ADDICTED | j.p x oc

59

El laughed smugly, then turned her head back to the rest of the people in the room, catching Krystal's annoyed gaze. Her eyes were on the pair with an unreadable expression adorning her features. Everyone around her was having a conversation, but she ignored it, eyes staying trained on James, who hadn't yet noticed it.

Marlene and Dorcas joined the pair on the sofa, drinks in hand, followed by Sirius, who handed a glass each to El and James, then slotted himself next to Remus, naturally entwining their limbs.

"I love your dress, El, where did you get it?" Dorcas said with a smile, admiring the green fabric.

"Was a present from this one," El patted James' shoulder fondly, "got it today."

"That's so sweet!" Dorcas exclaimed, "it looks expensive!"

"Yeah, but it was worth it," James rubbed the fabric covering El's hip, "anyone with an arse like hers deserves expensive things."

El nodded in agreement. "I can vouch for that," Marlene chimed, earning a slap on each arm from James and Dorcas who were sat either side of her. "Ouch!"

***

The group all sat around the long dining table, each plate piled high with turkey, roast potatoes and plenty of pigs-in-blankets. Sirius had sat himself at the head of the table—of course, with Remus and El sat on either side of him, James was next to El, and Krystal had purposely sat next to Remus so she was directly opposite James.

"So James, tell me about yourself," Krystal's first sentence of conversation had already caused El to grip her cutlery tightly. "Do you have a girlfriend?"

James looked at El cautiously, "well technically i don't but—"

He didn't get a chance to finish his sentence as Krystal interrupted him, now smiling brightly, "ah good."

"But i live with El, we kinda..."

"Oh you're roommates? That's cute," Krystal sent El a faux smile, then returned her attention to James.

"Krystal, have you got a boyfriend?" El asked, her fake kindness rivalling the blonde's.

"No," she answered with a flirtatious tone aimed directly at James.

"Huh," El tilted her head as if she were thinking, "i can see why."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Krystal shrieked, outraged.

"Well, y'know, the high pitched voice, the badly curled hair, the hitting on men that clearly don't want you," El listed, "there's more, i can keep going if you'd like."

Remus choked on his bite of turkey. Krystal glared at El with a red face and a tight jaw. James placed his hand on El's thigh, she could feel him looking at her out the corner of her eye, his face holding a proud smirk.

"But—wha—You don't need so rude!" Krystal spluttered.

"Oh trust me, i haven't even started being rude yet," El said, any hint of a smile—real or fake—was gone from her face.

For the first time that evening, Krystal shrunk back ever so slightly under El's gaze, it was barely noticeable, but El smirked at the small victory. Krystal awkwardly looked at James again, as if asking him to defend her, but after seeing James looking admirably at El, she moved her conversation to the people sat the other side of her.

"I've never been so turned on in my life," James muttered, still staring at El like he was about to rip her clothes off at any given moment.

"Steady on, Prongs, you aren't even half way through the evening yet," Remus laughed.