If I May Be So Bold (A Harry Potter Universe Fanfiction)

27.

December 2034

JAMES

It was freezing outside on Saturday evening. Elise stood close beside him for him warmth and he kept his arm over her shoulders, hand balled in a fist and tucked up inside the sleeve of his coat.

Piper, Raigan, and Michael stood to his left, his and Elise's parents to his right. Juni had come with them, too, although students didn't usually attend the Hogsmeade concert. She stood talking to Piper who was looking a little more alive than she had in weeks, though James couldn't tell how much of it was an act and how much was her actually feeling better.

James looked around him. Hogsmeade was busier than he'd ever seen it. The trees lining the streets glowed in the dark, a few flakes of snow fluttered down here and there, and the little stage that had been set up at the end of the lane was decorated with thick garland and red Christmas baubles. The edge of the stage was covered in little bottled flames. He knew they were intended to keep the choir a little warmer so they could sing, but the effect of their warm glow was nice. All around him, people were talking and laughing, huddled together against the cold, but still here. Maybe it was just because he was thinking about Ella, but it seemed like the largest crowd in the last few years — and this concert was always well-attended.

"Here they come," said Elise, and James turned back to the stage to see the choir filing onto their risers, Professor Whitby following at the end of the line.

He watched Ella look around, taking in just how many people were there, and he could see the flicker of nerves run across her face, but he thought she seemed better than yesterday. She had hardly looked up at all the previous evening and her face had been so, so pale.

When everyone had taken their places, Professor Whitby turned to address the crowd.

"Good Evening!" he said cheerfully. "And Merry Christmas to all of you! We're so glad to see so many in attendance for our annual holiday concert. We have a great show to share with you this evening, some really beautiful pieces, and, if I do say so myself, one of the best groups of singer's we've had in years. Wait till you hear our soloists."

James watched Ella's face turn pink at this remark. Logan Pickering, who stood next to her, just smiled and bumped her shoulder, but kept his face forward.

"We don't want to keep you out in the cold too long, so without further ado..." He gave a little smile and turned to face the kids.

The whole concert was enjoyable, as always. They really were a good group of singers. His mum was singing under breath to Elise's right, and he could see Elise's dad tapping his fingers to the rhythm of each song.

James could hardly keep his eyes off Ella's face though. He couldn't help but notice that when her song finally came around, she didn't hesitate as she had the night before. She headed right down the risers and to the microphone at the front looking, if not confident, at least determined. Logan followed her, picking up his violin from where it had been waiting at the edge of the stage and then returning to stand next to each other.

They looked at each other. James saw Logan mouth something to her that he couldn't make out from where they stood, but Ella's smile in return was impossible to miss.

He felt a strange pull in his stomach.

Professor Whitby began playing the piano then, and the choir started to sing. James watched Ella scanning the crowd, watched how straight she held her shoulders, how she lifted her chin a little, and then she started to sing and chills ran all up his arms and raised the hairs on the back of his neck.

She was even better than the night before.

"Oh my god," Elise breathed, but after that, it seemed like everyone in the crowd went completely silent. Ella's voice was sweet and clear, but strong. Anyone who didn't know her could never have guessed she was shy, that she had dreaded doing this, had thought she couldn't.

James stood there staring at her, the little wispy curls around her face fluttering in the winter wind, her characteristically lopsided ponytail, blowing to one side. Her eyes were all bright, and she had this sweet little smile on her face like she was realizing just now that she was enjoying this.

It seemed impossible that he could have produced such a smart, sweet, talented little girl. It seemed impossible that she wasn't even little anymore. She was fifteen. She was standing in front of an enormous crowd of strangers and her voice had made every one of them go quiet.

As the song started to near the end and Ella's voice rose up to the highest notes in the song, tears started to prick in his eyes and he knew he wasn't the only one. Elise wiped a gloved hand under her eyes, and he heard Raigan sniff to his laugh.

Then, far too soon, it was over. The crowd began to clap, louder and longer than they had so far, just as had happened in the Great Hall the night before. Everyone knew talent when they heard it. Ella had a gift.

"Spectacular," James heard someone behind him say, and he beamed with pride. Elise turned and wrapped her arms around his middle.

—-

There had been so much fuss over Ella after the concert that James and Elise didn't return home until almost eleven o'clock, both still reeling. Their conversation was repetitive. One would say they just couldn't believe it, couldn't get over how good she'd been, then the other would say something they'd overhead someone in the crowd saying, and then they'd both laugh in disbelief and goggle at each other a while, before starting the cycle all over again. It took a while to wind down enough to even get in bed, but when they finally did, James' thoughts quieted.

Elise had her head on his chest, and she drew her fingers along his collarbone. Even though he couldn't see her face, he could just tell her eyes were wide open and she was smiling, but James, for the first time in hours, wasn't.

He had just remembered something.

"Elise," he said.

"James," she said, laughing a little.

"Do you think Ella likes that boy who played the violin during her solo? Logan."

"Why?"

"Didn't you see them look at each other before they started?"

"Well, they were about to perform together," Elise said patiently. "I don't think them looking at each other has to mean anything more than that."

"I know it doesn't have to," James said. "I'm just saying it looked like it did. Didn't you see how they looked at each other?"

"To be honest with you, I was only watching Ella," she said. "I don't know all those kids like you do. Just Ella's friends."

James went quiet. She wasn't being very helpful.

After a few minutes, she said, "Why? Would it be such a bad thing if she liked him? Is he a jerk or something?"

"No," James admitted. "He's a nice kid."

"Then I don't see what the issue is," said Elise. "And besides, you don't know that it meant anything anyway."

When James said nothing, she added, "She's a teenager, James. She might date a boy at some point. You'll live."

James wanted to be annoyed, but he couldn't be really. He knew Elise was right.