Unknown secrets | Harry Potter x OC

Prologue

It was a cold, rainy Wednesday. Charlotte was already dreading this day and the fact it was cold and gloomy just put more salt into the wound. It was her grandfather's funeral, and it broke her heart to know that she actually had to say goodbye. She'd known of his death for a while, but for him to be put in a grave felt so... finalizing.

Now, it truly hit her. She would never be able to go visit him again or drink his famous pumpkin juice. It was even worse with her father presenting a speech at that very moment about the beloved man. She wanted to cry, so desperately. But she wanted to be brave for her parents. She didn't want them to worry about her when they were already mourning themselves.

Though, holding back the tears was becoming more difficult, when each passing word that came from her father made the walls that were holding her emotions crack. She didn't want to cry, because she felt that she had already cried enough. In fact, she cried every night since his death. So, not only did she not want to cry because of her parents, but also for herself. She wanted to prove she could be strong.

                 Samuel Alister Whitlock
                              1927-1990
           "For all the secrets told by others,           lie safe with this man"

She stared long and hard at the large, polished metal, noticing every detail about it. From the way it curved at the top to where it was stuck in the wet ground, waiting to be used. God, she hated that thing. She wanted to grab the chunk of metal and throw it across the graveyard. She wanted to hold off the moment that was bound to happen, but she kept her composure. She knew it was useless. She decided to think about his name, it was a good enough distraction from the sadness and anger she was holding. Samuel Alister Whitlock. All his friends called him Alister and his family called him Samuel, but Charlotte called him grandfather. Sometimes, she wished she was one of those grandchildren that thought of the perfect nickname for her elders, but she decided grandfather was enough, and her grandfather agreed. They all meant the same thing anyway.

Then, she looked at the date of birth and date of death, and she thought about how awful the timing of his passing was. Just two days before her 10th birthday. She thought everyone's 10th birthday was the most important, since that's the year a person finally hits the double digits. Truth be told, she felt her birthday was ruined by his untimely death. She couldn't even remotely enjoy it. All she had left of him now was a box addressed to her; that of which she assumed was going to be a birthday gift. Inside the box was a beautiful golden locket. The locket had unique engravings along the edges with a large S in the center. There was also a note along with the expensive jewelry piece.

To my lovely Lottie,
This locket was a special gift to me. I always knew I would give to you. I believe you have grown old enough now to handle this precious item. I have but 1 request, please wear it. I know that your name doesn't even hold the letter S, but it is for this reason I convinced your parents into the middle name of Sage. I couldn't wait for the day it would be yours. To open it, hold it tight for three seconds and then say the greeting I taught you.
With much love,
Grandfather

After she read the note, she swore to herself to never part with the stunning locket. After all, that was her grandfather's one request. She would open the locket every morning to look at the picture of the two of them. The picture was one from the age of 7. It was Christmas time and her grandfather had shown up at her house as a surprise. At that moment, she grabbed the locket and held it tight, as if she was holding onto him.

Finally, she looked at the quote. "For all the secrets told by others, lie safe with this man." She knew her grandfather was a very trustworthy person and that was a great trait to acquire; though, Charlotte couldn't help but think it was a bad trait as well. If everyone trusted one person with all their secrets, that's a lot of secrets for that one person to hold. There is no doubt that person would hold the terrible secrets of others. That's what she thought about her grandfather. How many awful secrets did he keep and not tell anyone? Did it affect him at all? She hoped not. He was too pure a man to be put through that.

The more Charlotte thought about it, the more she realized her grandfather's death didn't make any sense. From what she was told, the adored man had died of a heart attack. That didn't sit right with her. How could Samuel Alister Whitlock have done so many incredible and courageous things in his life, just to die of a heart attack? She didn't understand. She didn't want to be cruel, though. Maybe he really had died of a heart attack and she was just too ignorant to come to terms with that fact. But maybe... just maybe... there was more to the night of 12/21/90 and she had just scratched the surface.

But even with all the secrets he was burdened to keep, he was still a kind, intelligent, and caring man and everyone knew it. So that day, she made a vow to herself. Even with all the pain she felt at that very moment, and all the pain that she would carry with her, she was to keep being the polite, courageous girl that everyone knew. That's what her grandfather would have wanted.

AN:
Hey Guys! This is the editor @rkd44love
Please, Please, Please don't be a quiet reader, me and the author would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions. If there are any spelling or grammar mistakes, we want to know! We want to create a great quality story that is enjoyable for you all to read. If you do end up liking the story, make sure to vote! Keep in mind this is our first published story, so we are both still learning how this whole book writing thing works. We have great plans for this book, and we can't wait to share them with all of you!
Go eat food and drink water :)

Hi guys! This is the author! Just like @rkd44love said make sure to vote if you enjoy the story! And feel free to give us some ideas for the book because we are always open to them. This is a fun, adventurous, and exciting story, not to mention romantic😏. We really hope y'all enjoy this story because we've had so much fun writing it so far. And let's make sure to thank the editor because this book would probably not be near as great if she wasn't helping me. Enjoy!