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She could remember setting up an altar with her mother on Samhain when she was young, it was a practice she continued even after she found out she was a witch. None of the girls in her dorm had seemed to mind so she kept up the practice. The year she was on the run with Harry and Ron was the first year she could remember that she hadn’t been able to set up a complete alter. They had lost track of exact days by then, only tracking the full moons. When the war was won and their world re-built, she decided to head back to the only home she had left, Hogwarts.
When she went to Australia to recover her parents and their memories, it took her almost a full month to track them down. She hadn’t expected to find a headstone with names Wendall and Monica Wilkins engraved with a date of death some three months previously. Hermione had broken down right there in the cemetery and had holed herself up in a hotel until Harry had been sent to retrieve her, the letter from McGonagall in his hand offering her the position of Head Girl. After obtaining permission from the new Headmistress to move into the castle early, Hermione had headed back to the only home she had left. Finding out that Theo Nott was Head Boy had been a bit of a surprise. He had been a prefect for Slytherin, quiet but polite to her, and just as brilliant as she was. They were cordial towards one another, both enjoying the silence that came with their dorm for studying.
During the first Hogsmeade weekend, Hermione spent the entire day gathering supplies for her alter she was going to set up on Samhain, already having decided to set it up just inside the forest, near the lake. One thing she didn’t need to purchase was the black cloth that she and her mum had always used on their alters. It had been passed down from her grandmother and was the one thing Hermione had taken on the run with her to remind of her mum. Gathering two white candles as well as one burgundy, she continued on her search. She found a niffler skull in the forest that she planned to sit on the alter as well.
Pictures of her mum, dad, both sets of grandparents were tucked away in her room, waiting to be displayed, mulled wine she had gotten from Madam Rosmerta, and an ear of corn as well. Samhain finally dawned, slightly chilly but the leaves in the trees of the forest and on the grounds were a beautiful mixture of orange, deep red, and yellow. All-day, she was on edge, counting the hours down until the feast would begin and she could sneak away. Theo had been watching her closely the past couple of days, it set her on edge but she tried her best to ignore him. She was thankful he had already left the dorm when she had gone up to gather all of her things.
Carefully making her way onto the grounds, she passed no one but a few ghosts on her way out the large double doors. Hurrying down the sloping lawn, she glanced up at the moon that had begun rising into the sky. As she arrived at the spot she had picked up, a figure moved from the shadows, walking to the edge of the lake. Pulling her wand from the pocket of her cloak, Hermione trained it on the mystery figures back.
“What brings you out here on Samhain, Granger?” Theos voice called out.
A sigh left her lips, of course, he was out here.
“I decided to set my alter right where you’re standing actually.” She walked towards him, sliding her wand back into her pocket and looking out over the lake, standing close enough to Theo that their hands brushed against one another.
“On Samhain, I always come to this spot to honour my mother. She died when I was young, I don’t remember her as well as I used too. This is the one day a year I let myself think about her.”
She nodded even though it was dark enough he wouldn’t have been able to see her.
“My mum and I always celebrated Samhain, even before I knew magic was real. We would set up and alter, give offerings to my ancestors, and now to Lady Magic as well.”
Neither spoke for a few moments, both lost in their thoughts. Theo turned to her, a sad look on his face.
“Would you mind if I joined you? I know it can be a private experience so I understand if you’d rather I not.”
Hermione looked up into his eyes, they were a beautiful hazel and had kindness in them she so rarely saw.
“I would be honoured. What was your mothers’ name?” she asked as she began pulling everything out of her beaded bag.
“Calla. She was beautiful.” She glanced up to see him pulling a photo out of his pocket before handing it to her. Hermione took the picture and smiled down at the image. A beautiful young woman, no older than twenty-five, holding a small baby. The smile on her face radiated happiness as she looked down at baby Theo, running a slender finger over his cheek.
Handing the picture back to him, she smiled up at him. “You look like her. I’m sorry you lost her so young, Theo.”
His voice came out gruff, as though he was trying to choke down tears. “Thank you. You lost your parents as well?”
“Yes,” she told him quietly. “I sent them to Australia, wiped their memories of me. When I went to go get them after, they had died three months before I got there.”
A warm, large hand wrapped around her wrist, pulling her up towards him, a sombre look on his face. “That was very brave of you. I’m sure they were proud of you.”
Nodding and wiping her eyes, she gave him a small, sad smile. “Yes, well, we should probably get started.
Theo helped her set up the alter she had pulled from her beaded bag, complimenting her on her spell work. They both set the photos and lit the candles before sitting on their knees on the ground. Theo grabbed her hand just as she started the prayer.
“This is the night when the gateway between
our world and the spirit world is thinnest.
Tonight is a night to call out those who came before.
Tonight I honour my ancestors .
Spirits of my fathers and mothers, I call to you,
and welcome you to join me for this night.
You watch over me always,
protecting and guiding me,
and tonight I thank you.
Your blood runs in my veins,
your spirit is in my heart,
your memories are in my soul.
With the gift of remembrance.
I remember all of you.
You are dead but never forgotten,
and you live on within me,
and within those who are yet to come.”
When she had finished, Theo recited the same prayer. A warm gust of wind suddenly surrounded them both, leaving Hermione with a feeling of contentment and pride. The surprised look on Theos face told her that he had felt something similar. After finishing the ritual, he helped her gather everything before holding his hand out to pull her from the ground.
“How about we head into Hogsmeade, I’ll buy you dinner at the Three Broomsticks?” His voice was slightly shaky, his fingers twisting together.
Feeling brave, Hermione leaned forward, covering his large hands in her small ones and smiled.
“Like a date?”
“Exactly like a date.”
Theo laced his fingers through hers and they headed down towards the village, neither seeing the glowing magic behind them, spinning around where their alter had been.