Chapter 49: An Ease to the Year
In the last weeks of Hogwarts, there isn't much to do besides continue to go to classes that are just revisiting what happened through the year. And if the small group of Gryffindors were not already nonchalant about attending class through the main part of the year, they certainly are now.
They should be in Potions – possibly, they hadn't bothered to check – right now, but being the last class they would have with Slughorn for the year, none of them felt like attending and instead have made their way down to the Black Lake. The weather is almost perfect for it with Summer being just a few days away. The sun glistens off the rippling surface, creating a painting of white-gold splashes from the horizon.
"You said something to him, didn't you?"
Cressida watches the boy next to her closely to take in every single sign his body might give off. From the corner of her eye, the other three boys continue to splash each other. Their pants are rolled up over their knees and shirts to their elbows.
Sirius, however, is sitting on the bank with her underneath the same large tree where they went after Snape. His own shirt is rolled up to his elbows but to relieve him of the growing heat. The sides of his hair are slightly frizzed from a blast of wind they had not long ago.
His brows furrow as his head turns over his shoulder to peer right back at her. "What? To who?"
Cressida sighs silently, nodding subtly towards the water. "James," she whispers despite the distance between them. "He hasn't properly talked to me in nearly two weeks."
Sirius quickly follows her line of sight, shaking his head. "I haven't," he promises immediately. "And James has been weird to all of us." Maybe that is true. James, usually one for action first talk later has almost become the opposite. There's no lack of his arrogant and prideful persona, but where he might have pulled his wand or shown off, he's taken a backseat. "What happened in the hospital wing?"
"Nothing," she answers with a shrug.
"Did you tell him why you were pissed?"
Cressida narrows her eyes, tearing them away from the water and back to Sirius. "I wasn't pissed," she counters firmly. "And no, we didn't even talk about it. I didn't want to."
"Why not?"
"Cause I didn't quite feel like spilling my guts," she spits with a sarcastic laugh. "And you're controlling the conversation again." Black; always needing to be in control of everything. "So it's not just me that he's being weird to?"
Sirius shrugs, uncaring about her attitude towards him. "He's quieter than usual, but it's not like he's ignoring us or anything." He gestures towards the Lake where James is indeed, acting the most normal she's seen him in days. "It's probably just Evans getting to him. They haven't talked at all since the D.A.D.A exam. And I mean – James hasn't even tried to approach her – not talking."
Cressida huffs through sipping out of her water bottle. "She deserves the break." She eyes of Sirius' bland features, his tongue rolling on the outside of his teeth. "You're not in a mood, are you?"
Sirius shakes his head with a deep and chesty chuckle. "No," he answers, adding a smile to assure her. "Just don't want this week to end."
Cressida hums in agreement. She loves the Summer, but her experience wouldn't match Sirius'. At least not for a few weeks. And though her own time spent at home isn't something to look forward to, it is nothing in comparison to his home life. "I know you don't particularly like soft moments," she sighs with a closed smile, "but I feel like one."
His right eye squints as he watches her from the corner of the same eye. Cressida crawls across the small patch of grass towards him, ignoring the warning on his face and wraps her arms around his neck from behind. "I'll tolerate this," he grumbles.
"Good." She tightens her holds, stretching her own neck to kiss his temple. She laughs at his sound of displeasure: but she knows. She knows that a small part of him craves the attention. Her weight rocks around on her knees as he leans forward to escape but only succeeds in bringing her with him. "I love you," she sings with a beaming grin.
"Yeah, whatever," he huffs. "And you know what they say, if you love me, let me go." He tugs on her arms in emphasis, but Cressida's eyes narrow. He's breaking. So like a child, she shakes her head firmly.
"Not until you say it back."
"I'm not a particularly good liar," he drawls. His head points out to the lake but his eyes are still watching her as she perches her head over his shoulder.
"That hurts," she whispers, failing to keep her smile down for the sake of theatrics. "Come on Stars." Stars – the nickname she gave him back in first year. He hated it so much that he stole her wand and threatened to snap if she ever called him that again. And she held that promise until now (her wand safely in her bag out of reach).
He groans louder than before, clicking his tongue against the top of his mouth and finally turning his head away from the Lake to glare at her. "No," is all he says.
"That's what I'm calling you until you say it back," she declares in an overly joyous tone. "Just wait till James hears me calling you that. You know he'll join in." Cressida manoeuvres around his front but doesn't dare let her circled arms around his neck loosen. "Then Remus and Peter will join in. Before you know it, half the school will have forgotten your name and from today onwards, you'll be known as Stars forever."
She watches the image of disgust take hold of him. Reluctantly, and not meeting her eyes, he gulps, "I love you."
"Oh come on," she huffs, "that was hardly believable."
Sighing with closed eyes, Sirius breathes deeply as he tries again. "I love you."
Cressida tips her head from side to side. "I'd believe you if I was as gullible as Peter."
Despite his efforts to remain rigid, Sirius turns his head away to hide a smile. Cressida laughs to herself, not keeping it secret that she's overly enjoying the moment. Once he turns his head back, the lines of restraint are visible; his lips tightly pressed together. "Cressida, with all my heart, I love you."
Cressida scrunches her nose up. "Better, I'll admit." She lapses into giggles at his worn-out expression and decides that he's probably had enough affection thrown on him for one day. "I'm going to dip my feet in," she says, gesturing to the lake. "Coming?"
He sighs slowly, taking his time to contemplate her offer. Eventually, he raises his brows. "Suppose I should."
Cressida grins, already rising to her feet and jogging towards the water, assuming that he's trailing behind. She kicks her shoes and somehow manages to tug her socks off while she's walking just in time for the water to engulf her calves.
"Finally decided to stop being loners?" Remus calls in question, the water encircling his knees.
"I was just keeping out dear friend company," she goads loudly. "Stars is the one that needed convincing."
James perks at the sound of the name. Cressida wasn't sure if anybody else would understand the reference so her taunting smirk only grows at his reaction. "Stars? He echoes. "I didn't know we were using that name again!"
Cressida spins around, marching backwards through the water to gauge Sirius' reaction. He's at the very edge of the water, a shoe in hand but he's frozen in a glare directed towards her. Pausing, she watches and anticipates his reaction. Slowly, the shoe drops from his hand.
A sharp shriek sounds from her own lips as he darts forward, the water splashing high as he wades through it with forces. He doesn't care if his uniform is soaked. Cressida stumbles backwards and too the side to avoid his outstretched arms, a continuous stream of giggles erupting. "I hate you," he declares, darting around to match her avoidance techniques. The other three watch on, also trying to avoid the careless splashes he makes. "I hate you so much."
Cressida shakes her head, breathless and still grinning. "No you don't."
She moves behind Remus who she hopes will feel bad enough and act as her blockade but he only steps to the side. "Absolutely not," he laughs, letting Sirius have a straight line towards her. Cressida glares at Remus, smacking the side of his arm and quickly moves onto the next shield.
Peter, to his credit, lets her stand in front but he's not quite sure what to do. Sirius bends down, creating a large wave through the water which washes over Peter. Spluttering and coughing, her barricade falters and she's left with only one option. "I'm sorry," she cries fruitlessly to Sirius as she heads towards James. James' eyes are wide, arms stretched out to the side slightly as though ready to catch something. Not risking losing another shield, Cressida grabs both his arms from behind as he faces Sirius and hides behind his back.
She can't see anything, but as soon as James cries out, she knows it's coming. "Oh fuc-"
A wall over water washes over James, the remnants cascading over his shoulders and onto Cressida but that is hardly her problem. Her problem is James' unbalanced stance. With her grip on his arms, he can't use them to steady himself and the weight from the water is enough to topple him backwards and Cressida is right in the way. The pair collide with the lake and all her efforts of avoiding Sirius go down the drain as she is soaked from hairs to toes.
Cressida sits up with a long gasp for air, the water rising to her chest. James sits in front of her, his usually curled and shortish hair now straight and flat. Sirius looks mighty proud of himself. In pathetic retaliation, Cressida sends a small splash his way but it wouldn't have reached him even if he didn't take a step back.
With his attention finally subsiding from her, Cressida glances at James as she swims around to his side. The laughter from before bubbles again as he attempts to dry off his glasses, but the beads keep reforming. "I'm sorry," she says through a bitten smile.
He scoffs light-heartedly. "No you're not."
Cressida shrugs to hide her agreement, already knowing her face is betraying everything James needs to know. Sirius, who is already soaked and uncaring of the fact, wades further into the water and almost past Cressida until she grabs his hanging hand. "You oaf," she laughs, tugging him downwards. He slumps down into the lake with them with a doggish grin. "I think you deserve a new nickname that won't end up with my wand snapped."
Sirius doesn't know whether to look exhausted or intrigued. "And what," he sighs, "do you have in mind?"
"Snuffles," Remus immediately says through a grin that spreads from each side of his face. He's standing just to the side with his arms loosely crossed, the surface of the water brushing against his rolled pants.
Sirius makes a disgusted sound.
Cressida leans closer to James, leaning back on her hands. "Snuffles it is."
A wave is sent her way, the water clogging her throat that travelled in through her wide smirk and leaving her in a coughing fit.