be brave

James often liked to think of himself as a pretty darn friendly bloke. It was easy for him to get along with most people, and to form at least a small connection with most people he spent time with, including his professors. Frank and Alice, however, were something else. Even despite the small age difference, it was almost as if having a set of parents on campus at all times, but the type of parents you knew you could always count on, no matter what. James was fairly certain that if it wasn’t for Frank and Alice and their willingness to answer every question he ever had, there was no way that he and Lily could cope as well as they seemed to. “That’s what I said as well, but you know what Lils is like. She’s convincing herself she’s being a terrible mother, when really what she’ll just show Haz is how it’s important to commit to your education,” James explains incredulously, although he knows exactly how Lily feels. He personally was not looking forward to losing evenings with his son once training started up again. “I think she’d like that. We spend a lot of time home alone with him, and it’s different to leave the house.”

Still tilting the sling so that Neville can see, James doesn’t fight his smile, watching as Harry balls up his little fists, stretching them above his head. “He’s pretty tiny. I know all babies are, except Lily’s lump of a nephew, but he’s just so small.” James gushes, looking up to grin at Neville. And to think, his son would one day be able to run around just like Neville was. “That’d work great. One of these chairs should be alright for it,” he explains. “And I can help get him and Harry all trained up for it. Ravenwood Juniors has a nice ring to it.” Nodding his head, James can’t help but smile a little at Alice’s exasperation, “We can take ‘em off your hands. No worries about that. Our flat is tiny, so there’d be no chance of us hoarding them either.”

One of the first things that had attracted her to Frank was his caring heart, and the way he loved so wholly that it seemed to shine from his face. When Alice saw James and Lily together, she saw that same beaming love on both of their faces that she recognised in her own relationship. A love so pure and so true that no problems in the relationship could break it. Perhaps that was why Alice had jumped at the opportunity to help them out wherever she could, knowing that their little Harry would be so loved and cared for and she wanted to help give him the best start in life while assisting his parents in finishing their education. “Tell her to think about how adorable the graduation pictures will be with you both in your caps and gowns and Harry in a tiny little suit, that’ll be enough to keep her going,” Alice said with a grin. “I’ll talk to her though, it’s so important for her to finish. Maybe I can mix the two....a coffee and cake date where I use my charm to persuade her to stay.”

“Baby,” Neville whispered in awe as he reached out a hand towards Harry. When Harry’s fists returned back to his sides, his fingers wrapped around Neville’s fingers. “Neville was a big baby when he came out, and God didn’t I know about it. I spent the last two months of my pregnancy waddling around, I couldn’t even tie my own shoes. But he was still so little....and now I can’t believe how big he is. It’s gone so fast, I can hardly believe it,” Alice sighed. Neville was a toddler now, but Alice knew that time was hardly going to slow down. She plonked herself down on a chair, settling Neville comfortably into her lap. “You have to be careful with Harry, he’s only little but you can hold him as long as you’re really careful,” Alice told her son, before looking back up at James. “Okay I think he’s ready. Hey! Ravenwood Juniors is a brilliant idea. Maybe you could get Andromeda’s soon-to-be new arrival in on it as well, and Stan’s kids.” 

Settling herself comfortably into the chair, her hands wrapped around her coffee cup, Emmeline takes a long sip of the hot liquid, letting it warm her insides. There was something so comforting about being in the Longbottom’s office; as if all the love and care they had for one another had just simply spread out and filled the room itself. “I’m sure Neville won’t,” Emme says, a soft smile spreading across her face as she glances at the toddler once again, “He’s far too sweet to do that, surely. I mean, look at his little face.” 

Emmeline’s face immediately begins to burn at Alice’s words, already shaking her head. It wasn’t that she hadn’t thought about it; Emmeline had no doubt that Benjy would be a truly amazing father, and she knew that he wanted children in the future. What she was less sure about, however, was her own abilities. “Oh no, no no no,” she says, hating the high pitch of her voice. “I mean we’ve talked about it. It’s come up. But I don’t. I mean…he has to remind me to eat dinner on a regular basis still. I’d make a terrible mother really.” Emme’s face is still flushed as she glances down at her lap, unable to meet Alice’s gaze.

It would be easy to softly sigh in appreciation of just how put together and perfect for one another that Frank and Alice were, but Emmeline resists the urge to do so. She was sure that both Longbottoms were very well aware of such a thing, without her stupidly gushing at them about it. “Oh good, I’m glad,” she says, already feeling one weight lift from her shoulders. She loved TAing for Professor Carrow more than most people would, and she had been worried that it would no longer be a possibility if she wasn’t credited for it. “Don’t make me wish they have a problem with it, just so I can see that,” Emme remarks with a laugh before her face crumbles in a frown. “Ah damn. Which one?” Bending over the paper, she wrinkles her nose, before huffing a sigh, “That’s an easy fix, I suppose. I mean, I might stick with the gender studies. That’s what I want to focus in after all.”

Alice rose from her seat as Emmeline spoke, scooping her son up in her arms to give him a tight hug before sitting him on her lap. “That’s the problem. I love his little face so much that I might just say yes to every little thing he wants. I already know that’s what his dad will do, and I think Neville knows that as well,” Alice laughed easily, resting her head lightly atop Neville’s. “I think we might have a Frank Jr on our hands...which I’m sure Augusta suggested as a name at one point or another. You know, when I fell pregnant, I didn’t know it was possible to love a little human this much....but I’d do anything for Neville. Anything at all.”

The way Emmeline’s cheeks reddened sent a small pang of worry through Alice that she really had put her foot where it didn’t belong. “I’m sorry for asking, Emme....especially if you felt like you had to answer. It was wrong of me,” Alice frowned. “But...really, it’s all instinct. It just seems to come to you while you’re pregnant, and you just know. Plus if Neville’s hungry he lets me know, don’t you buddy?” Alice bounced her son on her knee with a beaming grin.

Alice scanned the paper with Emmeline’s credits on once more to double check that she was right, before nodding sadly. “One of the lectures overlaps, so you wouldn’t be able to do it. Gender studies sounds wonderful though. I wish that had been a bigger option when I was studying, it wasn’t as widely taught ten years ago.”

Affection for her swelled within him like a balloon, buoyant and bright, in the way it always did when he was reminded of just how perfectly they’d always supported each other in the very least of their endeavours. With his assembly line of pressganged dancers awkwardly shuffling under his keen eye, Frank beamed as Alice impressed upon him the consequences of breaking her this close to the start of term. 

“That froggy onesie wasn’t so—” he couldn’t even complete the lie if the way his nose wrinkled was any indication, when Neville, lover of all things amphibian, started crying over wonky eyes something had gone terribly wrong. “Point taken. My hands have never been steadier.”

He offered one to her as if to prove it, adopting his best Swayze impression to growl, “Nobody puts baby in a corner,” and coax her back out onto the dance floor. Around them, miserable faculty members who thought they might escape their fate were met by the cutting glance of Karaoke Frank’s best warning stare. Nobody ruined the final number.

Alice shot a stern look in her husband’s direction as he feebly tried to justify his mother’s dreadful fashion sense. It was a look she had begun to perfect on Neville whenever she caught him doing something he shouldn’t, but Karaoke Frank also felt like the perfect victim to try it on. “Do not try and lie to me, Frank Longbottom. We were both there when Neville threw one of the biggest fits he has ever thrown,” Alice challenged, though her look softened slightly. “Anyway...you’ll never see your son in cute little clothes again if you drop me,” she threatened, though a giggle quickly followed the end of her words. 

Dancing with Frank made her feel like she was younger than she was. Like she’d never had a child, like she wasn’t a Very Tired Professor. Perhaps if they were twenty one, this move might go off without a hinch. Alice had some reservations, but Frank had assured her everything would go fine. Alice spun away from him, far enough that she could get a good run up. With all the trust she could muster in her bones, Alice waited for the music to hit the right moment before running towards her husband and jumping, ready for him to lift her perfectly.

“Y’know that you, Frank and Nev are always welcome to come visit, right?” James says matter-of-factly. While they did often get visitors in the form of his parents or Lily’s, plus the boys, he knew that it was always good to see other friendly faces. “It’s pretty cute though. His whole face just scrunches up and he just makes these little cooing noises.” James’ entire face breaks into a wide grin at the thought. If he was honest, there were at least 35 photos on his phone of the exact face and probably another twelve videos of the same thing. “Yeah, it’s tough. I know Evans isn’t sure about whether she should go back or not. I told her that it’s important for her to, and I can put myself on hold to watch the baby, but I think we’ve worked out a balance. I think she just feels guilty really, especially since he’s still so small.”

Smiling at Neville’s eagerness, James takes a few steps closer to the boy and his mother, reaching one hand to ruffle Neville’s hair a little. “You can have a look, buddy,” he says softly, angling himself so that Neville can see into the sling properly before turning to Alice. “He’s due to wake up soon, if Nev wants a hold,” he suggests, “The walk over here just conked him out, especially because he fed before we left.” The thought of potentially having both Neville and his own son on a soccer team brings a wide grin to James’ face and he nods happily at such an idea. “That sounds like a pretty damn good plan to me,” he says warmly,  “And thanks, Al. That’d be really appreciated. We can see what works for us, then return the rest?” They were trying to do the best they could without dipping into James’ inheritance, so hand-me-down clothes were a true godsend.

“I do,” Alice assured him warmly. Their relationship to James and Lily had crept up on her, really, but now the pair meant so much to Alice. And she got it, she really got how hard it could be at times. Other professors, other students, they might not really understand. It was really bloody hard to try and raise a child whilst also working full time, or in their case, studying. Really, the world should just be a kinder place - and Alice was working hard to ensure that Ravenwood was as kind as it could be to those who might need a little extra helping hand. “Tell Lily she definitely should. If she dropped out now, she’d never go back. I’m sure there’s plenty of people that would help you out with looking after him for a while if you needed a bit of time, right? He’s so small, but you’ll still have loads of time with him. Maybe I should see if Lily wants to grab a coffee or something and chat...”

Neville cooed happily as James ruffled his tufts of hair, and Alice watched carefully as Neville looked curiously into the sling at Harry. “I don’t think he’s seen a baby that small, have you Neville?” Alice asked, pressing a kiss to the top of her son’s head. “If we sat Neville on my lap, then he could hold Harry if that’s okay? Then I can catch Harry if needs be,” Alice said with a tinge of amusement. “Neville would be the best little soccer player I think. He’s definitely got the strength in his feet for it.” Nodding at James’ suggestion, Alice couldn’t help the feeling of relief that rushed through her at the idea of getting rid of some of Neville’s old clothes. Augusta had insisted they were kept, but they were wholly useless now and just taking up space in the nursery. “You could send the rest to a charity...I don’t really want them in my house any more.”

“Crossing enemy lines into the Drama department? I like the audacity of it, Ali,” he replied with a broad grin, disco rolling and spinning with perhaps a little too much enthusiasm if the way the hasty scattering of crowds to get out of his way was any indication, he spun back in to beam down at her as she insisted she trusted him not to drop her again. 

Alice disappeared into the crowd but Frank remained unphased by his lack of a partner, scouting the surrounding crowd with a gleaming eye to begin reeling in those who didn’t look away fast enough. It didn’t take long before Alice had found her way back to him and already he’d assembled a reluctant band of dancers, all with the faint air of not knowing quite how they’d ended up where they were. “You know I’ll always catch you, Ali,” there was a stupid smile spilling across his lips as he took her hand to twirl her under his arm again, “Or at the very least I’ll break your fall.”

“I’m bold, innovative, and filled with love for my husband who gets sad when people aren’t dancing,” Alice grinned, reaching up to bump her finger against Frank’s nose. Karaoke Frank was definitely more chaotic than normal Frank, but her heart was full of love for all forms of Frank. She was secretly glad that Karaoke Frank wasn’t around 24/7 though, because she knew when she got home she’d be exhausted to her bones trying to keep up with him.

Beaming at the group of reluctant dancers Frank seemed to have wrangled, Alice chuckled lightly at her husband’s affirmation that he’d at least break her fall. “Well I trust you with my whole heart....and my whole body. Just know that if you break me, you’re in charge of Neville on your own. You can fight your mother on those dreadful clothes she keeps bringing him instead of pushing me forward,” Alice said with a twinkle in her eye as she spun once more. Dirty Dancing was one of her favourite movies, but really, she knew that they were no Swayze and Grey. “It’s coming up, you ready?”

“You mean like these?” A (largely) smooth transition from sprinkler to Saturday Night Fever was followed by a broad, dumb smile a the brief, happy press of Alice’s lips against his. His Alice was one of the few things in the world that could ever soothe the chaos that existed inside of Karaoke Frank, a slower sway calming the aggressive onslaught of disco as he eased in closer, considering her suggestions with a look of deep concentration as a critic might regard a masterpiece. “Oh Fabian, definitely,” he agreed, “He told me earlier he’d been avoiding me which really won’t do. Emmeline, Benjy ..”

He hummed, smile growing broad at the suggestion of another classic and huffed, “Of course I won’t drop you, Ali, you know I haven’t skipped arm day since in penance.”

Of course arm day most often consisted of bench pressing Neville and pony rides around campus, but one couldn’t be picky when it came to fitting exercise into their hectic schedule. “Now,” he declared, pressing a firm kiss to the tip of her nose, “We are talking, Mrs. Longbottom. I’ve been practicing my Swayze for weeks.”

“Exactly like those!” Alice exclaimed in delight, her smile reaching her eyes as she watched him. Sometimes the way that she loved him bowled her over, and it was often at events like these. Frank commanded the attention of the room in such a ridiculous way that she couldn’t help but smile, her heart exploding in her chest. People had said to her when she married Frank that her feelings might subside over time, that you have to choose love - but Alice knew those were lies. She didn’t have to choose anything when her feelings washed over her like a wave. She never felt more in love than she did right here with her ridiculous husband. “Fabian is avoiding you? I can’t imagine why, you’re so subdued when you’re drunk. Fabian is a party pooper,” Alice quipped with a grin. “Gilderoy Lockhart seems like the sort of person that loves the attention of a spotlight on him while people watch. Maybe we can entice him to join us.”

Alice’s hands slipped up to rest on her husband’s shoulders as he kissed her nose, and she wiggled her eyebrows at him. “I’ve seen you lifting Neville, I trust that you can do it. Okay, I’ll go request it,” she said, slipping away to request it from the DJ. Just as she’d wormed her way back through the crowd to Frank, the first notes of Swayze started and Alice did a little twirl back into Frank’s arms. “This will be like the most extreme of trust falls.”

Following Alice’s gaze toward her son, James smiles brightly at the way Neville shuffles along the ground. Frank and Alice were everything that he wanted to be as parents, and he couldn’t pretend that he wasn’t eagerly anticipating the day Harry would be old enough to recognise Neville as a playmate. “Evans says that he’s getting more and more like me every day, but I’m not sure. He’s so placid, and he has this little concentrating look that is completely her,” James says, a soft tone in his voice, unable to hide his adoration for both his girlfriend and their son. “I hope you’re not going to regret saying that. You and Frank have been so helpful already, and this is just early days. And that’d be great. We’re in the process of sorting out who will and who won’t let us bring him if needed.” 

Looking down at Harry’s sleeping form, James brushes a finger lightly across his son’s knuckles, laughing gently as he does. “Oh, he was a kicker. I just to lie with my head on her lap and he’d kick me in the face. I felt awful, but I mean…we should have guessed he’d get my talent,” James says, a grin playing at his mouth. “That’d be fantastic. We’re trying not to use too much of my parents’ money; I know it makes Lily uncomfortable, so hand-me-downs would be really appreciated. We got some from her sister, except…her son is a bit…I mean….he’s very round…”

“I’d love to see his concentrating look. When Neville concentrates hard on his colouring, or even on his walking, he sticks his little tongue out. He’s like me that way,” Alice laughed, thinking of the way that she’d been caught pondering things in lectures with her tongue stuck out. At least in the privacy of their office she could concentrate in peace. “I can promise you, with my whole heart, that I don’t regret it. Anything you need - we’re there. We get it, y’know? We might have been professors and a bit older when we had Neville, but it’s still difficult to balance a new child and making sure everything else still gets done when you’re both busy full time. Hell, we’re still figuring out the balance sometimes. I’m lucky in the respect that I’m in charge of the lectures, so if I need Neville to come with me there’s nobody to complain except the occasional snotty student, and who really cares about them?” Alice teased with a cheeky smile.

Neville was tugging on her trouser leg so she reached down to hoist him up onto her lip. Looking at Harry with that air of curiosity that he had near other children, he reached out but Alice gently put his hand back down. “Shh, he’s sleeping see? Nap time,” Alice pressed a kiss to Neville’s head. “Neville has quiet the feet on him. Maybe he’ll be the captain of your team one day. He’s got a bright future ahead of him.” Nodding in understanding, Alice laughed in amusement at James’ judgement of Lily’s nephew and glanced down at her watch. “They’re at home, and I don’t have time to head back and get them now but I can definitely bring them in tomorrow. I think we have two huge bags full, maybe more. Augusta always encouraged us to keep them even after he’d grown out of them, but there’s only so much space we have.”

Sipping at her own coffee, Emmeline smiles softly over the rim of her cup. She had spent what felt like countless hours in the Longbottom offices over her time at Ravenwood and she still delighted in seeing just how fully and deeply in love Alice and Frank were, even amongst their teasing. It was almost as if having dedicated campus parents, abet ones much closer to her own age than anything. “My lips are sealed,” she teases lightly, “I won’t say a word and hopefully your cakes remain safe.” 

Watching as Neville totters around the room, her own heart full with the sweetness of the sight, it takes Emmeline a few moments to pull her attention back to Alice. She wasn’t even related to Neville and she found it hard to concentrate when he was around; she had no idea how his parents managed to do it. “We’d love to have him,” she says fondly, “Having the little kids come visit is probably the highlight of most of our club meetings. Even if Amycus does grumble about it.” Plus having the rabbits around was enough chaos to remind Emme on a regular basis that children were off the table for at least another 5 to 7 years.

Sorting out the folder of notes she had brought with her, while she waits for Alice to finish her conversation, Emmeline returns to watching Neville for a moment, the little boy having bundled himself up onto his beanbag. Alice’s conversation doesn’t last long, and once she is finished, Emmeline tears her gaze away, pushing her notes across the desk. “That’s really lovely of him,” she comments, before crinkling her brow, “Okay, I think I’ve got all the prerequisites organised, and I’ve circled the few electives I want, I’m just not sure what kind of hours that will mean. And I’m TAing for Professor Carrow again this year, so will that mean I get credits for that as well?”

Over the last few years Alice had become increasingly fond of Emmeline, and even more so as the young woman had continued her studies. Alice saw real potential in Emmeline, and wanted to do whatever she could to help her prosper. “Nothing is safe in the Longbottom household. Frank is a thief, and he steals whatever he might like because he knows I shall forgive him eventually,” Alice declared, though her smile was warm and soft. “If our son ends up stealing food and eventually coffee like Frank does, I might just have to return to my career as a lawyer to escape.”

Alice smiled fondly at the way Emmeline was looking at her son. Something that often surprised her was how easily the school had taken to Neville - they accepted him in a way that he surely wouldn’t have been accepted within the dog-eat-dog world of criminal law. “Have you and Benjy talked about having one yourself?” Alice asked quietly. “I don’t mean to pry, of course. You’re just so good with Neville, I think you’d be a brilliant mother. Hey, Amycus grumbles about most things. I won’t let it phase me, and Lord knows Frank isn’t phased by anything.”

Emmeline’s comment almost bowled Alice over with love for her husband. It was small things like this - turning the car around to go back home because of her silly mistakes - that showed that their love was present through all things. “Frank does a lot of lovely things like that,” Alice remarked quietly with a smile, before looking down at Emmeline’s notes. “You’ll definitely get credits for TAing, and if admin kick up a fuss about it they can answer to me and Neville. Neville will put up a fight for you with his little fists,” Alice joked, looking down at her electives. “I think one of these electives actually clashes with one of your others..”

“Are we talking Saturday Night Fever John Travolta or like,” his forehead furrowed faintly, in spite of the broad grin that split wide across his face, “Bad Elvis Impersonator? Because you know I could pull off both, it’s just a matter of which genre we’re going for.” And the idea of their tiny, perfect Neville with any equally ridiculous wig, a matching family costume, drew a smile so broad to his lips that his cheeks hurt.  Heir to the disco crown. 

Some days Neville just had to smile at him and he thought he might burst with pride. His boy didn’t need the extra help.

He honked with laughter as Alice slipped out of her lasso and transitioned into the robot, meeting her eyes with that same overwhelming affection that settled over him whenever he thought of his wife as he stepped back to clear some space for another classic move; the sprinkler. “Nobody’s dancing,” he called over to her, like it concerned him in the slightest as people backed away in horror from their display, “Do we need to start pulling people in, do we think?”

It was as much a threat as a question. The rest of the faculty knew better than to disappoint Frank and Alice by not participating.

“Saturday Night Fever always goes down a treat. And those moves, you’ll pull them off perfectly my love,” Alice said with a beaming smile as she pulled away from him slightly to bust some Saturday Night Fever moves in time to the music. “You could pull of anything, especially with a few beers inside you. The added confidence really helps fuel the illusion.” Frank’s smile melted her heart, and Alice leaned forward to brush her lips against his briefly. Nights like these were a reminder of just how much she loved her husband, how much she loved their life together. Life got better every day with Frank, and it seemed things were only getting better. 

Alice doubled over with laughter as Frank broke out the sprinkler, and she nodded enthustiastically. “I think we should pull in Fabian. He’d been lingering around the back. Fabian, Emmeline....Benjy’s here too. Benjy looks like the sort of guy that knows how to dance. Maybe we can encourage them with a Dirty Dancing lift. Don’t drop me this time though, I was bruised for weeks,” Alice poked at Frank’s chest accusingly. “I might go and request I’ve had the time of my life. We must have the perfect song, right?”

Following both Alice and Neville into the office, Emmeline slides the tray of coffees onto the nearest clear surface, pulling her own cup out of the cardboard sleeve. The first sip of the coffee sends warmth sinking into her bones and she can’t help the soft sigh that escapes from her lips. This was exactly what she needed to start her day off properly. Not the shoddy instant stuff she and Amelia had stashed at home. “Other people’s coffee always seems to taste better than your own. It’s the same with desserts,” Emmeline says warmly, knowing that she was guilty of doing the same to Benjy once or twice before in their relationship. 

Emmeline can’t help but beam at Neville’s words, glad that the little boy was willing to engage with her. Frank and Alice’s attendance at a few Bunny Club meetings with their son had been the highlight of her year, particularly with the revered awe in which Neville had so eagerly greeted each of the rabbits who had hopped around him. “They liked you too,” she coos back to the little boy before straightening up to face Alice once again. “Rabbits are almost like furry frogs. At least with all the hopping.” Her eyes follow Neville as he toddles about before she sinks heavily into the offered chair.

“Oh no, that’s fine,” Emme says, already nodding her head. Alice was doing her such a large favour in having this meeting, the least she could do was be accommodating to whatever Alice needed. Her first class of the day didn’t start for another hour, so she had the time to spare. “It’s probably important that you get that sorted out.”

Alice gratefully plucked a coffee from the tray, humming in delight at the warmth in her hand before she took a long gulp. “Don’t let Frank overhear you saying that. He already takes my flasks without permission, if he hears you saying that he’ll be stealing my cake too. There’s only so much theft that a wife can take before she snaps,” Alice said, though her tone was light and joyful. Perhaps coffee may be one of the few things they argued about, but it was never too damaging. Silly things, really, which felt even sillier now they had a son. Nothing was more important than Neville...not even coffee.

Neville meandered happily around the office before settling into a little bean bag that they’d bought for him, complete with a blanket for him to wrap up in. A beaming smile lit up his whole face as Emmeline spoke to him, and he nodded happily. “We’ll definitely be along again soon,” Alice promised, though a small pang of guilt prickled at her heart once more. She’d love to give Neville a real pet, but their lives just didn’t allow for it. They were too busy at the minute trying to balance everything else, never mind adding another small life into the mix. 

Reaching into her pocket for her phone, Alice rang Frank and quickly explained the situation. And it certainly was a situation....she could probably get away with the pyjama shirt itself, but not having a bra on would draw the attention of the freshmen in the worst way. Placing her phone down on the desk after she’d hung up, Alice shot a beaming smile Emmeline’s way. “He’d just left but he’s turning back. I’ll have to find him some way to pay him back later. Anyway back to the point of this early morning meeting. Your credits! Talk me through what you have.”

It was only a matter of time before Harry woke, and unleashed the set of lungs that he had just realised he owned, so James was relishing in the relative peace and quiet for the moment, loving the heavy pressure of his son against his chest. Having Harry in their lives had changed essentially everything that he and Lily had planned and organised for themselves, but James would not swap that for anything. “Some times when he’s lying on the floor, or in his crib, we just…stop and look at him, for hours on end. He just…he looks so much like me, but he’s got Evans’ eyes, and there’s just…like there’s no denying that we made him. He is us. It’ll be hard going back to school, especially since he’s so little, but we’re going to make it work.”

James can’t help but laugh at Alice’s words, knowing that he had certainly been a potato baby when he was born; and a very shrivelled one at that. His premature birth had frightened the daylights out of his parents, and while he was obviously fine, all the pictures of his first weeks of life looked far more like a potato alien than they did an actual baby. “We’re doing well, I think? He doesn’t sleep much, and eats all the time. It’s weird that he’s actually properly here. Like…we lie him on the bed, and he kicks us…and he used to do that from inside Lily.”

Alice shot a quick glance at Neville who had crawled a little closer to her, but was still happily entertaining himself for now. Augusta had made a point of warning Alice about ‘the terrible twos’, but really Neville hadn’t been too bad so far. “I know exactly what you mean. That feeling doesn’t go away when they get older...I can’t believe Neville came from us. He’s just so perfect, and he’s so much like Frank. I have the utmost trust in the both of you that you can make it work, and of course, you know where mine and Frank’s office is if you ever need anything. We’ll be more than happy to help. We know what it’s like balancing a heavy timetable and a young son,” Alice said with a small smile. “And if you ever need to take him to a class and a lecturer gives you hell over it....well, send their name my way. I’ve almost perfected the ‘stern mum’ voice.”

As James spoke about how weird it was that Harry was actually out in the world, Alice could almost feel the way Neville used to kick at her ribs and rubbed at her stomach. “I hope Harry wasn’t kicking Lily to high heaven like Neville kicked me. I think he’s going to be a future soccer team player, maybe we should start training him early,” Alice chuckled. “Oh! I found some of Neville’s old baby clothes that you could have if you think they’d be useful? I know you’re not on the worst student budget ever, but every little helps right?”

Frank was fairly sure he could easily spend his entire life wrapped up in moments like these; Alice’s dress rippling out around her as she twirled under his arm and tugged him along into the middle of the bar, cutting through griping English professors who seemed to all be on the verge of rioting over something and the various departments mingling together. A stupid, honking laugh escaped him at the insistence that they needed an ensemble to complete the look, “I feel like I need to lose a few buttons and probably grow some chest hair,” he confessed in her ear, beaming as his decidedly lame ankle forgot that it wasn’t supposed to be working in order to pull out the treasure trove of truly, spectacularly bad dance moves in an attempt to make Alice crack first.

And this was his very favourite thing in the world, embarrassing the living daylights out of everyone that wasn’t them as he twirled a few steps back to mime winding up a lasso and throw it, tugging on the invisible rope like it might pull Alice back to him.

A loud laugh ripped from Alice’s lips at her husband’s confession that he felt he should grow some chest hair, and her hand came up to rest on his chest briefly. “Oh it’ll have to be like a jungle...curls as well, to match the curls atop your head. And oh god the platform boots. I think we’ve found our Halloween costume, my love,” Alice grinned, though she knew it was likely they’d change their minds multiple times before finally settling on one...especially now their son had to match them too. “Do you think we can get Neville a tiny wig so he could match us? A little disco king, the true heir to Karaoke Frank.” There were, of course, so many options for Halloween and really it was a shame that it was only one day of the year. Maybe Neville should have fancy dress birthday parties...

Alice could see a few eyes on them as Frank lassoed her, and Alice jumped towards him. She pressed a chaste kiss to his cheek before taking a step back to have adequate space to do the robot with a beaming grin. 

One hand clutching the tray of coffees as if it were a lifeline, Emmeline chews listlessly on her bottom lip, fighting the urge to quadruple-check that she had gotten the correct meeting time. She knew she had, deep down in her gut, but there was something about the first week of classes that seemed to ruin her every plan. As if the normally polished and organised and on-top-of-it Emmeline had been replaced by someone who was very much not on top of it at all. It would settle soon, she knew it would, but until then, she needed to chill the eff out.

Looking up and smiling at the familiar voice, Emmeline brushes off Professor Longbottom’s - Alice’s - remark, knowing that she would never hold it against the woman. The fact that she was managing to teach classes and raise a child at the same time was astonishing to Emmeline, who knew there was not a Google calendar or a spreadsheet in the world that would help her do the same. 

“It’s the first week, I think we can all be forgiven,” she says brightly, before holding up the tray, “And I felt bad for asking you to meet me so early in the morning, and so early in the week, so I brought you caffeine. I just wanted to check my credits, make sure I’ve enrolled in the right things for what I want to do, the usual.” Reaching out with her free hand, Emmeline pats Neville’s chubby leg softly, grinning widely at the little boy, “Hey you. Are you going to come to visit me and the bunnies again this year?” 

How could she have forgotten that she was meant to meet Emmeline? Blaming the busyness of the morning, Alice’s forced smile quickly melted into a real one. Fumbling with the hand that wasn’t holding Neville to her hip to find the key to her office, Alice finally grasped it and unlocked the door, pushing it open with her foot. “Caffeine is more than welcome in this office. And the fact Frank isn’t here yet to steal it is even more welcome. You know he drinks the most dreadful coffee, and yet he makes a point of stealing my flasks. He’s truly a dreadful man,” Alice joked, though her tone was soft. 

Looking down at Neville as Emmeline patted his leg, a shy smile crossed his lips as he chewed on his thumb before nodding. “I like bunnies,” he announced, and Alice laughed. “We know you do dear. Not as much as he likes frogs, of course. He’ll hardly put Trevor down. I’m sure his grandma instilled that in him young....and why she gave a frog called Trevor to a one year old I’ll never know. He’s still stumbling over the name,” Alice said as she entered her office, setting her son down to roam peacefully. They’d moved anything of worth out of his reach shortly before he was born, a task that seemed never-ending as he grew a little more each day. 

Taking her seat gratefully, Alice nodded towards Frank’s chair. “Take Frank’s chair, he won’t mind...especially since you’re plying his wife with caffeine meaning she’ll be in a nicer mood when he arrives. Oh! Speaking of, do you mind if I just ring him quickly before we get started? I can hardly stay in my pyjama shirt all day, the freshmen will be having a field day.”

Watching as Alice places her son onto the grass and the little boy immediately sits down to occupy himself, James can’t help the grin that spreads across his cheeks at the sight. He and Lily hadn’t even had Harry for a month and he already couldn’t wait for their son’s personality to really begin to shine. He knew that he would miss the tiny baby stage when it inevitably passed, but there was something so terrifying, yet amazing, about the thought of their baby starting to become a real, proper little person. 

“Hey, Longbottom,” James says warmly, moving around the table to hug the older woman with one arm, careful not to accidentally jostle Harry too much. Both Alice and Frank had been true lifelines for himself and Lily after they had found out they were pregnant, and he knew that they would only continue to be an amazing support now that Harry was properly in the world. “He’s an utter delight. We can’t stop staring at him,” James gushes, angling himself so that Alice can see the sleeping baby inside the sling, “I know all parents think their baby is the best, but Evans and I managed to make a pretty amazing one.” 

Alice hugged James gingerly, cautious of the sleeping baby. She knew all too well that getting a newborn to sleep so heavily was nothing short of a miracle, and the fact he was staying asleep with all the hustle and bustle - well, Alice wouldn’t be the one to wake up Harry. Neville had been a good baby, he hadn’t cried too much and he still didn’t - despite kicking the shit out of her ribs when she was pregnant with him. “I remember that stage well....I mean, Frank and I still look at Neville sometimes and wonder how we made him. But when they’re a brand newborn - God it’s just the best. Two become three, and you’ve got your own little family. Changing our careers to spend more time with Neville was the best decision we’ve ever made,” Alice said firmly. 

“Oh of course every parent thinks their baby is the best....even those that look like potatoes sometimes,” Alice snorted. She had been one of those sorts of babies, and had made a good effort to remove any evidence of her baby photos  from Florean’s house. “How are you both coping now? Have things settled down a little, getting used to having an additional little human in your house?”

WHO: @alicejlongbottom​ WHERE: Faculty Get-Together, The Leaky Cauldron. WHEN: 30 August.

“Ali, my love,” he was two beers and one cup of the infamous punch drunk, in the radiantly happy way that soaked from his toes to his nose to the crinkles at the corners of his eyes, as he swooped in towards his wife with barely a hobble. The Longbottom Juice was potent this year, in the way it was every year without fail, despite starting off as the lightweight choice. He anointed a kiss to her forehead, one at the corner of her jaw and reached for her hands with a broad, drunken sway and his most charming smile as he insisted, “We have a terrible problem on our hands.”

One hand raised both of their arms over her head, gently nudging her into twirling under it, “Nobody is dancing. Will you fix it with me?”

Neville was safe and peacefully sleeping at Augusta’s house for the night, which meant that it was a rare occasion where Alice could have a drink. Not too much, because when she didn’t have her son to look out for, she had Karaoke Frank instead who seemed to get more ridiculous each year. Not that she didn’t love seeing Frank loosen up and have fun under the influence of the mysterious punch, but still....someone had to make sure he got home in one piece, or Augusta would have her head. A gin or two couldn’t hurt though. “A terrible problem?” Alice asked, looking around the bar which seemed to be bustling with faculty catching up and having one last night of fun before the horror of the semester set in. “Oh of course,” Alice laughed as she twirled, her dress spinning. “I’d dance with you anywhere, Frank.”

After coming out of the spin, Alice gently pulled her husband towards the middle of the bar. Boogie Wonderland was presently playing and Alice swayed in time to the music with a goofy smile. “Doesn’t it make you feel like we need huge curly hair and flare trousers?”

It was one day until classes began again. That meant Alice was in full on preparation mode, whilst also doing her utmost to keep her son alive and ensure her husband got out of bed in the mornings. There was a pile of paperwork on her desk already that needed desperate attention, never mind the fact she was mandated to be present in case any students wanted to meet her early. It was almost 9am and she was heading to their shared office, now overwhelmingly full of Neville’s things (as if their home wasn’t also full to bursting), as Neville toddled along behind her ever so slowly, his grubby little fingers running along the walls that had been freshly painted over summer. Oops. There was someone stood outside the door to the Longbottom office, and she glanced down at her watch - she wasn’t too late, was she? - when she realised that she had made a huge mistake. In her hurry to get here this morning after wrestling Neville into his clothes, she hadn’t even changed out of her pyjama top...meaning she also didn’t have a bra on underneath.

Shit.

Making a note to call Frank and see if he’d left home yet as soon as she dealt with the person waiting, Alice painted her best ‘everything is fine’ smile on her lips as she scooped her son up into her arms. “Hello...please ignore my appearance this morning, I haven’t had nearly enough caffeine. What can I help you with?”

WHO: Open WHERE: Student Union Building, Student Activity Fair WHEN: August 27th

If there was one thing going for the Activity Fair, James thinks, it was that they remembered to put up tents this year. Sure, only select groups had managed to procure the best tables directly underneath them, but it had only taken a quick introduction as the soccer team captain, plus a tiny glimpse at Harry’s head, and James was golden. One hand spreads out the sign-up sheets and pamphlets out atop the table, along with an assortment of pens, while the other rests firmly on the outside of the baby-sling wrapped around his chest.

His thumb absentmindedly strokes against Harry’s back, and a quick glance down tells James that his son - his precious, almost a month old, brand-new son - was still fast asleep, having dropped off halfway through their walk there. All he can see is the shock of dark hair atop the baby’s head and his tiny scrunched-up nose, and he can’t help but be impressed that the little sprog had managed to stay asleep, even with the swirl of voices and thumping of music that echoed around them. So caught up in gazing down at Harry, James barely notices the sound of someone approaching.

“Wha?”

The hustle and bustle of the welcome fair was perhaps not quite the best place to take her two year old son who had recently developed a penchant for toddling away as fast as his little legs could carry him, but as she carried Neville around on her hip she knew that she’d made the right decision. He was clearly entranced by all the noise and the vast array of people, and his little sounds of delight brought a beaming smile to Alice’s lips. After all, the activities fair wasn’t too far away from the law building, and if Neville’s mood changed she could hurry back there fast enough.

Someone had handed her son a chunk of chocolate that he was making a mess with as he gripped that with one hand and his favourite frog teddy with the other when Alice spotted the soccer team table, and at the soccer team - her favourite new member of baby club. “Potter!” Alice called out with a warm smile, weaving through the crowd until she was under the peace of their tent. “Potter! How are you doing? How is little Harry? Don’t go far dear,” she said as she set Neville down, who immediately plonked himself down on the grass to play with his frog.