Mary's death was not a one off, Order members, along with muggleborns and the occasional halfblood were going missing almost every week. Several weeks of this passed, doing the same missions and before they knew it, September 1978 rolled around.
Progress had been made, but not much of it. The Order had the names of many known Death Eaters now, but no knowledge of their whereabouts. Sirius and Remus had moved into a flat in Camden and Marlene and Dorcas had moved in together in Brighton.
El and James had found themselves spending most their time either on missions for The Order or doing nothing at all. Dumbledore had stated that Order members should reduce their contact with people not part of The Order, so Euphemia had banned the two from getting jobs, they only really left the grounds of Potter Manor when they had to. Other than one Saturday morning in early September.
James woke El earlier than usual by drenching her with a cold water spell—something that in the moment, seemed to be a good idea. She quickly recovered from the shock of it all, and replaced it with anger, picking up a shoe from beside the bed and throwing it at him.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" she shouted, angered further when James merely laughed at the boot hitting his torso. She threw a pillow at him, which he caught and threw back to it's place on the bed.
"I'm sorry, love, but i have something to show you. You'll like it, i promise," he leant over her and placed a kiss to her, now wet, hair.
El's eyes were still squeezed shut against the bright daylight. "Could this not wait 'till after midday? I hate you for being a morning person, it's disgusting."
James chuckled, "Good morning to you too, sweetheart, i'm good, thanks for asking," he drawled.
El lifted the pillow from under her and hit him round the head, he quickly reacted by lifting her by the waist and throwing her over his shoulder. El struggled under his grip, but James was too strong.
"I hate you so much," El muttered, giving up and allowing him to carry her to the bathroom.
"That's not what your patronus says," James said in a sing-song voice.
"Are you ever gonna let that go?" El grumbled as James returned her to her feet.
"Nope, never," he gave her a smug smile. That damn smile. "Shower, put clothes on, then come downstairs. You have 'till half nine."
***
Sure enough, El was ready and in the kitchen by 9:33am, where James was not so patiently waiting for her.
He apparated them to a part of London El was not very familiar with, just outside a tall, bricked building, opposite a pub.
"Where are we?" El asked.
"Soho," James said briskly, putting a key in the door.
"Why?"
He said nothing, but turned back and winked at El as he opened the door. She followed him inside and up the stairs, they were steep, and made of a dark oak. The two of them passed several black doors, each with ascending numbers, until they reached what appeared to be the top floor, outside a door with a gold number 7 on it.
James unlocked the door and stood to the side to allow Eleanor to enter first, but she held back. "Is this what i think it is?"
He ushered her inside with a light smile. The flat was a comfortable size, the walls where white and the ceilings were high with tall windows, and kitchen units along one corner.
"I thought you'd want to decorate. . ."
El was silent, just staring round at the open space, mouth slightly agape.
"This is yours?" she breathed.
"Ours," he corrected, holding out a second set of keys. "Guessed you wouldn't want to live with my parents forever."
"I don't know what to say. . ."
"Most people would probably say 'thank you'," he chuckled.
"Thank you, James," El attacked him in a hug, so strong James nearly fell back. She kissed him firmly, pushing their bodies together with hunger. James kicked the door shut behind him and pushed El up against it, his tongue delved into her mouth and was accepted happily, El lacing her hands through his hair to pull him closer.
James pulled back reluctantly, "we should go buy furniture first."
El nodded, opened the door and turned to the man behind her. "Okay, where to?"
"You're in charge," he shrugged.
"Those are my favourite three words," El smirked and pressed a final kiss to James' lips before tugging him down the stairs behind her.
***
They returned back to the flat several hours later, with everything they had bought tucked away in a bag with an extension charm on it, along with the many clothes bags James was carrying for El to fill up the new wardrobe.
The afternoon was then spent with a bottle of firewhiskey and the many pieces of flat pack furniture they now had to build, which, with the help of a few handy charms, was far easier than expected.
The sofa they had bought was a light beige, and fit neatly against one wall, alongside a large armchair made of the same fabric. They had apparated back to Potter manor to collect James' record player, as well as various quidditch and music posters. The bedroom was smaller than James' one at home, but still had space for a large double bed and bookcase.
They filled the fridge with the necessities, which was mainly beer, and the pair finally sat down on the sofa to relax. El positioned sideways, with her legs over James' lap, his spare hand resting on her bare shins.
"Cheers," James clinked the neck of their beer bottles together before they both took a sip. "We now officially live alone, protection charms have been placed over the flat so it's safe. . .and soundproof."
"Soundproof?"
"Thought that would be a useful thing to add," he smirked, "you shout a lot."
"You annoy me a lot," El shrugged, grinning into the rim of her bottle.
"Ahh well you're stuck with me now," James' hand edged it's way up El's leg, tracing circles on her inner thigh.
"Oh god, that sounds dreadful." She shuddered jokingly.
"There's certain benefits about my presence," James leaned towards her as he took her beer from her hand and placed both bottles on the coffee table.
"True," El mirrored his expression, "sometimes you buy me things."
James laughed and shook his head, "You can't think of any other benefits?" he pulled El onto his lap, hand teasing between her legs. He kissed along her jaw, leaving light purple marks as he went.
"Care to remind me?" El teased, turning her position so she had one knee planted either side of James on the sofa, straddling him.
He kissed her slowly, holding the back of her head so she was as close as possible. El moved her hips against him in a slow rhythm, he quickly gripped her thighs to control it.
"I'm gonna fuck you on every surface of this flat," James muttered against her lips.
"Dreaming big, i see, Potter," El drawled.
James laughed. "Where to?"
"You're in charge," El repeated James' words from earlier back to him.
His grip tightened and his eyes darkened, he picked her up and carried her to the kitchen table. He stood between her legs, their hands roaming over each other's bodies. El pulled James' shirt over his head and fumbled with his belt. James pulled off the jumper El was wearing, happy to see she was wearing nothing but a single black thong underneath. He pulled that off and threw it behind him.
James kissed along El's collarbone, then went lower, his mouth open, appreciating every inch of her bare skin. His tongue flicked over her hardened nipple, pinching the other between his thumb and forefinger. He continued his kisses lower down her torso until he was kneeling in front of her, his face hovering in front of her legs, opening them with a light nudge of his hand.
He left more pink and purple hues up El's thigh, James enjoyed watching her squirm while he took his time making it to where she wanted him most. He leant back to look at the girl above him, her hands held his head gently while his massaged the outer side of her upper thighs. He looked like he was going to say something, but decided against it. Instead, he joined their lips again in a kiss, one hand finally going between her legs, a gentle finger curled forward, searching for her g-spot, she gasped loudly when he found it, causing James to smirk smugly into the kiss.
He added another finger and curled them both towards him, his thumb working on her clit in circles. El's back arched towards him and her head fell back with a pleasant sigh.
"Fuck, James," she breathed. His spare hand grasped her face tightly, sticking his thumb in her open mouth. She swirled her tongue around the digit, however struggling to carry on when James' speed on her clit increased.
He got back down on his knees, replacing his fingers on his tongue. El moaned and gripped his hair, both his hands massaged her thighs, using his grip to prevent her from moving. James' tongue delved inside her, his nose nudging her clit before he flicked his tongue over it, then sucking it and pulling off with a pop. El's whole body jerked forward, involuntarily pulling James' hair, he groaned against her.
El's moaning only got louder, she looked down at James, his eyes were closed peacefully, he looked to be the picture of absolute bliss. She could tell she was about to cum, her eyes began to water and her whole body started to shake.
As she came, she gripped James' hair so tightly she was surprised it was still attached to his head. She was panting heavily when he stood back up, her head fell forward on his shoulder.
James kissed her temple and moved the stray hairs from in front of her eyes, "you good?"
"Very," she panted, "which surface is next?"
"So glad you asked," James picked El up and set her feet down on the floor by the kitchen counter, he turned her around and bent her over it, pressing her bare chest against the cold surface.
El gasped when James entered her from behind, holding her hip in one hand and her hair in the other. He started at a slow, teasing pace, easing out nearly all the way, before slamming back in, slow but hard. She gripped the countertop and leaned her head back into James' hand.
She hummed in satisfaction at the feeling as James began to accelerate his speed. The hand on her hip leant under to rub her clit in small circle, causing El's knees to almost give out underneath her. She tried her best to control her volume but it was a failed effort, in the fight between body and brain, it seemed her body's natural instincts won every time when James was involved.
James held her throat, pressing firmly on the sides, he used his grip to bend her back towards him, holding her ear by his mouth so every slight noise he made could be heard. His thrusts were now faster, but no less firm, El's back now held tightly against James' chest.
James manoeuvred one of El's legs so it was bent and up on the counter, allowing his thrusts to get even deeper. At this point, her knees were so weak, if it weren't for James, she would have fallen to the floor. He gripped her so tightly it nearly hurt, he held her as if he would fall if he didn't. Skin slapped loudly against skin, every coherent thought seemed to have vanished from James' brain, all he could do was carry on until he physically could not.
El's body became limp as her orgasm washed over her, what felt like ten times stronger than before. Her body shook and spasmed when James' relentless thrusts did not stop, he came shortly after.
Neither moved for several moments, James holding El even closer than before, if possible before he pulled out of her. She flopped back against him, both their chests rising and falling deeply. He turned her around in his grasp, she leant into him and accepted a kiss on the forehead with a small smile.
"You wanna go christen the bath tub?" James suggested.
El did not bother to attempt speaking, just nodded, but made no move to begin walking. James, noticing this, lifted her over his shoulder and carried her to the bathroom.
El squealed in surprise, "Potter!" she limply kicked her legs in protest before James placed her down in the empty bathtub. "I hate when you pick me up like that," she grumbled.
James waved her off, "you hate a lot of things." He turned on the tap, picked up their cigarette packet and got in the bath behind her. He lit two cigarettes, then passed her one which she accepted gratefully, taking a deep inhale and relaxing back against James' body.
***
a/n: word count 2.2k
i liked this chapter
i'm like dying of covid so i hope u enjoyed this while i'm still alive
pls vote n comment n all that stuff