[spinners] not of this world | nola

Isaac had realized it before, but as they spoke about music, pop versus rock, dreams versus gypsy, and rumors versus mirage, he hit him again. They were entirely different; they didn’t like the same things, listen to the same music, probably had contrary values when it came to just about everything, but one thing they did have in common was the need to argue. No matter what they were talking about, Isaac had realized they never agreed. If he said one thing, she’d say no this instead, and vice versa. He caught himself doing it all the time, sometimes because he believed what he was saying, but most of the time, he couldn’t have cared less either way. Mostly it was an effort to buy time to talk to her for a while longer, and he’d realized that, too.

“No, I am saying it because your wrong,” Isaac said, aware of his motivations and that Magnolia was right, and saying it anyway, and then he smiled. Magnolia changed the record, and Isaac nodded as Second Hand News started to play. She came to sit next to him on the floor, and he was quiet as they listened for a moment. “Lindsay Buckingham is way better than Stevie-fucking-Nix,” he added as she pulled her knees toward her, and Isaac felt himself getting into the music. It was poppy and catchy, and it wormed its way into his mind, but he didn’t fight it.

By the end of the song, he tapped his fingers on his knee, but the teenager had not noticed. It was catchy, and then Dreams started playing, and Isaac recognized the starting riffs quickly. These beats didn’t worm into his mind, but he felt like it might puncture his soul, and then Stevie started singing, and Isaac tilted his head back again, eyes closing, and his shoulder brushed against Magnolia’s. He stilled, his shoulder still against hers, and just listened quietly for a while. 

“Whatever, Isaac,” she rolled her eyes as she looked at the album cover, flipping it from one side to the other just for something to do. “Get some taste in music first and then you can tell me who’s better than who,” she added arrogantly but only because it was an easier tactic for her to disagree with what he was saying rather than agree and give him the pleasure. Both singers were good in their own right, Magnolia had never actually sat down and made a Pros and Cons chart for either of them nor did she really have many opinions on music in general. She liked to listen to it, get inspired by it, but all the technical stuff—it was all too boring for her to really want to talk about.

“Anyway, who cares? Just listen to the music and enjoy how much better my favorite song is compared to your favorite song,” she added though her tone was considerably lighter, poking out her tongue at him before she burst out into laughter. “I’ve got a pretty good gig here, right? When I’m bored of listening to records at home, I can come here and listen to all the records I want here,” she explained. But he wasn’t really listening to what she was saying probably and was considerably silent so she felt like she should shut up, too, and let him actually listen to the song.

Then again, she had always been one of those talks during movies type of people, liked to actively comment on what she was seeing and hearing. She nudged him with her shoulder. “Are you listening to what I’m saying?”

It was easy for Isaac to lose himself in the music, even if it didn't seem like he was the type. The snarky teenager always had some judgment to make, some opinion to insert, or curse words to use as an adjective, but he was different with the music. He was willing just to listen, to sit back and let the music affect him. It was peaceful, cathartic even. Of course, it was a lot easier done without a certain brown-eyed witch blabbering on next to him.

Isaac's head leaned back against the velvet poster behind them, and he'd closed his eyes before she nudged his shoulder and peeked over at her. "What? Yeah, I'm listening," he lied obviously and then cast a smarmy grin her way. "Good gig, lots of records," He prattled on what he had gleaned by actively listened to her and then shrugged his shoulders. "But wouldn't your dad just buy you whatever records you wanted anyway?" Isaac asked, finally opening his eyes again as he tilted his head toward hers and realized how close their faces were all of a sudden.

Magnolia smiled a little when he told her that in fact, he had been listening and felt a little fluttering in her stomach because of it. Maybe she was too deprived of attention, that had to be it, because this was Isaac, and sure, she probably really liked him at this point, but he still felt like a bad choice just waiting to happen. “Buy me what?” she said, not having really been paying attention herself but also leaning back a little as she realized how close they were. This felt like a movie moment.

“I like listening to them here,” she explained, “Plus I get to hang out with my big sis when she’s around,” she added, which was really a much bigger, and much more important reason than the first one. “I’ll probably get a job here next summer,” no one had asked her to but now she was beginning to consider it. “So you know, if you’re around and want to listen to some real music and none of that weird, demon stuff, feel free to come to ask me for advice,” she added, giving him a wink before she giggled.

Isaac understood what she meant, but he shrugged anyway. He didn't have any desire to hang out with his half-brother, so he couldn't relate. And besides, Magnolia was smiling at him, and he didn't know why she was so cool right now. He half expected her to say something irritating in the next second and was confused that she hadn't found his last accusation equally annoying. "Yeah, maybe," he offered, but it was barely that. Pulling his knee opposite her up, Isaac rested his arm on it casually, his hang dangling down. "Probably not, though," he teased.

"Not if you make me listen to shit music all day, you could not pay me to do that," Though he already knew he wouldn't mind hanging around with Magnolia a little bit more. Whatever it was, she was intriguing to him. He couldn't explain it or describe it any more than he could turn it off. And as they sat, their shoulders pressed against each other and faces so close, Isaac let his imagination run a little too fast and too far.

His eyes flickered to her lips, and he wondered about kissing her. It was apparent they'd been flirting all day so it wouldn't have been that far out of the realm of expected things. And he doubted she was hanging around him because he was such a delight to be around, so the Slytherin assumed she'd let him. He figured her lips would be soft but probably sticky from whatever lip gloss witches always thought they should wear, but he wouldn't mind.

He licked his lips, not thinking about it, and blinked silently. As the moment grew, he realized what was happening and looked away abruptly. "But why would you bother getting a job when your family is rich as fuck?" He asked; instead of doing something nice or kissing her while she was looking at him like that, Isaac decided to set this lovely little moment on fire. He was such an idiot.