Addiction is mainly seen as a bad thing. Yet it can take many forms and you wouldn't know it, even if it was laughing right at your face. On the other hand, some acknowledge it and choose to let it control their life to keep themselves happy.

Victoria Halliwell, a seventeen year-old girl who once attended the magical school of Beauxbatons, finds herself in that very same situation. Who'd have thought that you could attend the most prestigious school of the Wizarding World without knowing your self-worth? With a school of high standards–educationally and cosmetically–she'd never thought she'd grow to only dislike herself more.

It was hard to not compare herself to the beautiful girls of Beauxbatons, as it was a challenge she had to face everyday–in person and on the internet. This became a large toll on her starting from a young age, only to be the beginning of how much she'd let others control her.

"To let a flower grow is to move it from its toxic environment," Victoria's mother said to her on the phone as the young girl sat in a taxi car, strolling through the little town of Jericho.

"And you really believe Nevermore is supposed to be the solution?" Victoria asked her mother with a begrudging sigh. "Could I have not attended another magical school? Hogwarts seems to-"

"That school has changed so much since Headmaster Dumbledore died," her father interrupted her through the other end of the phone.

Her mother seemed to hush her father and continued. "At Nevermore, you don't have to rely on your abilities with a wand. I want you to bloom somewhere you'll be happy, just as I was at Nevermore. And you can't bloom if you keep on holding yourself back..."

"...Which is why we took the initiative to find you a therapist," her father added.

"What?" Victoria exclaimed, taken aback by this surprising news, frightening her taxi driver to swerve a little before getting back on the road.

"Cole! You weren't supposed to tell her yet!" her mother whisper-scolded her father.

"She was bound to find out sooner or later, Phoebe," her father said before her mother continued. "You'll be seeing Doctor Kinbott once a week. So your student taxi pass will come in handy."

"There's only one taxi driver in this puny town anyway," she thought. Victoria dreaded the thought of therapy already. She didn't understand why her parents were so concerned. "Why though? It's not like I'm on any drugs or an addict."

Her mother seemed to have disagreed. "I'm not concerned that you're on drugs, I'm concerned that you lost twenty pounds just in the past month. Your previous doctor stated that you seem to be very self-conscious and you're losing weight the wrong way. You should stop letting what others think get in your way before you become more sick."

Victoria felt a bit irritated, seeing that she was of age and not at the same time–meaning her decisions were not very her own. She knew that there was no arguing with her mother.

Despite having lost twenty pounds, she felt the need to keep going. She was not yet the image she wanted to achieve. She only stayed quiet on the other end of the phone, refusing to talk to her mother.

"The next time we'll get to talk is in a week," her mother said, understanding that Victoria wanted nothing more than to end the conversation. "I know you'll grow to love Nevermore, as much as you'll grow yourself."

"Mhm," Victoria hummed expressionlessly.

Her mother held in a sigh on the other end of the phone. "I love you, my little flower."

"I love you too, mother," Victoria said before hanging up.

Before she had time to rethink their conversation, the taxi driver came to a stop, skidding along the road. Victoria yelped as the car seemed to veer to the side of the road unexpectedly.

"Oh no, not again..." the taxi driver, Stanley, groaned before getting out of the car.

"Again?" Victoria questioned as she got out of the car as well, seeing that steam was hissing out from underneath the hood of the car.

Stanley gave her a sheepish look as he pulled out his phone to call a tow. "Darn car's been acting up on me, but I haven't bothered to get it checked because- well- this hasn't happened yet."

With disbelief, the girl wondered how someone could be so irresponsible. Yet, she couldn't find herself to show her frustration.

"Might have to call an Uber or hitch a ride from someone else, no tows available until tomorrow morning" Stanley said apologetically before adding, "Oh wait, there's no Ubers in Jericho..."

Victoria almost lost it at this, as it was cold and dewy out. She did not want to haul her two luggages all the way to Nevermore. She barely even knew her way around. So she took her luggage out of the little car before finding shelter. Thankfully, the car had stopped beside a cafe that was still open around that late evening hour. And thankfully, there were no customers to give her strange looks and wonder "Why in the world is she carrying such large luggages?" Though it would have all been in her head.

"Welcome to the Weathervane," a young man's voice said as she entered the warm shop.

Her eyes fell upon a young man with dark orange hair and a pearlescent smile that immediately caught her attention from the other side of the room. As she neared him, she noticed that his eyes were an evergreen color.

"What can I get for you?" he asked.

She looked up at the menu of selections. There were tons of sugary caffeinated drinks that she hadn't had for four months. And just the littlest sip made her afraid that she'd find herself back to where she started.

"Just a hot cup of water," Victoria finally answered as her eyes flickered to the young man's name tag. Tyler.

"Oh?" Tyler asked. "Well in that case, there's no need to pay. Just feel free to take a seat."

"Thank you."

He nodded, his thin smile curving more before he dispensed hot water for her. She found herself comfortable at a table near a window and sat down, searching for potential rides. Not a minute later, Tyler approached her with her hot cup of water.

"Allergic to caffeine?" he joked.

"Something like that," Victoria responded as his eyes fell on her phone screen.

"I assume you're new around here?" Tyler asked, reading the context clues. "Never seen you around."

Victoria nodded as he welcomed himself to sit across from her–taking her by a little surprise. She sat straighter in her seat, seeing that he made an eye contact that could melt her into her seat.

"Yeah, I'm attending Nevermore," Victoria explained. "But my ride ran into a situation..."

"I could give you a ride, if you'd like?" Tyler suggested. "Closing is in an hour, but I'm pretty sure you're the last customer for today."

She had unintentionally walked into that one.

Not to mention, she couldn't even drive. Not that her parents never allowed her to, but because there was no chance to learn how to drive when you attended a school such as Beauxbatons.

"I'd appreciate it," Victoria said, unable to help returning his smile. "Thank you."

As Tyler left to return to his work, she decided to not text her mother about the situation until the aftermath. She spent the next thirty minutes watching Tyler tidy up the lobby, avoiding eye contact when he glanced at her. Several times, she spent opening and closing apps on her phone to pretend she was being kept busy.

She found herself in the passenger seat of his car a few moments later. He had helped carry her luggage into the back of his car before she awkwardly entered his car. He was very reassuring about the fact that she didn't have to repay him as she tried to give him cash.

"Handsome and humble," Victoria thought to herself with a familiar feeling of developing admiration.

But it was best to not think of it, considering she didn't want any false hope.

"So where're you from, stranger?" Tyler asked. "Around Romania much?"

She shook her head and said, "I lived in Versailles, France–though I spent most of my time at a boarding school. Still am, actually–it's just a smaller school this time."

"That's going to be very different, I believe," Tyler said. "Smaller school means everyone knows each other so you'll probably be treading lightly."

"Doesn't help my mother's friends with the principal..." Victoria added. "It'll be like there's a monster breathing down my neck from now on."

Tyler raised a brow, stealing a glance at Victoria before turning his attention back on the road. "That's probably not fun. My dad's the sheriff and treats me like how he does to everyone else on the clock."

"So does that make you the next sheriff?" Victoria asked, redirecting the conversation.

Tyler shook his head with a grin. "No, hopefully not. Once I turn twenty-one, I'm packing my things and going."

"Where would you go?" Victoria asked.

"Somewhere in the Americas," Tyler answered without hesitation. "Perhaps in a big city where I can get lost and no one would notice."

Though on paper, it may have sounded depressing, Tyler's tone was rather hopeful and optimistic. This allowed Victoria to grin as they passed the opened gates of Nevermore.

As the car came to a slow stop, Victoria reassured him there was no need for any assistance. Once she did, she stood by the driver's door with the window rolled down to see a smiling Tyler.

"Thank you, once again," Victoria said as she concluded things between them. "I'll repay you back somehow, whether you like it or not."

"I'll give you a call when it's time to pay me," Tyler added smoothly before the blushing girl entered her number into his phone. She turned her heel to near the gothic doors of Evermore when he caught her attention once again.

"Hey, stranger."

She turned toward him. "Yes?"

"I never got a name," Tyler realized. "Or am I saving your contact as 'stranger'?"

The girl grinned at this. "Victoria... Halliwell."

He gave her the same charming smile he'd been doing so the entire evening before introducing himself.

"Tyler. Tyler Galpin."

- - - - - - -

I know Nevermore is located in America, but for the sake of the plot...

Your author, riddlefiqs.