Drums

[Onyx Derouin]

If there was one thing he missed about home, it was his drum set. Onyx found his way down to the Arts room and made a beeline for the drum set. He took his seat, picking up the drumsticks and twirling them a bit. A bright smile broke across his face. It felt good to be here again. After a brief moment of thought, he picked the song that seemed to be stuck in his head.

He lost himself immediately as he began to play, relaxing more than he had since he'd got here. He'd spent so much time worrying and trying to impress his sister he forgot that every now and then he needed to let himself go. He was so lost in the rythym he didn't notice anyone enter the room.

 

[Kauri Morales-Tipene]

With so much magic to learn and so many things to do with his friends, ever since arriving at Hogwarts Kauri had been neglecting all of his muggle hobbies. When the choice came between practicing a real magic spell or playing the guitar he had had for years, the guitar never stood a chance. Kauri almost hadn't even brought his guitar with him to school this year, debating with himself for hours as he was packing. If he didn't bring it, he was giving up on the skill for good, and Kauri didn't like to give up. But he couldn't justify bringing something so bulky for no reason, so Kauri had made himself promise that he would actually practise if he brought it.

Making his way down to the arts room with his guitar on his back, it struck Kauri how much lighter it felt than the last time he had played it. He supposed he would really need a bigger guitar soon. It hadn't really occurred to him how much he had grown since first year until now. It would be fine though, at least for a first practice. Making his way into the arts room, Kauri was surprised to see another boy already practicing at the drums. Smiling, he gave the boy a friendly wave. "Mind if I join you?"

 

[Onyx Derouin]

Onyx was drawn out of his head and his hands stilled as his attention was turned to a cute guy in the doorway. "Oh, definitely." Onyx grinned at the boy. "It's always more fun playing with someone else. You know any good songs?" He asked, running through his list of favorites in his head. "I'm Onyx. Onyx Michaels." He introduced himself, sapphire eyes sparkling. It was always good to have company, even better when the company was cute.

 

[Kauri Morales-Tipene]

Kauri was relieved that the younger boy didn't mind the company and took a seat to unpack his guitar, though he laughed awkwardly when the boy asked if he knew any good songs. "I dunno... I haven't practiced in ages, I'm probably really rusty. Do you practice all the time?" He asked as he gave his guitar a quick look over. He had tuned it in the dorm and was fairly sure it was ready to go, but he hadn't played in so long he wanted to make sure it was alright. "I'm Kauri Tipene. Nice to meet you." He smiled, pleased to make a new friend.

 

[Onyx Derouin]

Onyx smiled as the older boy sat down and pulled out his guitar. "Nah," He responded to the guys' question. "Not since coming to school. It's not like it's super hard to keep a beat though," He teased, hoping to keep the older boy at ease. He held out his hand for a fist bump when the boy gave his name. "Kauri huh? Cool name." He told him with a grin. "My sister and I ended up with the mildly obvious. Sapphire and Onyx," He sighed dramatically, gesturing at his black hair and sapphire blue eyes. "It's like a fancy point and name. Might as well have been Sky and Raven." He teased himself lightly.

 

[Kauri Morales-Tipene]

Kauri laughed slightly, leaning over to return the younger boy's fistbump. "Well, you sounded like you know what you're doing." He smiled, leaning back and returning to looking over his guitar before giving an experimental strum. The wood and steel under his hands was a familiar feeling, but it had been so long since he had played it was hard to know where to even start trying to remember. He listened to Onyx's comments about his name and nodded a little awkwardly, silently wondering what exactly was obvious about those names. "Right." He commented with a friendly smile, more interested in making a friend than asking questions. "Is your sister at Hogwarts too?" He asked. He didn't think he remembered meeting a Sapphire, so she probably wasn't in his year.

 

[Onyx Derouin]

Onyx's grin grew wider as the subject changed to his sister, though he had been the one to bring her up. Affection was clear in his eyes. "Yeah, but we're both second years. She's an alternate beater for the Slytherin team, though, so you might catch her in a game. She's tiny and full of attitude." He leaned forward a bit, smiling. "You can warm up if you want, I don't mind. Been a while since you picked up a guitar?" He asked conversationally. "My uncle plays bass, and it takes him forever to warm up, so I've got patience." He told the older boy. "What year are you?" He asked, wanting to know more about the guy across from him.

 

[Kauri Morales-Tipene]

Kauri listened to Onyx talk about his sister, nodding slowly. "That's cool. I don't usually watch Quidditch, but I bet she's good." Kauri had wanted to sign up for sports when he arrived at Hogwarts, but quickly realised that Quidditch was just more violent than he could stomach. He went to the occasional game, but usually preferred to sit them out. In response to Onyx's question he nodded, looking down to practice the few chords he remembered while he spoke, hands a little clumsy on the frets. "Yeah, like I said. I've barely picked it up since I got here, and I wasn't the best player before..." He shrugged a little, strumming slowly. "I just used to play for fun sometimes." He smiled in response to the boy's question. "Fourth year. You said you're second, right?" Kauri double checked, since his initial assumption had been that Onyx was a first year. He could tell the boy was young, and he didn't think he had ever seen him around before this year.

 

[Onyx Derouin]

Onyx smiled. "She's got the energy for it, that's for sure." He listened as Kauri continued on about how he played. He offered the older boy an enthusiastic smile. "Oh, playing for fun is the best thing. What's the point if you don't enjoy it, right?" He tapped his drumstick against the rim in a fun little beat.

"I just transferred here, but yeah, I'm a second year." He glanced at the boy when he wasn't looking with a touch of admiration in his eyes. This guy was cool and calm and older and cute. Not Onyx's usual idea of cute, but his sweet personality made him more appealing. Sadly, though, Onyx knew he had no chance with the older boy. But that didn't mean they couldn't be friends, right?

 

[Kauri Morales-Tipene]

((Sorry this is so late, I've had a stressful few weeks ))

Kauri nodded as he listened to Onyx talk about his sister. Kauri sometimes found himself wondering what it would be like to have a sibling, but surrounding himself with friends suited him just fine. He laughed softly and nodded in response to Onyx's comment about playing for fun. "Oh, for sure." He smiled. "Just means I don't really remember much. It's been way too long." He paused, looking down as he shifted his fingers to another chord, trying to remember what had once felt much more natural to him.

Kauri hadn't considered that Onyx might be a transfer, but it explained why he hadn't seen the younger boy before. "Oh, that's cool!" He said happily. "Are you settling in at Hogwarts alright? What was your last school like?"

 

[Onyx Derouin]

Onyx smiled, genuinely liking the boy with him. It was always a pleasure to be in the company of such sweetness. It was a little refreshing, seeing as how his usual company was so snarky and a little stand-offish. "What made you decide to pick up the guitar, anyway?" He asked. "I like the energy behind the drums." He told Kauri with a wink.

"Technically I didn't go to a school before this. My uncle is a photographer for a muggle travel magazine. We thought it would be better for me to see the world and learn the basics from him than be stuck in a stuffy building all day." He rubbed his neck. "Honestly I miss that, but even with our issues I wouldn't trade my time here with my sister. It's good getting to know her. Do you have any family?"