The next hour was spent with James staring at an unmoving El, horrible flashbacks of her in a similar position on Christmas eve, couch below her stained with blood, flooding his mind. He was sat on the edge of his seat, elbows on his knees, no one dared speak to him. Marlene was fretting around, desperately searching through all her medical books and supplies for what else she could possibly do, muttering incantations to herself until her eyes suddenly lit up with tired hope. As she recited words from the book on her lap several times, the patch of red on El's stomach began to shrink, as if the blood was seeping back into the wound.
"I think i did it," she whispered, everyone perking up at the first words spoken by anyone in an hour. "I did! Merlin, i actually did it, she's stopped bleeding!"
"So she'll wake up soon?" James asked hopefully.
"I don't know, i thought she'd wake up after i did that spell, but she should be fine now, she'll wake up when she chooses to."
Morgan had left with an unconscious Marcus a while ago, she muttered something about taking him to Moody with the hopes he would issue more of a ruthless punishment than Dumbledore, to avoid any of them killing him themselves—they all agreed it was best he left before El woke up. He had already been gifted with a heavily bruised face and several broken ribs.
Sirius stood over by the window, smoking his way through his pack of Marlboro's, Dorcas approached him cautiously, placing a mug of tea in his hand. He had developed a line between his eyebrows from keeping the furrowed for so long.
"Fuck, i should've done something. I was right there when it happened," Sirius said, hitting his forehead against the glass of the window.
"You were fighting Death Eaters, Sirius, don't blame yourself," Dorcas gave him the kindest smile she could muster.
"I feel sick," he rubbed a hand over his face, "her blood is on my shirt, i need to—ugh fuck," he rapidly pulled the shirt over his head and threw it away as if it were on fire.
"It's fine, Sirius, she's gonna be fine, she has to be fine," Marlene reassured, picking up Sirius' shirt and performing a cleaning charm before handing it back to him.
James suddenly stood, "How can you say that, Marlene?! She's clearly not fine! She is dying over there."
"No she's not!"
"Marlene her blood is all over your sofa! You said yourself she should've already woken up! She's been stabbed!" James shouted, tears building in his eyes.
"Yes thank you, James, i'm aware. I've done my healer training, just have a little fucking faith will you!"
"It's hard to have faith when my witch is an inch from death!" James continued to shout.
"I'd say i'm a little further than an inch," El croaked, her voice weak.
"El!" The four standing teens rushed kneel by the sofa. "How do you feel?" Marlene inspected El's body thoroughly, then collected several bottles of various potions.
"Like i've just been stabbed," she tried to sit up, holding the bandage over her midriff. "What happened to Harby?"
"Black eye, several broken ribs and a seriously damaged ballsack," Marlene counted Marcus' ailments on her fingers as she spoke.
"Who should i be thanking for that?"
"Who do you think?" Sirius said with something that sounded almost like a laugh.
El sent James an impressed smile, giving his hand a small squeeze, he was yet to speak since she had woken up. "Can we go home?" she asked, to which James only nodded.
"Take these," Marlene handed El the vials she was holding, "blood replenishing potion, a painkilling potion and an invigoration draught."
"Thanks, Marls."
Sirius, Marlene and Dorcas moved out the way so James could help El stand, carrying most her weight against him. James and Marlene's eyes connected, he sent her his best apologetic glance to which he smiled in return.
"And no alcohol," she instructed, "it's bad for the wound."
"I'm not making any promises on that one," El said with a small smirk before James disapparated them both away.
"Bath?" El suggested almost the second they arrived.
He nodded, guiding her through to the bathroom and placing her down on the closed toilet seat as he turned on the taps.
They waited for the tub to fill in silence, James helping El remove the torn clothing from her body then easing her into the warm water before slipping in behind her. She lay between his legs with her back pressed against the skin of his bare chest.
"You're being really quiet," El broke the thick silence.
"I don't know what to say," he muttered against her shoulder. "I'm still angry. I would've killed Harby if Marlene didn't stop me."
"Believe me, i wanna kill him as well."
"I was so fucking scared, El, i don't know what i'd do if you—fuck," he couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence.
"I'm fine, James, relax, your hairline isn't gonna thank you for all this stress."
For the first time that day, James laughed. "I'd still look just as amazing as i do now."
"Ahh there's the James i know and tolerate. Your greying hair hasn't caused your ego to get any smaller, i see," El chuckled.
"I have no reason for it to get smaller, i'm a work of art."
"Hmm," El neither confirmed or denied, his ego didn't need stroking, but there was a reason she never put bubbles in the baths they had together.
James let out another laugh, "you agree with me."
"That's not what i said," El shrugged, holding back a wince at the pain that struck when she laughed.
***
The pair laid down in bed an hour later after what had felt like the longest day of their lives. Thanks to Marlene, El's wound was healing quickly under the layer of fresh bandages and the colour had now returned to her face.
She shifted to find a comfortable position, James furrowed his brows, "are you still in pain?"
"Nothing i can't handle."
James got out of bed to retrieve the painkilling potion from the other room and forced the vial into her hand. "Stop trying to be so tough, if your in pain, tell me."
A wave of affection for James flooded over her as she took the potion, he kissed her forehead then got back into bed, pulling her gently against him.
"I'm going on all your missions with you from now on," James said firmly, "either that or i'm not going on any, Moody can make that decision."
El knew James would never cope not going on any missions—it would drive him insane, but at the same time, Moody knew The Order couldn't afford to lose another member, their numbers were depleted enough already.
"I could done something," he continued, "if i was there i could've stopped it from happening."
"Or you could've been stabbed instead. It happened, i'm fine," El said, fiddling with the rings on James' fingers.
"But something worse could've happened! I don't know what i'd do if it did, El. I don't know what i'd do if you weren't okay," he closed his eyes and pulled her impossibly close, kissing her shoulder.
"You're supposed to be the optimistic one," she held his face between her hands to force him to look at her, "i'm fine, James."
He sighed deeply before nodding and kissing her forehead again. "I—um," he stopped himself mid sentence to kiss her, on the lips qw this time.
***
El woke the next morning to an empty bed, the smell of bacon wafting through from the kitchen. She followed her nose through to where James stood by the stove, his tartan pyjama bottoms hanging loosely on his hips, with his back turned to her, humming quietly to himself. Admiring the view, El leant against the wall, watching as the muscles on his back flexed with his movements.
"It's rude to stare, you know," James said without bothering to turn around.
"Not the first time i've been called rude."
"Hmm and it definitely won't be the last," he walked towards her and kissed her temple. "Now get back into bed while i make you breakfast."
"I still don't like breakfast," El grumbled, begrudgingly turning back to the bedroom.
"And i still don't care," he called after her.
She settled back down in bed to wait for James her eyes drooping closed until there was the tap of an owl's beak at the window. She raised her head curiously, eyeing the unfamiliar bird. She opened the window and took the letter the bird was carrying, the parchment looked expensive and was sealed with black wax. After tearing the letter open, she almost dropped the paper when she saw the familiar handwriting.
"James!" she shouted.
The man ran into the bedroom, spatula still in his hand. "What? Are you okay? Are you bleeding?"
She held the piece of paper up, "it's from Regulus."
He rushed across the room so he could read the letter over her shoulder.
El,
I have been informed of what has happened, i deeply hope you are okay. Hogwarts isn't the same without you, i go back to Grimmauld Place in a few weeks for Christmas and i would like to see you before then if you could find time to come to Hogsmeade. I have things to tell you. Dispose of this letter.
Take care.
R . A . B
"I don't think you should go," James said the second after he finished reading.
"Good thing it's not your decision then."
"He's a Death Eater, El," James emphasised.
"Not by choice," she snapped back in return.
"It could be a trap, it's not safe, you shouldn't go."
"Or he could have useful information!"
"Or you could get hurt again!"
El closed her eyes as if praying for patience, "I want to see Regulus, James," she said, far quieter than before.
"Then i'm coming with you, but at least wait until you're fully healed," he wrapped his arms around he shoulders to pull her into a hug. "Stubborn witch," he mumbled against her hair. "Come on, i made you food."
Reg,
I'll be in Hogsmeade 15th December. James is coming. I have things to tell you as well.
El
After incendio-ing Regulus' letter, El attached her reply to the impatient owl that was still waiting by the windowsill. Once the bird had flown away, James and El ate their bacon rolls in silence accompanied with a large mug of James' fix-all tea.
"Morgan floo called this morning before you woke up," James swallowed a gulp of tea mid sentence, "Harby's at St Mungo's. She did more damage after they left Marlene's flat."
"I was hoping i'd get my turn," El frowned in mock disappointment.
"Not until you learn how to dispose of a dead body," James quipped, smirking into the rim of his mug.
"Can't be that hard," she shrugged. "Anyway, i thought Hufflepuffs were generally on the pacifist side?"
"They are, but this one's related to you."
"Good point," El laughed, then swallowed her final gulp of tea. "Are we doing anything today?"
"Order meeting, it's in some place in Surrey this time. Y'know Padfoot's only normal cousin?" James waited for El's nod to continue, "it's at her house."
"Andromeda, right? Pretty sure i've met her once or twice when i was younger."
"You're probably related, all bloody related, you Sacred Twenty Eight," he rolled his eyes playfully.
"Fucking hope not, that would mean i'm related to Sirius," she shuddered.
***
The Tonks' house was an idyllic one out in the countryside, far from watchful eyes. Andromeda and her husband, Ted, ushered James and El with friendly smiles—something people often struggled to produce nowadays.
Dumbledore made a cloudy announcement about Marcus Harby no longer being part of The Order, without giving reasoning as to why. He droned on for a while longer, informing everyone of other losses and locations of recent Death Eater sightings.
El felt a weight on her shoulder, then followed shortly by a light snoring noise. "James," she whispered, nudging the man whose sleeping head was resting on her. His nose twitched. "James, you're snoring," she nudged him again.
He lifted his head, "sorry, love."
"Constant vigilance," she snorted.
People began to stand, filing gradually out of the room. "Sirius," Andromeda stepped out from the corner of the room. She pulled her cousin into a hug. "It's been a while, how are you? Where's Remus?"
"I've been better, Remus is away," he dismissed, returning the embrace.
"James," Andromeda smiled, moving on to hug him, "and who's this lovely lady?"
James pulled El against him, "this is El, don't try hug her, she's not a hugger."
"Ahh but i am," she hugged El this time, "Burke?"
"Yeah," El awkwardly patted her back until Andromeda released her from the embrace.
"I've heard about you and i like you—blood traitor to blood traitor." El smiled at that. "Would you guys like some tea?"
The three nodded.
"Right, tea it is," they followed her through to the kitchen, where Ted was sat with a five-year-old girl on his lap.
"Dora!" Sirius lifted the child into his arms and spun her around, the girls hair turning from a bright blue to orange.
El hung back, staying as far from the child as possible, then choosing a seat at the opposite end of the table.
"El, this is Nymphadora, my daughter," Andromeda introduced, smiling fondly as Nymphadora giggled at Sirius facial expressions.
Sirius walked the child over to greet El, who sent him an incredibly unsubtle glare. "Sirius, you know i hate kids," she muttered through gritted teeth.
James squeezed her waist, "be nice."
"El, say hello," he instructed, talking to El as if she were the child.
"Hello," she patted her on the head awkwardly.
Nymphadora climbed into the chair beside El and looked her over, thinking hard. A second later, the girl's orange hair turned to a blueish-black, and her eyes turned grey—mirroring El's.
"Awh, she likes you!" Ted exclaimed, clapping his hands together.
El stared at Nymphadora, wide eyed. James squeezed her waist again, "how can you hate kids?" he whispered, "that's the cutest thing i've ever seen!"
"Yeah, don't get any ideas James," El remarked.
***
a/n: word count 2.4k
no i'm not dead, but i'm back !!
i missed u guys
EDIT: POTTER ARE NOT PART OF THE SACRED 28. El and James are not related, i did my research before i started writing