ADDICTED | j.p x oc

45

"Don't touch me," she snapped, fumbling through her draws to find her cigarette packet. She found it, removed one, and placed the orange end between her lips. She looked around rapidly again to try find something to light it with as her wand was out of sight. After finding a box of matches, she lit one and held it up to the end of her cigarette but failed to light it as she could not keep her hand steady. The match burned to close to her fingers so she blew it out, frustrated.

James took a few cautious steps forward and took the matchbox from El, holding his hands up in surrender when she scowled at him. He lit her cigarette for her, she took several long drags and sat on the windowsill, grateful for the fresh air it provided. She pulled her knees up to her chest as James sat opposite, playing with the piercing in his ear, one that he had recently changed from a stud to a small hoop.

"I thought you were taking the potion," James said quietly, careful not to talk too loudly.

El lifted a shaking hand up so she could take another drag. "I was drunk when i went to bed. You normally remind me to take it and—"

"—and you slept in your own bed."

El nodded. Silence fell over the room.

"You never told me what actually happened at Burke House." James was cautious over his words, stepping on eggshells so not to upset her.

"I wasn't planning to."

James opened his mouth to speak but decided against it. Another cloud of smoke left El's lips, her hands now significantly less shaky than before. She threw the end of her cigarette out the window and ran both hands through her hair, messing up the curls from the night before.

James held a hand just an inch away from El's arm. "Can i touch you?"

El hesitated, but nodded and James placed a simple hand on her arm, rubbing it soothingly with his thumb. When she leaned into his touch, James wrapped his arms around El and lifted her small body onto his lap, still holding her fairly loosely so as not to annoy her again.

Her trust in James had increased in the past few months, especially considering that up until recently they had got along like oil and water but she had no intention of telling him—or anyone—what happened at Burke House. She did not want his pity.

***

As expected, come Tuesday morning, the majority of the older students in the castle were coming to regret drinking the night before. The lack of sleep for the head girl was definitely noticed, as she walked round looking even more moody than usual, especially when she trudged into transfiguration several minutes late and took her seat next to Remus.

"Miss Burke, nice of you to show up, at quarter past nine. You are aware the lesson began fifteen minutes ago?" McGonagall scolded, looking over her glasses at Eleanor.

"My bad," El waved a dismissive hand, receiving a half-hearted stern glare from her professor.

"As i was saying," McGonagall continued, "Your NEWTs are approaching fast and i hope all of you—" her gaze flitted around to the room, "—have been revising. You have todays lesson to catch up on any revision that you are yet to do."

There was a quiet murmur as students began to unpack their bags, various text books being placed on tables. Remus leant towards El so only she could hear what he was saying, "You and James argued last night."

El's eyes eyes went to Remus'. "Yep."

"Did he apologise?"

El scoffed. "Nah not really. He climbed into my bed at like 3am and told me i look hot when im angry."