Letters to The Boy Who Lived

14. Smile- Alice Longbottom

Dear Harry~

I'm to teach you to smile in this letter. This is my story.

Smile. You never know which one will be your last.

I'll never forget the last true, loving smile that I saw. Call me insane, call me demented, but I do remember those who love me. No curse will take that away from me.

It was an evening, a Friday I think. Maybe a Thursday. As a young witch, I was a stay-at-home-mother to my newborn son and days got a bit confusing. Anyway, the exact day doesn't really matter right now.

I remember that faint, earthy smell in the air... it must have been spring. Perhaps early summer. Neville and I... well, I don't quite remember what we had done that day, but we enjoyed the day. Neville enjoyed the day, and so it had been a good day. I tried to make sure that every day was a good day for my eleven-month-old son.

Neville was the delight of my life. I could tell, at that point, that he was going to be a smart child. I just knew he would be. Maybe the reason he didn't turn out that way... was partially because of what happened to his father, Frank, and I. But I don't like to think about that.

Anyways, the day was just ending and I was nearly ready to put Neville to sleep. He was lying in his crib, and we were playing little games with our hands. Something we often did, but that night turned out to be very special indeed.

Neville's pudgy little face would light up with laughter every minute or so, and you couldn't help but laugh along with him. The innocent look of pure joy on his face etched into my memory, and I have sworn never to forget it.

Frank was home just as Neville went to sleep... early for him to be home. He was in a bit of a panicked and jumpy mood, but wouldn't say why. The tiniest of noises made him look around sharply, as though expecting an intruder.

From there... it's blurry. I don't remember anything else. I do try, but the memory is lost. Somehow, I ended up in a peculiarly clean room with several other people, one of them Frank. I don't quite know how long I've been here, it's hard to tell.

A boy visits me.. with an older woman by his side. I am drawn to the boy with the round face and bright eyes. It is though I have a connection with him, but I do not know how. He seems to get taller, older, more handsome... every time I see him. I wonder if he knows my baby, my little boy Neville. I wonder what has happened to Neville. He isn't yet a year old, and he needs taking care of. I wonder if this boy might be the one who cares for him.

The boy smiles at me sometimes... It is filled with love and emotion. Every time, I am reminded of my sweet little Neville's smile. I hope that one day, I will be able to smile back at the boy. I'm not truly sure why I want to smile at him, but I feel that it will make everything clear...

It's the one thing I always wished I could do one more time; smile at someone I loved.

Harry, smile at those you love. Smile at those you don’t love. Smile at those you don’t know. Because that’s the simplest way to show someone that you care.

~Alice

***

Yay lengthened! Again, it's sorta short. But I keep having to do people who have lost their memories and so it's really hard....

Anyways, RVC! Thanks y'all!