Requested by: FangirlingHufflepuff
(A/N Down with the fourth wall!! Also, this is kinda an au/headcanon. I'm not sure what to call it, but it's definitely not canon. Another also, based on the song Can't Help Falling In Love With You, originally by Elvis Presley, but the video above is a cover by Haley Reinhart.)
James has always loved muggle music. Maybe it's because there's been so much influence from the muggle world on his own wizarding world in the last few years. There are magical bands loved by both wizards and muggles. There are doctors and even whole hospitals full of wizards, treating muggles with magic under the guise of medicine. The music that has churned out from their combined works has been James's favorite by far. There are more squibs now than ever, and the term itself had to be expanded to the vast majority of muggle people with muggle parents now learning of the wizardly world. Most of which have been high official of state and trusted celebrities. Rupert Grint is his favorite actor of the newfound generation of squibs. He's played many wizards in movies, and his characters always have a tinge of realism that James finds great joy in. Daniel Radcliff is his second favorite, because he reminds James of his father and because his friends enjoy his films so much.
Films and television shows are great and entertaining and all, but they never seem to mesmerize James like music never ceases too. He'll never get sick of listening to Panic! At The Disco or Fort Minor, or even Taylor Swift some days. Radios have been around for almost a century, if not more, and James is just now seeing his first one. He can only see old radios in photos. Ones that are large and made of wood and rusting metal with large knobs and intricate wires. They are far larger than his small Walkman, which is already old for it's time. His grandfather, Arthur Weasley, got it for him for his birthday. His grandfather has had it for decades, and these days radios are small and hidden in the dashboards of cars or somehow fitting in the slim screens of laptops in cafés. James isn't ready for that yet, he's happy with his large Walkman, clipped to his belt and stopping him from pulling his shirt below his waist and gaining looks from passersby.
There's new music, that he doesn't yet know is actually old music with a new style, and there's old music that no one wants to admit is old, and there's music that no one quite knows when it came out or if it's old or new but they like it anyway because not everything needs a label to be accepted.
James's never been asked his favorite musician so he's never had to decide. But one day, walking along the street with headphones on his head towards nowhere in particular he thinks to himself that his favorite musician is Alice. Alice, being a muggleborn who never went to a magic school. She grew up in the public school system, honing her magic in quiet shadows with quiet private teachers. He feels bad for her, remembering fondly his time at Hogwarts, making friends and having fun while sharpening his magic. She feels bad for him, remembering how she can do arithmetic and knows general world history while he knows only the small amount that happens in the wizarding world. James does not know of the holocaust, but knows of Hitler because his second-in-command was a wizard who wrote many good letters. He knows not what a Jewish person is, only that most are muggles and those who are wizards are like Alice and never do learn in a magic school. He knows not of D-Day or the fall of the twin towers. Even wizards miss some things. James is just happy to know of Alice, who can fill in all the thinks he doesn't know along the way. He calls her a hedge witch sometimes and she doesn't mind.
He even finds that the place she has asked him to meet her at today is called The Hedge. It's a quiet place that sells pastries and coffee that isn't very good. It mainly stays afloat from donations from local squibs and wizards. He can only find it after an hour of walking, half an hour late to meet with Alice. She doesn't seem to mind, smiling happily when he walks in the door. She has a grin that suggests she was able to see him stumbling around as he cast every door finding spell he could think of to find the entrance. He ended up magnetizing himself towards doors, and crashed into a graffiti filled wall which sent him straight into the shop with a crazed look and a red face.
Alice offers him a pastry from her napkin, but only out of politeness. Neither of them is going to eat it, but she doesn't feel right giving a handout to the shop and instead always buys the same bagel and coffee. James never knows what happens to the food afterwards, but he's never seen her trash it. They don't speak much, general small talk. James mentions his grandfathers newfound obsession with musical instruments which James is enjoying quite a bit, even if his other relatives are not. Alice asks if he has seen a piano yet and James isn't sure because he can't remember what a piano looks like. He can remember what it sounds like, but it's impossible to link that memory to the instruments in his grandfather's house because James is very sure that his grandfather isn't playing them right.
Alice laughs and tells him to meet her outside. She goes to the counter, pulling out her wallet and buying more bagels and coffee than James thinks she'll ever eat or drink. She balances them awkwardly, eventually resorting to magic, but once they are outside he has to help her carry them to avoid suspicion.
He stutters over his words as they are suddenly swarmed by people. They smell of varying degrees of filth and he tries to politely tell them it is not his food to give away. He looks over at Alice for some help, only to see her distributing the food and drinks. There is the perfect amount for the people, and she addresses each by name.
All James can manage to say is, "That's really nice of you, but that food is super disgusting, even for the homeless." He regrets it immediately, and her smile isn't enough to assuage him.
"I learned a couple charm for making food taste better, and more filling."
"Why not just give them money?" James asks absentmindedly without paying attention to where Alice is leading him.
"Well, some of them are alcoholics and I don't want to tempt them. But, by giving them food I can help both the shop and them."
"Both the wizarding and muggle worlds," James adds.
She laughs quietly, but it still echoes off the walls of the empty street. They are in a neighborhood he doesn't know. "Most of them are wizards. A lot have become homeless. Some are hiding from the ministry, others just can't sustain themselves on just magic."
"It is illegal to make money from nothing," James notes. It's all he can add to the conversation, this is an entirely new topic of information for him. But he's used to that by now. You have to learn to be able to learn as much as he has about muggles from Alice. He still thinks the most important thing he's been taught by her is to be patient, a lesson from his parents that had never quite hit before her.
Alice nods patiently, she reminds him so much of teachers at Hogwarts. She might as well be his teacher at this point. "I give them food sometimes, and in exchange they make the town safer for me."
James doesn't have anything to add but a confused look. He tries to be patient and wait for her to continue, it's a peeve of hers to be interrupted. "Word travels fast among the homeless."
"Just like Sherlock!" He says, thinking of the popular BBC show that had circulated around Britain to an extent where it had become a tradition for him to gather with his family to watch it.
She doesn't mind his interruption and nods with a slight laugh. "It's a little dangerous sometimes though. Sometimes, when people hear I have money to give they try to take it. But not even homeless wizards are helpless. The good ones help me against the bad ones, because they know it helps the whole community."
He understands fully and walks in silent thought. "I wish I had more to give," She says quietly, more to herself than James. He knows what little money she has comes from performing on the streets. Pianos in front of store fronts, singing in the clubs at night when everyone is too tired or drunk to care, playing a guitar she's borrowed from a local music shop to play downtown and advertise said music store. It's a lot of work. He gets tired from just coming to all her performances alone, he can't imagine how she feels. He knows she uses magic to keep her awake for longer, but that only makes her more tired in the end.
He gets an idea, but before he can reach for the wallet of both wizard and muggle money in his pocket, she stops him. "It's alright James, I'll just play on the street more often. I enjoy it." He tells himself it's the truth, but can't help but feel bad as he draws his hand away from his back pocket.
Alice leaves for home, planning to see James again next week. She doesn't expect to see his wild hair or wide eyes on the street the next morning, when she's playing piano downtown. There's a colorfully painted piano in a store front, open to the public. She gives some of her money to the shop afterwards. She doesn't stop playing when she sees James. She's in the middle of a song, she cannot stop. Her smile does widen and her playing become louder and more enthusiastic and he knows she sees him. His cheeks turn red, he doesn't expect her either. He tucks his wallet back into his pocket, it feels thin and flimsy as it goes in empty.
James thinks he knows the song. It's an old song that's come back recently because someone new redid it. He tries to remember who the song is by originally. He knows it's a man, and the name Presley comes to mind, but that can't be the right name. That's not a man's name. He forgets about the name for a moment, listening to the quiet music. It's a soft song, but it's full of passion and love and it carries above even the bustling crowd of shoppers. There is the clink of coins every so often as coins and dollar bills are thrown into a small basket at the top of the piano. They both smile at the sight of some coins that look too golden to be muggle money. A tall man tips his hat to her and tosses in a fair amount of wizarding money. James's suddenly glad that muggle and wizard money are now exchangeable, if one finds the right bank.
Alice doesn't seem to notice all the people around her, tossing money and saying kind words. Her eyes are directly on his as she slowly sings and softly pounds the piano keys. Both their cheeks heat up, but looking anywhere else seems more awkward. James loses himself in her eyes and starts to find there isn't anything awkward in this moment. There isn't anything daunting or tense. He loses the blush to his cheeks as gazing into her eyes starts to feel normal. When the song is over, and he's still left with the wave of intimacy over his body, he nods to himself. She is, by far, his favorite musician. No doubt about it. It also doesn't hurt that he's in love with her.
(A/N I'm on a roll with these updates! I hope you guys like it.)