Gloves: Write about a witch or wizard protecting someone.

(emotion) disappointment

(word) grass-stain

(dialogue) "If I was a foot taller, would it have made a difference?"

Battle of the Black Lake: Write about Frank/Alice

Beta'd by: Emy and Jenny! Thanks you guys!

Word Count without A/N: 1,822

WARNING. PLEASE READ. Character Death and brief description of blood. There is also mention of child death. I do not go into explicit detail, but it is still there. Do not read if you are uncomfortable with any of this. WARNING. PLEASE READ.


Alice was scrubbing at the grass-stains in her husband's clothes. Frank had gone to visit his mother, and the pair had been lead through the gardens by an orderly. Everything had been fine until Frank had mentioned Bellatrix Lestrange's imprisonment. Augusta had gone feral, attacking the orderly and screaming the word 'No' over and over again. Frank had had to wrestle his mother to the ground. (Wanda were not allowed in the Mental Health Ward of St. Mungos for this very reason.)

"Alice."

She flinched at her husband's voice, scrubbing the fabric harder as tears began to blur her vision. Hands fell onto hers, and she stopped scrubbing, shoulders shaking.

"Alice, why don't you let Iggy finish that?"

...

"Now that we've assembled the Order, we need to talk about what to do with young Draco." Albus Dumbledore stood in front of the cramped room, twinkling eyes dulled by the severity of the situation. "Lucius and Narcissa betrayed Voldemort in order to protect Draco. They wanted him to lead a life free from war, and they were willing to tell us Voldemort's strategies, at the risk to their own lives. Sadly, they paid that price. However, before they died, I promised that I would look after their son." "I will not be able to take the child." Severus Snape spoke up from the back corner of the room. Several people shifted, hands slipping closer to their wands. Voldemort may have been dead, and Severus may have been a spy, but he was a very convincing spy,. "I may be the boy's godfather, but if what you say is true, my duties will only bring him danger ."

Albus turned his gaze to the red haired group up front, eyes questioning. "Molly? Arthur?"

"I'm sorry, Albus. We don't have the room or the money for another child. On top of that, how do you think he'd feel growing up being the only blonde in the family?" Arthur said, wrapping an arm around his wife.

"Very well. Is there anyone here who would be willing to take him into their home?" Blue eyes traversed the room, disappointment evident as no one spoke up. He let out a sigh, his eyes closing in defeat. "Then I will be sending him to an orphana-"

"We'll take him." A small woman with brown hair strode forward, head held high. Her eyes were red-rimmed, and her voice hoarse. Beside her, a tall man stood with his hand on her shoulder. "We'll take him, Albus."

"Are you sure Alice? It's not too soon after…." Albus trailed off, hands coming together in front of him. "Frank?"

"It'll be fine." Frank spoke up, a small, sad smile punctuating his sentence. "Besides, we already have a baby's room setup and ready for use."

"Thank you." Albus smiled at the couple quickly before turning his gaze back to the group. "And now we must discuss young Harry. I've sent him to a hidden location; Hagrid and Minerva are the only people besides myself who know where the boy is. I am aware that many of you have offered to take care of the boy, however, the place he has been sent to is protected by blood wards."

Gasps sounded from around the room at that, but Alice and Frank didn't hear them. The couple was once again back in the opposite corner to Severus, huddled together as they fought with their grief and their happiness.

...

"If I was a foot taller, would it have made a difference? Like, do you think things would've been different?" Alice questioned, her head tilting. Frank was beside her, a grin on his face as he watched his wife skip in front of him. "I mean, I know how much you love to loom over me when I'm cooking, or cleaning, or taking care of Neville."

"Hey," Frank protested, reaching out to pull her into a hug. "I do not loom. And it wouldn't matter 'cause I would just grow another foot to keep you the same height." Alice giggled as he kissed her nose before pouting and pulling away.

"That doesn't even make sense, Frank!"

Their hands stayed interconnected as they continued walking down the street, swinging between them.

"Do you think Mum is doing okay with Neville? I know he was fussy when you left," Frank questioned, looking down at his wife. Her expression pinched.

"I would like to say yes, but I know how Neville gets when he's angry. I don't know what's caused him to be so clingy lately, but it makes him hard to care for sometimes. Even Iggy, our house-elf, said that they were having problems with Neville when are away at work."

"That's what I was afraid of." Frank sighed, before gently tugging on Alice's hand. "Wanna head home early? Cuddle with Neville some?"

Alice nodded, leaning up for a quick peck on the lips before separating their hands and taking a step back.

"Last one in the house has to change Neville's diaper!" And then she spun on her heel, laughing.

Frank chuckled and Apparated after his wife.

"NO!" Frank was first aware of the screams of his wife, and then the smell of smoke. His eyes widened as the flames registered in his brain. His wand was quickly in hand, and he joined Alice - for she was his partner now, not his wife, not in this situation - in trying to control the flames.

"It's Fiendfyre!" he called out, sweat beading on his brow both from the heat and the effort of controlling the dark magic. (It was hard to focus. Thoughts of his mother and his child kept pressing into his mind, reaching for his heart and lungs and tugging, tugging-tugging-tugging-)

"I've found the heart!" Alice called out, and Frank turned to look in her direction. Her small form was braced, wand pointed at the head of a large snake. "Head inside and see if they're in there! I've got this!"

Frank didn't hesitate, couldn't hesitate, and dashed for the door. His feet pounded in time with his heart, and when he slammed the door open and screamed for his son, the silence stopped his heart. He made his way to the stairs, using a quick spell to transfigure the wood into steel and concrete, a matter unable to burn.

"Homenum Revelio."

Thick smoke curled from his wand and pointed up the stairs, and relief filled Frank's lungs. His family was still alive, they were fine. They were alive.

"Mum? Can you hear me?" Frank opened up a door, and sighed when there was nothing but an empty room. Footsteps sounded behind him, and Alice was suddenly in the empty doorway.

"Frank?" Her shoulders were drawn up to her ears, and her wand was still gripped tightly in her hand. "How did they find us? The only person who knew where we were was my sister, and she's in America visiting her husband's family."

Frank shook his head. "I don't know. There is someone still here though. They're on this floor, but I haven't heard anything or found anything yet."

"Maybe Augusta hid behind a silencing ward? Neville was probably panicking and crying loudly." Alice bit her lip before turning back to the hallway. "I'll take the doors on the right, you take the doors on the left?"

"Deal, but only if you handle my mother and her temper."

That got a chuckle out of his wife — and that was what she was now that he knew they were safe — and together they headed down the hallway, checking room after room.

...

Alice stared down at the sleeping child. He was small for a one-year-old, barely the size of her torso. A layer of white gold covered his head, little fly-aways making themselves known as they glimmered in the light of the hallway. Little Draco was still under the effects of the sleeping potion Severus had given him earlier, his thumb hanging limply in his mouth as he dreamed.

Arms wrapped around her waist, and Alice leant back into the embrace.

"Do you think Neville would've been a good brother?" Her voice hitched on the last word, but she didn't cry. She had already cried enough tears for two lifetimes. "Would he have been happy?"

Frank pressed a kiss to her hair. "Of course he would've."

And even though Alice had cried enough for both of them, Frank felt his eyes begin to water at the thought of what would have been. He lifted a hand to wipe the tears from his eyes before wrapping it back around his wife. They were broken, yes, but he knew they would heal in time. It would take years, maybe more than he could count, but it would happen.

For now, they would stand watch over their newest son in the night, keeping the monsters that tore their families apart at bay so that his dreams would be filled with peace.

...

There was only one door left to be opened, their master bedroom and the adjoining nursery. Hope fluttered in Alice's chest as she laid a hand on the door.

"Count of three?"

Frank nodded and she held up her wand-hand, flicking her wands three times before slamming the door open and raising her wand. Frank stood next to her, shield charm up and ready in case their were any enemies holding hostages.

"The stump ate the heart, and hair began to grow!"

Augusta Longbottom sat in the middle of their bedroom floor, arms waving in time to her song as her aquamarine dress lay in shambles around her, stained with red. Lacerations covered her body, blood painting her skin in streaks. A twitch of her head revealed that her perfect bun had been sliced cruelly off, hair flaring out from her skull like spikes.

"The fountain cried as the pot began to crow!"

Alice felt her wand drop from her fingers, and faintly registered Frank rushing past her to his mother.

"Mum? Mum!" Frank grasped at scratching hands, yelling as torn nails clawed at his skin. "Alice, help me! She's going to hurt herself even more!"

Her heart stopped in her chest.

"Neville."

The word was barely a whisper, and as she turned towards the door beside their bed, she felt them grow.

"Neville!"

Time stopped for Alice Longbottom in that moment. And from that night on, time would forever tick just a second behind.

The door was torn off its hinges. Splinters of wood decorated the ground like old confetti. Toys lay broken all over the nursery floor, stuffing scattered about in a mimicry of snow. And in the center of the room….

In the center of the room was her baby.

"And as the wind howled, and as the frog croaked," Augusta's voice echoed through the night. "The grandmother lost hold of hope!"

Darkness welled up from the edges of Alice's vision, and the last thing she heard was the cackling of Augusta and the cries of her husband.