Neville/Alice
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Neville's hands play with the gum wrapper he's holding. He sits quietly as he looks at the woman whose eyes display the same sadness as always. Her beautiful brown, yet tired eyes are absent and dreamy. They eventually meet his, but never recognize him, and after all these years Neville still resents it. Her grey strings of long hair are tied carefully. He remembers its natural colour, as he remembers just how beautiful she looks in those pictures of her youth that he still preserves hungrily. He can't see a trace of that woman in the picture now, not in her hair, or skin, and not in her eyes.
"So…mum…" he says calmly. "The school year is about to begin, so…I won't be coming for a while," he says, not waiting for her to answer, he never waits for an answer from his mother. Her eyes are fixed on thin air, not on him. "But I'll definitely be here on Holidays…" he states. She, of course, doesn't smile or nod, she simply stares vacantly. But he continues his explanation, because he always keeps her updated with his life, no matter how oblivious she is of it.
"And…Hanna…she's having the baby soon. She'll be due in two months," he smiles to that last and looks down at the blue piece of wrapping paper his mother had handed him when he arrived at the hospital a while ago. "You know…" he says, keeping his self together. "If it's a girl we'll call her Alice," he smiles again to himself. "If it's a boy we'll—"
"Alice," murmurs his mother, who had been sitting in front of him for the last hour without pronouncing a word. Neville looks up at her, half hopeful.
"Yes, Alice, like—"
"Alice," she says again and frowns slightly. "I know Alice…" she says, rather incoherently.
"Mum, you are—"
"Is that your daughter's name?" she asks now. Neville is surprised to see that his mother listened and retained most of the information he had been giving her.
"Well, no…not yet," he says.
"She's sad," she says faintly, "she's sad sometimes."
"Who's sad mum?"
"Alice."
Neville swallows hard, he tries to contain his emotions as much as possible. He looks down, accustomed to the silence that always takes place in their conversations.
"But...Anya…"
"What?"
"Anya is a beautiful name," this time his mother turns to him and smiles sweetly. She stares at him as he smiles back, doubtful but sweetly as well. "Anya is beautiful… happy."
Neville nods, and reaches for her hand, which she lets him hold for a while.
"Anya is beautiful," he agrees.
A nurse interrupts them and informs him that the visiting time is over; he kisses his mother's forehead and reminds her that he won't be coming back for a while because of his work, although he knows she won't remember that.
Two and a half months later Neville's daughter is born. Her eyes are a beautiful light shade of brown, but they're not small, or sleepy, or dreamy. Her eyes are wide and big, ready for the world that's receiving her. Neville looks at her and falls in love instantly, because Anya's eyes are bright, young and powerful. Anya's eyes are happy.
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A/N: First Neville fic for me! It may be a little weird, but not all kids have to be named after their grandparents, and in Neville's case his mother preferred it that way. I'd love to hear your thoughts.