A/N: Prompt from Russian Roulette forum game. In not very proud of this story, I couldn't find the motivation or inspiration for it, but pushed through nonetheless.
Nothing seems to transport a person quicker than a familiar smell, whether it be your grandmother's home cooking, your favorite flower, or the musty smell of an old book. We often connect certain smells with memories, but sometimes a smell can take you back to a time you may have forgotten or were too young to remember.
Harry and Ginny sat on the living room floor in their one bedroom apartment. They had been unpacking boxes for the past hour, deciding that it was much more fun this way than using magic. This way they could reminisce about the objects and the memories that came with them.
"Wow, I knew you didn't support me," Harry said, chuckling as he pulled out a 'Potter Stinks' badge from his fourth year. Ginny laughed as well, shrugging as she tossed it into the rubbish bin. Harry pulled another, much heavier, box towards him and began to sort through it. It was full of multi-colored candles, each in their own jars.
"Hermione sent me a ton of these. They smell sooo much better than the ones from Diagon Alley," Ginny said as she pulled the box towards her. She started sorting through the candles, smelling them and then handing them to Harry for him to smell. They both agreed that the mint smelled heavenly, but the sandlewood could be thrown away without hesitation.
"Mmm, this one reminds me of fall." Ginny sighed, breathing in the aroma from the amber colored candle. She took a few more whiffs before handing it to Harry. As soon as the candle got near his nose, Harry's mind shot image after image through his head.
A lady with red hair and green eyes baking a pie.
A man with dark hair and wearing glasses putting up decorations.
A baby wearing too big red and gold robes...
Him as a baby wearing red and gold Gryffindor robes.
The memories (because Harry just KNEW that's what they were) faded and he was once again in his living room. He quietly moved the candle into his jacket pocket, hoping to revisit those memories later.
A tear rolled down his cheek. He was happy that he remembered these, but sad knowing that his parents were killed that very night.
Years later, on days he was really missing his parents, he would pull out the candle, aptly named 'Home', and let it transport him back to Halloween, 1981.