Chapter 13: Arthur McMullen
"I'm already thinking about jumping off the astronomy tower," Sirius states in a flat tone, staring down at the pile of homework they've accumulated on their first week back.
Their holidays had gone over relatively smoothly for the most part. Their owls had arrived and Cressida finally saw the payoff of all her studying. Charms was an O, and so was Transfiguration. The rest of the grades were a blur, but enough to let her take NEWT classes where she needs to. Along with their OWL letters, James properly received his Quidditch Captain badge which he proudly displays on his nightstand, next to a stack of unframed photos he's been collecting since first year.
Cressida shrivels her nose at her own potions book that she has to read a chapter from before next class. "Is it too late to change to Muggle Studies, you reckon?" she asks Remus.
Remus presses his lips to his teeth. "Considering we had to have our preferences in last year, probably."
Cressida whispers a short "Damn" and goes back to reading over. Bored within a few lines, she flips through the pages, curious to see what they might be making over the course of the year. "Hey, we get to make Amortentia," she grins. "That stuff is powerful."
The book is snatched from her hands by James who lounges on the main couch in front of the Gryffindor fireplace, whilst Cressida takes the single one on the right, sharing it with Remus who has perched awkwardly on the armrest. "A person will smell what they find most attractive," James reads aloud. With a sly smirk, he hands the book back which she takes with a huff from having it torn away. "So everybody's secrets will be out. We will finally know who Sirius' loves."
"His hair," Cressida snorts at the long-haired boy on the mirror chair opposite her who narrows his eyes tauntingly. "Besides, that's not entirely how it works."
"Correct," Remus agrees. "You smell what attracts you, not who attracts you. So people in love might not even smell the person that they're in love with, but it is highly likely they will at least smell something of the other person."
James rolls his eyes, settling his head back against the cushion. "Alright nerds. I bet a galleon that Remus will smell either parchment or books then."
"I bet it'll be jasmine," Peter counters. "I remember he really liked a candle that had that smell."
"Oh yeah," Cressida says. "The one I left in the bathroom at James'. I agree with Peter."
"Shut down James day, is it?" James mutters.
"Not our fault you keep talking," Sirius snickers. James' arm snaps in the air with a single finger raised from his fist in Sirius' direction.
"That's not very nice, Potter," Marlene comments mockingly as she and Mary enter the Common Room. "I thought you might have matured over the holidays."
"Oh please," Cressida grumbles, "if anything, he got worse." James' hand flares out as though to question 'why me?'. They have been picking on him. "Care to join us in studying?"
Mary's lips turn upwards, revealing her a set of pearly teeth. "We're actually about to meet Lily and go down to the pitch to watch Ravenclaw's tryouts."
"Bit early in the year, isn't it?" James questions. "Ours isn't for another three weeks."
Marlene shrugs without care. Her blonde hair has grown even longer over the holidays and looks glossier than Cressida remembers. And Mary looks stunning with her glowing skin and perfectly curled hair that doesn't seem to have an ounce of frizz. "Overheard something about wanting to get a head start."
Sirius leans back in his chair, his arms spread wide and hanging off each armrest. "And why would you two want to watch their tryouts. You won't even watch ours."
Mary and Marlene giggle under their breath, leaving the group on the couch confused until Marlene finally reveals, "Because McMullen is going to be there, and he got quite…fit over the past three months."
"McMullen?" Cressida repeats hastily, leaning on top of the unused armrest of her chair. "He's trying out?"
Mary nods, not even bothering to hide her grin. "Yep."
Cressida throws her arms up in the air before clambering around and tossing her things in her school bag. "Stuff homework!" she gasps. Arthur McMullen had stunned almost every girl in Hogwarts on their first day back. Who was once a charming, but simple looking boy, had somehow transformed into a man Cressida would imagine belongs on a muggle magazine cover. "I'm coming with you two!" Sprinting up the stairs, Cressida shoves their dorm door open, tosses her bag on her bed and leaps back down the stairs.
Her and James… Well nothing happened. In fact, after the movie that night everything just went back to normal. No matter how painful normal is. She doesn't know what she did wrong besides assuming something incorrectly.
Remus is shaking his head with a soft laugh, Peter looks confused, Sirius is smirking, but James is standing on the lounge, gripping the back cushion and mouth agape. "You'd rather go watch their tryouts than hang out with us?" he demands of Cressida.
She pretends to think it over for a second before nodding once. "Yep."
His face falls flat. "Right," he mutters, flopping back down to sit on the lounge.
"Look," Mary pouts, "Potter's sulking cause now there's someone taking the attention off of him."
James' head faces the opposite way to them, resting against the pillow so he uses his hand for his expressions. "I'm not sulking," he gripes.
Sirius' smirk grows, watching his friend's face which Cressida cannot see. "He's totally sulking." His smirk falls into an amused smile as he glances up at the three girls. "Take Cress before she's guilt-tripped into staying so James feels better."
Marlene quickly grabs Cressida's elbow. "Will do," she nods to Sirius. Rolling her eyes at Sirius, Cressida walks out of the Common Room with them, soon meeting up with Lily and make their way to the pitch.
The heat of Summer has carried on into the Spring, which is a nice change from the usually dreary weather that Britain is constantly subjected to. There is barely a cloud in the sky, and warm enough that all four girls are content in light tops.
They take a seat on some of the higher benches as the Ravenclaws are already flying around to warm up. McMullen is easily spotted in the crowd. "Looks like he's trying for Keeper," Cressida notes, eyeing off his gear.
"I don't care what he's playing as, as long as he gets on the team," Mary grins. "I also don't care what we said last year about the weather – if it's snowing, I'll wear a thick jacket if he's playing."
Lily chuckles, tossing her head back and shaking her hair loose. Cressida can't help but notice that she too has grown quite a bit over the summer. All three of them have become more…womanly and sharp. Their hair is longer and more voluminous, and their skin just a little less patchy. Marlene's already defined face has lost any remaining signs of youth and Lily's roundness has grown more oval. Mary is taller and fuller, and she carries herself with more confidence than before.
Cressida glances down at her shoes, recalling the brief memory of looking at herself in the mirror that morning. She didn't look terrible, but it certainly isn't one of her finer days.
Suddenly, Cressida wonders why she even bothered coming with them. Sure, McMullen is a treat to look at, but sitting here next to three beautiful girls makes her the odd one out. Not that she has any intention of vying for McMullen's attention in any manner, but the excitement and novelty of being here no longer exists.
But she stays, forcing a smile and takes the time instead to eye off Ravenclaw's possible new strategies and potential threats.
The tryouts don't finish for another hour and a half and Mary, Marlene and Lily moan as McMullen flies off. "Don't worry," Cressida offers, "by the way he played, he'll almost certainly be on the team. I'm actually a little worried about us playing against him."
"You were focused on the way he played?" Mary drawls with a short and sarcastic laugh. "My, you must have a love bug for someone else if that's what you took away from that."
Lily nods, folding her arms. "I bet it's Sirius."
"What?" Cressida breathes.
"Or James," Mary adds as she and Lily ignore Cressida's shaking head. Marlene stays silent.
Lily hums, squinting her eyes. "Don't forget about the rumour last year where Sirius and Cress were caught snogging in the West corridors." The redhead grins at Cressida, finally looking for her input. "Don't worry, we don't actually believe that."
Rolling her tongue over her teeth, Cressida shrugs softly. "Actually that's not a complete rumour," she mumbles. Merlin, why did she say that? It's not a lie, but now she's feeding into something that's going to be entirely misinterpreted.
"What?" Marlene draws out. "You didn't tell me this."
Cressida shrugs again, this time more confidently. "Figured you'd all find out through gossip anyways." She doesn't want them to guess her feelings for James, she realises her own logic. If they thought she has them for Sirius, at least she can explain that one to him. An overreaction, perhaps, but spoken now.
"Holy shit," Mary whispers. "Was he any good?"
Cressida laughs with a red tint in her cheeks. "I mean…yeah, as far as kissing goes. It was a little weird, since he's my friend but at the same time it wasn't."
"I think we breezing over the fact about why you two were kissing," Marlene blurts, interrupting Lily's oncoming question which quickly changes.
"You're not together are you?" she hisses. Cressida shakes her head slowly. "Do you like him?"
Her lips purse tightly before answering. "Yes. And he knows so it's not some sort of secret or anything. But that doesn't mean you can just go off and tell people."
Mary holds up her hands. "I'm just excited to find this out. Do you know if he likes you?"
Oh Merlin, what would Sirius want her to answer? Cressida stumbles around for an answer, finally coming up with, "We've not talked about it much." She knows now that she's started what is going to become a string of lies. Is she going to tell Marlene the truth or drag her along as well? Sirius will have to know what's going on but…James, Remus and Peter are going to have to remain as blind as Mary and Lily.
Damn it, she should have just said no.
Cressida's forced smiles don't end, her cheeks straining and almost stuck in position by the time they return to the tower. The boys haven't moved from the fireplace but their homework is discarded in return for a game of exploding snap – which James stays away from.
Finally feeling some relief of having to hold a façade in place, Cressida sighs loudly and darts forward to join the game, squeezing in between Sirius and Remus.
"How was it?" James asks in a grumble.
"Fine," she answers. "I think I have a few ideas of what their gameplay might be this year too."
Mary smirks, bracing her arms against the back of the single armchair. "Don't worry Black, she was more focused on figuring out game strategy than ogling at McMullen."
Cressida sucks her breath, staring down at the cards, wishing she couldn't hear the conversation. Sirius' brows furrow slightly as his mind tries to form an answer. "Oh. Well, it's hard to get your head out of the game sometimes," he responds with a slow, awkward chuckle. She feels his eyes bore into the side of her face.
"You almost sound like you want her to be eyeing off other men," Mary retorts with a snort. Sirius' jaw unlocks, his eyes slowly blinky. "Whatever, men confuse me more than other women do."
The three Gryffindor girls head back off to their shared dorm. "I'm not the only one who didn't understand that, right?" James calls from the lounge which he hasn't moved from.
Cressida leans close to Sirius' ear. "I messed up," she whispers quickly. "I apologise in advanced."
His response takes a while. "Uh, okay."
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