Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.

Challenges listed at the bottom.

Word Count - 585

Ready Or Not

Frank entered the house quietly, hanging up his Auror cloak and taking his boots off. Usually he would call out for Alice, but he was home later than normal, and he suspected Neville would already be fast asleep.

Hopefully Alice would've had the house elves light the fire though, because after the long stake out shift, the winter cold had seeped into Frank's bones, despite the warming charms he'd made good use of.

When Frank entered the lounge, his wife wasn't sitting in front of the fire as he expected. Quietly greeting Hermes, their owl, Frank went in search of his wayward wife. He found her out back, Neville still awake and in her arms.

Frank couldn't stop his laughter when he saw his son's chubby hands reaching out to try and catch the snow falling. Alice turned to look at him, her eyes sparkling with happiness.

"Hey sweetie," she greeted, returning to the kitchen to press a kiss to his cheek. "How was the shift?"

"Boring," he replied, nuzzling his cold nose against her cheek. "And cold."

"It's winter, my dear," she replied. "Of course it's cold."

"Uh huh," he agreed. "So what say you we get this little man to bed, and we curl up together and you can help warm me up?"

"Sounds like a marvelous plan," Alice agreed. "Why don't you do bedtime with him, since you haven't seen him today, and I'll make us hot chocolate?"

He grinned. "You're perfect, do you know that?"

She smiled, handing over their son. "Night night, Nev baby," she murmured, kissing his temple.

Frank climbed the stairs to the nursery, settling Neville into his cot. He cast the spell to set off the mobile over the cot, and left the room, smiling at the sound of Neville's little noises.

Alice was awaiting him when he descended the stairs, and the two of them curled up on the sofa together with a blanket wrapped around them.

"I think I'm ready to come back to work," Alice murmured, wrapping her hands around her mug. "As much as I'm enjoying staying home with Neville, I need to be out there, helping. There's a war going on, and I can only stay home pretending everything is okay for so long."

"You deserve a break," Frank argued, the familiar prickle of fear at his wife being on the front lines overtaking him. As capable as he knew her to be, it still scared him to know that she would be the first to jump in any battle.

"James is back at work," Alice argued. "Lily wrote to me earlier about it."

Frank nodded. James had been back for a week, and he'd purposefully not mentioned it to his wife for fear that she would want to return so soon.

Alice kissed him softly. "I'm ready, Frank. I can't settle knowing that I'm not helping. I need to fight for what I believe in."

He nodded, sighing. "I know… I just…"

"You think I don't feel the same about you being out there? It's just as scary for me."

"I know that too. Okay, I'll speak to my mother about looking after Neville, okay?"

Alice nodded, settling even closer into his side. "I love you. So much, I love you."

"I love you too, baby."

Frank leant his head back against the sofa, closing his eyes. Alice might be ready to go back to work, but Frank didn't think he'd ever be ready to see her in such danger again.

Written for;

Character Appreciation - 5. Owl

Showtime - 17. AliceFrank

Amber's Attic - AliceFrank

Canadian Craze - 18. A Story set in winter

Hamilton Mania - A1, 14. Auror / Extra, 7. Alice Longbottom.