Yearly Visit

I step past the gate and go further in, the bouquet of flowers charmed not to wilt in the cold. Everything is quiet, except for the wind that occasionally breezes by, making it colder than it is. My cloak is thankfully charmed with a warmth charm, as well as my gloves.

Ron's busy, has his shift tonight. Even if he wasn't, I wouldn't ask him to give up parties to come here with me. Kevin went to a weekend party, and like Ron, I wouldn't have asked him to give up any celebration to come here. No need to be a mood wrecker for everyone.

I don't mind being alone while I do this. I should do it more often...

I've been tempted to move back here. The house is a monument though, and I saw a few people there when I passed by them. I used my invisibility cloak, I didn't want to be noticed really. I never wanted the attention, and especially on this day. This day is for my parents.

I walk down the path, going past older graves, past older families that have died out and then come to the spot.

My parents graves.

I guess one would call it morbid that I would spend the night of Halloween at my parents graves, instead of at celebrations and parties. But Halloween has never been a holiday I enjoyed, considering the history with it.

I place the bouquet of flowers down on their grave, and move the leaves and such out of the way, using my wand to kill some of the weeds that were growing up around it. I kneel down in front of the grave, letting my hand trail over the words that are there.

Earlier today I finally reopened the chest that I had found in the Gringott's vault, and finally got enough bravery to open one of the many letters there. I opened the one that was just marked with a 1. Each letter had a number on it.

To my son;

Your father and I haven't decided on a name yet. We just found out about you a month ago, and found out you would be a boy yesterday.

Names have become quite the discussion. And Sirius has been jumping to be god father. We already decided he would be, but your father wants to wait just a bit longer before telling him, thinking it's fun to tease him before letting him know it's been decided he will be.

I'm so happy to know I am to be a mother, and that you will soon be arriving in this world to be with your father and I. Right now the world is a bit dark.... but soon, hopefully soon, it won't be and you will be in a world without darkness and fear.

I decided I'm going to write a letter whenever it hits me, to save them, and then give them to you on your seventeenth birthday. So you'll know that even before you were born how much your father and I already loved you.

I don't know what else to write right now, so I'll end this... and hopefully the next letter you read will be longer and more detailed.

I love you,

Your Mother

I reread those lines and then close the letter. I'm not sure if I'm going to read the rest... I'll try... I fold it a couple more times and then place it back in the faded envelope.

"Another Halloween, another year," I say quietly to them. "Lots happened this year as well. Seems like it never ends. But on the good side, I met someone and we've been seeing each other for..." I pause as I realize how long Casey and I have been together. "Wow, a year..." I chuckle. "That's a bit of time..."

I pause. "I found the chest. The letters, the rings... not sure when you wanted me to find it, but I did. Only just got around to reading the first letter..."

It's hard talking like this, to silence. But even though it's cold, and this is a cemetery, this is the only way I can talk to my parents. Even though I can't hear them respond, I'd like to think in some way they are listening. After all they've been with me in one form or another all throughout my years at Hogwarts and when fighting Riddle.

I settle a bit more where I'm sitting, and continue to talk as the night goes on.