23rd March 2008

"Neville," Luna whispered, shaking her husband's shoulder gently after climbing back into bed after having violent morning sickness, she couldn't hide it until the scan anymore, she was already starting to show a bit. Plus, she wanted Neville there.

"Mmh." Neville said, his voice muffled by the pillow, "Luna, It's six in the morning."

"I have to tell you something," she whispered, pushing his shoulder so he would wake up, "Please, Neville, before the girls wake up."

"Fine," He muttered, turning over to face her, rubbing his eyes tiredly, "What is so important."

Luna took a deep breath, "I'm pregnant."

Neville's jaw dropped open in a mixture of surprise and shock, "What? Really, oh that's amazing Luna!" he said, a smile spreading across his face as he threw himself at her in a hug. "How far along are you?"

"About twelve weeks," Luna said, happy that he wasn't asking her how long she'd known, that would lead to somewhere that she didn't want to go. "I've got a scan today, I was thinking we could take the girls to my dad's place, he's always happy to mind them."

"You've got a scan today? How did you manage to get in on such short notice?" Neville asked incredulously.

"I didn't" Luna said softly, the conversation had arrived at why she hadn't told him sooner. "I've known for about a month."

"And you didn't tell me?" Neville said, his face contorting into an offended expression, "Why?"

"I- I didn't want a repeat of last time." Luna muttered, and lowering her voice even further, "I just didn't want to have told anyone, just in case I had a miscarriage."

"Oh Luna," Neville said sympathetically, pulling her back in for a comforting hug as a tear rolled down Luna's cheek.

"I-I just c-can't stop thinking about it," she sobbed, "We would've had our son by now."

"I know, I know, shh" Neville said, patting Luna's hair, "It's okay though, because you're pregnant now."

"But Neville, Ella would've had a twin, are we ever going to tell her?" Luna sniffed, "I don't want h-him to b-be forgotten."

She was referring, of course, to the stillborn twin that had been stillborn just over two years ago. Benjamin Neville Longbottom, they had named him. The complications that Luna had suffered when she was pregnant with Ella and Ben had cost Ben his life, and she still blamed herself for that, despite Neville's insistence that it wasn't her fault.

"I just wish that it had never happened." Luna sniffed, "That I could go back in time and fix it."

"You'll be fine," Neville said, "We'll both be fine, that's a promise, and I never break promises."

"I know," Luna said, trying to force a smile, "I just don't' want it to happen again and I was scared that If I told you, that it might happen."

"I don't blame you in the slightest, my love." Neville said, kissing Luna softly on the cheek, "Now, how about I get the girls up and ready and you ask your dad to babysit?"

"Sounds good," Luna replied, wiping her eyes, "I love you."

"I love you too."

"Be good, alright girls." Neville said, as he handed Ella over to Xenophilius and kissed Alice and Abi goodbye, "We'll be back in about an hour, so don't bother Grandpa too much."

"Yes daddy," Alice said, permitting her father to kiss her goodbye, "I'll make sure that Abi doesn't break anything."

Xenophilius laughed, "Don't worry about it Alice, I've put everything away that she can knock over."

"She's so clumsy," Alice teased, sticking her tongue out at her younger sister.

"I am not!" Abi protested, stamping her foot and crossing her arms grumpily.

"Don't tease your sister either, Alice." Neville joked sternly, pointing at her as Abi scowled at her.

"Yes Daddy," Alice said, smiling winningly as Neville turned to walk out of the door.

"Thanks for doing this on such short notice, Dad." Luna said, kissing her father on the cheek.

"It's fine, I like spending time with my grandchildren." He bounced Ella up and down in his arms, "I just wish you'd tell me where you're going."

"I promise we'll tell you when we come and collect them," Luna said, "We can't really tell anyone at the moment."

"Well, good luck with whatever you're doing." Xenophilius said as Neville and Luna turned towards the door. "We'll have a grand and glorious party while you're gone."

"Dad!" Luna said, "Don't spoil them."

"I'll spoil them if I want to, plus, I've just got some sightings of a crumple horned snorkak in from Bolivia, you know how Alice loves them." Xenophilius said eagerly, waving from the door.

"Bye dad!" Luna called, "Bye girls."

And the two of them disapparated with a small pop.

"Mr and Mrs Longbottom" Healer Smith called happily as she came out into the waiting room. Luna rose from her seat, Neville following her.

"Good to see you again," Neville said, smiling at her. She had become their friend through their many pregnancies.

"As it is to see you." She said, shutting the door of the room behind her, "Going again are you?"

"Yes," Luna said, lying down on the table and pulling her shirt up so that her slightly swollen stomach was exposed.

"This is so exciting, you must bring in the girls sometime, I'd love to see how they're doing." She said, clapping her hands together.

"We'll bring them in next time." Neville agreed, sitting down next to Luna and taking her hand.

"Right, let's take a look at your baby." She said, taking out her wand and muttering a charm which made a picture pop up on the screen. Luna gasped, whenever she saw an image of her unborn child on one of these screens, it never stopped to amaze her. "It's all fine, the baby is healthy and well on its way to being born, would you like to know the gender?"

"Healer Smith, you have known us for seven years, have we ever wanted to know the gender before?" Luna said in a matter-of-fact tone as she got off the bed and

"I take that as a no then, now get out of here, I'm sure you're dying to tell your kids." She said, shooing them out of the room, "I'll see you in a couple of months for a check-up."

"Bye, Healer Smith."

Luna walked across the crisp grass, it was dusk and she and Neville had just finished explaining to the girls that they would have a little brother or sister, much to their pleasure. It was shortly after this that Luna had told Neville she was going to have a shower. However, as soon as she'd turned on the water, she'd apparated here, the place of mourning; the cemetery.

She wondered through the rows of headstones until she found the one that read

Benjamin Neville Longbottom
3rd June 2006
Our guardian angel

She conjured a single red rose and placed it just below the headstone and knelt down beside it, a tear slipping down her face.

"Hi Ben," she said, despite the fact that she had never known her son, she still had a nickname for him, "It's mum." There was no reply, there never was. "I'm pregnant again Ben, that means that you would've had another brother or sister if you were here." She paused, wondering what else to say. "Ella's growing up fine, I wish you could see her now, Ben, she looks so much like your Dad. Sometimes I wonder if you were still alive if you two would look the same." She said, emotion clouding her voice. "Ella just doesn't seem complete without you; she doesn't know that of course, because she doesn't even know you ever existed, neither do Alice and Abi, but I can see it in her eyes, something that had been taken from her, you." Luna paused to wipe the tears away, she sniffed and continued.

"I wish that you could be alive, Ben, I wish it every day and I know your dad does as well, he's just too macho to show it. It's been two years, and not a day goes by that I don't think about you, and I promise that this baby isn't going to replace you. I will tell Ella about you someday, when she's ready and when she's old enough to understand. Then she can come and speak to you, won't that be nice."

Luna looked at her watch, it had been fifteen minutes and she ought to be getting back. "I've got to go now, Ben, but you know I'll be back soon."

She got up off her knees and planted a small kiss on the headstone, before apparating back into their bathroom just as Neville knocked on the door,

"Luna, dinner's ready."

"I'll be down in a minute," Luna said, trying to keep her voice level as she looked at herself in the mirror and the slowly growing baby bump and somehow, she knew that Ben would watch over her and his brother and made sure that no harm befell them.

AN: Here we go, month three, we'll be getting to the good stuff soon. Like telling friend and family, baby shopping and a few dramas with family. *English accent* spoilers!

I love reviews and would absolutely love it if you left one :)

Until Next Time

~The Original Horcrux~