ADDICTED | j.p x oc

53

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.