Unsteady
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Interacting with: @Avery Gray
Mentioning: N/A
Date: 09/27/25Word Count: 1001
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✽He was back. Back to Hogwarts, and back to the place where he would be surrounded by people that cared. Not that Americans didn't care, but they weren't the same. He missed his home in Wales. The fresh air, the gentle breeze, the beauty of the mountains stretching behind the forest in his grandparents' backyard. That's where he grew up. Free. He was far from a city boy that his mother wanted him to be. He couldn't handle the constant hustle and bustle when he was so used to the wide open air and sky. Maybe that was one of the reasons he was excited to come back, but it wasn't the only one.
Avery. His cousin. He had dearly missed her company while she was at Hogwarts and he was across the world in America at Ilvermony. It was hard. Last year had been the first year that he had ever contacted Avery and had a response from her since he had moved to America. It was as if everything disappeared when he moved away. Everything and everyone he loved gone in the blink of an eye.
Though now wasn't the time to dwell on the past. Now was the time for the present. He had attended the spring ball last year at Hogwarts, but that didn't mean he knew his way around the castle too well. Not yet anyway. He knew soon enough that he would probably figure it out. Even if it took years of visits.
The first thing on his agenda was to find Avery. Though in the crowd of schools around him, Dylan knew that wasn't going to be an easy feat. As he pushed through the crowds, faces he recognized from the last ball flashed by, but there were no names to them. They were just people he didn't know the names of. Not part of his first task.
"Avery? Where are you?" He mumbled to himself as he continued to force himself through the crowd.
Both he and Avery knew well how much he didn't like crowds. Or balls, for that matter. He guessed it was probably because of the amount of balls his mother had forced him to attend over the years just to "keep their family prestigious". Whatever that meant. With pure bloods, things always got complicated. Especially when it came down to who had the purest blood running through their veins. It was just an exhausting and never ending cycle that he couldn't escape as much as he wished he could.
That's when he saw her. Avery. His cousin and one of the only people that fully understood what he was going through. He was still a short way away from her. Close enough to see her, but far enough away that calling her name would be lost in the crowd. He had to get closer. Had to get to her before he lost her again. Otherwise? He didn't know what he would do with himself. Go to the Campground? No. Not yet. Not with the crowd.
Dylan quickened his pace. Taking careful note not to shove anyone out of the way in his attempt to reach his cousin as soon as possible.
That's when he finally broke free. Free from the crowd and the suffocating feeling of being squished into people he didn't even know. He stopped for a moment. The look on Avery's face confused him. She seemed. . . upset. Not sad, but. . . on edge? Dylan didn't know what was wrong, but she had a letter in her hand. Maybe that was what bothered her? Or was it just a simple letter from one of her friends? Either way, Dylan didn't know.
"Avery?" Dylan asked. Concern stretching across his face. "Are you okay? What's wrong? Did something happen?" Dylan knew he had probably asked too many questions. Probably enough to overwhelm her, but he didn't care. All he cared about was knowing if she was okay and if something bad had happened.
Dylan thought back to his mother. She had taken off work to go and visit Wales. Did something happen to her? Was she safely tucked away in the mountains and forest that surrounded the home? He hoped so. He couldn't bear it if he lost her. He had already lost too much.
That's when Dylan thought back to last spring. Right after the spring ball had ended and Dylan had gone to his grandparents' house with Avery. Neither of them had known at the time what was wrong with their grandfather. All they knew was that he wasn't as spry as he used to be. That alone had worried Dylan. He hadn't seen his grandfather in years and had hoped to spend some time doing the things they used to love doing, but that never happened. Right as he and Avery were leaving, their grandfather collapsed to the ground in a heap.
He could still remember Avery's screams as she tried to get the driver to stop. To let her out and go to their grandfather, but nothing worked. All they could do was sit and watch as long as they could as the taxi drove away. Just the thought of it still brought up a wave of sadness within Dylan. He quickly pushed it down again like he always did. He had to be strong. He was thirteen now. A teenager. Not a baby. He had to grow up.
"It's about our grandfather. Isn't is?" Dylan asked finally realizing what could be contained within the letter. "Is he okay?" Dylan asked her. He had to know. Had to hope that he also hadn't just lost his grandfather. Dylan didn't know if he could live with himself if that did happen. It was all too much to deal with. Too much for one person to bear the weight of alone.
"Please be okay. Please don't leave me." Dylan begged to himself as he awaited Avery's response. That was the only thing he could do at the moment anyway.
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Credit: Mylo Atkins
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Avery Gray |
Unsteady
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Interacting with: @Dylan Astor
Mentioning: N/A
Date: 09/27/25Word Count: 1045
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✽The letter. The letter that Avery never wanted was in her hands. Avery didn't know what it said. Didn't want to know. Not without Dylan. She couldn't do this. Not again. It was as if last year was repeating itself. Her grandfather could be dead right now, and Avery didn't know what she would do. That day was supposed to be happy. Exciting.
Dylan was back to Hogwarts. She couldn't believe it was so soon. It had felt like forever since she had last seen him at Summer Camp. Since she had said goodbye to him and watched him walk away back into a life she knew where he didn't fit in. He belonged at Hogwarts. A place where he could be home, and Avery could see him every day instead of a few times a year. It was hard enough not seeing him for years.
She was waiting there on the Grounds for Dylan. She knew he was nearby. Just one look at the crowd that had just emerged would reveal that. Though she couldn't force herself to find him. The only thought running through her head was the letter in her hand. She desperately wanted to know what news it bore, but she was afraid. Afraid of what the contents would be. She couldn't lose her grandfather. She had just gotten him back after four years of silence, and she had so much she still wanted to do.
Tears welled in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She couldn't cause a scene there. Not with so many people watching and the news of the letter still safely packaged within the envelope. Maybe the letter was good news, but Avery knew better than to get her hopes up. The letter crumpled slightly. The paper made a crumpling sound. That one noise brought her out of her deep train of thought and brought her back to reality. Grounding her when she didn't know if she could even stand on her own at the moment.
Avery glanced up briefly. The crowd standing before her in a mass of colors of different schools. She couldn't see Dylan's familiar mop of black hair or piercing blue eyes, but she knew he wouldn't be far. She knew he would come to find her immediately. It was what he always used to do. She could only hope he hadn't changed his ways in the short couple of months they had been separated from each other.
Avery glanced back down to the letter in her hand. Her father's familiar handwriting was written on the envelope. The letters of her name curling with the swooping style he always used to use when something was important. That made a new rush of fear and sadness fill Avery. This wasn't some happy letter. This was a letter that contained horrible things. Things she wasn't sure if she was ready to open herself to.
That's when she heard him. Dylan. He was calling her name. Asking if she was okay. Asking if something had happened. Avery didn't know how to respond. All she could do was look into his concerned eyes. Unsure of how to break the news to him. How to integrate the letter into their reunion without ruining everything all over again.
"I- I'm fine." Avery managed to get out. Before she could say more, a realization dawned on Dylan's face. As if he had just registered that Avery was holding a letter. She watched as what she guessed was panic cross his face as he realized who the letter was from and what it could be about even though Avery hadn't opened it yet.
Avery nodded when he asked if it was about their grandfather. What else was there to say? That she thought he was dead? Probably not a good idea. Not yet, anyway. Not until they read the letter. Together. She couldn't face it alone. Not again. Not when he was right there in front of her. Waiting to hear the news. Good or bad.
"I don't know. I'm honestly afraid to open the letter. I was waiting for you, so we could open it together. You ready?" Avery explained as she noticed Dylan's tight nod of his head. She knew it was now or never. They had to know what it said. Had to know the truth.
Avery walked over to Dylan and made it to where they were standing close enough together that only they could see the letter. Then Avery opened it. Taking a deep breath as she pulled the letter out and read the contents within.
Avery placed a hand over her mouth as tears welled in her eyes. She could feel Dylan wrap his hand around her shoulder and tilt his head down after she finished the letter. It was him that kept her standing. Otherwise she would collapse to the ground. Rendered useless and broken on the ground.Dear Avery,
I know that this letter will bring unease to you. I will have you know that it also brought unease to me as I wrote it. It's been hard this past week, and I've been meaning to write this since the first day it happened, but could never find the right words.
Your grandfather has fallen ill again. This time, it's worse. We don't know exactly what he had come down with this time, but as I'm writing this letter, he is being transported to St. Mungo's to undergo a diagnosis and proper treatment we are unable to do at home.
As you already know, he tried to hide this and tell us he was fine, but things got worse. I won't go into detail as to what happened because it is still too fresh in my mind, but I won't sugarcoat the truth for you either. You're a teenager now, and you deserve to be treated correctly.
I must go now. Your aunt is in great distress, and I must take her to St. Mungo's. I will keep you updated, but for the time being, be strong.
Sincerely,
Dad
"What are we going to do now?" Avery barely choked out as the letter stared menacingly back at her. Threatening to pull her into a world that she would never escape.
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Credit: Mylo Atkins
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