#underscroft

“Poppy, seriously?” You chuckle, letting the brunette drag you by your arm to get a better spot closer to the stage.

The two of you—well, Poppy, mostly—were here to see her favorite band, The Thestrals, who were set to perform in Hogsmeade Square, and she was desperately trying to get a good spot at the front of the crowd.

You didn’t know much about The Thestrals. Only that they were a teen boy band consisting of 4 members, what their names were, and that your best friend was absolutely obsessed with them. They were one of the up-and-coming bands in the wizarding world, and they even attended Hogwarts themselves, though you’ve barely seen them around the school.

“They’re about to perform,” Poppy says excitedly, eyes sparkling as she loosens her grip on your arm once the two of you were at the front, standing just behind the barricades. “Oh, I can’t wait!”

“They can’t be that good.” You sigh, fighting back a smile as you watch Poppy practically shake in excitement. You felt ambivalent about the whole ordeal—a part of you was somewhat excited to see them, but another part of you would much rather be in the Room of Requirement’s vivarium with Poppy, where there were fewer squealing teenage girls and more interesting creatures to keep you company.

“Shh, they’re coming out,” She says, voice lowering as the restless crowd grows quieter. You look back up to the stage as the boys all took their places.

First, stepped out Leander Prewett. He smirked as the crowd squealed, the audience going crazy as he winked and blew a kiss to no one in particular. His copper-hued hair was slicked back neatly, freckles dotting his pale skin everywhere, even on his broad shoulders exposed by the tank top he wore. He was handsome, in a bold way, in a way that perfectly matched his ego.

“That’s the bassist,” Poppy whispers, tugging on your arm sleeve. To call her ecstatic would be an understatement..

Second, came out Garreth Weasley. He picks up his electric guitar. His ginger curls are slightly tousled, bangs almost covering his emerald green eyes. There’s something mischievous about his beauty, though you can’t quite put your finger on it.

You turn to Poppy. “What’s his role?”

“Electric guitarist.” She replies, voice light and expression starstruck.

Next, came Ominis Gaunt. You’ve heard of him—an excellent drummer, one of the best in the wizarding world, even though he was born blind. He holds his wand out, the tip pulsing a bright vermillon, as he makes his way over to his drum set. His ash-brown hair is slicked back neatly, complementing his pale eyes. He was alluringly attractive; something about him made you want to know more.

“Woah.” You mumble, feeling a bit starstruck from the sight of him. Poppy, on the other hand, looked absolutely enamored. “Is that all of them?”

“There’s one more.” She mumbles, eyes glued to the stage.

And last but not least, Sebastian Sallow stepped out.

Objectively, he was handsome.

Subjectively, however, he looked absolutely divine.

Freckles splayed across his cheeks like stars dotting the night sky, the look in his eyes cheeky yet lined with an undertone of danger. A smirk sat on his lips, almost as if it had been etched onto his face, complementing the wink he gave to the audience. His espresso brown hair sat messily atop his head, bangs brushed out of his attractive face.

Now you were starstruck, too.

“Merlin’s beard, he’s gorgeous.” The words tumble from your lips before you have a chance to stop them.

He approaches the microphone, addressing the audience, but you’re too captivated to really soak in what he said. All you know is that as soon as the song began and he started to sing, you felt like a sailor being lured in by a siren.

Sebastian’s singing was just as beautiful as he was, if not more so. His voice was breathtaking, and the sound of the other instruments just made his impeccable singing sound even better. The music was hypnotic, almost. You didn’t expect it to be this good.

“Poppy, I totally get it now.” You say, making your voice louder so she could hear you over the ecstatic crowd and the music playing. “They’re great.”

“I know, right?” She grins, turning to you before quickly shifting her gaze back up to the stage, absolutely mesmerized.

You stare up at Sebastian, watching the way his lips moved with every word he sang, watching the way his tousled hair ruffled slightly against the cool breeze, watching the way he was effortlessly handsome…

Your ambivalence had dissipated. You were glad Poppy brought you out here, and you wanted the concert to never end. The two of you dance and laugh as the music flows through the area, a sense of joy washing over you.

You both cheer and laugh, dancing along to the music like everyone else in the crowd. The atmosphere was charged with energy, nothing but delight in the air, life feeling carefree and fun. You almost wished every day was like this, free from the shackles of homework and school life.

As the concert progresses, your eyes continuously drift back to Sebastian, enamored with his everything. He held the microphone, the sleeves of his black button-up rolled up to expose his veiny forearms and hands. You almost drooled, the way he carried himself was simply perfect.

He looks down, gaze sweeping the crowd, before his eyes land on you. The two of you lock eyes, and you can feel your heart begin to patter against your chest as you stare into his honey brown eyes. Your breath hitches, a gentle heat crawling up your cheeks, butterflies fluttering in your stomach. Everything felt as if it was moving in slow motion, as if time was slowing to a halt, and you weren’t even sure if this was real.

After a few seconds, he looks away and continues singing, while your heart continues to pound against your chest relentlessly. You had to be dreaming, this felt so unreal.

“Thanks for coming with me,” Poppy smiles, peeling her gaze away from Ominis to look at you. Her eyes are bright, practically sparkling underneath the bright afternoon sun, and you haven’t seen her smile this much since you first showed her the vivarium. “This is the best day ever.”

“Of course.” You smile, nudging her shoulder with your own before looking back up at the stage. “This is fun.”

As you look back to the stage, Sebastian smirks at you as he steps back from the microphone, the song coming to an end and the instrumental fading out. You two make eye contact once again, and his look is intense, almost as if he was looking past your exterior and gazing into the deepest depths of your soul.

“Merlin’s beard,” You mumble under your breath.

Almost as if he’s heard you, his smirk widens and he blows a kiss in your direction, not breaking eye contact. The people around you—Poppy included—all let out excited squeals and chatters while you stood silent and starstruck.

This felt surreal.

No, surreal would be a harrowing understatement.

ʚɞ ⁺˖ ⸝⸝

The concert had (unfortunately) come to an end.

You and Poppy walk back to Hogwarts together, cool breeze brushing past your shoulders with every step you take.

“I’m a fan now.” You say softly, chuckling lightly as you take a sip of the warm cocoa you two had bought before heading back to the castle.

“I told you their music was good,” She nudged your shoulder with hers lightly, letting out a soft and charming giggle.

You laugh softly at the movement and nudge hers back, watching as the sun begins to droop lower in the sky. “I wonder when their next concert will be.”

Poppy nods. “You’ll come with me, right?”