True to his word, James stormed into El's room bright and early the next day, receiving a pillow to the head in response. He did successfully manage to get both Sirius and El out the house by 10am however, which felt like a miraculous victory.
"What's so special that we needed to be out the house so early in the morning?" Sirius grumbled.
"Well," James stood between his friends and threw an arm over each of their shoulders, "I wanted us to do something fun,"
"Could that fun not wait until after midday?" El gave an overdramatic yawn and shrugged off James' arm.
He apparated them to a small beach where they went on a fairly long walk, playing fetch with Padfoot along the way.
"This is a nice beach," El commented, looking at the view out to sea, "We should come here in summer,"
"That's actually not a bad idea," he replied while throwing the ball across the beach for Padfoot to collect, "Go camping or something."
"I've never been," James looked at her in shock, "Don't look so surprised. What about my mother screams 'family camping trips'?" she laughed.
Padfoot ran towards them and transformed back into Sirius to continue their walk.
***
The day soon came for the students to return to Hogwarts, packing up all their things from the Potters house and heading to Kings Cross in time for the train.
They made it to the platform with twenty minutes to spare, due to Euphemia chivvying them along all morning, and bid their goodbyes before stepping onto the train and finding their usual compartment.
El put her bags on her seat, "I'm gonna go find Theo," she walked back out to the corridor in search for his group of Slytherins.
"El!" Marlene wrapped her arms around her bestfriend without giving her time to think, "Potter told me what happened, are you okay?" she released El from her deathly grip and held her face in her hands.
"I'm fine, Marls, have you seen Theo?"
Regulus stepped out from behind the blonde girl, also giving El a hug, "No, but i know where he might be. I'm heading that way," he nodded his head in the opposite direction they'd just come from.
They walked to a compartment containing several Slytherin boys, El poked her head in the door. Before she even had to call Theo's name, he stood up from his seat and embraced her tightly.
She hugged him back, "Thank you, so much," she murmured, neither of them moving to separate.
Eleanor soon returned to the marauders compartment, taking her seat next to the window, leaning her back against it and throwing her legs over Remus' lap. James, who was sat opposite her, was in the same position with his legs over Peter. Sirius sat in front of Marlene on the floor as she attempted to braid his hair into two french plaits, wailing dramatically when she'd pull too hard.
The welcome back feast passed as it usually did, everyone seemingly excited to be back for another term. Dumbledore gave his same cheery speech about 'Dark times ahead', before everyone finished their dinner and head to their respective corners of the castle.
***
The next quidditch match of the season was between Gryffindor and Slytherin, meaning tensions between the houses were even worse than normal.
The day after everyones arrival back at Hogwarts, Rosier had everyone ready at the quidditch pitch early in the morning for several hours of training. El decided to stay for a while afterwards to get some extra flying in, but her attention was drawn to a group of boys standing by the Slytherin quidditch captain.
She ran over to see what was happening, they were standing close to each other, shouting insults, arguing for a reason she couldn't work out.
"Oi, what's going on?" She called.
"Go back up to the castle, Burke," James replied, not bothering to look at her as she approached.
Evan said something too quiet for El to hear, but the four Gryffindors reacted badly to whatever it was. Anger was evident on their faces, especially James'. He walked purposefully towards Evan but was stopped by El standing in his way.
"Potter, relax," she placed a hand on his chest to push him back, "What's wrong with all of you? Four against one isn't a fair fight,"
"You should've heard what he was saying though, he-"
"I don't care what he said, Black," she snapped, "Come on, we're leaving,"
"Which one of them are you shagging now?" Evan taunted, "Started with Potter, is it Black?"
El stopped walking away and turned slowly to face him, "What?" she spat.
"Well you're quickly ploughing your way through the school, who's next?" he sneered.
Now completely facing him, Els face contorted in rage. "That's why i wanted to punch him," James added.
"Not helping, Prongs," Remus muttered.
Too quickly for anyone to react, El swung her fist, hitting Evan square across the jaw. He stumbled backwards before scrambling away.
"El-"
"I should go shower," she didn't look at any of them, walking off holding her bruised knuckles.
***
"How's your hand?" James asked, sitting on the sofa of their common room as El came out of the shower with a towel over her body.
"Fine," she walked into her dorm to go get dressed.
James followed in her a leant on the side of her door frame, "Are you okay?"
"Fine," she dissmissed, "I need to get changed, get out,"
He gave a tight lipped smile and shut the door, waiting in the common for her.
Not saying anything when she walked back out, El took a seat on the sofa as far away from James as she could.
"Don't even think on what Rosier said," James attempted to comfort.
"Potter, i said i'm fine,"
"Right, yeh, sorry," he muttered, "You aren't a slag-"
"Potter, stop - wait, he called me a slag?" her voice was quiet, sounding far more offended than he'd ever heard her.
"He must've said it before you got there," James mumbled, "Sorry, i shouldn't have brought that up,"
"Got what he deserved anyway," she chuckled lightly.
"You throw a good punch to be fair," James looked proudly at her, "Remind me not to get on your bad side,"
"Shouldn't take me punching someone for you to realise that," she grinned.
There was a scrambling noise from outside the tapestry, "Oh that should be the boys, we're planning Moonys birthday."
"His birthday's in March!"
Sirius and Peter finally tripped onto the carpet, "Marauders plans take time, darling," James smirked, amused at his friends antics.
"Yes, now leave. This is confidential," Sirius batted his hand in her face.
"Charming," she tutted, standing up, "Try to not kill anyone,"
"No promises!" Peter called after her as she left.
***
The first full moon back at Hogwarts was an anxious affair. Although she wouldn't appreciate anyone pointing it out, El had been on edge all day, refusing to sit still in lessons or eat anything at dinner.
She bid the boys goodbye half an hour before sunset, she then spent the night pacing the common room, refusing to let herself sleep incase a bloodied and beaten James was pulled through the tapestry again.
Hoping to be more prepared than last time, she'd laid out various potions and bandages on the coffee table, placed right next to her dangerously large glass of firewhiskey.
El had insisted Marlene didn't wait with her, not wanting to ruin her friends sleep schedule, however as it approached 3am she began to regret her decision as she had nothing to distract herself with. She'd smoked almost an entire pack of cigarettes, and by 4am, the halfway mark of her bottle of firewhiskey was long forgotten.
The sun began to rise at 8, 3/4 of the marauders stumbling into the common room not thirty minutes later.
El let out an audible sigh of relief at the lack of blood she saw, "Morning,"
"Jesus, it stinks of fags in here," James dramatically waved a hand in front of his nose to waft the smell away, "Have you not slept?!"
She shook her head, sitting on the sofa for the first time since yesterday, "I wanted to make sure i was awake incase anything happened,"
"You're lucky today is a Sunday," James tutted.
Els eyes were already beginning to close as her head tilted to the side from tiredness, "Snuffles 'n' Pete, you can fight over who sleeps in my room," she waved her hand, clearly not caring about the outcome.
"Pads, big spoon or little spoon?" James slapped Sirius on the back as they walked towards the head boys room.
"Little, of course. Silly question,"
James took a blanket from his wardrobe and pillow off his bed and plodded over to the asleep head girl on the sofa, ensuring she was comfortable before heading off to bed himself.
***
No one got out of bed until way past midday, only then did they trudge to the hospital wing in the clothes they'd slept in to see Marlene talking to a surprisingly chirpy Remus.
They only managed to get in a quick conversation before Madam Promfrey ushered them all out claiming Remus needed more sleep.
Taking this opportunity, the three remaining marauders rushed off to Gryffindor tower, presumably to do more planning for Remus' birthday.
"I've been informed that you punched our quidditch captain," Marlene giggled, "I can't believe you didn't tell me!"
"Oh, yeh i forgot about that," The pair walked slowly back to the Slytherin common room, "Am i off the team or something?"
Marlene continued to laugh, "I think you would be if we had a decent replacement!"
***
In a free period a few days later, El was sitting by herself under the usual tree in the main courtyard when a very distressed looking Sirius approached her.
"Burke, i have to tell you something!" he hissed, repeatedly running his hand through his hair.
"Oh my god, you're pregnant!" she joked.
He glared at her, "Very funny."
"Alright, relax," she patted the ground next to her, "What have you done now?"
He sat in front of her instead, crosslegged and a lot closer than he normally would, "I haven't done anything," his stress seemed to increase.
"Okay then what's wrong?"
"I like Moony,"
El's face didn't move an inch, "Okay," she shrugged, turning her attention back down to the book she'd been reading.
"No you don't get it, i like Moony. I wanna shag Moony. Wow that sounds weird to say outloud,"
Still looking significantly unbothered, El closed her book, "Don't we all?" she looked at him through half lidded eyes.
"Burke, i'm telling you; i like Moony," he emphasised.
"So you're gay,"
Sirius leaned back, looking incredibly shocked, "What? No! i'm not gay!"
Furrowing her eyebrows, El's expression was a combination of extreme confusion and amusement, "You just told me you want to shag a guy. You're gay,"
"I don't want to shag a guy, i wanna shag Moony," he stressed, seeming frustrated that she didnt understand.
"Yeh, and hes a guy, dipshit"
"That doesn't make me gay," Sirius' attempt at reasoning was met with El's stifled laughter, "I'm being serious!"
"You always are," El chuckled.
"I thought you said that joke wasn't funny," Sirius pouted, trying his best to be annoyed at her but failing miserably.
"It's funny when i say it,"
***
a/n: word count 2k
i had a bit of writers block but i was so determined to post today so this chapter might seem kinda all over the place.
also tysm for 21k reads!!
hope u enjoyed it, please vote and comment if u did as it boosts my story xxx