Elusive // The Weasley Twins

44. Curveball

"They're charmed," Elliot explained. "Takes too much time to collect them all when I'm done. Charming them to come back makes my life a wee bit easier." He tossed one of the balls over to her and Cosette managed to catch it, but it was a lot heavier than she expected. She never played baseball, but with something this small she thought it would be lighter.

"These are heavy," she told him, tossing it back. "Is that normal?"

"Also charmed. Not quite the same weight as a Bludger, but it helps me with my training," Elliot looked between the siblings and did a double take when he noticed the cut on Nick's lip, "What happened to you? Bar fight?"

He instinctively reached up to where the cut was, having forgotten it was even there, "Little altercation, that's all. You should see the other guy though."

Nick stepped forward and reached for the bat and Elliot happily stepped out of the way to let him try it out. Nick wasn't a Beater and Cosette wasn't sure if he had ever played baseball before either, but when the orange ball came flying towards him, he managed to hit it a good distance.

"Want a crack at it?" Elliot crossed his arms and nudged his elbow against Cosette as they watched Nick continue on. She glanced up at him, trying to tell if he was being serious or not but the faint smile on him wasn't giving her much of an answer.

"Me?" Cosette asked and Elliot nodded. "I've never played baseball. Or Quidditch."

"Ah," Elliot breathed out dramatically, as if he was finally understanding the solution to a difficult problem. Cosette stifled her laughter as she looked back up at him.

"What?" She asked.

"You're a book girl, aren't ya?" He asked her, but Cosette wasn't following. With his accent, she wasn't too entirely sure what she heard come out of his mouth.

"Sorry, I'm a what?" She turned back towards Nick when she heard him swear at a poor hit, but he kept going after that.

"A book girl," Elliot repeated, rubbing his hands over his faint stubble. Cosette noticed that the beard had been dramatically trimmed since the last time she saw him and it was a nice look. It better shaped his face. "You know, someone who doesn't play sports and just reads and focuses on academics."

"The term you are looking for is nerd," Cosette chuckled, which earned another nudge on the arm.

"Well I wasn't going to say that." He shrugged his shoulders before nodding his head towards a bench just behind them. The two of them sat down and Elliot rested his arm on the back of the bench behind Cosette's head. "I'm right though, aren't I?"

"About me being a book girl?" Cosette found the term hilarious, "I mean, kind of. I studied a lot at Hogwarts and my grades were good, but my job now is very hands on and it's quite a work out at times."

"Where do you work?"

And Elliot seemed genuinely interested in what she did for a living. The way he shifted slightly on the bench to face her more made it seem like the question wasn't just a courtesy ask.

"A defense studio," she told him.

"For wizards?" He raised his eyebrows.

"As opposed to muggles?" Cosette asked him with another laugh. "Yes, for wizards."

"Hey, watch what you say about muggles," Elliot smirked and Cosette tilted her head the slightest bit, waiting for more of an explanation. Elliot made a face of disbelief when he realized she had no idea what he was referring to. "I'm muggle-born, did you not know that?"