Author's note: this was meant to be up earlier today, so my apologies. These later chapters are basically wrapping things up but I hope you enjoy them all the same~!

“How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine.”

Daesung turns his head to look at Jiyong, pausing in the middle of brushing down the front of his robes. The Ravenclaw looks fairly alright but his face is a bit paler than usual and there’s a vaguely nervous tint to the lines around his mouth. He can’t blame him really, it’s a very important day after all.

They’re finally done. They finished the music project a while ago after redesigning it and after months of hard work although it took some testing to see if it was functioning properly. Neither of them knew what to do with themselves afterwards – that feeling of both accomplishment and sadness settled over them but Jiyong hadn’t let them wallow in it.

Honestly, Daesung had thought the man would rest for a little while but he just went on to talk and negotiate with people, show off his invention and even managing to bring some of the more open minded musicians on board with his plan. For a month now the British wizarding society has been absolutely buzzing with the news and this new contraption capable of making such different music than what they’re used to. Unsurprisingly a large part of the loudest proponents were halfbloods and muggleborns.

While he’s really, really happy and excited for his friend, he’s also glad that it’s given the press something else to focus on – and that they haven’t caught on to Jiyong and Seungri’s relationship quite yet. Both of them know the others will absolutely stand behind them when the time comes, offering nothing short of their full, heartfelt support, but now is really not the time. The Ravenclaw is under enough stress as it is.

Which is exactly why Daesung doesn’t hesitate in pulling him into a hug, feeling his friend’s unusually stiff posture slowly relax beneath his arms. “You’ll be fine – no you’ll be amazing, don’t worry,” his voice is as firm and confident and proud as he feels at the moment. Jiyong is brilliant, has always been brilliant, and surely other people will realize it. “You’re going to blow them all away.”

His arms tighten for a second before he lets go and steps back. The older man exhales and then smiles at him thankfully, nodding firmly with his usual confidence. Seungri should be here too but they didn’t want to risk it – he’s coming as their “friend”, not as a journalist because he’s not the one covering this event for the Prophet and they’re trying to keep up appearances for the time being.

Daesung had offered to keep him company so here they are, backstage, as the Weird Sisters perform live with the GD Controller. Truthfully he isn’t so sure about the name – it came from a joke he had made about DJ equipment – but it seems to have caught on well enough. There are permanent silencing charms around the place, probably from runes carved inside the walls, so they can talk at ease without having to shout over the music.

Jiyong breaths out again, turning to face the mirror and casually reapplying several modified charms to his face and pink hair nonverbally. The Hufflepuff smiles, leaning over to poke at his hairstyle but his hand’s swatted away with a smile right before he’s being thanked, shooed off and told to go back to the others because the guest spot is almost up. After glancing back to make sure his friend looks a bit more put together he obliges and hurries back to the seating area.

The place is actually a modified and enchanted muggle theatre – spelled to keep them away –because the only concept wizards have of large gathering places for spectacle are Quidditch pitches. Maybe concert stadiums are something else Jiyong will have to introduce them to but one step at a time. Plus, the fact there’s a limited audience might help quell some of the anxiety.

They’re sitting right on the front row, on the left side since the right one is reserved for the press. Both Heads of House for the Kwon and Choi families – and a few others, some of which he recognizes now, mostly their allies – are in attendance and he takes the time to bow before retaking his seat between Seunghyun and Youngbae.

The older Hufflepuff is practically dancing in his plush chair, tapping his foot along with the beat and moving his shoulders, completely unconcerned with the purebloods surrounding them. Seungri would usually join him or at least enjoy the show but he’s too busy gnawing on his nails, leg jumping up and down in an uncharacteristic show of nervousness.

Daesung elbows Youngbae who blinks at him before turning to the Gryffindor and moves his hands away from his mouth, engaging him in Quidditch talk in an attempt to provide a distraction. To his credit it works pretty well since he’s had a lot of practice keeping his younger housemate from full blown panic attacks but the moment the Weird Sisters bow and leave the stage Seungri goes right back to chewing on his nails.

Seunghyun takes his boyfriend’s hand, shaking his head slightly to indicate nothing is going to be able to distract the youngest of them sufficiently now and the only thing they can do is wait. Which doesn’t stop Youngbae from putting an arm around Seungri’s shoulders and pulling him closer, still talking about wizarding population’s favourite sport.

It only takes a couple of minutes for the lights to dim down and Daesung leans forward in his seat without realizing it, his own leg starting to shake up and down in anticipation despite the thumb brushing back and forth soothingly on his knuckles. A few blue lights start twirling around on stage, near the floor at first and then rising higher and higher. He wonders how it’s being done – spells? Charms? But those require casting. Runes?

Jiyong finally shows up in the weirdest mix of new wizarding robes, leathers pants and enchanted muggle accessories that only he could possibly pull off, nevermind look good in. There’s a few confused whispers behind him and a few astonished gasps but the three of them look to the side at the same time to watch Seungri staring, leg stopping mid jump, jaw dropping a little.

Youngbae coughs, trying not to laugh and mumbles something to him about not drooling in public, receiving a half-hearted, distracted swat to the shoulder for his troubles. Daesung hides his own mirth behind a hand but Seunghyun besides him makes no such effort, chuckling under his breath while glancing over them to the Gryffindor and squeezing their hand together once more.

The lights follow Jiyong as he comes to stand in the middle of the stage, long fingers coming to rest on the runic table – GD Controller. That name is going to take a while to get used to. After a second of tense expectation he moves and a low bass line flows down to the audience, making the room grow quiet but as soon as the drum beat appears surprised chatter breaks out amongst people.

Red and green and bright white lights start shining on the stage, following along to the rhythm, each one perfectly in synch with their beat. It’s very difficult to see Jiyong’s expression and impossible to see his eyes with the wide, futuristic looking sunglasses he has on but he moves to the sound of the music too, flawlessly working their weird contraption to perfection, firm with the knowledge of someone who created it.

Daesung looks over his shoulder at the rest of the crowd nervously, despite not being able to see much but a few expressions when the lights flash. The reaction is half stunned, half speechless and more than a bit uncomfortable until someone starts making a ruckus. He tenses up – and feels Seunghyun tense up beside him too – before his eyes settle on the back of the room.

A few of the people are standing up from their seats, waving their arms around, cheering and trying to dance as much as they can in the cramped space. The younger Hufflepuff doesn’t know them personally but he has the distinct impression they’re muggleborns, or at least halfbloods, especially when some of the others around – purebloods, he assumes – are looking confused.

It’s not that wizards don’t have live performances, the Weird Sisters and Celestia Warbeck are proof of that, but while they both participate in special events, the latter tends to sing in theatre rooms like the one they’re in and the former tends to perform in pubs where people have the space to dance around. Jiyong mixing both types of performances like this is a bit risky and using the GD Controller himself was a bit of a gamble in the first place. It’s one thing to have an established musician use it, it’s another to introduce it like this himself.

The reaction is a bit mixed until someone starts clapping. Soon enough more people start joining in, some more hesitantly than others, and Jiyong’s impassive face slowly starts turning into a grin. Daesung relaxes a little, finding himself thankful for the more outgoing attendees who are still cheering and moving around, and laughs when Youngbae joins in, shaking Seungri by the shoulders, mindless of the fact they’re sitting in the first row.

Jiyong and Seunghyun’s parents, having an image to maintain, can’t really join in to the silliness but while they don’t stand up or anything they smile openly, clapping along to the beat with most of the crowd.  The Slytherin himself taps a finger against his thigh, humming under his breath, smiling at his friend’s performance. Some of the younger, more outgoing purebloods even get up to dance – a single older couple that he recognizes as Ministry employees join them and are cheered for it, for not minding being a little ridiculous.

The press seems uncertain as to how to proceed, if they should paint this in a good or bad light, most of the reporters are either looking around or muttering to each other, only one or two furiously scribbling things down – probably the ones that are either loving it or hating it already. Daesung has a lot of experience ignoring them by now and he does just that, sneaking a glance at Seungri’s flushed and happy face, squeezing Seunghyin’s hand, laughing when Youngbae slings an arm around his younger housemate too, rocking the three of them side to side as they cheer along.