Late Night Talks (Open)

[Ivy Stanton]

Ivy was having trouble sleeping. It was around the day that her parents died, and while she doesn't remember them too well, she still felt a connection with them even though they died fifteen years ago. As part of that connection, she had trouble sleeping around the anniversary of their deaths.

Ivy snuck downstairs to sit in front of the fire, trying to not wake anyone in the dorm. She had to light the fire herself since everyone had long been sleeping. She curled up in front of it, wondering if anyone would find their way down to talk to her. Ivy was a social person, and not talking to anyone about anything made her tense. She knew her cousin might be up, knowing his sleeping patterns as if they were her own.

A noise behind her made her turn around. She smiled, recognizing them a class Ivy was taking this year.
"Glad to know I'm not the only one awake." Ivy smiled.

[Chester "Chip" Gardner]

Chip had accidentally taken a nap earlier in the afternoon, when he was supposed to be working on his Charms homework. So now, while the rest of the Gryffindors were sleeping, he was wide awake and ready to do some homework. He came downstairs armed with books and some snacks, which he had gathered from the kitchens earlier.

He'd been up and working for a few hours already when Ivy came down the stairs. He heard her footsteps on the stairs and he glanced up to see her coming into the room. There were still a few cookies and a carton of milk left, and it didn't seem neighborly to keep them all to himself. Breaking into a smile, he waited until she was settled before he got up and went over to her, carrying a plate of cookies and the carton of milk.

"Yeah, I slept this afternoon, so now I can't sleep. It's cool. I had work to do, anyway. Want a cookie?"

[Ivy Stanton]

Ivy smiled as she took a cookie. She had wanted to take more because she realised she was hungry now that food had been presented to her, but she didn't want to seem rude and take too many.

"Thanks! Midnight snacks are always good," Ivy replied, using the term loosely. She wasn't sure what time it really was, but she knew it had to be at least midnight.
"I hate that, when you nap. My aunt used to get really mad at me since I wouldn't sleep at all during the night. What are you working on?" Ivy asked, noticing the books lying out where he was sitting.

[Chester "Chip" Gardner]

Chip sat down next to her and set the plate of cookies on the table in front of them, after taking another one for himself, of course.

"Usually, I can take a nap and still sleep at night, but this time I slept for too long. Missed a class, actually. Oh, well. Not like anything important happens in Divination, anyway. I always just go in and make up stuff and she's happy. But since I'm up now, I figured I'd work on my Charms homework."

He took a bite of his cookie, and was quiet for a moment while he chewed. "So how come you're up?"

[Ivy Stanton]

Ivy laughed, hearing his explanation of Divination. Even though she really liked the class, it was easy enough to get by just making stuff up. The way Ivy saw it, everyone will read something different into everything, so there shouldn't be more than one right answer.

Ivy took another cookie and took a bite before answer.
"Well, to put a long story short, this is the death anniversary of my parents, and I always have trouble sleeping around now. They died when I was two, but my aunt talked about them a lot, so I feel like I have a connection to them, one that was never actually there. For me, anyway. Does that even make sense?" She asked with a chuckle. She often rambled about things, and after a while she seemed to lose sight of what she was talking about.

[Chester "Chip" Gardner]

Chip's usual half-smile faded at her solemn revelation. Like her, he had lost a parent as well, so he knew the feeling of having something missing in his life. The only difference was that his father had walked out deliberately, while her parents had died. If they could have, they would have stayed with her.

"Naw, it makes perfect sense," he said. "Even though your folks are gone, you've still got a connection with them. That's a great thing. It hurts to lose them, and a part of you will always wonder what it would have been like if they had lived to see you grow up... at least you know some things about them, and that helps keep them close to you."

He took a few more bites of his cookie,, hesitating for a moment before he said, "My dad walked out on us before I was born. Just up and left. My mum... she tells me stories about him, but I think she's just trying to be nice. Truth is, a man who walks out on his wife and kids ain't no kind of man at all."

(there is such a sad irony in Chip's history and future... his father walked out before he was born, and he will one day leave his wife and child to protect them from death eaters, and never come home... *sniff*)

[Ivy Stanton]

Ivy smiled as he told her it was okay she still felt this way. Apollo had told her multiple times, but that was coming from her cousin; he was family, and Ivy always felt that family was nice to each other because that's all you have, the more Ivy thought about it. Her smile faded when he mentioned his father leaving.

"I don't see how your mom can be nice about it. Let me tell you, if my husband walked out on me, I wouldn't have anything nice to say about him, especially if he left before our kid was born." Ivy said, and finished her cookie before continuing. "Do you ever think of finding him? You know, just to see what his life's turned out to be? If it was worth leaving your mom?"

(Aww, that is sad! But at least Chip does it for a good reason!)

[Chester "Chip" Gardner]

Chip shrugged. "He knows where I am," he said.

His tone sounded casual, as if he didn't care, but the truth was, he cared a lot. For a very long time, the absence of a father in his life had been a big hole in his heart. He had never quite been able to shake the belief that he was the reason his father left--the man hadn't wanted to be a father, so he walked out, leaving his mother alone. Chip had finally been able to harden his heart to the pain, just shut it out, but the only way to do that was to pretend that his father didn't mean anything to him.

"I don't want to know if his life turned out better without me. If he wants to find out what happened to me, he knows where to find me. Otherwise, I really don't want to see him. Maybe that sounds cold, but... you know, I don't want to show up on his doorstep and get my hopes up that we'll finally have a relationship, and then be disappointed. It's easier to think the worst of him from the start, you know?"

[Ivy Stanton]

Ivy couldn't imagine what Chip must have been going through. Sure, her parents left, but that was permanent; she had no idea what it must have been like to know your father was out there, with no intention of seeing you.

"I guess that makes sense. I mean, if I found him to have a whole new family and be happy without me, I guess that would be worse than not knowing at all." Ivy said. "But if he came looking for you...would you talk to him?" Ivy couldn't imagine herself talking to a man who left her alone for sixteen years, but everyone was different. She was curious as to what Chip would do, even though she felt bad for keeping the subject on his father.

[Chester "Chip" Gardner]

Chip thought about it for a minute. He had often wondered the same thing for many years. Would he talk to his father if he came to him? Would he hear him out and listen to his explanation? Or would he shut him out completely, as he was doing now?

He cracked open the milk carton and took a sip, temporarily delaying the answer. Finally, he looked up at her, nodding slowly. "Yeah," he said. "I think maybe I would. I'd hear him out, at least. I'd be neutral about it, though... not angry, but not exactly welcoming him with open arms, either. But if he can give me an explanation of why he left... yeah, I'd listen to him. I wouldn't promise anything more than that, though."