Enchanted | James Potter

Chapter 26: Ezra and Florence Abernathy.

Flora had mostly kept to herself during the summers. It was her last week there and she wanted to make the most of it. She visited her parents grave almost every day. Only the day before, when she was coming back from visiting the grave, she saw a deer near her home, staring intently at her.

James had been worried ever since the summers started. He did not want Flora to spend even a week with her cruel family but he understood that she needed to say goodbye. All he did was think about her to the point where even Sirius was annoyed. 

“Just give her a visit if you’re so concerned mate” he said to James one day. That’s what he did. Flora did not know that James was an animagus and so went to her house in his animagus form. He did not want to scare her. He just wanted to check up on her. When he saw her returning home that day, she locked eyes with him, in his animagus form, and she looked sad. James, dramatically, thought that something bad had happened. He went home and wrote in the enchanted diary that he was coming to meet her.

James and Flora were still using the diary to talk with each other. Flora was confused when James told her that he was coming to meet her. 

It was noon when James arrived and Flora was waiting for him by her window. As soon as she saw, she waved at him, and much to his surprise, jumped off the window to the nearby tree and climbed down. Flora could not let Karla see James.

“Are you okay?” James asked, concerned, when she reached him.

“Yes James. What are you doing here?” 

“I was just… worried. I thought something.. Are you really okay?”

“Yes. I’m okay. Amazing actually.” It was true. James’s arrival had made her day happier. Then she remembered that she had somewhere to be. “I was going somewhere. Do you wanna come with me?” she asked. 

“Yes, of course,” he replied.

They walked hand in hand through the country roads to the forest and then they finally reached their destination. The cemetery. The cemetery where her parents were buried. Flora was nervous about sharing something so personal with James but now that she was sure that she actually liked him, she wanted him to know more about her.

“Here it is.” Flora said and James looked at the two gravestones.

Florence Abernathy
(April 18, 1935- September 3, 1960)

“Death is but the next great adventure.”

Ezra Abernathy
(October 1, 1936- November 14, 1970)

“Do not pity the dead. Pity the living and above all, those who live without love”

James hugged Flora. “I’m sorry, Flora.” he said as he started tearing up.

“It’s beautiful. Isn’t it?” she said. “I love coming here. That’s why I wanted to return home….. to see them.”

“I understand,” he said. “It really is very beautiful.”

They stayed there for hours till it was time for them to leave. What they did not notice was a boy standing near the trees, hiding and watching them. Edward had been worried about Flora going back home after he heard about Karla and he wanted to make sure she was alright. He had visited her a few times, making sure she didn't notice him. What he never expected was for James to turn up at her house too. He saw both of them walking to Flora's parents grave and holding each other's hands. His heart ached and he couldn't stop himself from crying.

When he got home, James saw Sirius and his parents waiting for him in the living room. He had been gone all day and they worried. As soon as he saw his parents, he started crying. They immediately hugged him. James was a sensitive person and he loved his family more than anything in this world. He could not imagine how Flora lived without hers. He felt really glad that he had them. He told them everything that happened through his tears to the three of them. 

After they were done talking Euphemia, his mother, whispered in his ears that she would love to meet her. James smiled. That day he knew that he was definitely gonna marry Flora one day.

Flora got home after spending the day with James and even Karla’s constant nagging could not ruin her mood. She packed her bags since she was supposed to leave for Alice’s house the next day.

Flora woke up early in the morning, the next day to get ready. Mr Fortescue had sent her an owl saying he would pick her up at ten. 

Flora was happy to be at the Fortescue’s. She did all she had to do at her house and took all the photo albums and other stuff her parents had left her. She even got back some of her mother’s jewelry which Karla had stolen through the years. 

Flora and all her friends had already made so many plans of everything they wanted to do and all the places they wanted to go. Some of them were already seventeen, so that meant they were of age and were free to apparate whenever they pleased. That made their summer more fun.

Soon came, the 20th of August, Flora’s 17th birthday. She was finally of age. She woke after sleeping in till ten to a bunch of presents under her bed. The Fortescue’s had given her a jewelry box which was an heirloom of their family. Flora was too emotional when she received it. They considered her their family, Flora thought. Her seventeenth birthday was the best yet, as Flora repeated multiple times during the day. All her friends had come to Alice’s for a celebration and she had never had such a big party for her birthday. She felt like a princess that day.

A week before August ended, they received their letters and booklist from Hogwarts. Flora was ecstatic when she saw the Quidditch Captain’s badge in her envelope. Everyone hugged her and she spent the whole week going through her Quidditch books and strategizing her game plan. She had also received a letter from Lily saying that she had become the Head Girl. Flora was happy for her. She deserved it.

The summer came to an end way too soon, according to Flora. She would miss the Fortescue’s. Now they had the biggest challenge yet, ahead of them: the last year of Hogwarts meaning the N.E.W.T.S tests and Flora’s term as a Quidditch Captain.

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AUTHORS NOTE: Yes the quotes on the graves of the Abernathy's are intentional. It would mean that Albus Dumbledore had visited the graves of Flora's parents once and then quoted them to Harry whenever he needed guidance. It's like they are guiding him from after life.

P.S. Those are my favourite book quotes.