February 27th, 1890 — Church of St. Fergus cemetery

A thin layer of frost lay like a sheet across the field outside the church, silvery under the afternoon sun. Bragi Holm apparated by the trees, overlooking this picturesque sight, the letter still clutched in his hand. He looked at the letter one more time, sighed, then folded it delicately into his coat pocket. The young fellow had recently received word that his grandmother had passed away back in Denmark... three weeks ago. His parents had not informed him, nor summoned him to the funeral, so not to disturb his "exciting new life and work in Great Britain". This had been almost as sore to read as the loss itself.

Having not really known what to do with himself today, other than cuddle his cat by the fire, Bragi had decided he needed a nice long walk and a change of scenery. And so he'd apparated to a place he'd never been to before, and yet stood quite nearby to Hogsmeade; the town of Irvingly. Aided by nothing but a watercolour painting he'd seen of the Church of St. Fergus, Bragi had ended up here... strolling through a cemetery. How dully fitting.

Bragi spent a while strolling silently between gravestones, his boots lightly crunching on the frost, reading names he didn't know, and wondering if they still had family that missed them.

Margaret Goyle

  

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To say Maggie avoided the local cemetery would be a massive understatement. The rows of gravestones always left her feeling deeply unsettled, caused perhaps by the bleak reminder of her own mortality. Death was inevitable, she knew from her lengthy experiences with it, but that didn't mean she had to face it daily. That didn't mean she had to accept it.

Edmund's request to be buried in Irvingly was an odd one. He had to have known Maggie's immediate instinct would be to return to Hogsmeade and into the safe clutches of her family. Then again, perhaps he knew how stubbornly Maggie would've refused help in the face of her financial crisis. Perhaps the bastard aimed to trap her in death just as easily as he had in life.

She stood staring at his newly installed marker whilst steadily ignoring the urge to kick it. If anyone deserved such a gruesome death it was Edmund. Good riddance, then.

  

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Beautiful set by MJ

Bragi was in something of a reverie as he wandered, reading stone after stone, this one granite, that one some kind of browner rock, this one of a beloved grandmother, that one of a gentleman who had passed away only last year...

"Oh, I'm so sorry madam", he gasped as he almost bumped into a lady with long brown hair. She looked solemn, perhaps frowning. "Erm, that is, sorry both for - for your loss and for almost bumping into you..."

  

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The ever growing urge to scream was culled by a young man's sudden apologies. Maggie had already had one awkward encounter due to her rage towards her dead bastard of a husband, she couldn't afford to appear unhinged. What if someone attempted to take her children?! What if Edmund's parents thought to deem her unfit?!

She took a steadying breath and turned to look towards the young man. "It's no bother, thank you though. I'm sorry for your loss, as well." After all, for what other purpose would he be roaming the cemetery?

  

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Beautiful set by MJ

The lady looked as pale as the frost, and Bragi had to contend with two instincts — the first was to leave her be and give her peace. The second was to comfort. He supposed that the latter had won over the former, for Bragi did not just nod and smile and leave — he remained, receiving no obvious indication that he should flee. And perhaps his living presence would serve a small distraction...

"Thank you", he replied softly. "It was... my grandmother. But she isn't buried here. I apparated, and my mind's eye drew me here... I suppose because it's a place to dwell in our respect for those we've lost."

Bragi was too naive to fathom that not all those lost were respected.

  

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As far as Maggie was aware apparition was exceedingly dangerous when attempting to travel to a place one had never been. Splinching was a common injury even amongst those who were absolutely focused. She quirked a brow at the young man. Surely, his instructors informed him of this? Not even the most lax instructor would forget to inform his charge of such important information.

"I'm sorry for your grandmother then..." Maggie said. She wasn't in the mood to instruct naive souls on the dangers of magic. Especially not when he ought to have already been informed.

  

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Beautiful set by MJ

The lady who'd suffered a mysterious loss looked at him with something that could be surprise — but Bragi couldn't think why, and he blinked away before figuring it out. He didn't want to stare.

"Thank you..." he said again in a small voice. A pause, and then; "I'd best be on my way. Unless... I mean... if you need anyone to talk to..."

He silently cursed himself for such an offer. He must sound so childish and slow; surely more of an annoyance than a comfort.

  

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Maggie nodded stiffly. The strange man risking splinching was not who Maggie would unload her soul to — if she unloaded her soul to anyone at all. "Have a good day, Sir." She said and turned back to face Edmund's grave.

What a bizarre encounter.

  

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Beautiful set by MJ