The Heiress of Slytherin

Say Ilvermorny Three Times Fast

Athemar smiled lovingly down at her and hugged her tight for another minute, the both of them trying to hide the slight swell they felt in their hearts as he said, "Then it is settled, tomorrow midday we will depart for America, for the Ilvermorny School of Magic."

Ivy awoke the next morning with a tumult of emotions already swirling in her mind. On the one, very negative side, she was a descendant of Salazar Slytherin, a curveball she had not seen coming.

On the other, much more heartening side, she was going to America in just a few hours. Uplifting as it was, it was also rather dizzying. Ivy sat up straight in bed, her groggy mind neglecting its previous task of sorting through her complex emotions in favour of formulating a lengthy to-do list before she left.

First on the list, in bright, bold letters was to find Theo and tell him about the night before and her impromptu plans for the day the one following.

As luck seemed to be against her, she naturally could not find Theo or Kyria anywhere. She searched the building high and low but found only her father, watching her with an amused expression over his newspaper.

"They've gone to Hogwarts." He said calmly as she was about to ascend the staircase for the third time. "Your mother and I spoke to Theodore this morning and explained everything to him, and now he is at the school packing your things for you."

Ivy looked at him in slight exasperation. That was delightful and all, but he couldn't have told her that before she ripped the tavern apart? She took in the ghost of a smirk that danced over his lips when he looked at her and nearly fainted.

Her father, the ever-serious aristocrat, had been pranking her. She didn't know whether she should laugh or douse him in spells to make sure he was well and himself.

Ultimately she decided to forgo both for the moment in favour of walking over to join him at his table. "Did you tell him everything?" She asked timidly.

Athemar folded up his newspaper and set it on the table in front of them, before covering her hand with his own. "Yes. Theodore is family, he deserves to know the full truth."

Ivy bit her lip and nodded her head. She knew he was right, and she knew that she was stupid to even wonder at Theo's response, but her first reaction had been fear at herself. What she might be. What if his had been the same?

Her father watched her carefully for a few moments, then carefully used his other hand to tilt her chin up to look at him. "His first reaction was to want to run into your room, wake you, and hug you. Those are hardly the actions of somebody who is afraid of or doubting their friend, are they not?"

Ivy felt her heart swell and her eyes become slightly cloudy. Every time Theo had an opportunity to turn tail and run, he had pulled through for her even more than the time before. She didn't know what she had done to deserve him, but Merlin she was glad she had him.

As though he had been conjured, Theo burst through the front door with Ivy's satchel slung over one arm and Stheno wrapped around his neck.

"Ivy!" He cried joyfully as he caught sight of her. He ran over to her and wrapped her in a massive hug, allowing Stheno to rub her face against Ivy's cheek fondly.

"I know you, you idiot, and I know that you're doubting yourself. But if you entertain the thought for even a moment that you're behind the chamber I'll slap you silly. You've been working yourself to the bone all year trying to sort out who it is, and you would never, ever hurt one of your friends, nor any innocent person."

He kissed her on her cheek and pulled her in tighter and she began to cry. "Theo, what if I don't know I'm doing it. What if it's just by me being in the castle."