Casualty of Love: Turning Tables

I'm Not A Pessimist, I'm A Realist

Elijah's POV 

I walked up to the Gryffindor table like I did every morning for breakfast. The stares were becoming less and less frequent and I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. I liked when people talked about me, especially when what they were saying had to do with me dating Allie.  

It's not like it was true... I mean, on the surface it may have seemed that way. We were always together and usually that is a tell-tale sign but that wasn't the case in our situation. And this was by no means a choice that I made. It was a choice that she made. 

It was more like I was her best friend. I have no idea how it happened or why I was agreeing to it but it was, nevertheless, the truth. I was okay with it as long as I was getting to spend time with her. Especially when said time was away from Draco who was still, to this day, torturing me every chance he got in the common room.  

He could say whatever he wanted though. I would just smile at him knowing that while he is saying all these juvenile things, who was the one with his girlfriend? For all he knew, I was sleeping with her.  

He still didn't know the truth about the kiss and, though I tried to tell him about it more than once, this was bliss. He had no idea what the truth was and honestly, it was keeping him up at night. Along with that pesky cabinet that I was supposed to fix. 

"Hey," Allie said. She was a lot more smiley then usual, especially considering that one of her Gryffindor friends had gotten poisoned last night. "I'm so happy to see you!" 

I scrutinized her carefully. "Who are you and what have you done with the gloomy person that I've come to know so well?"  

"Well... I've turned over a new leaf! I've learned to accept the bad cards with the good, and I've got so many good cards! I'm living in the now and I'm not fretting over the past! I just feel so much happier now!" 

"The problem with that mentality is that the past always comes back to get us - in the future." 

"Oh, Elijah. Don't be such a pessimist!" she teased, her smile never faltering. 

"I'm not a pessimist, I'm a realist. Life sucking doesn't make me emo and gloomy." I rolled my eyes at her but still smiled. It was hard not to with the glow she was radiating. Maybe she really had seen the light. "So what are you going to do about the Drakeykins situation?" I asked, hoping that maybe, just maybe, she'd apply her newly adopted philosophy to that. 

Her eyebrows knitted together in that cute way they did when she was pondering something. "Not sure. Obviously that's one part of my past that cannot be forgotten. Perhaps I'll write him a letter or something since he refuses to speak to me..." 

"He's like a hormonal teenage girl in a man suit when he gets his feelings hurt. It was only a kiss for God's sake! He needs to build a bridge and get over it!" I said, though I didn't mean it. I didn't want him to get over. Eventually, I assumed she would give up, move on, and I would be there waiting with open arms.  

She likes me. I know she does, I can see it in her eyes. She's just burying it deep down because of that prick and he knows it too. That's why he was so upset about the kiss. That's why he won't speak to her. 

"Oh, by the way, I found this is the corridor the other day. It's a muggle mood ring. I have no use for it obviously but I thought you'd like it anyway," I said, taking the ring I'd found out of my pocket and giving it to her. I could feel a few wandering eyes on us, probably thinking I'd bought her a present or something. 

"It's so pretty! I haven't had one of these since...well, since I was a kid! Thanks, Elijah," she said, admiring the piece of plastic jewelry. 

"Well, what does it say?"