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The sweltering weather had seemed to stink out the Lupin Cottage with an awful smell, tarnishing every room in the house with a horrendous, sticky sensation.
It was all the more dreading outdoors, where the blistering rays shone powerfully without a solitary cloud to stop it from fretting.
Had the girl known of the humid climate, she would've made her nefarious homemade popsicles, where its formula was duplicated off a muggle ice-cream parlour menu. The citrusy flavour was impeccable, primarily during the days like such. Though she was inside, the Lupin Cottage had many windows with many plants, resulting in their residence being the utmost heat hotspot. The back of her neck sweated as the heat scorched her skin beet red.
Her shorts and tank top didn't cover as much skin as she would've wished. But Ivy Lily Lupin had to decide between two uncomforting possibilities. If she covered up her shoulders and tugged her shorts further down - heat exhaustion. If she continued to stay dressed the same, Ivy would most likely burn bright and rosy and peel once the sun had devoured the top layer of her skin. She wasn't exactly keen on either, however, she chose to stay the same - much preferring stinging over sickness.
A delicate thump on her bedroom door made Ivy jerk out of her thoughts. She peeled herself off of her bed sluggishly and sighed in affliction when her fan's drags of wind were out of breath. She tugged the door lose and wasn't surprised to see her older brother in just as much discomfort. His face scrunched up in annoyance and puffed moodily when he made his way into her room without permission. His shirt was in his hands rather than on his chest while he mopped his sweat with the thin material.
Usually, he would ask if it was alright to enter, occasionally he would simply walk in to check himself out in her mirror and depart without a word. Today was no diverse, other than the validity that neither of them had endeavoured to snap at each other.
"My fan stopped working. The only time I actually needed the useless thing, it gives up on me." Wyatt crossed his arms over his chest and grumbled with his head looking up. Ivy had retreated in front of her fan once again in hopes that her fundamental fatigue would diminish. She sat silently with her legs crossed as her older brother complained about everything wrong in his life; which wasn't anything near what Ivy deemed harmful nor disastrous.
Wyatt had obviously obtained the overdramatic genes. From whom? Probably their mum, since their father, Remus Lupin, was never the one to be dramatic. Both siblings don't remember their mother at all since she left once Ivy was born. Ivy internally envied Wyatt for having such a curt memory for she had always wanted to differentiate both her looks and personality between her parents.
Wyatt had curly, untamed ebony hair that stuck in all different directions when it wasn't clean. His locks were something he took pride in and only let a select few touch his hair; Ivy was not a part of the privilege. Two long silver scars aligned his face along with other small scratches here and there. Wyatt also had impaling grey eyes, which would've been their mother's too, since her dad didn't have the provoking grey eyes.
If you were to put both Lupin's together, everyone would speculate that they were closely related. With her inevitable black, raven hair falling below her rib cage, it was quite a chore to keep tame. Remus prohibited the girl to cut it short until she became a teenager when she was allowed to make her own decisions about her appearance. Regardless, Ivy didn't ever wish to cut her hair short. She didn't know if she'd like it or not.
Ivy also didn't have the dazzling hazel eyes of her fathers either. This feature was the only thing that both Lupin siblings could compare each other with. In fact, Ivy Lily Lupin had two different eye colours - her left being an Atlantic ocean blue - her right being the deadly dark grey her brother inherited. She had found out that it was labelled 'Heterochromia.'
Ivy detested how she looked like her brother, yet nothing like her father. Of course, Wyatt constantly found this as a targeted blow when they quarrelled with each other, though Ivy had learned over the years that he wasn't the one to talk.
"You're not going to get any cooler if you look at yourself in my mirror, you twat." Ivy snapped and took Little Women off her bedside table; rereading Meg's wedding scene.
Wyatt scoffed at his little sister. "Yeah, well. Reading the same bloody book all the time won't make you any smarter, will it?" He sprung on her mattress with a thud and swerved the fan's face closer to him. Ivy wasted no time to whack the hardcover novel across the boy's head heatedly.
"Shove off, you prat. Do you expect me to read my school books before school has even started?"
The boy rolled his eyes, "What do you want, a medal? Actually, don't answer that." The younger Lupin solely hummed back in treaty and hunched in cessation, watching the boisterous fan swirl around repetitively.
Ivy Lily Lupin received her Hogwarts acceptance letter on her 11th birthday, the first of March. As ecstatic as it seemed, the three Lupins were commemorated with cake and strolled through the local muggle town. Her three aunts, Marlene, Dorcas and Mary along with her cousin Lyra, all chipped in to make a celebratory dinner. Ivy also attained a substantial box of numerous sweets from her father and the newest broom to share between the two Lupin siblings, the Nimbus 2000, from the McKinnon-Meadowes.
They explained how miserable they would be if she didn't try out for Quidditch, asserting it would be a 'waste of Marlene's training.' Though Ivy knew they were only guilt-tripping her, she complied and pledged to strive to partake in the sport.
To be honest, Ivy felt bad that Wyatt couldn't participate due to his personal problems. He still played with Ivy and Lyra and, sometimes, with his friends. But Albus Dumbledore; the headmaster, Poppy Pomfrey; the head nurse, and Professor McGonagall; the head of Gryffindor, had decided it would be too challenging for Wyatt to handle both Quidditch and his monthly transformations as a werewolf. Though Wyatt always said he wasn't bothered by the rule, Ivy would see him beat himself up over it. Being a famous Quidditch Player had been his dream since he was four when he saw the Appleby Arrows on the Daily Prophet. She knew that one day, despite the challenges he faces, Wyatt will become a great professional player.
Suddenly, the young girl felt a fragile body lean its weight onto her abdomen. She looked down to see her pearly white tabby cat, Amy, slumped on her side. Her fluffy figure was mostly made up of hair, where the fuzz attached to her body fizzed like static because of the heat. The girl snickered and caressed Amy's body soothingly.
Her head was pounding in her ears; a headache bound to catch up with her sooner or later. While the sun was blazing and the fan jitting precariously, she stood up and jogged over to her Vinyl mound, shifting through the thick pile of records.
"Any suggestions?" She directed quietly.
"Nothing too depressing, please." Wyatt conceded. After a while of scanning through the rising piles, she found one of their favourites. Ivy removed the vinyl out of it's package neatly and aligned it, then sat back from her slouched posture while beginning to french braid her wavy locks, swaying simultaneously to the melody.
"...Wendy's stealing clothes from unlocked cars
Freddy's got spots from ripping off stars from his face
A funky little boat race..."
The task was time-consuming considering the length and abundance of her hair. By the time Ivy had completed one side of her greasing updo, she began to wonder where their father was. It had been hours since they had seen him last. "Where's dad?"
"...All the young dudes
Carry the news
Boogaloo dudes
Carry the news..."
"I 'dunno. Last saw him at breakfast. What's the time now?" Ivy peeked at her bedside muggle clock. "Half-past 11." She answered back simply, watching her brother whine into her pillow. "You're kidding. It's only going to get hotter from here."
As if on cue, a shaggy-looking Remus Lupin sauntered into his daughter's room with a winning smile etched onto his complexion. He chuckled hoarsely at the sight of his two children immersing in their misery.
"Dad, I think I'm going to die." Wyatt wailed bitterly and rolled off the bed to nag his father, who felt utter excitement bubbling in the pits of his stomach. "Let's hope not. Right, Lils?" Remus kidded cheerfully. Ivy lighted up at the mention of her nickname. Her father often called Ivy by her middle name; Lily or Lils. He had explained that he adored her middle name dearly as it reminded him of an old friend.
Remus perked at his children's antics. "I just got an owl from Mrs Weasley-" As Ivy's eyes widened in delight while Wyatt jumped up and down like a kid on Christmas morning. "Oh, please say she invited me over. I don't think I can bear another day being so alone."
Ivy's face plummeted with offence. She tossed her pillow hastily at his head; not before contemplating using her book instead. "You're so rude."
Remus huffed; "Both of you, zip it and let me finish. She did invite us but," she threw a tapered look at Wyatt, directing him to shut up. "She wants you to stay for the rest of the summer. Meaning you will go to Hogwarts with them." Remus peeked at Ivy, who wore an unreadable expression.
She had mixed emotions about the whole thing but, by the way Wyatt was acting, it seemed like she didn't have a choice. The eldest Lupin must've read her mind and tried to bargain his reasoning. After his childlike celebration, Wyatt had caught on with why Ivy wasn't as thrilled.
The full moon.
Though both siblings would be long gone by the 23rd of September, the date of the full moon, both Remus and Wyatt would undergo their transition into werewolves for the whole night and come back in the morning. It had become a monthly routine for Ivy to wake up extra early to tend to each of their wounds before giving them breakfast. She didn't mind doing so as she didn't wish for them to endure any more pain until the next full moon.
This would be the first time the whole family would be separated. Ivy didn't know if she wanted to take her chances.
After a lot of convincing from both boys, Ivy had given into the temptation.
The girl's temper was short-lived because of the scorching weather, which partially made her mood quite tempered. Her supplies were already packed, considering the fear of forgetting something beforehand. She had only met two of the Weasleys in her life; Ginny, the youngest, and Molly; Mrs Weasley, the mother of the gigantic family. It was quite the struggle to get both trunks down the stairs without magic because their father had always told them to not manipulate their advantages.
Ivy scolded his advice as she knew Remus Lupin 'manipulates their advantage' every day. Another reason why she couldn't wait to use magic.
"Have you made sure you have everything?"
"Yes, dad."
"You've got your school books?"
"Mhm."
"Amy?"
"She's in my backpack, yes."
"What about your muggle books? Make sure-"
"For Merlin's sake, dad. Ivy will be fine." Wyatt had been carelessly tapping his foot on the pavement outside the Lupin cottage. The temperature was still singeing their skin dry and with Wyatt's attitude sliming short, Ivy understood why he was being impatient.
"I was the same with you Wyatt and you ended up forgetting your Potion's book. If I recall, you wrote home to me saying you hated school-" Remus stayed sentimental at his eldest's mood. Wyatt rolled his eyes hastily as he tugged at his luggage. "I didn't hate school, it was Snape's fault. Greasy hag, Marls agrees with me."
Ivy frowned to herself inwardly, knowing damn well that her older brother was enduring severe homesickness at the time. In fact, the boy had to visit home several times before he could permanently stay full-time at Hogwarts. The first time he came home was two days after his initial arrival. Though Wyatt was ecstatic about getting sorted into Gryffindor, he felt overwhelmed by the number of kids invading his personal space. Ivy suspected that the shared dormitories were his final straw.
This wasn't uncommon nature from Wyatt because, before Hogwarts, the Lupin family were never separated from each other. Ever. It was always the three of them living in their Yorkshire Cottage. To some, this seemed like a tight-knit and almost impossible living space but to the Lupin children, it was all they could wish for.
Ivy broke the comfortable silence by grabbing onto her trunk and patting her brother on the back, who was playing with his homemade rings on his fingers. "C'mon. It's boiling out here and the Weasley's will be wondering where we are." Remus smiled slightly at his daughter. "Couldn't agree more."
The two children grabbed their belongings and shuffled in the arm's reach of their father. In a quick zap, Ivy felt the sickening sensation flip through her insides. Apparation was never a good thing in Ivy's opinion and she'd much rather use floo powder.
When Ivy opened her eyes, the lanky yet welcoming home of the red-headed bunch stood in front of them.
The Burrow.
Ivy was alarmed to see the infamous burrow that stood before her.
She didn't know what to foresee from the redhead bunch yet the portrayal of the household relatively stunned Ivy in some way. She perceived the family as unpretentious and modest, though she speculated that their blood status would contradict that. The Weasley family were always there to help the Lupins' when in need. The simple things that they procured affected the household of three tremendously. Like the homemade feasts, ornamental cards and chocolate on each of their birthdays.
Even though Ivy hadn't even met the majority of the family, they all behaved as if they had known her for years, even before she was born. It was like she was their own; it made her feel welcomed. Overall, the Weasley family were the loveliest family Ivy had ever met in her life and seeing the house they lived in didn't change her perspective at all. She was thrilled to know them. Better yet, to be friends with them.
Ivy was swept out of her thoughts when she was met with a bone-crushing hug. Out of instinct, she dropped her things, including Amy, and immediately reciprocated the action instantly. Her stomach filled with a warm fuzzy feeling when she noticed the all too familiar bushy, red hair clustered against her skin. "Oh, Ivy dear. Such a beautiful daughter you have, Remus. Just like your mother, you are."
Once Molly Weasley pulled away quickly, she proceeded to fawn over Wyatt, who squirmed negligibly at the abrupt affection but still accepted her embrace. "Dear me, you've sprouted up quite a bit over the summer, my boy. Still as handsome as before, if not more so."
Wyatt smiled gratefully at the gratitude and glanced towards his father awkwardly, hoping that he would speak on his behalf. Remus had understood his plea and politely interrupted Molly's showering praises. "It is good to see you, Molly. Is Authur home?"
The mother turned in his direction and sighed with an empathetic smile. "No, unfortunately. It's just me and the kids. Except for Bill and Charlie, with work and all." Remus hummed understandingly and continued to chat with the plump woman. In the midst of that, Ivy had nudged her way over to Wyatt, who looked just as nervous. She noticed his hands fiddling against the hem of his shirt, something he did when he was feeling uneasy.
Wyatt wasn't the one to be nervous around his peers, quite frankly, he was pretty cocky. Though when he mingled with those he wasn't familiar with, his personality seemed to flip.
"Did you bring our broom?" Ivy consulted subtly, throwing Wyatt off guard. "Yeah, of course. Thanks for letting me use it over the summer."
She smiled, "It's all good. Didn't you say the Weasleys loved Quidditch?"
The boy's eyes widened in delighted realisation, seemingly ecstatic all of a sudden. "Yeah, Fred and George are the beaters on the Gryffindor team." Ivy prodded him on with his elbow.
Though she didn't know who Fred and George were, she speculated that they were two of the multiple redheads. "I'm sure they'll like to have a game."
"Not in this weather, we don't." An unfamiliar voice spoke behind her abruptly, resulting in Ivy flinching ruddily out of her skin. Another voice, in the same tone as the first, chimed along. "We'd rather not look like Ronnikin's Christmas sweater."
The two Lupin siblings turned to face the culprits, who gaped at Ivy astonishingly. With her eyes knitted in surprise, she wiped her face in case there was debris from apparating. "Is there something on my face?"
While Wyatt laughed at the twin's dumbfounded expression, Remus had finally pulled away from Molly's gasbag. He too noticed Fred and George's surprised expression and swapped glances with the four staring children. "No, it's just your eyes." One of them stuttered out.
Remus coughed awkwardly and threw his arm over Wyatt's shoulder. "I must be going now, lots to do. I will see you two in the holidays." As Wyatt hugged his father tightly, Ivy struggled to explain to the twins about her mismatched-coloured eyes.
"Well, it's not contagious or anything." The one on her left tutted disappointingly. "I wish it was." Ivy glanced at him in alarm. "Yeah, that would be bloody brilliant." The other boy continued.
When Molly started to scold them with her harsh words regarding their manners, Ivy assured the woman that they didn't mean any harm, nor had they implemented any whatsoever. Fred and George however, gave appreciative glances toward Ivy, obviously grateful for avoiding the lecture. After multiple minutes and reassurances, Wyatt had finally left Remus's embrace and walked in with the twins, who carried their trunks in politely, including Amy. She was in the arms of Molly; who was showering her with compliments based on her cuteness. It was quite a sight to see.
The father and daughter stood in silence for a few seconds, reminiscing their last moments together for a while. The sun was yet to back down and no signs of clouds were showing. Ivy didn't want to ruin the silence but thought it was necessary as she had millions of unanswered questions.
Finally, she swallowed her concern and spoke. "Do I really look like mum?" Remus had done a double-take towards his daughter, wondering if he heard her right.
It was on a rare occasion that her mother was mentioned. And when she was bought up, the conversation didn't last long. Remus Lupin talked fondly of the woman, though Ivy knows little to no information about her. No name, no identity.
Ivy doesn't even know if she died or merely left the Lupin family. It was a very cloudy situation that never left her mind. "Very much so."
Yes, the answer was short and stubby, but Ivy was used to it. She understood that some things were touchy, some were even unspoken. But if it was one thing Ivy wanted most, it was just to talk to her mother one more time. She doesn't have one memory of her. No matter how hard she tried to pry from her father, he didn't open up. It infuriated her, but she never let the anger get to her. Usually, she had to tell herself to be grateful for what she already had, not wish for more.
Though Ivy didn't wish for anything else. She just wanted an explanation. The silence stayed throughout this period and it was neither comforting nor deadly; just silent.
"What house do you think I will be in?" Ivy questioned in a whisper. She didn't want to disturb the affluent stillness, slightly frightened that the milestone would suffice brisker than expected. "You would be great in any house, 'Ives," Remus replied slowly.
"That wasn't my question." She poked on. The eldest Lupin huffed in defeat, annoyed by the bugging reminder of how similar the two were; stubborn and difficult.
"You've got different characteristics that specialize in different houses. You're extremely smart and witty, like a Ravenclaw. But, you're also extremely cunning and determined like a Slytherin."
Ivy held in a breath, worried about her father's opinion. Ivy never liked the idea of loneliness or being alone forever. Loyalty was what Ivy valued most, and if someone like their father was to dictate her life based on her house, she didn't know what she would do.
"What about Gryffindor? Or Hufflepuff?" Ivy pushed, she just wanted the answer. Her patience was growing thin, yet she withheld it for her father's sake.
Remus hummed before continuing. "Yes, you would strive in either of those, too. To be honest, Ivy... I have no idea. As long as you're happy." Though Ivy didn't like the answer she was given, she brushed it off and crushed her father into a bear hug.
"Promise you'll write to me. I will be so lonely because Wyatt won't let me near anyone. What if the sorting hat doesn't know what house to put me in? What if I forgot something? Are you allowed to send books with Amy-"
Ivy's ranting was interrupted by her father, who was just looking down at her with caring eyes. He remembered his first time at Hogwarts and how persistent he was to resist the offer.
Wyatt was somewhat the same; just as nervous and peaky. "Yes, I promise to write to you, every week. Marlene, Mary and Dorcas will too. You will not be lonely and Wyatt won't be that stubborn. You might not make friends straight away but, by the end of term, you will have loads of stories to tell me. If you forget something, Amy will be perfectly fine with walking to the owlery. Now, I've got to go, okay? I love you, Ivy."
"Yes, OK. I am overreacting, sorry. Please write to me."
When they pulled, they both said one last goodbye and with a short crack, Remus was gone.
"I love you, too," Ivy uttered before rushing into the Burrow.
It was an overwhelming endeavour to introduce herself to all of the Weasley Siblings.
Wyatt had introduced the twins as Fred and George, which gave Ivy a sense of identity to decipher the two. "If you ever had trouble telling us apart, just remember that handsome one is Fred." Said Fred as he nudged his younger twin proddingly. George only rolled his eyes and smiled. "She can figure that out herself, Freddie."
Next was Percy, who Fred and George described as 'nerdy' and 'too proper' but Ivy thought he was neither. If anything, he was just an introvert at his finest who took pride in his character. To the twin's surprise, Percy had also grown a liking for the raven-haired girl, asserting that she understands the importance of 'self-worth.'
Then it was Ginny, whom of which Ivy had met beforehand. Ginny was the youngest Weasley but definitely not the quietest. She had the spirits of Fred and George but the wittiness from Percy. Molly had told Ivy that they would be sharing a room, indicating that it would be the most suitable. Ivy agreed and Ginny showed the way up to her room.
And to Ivy's surprise, it looked oddly similar to her room back in the Lupin Cottage. "Sorry, it's a bit of a mess, Ron let his stupid, ugly rat in my room. Have you met Ron yet?"
Ivy shook her head. Another Weasley? Ginny only laughed at the older girl's look of incredulity. "Well, it's his first year at Hogwarts, too. He's rightfully excited, though I'm not quite sure if that's just the nerves speaking."
Ivy nodded, not wanting to interrupt Ginny rudely. She coughed hesitantly and shuffled her feet against the bedside table. "Do you reckon he will be a Gryffindor as well?"
Ginny shrugged her shoulders. "Well, Percy is the only member of our family who's not in Gryffindor so I wouldn't be surprised."
The two girls settled in and talked all about their theories regarding Hogwarts. Ivy was disappointed when she realised that Ginny wasn't attending Hogwarts until next year. The young Lupin was getting more and more agitated by the day, absolutely petrified about her first year and what was to come of it.
"I'm just scared that I won't make any friends. What if I make a complete fool of myself during the sorting ceremony?" Ginny only smiled sympathetically and put a loving hand on the worrying girl's shoulder.
"Ivy, you are super kind, people will love you. Plus, if they don't, they must be blind or just plain daft." Her words of encouragement had steadied Ivy tremendously, though her underlying anxiety still seethed amid her body.
After talking for hours with Ginny Weasley, she discovered a lot of hidden treasures about the girl, stuff you wouldn't know if you weren't close to her. Her favourite colour was a periwinkle blue but she adored ruby red. She doesn't like passionfruit by itself, only mixed with other fruits due to its citrusy bitterness. But, like Ivy, she adored Fantasy novels, but only if they had romance as a side plot. Otherwise, she had to make up her own couple.
It was growing dark and the fans were able to stop blowing their cold air since the temperature decreasing dramatically. It was pitch black outside with the stars dazzling brightly among the moon. Due to Ginny's window being towards the top of the house, the window's view was captivating. With the endless hills filled with blossoming flowers and luscious trees.
A loud knock on the door interrupted the girl's conversation about wands, where Ivy was explaining how both her's and Wyatt's wand shared the same strand of Unicorn Hair.
When the door opened with a creak, a small, freckled-faced redhead peaked his head into the room timidly. "Mum wanted me to tell you that dinner's ready." His eyes widened at the sight of another girl in Ginny's room. He knew Wyatt was staying, but he didn't know he had a sister. "Who are you?"
Ginny scoffed; "Oh, don't be so rude Ron. This is Ivy, Wyatt's sister." Ivy gave her warmest smile to ease the bickering. "Yeah, alright, Gin. No need to be all bloody snappy."
Ron had walked over to the two sitting on the twin-size bed and stretched out his hand. "It's nice to meet you. I didn't mean to sound rude." He grumbled, giving a dirty glare at his younger sister. "The same goes, " Ivy replied, shaking his hand gracefully.
"We'll be in the same year at Hogwarts together." Ron smiled happily. "Brilliant! Are you excited?" Her smile faltered slightly but still replied with a confident yes.
"Well, after dinner we can talk about it, yeah? I'm too bloody starving right now. C'mon! Mum's gonna go ballistic!"
It had only been hours of chatting and mingling with the Weasleys yet it felt like Ivy had known them forever.
The dinner table was buzzing in excitement with arms intertwining among one another, jokes shooting out from each direction. Ron had been chatting to the young girl all night, asking everything he wanted to know, without a filter. What shocked both of them the most was their birthdays, both being on the first of March.
"Mum! Did you hear that? We have the same birthday! Mum? Mum-" The boy tried his best to call out from the opposite side of the feast but Molly Weasley didn't listen to her little boy.
Rather, she was too indulged in conversing with Wyatt. Ron audibly huffed sadly and slumped in his chair. Ivy gave a sympathetic smile and pulled her chair closer to his. "Don't worry, when we see my dad next, we'll tell him."
Ivy watched as subtle yet noticeable tears pricked Ron's heart-wrenched eyes. He looked up at her surprisingly. "Promise?"
"On my life, Ron."
This moment was only short, but it meant a lot for the two eleven-year-olds. This exchange changed their lives forever. The right people hear you differently. Ron and Ivy didn't know it then, but in the future, they'd realise, that their friendship would save each other from many things.