"A heart full of love and compassion is the main source of inner strength, willpower, happiness and mental tranquillity."

Unknown

Frank Longbottom was anxious. In just a few hours he would be married. Many brides and grooms get anxious at the last minute, but his anxiety was different. He had no doubts about his love for Alice or her love for him, but he feared an attack.

They had been at war for months, almost years. Voldemort was not yet known when he began his Auror studies. Sure, strange murders and disappearances were happening more and more frequently, but that was nothing compared to the anguish of the Dark Mark or the decimated families that had been going on for the past few months. Frank hadn't chosen to be an Auror to fight the Death Eaters like the majority of Alice's class had. No, Frank wanted to be an Auror so that future generations would have a better future, so that as many criminals as possible would be out of harm's way when his children entered adulthood. He knew his vision was utopian, it had been utopian before Voldemort came along, but now... He just wanted this abomination to be defeated as quickly as possible, with as few deaths as possible on the side of the Aurors, the Order of the Phoenix and the civilians.

There was another reason Frank had become an Auror. His father. His father had been the hero of his young childhood, a superhero who saved the good guys and locked up the bad guys in Azkaban. Frank idolised his father. He didn't see him that much, he was often on a mission, but Frank adored him. His childhood was shattered when an owl came one night and delivered a letter in a black envelope to his mother. Before she could open it, she had collapsed. It was Frank, at the age of six, who read the letter aloud, which was the only way he could read anyway. He vaguely remembered asking his mother what the complicated words in the letter meant. His mother had hugged him, explaining that his father had died. Frank didn't understand, he didn't know what death was. He was only six years old. It was many weeks later, when he found his father's mission much longer than usual, that he asked his mother again about his father's absence. It was on this day that Frank learned the meaning of 'death by explosion'.

Frank had become an auror as a tribute to his father, but he also knew it was a vocation. He loved being out in the field, investigating, even though for the past few months it had been more about catching Death Eaters in Knockturn Alley. He knew that some people only saw him as Auror Longbottom Junior, the son of the illustrious Auror Longbottom, one of the best aurors of his generation, always accompanied by Alastor Moody, never one without the other in the field. It was in fact during the explosion that had cost Frank's father his life that Moody had been disfigured. The auror had spoken to him a few times about his father, but he wasn't very talkative so Frank never insisted.

But today was a special day and more than any other, Frank wished his father was here. He had managed when all the boys his age had turned to their fathers at various times in their lives. He had ignored the looks of pity when he said his father was dead or when the few people who knew about the real tragedy linked it to his family name. He'd listened to his friends talk about all the great things they did with their fathers, man to man, before giving him an apologetic little smile, it was true, he didn't have a father. Between men, Frank had always hated that expression. He had not only been confronted with women during his childhood, there had been his grandfather, his uncles. But not having a father had made him seem unattractive in the eyes of society.

Frank had inherited his title of Lord when he was six. Honestly, he didn't give a damn about the title, but like all purebloods, he had to get used to it. He was too young to have such responsibilities.

Frank shook his head sharply. This was not the time to be thinking about all this again. Sure, he missed his father terribly, but dwelling on the unhappy moments of his youth did not help his anxiety. He was getting married, he was happy, and there was no reason for the Death Eaters to show up at the wedding of two purebloods, even if their ideas were diametrically opposed.

He sighed heavily and joined his mother for the ceremony. The guests were already there. He certainly hadn't expected so many. They had invited their friends, the members of the Order and a few colleagues, but Frank's mother had insisted on adding a few more people to the list. Neither of the bride and groom had objected, Augusta Longbottom was not to be denied.

Alice was also anxious. She didn't really like large gatherings and knowing her mother-in-law, there would be a lot of people there. She was afraid of stumbling in front of everyone, she could be very clumsy when she tried, but she didn't want to embarrass her family or Frank. But Alice was happy, she was finally going to marry the man she had loved for years. Lily was with her, looking beautiful in her midnight blue dress and helping her get ready. Both women knew that the ghosts of Mary and Dorcas hung over her, it was inevitable for an event like this.

"Do you think they would be proud of what we have become?"

"How could they not be? Despite everything, we manage to move on, we are happy, but we don't forget them. They're here with us, I'm sure, look, Dorcas was right, you're getting married first!"

In the fifth year the four girls had made bets on who would marry first, Dorcas and Lily were sure it would be Alice, the young woman was already with Frank at the time, while Mary was sure Lily would marry first. Dorcas, although her life had been taken from her too soon, was not one to make hasty decisions such as marriage and to be honest, Lily and Alice had always suspected that men were not really what she was looking for, and although it was more than absurd in their opinion, only weddings between a man and a woman were allowed. As for Mary, she had always claimed that she didn't want to get married, coming up with a list of arguments against it every time the word 'wedding' was mentioned.

"Mary had sensed that we would be close, though. Yours with James shouldn't be long now, should it?"

"It's not on the agenda at all" Lily asserted fiercely.

Alice gave her an explicit look and her smirk showed that she meant no less. But for now, it was her wedding that was taking place.

She was happy, everyone could attest to that. Her bright smile, which could not be truer, the twinkle in her eyes, all attested to the state of happiness Alice possessed. Frank was in the same state. They both had the same goofy smile. The ceremony had been beautiful, simple, they had at least been able to get that from Augusta, but it had been more than enough.

Their wedding was an ode to love. A celebration of what made them so different from those they fought every day. The love they received from each other gave them strength and the love they had for each other gave them a courage that anyone could envy. They loved each other and glowed. Their love seemed invincible and it was. The future had proven it and would prove it again.

Alice and Frank Longbottom. Their wedding, all those present would remember the light that had surrounded them as they exchanged vows. Magic itself approved of their union. Lily had never heard of such a thing, but it seemed important. According to James, it showed that their love was pure, and pure from the start. Their feelings were true, and it was incredible that this could happen to friends.

The newlyweds were enjoying their evening, Alice had not tripped during the ceremony but during the dance, but it was so slight that Frank had caught her. However, the wizard thought that the imbalance was not due to her clumsiness but rather to the alcohol that James and Sirius had discreetly added to the drinks, or at least had thought they were being discreet.

What was most surprising to Frank was that everyone had seemed to be enjoying themselves. Maybe that's what people needed. To celebrate good news, to forget the world they lived in, to forget the negative and focus only on the positive. It felt good. Just to be happy.

The wedding ended at around six in the morning, the guests left and the newlyweds were left alone in one of the manor rooms.

"Is Mrs Longbottom happy?"

"Very happy, Mr Longbottom."

Alice slowly untied her wedding dress, but Frank cut her off in the act and preferred to do it himself.

"You know, I think they were here with me. Mary and Dorcas, I felt them as I walked up the aisle. And my parents were there too."

Frank nodded, he had felt his father's presence too. Magic could always surprise them, even the purebloods.

"Can you believe it? That's it, we're married!"

"And what do you want to do now that we're married?"

"This will surprise you, but I think I want a baby" said the witch.

Alice knew that it was pure unconsciousness to want a child during the war, but it was visceral. She had always known that she would want children, several if possible, but she was still very young, yet she felt that the time had come, she wasn't sure why.

Frank's eyes were wide open at what his wife had just said, he didn't really realise.

"But your studies? You put so much effort into it."

"I'm not giving up on my dream, Frank. I know we're at war, I know we could die at any moment, but I really want a baby."

The wizard's face lit up, he too, as an only child had wanted several children early on, but he honestly thought it was far too early for Alice. They both knew that the war was here, that they would be lucky to be safe at the end of it. But Frank put aside his doubts, he put aside his thoughts of the burden of a young child when his parents were working and fighting so hard, he put aside his fear of his children growing up without one or both parents.

"So let's make this baby."

And the young man swooped on his wife's lips.