Helping Hand (Rhian and Elliot)

Rhian bit her lip, cursing her own stupidity. Her stack of resumes and maps to potential workplace was scattered across the stone alley. There wasn't much space between the masses for them to fly, but there was a healthy wind that seemed to take away each piece she walked towards. Giving in, and falling to her knees to gather up a pile, she thought through the beginning of the day.

Having finally finished unpacking at the flat, she'd decided to get a jump start on the job hunt. Starting bright and early, her bright attitude towards a new beginning quickly faded as she was turned away time and again. Too young. No experience. No reliable education. She never thought being home taught would be a hindrance! But apparently people didn't want to take a chance. A small, logical part of Rhian understood that.

It didn't make her present predicament any easier to deal with, however. Almost eight hours later, tired and hungrier than she could remember being in quite a while, she was ready to give up and leave the pages in the street. But she didn't like the idea of littering so much. She fought down the lump of embarrassment in her throat and continued her task.

Elliot was having a fantastic day; from waking up after a victory, to getting his paycheck, to getting a new broom, everything was going perfectly well. It was a bit of a windy morning, so when a piece of paper hit his shoulder he simply thought nothing of it, but when three followed, he figured something was up.

He grabbed all of the papers that had passed his way and looked down to see multiple copies of resumes. Rhian Kael Huh, intriguing name, but he couldn't see anyone chasing them, that is until he turned the sidewalk. There was a woman red faced, probably frustrated at her clumsiness picking up more papers. Walking towards her, he cleared his throat before bending down and helping her get the leftover papers.

"Here you go" he said with a bright smile.

Rhian groaned inwardly at the sound of someone talking to her. Could this day get any worse?! She wanted to melt into the cobblestones under her feet. Why did she think she could even do this? Going out without a plan, on a crowded street, on a Friday! It was a recipe for disaster. Swallowing the emotions that were threatening to overtake her, she looked up from her papers to see the man who'd spoken.

It felt like her heart had skipped a few beats. She was staring into the warmest brown eyes she'd ever seen. And they seemed so alive that it was hard to keep focused, though just as hard to turn away. Finally, she looked down at the small stack of papers in his hand. My resumes!

Her mouth twitched in an almost smile at his kindness. Who'd have thought... "Thank you," she said, quietly.

It seemed Elliot's day was getting better. Turned out this young woman, Rhian Kael he corrected himself was as interesting as her name. She was short, but in her small quiet smile, it seemed she was feeling down on herself. It was pretty obvious from her frown lines, and her hands gripping the papers with an iron grip.

"No problem, having a bad day?" he asked curiously.

He was curious after all, if it was just these papers that upset her greatly, he doubted it. Looking back to the business in front of them, he signaled the restaurant.

"Come on, maybe some food might cheer you up? My treat."

At the unexpectedly personal question, Rhian froze. Her words were stuck in her throat. Did people tell strangers about terrible days? Did strangers really care, or was it a culture nicety to ask?

She couldn't even understand why she was reacting like this! Wasn't this what she wanted!? New, exciting experiences and encounters. Looking back up at the man shyly, she wondered how someone could be so helpful and open. A small part of her envied him that.

At his suggestion, she bit her lip. She didn't know him. He didn't know her. But what harm could it do? The evil side of her brain countered, You could make a right fool of yourself in front of a handsome man. She shoved that voice back and murmured a small, "Okay."

Gathering the last of the papers she could see, she could feel her stomach growling at the idea of food.

Elliot wondered if he was being too friendly. She looked like a deer in the headlights at his suggestion to eat with him. Did no one ever ask her to eat with them? Was he being too forward? He was never really an expert when it came to women, he liked dating them, but as to how to approach them...well he wasn't so sure on that. They came to him, he was the Quidditch player, but now he was being friendly, sticking his hand out for someone that looked like they needed some cheering up.

But as she finally replied with an okay, he grinned. Offering his hand for her to help her stand up, he ignored the fact that her stomach grumbled quite loudly. He didn't want to laugh, and embarrass her, she was so skittish.

"I'm Elliot by the way, sorry for being so rude" he chuckled rubbing the back of his neck being a bit embarrassed. "Rhian right?"

Rhian slowly set her hand in his. Her pulse jumped again as she felt his strength. As she stood, she looked up at him through her lashes. He seemed so at ease in this crowded alley.

Elliot. It was a beautiful name. Traditional. She let a smile creep across her face at his introduction. Could he be nervous too? She couldn't imagine what he would be nervous about around someone like her. Can't even get a damned job. She scolded her mind again.

"Yes. Rhian." She knew she wasn't talking much, but her mind seemed a huge jumble, unable to form coherent words. Just as she looked down, noticing that their hands were still clasped together, her stomach rumbled again, causing her eyes to flit towards the restaurant front.

Elliot noticed her staring at their hands and he thought she was uncomfortable. He let go of her hand and opened the door for her leading her in. While this place wasn't the best place to eat, it was a place that was relaxing and something he'd known from his years in the Wizarding World. He was annoyed, her admitted at the attention that he got sometimes, but here he was just a normal bloke with a nice, skittish girl.

Finding a booth he sat on the opposite side, hoping she'd sit without being coerced to doing it. Her quietness made him feel awkward, and when he was awkward he tended to become too talkative. He smiled as the waiter gave them menus and left them to their own vices.

"So as I asked before, having a bad day?"

Rhian was sad to feel the absence of his hand, reveling in the lingering warmth. As she walked through the door, she closed her hand, hoping to hold onto the strange adrenaline coursing through her that accompanied it.

Taking a seat in the designated booth, she set her papers and small bag on the seat beside her. Dining. She knew how to do this. As she moved her menu closer to her, leaving it on the table, she looked across at Elliot with a sad smile.

"If you count hours upon hours of unsuccessful job hunting a bad idea...then yeah. It's been downright terrible." She wasn't sure if it was the cozy atmosphere of the restaurant, or the fact that the shock of their meeting was wearing off, but she could feel some of the anxiety leaving her.

"Sorry," she continued. "I don't mean to be a downer. I'm just...not good with...well, people."

Elliot simply waved her off not wanting her to feel like he was judging her. Everyone had a bad day, that was just how it was, how it was meant to be, nothing could ever work out greatly. Scratching his messy head he sighed not really knowing what to say. He might as well bull his way out of it.

"Well Miss, everyone has a bad day you know? Or else it wouldn't be life. And what is that saying? When one door closes another one opens? Well...so those doors closed on you, big deal! You'll find something more fitting."

Rhian let a small smile creep up her face and reach her eyes. Something about the way he was trying to make her feel better actually helped. It wasn't what he was saying, exactly, but the fact that he was trying.

She murmured a quiet thank you to the waiter as he brought some waters for them, ordering a butterbeer. Once he left, she let her gaze rest on Elliot. He seemed so confident, so at ease with himself. It intrigued her. "Rhian, please."

Having been here just the other day for the first time, she already knew what she wanted to eat, so she folded her hands on the menu in front of her. "I hope so. Though I'm afraid most employers don't want to take chances."

There had been a possible chance at the magazine company, though she was afraid it was her mind grasping at straws at this point. But a part of her was still holding onto that idea. It would be great to be able to write, in any capacity.

Feeling a little more at ease, she asked, "So, what do you do?"

Elliot smiled back as he saw how genuine her smile was. He was relieved about how his jumble of words made her feel better. He was grateful for the drink once it was placed on the table and took a long sip of the butterbeer.

"You know, don't lose hope, we all start from the bottom and work our way to the top. Just keep trying."

He was always known to be very optimistic, but that was just how he was. A Gryffindor at heart, he just never was one to be pessimistic. But at her question, he smiled brightly, he loved explaining what he did.

"I'm a professional Quidditch player. I'm a chaser for the Appleby Arrows" he said smiling.

Rhian nodded a little at his encouragement. The logical part of her understood that her lack of experience would make getting a job much harder, but it didn't hurt any less.

At his answer, she tilted her head to the side, her brow furrowing. "What's...whatever you called that?" He'd said the word so quickly that she hadn't been able to catch it.

Something else I'm completely ignorant of. Perfect. The pessimist inside of her wanted to run away from this handsome man so she didn't embarrass herself any further. She bit her lip in personal frustration, her hands fidgeting in front of her.

Elliot's excited expression dimmed as soon as she asked that. If she was a witch, why wouldn't she know what it was? Quidditch was his life, his childhood, basically a constant in his life. He took a swing of his butterbeer and wondered how to explain it.

"Not to be rude but...you're a witch I mean you're here. You really don't know what that is?" he asked confused.

He didn't want to seem rude, but sometimes he blurted things without meaning to, it was a curse, often times what ended nice moments. He forced himself not to wince at how awkward he sounded, not to mention a bit rude.

"I mean...it's fine not all people know about it" he tried to save it but it was obvious he was lying.

Rhian cursed herself inwardly. She wished she'd had even the slightest clue about it, so maybe she could have bluffed her way through this topic. But no...she was the common home taught, naive little girl.

"Sorry, no." She looked down at her clasped hands. The look on Elliot's face was nearly heartbreaking. She couldn't look at him, knowing she'd caused it.

When he continued, she knew he was lying. It obviously meant a lot to him. Peaking up at him through her lashes, she tried for a small smile. "I'm not exactly like most people." That's an understatement...

"But I'd love to learn about it." It was the truth, at least. She never wanted to turn down an opportunity to learn.

Elliot gave her a half-smile, she definitely was different. Quidditch was part of the wizarding culture, yet she was oblivious to it. As far back as he could remember it was a valuable pastime for him and his dad, and his mom being a referee. His eyes shined at the memory.

"Well Quidditch is a professional game, basically the past time of us" he said rubbing the back of his neck. "The game is played by two teams of seven people (three Chasers, two Beaters, one Keeper, and one Seeker) and involves four balls (a Quaffle, two Bludgers, and a Golden Snitch). I'm the Chaser, and the Chaser is the oldest position in the game, we hit the balls into the goal area."

He kept blabbing hoping to get her to understand, really trying to see why it was so exciting to work for that. He was a bit silly, all over the place and he let his excitement take over. Realizing that he was rambling he flushed and chuckled nervously.

"Sorry...you should just go see a game, it is better if you just see it than have it explained to you" he said softly.

Elliot's smile and enthusiasm was infectious. Rhian could see the love for the game practically radiating off of him. She idly wondered what it would be like to love something that much.

When he stopped abruptly to apologize, she shook her head. "Don't be. You obviously love it."

Falling quiet as the waiter came back for their orders, Rhian sat back. Once they had placed their order, she leaned forward to rest her chin in her hand. "Maybe I'll have to do just that." She wondered how different it could be from sports she'd watched on TV back home. Sure, she knew those had all been muggle sports, but they were all human, weren't they?

Elliot shrugged, not really wanting to deny it, there was no use really. He was one of the lucky individuals in the world that had their dream job. Honestly flying and traveling seemed like a pretty sweet job in his eyes.

"I do love it" he admitted grinning. "But I had to work my way up, just like you will, so chin up"

At the mention of her possibly going to the game his smile widened if that was even possible. The idea of her going to a game, and trying to see how it was, really interested him.

"You should go to a game! An Appleby Arrow of course" he said winking. "And you'll be a fan in no time."

Something in Elliot's words, the sheer faith he had in a positive future for Rhian, made her smile shyly. She wasn't used to such openness, especially with a stranger. She foung that she rather....liked it.

His wink caused a flush to creep into her cheeks, making her wonder why she was wearing so many layers. Trying to look casual, she slipped off her light spring jacket and slipped the lace scarf from around her neck.

Curious about the man in front of her, she sipped at her butterbeer. "Other than being an athlete, what else do you do?"

Elliot smiled lazily as he saw her blush. Definitely a shy one he thought with a grin. He found it worked on her, being kind of quiet, and meek. It was charming, at least in his eyes. He'd never met someone so introverted.

He picked up his mug and drank some more butterbeer, liking the sweet tangy taste of it. He smiled at her questioned and shrugged wondering what he actually did other than sports.

"I play it for fun?" he replied chuckling. "I cook, I eat, I watch muggle television and socialize with friends. Nothing special really" he said chuckling. "But what about you, I know little about you"

A part of Rhian seemed to relax. Her experience with sports nuts was that they cared little about anything else. At least Elliot didn't seem that way...she hoped.

Her eyes widened a little at being asked questions about herself. She was raised to answer when questioned, and that everything else was kept to ones self. She was trying very hard to break that with her new flatmate, but it was still difficult when she wasn't expecting it.

"Well..." She fiddled with a small ring on her right ring finger. A marque cut emerald, it matched the smaller one on her sister's hand. It allowed them to communicate in a way. Not verbally, and not in words, but in emotions. "I moved to London a little over a month ago with my sister. She is still living with our uncle. I just moved into a flat with an...interesting woman." The side of her mouth twitched.

Looking back at him, she asked, "What would you like to know?"

Elliot listened and ignored her surprise. Why wouldn't he want to know more about her? She had caught his attention and smiled at how she fidgeted as she talked to him.

"Why'd you move here?" he asked curiously. "Interesting woman? Do say more, seems like your life might be more interesting than you think."

He scratched the back of his head as his eyes shined bright with curiosity.

Rhian felt a strange clenching sensation in her chest. It caused her breath to hitch a little, catching her off guard. Ignoring her quickening pulse she tried to make light of the story.

"Our parents passed away a little while ago. We...led a rather sheltered life, Elena and I. When they died, we didn't have anyone. Then our uncle popped out of nowhere and invited us here. I had to come with her." Not really comfortable with opening up this much, but not able to stop herself, she looked out the window at the passing crowd. "I couldn't support us. So I had to take our uncle up on his offer."

She glanced Elliots way and was entranced by his gaze. He looked so full of life, like he was bursting with it. A part of her stirred, wanting that for herself.

"I don't know if you'd call me interesting," she smirked. "But you should have seen the experiment Aria had going last night. The whole upstairs smelled like lavendar and stink bugs. It almost made me sick." She laughed a little, feeling slightly bad because of it, but she was really growing rather fond of her flatmate.

His curious smile soon dimmed as she began to explain everything. Even if she made it light, the sadness was there, the mourning and the missing. He couldn't imagine being forced to grow up that quickly. He was just that kind of guy, who had his parents there until they had to move on.

He gave her a half smile at what she had to go through. Lavender and stink bugs? Sounds gross. He liked it. He chuckled and shook his head, that was definitely weird.

"Well, being normal is boring anyways right? You, me, that friend of yours, being weird, being different makes life interesting"

Rhian flushed a little at the way Elliot said you, me. Something about the association made her stomach feel like it was doing flips. As did his idea of different being a good thing. She smiled, happy to not feel like a freak for once since she came to London.

"I guess different can be a good thing. I hope so, at least."

She looked down at her muggle watch, something her mother had reluctantly bought her a few years ago. It was later than she'd realized, and Aria had something planned for them that night.

Sighing, she looked up at Elliot, sorry to leave. "So, where would I go to see one of these games? Is there a park around here or something?" She was curious about the new game, but was also anxious to see him again.