With a flurry of guitar runs, the previous group launched into their last jam.  In about fifteen minutes, they would wrap up and Three Owl would start setting up.  They were the last band to take the stage and while that meant that a good number of the older students had wandered off in pairs for their own - endeavors - they usually preferred to close up the evening.  The crowd would be well warmed up and the adrenaline would already be flowing. 

Much of the evening, Dennis had kept to the quiet behind the stage.  Teenaged boys were awkward enough; they didn't need to be competing with celebrities for the attentions of their teenaged dates.  He'd kept himself amused by lingering just off scene and watching the youngsters enjoy their evening of romance or pseudo-romance, as the case may be.  So far, it seemed, this dance had been spared the inclusion of any weird potion-spiked punch; a distinct improvement over the last Hogwarts function they'd worked. 

But, with the current show winding to a close, Dennis broke away from the relative quiet of backstage to find and gather the other band members.  Ricki was over by the punch bowl though it looked like he'd refrained from spiking the beverage himself.  Dennis beckoned the drummer over before starting across the room towards the the corner where Jesse and Corby were chatting with a student. 

"Evening," he offered to the pair of bandmates and the students in the vicinity.  "T-15 and counting," he offered to his bandmates. 

outfit

Tilly hummed into the guitar pitch pipe, and plucked at the strings looming just beneath her belly. Her fingers moved blindly and easily to the pegs at the head stock. She could do it just as simply without the harmonic device, but they were in a new place, a massive and cavernous venue, and the last time they'd played, Tilly had been in no position to help set up the instruments. That had been the night she'd told Dennis everything.

And now here they were, months later, Tilly's tummy blossoming and the woman herself arguably in no better state to tune guitars. But that wasn't going to stop her.

In places like this, which weren't built for their great acoustics, the temperature tended to trend to one end of the spectrum of the other. It was winter or summer, roaring fireplaces or drafty cooling charms. And though she was perfectly comfortable in this grand and beautiful fortress from which she'd never graduated-- having never been invited to attend-- she knew the instruments were a little more temperamental. Sensitive. Like men.

Well, most men...

"Hey, Dennis," she called, looking over her shoulder, all grins and wild hair. "What're you opening with?" She'd forgotten the consult the setlist, she realized, letting the pitch pipe fall to one side and turning away from the instrument with which she'd been fidgeting. She followed his footsteps with her eyes, her own smile growing into one of amusement as she noticed the student he'd approached. Three Owls and a Standard Fan. Recipe for fainting spells. One didn't even need a wand for that sort of magic.

She seemed to have tugged for the millionth time on the magenta dress, readjusted the mini 3OS & Mandrake Siren buttons on her jacket & that was all due to following Matty's instructions in going backstage at the same time 3OS would back there. Had  she known that, a fainted Hufflepuff would be happening - even now, that option could be a possibility. Godric save her now when her blue eyes widened to the size of a small full moon when, lo & behold, Dennis freakin' Creevy, was standing in front of her, a smile on his, even as Tilly soon joined him.

"I-uh...w-wo-wotcher?" Addie said, stuttering as she was in absolute bliss at the moment. "I'm'a...er, dammit....I'm Adelia, rather, Addie? I was told t'check up on ye before goin' on? It seems it's mor' like another Valentine's prezzie from m'boyfriend!" she rattled on before seeing Tilly & the wondrous baby bump.

"Wotch, Till! ...and Babeh Creevs!" Smoooooth, Addie thought as her cheeks tinged the same color as her dress (which she happened to tug at again suddenly, making her quickly let go) thinking of how awkward & amazing she felt at this moment. "Yeh! What's on th' list? Me mum & da like When Love Takes Flight, m'brother is mor' on the heavy stuff....but When the Wind Cries always gets me." A pause to reflect what she really felt.

"Thanks for doing this - It means a heap an' a half. Really," was all she mustered with a grin as Addie looked on between the band, the baby bump, & the coolness that she felt standing in front of a group of people who, much like SAWS, had fought so hard to stand with what was right.

Sophie felt a giddy sort of glee as she lead Figaro through the throng of people toward the corner she'd seen Den hop off to with Ricki, "Keep your eyes closed; this is the second part of your present and I won't have you ruining it" her voice was teasing, but she also kept checking over her shoulder to be sure the Hufflepuff had his eyes shut nice and tight. He'd flipped when she'd shown him the letters from Creevey. She knew then that best gift she could give him would be to actually introduce him to his idol.

When they reached the cluster of people she slithered her way in, as a tiny girl was apt to do. She gave Dennis and Tilly both a bright smile before tugging Fig in front of her, "As long as we're making introductions," she couldn't help but giggle then, "Creevers, Till, Owl Boys; this is my boyfriend Figaro". Well now that that was out there it seemed kind of anticlimactic. Of course Fig hadn't opened his mouth yet either. Looking at Tilly she tried to hide her bashful smile before letting go of Fig's hand and throwing her arms around the wild haired woman, "Tillers! There's a bump! An adorable bump! I am so excited". And like that Sophie was reduced to a squealing mass patting her former babysitter's stomach.

Figaro was being dragged through the crowd of people, bumping and stumbling as Sophie led him through, her hard little hand gripping him like iron.  He had his eyes clamped shut obediently, very very sure that he was going to get to make out with her again as part of her Valentine's day present.   She must be rich or something because she'd already managed to gift him a gold Three Owl Standard hoodie which he was well satisfied with, considering all he got for her was a sweet dog clock from a Hogsmeade shop earlier than morning.  It had a cute dog on it, so that was a pretty good bet.

When they finally came to a bumping halt, he had a touch of the dizzies and it took him just a second to get his bearings.  But through Sophie's high-pitched gigglespeak he realized where he'd been delivered and who he was looking at.

Three Owl Standard. Complete with Creevey. 

It took him a moment.  A moment of silence.  Just a second spent in timeless eternity.  He wanted that half-second to last forever.

He absently raised a hand to the 3OS logo on his hoodie and he stared, feeling a little ambushed.  He wasn't ready.  But how could you be ready?  Last time, he'd been in a throng of other kids begging for autographs, but this time he'd been introduced.  He was being introduced to Dennis Creevey.  His mouth had gone dry and he swallowed hard.

"Hullo. I'm Figaro.  You're Dennis Creevey." 

Sharp.

"Destiny in Diagon," Dennis called over his shoulder in Tilly's direction.  He figured, a nice epic love ballad was bound to be an appropriate show-opener, given the occasion.  "So, tune up the 12-string to Open G-Minor.  Leave the axe and the sixer in standard."  That would get them through the first half-dozen songs or so.  They'd need to retune the 12-string to Open A for Adrift, one of their most recent singles but that wouldn't be until later in the set. 

His eyes lingered on Tilly a moment, a mischievous smirk playing on his lips before the unmistakable stutter of a fan drew his attention towards the first girl. 

"Right on, Addie," Dennis started to offer as a customary fan-greeting until something rang familiar in the greeting.  "Matty?"  He asked.  The pieces were starting to come together and Dennis quickly nodded.  "Yeah, yeah.  He's the bloke that wrote about presents.  You should have gotten True Owlet collection, no?"  And...hopefully, he had it right.  Or, someone was about to be very disappointed by a collection that never came.  "Bloody - a whole family of fans, eh?" Dennis asked, looking pleased. 

"Not a problem.  Really-"  Dennis looked over as a familiar pint-sized Gryffindor came weaving back towards them with a familiar looking scrawny kid in tow.  Dennis cast a slight, amused grin in Tilly's direction before turning back to the growing flock of owlets. 

"Boyfriend?"  Dennis smirked at Sophie before nodding towards the tongue-tied Hufflepuff.  "Hey there, Figaro," he asked, mentally wondering how often the poor kid got someone singing figaro, figaro, fiiigarooo in annoying fake Italian accents in his presence.  A glance over his shoulder confirmed that Corby was fighting the urge to do just that.  Apparently, peeling off to go check the tuning on the bass was his solution to that problem. 

Dennis turned back to the Figaro.  "Yup.  I am.  And, as I'm sure you know, that's Jesse and Ricki.  And, Corby over there with the blue guitar.  I take it, you lot are the die-hards?" 

Figaro nodded as his tunnel vision cleared and laid eyes on the other members of the band.  Corby Gent was smirking at him, Jesse Payne's dreads looked wicked.  Just, amazing.  He was shell-shocked, for sure, but it wasn't a few moments more that he found his voice.

"Oh hell yes. I mean, yea - die-hard.  I've been listening to you guys since I was ten.  I was at your concert last year in Milton Keynes and during Fever Spell I was like byoooo bwow googa dow!" he cried, arching his back and air-guitaring.  "Me and Sophie we're like mad fer it all the way.  Front row tonight, mate.  Front row.  Hey, can I have a drumstick?"

He craned his neck round to see if drummer Ricki Penrose was tuned in.

"Like if you break one during the show?"

Tilly finished tuning the 12-string before joining the band as they congregated in their pre-show bandness. Brotherhood. (Plus one sister, in the non-blood, rock ‘n roll sense.) The opening song was one of her favorites, but then she was a little biased, wasn’t she? Still, great to get the crowd moving... And the hormones bouncing. Ah, Valentine’s Day. Tilly had never really bothered as a girl. Her school had been females-only, and her idea of a proper celebration had been to climb out the window while her dormmate gave her a boost. That was the good thing about a magicless school: the security was far less tricky.

Addie Delacroix showed up, and Tilly’s smile brightened. Her own gaze reflected the sparkle in the familiar big blue eyes. Matilda mirrored the young woman’s attention to her own belly, and gave it a good pat with the flat of her palms. “Yeah, he-- she-- it--” She looked quickly to Dennis. “Er, the kid is coming along nicely, I think. Nearly cooked.” She winked. “But don’t be so nervous, Addie.” She waved her arms in the general direction of the band-- in other words, all around her. “They’re all bark, I promise.”

Corby gave a sort of playful growl, and Tilly patted the top of his head, as if he were a puppy. “See?”

And then there were more kids. (Tilly couldn’t help supposing her own would be less prone to regular haircuts and showing up on time to school functions.)


“Soph!” she hummed out melodically, a sort of cuddly umph leaving her throat as she laced her arms around the tiny Flickwick hugging her middle. “Mmmm... we’re excited, too. And terrified, but that’s part of the fun.” She wrangled Dennis in by the arm, looping her own through his. “What’s your starting rate?” She raised a brow at the girl, now taking up the stance of a Serious Parent Type. But her face immediately relaxed. “I’m sure wages have changed since I could hold you on my shoulders,” she laughed. Sophie had grown up, however small she still was. It was unnerving to think that Tilly had once regularly chased after the bundle of giggles and energetic joy, when she stood only as tall as Tilly's thigh, and now Sophie was in the growing lineup of future babysitters for... whomever it was, exactly, growing in Tilly's tummy.

"My starting rate is a full fridge and being Auntie Sophie rights. You don't charge family Till, though" she cast a look at Creevey and the boys with an impish grin; "Getting to sit in on a jam session and and maaaybe letting me play with my producing skills this summer might be a nice bonus for being your most adorable babysitter by far". She looked hopefully at the boys, one arm still around Tilly as she cuddled into the woman's side. Tilly was like... the coolest big sister type because she knew all this... not magical  stuff. Never in her life had Sophie considered Tilly's lack of magic a hindrance but more of something that set her apart because she never let it slow her down. Besides all that, when she had been the biggest part of Sophie's life she was also at that age that all kids seem to admire and strive for.

Casting a look at Fig it was kind of adorable how awkward and cool he was trying to be at the same time. Sophie had never been big on the fame thing - none of the Flickwicks but Johnny had intentions of seeking it out for themselves. Soph didn't name drop because...well... in the long run Creevers was as big a dork as anyone else she knew and the other boys too. Beyond the flaming girl crush she had had on Jess when she was like 13 and a desire to constantly play with his dreads being around them was as normal as being around anyone else that her dad brought through the house. She did love listening to them play though; the raw cuts of their songs (when she could get her little hands on them) were things she squirreled away under her bed in an old hat box.

It did mildly annoy her that once again Fig was kind of speaking for her - and maybe annoyed her more so because Den already knew she loved their music. She however let it slide because it was Valentine's day and he had a tendency to babble on incessantly anyway - it was kind of one of the things that made them compatible; neither one of them knew how to shut the hell up. Grinning at Ricki she arched an eyebrow and hoped to Merlin he wouldn't be a twat. He wasn't in general but it was kind of a bold question. Leaning over and kissing Fig on the cheek she winked at the drummer; "He might not have enough eye gunk on to break one tonight. D'you need to barrow a mirror Rosie? I think your swoop may have lost it's flow and I do know how the fan girls scream about it". Sophie could be such a cheeky little monkey.

Matty entered the backstage area with his hands filled with goblets of sparkling cider. He had one for himself but more importantly had one for his date of the night, Addie. Dressed smartly in a three piece suit with a golden vest and tie Matty's long hair was swept back making his caramel eyes stand out. He had paid extra attention to grooming his goatie wanting to look his best for his girlfriend.

He had told Addie to go talk to the band while he got them refreshments. He came up alongside his fellow Hufflepuff, while handing her a goblet her placed a soft kiss on her temple. Once he had paid a sufficient amount of attention to her Matty turned back to the band that she had been talking to. With his now free hand Matty extended it to Dennis.

"Well met Mr. Creevey, I'm Mateo and I'm sure you've already met Adelia. I just wanted to thank you for the present," He glanced at Addie, "It worked wonders, oh and I took your advice. I'm sure everyone in school thinks I'm a singing fool but it was all worth it." He put his arm around Addie's shoulders and took a long sip from his goblet.

"Since you were ten?"  Dennis chuckled, using the opportunity to do some quick math in his head.  So...since...had to have been at least 2004 assuming the kid was around Sophie's age.  Which, he better be if he was dating the girl.  "That was the year Full Flight came out, wannit?"  That might have been just after, too.  He couldn't be sure. 

"Milton Keynes!  Yo, Dennis, - wasn't that where you met that chick from..."  With a warning glance from Dennis, Corby's voice trailed off with a slight grimace as he climbed on stage to distract himself with something productive.  Dennis turned back to the blond kid just as Ricki chuckled answer-lessly behind. 

"Milton Keynes was a killer show.  One of our last shows before Trina came on, wasn't it?" 

Dennis' gaze lingered on Tilly a moment and he offered the woman a slight grin as she looked down at her belly before talk of babysitters prompted that far too familiar feeling of panic and he turned back to the fans.  Fans - other people's kids - those he knew how to deal with.  Raising one of his own?  That was an entirely different story.

"We'll see," Dennis answered Sophie vaguely.  While the offer to not charge them for sitting was generous, the question of producing and band involvement was one that couldn't be answered on the spot just before a show.  Sophie was a smart kid and familiar with the industry but convincing their manager of such a thing wouldn't be easy.  He was always much too preoccupied with the band sounding sufficiently mainstreamed. 

"Hey there!  Good to meet you, Mateo," Dennis offered the young man as he shook the extended hand.  "No sweat.  It was easy enough. I'm glad it all worked out.  Tis the season, no?"

Tilly raised a brow at Corby, and then Dennis, her mouth twitching into a little smile as invisible panic spread between them. It was funny, watching Dennis blunder. It was... endearing. And... homely. And all those things that were the antithesis of the rockstar, free-for-all lifestyle to which many of the people in this little circle (often Tilly included) had become so accustomed.

"I'm going to go fine Soph's mum," Tilly announced, giving the young Flickwick girl one more side-siddled, shoulder-scrunching hug, and planting a kiss somewhere between the fine cheekbone and musician's ear of the father-to-be. "Don't forget to actually find yourself on stage," she murmured teasingly, so that only he could hear, and kissed him once more before wandering off.


((Tilly's is out for now, since I figure the fans need their moment and the show will probably start soon, haha. <3))