On the evening of August, 1st, music was blasting out the top floor windows of the Paton residence (much to the annoyance of Mr. and Mrs. Paton, as well as all the neighbors in a two-house radius). James was too busy to notice how loud her record player had gotten though. She was digging through her closet furiously trying to find anything that might be appropriate for a rock and roll concert. Wizard rock and roll stars were even more avant-garde than the muggle ones. None of her clothes seemed sufficiently edgy, so she eventually decided on loose jeans and a plain top which would have to do for now.

With a quick glance at her watch and the realization that Ginny would be there at any moment, James tumbled down the stairs half jumping to finish tying her shoes.

"Hey! Careful there!" James's mother protested. "If you fall and bust your lip you'll never make it to that concert anyways."

James mumbled something in return to which both her parents exchanged knowing glances. "You'll have your cell on you the whole time right? And you'll call us if there's an emergency?"

"Yes, Mom."

"And it'll just be you, Ginny, and Ginny's boyfriend right?"

"Yes, I've told you that a million times Dad."

"Sure you're not hiding a secret boyfriend from us?" James's mom jested, although her father did look up quite seriously at the mention of it.

"Oh my god, no! I told you, I don't have time for boys. We're celebrating Ginny's birthday that's it. And it's a good band too, I'd bet you'd like them if you heard them, Dad."

"Oh I heard them alright," Joseph chuckled. "I think the whole street did actually."

James rolled her eyes as she finally knelt down to fix the knot that her shoelaces had become. "Ha ha, very funny."

"I'm not kidding!"

When the doorbell finally rang, James was more than surprised to see three people standing on her front steps, not just two. "Lovely to meet you all," Dorothea said, welcoming the guests. The shorter girl walked in first, followed by two far taller boys both with equally red hair and devilish grins.

"Cheers, nice to meet you," said Fred as he shook James's mother's hand first, followed by her father's.

"Lovely to meet you all. You must be Ginny! We've heard so much about you. Which one of you is Michael?"

There was a moment of silence followed by suppressed snickers. James could see her father trying to piece together what he had said that would elicit such a response.

Finally, George spoke up. "We're um, ahem," a laugh broke through, "Fred and I are Ginny's brothers. Our mother sent us to 'chaperone'. And I'm George by the way," he extended his hand.

James's parents laughed too at the realization that they had implied one of Ginny's brothers might be her date. She could see her parents examining the Weasley's intently, no doubt trying to figure out why they looked like muggles and not as outwardly witchy or wizardly as Professor Dumble or Professor McGonnagal. The small crowd exchanged a few more words until it was suddenly announced that it was time to leave.

"Do you need money for the tube?" James's father asked, holding out a few notes of muggle money towards her.

"Oh we've got the transportation bit covered," interjected Fred, although James had no clue what Fred meant by it. James said her goodbyes and promised that she wouldn't be out too late. When they were finally out on the doorstep, James breathed a sigh of relief that her parents hadn't said anything too embarrassing.

James nudged Ginny and whispered, "What are they doing here?"

"I couldn't help it! They caught me trying to sneak out and said they'd tell mum if I didn't let them come with. Something about a 'business meeting' or the likes," Ginny hissed.

"Oi! Stop whispering about us back there. You should just be glad that we have an interest in going to this concert too so that Mum and Dad didn't have to find out you were sneaking off to go see your boyfriend," Ginny turned bright pink at Fred's words. It was remarkable sometimes how apparent Ginny's blush could become even in the dark. "And besides, like I said before, at least you lot don't have to take the tube anymore. Merlin knows that whole system is utterly impossible to figure out."

"Well, how are we getting then there?" James questioned skeptically. She didn't see any brooms stashed away in the garden and there certainly weren't any flying horses hanging around outside. If they had brought floo powder then they had already missed their chance to use the fireplace.

George grinned at her for the first time all night. She was surprised by how much her stomach fluttered at that. "We apparate of course."

"Ap-are you two even trained to do that?"

"Hey! Have at least a little faith in us, James. Merlin's beard. Have you learned nothing of our brilliance?"

"Fred and me passed our test just last week actually! Weasley chauffeur service, at your... uh service I guess."

Ginny rolled her eyes at her brothers. "Yeah and you two haven't shut up about it since. I swear they apparate at least fifty times a day," she added towards James. "I'd say theres's about a ninety five percent chance we make it there without getting splinched."

Fred nudged his younger sister's shoulder playfully. "I make no promises."

"Ready then?" asked George. But it was just then that James caught sight of fluttering curtains at the window of her nextdoor neighbor's house. The last thing they needed was to be seen apparating by the nosy Mrs. Williams.

"Not here! Unless you two are hoping to get arrested for doing magic in front of muggles," James whispered almost angrily at the twins' ignorance towards the fact that she did still live among the muggles and not in some wizarding town as they did. She led them to a dark alleyway just around the corner where she was sure no one would be able to see them. "Here," she said matter of factly.

Fred snickered. "Lovely spot you've picked here James."

"Come on, we're going to be late," moaned Ginny.

Fred quickly took Ginny's hand. "Don't get your wand all knotted up Gin, the night's still plenty young."

There was a loud crack and suddenly it was just James and George standing next to each other in a dark alleyway. James became very aware of the fact that she hadn't even processed the fact that George was there until now. Perhaps it should have been awkward for them to be alone together considering the fact that last time she was alone with him she had been crying in his arms after discovering that the man who had been impostering Professor Moody all of last year had been killed. But it didn't really feel awkward... it felt comfortable. At least until George extended his hand and said, "You ready?".

James felt a stirring within her stomach as she intwined her fingers with his. She could feel his warmth and the familiar tingling sensation of magic running up and down her palm. She nodded her head at him, but couldn't seem to remove her eyes from where they were locked upon his lips. A nervous rush suddenly came over her. What had gotten in to her?

Much to her dismay, George closed his eyes and the intense squeezing sensation coupled with the sickening spinning feeling of apparition enveloped her. Wind rushed across her ears and lights flashed beyond her closed eyes. James felt her feet connect with solid ground again and thought that the pressure in her head might caught her to vomit until she finally opened her eyes to find that they were standing in a new but much more crowded alleyway. Wizards were bustling around in all manners of dress and she could smell the familiar tings of butterbeer mixed with firewhiskey in the air.

Ginny was standing just under one of the street lamps next to a very embarrassed looking Michael Corner and Fred who seemed to be taking great joy in inching his way between the couple. She looked down to find that George was still holding her hand but made no move to remove hers for several more seconds.

"There you are!" called Ginny, annoyingly pushing her shoulder past Fred's who was now pressed directly between Ginny and Michael.

"Hey," she said to Michael who gave her a half wave as he looked nervously between George and Fred. "Are we in Diagon Alley?"

"Nah, just some dodgy street on the outskirts of London. Some place that the muggles won't think twice about anyone who says they've seen magic. Not a lot going on up in these folks' heads," said Fred.

She could see George laughing in the corner of her eye at Michael's obvious discomfort at being surrounded by Ginny's two older and very protective brothers. "I think we'd best set off then Fred."

"You're not coming with us?"

"Nope, got to go see a man about a broom. We'll be back at eleven to pick you lot up."

And with that, the twins disappeared into the crowd. Michael's shoulders instantly dropped several inches as he watched them walk away. James tried to put the growing pit of disappointment in her stomach out of mind as they joined the queue.

Though the line for the door was long, it moved quickly. They only had to wait outside for ten minutes before they finally reached the front and were greeted by a tall man with silver scars littered across his face and neck. "Tickets?" the man asked in a gruff voice. The three teenagers handed the scarred man their tickets, who tore off the stubs and marked black crescent moons on their hands with his wand. "In you go."

The man opened the red velvet barrier to the venue. As they walked through the door, James felt a force of magic pass over them. It muffled everything slightly and made it feel almost hard to breathe. "Anti-magic shield!" Ginny yelled over the crowd. "You'll get used to it in a bit."

James nodded at Ginny with her eyes closed as she tried to let the crushing feeling pass. When it finally did, she opened her eyes and could barely believe the sight before her. In the center of the room, which was far larger than it had looked on the outside (likely due to an undetectable expansion charm), there was a floating glossy black stage. The room was packed with wizards, some of whom were almost entirely naked and some whom were wearing exotic furs that danced around their shoulders. Floating balls of light were emitting a purple smoke into the room and there was a thick smell of sweat hanging in the air, although it wasn't unpleasant as one might expect. She could see small black creatures zooming between the throngs of people, but she wasn't sure what they were, and house elves dressed in tiny black suits behind a bar passing out drinks. It was unlike anything James could have expected.

Ginny had perhaps one of the biggest smiles James had ever seen plastered across her face. "Come on! I want to get a good spot!"

They pushed through the crowd until they were halfway towards the stage and couldn't get any closer. James still couldn't quite believe that they were actually here.

The crowd erupted into cheers as four figures dressed in tight black and red clothing appeared on the floating stage before them. Chiaro di Luna was even more impressive than James had imagined. The lead singer was shorter than she had pictured, with tousled dark hair and black sunken eyes that seemed tired but wise at the same time. His slender frame appeared as though it might break at any moment and was covered in silver scars, the largest of which extended all the way from his jaw to his hip. The other members sported similar scars and wore clothes that left little to the imagination. It was perhaps the bassist that James admired the most. She was the only woman in the band but had no fear towards dressing as provocatively as the men. Her scars showed she was a fighter too, but James couldn't imagine where all of them had gotten them from.

"Chiao, London," cried the singer in a thick Italian accent as the room clapped and screamed furiously. "We are Chiaro di Luna. And we'd like to play a little song for you. One, two, three four-" the sound of drums took over the room.

James didn't know what it was that she loved about the music so much. Most of the songs were written in Italian which she didn't even speak. But they were the epitome of coolness. The band had a certain air of defiance and confidence that couldn't be replicated or even explained.

They danced, and cheered, and sang along for what felt like hours. The room grew so hot that nearly everyone was dripping with sweat as they jumped and bumped into one another. It soon became clear that Chiaro di Luna was not exactly Michael's cup of tea, he was the only one not dancing and instead was spending most of his time looking towards Ginny as she danced with James. The girls were both screaming along so loudly that their voices quickly became raw and their lungs tired.

Ginny and Michael disappeared at some point in the night, but James was so entraced by the performance that she hardly noticed. A soft touch at the back of her arm was the only thing that could tear James's attention away. She turned to find George standing behind her with his bright red hair pushed back carelessly across his brow and that iconic Weasley grin plastered across his face. "Where's Ginny?" he yelled over the music.

I wanna be the first man you look at tonight
I wanna be stuck in your head and make you go wild
I wanna drive you 'til the morning light and
I wanna leave you alone in the middle of the night

James's eyes flickered beyond George's shoulder to where Ginny and Michael were standing with their arms wrapped around each other and their lips locked tight. "Not sure," she lied. "I think they went to get water!"

I wanna be a good man and see you smile
And I wanna swim between your thighs
I wanna fuck you 'til you scream and cry

George nodded at her and turned to look at the stage. She watched the light and figures reflect off his warm brown eyes. She could see the blood rushing beneath the skin of his neck and the slow rhythmic movement of his chest. He looked almost statuesque, James though inwardly, like a Greek god. Had it not been for the dimples and many freckles that showed he had spent much time under the sun then James might have thought he belonged in a museum somewhere. She didn't know what this feeling was. She didn't understand why months of half feelings and missed signals had decided to culminate in this moment.

I wanna hold you in my arms tonight
For your love, I'll do whatever you want
For your love, I'll do whatever you want
I'll do whatever you want, for your love

As if he had heard her thoughts, George turned his neck to look at her. There was a smile upon his face but then it fell and he stared at her. He stared at her in a way that made the rest of the world fade into nothing. He stared at her in a way that made her insides fold in upon themselves and her knees feel like they might give out at any moment. She could physically feel the longingness behind his eyes. The music was replaced with the sound of blood rushing through her ears.

Almost by instinct, James did perhaps the craziest and most impulsive thing she had ever done in her life: she kissed him.

"We can't," George whispered hoarsely, pulling himself away with much effort. There was sadness behind his eyes now but James couldn't understand why. She caught his forearm in her hands to try and keep him from walking away as she knew he would. "James-"

"Why not?" she demanded to know. "Why do all of this and then walk away? I know I didn't make this up, I know you feel it too. Tell me I didn't make it up," she pleaded.

George stared at her silently. Without warning, as though a switch had suddenly flipped, he grabbed her and pulled her back into him with such force that James nearly toppled over. He was kissing her. One of his hands was wrapped around her jaw with his fingers in her hair, and the other was pressed firmly against her back. She could feel the warmth from his body seeping into hers and didn't care that she hardly had time to breathe. Her entire body was tingling with energy. It was electric. It felt like magic. It felt unlike anything James had every felt before.

She could have kissed him for hours that night. She could have gone for days without coming up for air if it meant that George Weasley would never stop kissing her.

"Ahem," Fred interrupted. "Sorry to break up what I'm sure is a lovely conversation, but its eleven thirty and we need to go."

James and George broke apart, each with red blushes spread across their faces. "Alright then," George said nonchalantly, and he then slipped a hand around her waist to guide her as they made their way out of the crowd.

James's head felt like it was spinning. It was like something had been missing without her knowing all year and now she had found it. She didn't want to go. She wanted to stay here forever. But she knew that they couldn't.

After locating Ginny, they said their goodbyes to Michael and made their way outside where the hot summer air felt cool in comparison to the heat of the London dive bar. James could still feel her cheekes flushed bright red and couldn't shake the smile on her face no matter how much she looked at the ground. She was at first worried that Ginny might be upset that James had kissed her brother, but the red haired girl simply smiled at her. "Finally!" Ginny whispered as they walked arm in arm giggling towards the alleyway where they could apparate away. "Took you two long enough."

She took Fred's arm this time, quite sure that if she was alone with George she might not be able to contain herself. But when the awful bone crushing feeling of apparating faded away, James found that they were not standing outside her house as she had been expecting. They were standing on a dark street lined with black bricked townhouses. The street was literred with newspapers and rotting food scraps. She wrinked her nose at the smell.

"Where are we?"

"Oooh-" Fred inhaled sharply. "Yeah, my bad. I forgot you weren't coming back to Grimm-"

"Fred!" Ginny hit her brother's arm. Apolegetically she added, "Sorry, it's just, we're not supposed to say."

"It's fine, I'll take you home," said George. He grabbed her arm gently and she felt the familiar tingle of magic at his touch.

"Bye Ginny!" She called, squeezing in one last hug before they departed.

The sound of a squeaky door banging open rang out over the street. But James couldn't tell where the noise was coming from. She looked around startled and found that Ginny, George, and Fred were all looking at the same spot directly in between two of the townhouses where she was quite sure there was no door.

"Oh no," moaned Ginny. And then everything came crashing back down.

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Lyrics from: For Your Love, by Måneskin