| Details for The Flatulent Flute |
| Summary: | Colton trying to make peace with Melody offers her a birthday present. |
| Date: | April 1st, 1941 |
| Location: | Hogsmeade - Village and Campus Path |
| Related: | — |
| Characters |
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It is a spring afternoon. The weather is warm and sunny.
The hard packed dirt winding through the trees has been trampled by millions of students and Hogwarts Professors taking advantage of the reprieve from the halls and towers of Hogwarts, and the books. During the day, glimpses of water can be seen through the trees, and what light is to be had slant across the path as it comes through the interweaving branches far overhead. Wildflowers edge the verge with splashes of reds and yellows and purples against the green foliage and dark tree trunks.
A Irish Traveler semi-round top wagon. The owner is perhaps a proud Gryffindor because the color scheme is reds and gilded golds coating the hand carved filigree pieces accenting the gypsy wagon.
Colton has been sitting on the top of his wagon enjoying the spring sun. This means no shirt, and swim trunks. It'll start to rain tonight, but right now the sun is out and the irish lad is basking like a lizard on a warm rock. He's been spending most of his time in dank scottish caves and chambers lately so he's taking this rare oppertunity by the horns. His eyes are not closed as one might expect from such lounging. They are angled and glued to the steady stream of students coming down the path. Tons are greeted with a grin and a wave and some are even checked up. But when he's invited to join at the three broomsticks or at the beach he declines with a wave of what looks like a brightly wrapped wand box. "Waitin' for a birthday girl." Is his explaination. When he spots the sun striking a familiar hue of blonde he sits up and then stands and gives a whistle. "Oi, Mel!"
The sought after blonde is trailing in the wake of a pack of Hufflepuffs that she had been walking with. But a patch of sunny daffodils beside the trail has her slowed to a snail's pace and they've gotten several feet in front of her. Giving in to temptation, Melody hunkers down in front of the flowers, one hand lifting to trace gently along the stem of one flower, up to the bloom that her fingers cradle and tilt, as it lifting it's face to hers. The spring flowers match her shoes, which are for a change not her wellies but modestly heeled pumps, and the hem of her dress pools in the dirt at her feet. The black fabric is lightweight, with a modestly V'd neckline, cap sleeves, and yellow polka dots, of course.
The call of her name, shortened familiarly, has her standing and turning to look around. It doesn't occur to her immediately to look up, or she's just avoiding doing so, so she does a full circle seeking the source, and seems to almost reluctantly lift her brown eyes to the wagon across the path. "Hallo Higgins," is returned, pleasantly enough but reserved, and she turns with the intent to catch up to her housemates.
Colton whistles again and waves his free hand and the present both. He goes to the edge of the roof and gives a leap down. He manages to not break his neck or look a fool. The present is wiggled again with a big dorky grin. "Happy Birthday." He gives the girls ahead of her a wink as they pass by. But then he's all attention back on Melody. "Peace offering too, still cross wif me?"
When Colton starts moving it's obvious even to Melody that he's going to approach, and it would be rude of her to continue walking away. So she stops, holding her place, her attention returning to him as he drops from the caravan's roof. Tucking her hands behind her back, she gives the Higgins a squinty look, readily offering a "Ta." to the birthday wishes, but seeming to consider her answer to the question as he approaches. "Maybe a bit," comes the honest answer. Her gaze drops to the box, then is quickly back on his face, something akin to suspicion in their depths.
Colton gives a little chuff and tilts his head at her looking like a kicked and pleading puppy. "Oh come on. How would you have felt if Eion comes down the path and I say, 'Oi! Come have a nip of firewhiskey!' I know yee meant no 'arm in it. It just ticked me off, cause I wan't there. My baby sister's first drink. I had grand plans and they got messed up. I was ticked. I'm over it now. Here, please accept this as a peace offering. Aye?" He wiggles the present at her with that same big dorky grin.
Melody looks implacable until Colton mentions the personal aspect of it, and she looks rueful at his explanation. Softening slightly, she says, "I'm sorry that it threw a spanner in the works." For a second she almost goes on to say, again, that they weren't exactly giving his sister anything, but for all the good it's done so far she decides to just let it drop. He'll think what he wants no matter what she says, and she'd rather put down the grudge she's been carrying. "It was more that you took your music away," she says softly, almost inaudibly, not really having meant to say it aloud. She blinks and goes on immediately as she looks to the offered gift again. "I didn't even know you knew when my birthday was. You really shouldn't have, but it's very kind of you." She reaches both hands to accept the package, uncertain for a second, then asking, "Shall I open it now?"
Colton looks rather surprised that it wasn't the actual row but the punishment of not teaching her the music that strikes him. "Really? Huh. Oh sure. It's sort of one of my favorite days. Remember most of the birthday's on it as just a sort of memory hook. There's you, Stanley, Felix, Amber… just sort of stuck." He gives a little heh with a shrug, "Aye open it! Give it a whirl."
Melody carefully peels away the paper, remarking of the colours, "It's very pretty." She tucks it under her arm, using both hands, one holding the bottom of the box, the other starting to lift the lid. But she stops, having just been reminded of the day and Colton's predilection toward pranks, and that suspicious look is back as she looks up at him. "Will something explode in my face? Maybe dye me blue for the next week?"
Colton giggles impishly, fully accepting the fact that she's suspicious of such a prank from him. "No, nothing is going to explode in your face silly. Wouldn't be much of a peace offering, would it?" He reaches out to give her lifting arm a little nudge to urge her to continue lifting. "If it'll make yee feel better, I can open it?" Once it gets opened either way, there is some paper wrapping, it is sheet music, one of the silliest songs the Quinnland Clan can offer, in spirit of it being April Fool's day. Within the wrapping is an Eastern Red Cedar Wooden Low D Irish Flute. A band of metal where the segments attach is gold with a celtic knot heart etched into the metal. "I tried making one meself, but instruments are hard. So I just bought one and did a bit of the carving and etching." The carving he mentioned is a bunch of notes dancing along the shaft. Each of the notes when looked upon closely had a celtic knot work pattern in it.
The reassurance finally draws out a hint of Melody's smile. "No, I'll take you at your word," she says, and with the nudge draws the top off the box. She slips the lid beneath and her brows go up in surprise at sight of the sheet music. There's a quick flicker of her eyes up to him, but they drop immediately back down to the treasured music that he is apparently granting her permission to play again. The flute hasn't even been noticed yet, since the music is a grand enough gift to the young woman, so there's even more surprise when she starts to lift the page out to find it's wrapped around something. Holding the instrument delicately in one hand, she turns it to admire Colton's handiwork, gaze stopping on each finely carved note in turn, stopping last on the etched band. "It's lovely," she says softly, eyes still downcast. "Thank you."
Colton gets an impish grin after he truly grins ear to ear to see her pleased reaction. "Go on and give it a try!" While he promised nothing would blow up in her face, Colton just can't help himself! If and when she does try her first note that Low D that might be expected in fact comes out a deep bellowing fart. Each note comes out in something resembling the note expected, just only in farts and burps.
With her guard let down, Melody doesn't see the impishness for what it is. The flute is lifted and she blows the first note, but it barely gets to sound before Mel is pulling the instrument away in surprise. She chuckles and pushes up a smile to hide a flash of disappointment. "I should have known. But thank you, still." Before she puts it back into the box she does test another note, mostly because she thinks Colton would be disappointed if she didn't, and then it's slipped away and the lid shut.
Colton waves his hands as he cracks up, "Wait, wait! Here…" He reaches into the box to get that etched band a turn and the heart slides away and a knotted cloud which was on the top side slides back under. "There, I thought the lil E would get a kick out of that. But gag over, it does play right, just have to turn this bit." He removes his fingers still giggling through every word. He is tickled and very happy that she took it well. "Glad yee like it." He comes in for a quick kiss to her cheek, rather lightning quick, in and out in case whapping is her reaction. "Happy Birthday. I'll let yee catch up with your gaggle. Thanks for givin' me a chance."
"Oh!" Melody gasps as the trick is revealed, and when her smile resurfaces it's once more genuine, if still somewhat tentative. "I think he'll find it very funny." The flash of a kiss comes as she's settling the lid again, the sudden nearness of the scantily clad traveler, even so briefly, bringing a flush of pink into her cheeks. A surprised step backwards comes down onto a stone that nearly unbalances her. The wobble is even more embarrassing, and the blush deepens. "Yes," she says, "They're all…" The thought trails off vaguely as she looks down the path to where her friends are no longer in sight. "Only I know where they've gone, so." There's a huffed breath, and a nod. "I'm off then. Ta. Colton." His first name comes after a hesitation, so accustomed is she to addressing him by his surname. The box is wrapped in her arms, held against her chest, and she turns to hurry off.