornament sat on her lap and he moved to pick it up. It was in the image of a songbird, charmed to play a song of the owner's, or their significant others', choosing when they flicked their wand. It had been a present given to Alice by her late mother on the eve of their wedding and he knew that she had been regretting taking it with them as they hurriedly left their home.

"I wanted to remind you that there is still beauty around us," tapping his wand to the bird's tail, he pulled her into his arms.

A soft tune began to play and he twirled her around, almost in time with it. She giggled nervously, blushing a soft pink as she tripped on her feet. Neville too, bubbled a laugh from his crib, evidently knowing that his parents were happy.

The pair continued to dance, allowing the song to play on repeat. He stared into her beautiful eyes, comparing them to her sapphire engagement ring.

"Thank you," she murmured, lying her head on his racing chest.

They were so wrapped up in the moment, that neither noticed that the songbird had stopped singing; they didn't notice that Neville was silent nor did they realise that fate would interrupt their moment forever.