20

AGING witch Mrs. Augusta Longbottom eyed her distraught son over the cup of pumpkin juice, sausage, a bit of toast, and scrambled egg she had brought to her son at his home for breakfast the following morning.

She had been out of town visiting a relative and hadn't gotten Remus Lupin's correspondence that her son was in dire straights regarding his wife and Barty Crouch Jr. until a couple of hours ago.

Augusta hadn't hesitated to Apparate to her son's home, only to find Remus already there, sitting with Frank in his living room parlor.

This was admittedly not a talk she was looking forward to having, Augusta recognized.

Frank was like her in that he was ambitious, not the type to sit around and wait. Dumbledore and Remus together via Patronuses had managed to fill her in on the rest.

Mrs. Longbottom huffed in frustration as she and Remus collectively studied her son over the rims of their teacups.

Lupin was looking worried, whilst Mrs. Longbottom was merely irate.

Frank watched tautly as the owl disappeared behind darkening clouds that promised a storm. He turned to Remus, who inwardly shuddered at the crassness of his voice.

"We'll send another one in an hour. We have to find her, Remus. Who knows where that—that thing took her!" Frank growled softly.

He began to wipe his ink-stained hands, his face pale, devious, and distraught with despair and sleeplessness since his wife was kidnapped.

The thickening bush of a light two-day stubble was beginning to shadow his jawline.

"Frank," Remus began cautiously, choosing his words carefully and exchanging a knowing, dark glance with Mrs. Longbottom, who purposefully sniffed and kept her face neutral. "That was the fifth owl of the Order you've borrowed amongst the other Order members. Mine still hasn't even made it back yet. At the rate you're going, we won't have any owls left, and we know that Crouch couldn't be behind it. The Aurors just checked Barty Crouch Jr's. house, and there's no sign of Alice there, Frank."

Frank rounded on Remus, who shirked back into his chair as far as he could at the growing look of anger in the Auror's dark eyes.

"Remus, I'll force pigs to grow wings if I have to if it means finding my wife in the entire country of Great Britain! If that vampire has left the country with her, the Ministry would be alerted! I know it! They keep tabs on all matter of beasts and Dark creatures in these regions, and the fact that the Ministry has had no suspected movement outside the parameters of the country means that Alice is here! I'm going to find her with or without your help!" Frank snarled angrily.

The bottle of ink he had been using to send out calls for help to both Order members and his various connections within the Ministry, rolled on the floor after his clenched, shaking fist crashed on the kitchen table, leaving behind a trail of black ink.

Murmuring a half-hearted curse under his breath, Frank moodily waved his wand.

"Evanesco!" he muttered, and the spilled ink vanished, as did the ink on his hands just then.

Frank collapsed into the chair by the table. Lupin had nothing to say following his outburst.

He merely nodded and went back to his drink as Frank slacked onto the chair, raking his fingers through his thick tuft of short dark hair.

Alice was pregnant.

A coil in his gut twisted. It was supposed to be exciting news, and it was. Though right now, the only emotions Frank Longbottom felt were a cold fear.

Alice was pregnant and he wasn't even by her side to offer his protection, and he hadn't managed to save her from being abducted. Pregnant, alone, and currently being held hostage by a vampire.

He didn't even know where she really was! At this rate, the only consolation Frank could assuage himself was that Alice was carrying his child and not Barty Crouch Jr.'s.

He raised his head blearily at the sound of his mother clearing her throat and the clinking of a teacup being set back upon its saucer as she set aside her drink. Mrs. Longbottom studied her son's face, as, without any semblance of hesitation, Frank studied his mother's face as if she were the only one left in the world who could possibly help.

She leaned forward in her chair and her gaze bore deep into Frank's eyes.

"We will all search for her, Frank. They cannot be that far."

Mrs. Longbottom tried to give her only son hope through her own despair growing within her. Her daughter-in-law was such a sweet soul, kind-hearted, and incredibly gifted.

The fact that Frank had somehow foolishly let a vampire into their home and had allowed his own wife, who was pregnant, no less, to be taken from him, was a very grave mistake indeed, but she silently vowed that they would find Alice, no matter the cost.

A lecture was not what her son needed right now, though Mrs. Longbottom was angry with him and at some point, would have to have words with her son for letting his guard down.

A startling noise from Remus broke Mrs. Longbottom out of her concentration as she racked her brain for what to say that might help put her mind at ease.

"Professor Trelawney! She's a Seer, maybe she has a clue as to where Alice is," he breathed, snapping his fingers as a light seemed to ignite in the werewolf's kind hazel eyes.

The fact that Remus was almost smiling had Augusta and Frank both feeling rather cross, though before they could ask the man what he was doing, he bolted from the chair he was occupying and darted off to the window to send out a Patronus.

As Remus was sending his message, Mrs. Longbottom returned her attention to her son.

The older witch could not help but see the thin thread of stability onto which poor Frank was desperately clinging to.

His entire world was falling to pieces, right in front of him. Her own was not that far off from imploding herself. She was to be a grandmother, though if they could not find Alice, fast, then she might not be one at all.

She did not think she could bear the idea of any harm coming to her daughter-in-law, or that of her future grandchild, and damn the creature that had taken her.

That vampire had better hope that when she found it, it killed her. Because it was going to have to kill her in order to stop her from getting her family back.

Nor could Augusta even begin to imagine the abyss into which her son was sure to plummet if something did happen to his wife.

Mrs. Longbottom felt a shimmering pressure building behind her eyes as she was forced to watch the hope fade away from Frank's dark brown eyes. If she could, she would magic Alice into Frank's arms right here now.

But as it was, all she was able to do for the moment was to help Frank hold fast to the small shred of faith that was rapidly failing him.

He sat before him now, his glance fixed upon the otherwise empty room in his and Alice's home, save for herself and Mr. Lupin, of course, trying to hold onto the belief that he would see his wife again very soon.

Mrs. Longbottom prayed to Merlin that this day would end with Alice being safely returned to them once and for all. She sighed.

"Let me get you a fresh cup of tea, dear. That one's gone cold," she added, motioning with a jerk of her head towards Frank's tea, cold and untouched in its cup.

She rose from her spot at the table, groaning at the stiffness in her joints, and hobbled off to prepare them all fresh cup.

By the time she turned back around, Augusta was met with a truly heartbreaking scene. Frank stood rooted to his chair, frozen, trembling, his hands wound around his tea mug.

So tightly he held onto the cup that his knuckles were white with the effort to try to steady himself and stop the shakes. The rest of her son had gone absolutely grey with despair.

Frank's chest heaved to catch the air that his lungs burned and that the man gasped for. He stared at his mother, although Mrs. Longbottom was not at all sure if he saw her.

"Where is she?" Frank begged Augusta as if she could answer him.

He did not wait for his mother's attempt at calming him down, but instead, raised his terrified eyes toward the window, at the dark purple and black clouds outside that promised a storm on the whole city.

"Where is my wife?" he asked in a choking voice. He choked on the sounds that rose from the back of his throat so violently that Mrs. Longbottom was certain it was all her son could do not to vomit.

She feared he might collapse.

"She's well, Frank," Mrs. Longbottom tried to encourage her son. "She's like you. An Auror. Strong. She knows what she's doing, she's been through worse. Frank, son, you must believe that. She has to be."

Mrs. Longbottom tried to make herself rely on the same words she spoke to the future father of her first grandchild and sighed.

"What if we don't find her?" Frank stared at his mother as if he were only just now seeing Augusta for the first time since this whole ordeal had begun. "Mum, what if something's wrong?"

Mrs. Longbottom covered the brief distance between the two of them, setting down the fresh cup of tea and plate of cookies in front of her son, and took hold of her son's hands.

"Listen to me, Frank," she pleaded, staring earnestly into her son's pained darkened eyes. "I will find her. I will bring your wife back to you if it's the last thing I ever do. We'll find her together."

Augusta did not realize she was practically shaking with the solemnity of her vow. At this point, she was more than willing to make the Unbreakable Vow with her promise if it meant that her son would heed her words now.

Frank searched his mother's eyes for any sign of falsehood, any hint that she was just telling him the words she thought he needed to hear but found none.

He almost thought he would have wanted to shy away from his mother's grip, but he didn't. It felt good to have his mum here, so close, to hear her oath and the affection that she held for her daughter-in-law.

All Frank could do was stare at her, but for Mrs. Longbottom, it was more than enough.

Slowly but surely, Frank managed to collect himself and numbly nodded, telling his mother that he had heard and believed her words.

Satisfied, they turned back around, startled, when they both found themselves staring face-to-face with Professor Trelawney.

Or rather, the Seer's image, as her face was reflected within the shimmering blue mist of her Patronus, a non-corporeal form, but it was at least strong enough to allow the Seer to speak.

"Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom," came the Seer's breathy voice that came in such clear quality, it sounded as though the Divination Professor were standing right next to them all.

Remus hovered behind Frank, both hands on either of his friend's shoulders as he listened.

"Mr. Remus Lupin has informed me that the whereabouts of your wife is in question," she said, her calm demeanor in sharp contrast to that of Alice's family and friends in their kitchen.

"My wife is missing, Professor. If there's anything you can do to help us find Alice, ma'am, please…." Frank confirmed, trying to quell his violent spell of shaking and calm his voice enough to address the Seer in a collected tone.

He did not even realize that he was still clinging onto his mother's hand as Mrs. Longbottom sat breathless in the chair next to her son.

Professor Trelawney nodded, considering Frank's words. Then her eyes grew glassy and distant, and she appeared to be watching a scene from someplace else as she concentrated on whatever it was she was doing.

"I believe you will find your wife in the Forbidden Forest," she told the group calmly, almost casually in a way that sent a violent chill down their spines, but especially that of Frank's.

"The Forbidden Forest?" Frank asked, uncertainly, feeling certain he had misheard her.

Oh, Merlin.

His stomach swooped and churned as he bit the wall of his cheek. He dragged his face down along the side of his face.

Of course! How could he not have made the connection? Perhaps it was one of the vampires that came from the same clan as the one that Crouch had murdered, and if that was the case, then Alice was assuredly in a world of trouble, as no doubt the vampires would be out for blood.

Her blood. His own churned in his veins and turned to ice as he repressed a shiver.

Professor Trelawney gave Frank and Mrs. Longbottom a knowing glance. "Yes. I sense her there, dear, but you must hurry. He approaches."

"He?" Remus spoke up, furrowing his brows, though the Patronus had already dissipated. Professor Trelawney's help was done.

Eager for any course of action, Frank sighed with hope and was either choosing to ignore the cryptic last part of Trelawney's message or had missed it completely.

"Thank you, Professor, thank you," he murmured, though Professor Trelawney's Patronus had already gone, and the witch missed his words.

Frank lifted his gaze and eyed his mother and his friend hopefully from across the table. Frank was still unsure of the powers of the Divination Professor who claimed to be a true Seer, and he hoped that the woman's prediction would not lead to more heartache for him today.

At that moment, however, the hoped in his dark brown eyes was worth resting his faith on the young Seer's words, at least, for his own sake.

Mrs. Longbottom nodded to her son and to Remus, and the three of them rose from the kitchen table, with Mrs. Longbottom reaching for her son's left hand and Remus for Frank's right.

"Do you feel ready?" Augusta asked her son, already feeling certain she knew the answer.

Frank nodded. "Let's bring her home. Together," he vowed, and without another word, he closed his eyes and allowed their Side-Along Apparition to transport himself back to the Forest, though this time, he had Remus again, and now the added help of his mother's skills.

Nothing could possibly go wrong. Or so he thought, except the moment the three of them Disapparated, they found themselves staring face-to-face with Barty Crouch Jr., and he wasn't looking pleased to see Frank.

A startled shout from both Remus and Mrs. Longbottom filled Frank's eardrums as blood pounded in his ears, roaring with sound.

Though Frank heard none of it, and it felt as though everything moved in slow motion as Lupin and his mother were disarmed of their wands and lengths of rope shot from the ends of Crouch's wand, and wound around Mrs. Longbottom and Remus's middle, before sending the two flying backward and the pair them found themselves tied to a trunk of a tree.

Barty waved his wand again and conjured gags and shoved them in Augusta and Lupin's mouths before whirling on the heels of his boots, still keeping his wand trained upon his nemesis.

"Ah," Crouch began, shooting his old rival a wolfish grin as he pulled off his gloves. "There you are…. Frank, you've kept me waiting long enough. I figured you'd turn up here," he growled, seething with hate, as his eyes narrowed.

A small sound snatched Frank Longbottom from his senses as the Auror spun lightning-fast, raising his wand to Barty, but it was too late. Crouch's wand was aimed at him, and he heard the ripping of the fabric of his coat.

The splitting of flesh and rupture of ribs—all his own. The dagger that Crouch had shot in Frank's direction after conjuring one with his wand fell from Frank's bloodstained hand.

His dark eyes traveled from Crouch's face daubed in apathy, his ears ringing with the muffled screams of his mother and of Remus, down to his hand that gripped the thick silver dagger now buried in his gut.

Frank let out a guttural groan as he recognized the initials. This was Lestrange's.

It wouldn't be long until the pain would start to scatter once the worst of his shock wore off. Frank coughed in between breaths, and a warm fluid started to rise at the back of his throat, choking back the only word he wanted to ask.

Why? Why…? Why now, after all of this time?

He felt Crouch's other hand grip tightly onto his shoulder as he thrusted the blade deeper, urging Frank to scream though the fierce gust of wind from the storm that promised to come drowned it out.

Summoning what little strength was left, he willed a paling fist to smash his assailant's cheek, finally freeing him just then.

Crouch fell onto the ground with a grunt and Frank's burning lungs gasped for the cold air against the gurgle of blood streaming from his throat.

As darkness engulfed him, Frank shook his head to clear his vision as he limped away. He knew Crouch wanted him, not his mum or Remus. He could hear Barty rising from the ground to chase after him. It was working.

Though at once, he felt a throb of pain and then he collapsed. Crouch had finally caught up to him.

"You had a sharp mind to come back here," Barty's smooth, languid voice taunted him. He spat out a mouthful of blood before wiping his mouth with the back of his black leather jacket's sleeve. "You're far from stupid. At least you ought to know why, Longbottom…" he began to chuckle unpleasantly. Frank's blood went cold. Crouch laughing was never good.

"Why…" Frank finally managed, almost a whisper in between the bloodstained gritted teeth.

Crouch clicked his tongue before stamping on Frank's shoulder with a heavy black boot, pleased at the way his nemesis let out a pained scream.

"To think I might have once liked you, Frank." He sighed remorsefully and shook his head. "If only you hadn't gone after my Alice." Barty bent over to wind his fingers around Frank's neck. "Oh, don't worry, Longbottom," he grinned devilishly down at Alice's husband. "I'm not going to kill you. No, no, no. Just watch. I'm going to be the one to save Alice from those wretched disgusting vampires she's now entangled herself with, then she'll see, that it's me who she should have been with all along, never you." He spat on Frank's face. "Don't worry too much about your wounds, Crouch. I'll save you," he snorted, though he sounded disgusted with himself. "But I'll let Alice see. It's too bad you won't remember a thing of how you got here. That we found you left for dead and food for the spiders before I could—ARGH!"

Frank scrambled to his feet and managed to successfully smash a sizeable rock against Crouch's temple, earning him a resounding curse.

Now on the brink of fury, Barty Crouch Jr. threw his entire body weight at the wounded man, forsaking the use of his wand, for now, clutching the hilt of the dagger still embedded in Frank's side and twisted it until the cracking of his ribs united with Frank Longbottom's screams.

At this, Frank felt his strength give out beneath him and he crumpled to the ground. Crouch swiftly withdrew and turned on his heels, leaving Frank to bleed out slowly to death.

As he rested his head against the ground and looked up at the canopy of trees above his head, Frank Longbottom had the sense that the Forbidden Forest would be serving as his grave.

But what had he done? The image of him getting his letter to Hogwarts at age eleven came to mind.

Meeting James, Remus, Sirius, Peter. The pain no longer lingered in his body, slowly turning him numb. His heartbeats were slowing down.

Merlin was good to him, oh, yes. There was an image of a woman, a familiar woman from his department hovering over him, the face of Remus too, and of his sweet aging mum.

He could hear a voice speaking to him, this witch, whose voice sounded soft, shy, and frantic, but kind, and then the voice of his mother.

"…. Fight it, Frank. That's it, love. Come back," his mother cried from somewhere he could not see, and cut through the gloom of his mind, as visions of revenge against Crouch flitted through the forefront of his mind.

If he survived this, he was going to be the one to arrest Barty. And his wife was to go nowhere near him. Frank heard his mother again. And Remus.

Neither of them was dead. Crouch hadn't killed either one of them. Someone—this new witch—must have freed them from their bindings. That meant, that he was not dead. He was alive.

The memories flooded back into his awareness as something Crouch had said resonated in him.

I'm going to be the one to save Alice from those wretched disgusting vampires she's now entangled herself with.

Oh, god, oh, Merlin. Vampires? And she was trapped with the lot of them, Merlin Himself only knew what that lot would do to his pregnant wife. He had failed to save his wife, and now she was in greater danger than ever.

His heart sank lower than the depths from which he was sinking. What had he done?!

Exhausted, Frank could fight no more.

He knew that he had to be alive, so were Mrs. Longbottom and Remus, who had been freed, thanks to this young witch's face now hovering over him, trying to peer into his eyes to get a good look at his pupils.

But he didn't want to be. He'd failed his wife and their unborn child. He let himself go.

He wanted to fall back into the darkness. As sweet oblivion and relief from the pain surged towards him again, Frank hoped it would engulf him, and that this darkness would let him fade away, that he would simply cease to exist now.

If he was alive, his life, it meant nothing without his wife by his side. He alone was no match for an entire encampment of vampires and werewolves, and neither was Remus or his mother.

Frank allowed himself to relax into the void. He prayed that it would end his sorrow. He wanted no more of it, for he was a failure, so just let his body give up and die here.

At least he was aware enough to realize that Crouch was probably going to get captured. If not by the Aurors once the truth somehow came to light of what he had done, then something here in the Forest would nab him.

He had cost Frank far too dearly. All he wished, for now, was to spend eternity with the memory of his lovely wife, who he'd failed to protect, for she would surely never forgive him.

Alice would never look on him with the same tenderness and love that she once held.

The thought was more than she could bear. As precious sleep found Frank Longbottom, under the watchful and vigilant eye of Mrs. Longbottom's and Remus Lupin's new savior, who had managed to scare away Crouch with a well-aimed jinx, causing the man to Disapparate to a location unknown and flee the Forest, he whispered the only word that meant anything to him anymore.

"Alice," he sighed, and then he slipped into a deep sleep.

And before the dark chasm completely blinded him and he exhaled a shuddering breath, he saw for what he believed to be the last time, the only face he wanted to see—bright blue eyes and dark chocolate hair.

Alice.

His Alice.

Ouch. Poor Frank. He's not dead, I promise! XD.

Though it does up the stakes for Barty's redemption arc in Alice's eyes once the truth comes to light, though how she's going to take it, dear readers, and what Barty is going to have to do to earn his 'second chance' as the story is so appropriately named, in my mind, remains to be seen as the story's climax draws nearer and we approach a full-scale war between the good side and the side of the Death Eaters.

I hope that you are still enjoying this fic, it's definitely one of my longest HP stories yet excluding Worth the Risk and Heart of the Forsaken, at around 30-ish chapters, with maybe a bonus chapter towards the end, that doesn't heavily feature Lupin & Tonks as the mains, but Frank and Alice are my 2nd favorite HP couple, so this is sort of a tribute to them as characters in their own right.