So...

[October Alcott]

Looking back at her behaviour over the last few years, October owed... a lot of apologies. It had been so much easier to see Matt and April as the villains rather than seeing her father for who he was, and now that she realised the truth of her actions, there was a lot she wanted to make up for. The fact that the people October had been harshest towards were the ones who had supported her the most had struck October hard, and she desperately wanted to make up with them, to show them how much she appreciated them and how sorry she was. So, taking a deep breath, October stepped up to Matt's office door and knocked gently, running through the things she wanted to talk about in her mind. It felt entirely different to the last time she had knocked on this office door, almost three years ago, with a completely different view of her stepfather. Hopefully now they would be able to begin to heal.

 

[Professor Matt Alcott-Ward]

The start of a new school year was always a busy time. Matt only had the sixth years in the first semester, but he still had to prepare a lot of material for the second semester as well. Both the OWL and NEWT years were too important to leave until the last moment. If he expected hard work from his students, he knew he had to put it in himself as well. But first, he had to tidy up his office. He looked up from where he was trying to organize his bookshelves somewhat when he heard a soft knock on his door. He placed the book he had been holding onto his desk. "Come in!" He called.

 

[October Alcott]

Even though she had readied herself before knocking on the door, she didn't feel remotely prepared for the conversation to come when Matt called out for her to enter. Taking a shaky breath, October stepped into the room, giving her stepfather a nervous smile. "Can we talk?" She asked nervously, closing the door behind her. This was all such unfamiliar territory, it was difficult to even know where to start with him.

 

[Professor Matt Alcott-Ward]

Matt lookd up as the door opened, his eyes widening slightly behind his glasses when he saw who was visiting his office. "October!" He said, giving her a quick smile. "Of course we can talk, please take a seat." He gestured to a chair near his desk, which he then realized had another stack of books on it. "Hold on a moment." he said as he picked up the stack and set it on the ground. His office was a little messy, as it usually was, but right now he felt bad about it. Somehow, a part of him felt like he had to impress October, even though the rational part of his brain knew that was silly. "Do you want some tea? I should have a kettle here somewhere." He said, looking around distractedly. He wasn't sure what the girl wanted to talk about, but he was glad she came to him.

 

[October Alcott]

October was relieved that Matt had time to see her and made her way into his office, a little surprised at how messy it was. She supposed Dad must be the one keeping things tidy at home. Taking her seat, October nodded politely at his offer. "Thank you." Now that she was here everything that she had planned out so carefully to say flew out of her head, the careful phrasing, the apology she had rehearsed so well. Looking at Matt, October couldn't help but blurt out the question with the answer she most feared hearing. "Are you still going to marry my dad?" She asked, even able to hear the nerves in her own voice. Far from the resentment she held for years, the thought now of Matt and April no longer being her family was terrifying. She had wasted so many years resenting such good kind people, and had only just barely begun to enjoy having them in her life. It couldn't be over already.

 

[Professor Matt Alcott-Ward]

Matt fumbled around, happy to find the kettle at long last. He started putting up tea, glancing over at October as she took a seat at his desk. It was nice to have her here, though also a little strange. Hopefully, she wasn't here to be angry at him for something. He knew he had failed the girl by not talking to Kyle sooner about his expectations of her, and a part of him wondered if that was what she was going to talk to him about now. As the water started to boil, Matt took his own seat. He nearly choked as he heard October's question, and wondered immediately what the answer she would want to hear was. "Well, yes." He said slowly. "That is the plan. Is that not something you want?" She had never been a big fan of him and April being a part of her family, but he had thought she was warming up to them. Perhaps he was wrong.

 

[October Alcott]

October watched Matt with the kettle, her posture straight and anxious. As he answered her question a wave of relief ran over her and she shook her head quickly. "No, I... that's not what I mean!" October blurted quickly. "I mean, I was afraid you wouldn't." She said nervously, fidgeting slightly. "After... everything that happened in the holidays." October sighed, looking down. "It's... selfish, I know, because I would... understand if you were too mad at him to stay, but... I want you and April to be my family." She said quietly, voice almost too soft to hear. "I'm sorry I was so horrible..."

 

[Professor Matt Alcott-Ward]

Matt looked at the young Ravenclaw, glad to see her shake her head and clarify she had been afraid he wouldn't marry her father. It had crossed his mind to postpone the wedding, to figure out what October would need first, but he hadn't talked to Kyle about that yet. His fiancé was already very sad about what had transpired over the holidays, and very conflicted with his own past. Matt was waiting for a right time to bring up any wedding plans. Though he was glad October had come to him before he had suggested anything. "I love your dad, I want to marry him. But what happened over the holidays did open my eyes. I need to help him be a better man, a better father to you. Just as he needs to help me." He said softly. "I think as a married couple, we will be able to do that even better." He smiled softly at her quiet admission, his heart melting at her words and her quiet apology. "I want you and Kyle to be my family too. I'm very excited." He said honestly. "And you weren't horrible, October. You were hurt, sad, confused by all the changes. You're a teenager, it's kind of part of the whole deal." He smiled slightly. "You could have been much worse, believe me." He hesitated for a moment. "I also think I should apologize to you. I've said it before, but I should have talked to your dad about how he treated you, the pressure he put on you. I saw it happen, but I never felt like it was my place to say anything. I failed you. I hope you can forgive me for that."

 

[October Alcott]

October felt a weight she didn't know she had been bearing lift from her shoulders all at once as relief washed over her. The thought of Matt and April leaving now, when she had finally realised how much she needed them, was too horrible to consider, and as difficult as it was to think about, there was a small, conflicted part of October that didn't want her dad to hurt. As furious as she was at him, as hard as it was going to be to overcome the years of pain, October still loved her father as well, and she didn't want to be responsible for ruining the only happy relationship she had ever seen him in. Exhaling in relief, October wiped her eyes quickly and nodded, taking a shaky breath. "Thank you." She said quietly. It was a relief not just that Matt was staying, but that he wanted to help her as well, to help her dad be a better father. Now that Matt and April knew the pressure she had been under for years, now that it wasn't just October carrying all this alone suddenly all of her problems were starting to feel a lot more manageable.

Swallowing, October shook her head. "No, I was horrible..." She said a little shakily, wiping her eyes again. "I was horrible to you and April, all the time. I was just... scared, and... I felt like it was... unfair that April didn't... didn't have to do all the things I did." October sniffled and swallowed, wiping her eyes again. "But I took it out on her and you instead of... looking at whose fault it was." Wiping her eyes again, October was surprised to hear Matt's apology, and as he spoke the occasional tears she had been holding back turned into full bodied sobs. The acknowledgement that he had seen what she was dealing with, that it wasn't something she had made up, that she wasn't just too weak to deal with normal parenting wiped away any lingering doubts and fears in her mind and October broke down, unable to do anything but sob.

 

[Professor Matt Alcott-Ward]

Matt was surprised and touched as he saw how relieved October seemed to hear he wasn't going anywhere. He had been glad she was accepting him into her life, but this seemed to indicate she actually cared about him. Of course, he cared about her too. She was a wonderful and clever young lady, and he already felt a connection with her he found hard to put into words. She was like him in many ways, which made it easy to share things he couldn't share with April.

Matt sighed softly. "You're still a teenager, October. Can we agree teenagers get a pass sometimes on being horrible?" He gave her a slight smile. "And you had better reasons than most. Of course you were scared of change, and of course it was hard for you to feel pressure when there wasn't so much pressure on April." He sighed softly, shaking his head. "Your father and I are very different types of parents. I think that can be a good thing if we communicate and learn from each other." The effect his words had on the young girl surprised him, and he stopped talking as he noticed she was sobbing. October usually seemed so grown up, so mature, but it was easy to see now she was really still a child. Crossing the room, he put a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay." He said softly, not sure what else to say. It had been his words that had given this reaction in the first place, maybe it was best to be quiet and listen to what October needed now.