Chapter 18: A Stranger

A reflection shouldn't a stranger. But hers is.

Cressida blinks, hard and fast, the balls of her palms pressing against her undereye to wipe away the dark rings. She knows that what Remus did for her was supposed to be a good thing, but now though some questions are answered, even more take their places. Her hair is frizzy and for a while, she wonders if it has gotten darker somehow instead of lighter during the summer, but she realises that it is actually her skin that is paler than usual.

A Gryffindor with constant anxiousness. What an oxymoron she is to be wearing red robes. A Muggle-born in a school full of wizards born to magical parents. The only girl in a group full of boys. Where does she even fit in? Is there even a place for her?

A knock on her bathroom door shocks her, her fingers splaying out and the muscles in her legs tightening. "Cress," Sirius calls through the wood. "That Auror is here. Says she wants to see you."

Swallowing, she croaks out, "Coming." Checking her appearance once more, she knows that it wouldn't get any better within the next few seconds and open the door. Sirius is wearing an old shirt and black pants, ready to play Quidditch with his new broom. Which is what she was getting ready to join in on.

Smiling fleetingly at him, Cressida walks towards her door but his hand quickly latches onto her, despite her efforts to avoid him. Tugging her body around to face him, his lips part, dark eyes scanning over his face. "If you're that worried about playing against me, you can sit out," he whispers in a mirthful tune, but his face portrays nothing but concern. Cressida chokes out a laugh, shaking her head.

"I'll never sit out on kicking your arse."

Sirius grins at her, the hand on her arm stretching around her shoulder instead. "There's my girl. Feisty." Good. Cressida smiles back at him. If there's one thing she doesn't doubt, it's Sirius. "Making an overestimation, but feisty."

Her elbow juts out, the bone hitting him right under the ribs. He yelps and groans, bending forward and grasping at the area. Cressida slips out of his loose hold, smirking over her shoulder. "If your balls are that high, I would say that I'm not the scared one."

Sirius snaps back up straight, pain lingering like a shadow. "You just, have a very pointy elbow," he breathes out with a struggle. He jogs out after her since she doesn't bother to wait for his pain to pass. "You know, I reckon you could give amazing massages with it."

Cressida tips her head to the side, marching down the stairs, the boy still on her tail. "Odd observation."

Sirius jumps over a few of the polished stairs, right into her path. Cressida pauses, looking him once over to try and figure out what in Merlin's name he is doing. "Seeker and a Keeper. You must have nimble hands too. I'd love for you to try them out on me one day."

Her mouth rounds, brows pinching then raising then pinching again. "What are you on about?" she laughs. "You sound like you're trying to flirt with me. Failing, but trying."

"What? Can't I flirt with a beautiful girl?" Cressida gives him a tipped expression, moving around him to continue down the staircase. Just as she reaches the bottom, he yells down to her from near the top, "You're the most beautiful thing in here besides me!"

Cressida laughs, shaking her head and makes a motion for him to quieten down. Sirius grins, resting his folded arms over the railing and watches her from above. His dark hair curtains his face. "Dickhead," she mutters to herself, heading to the front door. To her mortification, it is still open. "Alice," she greets. She didn't even think about who to expect. Maybe that's why Sirius was trying to embarrass her.

Alice smiles, still donning her grey coat and a sleek cut bob. "Miss Hawthorne," her honey voice greets back. "I think I have something that belongs to you. We searched the house to find any clues about which Dark Wizard it may have been that attacked your family." Her smile simmers slightly. "Unfortunately we're no closer on that investigation, but we did find this."

Her hand emerges from her pocket, a silver chain pinched between her fingers. Cressida's lips peel open, her own hand already stretching towards it. Alice drops it into her palm. "Thank you." Two charms still hang from it. A dog and a bear's pawprint. She should try and find more while they're in the break. "It was a gift from one of my friends."

Alice laughs lightly, glancing into the house behind Cressida. "It sounds like you have some good ones."

Cressida blushes but nods in agreement. "That's Sirius."

The woman's eyebrows raise. "Sirius Black?"

"Yes."

The smile on the Auror's face only widens. "I hear he's a decent man. His family on the other hand…" Cressida only hums in agreement. Alice places her hand back in her pocket and takes a step away from the door. "Someone will check in next week. Let us know if you see or hear anything."

"Thank you."

Tucking the bracelet into her pocket, Cressida marches back through the house. "Sirius!" she growls. He appears from the upper level, bouncing down the stairs with both their brooms in hand. "You made us both look like idiots."

"Idiots that were laughing, though," he counters with an all-knowing look. At her flat expression, he sighs with an exasperated smirk. "I know what makes you smile."

"And you think flirting is the best way?"

"It's the most entertaining."

"Even being gay?"

"Makes it funner."

"Funner isn't a word."

"I said it. It exists."

"Tell that to Remus."

"You know, I think I have and we went through this exact argument."

"Then why are we going through it again?"

"Because it's fun."

"Funner than flirting?"

"Ha! You said it!"

"To be ironic."

"…Still."

Xx

"We couldn't come up with some more original than 'Bear'?" Cressida questions James.

He cocks his head to the side, eyes turned downwards to where she lays on her back by his legs. "Would you rather it be princess?" The grandfather clock has already struck twelve, yet all the youths of the house still remain wide awake, huddled around a fireplace. Peter had come over for the night but like usual, he won't stay very long.

"It's already on the Map," Sirius interjects from opposite. His wand is tapping the parchment with a series of enchantments falling from his lips. They're so close. In fact, the Map itself is working perfectly fine. Now they're just finalising the protective charms.

James agrees with Sirius so Cressida sighs, albeit with a content smile, arms stretching over her head.

"That's not the right one," Remus mutters, followed by the sound of parchment crumpling. Sirius huffs but makes no move to snatch it back. Cressida rolls onto her stomach and rests on her elbows. "Oh my god…"

James perks the most, leaning forward to try and peek at the map. "What? What?!"

Remus stares down at the parchment in awe. "I think we've done it. I think it's finished." He leans forward, flattening the map out on the floor and everybody circles it. It's blank, but that just makes it all the more better.

"Do we-do we say it?" Peter wonders.

Sirius narrows his eyes. "Of course we do. I think Prongs should have the honour." All four of them look towards James who doesn't move at first, searching for each of their approvals first. "Go on."

James adjusts his shoulders, picking his discarded wand off the floor. He taps the end of it against the parchment. They all hold their breaths. Months and months of working on this darn thing all comes to this moment. James coughs. "I solemnly swear, that I am up to no good."

The parchment begins to change. A reddish-brown ink moving on its own to form a crest that is created by colouring of a castle courtyard. "Messers Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, Prongs and Bear, are proud to present The Marauder's Map," Cressida reads, moving to her knees to get a better view. Seeing as nobody else is moving, she reaches out, opening one of the many folds.

It's working.

They look through it for at least another hour. They find Dumbledore and Filch, as well as Mrs Norris and even Hagrid. All the secret passages that they've found are located. A legacy. For the final test, Sirius taps his wand. "Mischief Managed."

The ink fades into nothingness, not even a hint of magic left over. A spare piece of parchment. Cressida squeals in excitement, her arms wrapping around James' neck from the side. "We freaking did it!" she cries. Remus laughs wildly, hands covering his face as he falls onto his back in relief. Sirius holds it to his mouth, kissing it over and over again.

James hollers, a silencing charm already well cast around the room.

They did it.

Once they finally settle down from their high, exhaustion takes over them and they retire to their rooms. Cressida follows James to his, not caring if she falls asleep there but she wants the company for a little while longer. Behind the closed door, he hugs her from behind, face delving into the curve of her neck to rest. "Are we really going to trust Sirius with keeping the Map?" she asks him, her lips easily pulled back in a content smile.

"Merlin no," James laughs into her skin, arms tightening. "I'll steal it back by the end of the week. But I'll let him feel responsible for a while." As she laughs in response, he kisses her neck, trailing up to her cheek. Cressida spins around, planting the kissed cheek on his shoulder and hugs him back. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm…happy."

"That's good," he laughs softly, "but I was actually asking about me. How do you feel… about me? Right now."

Cressida is intrigued by his curiosity, but she can only give him an honest answer. "I'm not sure what words you're looking for," she chuckles nervously, "but I like this."

"Okay," James murmurs, running his tongue over his lips. "Because you still haven't actually said what you feel for me and I really want to tell you how I feel. Again. This time to your face. Every other time I've tried, it hasn't ended so well."

Cressida lifts her head. Because she makes a point to avoid what she thought was going to hurt her. But how was she supposed to tell the difference from when it changed from Lily to her?

"I feel like we're still tiptoeing around each other," he continues while she is in thought. "I'm still nervous, thinking; oh, does she feel something for me? Is this hug too intimate? Am I being too forward? We haven't actually had a moment of… I don't even know how to explain it," he trails off.

"Like a movie," she fills in. James blinks, nodding.

"Yeah. I sort of imagined that we'd just jump into the deep in. That being friends gave as an advantage of missing all the awkward getting to know each other."

Cressida drops her cheek back to his shoulder. "I think we would have," she whispers, "if it had gone a little differently. But I'm just…" Not feeling herself. Unable to let herself relax completely. "I'm sorry."

"No, no," James coos. "Don't be. Reality is better than my imagination any day. Besides, I think it will be fun." He looks down, brushing hair over her ear. "How about I save it for a special moment? Telling you how I feel properly?"

"I'm not going to say it until you say it," Cressida teases in a whisper.

"Not going to say what?" he taunts right back. He laughs as she hides her face. "Alright. I'll say it first. But I'll decide the moment."

"Deal."