"So… You're going on a date, huh?" Rainer asked.
"No, Rainer. I'm not going on a date. I'm just going with Artu to Magix Central Park to meet Harry and his owl Hedwig!" Roxy sat at the dresser on her side of the bedroom, brushing out her hair.
Currently the twins were holed up in their room working on some project together and Krystal was out with other friends of hers. Otherwise they'd be in here too, bothering Roxy about her meeting with Harry…
"Still sounds like a date to me…" Rainer flopped into her purple-sheeted twin bed.
"Well think what you like, Rainer. It's not a date. Besides, if you stop teasing me about Harry, I'll stop teasing you about a certain someone…" Roxy smirked mischievously as she saw Rainer sit up suddenly behind her via her dresser's mirror.
"You wouldn't." Rainer narrowed her eyes.
"Actually she would." Artu piped up.
"See? Artu is just as smart as his human." Roxy stood up and patted him before fixing a leash to his collar.
"Come, Artu. I know you don't like the leash but I can always let you go when we get to the pet section of the park…" Roxy left Rainer behind, chuckling slightly as she did.
"Hi Harry!" Roxy called out, seeing Harry in the distance with his back turned to her.
He turned around and smiled, revealing him holding Hedwig in her cage.
"Oh, hello Roxy! How are you?" He asked.
"I'm fine. Wow, so this is Hedwig, huh? She's gorgeous…" Roxy cooed.
Hedwig seemed to puff out inside the cage, apparently proud at Roxy's compliment.
Harry and Roxy laughed.
"And this is Artu…" Roxy knelt down to let him off the leash.
"Um. Oh…" Harry felt slightly nervous.
"He's had a bit of a bad experience with dogs…" Roxy explained to her familiar.
"No need to worry about me, Harry. I won't hurt you. I think I'm a pretty nice dog actually…" Artu said, startling Harry.
"I still have to get used to things like this…" Harry muttered.
"You can pat him if you like!" Roxy exclaimed.
"Okay…" Harry reached out to pat Artu nervously.
"That feels really nice…" Artu said happily and Harry relaxed more.
"See, Harry? Dogs are like people in some ways. There are good ones and bad ones!" Roxy smiled.
"I can see that." Harry smiled back as he petted Artu a final time and turned to let Hedwig out of her cage.
The showy owl flew around them a few times, stretching out her wings fully, before landing on Harry's shoulder.
She regarded Roxy for a few seconds before flying over to her shoulder and hooting her apparent approval of Harry's fairy friend.
"Well, it looks like I've got her seal of approval!" Roxy touched Hedwig's feathers lightly.
"Now I know you're a friend for sure." Harry joked.
"Would you like me to offer her the gift of human speech?" Roxy asked.
"Offer her?" Harry raised an eyebrow.
"If she doesn't want it, I won't give it to her. If she does…" Roxy half-shrugged.
"I suppose. I'd love to hear what she has to say if she wants to…" Harry nodded.
Roxy looked to just be staring into Hedwig's eyes for close to a minute.
Then she raised a hand which was glowing a soft green to Hedwig's head.
The owl glowed for a few seconds before it faded away.
"So… Did it work?" Harry asked.
"It most certainly did, Harry!" Hedwig exclaimed. "I'm so glad to be able to speak to you at last!"
"Me too. This is still going to take some getting used to, but I'm glad to be able to have an actual conversation with you now. Thanks Roxy!" Harry beamed.
"No problem, Harry. So what do you guys want to do now?" Roxy asked.
Harry's stomach rumbled. "I guess my stomach's decided for us. Where would you like to go?"
"The White Horse is nice, but they don't allow pets in there. How about we go get a picnic basket from Café Violet? They don't allow pets in there either though so I guess I'll go get it…" Roxy said.
"Only if you allow me to buy next time…" Harry nodded.
Roxy giggled. "Deal."
And off they went.
As they walked, Harry thought of Ron and Hermione. His first two friends. His best friends. The last letter he'd gotten from them indicated that they would be on a Hogsmeade trip today. They'd certainly had some interesting times there. He wondered if they'd like a trip to Magix…
Perhaps someday he'd introduce Roxy to them. His new friend Roxy to his old friends Ron and Hermione. He wondered if they'd get along…
"Hey Harry. Anything you'd like in particular?" Roxy asked, startling him out of his thoughts as they reached the doors of their destination.
"Do they serve Earth food in there?"
"They do indeed. Before it opened, the owners spent a year touring Earth and they loved it there. They have a special "Earth menu" because of it…"
"Wonderful. Ask for a few British things then. I haven't had any since I left…"
"I'm hungry for Earth stuff too, come to think of it. We'll make it a British-American basket! Now you just watch Artu for me…" Roxy handed over his leash and went inside.
Harry sat on a nearby bench with the animals and waited. Hedwig landed on Artu's back and the two started a conversation.
As he waited, a few girls walked past him. They looked at him coyly, waved and giggled.
He touched the back of his head, running his fingers through his now long-ish hair nervously. Did they… actually think that that he… was attractive or were they messing with him?
"Don't be shy, cutie. We're not vampires. We won't bite!" A pretty, blue-haired, grey-eyed one called.
"Kiss maybe, but not bite!" Another giggled.
Just then, Roxy emerged from the café, basket in hand.
"Hey Ha-" Roxy noticed the girls standing there and giggling.
The girls looked from Harry to Roxy and back again.
"Oh. We didn't know you had a girlfriend!" One of the girls in the group said.
"We're not dating!" Harry and Roxy exclaimed in unison.
"You totally should! You'd work so well together!" A petite blonde said excitedly.
"Come on, Vivian. We didn't come out here to play matchmaker. Though you two do look cute together…" The blue-haired girl, apparently the ringleader, led them off.
Harry and Roxy stared at one another for close to a full minute.
"That was peculiar…" Harry said finally.
"Indeed it was…" Roxy nodded in agreement.
Both their stomachs rumbled in unison.
"Lunch?" Roxy held up the basket.
"Most definitely…" Harry nodded and they all walked back towards the park.
"Hey there, beautiful."
Harry went to the Red Fountain dragon stables to meet his favourite (and only one he actually liked) dragon.
The dragon rumbled happily.
"Yep. I'm glad to see you too. Hedwig will probably get jealous of the spare time I keep spending with you. Still, apparently the only one who can really…" Harry rubbed her head.
Stepping back to regard her properly, he thought of something.
"You know, you're the only dragon I've ever met that I've liked and I'm apparently the only person you like too…" I think you deserve a proper name…"
The dragon rumbled again.
"How about… Freida? I think it suits you!" Harry suggested.
The dragon nodded.
"Well then, Freida it is. I'll be back to see you tomorrow. I have a full day of class ahead and studying afterwards…"
"Alright then. Imagine me telling Ron and Hermione that I made friends with a dragon named Freida!" Harry chortled as he left.
"Take your weapons, young men!" Cordatorta gestured to a giant table covered with various swords, axes and other types of weapons.
They did so; with Harry reaching for a pair of black hilts which came to life at his touch, sprouting red energy in the form of short, single-edged blades- butterfly swords.
"I know that some of you have a particular preference for certain types of weapons, but be reminded that sometimes you don't get to choose your weapon. You have to improvise and quickly at that. We won't be doing that in this class, but it will come up fairly soon." Cordatorta moved to stand behind the table of weapons.
"I hope you've all practiced because today, you'll be showing the rest of the class whatever skill you've picked up so far."
The entire class groaned as one as their instructor pressed a button and a large, silver male figure arose in the centre of the platform.
"This will be your sparring partner. He will fight as viciously as a real opponent would except that any blows from him will merely sting, not maim or kill, obviously. If you win, you will be bowed to by the figure and it will congratulate you. If you lose…" Their instructor shrugged.
Harry and his dorm mates, who were standing close to one another all looked at each other nervously.
"Alright then. Aki, you're up first."
Aki jumped, but shook it off quickly and strode forward.
Clutching his black energy guns- one in each hand, he stood ready.
The figure moved forward, hurling a blast of energy which Aki narrowly dodged.
The trainee Specialist's guns fired, which the figure swiftly dodged.
Jumping into the air, the figure hurled rapid fire energy down, forcing Aki to do something that looked like a rather stupid dance to avoid them.
All the other students snickered.
Aki fired again, his blast catching the figure in the arm, but the figure seemed unaffected.
The figure darted around so quickly that Aki could barely see it- one moment it was in front of him and the next, it had him pinned to the floor.
"You lose." It said to him.
A couple more Specialists went next, some winning and some losing. The first victory of the day went to Harry's roommate Darian. Armed with a dark orange scimitar with a dark grey hilt, he had actually managed to slice off the figure's head. It quickly reassembled itself and bowed to congratulate him.
Lucas lost his duel as well, but only narrowly as the figure blasted his silver-hilted, black-bladed broadsword straight out of his hand when he went in for the kill.
Soon enough, it was Harry's turn.
Taking one butterfly sword in each hand, he stepped forward nervously.
When it fired the first blast, Harry dropped to the floor and rolled out of the way of the next one.
Still on the ground, he managed to do some sort of odd spin-kick that knocked the figure off its feet.
He moved in to try and slash the figure but it moved quickly and was able to blast him in the back, knocking him to the floor.
Ignoring the stinging sensation in his back, he rose quickly. The next few blasts he was able to deflect with both butterfly swords clutched in one hand, albeit the impacts leaving him with the sensation of rattling teeth and bones.
"Come on, Harry. You can't lose this. It might be just a class, but what if this were me against Voldemort?" He thought.
He suddenly moved to the left but moved to the right at the last minute, throwing the figure off.
Doing a backflip, he came down with a sword in each hand, slicing off the figure's arms.
Once the figure had re-assembled itself, it bowed to him and congratulated him.
When he went back to join his fellow students, Harry found himself accosted by his roommates.
"How the hell did you manage to move like that?" Aki demanded.
"I won my fight but I still wasn't as quick on my feet as you were. How did you do it?" Darian asked in amazement.
"Was it a lot of practice? I notice that you don't hang around the dorms much when we don't have classes…" Lucas added.
"You could say that…" Harry thought of not only Quidditch, but all the other dangers that he'd been through- he'd be dead if he hadn't moved quickly in those situations…
"Tell you what, Harry. We are going to have a macho guy chat after classes. We will go out, grab some food and have a guy's evening out." Aki put a hand on Harry's shoulder.
"After classes? But we have more classes tomorrow so we shouldn't really be out late and I really do need to study since end-of-semester exams will be on us soon…" He really was starting to sound like Hermione, Harry thought wryly.
"Fine. But we're moving it up to the weekend then. Don't think you'll be getting off!" Aki warned him, just as Cordatorta was getting ready to dismiss the class.
"This Quidditch thing sounds pretty interesting. I think I'd try playing it if I could…" Darian said.
They were all seated at a table in one of Magix's many fast-food restauraunts- The Mad Cow. It had taken Harry some time to get over the name, but once his roommates persuaded him that it meant a totally different thing in Magix, he felt more comfortable.
"Yeah. It is interesting and rather fun to play though my friend Hermione thinks otherwise… Darian, with your build, you'd probably be a good Beater!" Harry spoke through a mouthful of chicken.
"Are there books about this Quidditch?" Lucas asked.
"Yes there are. I have some back in my trunk. I'll let you borrow them when we get back, Lucas…" harry answered.
"Enough about the books. Tell us more about that Quidditch World Cup that you went to!" Aki exclaimed.
The three of them listened in rapt attention as Harry wove the tale from getting ready to leave The Burrow to just after the match ended.
"Wish I could have been there…" Aki said as they got ready to leave.
"Me too. If links are ever established with the Wizarding World on Earth properly, there should be an exhibition match. Invite some good players from all over Earth to come here and play or something…" Lucas said.
They walked through the streets of Magix continuing to talk, the main conversation topic being about whatever Harry could tell them of Earth.
"I think it would be a great idea if they ever had an exhibition match here. I bet Krum would be invited to play if it ever came off, but that's probably a long way away. The Wizarding World has its own issues to deal with, especially the U.K." Harry frowned.
"I know this may sound sappy, but care to share? You always frown like that when you talk of your home…" Darian started to frown as well.
Harry stopped walking for a moment, putting his hands into his jeans pockets.
"If Magix and the other realms are pushing for relations with Earth's Wizarding World, stories of famous witches and wizards will make it here eventually, so I'd best be the one to tell you about myself…" Harry said.
"You're famous there? Whatever did you do?" Lucas asked.
"I survived a killing curse from an evil megalomaniac called Lord Voldemort…" Harry told them the story of how he became the Boy-Who-Lived.
All three of his roommates had looks of pure amazement on their faces.
"We have our own killing curses here as well, but I've never heard of anyone surviving them here, furthermore at such a young age…" Lucas said in awe.
"Don't treat me any differently because of it. I hated that back on Earth and I'll hate it here too…" Harry narrowed his eyes at them.
"Wouldn't dream of it. I may act a little reckless and maybe even downright stupid occasionally, but you do have my respect- even before you told us about this. Perhaps someday I will have your friendship as well. I certainly hope so…" Darian said and the others nodded in agreement.
Harry felt bowled over at this revelation. How could he already have gotten their respect? Plus once he told them about surviving the Avada Kedavra curse, they managed to get over the initial shock rather quickly instead of staring at him like an idiot for a good long while. He supposed it was the whole "different world" thing, but still…
"My guess is that there's more to tell, but we can save that for another time. Let's talk about… nicer things…" Aki glanced at a group of giggling girls who sat on a bench they were about to pass.
"Hey, cuties! Want to hang with us?" One called out, making the group of girls giggle even more.
"They actually think we're good-looking?" Harry asked.
"Of course! We're a bunch of awesome, handsome Red Fountain students. Never doubt it for a moment, Harry!" Aki smiled back at the girls.
"I really should cut my hair…" Harry ran his fingers through his hair which had grown to near shoulder length since he first left Earth in mid-July- it was near the end of November now.
"Come on then! A bunch of lovely ladies have asked us to hang out with them. We should be gentlemen and accept!" Aki walked over to the girls.
"I don't know, Aki…" Lucas voiced Harry's own thoughts.
"Well then, you stay there and look like idiots while we enjoy these lovely ladies' company…" Darian walked over to join Aki and the girls.
Lucas and Harry looked at one another, shrugged and went along to join them.
When the boys got back to Red Fountain just before curfew, the topic had, quite naturally turned to girls.
"That was surprisingly fun…" Harry admitted as he used his ID card to open their dorm room.
"Told you you'd have fun…" Darian slurred as he stumbled inside.
"You're lucky that it's just Friday night. You'll have all weekend to recover from that awful hangover you're going to have." Lucas said in disgust.
"No hangover potion?" Darian asked.
"None whatsoever."
"Damn you."
Harry snickered.
"How about those girls we hung out with tonight, huh? Bunch of beauties they were…" Aki flopped into a chair.
"Indeed." Lucas nodded. "It was pretty fun, I must admit."
"Speaking of girls, have any of you seen any you like around since we started here?" Aki asked.
"Well, there is one fairy at Alfea that I like…" Lucas smiled goofily at the thought.
"Spill dude. Don't keep it to yourself. Who's the lucky lady?" Darian half-slurred.
"I kind of like Rainer Del Mar of Andros. She's a freshman just like us. I met her at the dance at Cloud Tower. We didn't get to talk much then, but we butted into each other at Magix Library afterwards. We talk occasionally but I wouldn't mind talking more…" Lucas smiled again, except this time, it was less goofy.
"That Rainer girl is a looker alright, but my eye's on this one half of a twin- I think she's Rainer's roommate Athena. She's fun. I haven't spoken to her since the dance but I wouldn't mind getting to know her at all…" Aki said.
"No specific girls for me. All I'm doing now is enjoying the sights and having fun, if you catch my drift." Darian slurred.
"Despite you being drunk, yes, I do catch your drift. You're awful at holding alcohol, Darian…" Harry snorted.
"The whole bunch of you are weaklings and cowards. You'd never beat me in a drinking contest. Now who do you like, Harry?"
"Who, me? I don't have my eye on any girls…" Harry started to sound nervous.
"Oh yes you do, according to what I hear from Rainer. She says that you and Roxy have been going out quite often…" Lucas smirked.
The other guys started to chuckle.
"So that's where you disappear to every weekend!" Aki exclaimed.
Harry sunk down into his chair, reddening.
"I don't blame him. Princess Roxy isn't bad looking at all…" Darian commented.
"Roxy is just my friend, okay? We have a lot in common!" Harry protested.
"All the more to try for a date, huh?" Aki said.
"How did you come to meet her? Was it at the dance as well?" Lucas asked.
"No. I met her in the summer shortly after I found myself in Magix. Pointed Stella in the wrong direction when Roxy was trying to hide from that Solarian Princess' shopping efforts in the mall…"
"No wonder you two bonded so well. I wouldn't want to be caught up in one of Stella's infamous shopping sprees at all…" Aki shuddered at the very thought- as did everyone else.
"So… When are you going to ask her out?" Darian asked.
"We are just friends. I will not ask her out on a date! Besides, we've only known each other for a little over four months…" Harry protested.
Lucas rolled his eyes. "It's not as if you're going to marry her and have kids together…"
"Yeah. Just have a little fun! From what you told us of your past, you need and deserve to have fun more than the rest of us…" Darian said.
"I am not having this conversation with you all." Harry stood up and walked into bed to the sounds of his roommates laughing, no doubt at him.
Meanwhile, Roxy and her roommates were having their own discussions about dating and crushes as they sat in their nightgowns/pajamas.
"I really don't see why I shouldn't go after Helia…" Krystal said as she pained her nails light blue.
"Possibly because he's Flora's boyfriend?" Roxy said in an exasperated tone. "How many times do we have to tell you this?"
"But he said…" Krystal was cut off by Rainer.
"Helia had an idiot moment when he said Flora was a friend, Krystal. All guys have them. You should know that!"
"He just had a slip up which with 100 percent certainly has put him in the… as Roxy says that they say on Earth… the hot seat…" Athena said.
"I agree. I know you're in denial, Krystal, but Helia is Flora's boyfriend, end of discussion, next case." Anahita said firmly.
"Fine." Krystal pouted. "What are all your dating prospects like?"
"Nonexistent. I have seen no boys around that particularly appeal to me..." Anahita sighed.
"Seriously? With all the good candidates around?" Athena asked her twin incredulously.
"I am being serious, Athena!" Anahita exclaimed.
"Even I'll admit that there are some pretty good looking guys around here and I'm not particularly interested in dating…" Roxy said.
"Oh? Any guys on this short list that you can name?" Krystal sat up.
"Nope. Not really…" Roxy replied.
"Lies. I have a source out of Red Fountain that says one Harry of Earth has been going out fairly often on weekends and I'm pretty sure that it's with you. And I was there when you went on your last date with him, so don't deny it!" Rainer exclaimed.
Roxy rolled her eyes as the other girls started to giggle.
"How many times do I have to tell you that it wasn't a date? Besides, you have no right to be doing any teasing what with you and-" Rainer cut Roxy off before she could finish.
"Don't try to take the spotlight off yourself, Roxy! We're talking about you and Harry now!" Rainer shook her head.
"Ah, the same Harry we saw in that bookstore once and that you hung around with at the dance? He's cute, but not my kind of cute. I think he'd suit you, Roxy!" Krystal exclaimed.
"Yeah. Imagine the cute babies they'd make together!" Rainer clutched her sides as laughter shook her frame and the others did as well when Roxy reddened.
"Rainer! And I thought that you were supposed to be nice!" Roxy exclaimed.
"Who, me? With witches in my family, you learn when not to be nice. In this case, teasing you about your friend Harry is fun, nice or not." The Androsian fairy grinned.
"Who wants to be that they'll be at least dating casually by the end of the school year or before the next one starts?" Rainer asked.
"Not me. I'd lose…" Krystal said before they all cracked up in giggles again.
Roxy sighed. "I am done with this. Goodnight."
Her roommates giggled even more as she shut the door to hers and Rainer's room.
She touched Artu lightly, who as in his pet bed at the bottom of her own bed and already asleep.
"I like them, but they're just really silly sometimes. Me dating Harry indeed. We're just friends…" Roxy pulled up her sheets and snuggled into bed.