| Details for Picnicus Interruptus |
| Summary: | What starts out as a nice time flying around the pitch and then starting a picnic for Levi and Melody gets nicer when Sierra joins them. It gets weirder when Myrus joins them. |
| Date: | 10 October 1939 |
| Location: | Quidditch Pitch, Hogwarts |
| Related: | — |
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Its afternoon on Friday the last class of the day for many have let out and its time to start the weekend. The castle will be full of students who have free time and thus are roaming freely its also a tad loud now though if one can find a good spot its still peaceable. The sun is still out and its not yet too cold for flying, one student who seems to have planned to get away from the noise and all is Levi he moves down towards the pitch he carries a small basket in one hand and his broom over his shoulder on the other as he finally reaches the cleared area he'll set the basket presumably it has food and some drinks in it and turns back towards the castle glancing a moment.
It's been a long day for Melody, starting with an outing on the grounds and ending in a like fashion. She was a bit late, having stayed after Transfiguration class to help a classmate with a dodgy bit of a charm, and then had to get her broom. Consequently, when she appears, she's heading for the pitch at a fair run, hair and robes streaming out behind her, broom held in one hand. She moves so fluidly that it almost seems like she's flying, skimming just along the ground. When she's near enough to slow, she tries to catch her breath, smiling and attempting to speak all at once. "You're here… brilliant."
Levi turns as he sees movement and the one he'd been hoping to see coming and he smiles over her direction. "Yes, though i've not been here long myself. I hope all is well for you?" he asks though he'll cross the pitch to move closer to the other. "I uh brought a basket some food and drinks in case we got hungry or thirsty, hope that's okay?" he half asks of her though he still carries his broom "I don't think I ever asked, but mind if I call you Melody? You can call me Levi if you want."
Melody takes a grip on her broom handle with both hands, holding it near her hips, turning herself into a human plus sign. "Yes, everything is quite well," she says agreeably, meeting the young wizard half way. Tilting slightly, she looks past him to the basket as he mentions it, then straightens and turns her wide smile on him. "Alright, you can call me Melody. Food…. that's lovely." Her wandering attention settles on him, "How are things with you?"
"Melody." The seventh year says nodding though her words also are heard. "Thats good to hear, end of the school week is always nice. Dont you think?" He ponders his own well being "I'm doing quite well, all fingers and toes accounted for." Levi jokes lightly about his magical creature classes. He'll swing his broom off his shoulder "Shall we fly? Before it gets too dark?"
"It is very nice." There's a pause, and then Melody offers, "I do like the Hogsmeade weekends best, though." She always seems to disappear on those weekends, being seen sometimes on the path between the village and the school, but seldom seen in the village itself at the usual haunts for students. Her eyes drop to her broom at mention of flying, and she looks pleased to see it there, as if she'd forgotten she was holding it. "Brilliant. I'll follow you."
Levi nods "We should meet up on one of those Hogsmead weekends. I mean if you'd like to." He says though he will mount his broom after she seems to be ready to fly or at least saying she is. "Sure though you said you like to fly about the towers? Maybe you could show me after a while?" The seventh year will kick off and raise into the sky though he's not speeding around like he would during a match he's not hovering either. He begins a circle of the pitch though he does check to make sure the other is indeed flaying as well.
The younger housemate gives a nod, but no other answer to the proposition as she gets distracted for a moment by her hair. She drops her broom lightly to the ground, then pulls out a ribbon and ties her hair back into a loose ponytail before holding her hand out to let the broom pop up from the ground into it. Kicking up after Levi, Melody gains the air easily. She'd taken to flight like a butterfly, although, in fairness, she had a little experience with family brooms so had an advantage over some of the first years. Leveling out, the blond witch catches up to Levi and paces his speed. Talking isn't so easy, being already rather soft spoken, Melody's words aren't strong enough to compete with the winds from flying, but it's not really necessary yet.
The wind whipping about his face is pleasant to the young man here as he does spot the other who matches him. Levi will give his broom a little nudge not trying to leave her behind but just increase the pace a little making a couple more circuits before he pulls his broom up in a fairly easy climb high enough to see most everything one can "I never get tired of seeing the view from up here." he calls back he's not sitting completely still though and pushes his broom forward a an easy pace so he can look over the view
Melody stays in an almost constant place off Levi's right shoulder, adjusting naturally to shifts in speed and altitude. When they get high enough and slow, she pulls up a little closer, getting enough volume to be heard. "It's like you can see forever." Still, her words are nearly lost, and she pulls her broom to a halt to hover, looking toward the castle.
Levi looks back and spots that she's stopped he will bring his own broom to a stop flying a small circle to be in line with her he can hear her words over the breeze but just barely. "It does, everything seems so tiny, can you imagine how birds well those with sharper eyes than ours see things from this height?" he looks over the castle knowing there are students everywhere inside right now all going about different things.
The young witch lets her feet swing from her perch, staying seated easily despite a strong gust of wind or two. Her face is turned into the wind, letting it push her hair back, and when it stills she speaks. "The owls can see all the way to the ground from this high." Melody leans precariously, looking down to the ground. There's a hint of disappointment as she observes, "I can't."
The seventh year watches her from his broom he's at home on it given he plays quidditch but her ease is impressive to him all the same. Levi listens to her words as the wind dies down a moment "I imagine so, they hunt from high up." he agrees though he watches as she leans to look down doing the same the disappointment in her voice is picked up. "I heard of a charm which enhances ones senses, if I ever learn it perhaps I could try it." the young man offers and gives a smile "How about you lead for a while? Melody."
Melody straightens, looking to Levi, smile curved wide. The offer is taken with a simple, "Alright." Putting her attention back on her flying, mostly anyway, she sets them a slightly swifter pace, gliding lightly just a bit ahead of Levi. She pays attention, as he did, to making sure her companion isn't left in the dust, and leads them up toward the owl tower. Around the very peak of the tower's roof and she heads in the direction of the pitch, angling them downward.
Levi listens to the response to her leading still smiling, and he wonders about the spell he'd mentioned, but oh well. For now he'll fly. He tries to stay much as she did near by just back and offer to her side giving her room to fly of course while not falling behind too much. He hadnt really seen the owl tower from this angle before circling it and back towards the pitch and slightly tilting his broom down to keep up.
Looking back to Levi, Melody smiles brightly, clearly thoroughly enjoying being in the air. Their course shifts just slightly, turning to a lazy spiral that takes them down until their feet can touch down on the grass. She takes a step with the momentum, quickly regaining her land legs, turning to look at Levi. "That was lovely." The wind has brought some pink to her cheeks and lips, and her eyes are bright.
The young man follows at his place at their course, and well he too enjoys flying its a good way to unwind just for starters. Levi catches the gaze of his housemate when she turns around, and smiles easily back to her. The spiral he takes and touches down lightly luckily he didnt crash or make too much the fool of himself. He is a bit breathless from the wind and likely he has some flush to him as well. "Yes it was, you fly very well." he compliments he looks from her to his basket "Um, would you want to sit and have a bite to eat and something to drink? I mean if it hasnt gotten to cold or anything of course." yes nervous.
Melody holds her broom casually in one hand. "Thank you, you do as well." Her brows go up and she focuses on the basket, then she nods. "Alright. It's not too cold." She reaches her free hand up, pulling the ribbon from her hair, giving her head a quick shake to loosen the bunch. Her movements are almost absent, not an attempt to be deliberately flirty like some girls can be. She doesn't have the guile to flirt well, or the focus.
Levi watches the other and nods "Well that makes two common interests, playing music and flying." The seventh year says though he pauses as she shakes her hair out he seems to be stuck a moment though she may not do so intentionally the young man cant help but admire her though he comes to himself realizing he was staring. He'll move towards the basket he brought though and bring it back with him "Where should we sit?" he asks.
Out on the pitch after classes, still with enough daylight to last a while, Levi and Melody have been out for a broom flight, and are in the process of choosing a spot to settle. Melody looks around, the girl turning in a half circle to make sure she can assess every available spot. Then she looks back to Levi. "Here is fine." Her hand opens and her broom drops to the grass lightly, then she folds down beside it, settling comfortably.
There are many things at which Sierra can rival her older brother - but brooms and Quidditch is not one of them. Not one by far. Still, she has to try sometimes, or she'll never get any better. Having borrowed a school broom earlier, she took it for a ride around the school grounds, skirting the edge of the forest and going over part of the lake and now - tired from her long flight - she returns to find a pair of older housemates seemingly settling in for a picnic. As she brings in her broom for a landing, she calls to the pair in embarrassment, "Oh - didn't mean to interrupt! Don't mind me."
Levi watches the other as she spins and then sets down right where she is. The seventh year cant help but smile and chuckle "That certainly works." He will bring the basket over to her and is about to settle down himself when the other appears he recognizes a housemate even if not overly familiar. "Your fine Higgins, no need to leave can sit if you'd like?" he turns to look at Melody though as he sits down with a tiny plot sitting down lightly he chuckles "This is a good place indeed."
Melody has a bright smile for Sierra, friendly and toothy. "Yes, do come join us. We'll be happy to share." It might be presumptuous for her to take such liberties in offering out what she herself did not bring, but they're family, housemates. She beckons to draw the younger witch over, offering a simple greeting. "Higgins." There's a nod for Levi's assessment of their position. "It's perfect."
"You're sure I'm not interrupting something… private?" Sierra asks. You can never be sure - two buffers about this age, finding themselves somewhere private and alone for an intimate picnic… Still, they are both inviting her over, and she is a little peckish after her flight, so she starts to make her way closer.
The seventh year is still a Hufflepuff and so despite whatever he'd had in mind he is courteous. Levi looks back to Melody as she speaks but he doesn't seem to mind the food being offered giving her a smile even. "Well good." he says about the spot of the picnic. He'll open the basket and take out the plates and all that first setting them up each in turn. He glances up to look at the new arrival at the question of interrupting he gives an encouraging smile that she should join but he cant help but look to Melody curiously.
The question of privacy doesn't seem to be a problem to Melody at all, the notion of ulterior motives never entering that seemingly vacant head of hers. "I saw your brother the other day," she says, looking back up to Sierra. "The older one. He told me a very nice story. I'm sorry he doesn't know any leprechauns, though." It makes perfect sense to her, the way she says it so casually, looking between her two housemates as if expecting them to understand.
"I'm not. Colton's enough trouble on his own," Sierra answers. "Can you imagine him with the help of leprechauns?" She seems to finally accept the invitation of the other two students - taking a position nearer to Melody, and setting down her borrowed broom nearby.
Levi listens as he works he'll plate the food onto the three plates and set utensils even by each finishing up his own lastly. He looks to Melody at her words and nods to her words "I don't think i've known someone who knows leprechauns. Maybe they will bring some in my care of magical creatures classes?" he doesnt know really but had it could happen. "Hope the food is okay." he lastly sets out three glasses it seems like juice he's brought pouring each some.
Levi gets a wide smile, "This is lovely. Thank you, Levi." Melody hadn't even thought to bring anything, so it's a treat. "Will you tell me if they do? I wonder if they're like the faeries I know." As she speaks she's fishing something out of her robe, and produces her flute. She looks back to Sierra as she brings it to her lips. "He taught me this." She must mean Colton, and the song that comes from the instrument is a bouncy Traveler tune, which may have suitably Colton-esque, bawdy lyrics, but she doesn't know them, only the tune. She plays just a small snippet, enough to be identified, before she puts the flute down.
"Colton loves that song," Sierra responds with a smile. "It is a pretty good one. We spent the afternoon, once, coming up with different lyrics to it - some of them were pretty horrible. Uhhh - but they weren't in English." Picking up the plate she's offered, she gives Levi a grateful smile. "Thank you for sharing. Broomflying can sure make you hungry."
"I'm glad you both like it." Levi says in return he grins to Melody "Of course I will let you know." The seventh year promises though he's silent during the song enjoying it "That is pretty, hm wonder if I could learn that on the guitar too." he ponders a moment he looks back to Sierra. "It can for sure, I know usually after matches i've got to grab something to eat."
The flute is tucked back away, because it's time for socializing, not music, and Melody picks up her glass to take a sip of juice. As she sets it back down she says, "We could try and play it together, Levi. I might have some bits wrong, we only went through it once." Still, for that, she seemed to remember it fairly well. There's a pause before she adds, "That was quite clever of you and Colton." Processing can take some time.
"Oh, they weren't that well written. But they were pretty funny," Sierra responds, grinning at the memory. "I've gotten most of them, of course, but there was one about," she lapses momentarily into a few words of Irish Gaelic, then adds in a slightly embarrassed tone, "or something like that. …it was a little mean-spirited." She drinks some of her juice, and starts eating the food.
Levi nods and smiles "I'd like that." He says about learning to play part of it on the guitar and maybe they can find the rest or something so they can play the rest. The young man looks to Sierra though he doesn't understand what she's saying he nods when she does switch back to English. "Well i'll have to try and learn the tune first anyways and wouldn't want to take your lyrics." he speaks kindly.
"But what does it mean?" Melody doesn't hesitate to ask. She knows Welsh, because of the family's proximity to the country, but Irish Gaelic is lost on her. "It sounds very nice."
"Well… it isn't. It's, umm… it makes fun of folks that might not be as clever as others," Sierra explains vaguely, hoping to leave it at that. "Rather crudely." Okay. Well - at that. "Who taught you the flute?" she asks instead.
The quidditch player listens to both of them as they speak of the lyrics to the song, though he'll try a bit of the food and drink while he does this not having specifically anything to add for the exact moment anyways. Levi will just pay attention to what's being said.
That actually gives Melody pause, and she looks at Sierra for a moment, but it's obvious that her mind has taken leave for the next few seconds. Was Colton making fun of her, telling her life story in a fairy tale like he did? But that would be mean, and it didn't seem like he was being mean. But making fun of people is mean. Before she can dwell on it too long, the question shifts her attention, and Melody's smile is back. "My grandfather, mostly. He carved my flute," she says, offering it out to show the girl. Despite her tendency toward seeming to forget who and where she is sometimes, she looks over to Levi often, obviously including him.
"Carved it himself? That's nice! We have some people in the family who make instruments, too." Sierra accepts the flute, studying it curiously - even looking down the length of it. "Would it be alright if I tried to play a few notes?" she asks. "I mean - I've never really practiced flutes - but I've at least tried them a few times."
Levi listens to the story of the flute and smiles "That is excellent, I wish my guitar had such a history within my family." He says he'll meet the others gaze when able to during one of her glances, though is trying to look at who's talking following the conversation politely. The last question is not one he can answer and so he only takes another drink while waiting for the answer.
Seated on the ground comfortably, her broom next to her, Levi and Sierra sharing what looks like a picnic, Melody smiles as Sierra admires her beloved flute. "Have at," she says without reserve, obviously not worried about germs and letting someone else use her flute. Like Melody would worry about germs. "Grandpa only ever made this flute and three others, that I know of." Coming from Mel, that's a veritable fountain of unsolicited information. There's a glance to Levi, a smile as Melody takes another sip of juice.
After last classes, Friday evening, was a great open amount of time for practice on the pitch. Myrus and a couple others from the Ravenclaw team were approaching with their gear in tow and brooms over shoulder as they enter the pitch, talking over how they would go about practicing today.
One individual sees a few talking over yonder, and it gets everyone else interested, including Myrus, who looks and when he sees Melody, stops inputting anything into the conversation and just idly agrees with suggestions, until~ "So then Myrus will fly into the womping willow and get his arse beaten to death, and flung over into the forbidden forest.."
"..yeah, sorted," Myrus says absently, still watching the trio, mainly Melody, as he absentmindedly starts putting on his beaters gloves.
Sierra smiles at Melody, then raises the flute to her lips. After a few moments, she's able to find the appropriate embrochure to get the flute the play, and after running up and down the scale, manages to figure her way through a very simple, simplistic song - Hot Cross Buns, perhaps. That managed, she lowers the flute - smiling at Melody. "It's got a nice tone." Maybe it's a mutual interest in music that has Sierra focusing more on Melody than Levi.
Or maybe it's the fact that she's never really been comfortable with boys at the school.
Levi sits and watches as the flute is exchanged hands though he wonders given its rarity if this is wise he will sit back taking another sip. He catches the look his way and returns the smile all the same to Melody glad she enjoyed flying and the food and drink packed. He listens to the music being played though and is silent for this. "That was good Higgins." he looks back at the sound of approach and wonders who it could be.
The actual value of the flute is of little thought to Melody, and she trusts Sierra well enough to know that it's in good hands. When her housemate is done playing, Melody claps lightly but surprisingly enthusiastically, really here for a moment. "That was lovely, Higgins." She doesn't reach for the flute, in no hurry to reclaim it if someone else can enjoy it as well. Her ever wandering attention flits away, to land on the new arrivals. Wide brown eyes linger for a span of several seconds as she takes in the Ravenclaw players. Then her eyes drop, flicker around, and finally she settles on looking up at the sky.
She's avoiding looking at me. Proof positive, right?
"Lowe, where in all the bloody world you goin'? We gotta practice!" Is called after Myrus starts walking towards the trio on the grass, and he walks up toward Melody, giving greeting to the other two who he kinda sorta knows with a nod. Then eyes settle on the cloudwatching Melody.
"Abernathy. I need to talk to you." He wasn't rude, just assertive that, of course, he needs to talk to her. Like, now.
Melody doesn't reach for the flute, and this seems to puzzle Sierra a little. "Umm… You want me to practice on it some more?" the girl asks. She doesn't seem entirely opposed to the idea. But then another boy is making his way over, and towering over their little trio, and suddenly the girls don't outnumber the guys. She finds her own cloud to start watching intently.
The seventh year looks to Melody again though he also notices now that the group is fellow quidditch players. Levi wonders at the behavior this brings about in his housemate. He watches as one of them approaches he returns the nod though he tries to place the name properly. The what seems to him is a tad demanding doesn't sit quite well with him. He looks to Melody though to see what she would like to do here.
Sierra brings Melody back down to Earth first, and the older girl looks to her, then reaches to accept her flute back without fanfare. It gets slipped into her robes, perhaps noticed by Myrus or not, depending on his current level of concentration on something else entirely. Her attention then shifts to Myrus, and from her seat on the ground it seems she has to look a very long way up indeed. There's a moment, before Melody rises to her feet, seeming to float up, until she's standing. "Alright," she says softly. It's not hard to tell she doesn't quite know what's garnered this request, and there's curiosity in her eyes. Those eyes drop to Levi, then Sierra. "I'll just be…." A minute? An hour? She doesn't know, and lets it trail off, looking to Myrus.
Myrus gives a glance to Levi for just a second, then to Sierra. And when she agrees to speak with him, he turns so his back it to the other two, speaking in a low tone. "This.. we have to keep our distance. I don't know why the… um.. well like when you left and your hand across my back. That was a little.. um.. well let me say first, I think your sweet wouldn't appreciate it. So, yeah, whatever this is-" pointing between himself and her, "-just.. going to have to have some respectable distance between us." He seemed like he was genuinely worried that someone wouldn't like the fact that he and she were not even flirting really. But was something there? Myrus sure seemed to think so. And he didn't want people getting the wrong idea because he assumed that prefect that whispered to Melody earlier was the boyfriend she never told him about. But then again, what does she divulge without direct, specific questions?
Sierra looks distinctly uncomfortable as the two prepare to move off. But - well - she's sitting a respectable distance from Levi, in the middle of an open field, with an entire Quidditch team to see what nothing funny is going on. It's definitely a relief to her when Melody and Myrus don't go very far - though she distracts herself by eating some more of the food. "This is very good," she says politely. "Did you make it yourself?"
Levi looks concerned still for Melody though he can hardly say anything here its the wrong place. He nods to her words of being right back. He looks to the other of his house now as she speaks to him though he's smile has faded now. "I did, i'm glad you like it." he does manage to sound like his normal self with some effort not wishing the younger student to be worried. He cant help but ponder advice he was given though.
All her little aside with Myrus seems to accomplish is to make Melody look even more confused than she does on an average day. "My… we… wait…. what?" She finally manages one word that conveys her need to have this explained. There's clearly no sense of worry coming from her, but she's far more puzzled than is the norm. She looks to Levi and Sierra. She doesn't want to scamper off, but she's got no clue what Myrus is going on about, and maybe it would be best if they stepped off further to have this conversation. Unless he can make it clear to her in low voices where they stand.
Myrus is having trouble clarifying. "I mean, you know.. I do like you, but if you're just going to lead me on, while you've obviously got someone you're already talking to or hell, even already with then I'll just step back and leave you two to be you and I'll step off and be me and we can all just go about our business without getting in each others' way. Because if people ever see us.. ever going further than anything friends, like.. well.. yeah.. just people's perceptions, we don't need that."
He's rambling. Terribly.
"It's not too often any of the men cook around the caravan," Sierra remarks with a quiet laugh. "I'm not a very good cook yet - but I'm learning. My mother's been teaching me - you know, on holidays and summer. She expects me to do most of the cooking when I'm home. So I'll get there." It's possible she's rambling a bit, too.
"I am not a master chef or anything, just learned a little here and there." Levi says he cannot help but side-glance more than once or twice but he turns back to Sierra and is listening though the best he can. "I'm sure you will, once you get the hang of it. It sticks with you, I mean you wont forget or anything."
There's an awful lot for Melody to process in Myrus' sputterings. Like you. Lead me on. With someone? Who in the world would anyone think Melody is with? She blinks rapidly several times, and then just throws in the towel. "I don't know what you're talking about, Myrus. I think…" She falters, then finds her footing again, her words incongruously lilting for their subject matter. "I think that if you want to talk after dinner, we should. But not now." She looks to her housemates as she extends her arm, calling her broom up into her hand. "I'm sorry, Levi, I hope we can finish our picnic, but I… have to think. Sierra, will you come back to the dorm with me?" She actually holds her hand out for the girl, now very studiously not looking at Myrus, his teammates, or anyone else.
Sierra is relieved by the out as it's clear that Melody intends to leave. "Sure," she agrees easily, popping up to her feet. "Umm, thank you very much for the food," she adds politely to Levi. She picks up the borrowed broom she left on the grass beside her, then takes Melody's hand. "We just need to stop by the shed to put this away. If that's okay," she adds as the pair start to move away from the two boys, and the picnic.