September 9th, 1978
Who: Eliza Alderton and Dedalus Diggle
What: She's got a weird fear, and he helps her with it
Where: Staircases



Eliza would never deny that she had many quirks, like losing track of time...days...months, or being rather forgetful, but one thing that she herself found odd was how she handled the moving staircases. Everyone she knew just jotted down them the second they were able to, when the staircases were still moving, but Eliza had the strange habit of waiting for them to lock in, wait a moment to make sure they were locked in, and then go down. But, that wasn't the end of it. She knew basically how long one stairwell stayed stationary (and even then, they were mostly random so it was always a guess), so she would wait until it moved again, and when it moved back to the landing she wanted to get off at, then she'd go.

It was a long, tedious thing, but it kept her worries at a minimum and also made her late to just about every class.

It was after Herbology that she'd found herself in another predicament with the stairs, and this time it was lasting longer than usual. She'd walked with Brianna out of the greenhouses and had parted a bit ago, but then Miranda had caught her on the landing and talked for about ten minutes, then she said hello to Ingrid and Ralph, and then she got jumbled into a conversation about Stubby Boardman with Lucy and Greta, and then Emmeline Vance stopped to talk to her about the Prophet, so all in all, Eliza had been standing on the same landing, trying to get up to Gryffindor tower for a good half hour, and it would probably be another twenty minutes as her quirk with the staircases hadn't even begun.

And now the smiling face of Mister Head Boy Dedalus Diggle came into play, and Eliza pulled her foot back from the first step.

"You've almost made it a week, Mister Head Boy!"

It was a change to see people walk around in the hallways without ducking thier heads, or using thier hair to cover thirt foreheads, and Dedalus really couldn't help but smirk to himself whenever he heard people talking about what had happened thier first day. Each of thier reactions were different. Some were pissed off, some were amused, others were upset, and a lot of them were just...neutral about the whole thing. But at least he and Emmeline had done thier job. They had made a point. This year was off to a very good start, even if it was only the fourth day.

Walking up a flight of stairs once they had locked into place, he adjusted his bag on his shoulder and kept his eyes focused on the steps, not wanting to trip. His bag was stuffed with books, and it probably would have been bulging if he hadn't placed an Extension Charm on it. His eyes looked up for a moment to make sure he didn't run into anyone, seeing someone come down and give him a wave...which surprised him. People were paying attention to him! He smiled a little and waved back, getting to the top of the stairs to see Eliza standing there.

Mister head boy! The words made him laugh quietly, a hand raising to rub the back of his neck. "This year has certainly started off with a bang, hasn't it? Or, well, more of a splatter, but you know what I meant..." he lowered his hand and slipped it into his pocket. "And you can still call me Dedalus, you know. Or, Dee...since my name is neither easy to say or spell."

"Oh, that's good to know, Dedalus," Eliza said with a nod, hoping she said it right. That would be something, after Dedalus telling her that it was hard to pronounce, that she mispronounced it. She didn't think that she had said it wrong, it sounded a lot like how the professors and his friends talked to him, and Eliza took a moment to think about how she'd said his name, her lips and tongue moving silently. Which wasn't much use, seeing as she couldn't hear the sounds that the movements in her mouth were making.

Bother.

"I was avoiding saying your name because I wasn't sure how to address the Head Boy," Eliza admitted, feeling a blush creep up her neck for some reason; it wasn't as if anyone had ever told her there was a wrong way to speak to a Head.

Now that she thought about it, she wasn't sure if she'd ever spoken to a Head. No, that was a lie. Lily Evans---er, Potter, was very nice, but she'd never had to call her anything, and James Potter was James Potter and Eliza never dared to speak to him in fear of falling flat on her face.

"Where are you heading? It's a long way from the Ravenclaw dorms, isn't it?"

He leaned his back against the banister, knowing that it wasn't going anywhere for a few minutes since it had just shifted into position. "Oh...well, that makes sense. But you don't have to worry about it, I'm used to it. I can't tell you how many times people have completely butchered it. I've gotten Deeduhless." Giving her a smile he looked up the stairs and then turned back to her once she questioned where he was heading.

"Oh, yeah, I was just heading to the library. I have a lot of work to do, and I wanted to check out what books they got this year that I haven't read yet. I mean, I haven't read a lot of the books, because there's so many of them, but it's always good to have a bigger selection." Once he realized he had gone on and on like a dork, he gave an embarrassed smile before he pushed off of the balcony. "So, are you uh, heading up?" He gestured to the stariway that they had been standing in front of.

"I..." Eliza was still on the landing, having watched Dedlaus go up the first few steps. Bother, bother, he was going to see how strange she was on the steps. Even though in all the years they've been going to school together, he probably had seen it once or twice. That didn't mean she wanted to see him see her be nutty, for whatever reason. Oh, wait, Eliza knew the answer---he was the Head Boy, no one wanted to look like a fool in front of the Head Boy, and she took a few awkward steps up to be on level with Dedalus.

Breathe, breathe, they haven't moved yet.

"I---er---yes. I'm heading up. Or have been trying to, I keep getting distracted," she put a hand up before he could apologize, because that's what most people did when you said something that could be taken as an insult or a slight jab, "Good distractions, though, I like avoiding homework with conversation."

Her hand went to the railing, holding on a bit tighter than she should've as a few Gryffindors came bounding down the stairs, and she pushed her back into it. Oh, bloody hell---this was going to be a long day.

He actually didn't notice that she wasn't already walking up the steps until he looked back to see her still standing there. He looked a little confused, but then he remembered about her little tick about the stairs. With everything else going on, he didn't remember, and he felt like a bit of an arse for bringing it up. He was more than willing to wait on the steps, but...he didn't know her system. For all he knew he could be waiting there for a half an hour. Thankfully, she was willing to climb the steps, even though she looked miserable while she was doing it.

Oh, she was good. His mouth had opened to apologize, but he stopped himself once she explained herself. "I think that's normal." He gave her a smirk, and moved out of the way for the Gryffindors, only noticing that she looked almost terrified when they moved out of the way. "Are...are you alright?" He asked, his brows raising before he glanced up the stairs. "Look...we can still climb while the stairs are in this position if we go now. I'll walk with you." She didn't look all that convinced at first. "We'll make it, I promise." He pushed off the railing and took a careful step up, watching to see if she would follow. They would have to walk a little quickly, but they would definetly make it in time.

Or so he hoped.

He had remembered, and he'd noticed and he was asking if she was okay and now he was offering to help. Eliza couldn't help but blush out of embarrassment, even though a strange warmth washed through her at his concern. See, no one ever really stopped to help her through it, not that Eliza was sure she would have accepted any help before this, because who admitted that you had some strange phobia of stairs? Plus, you couldn't exactly say no to the Head Boy, right? He was Head Boy for a reason, and Eliza nodded, hurrying up the steps to meet Dedalus.

It was due to move, wasn't it? Bother, bother, they could just wait, there really was no rush to get up the steps, it wasn't as if she was going to be late to a class (not that it had stopped her from waiting before) just the dorms, even though she really had been looking forward to a nap before dinner, but she didn't have to do that and---

---oh, it was moving, and Eliza squeaked and felt like crying because she wasn't holding onto the railing and nearly flung herself at Dedalus, pressing her face into his shoulder because she absolutely hated getting caught especially when people saw her and bother.

"Sorry!" she squeaked, pulling away quickly and almost slipping down a step when the staircase locked in. "Sorry, sorry, it's so dumb---"

They had been pretty much running up the stairs, and like he said...they made it. Just in time, because they felt the stairs rumble beneath them, but they were on the landing before anything could happen. He turned around to make sure that she had gotten off alright, only to have her fly foreward, his arms instictvively going around her as his eyes widened. He took a step back, giving her some room, and when she slipped his hand reached out to pull her foreward away from the edge.

"Nonono, it's not dumb! I mean, the stairs can be tricky, and they're pretty high up. I'm sure you're not the only one who's afraid of them...but we made it, and we're okay so...I mean, you're just a little shook up." He was really trying to make her feel better, but for some reason he couldn't help but wonder why he was nervous when he merely grazed a girls hand in the hallway, but he had just held her while she was scared, and he was perfectly alright? Huh. Very weird. Oh well, not important...sorta.

"Do you want me to walk you back to your dorm? I mean, not that I think you can't make it on your own, but I don't want you having an anxiety attack...or something." Oh, way to sound like a dolt.

She hadn't even noticed they were on the landing, and did a bit of a jump in surprise at this revelation. Not away from Dedalus, somehow, and even as she looked down the staircase she didn't move away from him and Eliza was starting to think that it was her mind telling her that if she didn't move, he would save her and make sure she didn't fall all those many flights down to the ground floor and ergh.

"I---that's probably a wise decision," Eliza said with a nod, now actually noticing that Dedalus had his arms around her and she grew hot once more and stepped back so...that...they could start walking. Because they weren't supposed to just stand there like that, no, that would be weird. She straightened up beside Dedalus and smiled because he was being rather nice, and followed him to the next stairwell.

Where the whole dilemma just seemed to start all over again. But Dedalus seemed keen on helping her get over this fear (or at least, making it somewhat tolerable), so she was going to try for him, and the new stairs came into place and---oh, bugger---Eliza grabbed onto his hand, because he was going to have to tug her up or else she'd freeze again.

"Alright." He said with a nod, noticing her blush once again. Oh, she really had to stop doing that! It was making him nervous. Clearing his throat quietly, he turned and once more adjusted his bag on his shoulder, trying to walk slowly so that she was still next to him. A few more students passed them as they were making thier way to the next starcase, but they made it there without too much trouble. Then again, it was only a few feet away, so if they did run into trouble, he'd be worried.

Once the new stairs clicked into place, he put his foot on the first step, but froze in place when she took his hand. He looked a little surprised at first, but after a few moments he gave her hand an encouraging squeeze and gave a gentle tug so that she would follow him up. He continued to hold her had as he walked, walking a bit quickly to get her off the steps as quickly as possible. When they got to the next landing, he turned to her again. "One more, alright?" He kept holding her hand as they walked, leading her up the final flight of stairs that would get them to where she needed to go.

Once they were safe at the top, he gave her a few moments to calm down and then he gestured. "See, that wasn't that bad. If you want, I can figure out the system of the stairways, so you don't have to worry as much. Like, how long each of them stay in place, so you can time it out. I can also try and figure out alternate routes, just incase...I mean, if you want. It might help a lot of people, now that I think about it..." Why hadn't anyone done this before?

Oh, he was still holding her hand! He let go when he realized, and slipped it into his pocket, his other hand adjusting the strap of his bag.

"You don't have to do that, Mis---Dedalus," Eliza said with a grin, even if she still felt a bit shaky. It was one of those grins that you wanted to grin, but your body was still recovering from that bad mood you were in before. Like when you're just finished crying over something, and someone makes a joke and you geniuinely find yourself laughing about it, but it comes out strained and awkward sounding.

It made sense to her, anyway.

"You've already done a lot, I can't thank you enough" and it was true, and a big part of Eliza wanted to thank him in some way, but she wasn't sure how to. Words didn't seem to be enough, even though she was quite sure that Dedalus would accept them without thinking any less of her, but the fact remains that he'd gone out of his way to help her overcome something so silly to other people that she just---argh, oh! Oh, she could buy him lunch, or candy at Honeydukes! But that would require asking him to go to Hogsmeade with her, which could be seen as a date, and it definitely wouldn't be a date because, you know, she didn't fancy him that way--kind of---

--He was handsome, or at least Eliza thought so, but she couldn't possibly just ask im to Hogsmeade, but maybe under another guise---yes! Their birthdays were soon, Eliza had remembered from first year (and second, and third...), they both were about a week or so apart, she could say it was a birthday present, too, since Hogsmeade fell right inbetween---bollocks, she was a sodding bad Gryffindor.

"Ah, it's really not a problem..." He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "And really, you don't need to thank me. I just don't want you to have to wait 40 minutes just to get up to your room. That's rather inconvenient..." It was quiet for a moment, and then he was staring at the floor, all kinds of thoughts running through his head. Some of them, were definetly not his own.

He was becoming better at picking up when he was having someone elses thoughts, so that was a good thing, right? It started where he was just able to get the idea of what they were thinking, like the gist of it, but now when he concentrated enough he was able to hear thier entire internal conversation, if that made any sense at all. He looked at her when thought about 'Honeydukes' and could hear her debate about whether or not she should ask him to Hogsmeade, because it may look like a date, and...

Girls had way too many thoughts. Swallowing, he leaned his back against the banister and paused before he spoke. "Your birthday's coming up soon, right?" When she looked surprised at his 'randomness', he shook his head. "Oh, I mean, I just remembered that our birthdays were pretty close. And I figured that if you wanted, since the Hogsmeade weekend is a little while away, if you wanted to go with me. I mean, so we could celebrate our birthdays or something. It wouldn't be like...a date or anything. Not that I mean, I don't think--..."

Okay, so now he knew why she hadn't said anything. He felt like an idiot, aaand he probably sounded like one too.

Eliza's eyes widened at his suggestion and really wished she wasn't human at the moment, or at least, something that didn't blush. She didn't even fancy Dedalus---kind of---and just the word 'date' made her flustered and worried that people were going to overhear and start rumors and---she normally didn't mind when people talked about her, because they were usually just teasing about some of the things she did, and why should she be embarrassed about things that came naturally? No, she just didn't like it when her friends were involved, or things that weren't true.

"A birthday celebration sounds like an excellent idea," Eliza said with a firm nod, because that's what it was, a birthday celebration, a birthday party, even if it was just the two of them. It was good to have someone to go to Hogsmeade with anyway, most of her roommates and friends were paired up with boyfriends or siblings, and this sounded much more appealing than being the third wheel of one of the couples.

Eliza bit her tongue, rolling her eyes to look up at the ceiling to think about how many days until Hogsmeade. It was Thursday, the sixth (she only knew this because she had to put the header on her assignment in Charms this morning), and the weekend started the 22nd, so if her maths were correct, "We have sixteen days to prepare."