Summer Kids

1977: Moshpit

Sirius was walking sideways, two bottles of Muggle liquor in either hand, in the middle of a concert just outside London. Sixth year at Hogwarts was finally over, he wasn't technically old enough in either the Muggle world or the wizarding world to be drinking, but he didn't care. He was out with James, Remus, and Peter, and he never had to go back to his parents. Ever. He was a free man, bless the Potters. Tonight, he was thoroughly enjoying his first night after the end of term as he should have all the others -- letting loose and drinking in the feeling of being with the best people in his world. And Merlin, the Muggle music was pretty good, too.

The concert had been his idea. Some kid on the Hogwarts Express had landed a gig playing the opening act for this group, and had been lobbying for as many students to come out as possible. Sirius normally wouldn't have done this sort of thing, but the kid's argument had been sort of pitiful and he had promised that there would be free food and fireworks, so Sirius floated the idea past his mates, and here they were. 

So far, the concert had been spectacular. Sirius, now returning from his turn getting drinks -- so that the dispenser didn't know that it was actually his group's third round of free beer -- bobbed his head to the clear, flowing strings of the guitarist on stage as the band went into a new set, and let his shoulders shake to the growing, tense strum. Merlin knew Sirius needed to let go a little. The past year had involved no small amount of personal emotional turmoil. For one thing, Sirius had made the executive decision to kiss his parents and their malignant home at 12 Grimmauld Place farewell -- permanently. 

What's more, he got the feeling that his best mate, James, was really interested in a girl in their year, Lily Evans. Sirius didn't particularly mind Lily, but watching James when he talked about this girl -- the way something about his best friend just changed --  made Sirius feel odd. He didn't quite understand how to react to the new James. It wasn't that Sirius hadn't fancied girls before. He certainly had. But James just got sucked into some sort of lovey void when Lily Evans was around, and Sirius knew he had never gotten that wrapped up in a girl before. Something about it was very unsettling. It seemed to make James happy, so Sirius kept his mouth shut. Or, as shut as he could. Tonight, he was glad just to be with James, Remus, and Peter. It was far less complicated than being around girls.

Sirius waded through the crowd, avoiding the middle throng of dancers for fear of spilling the free beers, and working his way around their edge towards the place where he thought he had left his mates. He remembered that Remus was wearing white, James black, Peter bright green, but those colors didn't matter at all in the flowing lights and flickering colors of the concert. As people around him jumped, waved their arms, and swung their hips to the song, Sirius found he had a very difficult time finding his group again. 

Pushing forward, Sirius scanned the moving bodies around him. Funny enough, he reflected, there was no way to tell whether the teenagers around him were Muggles or wizards. It was sort of nice just to blend in and enjoy the music. After six years of constant threats, it already felt like there had just always been news of a Dark wizard named Voldemort in the Daily Prophet headlines. Along with everything else that had happened that year, Sirius had never been able to fully stop thinking about the disturbing news...and wondering if he was being overly dramatic in anticipating a war. Knowing his brother, Regulus, was still with his parents made the whole Voldemort issue a lot more personal and weighty, too. At the moment, the noise and energy of the concert was the perfect antidote to all the wearying thoughts in Sirius' mind. He took a sip from one of the bottles as he trotted comfortably through the happy teenagers. For a moment, he was in another world, and it felt good. 

Ahead, Sirius caught sight of a black shirt, a pair of long arms, and a dark head full of shaggy black hair. There was James. He started forward with renewed energy, holding the beers up in triumph as he made his way towards his friend and preparing to let out a holler of greeting. If he waited until he was close, he knew he could make James jump and probably startle Peter, too. That would be hilarious. Sirius did his best to creep up unnoticed on James -- his friend had his face turned towards the stage and was shooting his arms straight up in exaltation of the song -- then, when Sirius was about a hand's length away from his friend, he leaned forward and yelled into his ear, "PRONGS! GOTCHA DRINKS!"