ADDICTED | j.p x oc

47

Soon after the sun came up, James returned to the common room, tired, but overall fine. When he entered his dorm, El was asleep perpendicular across his bed, her sketch book and pencil sitting beside her. Letting his curiosity get the better of him, James picked up the sketch book, cautious not to wake El in the process.

He flicked through the pages, there were drawings of Ben, Marlene and even a few of him—more than he expected. Grey drawings of his face, eyes, hands, littered several pages at the back, drawings that he evidently had not noticed she was doing at the time. He marvelled at them for a while, too engrossed to notice El wake up. She didn't say anything, only reached up and snatched to book from James' hands.

"You're snooping," she said, giving him a playful glare.

"Not snooping, just looking," he shrugged, placing the book on his bedside table. "Y'alright?"

El nodded, adjusting her position so there was room for James to lay next to her, her eyes wilting with remaining tiredness. "How was Moony?"

"Fine—good actually," James gave her a small smile, moving the covers to get underneath them. He yawned, removed his shirt, then flopped down against the pillows. El joined him under the covers, throwing her jumper off to the pile of dirty clothes on the floor before James pulled her into his side.

El nuzzled her face into the crook of James' neck, her eyes closed, half expecting James to already be asleep.

"That was the last full moon at Hogwarts," he said, she could feel like vibrations of his voice against her forehead.

"Where's he gonna go next month?"

James exhaled thoughtfully. "I dunno, i offered that we could all stay on the grounds at home, my parents could set up certain enchantments, but y'know what he's like—thinks he's a burden. Even then, i think him 'n' Padfoot are planning on buying a flat in London and Moony doesn't like apparating normally, i doubt he'd enjoy it near a full moon."

James felt El's head move as she nodded against his chin. "It's good that they've thought about it, i have less than a month to try find enough money to rent a flat," she laughed humourlessly.

"Don't be fucking stupid, you're staying with me, so are Pads and Moony. None of you would survive five minutes without someone to cook for you."

"You make a fair point," El chuckled, her eyes beginning to droop again. "But i can't rely on your parents, i'll just stay there a week or two until i find a job."

"Shut up, i'm not letting you move out, what's the point? I don't wanna have to apparate somewhere every time i want a shag."

"Who says i'll be shagging you even if i live with you?"

"Oh please," James scoffed, tightening his grip around El's waist, "you can't resist me."

***

NEWTs were dull. El sailed through with the comfortable assumption she had done well enough, she even had enough time on her transfiguration paper to take a half an hour nap on her desk. The line between Remus' eyebrows was more prominent than ever and Peter began to sweat profusely whenever someone mentioned receiving their results.

With exams out the way, it meant one more week at Hogwarts for the seventh years and everyone was now beginning to realise that the rest of their lives were about to start. But before that could happen, a leavers ball was being held as something that seemed like a distraction from the world they were being sent out into.

Attacks on muggleborns were increasing by the day, and although the whole thing was heartbreaking, El was thanking her lucky stars that all her friends were halfblood or more, although Sirius, James and herself were considered blood-traitors by many.