Hopes & Fears Solo Finished Closed

Eira Cravensworth stood by her parents' side as she tried not to get run over by foot traffic or collide with another student's trolley.

Platform 9¾ was alive with a cacophony of sounds; from the low rumble of the train's engine, to the mixed chatters of people, as well as hoots from owls and yowls of cats in their carriers. Usually, she doesn't mind huge crowds as long as she's within arm's length with either of her parents but now, she can hardly remember that she will be in that train and start her own journey.

Mitzy gave her a tight hug earlier before they left for King's Cross Station. Her large, round eyes were wet with tears, and her triangular ears trembled as the house elf gave her farewells and promised that she would send a big helping of her favorite pudding of apple dumplings every weekends along with her mum's care package.

A wave of great affection washed through the eleven-year-old as she returned the hug with equal fervor, knowing that she will miss the house elf's comforting presence. Her hand gave a soothing stroke on the elf's light purple robe that was doubled her size, almost half of it pinned on the hem so she could move freely. The material was originally her mother's shift dress, gifted to the house elf when Reinhilde Von Thaine eloped with Ezra Cravensworth.

Speaking of her parents, both of them had just finished catching up with a man wearing a bowler hat and a ministry pin on his lapel.

Her dad gave her a smile, his brown eyes twinkling as he ruffled her hair. His playful action earned a giggle from his daughter, reveling at the open display of affection. Her mum, though open with her love as well, preferred a more discreet approach.

Ezra rolled her trolley which held her school trunk and a smaller satchel where she kept her more personal items.

"Ready to start your adventure, Starlight?" he asked.

Yes.

No.

Eira doesn't really know.

On one hand, she had been waiting for this day ever since she could read and found her parents' school books in the attic. She had dreamed of being one of the greatest witches the wizarding world as ever known and be an Auror like her private tutor, Mr. Sheffield, or be a part-time potioneer like her mum.

Until she was taught that you can't just mix different ingredients because they look pretty together. That dream was squashed early.

But then, her parents will no longer be with her until Christmas hols.

Which meant that she would no longer share meals with them. No one to read bedtime stories with her or ask how her day went. No more warm hugs from dad, no soft kisses from mum.

She didn't even realize that her next interaction with Circe would be when she comes home for summer. Almost a full year.

Another thought hit her in the chest.

What if she's no good? What if the professors asked her to cast spells or brew a potion, and she wasn't able to keep up?

'The Cravensworth heiress is worthless after all!' she could almost hear William, her second cousin, taunt to her face.

"Something in your mind, darling?"

Her mum's dulcet tone shook her from the minor nightmare she was having. The young girl looked at her mother; beautiful and willowy in her powder blue dress that she usually wore when travelling to muggle-filled places. Her caramel brown hair fell in soft billows on her shoulders.

Eira looked up to her mum, always so sure of herself. And brave. She had heard stories of her mum walking out and cutting all ties with her family, the notorious Von Thaines. She wasn't privy to all information but she was able to piece together was that her parents were seeing each other behind her mum's parents' back and refused to give their blessing when her dad asked for Reinhilde's hand in marriage.

The very thought of people being mean to her dad made her angry but it looks as though her mum had made peace with the whole thing, though almost everyone were careful not to mention the Von Thaines in her presence.

Returning back to the present, Eira tucked a stray lock of dark brown hair behind her ear and dusted the invisible dirt from her pink dress, "Um. I think so?"

She wanted to look confident but her reply sounded more of a question. Her bottom lip trembled some before Ezra kneeled on one leg and faced his daughter with an encouraging smile on his face.

"Hey now, it's alright to feel nervous. It's a big step and it's okay to feel unsure with yourself. Want to talk about it?"

Oh how she wanted to take his offer and share her fears of inadequacy but Eira knew that if she aired out her anxieties, her parents might just pull her out of the school and have her continue her private tutoring. She wants to learn about magic with other children her age.

Plus, Anna and Emile will be attending different schools as well so there will be no adventures for the three of them together for a long time.

Taking a deep breath, she shook her head and said, "No thank you. I can handle it, dad".

Ezra looked into her eyes, the pale blue eyes that Eira inherited from her grandfather Niclas, her dad's father who had passed several years ago, and smiled. He might've seen something on her expression that reassured him.

"I know you can, Starlight."

A whistle cut through the shouts and chatters, announcing that the train will be leaving soon.

Tons of people started entering the vehicle. Her dad stood up and nodded at her, "Time to go girlie" he coaxed "You better grab a seat soon or you'll be sitting next to the trunks on the last carriage."

His bark of laughter echoes when a mask of merry terror covered her face. But before she could tail her father, Eira looked back to her mum who was looking at the opposite side of the station, her lips pursed.

"Mum?" she called out.

Reinhilde snapped her attention back to Eira and plastered a grin that didn't reach her eyes.

"Terribly sorry dear. I thought I might have seen a dementor!" she japed.

"What's a dementor?" Eira asked, a wrinkle appearing between her eyebrows.

The woman shook her head, "Oh you'll find out soon enough on your Defense Against the Dark Arts class, love."

The Cravensworth pair gave their daughter kisses and a tight group embrace before the eleven-year-old hopped into the train with her trunk and satchel on her shoulder. Eira was quick to find an empty compartment and opened the window to wave to her parents goodbye.

They returned her gesture, with Ezra's arm around Reinhilde's shoulder and her arm around his waist and head against his shoulder. A picture of a couple wholly in love.

But when she moved her attention to others behind her parents, Eira saw an elderly woman wearing a lavish black robe and pearls around her neck looking at her intensely. Her hair was a mix of salt and pepper that was tamed with a high bun and her earlobes were adorned with amethyst gems as big as a galleon.

Eira couldn't help but stare at into the woman's pale green eyes, almost trapped into the pair if green pools before the train began to move.

She gave her parents one last kiss in the air, her dad comically making a gesture of catching the kiss and her mum giving her own air kiss, before she leaned back to her seat to prepare for the journey.

With a quick glance to the crowd, the woman in black was gone.