andy_star: In the Dark (Neville, PG)
Title: In the Dark
Author: andy_star
CPE: Neville
Rating: PG
Prompt Set: 100.1
Prompt: Denial
Word Count: 502
Summary: In her last hours of sanity, all Alice can think about is her son.
When Alice woke, it was cold and dark. She shivered and rolled over, her hand coming into contact almost immediately with a clammy hand. "Frank?" she whispered, groping at his jacket in the dark, reaching up his arm until her fingers brushed his face. His skin was cold, and for a moment she felt a chill rush of fear. Then he stirred.
"Alice? That you?" he croaked.
"It's me," she assured him, stroking his face gently with the backs of her fingers. "It's me."
"I can't see you."
"It's dark, I can't see you either. Don't worry."
He let out a low moan and she could just make out the faint outline of him reaching for his head. "What hit me?"
"Stunning curse, I think. Are you all right?" She found his hand again and held it tightly. "Frank?"
"Mmm... I'm okay. My head hurts, s'all. Where are we?"
Alice looked around. All she could tell, as her eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness, was that wherever they were, it was made of stone. "I don't know. So much for half a day's recon."
He chuckled. "We are so fired."
"They came out of nowhere," she continued. "Like they knew we were coming... oh Frank, what if they came after us, specially? After what happened to Lily and James..."
He squeezed her hand. "No, Alice. It's not our boy. Voldemort marked Harry, remember?"
"What if he was wrong, what if -"
"Alice, listen to me. Neville's fine, he's with mum, he'll be okay."
"Your mother can't protect our son from Death Eaters, Frank," Alice snapped, getting up and reaching out in the dark with hands, encountering a stone wall. She worked her way along it until she found a door, banging her fists against it in the hope of attracting someone's attention. "She's an old woman, and he's just a baby." She started to hit harder and faster until she felt Frank's large hand on her shoulder and hot tears came to her eyes. "Just a baby..." she sobbed, turning and burying her face in his chest. "He's so little, he doesn't deserve..."
"It's okay," he said, holding her tightly. "He'll be all right, you'll see."
Alice wanted so much to believe him, but all she could think about was her little boy, alone in that big house, waiting for her. All she wanted was to hold him again, to touch his cheek to hers, to kiss him goodnight. She wanted it so much it ached.
"We have to get out of here," she told him.
"We will," he said. "I promise, we will."
The door slammed open, almost catching Alice's shoulder as it hit the wall. In the doorway stood four figures, hooded and masked and wearing black robes. "Who are you?" Frank demanded. "What do you want from us?"
The leading figure pushed down her hood and removed her mask. "Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom," she said, with a coy smile. "Welcome to my home. Now then... who wants to go first?"
Author: andy_star
CPE: Neville
Rating: PG
Prompt Set: 100.1
Prompt: Denial
Word Count: 502
Summary: In her last hours of sanity, all Alice can think about is her son.
When Alice woke, it was cold and dark. She shivered and rolled over, her hand coming into contact almost immediately with a clammy hand. "Frank?" she whispered, groping at his jacket in the dark, reaching up his arm until her fingers brushed his face. His skin was cold, and for a moment she felt a chill rush of fear. Then he stirred.
"Alice? That you?" he croaked.
"It's me," she assured him, stroking his face gently with the backs of her fingers. "It's me."
"I can't see you."
"It's dark, I can't see you either. Don't worry."
He let out a low moan and she could just make out the faint outline of him reaching for his head. "What hit me?"
"Stunning curse, I think. Are you all right?" She found his hand again and held it tightly. "Frank?"
"Mmm... I'm okay. My head hurts, s'all. Where are we?"
Alice looked around. All she could tell, as her eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness, was that wherever they were, it was made of stone. "I don't know. So much for half a day's recon."
He chuckled. "We are so fired."
"They came out of nowhere," she continued. "Like they knew we were coming... oh Frank, what if they came after us, specially? After what happened to Lily and James..."
He squeezed her hand. "No, Alice. It's not our boy. Voldemort marked Harry, remember?"
"What if he was wrong, what if -"
"Alice, listen to me. Neville's fine, he's with mum, he'll be okay."
"Your mother can't protect our son from Death Eaters, Frank," Alice snapped, getting up and reaching out in the dark with hands, encountering a stone wall. She worked her way along it until she found a door, banging her fists against it in the hope of attracting someone's attention. "She's an old woman, and he's just a baby." She started to hit harder and faster until she felt Frank's large hand on her shoulder and hot tears came to her eyes. "Just a baby..." she sobbed, turning and burying her face in his chest. "He's so little, he doesn't deserve..."
"It's okay," he said, holding her tightly. "He'll be all right, you'll see."
Alice wanted so much to believe him, but all she could think about was her little boy, alone in that big house, waiting for her. All she wanted was to hold him again, to touch his cheek to hers, to kiss him goodnight. She wanted it so much it ached.
"We have to get out of here," she told him.
"We will," he said. "I promise, we will."
The door slammed open, almost catching Alice's shoulder as it hit the wall. In the doorway stood four figures, hooded and masked and wearing black robes. "Who are you?" Frank demanded. "What do you want from us?"
The leading figure pushed down her hood and removed her mask. "Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom," she said, with a coy smile. "Welcome to my home. Now then... who wants to go first?"