| Details for Compositions in Art and Music |
| Summary: | Zayn, Esther and Lucretia talk about portrait painting and music composition. On the question of dancing, Esther becomes evasive. |
| Date: | 1939-01-08 |
| Location: | Slytherin Common Room, Hogwarts |
| Related: | — |
| Characters |
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The Slytherin commons room is a low-ceilinged, dungeon-like affair illuminated during the day by a multitude of greenish lamps and a roaring fire which also works to partially ward of the perpetual chill of the dungeons. The common room is filled with low-backed, black and dark green leather sofas and armchairs accented with buttons that create dimples deep in the upholstery. For the decorative carvings of the dark wood cupboards, the columns, the mantelpiece, and other architectural details of the room run strongly towards snakes and skulls motif. All these details combine to create a quite grand atmosphere with a touch of spooky and cold.
Day or night the enchanted windows are filled with an eerie green glow from the water on the other side. Occasionally the Giant Squid and other residents of the Black Lake will swim by the portals. Over all the common room has a sunken ship feel, though is oddly enough also gives a strange cozy sense as well.
Classes have just ended for the day, while the cold air outside carries a rather bone chattering chill, many Slytherin students have been finding their way back to the common's more and more. The cool green glow covers the room and a fire has already been started in the fireplace, while parts of the room is hustling and bustling, other students sit quietly studying. It has been a rather somber return, considering the recent events, many students have felt it.
Zayn can however be seen sitting in his typical spot, on the sofa that he has claimed since his first year and the seat he has claimed. Sitting next to him is a simple black square case. In his hands, a simple black leather bound notebook, though the pages have been lined for musical scores. With a quill in his hand, Zayn softly adds a few notes, before silently thinking over everything.
Esther's come back to the commons just to enjoy how warm it feels when filled with students. The Hair slips through the portrait, finding Zayn immediately and smiling to the prefect. "Zayn; it's been too long. Tell me you're practicing how to bewitch your instrument so it might walk you through the steps?" A little bit playful. But Esther has been unnaturally playful since people returned - There's all kinds of whispers as to why. Some true, some untrue. The slender Lowe slides herself onto an armchair beside Zayn, placing her bookbag between her outer thigh and the arm.
Its been a long day of classes for Lucretia, not that you could tell it to look at her however. Her uniform as neat as the moment when she put it on that morning and with her hair falling in deep waves to the centre of her back, she carries her mug of hot chocolate over to find herself a seat to sit. There's a small intake of breath as she passes Zayn's little stronghold and she twists her head, screwing it around to make sense of his musical notations. "You are composing?" A small squint of her eyes as she looks from his work and then to his face and she carefully perches herself on the arm of his couch, hands curled about her mug. "Esther. Did you know that Zayn composes as well as plays? I didn't!"
Zayn looks up from his composition towards Esther, it has indeed been a long time, he has been so busy and so has she, he hasn't seem to have crossed paths with her again. "Lowe." he says with a small nod, "Actually I do not bewitch any of my art or music." he says tapping the quill against his lips, "Not any more, I personally feel while magic can aide, the true magic in creation music comes simply from the heart." he says with a small nod. "How are classes Black?" he asks seeming to not touch more on composing, for a moment, "I normally try to compartmentalize my life." he says with a slow nod. "You still owe me a chance to sketch you, Lowe." he says with a small nod.
"A shame, I was hoping sometime we could dance to one of your compositions." A small smirk, as Esther completes the wordplay. "'Dance to your tune,' Zayn?" She teases. Lucretia, as always, gets a smile from Esther. "Zayn is a man of many talents. A capable dancer, too, although a touch competitive. And as he implied, not half bad when it comes to sketching - Although he's reminded me that I wanted to paint him every bit as much as he wants to sketch me." Being social again is /such/ fun. She really has missed almost all of them.
"Classes are going terribly well," Lu says, a bright smile melting over her face. "I'm really getting stuck into ancient runes and I'm loving potions this year." Lifting her mug, she blows a breath across the surface of her chocolate and blinks as a curl of steam warms her nose. Looking between the two older students, she swallows a small mouthful then suggests, "Perhaps you should paint each other painting each other. That'd make for an interesting pair of portraits." Slender fingers grip the chocolate wand she's placed in her mug and she gives the brew a quick stir, lifting it after to suck melted chocolate from its end.
Zayn looks between the two for a moment, silent. He is not in his typical high spirits, that is obvious, but he is not in a particular bitter mood. First he nods to Lu, "Good to hear." he says slowly. "Potions are always a rather enjoyable topic, from personal experience." he continues before sitting down the quill on notebook. His eyes move to Esther, "I don't think you would enjoy my compositions." he says plainly, though I would be glad to play or have it play another's work. His eyes move towards the notebook, "Personally, I want to capture the beauty of Esther… the simple beauty." he says looking towards the fire, "She has a different air around her when she works." he says with a wave of his hand. He obviously has patrols, though if he has seen Esther working on it, he hadn't interrupted her or made much note of it.
Ancient runes? Esther makes a mental note to have a private chat with Lucretia later. The idea of Paintception makes her giggle, although also blush for some strange reason. "I always thought that was cute. However Zayn would be done long before I was." Of course, anyone remarking on her beauty since Gresham bared a small piece of his heart to her seems to actually land now, and she takes a moment to swallow before shrugging the comment off. "I wouldn't sell yourself short, Zayn. I can hardly dislike something before I even come to hear it."
Lucretia nosecrinkles. "Then you should paint Esther by firelight," she says, another suck given the chocolate wand before its dunked back into her drink. A slow, pendulum swing is given the leg that's hitched over the arm of the couch and she relaxes back, letting the edge of the couch cradle her in a more comfortable position. An upward puff of breath from pursed lips just blows her heavy fringe from her eyes and she pulls her brows down, affecting a mock frown in Zayn's direction. "No composition is ever awful, not if its written from the heart. Perhaps you would let me play one of yours sometime, and you can play one of mine. See how we interpret each other's pieces."
Zayn's eyes stare out at Esther, taking her in for a moment, as if he is considering all of her. His gaze moves to Black, "That would perhaps be fitting, when she smiles by firelight her beauty radiates." he says with a small nod, at the offer of playing each other's he shrugs, "I suppose that could be interesting, you can never stop learning things from other musicians." his gaze moves back to Lowe, his hand moves and he slowly moves the notebook off the top of the blackcase and he undoes the clasps, opening it.
His violin is simple, but well crafted his hand moves across it slowly, before taking it in his hands, handling it softly, he perches it on his neck, between his cheek and shoulder taking the bow in his hand, "I draw the beauty of the world and play the sorrows." he says simply, before his fingers move with the bow and a rather haunting and sad. The low notes are simply esclated by the high notes when the hit, the melody echoing in Zayn's ears as his eyes close.
Conversation turns to one of her least favourite topics. The weird girl who spends her nights by the fireplace. The further compliments, as they are, have her blushing and silenced, looking away at her bookbag, and fiddling lightly with the clasps that hold it closed. "You two could even play a duet, sometime. That would be fascinating." She directs the conversation back to where she's happier for it to be, looking up in time to see Zayn place a violin to his neck. She's silent as he begins to play, eyes slipping closed so she can enjoy the melody. Well, enjoy is the wrong word…
Lucretia listens quietly, and as the notes fade on a breath, she allows herself a smile. "That's lovely. I don't recognise it, so it must be one of yours?" Balancing her chocolate on the edge of her knee, she can't help but scrutinise the violin that Zayn uses, much in the same way a fashionista would sum up someone by the clothes they wear. "That's a nice violin. Mine's called Bernard," she suddenly blurts.
Zayn finishes the song and opens his eyes, taking the violin down and softly sitting it in the case with the bow. He says something in Arabic, in response to Lucretia comment on names, "It simply means sorrow." he says with a small nod, "That is the name of the composition." he explains, but doesn't touch on if the violin has a name, closing the case he looks at Esther, "Did you enjoy it?" he asks curiously.
Esther remains completely silent after the composition. She doesn't offer any verbal feedback, although she is wearing a smile. Zayn's question finally causes her to open them. Her answer is even more curious. "… You have a beautiful soul, Zayn; but I am not so certain I want to know what it's been through."
Lucretia chews on the inside of her cheek, blows her breath out then looks away, suddenly feeling a little awkward. A little like the big, fat gooseberry at a party of two. "Oh. That's a nice name," she says, then slides off the couch arm and moves to one of the vacant chairs.
Zayn closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, he doesn't answer Esther. His hand moves to his notebook and he removes the quill and looks up at Lucretia and offers it to her, "I await the chance to play one of your compositions." he says his lips curling up into a smile, his eyes move back towards Esther, "Curious." is all he says to her, a more playful smile now on his face.
Esther finds the word she's looking for in half a second. All that wordplay with Douglas has finally paid off. "… Very." She states simply, before turning to Lucretia. "So, what did you cover in potions today?" Deflect away from the self!
Lucretia beams a smile that'd stop an elephant at fifty paces. "Really? Thank you so much. I'll be very careful with this and return it to you tomorrow." Laying it cross-wise in her lap, she looks over to Esther, a quick smile given. "We were working on dizziness draught's. One of the Hufflepuffs decided to sniff it a little too long and ended up flat on her back for nearly ten minutes. Giggling. She was terribly stupid, probably because she's a mudblood. I'm so glad I have Eibon as my partner now, I couldn't stand to have to work with someone like that."
Zayn finishes putting away the violin, clasping the black case shut again. "Indeed." he response to Esther, not saying anything else for a moment, before he answers Lucretia, "Take as much time as you need." he says warmly to her, not touching on any of the potions talk, waiting for the two finish before his attention moves back to Esther, his lips curl up small smile, his dark brown eyes staring out at her, then he just simply asks, "Do you miss dancing with me Lowe?" the question is blunt, but his eyes don't leave her, he simply waits.
"They're Hufflepuffs for a reason, Lucretia - But a mudblood to boot, that's just unfortunate…" Esther actually giggles a little bit, too. "I remember someone was slipped a tincture of that into my pumpkin juice one morning, in third year. Myrus had to carry me to my first class." A gentle blush. She used to be such a target. Still is, somewhat. Only then does she notice Zayn is still staring at her, when the question turns back to 'her'. "… I'd be lying if I said I didn't wish for a capable dancer during the break, Zayn. And you are a /very/ capable dancer." Evasive.
Lucretia sucks the remains of her chocolate want into her mouth, and chomps it down, wiping her mouth with a quick swipe of her hand before she grins unabashed at Esther. "I bet that that would have been funny to see, even if its terrible that it was you." There's a small twitch of her mouth and a mischievous crinkle of her eyes, as if the method of administration were being filed away for future use. When dancing gets mentioned again however, she takes a mouthful of chocolate and quickly says, "I'm quite a good dancer too. I was hoping for my very first proper dance at Alphard's party, but I didn't quite make it before he kicked me out."
Zayn listens to her response, to both Lucretia and himself. He stays silent for a moment, "Curious." he says with a small nod, "Very curious." he continues, "Though I am not sure if that is really an answer to my question." he says standing up, picking up his violin, "Though perhaps that is all the answer I need." he says with another small nod, before looking at Lucretia, "You can have my hand in a dance whenever you request." he says giving her a playful wink and smile, "For now I must depart." he says turning and heading out to leave.
"You could do far worse, Lucretia, than Zayn." Esther offers a teasing little comment. "Yes. It was mortifying, at the time. One more humiliation to put in my cap." A sad little smile. "I never forget, though. It's important to me, to know that to some, that's what I was." An amusement. She turns to Zayn, offering him a smile, and a wave. "I'll see you soon, Zayn. Take care."
Lucretia also gives a small wave to Zayn's departing back, then clutching his notebook carefully in one hand, mug in the other, she uncurls from her chair. Depositing the latter on one of the side-tables, she disappears into the direction of the dormitories, more than likely in order to examine, pick apart, and analyze the composition he's left with her before attempting to play it.