Amelia Merlin

Part Eighty Eight: an underground show

"I feel like someone is going to murder me." Amelia furrowed her brow as Fred lead her down a narrow street of Hogsmeade.

"No one is going to kill you, love." he chuckled and took her hand. "They wouldn't dare, not with a strapping guy like me here."

She rolled her eyes and said as sarcastically as humanly possible. "Right. Because you're so intimidating."

Fred winked at her, causing Amelia to roll her eyes again. "Come on, we're almost there."

Going to Hogsmeade with Fred was different from going there with anyone else. He knew the place so well and always had some wonderful secret to show her. Amelia loved the way he strode with such confidence, like nothing could touch him. There was something about Fred Weasley that was undeniably invincible.

The pair reached a small stone courtyard. It looked completely empty, not a soul in sight. She opened her mouth to ask Fred where the show was, but he put a finger to her lips before she could speak. Taking her hand, he walked over to a space right in the middle and knelt down to the ground so his face was inches away from the stone, Amelia did the same and grinned at him.

"Are we watching a show performed by ants?" she whispered.

"No, love. This is the way in." Their heads were so close she could feel his breath. The night air was crisp around them and there was a certain buzzing energy that she could feel.

"Through the cracks in the stone?"

"Something like that." he winked again and tapped the rock twice with his wand then whispered. "Apertus."

The cracks grew and a sound came billowing out of the ground. Next thing she knew, Amelia felt herself falling into the dark below her. When she landed, it was in the middle of a crowd, with Fred by her side. The band, Whores and Hippogriffs, were blaring their music so loud she couldn't hear a thing. The lights were hanging above them in great globes that gave off something akin to solar flares every time the beat dropped. A blue smoke hung over the crowd and just by smelling it, Amelia could tell it would get anyone high as a kite.

It only took her a moment to feel entirely at home. She closed her eyes and put her hands in the air above her head. The music was so loud that it physically pulsed through her. The beat filled her and the sound overtook her senses. Everything faded away and all she could do was dance.

Fred was beside her, Amelia could feel his energy radiating off him. She had no idea how long they'd been there for, but it was enough that they were both sweating from the heat. The music started to speed up and the lights shone even brighter through the darkness. Just as the beat dropped, the globes that hung above their heads shattered and water fell from where they were, soaking the entire room. Getting drenched made everything even more exhilarating.

Amelia laughed out of pure joy, causing Fred to turn and look at her. He leaned down and yelled above the music. "Having fun, love?"

She nodded and beamed at him. The concert was more fun than she could've imagined. Amelia felt incomparably alive.

After what felt like twenty minutes, or it could've been hours, Amelia hardly knew, the last song was played and everyone left. She wasn't exactly sure how they reached the surface but they did. Adrenaline was still pumping through her as she and Fred walked back to Hogwarts.

"That was the best!" She squealed and leapt around.

Fred admired her for a moment. "I knew you'd like it."

"I loved it." Amelia corrected him and he laughed.

"Always gotta be right don't you, love?" He grinned.

"Aren't I?" She winked at him and he laughed again. Fred took her hand and spun her around while he talked.

"Wanna know something, Amy?"

She was almost too dizzy from spinning to talk. "What?" She managed.

"My birthday's coming up."

Amelia stopped. "Is this where you not so subtlety tell me what to get you?"

He shook his head and laughed again. "No, no it's not that."

"What is it?" She looked up and saw thousands of starts above her, the night sky didn't have a single cloud.

"George wants to have a party."

"Is that a bad thing?" Amelia raised an eyebrow. Fred usually loved these sort of things.

"It's not bad at all. But-" he searched for words before blurting out, "but we can't think of a theme."

Amelia looked at him hard. It seemed like he wanted to say something else but instead of pushing him she just went with it. "Do a toga party. Those are always fun."

"True." He mused. "Remember when we went to Greece? That first time at Sapana's?"

She grinned. "Of course! That was amazing."

"I remember those princes dancing with you!" He laughed.

"I remember that guy with the goat who kept trying to buy you guys from me." He laughed even harder.

"I remember every person in that country being in love with you the moment they saw you." Fred said and he stopped walking.

"You don't know that." She replied quietly.

"You didn't see the look on their faces as you walked away from them."

"There were more exciting things ahead." She smiled. "What was I supposed to do? Stop and marry everyone?" Amelia laughed lightly.

"No." He shook his head. "No you did perfectly that day. All those admirers and you were only in love with me."

Amelia shoved him playfully. "You are so full of yourself!" She laughed.

Fred scoffed. "Please. Like you're not in love with me."

"Never." She teased.

The red haired boy started walking again as he said. "Don't make promises you can't keep Amelia Merlin."

The pair laughed and joked their way back up to the castle. Amelia said goodnight to Fred and went up to the dormitory.

"Amelia! Where were you?" Lavender squealed.

"I was at a concert with Fred." She shrugged.

"Was it fun?" Parvati asked.

"It was awesome. But I'm so tired so I'll tell you guys about it tomorrow?"

Lavender shook her head and since she was so stubborn about it, Amelia relented and told the girls all about her night. They were extremely jealous and begged her for more and more details. The conversation got side tracked and they ended up talking about boys until finally, at two in the morning, they went to bed.

Amelia felt so happy and for the first time in a long time, she was grateful there would be no dreams tonight.