Take Me Back

[Alessio Benivieni]

The idea of transferring had been on Alessio's mind for a while now. He'd go back home and find the courage to talk to his parents about it, surely they would understand that he wasn't in the right place here. He would miss his siblings terribly but he could not stay here for the rest of his education and not deal with classes. There was something bothering him that stopped him from studying, stopped him from having the motivation to pick up his textbooks and spend time and the effort to learn his butt off for exams. Of course, he didn't sit around doing absolute nothing. He did study. But he was losing the care for everything. It was a great school, but Al felt out of place here. He needed to talk to someone and that was the problem. He didn't know who to talk to. He didn't have many friends, at least the hufflepuff knew that he didn't have anyone here to whom he could tell how he was feeling. Al sighed, deciding he needed a breather and found himself walking in the direction of the cliffs. It was good enough for him.

The boy definitely knew he was struggling. He also had a suspicion that if he did not improve on both grades and socialisation he had no choice but to move. It was very unlikely in his opinion that he would by the end of the week or even second semester. He didn't normally put himself down like this, when he was younger he would be the optimist in the family. Next to his brother. Alessio sat down, lying on the grass and he put his hands in front of his face to cover it. He knew what he had to do, and he had to wait for next week until he'd be able to speak with mom and dad about moving. Another few days and he'd be back home. But even that felt like ages away. Al had changed over the past year and he felt depressed. Of course, he wasn't actually suffering from depression, but it sure felt like he could not smile at anything nowadays. The hufflepuff closed his eyes and soaked in the warm sun, finally taking his hands off of his face. Maybe he could lay here until he could go home. No one was bound to miss him considering barely anyone knew his face around the school. That was mostly his fault though. He inwardly groaned. His thoughts were not making him feel any better, in fact making everything worse. And he was tired. Al wanted to go back home.​

 

[Firmiana Asterion-Jenkins]

Firmiana was off roaming around with a basket full of marigold flower crowns she had made to give away for some reason. The Slytherin has one on her head as well. But it wasn't enough for the cheerful Slytherin, so, Firmiana searched for some wild daisies. Great for flower crown making. Skipping around courtyards, meadows and gardens, Firmiana found a bunch by the cliffs. Only to notice a boy laying on the grass. Her smile was full again, she wanted to offer everyone flower crowns to cheer them up, with all the exams coming up who wouldn't want a cheer up?

Walking toward the boy, Firmiana slowly kneeled down by his head, his eyes closed. The Slytherin was debating whether she should wake him up or just put the flower crown on his head undetected. But that'll be rude of her and awkward. Thus, Firmiana poked him in the face twice. He has soft cheeks she could tell that. She studied his face more, it mesmerized her. When she uttered, "You're so handsome." realizing what she had said. Firmiana put a hand on her mouth and just talked to herself how weird she was.
​

 

[Alessio Benivieni]

Al felt someone poke his cheek. He swatted the hand away, mumbling for them to go away, before opening his eyes. When he did, he sat up and stared at the girl in front of him. "Sorry, didn't mean it" he apologised at his rudeness. He heard her comment under her breath and wondered just for a second if the hufflepuff was meant to hear that. "Um...thanks," he muttered awkwardly, managing a smile. At least here people were still very nice. He didn't know her though. "I'm Al," he introduced himself in his usual quiet voice. He tried to ignore the redness of his cheeks as he spoke, because well. He could say the same thing about her. This girl was really pretty. The hufflepuff couldn't help but laugh at her ridiculousness, in the best way possible. "Who are those for?" He nodded towards the flower crowns that she was holding in her hand. Alessio's mind was subconsciously on how he felt right now and on the fact that he might be moving soon. He sagged at the thought. He don't even know if durmstrang was a better option for him, or if he would have made the worst decision ever by transferring. His mood was not going to change for a while.​

 

[Firmiana Asterion-Jenkins]

She shook her head, she's the one who should apologize because of her not minding her own business. "I should say sorry, I poked you and that was very rude of me. I'm sorry." Firmiana said with sad eyes. The Slytherin was very curious on other people, she wanted to know everything they feel and what bothers them. Firmiana had seen too much sad people growing up, being an orphan isn't exactly a fun experience. Three years ago, she had been adopted by an unknown relative but since then, she was happy again and she oath to make everyone happy as well. Her cheeks burned from embarrassment though knowing the boy had heard her say he was handsome but she doesn't speak lies, only the truth. But as Firmiana saw a smile on his lips, it was proof that it was fine with him. "Firmiana but everyone calls me Mia." The red head Slytherin introduce back as the boy told her his name was Al.

She pushed the rim of her big glasses further on the bridge of her nose, her aunt had suggested many times to have surgery for her eyes but the coward Slytherin refuses and had since suffered, only using perscription glasses or her contacts. "Why are you taking a nap here?" Firmiana asked curiously as she sat on the grass, stretching her legs The summer wind might be a good one but it was still dangerous to stay at the cliffs. When Al asked about her flower crowns and who are they for, she looked at the pile and took one which she put it on his head. "They're for everyone, even for guys." Firmiana informed but her smile faded because Al might not like it and that he looked sad again. "You don't like it, do you? I'm sorry again. You can take it off if you want." Firmiana wanted to figure out what's bothering Al but they just met and doesn't know each other, though, she could try and pry for it. "What's wrong, Al? Anything I could help you with?" There, she tried asking but she's not expecting a direct answer anyways.
​

 

[Alessio Benivieni]

Alessio already like this girl, she was much nicer than other people he'd met which was saying something as he'd met quite a few nice people the past three years. "Don't worry about it," he dismissed her apology, sending her another small smile to put her mind at ease. She looked uncomfortable from the way she spoke so the hufflepuff wanted to make her feel okay again, at least around him. "Mia. Like my cousin's name," he said randomly. "It's probably one of my favourites, if I have to be honest. I love my Italian family's names," he told her, opening up if only a bit. God, did he miss home. His wonderful family, the smell of Italian food with a language he could easily speak in. He was now fluent in English, though he still had kind of an accent.

He chuckled at her question. "I wasn't really taking a nap, more like taking a break from the world." He shrugged. Al thanked her for the crown, thinking that it made him feel better - it did, slightly. The hufflepuff said, "I'm definitely keeping it. It makes me look good," he laughed and shook his head at his own joke. He winked at Mia to let her know he was kidding. He wasn't that self-confident, as if. The tone of her voice and how worried Mia sounded made Alessio think that she truly was a good soul. He decided to tell her, so in a softer tone he came out with what was bothering him. "I haven't felt happy for a while. Most of the time, I feel as if I don't belong here, you know?" Currently not being able to say anymore, the hufflepuff sighed. There was a sliver of a chance that she could make him feel better.​

 

[Firmiana Asterion-Jenkins]

Firmiana's smile stayed on her lips and looked at Al dreamily as he told her that he likes her nickname because his cousin has the same. "Italian? Wow, I love Italian food. My family's Australian, at least, that's what they told me. You see ... I'm an orphan." Firmiana was not affected by telling the truth to other people because nobody knows the truth about why she was given up and so does she. Although the issue about a complete family saddens her from time to time but she does have a relative that takes care of her, though, having a mother and father does changes everything for everyone. "Hmm ... I have done that too many times for two years and I decided it was enough and should face the world. We're very opposite I just noticed." The Slytherin chuckled lightly but she gave him another smile for the thank you he gave her for the flower crown.

Not everyone likes flower crowns, specially guys. They think they look ridiculous with it and would trash it. Al was an exception and she liked it. "I'm very glad you liked it. Now we're matching." Firmiana pointed at her head with an identical flower crown. Al was the type of guy that Firmiana didn't felt odd giving out such things, so, when she heard his answer about her question, her smile faded. Firmiana was wrong about them being opposite, as a matter of fact, they're pretty much the same in their situation. "Maybe you need some cheering up more?" She asked, for her to coup seven years here, Firmiana began being positive all the time. "And you do belong here because you got accepted." Firmiana stated strongly. Everyone should feel that they belong here.

The young Slytherin thought of a good stuff to make her new found friend happy. Firmiana happened to look up to the sky and noticed that clouds are fairly scattered today, enough to make pictures of what they could imagine. She looked back at All and smiled with her white teeth emerging. "Lay down again and will do some cloud watching. We will imagine what the cloud look like and make fun of it." Firmiana doesn't take no for an answer. So, she laid beside Al before he said no to her and started scanning the skies for some clouds that is easy to make out of.​

 

[Alessio Benivieni]

Al didn't want to make his new friend feel awkward at her confession, she had opened up more than the hufflepuff had and they'd just met. He told her, "It's okay, being part of a big European family I mean. Italian direct families normally aren't that big, but because we have so many cousins from mom and dad's side it feels like living with an entire zoo during holidays. I do miss it, being surrounded by them." He sighed wistfully. He'd almost forgotten that his family was overseas with his younger sister and would only visit New Zealand at the end of the year. "I'm also Spanish, my mother is," he said sheepishly, a tinge of red appearing on his cheeks as he remembered this small yet significant fact. He couldn't believe he'd almost forgotten to tell Mia. "Are we really that different?" he asked her, but then she answered his question after having realised they had much in common.

"Yes we are," he chuckled, enjoying Mia's company more and more as they talked and the fourth year got to get things off his chest he needed to for a long time. "I've just noticed. Flower crowns are awesome." He thought about it some more, before nodding in reassurance, mostly to himself to convince both him and the girl. He felt a smile forming on his lips at her words. "Thanks, that's very sweet." Al didn't say anything at her suggestion. He lay down again and stared at the clouds. He pointed to one. "That one looks like a penguin." He continued to look for other shapes.​

 

[Firmiana Asterion-Jenkins]

When the boy beside him spotted a Penguin shape cloud, Firmiana tilted her head a little bit to see the semblance. She giggled when she noticed it too. "Oh my gosh! you're right." The Slytherin commented. Sometimes she wished she could touch those clouds, she could with her broom but flying seems to be so overrated now for her. It wasn't because she didn't get to the Slytherin team but that it wasn't her passion. "Al?" She softly called out of him. Firmiana tilted her head to the side where Alessio was and asked, "How's the feeling of having a complete family?" She didn't want to bring it up but she'd been curious since she got here at Hogwarts New Zealand. Given that her uncle, aunt and cousins are her family but having parents with you is different. She looked up at the sky again, the clouds don't make sense anymore. "I know we just met but could you make a promise?" Her tone soft, almost whispering. "Promise me to try and be happy here?" It was a weird request and hard to come by but if she had to help, then she'll take the challenge.
​