Show Me All Your Scars, I'll Be Delighted
Summary: When more of Dumbledore's secrets come out, Ivy concocts a plan to escape. She goes through the Veil and settles in Beacon Hills, searching for the family that was stolen from her.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, Teen Wolf, or anything else. None of it is mine. I appreciate all of the encouraging reviews. As for the select few who like to post reviews about how unoriginal my story is, if this isn't your cup of tea, just click out and go somewhere else already. I write for fun, not for reviews.
\Line} Line {Line/
Chapter 6: Maybe I'm Not Who You Expected
….And That's Okay
\Line} Line {Line/
Over the next week, five more people were sacrificed. Heather Matthews and Emily Sitwell, two more virgins, as well as Kyle Williams, Mark Kell, and Adrian Harris.
While the first two were virgins, the other three had military connections.
Ivy was starting to get a clearer picture of what the Darach was doing.
The Five-Fold Knot was a ritual based on sacrifices. It consisted of five categories; Virgins, Warriors, Healers, Philosophers, and Guardians. Three sacrifices were required of each category for its highest use.
The Virgins and the Warriors had been completed in quick succession.
It made Ivy wonder what drove the Darach to rush the ritual.
The frustration made her want to go for a run but she never had the chance.
This was because she was never alone anymore.
Erica and Boyd slotted themselves into her left and right, always following her.
Ivy was actually glad for the company. Stiles was busy with Scott so she spent her time with the two betas. Erica made her smile with how enthusiastic she was, reminding her of Ginny, and Boyd made her laugh with his dry comments that came at the most unexpected moments, reminding her a bit of Neville.
She was starting to get attached.
It was why, when Erica and Boyd showed up at her doorstep, asking for a place to stay, she let them in without a second thought.
That's where they were now, curled up on the couch and waiting for her to get back with the snacks for their movie marathon.
"I can't believe you asked his girlfriend if he was a virgin," Ivy snickered, finding it hilarious as she lifted the last of the bags into the trunk of her car. "What a thing to ask a girl who just lost her boyfriend."
"I know. It was rude and insensitive of me but I needed the information," Stiles groaned on the other end of the phone. "I'm working on a theory."
"What theory?"
"I think-"
A stick snapping caught her attention and she stopped, eyes scanning the empty parking lot.
"Stiles?" She whispered, catching his attention. She kept her voice calm and even, eyes roving around for any sign of a threat as she felt her magic spark under her skin. "Don't freak out but I think there's something out here with me."
The wind whistled sharply and she spun in a full circle, raking her eyes over her surroundings.
"Ivy, what-"
"Stiles, listen," Ivy cut him off, talking quickly but concisely. "It's a Five-Fold Knot. The Darach is going after-"
Before she could finish, something sliced across her throat and she staggered, choking and gurgling. Her free hand came up to try to staunch the bleeding but the cut was too big and too deep.
"St-ugh…" she tried to say his name but all that came out was a wet gurgle as she choked on her own blood.
"Ivy?! Ivy!"
Eyes fluttering, the last thing she saw was a thin figure sauntering over to stand above her prone form as darkness pulled her under.
\Line} Line {Line/
The scent of oranges drifted to her nose and a comfortable warmth surrounded her.
Ivy was reluctant to open her eyes and break the illusion, muscles loosening further as she relaxed.
A soft, warm hand touched her cheek, cupping the side of her face, and she opened her eyes, instantly meeting vibrant emerald irises.
Lily Potter, the woman who had died for her, the only mother she'd ever known, smiled down at her lovingly, fiery red hair falling around her face.
"Hi sweetheart."
Bolting up from her lap, Ivy latched her arms around the older woman and buried her face in her neck as arms wrapped around her, returning the tight embrace.
"I missed you too, my sweet Ivy," Lily sniffled, arms tightening for a moment. "But there's someone special who's been waiting to meet you."
Drawing back, Ivy shifted to sit cross legged, tucked into her adoptive mother's side. She turned and saw a woman sitting across from them, patiently waiting for her attention.
She was pretty, smile soft and kind, with caramel brown hair and forest green eyes.
"Hello, I'm Willa," she introduced herself, pausing unsurely with a little laugh. "I'm not sure what to call you, you know. Which would you prefer?"
Ivy's eyes widened and her lips parted in surprise, drinking in the sight of the woman before her.
This was her birth mother, the one who had died giving birth to her.
"I go by Ivy mostly but I don't mind if you call me whatever you want," she managed, licking her lips nervously as she smiled uncertainly. "It's nice to meet you, Mama."
The woman seemed surprised for a brief moment, then smiled a smile that lit up the meadow they were sitting in.
"It's nice to meet you too, my little songbird. My, how you've grown."
"I know right?" Lily exclaimed in agreement, mock sighing. "It feels like every time I see her, she just gets more beautiful."
"She's gorgeous," Willa grinned, mischief sparking in her eyes. "And a total troublemaker, from what you've told me. It's a toss up who she gets that from."
"There's no telling," Lily agreed.
Ivy looked between the two, eyebrows raised.
It felt odd, to see how the two most important women in her life were getting along like a house on fire, as if they had been friends for years.
"This is so weird," she remarked, laughing a little when they both grinned back at her.
"Your Mom's been catching me up on all the juicy details," Willa winked, smile gaining an edge of sorrow as she gazed at her. "You're so strong. You've been through so much and I can't possibly express how profoundly proud I am of who you've become."
The words hit her like a hammer to the chest and Ivy blinked back tears, sniffling.
"I've done some awful things, made some big mistakes," she confessed regretfully, thinking of everyone who had died for her and who she had killed.
Willa scooted closer until their knees brushed, hands coming to cradle her face tenderly.
"Avalon Wren Hale, Ivy Renee Potter, whatever name you bear, I will always be proud of you. You're my starlight and my moon. Don't be so hard on yourself, little songbird. You've done the best you can with what you've been given and that's all we can do in the end."
She pressed an achingly loving kiss to her forehead and Ivy couldn't have stopped the tears if she tried.
"But Peter-"
Willa leaned forward to knock their foreheads together affectionately, smile full of regret and pain. "Peter's in so much pain, baby. Losing us broke him and he was never quite the same. Things only worsened with the fire and what followed. He needs you more than he'll ever admit. Don't give up on him, please."
"Okay," Ivy swallowed hard, nodding. "I won't."
"The Hale family vault is in the basement of the high school. In there, you'll find a box with your name on it. If you want to find out more about your family, check it out."
"I will," she nodded again, wiping her face dry.
Lily and Willa exchanged meaningful glances.
Pulling back, Willa settled across from her as the redhead Potter took her hands for a moment, squeezing.
"Our time's up, sweetheart. Never forget how much we all love you," she pressed a kiss to the side of her temple and gave her a fierce smile. "Now go show that arrogant tramp how it's done."
"We'll be watching," Willa added, grinning savagely.
Ivy laughed and closed her eyes as she felt something pull her away, leaving behind the wonderful warmth.
\Line} Line {Line/
A deep, icy cold spread through her bones and her eyes fluttered open as she woke.
Her eyes took in her surroundings and she wanted to curse, seeing the cold water that enveloped her body up to her waist. The walls around her were made of rough stone, covered in algae and moss.
She threw my body down a bloody well. Oh this daft cow's going to die, make no mistake.
Nails lengthening into claws, Ivy started climbing, careful to avoid the slippery spots. It still felt like it took an hour to reach the top, punching through the wooden lid and climbing out.
Her claws receded and her limbs shook as she leaned against the side of the well for a moment once she was completely out, hands carefully investigating her throat.
The gashes weren't as deep as they had been but they were still deep enough for her to prevent her from speaking and they bled sluggishly.
The worst part was that the wound had been dealt with a blade soaked in mistletoe, meant to kill.
She didn't have much time before the poison reached her heart.
Alright, step one, get to the flat and bandage this thing.
Checking on her magical reserves, Ivy grimaced when she realized they were too low for apparition.
Scratch that. Step one, get to the loft and pray they have a first aid kit.
Bracing herself, she ground her teeth as she straightened, legs shaking and stumbling as she made her way to the loft.
It was a long walk and she couldn't stop. If she did, she knew she wouldn't get back up again.
Ivy wanted to cry in relief when she finally made it to the loft, pounding against the door with one hand as the other held her throat together, stemming the bleeding as much as she could.
"Scott, I already told you to-" Derek growled as he wrenched the door open, cutting off abruptly as he saw her. "Ivy?"
He paled, taking in her ashen complexion and the blood was rapidly spreading across her front.
There was no time to answer questions as she swayed, almost falling to the floor, and found herself swept off her feet as the werewolf carried her into the loft, yelling for the first aid kit.
"Ivy, hey, come on. You need to keep your eyes open for me," he urged, seeing the way her eyes were starting to flicker.
Ivy managed to curve her lips in a faint smile aimed for comfort before the darkness pulled her under.
\Line} Line {Line/
The first thing she registered was the lovely warmth that surrounded her. It was a drastic change from the freezing water of the well and she snuggled closer.
Vanilla filled her nose as the warmth obliged her request, wrapping around her tighter.
The warmth behind her shuffled closer to accommodate, pressing against her back.
More comfortable than she'd ever been in her life, Ivy sighed contentedly and opened her eyes slowly.
Sparkling chocolate brown eyes met hers and Erica beamed, smacking a kiss to her cheek.
"Morning, Enchantress. Glad to see you're enjoying the snuggles."
Ivy blinked at her, then craned her head to look over her shoulder. To her surprise, it wasn't Boyd behind her but Cora.
Her cousin was quietly watching, dark eyes unsure but painfully hopeful.
Ivy smiled warmly at her, ecstatic that at least one of her family members wanted to get to know her.
Cora smiled back, rubbing her cheek against her shoulder affectionately.
"It's nice to see you awake, Ivy," Derek offered a small smile as she turned to look at where he stood across the loft. "You've been missing for a week. We thought the Darach had killed you."
Ivy pursed her lips, wondering how to ask what she wanted to ask. Speech was unavailable for the moment and she didn't know how to mime killing someone.
Seeming to read her mind, Erica shimmied to grab something from her back pocket and handed her phone over.
"Here, you can use the notes to say whatever you want."
Nodding in thanks, Ivy started typing out what she wanted to say.
I woke up in a well with my throat slit. I think I may have died for a few minutes but I kept going in and out. Where is the Darach?
She offered it to Derek to read.
"You don't have to worry about her anymore. She's dead," he reassured, thinking she was worried.
Instead, Ivy pouted in disappointment, big green eyes narrowed as she typed furiously.
Darn. I really wanted to kill the daft cow myself. She slit my throat and dropped me down a bloody well. I'd have liked to return the favor. I hope her death was painful and she rots in the ground.
Derek's eyes widened in surprise as he read the small rant, taking in the fury that blazed in those emerald irises.
"Um-it was," he managed as Erica burst into laughter.
"Such anger in such a tiny package," she teased, squeezing the raven close.
Ivy huffed and rolled her eyes, not bothering to explain the childhood that had stunted her growth.
So the twit's dead. What all happened while I was out?
"Basically, the twit tried to complete the last part of her ritual, which was Guardians. She thought it would be a fun idea to take Scott's mom, Batman's dad, and Allison's dad as sacrifices. So there was this whole thing where they sacrificed themselves in place of their parents and came back to kick the lady's ass," Erica explained with a vicious grin. "I got a few good hits in for you."
Ivy threw her a look of approval and gratitude, squeezing her tight.
"Everyone's okay," Derek continued for his beta. "The Alpha pack's taken care of, the darach's dead, and all the parents are safe."
Ivy nodded thoughtfully, considering her options.
She'd promised herself that she'd leave after taking care of the Darach.
"Oh for the love of God, since Derek's beating around the bush," Cora sat up, looking down at her where she was still curled up with Erica. "We're going to Mexico to visit my old Pack. Do you want to come with us?"
Ivy's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open, shocked by the unexpected offer.
Why? You don't really know me. Why would you want me to come along?
"Peter told us," Derek cut in, shuffling uncomfortably.
Ivy swallowed hard, clenching her jaw as she used the sting of the action to steady herself.
What exactly had Peter told them? Did he tell them she was making it all up?
Told you what?
"He told us about the paternity test and the birth certificate," Cora watched her carefully. "It's all true. You're his daughter, our cousin. That's why you came here, isn't it?"
Ivy nodded sharply, magic rolling under her skin uneasily.
"That's why we want you to come with us. We want to get to know you," the other girl smiled, grasping her hand gently. "You're family, Ivy. Wait, what do you want us to call you?"
Tears filled her eyes and she blinked hard, sniffling as they escaped to trail down her cheeks.
She thought about it for a long moment, thinking of everything she'd been through and the new start she wanted.
Her hand moved slowly as she typed out her response, holding it up for Cora to see.
I think I want to be called Wren. Is that okay?
"I think that's perfect, Wren," Cora grinned approvingly.
Wren smiled back, relishing in the smiles of her family and the warmth blooming in her heart.
Avalon had been stolen before she could grow into her identity and Ivy had died in the Forbidden Forest at the hands of a madman.
Wren was a new start, a chance to recover and move on from the past.