the concert
Once they arrived, they found that they were the only ones there other than the staff.
“Where is everyone?” Sirius asked a woman who was cleaning a table.
“The place’s been closed temporarily, so this band can get set up and stuff without any hassle. Speaking of,” she narrowed her eyes. “Are you supposed to be here?”
“Uh, yeah,” James said quickly. “We’re the band.”
She looked them up and down, and snorted. Which didn’t do wonders for Sirius’s self-confidence, to be honest. “Thought bands were supposed to have more people.” The woman muttered before leaving.
“Well. That was annoying, if I’m being completely honest,” James said.
“It really was, and I was just watching.” A voice piped up from behind them. Looking around, they found that Remus and Peter had arrived.
Remus is wearing something different, he noted.
He was now wearing a leather jacket – which he looks insanely good in – over a black shirt. Idly he wondered why Remus had changed from what he was wearing in the post.
“Well,” James clasped his hands together. “If everyone’s here, let’s get set up!”
A while later, they were all set up and ready to go.
Sirius could practically feel the nervous energy backstage. James kept bouncing in his chair, Peter wasn’t staying in the same place for more than 3 seconds, and Remus kept rubbing his neck and looking around. Just watching the way they were acting was making Sirius anxious.
The lady from earlier called them upstage.
James took his place up front and said a few things, but Sirius was too busy staring into the audience, trying to find the producer, to take in any words.
“Ready, guys?” James addressed the group, snapping his focus back.
The concert went wonderfully, for all their nerves. James had the voice of an angel, that man did, and he got everyone in there singing along with him. Ending off one of the last songs, Sirius felt so energized and so ready and was sure that came through in the performance.
James signaled for everyone to stop, and he spoke into the microphone once again. “This song’s for one of my closest friends, but I’d like to be more than that. You know who you are.”
What if, what if we run away?
What if, what if we left today?
What if we said goodbye to safe and sound?
What if, what if we're hard to find?
What if, what if we lost our minds?
What if we left them fall behind
And they're never found?
Everyone was singing along with them, with this song specifically. It really felt like James had poured his heart and soul into it, Sirius had known that since the day James wrote it, and people were loving it.
My youth, my youth is yours
Tripping on skies, sipping waterfalls
My youth, my youth is yours
Runaway now and forevermore
My youth, my youth is yours
A truth so loud you can't ignore
My youth, my youth, my youth
My youth is yours
The song finishes and the crowd’s absolutely loved it. He can only hope that the producer did, too.
–James–
Him and the band walk out, and he feels so refreshed, and just exhilarated from the rush of singing his heart out on stage and confessing–
Confessing!
Oh wow. Did he really do that? God. That was a mistake. Lily’ll hate him and–
He walked straight into someone, full on knocking them to the floor. They swipe their hand over their face and push back their hair and– Oh.
Oh.
It’s Regulus. Sirius’s brother.
And he’s hot.
Um.
Lily.
Lily Lily Lily.
He offers a hand down, shaking off his thoughts. “Sorry,” he clears his throat, feeling awkward. “Sorry about that, mate.”
Regulus smirks up at him, getting up gracefully without his hand. He brushes himself off loosely.
His eyes snap to him and James reddens (god, what has gotten into him today?). “Are you just going to stare at me, or are you planning to grace me with the sound of your voice? I seem to recall you were quite talkative in bed. What happened to all that?”
What in the world was he talking about?
Regulus rolls his eyes impatiently. “Don’t tell me you were so drunk that you literally forgot that whole night. Who am I kidding, of course you were. Such a Potter thing,” he snorts, not looking upset at all.
Unlike James, who is positively reeling at this new information. Why was Drunk James intent on ruining his life? I mean, shagging your best friend’s younger brother? Surely this violated some sort of bro-code.
“Well, I know you’ve got some girl to go confess dramatically to, so I’ll be off.” His words were teasing, but was it just wishful thinking when he thought he saw a flicker of disappointment in his expression? (Wishful? As if he would be wishing for Regulus to be disappointed he liked someone. Get with the program, brain.)
Oh, right. Lily! Who he just confessed to! That he’s very much in love with! That he should go see!
He brought himself back to the present, surprised when he saw that Regulus had already left and there was now a red-head in his place, looking as if she was waiting for him to say something.