#p048

Elliott wasn't sure if it was the best decision in the world, to have invited Rachel here with them. They didn't know exactly how this would go, considering the last time they'd been here it had ended with Elliott venting all of their problems to their dead best friend's grave. But they knew that before they went back to the castle, they needed to come back one last time. And meeting with Rachel to pay tribute to Kurt now seemed like the only right thing to do. She knew how they felt, she got what Elliott was going through, even now, even when for the most part they pushed it aside the best they could. And that was what Elliott focused on as they waited just outside the graveyard for Rachel to appear. As unsure as Elliott was about this, they were eager to see her again and it was a bit of a relief as well, now Elliott just needed Rachel to show up.

Rachel brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and tightened her peacoat around her as she made her way to the graveyard. Although the whole visit was meant to be a sullen experience, she had actually been looking forward to meeting up with Elliott that evening. She knew very well that both of them had been through a lot when it came to Kurt's death - neither of them had received any sort of closure, really. On some days, Rachel found herself reaching for her phone upon waking up and texting Kurt the lyrics to 'Good Morning Baltimore' before realizing that he wouldn't respond to her regardless of what she tried to send him. It was just... mind-numbing, really, to acknowledge the fact that her best friend on the entire planet was dead. What brought her and Elliott closer together than they had been was how they felt about Kurt; they both loved him, and that wasn't disputable. Once the brunette found herself approaching the entrance to the graveyard, she spotted a figure already standing there. "Hi Elliott," she started, her voice uncharacteristically soft as she greeted them with a quick embrace and a kiss on the cheek.

Elliott found themself perking up a little despite the somber mood of the situation as they saw Rachel approach the spot of the wall where they'd been leaning back against. It really was good to see her, Elliott realized as they hugged Rachel back, arm sliding easily around her waist as they greeted each other. Getting closer to Rachel hadn't really been something that Elliott had planned on, all things considered, but it was definitely something that they could appreciate. She'd always been a good friend to Kurt, as bitter as the thought was. "Hey, Rachel," Elliott said as they pulled away, and Elliott offered her a hand. "You ready for this?" They asked quietly, "I just realized I never asked if you...If you've come yet, or wanted a bit alone. If you do....I can do that."

Rachel smiled softly over at them, mustering it as much as possible. Rachel didn't usually have much of a problem when it came to being optimistic but something about being here and acknowledging the fact that Kurt Hummel was ​ gone ​ just broke her heart more than she would have liked to admit to herself. "I think I am." She responded, extending her hand out to grasp Elliott's as soon as they offered it to her. "I've um.... this is the first time I've visited Kurt since he passed." Rachel tried to word herself carefully, her wavering voice betraying her once she realized that she was close to tears. "I'll be alright. I think that it'll be easier to have company." She decided, nodding over at them once she realized that Elliott was waiting for a response.

Elliott nodded, squeezing Rachel's hand a little at the sound of her voice and the reminder of just how hard they'd both been hit by all of this. "You've got me for as long as you need me," Elliott promised quietly, swallowing hard to try and keep their own emotions in check. It had been hard enough coming here alone before, but Elliott was certain things would be both better and worse, now. They could share each other's pain, and that would help but all the same Elliott thought that if Rachel actually cried, they probably would too. Wordlessly, Elliott began to walk, leading the way towards Kurt's grave slowly and hoping that Rachel wouldn't mention the way their fingers shook a little the closer they got to the marker. "It's okay," Elliott said softly as they approached Kurt's grave, voice low and rough with emotion. "It's just us here." And maybe that wasn't much, but it was something, Elliott thought. It was a promise that if Rachel broke now, Elliott was the only one there and wouldn't judge. And it was a reminder to themself, that they could trust Rachel to do the same, if this visit broke them. "God, I miss him so much."

Rachel looked over at them as soon as she felt a hand squeeze hers, her lips curving upwards slightly at the reassurance that he gave her. She didn't really feel as chatty as she usually did now that her mind was plagued with thoughts about when she had last seen Kurt, still appreciating having someone there for her to ground her back to reality. Rachel knew very well that Elliott was hurting just as much as she was - losing a loved one wasn't something that many people could relate to. She allowed them to lead her toward Kurt's grave, her eyes wandering around her surroundings before finally landing on the one revealed to be Kurt's. It just made everything so much more real to her - she tried to keep her emotions in check, but it proved to be more difficult than she had initially given it credit for. "Me too." She whispered before swallowing the lump in her throat and releasing a haggard breath. "Should we... I mean, do you usually speak to him or reminisce or-" Cutting herself off, Rachel leaned toward them and bit down on her lower lip.

Elliott hated the feeling of being helpless, of seeing the hurt on Rachel's features, the look in her eyes and knowing how she felt. It wasn't a feeling that could be helped, or made bearable, it wasn't something that could be relieved simply, or even at all. It was a pain that still resonated through them both, that simply had to be endured, acknowledged and dealt with. "Last time I was here, I just....I just talked," Elliott confessed, "About everything that's going on, that he's missed," That Elliott wished he was here for, because even now the ache in Elliott's chest, the hole in their life where Kurt belonged was like a physical pain. Rachel leaned towards them and without thinking Elliott slid an arm around her waist, keeping her close in an effort to keep them both from breaking down where they were. "You do whatever....Whatever feels right. We can talk to him, yeah..." They trailed off, "We...We could pay tribute to him, like we did back in January?" Elliott offered, "With a proper song," And there would be no audience this time, no need to hold themselves back from how they felt.

Rachel paid closer attention to what they were saying once they started talking about what they had done the last time they had visited Kurt's grave, nodding along with their words once she started thinking about what she'd say to Kurt. The arm that wrapped around her waist just made her feel more secure from where she was standing. "I..." For the first time that she could remember, she was at a loss for words. At his suggestion, she felt immensely grateful at the prospect of singing her feelings rather than having to put them into words. "I'd really like that. I think he would too. What do you think we should sing?" Rachel inquired, glancing back down at Kurt's grave, her eyes gazing over his name engraved into the tombstone as well as the faint line that represented the time from when he was born to when he passed away.

Elliott nodded, well aware that Rachel would probably be better singing her feelings than actually saying them. It was easier sometimes, using the words of someone else to say just how you felt, especially considering the nature of their relationship with Kurt, and the things that had made their relationship with him stronger. It was a hard question, though and Elliott ducked their head, brow furrowed as they contemplated the words. There were so many songs that expressed how Elliott had felt. There was so many options, but thinking of something that seemed right for the moment, was harder than Elliott wanted to admit. "I...I don't know," Elliott worried their lower lip between their teeth, arm still secure around Rachel because keeping the contact was as steadying for them as it probably was for her. "I almost want to say something from a musical? But I...That doesn't seem like it'd be the best fit," Elliott confessed, uncharacteristically subdued as they spoke. "What do you think?"

Rachel waited with baited breath as Elliott thought as to what they should sing together, her own head reeling as she sorted through the various songs in her repertoire that they could sing together. The first that sprung to mind was 'For Good' from Wicked but it seemed... wrong to perform anything from that musical with anyone but Kurt. Even if it was in his honor, it still wouldn't feel right. "We could try to sing 'Some things are meant to be' from Little Women. Or um... the I'll Cover You reprise could work. Kurt really loved 'Rent' - he um... his favourite was always Mimi but she didn't really have any ballads and I..." She shook her head and laughed dryly, "I shouldn't be getting this choked up about all of that but I just really miss him and I... I remember when we watched Into The Woods together and he refused to pay attention to any of it because Bernadette Peters wasn't cast as the witch and I- I just really miss him."

Elliott found themself grateful for Rachel's suggestions, even if they weren't sure of them all. They knew that the songs were good, of course, and they knew that Kurt would probably appreciate them. Especially I'll Cover You, which Elliott would decidedly not admit they'd played for quite a while after Kurt's death. "Hey, no, no it's okay," Elliott promised, shaking their head at the words. "It's okay to get choked up over it, and to hurt trying to figure this out...." Elliott trailed off, unsure of what to say, and hating the way that they stumbled over their words in the process. "I get it Rachel, I promise. I understand. And I don't blame you, for feeling this way, and I know what you mean, when you talk about missing him and..." Elliott trailed off, head bowing briefly under the weight of their emotions. "Do you remember, when he sang 'I Want to Hold Your Hand?" Elliott asked after a few long moments, "Not just how he sounded but God, all of the emotion, and that pain and..." Elliott trailed off, voice breaking at the reminder they'd never hear that again.

Rachel tried to put herself back together in a matter of moments so that she didn't burst into tears on the spot. She remembered the day that she had found out about Kurt's death - he had invited her to spend the New Year's with himself and Elliott, and that was where she had agreed to meet up with them. She could have easily asked her fathers to pick Kurt up as well and he wouldn't have had to catch a ride on the bus. He could have lived if she had just known to offer him some sort of help. If they had met up somewhere else, he might still have been alive today. The what if's plagued Rachel's mind and tormented her as she stared down at his grave. "I... yeah. I remember." She lowered her head as she thought to how Kurt sounded that day, getting even more upset when she realized that the memories of his voice were fading. "He was always so passionate about what he believed in. He never skirted around something - he'd say exactly what he was feeling when he felt it." Rachel reminisced, her eyes pooling with tears as she spoke.

Elliott nodded slowly, wishing they could find the words to make things right, to say anything. There had to be something they could do to make Rachel feel better, to ease the ache that they both felt, to somehow make things okay again. There was so much that could have been done, so much that could have changed, that could have kept Kurt with them but none of it mattered. None of it mattered anymore, that was what Elliott told themself at least, but that didn't stop the way that it hurt. "I always respected that about him, how he could always do it. I know he got nervous, at times, but he never let that show, or stop him. I always thought that he was unstoppable. I always thought that he'd....That he'd make it. And just watching him, being around him...He made me feel brave. He made me want to be strong." Elliott confessed, the words they'd never said before quiet, as they looked down to Rachel, wanting nothing more than to wipe away her tears, to keep her from crying. "Sometimes I'm afraid his memory won't be enough, to keep me that way. Do you know what I mean?"

Rachel couldn't quite come to terms with the fact that she'd never see Kurt Hummel ever again - not even paying his grave a visit could diminish the little sliver of hope inside of her that she would wake up some deep slumber and that this would all just be a terrible dream. The rational side of her argued that that was more illogical than she'd expect of herself but as per usual, the dreamy part of her won over. "When he was... still here, I always had this little voice in my head telling me that if anyone really ​ deserved ​ to have all of their dreams come true, it would be him. It's an injustice that he was taken away from us - and the world - this early." Her face crumbled as she nodded along in agreement with Elliott's words. "I- I know exactly what you mean." Her voice cracked on the very last word as she just gave in and let the waterworks flow.

Elliott didn't hesitate, they wrapped their arms tightly around Rachel, gently pulling her close and letting her cry against their shoulder. One hand rubbed her back soothingly, trying to help in the only way Elliott knew how, and Elliott tried to deny the effect that her tears had on them. They couldn't cry, when they were trying to keep Rachel together, from breaking further, but it felt impossible not to do it. "I know," Elliott said thickly, swallowing hard to force back the emotion, and the tears. "But we'll always be here. We'll....We'll find a way, to make sure the world can never forget him." Elliott promised, "Just because he couldn't make his dreams come true....It doesn't mean people can't know his name. You and me, Rach. We'll make sure they remember him."

Rachel shifted to the side so that she could comfortably embrace them, her arms coming up to rest on their shoulders to brace herself up against them. She wasn't sure what had triggered Rachel enough to start bawling into Elliott's chest. "I... I just... I really miss him, Elliott." She whimpered as they reassured her that they would find a way to ensure that Kurt would be remembered - the words were comforting and even though she knew they always lived up to their promises, the cynical side of herself doubted that Kurt's memory would live on. With that, she sniffed and tilted her head to look back at the tombstone. ​ No. ​ She would make sure that her best friend was remembered - she couldn't give up on this. "We'll make sure of it. We will, right?"

Elliott nodded solemnly, still rubbing Rachel's back and finding that the little things soothed them as much as they hopefully did too. "I know, I know," Elliott soothed softly, "I miss him too. And I know that's not going to fade. But I promise, we're going to honor him in every way we can. We'll help each other, and we'll make it happen." Elliott squeezed Rachel gently, leaning into her. "We will. Come on, Rachel, between the two of us, do you think that anything's going to stop us? Kurt meant the world to us both. He still does. We'll make sure it happens, no matter what."

Rachel cleared her throat as she tried to gather her bearings, retracting a hand from Elliott's shoulder to rub against her eyes as she drew a breath in and tried to control the pace she was breathing at to try to calm herself down. "Well, I mean, we ​ are ​ pretty unstoppable." She laughed amidst the tears, trying not to let that remind her of how often Kurt would cheer her up when she was upset over something trivial like a spat with Jesse or an argument with her dads. Biting down on her lower lip, she tried to keep the waterworks at bay as she rested herself against Elliott. "We'll make sure it happens." With that, Rachel moved away from them just slightly to look them in the eyes, a small smile quirking at her lips as she spoke next in relation to the little tribute they were going to give to their best friend. "Don't you think that we've kept Kurt waiting for long enough?"

Elliott hummed quietly at the words, glad to have made Rachel laugh a little, even if it wasn't a proper, honest laugh. It was something at least, it was progress, and Elliott could be grateful for it. After everything that had happened, the sound was almost like a miracle, and it was something Elliott reveled in all the same. "Always," Elliott agreed with a small bow of their head, relief twisting through them at the sight of Rachel's smile and settling warmly in their stomach. They hadn't come here to cheer Rachel up, but it was wonderful to do so anyways. "But we definitely have," Elliott agreed, "And you know, it's not polite to keep him waiting. Though....That does bring one to ask once more what we want to sing for him."

Rachel me could practically feel Elliott's relief as soon as she started laughing, letting her hand slide down from Elliott's shoulder to grasp their hand, leaning on him for support as she braced herself to sing to Kurt. She refused to give anything other than a Hummel-worthy performance for her friend - he deserved nothing less than the best. "We could always go for a somewhat non-conventional duet - remastering 'I Wanna Hold Your Hand' for him would probably be appreciated, especially with a few harmonies spliced in there. Or we could go for something a little more upbeat to celebrate him rather than mourn him? Do you have a preference as to what we sing?"

Elliott nodded a little at the words, lacing their fingers with Rachel's without thinking and squeezing her hand reassuringly. "I bet he'd like that. I mean, I don't know if we can ever compare to how he sounded...But this is for him. And it seems...Well, it seems kind of right, honestly." Elliott decided. "And it's a song I'm sure he'd love, too." It half made Elliott wish they'd brought a guitar along for music, and for a moment Elliott entertained the thought of transfiguring a leaf into the car, though they resisted. "I know that given time, we should be celebrating the life he had, instead of mourning him....But I don't think I'm there yet." Elliott confessed, "Maybe next time we come here. Do you ahh....Wanna do us the honor of starting, though?"

Rachel swung their hands between them as she felt Elliott's own hand exert a bit of pressure onto her own. "It does. I'm sure he'll appreciate the sentiment even if we don't live up to expectations. Our own, I mean. I think Kurt would probably love it regardless of whether we sound good or not - which we will because again, we're two of the most talented people in Hogwarts." Letting her cocky nature shine through to try to lighten the mood a little bit, she nudged Elliott's shoulder with her own. "In all seriousness though, I'm positive that he'll love it. I'd love to." With another almost fleeting, self-conscious look towards her friend, she closed her eyes and found her center of pitch. ​ "Yeah, I'll tell you something. I think you'll understand. When I'll say that something... I wanna hold your hand...." ​

Elliott laughed a little at the outright confidence of Rachel's words, and the cockiness in her voice as she nudged at them. The sound was a little hollow, it wasn't quite right, but it was real- she knew how to make them laugh, even in a situation like this. They offered Rachel a small, encouraging smile, letting themself relax at the sound of her voice, and trying hard not to think about how they would probably never really compare to how Kurt had sounded, when he sang this. Instead, the focused on Rachel's voice, on readying themself to join in with the next words, voice blending easily with Rachel's. ​"I wanna hold your hand...I wanna hold your hand."​ Elliott's head bowd a little with the words, under the weight of the emotion despite their resolve. ​"Oh please, say to me you'll let me be your man. And please, say to me you'll let me hold your hand..."

Rachel allowed herself to close her eyes once Elliott's voice harmonized with hers, a wave of tranquility washing over her as she continued singing. It might have been an odd thought to have while singing to a deceased friend, but she hadn't felt this close to Kurt in months. ​ "Now let me hold your hand, I wanna hold your hand..." ​ Trailing off a little once she felt her voice start to get a bit raspy, she cleared it promptly before continuing, sparing a glance at her companion as she sung the next lines. "And when I touch you, I feel happy inside. It's such a feeling that my love..." Turning her head back to face Kurt's grave as if Kurt himself would be standing there, Rachel resumed. "I can't hide, I can't hide... I can't hide."​

Elliott let themself just focus on Rachel's voice and the sound of their voices. It was emotional, as was only expected, and Elliott let themself be grateful for the fact that they could keep their voice reasonably steady as the two of them sang. For all that Elliott had said since losing Kurt, for all that they'd done, it seemed like nothing lately could quite match the emotion they felt in the moment. ​"Yeah you've, got that something... I think you'll understand, when I feel that something... I wanna hold your hand..."​ Elliott broke off for a moment, chest aching and eyes a little damp. It was too easy, to imagine Kurt listening and probably smiling all the while. ​"I wanna hold your hand...I wanna hold your hand I wanna hold your hand....."​ By the time they finished the song, Elliott's voice was soft and they lifted their hand, subtly wiping away tears as they just took in the moment.

Rachel drew in a long breath of air as soon as they had finished singing, everything around Rachel seemed to become real again. The scenery seemed to get a bit bleaker and although her companion was still there with her, the sight of Elliott wiping their tears away caused her to feel emptiness bundle up at the pit of her stomach at the realization that yet again, Kurt wasn't going to come back and magically appear before them just because they had sung to him. "I really miss him." She broke the silence, her voice meek as she tried to gather her bearings. Unable to really help herself, she moved back towards them and latched onto Elliott, pulling them into an embrace as she just tried to forget about everything that had transpired over the past four months. Sometimes she wondered if she'd ever move on from Kurt's death - it really didn't feel like she would.

Elliott didn't have anything to say to Rachel's words. What was there to say, after all? 'I miss him too' and 'I know' sounded ridiculous, they were too simple, it didn't say nearly enough, it wasn't enough to truly make any of their shared pain go away. So instead, Elliott just held Rachel close, arms winding around her and fingers rubbing her shoulder soothingly, trying to ease her pain the best that they could. "I know," Elliott said softly, whispering the words into her hair. "I miss him too, every day. But we have each other, and his memory. I know that isn't a lot, and I know it's not enough...But it's all I've got right now- that we aren't alone in this."

Rachel relaxed in their arms, just easing back into a state of tranquility as she practically clung to Elliott. "We aren't alone." She repeated, her words sounding a little lifeless despite the small smile that was tugging on the corner of her lips. "Do you want to stay here for a little while?" Rachel found herself asking as she wrapped her arms around them, resting her head on their chest as she stared down at her best friend's grave. The high of performing still lingered with her, tinged with something that Rachel could only really describe as a bittersweet aftertaste. Rachel squeezed her eyes shut once she started thinking back to what it was that had made her break down in the first place; the fact that Kurt would never sing to her again. Shaking her head slightly, she tried to think of something else - anything else - while she waited for Elliott to respond.

Elliott didn't hesitate to wrap their arms around Rachel, tucking their face against her hair for a moment to try and soothe them both. The warmth of her in their arms was soothing, and Elliott's fingers drifted down her shoulders slowly, trying to sort out the weight in their chest, the peace and sadness that came from performing and the longing for Kurt back. "I uhh," Elliott paused, swallowed hard and tried to focus and speak again, unsure of how to put their emotions into words. "I think maybe, it'd be a good idea to head out." They pulled away just a little, to look down at Rachel, "But I uhh- I don't necessarily wanna be alone either." The admission was quiet, because Elliott rarely did vulnerability. "How do you feel about maybe getting tea or something?" Elliott asked, "You know, if you're up to being social still."

Rachel found solace in the fact that Elliott was acting as her anchor. Being shielded merely reminded her of one of her favourite songs from The Phantom of the Opera - ​ Masquerade... hide your face so the world can't see you. ​ It made her think of all of the things that she had witnessed since the extremely suspicious scenario of Kurt's death had been revealed to her; was ignorance truly bliss? A lot of the time, it felt like there was much more to each situation than she knew. "Yeah?" Rachel glanced up at them as they threw that suggestion out there and after mulling over it for a moment, she nodded in agreement. "I'd like that. Did you have a place in mind or should we wing it?" Offering him a small smile, Rachel stepped to the side as she checked her handbag to make sure that everything had stayed intact in the time that she and Elliott had been singing to their late best friend.

Elliott smiled a little at Rachel when the other agreed to go grab a drink with them, grateful for the reassuring words and her willingness. “Yeah,” Elliott agreed quietly, “And well, I know a few good cafes in Muggle London, if you’d like.” They took a moment, trying to remember if they could think of anything with vegan friendly foods, if Rachel decided to grab a snack while they were there. “Or we could just go to Diagon Alley, and grab a bite to eat there?” Elliott chanced a final glance at Kurt’s grave, looked around and -seeing no one- conjured a few flowers to rest on the grave. It seemed wrong, to leave him with nothing there. “It’s whatever you want. This was all my idea, after all,” Elliott pointed out, stepping away a little reluctantly, “I want to make sure that you enjoy it too.”

Rachel mulled her options over for a few moments before ultimately deciding on going to the place that they had first suggested to her. “I think I’d prefer to go to a Muggle restaurant today.” Clapping her hands together, she tried to be a little less grim and grumbly than she was currently being. “I mean, we ​ will ​ have a lot of time to grab our fair share of food in Diagon Alley once we’re off to WADA.” Rachel found that as soon as Elliott pulled away from her, her eyes were glued on the flowers on Kurt’s grave - trying to shake the feeling that she was leaving their friend behind by leaving the cemetery, she put on a chipper facade to chatter away about the school that both of them would be attending in the fall. “All of our dreams are going to come true!” Trying not to wince at her somewhat weak attempt at brightening the conversation, Rachel linked her arm with Elliott’s as she turned away from the grave itself. “I'm pretty confident that we'll be legends at WADA, you know."

Elliott nodded a little, "I know just the place, if you ask me." They reached for Rachel absently, grounding themself with the little touch, and hoping to offer some kind of distraction for Rachel, when they saw just how her eyes lingered on Kurt's grave. The somber mood would be harder to dispel than this, Elliott knew that, but it helped that they were both willing to at least pretend, "Oooh, of course. Tons of shopping trips and fine dining in Diagon Alley, plenty of time to explore, without having to worry about silly things like being shut up in the castle, and having to timing our trips just right." Elliott shook their head a little at the thought and led Rachel out of the cemetery, glad for the distraction that came from talking to her. "Of course. I mean, obviously we'll just be starting out, but when they see us perform, how could they possibly deny us anything? The spotlight has always been meant to be ours." And it was nice, knowing that even if they shared a class or two, they wouldn't be competing directly. Elliott could root for her whole heartedly to succeed, and mean it without a moment of selfish thought "Personally, I'm looking forward to everyone getting to see what I've seen in you already. It'll be nice, having other people get to realize what I've known all along."

Rachel stood up a little taller as soon as the conversation took a less sullen turn and started shifting in something a little more lighthearted - even though Rachel liked to claim that she enjoyed making as much of a spectacle of things as she could, this was different. This wasn't just something that she could think about without feeling something weighing down in her chest. "Merlin, I can't wait." Rachel sighed dreamily, just envisioning how their lives would be once they were free from classes like Potions and Charms which despite enjoying to a certain degree, she would prefer not to do. They would be free to explore the world of music as much as they desired! Rachel felt her face heating up as soon as she heard what might have been the nicest thing anyone had ever said to her, unsure as to why the compliment was getting her so flustered. "I think that it sort of goes without saying that I could really say the same about you, El." She retorted, eventually gathering her bearings as she winked over at them dramatically to accentuate her point.

Elliott noticed Rachel's flush at their words and couldn't stop the way that their smile widened at the sight of it. Still, they managed to resist the urge to comment on it, or say something that might make her blush more. She was pretty when she blushed though, Elliott thought, chancing a glance over at Rachel just to see the way the blush colored her cheeks as she recovered. Still they flushed a little, biting their lip to hide a smile at the next words and laughing outright at her wink. "Well of course you could. That's just one more reason we get along so well." Elliott pointed out easily as they walked. "We're a match made in heaven, really."

Rachel tried to conceal the fact that her cheeks were probably ridiculously pink at this point by averting her gaze until she had calmed herself - she wasn't sure why her reactions were this exaggerated but Rachel just pegged it on the vulnerability that she had felt earlier that day. "I'd say that that's a pretty accurate way to describe our relationship." She twirled around and began walking backwards as she continued chattering away to her friend. "I'm pretty sure that once we get out into the 'real' world and get to be on the West End, we'll be shoo-ins for Fiyero and Elphaba. Given our vocal ranges and styles, it just seems like a logical jump to make after we get our degrees at WADA. Perhaps we could even star across each other in an original musical - I've always wanted to be on an Original West End Cast recording. What about you? Where could you see us going in a few years' time?"

Elliott couldn't help their smile as Rachel turned and kept speaking, listening on as she kept speaking about everything, getting off of the sadder topics for things that made Elliott feel that much better, both about their futures and their careers. "Well, I mean I don't think I'm going to be as much for the West End for you. I know I've got the qualifications, and I might dabble a bit," Elliott began with a shrug, "But I'm telling you. As good as I'd be -and as much fun as a short stint on the West End could be- I'm meant for a little more..Rock. We'll see what happens, but I've kinda got my hopes on getting a band together during my time at WADA, get some footing there, and figure it out. I mean, I'm going to use every in there I can, to get somewhere good....So that kind of seems like a good starting place at least."

Rachel let a little skip form in her step as she swiveled her gaze around so that she was looking right at Elliott. Making sure to establish some eye-contact with them as they spoke, Rachel nodded along without a second thought needed to know that Elliott was being nothing but reasonable. "Your voice would blow audiences all over the UK away, if you ever decide to change your mind." With another exaggerated wink, Rachel continued. "A band sounds like a pretty fantastic plan, though; would you prefer to cover other people's music or make your own?" She was genuinely curious as to what her friend was planning for the future - although they had definitely spoken to one another about going to WADA before, she honestly couldn't remember them ever discussing their post-WADA futures. "You'd better not forget about me when your rich and famous." She tacked on, more for her own entertainment than anything, grinning over at them as she did so.

Elliott shook their head, speeding up a little to keep pace with Rachel and not bothering to try and hide how their mood had changed. It was kind of crazy, that she could bring them out of their funk so easily with just the train of conversation, and being so adorable. "Well either way, I'll be blowing people across the UK away- and possibly the world too. Don't worry, even if I don't get on that stage, I'll always be on a stage, making sure people can't forget who I am." Elliott promised, "My own, mostly. I don't really mind the whole cover band deal, and that's probably going to be how we establish ourselves, honestly. But I don't want to have to rely on that, either. I have enough of my own music, that I can't wait to get it out." Elliott grinned easily, moving closer to Rachel as they walked. "How could I ever forget your amazing self? Don't worry, I'll be sure to be there on your first big opening night- as long as you show up to my concerts."

Rachel blinked in recognition once she realized that they had just passed where she had originally greeted them, before realizing that she had no idea how they were going to get to their destination. "Are we going to apparate there or walk there?" She blurted out without a thought before humming in agreement with their statement. "Oh, I don't have a doubt in my mind that you'll become the face of rock as soon as you put yourself out there. But you should play some of your own music for me sometime - maybe I could find a way to work it into one of our last setlists unless you wanted to save it for your inevitably grand debut concert." She grinned over at Elliott as soon as they started walking in time with one another. "I'll be at every single one - ​ someone ​ has to fight all of your groupies off, after all."

Elliott shrugged a little, "Well I mean, I was planning on walking. Muggle London means we'd have to get super creative with Apparation," They pointed out, "And it's not far enough to be that bad of a walk, either. Unless you're hoping to get rid of me sooner," Elliott teased lightly, finding themself wanting to reach for Rachel once more, but managing to refrain if only just. "But, I do think I can manage a small concert for you, since you've asked so nicely. I normally debut them in the common room," Elliott confessed, "But I've got a few that I think you might like a little. I mean, since you're one of my biggest fans, you deserve a bit of a treat." Elliott smirked a little, "You're fighting off my groupies, now? Well, consider me flattered," They said softly, "And honored, truly. I mean, the Great Rachel Berry, getting in cat fights just for me?" They winked at her, "But at least that means we'll be even, when I come see your shoes...And brag to everyone at the stage door that ​I​ get to be the lucky person who gets to drag you out to drinks, or home afterwards."

Rachel eagerly nodded along with them, mentally trying to gauge how long she could walk backwards for before she'd inevitably fall over and with that, she resolved to turn back around and walk forward like a regular person. She managed to walk in step with Elliott as soon as she shuffled a little closer to them. "I wouldn't dream of it. I suppose I could always just drop by your common room to listen in on whatever you feel like performing. As one of your biggest fans, I'd say that it's my duty to fight them off." Rachel smirked over at them before scrunching her nose up and shrugging. "Cat fights aren't pretty but if they're what I have to do to defend your honor, I suppose it has to be done." With a laugh, Rachel nudged their shoulder with her own. "I think that having bragging rights to that's a reasonable request."

Elliott nudged Rachel back without missing a beat, reaching for her hand without thinking, just to keep the girl closer. "Mmm, but a one-on-one concert sounds like more fun for me. And you'll be able to enjoy it better if you don't have to fight off my in-house fangirls. And James." Elliott quipped with a wink, biting their lip a little as they looked down at Rachel. "At least I can assure you I will repay you well, for defending my honor. And I'll gladly defend yours, no matter what ​your​ fans have to say about it, too. I'm sure the rockstar vibe will scare them off. And then I'll get to keep you all to myself, which really is how things should be."

Rachel flashed them a smile as soon as she felt their hand brushing against her own, letting her fingers reach out to entangle with theirs. "Oh, James is really the one that I'm afraid of - knowing him, he'll probably be wearing a 'Team Elliott' t-shirt and fight me to claim the spot of your number one fan." She retorted with a grin before tilting her head to look back at them, "but I'd personally love a one-on-one concert." She snorted at the thought of Elliott arguing heatedly with a Broadway buff and was still laughing as she replied to them. "Oh, I'm sure it will. Plus, you're a little too tall for anyone to feel entirely comfortable fighting." Pouting a little bit at how much taller he was than her once she realized just how great their height difference was, Rachel tried to stand on her tiptoes as they kept walking in an attempt to feel a little taller. "I couldn't agree with you more."

Elliott smiled brightly when Rachel intertwined their fingers, "Now, now. If I have to share him with Fran as his number one fan, then he can share with you." They smirked a little when they realized what Rachel was doing, trying to lessen the near foot of distance between their heights. It was hard, not to just laugh at the sight when Rachel was so adorable, but Elliott managed to refrain, if only just. "A one-on-one concert it is." They promised, "And I'll be sure to wear boots or something when I go see you, to make myself just a little taller." They teased, "Think about it this way. If the music career doesn't work out- I'd make a great body guard." Careful not to unbalance Rachel as they walked, with her on her tip toes, they pulled her towards the cafe as they approached it. "But, before we figure out any of that....Shall we?" Elliott asked, holding open the door for her.