Dahlia Chen

“Yay!” Dona put down Dahlia’s name and gave a hum, “Well, I’m hoping to get to almost everyone in our year by breakfast tomorrow morning. And then we can give them on the last day before winter break?” Dona suggested, hoping that would be enough time. She had a quidditch game she was meant to be training for, but she was sure she could squeeze it in.

Even if Charlie was acting weird and stressed out, Dahlia had some hints of it too. He glanced down at her wand on the table and then back up at Dahlia. “I’ve been trying to ignore it. Maybe I should say something.”

Dahlia smirked while she crossed her arms over her chest, tapping her fingers on her arm. “What are you gonna say, Charlie?” She used finger quotes and deepened her voice to sound more like Charlie’s “Hey can you stop your attempts of flirting, some of us are trying to do something productive.”

Ryder raised an eyebrow. “I don’t hate it.” He nodded to her old table. “Change of scenery can be one step to the end of a slump. You seemed to be in a bit of a slump.”

Everett grinned as he dropped his bag on the table. “You seem distracted. Missing something?”

Dona grinned with excitement and was about to jot down Dahlia’s name for the Secret Santa, quill already in hand, when her roommate started doubting herself. “Well no better time to get to know them than now!” She said, raising her brows. “Seriously. You are just as much a part of Hogwarts as the rest of us. And besides- once we’ve slept in the same room for more than a week, that’s a lifetime bond. We probably know each other better than I know some people who’ve been here since first year.” Dona said matter-of-factly.

Ursa rushed back over to Dahlia’s table waving the quill around. “Please don’t panic, I have your quill.” She held it out proudly. “I just borrowed it real quick but it’s back.” She set it down on the table and then hopped up as well. “I don’t know about the rest though.”

“Well the kids definitely love candy. Though please if you don’t have enough money don’t worry too much.” She didn’t want people to spend all of their money in case they needed it for something else. “You could donate your time though. Come by and meet the kids, maybe help some with their homework or just play with some of the younger ones. They love to share their dolls and make up a bunch of stories.”

Ryder glanced up when Dahlia sat at the table he had been using. Alone. Until Dahlia sat across from him. Ryder raised an eyebrow and tapped the desk while he watched her struggle to figure her shit out. “Not your seat. Your stuff is two tables over.” He raised his wand and summoned her things to his table.

“Would you like to donate to the orphanage? I’m collecting toys starting now so we can give the kids a great holiday season.” Meredith volunteered for the ministry orphanage and she had never asked for donations but she hoped people would be generous.

Dahlia stared wide-eyed. As a 17-year-old with no job and an allowance while at school, donating money or even having access to toys was not something she had. “I um, could get Honeydukes. Is that okay?” 

“Shhhh….this is a library.” He whispered before turning back to his Herbology assignment. “Can you believe that? No wonder they’re not gonna get kicked out, they’re flirting with Xiao.”

Dahlia sighed and pulled her textbook closer and tried to ignore everything-the flirting, the reshelving that the flirting was interrupting, and Charlie’s nervous energy. “What’s got you all worked up. Just try to ignore it.” She even placed her wand on the table in case the next step needed to be a quietus charm.