Open no videoke - just a guitar

[Angelo Dela Cruz]

Angelo was so glad that he had been able to bring his acoustic guitar to Hogwarts this year. He'd been going crazy last year because he didn't have any video games, or internet, or even just his laptop and oh my God his phone. It was crazy! Just crazy! The best thing he could do this year was convince his mum to let him bring his guitar since he didn't have to take the plane back to New Zealand anymore after Finley's dad had help him get a portie. And now, it was such a nice day out, which was great cause they've had bouts of rain recently, so Angelo had decided he wasn't going to spend the day cooped up in his dorm. Instead, guitar in hand on a Sunday afternoon, he decided to park himself in the Courtyard. It was easy to choose a spot to sit on - he opted for the grass, near a shady patch away from the sun. He may want to spend time outside but defnitely not out in the sun - he already had too much of that back home. But he was relishing a bit in the coolness - it wasn't quite so biting now. And so, sitting cross-legged on the grass and guitar placed carefully against him, he started to strum and hum, just getting a feel of the chords as he tuned the instrument by ear alone. He's played it for long enough now to be able to do that. Once he got it all settled, he started to play the first song that came to mind - it was a really old song but one that his mum liked so he'd known it all his life.

"Oh, her eyes, her eyes
Make the stars look like they're not shining
Her hair, her hair
Falls perfectly without her trying"​

 

[Mania Athanasiou]

Mania had had bit of a mental breakdown over a first year, yeah not her brightest moment but it was all good now. She was back in good spirits and ready to face new possibilities, this being the case she had decided to go on a walk. She wasn't wearing her skirt today, no she'd wear it tomorrow again but today she'd opted for jeans and a shirt as the Gryffindor calmly made her way through the courtyard her ears picked up a tune. Was that music? OOH SOMEONE WAS PLAYING THE GUITAR!!! With excitement pulsing through her veins Mania walked towards the sound and soon enough found a classmate of her singing. She'd never heard this song in particular. "You sound amazing!" She quipped to the boy, Angelo, as she made to sit down.

 

[Finley Mackintosh Baros]

Finley had been headed for the courtyard too (hi mania) for one thing it wasn’t raining out, like it had been the majority of the week - ugh September - and secondly because he was almost positive he had heard someone singing and ever the curious sticky beak that he was he obviously wanted to go and see what was going on, because who wouldn’t be curious honestly? And maybe (definitely) because he recognised the voice. He slowed as he spotted Angelo sitting there like one of those kids in one of those magazine ads where nothing ever made them look cooler than sitting them on a log with a guitar and honestly Finley could kind of picture him sitting in front of a campfire like this. He liked Angelo’s song, he liked the sound and the way it made him feel honestly. It wasn’t fair that Angelo was this effortlessly chill.

And then of course, Mania was there - he shouldn’t really be all that surprised, his best friend was everywhere. Even in his home! It was okay though because he liked having her there to be honest. She plopped down near Angelo and was quick to throw compliments (he wasn’t surprised, this was Nia) but it did make him a little self-concious for no reason whatsoever. He elected to stand back and listen, leaning against one of the trees in the vicinity so he could listen. He didn’t know the song, he didn’t think he’d ever heard it before, but he liked it, it was nice.​

 

[Angelo Dela Cruz]

Angelo couldn't help but grin at Mania as she came into the Courtyard obviously excited. He didn't stop with the playing though, nor the singing and just went about with the song.

"She's so beautiful
And I tell her every day
Yeah, I know, I know
When I compliment her, she won't believe me"

It wasn't new to him to have someone join him when he would sing and play the guitar. He'd done it enough in his old school and it was common thing during recess or lunch break to just make music in the classroom if someone was bored. If it was a particularly energetic day, someone would even dance. He didn't think anyone would really sing-along though, mostly because it's such an old song and he didn't know if wizards even knew the same songs as muggles did. He didn't think so though cause he also never heard of the songs in the magical world.

"And it's so, it's so
Sad to think that she don't see what I see
But every time she asks me, "Do I look okay?"
I saaaaaaay"

He sang that last word longer, holding the tone just because it was fun as he grinned at the Gryffindor girl until he spotted Finley over at the edge of the Courtyard. Angelo couldn't help but focus on Finley as he gestured for his friend to come closer.

"When I see your face
There's not a thing that I would change
'Cause you're amazing
Just the way you aaaaaare"​

 

[Mania Athanasiou]

Mania was enjoying the song and the ease Angelo was singing it with, it brought a sense of calm over her. Something that anchored her quite a bit after the storm of emotions she'd experienced yesterday. She smiled at Angelo, brightly, feeling some of her spark returning. Everything was alright and these people at school most of them saw her for who she was and that was all that mattered.

As Angelo focused on someone and gestured them over Nia couldn't help but turn around to look at the person too and an eager smile graced her face at the sight of her best friend. Jumping up she ran to Finley. "Ooh, Finfin you have to come with us! He has a beautiful voicee and he wass totes looking at youuuu." Mania grinned, ecstatic about seeing one of her best friends today and at the attention Angelo had paid on his beloved Finfin. Yeah it hadn't escaped her, nothing would truly if she was around. Pulling at the boys arm she tried to drag him towards the singer. "Comeeeee sit with us OR BETTER YET YOU CAN DANCE WITH MEEEE!" The second year did her best puppy eyes to plead her best friend into complying, she was definitely feeling more back to her normal self today. Perhaps thanks to Felix perhaps thanks to herself, who knows?