Rock it out

[Sebastian Rossi]

Sebastian leaned against one of the walls in front of the Hog's Head right where he'd told Amzurah he would meet her. From there they would be apparating all the way to the States where they'd be heading to one of the longest running rock festivals of all time, Lollapalooza. It was the very same festival that his mother and her best friend, Anne, had gone to when they were just around Bas and Zura's age. He'd heard tons of stories from his mother and after she'd died from Anne about how awesome it was, so Bas could barely contain his excitement. And he hoped Amzurah would enjoy it. She'd never heard muggle music before and he couldn't wait to share it with her. If there was anyone besides his bandmates who would enjoy this as much as he did, it would be her.

Rubbing his hands together, Bas quickly ducked into the pub but he stayed close to the window so he could watch for his friend's arrival. Bas wasn't dressed for the cool New Zealand weather because he wasn't planning on spending a ton of time there. He took out his wand and quickly muttered the hot air charm before pointing it at his bare arms and his hands. Once they got to the states, he'd be alright because it was summer over there. He nodded his head towards a few of the regulars. Now that Ares Moon was using the outhouse in the back, he saw some of them often enough to share a greeting nod. They gave him a look as if they suspected who he was waiting for, but Sebastian didn't notice it or if he did he was choosing to ignore it.

 

[Amzurah Archer]

Amzurah Archer was so ridiculously excited about the recent events in her life that she could barely breath. She finished packing her duffel bag and looking about her room she smiled. Her room! It was hard to imagine that this was all going to be hers soon, granted in a managerial capacity but still it felt brilliant. Professor Rowann had been the worse case of the dragon pox that had hit the school and was not recovering from it as well as everyone else had done. She was now in St. Mungo's and had left The Hogs Head for Amzurah to run. Indeed she had put the entire thing in the young woman's name until further notice. The Gryffindor was overwhelmed of course and extremely grateful. She had not had any clue what she would have done after leaving school other than shadow her parents footsteps by joining the Quibbler and become a writer.

Glancing at her watch she grabbed the bag and locking the door behind her ran down the stairs. She smiled at the regulars there who all indicated with their heads towards the window. Some of them could not keep a straight face but allowed their toothy and for some toothless grins to visible. She smiled as she watched him for a moment, he always managed to tug at her heart at first sight and every other sight after that. She knew without a shadow of a doubt that she had fallen head over heels for him but was not so stupid as to think he could or would ever feel the same way about her. He was after all still nursing a broken heart. She whispered a thank you and winked to the barman who was being left to run the place while she went away for a bit. Sebastian's invitation to the rock concert had instilled a wanderlust inside of her and once the concert was done she had decided she would travel America for a few weeks before coming back and taking over the running of the tavern. Excitement filled her as she gently placed down the duffel bag and snuck up behind him. Gently she covered her hands over his eyes and whispered in his ear.
"Guess who?" being this close sent its usual shivers through her and she hoped he could not feel the delicious tremors as her hands covered his beautiful eyes.

 

[Sebastian Rossi]

Still looking outside, Sebastian watched as an old edition of the Daily Prophet rolled around the street, the wind carrying it away until it got caught on the leg of a bench. So, when his eyes were covered, he was slightly startled. He knew right away that someone had covered them and a frown crossed his face. The whisper that accompanied the darkness eased him and his frown quickly went away. This was no stranger's hands covering his face. They were soft and tinier than his own and could only belong to a female. He knew exactly which one it was too and Sebastian chuckled. His hand moved up to cover the ones that were on his eyes. "Hmm..."he began, pretending to think hard about this. "Merlin's beard. I have no idea, but since you can see, do you mind telling me if my friend Amzurah is here yet? We have plans and I'd like to get going soon." A grin crossed his face because he knew that it had to be her behind him. It better be anyway.

Pulling on her hand slightly, a glimpse of the world returned to him and Sebastian was able to turn so that he was now facing Amzurah. He smirked and then spoke, "Hey...there you are. Craziest thing just happened to me. Someone put their hands over my eyes and I told them I was waiting for you...and here you are" he trailed off, only then realizing just how close he and Amzurah were. It was a bit too close for comfort, especially now that they were face to face. Taking a step backwards to give himself some space, Sebastian let out a low breath he didn't know he'd been holding. He looked down at his hands for a moment, wondering why he'd felt so awkward. They were friends after all and it should be alright for them to be close to each other. Looking back up with a curious look on his face, Sebastian noticed that she had a duffel bag beside her. "You planning on staying over there?"

 

[Amzurah Archer]

She couldn't help but laugh of course when he insisted he had no idea who it was, she wanted to smack him playfully but knew when he pulled on her hand and turned to face her that he had only been fooling. The smirk on his face and the tone of his voice had all implied it of course. She felt instantly overwhelmed knowing her hand was in his and they were standing so very close to one another that she could see the specks in his beautiful eyes.
"Here I am" she blushed a little as he stood back and they released hands. A few hushed giggles from the men at the bar was soon cut off by her pained and mortified expression staring at them before she gathered herself together and hoisted her bag up once again and tapped it with her wand to make it smaller. So small in fact that it fit neatly inside the pocket of her jeans without any bother. Putting her wand back into her pocket she nodded her head at him.
"Yeah, you gave me the idea really. I mean why go all that way and not tour the place. I've never been and what with taking this place over I might never get the chance again" she grinned.
"So how do we do this... portkey or sidealong?" she figured it would be portkey though the very idea of holding onto Bas as they disapparated together melted her insides completely.

 

[Sebastian Rossi]

Sebastian heard the men chuckling, but had no idea why they were doing so. He was pretty sure they couldn't hear the conversation he and Zura were having, but they were certainly amused about something. "If I'd known, I would've brought some stuff with me too" he frowned after he heard her response, not sure how he felt about Amzurah staying in the states all alone. There wasn't much he could do about it though, so he wasn't going to dwell on it. Actually, he was going to but he wasn't going to show Amzurah that he was. Sure, she was a fully trained witch, probably better than him in some areas, but still.
"You're taking the place over?" he asked and then smirked, "That's awesome. It means you're the one allowing Ares Moon to have a practice space then" he mused and then added, "I'd better stay on your good side".

When she asked how they'd be getting there, Sebastian's smile widened. He was psyched to get going and was glad to see that she was as well. "We'll be apparating of course" he said with a grin as he reached for her hand again. It didn't go without notice that her hand fit in his nicely. Tugging on her hand, he left the shop. "Ready?" he asked and then closed his eyes, concentrating heavily on Texas, their destination. With a crack, they landed behind the stage, the music of Bon Jovi blaring from a speaker close by. Sebastian opened his eyes and then quickly closing them again, dizzy from the long trip.
"Whoa" he muttered, letting go of Amzurah's hand and kneeling down his head between his knees. "Next time we use a portkey" he murmured.

 

[Amzurah Archer]

She bit her lip then and sighed within.
"Seriously? I didn't think you'd want to travel about America with me. I mean one evening at a gig is one thing but two whole weeks alone together. We could very well end up killing one another" she grinned not believing a word of it for a minute, "but if you really wanted to, there'll be plenty of stores over there to buy necessities and don't forget you're a wizard so it won't be any trouble cleaning your clothes or self or transfiguring your gear to make them look slightly different."
At least the idea was out there and she hoped that by the end of the evening he would have firmly decided to go with her. She couldn't think of anyone else she would rather see a strange country with. Smiling broadly at his enthusiasm for her taking over the place, Zura could not help but wink.
"Hey I might start charging you guys for space if you're not careful. You really had better stay on my good side." when he reached for her hand she felt the tug of her heart and realised she was squeezing his fingers, albeit gently but still squeezing them. By the time they disapparated to the back of the stage, Zura was beyond excited but that soon turned to concern as Bas knelt down on the ground. Within seconds she was beside him, kneeling down and resting one hand lightly on his knee as her other hand gently stroked his back.
"Hey you okay?" she asked, her voice filled with concern for him, "apparation winded you huh?"
Just then two security guards walked around and told the pair of them to move along. Amzurah smiled sweetly at them informing them that her friend was asthmatic and had needed some fresh air, that they would be out of there in two minutes. The security guards seemed placated by this and moved along, turning back to regard them a moment before strolling on wards.

"Bas?" she asked, her hand moving from his back to gently stroke the hair on his head, "are you going to be alright?"

 

[Sebastian Rossi]

Sebastian couldn't talk so he nodded and took deep breaths as he tried to regain his bearings so Amzurah's story about his having asthma was believable. When the security had gone, he could feel her hands on his back and neck and it truly did make him feel better. It centered him for some reason. After a moment, he stood up slowly and smiled.
"Yea, I'm fine" he said shakily.
It was just the kind of thing that she had just done that made him not believe for one second that he would want to kill Amzurah if they spent an extended amount of time together.
Not wanting her to be concerned any longer, he decided to get moving. "We'd better get out of here before they come back around" he said as he placed his hand on the small of her back to guide her towards the front. They had to walk the entire length of the field to get to the front where there were booths selling t-shirts, albums, posters and other merchandise. The main stage was further down. "So is this enough to stay on your good side for a while?" he asked, a smirk on his face as he swept his hand towards all the stuff there was to do.

 

[Amzurah Archer]

Standing up herself as he rose slowly, Amzurah was simply glad that he was alright. As much as she had been excited about the concert, it would have been no fun without Bas and if he had continued to feel unwell then she would have insisted on whisking him out of there. She had instant visions of her at his bedside taking care of him and could not help the serene smile that lit her face then. With his hand gently guiding her through the crowd and up the entire length of the field, there was no time to talk as person after person seemed to jostle them. On occasion she would smile back at him, she had always enjoyed a concert vibe and being now at her very first muggle concert and with Bas no less was exhilarating and something she would probably be talking about until she was old and grey.

When at last they did stop she took in all the merchandising booths and her head swam, unsure where to start at first she looked to Bas imploringly.
"You'll always be on my good side" she winked then slipping her hand into his as if it simply belonged there she began to waver between stalls, "Okay you're the expert here. Where do we go and what do we do next?"
Her face was lit up like a little kids on Christmas morning, the excitement on her face was palpable and her energy and enthusiasm was intoxicating.

 

[Sebastian Rossi]

The longer they walked and the more fresh air that Sebastian took in, the better he felt. As Zura slipped her hand into his, Bas gave her hand a squeeze. It wasn't lost on Sebastian that out here in a crowd he was fairly alright with holding her hand but anywhere else he wouldn't be. It would feel too weird, reminding him of how he and Trilby had walked around both before and after they'd dated. He wasn't going to make that same mistake twice of dating a friend. It was a bad idea, plain and simple. Glancing around as Amzurah asked him what they should do, Bas was unable to remain calm. Her excitement was contagious and he found himself feeling giddy with the promise of an amazing concert. "First, we get you a souvenir so you can remember your first muggle concert" he said as he walked with her over to a t-shirt vendor. There were tons of other people there as well, shouting their sizes and pointing to the shirt they wanted.

He joined the fray and within moments was holding two shirts, one that he hoped was in her size. He was pretty sure it was. She was slim so he'd gone with the smallest size. "Is this ok?" he asked as he held out a black shirt that read "Ohio State Rock Festival 2026." On the back, it had a picture of the band that would be rocking the stage in moments. Bon Jovi was one of his favorite muggle bands, and as soon as he'd heard they'd be performing on the stage, he knew he had to come. Bringing Amzurah had come later after she'd invited him to her graduation.

When he noticed that throngs of people were moving towards the stage area, Bas looked at the time. His eyebrows rose swiftly as he threw his shirt over his shoulder. Moving away from the people who were trying to rush to buy merchandise before the concert began, Sebastian leaned close to Zura's ear. "We'd better get towards the stage now. The show's supposed to start soon." He began walking and spoke to her as they did, his excitement growing with each step they took. "You're gonna love them. The lead singer has an awesome voice and his guitarist is one of the best."

 

[Amzurah Archer]

She was on cloud nine and it was obvious to everyone, feeling like a big kid let loose for the day she had every intention of enjoying this experience. Her mother had been disgusted that she couldn't have come along but had made Zura promise that she would get all the details when she got back. Looking at the merchandise she was open mouthed with astonishment, there was so much yet Bas managed to pick up the perfect ti-shirt, size an' all, as if he knew exactly what she would have liked. Taking it from him she beamed and typically not caring an iota for those about her, removed her plaid shirt and tied it around her waist before removing her ti-shirt though she had a thin strapped vest top beneath and pulled on the concert ti-shirt. It fitted perfectly, molding to her slender frame. She glanced from it to Bas as the stall owner beamed and let out a low whistle.
"Love if all the good looking girls did that I'd wouldn't make any money, I'd just be giving them away free" he chuckled shaking her head as he looked at her appreciatively. He had also heard the difference in their accents, especially the girls.
"Tis yours love, enjoy yourself" he gave her a wink, musing to himself as he moved along to the next customer.

Zura laughed before turning to Bas.
"Maybe you should do the same thing, you could get a freebie too." instead the shirt he had chosen was slung over his shoulder and Zura folded up her other ti-shirt and taking the now tiny bag from her pocket pushed it inside without any difficulty. Magic was brilliant, storing the bag back inside her pocket, she felt goosebumps erupt all over her skin as he whispered in her ear. Speechless she nodded her head and followed him through the crowd to head to the stage. The excitement was building again but added to it was the delicious wonder of sharing this experience with Bas.

 

[Sebastian Rossi]

Utterly shocked when she began to pull off her shirts, Sebastian turned away quickly, his cheeks turning a ruddy color. That was the last thing he'd expected her to do in the middle of a public area, but when he continued to think about it, he didn't know why he was so shocked. Bas should have expected it. Amzurah was no Trilby. She was much more daring and less embarassed about such things apparently. He hadn't turned quickly enough though and still got an eyeful of Zura's slim frame, the skin of her belly showing as she slipped on the new shirt. It fit her like a charm and Sebastian couldn't help the feeling of satisfaction that he'd gotten the size exactly right. It seemed the vendor hadn't bothered to turn away and as they walked away a scowl crossed Bas's face. Giving the guy a mean glare, Sebastian turned back to Amzurah. "Did you see the way he was looking at you, Zura? He oughta be ashamed of himself, the ba$tard..." he said in disgust, thoroughly annoyed by how the man had behaved.

It was only then that he realized that his grip on her hand had tightened and he forced himself to loosen it. "Sorry. It's just that American guys can be sleazy and I don't want anyone hurting you..." he explained, though he wasn't sure who he was explaining to or why. It was natural for a friend, especially a male one, to be overprotective of his female friend when she was in a strange country, right? He took a deep breath as they reached an empty space. All around them people were crowding in, and he knew that this was probably as close as they would be able to get to the stage. They weren't that far though, only 10 or so rows back. Bas knew he had to chill out. They were supposed to be having fun and he didn't know why he'd gotten so worked up. "We should have a good view from here" he said, his smile returning. A countdown had begun on the screen on stage and he could see that they had two minutes before the group would take the stage and begin.

 

[Amzurah Archer]

She could only grin as she looked at him indulgently, pleased as punch that he seemed actually jealous of the vendor.
Her fingers wanted to protest as they walked along, his grip had tightened but she didn't say a word but let him vent
until he realised himself. It took him less time than she thought and again she had to smile at him.
"But you're American aren't you?" she asked him, quirking an eyebrow and turning herself around so that she was walking
backwards through the crowd but able to face him. She only did it for a few steps as if wanting to keep the image of his
face at that precise moment save within her heart. They came to a spot where Bas thought would be great for viewing the
band and she had to agree. They weren't far back at all and suddenly she was kicking herself for not thinking of it sooner.
She rummaged around in her pocket for the magically shortened bag and from it removed her wizarding camera.

There was no way she could not take pictures of this event or of Bas for that matter. Tapping a girl beside her on the shoulder
she asked her excitedly to take a picture of the two of them. She showed her which button to press and leaned in closer to
Bas tossing her arm about his shoulder and making a face at the camera when commanded to say cheese. It was a good
thing her camera looked simply like an outdated muggle one, the girl took the picture then smiled as she handed the camera
back to Amzurah. Thanking the girl she chuckled lightly glancing up at Bas before kissing his cheek.
"That's for being so sweet and wanting to protect me" she told him as a reason for her actions, slipping the camera back
inside where it would be safe for now Zura couldn't resist pressing her lips to his other cheek.
"And that is for bringing me here, seriously thank you!"

 

[Sebastian Rossi]

Sebastian smirked as Zura gave him a smart a$$ response that he had set himself up for. "I should've seen that coming, huh?" he replied with an eye roll before shaking his head and adding, "but it's not the same." He decided to stop explaining and glanced down at her as she rummaged in her bag for something. When he saw what it was, a grin crossed his face. It looked like an old muggle camera but he was willing to bet his tattoo money that it was a magical one.

"Excellent" he said excitedly as she began to show a cute muggle girl how to use it. When she threw her arm on his shoulder, he put his around her waist and stuck his tongue out when the girl took the picture. He couldn't wait to see it developed and planned on asking her for a copy. As the kiss landed on his cheek, Bas's green eyes widened slightly and then warmed at her words. He hadn't been expecting that, not at all. The second kiss warmed the rest of his face. He chuckled nervously, "Yea, well you're welcome for both." As the large screen brightened and began a countdown for Bon Jovi's entrance, the crowd seemed to tighten together and quieted for a moment before exploding in loud cheers as the notes for one of their biggest hits began. Bas looked over at Zura, a look of pure excitement on his face as he mouthed 'This is gonna be great!' to her.

 

[Amzurah Archer]

She nudged him grinning as she did so.
"Yeah you should have" winking she merely shook her head, "You're nothing like him."
As if needing to reassure him on this fact before the concert began. With the picture taken she was warmed to have another reminder of her day with him. So far it had been fun, noisy and exhilarating and she could not wait for the actual gig to begin. A large rectangular object began to flicker and Zura gasped, clutching at Bas's arm as large numbers began to count backwards on it. She remembered seeing something similar once before on a muggle studies outing when they had been taken to the movie theater but this was bigger again. Lights flashed and the crowd swelled in anticipation. When finally music began to pump through the loudspeakers, they erupted into cheers and though she didn't know the words she beamed at Bas, caught up in the thrill of it all. Jumping up and down with the rest of the crowd she watched as the members of the band walked out on to the stage. They were older than she would have thought them to be but it didn't bother her, the lead singer greeted the crowd who all yelled boisterously back. She did like wise, arm raised in the air as her body swayed to the beat that pumped loudly about them. She couldn't help turning to Bas then, shouting over the music.
"Someday ... that's going to be you up there" honesty in her eyes and voice shone through, she truly believed he was capable of making it big. Turning back she grinned at the girl who had taken the picture, the girl was more excited than Zura was and seemed to be grabbing on to people squealing with joy. Zura could only laugh and allow her own arm to be grabbed momentarily before watching the girl latch herself on to Bas.

 

[Sebastian Rossi]

Sebastian chuckled as he watched Zura's excitement mirror his own. This gift had been a stroke of brilliance and he was glad that she was enjoying it as much as he hoped she would. For him, events such as this were normal even if he'd never been to many concerts, but today, seeing the muggle concert through Amzurah's eyes was like being at his first concert again. He was momentarily distracted as the lead singer greeted the crowd, his green eyes glued to the stage as he yelled back at the man who could no more hear what he said than he could anyone else. It was insanely loud and Bas was loving every moment of it even if it had only just begun. As "It's my life" began to play, Bas moved with the crowd, bopping his hand and bouncing on his feet.

When he looked over at his friend once again after the music had begun, it was to see her yelling that he would be just like them one day, on stage performing for a large group of people. He didn't know how to react for a moment. Amzurah seemed so sure of what she'd said and for all that Bas hoped for this to be his someday, he was nowhere near as confident as she.
"Thanks" he yelled back, touched at her faith in his abilities. "You've no idea what that means to me." His eyes locked on hers then, his heart tightening with gratitude and perhaps something else until the pretty photo girl latched first onto Zura and then onto him, snapping him out of whatever it was he'd been feeling. He looked down at the new addition on his arm as she shrieked and began belting out the song, hanging onto Bas as if she'd been with him all along. Bas looked over to Zura and chuckled, clearly amused with the girl's antics. "Will this be part of it?" he asked, thinking that he might very well enjoy fame if it meant he could play onstage and have pretty girls on his arm every night.

 

[Amzurah Archer]

Zura thought her heart would seriously explode when he stared at her like that, it beat so frantically she was sure people could hear it over the loud music playing from the stage. The only thing that had marred the moment was the pretty girl latching herself onto him. As Bas chuckled, Zura shrugged. She didn't mean to look put out or jealous in any way but she couldn't help how she felt.
"Probably" she muttered, trying to stop herself from jinxing the girl. How could she tell him that was the part that was superficial, that every band had its groupies and hangers on. She envisioned all the beautiful girls that would be throwing themselves at him and knew that if she wanted to be his friend then she would have to start getting used to it. Another girl two in front of them was hoisted up to sit on the shoulders of a guy she was with, which gave the young pretty girl ideas as she turned to Bas with a beaming smile.
"Oh please can I use your shoulders. Look at the size of me, I'm tiny" she even went so far as to bat her eyelashes at him. Zura turned hastily away dancing and humming along to the tune playing, wanting to show as much interest in the gig instead of straining an ear to hear how Bas was replying to her.

She'd never been to a concert where people sat on shoulders but then again wizarding concerts didn't need that type of elevation, they just hovered themselves up to the height they needed to see what they could. Part of her wanted to turn around and tell the girl to butt off that he was with her but it seemed fate just wanted to have its own fun, for in that moment the girl tugged on Zura's arm to get her attention.
"I was saying..." she roared obviously repeating herself, "You don't mind me using your boyfriend to get a better view?"

Zura opened her mouth to speak before looking at Bas.
"He's not my boyfriend" she muttered, unable to take her eyes from his as if conveying how much she wished that wasn't true.

 

[Sebastian Rossi]

When the girl tugged on his sleeve and asked him to hoist her up, Sebastian froze for a moment, scuffing his foot on the ground as he looked away from her. "Oh, I dunno" he mumbled. His eyes drifted over to Amzurah, but she seemed to be so into the concert that he was sure she wasn't noticing what was going on. He shrugged his shoulders and noncommitedly replied that he was with Zura and he didn't know if she'd mind. That only caused the girl to immediately turn to Amzurah to request her permission.

Sebastian turned towards the stage and away from the two girls, pretending to not notice what was going on, and for a second, he didn't. The guitarist was getting ready to start a solo, and that was enough to keep his attention. At least until he heard the word 'boyfriend' mentioned and he swiftly turned his head. His eyes locked onto Amzurah's but he couldn't hear her reply nor could he read her lips. It obviously was not a clear enough answer for the girl because she returned to him and put her arm on his shoulder, leaning in to request his help with a flip of her hair. Something about her actions annoyed him though he didn't know what. "She said she wouldn't mind" she yelled into his ear and Sebastian realized quickly that even if Amzurah wouldn't, he would.

After a moment, he shook his head, telling the girl that he couldn't. He was with Zura after all and even though they weren't together like that, he'd asked her to come with him and something about it just felt wrong. The girl stared at him for a moment in disbelief and then turned on her heel and walked away, not before giving he and Zura a nasty glare. He rolled his eyes and then leaned towards Zura about to say something about the girl and then deciding not to. It wasn't worth the time. He'd already missed the whole first song, one of his favorites, with all the girl's talking. "Now I can enjoy the concert" he winked, knowing that Zura would certainly appreciate a concert enough to not talk through it. "Can you see?" he asked, realizing that even though she was taller than the other girl, with all of the girls now climbing onto the shoulders of the guys they were with, even his view was getting obstructed slightly.

 

[Amzurah Archer]

She tried her best to pay as much attention to the music as was feasibly possible but she was so tuned into what was happening between Bas and the girl that she had missed the entire first and almost second song. By the time she heard him speak, knowing it was to her she turned to look at him again and grinned. He hadn't obviously heard much of what she had said or the implication behind it and though the biggest part of her was going mad about this fact, the rest of her thought it was typical and probably for the best. He was still getting over Trilby probably and certainly didn't need Zura complicating things further.

When she turned to look out over the sea of people to the stage she realised she really couldn't see much now at all but it didn't really bother her. She shrugged in reply to him before leaning closer to speak.
"It's not about the visual for me ... it's about the music" it probably sounded silly but she simply just got on with dancing to the rest of the songs that played. They really were a brilliant rock band, the guitar riffs were great and the lead singer was well able to beat out his voice. She even found herself singing along to the more catchy numbers, easily picking up the words and jumping up and down, rocking out to the great vibe. Many times of course she turned to Bas, to give him a smile or just to make sure he was still there enjoying himself as well.

The day was amazing. The band slowed things down a notch with a few ballads and love songs and Zura sighed happily. Glad that her feet were being given a break from the dancing and bobbing about. She moved before Bas with her back to him and taking his arms wrapped them with her own around her waist as she leaned back into him. Letting her head rest against his own, enjoying the softer music and mellowing out in the company of the young man she now considered her best friend.
"This has been the best day ever Bas" she told him, then simply closed her eyes as she swayed gently in time to the music.

 

[Sebastian Rossi]

Sebastian listened to what Amzurah said and nodded his head in both approval and agreement. She really did get it. He turned back to the stage again, relaxing and enjoying some of the more upbeat songs. There were many and although Sebastian had no problem recalling the words to his favorites, he was quite surprised to turn to Amzurah and see that she was singing along. He stole glances at her every once in a while, to be sure she was enjoying herself of course, and it seemed she was.

As the songs turned more mellow, Sebastian was relieved to give his hands a break from all of the clapping he'd been doing. When Amzurah stepped in front of him and leaned into him, Sebastian opened up his arms to accomodate her body, covering her arms with his own. At first he didn't realize how intimate the hold was, but when he did Sebastian realized he didn't want to move. So what if other people around them thought they were a couple. Bas only had friendly feelings for Zura and he was convinced she felt the same way. It had been a long time since he'd felt so close to someone and when he listened to Amzurah and realized how happy she was, he was glad too. Bas liked making people happy, especially people he cared about and Amzurah had quickly become a member of that group. They were so similar in many ways and Bas was enjoying getting to know her more

"I'm glad Zura" he said into her ear as he leaned his head on her shoulder. "We should do this more often, you know, especially now that we don't have school in the way." Hanging out with her seemed like it was always going to be fun, and it helped him to not think of Trilby. As he thought about it, he realized he hadn't thought about her once. Not once all day. It felt...good, oddly good. He held on to her as the music continued and soon enough the concert was over, the band having come out to do two encore songs and then being wildly cheered off the stage. Hoarse yet still giddy and running on adrenaline, Bas realized he was still holding onto Amzurah. Giving her a quick hug, he released her. "Sooooo...what'd you think?" he asked with a chuckle, his voice a bit raspy from all of the screaming. In the absence of the music from the stage and all of the yelling, everything felt so quiet and he waited for Zura's reply.

 

[Amzurah Archer]

If the 'fates' themselves had organised the perfect day for her, she seriously didn't think they could have planned it better. Everything was perfect, more so when Sebastian didn't pull away from her but held her and listened to the music with her. In fact, Amzurah was on cloud nine, he not only allowed her to stand in the circle of his arms but continued to hold her there for not one or two songs but until the concert had ended. With his head on her shoulder she could easily imagine turning her head a fraction and kissing him but didn't want to ruin a perfect day, it might still be way too soon for him and for now just being held by him was spectacular enough.

"I'm up for disappearing across continents for concerts any day you are" she grinned, leaning her head against his own and enjoying the sensation of his arms about her. The concert typically seemed to fly by at that point and soon the band were finished even their encore set. Her hands felt sore from clapping but she instantly returned them to hold Sebastian's arms about her once again. She felt the gentle squeeze of his arms about her then and knew that meant only one thing and as the cool air assaulted her she suddenly felt as if she were cast out at sea without a paddle when Bas released her.

She turned to smile at him as he spoke, his voice sounded terribly sexy all raspy like that and she was glad he wasn't the singer of his band or he'd have some serious problems.
"I loved it, seriously Bas..." Zura was all about displaying her affection, all about being free and spirited so it wasn't really her fault that she threw her arms about his neck to hug him.
"Thank you" she sighed against his ear, slowly she began to release him but the jostling crowd had other ideas and she was pushed back against him. A position she did not mind at all. Her hazel eyes looked into his and maybe it was insanity or perhaps it was simply sanity that overcame her, whatever it was Zura tilted her head slightly and kissed Bas gently on his perfect lips.

 

[Sebastian Rossi]

Bas beamed when she began by saying she loved it. He'd known she would all along, because old or not, Bon Jovi was still one of the best groups around. The hug that she laid on him wasn't all that surprising because he was beginning to realize that she was one of those girls who liked to hug a lot. A chuckle escaped his lips as he patted the small of her back, "You're welcome."

As she began to release him, Sebastian began to ask Zura where she was planning on heading next. Since he couldn't stay with her, he figured that knowing where she'd be would ease some of his anxiety at least. Before he could though, someone had jostled her and sent her back into his arms. Startled, Sebastian grabbed hold of Zura to steady her and ask if she was ok, when she began kissing him!

His eyes widened in shock as he broke the kiss a moment later, chuckling nervously. "Wow, I...uh...wow" he mumbled incoherently as he bit his lip and took a step back. He couldn't look Zura in the eye. Why did she do that? Did I do something to make her think I wanted her to kiss me? Bas had no idea, but one thing was for sure...that had been one of the best kisses he'd ever had in his life. Still, it had reminded him of that time back in the greenhouse with Trilby when they'd shared first a kiss and then some more. Don't think like that, he scolded himself. She is your friend...yea, so was Trilby. "Zura, I...I... should probably start heading back" he said softly, not knowing what to say. He felt completely and utterly at a loss. The whole thing reminded him of how quickly he had rushed to take things from simply a friendly relationship with Trilby to something more and how badly it had backfired. He didn't want that with Amzurah, not at all. "Are you going to be ok?" he asked, still not looking at her fully.

 

[Amzurah Archer]

She could not believe she had done it, one minute she had been standing there and the next thrown back into his arms when obviously sanity had fled her. She knew as soon as their lips broke apart that it had been a mistake. It was written all over his face and now she had blown it completely or maybe the feelings were from her side alone. What if he was only content with being her friend and would never ever see her in any other light? Zura bit her lip and felt humiliated when he suggested that it was time he had to head back.

Taking a deep steadying breath she tried not to let the embarrassment of the situation grip her but of course it was much too late for that. Pushing some hair behind her ear she nodded her head hastily.
"Sure I'm going to be okay.. I 've got my trusty bag don't I?" she grinned, turning towards the moving crowd.
"I guess this is it then" she glanced back at him and held out her hand hoping that he would at least take it and reassure her that he was still good with being friends. Her eyes gazed into his and all she could think about was how much she was crazy about him. How much she had come to care and respect him, how much she had fallen in love with him and knew that if he didn't shake her hand, it was probably for the best. He was not over Trilby and she would have to get over Bas... somehow.

"I'm sure I'll see you back at the Hogshead during one of your practice sessions. Thanks again... it's been a great day."

 

[Sebastian Rossi]

Sebastian hoped that he hadn't hurt Amzurah's feelings, but he was pretty sure he had. He knew his feelings would have been hurt if the shoe was on the other foot. As she turned to leave, Sebastian's shoulders dropped. Now, he'd blown things. Why didn't I realize? He wondered, not knowing how he could have ignored that Amzurah had begun to develop some sort of feelings for him. Sure, she seemed to hug him often, but that was what friends did, right? He didn't want to analyze every move she'd made, every word she'd spoken, sure that it wouldn't do any good now.

He listened to her and then nodded, and when she held out her hand, he was quick to take it, glad that she wasn't going to dwell on his actions or lack thereof. "If...If you need me, please owl me Zura" he said nervously, hanging on to her hand as he awaited her reply. He didn't really want to leave her, but knew he had to and he had the feeling that she wouldn't contact him, not after what he'd just done. It wouldn't do either one of them any good for him to stay around feeling as he did though. He was confused and knew he would have a lot of thinking to do. With another nod, he let go of her hand. "Of course we will" he reassured her. He took a step back and then turned to walk away, stopping to turn back not once but twice at Zura's retreating steps before he began to look for an abandoned area so he could apparate back to France.

 

[Amzurah Archer]

Tempted as she was to tell him she couldn't do that for the simple reason being that she needed him even in that moment, Zura determined he would not appreciate her being more forward than she had already been. Over stepping the boundaries of their friendship had obviously been detrimental enough without her doing any more irreparable damage.

"Sure" she smiled instead gazing down at their hands and wishing he would let hers go, it was so unfair that he would let his hand linger in hers longer now after what had just happened. Eventually however he did let it go and hastily she pulled her own back, clenching it into a fist and keeping it close to her chest so she would not be tempted to reach out to him again. They turned to walk in opposite directions and she forced herself to move on, to not look back because it would only hurt her to see him walking away from her.

She let the crowd take her along with its flow, not caring that she had no clue as to where she was being led. Soon enough however she was standing on the pavement outside the venue looking about her at the strangeness of the place and knowing she would have preferred Bas to be there beside her. With so many muggles still milling about she couldn't take out her wand to do a directional spell and decided her only course of action was to buy a muggle map and grab a coffee while she studied it. The rest she would come up with later, right now she didn't feel any great need for magic anyhow. Zura had always thought and felt that there was incredible magic between herself and her friend, how wrong she had been there.

After walking for some distance she finally came upon a row of shops, a circular tray on the outside of one displaying road maps and other tourist paraphenalia. Taking one up she rummaged around in her bag for her small purse that contained the muggle money she knew she would need in this type of situation. Her mother had kindly gotten her what she had deemed of as enough to do her journey. Entering the small shop she waited in line to pay, all the time kicking herself mentally for the complete and utter cock up she had made of everything.