Chapter 3

Arrival

"Oh my goodness! It's even more beautiful and amazing than Hogwarts!" Hermione looked around in awe. "It has it's own island! It has pegasus drawn carriages! And the meeting place was Buckingham Palace!"

"Who would have thought that the Queen's family line was magic," Ron said as he glanced around eagerly.

"I read about it in Magic in Muggle History, but you were always asleep during our history class... are you listening to me?" Hermione looked at him angrily. Harry sighed. He knew exactly what Ron was doing. He could tell that Hermione knew too. "RON!" She started snapping in his face.

"Hmm..."

"Earth to Ron, who are you looking for?"

"Did you say something?"

"Ughh!" She grabbed her trunk. "I'm going to the dorm room! Goodbye Harry. GOODBYE RON!"

"Bye." Ron said, still looking around. Hermione stomped off. Harry shook his head. They're at it again, he thought.

"Ron?" Harry said. Ron sighed. "Ron...RON!"

"What?" Ron looked at Harry expectantly.

"We should probably head to our rooms too."

"Ok... where's Hermione?"

"Wow Ron..."

"What?" Ron had a confused look on his face. "What did I do."

Harry opened his mouth to speak, but was quickly interrupted. "Guess who!"

"Umm..."

"It's me!" Dahlia jumped in between them and lifted her hands in a "ta-da" motion.

"Oh, hey Dahlia."

"Hi Harry. Hi Ron." She waved casually at Harry, but batted her eyelashes at Ron. Harry watched. He felt awkward, as if he didn't belong. She reminded him of Lavender Brown, one of Ron's previous girlfriends. She was definately good-looking, but just her presence was unsettling. She seemed sweet, and genuinly crushing on Ron, but there was just something about her...

"Right Harry?"

"What?"

"I said we should probably seperate and go to our rooms. The three of us have an early class tomorrow."

"Yeah, I said that just before you showed up."

"Ok. See you guys later." She hugged Harry. Her arms felt cold. He shivered. She turned to Ron and hugged him too, but for a few seconds longer. "Bye!" She jogged off. Ron waved slowly.

"I wonder why she was so cold..."

"Huh?"

"Her skin, it's too hot out here, but she was ice cold."

"She felt warm to me. Are you ok?" Ron asked. He sounded concerned and no longer in his trance.

"I think so..." Harry watched Dahlia enter the castle doors.

Hermione placed her last pair of jeans in the bottom drawer of her bureau. "There," she said to herself. Hermione flopped onto her bed and stared at the ceiling. She wondered what her roomate would be like. Ron and Harry were roomed together, but of course boys and girls couldn't share rooms. Unless they were married that is. "Whoever my roomate is, they need to learn to be on time. I have a schedule to keep." She glanced at the clock. It was five minutes past sign-in. She sighed. This was going to be a long year...

KNOCK, KNOCK! Finally, she thought.

"Alohomora." Hermione heard the bolts click.

"Why didn't you just use your key?" Hermione buried her head in her pillow.

"A dropped it down the drain on the way over here," the voice told her.

"You already lost your key!" Hermione looked up at her new roomate for the next 9 months. She frowned.

"Hi Hermione!" Dahlia smiled. Hermione buried her head back in the pillow and let out a silent moan. "I hope you don't mind. I requested you as my roomate since I didn't know anybody else and since you didn't have one yet." Hermione inhaled slowly. She sat up and forced a smile.

"Of course I don't mind. Better you than some creepy girl." Hermione laughed awkwardly.

Dahlia just continued to smile. "That's exactly what I was thinking! I think we can become best friends. We have so much in common."

Hermione shrugged. "Sure..."