Someone Who Cares [Ivy]

[wyatt atlas writting]

“

Wyatt was still finding it impossible to believe that Annie was gone. 

Just two days ago, Wyatt had talked to her at lunch. She'd been heading off to Potions the last time Wyatt had seen her, talking about the essay for History of Magic she had due in a few days. Wyatt could still see her in his mind's eye, her blonde hair shining in the light that filtered into the Great Hall. Wyatt couldn't seem to wrap his mind around the fact that she was dead now, and in a few days he would be attending a funeral for one of his closest friends. 

The Hogwarts Express was half-full that morning; there was no shortage of parents wanting their children home and students wanting to get as much distance between themself and Hogwarts. Wyatt was among them. He couldn't be there, sitting in the common room where so many nights he had spent studying with Annie, couldn't sleep so close to where she had once slept, couldn't study in the library and not stare at the empty chair at his usual table. 

Hogwarts had informed the parents of everything that had happened, and Wyatt had written Ivy late the previous night, but he wasn't sure if she had gotten the letter or if she would care if she had. She would probably be at work by the time Wyatt lugged his trunk across London to her flat, but he would figure it out when he got there.

Wyatt had a compartment to himself that morning, which he supposed was a good thing. Most of his friends were still in shock (though Wyatt supposed he was, too) and hadn't decided if they were staying at school yet or not. Maybe Wyatt was being rash, deciding so quickly to leave, but what was done was done. There weren't any returning trains to Hogwarts, after all. 

For most of the journey, Wyatt sat in silence and stared out the window. He barely even noticed when the train began to slow down, pulling into the station and at last grinding to a halt. It was only when people began passing the window to his compartment that he really registered what was going on and gathered his things, pulling his trunk down the corridor and off the train. 

There were plenty of parents on the platform, holding their children tight and no doubt feeling lucky that their kid was safe. A year ago the sight would have made Wyatt sad, but he supposed now he was over it. He didn't have a family like all of his friends and schoolmates did, and that was okay. 

Just as that thought crossed his mind, though, and Wyatt began pulling his trunk towards the entrance to the rest of King's Cross, he heard it.

"Wyatt!"

Ivy? Wyatt turned, searching the crowd for the source of the voice, all while trying to figure out why Ivy was here. He knew how to navigate the London busses just fine, and with the allowance she sent him he wouldn't even have to wait for someone to buy him a bus ticket. 

But Ivy was here, making her way through the crowd to him. Wyatt frowned a little but waited until she drew close to speak. When he tried, though, he found that he didn't know what to say, what to do with this sudden display of parental care. It was foreign to him, something he had never experienced before. 

"You... you came for me?" Wyatt asked after a moment, finding his voice at last. 

ivy elisabeth writting ● november 30, 2022 ● 594 words ● n/a

Wyatt Atlas
Writting★

dandy ♫

[ivy elisabeth writting]

Oh hush, my dear,
It’s been a difficult year

Hogwarts was closing for good and Ivy was one of the few people who knew it. That didn’t mean she could tell anyone of course, but it was a sad thought that the place which once held so much joy for her would now shutter its doors, unable to weather the storm the world had thrown at it. It was too much a target, and though they were publicly saying it was closing indefinitely, several of them knew privately that it would not reopen.

As now the parent of a student at the school, Ivy had a fresh perspective on the whole ordeal. The first order of business, of course, was making sure Wyatt was safe and healthy. He had been friends with Annie Yorker, the girl who died, so Ivy knew he would need a little extra support in the times ahead. Later, perhaps after Christmas, they could figure out how to get him schooling. For now, Ivy would try to give him as much love as she could.

She went to King’s Cross at the allotted time, leaving work early to do so. The quick walk between the Ministry and the station felt somewhat refreshing to Ivy, who hadn’t spent much time outside over the past few days, as she’d been overwhelmed with work. There was so much to do in the department and precious little resources with which to get any of it done. It felt like the end was around the corner, like the worst was about to come. Maybe there was no point in the work anyway.

Ivy rushed into the station, worried she would be just a few minutes late and miss Wyatt entirely. He was so self-sufficient, she had no doubt he’d make his way to the flat via the tube or a bus, or perhaps he’d even walk, if left to his own devices. Ivy slipped onto the platform, walking at the barrier, and entered platform nine and three quarters.

She’d beat the train just by a minute or so; it pulled up quickly and the children began letting off. Wyatt was one of the last off the train, but Ivy spotted him instantly. A wave of emotion rolled over her at the sight of him- she hadn’t realized she’d gotten so attached in this short a time. ”Wyatt!” she called out, rushing forward and meeting him in the crowd of students and parents.

”You… you came for me?”

”Of course!” Ivy exclaimed, fighting an urge to wrap him in a hug. Wyatt was a bit stiff with her still, unsure of their relationship. And Ivy felt that too, she knew it would take time to build trust. ”I’m not the kind of mom that makes my kid walk home, you know. Besides, I have a surprise of sorts.” Ivy smiled softly, thinking of the beach where they could whisk away for a few weeks. She could salvage this Christmas yet.

wyatt atlas writting

MADE BY VEL OF GS

[wyatt atlas writting]

“

”Of course! I’m not the kind of mom that makes my kid walk home, you know. Besides, I have a surprise of sorts.”

For a moment, all Wyatt could do was look up at Ivy. He tried to process her words, but he couldn't wrap his mind around what she was saying. Maybe it was a combination of the sleepless nights preceding that day, or everything that had happened in the last few days, or the fact that no one had shown him such maternal kindness before.

Catherine had been a brief glimpse into life with a mom, with a family, but it had been ripped from him so suddenly. Then, Ivy had taken him into her home, but Wyatt hadn't had time to process it or settle in to what life would be like before he went off to school. He'd lived in an uneasy limbo since, not wanting to get used to having someone writing him every week to check in but wanting so desperately to believe it was real and would last. 

But now he was faced with Ivy, looking at him with those kind eyes and bright smile, like he was the only thing that mattered in the world. It was weird, unfamiliar, and Wyatt couldn't decide if he was uncomfortable or comforted by it. Was this what it felt like to be loved, to have someone care about you for no reason other than that they did? 

Despite his best efforts, Wyatt found himself sniffling, tears welling up in his eyes. He wiped at them hurriedly, using the sleeve of his sweatshirt as a makeshift handkerchief. He felt dumb for crying, had grown up being mocked by the other boys at the orphanage every time he did, but he felt even more dumb now. Why was he crying? He had no idea, but he hated it. 

Then, seized by something he couldn't describe, Wyatt stepped forward suddenly and wrapped his arms around Ivy's midriff. He screwed his eyes closed, holding onto her tight. He sniffled again, letting the tears trickle down his face unhindered now. Wyatt didn't say anything, not knowing what he'd say if he tried. 

"'m sorry," He whispered at last, wiping at his eyes hurriedly. Wyatt was okay, he was fine. He was just being silly. 

ivy elisabeth writting  ● november 30, 2022 ● 384 words ● ooc

Wyatt Atlas
Writting★

dandy ♫

[ivy elisabeth writting]

Oh hush, my dear,
It’s been a difficult year

If Ivy felt silly waving her hand in the air to be seen above the crowd, the thought immediately dissipated upon seeing the expression on Wyatt’s face. He looked like the sight of her had pulled him out of something and the pure surprise on his face threatened to overwhelm her. For a moment, she remembered the first time she’d taken the train back from school after her mom had died, being similarly unsure that she’d be collected at the station. But like Wyatt, she had found someone there to take her home, though perhaps more out of obligation than anything.

As Wyatt started to well up, immediately wiping at the tears with his sleeve, Ivy had the strongest urge to reach down and wipe the tears from his eyes the same way she would have when Samuel had fallen over in the garden and scraped his knee. She had forgotten how easy it was to feel like a mother, to instinctively reach for her child the moment they were upset. But this one was older and more fragile even than her other two. She couldn’t be sure yet if he’d welcome her mothering.

And then he did something unexpected; Wyatt stepped forward with something like determination and wrapped his arms tightly around her, his head falling against her should as she realized he was now approaching her height. Despite any surprise, Ivy reached her arms around him, holding him tight without a hint of hesitation. After just a moment, she reached a hand for his head, softly smoothing his hair until he backed out of the embrace.

”I’m sorry.”

Ivy’s hands lingered on his shoulders in a soothing rub as he backed away before letting them fall back to her sides to give Wyatt any space he might desire. ”You have absolutely nothing to apologize for,” she assured him, giving him what she hoped was a soft, encouraging sort of smile. ”It’s been an upsetting time and you’re allowed to be upset. Plus, I’ll take hugs anytime you want to give them.”

wyatt atlas writting

MADE BY VEL OF GS

[wyatt atlas writting]

“

”You have absolutely nothing to apologize for. It’s been an upsetting time and you’re allowed to be upset. Plus, I’ll take hugs anytime you want to give them.”

Wyatt could only muster a shaky smile in response to Ivy's words. It was hard for him to accept or even entertain the idea of Ivy being there for him long-term. He had more or less accepted that he was on his own; he had Matias, and the rest of the Hayes family more or less treated him as one of their own, but it wasn't the same as having a mother of his own. He'd been alone for so much of his life, and he had convinced himself that he was okay with that. Wyatt could take care of himself.

But now Ivy was here, and she'd told him many times that she wasn't going anywhere. He wasn't sure what to think of that. 

"So... so what's the surprise?" Wyatt asked at last. He had all but forgotten that Ivy had mentioned a surprise in the moment, but it came screeching back to the forefront of his mind in the silence that was left after he parted from the hug. 

ivy elisabeth writting  ● november 30, 2022 ● 199 words ● short, sorry!

Wyatt Atlas
Writting★

dandy ♫

[ivy elisabeth writting]

Oh hush, my dear,
It’s been a difficult year

Ivy was almost certainly too young to be a mother to a teenager, but she felt like she’d been looking forward to these years her entire motherhood. As soon as Irene was born, Ivy had imagined her daughter going off to Hogwarts one day, the relief and joy she might feel as seeing her return from a great adventure. She thought it would hurt to see Wyatt instead, but found that it didn’t.

Of course, Ivy felt sadness for him in this unusual situation of the school closing and the horrors he’d witnessed. But more than anything, she felt joy in seeing the boy who she’d come to know as her son. Seeing him get off the train filled a hole in her heart that had been there so long she hadn’t realized it still needed to be filled.

”So… so what’s the surprise?”

Wyatt took a minute to compose himself and his next words surprised Ivy. He’d caught onto what she’d said earlier, she supposed. ”Ah, yes, the surprise,” she said, a smile coming across her face as she recalled it. In the grand scheme of things, this was a small comfort. But there wasn’t a lot left to be happy about, so these small comforts would have to do. ”As you might recall, I grew up on the beach near Brighton.”

Ivy paused a moment, in part for dramatic flair, but mostly as she recalled the circumstances with which she’d acquired her family home. ”Well, I’ve bought the cottage from my father and thought we might stay there over the holiday,” she finished, putting a smile back on her face. Her father wasn’t well and was now living with her sister, but a silver lining was that her childhood home was now free and theirs. ”It’ll be cold, of course, and likely windy, but the views are worth it, I think.”

wyatt atlas writting

MADE BY VEL OF GS