Hey everyone. This story was brought to you by the Ongoing - Gift Tag, and Winter Seasonal Challenges Thread's Day of the Year on Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. For the Ongoing - Gift Tag I wrote my story for Amber using the prompts of Frank/Alice and pinky promise. For Days of the Year I wrote for January 26th Spouse's Day and the prompt was to write about a married couple. Warning for mentions of the torture of the Longbottoms. I hope you all enjoy Pinky Promises.
The first time Frank and Alice make a pinky promise they are about eight years old and have just met for the first time. They are at a public park playing in the sandbox together. Both of them afraid to approach the other but eventually Alice makes the first move walked timidly over to the round faced brown haired boy.
"Hi," she says shyly. "My name is Alice. Can I help you with your sandcastle?" She points to the lopsided things she thinks must be his first attempt at a sandcastle.
Frank doesn't know how to respond at first. He's not one to really interact with other children much. He'd much rather be left to his own devices but he doesn't want to hurt her, Alice's, feeling. "Okay," he says moving over in the sand so she can join him around the castle. "It's supposed to look like Hogwarts." He can see from here that his mother doesn't think he should be talking about the wizarding school with this girl. She has always advised being careful about who you tell what.
Alice cocks her head to the side and contemplates the castle for a few seconds. "I think it needs a few more towers and turrets," she tells him. "My Mum tells me it's a very big place and one day I'll be going to school there." Alice can see Frank visibly relax at this statement.
Frank realized that he was visibly panicking a few seconds ago and he felt he must explain his reaction to Alice. "My Mum likes for me to be careful who I talk about Hogwarts and magic with," he explained. "You can never be to careful. You know?"
Alice giggles at this. "My Mum's not that concerned about it," Alice explained. "She says any Muggle parent will just chalk my talking about magic and Hogwarts as a young child's imagination."
"Mum isn't really a fan of imagination," Frank tells her sadly.
Alice feels sad for this round faced happy looking boy. To grow up and not have a sense of imagination nurtured in you had to be the worse way to live she decides.
They continue chat about their families and other things that young children usually talk about while at play. Soon their sandcastle was beginning to look pretty big.
"Frank," his mother calls motioning him over. "It's time to go home."
Frank gives Alice a sad look. He found himself both shocked and happy that he'd allowed Alice join him and help him with their castle. He didn't really want to leave now that he'd found his first real friend. "I've got to go," he sighs as he looks at his feet sadly.
"Don't be sad," Alice tells him. A look crosses her face that should have Frank afraid but doesn't. "Let's make a pact. Or more like a pink promise."
The statement throws Frank off but he nods in agreement.
"We'll promise each other that we'll be friends for the rest of our lives," she stated excitedly, "and that nothing will ever come between us." She then held out the pinky of her right hand.
"And we'll always be honest with each other," Frank added to the end of her statement. "And share our imagination freely." He takes Alice's pinky in his own and the two shake.
Alice had never met anyone quite like Frank Longbottom and she doesn't think she probably ever will again. So every chance the two of them got to play together they took it.
#############################################################################################
The second time Alice and Frank pink promise each other is during their second year of Hogwarts. Both children had been sorted into Gryffindor which made them really happy. That way they could be together and help each other out like friends are likely do.
"Alice," Frank calls as he makes his way over to the sandy blonde haired girl, who is bent over a scroll of parchment at the moment, "you won't believe what's happening..."
"Frank," Alice says looking up exasperatedly, "I've got to get this essay done before Potions."
Frank stops what he's about to say looking down at the scroll of parchment in front of her. All that Alice has written is the topic of the paper, the date, and her name. "Do you need help?" he asks as he sits down next to her on the couch she'd taken up space on.
"I'll take whatever help I can get," she sighs out brushing some of her sandy blonde hair behind her ear. "This essay is kicking my butt big time."
So they both put their heads together and soon Alice has her essay pretty much well written. Alice can't believe that they did this in less than hour. Enveloping Frank in giant hug she can't seem to stop herself from thanking him over and over again.
"That's what friends are for," Frank tells her a slight blush growing on his face. He'd had a small crush on Alice since their first year but he didn't think he could tell her that.
"Let's make a pinky promise," Alice tells him holding out her right pink like she did when they were eight years old. "Let's promise that we'll always help each other no matter what."
"I promise," Frank said solemnly taking her pink like he had when they were eight and shaking it yet again.
#############################################################################################
The next time Frank and Alice make a pinky promise it lieu of engagement ring. It is the end of their seventh year and they've been dating since their fourth year. Frank can't think of anyone else he'd rather spend the rest of his life with besides his best friend. His Alice. So he plans a picnic date for the two of them out by the lake. It's nothing big but they don't need the big grandiose ideas the other boys plan for their girls. As long as Frank and Alice have each other they are happy.
Alice believes it's like any other date. She loves the fact that Frank can always find a way make even simplest of dates feel like the most romantic thing in the world.
"Did you make the chocolate cake yourself?" Alice asks as the chocolate from the cake practically melts in her mouth. "It's perfect, Frank."
Frank blushes at her compliment. He really had meant to do something special for her tonight. He wanted to make sure that Alice would remember this night forever. A smile crossed his face as he watched her finish off her piece of cake.
"What's that smile for?" she asked curiosity coloring her voice as she watched him. Frank had been acting strange for weeks now and Alice was half afraid that they were going to break up. But she wasn't prepared for what happened next.
"Alice," Frank began getting down on one knee and holding out his right pinky, "I know I don't have a ring at the moment and it may seem a bit early. But I can't think of anyone else I would rather spend the rest of my life with than you."
Alice gasps placing a hand over mouth as tear came to her eye. She hadn't expected this moment right here.
"Will you accept this pinky promise and marry me?" Frank asks hopefully.
Alice can't make herself form words as she nods excitedly and takes Frank's pinky in her own shaking like they'd done numerous times before. But this time it's more significant. More important than all the other times. This pinky promise is for life.
#############################################################################################
They share numerous pinky promises over the years that followed. Happy ones and sad ones. But the last one Alice remembers is the saddest of them all.
As the pain from the Cruciatus Cruse courses through Alice's body she reaches out her right pinky finger and links it through Franks. As their fingers link it feels like all the pain has left her body. All that remains is Frank.
It isn't to long after the Lestranges and Barty Crouch Jr. leave their house in ruins that the Order of Phoenix shows up. Upon walking through the front door of the Longbottom house they find Frank and Alice Longbottom lying on the floor. Pinkys linked together in what everyone thinks is their last pink promise.
She gaps the pain still strong in her system but she's alive and that's all that counts at the moment. She sees people in front of her. None of whom she remembers.
"Alice," a woman she doesn't know says as she kneels in front of her, "are you alright?"
Fear takes over mixing with the pain she's feeling. She doesn't know this woman. But she figures out that she must be the Alice the woman is referring to.
"We're taking you and Frank to St. Mungos," a man she doesn't know says as he nods over his shoulder to someone outside.
Alice doesn't remember what happens after this interaction. She thinks she must have passed out because of the immense pain she's feeling because all she can see is blackness now. She hears as though from a distance the cries a young child and everything in her wants to reach out and hold the baby and comfort it. But she can't from her dark prison.
#############################################################################################
Alice wakes in an unknown place. She knows she should know what this place is but she just doesn't. She looks around noticing for the first time that she isn't in her clothes. Or her normal clothes. She's in a hospital type gown. She also notices that she isn't the only person in the room. She's in a room with a man about her own age.
He begins to stir, eyes blinking open in the same confusion she feels.
Getting off the bed and walking over to him she tries her best for a small smile. She feels shy because she doesn't know this man, or at least she thinks she doesn't know him.
"I think my name is Alice," she tells him with a small encouraging smile.
"It says here my name is Frank," the man says. "But I don't remember..."
"It's alright," she tells him soothingly. "I promise I will figure out why we can't remember anything." She holds out right pink finger, a small flicker of something like a memory coming to her mind, and she takes his and shakes it.
I hope you all enjoyed Pinky Promises.