A/N: I was at a meeting the other night and saw the friendliest, cutest baby who sucked his thumb with his finger over his nose. It was just the cutest thing and had to end up here!

The Muggle prayer Alice was saying to Neville is the Guardian Angel Prayer, the correct version of which can be found here Hers is slightly "off" since she was remembering it from childhood and we often hear things differently or "not quite right" as children.

Remember Me: Prayer

The Longbottoms

Alice Longbottom cuddled chubby, 18 month old Neville in her lap. With a deep sigh, she leaned back into the rocker, gently rocking him and humming a random tune with no words. Little Neville leaned against her, his thumb in his mouth, one finger crooked around his nose, his tattered blanket in his other hand. Alice's fingers gently stroked the silken, frayed edge, inhaling the deep scent of her rose perfume that had rubbed off on his little head.

Unbidden, familiar words stirred at the edge of her memory. She closed her eyes and sighed again, straining to remember something her gran had once said…

Then a wizened old voice whispered in the back of her head as she whispered the same words into her son's shell-perfect ear:

Angel of God, my guardian dear

For whom God's love commits me here

Ever this day be at my side

To guard and love

Rule and guide.

Smiling slightly, Alice glanced at Neville. He still had a death grip on his blanket, but his eyes were closed. Gently, she lowered him into his crib. He stirred but did not awaken. Tucking the warm quilt Augusta had made for him around him, she leaned down and quickly kissed her son before putting protective charms around his room. Shutting the door silently, she walked quickly down stairs. Frank smiled at her from behind the paper.

"You know, you don't have to do that anymore," he said nodding towards Neville's room.

"I know," she returned, rubbing her arms and settling on the couch next to him, "but I'm paranoid. I sleep better knowing that if a stranger were to go into his room, they would only see empty boxes, not a sleeping baby." Frank nodded.

"Say, what was that you were telling Neville? I heard you over the monitor charm," he added at her bemused look.

"Oh." Alice blushed and picked up Magical Baby: the Second Year. "It's something my gran said to me when I was a baby. I think…" she screwed up her face in thought, "that she had a Muggle best friend who taught it to her. Anyway, when we would spend the night with Gran, she would recite it over us before we went to bed. Pretty, isn't it?" Frank grunted in agreement.

"Tomorrow's Saturday," he said in an offhand manner. "Want to go to Diagon Alley and do some post-holiday shopping?"

"Oh, yes!" agreed Alice eagerly. "Neville is growing so fast and he needs some…." She stopped. "Frank," she said slowly, staring at the large Foe-Glass mounted on the wall behind him, "someone is coming to the door."

Frank rose slowly, his wand at the ready. "I wonder who it is this time of night."

oooOOOooo

Fire engulfed Neville, a strong, hot burning.

If I die, he thought recklessly, his head encased in the Sorting Hat, then I don't care! Take me now; life with Voldemort in power isn't much of a life.

Suddenly, the smell of burning was replaced with the strongest scent of roses. A memory stirred in Neville, something was there… my guardian dear…

And the Sword of Gryffindor was in his hands and he slew the snake…