Samhain

“Draco, darling?” Harry called out to his boyfriend. “Do you know where my photo albums are?”

“In the cabinet next to the bookcase,” he said from the kitchen.

Harry always loved when Samhain came around. Autumn was in full spring, the smell of pumpkin pie wafted through their flat. Decorating was also quite fun. Him and Draco made a day of taking a walk and collecting the colourful leaves that had fallen off trees. They scattered them over their window sills, right next to pictures of relatives that passed away.

Right now, Harry was placing the photos in the windows while Draco prepared pastries for tomorrow. They were having dinner with Luna, who also celebrated the sabbat. He opened the door to the cabinet and picked up the photo album, opened it, and took out the picture he used every year—his parents laughing with Remus and Sirius.

Harry was smiling at it when he felt Draco wrap his arms around his waist. “We going to Godric’s Hollow today?” he asked. Harry nodded and turned in his arms. He kissed him gently.

“You okay?” Draco ran his fingers through Harry’s hair.

“Yeah,” Harry smiled. “I’m okay.”

His boyfriend asked him that every year. Weirdly, Samhain helped him with everything that was associated with the 31st of October. All his life, he’s heard that his parents died on Halloween. That holiday never came with anything good. Fighting a troll. Going to a death day party. All that rubbish. Samhain felt so detached from all of that. It felt pure and untouched. Maybe that’s why Harry loved it so much.

He placed the picture in the windowsill before getting ready. “Can you get the flowers, love?” Harry asked.

Draco came out of the kitchen with the flowers and a pumpkin pie in his hands. “What a lovely sight.”

Draco rolled his eyes. “Shut up. This is for tomorrow, so keep your paws off it.” He handed Harry the flowers and sat the pie down to cool. “Now let’s go.” The blond man took his hand and laced their fingers together, then they both turned on the spot and disapparated.

When they got to Godric’s Hollow, Harry stood there for a moment, taking in all it. The gentle breeze that carried leaves in colourful swirls. The jack-o-lanterns placed on the doorstep of people’s houses. The small children riding around on their bikes before the weather got too cold to do so. It made Harry feel at peace.

They already went to the grave of Draco’s father, who recently passed, just yesterday. Cleaning up the grave and welcoming him into their home. Now, it was time to do the same for Harry’s parents. They’ve done this every year since they started celebrating Samhain, and Harry always looked forward to it. He always felt more connected to them around this time.

They walked past the gate into the graveyard and stared at the statue of him and his parents before walking up to their graves. Remus and Sirius were buried next to them too. Harry took out his wand and cleared the graves of any leaves or twigs that had fallen on them, then placed a single white lily on each of them. He placed a protective charm on it the night previous, though it was the muggle version of one.

He found out about it at the same time he found out about Samhain. That muggles had their own form of witchcraft which is more about putting positive energies into things than actual magic. Though, he supposed, it could be a form of magic. He just found it so healing to do these rituals and muggle spells.

Harry crouched down next to the graves, still holding Draco’s hand, and spoke. “Hello. Mum, Dad.” It still felt a bit weird for him to be talking to dirt, but he had the strangest sensation that they could actually hear him. It calmed him in a way.

“Sirius, Lupin. It’s the day before Samhain right now and we’re having dinner with Luna tomorrow. Pandora was invited. I always got the sense you liked her, Mum. Oh, and Lucius Malfoy might be coming. Just as a warning,” Draco chuckled softly.

Harry talked a bit more, Draco listening with a great love in his heart for this man who is finally content in his life after struggling for so long. Not that he doesn’t still struggle a little, but he’s so much better off now than a few years ago.

The next morning, Draco brought out his tarot cards. When Harry first started researching Wicca and muggle witchcraft, the blond man was instantly taken with the divination side of it all, having never taken it when they were at school. Harry still carried a bit of resentment toward it, but he let Draco give him readings on the sabbats anyway. He was just glad that his boyfriend actually enjoyed some of the aspects of Wicca and not just going along with it because Harry practiced it.

The dinner was to be held in their flat which had a pretty spacious dining room, so it was easy to accommodate the extra chair for Draco’s father. At six o’clock, Luna was at the door holding a massive ham and some mashed potatoes. They set up the table, placing plates in front of the six empty chairs and putting a small amount of their favourite foods. Harry watched at how meticulously Draco cut the food he’d put on his father’s plate. It suddenly hit Harry that this sabbat probably now meant as much to Draco as it did to him.

As they ate, Harry could feel the energy of the spirits among them. Each having their own distinct impact. His mum’s was very fiery and passionate. Sirius and his father were more chill. Lupin radiated such a peaceful energy that Harry could only assume that he was happy to be here with his best friends and their children.

Pandora always felt warm and kind. Harry expected Lucius’s energy to be angry and agitating, but it felt more like ambition than anything else. He didn’t realize he was staring at the chairs until he felt someone squeeze his hand. He looked over to see Draco smiling at him. Harry smiled back and kissed him sweetly.

“Happy Samhain, Harry,” Draco said, barely above a whisper.

“Happy Samhain, Draco.”