"Are you sure you're okay with him?" Kit asked a smiling Ron as Nate ran to Hermione with Caleb clutched in his hands.
"We'll be fine," Ron reassured her as Harry tried to usher he out the door.
"Carrie and Jake are just across –"
"Go," laughed Hermione.
"Bye bye, mum!" Nate shouted. "Bye bye, dad!"
"Go," Hermione repeated, and Kit gave in with a sigh.
"We won't be –"
"Go, mum! Uncie Ron and me are partying!"
Kit laughed and followed Harry out to the car.
"I'm sorry," he said as the motor began to purr, "I just –"
Harry took her hand and smiled at her. "Mum needs to spend some alone time with dad, you know. Out of the house."
Kit leant over and kissed him on the side of the mouth as he shifted into gear.
They drove in silence for five minutes before Kit asked where they were going. Harry looked at her with a cocktail of sadness, longing, and resolution in his green eyes.
"I initially planned for us to just go on a walk," he said quietly, "but today – well, tonight at midnight – marks the, uh, twentieth anniversary, so to say, of, uh –"
"Your parents," Kit finished, squeezing his hand. "I understand."
"Um, you can wait in the car if you like," he continued, peering at a sign ahead on the road. "I know how graveyards aren't your favourite places."
Kit smiled. "No, I'll come with you."
"I was thinking, too, that when Nate got older, before he goes to Hogwarts, if he does –"
"Of course he will," she laughed lightly.
"Well then, before that," Harry continued, pulling to the side of the road, "I wanted to bring him out here to meet them. And tell him, well, almost everything."
Kit smiled sadly and kissed his cheek as he turned the car off. "That sounds wonderful."
Harry grinned at her. "Come meet my parents."
The sun began to set as they walked into the graveyard. Very few of the graves has new flowers on them, many of the headstones were broken. The grass was wet, and there were no trees to block the clear, pink sky.
"How do you know where to go?" she whispered, gripping his hand tightly.
"I came here once," he said softly, smiling at the memory. "Remus brought me. It was when you were in labour with Nate. You screamed at me to leave, and I did. You were happier and actually wanted me there when I came back," he added slyly. Kit laughed softly. "But I needed something, and I didn't know what, so Remus brought me here. I actually talked to them."
"Actually?"
Harry shrugged. "I poured my heart out, and I think I felt them."
"That's actually."
He laughed, and then stopped abruptly in front of two headstones set flat in the ground. He bent down and dusted dead grass from the works. Lily Evans-Potter and James Potter. Harry stood up and took Kit's hand again.
"Mum, dad," he said aloud, his voice shaking slightly, "this is Kit. Kit, meet my mum and dad."
"Pleased to meet you, Mr and Mrs Potter. Harry has told me so much about you. You must be very proud of him."
Harry beamed and wrapped his arm around her waist. They stood there, silent, looking at the graves. When Kit's teeth began chattering, Harry looked at her. He wiped the tears from her cheeks.
"Are you okay?"
She nodded. "I feel safe here." Harry kissed her cheek. "But it is starting to get dark."
They both looked up at the sky, brilliantly lit with red and orange from the setting sun.
Harry took a deep breath, untangling himself from Kit. "Okay then," he muttered to himself.
"What? We're leaving?"
"No, not yet."
"Oh, but I'm free–" Kit began, but stopped and gasped as Harry bent down on one knee and pulled a ring box from his pocket. Kit stared at him, trembling.
"Phoenix Ravencraft," he began hoarsely, opening the box to reveal the emerald Potter engagement ring, "will you marry me?"
Kit sobbed as she nodded furiously, fresh tears springing from her eyes. Harry beamed as he stood up and slid the ring onto her finger. It magically shrunk to fit, but neither noticed as Harry wrapped her in his arms and kissed her. Kissed her wet eyes, her damp cheeks, her quivering lips. She pulled Harry close, and soon their tears blended together.
"Wow," she breathed in his ear. "I didn't think I would cry."
"Neither did I," Harry breathed, leaning his forehead against hers.
"I'm glad your parents approve."
Harry laughed and kissed her again.
-----
"Candy apples!"
Harry laughed as Kit looked at the door, her features filled with confusion. He zipped the front of Nate's costume as Kit opened the door to Ron and Hermione, dressed in their Hogwarts uniforms.
"Happy Halloween!" Hermione squealed, wrapping Kit in a hug. Ron looked across the room to Harry and laughed.
"Yaharr, Captain Potter!"
Harry looked up, grinning as Nate ran to Ron and hugged his knees.
"That's an original costume," Harry commented sarcastically. Ron stuck his tongue out at him, tossing Harry a bag of assorted candy.
"Are you going out?" Hermione asked him, knocking off his hat as she passed Harry.
"Yeah," Harry said. "Me, this little werewolf, and the big werewolf," he cheeked.
"Uncle Mooney's a scary wizard," Nate said softly. "Not a big werewolf."
Harry smiled and picked Nate up, who giggled. "Then Uncle Mooney must've changed his costume and only told you."
Nate giggled.
-----
When Remus arrived, the trick-or-treating began with only a little hesitation from Kit.
"Just down the street," Harry reassured her again as Nate ran out the door after Remus. "We won't be long."
Kit smiled half-heartedly as Harry turned from the door. Hermione threw her a chocolate from the candy bucket, and her smile widened.
"Where's Ron" she asked quietly.
Hermione nodded towards the kitchen and replied, "Making drinks."
"He proposed," Kit said quickly, barely above a whisper.
Hermione's eyes widened.
"He did?"
Kit nodded, her golden eyes twinkling as she held out her hand. Hermione took it and gasped as her eyes fell upon the emerald engagement ring.
"It's beautiful," she breathed.
"We were at his parent's graves."
"It was a good thing we got away from work."
"The sun was setting."
"Molly is going to have a cow."
"He was so romantic."
"I hope our wedding don't interfere at all."
"But you have to look surprised when he tells you all," Kit said, snapping out of her trance and shaking Hermione from her own.
"Oh, of course," the other woman replied in a business-like tone.
"Trick or treat!"