(1940-04-14) Of Tunes and Toads
Details for Of Tunes and Toads
Summary: Just another day in the Hufflepuff common room.
Date: 14 April 1940
Location: Hufflepuff Common Room
Related:
Characters
MelodyRookLevi

Melody only has a morning class on Tuesdays, so the afternoon finds her in the Hufflepuff common room. She's tucked into a comfy chair, a cuppa and plate of biscuits on the small table next to her, and her nose stuck in her Astronomy book. As she reads she hums lightly, probably unaware that she's even doing it, and one foot bounces, keeping time.

Maybe Rook has classes right now, maybe he doesn't. Either way, this is where he is. Coming from the boys sleeping chambers his eyes, those bright blue orbs, seem distant and dreamy. He hears the humming and from that bounces his head to the beat finding it a rhythm to life. Fingers patter against the side of his leg as he walks, blond hair left a little unkempt.

It seems that things kick back into full gear once the school starts back up it seems that Levi had an early morning practice and is returning from it though he's cleaned up and all since then. The solider hears the humming upon entrance and recognizes its source "Afternoon Melody." he says tossing her a warm smile. He does notice the other nodding "Hey Lovegood, how was break?" he asks politely.

The humming continues as Melody turns a page, not aware of Rook's quiet entry among the rest of the comings and goings. She doesn't look up until someone addresses her directly, and she blinks before her eyes settle on Levi, and her smile comes. "Alright, Levi?" And when he addresses Rook as well, Mel's eyes swivel, smile holding, and he gets the usual greeting as well. "Alright, Lovegood?"

He may or may not notice the other two, but never does acknowledge them until spoken to. Now Rook is not rude, it's that his thoughts, to him, are so full and bountiful that they consume his mind until his name is called out. And because of his mental distraction there is a sudden stop by a table which he bumps into and that pushes off some pretty flowers, which fall to the floor in a heaping smash. He frowns and reaches down, picking them up, feeling for the once bright specks of nature. "Oh how I ruined the petals of existence, for they shall never again know the delicacy of life." He truly feels for these few flowers, and rests them on the table then going to address the two, "I am well, thank you. And you both? You're humming, it was lovely." Big bright blue eyes move from Levi and then to Melody. "Such a grasp upon life's beat you got, entwined with the mind. Very catchy tune."

Levi nods to the greeting "Quite well, had Quidditch practice already guess they are a bit keen." The seventh year says though he looks to the book. "How are you, look like you got here in time to snag the best seat in the common room." He looks over as the other answers the flowers being knocked over catches his attention but of course he cannot stop them. "Hm, well good glad break was well." He says though he will move to sit in one of the other chairs now as well.

Melody starts when the flowers topple over, even reaching but falling far short of saving them. Their fate brings the ghost of a frown to her lips briefly, until Rook brings up her tunefulness. While she didn't realize she was doing it, Melody has been humming around her housemates for years now, so she takes their word when anyone says she's been doing it again. Her smile brightens at the compliment, "Ta, Lovegood, that was…" She stops, realizing that she had been humming a 'forbidden' tune, and her frown is back, a little deeper. "Just a silly song," she finishes, her eyes drifting away. She's brought back to the moment by Levi, smile switching on yet again as she nods. "I came back from lunch early to get a jump on my reading. The light is best in this chair."

Now Rook has his head in the clouds.. all the time, it's rare for him to be firmly planted on the ground. But just because his mind drifts doesn't mean the process of paying attention isn't there. It's almost as if he works on a whole new level, not higher or lower than others, just his own. First he looks to Levi, and knowing full well he is a spot of bad luck when it comes to Quidditch there is nothing holding back the smirk. "You do well there, to a point where I near envy your abilities." Because he has none. "I shall for fit the next game in hopes you win." It's well known he isn't made for that, and doesn't seem bothered either. Why fuss over something that seems to draw such bad luck? He then turns his attention to Melody. Eyes watch her a second, the avoidance, the thought process and nods. "Often without thinking something escapes the mind is not always aware of." Sure he isn't knowing of what she was humming, but catches enough of her mannerisms to realize that it's something side stepped enough to feel as if it needs not be said.

Finishing with that he too turns to take a seat, sliding into the chair easily and running a hand through his thick blond hair. "You both are well, continuing with your lives. Have you seem my toad? He is adventuring some place, and I know now where."

"That sounds lovely you're quite right about that chair, well I'm glad you were able to get to it." Levi says to Melody about coming back from lunch and where she sits currently. He looks to the other and shakes his head "Thanks, but not hardly I try my best. Everyone is different and has their own talents anyways." He comments whatever hype about quidditch from his house he doesn't seem to be the one putting it out there.

Melody reaches for her teacup and takes a sip, her nose wrinkling slightly as it's gone cold. "Do we have more games to play?" she asks, probably meaning quidditch games. It's no secret she doesn't really pay attention, but she does always show up to root on her housemates when they're playing. She doesn't touch again on the topic of the tune she'd been humming, but a couple housemates, Rook and Levi included, might know of her falling out with the eldest Higgins, and how that had resulted in an avoidance between herself and Sierra, although there isn't much in the way of details available about what exactly transpired. Even Sierra hadn't been aware of it until the train ride out to London two weeks past. And, belatedly, it dawns on her, "Archie's gone wandering again?" Archimedes is such a long name to say, and she's always thought the toad looked more casual than his name would suggest.

"I agree," Rook says to Levi with a weighed glance, as if he is studying his housemate. "You've got a talent I do not." He also pays little attention to the game, for various reasons. His mind doesn't last long through a game and he is known as a bad omen to any of his team player, so it's an easy avoidance there. He then looks to Melody and sighs a bit. "Yes, an adventure without me, and so my heart breaks. I will see him again, at some point. It's a small matter." The Lovegood shrugs, to him it is, it's how he lives. "Did either of you two do anything interesting during spring break?"

Levi nods "Well that or our team captain is just wanting to fly and figured practice was best." He comments with a small chuckle though he doesn't believe either of them really follow the sport and that's perfectly okay with him too. "I'm sure he'll return indeed toads are smart." the seventh year comments "I stayed in London for the most part of though also visited with Melody and saw some different things around they city I hadn't before. Yourself?"

Melody's foot is swinging again, although there's no humming and her attention has yet to return to her text. She nods along when Levi mentions visiting and chimes in, "He met the new lambs." There's a pause, before she adds, since it is a matter of fact, "and the old sheep. And a few ducks. And then there were the ducks in that park in London, remember them?" Her excitement cranks up a notch at the recollection, dark eyes sparkling. "They were very nice but didn't sound like our ducks. You could tell they were from London." Her ducks quack with a distinct Welsh accent, of course. While she doesn't echo the question, she looks keen to hear what Rook got himself up to as well.

Did Rook hear them? He was fiddling with a string on his shirt, and pulls at it a few times. It snaps free, and he relaxes looking up with a brief mark of confusion in his big blue eyes. Blinking it away, taking a second to catch up that unknowingly charming grin is given to the pair. "My time was quiet, I wondered and enjoyed coffee and tea and food and drink, perhaps to much drink one time." A hand rubs his head in memory of the next morning pain it once delivered. "Sometimes to wonder is to find for without proper seeking we stumble upon the more fulfilling parts of life." There he goes again, that dreamy voice and eyes lifting upwards, he grins to himself then.

The seventh year turns back to look at Melody and smiles to her words "I do remember both. I enjoyed it very much was still quite nice of you to invite me." Levi says lingering on her a moment though after he grins "I imagine the London ducks are more cityfied." he says honestly. He looks back to Rook "That sounds good though sometimes relaxing breaks are exactly what are needed."

"I find a lot of things by just wandering around," Melody says agreeably. "One time I found a gnome in the woods at home. I wasn't even looking for him." As she speaks she looks up at the ceiling, her head back on the chair cushion, and she falls silent, probably thinking about meeting the gnome.

Something is funny to Rook, he smiles to himself. "The ducks sure can be. Walking out of the way of people. I saw one fly into a window, felt for the poor think but it was ever funny." He laughs looking to Levi remember that. "A gnome? What sort? What was his name?"

"Huh that is remarkably odd." Levi says about the gnome encounter "But wonder if that's good luck?" The young man asks with a ponder on the topic he looks to rook and nods about the ducks as well though he doesn't really have any follow up question to ask on that he is still smiling friendly to both.

Melody straightens her head, looking at Rook for a long moment, her face thoughtful. "He never told me his name." While it hadn't occurred to her before, now it seems to make her a bit sad. "Perhaps he didn't care much for me." She sighs softly, but looks up quickly as Eoin and a couple of his compatriots go trotting through the common room and right out into the castle without even looking around. This brings Melody to standing, her book closed and set aside. "He's never up to any good when he doesn't say hello," she says simply, and then follows in the wake of the younger housemates to make sure they aren't up to mischief. There's no parting words, she just drifts away.

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