Because Every Phoenix Needs a Flame

Chapter 8: The Announcement

Frank recovered quickly. That morning when he woke up with a smile on his face and pecked her cheek, Alice felt all of her worries melting. He was okay, he wasn't going to die. She wasn't sure how she would handle the rest of her life without her man.

"I'm hungry." He murmured, and the Slytherin laughed, wrapping her arms tightly around him.

"I will make you breakfast. What do you want?" She peppered his face with kisses, feeling his arms tightly wrapped around her middle. His strength was back. They were out of the woods.

"Do you think we can have bacon sandwiches? Never tell my mother this, but I love yours a little more than hers." He confessed.

Alice winked. "Don't you know me, Frankie? Of course, I will tell that to your mother next time she tries to kick me out of the kitchen."

He groaned, covering his face with his hands. "I will never hear the end of it."

"You were warned about me and my Slytherin ways, many many times, dearest," She teased, pecking his lips before getting up. "I'm going to pop to the Manor and get the ingredients and come back. Don't leave this bed!"

"Oh... we're at our apartment." He murmured, finally realising where he was laying.

"Yes... I couldn't risk bringing you to Longbottom Manor, knowing that your mother would bring you to St Mungo's." She said. "I called Kenna, and she came and saved you. Remember me to buy her a gigantic bouquet as a thank you."

"Once I'm healed, once I'm transformed. I will buy you a big bouquet as well." Frank whispered, pulling her closer before she could leave the bed.

"Careful, love. You might still be sore." Alice said, holding herself up to not put her weight down on him.

"I love you, Alice Longbottom." He stroked her cheek with his thumb and the Slytherin leaned into his touch.

"I love you, Frank Longbottom. Now let me go so I can make you a damn Bacon Sandwich." She teased.

"Can I have a kiss?" He asked with those puppy eyes that never let Alice say no to him. She leaned down and kissed his forehead, then the tip of his nose and only then his lips, a smile on her face.

"There. See you in a bit, my love." She whispered, extracting herself from his arms and moving to the Floo.

It wasn't easy to calm her mother-in-law when Alice appeared from the fireplace in Longbottom Manor. But she assured Augusta that they would come for dinner later if Frank felt at 100% per cent. So she came home with all the ingredients to make the best Bacon and Egg Sandwich. Frank had moved from the bedroom to the sitting room where he was listening to the wireless.

"You were supposed to stay in bed." She said, kissing the top of his head.

"I was getting so lonely and cold, alone in that enormous bed." He pouted.

"Sit still in here, Frank Longbottom. I'll be back soon with breakfast." She used an authoritative tone on him that only made him smirk.

It didn't take long for her to make the sandwich as well as some tea. She levitated the tray into the dining table. "If you're good enough to walk alone from the bedroom to the couch, you can move your ass to sit beside me here." Alice patted the chair beside her.

"What if instead you bring that yummy sandwich here and sit on my lap as we eat?" He winked.

"Frank, don't make me repeat myself." He laughed, holding onto his side as if it pained him a bit. "Are you okay, love?" Alice asked, running to his side to help him up, but instead, he pulled her down. She groaned when she saw his smile. He was playing her.

"See, this is much better, Lissie," He said pecking her cheek.

"You are so... insufferable!" She complained but summoned their breakfast tray to her lap.

"I'm not going to try and deny it." He teased, placing his lips on her neck. "But you love me all the same because of it."

"Salazar bless me and give me strength..." She whispered sipping from her cup of tea.

"You keep bringing that Founder into our relationship, dearest, I don't really like sharing you with him." He chuckled and then let a long guttural moan as he took a bite of his sandwich. "Godric, yes."

Alice smirked. "And who's this Godric?"

"Don't tease me, woman! Once I'm reborn-"

"What will happen once we're reborn? Will we still find each other?" She asked, stroking his knuckles with her thumb.

"Always, dear. Now that I know what it feels like to be with you, I can't let go. We've been through the bad times and the good times and the terrible times, but as long as we're together, we can overcome everything." He said, and his green eyes held such strength. There was no doubt in his statement.

"I love you, Frank, I love you so much." She said. "We will make the world a better place for us, for everyone, magical and muggle. Because you know I will rise like a phoenix, you taught me that, Frank."

"We stumble but we never really break." He completed. "We fall but we always rise."

"You know why?"

"Why, sweetheart?" He asked, breakfast forgotten because all it mattered were the two of them.

"Because they can try to extinguish my fire, but you're my flame and you will always light me up again," Alice said, and she kissed him, she kissed him with everything she had inside of her because she loved that man, she would always love him, and she could not imagine the day that they would be apart.

After a long day in the Auror Office and a meeting with the Order of the Phoenix, Alice was exhausted, but there was something she needed to tell Frank. She laid in bed, waiting for him to come out of the bathroom. They had moved back to their little apartment, put stronger wards, but she was sure that after she shared this news with him, Frank would want to move back to Longbottom Manor.

Her husband left the bathroom, a towel wrapped against his waist. "Still awake, Lissie? I thought you were tired." He asked, leaning down to place a kiss on top of her head.

"There's something I need to tell you." She said, patting the mattress beside her.

"I don't like those words, sweetheart. Can I at least get dressed before we have a conversation?" He asked.

Alice chuckled and took his hand. Why was it still a little wet from the bath, didn't this man know how to dry himself? She placed her hand over her lower belly. "No secrets this time. I'm just a few weeks along, but I wanted you to know from day one, love."

It was comical to watch his reaction, how his eyes bulged, moving from her face to her belly, that was still flat, there was no bump, but he kept looking up and down. Alice stopped him, placing both her hands over his cheeks, and made him look at her. "We're having a baby?" He finally asked.

She nodded, tears slipping from her eyes. When 16 months ago she had ended up in St Mungos, they thought this moment would never happen, but here they were, expecting a baby in some long months.

They had been hurt before, but they never lose hope, because they would always rise like a phoenix. And Alice was lucky, because every phoenix needs a flame, and her flame was her perfectly imperfect husband.

All was well.