Wildflowers

New Beginnings

As Kat and Severus pack up their cottage, the weight of leaving Ilvermorny hangs heavy in the air. Every item packed away seems to echo the memories of the years spent in dedication to her role at the school. 

She moves quietly around the cottage, her hands occasionally lingering on an old textbook or a framed photo. This was the first time she had truly committed herself to something, and now, saying goodbye feels like tearing a part of herself away.

The silence between her and Severus is comfortable, but Kat's thoughts churn beneath the surface. Eventually, the emotion is too much, and she says softly, "I'm going to take our keys down to Cypress. I'll be back in a bit."

Severus nods, watching her with an understanding gaze as she steps outside. The walk to Headmaster Cypress Brooks's house feels like a long, reflective journey. When she arrives at his porch, Cypress is already standing there, as if sensing she would come.

Kat holds out the keys, but Cypress shakes his head, motioning for her to sit with him. "It's hard, isn't it?" he asks, his voice softer than usual, the familiar gruffness replaced by empathy.

She takes a seat beside him, offering a small smile as she pulls out a joint from her pocket. "I thought you might appreciate this," she says, handing it to him.

He chuckles warmly, lighting it before passing it back to her. "You're such a bad girl," he teases, shaking his head, though his tone is fond.

They sit on the porch steps together, passing the joint back and forth, the soft haze of smoke curling into the evening air. The atmosphere is peaceful, the silence between them filled with years of shared moments and the unspoken understanding of how much this school has meant to both of them.

"You don't have to go, you know," Cypress says quietly, looking out at the familiar grounds.

Kat exhales a slow breath, staring into the fading light of the sky. "I do," she replies after a pause. "It's time to move on."

Cypress leans back slightly, his voice low as he asks, "Is this your doing or Severus'?"

She turns to look at him, a soft but steady resolve in her eyes. "This was my idea," she admits. "So we can settle down in England at the estate, start thinking about the future."

Cypress is quiet for a moment, the weight of her words settling between them like a heavy blanket. Then, with a touch of vulnerability he rarely shows, he says softly, "I always thought it would be us... I thought eventually you'd settle down with me, and we'd have a bunch of babies."

Kat's heart tightens at his words, a pang of emotion that she wasn't expecting. There's a tenderness in the way Cypress says it, a wistful sadness, as if he had quietly harbored that hope for a long time. She turns her head away, staring at the trees as the dusk thickens around them.

"Cypress..." she begins, her voice quiet, almost apologetic. "You know how much you mean to me. But..." She pauses, searching for the right words, knowing none will truly soothe this moment. "I needed more. I need stability. I love Severus. And this... this life we've built together feels right."

There's a silence, not strained, but filled with the weight of everything unsaid. Cypress sighs, taking another drag from the joint before handing it back to her. "I know. I guess I always knew," he admits, a wry smile tugging at his lips, though it doesn't quite reach his eyes. "But it doesn't make it any easier."

Kat takes the joint and inhales, the smoke burning her lungs as her emotions swirl beneath the surface. "I never wanted to hurt you."

Cypress exhales slowly, a soft chuckle escaping his lips. "You didn't," he says, his tone gentle. "Not really... and never intentionally. You were always just... a force of nature, and I did my best to let you be yourself, to be free, because I believe that's what you needed."