Candies, a harry potter fanfic

Candies.

Alice Longbottom.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. Characters and scenery, belongs to JK Rowling and Harry Potter. I am just practicing my english and looking for reviews for my effort. Nothing else.

Summary: Alice Longbottom after being tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange and Barty Crouch Jr., with the Cruciatus curse.

* My mom suffers of Alzheimer and I know that probably isn't the same as the "Cruciatus" curse. But since JK said that she was inspired on an Alzheimer's patient for this scene, I tried to reflex my mom's behavior on this fan fiction. This is what I normally see on mom (among with other things): An intense movement, reminders of useless stuff, "normal" moments (very rare), "little white angels" and compulsive/aggressive behaviors. But in general... lots of confusion.

** Yes, I need a beta and I know that ( if someone wants to help me, I would really appreciate it). I am just trying to practice and follow the advice of a dear friend of mine, which cheers me to keep trying. I think that if we don't practice, it doesn't matter if we have thousands of beta readings to make the work for us.

Bang, bang, bang... the intense sound of someone moving a chair for visits in the middle of the room, without even look to the obstacles in her way and crashing a few times with it while walking. The bed table rocked madly as she pushed the chair out of her way and the medicines ended all over the floor and all over her white bed sheets and pillows.

"Enough, Alice". - She heard that someone said at her side, all dressed in white and holding her hand with a very tender gesture, taking her to the bed. She smiled abruptly at the sight of a little angel next to her. It had to be a little angel, with all these white clothes. Maybe...? - "Why you can't be like Frank and just sit down for a bit? If you keep pacing like this, you will end too tired for receiving visits.

Oh...? Frank would come to visit her?

She raised her eyes slowly to the healer in front of her and locked her cloudy sight with the eyes of the woman all dressed in white, without looking at anything at all but still following, somehow, all her movements.

"Stop it Alice, sweety. You know what I mean by that and you know that also, I don't like the way you are looking at me in this very moment. You are making me feel a little nervous." - she heard while the woman caressed her long white hair. - "You know... that cute child of yours. And also your mother, Augusta... both are coming for christmas."

Christmas. In chirstmas she got the news that Lily and James were dead. In christmas she got the news that Harry was an orphan, that Sirius was a traitor, that Peter disappeared without leaving any clue. That Severus Snape was a deatheater, that Frank would come to visit her and also... that she had a child and a mother called Augusta.

"Don't forget how uneasy that Alice is and also, don't forget why." - said another little angel, with a strange tray on her hands and all filled also, with strange liquids with a nasty flavor. - "Don't forget that Bellatrix Lestrange tortured her a bit more than what she did on Frank. Try to be patient with her."

"Sometimes I wonder if Alice... remembers it. If she remembers what happened to her and her husband, to her family." - said the little angel next to her in bed, to the other one that left the strange tray in the bed table. - "It must be a terrible experience, I am sure. To end like this... poor Alice. If she could speak..."

The little angel moved away from her, freeing her hand from her holding and leaving an uncomfortable heat and sweat on it. She raised her hand immediately and like if she were on fire, sobbing uncontrollably. She wanted that ugly sensation away, NOW!

"Sorry, Alice. I am truly sorry." - whispered the last little angel on the room, making sure that the strange liquids on the trail in the bed table, were in the right order and cleaning her hand with a little handkerchief. - "Don't cry, everything it's ok." - she whispered again, smiling. - "You don't like the heat, right? Sure that it makes you remember the intense heat of the Cruciatus curse... right? Some books say that once you abuse of the spell, the opponent feels an intense burning in all over the body.

Living fire. Mom and dad said that it was too dangerous and that I shouldn't even get closer to it. That it would hurt me. And I didn't listen, getting closer to the fire.

"Your kid and Augusta, your mother, both should be here in any moment and I am sure that they will be more than happy to see you and how much you have progressed. And also, Frank will be happy of see both and see you."

In christmas, she got the news that Lily and James were dead. That Harry was an orphan, that Sirius was a traitor, that Peter disappeared without leaving any clue and that Severus Snape was a deatheater. That Frank would come to visit her, that she had a child, a mother called Augusta and that someone called Bellatrix Lestrange, tortured her a bit more than what she did with Frank. And that she couldn't talk. That she remembered the living fire and that she had progress.

The last little angel practically vanished in front of her eyes and she reminded in bed, looking at the white walls in front of her and having a suddenly thought.

Her name was Alice Longbottom and she was married with Frank Longbottom. Also, she was the best friend of Lily Evans Potter, that was married with James, obviously. She knew who Sirius Black was and once she thought that she walked next to Peter Pettigrew in Hogwarts. She heard that Severus Snape was in love with her best friend, Lily, but at the end... he vas a deatheater. That she had a mother called Augusta and that she was a very stern woman. She remembered being severely tortured by a mean woman called Bellatrix Lestrange and by an evil man called Barty Crouch Jr. She could remember the fire of the curse burning her, but she didn't know how to explain it and yet she couldn't.

"Hello dearie... how do you feel today?" - Alice heard a strange voice of someone, sitting next to her in bed. It wasn't one of those little angels, no. It was someone else with a huge dead bird in the head that made her feel curious and touch it with her trembling hands. - "yes, yes... sweetie. You have seen this hat... so many times." - she heard an old voice and felt also wrinkled hands over her own and pushing her away, softly. - "Do you want to know something? Neville and I came yo see you. We also saw Frank and it's a shame that they had to separate you both because you were hitting him. That isn't the right behavior of a lady, Alice."

Stop running behind a rabbit with a clock and cats with big fat smiles. That isn't the right behavior of a lady, Alice.

"Hello, mom." - said that little fatty and shy elf, that always used to come and visit her. It must be christmas!

She bent next to the bed table like trying to hide from the little and cute elf, to give him a big surprise. She looked inside the pockets of her pajama pants and found a candy wrapper all red and gold, shiny.

A little sweet candy, for a little sweet elf.

Alice bounced in bed, really happy, standing up and walking closer to the elf that was standing next to the foot of her bed. She put the gift on his hands and smiled with satisfaction.

"Throw that away, Neville. She always gives you one of these and you already have enough of them. It doesn't make any difference."

In christmas she got the news that Lily and James were dead. That Harry was an orphan, that Sirius was a traitor, that Peter disappeared without leaving any clue and that Severus Snape was a deatheater. That Frank would come to visit her, that she had a child, a mother called Augusta and that someone called Bellatrix Lestrange, tortured her a bit more than what she did with Frank. That she couldn't talk and that she could remember the living fire and that she had progressed. Also that she had been hitting Frank, that she wasn't acting like a lady should act and that she saw that hat, so many times. That Neville had come to see her and that she used to give him the same gift, every moment he did. That it wouldn't make any difference if he threw her gift away, because he had a lot of them.

"One day you will be able to talk to us." - the old woman said soflty, caressing her white hair with her long fingers. - "I'm positive that you will surprise us, one of this days. Alice"

Her mother looked at her with a smile on her thin lips, placing a soft kiss in her forehead. Alice smiled back and rested her head in one of her shoulders, closing her eyes and sighing deeply. Feeling suddenly warm and secure.

But a friendly heat this time, of course.

"We love you." - murmured her mother, with a gentle tone. - "And also... Frank loves you. I am sure that he does. Be a good girl and I am sure, also, that he will be back soon like your son Neville and I will be, the next christmas." "I promise..."

And Neville Longbottom smiled to his grandma, while she was caressing the head of her daughter and singing an old song that she used to sing when her daughter was a child. It used to calm her nerves immediately and for now... it used to calm the sadness of the moment.

Immediately.