A/N - This was also written for Round 12 of the Quidditch League Competition which was all about your OTP. Believe it or not, I don't have an OTP, but I do like Neville and Hannah a lot, so here you are. My prompt was to write about a goodbye, so I chose a series of them.
Thanks to trollnexus for the beta and for Hannah's Patronus and to MaryRoyale for the shameless poaching of Neville's daughter's name.
Enjoy!
Neville finished packing his books with a wave of his wand. Most of them were still in his quarters at Hogwarts, but he'd brought some home this summer to work on a bit of new curriculum he wanted to include for the fifth years. When he'd finished, he inspected the rest of the study. Although he knew he'd be back in a few days and Hannah could owl anything he really needed, he still wanted to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything. Satisfied, he turned and made his way back to their bedroom, the box of books floating along behind him.
He was taking one last look through his wardrobe when Hannah came in. She leaned against the doorframe and looked at him.
"Do you have to go?" Hannah asked.
"You know that I do," Neville replied, turning to smile at her. She huffed and pouted. He chuckled.
"You know, it used to be that I couldn't wait for the first of September," she said. "Now, not so much."
"I'll be back next weekend," he reminded her.
"I know," she said with a sigh. "But, I've gotten used to you being here every day. It won't be the same."
"Absence makes the heart grow fonder right?" Neville said, leaning over and kissing the tip of her nose. She pouted again. "Well, I suppose I don't have to leave just yet," he conceded. Hannah grinned and stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him. Neville smiled, then pulled her fully into the bedroom and closed the door.
"Why don't you come and stay up at the castle," Neville said for probably the fiftieth time. "Just until the baby's born."
"Love, you know I can't do that," Hannah replied, rubbing a hand over her ever expanding belly. "I've got the pub to keep an eye on."
"We can hire someone to look after it," Neville said, stepping forward and putting his arms around her. He kissed her temple. "I worry about you doing too much."
"I'll be fine," she said. "We'll be fine," she amended quickly. "Besides, you'll be home in a few days for the weekend won't you?" Neville nodded, but still looked worried.
"You remember how to do the Patronus, right?" Neville asked.
"Nev, the baby's not due for more than two months," she laughed. "I don't think we need to worry about that just yet."
"Just in case," he said. "Please, for me?" She shook her head fondly, but backed herself out of Neville's arms and stepped into the corridor. She pulled out her wand and conjured her Patronus. Then she smiled wickedly at her husband and whispered her message into the lioness' ear. The lioness took the three required steps to reach Neville and then repeated Hannah's message. Neville's eyes widened for a moment, before he grabbed his wife and pulled her into the bedroom, closing the door behind him.
"Daddy loves you," Neville said, as he kissed baby Alice's forehead. She giggled and patted her father's cheeks with her chubby hands. Hannah smiled at the baby on her hip.
"We'll miss you," Hannah said looking up at her husband.
"Not half as much as I'll miss you," he said, leaning down to kiss his wife. Alice grabbed hold of a chunk of his hair as he did so and he chuckled as he carefully extricated himself from his daughter's grasp. "I asked Minerva not to give me so many patrols this year, so maybe I can pop home during the week too."
"Nev, you're head of Gryffindor now," Hannah reminded him. "You probably shouldn't be nipping home so often."
"I know," Neville replied with a sigh. "I just feel like I miss so much."
"Alice promises not to start walking until Christmas, don't you sweetheart?" Hannah asked her daughter, who gurgled and clapped her hands. Neville kissed the top of the baby's head again. He sighed as he looked at his girls. He really didn't want to leave.
"It's only a few days," Hannah reminded him. "You'll be so busy with start of term; you won't even have time to miss us."
"That's what you think," Neville said ruefully.
"Go," Hannah said, giving him a little push. He looked at them one more time, Hannah waving Alice's small hand at him and then Disapparated.
"Daddy, no go," Alice whined, grabbing him around the legs. Neville bent down and scooped her up, tossing her gently into the air until she laughed. He rubbed her nose with his as he settled her on his hip.
"Daddy doesn't want to go Princess, but I have to," he said.
"No," Alice said, sticking out her lower lip and shaking her head back and forth so that her pigtails bounced. "Stay me."
"I would love to stay with you, but I can't," he said. "Maybe Mummy will bring you up to Hogwarts this week."
"If Mummy can keep her breakfast down for more than a half hour maybe," Hannah groaned as she came into the room." Neville shifted Alice a bit and wrapped his free arm around his wife. She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed.
"Come to the castle with me," he pressed again. "Let Poppy check you over."
"Neville, I'm fine," Hannah said. "It's not as if I haven't been pregnant before."
"But it seems so much worse this time," he said in concern.
"I wasn't running after an almost 2 year-old last time," she reminded him.
"All the more reason to come to the castle," he pointed out. "You know Minerva and Poppy can't resist Alice, they'd love to watch her so you can rest."
"And what about the Leaky?" Hannah reminded him.
"Don't you think Will and Tess have things under control?" he asked.
"Hm, maybe," Hannah said rather noncommittally in Neville's opinion. "I'll think about it." Neville sighed.
"All right," he finally said. He looked back at Alice who seemed fascinated with a loose thread on the shoulder of his robes. "Give Daddy a kiss, he has to go." Alice leaned forward and gave him a rather sloppy kiss on the lips. Neville laughed a bit and hugged her tightly.
"Ow, Daddy," Alice said, squirming in his grip.
"Sorry, Princess," he said, then set her gently on her feet. He pulled Hannah into his arms. "Didn't this used to be the other way round?" he asked. She looked at him in confusion. "You the one wanting me to stay?" She smiled and kissed him.
"I always want you to stay," she replied.
"I'll tell you a secret," he said quietly. "I always want to stay too." He kissed her softly, but deeply until a tug on his trouser leg distracted him. He looked down and saw Alice with her lower lip sticking out and her arms crossed in front of her.
"Daddy no kiss Mummy," Alice said. "Daddy kiss Awice." Neville and Hannah both laughed as Neville picked up their daughter and they smothered her with kisses.
"Do I have to go?" Neville asked. Hannah was sitting on the floor with the boys, who were just six months old.
"You know that you do," she said with a smile.
"You could come with me," he said hopefully. They'd had this discussion more than once, but so far, Hannah hadn't agreed. He'd even shown her a house in Hogsmeade as she wasn't keen on raising the children in the castle. Minerva had assured him he could Floo home every evening, unless he had patrol. The prefects could be given access to the common room Floo in case there was an emergency that Neville needed to deal with in Gryffindor tower. Will and Tess, the young couple that they'd hired after Alice was born were more than capable of taking care of the Leaky and had done so quite often since the twins' birth.
"Maybe," Hannah said, as she always did. Neville tried not to look too disappointed.
"Daddy!" Alice called as she careened into his legs. He grimaced, but picked her up all the same.
"What Princess?" he asked.
"Does you haaaaave ta go back ta school?" she said with a pout. Neville tried to hold back a smile.
"Yes, I do," he said. "But I'll miss you." Alice crossed her small arms over her chest and glared at him.
"You not go," she said forcefully. Neville could hear Hannah laughing quietly behind him.
"Daddy has to go," he said. "Who else will teach the students about all the magical plants?"
"Auntie Nerva," Alice said with conviction. Neville chuckled.
"Well, Aunt Minerva is busy running the school," he said. "She doesn't have time to teach my classes."
"Yes, she do," Alice said. "I tell her." She looked around her father's shoulder to where her mother sat on the floor. "Mummy, I use the Floo?" she asked sweetly.
"No sweetheart, you cannot use the Floo," Hannah replied. Alice frowned at her mother. Then she threw her arms around Neville's neck.
"You not go, Daddy," she sniffled. Neville glanced at Hannah who looked away quickly. He kissed Alice's cheek and pulled back from her a bit.
"Daddy will be back in three sleeps," he told his daughter. "That's not long, is it?" Alice shook her head. "And you'll help Mummy with your brothers, right?" Alice nodded enthusiastically. "That's my big girl." He kissed her forehead and set her down. Hannah had risen from her spot on the floor and stood in front of her husband.
"Neville" she began, but Neville interrupted her.
"Shh," he said, wrapping his arms around her waist. "It's all right, I understand." He kissed her temple and stepped back from her. There were tears in her eyes. "I love you. I'll see you in a few days." He saw Hannah nod before he disappeared with a pop.
Neville looked through his wardrobe one more time before he closed the lid of his trunk. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair as he sat down on the bed. It was getting harder and harder to leave every year.
"Da-da," he heard and turned to see the boys toddling into the room.
"Hey, my little men," he said, sliding off the bed and kneeling on the floor in front of them. He held out his arms and they giggled as they fell against him. Neville gathered them up and stood, holding one in each arm. Alice skipped in behind them a few moments later.
"Daddy, guess what?" she asked.
"What?" he replied, smiling down at her.
"I gots a secret," she said.
"You do?" Neville said in mock surprise. "Can you tell me what it is?"
"Uh-uh," she said shaking her head, her pigtails swinging. "Not until Mummy tells me to."
"Okay then," he said, playing along. Hannah appeared in the doorway. She leaned against the doorframe and crossed her arms, smiling at her husband. His heart clenched, but he wasn't going to ask her again. He didn't want to keep making her feel guilty and she'd made her position more than clear. He knew the Leaky was important to her and he didn't want to be the reason she gave it up. They hadn't talked about moving to Hogwarts or Hogsmeade all summer.
"Daddy has to go," he said, kissing the boys and then setting them down. "Come give me a hug," he said to Alice, who jumped up into his arms. Neville frowned for a moment when there was no begging for him to stay. He felt a little bereft when she wriggled, wanting to be put down. Hannah stepped forward once Neville had let go of Alice.
"I'll see you in a few days," she said, giving him a quick kiss on the lips before stepping back from him. Neville felt a bit lost when his family stood and smiled at him. This was getting much too easy for his liking.
"All right then," he finally said. "I guess I'm off." Hannah waved and Neville waited for a moment but the children had already turned and run from the room.
"Professor Longbottom," Minerva said, after the Welcoming Feast that night.
"Headmistress," Neville acknowledged, turning to her.
"I have something for you," she said, handing him a small scroll.
"What's this?" he asked taking it from her.
"Trust me," she said with a wink and then the scroll glowed and Neville felt the familiar tug of a Portkey.
He landed with a grunt, drawing his wand even before his feet touched ground.
"Easy there, love," a familiar voice said. He turned and saw Hannah standing before him, wide smile on her face.
"Hannah?" he asked in confusion. "What, how, where are we?" he finally managed.
"Home," she simply said.
"Home?" he asked. "What are you talking about?"
"Go look out the window," she directed. He did as she asked, pulling back the curtain. He startled and then turned back to her.
"Hogsmeade?" he said and she nodded. "I don't understand."
"I finally got tired of saying good bye," she said with a shrug.
"But, the Leaky," he protested.
"Will and Tess can take care of it," she said, stepping forward and wrapping her arms around his waist. "And it will be there for me when I want to take it back over someday. Kids grow up so fast; I don't want us to miss a minute of it." Neville lowered his head and kissed her softly.
"No more good byes?" he asked when he pulled back.
"Well, you do still have to go to work every morning," she said with a smirk. He chuckled. "But no, no more good byes." He kissed her again and then she took his hand, leading him towards the back of the house. They looked in on Alice and the boys, Neville kissing each on the forehead and tucking the covers more tightly around them. And then he followed his wife into their room, closing the door quietly behind them.