Setting up his stand, Thornton looked up at Damien. "Started when I was seven," he replied, smiling a little. "Mother was a professional cellist. She gives lessons now." Flipping through his sheet music, Thornton listened to both Damien and Eden's conversation.

"I don't have much Satie, but I'm familiar," he noted, paging through, especially given Eden's request for something modern. It was a growing edge for him, his mother and teacher being more focused on classical. But it was something he was eager to explore and more practice was certainly appreciated. "I.. think this one. For something modern. It's called 'Optimist.' "

Setting the music on his stand, Thornton counted out the tempo in his head as Eden challenged Damien to a game of pool. Maybe sharing the space would be a positive thing after all.

"Huh, so you got it from her, yeah?" Damien grinned at the younger boy, pleased to see him smiling, even if it was just a bit. There was something very... Wistful about Thornton, and the Gryffindor boy thought he looked like he could use a bit of fun. Not that he was going to say anything, or bring it up, but he might try a bit harder, or pay the boy a bit more mind to make sure he was alright while they all were gathered together.

Still tossing the ball up and down, he nodded; "Yeah, y'know, now that I think about it, he doesn't have many cello pieces." He hadn't quite thought that through, his mind, quick as it was, sometimes jumped over bits and pieces of information to get to the finish line and clearly that had been the case here.

The music was... Nice, really nice, the notes of the cello, with it's deep, richer sounds filled the space of the room, enveloping it in the happier, bright notes of the appropriately titled song and Damien swayed a little as he listened. The small, thoughtful spell that descended on the Lion was broken at Eden's challenge. "Oh yeah? I'd like to see you try, McGee!" He laughed, putting down the ball and crossing over to the bar in search of a drink (preferably root beer, he had no interest in butterbeer or anything stronger, thank you). "Wait, you think my butt is little?" Was it little? He'd never properly looked, nor had he ever had reason to until now.

He took a moment and, as the term goes, looked back at it.

Alas, his booty was on the smaller side.

Still there was no laughing at his expense, which was something he wouldn't have blamed her for. Instead what he got were encouraging words and yet another demonstration. Merlin, he had to try it again?

"Uh huh, sure," he replied, accepting the challenge. A true Gryffindor never backed down from a challenge. Again he tried, and again he fumbled, though perhaps this time not as much. At any rate, he was sure he looked ridiculous. "You know, how about you show me what good dancing looks like, like all together?" he asked. It was possible that he was dying for a break already, that he wanted to get the attention off of himself and onto her. He was an excellent spectator, did she know?

Flopping on the floor where he stood, he grinned up at Hady. Would she buy into it? Yes? Please?

Eden widened her eyes at Thorn. "Wait...really? I didn't know that! That's...that's really cool, Thorn." She smiled at him. She couldn't remember exactly what...but she knew there was some...family issue with his cello playing. Hmph. She didn't really want to bring that up now though.

"Ooooh. She's a cellist? That's COOL too." So he was taking after his mother! Cute. SO CUTE. Eden just thought Thornton was so CUTE. As he started playing, Eden closed her eyes and smiled. It was really interesting...and...cool...and..ugh.

This was the life, wasn't it?

The Ravenclaw slid off the couch and sauntered over to the pool table. Time for some major MAJOR bluffing, because Eden was lousy at pool. She picked up a pool stick and grinned. "I'm so good, that I beat my cousin, Iwin, at least three times. And he's...." hmm. "And HE'S like...a part time professional pool player." Iwin was probably somewhere shivering like crazy right now because of Eden telling someone he ever even considered playing pool professionally.

Eden just SNORTED and poked his backside with her pool stick. "I'll set up them up and you can break?" Eden wasn't fool enough to think she could break them easily...nope.

By the look of her face, she was pleased enough with his attempt, so he could rest assured knowing he had done his part in al this. Or so he thought until there was THAT.

But's were never a good thing. Unless he said it, in which case there was nothing wrong with it. Coming from other people though, the term was ominous. "I'm listening," he prompted. Though what she asked was not what he was expecting.

Dance with her before they go? Wasn't that what he'd just tried?

...

"Sure," he replied, deciding it wouldn't be a big deal, if it was going to be as easy as she claimed it to be. He knew the basics now though, right? Kinda.


...

And then there was her dancing. Like actual legit proper dancing that was not at all try-hard. She moved in a way that demonstrated it wasn't her first time. Kudos to her. Zeke grinned, applauding when she was done. "Nicely done." Really. Nicely done.

It amazed him that she didn't get dizzy and fall, or run out of breath, and that her muscles didn't ache. The whole thing looked tiring, and this coming from him. Where tree climbing or racing was concerned, he had all the energy in the world, but this dancing thing, looked like more effort than it was worth.

"Bravo," he concluded, still clapping as Hady took a break with him.

She was funny, did she know that? Teach him to dance like that? That was never going to happen.

"You have too much faith in me," he decided. Cause yeah, no.

Uhhh... what did he think?

Really?

Was that not obvious?

"I think it's brilliant, that you are, brilliant," he said flat out. Reeeaaalllyyyy, he wasn't able to appreciate dance all that much. He could appreciate that she had a skill that he did not, and that she made it look exceptionally easy. But as for the technicalities of the... movements and things... he was clueless. Had she misstepped? Timed it wrongly? Missed something? He had no idea. "Looked great from where I was sitting." Quite literally.

And then she had to go and say all that. He had plenty of faith in himself, but he also had realistic expectations of himself, and he knew this was one area where he wasn't about to improve any time soon. "If I wanted to," he nodded, which he didn't... so that settled that. "I prefer spectating." He was sure he wasn't alone with this sentiment.

But then that begged the question... "What moves do you intend on teaching me before we go, you promised it would be easy." Easier than what they started with?

He was beginning to feel more and more out of his depths. All this dance stuff was hard enough, but talking about dance stuff wasn't much easier. Was it just him though, or did Hady seem surprised by his assessment? He was hardly one to tell her she was off beat, or that her movements were sloppy or that her centre of gravity was all wrong... he wouldn't know what any of that looked like anyway.

"I suppose it's one of those things that's hard to forget," he commented. Muscle memory was easier than standard memory, right? Less flawed? Fewer synapses or something?

And no, there really was nothing wrong with spectating, it was the best.

Slower, to music, front and back or side to side. That sounded reasonable. "Side to side sounds good, I can't see what's behind me, so back might not be such a good idea." Just saying.

It didn't escape his attention that Hady was observing him in that way that said she was thinking what he was thinking... but were they thinking the same thing? It was hard to tell. But at least they were thinking along the same lines for something, it was like riding a bike. Interestingly enough, he'd never actually ridden a bike, but that was something for another day.

He let himself lay flat on the floor, stretching out his legs as he did so. Zeke looked up toward her, his hazel eyes watching her facial expressions change.

And then what???

Let's not? Uhhh.... "Why? am I that bad?" he asked, smirking. He couldn't think what else he'd rather do right now. "Did you have anything else in mind?"