6 YEARS LATER

Neville, at almost four years old, looked a lot like his father did when he was that age. It was both a blessing and a curse. In the moments where I missed Frank, I could glance over at my son and see the way his smile was almost an exact replica of his fathers and the loneliness that settled heavily in my heart abated. Especially when my boy would walk over to me and take my face in his pudgy hands before pressing a kiss to my cheek, the same way I did to him before he went to bed each night. But in the worst situations, when I remembered just long it had been since I'd parted with Frank, looking at Neville just made it hurt more. But I couldn't let anything, not even missing my husband, keep me from looking after Neville.

"Mum," Neville called out from the other room around a yawn.

"Give me a minute," I called out as I finished washing the last of the dishes and setting them aside to dry.

Wiping my hands on the dish towel, I headed into the front room where Neville was sat at the dining table, practically asleep in his seat. Casting a smile at my adorable son, I tidied up the pencils Neville had been using to draw his latest picture which, from the looks of it, was … something that was very green. A plant of some kind?

"Neville," I called out quietly, reaching out to shake him awake. The call of his name had him blinking away, reaching up to rub sleepily at his eyes. Running a hand through his hair, I said quietly, "Why don't we get you to bed?"

He nodded around a yawn, rising to stand on his chair. Outstretching his arms towards me, he grinned cutely at me and I rolled my eyes. As I picked him up, Neville wrapped his legs around my waist and hugged my neck, stifling a yawn against the column of my throat.

"You need to stop doing this," I muttered, patting him on the back as I struggled not to groan. "You're beginning to get too heavy to carry."

Neville just grumbled sleepily, and I rolled my eyes before beginning the walk up to my room and heading into the hallway. Since Frank had gone, I'd taken to having Neville sleep in my bed just to make sure that he was alright. It was one of the consequences of the war we had fought in not long ago. The war had left many lasting impacts on my life.

One of them being that the moment the door of my home opened, my wand was pointed at it. Cradling Neville against me with one hand, I prayed silently he'd be able to hold on for longer and levelled my wand with a steady hand.

Salazar, I could still remember that it had been just 3 short years ago when Frank had sent both Neville and me off to one of the safehouses run by the order. Frank had chosen to stay at our home, guarding it and I'd thrown a right fuss when I had first heard his stupid plan but he'd simply tucked Neville into my arms before we were apparated away by Kingsley. Upon reaching the safehouse, I spent my every free moment watching the door, in the same way, I was doing now.

Back then I had worried about whether or not I would be able to protect both myself and my son, and that was my worry right now. Back then I had prayed that Frank would appear on the other side and tell me that it was safe to go home, but I knew that wasn't possible. Back then, I had been just as terrified as I was right now.

I watched with a rapidly beating heart as the door slowly opened, silently wondering how the wards had been breached without me finding out. And just as suddenly, my wand dropped back to my side as I looked at the man standing on the other side. His eyebrows rose in surprise.

"What on earth are you doing?" Frank asked as I released the breath I had been holding.

I struggled for a moment, suddenly feeling the extent of Neville's weight and hurried to wrap my free arm around him. Juggling our son in my arms, I watched in surprise as Frank walked into the house, shutting the door behind him. "I should be the one asking you that!"

Frank just grinned, walking to my side and easily shifting Neville into his arms. Holding him with one arm, he pressed a kiss to Neville's forehead when our son nuzzled into his father's neck.

"I missed you," he said with a smile, reaching out to wrap his free arm around my waist and pulling me into his side.

"You still didn't answer my question," I insisted, unable to stop my own smile. "What are you doing here? I thought you still had a few weeks left of your guard duty? Aren't the head Aurors at Azkaban very strict about the guarding schedules?"

"I requested a transfer. I just didn't tell you in case they didn't grant it to me," Frank explained, removing his arm from around my waist and patting Neville's back when he stirred in his sleep. "They understood that I couldn't keep spending months at a time away from my family. Let me just put him Neville in bed and I'll be right back?"

"I'll be waiting," I promised, watching his back as he walked up the stairs.

Letting Frank guard our home alone had been the hardest decision I had ever made – it was a decision I hadn't made, it was one Frank had thrust upon me. I should have known not to underestimate Frank's ability to handle the death eaters and it wasn't as if he had been alone either. Members of the Order had been with him to help guard our home and I owed them more than I could ever repay them in my life.

When Frank walked down the stairs again, dressed comfortably again, I didn't even try to suppress the urge to throw myself into his arms. He chuckled quietly, holding me against him and nuzzling his nose into my hair. "Godric, I missed you."