Losing Game/// James Potter

Chapter 75

When Elsie's eyes fluttered open, she immediately looked around in confusion. For a moment, she forgot where she was and why she was there. But as soon as her neck cramped from soreness and her eyes stung from having to force them shut, she remembered. She was in Dumbledore's office and Regulus Black was dead.

Her legs were tucked into her chest and a leather jacket was draped over her shoulders, the smell of cigarettes and expensive cologne lingering over the black fabric. It kept her warm, but nothing compared to the heat missing from being wrapped in his arms all night. Where is Sirius?

"Morning, Princess," a voice chirped out softly from across the room, Elsie flinching in shock at the sound of someone else in Dumbledore's office.

She slowly turned her sore neck to land her eyes on Rory McLaggen, who was sitting in a chair while tilting it onto it's two back legs. Elsie thought he looked tired, the underneaths of his eyes darkened and his presence less energetic than usual.

"Hey, Rory," she responded back to him and watched as he stood up to make his way over to her, crouching down to be eye-level with the girl.

"Alright?" He simply asked, shooting her an apologetic look in response to what he knew her answer was.

She shook her head no wordlessly, not knowing how anyone could be okay after hearing the news about Regulus. But then again, nobody knew the young boy like she did or like Sirius did. To everyone else he was just another Death Eater out of the way, but to Elsie he was a hero. He was a martyr, dying the most noble death in order to defy the darkness.

"I've brought you some toast and that friend of yours, Peter, left you some tea," he nodded his head towards the desk where the food was placed on, while bringing his hand up to her cheek and stroking at a tear stain, "Black...erm...Sirius left when I showed up. Said something about needing a Moony cuddle, whatever the bloody hell that is."

"When did you show up? Was I asleep for long?" Elsie asked in a daze, not realizing how long she had actually been cooped up in Dumbledore's office, "What time is it?"

"It's a little pass sunrise now. I got here around midnight, as soon as Dumbledore owled Moody the news. I was at his flat when he received the letter so I volunteered to stay the night with you," he shot her a warm smile before his lips curved into that infamous Rory McLaggen smirk, "You slept soundlessly all night...may or may not have had something to do with the fact I snuck you a dreamless sleep potion while you were sleeping."

"You git," Elsie smiled genuinely for the first time since seeing the Black owl yesterday, "You stayed all night?! No wonder you look bloody exhausted."

"Yeah, well. Like I've said, someone's got to watch out for little Elsie Figg," he winked at her before reaching over for the toast and handing her a slice.

She gratefully munched a few bites into the bread and took a sip of her tea before her face dropped in realization, "Who knows?"

"About Regulus?" He curiously rose an eyebrow while trying his best to answer her question, "Not quite sure. I only knew because I was with Moody. Dumbledore obviously knows, he was the one who sent for Sirius. And I reckon when Sirius left here he told Peter and Remus because they flooed in immediately to check on you, but you were asleep so I sent them off."

Elsie looked down at her hands in shame, her fingers fidgeting with the tea cup as she spoke quietly, "So no James?"

Rory shook his head while reaching out to take one of Elsie's hands in his, "Sirius told me what happened just in case you started freaking out when you woke up. Said he found Potter stuck to the floor in nothing but a pair of boxers." His eyes went wide for a second and he let out a small laugh, trying to cause her to do the same, "Godric, I don't want to know what goes on in that household."