Neville's Lullaby
"Well Alice," his grandmother said to h is mother, "you'll be proud to hear Neville's stood up to You-Know-Who as well. He fought Death Eaters, just like you did," she said in a high voice, like she was talking to a young child. His mother didn't react…she never did. She never gave any indication that they were there.
"Frank," his grandmother said, turning to his father, "did you hear what I said, darling?" His father blinked, but he didn't do anything else. He just stared off into space. Neville wasn't even sure his parents were aware that they had visitors.
"Neville, give your mother her gift!" his grandmother said in that falsely cheery voice, but she said it a bit sharply to her grandson. Neville jumped and quickly placed the plant on his mothers bedside table, as well as the card that proclaimed Happy Birthday in big, bright letters.
"Harry Birthday, mum," he whispered as he said them down. His mother gave him a confused look and touched the flower.
"Yes, Alice…it's a nice flower, isn't it? Pretty and nice. Nice," she repeated, trying to get his mother to say something. His mother was still touching the flower and looking at it with her perpetually wide eyes. Neville sighed, though he did it quietly so his grandmother wouldn't hear. She would scold him if she did.
His father didn't even look at the flower, or at anything, really. An awkward silence, the kind that always punctuated these visits to his parents, ensued. At a sharp look from his grandmother, Neville decided to try and talk to his parents.
"Um…Dad, I have some really good friends. They're great!" Neville said. This was something he enjoyed talking about. The look on his grandmothers face whenever he named Harry Potter as one of his friends made Neville fell really good, something that rarely happened because of his grandmother. Neville knew that his grandmother loved him very much, but she didn't think that he was a good as his father was. Neville knew that his father had been a very good wizard, and he knew that his grandmother really did think that he was good, but she always made him feel that he was never good enough. No matter what he did, it wasn't up to her standards. Except the night at the ministry. That one night was something she bragged about to all of her friends.
"…Yes, I know. My grandson was there, fighting right along side Harry Potter and his friends. He fired spells at Death Eaters! Yes, he did indeed. He was very brave. He even stood up to Bellatrix Lestrange, the one who tortured his parents! Yes, he did. My Neville was there!..."she'd say to her friends. She loved to brag about that. He knew she loved him, and she really did. But sometimes he wished…he just sighed, not finishing the thought.
"Neville," his grandmothers voice brought him out of his thoughts, "tell your parents your friends names."
"Yes, ma'am. Well, there's Luna Lovegood, Ginny Weasley, Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Harry Potter-they're great! They're all really brave and pretty talented, too. We're all a part of the DA-that's Dumbledore's Army, mum. It's not a real army, of course. I mean, we're just fifteen! But we didn't like the ministry, so…oh, never mind," he said as his mother started humming.
"Neville!" his grandmother scolded, "you should talk! It's good for them," she reminded him quietly, so as not to disturb his parents. He sighed, but suddenly listened to his mother's song. It sounded oddly familiar, like he'd hear it before, as if in a dream. His grandmother, who'd given up on him talking-which meant a scolding would ensue as soon as they left the room-was talking herself now. Her voice faded out. All he heard was the music. Where had he heard it before? Slowly, words started to filter into his mind.
Listen to my lullaby,
just rest your little head.
Close your little eyes, dear one,
it's time to go to bed.
Twinkling stars are in the sky,
to watch you all night long.
Neville, dear, just close your eyes,
just listen to mum's song.
I place you down and rock you,
watching from above.
If I'm gone before you wake,
I'll still give my love.
Listen to mommy's song Lullaby,
as I hold you close to me.
Listen to my song, my son,
keep it in your memory.
Neville knew the song his mother was humming…it was a Lullaby she'd sung to him when he was a baby. It was in his memory, but as a dream, almost. It didn't seem real, that there was a time his mother had sung him that song, a time she had held him. But here it was, she was humming it and he knew the words.
"Come, Neville, it's time to go," his grandmother's voice suddenly broke him away from his thoughts.
"I'll be a minute, grandmother," Neville said, leaning under the bed as if he had dropped something.
"Fine," she said in an exasperated voice. She stool up and walked out, so Neville straightened up and sat on the edge of his parent's bed, looking at his mother. He didn't sing the song, but he did say the words as his mother stopped humming and looked at him.
"Listen to my Lullaby,
rest your weary head,
Close your eyes, dear one,
it's time to go to bed.
"Twinkling stars are in the sky,
to watch you all night long.
Mother, dear, just close your eyes
just listen to my song.
"I sit hear and talk to you,
not sure you know I'm here.
Like you did for baby me,
I'll sooth away your tears.
"Listen to my Lullaby
the one you sang to me.
Now I say the song to you,
kept in my memory," Neville finished. His mother looked at him and smiled. She started humming again, and he noticed that she was still humming the lullaby.
"Bye, mum, bye, dad," he said, smiling sadly. "I love you," he said before he left. His grandmother was waiting for him, tapping her food impatiently.
"What took so long?" she asked him sharply. He smiled quietly to himself.
"Oh, I was just saying goodbye."