Semper Fidelis

Chapter 13.1

Promitto.
I promise.

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Chapter 13

Hallowe'en

Hermione carefully arranged the pumpkins on her front porch just so and stepped back with a grin. It was the afternoon of October 31st and she was finishing up the decorations around her home in preparation for the trick-or-treaters that night. It was All Hallows Eve, Hallowe'en, and Hermione had promised her son that she would carry on their tradition even if he wasn't there. James always loved carving pumpkins, decorating their home, and dressing up. So, Hermione carried on. She had wrangled Rose (the two women have bonded a lot over their children being at Hogwarts) into helping her set up and had even convinced her to stay and hand out candy that night in matching costumes (witches, of course). The two of them were just putting the final touches while listening to McFly on the radio and drinking wine.

"Hermione, it looks marvelous!" She heard Rose say from behind. "And very classy. Good job, lady!" The blonde walked up next to Hermione and the two surveyed the front porch with delight. Multiple pumpkins, squash, and gourds of varying colours and sizes, some carved into jack-o-lanterns and some weren't, lined the stone stairs leading up to the front door. An owl's silhouette made from a black metal sheet was hung next to the door.

"James would love it," Hermione said with a grin. "I need to take a picture while it's still light out so I can show him later."

"How is James doing, by the way?" Rose asked, taking a swig from her wine glass.

Hermione smiled at the thought of her son. She remembered the conversation they had via the mirrors the night following the Quidditch tryouts.

September 26th 2009

The mirror revealed the beaming face of James after she had said her son's name. Hermione returned his smile and greeted him softly. "Hey, love. I've missed you. How were your Quidditch tryouts?" Hermione asked.

James could barely contain his excitement. "I DID IT, MUM!" He all but yelled into the mirror in excitement. His eyes shifted to the sides nervously and he lowered his voice. "I made Seeker!!" He whispered enthusiastically.

Hermione almost dropped the mirror in front of her in shocked surprise. "That's fantastic, James! I'm so proud of you!"

James grinned bashfully. "Thanks, mum. I'm really happy. Practice starts next week and --"

Soft footsteps followed by a "James?" sounded from behind him.

"James? Are you down here?" Another voice asked. More footsteps padded down the flight of stone steps leading up to the boys' dormitory.

"Oh crap. I think that's Nate and Teddy!" James whispered furiously into the mirror.

Hermione looked thoughtfully from the other side. It really would benefit the two of them if James didn't have to do so much hiding when he was using the mirror. "Do you trust them to keep a secret, baby? If you do, I think it would be OK if you tell them about this." Hermione said softly.

James gasped. "Really, mum? I do! They're my best friends! They can keep a secret!"

"James, who are you talking to?" One of the curious voices sounded from behind James. James mouthed "One second, mum" into the mirror before Hermione was faced with the ceiling of the Gryffindor common room after James had laid the mirror down.

"Hey Nate, Teddy," Hermione heard her son's casual greeting.

"Teddy and I woke up when we heard you yell, James," the voice belonging to Nate said with a hint of worry. "And then we saw you weren't in bed. Is everything OK, mate?"