Neville never asked to be a hero. It just happened. And like everything, there is a price.
Neville Longbottom and Hannah Abbott somehow ended up paired together after the war, but it seemed that the pair had no children unlike their schoolmates. It may also be noted that couple probably lived apart for much of the time with Neville teaching in Hogwarts while Hannah runs the Leaky Cauldron in London.
The Longbottom Heir
"Mr and Mrs Longbottom, we are so very sorry… The scan results are out. Long-term insidious curse damage. You, sir, will never father a child…"
"But I had my regular health scans as an Auror," Neville protested. "As of my discharge, everything was normal. I have never been hit by any nasty curses or the like as an Auror. The worst was a Jelly-legs Jinx." He had done the compulsory discharge health check before he left for his new post at Hogwarts several years back. Hogwarts faculty were also entitled to regular health scans at their infirmary. Poppy had him treated for exposure to Bubotuber sap on occasion.
Auror work did not suit him. He was not brave like Potter, running out to take on their foes with wand drawn, dodging spellfire. He was not a particularly skilled duellist. He preferred working with plants, helping his fellows identify unknown and possibly illegal specimens in Knockturn Alley or concocting antidotes to their poisons.
The news was devastating. Hannah's hand was cold in his. They both wanted children so badly. They had tried ever since they got married. His grandmother, bless her soul, had been so supportive even if Hannah Abbot had not been her idea of an ideal wife for her grandson – too dizzy and not too bright. Augusta Longbottom was getting on the years, but still ruled the roost from Longbottom Manor. She had the Longbottom Manor's nursery refurbished during her grandson's honeymoon. The nursery had remained empty for many years. Now they had to break the news to her too.
"Apologies, it might be an even earlier curse. Some side effects do not appear until years later… especially for curses suffered during one's teens… You might be unusually susceptible…" the healer fumbled with his notes. "I understand the standard Auror health checks do not extend to fertility and neither do the general health checks in Hogwarts. Perhaps if it had been caught sooner…"
Neville's gut twisted. He had found himself on the receiving end of Professor Carrow's Crucios more than once during those dark days in Hogwarts.
"Is there any way… we can still have children?" Hannah ventured shyly.
"Sadly, we can do nothing for your husband at this late stage. As for you, ma'am, you are a robustly healthy young witch and I do not foresee any issues with your carrying a child to term. You might consider having another wizard contribute as the sire and have Mr Longbottom adopt…"
Hannah suddenly burst into tears and ran out. Her concerned husband followed. The healer looked up from his notes, shrugged, and sipped his tea. The couple might return, or they might not. Still, he fished out the recommendation letter for the wizarding sperm bank just in case they did. Longbottom. Last of his line. Another pureblood family about to die out. Was Madam Augusta still around?
The healer scanned his schedule and decided a long vacation to Spain should be taken within the week. Perhaps even a transfer. He had no stomach for dealing with old harridan who had given St Mungo's healers more than enough grief over the condition of her son and daughter-in-law over the years.
Neville and Hannah had gone to Hogwarts together, but they only grew close in their eighth year. Neville's grandmother insisted he completed his NEWTs before enlisting with the Auror Corps rather than go through the accelerated Auror training with combined NEWTs course. He thought he had an understanding with Luna, but she took everything in her stride, unlike him. He could not keep up with her.
With Harry gone, Neville became the centre of attention in Hogwarts, all because he had beheaded a snake. He was no hero. Never felt like one. That was Harry Potter. Neville was that simple bloke who liked gardening. When he and Luna ended their little dalliance, there were girls aplenty eager for him to ask them out to Hogsmeade. He spent his weekends in the greenhouses instead of the village. There he found Hannah helping Professor Sprout repot the Venomous Tentaculas.
The next weekend, they were alone in the greenhouse…
"Hello, Nev. You haven't changed one bit…" Hannah greeted him with a smile as he was harvesting sap from the Bubotubers. She helped with the harvesting of the sap. He helped her trim the Devils Snare. She was funny and kind. He liked her. They kissed for the first time near the Dittany plot.
On graduation, he joined the Aurors while Hannah took up a mastery in Healing. Neville and Hannah met for dinner or tea when their schedules allowed. A proposal of marriage soon followed. Midway through Hannah's master studies, she found herself saddled with the care of her uncle Tom of the Leaky Cauldron when he fell ill. Poor Uncle Tom never recovered his health. On obtaining her mastery, Hannah took over the pub instead of applying to St Mungo's for a post. That decision was to cost her later.
Two years into his marriage, he was living with his wife above the Leaky Cauldron. It was a short hop to his workplace in London, and St Mungo's where his parents still were. Neville never gave up hope they would recover some day. Finally, he decided to call it quits with the Aurors, accepting the post of Professor in Herbology. Hannah applied to be Madam Pomfrey's assistant but was politely declined. They preferred a candidate who had had some experience in a hospital setting. Patching up drunks on Saturday nights did not count. Neville could have bought a small cottage in Hogsmeade for Hannah but what would she do with her days? She did not have a gaggle of children to keep her busy.
Hannah was reluctant to give up the pub, so Neville decided to Floo over from Hogwarts on the weekends. It was hard on Hannah seeing other witches her age sporting baby bumps or pushing prams in the street. His grandmother was also getting a bit testy, pushing the pair to move to the ancestral manor and pop out the next generation of Longbottoms. She had crossed her first century and the offspring of Neville's peers were filling his classroom in Hogwarts.
That was when Neville finally coaxed his wife to go with him to St Mungo's.
"Hannah?"
He found her in the Janus Thickey ward, weeping into his mother's lap as Alice absently stroked her daughter-in-law's hair. His father was snoring in his bed as a mediwitch ran his health scans. Hannah visited his parents more often than his he did with his busy schedule at Hogwarts. They appeared to enjoy her company.
"I'm so sorry, hen…" he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Like the healer said, it is still possible for you to have a baby… I really don't mind… We could ask about…"
"I'm sorry, Nev. I cannot do it," Hannah hiccupped. Alice stopped stroking Hannah's hair and gave her son a bemused look. His father stirred a bit but remained asleep.
"Do what?" Neville frowned.
"Carry another man's baby! I want to have your babies…" she sobbed. "I know it means a lot to Granny to have a great-grandson… but I can't do it."
"We don't have to do it if you don't want to… Besides, Granny should be mad with me, not you. Last Longbottom male and sterile to boot. No one does blood adoptions these days, at least not legally," Neville said softly. "We can adopt or foster instead… we don't have to rush into anything yet."
"But your family line…"
"To heck with it, Hannah. I know it will tough having to tell Granny the bad news and maybe she will yell a bit, but we will get through it, promise," Neville gave her peck on the cheek and wiped away her tears. His mother was clapping her hands and smiling. His father had awoken and was staring at them with a slightly bewildered look.
They did not quite recognize him or Hannah. Gingerly, his father stuck out his hand from under the covers. "S-shake…"
Neville humoured him by shaking the hand offered. Then his father was back to staring at ceiling while his mother was being coaxed by the mediwitch to have her bath.
"Do you think they know?' Neville whispered as they headed out of the ward. Hannah closed her eyes and leaned against his shoulder.
"It's been a while since we went out for dinner…" Hannah murmured.
"I have an early class tomorrow…" Neville reminded his wife.
"Next week, then. Libby has made a cottage pie for us at the Leaky Cauldron…"
Just a simple bloke and his missus heading home for dinner.
Nine months later…
Longbottom Magical Children's Home. Andromeda Tonks nodded with approval at the new sign hanging from the gate. She had been at a loss after Teddy had grown up. Her career in St Mungo's was going nowhere. A change was due. The formidable Augusta had been hesitant at first to give up the main manor, but she soon decided to move to a smaller and more manageable dower house on the sprawling estate. She still insisted on giving the children weekly Charms and etiquette lessons.
The manor currently housed six children who were without family to care for them or were removed from abusive situations. The entire manor had been refurbished for its new role. The youngest was a three-year-old who might be a squib. She was left outside the Leaky Cauldron with a fractured arm. The eldest was a third-year student from Hogwarts whose parents just took off without a word from their Knockturn Alley home. The Aurors were still looking for them.
It was summer and the children were on the lawn enjoying the sunshine. An older boy was helping a younger child balance on his broomstick. Two older girls sat under the large parasol working on their embroidery as Madam Longbottom guided them along.
"Uncle Nev's here!" the broomstick rider yelped and zipped over to the gate. "And so's Aunt Hannah!" The youngster managed a shaky landing before he hit the gate. The remaining children abandoned their games and work to gather around the pair. Hannah stopped to scoop up the youngest child for a hug and kiss.
"How did it go?" Andromeda asked.
"It's official. Dean Thomas is the new landlord of the Leaky Cauldron," Neville grinned. "We still have a share in it, but this means Hannah will be spending more time here," he announced to squeals of delight from the younger children.
Author's Notes:
I imagine that one of the worst fears of the wizarding families will be to have their bloodline die out, especially if they are those rabid pureblood ideologists. And apparently, Voldemort and his cronies helped a lot of them into extinction by wiping out entire families.
With the Floo, living apart should not be too much of an issue for the pair. Nev can drop by on the weekends during term time.