Closed Music is the Language of the Soul PV Logan Hughes

"Also the age of four, both piano and guitar. My aunt wanted to keep me occupied somehow and I think it was her grasping at straws for something that would occupy more time than just a two minute span," he laughed. He had been around small children and knew how short their attention spans could be. He didn't blame his aunt. It wasn't like he could read yet, although he did learn shortly after. Plus, he couldn't spend his days running outside like most little ones.

"I'm from London. Born and raised. I really haven't been outside of it much except for a trip to the beach when I was little, here to Hogwarts, and to visit a few friends I've met here at school." He loved London though and it would be his current intention that upon graduation and getting a job in 'the real world' that he would remain living there.

"No siblings. It's just me and my Aunt Maggie in the house. She's twenty-six so she's pretty young. Sometimes we bicker like siblings," he laughed a little. He and his Aunt Sally had the best relationship, but sometimes it was a grey area - not a guardian/child relationship and not a sibling bond either - some hazy space in between.

"Favorite classes would probably be potions or herbology - I love that things can have or be created to have magical properties that can help people. I am eager for Care of Magical Creatures. That doesn't start until Third Year though," he tried to think what else she asked.

"And this is what I do in my free time. I play music or I write music or I listen to music," he hopped up from where he was and walked over close to a corner in the Rehearsal Room. "Want to know Hogwarts' best kept secret?" he knew she'd like this. She was a fellow music fan, after all. He grabbed hold of something and began to pull it out further into the room. "This is a gramophone. You know how anything electrical won't work at Hogwarts as it would interfere with magic? This plays music from a few cranks of this," and he looked down to the album that was set upon it. It was a jazzy sort of album and that would do. He gave the side crank a few turns, maybe about ten, and then he returned back over to where Logan was.

The turntable began to move and within seconds, music could be heard coming out of the contraption's large horn. Simon smiled. "Isn't it amazing?"

She grinned while staring at the gramophone as Simon had called it, a foreign object to Logan. "It's amazing. When did you find out if was here?" She asked eagerly. " It looks really old, maybe from when even my dad was a student here. Which of your parents was magic? " She asked, the mentioning of her father provoking the previous question. "I have an older sister. I had a much older cousin who lived with us for most of my life since his parents, my aunt and uncle, went through a messy divorce. He's in the RAF, a pilot. My mum died when I was 3 and my sister Riley was 11. My dad was heartbroken, for fired from his job in St.Mungos but got a job in the ministry because of a friend he had in there. He is dating a lady now, just got a letter yesterday from him. He asked if I would be okay with him proposing to her. I haven't responded yet, I don't know what to say. I mea, she is really nice, and pretty, and a good musician, quite young however, but still extremely smart, and good at calming my dad when he gets upset about my mum, but-" Logan cut herself off with a deep breath. " I don't know if he's ready to move on. What do you think I should tell him? "

That was a lot all at once. In that moment, Simon felt that Logan Hughes had much more complex of a life than he had, even if he was sorting out the realization that he was a dhampir, who over the past Summer had seen his father for the first time and talked with him only briefly. The same father who was a vampire. Who he had yet to officially meet. Who he had yet to have a name to.

Still, his life hadn't really changed much since he could remember and that's probably why it seemed less 'messy' than that of his fellow Hufflepuff. "I found out about it all too late. I was able to get some music ordered to play off it. Some jazz, some Celeste Warbeck. Even a muggle group here and there. I'm saving up to possibly purchase more," he said, smiling as he looked at the ancient contraption.

"My mum," he stated, answering her question about who held the magical aspects. From what he read in the books, it appeared that vampires weren't magical creatures and therefore, he would be halfblood if it weren't for the fact he was actually classified as a halfbreed. "She was in Gryffindor when she went to school here. Rather odd and unfortunate coincidence between you and I...my mum - she too died when I was three. My Aunt Maggie was only 17 at the time but she managed to take over and I've survived so far," he smiled. "No, she's amazing. I'm so super lucky to have her."

Logan had asked his views on his father's situation and he paused, trying to think about it a moment. He took out one of the disc records from the stand and placed it onto the surface of the gramophone then turned the crank a few times, activating the system to cause the disc to spin. A needle would run along it and eventually sound would begin to play out of the large horn piece. No magic involved.

"As for your father's situation. I mean, from what you said, it sounds like she's been good for your father. And, it's been some time. It's healthy to move on...that doesn't mean he'll replace the love he has for your mum. I don't know her and I don't know him, but try to remove yourself from things and think about what is truly best for him." It wasn't quite the same, but he thought about his Aunt Maggie. She was so busy working and working and working that she never had time to date. He wished she would find someone.

Logan nodded. "I guess that makes sense, about my dad." She sat there quiet for a minute, staring off into space before snapping back into reality. " He was a Slytherin. Came from a long line of Gryffindors. He wasn't mad however when I got chosen into Hufflepuff. He just said that as long as I at least try out for quidditch he'll still love me. " After saying that, it struck her how strange that sounded. "He meant it as a joke of course. Your aunt Maggie sounds awesome. She sounds like a strong woman." the girl said, trying to change the awkward and deep subject. " I would say 'I'm sorry 'bout your mum', but I myself extremely hate when people say that about my mum, even knew who never got the chance to meet her... " She went quiet for a while, finding herself get lost in the music. "I like this song." Logan announced. " It's very...green. Moss green to be exact. And triangular. The color of fancy plants far away, like in Hawaii or Polynesia. That cousin I was telling you about, Ryan, he's in Hawaii right now with his friends on vacation. " She quieted again, realizing what she had just exposed about herself.

Talk with @Logan Hughes

"Yea, it's a nice song," he said as he looked to her, trying to think about what she just said. She described music almost in an artistic way and it was done beautifully, but Simon himself always saw music as a more literary and poetic motion. It was an interesting concept.

"Is that...symbolism or do you have music synesthesia?" He had learned about it once in a music class of his and while it was a sort of neurological condition, he still thought it was quite astonishing, at least in perception and looking at something from a different standpoint.

If that's what this was, it was mostly genetic and he would never experience such a thing, although caffeine and other higher mind altering drugs could perhaps induce it, but he never planned on going that route. "I think they said Duke Ellington had that," but again, he was jumping to conclusions. He just wanted his new pal Logan to feel like he wasn't judging it as anything negative. If anything, it'd be fascinating.

"Hawaii looks beautiful in photographs," he decided to head on that route of the conversation. "Really big flowers, all those palm trees, lots of sand, but too much sun." Lots of sun. He never planned on going there or anywhere tropical.

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She nodded slowly. "Yeah, I do have chromesthesia..." She went quiet, her face red, no knowing what to say. Her mind drifted back to the times she was bullied in her old muggle school for hearing shapes and colors. She sat there in silence, her brain milling over those specific memories.
Her mood perked up at the mention of Duke Ellington. "I'm pretty sure he did. Same with Billy Joel. Do you know Many of Duke Ellingtons songs? He was one of my mom's favorite musicians. My favorite song of his is Satin Doll. It has the perfect balance of soft lilac purple but also harsh emerald green. " Logan looked off in the distance for a second, her mind stuck in blissful memories of the song. "Yeah, Hawaii is great. I've never visited or anything but my cousin always sends me a postcard since he knows I want to move to the states one day, even if not that specific one." She tipped her head slightly to the side in confusion. " Why too much sun? Do you not like sunshine or do you have that condition where it gives you headaches. I think my sister has that... " her voice trailer off again in deep thought.

"Well, I like "It Don't Mean a Thing and Take the 'A' Train' But a lot of Duke Ellington I know is his works with John Coltrane," Simon said honestly. "I like In a Sentimental Mood, My Little Brown Book. He did some works with Frank Sinatra," which was one of Simon's favorite singers, "and I also like Jumpin' At the Woodside which was with Count Basie." Okay, so maybe he DID know some about Duke.

Simon also knew of Billy Joel and many, many of his songs, still, he didn't want to ramble on about music the entire time. He wondered what it was like to view music the way that Logan had and he wondered if he had that ability if it would make him a better musician. Dis she gain more from seeing it in that way or did it hinder something? He'd never experience it to know.

He made the slip about the sunshine and now she was asking for clarification. It wasn't like Simon to lie to anyone, especially a potential new friend, but he also couldn't just tell someone he just met how he was a dhampir. How would Logan react? He wasn't about to find out.

"Oh, you know...I enjoy the indoor stuff more, I suppose." Not that he had much of a choice. "Playing music, writing music, listening to music. I like dancing. I like reading. I can play a decent game of chess. Even back in London I played ice hockey," also done indoors.

Simon figured it would be bet to turn the conversation back to her. "You mentioned your sister. Do you just have the one? I think it would be pretty amazing to have a sibling. Do you two get along pretty well even with the age difference?" He could see how that would possibly hinder things.

Logan nodded. "Yep, just the one-Riley." She shrugged at his second question, the one about it they got along well. " we got along all right but she was just a bit too much older than me. We were never in the same school and right after my mom died, she became a lot more distant. Growing up I wanted to be like her, " she pulled a strand of her blonde hair away from her head. "So much that I started to bleach my hair so that I would look like her. She's never around though. She's constantly out of the house or with her friends. I haven't seen her, full on face to face, in probably about..." Logan took a second to briefly count in her head. " yeah, probably 10 months, give or take. We used to be a lot closer but my mom's death made everything in our family crazy and distant. She got accepted into Hogwarts as well. She was a Slytherin but she's graduated already. Has a muggle job in London at a little corner tea shop as their lady who makes the main drinks and stuff... What was your life like before you came to Hogwarts? " She asked.

"Hey, they say blonds have more fun," he smiled to her. He had blond hair himself although it was rather dark for blond. Still, he liked it. Plus it sort of went well with his light brown eyes because it seemed the blonds he knew all had blue or grey eyes and therefore the brown, while common, was unexpected.

"That's a shame though, about your sister. Hopefully you can meet some cool people here at Hogwarts to hang out with. I hear there's some awesome Hufflepuffs that hang out in the Rehearsal Room," he flashed her a smile, meaning him and her.

"Me...my life. Uh, it was great before Hogwarts. It's great at Hogwarts." He was blessed and he felt fortunate. "It was my mum and my Aunt Maggie and me until I was three and then my mum died. Then it was my Aunt Maggie and me. She's...the nicest person I've ever met. She's selfless and giving and kindhearted. She's social and she's fun and uplifting. She's patient and she's understanding."

"Spent a lot of my time playing music, going to church, singing in the church choir, going to the library, sneaking into concerts and orchestra performances, hanging with friends, playing hockey, and doing school. I liked theater in school. I dunno...I'd say it was an average childhood. I'm from South Kensington in London, so everything you could want, at any time you want it, is along the Tube. Just swipe your ticket and you're on your way."

"Never imagined I'd be here though," he looked up at the ceiling but didn't just mean the Rehearsal Room. He meant Hogwarts on its own. "My mum went here but she didn't talk about it to my Aunt much because she didn't want her sister jealous. My father...he doesn't even know I exist. My mum never told him she was pregnant so...I can't blame him for being an absent father. He wasn't of magic though." He was certain of that.

"If you ever visit your sister in London, we should meet up."

Sorry it took me so long to get back to this. Life has been getting busy and I haven't had much free time but I'm good to go now
She chuckled at the comment about awesome Hufflepuffs in the rehersal room. "I am honored to be a member of this club." She said sarcastically . She listened quietly to him talk about his family. "Sounds like a very sweet family." She sent him a small but genuine smile. "I probably won't be visiting my sister anytime soon, however. She has made it very clear to me and my father recently that she wants to take advantage of the distance in between us all." Logan sighed. " I still miss her though. My dad used to always make up little quotes for us to always remember. Stuff like 'Work hard and you shall receive' nd 'An eye for an eye make the whole world blid'. I never played attention to that one though. The one me and Riley always listened too was one about family. Best friends are the ones who walk in when the rest of the world walks out; Lucky for you, in this house we break right in. " She chuckled. "That one is my favorite. How about you? Is there custom or something your family has? My family only does those little quotes and stuff but we take it very seriously. My mum used to too.