By mid-January, Order missions were becoming increasingly more tedious. El had patrolled Hogsmeade more times than she could count, and had searched what felt like every abandoned house in Britain. Her missions were still with Morgan and the half-sisters had found they actually had far more in common than they had originally thought. Disappearances of muggles and muggleborns were still frequent, and yet next to no arrests had been made. It felt like they were making no progress—it felt like they were losing.
On the cold afternoon of January 18th, the two residents of the Potter-Burke flat were sprawled lazily over their bed, James lying almost directly on top of El, his face tucked neatly into the crook of her neck. The winter sun had peaked it's way through the window, landing on their bare bodies, yet having no effect on their sleep.
The hesitant knock on the door wasn't enough to wake them either, but it repeated—louder this time. James' nose twitched, and he groaned as he was brought back to consciousness. When he buried his face further into El's neck, it must have woken her, because she two squinted against the light as she tried to pry her eyes open.
"What the fuck is that noise?" she groaned. Eleanor was many things—a morning person was not one of them.
"Someone's at the door," James grumbled, the sound muffled against El's skin.
"Do you reckon if we don't answer, they'll just go away?"
They waited a few minutes to see if El's theory was correct, it was not. The knocking continued.
"Were we meant to be somewhere today?" James asked.
"I doubt it. Go open it," El instructed, still half-asleep.
James groaned. "Why have i got to do it?"
"Because i'm tired." El massaged James' scalp, releasing a groan from him, then thrust her hips up to subtly rub against his.
"Are you trying seduce me into doing your bidding?"
"Is it working?"
James pulled himself off her and stood up, grumbling under his breath as he pulled on his underwear and a pair of joggers. El smirked triumphantly, pulling the duvet back over herself.
El heard the door open, but the conversation was too quiet too hear from the bedroom. She was about to go back to sleep when she heard the door shut, but then she heard someone place something on the floor, and the quiet conversation continued.
She listened closely, and managed to make out something James said, "she'll be fine, just wait here while i talk to her."
A moment later, James walked back through the bedroom door, standing in the doorway instead of getting into bed. El didn't open her eyes, but she knew he was there, "James."
"El..." he stood awkwardly at the foot of the bed with his hands behind his back.
"Who's in our flat, James?" she finally opened her eyes and sat up against the headboard.
"Lily," he mumbled quietly, but it was loud enough for El to hear.
"What?!" El grabbed the nearest jumper to her and pulled it over her shoulders, then putting on a pair of James' boxers and stormed out into the living room.
"El...hi," Lily smiled cautiously.
"What are you doing here, Evans?" El crossed her arms in front of her chest.
"I-um had an argument with my family, and this was the only place i could think of to go to, i used to go to Mary's when this happened but. . .y'know," Lily looked down at her feet to repress any memories of her deceased friend.
"We'll actually Sirius and Remus live five minutes away so—"
James cut El off, stepping forwards to put an arm round her waist, "Lily, you can stay as long as you like," he smiled kindly at her. El pulled herself out of his grasp, placing about a foot of distance between them.
"Thank you, James," Lily said.
He shrugged his shoulders, as if being a good man came naturally to him. El watched the encounter with a slight scowl, but said no more.
"Breakfast anyone?" James suggested.
Lily let out a quiet chuckle, "it's half two in the afternoon."
"Lunch then," he said before turning his back and walking toward the kitchen to cook.
"I'm not hungry," El dismissed, walking back into the bedroom.
"El," James put down the wooden spoon he had been holding and followed her. "El please don't be angry with me."
"Why would i be angry at you? It's not like the woman you were in love with for years is living with us or anything," El said, her sarcasm holding an edge of cruelty.
"El that's not why she's here," James attempted to reason.
El scoffed in clear disbelief. "Just go make her lunch, James, i have a reply to write to Theo." James sighed, pressed a kiss to El's hairline then went back to the kitchen.
El sat on the bed and pulled a piece of parchment and a pen from her bedside table (after Morgan had introduced her to them, El had found pens to be far more efficient than quills). She leant the parchment on a hardback book and began to write.
Theo,
I hope you had a good Christmas, i miss you. I'm doing okay, still alive, so can't complain. Have you seen Regulus recently? He didn't reply to my last letter, just please look out for him if you see him again.
El
El attached it to the owl that was waiting patiently on the windowsill, it flew off instantly. She closed the window nearly all the way and retrieved her pack of cigarettes from the bedside table, lighting one with the end of her wand.
She didn't allow herself to think while she smoked, it never led to a good train of thought these days. Instead she watched the people on the street below, they looked tiny from the top floor. When her cigarette was half smoked, she walked back through to the kitchen, holding it between her teeth.
Lily and James were sat at the kitchen table, plates with half eaten bacon butties out in front of them. It looked like Lily had been crying. They both noticed her instantly, and their conversation faded.
"Oh don't stop on my account," El said coldly, exhaled smoke coming out with each word. She walked to the kitchen counter and began to make herself a cup of tea.
"You smoke indoors?" Lily asked curiously with a hint of judgement.
"Yeah, why? You want one?" El offered.
"Oh, no i dont smoke," Lily declined, sending El and awkward smile.
"Of course you don't," El sighed, gritting her teeth.
"They're really bad for you, y'know."
James said nothing, watching the conversation between the two women unfold.
"Yeah," El's eyes drifted towards the pieces of bacon on Lily's plate, "so's bacon."
Lily looked down at her plate awkwardly, but didn't say anymore on the subject. There was an awkward silence as the kettle boiled, the only sound travelling through the flat being El pouring the boiling water into her mug.
"Is it alright if i have a shower?" Lily asked, being the first one to break the silence.
"Right, yeah course," James stood, "i'll go grab you a towel."
A moment later he returned with a towel, passed it to her, Lily thanked him and walked off.
El finished her cigarette and put the butt in the bin, she leant against the counter, holding her tea in one hand. She took a sip, drawing out the long silence, her hard gaze made James fidget.
"How did she know where we lived?" El asked.
"What?"
"She knew where we lived. How? When was she here before, James?"
James rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, "look, love—"
"When, James?"
"When you stayed with Morgan for a few days, i was refusing to eat or sleep or shower, Sirius thought Lily might be able to help," he explained.
"Why, because you loved her?"
"No! Merlin no!" he walked towards El and placed a hand on her cheek but she moved away. "It because she's more empathetic than everyone else i know combined!"
"Well if you want a girl who's empathetic—"
"I don't, El," he looked at her straight on, clearing his view of her eyes from the piece of blue-black hair that was obstructing them.
"Don't give me that look, you twat," she walked away and sat on the sofa, James let out a loud laugh then went and sat next to her. He took her mug out her hands so he could place it on the coffee table.
"Don't be annoyed at me," he gave her his best puppy-dog eyes, leaning so far onto El it forced her into a reclined position with him on top of her, ensuring she couldn't move due to his weight. He kissed her nose, then her cheek, then her other cheek.
El struggled under him, "get off me, you lump." She tried to push him off but James grabbed both her wrists and held them against the sofa.
"Stop being annoyed at me," he kissed her forehead, her chin, her neck, and her nose again, pressing kiss after kiss against El's skin until she finally sighed in defeat.
"If i forgive you will you get off me?" she huffed.
"Do you forgive me?" James asked with hopeful eyes.
"Yes, fine, i forgive you, but if you let Evans wear any of my clothes, you lose a bollock," El said sternly.
"Aye aye, captain," James smirked triumphantly, capturing her lips in one final kiss.
"Now get off me."
James laughed, then rotated them so El was now lying on top of James—a far more comfortable position.
***
James had an Order mission the next day with Peter, they were looking round another suspected death eater hideout location. James woke El with a quick kiss just before he left, "i left you my gryffindor hoodie," he had whispered, handing her the red hoodie she had worn on the first night of seventh year.
El had nodded in her sleep, though the bed had felt a lot colder with only one person in it.
When it came to six o'clock that evening, El wished she had woken to have properly spoken to James, she doesn't know what she would've said, but the news that Moody had just delivered, made it clear it would be a while before she spoke to James again.
The Death Eater hideout hadn't been empty, Peter had returned, James had not. Moody and Dumbledore had sent El a patronus, telling her to go to Marlene and Dorcas' flat, when she arrived, they were sitting round the kitchen table, Peter standing a few feet behind.
"We don't know where Potter is," Moody had said, "Pettigrew got separated from him during the fight, someone must have apparated away with him."
Els reaction hadn't been instant. She sat there for a while, staring a Peter, before she leaped out of her seat and pinned him against the wall.
"How do you not know where he is?!" She had shouted, "you go in pairs to protect each other! James would never have let this happen to you!"
Marlene had to pull El off of Peter, who's face had gone white. "Miss Burke, i assure you we will do everything we can to find Mr Potter," Dumbledore said calmly.
"Okay, let's go now then," El straightened up and removed herself from Marlene's hold.
"I don't believe it is a good idea that you come with us—" Dumbledore interjected.
"What?! No, you can't stop me, i'm going, i'm not leaving this job to some random incapable aurors!" El shouted.
"My aurors are not incapable!" Moody jumped back into the argument to defend them.
"Yeah, and how many Death Eaters have they arrested?!" Moody glared at El after that.
"Miss Burke, you are not coming with us, you are going to go home, and people are going to be sent out to find Mr Potter," Dumbledore reached into his robes a pulled out a bottle of Ogden's Finest, "i'm told you like firewhiskey."
El snatched the bottle out his hand and drank as much as she could before needed to come up for air. The room went slightly blurry and El suddenly felt incredibly tired. She stumbled back a little, Marlene had to hold her straight.
"That wasn't firewhiskey," El whispered, dropping the bottle onto the carpet—luckily it didn't smash.
"I'm afraid not, that was a strong calming draught," Dumbledore said.
"Fucking arsehole," El muttered, fighting to keep her eyes open.
"Miss McKinnon, if you could return Miss Burke back to her own flat, i believe Miss Evans is staying with her, she can look after her," Marlene nodded, bracing El's weight against herself as they apparated back to Soho
***
a/n: word count 2.2k
sorry my updates are so slow x