andy_star: Lost (Part 2) (Neville, PG)
Title: Lost (Part 2)
Author: andy_star
CPE: Neville
Rating: PG
Prompt Set: 100.1
Prompt: Stray
Word Count: 770
Summary: Five-year-old Neville gets the chance to meet his mother without his Gran around.
“Well, your Gran doesn’t seem to be coming through, Neville,” Jennifer said after they had waited at the Floo point at least five minutes. “Are you sure you came through to the right place?”
He nodded, a little wide-eyed. He had never been in the hospital without his Gran before. What if he never found her again and he had to stay here and he wouldn’t be able to get back? He’d have to live here, just like his parents did…
“Maybe you got turned around a little,” Jennifer said. “Who were you coming to visit, dear?”
“M’mum’n’ dad,” he mumbled.
“Oh,” said Jennifer, looking a little shocked, for some reason. “Do you know what room they’re in?”
He shook his head, miserably.
“Well, don’t worry,” she said. “We’ll find them.”
She had a word with another lady behind the desk. She was a scary lady, with grey hair and pursed lips. She peered over the desk at him, squinting through little circular glasses. “Lost, are you?” she snapped. “Parents can’t control their children these days.”
“He’s here with his grandmother,” said Jennifer. “Come to see his parents. Neville, what’s your last name?”
Neville shook his head - he couldn’t remember.
“Oh dear,” said Jennifer. “Well, I suppose we’d better check the other floors. Come on, little stray.” She held out her hand, and Neville took it, a little hesitantly. His Gran had started telling him he was too old to hold hands. Still, Jennifer didn’t seem to mind. She took him up three flights of stairs to all the Floo points, asking if anyone had seen an old lady with ‘a hat with a nasty looking bird on the top’, and didn’t let go of him once. He decided he liked Jennifer a lot.
Once they reached the ninth floor, Neville stopped walking suddenly, causing his guide to glance down at him in surprise. “I know where I am now,” he said, looking up at the big number nine on the wall. “This way.”
She let him lead her around the corner until they reached a closed door. Jennifer continued to stare at him. He pointed at the door. “This one,” he said.
“Are you sure?” she asked him, looking a bit nervous, but he didn’t know why.
“Yes,” he said, nodding. “I come here every Christmas and every time it’s my birthday and every today. Cos today is my dad’s birthday.”
Jennifer opened the door for him, and he peeked out from behind her to see the familiar room with the two people in the beds. The man with the scratchy beard, his dad, was asleep. His mum was sitting up in bed, playing with her long hair.
Neville felt very strange. When he came to see his parents his Gran was always there with him, and she would always make him sit in the corner while she plumped pillows and generally bustled around. He had never been here on his own, before. Jennifer walked him up to his mother’s bed. “Hi Mum,” he said, very quietly.
The lady on the bed turned to look at him. He tried a smile. She smiled back at him. He grinned. His mum held out a hand, as if she wanted to give him something. Unsure, he looked back up at Jennifer.
“Er, go on,” she said. Reassured, he reached out and opened his hand. His mum dropped a piece of paper into it. It was a sweetie wrapper. “Oh!” said Jennifer, sounding horrified. “Oh, she probably wants you to throw that away for her…”
“No,” he said, looking back up at her. “It’s okay. She wants me to have it.” He didn’t know how he knew that, but he did. He put the wrapper in his pocket. “Thanks, Mum.”
“NEVILLE LONGBOTTOM!” Neville winced and turned to see his Gran towering in the doorway. “WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? I’ve been looking EVERYWHERE for you!”
“Um, it’s all right,” said Jennifer. “He just came through the wrong Floo point, that’s all.”
“Yes, yes, thank you very much,” snapped Neville’s Gran, grabbing him by the shoulder. “You may go now.”
Jennifer nodded meekly, but gave Neville a quick wink before she left. Neville waved in reply.
Later, when he’d been sent to his room to learn a lesson, though he had yet to figure out what that was, he pulled out the sweetie wrapper from his pocket and hid it in a special box where he kept all his treasures. He decided that one day he would visit the hospital by himself, and go to see Jennifer as well, to say thank you.
Author: andy_star
CPE: Neville
Rating: PG
Prompt Set: 100.1
Prompt: Stray
Word Count: 770
Summary: Five-year-old Neville gets the chance to meet his mother without his Gran around.
“Well, your Gran doesn’t seem to be coming through, Neville,” Jennifer said after they had waited at the Floo point at least five minutes. “Are you sure you came through to the right place?”
He nodded, a little wide-eyed. He had never been in the hospital without his Gran before. What if he never found her again and he had to stay here and he wouldn’t be able to get back? He’d have to live here, just like his parents did…
“Maybe you got turned around a little,” Jennifer said. “Who were you coming to visit, dear?”
“M’mum’n’ dad,” he mumbled.
“Oh,” said Jennifer, looking a little shocked, for some reason. “Do you know what room they’re in?”
He shook his head, miserably.
“Well, don’t worry,” she said. “We’ll find them.”
She had a word with another lady behind the desk. She was a scary lady, with grey hair and pursed lips. She peered over the desk at him, squinting through little circular glasses. “Lost, are you?” she snapped. “Parents can’t control their children these days.”
“He’s here with his grandmother,” said Jennifer. “Come to see his parents. Neville, what’s your last name?”
Neville shook his head - he couldn’t remember.
“Oh dear,” said Jennifer. “Well, I suppose we’d better check the other floors. Come on, little stray.” She held out her hand, and Neville took it, a little hesitantly. His Gran had started telling him he was too old to hold hands. Still, Jennifer didn’t seem to mind. She took him up three flights of stairs to all the Floo points, asking if anyone had seen an old lady with ‘a hat with a nasty looking bird on the top’, and didn’t let go of him once. He decided he liked Jennifer a lot.
Once they reached the ninth floor, Neville stopped walking suddenly, causing his guide to glance down at him in surprise. “I know where I am now,” he said, looking up at the big number nine on the wall. “This way.”
She let him lead her around the corner until they reached a closed door. Jennifer continued to stare at him. He pointed at the door. “This one,” he said.
“Are you sure?” she asked him, looking a bit nervous, but he didn’t know why.
“Yes,” he said, nodding. “I come here every Christmas and every time it’s my birthday and every today. Cos today is my dad’s birthday.”
Jennifer opened the door for him, and he peeked out from behind her to see the familiar room with the two people in the beds. The man with the scratchy beard, his dad, was asleep. His mum was sitting up in bed, playing with her long hair.
Neville felt very strange. When he came to see his parents his Gran was always there with him, and she would always make him sit in the corner while she plumped pillows and generally bustled around. He had never been here on his own, before. Jennifer walked him up to his mother’s bed. “Hi Mum,” he said, very quietly.
The lady on the bed turned to look at him. He tried a smile. She smiled back at him. He grinned. His mum held out a hand, as if she wanted to give him something. Unsure, he looked back up at Jennifer.
“Er, go on,” she said. Reassured, he reached out and opened his hand. His mum dropped a piece of paper into it. It was a sweetie wrapper. “Oh!” said Jennifer, sounding horrified. “Oh, she probably wants you to throw that away for her…”
“No,” he said, looking back up at her. “It’s okay. She wants me to have it.” He didn’t know how he knew that, but he did. He put the wrapper in his pocket. “Thanks, Mum.”
“NEVILLE LONGBOTTOM!” Neville winced and turned to see his Gran towering in the doorway. “WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? I’ve been looking EVERYWHERE for you!”
“Um, it’s all right,” said Jennifer. “He just came through the wrong Floo point, that’s all.”
“Yes, yes, thank you very much,” snapped Neville’s Gran, grabbing him by the shoulder. “You may go now.”
Jennifer nodded meekly, but gave Neville a quick wink before she left. Neville waved in reply.
Later, when he’d been sent to his room to learn a lesson, though he had yet to figure out what that was, he pulled out the sweetie wrapper from his pocket and hid it in a special box where he kept all his treasures. He decided that one day he would visit the hospital by himself, and go to see Jennifer as well, to say thank you.