citrine extras

halloween

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"You know, none of us ever dressed like that."

"Harry, stop!"

(Y/N)'s protest ended in a flourish of giggles, warming Harry's aura from the center out. He had been teasing her for the whole duration of the movie she had picked out for the night, some movie about three witches he couldn't remember the name of. It was a movie he had never seen before, and he couldn't help himself from correcting each small detail of the witches.

Now, he was picking on their outfits, particularly the green and black striped stockings the leader was wearing. He had never gotten used to the depiction of his kind in the media, finding it silly with all of the pointed hats and green skin. Sure, he had met some different looking witches, some that had altered their own appearance using their craft of choice, but he had never met a sick-skinned, boil-ridden, water sensitive witch. Even now watching these three sisters plot to drain a town of their life source was quite amusing in the way it was so off. Very fun to pretend, though.

"'M sorry, just silly to see," Harry mused, snuggling his head into her chest as he laid atop her. (Y/N) laid under him, her back against the cushions as he fit between her thighs, her own legs bent at the knee as he had his arms wrapped around her middle. Her fingers absently ran through his hair, twirling the curls between her fingertips in soothing twists.

(Y/N) only hummed in response, Harry able to picture the rolling of her eyes as her chest vibrated under his cheek.

"Never done anything like this on Halloween, either." A lopsided smile stretched across his cheeks as he spoke, knowing it would only further push (Y/N)'s buttons.

"And what do you do on Halloween?" she played along, swirling his curls between her fingers.

Memories of before he went into hiding flashed through Harry's head like flip book; ashen memories of growing up with his mother's coven and the moonlit rituals they would perform, smoky images of leaving parties in the sixties and seventies with a joint behind his ear to go enact his own solo rituals, and the more fresh clips of living alone in his cottage and the peaceful Halloween nights he would spend under the moon with incense curling in the air and gusts of cleansing air relieving his muscles.

"'S different for me than it is for you," he mumbled, trailing his fingers down her sides, "Halloween is an important night in my culture, so I usually spend the night doing a couple of rituals." His words were nonchalant as he watched the scene play out on the television in front of him.

"Really?!" (Y/N) bubbled, Harry able to feel her heart rate increase under his cheek. She always got excited when he talked about his witch activities, wanting to know more and more about his world. Harry loved that; he couldn't believe he had been so hesitant to tell her the truth when she was so avidly interested in he his life.

"Mhm," he hummed with a smile. "'S a day used to let go of the past and invite positivity in. Beginning of a new chapter, my mum always said."

"And what do you do? Like, what rituals?"

"Lots of little ones throughout the day, jus' to get in the right mindset, then the one under the moon to begin the next phase of life."

"Like our alignment?"

The mention of their moonlit ceremony brought a smile to Harry's face. "Yeah, like that."

They sat in silence for a moment, Harry drawing twirling heart shapes along (Y/N)'s side. He pictured spending his Halloween this year with her, having her assist him in his rebirth spell, her sitting by his side as his concocted his potions and being there as he re-enchanted his sachets. It was never a requirement, but he always liked to feel festive during the ritual so he dressed up much like his more human counterparts, something he could picture doing with (Y/N) that night. He wanted to bring in this new chapter with the one person that had brought him true happiness and balance in the last forty years of his life.