CL And that's the way things happen on the Hogwarts Express...

(OC: Remember, there's a 200 word minimum here!)
Oli had finally made it to platform 9 and ¾, and they looked around in awe. There were so many people here, so many kids their own age, and some of them looked just as surprised as they felt! The sight was almost overwhelming, but the good kind. Mostly.
Oli loved the fact that they, of all people, got to come here, to Hogwarts! But they were also terrified that they wouldn’t fit it. It was a new feeling, they were used to being the ‘popular kid.’
Oli stepped onto the train, their thoughts a mix of excitement and dread. They could still hardly believe that they were going to be a wizard! Or, a witch? They turned the thought over in their head as they made their way through the carriage, cursing whoever decided gender was something that should exist.
They gripped their bags tightly, looking through the windows to find an empty seat. They didn’t get here as early as they would have liked, and had gotten a bit lost in the station, looking for the platform.
They looked through a window near the end of the carriage, and saw that there was only one person in there. Oli couldn’t find any other seats, so maybe they could befriend the kid in there!
They slid open the door, wincing as it squealed, and stepped inside.
“Hey, I’m Oli!”

Kingsley rushed to board the train, having taken quite a while to say goodbye to her mom and dad who fussed over her and seemed to have squeezed her so hard, she thought she’d explode. She rushed through the aisle of the train, looking for somewhere to sit. Her mind whirling with so many thoughts. Her dad had given her a brief description of 9 and ¾ but it was still so hard to believe that she’d had to run through a wall to get here. She was excited to find out if Hogwarts lived up to her father’s description of it. If it matched her father’s description than she would be in both awe and shock upon seeing it. She eagerly awaited meeting new friends, seeing as she left her muggle best friend back home.
Kingsley, in her hazy mind, had forgotten to look and see if any seats were taken. Shaking her head at herself, she came upon a compartment that looked like it had some room. Sliding the door open in front of her, she put a large smile on her face after seeing the two other children in front of her. She gave a small wave and her smile seemed to get even bigger as she spoke. “Hi, my name’s Kingsley Merritt. Would you two mind if I sat with you?”

Pearl was surprised people even wanted to talk to her. "I.. Y-yeah, you can sit here... H-hello Oli. I-I'm Pearl... I um.. I'm not exactly used to social interactions..." Oh dear.. Once again, she sounded awkward... Why couldn't she be good at social interactions like her parents or brother? Then again, her parents were kinda rude, and her brother was just really confident... she looked hopelessly at her belongings. Why couldn't she have any friends, you might ask? Because her parents were working in the ministry, so they were popular among some kids in London. All the kids only wanted to befriend her for her family... She was so used to being picked on when adults weren't around, that every time she was alone with another kid, she bottled up everything she wanted to say, and just sat silently in a corner. But Kingsley and Oli seemed nice... But one could never be so sure... She tried to believe the best in everyone, but it was oh so difficult when the only way you're used to being treated, is either like a puppet, a pet, or below everyone else. But positive outlooks would be essential in making friends... if she could... "S-so what house are you g-guys h-hoping to be in?"

Kingsley smiled at Pearl, hoping to ease some of the anxiety. She was used to making friends, her family used to joke around and call her the "social butterfly". She reckons that she got that from her father as he was the more outgoing out of her two parents. Kingsley made her way over to a seat and sat down, clasping her hands together as she looked at the two other kids. "Well, Pearl, I'm fine with any house. If I'm being quite honest, I'm just happy to be here." Kingsley unclasped her hands and gestured to the two other children in the compartment. "What about you two? What houses do you want to be in?" Kingsley's eyes were bright with happiness and maybe a bit of pride as she looked at the other two kids.
Could these be her first friends at Hogwarts? She thought, she was very excited if that were the case. She needed new friends since she left all of her muggle friends back home. It was going to be an exciting year, for sure if that were the case. She can imagine all of the giggling and laughing that they would do throughout the year and her smile got bigger.

Pearl looked at Kingsley. She seemed so confident. How did she do it? A small yet nervous smile spread across her face. "My p-parents will e-expect me to be a r-ravenclaw or a gryffindor... I just want a place wh-where people aren't the same way they were in my homet-town... s-sorry if I'm intruding, b-but do you guys play any instruments?" Pearl hoped that she didn't seem too intrusive. She looked down at her feet. She hoped that they could perhaps be friends. Kingsley seemed nice. She was so confident... Oli seemed optimistic... they hadn't spoken much, but Pearl had a feeling that they were kind...

Mentions: @Edith D'Ambrosio, @Oli Hayes, @Kingsley Merritt

Note: There is godmodding of a banned player.

Little did the students in this car know, but Pearl was sick just before she had come upon this empty space to recover from the losses of her stomach contents [link]. She seemed well enough at first, pretty chatty even. That was until she started to sweat, maybe there was something nerve-wracking about this entire experience. She did not appear stressed, or at the very least any more stressed than the average first year embarking on an adventure. If anything, energized with excitement. A sort of pallor would start to come over her. It came in a wave, their meeting in the ebb which would prove short-lived, she would feel again the need to rush to the restroom.

Pearl had abandoned a girl in her quest for a place to barf, Edith D'Ambrosio. Perhaps she would find Pearl rushing past her as she entered this car, or perhaps not. The girl would be found hugging the porcelain throne in one of those far too small restrooms on the train when they stopped in Hogsmeade a few hours later. Dehydration was the least of her concerns. She would be carted to Hogwarts, but unlike the rest who were taken via open carriages driven by testrals, she would be conveyed by means of a covered carriage to the medical wing of Hogwarts. Her condition concerning to say the least.

Oli, who had zoned out for the last few minutes, snapped back to reality as Pearl left. Why was she already gone? It couldn’t be their fault, right? They introduced themself to the nervous girl, sat down, and… kinda blanked. That didn’t happen to them much, maybe they should figure out what it was. Running their hand through their hair, they looked puzzled to see Pearl leaving and another kid already sitting in front of them, but the expression was quickly gone as they smiled at Kingsley. Gotta make sure everyone’s happy, other stuff can be dealt with later. It must’ve only been a few minutes, the train was still sitting in the station, although there were no more students hanging back on the platform, just parents waving their kids off.
“Sorry, bit distracted. Hi, I’m Oli!”
Maybe they could be friends! Well, as long as she didn’t get up and leave as well. But why… was Pearl coming back? Maybe they should go check on them soon. Later. At some point.
But they turned their attention back to the new kid. She seemed nice, and wasn’t staring at them the way many people back home did, so that was a good start.
Oli shifted around in their seat, pulling their bags closer, and watched her carefully, waiting for a reply.

Kingsley frowned as Pearl rushed out of the compartment, wracking through her brain to see if maybe she had come on too strong or not. She smiled at Oli and reached her hand out for a hand shake. "Hello! My name is Kingsley, no worries at all. Are you excited to see Hogwarts?" She asked, trying to somewhat dial down her excitedness, in case it had been too strong for Pearl to handle. She looked back out of the compartment, slightly replaying the conversation that the two girls had had while Oli had been distracted. Kingsley decided that Pearl was likely too nervous to come back and empathized with the girl.
Kingsley decided to focus on getting to know Oli, maybe they'd be able to be friends. The young half-blood girl had been shocked whenever Pearl had ran out but she was glad that she was able to have someone else accompany her to Hogwarts, maybe they would be able to get to know each other a little more by the time they made it to Hogwarts. Again, Kingsley could feel excitement bubbling up in her stomach and couldn't help the nerves that accompanied it. Her leg started to bounce slightly as she smiled at Oli once again.