I Wish To Go Solo

"Do I really need you to go in with me?" Andrea asked her aunt whilst they stood outside La Petit Dragon. "I'll be fifteen in October and that's plenty old enough for me to do everything on my own." She knew the look of reply in her aunt's face. "I'm not trusting you with the money exchange. You can stay here and buy something to eat with the left over money from last year. I'll go to the bank and then you can do your shopping all on your own." Andrea sighed and saw no way of arguing with that despite the fact she believe herself plenty trustworthy with money exchange.

They entered the pub and separated as her said they could. Andrea did wonder how Aunt Lisa would make it through to Amethyst Alley on her own until she saw Mr. Smith there. Well that was just wonderful. Making plans behind her back. One of these days she would love to know why an old wizard like him was so interested in taking care of one little muggleborn and her family. It was weird.

She picked up a menu and deliberately chose to sit at a table where there was already someone else seated. "How old do you think you have to be before you're granted some level of independence?" she asked. Her hand rested on the unopened menu whilst she waited for an answer.

Life is full of hardships. Full of surprises. Full of drama. Stephanie isn't the kind of person that likes surprises. No, it's not that she dislikes the pleasant ones. She is afraid of the unpleasant ones. Trying to avoid all kinds of unpleasant situations, she prefers to not be surprised in general. Socializing was never her cup of tea. Or was it? She hasn't decided yet. Does she really dislike the process of socialization or merely the chance of rejection? The chance that somebody you trusted, will end up breaking your heart? The most unpleasant surprise of all is when you manage to overcome your fears, but they end up being true. That's the moment when you realize that your struggle to surpass yourself and "become a better person", has turned against you. All your endeavors were unreasonable and made you vulnerable.

For the last two years of her life, Stephanie ended up being locked in her dorm for days, avoiding any actual contact with the outside world. Being isolated from everybody and everything. Even when she visited Italy, during the summer, she ended up staying only in her house. Only Andrea, Aidan and Ursula would talk to her. They ended up being the only people she could trust. Could she really trust them, though? She would often cry herself to sleep. He cynicism was horrible. It was only a choice, however. The choice to live her life and enjoy her adolescence. The only kind of motivation she needed, were her friends and books. No, not literature ones. Science books. About how people experimented with the outside world and managed to discover a wide variety of marvelous things.

And there she was now. A Fifth Year witch, ready to live her life. Did she change? Not at all. She was the same Stephanie her friends and family knew and loved. She wouldn't change for anybody. Except for one small detail; She know was determined to live, no matter how many disappointments she would have to face. Visiting Le Petite Dragon, she was prepared to make new friends. Or at least talk to old ones. After sitting at a table, only a few minutes later a person proceeded in sitting next to her. A familiar person.

"I don't know. I believe that at our current age, we can be responsible enough to be granted some independence. B-Bongiorno, Andrea. I didn't expect to see you here. I thought you'd go to our dorm first. I cleaned it up, in case you want to know."
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Bongiorno: "Good Morning", in Italian.