Chapter 28: Elias

The Great Hall is as loud and boisterous as it is on any other day on a school morning. All five of them have a free first period, but the luxury of a later start doesn't come with a later breakfast.

James chews on a toothpick that sticks out the left side of his mouth, wiggling around in synch with the movement of his jaw. His brow perks, glances at his friends around him between looking at something further down the table. "I think Lily keeps glancing down here."

Remus perks his own eyebrow, though with more attitude than ruggish charm. "Does she?" he questions flatly. Cressida notes that he looks how she feels. The entire past week has been draining as James seems to be on a continuous mission to catch Evans' attention. Not that he usually isn't, but it is like a new bout of feelings hit him.

How does he do it? How does he chase after someone relentlessly even with seemingly no chance and still pour his heart out? How does he cope feeling so much and having nothing in return? Because James loves Evans. Loves. That's far beyond what she is feeling with a simple crush yet his oblivious rejection towards Cressida is so gut-wrenching that instead of enjoying a warm shower the night before, she spent the entire time crying. How can he feel that every day, so much more powerfully than she does and still do exactly what he's doing right now in front of her? Whatever he's taking, she wants it.

It's already affecting her life. It's all she can think about, all she spends those night falling asleep thinking of. More than once she's been snapped out of a daydream by Sirius snapping his fingers in front of her face.

She watches him, wondering what he feels. How pathetic her own feelings are in comparison to his. "You should ask her for Charms help." James' eyes snap to hers with interest piquing. "I'm helping you already so if she says no, then no big deal, but maybe she'll want to." Cressida shrugs, picking up her abandoned fork. "Just an idea."

That's the way she always behaves. Her mother told her that all through her youth, and many others have always pointed it out. If Cressida can't have something, then by Merlin it's going to be through her own choice. She won't chase it. She will ignore it and pretend it doesn't exist. They would call it a flaw, but to her, it's just self-preservation.

And James wants Lily, and that won't ever change. Cressida's own feelings are new and out of control. Even if he didn't like Lily she could never admit them aloud. The possibility of ruining a perfectly good friendship isn't a risk she's willing to take for anything.

So why not do what she can to help them? Get them together and get over her own feelings at the same time. It would be the best possible win-win in the history of double victories.

There's only a slight possible loss in the situation but it won't be her own or James'. Maybe Lily's sanity if she ever does decide to go out with James but there are potions for that.

Her plan wouldn't work with that alone though. Her lips part as Elias enters the Great Hall alone with a swing in his step. And there's the second part of her plan. Well, the word plan makes it sound terribly logical and not all that much to do with the heart but Cressida wouldn't have had the idea if she weren't the least bit interested.

Without letting her eyes move from him, Cressida climbs out from the chair. Sirius late-moving hand reaches out towards her, scraping over her sleeve but not grasping it. "Where are you going?" he calls through a mouth full of egg on toast, making the words jumble together. Cressida brushes off his arm, a slow walk towards the man becoming stronger with each step.

On the outside nothing changes, but her head is a cyclone of questions and variables all trying to become the loudest. "Hey." The chattering stops. Elias smiles broadly, already having seen her come his way. "I was wondering if you want to come to Hogsmeade with me this weekend? I want to go to the Three Broomsticks, but the others want to spend the entire day at Zonkos."

Not a lick of hesitation or nervousness seeps through her voice, despite the shivering breath that she takes just after. She posed the question on purpose to sound more like a suggestion rather than directly asking him out. It gives her a solid reason to ask him and if he says no then…Cressida can shrug it off and say she'll go to Zonkos then.

Elias only smiles wider, one side of his mouth pulling closer to his eye. His smile is charming, but not as endearing as James'. "Yeah," he decides, sounding a little stunned but pleased. "I'll meet you at the carriages on Saturday. Eleven, right?"

Cressida nods, a tint of blush painting her cheeks. "Sounds good."

Elias nods as well, his open lip smile falling into a softer one where his lips join. "Do your friends know what you're asking me?"

Cressida's smile drops instantly, but she refrains from turning around. "What? Why?" What on earth are they doing?

Elias chuckles, shaking his head. His head tips to the side as he observes them over her shoulder, probably about twenty feet away. "They just look confused," he says.

"Oh," she laughs, allowing the anxiety to disintegrate. "No, I didn't. That way if you said no, I could easily make up a lie about this whole interaction."

"Ahh," he sings, his lips opening again in a wide grin. He glances Cressida over, rolling his tongue over his lips. "I like the way think. Smart."

Shrugging with one shoulder, she puts on a mocking nonchalant expression. "I am the brains of the bunch," she declares in a tone of dignification.

"Really? I thought you were the beauty."

Cressida's mouth rounds at the unexpected flirt, failing to compose herself for a moment as Elias soaks in her reaction with a good-natured laugh. Finally getting her voice back, she folds her arms, bringing the same dignified voice from moments before. "Brains, beauty. I'm the lot. May as well add the brawn on there as well." She leans forward, indicating a desire to whisper something. Either humouring her or truly interested in what she has to say, Elias leans forward, his ear close to her mouth. "It's a group secret, but Sirius stuffs his shirts with socks to make it look like he has muscle."

Elias breaks into airy laughter before he even leans back. He nods his head minimally, squinting. "That makes a lot of sense. He eats like shit."

They joke around for a little longer until she releases him so he can go eat with the twins. He walks next to her until she reaches them, Fabian and Gideon being further down.

Elias smiles at her, placing his hand on Sirius' shoulder with a tight and manly squeeze. "Good to see you guys," he says, pinching his brows dramatically as he squeezes Sirius' shoulder in an obvious-made manner. Cressida holds her snort at his feel-up of Sirius' broad, beater shoulders that they had just teased. Then he moves on before any of them have the chance to reply.

Sirius glares at his back, rounding off his shoulders to straighten his school jumper. "What the fuck was that?" he demands, sounding both concerned and disgusted. "And not just the shoulder thing – why were you talking to him?"

"It's like he was sizing you up or something," Peter adds in the same concern. Sirius straightens himself, opening his chest and widening his elbows on the table. Cressida rolls her eyes, mutter something about men as Remus weighs in.

"He's not bad. Elias hangs out with the Prewetts most of the time. Chill bloke."

"Still doesn't answer my question," Sirius nearly sings. "What were you doing with him?"

Cressida shrugs through mid-bite of her bacon. "Asking him to go to Hogsmeade with me."

Sirius leans forward, a look of gobsmack on his face. "Him?" he whispers. "B-bu…" He blinks, looking over the other members of their group to see if they agree.

James scoffs, biting into his own toast. "Please, he's not the worst she could choose."

Cressida narrows her eyes at him, running her tongue over her back teeth. "You make that sound like there are better choices," she notes. James shrugs, sucking jam off his fingers.

"There are," he agrees. "But it doesn't matter if you want him. I say go for it." The small pang of pain is undeniable. But bearable. James gestures to Sirius with his chin. "What do you think is so wrong with him?"

"Nothing's wrong with him," he sighs exasperatedly. "I just thought Cressida liked someone else."

Her head tips. "I haven't told you a single crush of mine since second year when you spread it around within a day," she recalls firmly, shaking her head in pure misery at the memory.

"You don't need to tell me for me to know." His eyes bore into her so adamantly that her heart starts beating hard against her chest. Slow, but hard. "Why did you ask out Griffiths?"

"Because I wanted to," she swallows. "And I don't really have a fancying for anyone. Like Remus said, he's chill and…nice. And most importantly he said yes which means he's a least a little bit interested in me."

Sirius raises his hands, voice becoming speedier by the second. "Alright fine, he's a decent bloke. Bit weird but whatever. But why are you asking him out when you like someone else?" His voice is whingy like a child who's been told they can't go to an amusement park like they've been promised.

"Because I don't like anybody else, Sirius," Cressida growls in a firm tone, consciously trying to leave no room for argument. "I don't know what you think you know, but whenever I like someone, I tell Remus. And sometimes Peter."

Sirius' head snaps over to Remus who sits directly opposite them, between Peter and James. He only nods with a soft smile. "She does," he affirms. "And she hasn't told me anyone at all this year. Except that Allan Gellar looked fine as fuck to quote."

James blinks, his hands cupping the air. "Hang on, why don't you tell me?"

"Because Remus and Peter let me blabber to them about it," Cressida answers dismissively. "You'd get bored within a minute."

James becomes offended by her assumption, head pulling back and his face in a slight scrunch. "I listen to you blabber all the time."

Remus leans closer to his friend. "Listening and engaging isn't the same mate."

"I nod!"

"Still not the same."

"Everybody is missing my point!" Sirius hisses. He turns almost fully in the seat, a threatening finger directed at her face. "I don't know what you're up to, but you're going to hurt yourself."

There's no way he can know. Absolutely none. Not unless Sirius is more observant than she's ever given him credit for. Besides, it's not his place to be concerned about that. If Elias wasn't a decent man, then she'd give him room to speak up but he's speaking based purely on speculation of her own feelings and mind which he has no access to.

With a straight face and flat tone, Cressida sets down her line. "It's not your place to care." Sirius' throat bobs in a long swallow but ultimately he only looks saddened by her rigidness. His mouth parts as though he wants to say something more but instead, he only goes back to his food, staying silent for the rest of breakfast.