𝐕𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐂𝐈𝐎𝐔𝐒 - the wizarding world

VIII. DOWN MEMORY LANE

VIII. DOWN MEMORY LANE
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Ivy twirled her quill in her hands, her joints aching from the past hour of writing word after word on the piece of parchment; she could not wait for detention to be over.

"Professor?"

"Yes, Miss Evans?"

"May I ask you a personal question?"

"Under no circumstance."

"Okay..." Ivy said slowly. "I'm going to do it anyway."

Professor Snape sighed, barely looking up from the essays he was grading.

"You knew my father," she stated.

"That is not a question, Miss Evans," the Professor said.

"You knew my father, question mark."

He sighed and went back to scribbling.

"Come on!" Ivy pleaded. "Please?"

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Professor Snape set down his quill. "Yes, I did know your father. We were neighbours growing up."

"What was he like?"

"Obnoxious. You get that from him."

Ivy scoffed, leaning back. "Look who's got jokes now. Why did you stop being friends?"

He looked up quickly. "We were never friends."

"Because he was a muggle and you were a wizard? Is that why you became friends with Lily?" After Professor Snape gave no effort to reply to her, she continued, "You know, that's a very narrow-minded way of looking at things."

"It's the way things are, Miss Evans."

"It doesn't have to be that way," she replied. "Is it weird for you?"

"What is weird for me, Miss Evans?"

"That I look like her."

Professor Snape's face contorted into uneasiness. He looked at the clock on his desk and without looking up from the essays, he said, "It's time, Miss Evans. You may leave."

Ivy stayed seated for a few more seconds until it was clear that she was not getting any more out of him. She made her way across the grounds of Hogwarts, towards a lone tower not far from the castle. The sounds of gathered owls became louder and louder as she climbed the steps around the tower. There, on the ledge of the glassless window, sat her father's owl waiting patiently with a letter attached to its claw. Ivy approached it with a treat in her hand and exchanged it for the letter, stroking the owl on its fluffy head for a job well done.

Dear Ivy, the letter from her father began as usual.

I don't want to come over as a strict parent at all, I like to think that I'm pretty hip, but you should have told me about this prophecy the moment you learned about it! Anything that has to do with my daughter's wellbeing is crucial information, Ivy. Having said this, I will be having a stern conversation with my dear sister, her husband and Sirius, whom I assume are all already in the loop. I shan't burden Professor Dumbledore, because I trust that you will keep me informed from now on.

Now, with all that over with. How are you, sweetie? God, I should have known earlier that there was something deeper at play when you were growing up. I should have gone to Lily the second I suspected anything was wrong... Maybe all this could have been avoided. I have half the mind to pull you out of school and this damned tournament immediately! Nothing but trouble, Hogwarts. Your mother always used to say that, it was part of the reason she left in her last year. That was why I was glad that you had the chance to go to the Beauxbatons Academy instead.