Whimsical {James Potter}

Chapter 48

Chapter 48: Hospital Stays

Madam Pomfrey has ordered James to stay in the hospital wing overnight for observation. And Cressida is glad of that order for two reasons.

One: they've never seen the curse before. It is laced in Dark Magic, and even their matron was unsure of the longer-term effects. She commended Remus on his quick thinking.
Two: Cressida isn't quite in the mood to talk to him. Putting it lightly. After making sure that he was alright and safe, she left the wing and headed straight to the Room with the Hidden Door to be alone for a few hours. The only other to even know about the room is James, so she knows that she would be safe for as long as she pleases.

It isn't until she is finally confronted by Sirius who caught her sneaking to the kitchens that she is forced to speak.

"You're upset with James," he states as a fact. "You could've told him not to approach Snape and he wouldn't have."

Cressida rolls her eyes, tongue pressing against the back of her teeth. "We both know he wouldn't have listened. And even if he did, you wouldn't have listened either. Besides, I don't care why he went off at that git, it's why he did it."

Sirius cocks his head, leaning against the bench with his hip as Cressida busies herself with making a tea – simply having requested the tools and ingredients from the house-elves. "I'm the one who suggested it," he says slowly. "And we all know why he agreed," he adds even slower, more pointedly.

"Yes," she hums, stirring in some milk. "Because he wanted to impress Evans. Bloody idiot. Attacking their friend is not how you attract a woman."

"Ah," Sirius sighs as though he has finally made a discovery. "So you're upset because you think James did all that to impress Evans when you wanted him to do it for you."

Cressida forgets her tea momentarily to send the dark-haired both a withering glare. "No," she states. Yes. "I wouldn't have cared if he was doing it for the same reasons that you were. Snape deserved it after those comments. I don't want to hex and stun people for the fun of it, Sirius. Doing it to impress someone is just..." She can't even finish her own sentence, ending with a long exhale and turning back to her near-perfect tea. "It's like he just used the opportunity as a cover or something."

Sirius saunters closer to her spot in the kitchen, leaning against the counter once more, far enough to catch her eye. "Look, I can't read his mind. And I can't read yours. But I can tell you, from what he told me after you ditched him in the hospital wing-" Cressida gives a hearty huff at the word choice, "- that it wasn't simply to impress Evans. Even he's not stupid enough to think that would work."

Cressida shakes her head slowly, running her tongue over her lips. "You weren't watching then," she whispers. "He kept his eyes on her almost the entire time, even before we went over. That's why he went. And I just... it makes me feel completely sidelined because Snape said those things to me. You're right. I'm the one who is called a Mudblood. And for a stupid moment, I thought James might be doing it because he felt angry on my behalf. And maybe he was angry – you could see it on his face, but it wasn't because Snape called me that. It was because Snape might have called Lily by that name behind her back. He was angry on her behalf and that hurts. It hurts because I became an excuse. A means to an end."

"So that's why James was asking for you just an hour ago and not Evans?" Sirius inquires lightly, vastly contrasting her distraught cracks and croaks. "Because you're an excuse? Cressida, when have you ever known James to use his friends like that?" She tries to lift the mug to her mouth so she doesn't have to respond to anything, but Sirius' arm snaps out, pushing it away. The hot liquid spills over her wrists, eliciting a hiss. "Why don't you just go talk to him."