Prompt: Hey dude, I read that cuddling helps you sleep better. You wanna try it out?
Hermione had worked tirelessly with the Healers all night long. Even when they had tried telling her that Frank's mind might be ruined beyond repair, she had stuck to her goal of saving him. By the time the sun rose up again, Hermione could barely function, but at least Frank was mentally sound—still traumatised, yes, but mentally sound.
While Augusta wept by Frank's bed, clutching a confused Neville to her chest, Hermione slipped out of the hospital room. Descending the narrow staircase, she sat on the bottom stair before dropping her head into her hands and finally letting her tears fall freely.
A small part of the huge weight on her shoulders had just lifted. Frank was fine. Neville would still have a father. Augusta would have her son. And Hermione… Hermione still had a chance to make things better for them—because nothing could be all right again after Alice's untimely death.
After a few minutes, she wiped away her tears and stood up. She was just about to walk back to Frank's room when she noticed a pale, sandy-brown-haired man outside on the street. She wouldn't have looked at him twice if it weren't for the obvious scars on his face.
Remus!
Hermione sprinted down the rest of the stairs, her heart thumping against her ribs. If she could just talk to Remus… If she could make him believe her…
But when she darted out the door of the hospital and onto the street, Remus was nowhere to be seen. Hermione's eyes flickered around, scanning the shadows, but to no avail. Dejected, she went back inside, making a beeline for Frank's room.
Frank was still not fully alert, so the Healers had kept him under observation. Augusta was still seated by Frank's bed while Neville was standing beside her, holding onto her chair's armrest and staring at Frank with wide eyes.
When Augusta caught sight of Hermione standing in the doorway, she got up from her chair and approached her. Hermione was about to say something when Augusta took her hands and said softly, "Thank you."
Hermione shook her head. "I didn't do anythi—"
"You did. You saved my son," Augusta murmured, tears welling up in her eyes. "The Healers told me how miraculous this whole situation is… If it hadn't been for you, Frank…"
Hermione ducked her head to blink away her tears. "Please don't say that. I'm just glad I could help. How is he? Has he spoken yet?"
Augusta shook her head and replied, "He's still in shock—I am too."
Hermione nodded and glanced over Augusta's shoulder at Frank. He was blankly staring at Neville, who was sitting beside him and babbling quietly. Neville had placed his hand on Frank's thigh, and Frank hadn't pushed it away, so Hermione took that as a small progress.
Turning back to Augusta, Hermione asked softly, "Do you need any help with the…" She trailed off, not knowing how to word her question.
Fortunately, Augusta understood. She sniffled and rubbed her eyes before saying, "I'm hoping Frank will be conscious for it. I don't want him to wake up one day and realise he missed saying his goodbyes."
When Augusta choked on her sobs and turned away, Hermione stepped away to give her some much-needed privacy. She still needed to figure out a way to make things better for them all.
"Nee," Neville called suddenly, startling Hermione out of her thoughts. "Nee! Dada!"
Hermione slowly approached the bed, glancing over her shoulder at Augusta, who was still facing away from them. She placed her hand on Neville's head and smiled. "Hey, Neville. What are you up to?"
"Da-da," Neville said and pointed at Frank before he babbled sadly, frowning at the end of his little speech.
Hermione couldn't make out his words, but she understood the gist of it. She sat down on the chair Augusta had vacated and said, "Your daddy's hurt right now, but I'm sure he'll be alright soon. Then you can tell him what you want. You can wait for him to get well soon, right, Neville? I know you're a very good boy."
Neville's eyes widened, and his head bobbed up and down. "Dada!"
"Yes, I know you love your daddy and want him to get well," Hermione said, smiling when Neville nodded again. "You know what? I read that cuddling helps a person sleep better. Want to try it out? Maybe you can make your daddy happy."
Neville nodded and scrambled into Frank's lap. Frank startled and blinked down at Neville when he curled up in a little ball and placed his head on Frank's thigh. Neville smiled up at Frank and mumbled, "Dada 'py."
Hermione looked away, blinking away the sudden onslaught of tears. Merlin, this was hard. Neville shouldn't even be cuddling with his father to bring him out of his shock—they should have been cuddling for fun.
"Nee," Neville called, wiggling his chubby little fingers at her, trying to call her over.
Shaking her head, Hermione said, "No, I'm fine here. You keep cuddling with your daddy and make him feel better, okay?"
Neville's arms couldn't fully reach around Frank's waist, but it didn't stop him from snuggling closer and babbling directly into his crotch. Hermione chuckled and leaned back to watch the father-son duo interact.
Frank's head was still ducked, and his eyes were now trained on Neville. His face was still blank, but at least, he was sort of acknowledging Neville. The sight warmed Hermione's heart, and her shoulders relaxed as a realisation dawned on her.
Hermione was wrong. She wouldn't make Frank better; Neville would.