tonight, we are young

Katerina sat on a bench, licking an ice-cream cone and reading a book. Butterbeer ice-cream and The Book Thief, her favourites. And still, none of that seemed to cheer her up enough. Her grandmother was ill - who would take care of her? Sure, it was nothing serious, but she was old. It's always serious when you're old.

Katerina didn't want to grow old.

Storm was bored to death. Sure, her brother moving away was good, but she'd run out of things to do.

The Gryffindor had ended up in Azorat. She strolled around to the square, sitting down on a bench as far away as she could from the girl on it. Storm wasn't interested in talking to anyone.

(ooc: sorry. i know it's crappy.)

Katerina saw, from the corner of her eyes, a redhead sitting on that same bench, careful to sit on the other side. For some reason, that amused the young girl and smirked behind her book.

"I don't bite, you know," she muttered, her eyes not moving from the page and still reading.

Storm turned, immediately feeling attacked. She considered, and immediately relaxed again. What was the point. Storm shook her head.

"I didn't think so," she said curtly.

"Really?" Katerina asked, with an eyebrow raised, finally choosing to mark the page and close the book. She turned to the redhead, "Why is it that you chose to sit as far away from me as possible, then?"

She licked her ice-cream cone, careful not to let any of it drip on the book in her lap, "I think it's strange. It's like saying you love the rain, but opening an umbrella when it does rain. Saying you're not scared of thunder, but flinching when it hits." She shrugged, "Though I suppose I can't say much. I probably do all of that as well."

Storm sighed. "You just didn't look like you wanted to talk. Also, I don't often talk to strangers." She shrugged, trying to ignore the growing urge to punch the girl in her face.

"Well, whoever you are," the Gryffindor snapped. "How come I'm so 'strange' if you do all that. Like I said, I don't often talk to strangers."

Katerina rolled her eyes, "Well, no one said you had to talk." She knew she was being annoying, and, for the first time, she was actually enjoying it. It made her feel like those little kids, who annoyed their sibling just for the sake of it.

"I didn't say you were strange, I said it was strange. It as in, the fact that we do all that."

Storm set her jaw. This girl was really pissing her off. "Well, I'm talking now, so it's too late." She rubbed her forhead. Some people... Really?

"Huh," the Gryffindor said silently. "It didn't sound like that."

"Great, now that you're talking you could tell me your name," Katerina suggested, "Just so I know who to sue in case you decide to hit me or something, 'cause it seems you're getting annoyed by me. For whatever reason."

She shrugged, enjoying the childishness of her actions. It was something so unlike herself. "Maybe you should get your ears checked."

"Oh, okay," Storm snarled. "My name is Storm. And now that I've told you mine, I expect to get to know yours as well." Rolling her eyes, the redhead continued sarcastically. "Oh, no! I'm not annoyed at all, honey! What would give you such an idea?"

"Maybe I should," the Gryffindor agreed bittersweetly.

Katerina raised an eyebrow, "That sarcastic tone you're using may have something to do with it..." She shrugged, "Just maybe." She licked her butterbeer ice-cream a few more times before it finally ended and turned to the red-head once more, "Storm, that's. . . unusual. I'm Katerina, a more common name, you could say. I don't suppose they ever had much creativity in them..."

"Maybe your school's healer could help," she suggested with a nod.

"Maybe," Storm mumbled. She glared at the ground in irritation, really fighting the urge to punch the girl. "Not too unusual. In countries like Norway and Denmark, it's a boy's name. My mother loved it." She shrugged. "Creativity."

"I'll make a mental note to do that," she spat. If Storm got pushed any further, she knew it wouldn't be good.