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"Mum? Dad?" Neville said as he opened the door to their private room. He looked across the small space and smiled, both of his parents were sitting up in their beds.
Alice looked up at his voice. Her face brightened for a moment, a small smile tugging on her lips, before her smile fell, the light faded from her eyes, and the blank mask fell back into place.
Frank also glanced up when Neville entered, but as always with his father, there was no change. No recognition that his son was there to visit them.
Neville quietly closed the door behind him and walked the few steps to stand at the foot of his parents' beds. "I've missed you both," he whispered as he shoved his hand into the pocket of his trousers. Closing his fingers around what he wanted, Neville pulled his fist out and stepped towards his mum. "Here, Mum. I brought these for you." He extended his arm, palm up, and uncurled his fingers. There sitting on the flat of his hand were half a dozen of his mum's favourite sweets.
Alice's eyes lit up again and she gladly accepted Neville's offering.
Reaching behind him, Neville pulled a small, paperback book from his back pocket. He stepped over to his dad's bed and held his hand towards him. "Dad, I brought you a new book. It's a new series from that American author you like."
Frank slowly reached out and took the book from Neville's hand. The look on his face never changing.
Neville turned around and walked towards the chair that was sitting against the wall across from their beds. He picked it up and brought it closer to place the plastic chair between his parents so he could be closer to them.
Sitting down, Neville started telling his parents everything that had happened in his life since he last saw them a fortnight ago. He knew neither of his parents really processed anything he was saying, but it always felt good to update them on his life.
He'd lost track of time until his watch went off reminding him that he only had a half hour to pick up his gran and make it to the Grangers' in time for dinner.
"Mum, Dad," Neville said. "I don't know if you remember the young witch I've brought with me a couple times to see you, but I'm finally going to ask her to marry me. And before I go, I wanted to ask you both for your blessing."
Neville knew that he wouldn't get a response from either of his parents, but just the thought of asking them for their blessing on top being able to talk to them brought peace to his heart. He stood and went over to his dad's bedside, placing a gentle kiss on his forehead. Neville told him to enjoy the new book he'd given him to read.
Standing back up, Neville turned to his mum. As always she was holding out her hand ready to give him her empty sweet wrappers. Neville cupped his hands together and held them out for his mum to give them to him, but he was surprised when he felt something other than the little plastic coverings land in his palms. Looking down, Neville was shocked to see that nestled among the empty wrappers was his mum's rose gold wedding band winking up at him in the soft candlelight.
"Oh, Mum," he whispered, "this is your ring." He shifted the wrappers in his hands and reached down to pat the pocket he hadn't reached into earlier. "I have a ring for Hermione, you should keep the one that dad gave you."
He tried to hand the ring back to his mum, but she shook her head and pushed his hands closer to him.
"Thank you," he stammered as tears filled his eyes.
Separating the ring from the wrappers, Neville pocketed the small pieces of plastic and pulled the box from where it had been sitting all afternoon. He opened it and placed his mum's ring inside. After he closed it, he then slipped his precious cargo back into his pocket.
Neville leant down and hugged his mum. "Hermione will love this. Thank you." He pressed a kiss to her cheek.
His mum patted his arm, the motion gentle but awkward.
Neville reluctantly let her go and stood back up. "Hermione and I will be by tomorrow to see you both for Christmas Day. I love you both."
He picked up the chair he had been sitting in and returned it to its place on the wall and then he walked over to the door to their room. Opening the door, he waved to his parents even though neither one was looking at him now. "Goodbye," he whispered as he stepped through and closed the door behind him.
Silently he made his way to the entrance of the long-term care ward at the Melbourne Magical Maladies and Injuries Hospital around the corner from the decorated town hall where he'd moved both his parents after he decided to settle here permanently. His gran following a year and a half ago once she'd tied up loose ends back in England.
Sitting in the cozy living room of Hermione's parents' home, the small group chatted as they opened presents, drank Mrs Granger's homemade eggnog, while Christmas carols played over the radio.
Neville nervously cleared his throat as he shifted forward to sit on the edge of the couch. He stuffed his hand into his pocket. The other four fell silent, turning to look at him. Neville carded his free hand through his hair and grinned sheepishly.
Hermione reached out and grabbed his hand as it fell to his side. "Neville, is everything okay?"
He glanced at her and grinned. "Yes, everything is okay. But before we leave for our trip tomorrow, I just… I just have something I want to say… well, ask actually."
She frowned for a second before her eyes widened. "Neville?"
"Meeting you all those years ago on the train was fate, becoming your friend was a choice, and a very easy one at that," he took a deep breath and squeezed her hand, "but falling in love with you? Well, that was beyond my control." He slid off the couch and dropped to one knee. "Hermione Jean Granger, will you let me love you for the rest of our lives? Will you marry me?"
Hermione's watery eyes never left his as she nodded happily. "Yes!" She cried out before launching herself into his arms and kissed him soundly.
"Thank Merlin," he whispered against her lips as they slowly pulled away.
She laughed. "Was there really ever any doubt?"
He gently tugged on the end of her hair just below the silver and gold ribbons she'd braided into her dark curls. "Well, you know me," he replied as he opened the box. He faltered for a moment when his mum's ring came into view.
"What is it?"
Neville looked up at Hermione. He slowly pulled the plain band from the box. "I was visiting my parents before picking gran up this evening and I told them about me asking you and when I was getting ready to leave, my mum handed me her candy wrappers as usual. But this time, she'd included her wedding ring."
"Oh, Neville," Hermione whispered.
"I do have a ring I bought for you, but…" He held up his mum's ring for Hermione.
"I would be honoured to wear your mum's ring. Thank you." Hermione held out her left hand and Neville slid the ring into place. It was a tad too big, but with a resizing charm, it was ready for her.
"It's beautiful, Neville. I can't wait to thank your mum tomorrow before we getaway."
"She'd love that."
"For now, let's celebrate!" Hermione's mum said as she stood up from her chair going in search of something they could toast with.
Augusta slowly made her way over to the newly engaged couple. "Congratulations to both of you. Hermione, I am honoured to welcome you into the Longbottom family."
"Thank you, Mrs Longbottom."
The older witch tsked, "Now, my dear, none of this Mrs Longbottom crap. Please call me Augusta or if you prefer, gran like Neville."
Hermione grinned brightly. "Thank you, gran," she replied without hesitation.
The normally formidable Augusta Longbottom smiled at the young witch who had stolen her grandson's heart all those years ago.
Mrs Granger returned a few moments later with a bottle of white wine that his gran had given to Hermione's parents when they arrived, the green and red ribbons used to decorate it glinting in the light, and five glasses.
"To the happy couple," Mr Granger said as he raised his glass.
"Hear, hear!" Voices replied as their glasses clinked together and they spent the rest of the evening celebrating Christmas and their next step for a future together.