incantation ━━☆ a stucky au

Chapter Two: Departure

The pads of Steve's fingers brushed over a hard bump on the back of the letter, so he flopped it over. Sealing the envelope was a blob of wax, with a crest stamped in the centre. Highlighted with metallic gold, it shone in the morning light streaming through Steve's bedroom window. So very carefully, Steve peeled the wax back, popping the envelope open. His heart rate rose, making his hands shake with anxiety and uncertainty. Part of the letter was peeking out, and it looked worn, like it was hundreds of years old. Steve slipped it out of its envelope and carefully unfolded it, his eyes falling on the beautiful scrawls written with a fountain pen. The same crest sat at the top of the letter. It read:

"Dear Mr Rogers

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Students shall be required to report to the Chamber of Reception upon arrival, the dates for which shall be duly advised.

Please ensure that the utmost attention be made to the list of requirements attached herewith.

We very much look forward to receiving you as part of the new generation of Hogwarts' heritage.

Yours sincerely,

Professor McGonagall."

Part of Steve wanted to run down the stairs and yell at his parents for this ridiculous prank, or rather his siblings. The other part of him wanted to hop on a train and ride straight to the school, though the letter never mentioned an address. Steve's entire body trembled as he made his way down the stairs once again, and he plopped himself down on the couch next to his father, letter in hand. Christopher Rogers' eyes fell to Steve's vice-like grip. Chris opened his mouth to speak, but slowly closed it with a sigh. He repositioned himself on the couch to face Steve, back straight and eyebrows furrowed, wondering how he was going to tell his son.

"I know I'm adopted," Steve began. Christopher was taken aback. "I did a DNA test with Mrs Wilson when I was eight, I knew something wasn't right with me."

Steves bottom lip trembled as his father placed a comforting hand on Steve's forearm, giving it a squeeze.

"Do you want to know?" It was a vague question, but Steve knew exactly what his father meant.

Steve nodded, and they went upstairs to talk in his parents room. They had sent Wanda and Pietro out to the park whilst they spoke to Steve, to avoid any eavesdropping.

Christopher and Elizabeth told Steve that they weren't his biological parents; Steve was adopted when he was two years old. They spoke of how after Wanda and Pietro were born, they were no longer able to conceive. They went to an adoption agency after an unsuccessful attempt to find a surrogate, and Steve instantly caught their eye. He was an orphan. His parents had died in a house fire while Steve was at daycare, but Chris and Liz spared him the gory details. They told him that before he was a Rogers, he was a Sutcliffe.

"Steve Sutcliffe has a nice ring to it," Steve smiled at his parents, trying to make light of the situation. They smiled back, taking Steve's hands in theirs. Steve had let go of the letter, which was now sitting in his lap as he sat cross legged on the mattress.

"Is that your acceptance letter?" Elizabeth's voice was shaky. She wanted to spare Steve of these details also, but she knew this conversation was inevitable. Steve nodded at her question.

"What's Hogwarts?" Steve still thought it was a prank that his family was playing, until she saw Christopher's lip tremble. Chris knew he was going to lose his son.

"The thing about your parents..." Elizabeth trailed off as Christopher left the bedroom, their eyes following him before he softly closed the door behind him. "Honey, your parents could do things that we couldn't do. There's a special place out there just for you," Liz pointed at her window. "They do great things; they help keep us normal people safe from harm. They want you to join them," she smiled at Steve.

"It's not a joke?" Steve whispered, earning a chuckle from his mother.

"I sort of wish it was," she squeezed Steve's hand. "Think of it as boarding school. You will meet new people, you will get an education there, and best of all you will find your purpose. You will feel like you belong there, which I'm sure you've struggled to find a belonging. You will have to leave as soon as possible. Please, pack your bags," she extended a hand toward the door.

Steve slowly pulled himself from the bed, looking quizzically and nervously at his mother. She nodded.

Steve didn't know what to pack. If he was going to boarding school, he'd have to pack light; only the essentials like clothes, toiletries, minimal things for entertainment. He was glad to have saved up money from his odd jobs over the past year. Steve felt as if he had to save for something big.

Steve's suitcase lay on the floor as he stared into the empty abyss, realising that this was going to be the only thing keeping him tethered to his life in this household. Regretfully, he began to pack his things, making sure to stuff his ten year old teddy bear in the side so that it's hidden. He rested his hands on his thighs as he sat on his feet and legs, closing his eyes and inhaling the familiar scent of his bedroom. His eyes shot open, and he raced to his nightstand. Steve wrapped his hand around the Yankee Candle that was sat atop the stand, inhaling the scent after he popped the cap off.

Steve wondered how they managed to perfectly capture the scent of Autumn in a bottle; Honeycrisp Apple Cider. He popped the cap back on and shoved it in his already bulging suitcase, before zipping it shut.

Before he could argue, he and his things were being loaded into the car. He said a quick goodbye to Wanda and Pietro, his brother looking away most of the time whereas Wanda was very clingy to her little brother. If Steve wasn't mistaken, Pietro had tears welling up in his eyes. Steve gave everyone a second, maybe a third hug, he wasn't too sure as his head was cloudy with shock. He hopped in the taxi and spun around in the back seat as the car crawled down the driveway. His family were huddled together, and Pietro had his cardigan pulled up over his face.

He waved as he watched his life fade into a blur behind him, the rims of his eyes filling with tears and threatening to spill over.