we could be the greatest thing that the world has ever seen || [n.l book two]

eighteen

september 20th, 2001

"Come on Neville, I'm here." I said as we parked the car in the parking lot of St. Mungo's. Neville sunk low into the passenger seat and crossed his arms. Today was the mark of twenty years since his parents had been tortured, and his grandmother told me he should go visit them.

"Nev, it's alright." I repeated, placing his hand in my own.

"I don't want to go in." He said, choking up. "They won't remember me, we discussed this."

"Neville, stop this. They're still your parents."

"You're right. They are my parents." He said, getting out of the car. I caught up beside him and linked our arms together. We walked in the front doors and up to the desk.

"Hello, who are you here to see?" The young woman behind the desk asked.

"F-Frank and A-Alice Longbottom, please." Neville said, his nervousness showing. I gripped his arm tighter and she gave us instructions on how to find their room.

"Thank you." I replied and we made our way to the elevators. We climbed in and were joined by a family of seven.

"Mummy, is daddy going to be alright?" A little girl asked her mother.

"Well, um-" The woman started.

"Oh of course he is!" I interrupted her. I didn't feel like this child's dream had to be crushed by hearing that her father may never recover from something. "I had a vision that your daddy was all better soon, because I'm a psychic." I smiled at her and she lit up like a holiday tree.

"Really?!" She said, and wrapped her arms tightly around my legs. "Thank you lady!" The mother looked at me and mouthed the words thank you.

They got off on the second floor and we were alone.

"That was sweet, what you did for that woman." Neville said, holding my hand.

"Well if I were that kid, I wouldn't want to hear that my father would possibly never get any better." I said and he smiled. We got to the fourth floor and looked down the closed ward.

"There they are." He said, gripping my hand. I pulled his hand up and kissed it.

"You'll do great, I'm here with you." I whispered. We walked over and smiled at them.

"Who are you?" His father asked.

"I'm Neville, this is my girlfriend, Jenni." Neville said.

"Neville? Strong name young man." He replied.

"My father thought of it for me." Neville replied, his voice cracking.

"Well your father must be a great man." He didn't remember who Neville was in the slightest. "I'm Frank, this is my wife, Alice."

"Hello young man, young lady." She smiled at us.

"W-We brought you some flowers, sir, m'am." I said, putting the bouquet of white and blue flowers in the vase between their beds.

"Thank you young lady." Frank said.

"You are most welcome Mr. Longbottom." I said, smiling.

"Visiting hours are now over." A voice said over a loudspeaker which rang through the room.

"Well, I guess we'll see you two soon." I said, waving. Neville said his goodbyes and we were escorted out of the ward. We found out way back to the car and Neville grabbed my arm and pulled me into a tight hug. I held him tightly and I felt him sobbing into my shoulder.

"Ssh, ssh, Neville, I'm here, I'm here." I consoled, rubbing his back.

"I love them so much, and they can't even remember me." He cried.

"Neville, you are one of the most strongest, most loving, and bravest people I have ever met in my entire life. You have been through so much and you're still as great of a person as you were the day I met you. I love you so much and you have no idea how proud your parents would be of you today." I said, pulling him away and wiping his eyes with my sleeves. He smiled and kissed my forehead.

"I love you." He said, wrapping his arms around me in another hug. We broke apart and he chuckled to himself.

"What?" I smirked. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," He said. "It's just that I never thought that I'd be crying like a baby a minute before I was planning on doing this."

He bent down and sat himself on one knee. I brought my hands to my mouth and smiled. He pulled a box out of his pocket and opened it, to conceal a green stoned wedding ring inside.

"Jennifer Emerson, the moment I saw you, I had wanted to talk to you. I never actually expected you to talk to me first. From that moment when I first met you, I fell so in love with you, that if you went somewhere, I would go absolutely out of my mind. You are the only girl I've ever loved, and frankly the only one I ever will." He said, smiling. "Will you please do me the greatest honour, of marrying me? Please don't say no." I laughed and smiled widely at him.

"Yes, of course I will marry you." I said.

"Okay so can we maybe stay friends after this I know it'll be awkward but-" He processed it. "Wait, you said yes?"

"Of course I did." I laughed. "Now quit blabbing and kiss me you idiot." I said and he laughed at himself before kissing me passionately. He slid the ring onto my finger and we got into our car.

"I can't believe it." I said.

"What?" He asked.

"I can't believe I'm getting to live my dream." I said, pulling my knees to my chest and wrapping my arms around them as We Danced by Brad Paisley played blissfully from the soft radio.

"And what was that dream?"

"Marrying you."