ADDICTED | j.p x oc

36

Despite to knowledge that all the marauders were safe and unharmed, Eleanor still found herself unable to get even a wink of sleep. The room felt too hot and no matter the position she was in El was constantly uncomfortable. She untangled herself from James' limbs and went to sit back down on the window seat again.

Even though the seat wasn't even in her room, it had become a place she sat at so frequently, the view from it was something she couldn't forget if she tried.

"Come back," James grumbled, his arms outstretched over the area of mattress that El had previously situated.

Noticing her lack of reply, James opened one eye, "What's wrong, love?" he asked.

"Nothing. Go back to sleep, it's fine," she looked out the window, hiding her sad gaze from the head boy.

"You're a terrible liar." without looking at him, El heard James pull back the duvet, and walk over to sit opposite her.

El moved her focus to her nails, awkwardly picking at the black nail varnish. "Did you have a good birthday?"

"You don't want to talk about my birthday."

He reached over to his desk and pulled the cigarette packet out, offering one to El. Holding her chin in place, James lit her cigarette with the end of his wand before lighting his own.

"Talk to me," James tilted his neck downwards to block El's view of her nails and try steal her gaze. "You're thinking about Regulus, aren't you?"

Her silence indicated he was correct.

"Are you sure he is actually a death eater?" James cautioned, only receiving a nod in response.

El took a deep inhale of her cigarette, flicking the ash out the small gap in the window.

"Can i have a hug?" she whispered.

Never, in the seven years James had known her, had Eleanor May Burke asked him for a hug. She rarely hugged anyone anyway, but it was clear she was in need of comfort, so James nodded and opened his arms for her.

El had never been someone keen to show their emotions, especially to James. She had a weird mindset about people being aware she even had any and despite the sombre mood, James took her vulnerability as a small victory to her opening up more.

A small noise was heard from the door before it was pushed open by a small brown cat. Ben padded over to his owner, meowing for some attention. James looked down as the cat wound itself around his leg, rubbing against him affectionately.

"Regulus is going to have to kill us." El eased herself into the breakage of the silence, her voice so quiet she wasn't even sure James had heard her.

With her head on his chest and his arms wrapped fully around her, James waited a moment before speaking, taking his time to carefully plan out his words.

"Not necessarily." he said, running a comforting hand down her spine.

"Yes. There's two sides of this war, and he's on the wrong one." El buried her face into James' shirt, attempting to mask the fact that tears were building behind her eyes.

"You're allowed to cry, you know," James pulled back so they were face to face, "I'm not looking." he put a hand over both his eyes in an attempt to lighten the mood.

It worked. El let out a light chuckle, allowing a single tear to fall down her cheek. "What if he dies?" the small ounce of humour vanished off her face as quickly as it came.

"He won't." James assured.

"How do you know that?!" she exclaimed, pulling herself out if James' embrace.