Tours (Open)

Layla entered the music room, her guitar strapped to her back, her long hair pulled into a side ponytail. She had been excited to learn about the music room and even more excited when she learned that it had been empty. When class had ended for the day, she had run back to her dorm and grabbed her guitar, only to run all the way to the music room. She wasn't one for running, but she needed to claim the room before anyone else did and she was glad when her plan had worked out perfectly. When the door closed behind her, the soundproof cushions blocked out all sounds from the rest of the castle.

She was perched on a stool in the corner, a microphone in front of her as she strummed out the chords to one of her favourite songs. She preferred to sing from her heart as well as she preferred to write her own songs as opposed to covering other songs. She often wrote about struggles she was facing or feelings she was feeling, as those made the best songs, even though at the age of 12 they weren't as relatable to people as she'd like them to be. Writing, playing and singing reminded her of home and kept her from being homesick, despite the fact she had a short tour of Australia coming up.

Right before leaving for her second year at Hogwarts, her managers had contacted her and told her they were planning a worldwide tour for the summer. The idea made her smile, but it also made her nervous. She'd no longer be known in just Australia, she'd be known worldwide and she'd never be able to have a normal life again. As she thought about her fears, the song she was singing and playing switched to one that better fit her mood.

Nilla was passing down the halls, intent on retreating to the dorms for a chance at removing her prosthetic and possibly taking a nap. Until she heard the very faint, almost imperceptible, strains of someone singing. Curious, because the song sounded like something even she could find interest in, she slowly approached the door to the music studio and pressed her ear against the wood.

The voice sounded slightly familiar, but Nilla couldn't be sure with the barriers between them. Still, she could see the dance coming together in her mind. Words were unnecessary, as the mood was perfectly set with the rhythm and tone of the song. Slowly, she stood, keeping her ears trained on the sound of the girl singing and blocking out all other noise coming from the corridor. With closed eyes, she padded into the middle of the room after removing her shoes but keeping her socks.

Her limbs moved easily as the dance came together, slow and hesitant. Nervous but excited. It was moments like these that she lived for. Dancing helped her get used to the prosthetic, it reduced her chances of limping even when not paying attention. Awareness of the outside world save for the music fell away as she danced.

Layla was aware of the younger Gryffindor girl that entered the room, but she was so in tune with her music, that she couldn't stop. She smiled a bit as the girl began to dance to her song and she continued the even, solemn strum, the words spewing from her mouth. Layla couldn't study her too much, because she was focused on the music she was creating, but from what she was able to see, the girl was very beautiful. She always admired her own hair and other girl's who had dark hair. It was a stunning feature and most girl's wished for blonde hair or ginger hair, but she'd never understand why. Dark hair was just as beautiful.

"There's a voice inside my head saying
You'll never reach it
Every step I'm takin'
Every move I make"

The chorus was vastly approaching and her voice was starting to crescendo, ever so slightly. The girl's body moved perfectly to the rhythm of her voice and guitar and she wondered if the girl would want to maybe be part of her dance team. She closed her eyes as she finished the rest of the verse and hit the chorus, her notes changing, speeding up just slightly.

"There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose
Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waitin' on the other side
It's the climb"

The next verse was more upbeat and faster than the first, and as she opened her eyes, she smiled to herself, glad to see the girl still dancing on. The song was one she wrote before leaving for Hogwarts her first year. It was after she'd been grounded from her instruments. She's made the seasoning shakers on the table explode and her parents had sent her to her room, terrified of her. She hadn't done anything wrong though, or at least not til her knowledge, but when her Hogwarts letter arrived, she knew she was different and from now on, her life would be a large mountain to constantly overcome. Her life had already been hard enough with being a young star, more less adding a witch onto the list.