Chapter 6
Kelsey first went ice skating when she was fourteen and she’d lied to her parents about being invited to a friend’s house. She had but it wasn’t a magical family- it was Lily’s house. She, Lily and Severus had so much fun skating around the frozen arena that her face hurting from laughing so much.
It was a nice memory to have- tripping on the skates and bursting into giggles with Lily every time they looked at one another. Having hot chocolate by the arena, laughing at Severus when he got marshmallow on his nose.
It became their thing- her and Lily. Every ear they went skating together. When Baby Harry was born they took him with them. Then it all went to hell barely a year later.
Kelsey looked into the mirror, feeling older than she should as she fixed her hat. She heard Harry and Matt laughing in the apartment and she took a breath.
She had kept up the tradition with Harry- skating with him and having fun. This would be Matt’s first year with them…
She just needed to have her breakdown first.
She left her room with a smile on her face and dragged the two to the pond that was frozen over. The Chicago community of the area had already set up a booth to rent skates and a charity fundraiser selling hot chocolate. Matt and Harry grin and go get skates- Kelsey listening as she goes up to the booth- a little behind them- as they argue over the best way to help Matt on the ice. The woman at the rental booth looks worried about renting them skates but Kelsey’s reassuring smile gets them the skates.
And a phone number she’s not sure she’ll call.
She gets on the ice after the boys and watches them. They’re skating around and laughing. Matt’s super senses are weird while he’s skating and he keeps tripping but he loves it. He’s using his cane for balance and Harry is giving bad narration in between laughter.
Kelsey simply skates behind them- feeling her heart hurt. If Lily…
If Lily was there she wouldn’t be. They’d be skating in Godric’s Hollow and Matt would be in an orphanage. Kelsey would have been able to move on probably instead of being tormented with secret wishes about what if? Kelsey made a face at that thought.
Ugh. She didn’t want to be that person- Lily loved James and being the creep with a crush was bad. She had to move on.
“Mama!” Harry cries out, suddenly turning around to skate backwards. “Can we get hot chocolate after this?”
“Of course,” Kelsey laughed, smiling. She began to skate towards her boys, laughing more as they playfully shrieked and skated away from her. She began chasing them- her heavy thoughts leaving her mind as she laughed and played.
A few years later…
Harry laughed as he pulled on a pair of skates his mom had gotten from a dwarf merchant- thrilled that there was skating in this world. Matt already has his own on, laughing with Auntie Altea as the pink haired woman was trying to stand on her own skates. Harry stepped onto the ice to skate over to Matt- grabbing his hand and going off to skate around the pond.
“This is fantastic!” Matt laughed. “I’m glad there’s skating here.”
“Same.” Harry said, “It means we have some of our traditions still.”
“Snowball wars is an excellent tradition. Did you hear August’s yell?”
“His face was hilarious.”
““Didn’t see it.” Matt smirked as Harry groaned. They heard familiar laughter and Harry looked to see their mom- pregnant and sitting with her husband, chatting with Saerys and Reiner. Iseul was looking at his wife with a look of awe on his face, making the boys grin after Harry narrated it for Matt. They sped off to the side to drag one of the retainers skating- laughing.
They may not have Christmas any more, but they had this.