Maybe it was from having a partial merperson for a roommate that made Obderedria linger at the dock by the boathouse when she wanted to be alone and the weather was nice. Sometimes she could catch Heliotrope surfacing during one of her swims, or glimpse the tentacles of the giant squid. The calm, ebbing surface of the lake was rather tranquil. Obderedria could see why Helio liked it. The water was getting too cold for Obderedria and anyways she didn't wear her swimsuit all that often. But maybe she would go swimming with Heliotrope sometime, although she could never hold her breath as long as her roommate could. Well, Helio had gills, so she could literally breathe water.

But it wasn't just the dorm-mate aquatic that drew Obderedria to the spot. This was also where they housed the little boats the first years crossed the lake when they first came to Hogwarts. Obderedria remembered that fantastic night, the lights of the giant castle looming over the far end of the lake -- a few overboard escapades involving some future Ravenclaws, plus Helio probably couldn't stay in a boat either but that was before Obderedria knew her, notwithstanding -- nothing she would have imagined when she first heard about Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Coming here today brought about another benefit. Obderedria felt her mind clear as she looked at the empty expanse of the lake and cloudy sky. There were no little details about class or her wand or other frustrations to bother her. This is where she could doodle or write, an activity that only needed pencils, paper, and a snack if she brought one along. She never thought she was particularly artistic when compared to some of her roommates like Venora or Harper. Obderedria had a cartoony way of drawing. That made her think of a tradition she had before starting the school year. Whenever summers would draw to a close Obderedria would find the old tape of Space Jam and watched it. She liked it for all the Looney Tunes characters. She'd seen it so much as a kid, although finding it this year had taken a while. It was such a familiarity she could imagine Beverly on the court with Bugs and Lola or herself in the audience, surrounded by all the other characters. She liked the movie even during the live action parts. The opening started with a back story to young Michael Jordan and there was this song that played during the scene where he was a kid.

The tune entered her mind, a melody that lent to sticking in your mind. Obderedria didn't realize when she had started singing. She had been doodling, humming a bar until she remembered the words, then started singing.[1]


At this point she sang louder, broader, the chorus being easier to remember than the verse. The open lake made her feel that she was alone. Soon she was lost in the song.

1.	Drea's very own play by is singing this - her voice is amazing!

"I've se...par...a...ted..." Jazz sang softly to herself as she stepped out onto the grounds of Hogwarts, "my li...fe fro...m... tru...th."  She often did this when she was alone: belting out whatever song tickles her fancy at the time.  Right now it was "You Will Pull Through" by Barcelona[1].  It was a slower song, but the lyrics were powerful, and it was among her favorites.  "This co...ld...air...tastes...real.  I've stu...mbled...back..." she continued, hopping over a broken tree branch as her voice shook at the movement.

The day before had been the much-anticipated Club Day of Hogwarts.  Jazz was able to recruit many thespians to the Hogwarts Players, and things were looking up for the club.  She wanted to wander around by herself to hopefully ease some stress.  Things with her vision wasn't going too well, and she figured her not being able to see anything clearly might've been due to her lack of relaxation.  Though she had tried by drawing or reading, it always ended the same: Jazz blacking out with the image of the boy's face etched in her mind.  She couldn't do this alone.

Still, she had to try relaxing in nature; somewhere secluded and peaceful.  That's why she trudged down to the Boat House.  No one ever went there, and being near to the water was soothing in of itself.  She also loved the smell.  "We've no...more...space...for all your tired and dirty past," she rang out, song almost toward the end, when she heard another voice.  Stopping abruptly in her song, though only slowing in her advance, she determined the location of the voice and cautiously edged closer.

It was a girl voice, and a very good one at that.  Huh, I know this song, she thought, remembering she sung it in choir a few years back.  I wonder who it could be, she wondered, curiosity piqued.  Finding the source, she smiled warmly at seeing Obderedria Pienas.  "Hi," she said lamely, not knowing what to do.  "You've got a killer voice.  I hope you'll be willing to lend it for the musical?"

1.	Barcelona - You Will Pull Through

Obderedria was oblivious to the things around her as she sang, up until the point that she felt the creak of the dock from someone walking and the 'hi.' At this interjection her voice shut off. Obderedria spun in her seat, blushed, looking up into the face that was the Head Girl she remembered from the players both. With this sudden jerk of movement her drawing slipped of her lap onto the dock, a few pencils further bouncing until they plunged into the drink.

"No-!" She missed saving them. Obderedria didn't register the comment or the mention of the musical. "I'm so sorry to disturb you -- if I'm not supposed to be here I'll l-leave."

Even though Obderedria had been the one surprised and frightened, she pandered to the Head Girl who was much more important as she gathered her remaining drawing materials.

Jazz furrowed her eyebrows at Drea's odd behavior.  "No, no, wait!" she said, raising her hands in a way to calm the girl.  "You were here first, you don't have to leave."  Jazz didn't understand why Drea was being so skittish to her, even more than usual; "if I'm not supposed to be here I'll l-leave."  It clicked.  Oh, right, Head Girl, she realized with a dull sigh.  "You can be down here, it's not after hours or anything," she said reassuringly with a small smile.  "Unless you're sacrificing a small goat or conjuring demons or something I have no reason to scold you." she added jokingly.

"If you want me to leave, however, I'd be more than willing to.  I know how we all need privacy at times, especially to exercise our beautiful singing voices."

Now that Jazz thought about it, she recalled all the times she went down to the Docks to do just that.  Singing, drawing, writing or even just thinking.  This was her favorite place to do so.  Someone else was bound to find it ideal as well, of course.  Eyes lingering at the drawing supplies being collected, she smiled warmer at Drea, admiration swelling.  Just like her.  She reminded her of herself at that age.  So afraid to let her voice be heard... which is why Jazz wanted Drea to lend hers all the more. I'll get her to do it, she vowed to herself, If someone had done the same for me at that age, things would've been very different.

Obderedria calmed down a bit when Jazz assure her nothing was wrong -- until she took the joke at face value. "What?? Never!! There's no goat, no demons, I was only trying to draw the Tazmanian Devil--" as she thought about Looney Tunes again.

--And her ears imagined a goat bleating in the distance--

"If you want me to leave, however, I'd be more than willing to.  I know how we all need privacy at times, especially to exercise our beautiful singing voices."

Finally Obderedria realized that Jazz was talking about her singing. "Oh, you heard that?" Her eyes darted away and downwards. "I didn't even realize I was singing, it's nothing that special."

Jazz smiled, appreciating Drea's new-found confidence to at least joke back with her.  The young girl looked nervous as she realized her singing hadn't gone unheard.  It was expected.  Singing was a delicate matter, as was all forms of expression, especially at that young of an age.  Around the time where self-doubt would creep in, making you think you're not good when older and much more experienced people were around.

Nodding casually, she averted her attention to the lake, drawing to the edge of the Docks quietly.  The lake, in all its wondrous beauty, made her momentarily speechless.  She saw some birds in the distance, flying in a circle and then diving into the trees.  Spread my wings and fly away...

"That song you were singing, I think it's fitting for you.  The message.  You need to spread your wings and believe that you can fly." she said nonchalantly, smiling and turning her head to look at her.  "You really do have a beautiful voice.  I would love it if you lent it for the musical.  I mean it."

"The message?" It took Obderedria a few moments to recognize what Jazz was saying. She'd only ever tied the song to that movie and a few other instances. "Oh, well, I just happened to remember that those were the words for the song, I wasn't really thinking about them when I--" Gee this was not making much sense so she went silent once more.

-- Although did she really need to fly? She couldn't get wings unless she turned into a flying pony like astronomy professor -- but then you could use a broom for flying, although Obderedria wasn't sure about brooms because even for Quidditch that seemed rather high but no doubts Beverly would have taken to it --

Wait, that was taking a bit literally. Her own lips flipped into a brief smile too when Jazz complemented her singing before it disappeared as fast as it came. "But musicals, they have a chorus, don't they?" She'd seen a few musicals so she knew what they were about. "Because you wouldn't find somebody young like me in a bigger part -- you'd want Winnie or someone older -- but singing in a group..."

Before Hogwarts, Obderedria had two distinctive events that had painted her entire musical appraisal. At the core the events were similar although the settings different. And Drea didn't know the full reasoning that one teacher had been tone deaf and the other received little pay to work music with young primary grades so she didn't bother with polish. "One time, when they made us sing in Sunday School -- and then, music class, when he had to go out to this little building behind the school -- well, both times I guess." She averted her eyes that maybe there might be a fish, or merperson or something interesting and distracting to appear on the surface of the lake. "They weren't real choirs, ones that small, but both times they said I was...o-o-overpowering."

"I think you have what it takes to sing alone.  If you're not very comfortable with it, I can help you outside of the Players.  Or, you know, even a duet at least?" she pressed, wanting to encourage the shy Hufflepuff.  It was really humbling to talk to her.  She reminded her why she was doing this in the first place because she was once like her.  Remembering where someone came from shapes them into who they want to be.

"And it doesn't matter how old someone is.  Depending on the musical and what the cast has in store a big role can be someone as young as you or as old as the Headmaster." she added with a laugh.  Now that would be something.  The lead role being an crotchety old man.  Not that the Headmaster was crotchety.  Perhaps she can work one in anyway, despite the script's original casting.

She sat down with a light flop, breathing in the cool, crisp lake air.  "Sometimes overpowering is a good thing, you know.  I couldn't stand being in choir," she commented, giving her a sideways glance.  "I'd rather stand out than blend in."

Singing alone? Oh no no no -- not unless she was alone. Not just alone on stage but alone like she thought she was her at the dock. For as long as that had lasted. Singing with someone else would be as bad because someone would be up there with her. Her face was starting to feel warm--

Wait, which headmaster? Theirs? Or one of the other ones. Maybe that loud one from Salem's, he had a booming voice.

Obderedria returned to the moment with the conversation. "Well, you could do that. That's a Gryffindor thing to do." The Head Girl was a Gryffindor, right? Obderedria's ear itched. She split two hair spots apart to itch it, reminded of her minutes under the Sorting Hat when it had tried to talk her into Gryffindor House and she kept saying no.

"Being in any other house doesn't label you as non-courageous.  Everyone has a little bit of each house's qualities in them.  The Sorting Hat places us in the house in which qualities we choose to act on.  And believe me, when I was your age, I was just as scared, if not more.  I wouldn't talk to anybody.  But you know what got me through it?  Someone inspired and supported me." Jazz lamented, untying and retying her shoelaces.  She didn't actually know if the thing about the Sorting Hat was true or not, but she kept cool and tricked herself into believing it.  Who's to say it isn't?

She cocked her head at the girl and gave a crooked smile.  "And I'm going to be the same for you.  I believe in you."

God, that sounded cheesy.  Cue the violins everybody!  "Come on, we can sing together and take it one step at a time."

"Qualities we choose to act on?" The moment the Sorting hat had told her about Gryffindor -- bravery, courage, chivalry, standout-ed-ness -- that had been just the sort of things she didn't want to act on. But if she had something of the other house qualities, there was always the 'cool' Drea in her dreams she wanted to be.

"Someone supported you? Who?" At Jazz's next statement Obderedria blushed some more. "But you have all those important Head girl things to do--"

"Huh? Sing what together?" She tried to think of what songs she did know but then she couldn't because she didn't actually want to admit she did know other songs to sing.

"Oh, just... an old friend of mine.  I would have never thought about doing what I've done if it weren't for him.  I had the talent, just not the right push I needed to get me going." she lamented, though a tug in her heart brought her a pang of nostalgia.  It was Johnny, of course.  The one that inspired her to be herself and supported her through the process of overcoming her fears.  That was when she started really falling for him.  He opened up so many doors for her that she didn't know was there.

"We could sing anything," she said, shrugging.  "And, yeah, being Head Girl has some... uh, responsibilities.  The busywork like organizing patrols, monitoring other prefects, dolling out discipline when necessary, overlooking the overall status of all students... but then there are other things that I like to believe is more important.  Being a good role-model.  Putting the success of other students above my own.  Supporting and encouraging others to be the best they can be.  So, in a way, I am fulfilling my Head Girl duties by helping you.  It would be wrong of me not to." she explained, finally smirking at Drea, knowing she actually made sense for once.

Then Jazz began singing "I Believe I Can Fly"; the song Drea was singing just minutes ago.  Looking at the Hufflepuff, she gave a nod indicating to jump in anytime.

"It sounds like this person was special to you." Obderedria wondered if she would ever find anyone that special for her. Maybe a boy, but not like the way Ayla or maybe Dahlia now too would be looking for a boyfriend. She was thankful though a little overwhelmed for how the Head Girl promised to support her.

Before she could object Jazz started to sing. Obderedria hear that she was repeating the verse she had sung to herself when she thought she was alone. The Head Girl had a nice voice, probably nicer than hers. When Jazz reached the chorus, she nodded at Obderedria to join in. She struggled to sing with the same clarity as before but launched into the next verse...


Towards the end of the lyrics Obderedria got softer and more self critical when she realized that she was in a duet with somebody else, not only singing with her but hearing her too and Jazz sounded like she had more musical training in comparison so -- her voice went silent on her and when Obderedria couldn't sing, she blushed and tried to find something interesting to stare at out in the lake.

She finished singing and an odd state of relaxation came over her.  Singing felt so good and freeing... she really needed to do it more often.  "You have a beautiful voice, Drea.  Think about it?  It'd be such a waste if no one got to hear it."

She stood up and stretched her arms, realizing there was something important she wanted to do.  "I'll see you at the meeting," she said quietly with a smile, and made her way back to the castle.  Jazz, with new-found confidence and inspiration, marched her way to a certain Hufflepuff's whereabouts.  She didn't know where this need to see him came from, but she was certain it was a very good thing, and that it was a long time coming.