SS: Sweet Music

[Chelliephone]

Overview
What happens when two avid music lovers become the best of friends? Dynah and Tamara seem intent on finding out - both girl's having met as they created an impromptu duet in Hogsmeade Village during Dynah's second and Tam's first. Music lovers for years, the sharing of that joy made the pair fast friends - even if they also seem to have some misconceptions about the other's personality traits. Now third and second years, what other harmonies can they create together?

Characters
Dynah Atreyu-Rehman (Hufflepuff - third year) - FearlessLeader19
Tamara Bowen (Ravenclaw - second year) - Chelliephone

Scenes

• Scene 1: Gotta Get Back to Hogwarts
  In which the girls are back at Hogwarts and Tam is very excited to show Dynah the new sheet music she picked up for them to play together.
• Scene 2: Post concert during the Summer of 2112.

This is a CLOSED RP exploring the school years of Dynah Atreyu-Rehman and Tamara Bowen.

[FearlessLeader19]

Dynah was having quite a serene day so far. The only thing that spoiled it was the load of homework the third years had gotten that day. But it didn't matter, not now anyway, when her aim was to enjoy the remainder of the afternoon. After her last class, she hadn’t bothered to return to the Hufflepuff Common Room. It wasn't warranted for since her violin had been collected from there earlier. It had been her intent to head to the Music Room but on her way, Dy happened to catch a glimpse of what a beautiful day it was, hence her decision to beeline for the beech tree by the Lake.

Taking her time, the third year propped her book bag and violin case against the tree, thinking that in a minute, she’d mirror call Jude to let him know that all the practice instructions he had given her were being worked on. Dynah was determined to perfect every instruction by the time she saw him next. For now, she removed her shoes and socks. It was always quite a delight to feel the microscopic grains beneath one’s feet and between one’s toes. After stuffing the socks in the corresponding shoe, the Hufflepuff placed them beside her bag then proceeded to dig her bare heels into the warm sand.

It was just like being at the beach!

[Chelliephone]

Buying new sheet music over the summer was always a given for Tamara Bowen. Actually, it was her FAVORITE thing about the season! Her parents certainly sent her a lot of pages too but… it was exhilarating to get to find something on her own. Something that really spoke to her and just made her fingers itch to bring a bow across her cello strings.

And this summer had been the best of any of those experiences. Because this year, she'd found music fit for TWO stringed instruments. Naturally she couldn't play them both by herself, but that didn't matter because she'd actually made a friend the year before just as musically inclined as she. So it had been with Dynah in mind she'd purchased the book of duets, and the moment there was a free period she shared with third years - the girl was off to look for the Hufflepuff.

It was only a few passes over the Quidditch pitch and the Discovery Garden before she glanced over towards the lake and spotted a familiar figure by the edge. With a new pep on her step, the strawberry blonde skipped her way over, calling her name excitedly as she went. "Dynah! Hi!" Reaching the girl, she plopped down beside her. "I found you!"

[FearlessLeader19]

Naturally Dynah was clueless about the fact that her crush, Tam, was looking for her. If she was, she most certainly would not have been repeatedly digging her toes in the sand {which was very therapeutic, by the way} since even the most innocent of actions seemed to end in disaster when Tam was involved. Dy was just thinking about what she hoped to be eating for dinner when that pretty voice belonging to that particularly gorgeous girl cut through the air.

The Hufflepuff promptly burrowed her feet into the sand {because of course there had to be some stupid reaction} and suddenly a cry of pain escaped her mouth. This happened at the exact moment Tamara sat beside her but Dy’s focus was on her right foot. Pulling it from the sand, she saw that a small twig - probably from the beech tree - was embedded under the nail of her big toe.

Great.

Just great.

Why did she always have to have her stupid moments when Tamara was around? She squeezed her eyes shut. Maybe when she opened them, Tam wouldn’t be there; the Ravenclaw’s presence would have been just her imagination and she could work in peace to pull that twig out. Dy opened her eyes and looked around. Nope, Tamara was very much there. She tried to manage a smile but only succeeded in presenting a grimace.

[Chelliephone]

Her smile had been large as she plopped onto the Earth beside the slightly older girl, but it quickly changed as instead of a greeting there was a cry of pain that escaped from the Hufflepuff. Tam's immediate thought was she had somehow hurt the girl, and she quickly looked down to make sure she had hit the sand and not Dynah's hand or something mortifiying such as that. Seeing that she was in fact not sitting on her, she looked over instead at her foot which was coming up from the sand and gave a gasp at the sight.

That looked particularly painful! And as someone who did not do very well with injuries, she was feeling a bit queasy at the picture and turned instead to look at the girl's face - which eyes were now closed which she could only assume was from pain.

Feeling concerned, Tam gently reached out and put her hand on one of Dy's to give it a gentle reassuring squeeze. "Do you.. want me to help you try to take it out? Or I can help you up to see Professor Feirgrund if you'd prefer he do it?" She might not look it, but carrying her cello around DID give her some strength and she easily could have piggybacked the girl into the castle.

[FearlessLeader19]

At this point, Dynah would not have minded if Tam had accidentally sat on her hand and crushed a bone. Surely it couldn’t be as painful as a twig embedded in one’s toenail bed? It always was the minor injuries that hurt the most. Still... the Hufflepuff could endure a high level of pain otherwise she would have started crying. As it was, she was far more concerned about appearing stupid in front of Tamara. Yes, Dy had resigned to the fact that the other girl was actually seated beside her, and not just a figment of her imagination.

Her heart thumped at the undeniable concern on Tam’s face. “Of course she only cares about you because you’re her music buddy,’’ Dy reminded herself sternly. Not even that soft hand resting on hers was going to chase that thought away. Still, given the circumstances, the Hufflepuff was grateful for the comfort. “If you don’t mind, you can pluck it out. Otherwise, I can do it myself.” Whichever suited Tam just as long as she kept that comforting hand on Dy’s.

Of course the Hufflepuff didn’t say that out loud.

[Chelliephone]

She HAD offered to help with removing the twig from it's new residence, but when Dynah accepted the offer Tam felt a bit sick. It wasn't she didn't care, because she quite did, it was just the whole general idea of all things medical. But she didn't want to rescind her offer now, because she did not want her friend to think it was any type of a personal slight nor did she want to seem like she didn't care. So she simply gave a small smile and a nod before moving a bit so could reach the twig with her free hand, not letting go of Dynah's with the other.

"I'm going to pull it out on three, okay?" She gently took hold of twig, before quickly averting her eyes towards Dy. "Ready? One, two, three!" She gently gave it a tug, making sure to keep her motion swift and straight out so as not risk any further damaging. She just hoped it worked and she didn't hurt her friend further.

[FearlessLeader19]

Tamara’s expression made Dynah immediately regret asking her to do such a thing; really, Dy couldn’t blame her. That twig was under that toenail rather good. The Hufflepuff had actually opened her mouth to let Tam know that it was okay and she’d do it herself but the Ravenclaw nodded and was already reaching forward for the offending object.

“Three. Gotcha.” And with that, Dynah squeezed her eyes shut again. Braced for the stinging or burning or whatever pain was to come, she did nothing but wait until Tam counted to three. Dy felt the pluck that meant the twig was removed. She kept her eyes shut, allowing the stinging sensation to pass. Dy did not cry out or gave any sort of indication of that feeling but sat there until the feeling began to fade. What made everything better was Tam holding onto her hand. Without realising it, she was squeezing the other girl’s.

“Thanks,’’ Dy remarked when she opened her eyes and gave her toe a cautious wiggle. “There doesn’t seem to be any damage done.” No blood trickling out or so; this was good. She turned to give Tam a war smile while removing her hand {regretfully} from Tam's. "Didn't mean to squish your hand, sorry."

[Chelliephone]

Dynah had nothing to regret, because she hadn’t really even asked. She’d merely agreed to Tam’s offer - and Tam had offered. She didn’t like to see her friend in pain and she imagined it would be even more difficult to pull something out like that on herself, by herself, so even if she was a bit queasy…. She was still happy to do it.

And honestly, it hadn’t been that bad. One tug and it was removed from the Hufflepuff - thankfully seemingly without any additional pain, which was extra relief for the little Eaglette. At the squeeze to her hand, Tam looked up to give her a gentle smile giving a reassuring squeeze in return. She was extra relieved too when Dy tested the movement - and thankfully seemed to have no issues. “Does it hurt at all now that the twig is out?”

She was almost a little sad when Dy moved her hand, glad she could have offered any help or comfort at all, and so shook her head at the apology. “No need to be sorry.”

[FearlessLeader19]

Tam was so nice, not just in face. Dynah was reminded of this fact as the other girl levelled up to get the task done. She actually wanted to say something of the nature of her thoughts but the words just got lodged in her throat. And you know what? Dynah hated herself for that.

Sadly, that negative feeling did not pass even as she sat there wiggling her toes and becoming highly aware of how much she liked holding hands with Tamara. Could this moment not pass? “A little. It’s the smaller injuries that hurt the most, I think.” It was like when her fingers hurt from hours of practicing her violin; the strings left tiny cuts on her fingers that stung so badly one would have thought that the strings had cut deep into her flesh. “But don’t worry, it’ll pass.” Dy smiled brightly in reassurance.

Another reason to dislike herself? She had extracted her hand from the Ravenclaw’s. See, Dy always had her invisible walls up since she couldn’t be sure that Tamara LIKED her. Ask in LIKE LIKE. The Hufflepuff was just trying to protect herself but at that moment? She decided to risk it all by sliding her hand back into Tam’s. Friends can hold hands too. “So, you were looking for me? Is that what brought you out here?”

[Chelliephone]

While she would be surprised at her face being called nice, she certainly would have been pleased at both that compliment and the fact her attitude towards others was seen as kind too. She WANTED to be kind and strived to be so, not just with people she wanted to be her friend or whom already were, but with everyone. It was nice if that did come across and she could make others feel decent - she often was worried her shyness got too much in the way of that goal.

“I think that’s true. I don’t know that anything hurts as much as stubbing a pinky toe on furniture.” Which was overall a very small happening, but it hurt for eons after. So she imagined this somewhat similar injury would feel the same way. “Let me know if it hurts more and I can help you up to Professor Feirgrund. Okay?” She didn’t want her to have to sit in a ton of pain and discomfort, especially not for an extended period.

She had been a little sad at the hand moving away, but she brightened again when Dynah took it back. She didn’t know why it made her as happy as it did, but it did and she gave a small squeeze to show that. Friends COULD hold hands as far as she thought, not that she had a ton of experience however. “I was looking for you! I picked up a book of duets over the summer for us to look through!” She reached for her bag with her free hand, pulling it out to present to the Hufflepuff.

[FearlessLeader19]

Maybe someday Dynah would be able to tell Tam most of the things she wanted to say: about her being beautiful in face and in personality, that her shyness made her adorable, and most of all that Dynah had a huge crush on her. Someday. Maybe.

“I think,” Dy remarked, smiling slightly. “You’ve found the perfect example. My toe was on par with that level of pain but…” Here, she wiggled the offending toe. “It’s better already. Must be the magic in your hand.” The words had slipped out of her mouth before they could be bitten away, and it was too late to take them back. Obviously. “I mean, the way you plucked the twig out did not do any more harm.” Merlin! Why did her cheeks have to go pink now? The Hufflepuff felt a combination of awkward and foolish. Surely Tam would think of her awkwardness as stupid?

And now the third year was confused. Or maybe she was misreading the happiness registered on Tamara’s face? It couldn’t have had anything to do with them holding hands, she thought. The only logical explanation was that Tam was happy the topic of music had finally come around. Even Dy was intrigued, however. Making more music with the girl who’s hand sat snugly in hers? Yes, please! “Excellent!” Already she was examining the contents of the book with one hand. “We should pick our favourites, if any, to start with. What do you think?”

[Chelliephone]

For the moment, Tam was more than content just with the other girl’s friendship. Hearing someone thought that way about her and not one of her beautiful sisters or cousins, would have been astounding to her. And was sure to have turned her own face crimson and color and have her stammering all over herself. More than she usually did, that was.

“I’m just glad to hear it’s better already!” She replied, looking at the injury as well when Dy wiggled her toes around to show the mobility. The words had her confused for a moment, but also had her blushing a little bit as she smiled in response at her. It was only when she clarified that she hadn’t made it worse that Tam was able to understand what she had meant.“I’m glad it didn’t hurt more! I was definitely worried about causing you even more discomfort! But still, tell me if it changes I can help you up to the castle!” She was still a little on the worried side, okay?

It was the hand being in hers, though if someone questioned her on it she probably would have just believed it was because she wasn’t used to having friends who wanted that level of closeness with her. It was really nice having a close friend and Dy was so much fun to be around, it was amazing that she liked spending her time with the young Ravenclaw. “I like that idea! You pick first! I want to know and learn the styles of songs that you like best.” She replied, sincerity evident in her voice.

[FearlessLeader19]

Tamara deserved all the good things being said to her, Dynah knew this much. The Hufflepuff knew she was only having difficulties saying these things out loud because of the fear she harboured that the Ravenclaw would become uncomfortable and not want to be friends anymore. Then it was get all awkward and messy since they still saw each other around the Castle and at Orchestra practice.

Dynah must have died and gone to heaven because… damn!!! She honestly hadn’t known that Tam could be anymore cuter but that blush simply enhanced that cuteness. Her brain got even fuzzier and she found it difficult not to stare. It even took poor Dy some time to process the next words. The little faith that remained in her to not come across as a fool quickly evaporated; in the end, Dynah simply nodded and smiled since her talking right now was not an option. The wrong things might be said.

The third year was even thankful for the moments of silence that passed while she flipped through the pages of sheet music. Truthfully, at first there was difficulty in her focusing on them because her mind was all a jumble and a tumble plus there was still disbelief that she and Tam were actually holding hands. As time passed, her focus on the pages improved and she was able to recognise quite a few of the pieces. “There are many in here that I like,’’ Dy spoke up, absently stroking her thumb over Tam’s knuckles. “I’ve been trying a few styles and genres - classical and pop but I’ve been thinking of rock and electric dance music too. Shall we try pop together? Are you familiar with this old one?” Dynah pointed to Perfect by One Direction. She knew the melody and a bit of the words and was quite tempted to start humming.

[Chelliephone]

Tam didn't ever think of Dynah as a fool, even if there were moments when she was quiet with her. Most of the time, Tam just assumed the quiet was her own doing - because maybe she'd made the girl uncomfortable with her general social ineptitude. She didn't seem to have such a hard time with Vesper. But at the same time, Tam also figured Dy might just be shy like her and maybe she hadn't warmed up as much to the Ravenclaw. She didn't particularly like that train of thinking, but she still understood it. She had difficulties like that sometimes too, though she felt the most comfortable with the Hufflepuff.

She wasn't sure why she was also feeling so suddenly nervous, as her eyes drifted down to their hands and where Dynah's thumb was gently moving against her skin. She turned a little red again, but tried not too show it too much, instead her attention once more snapping to the book when Dy seemed to find a piece she liked. "I haven't ventured too much outside of classical yet, but I think trying something new would be fun." The with you went unsaid, but was meant all the same. So yes, she was very on board with trying some pop. At the question of if she knew a particular piece, Tam carefully scooted closer to the other girl so she could lean gently against her and peer at the name. "I don't think I know it. But I bet if I heard you play it once I could pick it up?" She offered, smiling at the Hufflepuff.

[FearlessLeader19]

The only times the name ‘Dynah’ and the word ‘quiet’ could be used quite truthfully in a sentence was if said sentence happened to be: Dynah isn’t quiet. Tam may think she was reserved but she was far from so. There was just something about the Ravenclaw that made her fall into silence a lot; it had nothing to do with being uncomfortable. If anything, Dy spent a lot of the time when they were together thinking: ‘I can’t believe she wants to talk to me!’ or ‘How is she SO pretty!’ or ‘Gosh, I like her a lot!’; otherwise, her brain would be scrambled due to Tamara’s presence.

Congrats, Tamara Bowen! You succeeded in changing Dynah’s personality completely at times!

The Hufflepuff was completely oblivious to her friend’s sudden nervousness. The intense blushing, for the moment, was not noticed as her gaze was on the pages before her. “That’s okay. We can give this one a go and if you don’t like it, we can switch to something else.” Dynah was rather patient and would not mind playing pieces that Tam was comfortable with or moving along at a pace Tam was happy with when it came to learning new genres. Genres - this was what the third year was thinking about then suddenly she could not think at all.

Tam was LEANING against her!!!

Dynah didn’t think she would be able to keep it together and she might end up fainting. However, she forced herself to not appear any more silly than she had today so she just focused on her breathing before turning to Tam. “Sure I can do-” Only now was the deeper shade of red noticed. Sadly, it took a backseat to a new fact: their faces were incredibly close.

Excuse Dy while she stared.

[Chelliephone]

Tam would have been entirely perplexed had she known those were the thoughts that were running through Dynah's head. Those were the type of thoughts that she would equate to her sisters, or one of her cousins or or... well, anyone except for her. Truthfully, she would have liked that those were the thoughts the Hufflepuff had but... still perplexed.

Attempting to focus once more on the words and the music sheet in front of them, instead of their joined hands, Tam's face cooled the slightest bit as she continued to look at the notes. From what she could tell, it didn't look overly difficult - not compared to some of the things she was used to playing. But because of the change in tempo it might still prove a bit of a challenge. But one she was excited about, especially if she could then hear too how their instruments harmonized together. "I'm sure I'll like it! It's always good to try something new too! Plus if you like it, I want to hear it." She spoke sincerely, before turning her attention to look back at the girl as well.

Before also reaching the same conclusion that they were super close. Tamara didn't mind that fact, but she was also made very nervous by that fact though she certainly couldn't have placed why. She tried to focus on the words of whatever Dy had been saying, the Ravenclaw's face turning crimson again while she struggled to do so, but whatever had been spoken had been completely lost on her. "Wh... um, well... What was it you had said?" She asked again, stuttering a bit over her words in a softer tone than she had been using previously.

[FearlessLeader19]

Dear, sweet Tamara.

Dynah would not be able to understand how the cute Ravenclaw could have such self doubt; she was way more than she realised. Once Dy figured out all about this self doubt, she’ll be doing all that she could to quell it.

Thr Hufflepuff was quite eager to try out the song; there were no fears on her part about the cello and violin, and of course, herself and Tam not working well together. Already she could feel the anticipation of a good time they would have together. Not to mention this meant more time in Tam’s company. This was a winning situation for Dy and she hoped it was the same for Tam. “We could get to work shortly, if you want, maybe right here if you have your cello with you.” Together, they could serenade the students out here at the Lake and maybe even the Giant Squid.

The older girl’s heart was now hammering in her ribcage. Not only had she developed the strong urge to continue staring but she also wanted to lean in and kiss Tamara. It took every cell in her body to fight the instinct off. “I said- ?” What had she said? Merlin!!! Dy had lost her focus completely! “I um… uh…” She squeezed her eyelids shut then opened them a second later. “I’m sorry! I got distracted.” With more focus, which was gathered by quickly looking back at the pages, she continued, “I can play now for you.”

The downside of that? She’d have to let go of Tamara’s hand.

[Chelliephone]

At the suggestion of starting now, Tam nodded her head enthusiastically before reaching with her free hand to dig around in her pocket for where her cello was. She nearly panicked when she grasped open air instead of the familiar item, until she realized she'd forgotten it that morning up in her dorm room after having cleaned it thoroughly at her desk the night before. Her shoulders sagged a little bit that they wouldn't be able to practice immediately, and she gave Dynah a rueful smile. "I don't seem to have it on me. But maybe we could meet up tonight? After dinner? Or... even sometime tomorrow?" Not to appear super anxious to spend more time in the Hufflepuffs presence and yet...

Tam's cheeks burned a little bit as a flitter of a thought danced it's way across her brain. Before she quickly determined there was no way it had any validity, so she dismissed it. There was no way she was the reason for the distraction. Unless maybe she had something in her hair or her teeth. But Dy would have told her right? Feeling just a tad subconscious, she pulled her scarf up a little higher on her chin to cover the bottom of her face and (hopefully) some of her blush. "That's okay." She responded, in regards to the distraction. She paused at the offer to play now, glancing down at their hands together before looking back up and giving a small nod. "Yeah, okay! I would like that!"

[FearlessLeader19]

An involuntary smile spread over her face as she watched Tam reach for her cello. If there was one thing that Dy could count on, it was Tam having her instrument on her person at any given time. That always indicated a high level of dedication to one’s music. Did Dy’s impression of and admiration of the other girl fade because of this one time of forgetfulness? Definitely not. “That’s okay.” Dy’s own mind whirled through her schedule for the evening. There wasn’t much to do unless you counted homework; and even with that, there was none that was pressing. “How about tonight?” she asked in her most casual tone. “I’ll understand if you have other plans though.” While Dynah would understand, she was hoping their were no plans in place!

The Hufflepuff would have dearly wanted to know what that fleeting thought was. She would have most likely given in to her feelings and staunchly let Tam know that she was the reason for her distraction. Or maybe as time went by, Tamara would figure it out since there were bound to be more moments when she distracted Dy. The older girl kept her attention on the notes though she was very aware of Tam adjusting her scarf to hide her face. Maybe Tam didn’t want her staring. The thought earned Dy a sinking feeling in her chest.

Despite the feeling, her hand lightly squeezed Tamara’s before reaching for her violin. After it was carefully removed from the case and positioned on her shoulder, Dynah began to expertly play the notes, her gaze completely focused upon the pages of the book on her lap.

[Chelliephone]

Scene II
Summer 2112. Tam notices a free recital event for a local growing symphony and sends an owl to Dynah to see if she'd go with her. Post concert.

That had been everything, Tam realized as she left them out of the auditorium, her entire body bouncing happily from the euphoria she still felt. Despite the fact music had always been of such interest to her, she hadn't ever really gone to a performance like this before. Not with a full orchestra and not with a room with such amazing acoustics. Yes, their own at Hogwarts was nothing to sniff at but she was a participant in those. Being merely a spectator had been something different entirely.

And maybe (definitely) the company had been a portion of it too. Getting to meet up with a friend, specifically Dynah, intentionally over summer was a new experience as well. All in all, the Bowen girl was just feeling really really happy today.

Sliding her hand into Dy's, to make sure they didn't lose each other in the crowd you know, she led the older Hufflepuff outside before finding a spot open enough to actually engage her in conversation. "Did you enjoy that as much as I did?" she certainly hoped so!

[FearlessLeader19]

Dynah too was quite happy with the performances given by the orchestra. She had always loved watching such concerts on the internet but to actually witness them was spectacular. This much she had known from the very tender age of seven when her fathers had first taken her to one, after they discovered her love for the violin. Clearly she wasn’t the only one who had enjoyed that. Out of the corner of her eyes, she watched Tam as she bounced along. The Hufflepuff could not help but smile continuously. Tamara was always a joy to watch, even if Dy happened to be doing so secretly.

This had definitely been one of the best days of her summer. This and the day Tam asked her to attend the concert together. Dynah would never, ever say no to Tamara, it was something she had already figured out. Without even knowing it, the younger girl had her wrapped around her finger. Dy was setting herself up for potential hurt and she knew it; yet she could not help herself.

It felt as though her heart skipped several dozen beats when she felt that soft hand slide into hers. Her smile grew wider, and perhaps a little goofy, as she settled her fingers around Tam’s. Moments when they held each other’s hand were the best! Before long they sailed through the crowd and Dy could pay the other girl her full attention. “I did! I kept checking out the cellists, picturing you there among them.” Tam definitely had a future as a professional cellist! “Is that what you want to do after school though? To be a professional?” Dynah had never thought to ask this question as she had always assumed the answer to be a positive one. But now she realised how foolish it was to assume. Would Tam prefer to simply get into another profession? “Thanks, by the way, for asking me to attend with you. You know I would never have said no.”

[Chelliephone]

The strawberry blonde would have been so pleased to hear this had been one of the best days for Dynah. Would she have been surprised that this and the day of invitation were both up there? Probably so, but if she had paused to think on it the same events were perhaps some of her favorite as well. Today would have taken no reflection at all to make the claim, but the other might have. And then she might have also had to think on why it made her so happy, but that was something she was not yet aware of. Nor was she aware of the fact she seemed to hold any sway of Dynah - in fact, she would have been speechless to know!

Another thing she should probably reflect on eventually? How much she also enjoyed holding the other girl's hand. It was possible that's the way it would have been with anyone, not that Tam had tested the theory, but also... she wouldn't have been surprised if it was a strictly Dy thing. There seemed to be a few things honestly that strictly occurred when she was with her Hufflepuff friend.

Giving the hand in hers a squeeze when they paused, Tam focused on the words that she could now hear spoken, her eyes taking on a glow. "Oh that would be amazing wouldn't it? To be up on stage!" With a whole group sounded far more exciting than on her own. She was absolutely no Yo-Yo Ma. "Absolutely! I want to join an orchestra, or a small ensemble or something. I don't think there's any career that would make me happier than music." She was only 13 so it was possible something else would steal her heart, but she was highly doubtful. "You want to do music professionally too, right? As like a solo act?" She thought she vaguely remembered them having a conversation about it, and in fact she thought there had also been something about dancing as well - though she hadn't seen the other girl do that yet.

At the words of thanks, Tam beamed and gave her head a shake, another hand squeeze. "No, thank you for coming! I'm really glad you were able to. It was fun to get to experience this with you!" She wasn't sure if her sisters would have gotten bored, but with Dy it was a good excuse to see her and she knew the other girl would enjoy it. Double win!

[FearlessLeader19]

Dy wasn’t at all certain that the other girl would ever like her back in THAT way so she couldn’t even think that it was okay that Tam hadn’t reasoned that Tam herself might be attracted to Dy. In the Huflepuff’s mind, it seemed too much to ask for. No, it wasn’t that she had a low self esteem or anything of the sort. It was just that Tam being attracted back to her seemed unlikely. As for their hand holding, Dynah enjoyed it immensely; it seemed she had grown addicted to the action, as a matter of fact. And yes, her brain still turned to mush whenever Tam was holding onto her.

Dynah gave a goofy little smile at the squeeze before gently swinging their hands. She couldn’t help but like the way her crush’s eyes lit up. From that, she had already gotten the answer to her question. Still, she let the other girl go on about her dreams; after all, Dy could listen to her go on and on every single day. “Or you could perform with me,’’ the older girl blurted before she could think too much about the suggestion. “I mean, if you want. Joining an orchestra is absolutely fine too. It’s not that you have to join me.” Ahhh, she was making a fool of herself again with her prattling. “Solo act. Been having more dance lessons over the summer to help with that.” Which brought her a revelation she had been waiting to share all day. “Jude's having his first concert in December and he asked me to be part of his opening act. I said yes!’’ The huge grin on her face was enough to describe just how excited Dy was excited about this. “It’s part of the reason I’ve been taking more dance lessons. You’ll be there, right? For the concert, I mean.” There she was babbling again! Merlin!

“You’re welcome! It’s nice to have someone who appreciates orchestral music so much. Maybe we can go to more of them in the future?” Dynah crossed the fingers of her free hand, careful to hide this behind her back.

[Chelliephone]

Tam couldn’t help the giggle that escaped her lips as Dy swung their hands, though she simply loosened her shoulder so that it would be easier for her to do so. Tam would have been embarrassed to realize that she had been a little bit rambling, as she generally did when talking about her favorite things, but she was saved from even getting a chance to think about it at Dy’s suggestion. The younger girl froze for a moment, blinking in surprise over at Dy. “You’d… want to do that? Perform with me?” Yes, they practiced together all the time. But that was far different than the honor of actually being considered to do this professionally together when they were older. At the Hufflepuff’s turn to ramble, which Tam recognized this time as nerves though she couldn’t have guessed why, she moved again and her smile slid back into place as she shook her head at the backtracking. “No, it’s not that I wouldn’t want to! I love playing with you more than anything! Getting to do that all the time would be really fun.” Orchestra was fun too and maybe that would be a fallback, but if she and Dy remained friends and in each others lives (which she hoped so!!) maybe a musical journey together WOULD be really fun. At the news of the concert, Tam’s feet bounced a bit in a skip of excitement. “That is amazing!! Congratulations!! Are you feeling excited? Nervous at all? Will you be performing with him or are you doing a solo in the opening act?” Or maybe she was performing with others of his students! Either way, at the question, the Ravenclaw gave a decided nod. “Of course!” She’d ask her parents as soon as she got home to get it scheduled.

The suggestion of going to more performances together had Tam eagerly nodding her head in agreement, not even needing a moment to consider the idea. She’d love to go to more! And Dynah was the perfect companion for those events too! “We should! I’ll keep an eye out for more performances! It’ll be a good excuse too to see each other more over our breaks!”