Carina McGonagall is named after the constellation containing the second brightest star in the sky - and it just so happens one Sirius Black is named after the brightest. They've always had an interesting relationship throughout the years - pranks...
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✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
The minute they left the hall, Sirius' hand was on hers. She didn't know how he had found her so fast; he must have sprinted from the Gryffindor table to the Ravenclaw one to find her, but he was there now. Her little bag had an extension charm on it and was packed with clothes, money (Muggle and magical), their tickets and, most importantly, James' Invisibility Cloak. When he had agreed to let them borrow it, Sirius had declared he was so happy he could kiss James, but that had not stopped James from promising to "punch him in his damn kisser" if the cloak was returned by Sirius within an appropriate amount of time.
It wasn't hard to escape the crowds heading back up to the dormitories and sneak outside into the courtyard, undetected. Often couples came there to snog a bit, or... Other things. Carina shuddered to think what could have potentially occurred in the bushes they were standing in, but quickly pushed the thought down as she turned to face Sirius. He grinned widely. After a quick glance checking they were definitely 100% alone, Carina pulled out the cloak and pulled it over both her and Sirius. It had easily fit all of the boys under there, back in first and second year, but now two, maybe three at a squeeze, people their age could fit under the cloak. The two stood close together, shoulder to shoulder, avoiding the edges people would be most likely to bump into.
After all, they were only invisible. They were still solid and if someone knew where they were under the cloak, someone could still touch them. That would not be good. So hand in hand it was, making sure they both knew which direction they were going in to avoid people and obstacles. It took some very precise movements to carefully slip past Filch and out of the gate, into the grounds of the castle.
Hagrid could be seen, sitting happily in his pumpkin patch. He was probably already growing them for Halloween. It was strange how fast time flew.
They were out of Hogwarts. If Carina's mother knew what she was doing, her fate would be unimaginable. She'd spelled put, unable to even move, most likely. Sneaking out was not something she condoned, although a few of her old classmates confessed to Carina that Minerva had done far worse in her own school days, so Carina didn't feel as bad about it.
The vague outline of other students could be seen, wandering in groups into Hogsmeade, but Carina and Sirius were not risking that. Sirius had parked a car up in a nearby Muggle town, using some (potentially illegal) magic. They were going to get in the car, get changed and drive to the Edinburgh Playhouse, perhaps with a little magical poking, to get there on time.
The car was one of the most Muggle-'70s-cliche things Carina had seen - blue, flat at the front and just generally the epitome of the Muggle tech of the year, practically straight out of the films she had watched with Peter. A giggle escaped Carina's lips as she pulled the cloak off, leaving Sirius as a floating head. He sighed, before shrugging it off himself, throwing it to get and unlocking the car. While Sirius's magic was almost untraceable due to him being only a few months off of seventeen, the more he used the more likely be caught, so magic outside of Hogwarts was to be kept to a bare minimum. That meant they'd have to get changed the Muggle way.
Of course, Carina was exceedingly hesitant of that part of the plan originally, but a tiny hex where if Sirius broke his promise of not turning around to look at her, he'd lose feeling in his hands for three days and three weeks for full mobility to be gained back, made her feel a little bit more comfortable. Which, ironically, was the exact opposite of the clothing they had chosen to wear. Muggle fashion was really something. Sirius looked great in it, but he looked great in anything. The colour mixture of the brightest colours imaginable and soft earthy tones was a strange combination but some people could pull it off. Flare jeans, those sort of dresses and turtlenecks were all foreign items to Carina, but she felt it was only right to truly get into the spirit of things. It was Queen after all.
The drive was quick. There was barely any traffic until about five minutes from the place the concert was being held - the Edinburgh Playhouse. Sirius parked the car up (he was surprisingly good at driving for both being a pureblood and underage; although he did somehow have a licence) and the pair got out and walked swiftly along the city roads to the entrance. They had talked and talked throughout the whole drive, laughing and joking around, but now Carina could barely speak. Everything was just sinking in. Crowds were huddled on corners; Muggle boys in bright wide legged trousers and sharply collared shirts, Muggle girls in similar clothes or dresses of bright patterns and strange styles. And Carina and Sirius fit right in. Some of the Muggles were quite attractive, and Carina caught several of a group of girls standing close by giggling, pointing and staring at Sirius.
A few months ago, Carina would've been furiously jealous, but it was different now. She was certain of Sirius and how he felt for her, and a few random Scottish Muggles weren't going to change that. One Muggle boy did wink at Carina, causing her to only shuffle closer to Sirius and wrap her arms around him. His arms slid around her in response and they continued to wait.
The queues were long and tedious to get inside. So many people had shown up and it wasn't surprising; Queen was a huge band - in Britain, America and all across Europe. Carina herself had barely experienced Beatle-mania back in the '60s, but she imagined it had been something like this, probably bigger. People screaming, giant groups of people rushing inside, clambering for the best view.
Sirius and Carina's hands were linked the whole time they were inside. They refused to get lost, or to stop holding onto one another, and it felt special. It finally felt like something was real, like something was happening. Something bigger than them, or their friends or even the world of magic, for however big it seemed. Muggles were bigger and their culture fed magic culture.
Soon, music had started and four forms were on the stage. Playing to the crowd. Playing to them. An intro led straight into the rock section of Bohemian Rhapsody - one of Sirius's favourite songs, and favourite parts. It made him smile the widest he had in months to see his girlfriend not very tunefully but enthusiastically singing along to the songs as they kept rolling on like waves of music over the audience.
The crooning voice of Freddie Mercury echoed across the venue, reaching the ears and heart of everyone who heard it. No matter if he was actually a wizard (as Carina suspected) or not, the music he, and all of Queen, made was real magic. The magic that everyone knew about and felt, not just wizards.
Through the crowd, everyone seemed to know the words. Lyrics screamed by the left side of the hall and the right and all of it, bouncing off walls and blending into a perfect harmony of noise.
Carina threw her arms into the air, fingers still linked with Sirius's and a smile on her face. She swayed to the beat, jumping as the music swelled again and falling back into her soft movements as it fell again.
The music was perfect; everything just felt right. Other couples danced, sang and drank around them, and up on the stage, Queen performed better than Carina had ever seen on the TV or the radio. Everything was right.
In those hours spent moving and mouthing to the roaring music, there was no opposition to whatever they wanted to do; there were no consequences for their actions. They were just teens, enjoying the music they loved, spending time together and having fun. All responsibilities, all magic use, all of their worries slipped away leaving just the moment they were living in.
Carina didn't know if she'd ever go to a concert again, but the memory of that night would stay with her forever.
