Incognito

✑ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟑.𝟎

𝚁𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚕𝚊𝚠 𝙲𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚞𝚗𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚄𝚗𝚒𝚝
𝟿:𝟶𝟹 𝚊.𝚖 I

The honeymoon phase doesn't last long, James Potter supposed as he stood with the new Alice Longbottom in the Ravenclaw radio room. She still had flower pins laced in her hair from the previous night, but instead of a wedding dress, she wore her blue-lined spy suit, complete with calf-high combat boots and several gun straps.

He supposed it was comical– that life should work like this. One day they're celebrating a wedding, and come morning the bride has a radio receiver strapped to her ears, dressed in a full spy getup. It was a miracle Alice even knew the word 'honeymoon.'

"Listen," Hunter demanded, and James didn't bother to chastise her for speaking that way to a superior because he'd always allowed her to shout at him –because, unlike Dorcas– Alice was usually right (not to mention she was five years his senior).

James took a second headset and listened to the faint radio waves of sound, watching them appear simultaneously on a screen.

"We're trying to magnify the sound but tell me what you hear."

"It's morse code."

"Thought so."

"Quinton!" James called at a stray Ravenclaw, "pen and paper! Stat!"

Quinton looked a little startled to be called on by name but saluted two fingers before pushing on the front of his wheelchair and disappearing to the supply cupboard.
He was back seconds later holding a legal pad and a pen.

"Thank you," Alice said, while James was already pulling a pen lid off with his teeth.

Beep-beep. Beep. Bee—

Furiously Alice and James began scribbling down the code. It took them ten minutes to get the whole thing out.

"What's yours?" Alice asked with a worried expression. Just by looking at her face, James knew they had decoded the same thing.

"Mine says: trouble on location. Back up. Three minimum. Puma and Padfoot."

Alice held up her pad, bearing the exact same words.

"Fuck."

●·○·●·○·●

𝙷𝚘𝚐𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚜 𝙼𝚎𝚎𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚁𝚘𝚘𝚖
𝟿:𝟸𝟺 𝚊.𝚖 I

In truth, James was glad to have an excuse to leave for a mission. He had planned on avoiding Lily as much as possible after Alice and Frank's wedding and leaving was the perfect way to put space between them. After what Sirius had said, things were much too confusing to deal with surrounding his only unassigned spy.

He was taking Dorcas and Remus. They were capable spies that he knew he could trust with such a big mission, but they also appeared to be the partners of the two requesting back-ups, and he knew they would be no use on-base knowing Sirius and Marlene were in trouble. So here they are. Waiting to clear out the meeting room so they can set off.

"Potter?"

Avoiding her was going so well.

"Evans."

Lily looked at him, forest green doe eyes, regarding him for a moment, seemingly deep in thought.
"I wanted to wish you guys luck. I hope you're not too hungover from last night but I've got you this," she held out some sort of tonic. "I've been developing it with Frank and Molly in Hufflepuff. It's got vapors to clear your head."