Halloween Memories

Potter's Place 3 October scene writing contest entry- Harry reflects on past Halloweens

"I didn't see you at the ball."

Harry turned his gaze from the clear star-studded, moonless night sky to the doorway of the Astronomy Tower 's stairwell where Katie Bell (who was retaking her seventh year due to the large amount of time she had spent in the hospital the previous year) stood.

She was wearing a set of elegant black dress robes and had her hair loose and unbound, drifting in the light wind like a cloud of spun gold.

"I really didn't feel like celebrating tonight." Harry said softly as he turned away from Katie. "I've never felt like celebrating Halloween, actually."

"Why not?" she asked as she walked up to Harry.

"Nothing good has ever happened to me on Halloween. Something bad always happens to me or one of my friends."

"What do you mean?" Katie asked, gently placing a hand on Harry's shoulder.

"From my second Halloween, when my parents were murdered and I was sent to live with my relatives, onward, I've always been hurt, physically or emotionally, on that day." Harry told her, oddly feeling completely comfortable with revealing his past to his friend and Quidditch teammate.

"For ten years after that my relatives, my aunt and uncle, never bought me a costume-"

"Costume?" Katie asked. "For what?"

"Muggle custom. On Halloween, muggle kids would put on costumes and go door to door through their neighborhoods 'trick-or-treating', getting candy and sweets from the houses."

"Sounds like it might be fun."

"I always thought so too, but I never found out. They never let me go along with Dudley, my cousin. Anytime I asked, my uncle would beat me and call me an 'ungrateful lazy freak."

"Why would he do something like that?" Katie asked, horrified.

"They hated me, despised me, because I was a wizard, because I wasn't 'normal', because they felt like it. I don't really know or care. I'll never see them again so it doesn't matter."

Katie hugged Harry from behind, hoping that she could chase away the pain that she heard in his voice. "I'm so sorry you had to go through something like that."

Harry touched one of Katie's hands and smiled softly. "T-thank you."

He was silent for over a minute, enjoying the warmth of Katie's embrace. "After the hell of dealing with my relatives, I come to Hogwarts and re-enter the wizarding world. That first Halloween a troll is brought into the castle and I nearly get killed by that troll; along with Ron and Hermione. My second year here I there was the basilisk that attacked Mrs. Norris and I got blamed for it."

"I never blamed you. I could tell you were to nice a person to do something like that."

"You don't know how much that means to me." Harry whispered.

Katie tightened her grip on him slightly. "It's horrible that so many people distrust you."

"My third year," Harry said softly. "Sirius Black attacked the Pink Lady's portrait, my fourth year I was competing in the tournament, my fifth year Umbridge was here and making my life hell, my sixth year was miserable as well."

The two stayed silent for a short time, basking in the warmth of each others company.

"You have had a lot of bad Halloween memories." Katie said quietly while she moved to stand in front of Harry. "Which means that you're highly due for some good Halloween memories."

Kati cupped Harry's cheek and gently kissed him on the mouth.

Harry sighed into her mouth, then pulled her closer and kissed her back.

When they broke for air, Katie pulled back and licked her lips. "Tastes good."

Harry smiled, leaned forward and briefly licked Kati's lips. "You're right. It does taste good."

Katie laughed softly. "You look much better when you smile."

Harry pressed his forehead to hers. "Thank you for giving me a reason to smile.

They kissed again, longer and deeper than before.

When the kiss ended Katie ran her hand across Harry's chest then down his stomach, stopping just above his belt buckle. "Let's continue this someplace warmer and less windy."

Harry swallowed nervously, hoping that he had correctly deciphered the look in Katie's eye and the placement of her hand. "I'm not ready to go that far yet."

"That's okay. I won't try to make you do anything that you're not comfortable with."

"We can still kiss." Harry said. "I'm comfortable with that."

Katie kissed him then smiled. "Would you feel comfortable snuggling together on a sofa by the common room fire?"

"Yeah, I'm comfortable with that. And I think that sounds very nice."

Katie slipped an arm around Harry's waist and gave him a squeeze. "Alright then, let's get out of here."