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Title: Music in the Courtyard

Contributors: lucamoonstone, hermiegrange, chochang___, wings_of_charm

Edited by: Carla Lute

Posted: 2006-01-10 to 11

Game Date: September 3^rd

Disclaimer: No one at Levicorpus owns Harry Potter, the world or its characters. We just like to play in J.K. Rowling’s world.

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Luca walked into his dorm room, brushing his hair a bit and looking in the mirror, he put his broom away under his bed after the workout.

He tuned his instrument well and carried it out to the courtyard, sitting under a tree. He held the box there too, if any staff or student wished to donate Galleons, or even Knuts, why miss the opportunity?

He sat there, as a few students regarded him curiously, in all his years he played alone, perhaps flying up to a rooftop, but never in public. He never felt comfortable, it seemed. Luca was growing up though, his family saw it even if he himself did not.

He began to strum the lute like Buzuq, taking his wand "Floris..". He concentrated and used what he had learned in Transfiguration to color the roses brilliant colors of the four houses, quite proud of the emerald and silver roses for his own house.

He began to sing in his native tongue, strumming a sorrowful tune, but keeping that smile on his face. Before long he had attracted a number of students, some even tipping him, to which he would nod in their direction and play just a hint louder.

Moonstone breathed in the air deeply, it was the air of the crowd, the carnival again. Times when al he would do is bare his soul for a few hours, and then be gone the next day.

The music swept through windows, and around the gathered folk, as he changed up the pace, his hands a blur as he played and played. The words lost to the students, but in a way, it helped them understand the message, by hearing the emotion and soul of the song itself.

Hermione was in her dorm thinking about what she had to do, when she realized that she told Luca that she might stop by and listen to his music . She was glad she remembered this, because she was bored out of her mind at the particular moment. She quickly jumped up, made sure her hair looked presentable, and left the Gryffindor tower without saying a word to anyone.

Earlier on, she had made the decision to go alone and get to know the young boy better. Maybe his music was actually nice. As she approached the courtyard the chilly air and the beautiful sound of music hit her at the same time, and she felt right where she belonged.

"Hello Luca. It’s nice out tonight. Thank you for inviting me.”

Luca paused as the wind blew through his hair, wind perfumed by the flowers and the woodsy aroma of the Forbidden Forest in the distance. He smiles as he heard a familiar voice and finished a song, opening his eyes as if coming out of a dream and smiling at Hermione.

"It is being good to see you, Ms Granger. I hope the night winds are favorable to you. It reminds me of living in the black forests of Germany and Romania. We held bonfires there after crowds would leave and play our finest music, the kind we saved for ourselves and not the attendants. We would dance, my brothers and sisters, around the fire. I was thinking of that as I play."

He smiles to himself a bit, not caring is his English were tarnished by his thick accent.

"Do not worry of invitation, the world is beautiful place, you should be free to see all it's wonders if you choose."

He sat back and began to tune his Buzuq again, playing a simple melody smiling at Hermione, a ballad of sorrow, of want and need, and of finding one's truest joy. He knew she couldn’t understand his words, but was glad she could hear them, nonetheless.

Hermione sat down next to Luca and thought to herself that he didn’t truly belong in Slytherin. He had class (sorta) , he was true to his heritage, and he was polite. Maybe she had been misjudging Slytherins all along. Maybe they weren’t all arrogant and full of themselves like Draco, Blaise, and Pansy. Or…maybe he was just fooling her and really did have Slytherin qualities. Hermione had been through enough in her school life to know not to trust them, but…maybe he was different?

"Sooo Luca…what brought you to Hogwarts? Have you always been here? Or is this your first year?"

"I have always been here, Herr…Hermi…Ms. Granger. I do not like to stand out of the crowd so much, no? You see I am having of the difficulty fitting in, yes? We Romani, we stick to family, not to outsiders, but my mother, father, brothers and sisters, insist I have to go to school and learn stillness. Stillness to appreciate the journey."

He hesitated a bit, and relaxed, a pretty girl is worth telling feelings to..

"I and my family, we don’t fit in anywhere we go, so we have the constant of always moving…one week Hogsmeade. Then ve pack up and eet is Paris ve go to. It is a wondervul life, but it vould be difficult for others to understand.. I see muggles and vizards...but I feel I don’t truly belong to either society. Such as with this school, I vanted to go to Durmstrang, to be close to my roots, but I was told the seed must stray from the tree. I am here, and I see rivalry in houses, when I feel this is family and ve should work together. I may like to stick to the shadows and watch, but it is our ways, how we live und survive. I almost feel these brother and sisters in my house have traded the edge of cunning for the force of evil, confusing them, this is the thing I am saddened by."

"Durmstrang," Hermione said as she thought about her fling with Krum "Is a very...nice school. I never knew you were here all along…I usually have acquainted with everyone…so I thought you were new. Sticking to the shadows and watching is sometimes a good thing, it means that your not exactly involved in all of the…commotion all around you. That’s what I was planning on doing when i first came here.. but . well.. I met Harry and Ron." she giggled "It seems horrible that such a nice boy like you was put into such a horrid house that immediately gives you a bad name. You have very good qualities."

Hermione looked at her watch and said "I must go, i have work to do . I`ll see you tomorrow okay? Is was nice visiting with you !"

Cho was on her way to the Hospital Wing to get some ointment for her cut, when she heard music coming from the courtyard. She stepped out into the courtyard to find Hermione, a young Slytherin boy, and a few onlookers. She decided to introduce herself to the boy and say hi to Hermione and be on her way.

"Hello" she stepped up to the young stranger "I’m Cho

"It is good to see you Professor Chang, I am of the highest feeling of joy for your presence, please sit and enjoy."

He grinned and returned to his playing, doing a song without lyrics, so he could hold conversation easier.

"this song was written by my great grandfather, it is taught to us when we are told we have mastered the instrument of our choice. I have heard you have replaced Professor Madam Hooch as flight instructor. It brought me much happiness to see the reaction on her face when I showed her what flight techniques I learned in the carnival. Vhat shocked me was I do not know she was thinking of deducting me points for being a showman of offs...," he stopped a second and shook his head, speaking syllable after syllable, "Show-off. I am sorry, I have good grasp on English, but I am still used to Romanian, even after 4 years."

He bowed his head and began to speed up the tempo, his hands a blur once more, one could almost see the music flowing like fluid in the air, around him and outward.

"It is hard being in house Slytherin... I understand why it is symbolized as a snake, I fee I live in a pit of cobras at times." He laughed heartily, never missing a note. "But the concets behind the House hold very true to me, power, slyness, and the suchlike. My motivation is survival, my family.. they are my world, but we are never static, like your people. The longer I stay here, the more I feel outsider. Vell, enough of sadness. Slyness can also reap positive benefits, after all, is not pleasant and happy surprizes also born of these things?"

He looked around and grinned, giving a Cheshire cat grin, he held his wand and spoke softly.

"Accentinoska.."

The wand began to glow a faint blue and he draped it over the strings, winking.

As his fingertips plucked the chord, it was quite louder, but no less soothing, the rich earthy chords had what Hermione would recognize as an electronic sounding edge, reminding many of the older students of when the Wyrd Sisters played, but no where near as aggressive or progressive.

"It is something my brother discovered, and taught me, a simple spell for changing the sound of an old instrument into something that sounds new, younger audences prefer it, and it gets them dancing. Will you two honor me with one?"

He leaned back and played, careful as not to disturb anyone with his playing.

Cho thought his music was beautiful. She was still not used to people calling her 'Professor Chang' so she might’ve given him a weird look when he said it. She preferred her friends to call her Cho, but she would have to start getting used to being called Professor Chang by her students.

Cho sat there and enjoyed the music and listened to Luca speak about his roots and she almost forgot what she left her room to do. She stood up and said "I’m sorry Luca, but I must go. I have a cut on my leg and I was on my way to see Madame Pomfrey when I heard your music and decided to stop. Your music is lovely by the way. Keep up the great work. It was nice seeing you." Cho said and she walked away slowly with the feeling of relaxation from Luca’s music.

Luca stood, and made a theatrical bow to Cho, before resuming his music, looking at Hermione, now and again checking how much people had put in his Buzuq case as tips.

Staying true to her name and doing exactly as she'd promised, Promise walked toward the courtyard, her bare feet tingling comfortably against the cool ground.

She was wearing a long dark red, layered skirt and a black tank top with silver beads dancing along the top and bottom hemlines matching the silver thread that graced the bottom of the skirt, embroidered into pretty, sparkling swirls.

Promise noticed that Cho and a girl that she recognized as Hermione Granger had also joined Luca though Cho had just gotten up to leave and was gone before Promise came near them.

She stopped for a moment and closed her eyes, feeling the mood of the music then, also as promised, she began a slow twirl and approached the last few feet with steps of a graceful dance that caused her skirts to ruffle about her shins.

She glided from a twirl to the ground to sit near Hermione, giving Luca no more than a small smile. She also waved gently at Hermione to acknowledge her presence. She didn't know the other girl but she wasn't going to just ignore her.

Charm, who had risen from Promise's shoulder when she'd begun her short little dance, landed on her friend's lap and folded her wings, purring softly.

Luca spied the dance, his heart raced, for the first time he felt the feeling of family as Promise twirled. He began to play with a renewed energy, willing to take the chance of being a tad louder, but not much, in his playing.

"You honor me and my family with your dance."

Luca thought for a moment and decided a gift in return was in order for both of those who stayed. He went to the many roses he grew, plucking on of each color for each house, making two boquets of eight, bowing courtly and placing them at the feet of Hermione and Promise.

"This is to symbolize that the truest beauty comes from all of use being together, and that our differences when put together, make us whole and beautiful."

Moonstone resumed his song, feeling a slight shill in the air, offering his cloak to the ladies.

"I know they will not allow me to start a bonfire here, although I am being tempted, to start one for dancing."

Promise smiled at the display of roses, this kid certainly had his fair share of charm. She picked up a red rose to match her skirt and took off the stem then tucked it behind her ear.

"I know they will not allow me to start a bonfire here, although I am being tempted, to start one for dancing"

Promise smirked, what was the harm in a little bonfire? Honestly? She probably woudln't dance around it unless she got some strong drink into her system but it would still be nice.
"Well then what are we waiting for?" She asked. "Charm?"

Charm flicked her wings then disappeared with a little pop. When she reappeared there were several pieces of firewood balanced on her back between her wings and she was looking very weighed down. Promise took pity immediately and relieved the little cat of the burden. She set the pieces down in a teepee pattern then, though no one had actually seen her reach for her wand, she pointed it at the fire and murmured "Flagrate"

It burst into merry flames and she smiled, leaning back, the firelight dancing off of her silver beads and jewelry.
"Can't follow all of the rules if you want to have any fun at all."

Luca blinked nervously, then decided to get into the spirit of things. He did not want Hagrid to have to deal witha char mark on the immaculate lawn that he kept.

"Wigardium Leviosa..." With a flick of the wrist he brought the fire off the ground, suspending it in the air, the kindling burning brightly.

The fourth year danced around the fire, with a look of honest joy, something that had been eluding him for some time, most seeing his cold gaze.

He strummed the Buzuq and invited any and all students to join him, in an evening celebration of music, dance and song...

Promise smirked at the idea of levitating the fire. She had just figured she would regrow the grass but this looked cooler. She didn't get up and dance, for one thing she didn't feel like it and for another she was a little sore from a particularly intense ride earlier that day. Eclipse hadn't been out for a couple of days so she was very energetic and was doing strange areal acrobatics with Promise clinging to her back like a leech.

Though she didn't dance she smiled at the young boy's joy at the fire, it was good to see people happy in a dark time. She scooted back to lean against a tree, a little farther back from the festivities and closed her eyes to relax. Charm curled up in her lap and did the same, purring softly.

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