The familiar cackle filled Alice Longbottom's ears. Her son, Neville, would be left with Augusta, Frank's mother. He would grow without his mother.
Alice's heart ached as she thought about Neville's future. She glanced at her husband, and remembered the day she met him.

==

"Hi, I'm Lily," said a redhead. She had green, almond-shaped eyes and a bright smile.

"I'm Marlene," said a brunette. She looked quite fierce. "Marlene McKinnon."

"Oh, I forgot. I'm Lily Evans," said Lily, laughing.

"You were the girl with the dreary black oily kid, right?" asked Marlene.

Lily turned fiercely at Marlene. "Don't you dare call him that! He's Severus Snape."

Marlene sniffed indignantly. "I don't see a reason why you're close with him. He's so dark."

"It's his charm," replied Lily, sniffing too.

"My name's Alice Prewett," said Alice in a feeble attempt to settle things.

Amazingly, they could settle.

"I'm Emmeline Vance," said one. She smiled. "I don't know why you like him, but I'm not to meddle in your friendships. Right."

"Thanks."

They all stared expectantly at a black girl who was silent. But she didn't speak at all. She resembled Emmeline, only that Emmeline had talked, and she did not.
When she refused to talk even after five long minutes of the others staring, Alice, Marlene, Emmeline, and Lily all just decided to go to sleep.

The next day, Alice got the hang of things. Lily hated James Potter already, and Severus Snape, the oily kid, was her best friend since her childhood. Lily didn't reveal much, but she said her sister didn't like her because she was a witch, and Severus Snape was the first friend that understood her... unusual... things. Of course, that was normal for Alice, so she couldn't fully get it. But she knew Muggles had no idea about the Wizarding World, so she could understand a bit. Really teeny bit.

"Ooh, look! You know James Potter?" squealed a girl at the table. "He's a god! Priscilla, you know him, right?"

"Knew," corrected the black haired girl. "I don't talk to him these days."

"Oh, it's Potter." said Marlene, sniffing. "He's friends with a Black!" she added, looking disgusted. "Why would he? Blacks are nothing but trouble."

"I heard Andromeda Black wasn't evil as her sisters."

"As her sisters," repeated Marlene. "She may be evil."

"Not as Bellatrix Black," murmured Emmeline.

"Not," said a voice.

"Ah!"

It was the black girl from yesterday. "My name's Dorcas Meadowes," said she.

"Nice to meet you, Dorcas." said Emmeline politely.

"Yes, really."

"I see Snape with Avery and Mulciber." remarked Dorcas.

"He's not a bad person," said Lily, firing up almost immediately.

"Who said he was? I just said he was with Avery and Mulciber."

Lily swallowed. "You talk as if Avery and Mulciber are bad," she said.

"They are."

"Then you must mean Sev's bad too, because he hangs out with them!"

"No, I don't." said Dorcas simply.

It was a nice few days for Alice. She made good friends, heard her friends gossip and talk badly of students (she mostly agreed), and she eventually made great friends with Dorcas. Everyone did.

"Miss Meadowes! Please - this is a severe problem, and I hope you might help." said Professor McGonagall said that morning. "Come to my office."

"Yes." It was all Dorcas said.

At night, when everyone was snuggled up in their beds, Dorcas announced, "I'm moving."

"What?" said Lily, throwing away her covers.

"Some girl named Mary's getting bullied, so she's moving here. I offered to change for her."

"Oh.... We'll miss you, Dorcas." Alice murmured.

"I'll too," said Emmeline quietly.

"I..." Marlene sighed. "We'll all miss you."

Dorcas gave a laugh. "We'll see each other still," she answered.

Alice was very disappointed to see Dorcas move out. Therefore, she was not very pleased to see Mary Macdonald move in after that. Mary was a Muggle-born, and, apparently, she was bullied by some students in her dorm because of her blood. She felt sorry for Mary, but she was bitter after Dorcas's 'loss'.

"Hi." Mary said, but all she got was a cold nod from everyone.

Lily sighed. "We're sorry," she said, and forcefully stared at the others. "Right?" she pressed on.

"Of course we are," said Alice quickly, feeling guilty at Mary's crestfallen and hurt face. "We just liked Dorcas - very much. She was a good friend."

"I can see. She volunteered - I hope she doesn't get bullied by Priscilla and Jensie." Mary said. "Maybe I can introduce you to people! Tomorrow, of course."

"Uh... thanks." managed Marlene.

"Thank you, Mary. You're very welcome." Emmeline said, evidently trying to sound extremely enthusiastic.

The next day, Mary pointed at a Gryffindor first year who was sitting at the table, eating quietly. "His name is Frank Longbottom. And that's James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus... Loops? And Peter Petty. I'm sorry, I only remember Potter and Black. Loops and Petty just hangs behind while Potter and Black does stuff."

"Does what?"

"Nothing yet, but... well, teasing the others? That's just what I did with my friends back at home." Mary said.

Lily snarled, but said nothing.
Alice looked at Frank. He looked so lonely. He kept glancing at Potter and Black, Loops, also Petty. Like... like he wanted a friendship like theirs.
She hesitated, but took a step towards him.

"Hi."

Frank looked up. He was rather good-looking, but he had this look of innocence and purity in his eyes. He had black hair, and he was staring at Alice like he had never had this conversation before with someone his age.

"Who... who are you?"

"I'm Alice Prewett," she replied.

He still had this look of wonder on his face, that caused Alice to bite her lip, wondering if she said something wrong.

"Er..."

"I'm Frank Longbottom. I... nice to meet you." He held out his hand.

Alice smiled and shook it. "You're a Gryffindor? Are you close with Potter, Black, Loops, and Petty?"

"What? Who?" Frank asked, looking quite confused. Then he broke into a fit of giggles and laughs. "Oh, you mean Potter, Black, Lupin, and Pettigrew?"

"Oh. That sounds more accurate. Mary told us their names that way, saying she couldn't really remember." Alice, said quickly.

"They're not the nice of people," mumbled Frank.

"Oh, really? Lily seemed not to like them."

"She just doesn't, probably, because they teased her friend."

"Snape?"

"Yes, I think so."

"I... well..." Alice realised she didn't have anything to say anymore. "I got to go," she said hastily, turning.

"...Alice?"

"Yes?"

"I... nothing. It was just nice meeting you." Frank's eyes were full of delight.

Alice grinned, and she was glad, glad than she ever was in her whole life, to make Frank Longbottom happy.

==

Alice smiled. That was a very nice friendship, but as they spent time together, friendship had grown into love. Now she was, she could proudly announce she was a Longbottom.

She faced Bellatrix Lestrange.