Holiday at Hogwarts PV Simon Tilia

The autumn term was coming to an end. Simon was pleased with his effort and the grades he had received on his various homework, although he still struggled with Transfiguration and Potions. He had learned plenty of spells and mastered them pretty well. Each day he made sure to practice at least a couple of them, having in mind Professor Fresnel's principles for successful spell casting.

During the last week, he had also made himself a new friend – Astoria Middleton, from his class. After their meeting in the Trophy Room he had been keen on spending time with her again. They had both made a promise to each other to keep the events that night in the Trophy Room secret. That was probably why they had exchanged mischievous looks in the classroom the next morning. They both knew something that the others did not. Something they had agreed on keeping to themselves.

Since the Trophy Room was a secret, so became their forming relationship initially. If they would have talked like they knew each other in front of everyone, from all of a sudden, that would have raised questions. 'When did you two start talking?'. Therefore they started slowly with speaking during their lunch break. It was not like they had something planned out, but Simon could see the benefit of slowly making their classmates accustomed to seeing them together.

Later, he received a letter from Astoria, telling him to meet her in the Ball Room after dinner. He looked forward to get to know her better. Especially since the Christmas Break was closing in, he wanted to cement their relationship before they got separated for a coupe of weeks.

As he strolled down the corridor towards the Ball Room, he could hear someone sing. A girl's voice echoed through the corridor, coming from the Ball Room. The song was mysterious and enchanting. When he opened the door to the Ball Room, he saw Astoria standing in the middle of the room with her back turned towards him. A part of him wanted to cough or clear his throat to make his presence known, but another part of him did not want to interrupt that beautiful song. He listened for a while before finally opening his mouth.

"You sing beautifully", said Simon, his deep voice echoing through the Ball Room.

@Astoria Middleton

Astoria voice had changed significantly, so much so that her breathing became more controlled and her vibrato became better and better throughout her practicing. Each year, Astoria's parents would throw a Christmas party at their home for various Ministry and St. Mungo's employees. Walking into the Middleton Manor was like walking into an enchanted castle within a fairytale story. Decorations would be hung throughout the entire manor, butlers and maids would serve exquisite dinners from the best chefs they could hire. People would show up in extravagant gowns and suits, gathering into the hall. There, a band would be performing throughout the entire night and for a short time, Astoria would perform her songs. Now that she was older, she wouldn't be shooed off to bed so early and that she could engage more with the Ministry officials and St. Mungo's healers.

Astoria wanted to practice her vocals and of course, with the ballroom out of order for the rest of the year, she knew this would be perfect. She was sure that the Frog Choir would be using their usual spot for rehearsal so naturally she couldn't interfere with that.

With her back towards the door, Astoria's voice graced the halls. At a young age, Astoria had been taking vocal lessons so each year, her voice became better and better. She would sing,

"My name it is Maria, a merchant's daughter fair
And I have left my parents and three thousand pounds a year
Come all you pretty fair maids, whoever you may be
Who love a jolly sailor that ploughs the raging sea
While up aloft in storm, from me his absence mourn
And firmly pray, arrive the day, he's never more to roam."

Losing track of her time, she heard a deep voice from the other side of the ballroom. She stopped and turned to see Simon. When Astoria sung, the world around her would seem to melt and she would become immersed within her own world. She smiled, her eyes beaming, happy to see Simon outside of the classroom. With how large Hogwarts was, it was hard to keep track of the friends or housemates that Astoria would meet or see. She would hope to keep this one close if he would do the same.

"Hi there!" Astoria said, her voice high with joy. The tips of her ears turned pink, as well as did her cheeks when he said Astoria sung beautifully. "Oh please, I don't sing that beautifully! I still have a long way to go, but I have come a long way!" She remembered her visit from Hoax, Simon's owl that he sent to her the night of their adventure in the trophy room. It was so kind of him to check in on her and it made her sleep so much better! "Thank you for your letter from Hoax later that evening! I hope you didn't mind, I kind of spoiled him with some owl treats." Astoria took another sip of water and cleared her throat once again.

@Simon Tilia

"Hi there! Oh please, I don't sing that beautifully! I still have a long way to go, but I have come a long way!"

Simon noticed that her face was slightly flushed in a pink color. Whether it was because of the surprise or because of the compliment he did not know.

"You do! I didn't know you could sing like that", said Simon, genuinely impressed, as he walked up to her.

"Thank you for your letter from Hoax later that evening! I hope you didn't mind, I kind of spoiled him with some owl treats."

"So that's why he was so happy when he returned." Simon chuckled. "That's fine. I wasn't sure whether you got the letter or not. I deliberately left out my name on the envelope so that I wouldn't embarrass you or anything in case somebody else would pick up the letter."

He removed his robe, put it on a chair beside them and rolled up his sleeves on his jumper. This was the first time he was in the Ball Room and he curiously looked around the hall before spotting a black grand piano in one of the corners. The portraits and candlelights were reflected in its shiny surface. He looked at Astoria and hesitated for a second, before asking:

”Can I…?” He nodded to the piano.

Simon had not played piano in over 4 months and was eager to feel the black and white keys under his fingertips. But what if he had forgotten how to play after all this time? He went over to the piano, sat down on the chair and gently opened the lid. He spread the fingers on his right hand and placed his thumb and little finger over the key D, creating an octave, preparing his right hand, left forefinger and ring finger to step in an accompany the melody. With a deep breath he pressed down the pedal with his foot and then the first two keys. From his muscle memory, his fingers instantly started dancing over the keyboard. The piano was slightly off-tuned, but not in an unpleasant way, more like a charming and characteristic way that gave the piano a distinct soul as the sharp tones echoed through the hall...

@Astoria Middleton

Simon playing on the grand piano (00:00–01:03): Here

Astoria tightened the bow that was holding up her hair as Simon approached her, somewhat trying to make herself look more presentable. She adjusted the collar of her shirt and brushed the folds of her skirt. Simon was unaware of her singing talent but that wasn't much of a surprise. Astoria was normally in the choir room or she was in her common room practicing her vocals. "Well, if you thought that was impressive, you should have heard my grandmother!" Astoria replied, "My grandmother on my mother's side was Angelique Villeneuve-Beaumont. She was well know throughout France as a divine diva! She was talented in both singing, dancing, and instrumental. She traveled for years all over France and eventually went abroad to the United Kingdom and United States as well, until she married my grandfather. She's long passed now, but I try to sing to keep her spirit alive." Astoria wasn't sadden by the passing of her grandmother. She had passed long, long ago after her grandfather passed. She only lived a day after his passing and it was said that she died of a broken heart. She couldn't bare the idea of her true love no longer being with her.

Simon wandered throughout the hall, he was gazing throughout the room as if it was his first time here. "Do you come here often?" she asked curiously. He turned towards the lone piano that was present in the ballroom and he turned to her. Astoria nodded as he approached the piano. She too approached, leaning over the lid, placing her elbows on the lid and supporting her head on her hands. "Serenade me, Simon!" She said giddy.

At the strike of the first few keys, Astoria had heard the tune, but the way that he played enchanted her. Mesmerized her, almost hypnotized her into the talent Simon had on the piano. Shivers came down her spine and she felt a chilling, haunting air throughout the hall but the warmth of the candles and musicality of Simon kept her engaged. She ended up staring intently at him, lost deeply in her mind.

@Simon Tilia

Astoria's grandmother seemed to have been quite an influential person and artist, unlike his father who only played the guitar occasionally by himself. That was how Simon had got his interest for music in the first place, listening to his father play guitar when he was younger. But he himself preferred to play the piano instead.

"... She's long passed now, but I try to sing to keep her spirit alive."

"I'm sure you do", said Simon and gave her a comforting smile. "She must have been quite famous then. If you have any records of her, I'd like to hear it sometime!"

"Do you come here often?", asked Astoria.

"No, I've never been in here before actually."

As he played on the piano, he almost got lost in the music. He did not know if he had been playing for one minute or for two, but when he looked up and met Astoria's eyes he decided to stop. Silence filled the room. She was leaning over the piano, and looked at him with a curious look on her face.

"Well, I don't play as good as you sing, but that's the best I can do", he said and smiled a bit nervously, feeling a slight tremble in his fingers out of the adrenaline from his performance. “I’ve been taking piano lessons since I was 7. Before I came to Hogwarts I used to play at least once a day, even if it was only for a couple of minutes each time. I didn’t realize how much I’ve actually missed it… but Hogwarts has been quite overwhelming.” He chuckled. "In a good way of course. So…" He turned towards Astoria, sitting on the edge of the piano chair. "What are you going to do during the Christmas holidays? And by the way! I almost forgot. Did you get a response from your mother? About my dad?”

@Astoria Middleton

"I sure do!" Astoria answered, referencing her grandmother's records. She had them at home and they would fill the home with happiness and love. Her voice echoing through the home felt as though she was there herself. "I think you would enjoy her music! When you come to visit my family, we will listen to her music!"

The piano's graceful notes danced throughout the ballroom, the dim flames of the room danced with the music. Simon was quite the performer! How amazing would it be if the two of them became a duo in performing? Astoria with her singing and Simon with his piano skills. Simon's eyes met her and he stopped. The sound of the notes diminished and it took a moment for Astoria to come back to reality. She blinked a few times and blushed again, a shy smile across her face. "I'm sorry, it was rude of me to stare like that." She brushed back a strand of her hair from her eyes.

Simon had explained that he had been practicing for a few years with piano lessons. Whether it was long hours or just for a moment, his fingers would grace the keyboard each day. "Well, to play an advanced piece like that, you have put much effort into your practice! Beautifully done, Simon!" The comment about Hogwarts being overwhelming made her nod, "Especially from our last encounter together..." Astoria grinned with a bit of a mischievous smile, waving her hand towards him.

The topic of the Christmas holidays came up and it was the same as it was before. "Oh the usual, going to France to see my family. My cousins are coming back from their foreign exchange program from Ilvermorny to spend the holidays with us. I also have a cousin who is preparing to study abroad at Durmstrang so we will be helping her get her stuff together." Astoria didn't have any siblings, but she had many cousins that were in her family. Her mother, Narcissa, had two older brothers and her father, Matthias had a sister. Between all of them, Astoria had nine cousins, a set of triplets and twins were in that count as well. They all attend Beauxbatons Academy. The triplets were coming back from Ilvermorny and her oldest cousin was heading to Durmstrang, which wasn't a surprise. Her cousin Elsa had a dark personality so Durmstrang was on her list to study at, she was sure Beauxbatons was happy to be free of her troubling behavior.

The letter about Simon's father and Astoria's mother came up and Astoria was ecstatic to share the news! "Yes, I did get a response!" Astoria went to her bag and brought it to the piano. She pulled out the letter and opened it. The letter was written on fine parchment and the quill had beautiful penmanship. Narcissa was well know for her beautiful handwriting. "I had brought up to her that I met you and had mentioned your father working for the Department of Magical Co-operation. It turns out that she knew him very well! She mentioned in the letter that he was a liaison for the British Ministry of Magic and she was for the French Ministry of Magic. They would actually have meetings together to ensure the connectedness of the two countries remained strong." She skimmed the letter real quick with her finger and came to this other piece of detail: "Actually, it was because of them that both Ministries had many reformations for the best! They both worked personally with both Ministers and created new systems of leadership within the department! Lastly, she mentioned that when she moved to the British Ministry of Magic, he was a reference when she applied for her position in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement!" She then looked to Simon, "How cool is this?!"

@Simon Tilia

"Well, to play an advanced piece like that, you have put much effort into your practice! Beautifully done, Simon!"

"Thanks." He smiled and looked down on the piano before closing the lid. Simon enjoyed giving compliments much more than he liked receiving them, but the fact that he managed to impress Astoria made him feel proud.

When Astoria told him about her holiday plans he wondered how big her family was. Simon only had two cousins in Norway, muggles of course, whom he rarely met. A part of him wanted to spend time with Astoria over the holidays, but since she was leaving for France that would probably not be possible, Simon thought. And going back to spend time with his old muggle friends did not seem like an option, since he had to keep everything about Hogwarts a secret, a life that had come to be so central to him. This was his life now. Here he had made new friends that he felt like he had much more in common with than his muggle friends – Astoria being one of these newly gained friends that he had a certain affinity with.

"That sounds awesome! I hope you'll have a wonderful time in France", said Simon (while silently considering whether he should ask when she was coming back).

Apparently it was as they suspected – Astoria's mother and Simon's father did know each other! The way Astoria described it, how their parents had worked together on behalf of both France and England to strengthen the relationship between the two countries, made him think that perhaps he had not fully understood his father's importance at the Ministry.

"That's SO cool! So all these years they have known each other. And little did they know that their children would start at Hogwarts the same year", he said, chuckling. "I mean, we could in fact have met at some earlier point in life, if our parents had invited each other over for dinner. I wonder why they haven't, since they have a son and daughter in the same age. Because they must have known that, right?" He shrugged his shoulders.

@Astoria Middleton

"Thank you! It will be, I love seeing my cousins." Astoria began "Since I have no siblings, my cousins have became my siblings. My father's sister and her husband ended up moving to France as well so really, it's just my immediate family members that reside in the UK. Although, I must admit, I'm quite jealous of my cousins and their international traveling..." Astoria had always dreamed about traveling and attending Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry so much. She had heard that Ilvermorny and Hogwarts had shared many similar qualities. Another school that Astoria wanted to experience was Beauxbatons only because that is where her cousins had been.

Simon had closed the lid of the piano. She had hoped that he would perform for her again during their time together. She smiled and asked, "What are your plans over the holiday break? Are you doing anything exciting or going abroad?"

Simon had beamed at the letter that Astoria had received from her mother. "With how close the two of them have been as colleagues, your father and mother may have been invited! Our home was filled with so many professionals, I may have met them in crossing briefly but I would have to see a photo of them to jog my memory." Astoria thought back to her parent's countless parties and she knew that she would have never met Simon because Astoria was the only minor present. "Throughout the years, I was the only child to be present at the balls that my parents held. Of course, as a young child, I was always put to bed due to the celebrations going into late hours of the night. It wasn't until just last year that my parents had extended my curfew a few hours."

Astoria moved around the piano, reviewing the letter and listening to Simon question of their previous opportunities of having met each other's family. "To my understanding, my mother only commuted between England and France. But to see that the had reformed their department with the Ministers of both countries is phenomenal!" She looked back to Simon. To think, this could be an opportunity to deepen their friendship bond! "Whose to say that we have met already! But, if we have, when would it have been? Have you ever been to any balls or celebrations with your parents hosted by other Ministry officials?" She asked him, genuinely curious.

@Simon Tilia

"... I must admit, I'm quite jealous of my cousins and their international traveling..."

"Yes", said Simon. “Although the muggle way of traveling is not the most sustainable. I'm not sure how much traveling there will be in the future, so in a way, we might as well settle with less and start appreciating what we have, I guess... But I would still love to go to France someday! After all, that's not such a long trip from here."

He could relate to what Astoria said about being the only child at parties and having to go to bed early. When his parents had guests over, he was always jealous over the fact that Clara got to stay up late with her friends and Simon had to go to bed.

“Well, if you'll ever invite our family, there will at least be two of us", he said with a cheeky smile.

When she asked whether Simon had been to any balls he had to think carefully. Could it be that they actually had met?

“No, I don't think so." He frowned, looking around the room, searching in his memory. “We've been at dinners and dinner parties, but I don't think we have been to any balls. At least not in the magnitude of the balls that you've been describing", he said with a smile.

Voices were heard from the corridor, giggling and chatting, before the large wooden door opened with a squeaking sound. Two older Gryffindor students, a girl and a boy, entered the room, kissing each other intensely before noticing Simon and Astoria.

“Ops”, said the girl, before taking her boyfriend’s hand and leaving the Ball room with yet another giggle.

“Seems like people are saying goodbyes already”, said Simon in an attempt of making the situation a little less awkward. “I’m actually gonna stay at Hogwarts for two more days before I go home. My dad is in London, helping my sister get settled in her new apartment and my mom is trying to finish grading her students. So, they gave me the option to stay at Hogwarts until my father gets back on Sunday. But it feels like most students are leaving tomorrow. You're going too, I guess? Since you're leaving for France."

@Astoria Middleton