Pandora had always loved music. Whether it was calm instrumentals played in the background while she studied, or the loud guitar riffs played by Remus and throbbing bass lines strummed by James and the reverberating sounds of Peter’s drumset all tied together with Sirius’ vocals whenever Regulus dragged her to one of the Marauders gigs or practice sessions, or the rare occasions when Regulus indulged himself in his piano, or even Barty and Evan’s atrocious karaoke that they had to perform whenever they visited pubs. It didn’t matter. Pandora adored every note, every key and every hum, letting the magic of it all flow through her. But there was one group, four certain individuals whose music Pandora loved more than anyone else's.
Amortentia.
Amortentia was a group consisting of four female stars; Mary Macdonald, Dorcas Meadows, Alice Fortescue and Silve Storm. The music they wrote didn’t stick to any one genre, which was perhaps one of the reasons Pandora adored them so much. Their no rhyme or reason way of producing and their carefree way of performing mesmerized her. And their voices - oh their wonderful, melodic, perfect voices - only added to the siren song and Pandora was oh so happy to reply.
Regulus thought it was stupid. He liked order, liked knowing what to expect(despite being a mystery himself) and liked sticking to one type of music. Or the same band, for that matter. If Pandora had been lured in by Amortentia, the Marauders did the same to him. Perhaps, yes, he was a little biased, being brother to the lead vocalist and boyfriend to the bassist and all. He rolled his eyes everytime Pandora played a song for a third or fourth time, despite doing the exact same thing when he had control of their dorm speaker, specifically playing songs where James’ vocals were clear.
Lily, however, shared Pandora’s enthusiasm. It was how they met, believe it or not. Pandora had been in the library of Hogwarts University and listening to one of Amortentia’s most popular songs, Gossip , when her headphones randomly disconnected and blared Silve’s beautiful voice through the quiet space. Despite Pandora quickly pausing the song, a single bar was enough to draw the attention of a certain redhead. The two of them became fast friends, exchanging rapid comments about everything they could think of. They had been so excited to find another person who shared their interest that they had attracted the attention of Madam Pince, the librarian, and were threatened to be kicked out if they didn’t quiet down.
Pandora felt that same level of excitement right now as she raided through her closet. Tonight, she and Lily would attend Amortentia’s last concert of their Be You, Bitch tour.
“You’re stressing too much, Dora.” Regulus mused, peering over the top of his book and Pandora tried to braid her hair in just the perfect way.
Pandora huffed and glared at him through the mirror of her bedroom. “Remember the last time we went to a Marauders gig? You used eleven different hair products.”
Regulus closed his book and stretched himself more comfortably over Pandora’s bed. “It takes effort to look this good, Dora.”
Pandora ignored him, tying off her second Dutch braid. She stared at herself in the mirror for a few seconds before violently tugging them free in frustration.
“Merlin. You’re going to rip your hair out if you keep doing that.” Regulus commented.
“Maybe it’s the outfit.” Pandora wondered aloud.
Regulus rolled over and groaned into her sheets. “Dora, you look incredible. It’s not the hair, not the outfit or whatever else you’re going to complain about next. You’re going to blow the minds of those Amortentia bastards.”
Pandora gave him another look through the mirror. “They’re not bastards, you arsehole. But thank you.”
A knock echoed through the dorm and Pandora brightened. Lily! She’d know what to do.
“Come in!” She called and the door swung open.
Lily sauntered through the apartment looking like she could kill a bitch. Her jacket was black and made of leather, layered overtop of a cropped black turtleneck. Her jeans held so many rips Pandora knew she’d be cold tonight, despite the concert being held inside an arena. Her hair was half-up half-down, pulled back just enough to see her gangling golden earrings, light glinting off the hearts- the Amortentia logo.
Lily grinned. “Hello, Dora, looking breathtaking as always. Are you ready to go?”
Pandora shook her head quickly, turning back to the mirror. “No, not at all. Something is just…not right.”
Lily shook her head and appeared behind her in the mirror. “You look gorgeous.”
“That’s what I said.” Regulus commented, voice muffled by the blankets.
Lily glanced back at him and then over to Pandora. Dora shook her head. “James left for Ireland this morning.”
Lily nodded in understanding and focused back on Pandora’s appearance. “What do you think is wrong?”
Pandora lifted some strands of hair. “I don’t know what to do with this.”
“Well that’s simple. Waterfall braid.” Lily replied, taking Dora’s hair in her hands and getting to work.
Pandora snapped her fingers. “Yes! Why didn’t I think of that?”
Lily shrugged. “You’re nervous. You’re excited.”
When Lily was finished, Pandora tilted her head backwards to meet her eyes. “Are you nervous?”
Lily shrugged. “I guess but in more of an…excited way. You ready to scream your throat dry to song lyrics sung by the four hottest women on the planet?”
Dora grinned. “Yeah.”
Pandora had never been to an Amortentia concert. She may have been obsessing over them for years but she’s never seen them live before. She never wanted to go alone. Sure, she could’ve dragged Regulus with her but he wouldn’t have enjoyed himself so Pandora refrained from asking. Though, now that she had Lily, she was finally seeing them in person.
It was a wonderful, terrible idea.
Pandora had always known she was a lesbian. As a child, she and Evan would talk about absolutely everything and it was quite simple to figure out that Evan was into blokes and Pandora fancied girls. She had never been bothered by it, not at all. Now, though, as an adult, she was running into a slight dilemma. When the four queens started their opening number, Hot Gum , Pandora couldn’t agree more with Lily. They were, simply put, the most attractive people on the planet.
Hot Gum was sung in quiet, longing voices and the stage was set to match that. As the music started up, red lights began to pulse along with the beat. The stage itself was like half an asterisk. There was the center stage that branched out into three long sticks; one to the left, one to the right and the other forward. A large block was set up in the center stage, enough space atop for one of the queens to stand above the others.
Silve Storm, who was positioned halfway down the forward runway, right in front of Pandora and Lily, began the song. As she began to sing, an orange spot light fell on her.
“I hold soft flames on my tongue and chew on them like chewing gum.”
Pandora sucked in a breath. She couldn’t quite make her out but her siren song made something swirl in her stomach.
The spotlight didn’t move as Silve stepped out of it. Mary Macdonald took her place and began the second line.
“They burn the roof of my mouth but I won’t spit it out right now.”
Beside her, Lily let out a breath.
As Mary backed away, Dorcas Meadowes filled the light.
“There’s an inferno in your mouth. I can tell by the way you smile like it burns.”
Dorcas was then replaced by Alice Fortescue.
“You press your lips together, like you're kissing yourself to stop me from learning.”
As Alice walked back, the spotlight turned yellow and followed Silve to the edge of the runway.
“ She’s a keeper,
She’s a believer.
She’s on the ground, on her knees in the theater.
And she put us in a car, I don’t know where we are,
But she fell in love with a fever.”
As Silve sung, she followed her words to the floor. Pandora’s mouth dropped slightly. In the brighter light, Dora had a perfect view of the star. Her light brown hair, the colour of caramel, was messed up in a purposeful way, as though someone had tangled their fingers in it. It looked soft and Dora’s fingers twitched in the need to run them through the locks. Her eyes, a steel grey speckled with a fire Pandora couldn’t understand, scanned the crowd. Her perfect, pink lips were quirked up slightly in a knowing smirk, understanding how she certainly was affecting those in her audience. She wore a black tank top layered under an orange flannel, which was hanging off her shoulders. Her pants, leather and skin tight, creased around her knees as she bent down. Her docs, which Pandora was certain Sirius would approve of, were a dark ebony with magenta laces. Her skin, pale and glowing, looked smooth to the touch.
In short, Silve Storm looked like she fell right out of a vending machine. She was the definition of a snack.
Pandora swallowed and butterflies raged in her stomach as Silve’s eyes flicked over her. Pandora felt her cheeks warm as steel grey snapped back, no longer interested with the rest of the crowd.
Dora was fucked.
Silve retreated and Alice took over for the rest of the pre-chorus.
“‘I could never leave her,
‘I could never keep her!’
That's what she says to the neighborhood preacher.
And she put us in a car, I don’t know where we are,
But I fell in love with a fever, and I-”
Alice, though not as attractive as Silve, was beautiful. Her hair was dark and short, bangs fluttering over her brown eyes. She wore black jean shorts, a cropped magenta t-shirt and an orange flannel tied around her waist.
The light on the front of the stage dimmed and two bright beams focused on Dorcas and Mary in the center stage as they began the chorus.
“I watch us burn and fall, the heat is ten feet tall.
The potential is bench pressing us, into the wall.”
Much like the Silve-Alice situation, Mary and Dorcas were outstanding, but not stunning enough to outshine Silve. Pandora was beginning to think if the world was a solar system, Silve would be the sun and everyone else in comparison were plutos.
Both girls’ skin and hair were dark. Dorcas’ hair, more brown than Mary’s, was pulled into many tiny braids. Mary left her hair in its natural corkscrew curls. They both kept up the theme of magenta, orange and black. Mary wore an orange plaid skirt, magenta heels and a black, sleeveless mock neck shirt. Dorcas wore an orange plaid blazer, a black button up and a magenta skirt.
Silve and Alice appeared on either side of Dorcas and Mary. They joined in for the final two bars of the chorus and post-chorus.
“And the flick of flames, weaving through my teeth,
If the hot gum were to slip out, where would we be?
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah,
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah.
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah,
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah.”
The yellow lights dimmed. The stage continued to pulse red and the four spread out. The silhouette of Alice went down the left runway, Dorcas down the right and Mary and Silve up the center.
When the light focused back on Silve, she was once again on her knees and staring directly into Pandora’s soul.
“Your teeth want to tattle and confess to me.”
The light flicked over to Mary. Pandora’s eyes didn’t follow.
“Your molars are complaining, I can hear them weep.”
The flight snapped over to Dorcas.
“Sucking on fire while you’re a liar that says they feel nothing.”
Finally, the light shone down on Alice.
“Your hand is watching mine like and L.A hawk,
My hand is well aware that it’s being stocked.
Wincing with a smile while chewing on the flame,
‘Cuz I’ve never been one to ruin a game.”
The light was back on Mary, who hadn’t moved from her spot in front of Dora and Lily. Now that she was focusing, Mary seemed to be watching Lily with undying attention.
“She’s a keeper,
She’s a believer.
She’s on the ground, on her knees in the theater .
She put us in a car, I don’t know where we are,
But she fell in love with a fever.”
Lily stiffened at the whiny tone in Mary’s voice. The star smirked as the light focused on Dorcas. Her first two bars were sung with Alice, whose voice broke off afterwards.
“‘I could never leave her,
‘I could never keep her!’
That's what she says to the neighborhood preacher.
And she put us in a car, I don’t know where we are,
But I fell in love with a fever.”
Alice, Mary and Dorcas made their ways to the center stage as they continued with the first bit of the chorus.
“I watch us burn and fall, the heat is ten feet tall.
The potential is bench pressing us, into the wall.”
Silve stepped up beside Mary, completing the harmony.
“And the flick of flames, weaving through my teeth.
If the hot gum were to slip out, where would we be?”
Alice, Mary and Dorcas sang the post-chorus and Silve disappeared behind them.
“Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah,
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah.
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-”
They continued as an additional light flickered on Silve, who was atop the podium. She layered her voice over the other three stars.
“Now where would we be?”
Her voice lowered with the beat.
“Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah,
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah,
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah.”
The beat dropped off and Silve’s silhouette jumped off the podium.
As the outro began, orange lights lit up around the edge of the runways, bright enough to see the stars but not light enough to make out the details of their faces.
Silve was in front of Pandora again.
“Your teeth are on fire, do you notice?”
“No.” Replied the other singers.
Mary, next to Silve, picked up where she left off.
“Your mouth is burning, do you notice?”
“No.”
Dorcas’ voice came from the right.
“Your hair burns, my hair burns.
Your skin burns, my skin burns.
Do you feel anything?”
“No.”
“Do you feel anything?”
“No.”
Alice, who was knelt over on the left runway, continued.
“If I tell you what I’m thinking, promise you won’t tell yourself.
If you tell me what you’re thinking, I swear I won’t tell myself.”
Silve finished off the song.
“She’s on the ground, she’s on her knees, she’s a believer.
She’s on the ground, she didn’t listen to the preacher.”
As the music died off and the stage brightened, the crowd erupted into cheers.
If Pandora screamed like this after every song, Lily would be right. Her throat would be broken by the end of the night.
Pandora was left breathless, both from screaming and the swirling emotions in her stomach. Next to her, Lily wasn’t in any better condition.
Amortentia just finished another song that was similar in tone to Hot Gum , My Strange Addiction.
“Alright, London! Do you know what time it is?” Alice shouted into her microphone. The crowd started cheering again.
“That’s right! We have four V.I.P passes that could have your name on them!” Mary said.
The V.I.P giveaway was something Pandora had been waiting for. It marked the half-time of the show and, from the videos Pandora had seen, was extremely entertaining. The four stars each had a V.I.P pass that they tossed into the crowd randomly.
Frank, the Amortentia stage manager, rushed out from backstage and handed the queen’s their passes before disappearing.
“Y’know girls,” Slive said thoughtfully, twirling the lanyard in her fingers. “I was thinking we could do this a little differently.”
“What were you thinking?” Dorcas asked.
Silve made eye contact with Pandora as she continued twirling the pass. “I have an exact idea who I want to give this to.”
Mary hummed in agreement. “You want to choose who you give your pass to instead of it being random?” She glanced back at Lily, who sucked in a shaky breath. “I wouldn’t mind that.”
Alice nodded. “Neither would I.”
“That settles it,” Dorcas looked over down the right runway. “I’m thinking of someone…blonde.”
“Me, too.” Alice said, glancing down the left.
“Couldn’t have said it better myself.” Silve commented.
Mary rolled her eyes. “How original. I was more thinking of a redhead.”
The four of them unanimously decided to give out their passes at the same moment. Alice went down the left runway, Dorcas down the right and the other two down the center.
Pandora’s heart fluttered as Silve lowered herself on the edge of the stage, her legs hanging off. She drummed her elegant fingers along the shaft of the microphone and Pandora’s eyes followed the movement, enticed by her silver rings.
When Pandora found Silve’s eyes again, her lips were tugged up in an amused smirk.
“Hello, gorgeous,” She said. “Can you catch?”
Pandora nodded quickly, despite her shaking hands.
Silve tossed the pass and Pandora snatched it up. It was white with the Amortentia lego in the center; four hearts in the colours green, blue, red and pink on a potion bottle, the letters ‘V.I.P’ layered overtop in black. In the bottom right corner was Silva's signature in the same royal blue as one of the hearts and the lanyard. In larger, black text, the words 'Property of Silve Storm’ was written across the pass.
Pandora’s head swam. Oh to be the property of Silve Storm.
Pandora’s head snapped up as Silve continued speaking. “Come see me later, love.”
Pandora practically died.
Next to her, Lily was shaking, slipping the pink lanyard of Mary’s pass over her head.
They were both so, so fucked.
“Are you ready for the sharpest single London has ever seen?” Silve asked. The crowd screamed as the lights dimmed and the four queens got into position for their final song of the night.
A white spotlight shone down on Dorcas and she began the song, staring intently at someone off the end of the right runway.
“Some days, you’re the only thing I know.
The only thing that’s burning when the nights grow cold.
Can’t look away, can’t look away.
Beg you to stay, beg you to stay, yeah.”
The light snapped to Alice down the left runway and the stage began to pulse red with the beat.
“Sometimes, you’re a stranger in my bed.
Don’t know if you love me or want me dead.
Push me away, push me away.
Then beg me to stay, beg me to stay, yeah.”
The light focused on Mary down the center runway as she began the pre-chorus.
“Call me in the morning to apologize,
Every little lie gives me butterflies.
Something in the way you’re looking through my eyes,
Don’t know if I’m gonna make it out alive.”
The stage lit up as Dorcas sang the first bar of the chorus, all four queens joining in for the last word.
“Fight so dirty, but you love so sweet .”
Alice sang the second bar, everyone harmonizing the last word.
“Talk so pretty, but your heart got teeth.”
Slive took over the third bar from atop the podium and continued with the same last word pattern.
“Late night devil, put your hands on me.”
The four queens sang the next line and Silve jumped off the podium.
“And never, never, never ever let go.”
They repeated the chorus, following the same singing pattern but with Mary harmonizing over every word from the top of the podium.
“Fight so dirty, but you love so sweet.
Talk so pretty, but your heart got teeth.
Late night devil, put your hands on me.
And never, never, never ever let go.”
The red went dark and the white spotlight was on Silve, who was directly in front of Pandora again.
“Some days, you’re the best thing in my life.”
The stage began pulsing blue.
“Sometimes, when I look at you, I see my wife.
And you turn into somebody I don’t know.
And you push me away, push me away, yeah.”
The stage went back to red as Mary sang the pre-chorus.
“Call me in the morning to apologize,
Every little lie gives me butterflies.
Something in the way you’re looking through my eyes,
I don’t know if I’m gonna make it out alive.”
The chorus repeated in the same way as before.
“Fight so dirty, but you love so sweet.
Talk so pretty, but your heart got teeth.
Late night devil put your hands on me.
And never, never, never ever let go.”
As Dorcas sang her line again, she walked backwards to the center stage.
“Fight so dirty, but you love so sweet.”
Alice did the same thing.
“Talk so pretty, but your heart got teeth.”
Silve also began walking backwards.
“Late night devil, put your hands on me.
And never, never, never ever let go.”
As the beat dulled, the stage turned pink and the three queens at center stage spread apart to reveal Mary between them, a fake rose between her fingers. As she sung the bridge, she walked down the center runway.
“Blood on my shirt, rose in my hand.
You’re lookin’ at me like you don’t know who I am.
Blood on my shirt, heart in my hand.
Still beating.”
Mary threw the flower at Lily, who just barely managed to catch it.
The chorus began as normal, the stage slowly turning red again.
“Fight so dirty, but you love so sweet.
Talk so pretty, but your heart got teeth.
Late night devil, put your hands on me.
And never, never, never ever let go.”
The four queens sung the final chorus all together.
“Fight so dirty, but you love so sweet.
Talk so pretty, but your heart got teeth.
Late night devil, put your hands on me.
And never, never, never, ever let go.”
The song finished and the stage turned black. The crowd began screeching louder than ever as the overhead lights came on. The four queens, while panting slightly, were grinning at the crowd as they said their goodbyes.
The show had ended, but the night was far from finished.
Pandora looked down at her V.I.P pass, tracing the lines of Silve’s carefree signature, something Regulus would have scoffed at.
Pandora was going to meet Silve Storm.
Her heart began to accelerate. Silve had made her feel unspeakable things throughout the whole performance and now Pandora was about to meet her in person.
She was oh so fucked.