evergreen (a sirius black story)

Chapter 1

Ivy Fletcher untied her pinstripe apron and pulled it over her head. She folded it neatly into her bag, and pulled a faded black baseball cap on her head. "Bye Florean!" She shouted to the man in the back of the shop.
"See you tomorrow, Ivy. Thanks for all your help today."
With a wave, Ivy left Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour and began making her way back towards muggle London. It was early evening and the sun was beginning to set slowly behind the thin, wispy clouds streaking the sky.

Ivy was seventeen years old and going into her final year of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She was a proud Gryffindor, and a decent beater for her house quidditch team. She was spending the summer working for Florean Fortescue, a jolly man who ran the ice cream parlour in Diagon Alley, to help pay the rent of her small flat. Ivy had lived alone since the beginning of the summer, when she made the decision to leave the family mansion. Purebood supremacy had surrounded her since the day of her birth. After being sorted into Gryffindor all those years ago, Ivy's family had made her life a living hell, and as soon as she turned 17 she packed her bags and left.

Readjusting the cap hiding her short, blonde hair, she waved to Tom the barman as she cut through the Leaky Cauldron and exited to the muggle street beyond the pub. Ivy walked home slowly, enjoying the heat of the sun on her face, watching the muggle families hurry by with their bulging shopping bags and whining children. After a five minute walk, Ivy crossed the road and took a sharp left, hurrying down a back alley that could have been easily missed. She was grateful for this shortcut home, especially when she had had such a busy day at work, and was looking forward to the cold shower waiting for her inside her flat.

She climbed a metal staircase and opened a heavy fire door, entering into what looked like a disused industrial building. Checking to make sure she was indeed alone, Ivy drew her wand and traced a large, looping pattern on the concrete wall to her left. Within moments, the wall had fallen away to reveal a hidden staircase. Ivy climbed the two flights of wooden stairs. She had done this so many times now she knew which stairs would creak and moan on the way up, and where to duck to avoid being hit by the hidden jinx, placed there to stun any unwanted intruders.

At the top of the stairs, a bathroom hid behind the door to the right, all light wood and pale green porcelain. Ahead lay the rest of the flat, an open plan room complete with a small kitchen at the back and a double bed on the left wall. A modest wardrobe stood opposite, and several bookshelves filled up the rest of the apartment. It was decorated with an array of various plants, some hanging in pots from the ceiling, some with vines which seemed to be crawling up the walls. Others had large, colourful flowers which bloomed and died every few hours.

Ivy headed straight for the shower, eager to scrub off any remaining ice cream that had stuck to her arms throughout the day and instantly felt better for it.

***

Once dry and dressed, Ivy brewed a cup of tea, opened the large attic window and climbed out to sit on the roof below. Here, Ivy could see the sun set behind London Bridge and watch london light up in the darkness. It was her favourite thing to do in the summer, and now that it was beginning to come to a close she cherished it even more. It was mid-August and the air was still balmy, and Ivy sat for several hours sipping tea and sketching the cityscape with paper and charcoal. It wasn't until the later hours of the night when the sun had fully set did Ivy hear the unmistakeable sound of screeching tires and see the very top of a dark blue bus.

What was the knight bus doing at the time of night in this small village of muggle London?

(AN: welcome to the first chapter of Evergreen! This chapter is an introduction to our main character, Ivy, before she heads back to Hogwarts. Hope you're enjoying!! A x)