CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
( INTIMACY.. )

    Saturday morning rolled around quickly and much to Ella's annoyance, she couldn't spend the night snuggled up to James. Instead, she was sprawled across her own bed. One of his jumpers on and the school jumper she needed to give back to him in her grasp. They smelt more of her now but she was comforted just knowing that they belonged to him.

Her eyes blinked open and she rolled over to find that Molly had left her during the night, probably having gone to get food for the day. Ella then glanced around the dorm to find that the curtains on everyone's bed were closed and she glanced over at the window to see that it was still dark outside. A soft groan left her lips as she pushed herself to sit up.

"Lumos," Ella muttered softly once she had a hold of her wand. The light from her wand meant she was just about able to make out the time on the clock across the room. It was 4:30am. The time she would usually wake up most days. A soft sigh escaped her lips and she let the light die out before she rolled out of bed. She stretched her arms out and rather than changing, she just grabbed her ancient runes textbook.

If she needed to study more to make sure that she passed, she would do that before anything else so she could go downstairs and just read. The Common Room would be quiet so that meant it would be peaceful and the perfect environment to learn. Ella pulled down her shorts as she yawned, heading towards the door. She pulled the door open and stepped out.

The chilly morning air causing goosebumps to shoot across her skin. A shiver running up her spine as she quietly closed the doors behind her. Her bare-feet slapped against the stairs as she walked down. Ella pulled her wand out and mumbled 'Incendio' tiredly, the wood catching fire. Ella then grabbed the armchair and dragged it across the room to be near the window once again. She wanted to watch the sunrise whenever it did so.

Ella plopped down into the cushy chair, practically being swallowed by it as she got comfortable. Hiding her feet underneath herself so her toes didn't get too cold. Her fingers then flicked through the pages of the book as she tried to find where she had last left off. She needed to do some brushing up on her OWL knowledge and that was her first task of the day.

The quietness filled the room and wrapped around Ella as the day went on. The night slowly giving way to the sun. It rose in the distance and Ella only noticed when she saw the first ray across the page of her book. The brunette grinned and was quick to look up, just about able to make out the rising sun between the hills surrounding Hogwarts.

A soft smile appeared on her lips as the sun finally broke through the window, shining on her face. The warmth it sent across her skin was something that she knew never could be beaten. Nothing could ever be better than the feeling of a new day beginning. She heard footsteps and when she glanced back, she saw James. A lopsided smile on his sleepy features and his hair messy from waking up. He grinned when he saw her.

"I thought you'd be down here," He said as he walked over to her. Ella grinned and closed her booklet, placing it down on the table. He crossed the room to her and leant down to press a kiss to her lips. She grimaced slightly at his morning breath but was glad to just be kissing him at all.

"Do ya wanna sit down?" Ella asked and James nodded. The brunette got up and James took his seat. Ella sitting down on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck as she kept him close. She rested her head against him and the warmth he gave her was incomparable. Maybe there was something better than the rising sun. Maybe James was her sun. He had certainly been her light ever since she discovered her father's abandonment and every other issue she had had.

"How long have you been up?" He asked, his voice still slightly hoarse from sleep. His morning voice always made Ella melt and she couldn't help but do it then too. Ella glanced over at the clock across the room and clicked her tongue as she tried to work out how long. Eventually, she gave up and shrugged, looking back at him.

"A while. I was studyin' for a bit," Ella said as she grabbed his hand. His hands were a little bigger than Ella's. It wasn't anything massive but it was certainly noticeable at least. Ella leant down and pressed a kiss to his palm before tangling their fingers together. The early morning light and the quietness in the Common Room was so different to what either of them were used to.

"I always loved the quiet mornings in the summer." James muttered as he watched her face. Watching as she lifted his hand and played with his fingers. Ella tracing patterns on his palm that made him feel ticklish but he didn't react, not wanting to scare her. He loved this quiet intimacy and Ella did too. The quiet intimate mornings were what made Ella realise she was completely in love with him.

"Why?" Ella asked as she turned her gaze from his hand up to his face. Her eyes searching his before she let her gaze wonder. His slightly curly-haired was covering his eyes a little due to the lack of taming. His blue eyes shined in the sunlight and made her grin just that little bit bit wider as she enjoyed his company. There was something about him that just made her heart feel so happy and full. It was just something about him that she adored.

"I liked the quiet and the way it was just us. It felt like society had disappeared and we were alone," James shrugged. The words fell from his lips before he could even fully comprehend them but the raw truth behind them stopped him from trying to take them back. Instead, he just nodded as a way of affirming what he said, his gaze turning back down to her.

"I keep forgettin' there's a soft boy underneath that exterior," Ella teased softly, not entirely sure what to say in response. James had a habit of doing this, rendering her speechless over the littlest of things. Ella didn't entirely dislike it but she wished she had more to say to him. She wished she could tell him a lot of things but they always fell flat.

"You've always seen it. More than most," James said, his usual grin appearing on his face. He then looked down at her and cupped a hand on her cheek. He then pressed a soft kiss to her lips. It was soft but just as passionate and needy as all his kisses were. Ella wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back just as passionately.

Ella, however, knew that this kiss would end up being more than a kiss if they continued so after a few minutes, she pulled back. The grin stayed on her lips as she looked up at him, pecking his lips a few extra times before she rested her head against his shoulder again.

"Do ya want your jumpers back?" Ella asked as she glanced down at the one she was wearing. His school one was still in her dorm and she would get if he wanted them back. James shook his head as he looked down at her.

"Keep them both. I stole one back the other week and I took the one off you yesterday. They'll just replace them," James shrugged, brushing it off nonchalantly. Ella nodded and then pecked his cheek again. Her gaze then flicked around the room where she noticed that Marlene was watching her. A smirk on the blonde's face as she gestured for Ella to come over.

"Lovely, Marlene's watchin' us. I'll see ya at breakfast," Ella said, pressing a kiss to his lips before she got off the armchair. Her feet briefly felt numb due to the quick change but she didn't let it bother her. She crossed the room and Marlene grabbed her hand, dragging her up the girl's staircase until they reached the top. It led to a small landing with a few armchairs scattered across.

"So you and James?" Marlene asked. A grin on her face like some excited school girl that had just discovered something she wasn't supposed. Ella raised an eyebrow, not entirely sure what Marlene was implying, "Are you dating or are you two just going to kiss and cuddle every morning again?" She added, nudging Ella a little. The brunette rolled her eyes and sat down into one of the plush armchairs.

"I dunno. We haven't talked about it yet. 'E's... well we're just lettin' it 'appen, see what comes outta it," Ella shrugged and Marlene rolled her eyes. She sat down on the armchair next to Ella's. Letting out a soft exasperated groan. Ella rolled her eyes and turned her head to face Marlene.

"Sirius won't stop going on about the pair of you," Marlene muttered as she tilted her head to look at Ella. The brunette cocked an eyebrow and gently shook her head. Sirius was clearly too stupid to realise that that would only cause more issues for them Ella let out a 'mhm' in response before Marlene got up and poked her nose. A soft smile appearing on her lips as Ella refocused her gaze onto Marlene's face,

"Let's go back to our rooms. We need to get ready for breakfast," Marlene said, offering a hand out. Ella took it and was hauled to her feet. The two girls walking down the stairs and into their various rooms. Ella was surprised to find most of the dorm awake now. Doing various tasks and Ella just began to get dressed finding herself quickly involved in the conversations. She was also asked multiple questions about where exactly she had been the night of Layla's party.

Ella ended up having to confess, a grin on her lips as they got ready for the day. Ella was usually not one to get involved in the discussions they had but she found herself feeling lighter and everyone was easier to talk to then usual. The lightness in the room making her feel so much better even if there was an ugliness that overshadowed most of her life still.

***

     The past week for Ella had been pure and utter bliss. Though she was with James before, something about the confirmation made Ella much more confident. Rather than cowering back and not allowing herself to express her love publicly, she let herself show it to the world because she didn't have to hide it anymore. She could hold his hand as they walked down the corridors. She could kiss him goodbye and hug him. They could sit next to each other and flirt without anyone finding it strange.

     It was a new found freedom and Ella finally felt like herself again. The past six months, Ella had been someone else. She knew she had. It took her admitting to James and feeling comfortable again to realise she had been different. The secrets she had kept from her friends kept her cage-y and quiet and self-doubting but now that everything was in the open. Literally everything. She felt like herself again. No feelings were being hidden and there was nothing she couldn't tell her friends about. It was a relief.

     Though the teasing about the two of them had been slightly unbearable, it soon tapered off especially when they purposefully started being open. Now it was practically the whole group who had somebody to be with. So James and Ella eventually started turning it back on them when they said something they didn't like. It moved away eventually and everything seemed normal yet so different.

     The NEWT exams were coming up now. They were only a few weeks away and now with the relationship drama gone, Ella suddenly felt like they were tomorrow. Her stress-induced anxiety hitting harder than ever. It led to many sleepless nights and many nights sleeping and cuddling with James when he had to calm her nerves. Layla had equally done as much and Ella found herself comforted by incessant studying. The stress would always be there until it was over but it never seemed to let up this time.

     Which was what led to another morning of Ella reading and eating her breakfast. The rest of the group sat around and talking while Ella put all her focus into learning as much as she could. James had tried to stop her but he knew taking her books away made her grumpy. So, he just let her keep it. Ella flicking through as Layla watched with worried eyes and furrowed eyebrows.

     "Ella," The fringed girl said. Ella looked up quickly and raised an eyebrow, letting the book close on her finger so she didn't lose her place. Layla smiled and grabbed a piece of toast, offering it out to Ella who shook her head. James - however - was happy to grab it from Layla and took a bite out of it. He gave the girls a goofy grin and Ella rolled her eyes, "Hey! That was for your girlfriend," Layla argued. James shrugged and then took another bite before offering it out to Ella. She took a bite and then went back to her work, flicking through the textbook again.

     "You need to take a break," James insisted as he looked down at her. Ella shrugged in response and then flicked over a few more pages. However, this only resulted in her giving herself a paper cut. A soft 'ow' escaping her lips as she looked down at her finger. The cut quickly becoming bloody and she stuck the tip into her mouth, licking the blood away. James then nodded his head towards the book and Kalia - who was sat directly across from Ella - reached over the table and grabbed it. The Ravenclaw clutching it to her chest as she watched Ella, a satisfied smile on her face.

     "Come on, ya gettin' the Ravenclaw involved too?" Ella pouted as she pulled her finger from her mouth. James shrugged and Kalia just watched her for a moment, waiting to see how Ella react. A pout still on the brunette's lips as she reached out to grab her goblet.

     "She's doing what's best for you, El," Remus said, wrapping an arm around Kalia's waist. The blonde looked up at Remus and grinned, pressing a soft kiss to his lips before Kalia placed the book between them again. Ella cursed them under her breath before she reached over to her bag again. However, before she could reach it, James had her arms locked at her sides.

     "Don't even try," He teased as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back. The force of the pull nearly had her falling off her chair. A squeal leaving her lips as her legs flailed and kicked out. Very nearly kicking Marlene in the face who was watching in amusement. The blonde quickly moving back to stop herself from being hit.

     "Mr Potter! Put her down!" A loud shrill voice came and James looked to see Professor Landon there. Ella's heart quickly sunk at the appearance of the woman and the two got back to what they were doing. Kalia quick to pass her book back to Ella who opened the book to go back to her studying. But before it could open, Professor Landon leant forward and pushed the book closed, "I'd like to speak to you in my office, Ella. Come with me," She said before she moved to stand back. Ella reached down, grabbed her bag and then shoved the book in.

     "Professor, Ella and I need to go to class in a few minutes. I don't think it's best to have her be late," James said quickly, attempting to prevent her from being taken away but that wouldn't work. Professor Landon shook her head and pushed Ella towards the door. Physically taking control of this situation before Ella could find her way out of this again.

     "Class doesn't start for another twenty minutes, Mr Potter. Ella and I are just going to have a small chat." Professor Landon said before she turned on her heel. Her perfectly straight hair flipping over her shoulder as she marched Ella out of the room. The brunette had pulled her satchel over her shoulder by this point, her stomach twisting in anxiety as she headed towards the office.

     Their shoes clicked against the floor as they walked down the empty corridors. A few students passing by and giving them smiles but everyone seemed to be in the Great Hall which meant that if something went wrong, nobody would see. Though that was probably how Professor Landon wanted it. She didn't want witness to Ella's eventual breakdown or silencing.

     The pair walked into the woman's office and the door closed quietly behind them. Ella didn't bother to sit down, keeping her satchel on her shoulder as she looked around. There were multiple times she had been in this office. The shelves cluttered with books and various magical objects. Tapestries with strange symbols and dusty blue curtains with patterns that Ella had never seen before. It gave off such a friendly aura but now as she stood in it, it had lost all it's charm. The fireplace was unlit and the guard was discarded to one side, having been kicked over by something.

     A voice startled Ella's from her observations as she turned to look at the woman in front of her, "I see you're trying to improve for my subject, Ella-Rose. That's very good for you but it won't be enough. Your grades are not going to change by reading a textbook, I'm afraid," Her saccharine tone was clearly fake and Ella wished she never came at all. She wanted to be back in the Great Hall with James.

     "They've already improved." Ella argued as she moved closer to the desk. Professor Landon was sat down now. Her hands were resting on the desk and despite the fact that Ella was the one staring down at her, she still felt intimidated. Her hands resting against her sides. Professor Landon's gaze burning into Ella's as she shifted uncomfortably.

     "And do you have proof of that?" Professor Landon asked though her tone seemed bored. Her nails tapping against the desk impatiently as Ella stared at her. There was something about the woman that Ella hated more than anything. It wasn't just her fake persona, it was how she was acting. The holier than thou attitude rubbed Ella the wrong way and it was only getting worse.

     "Yea'." She responded bluntly. Professor Landon cocked an eyebrow.

     "Show me then, Ella-Rose. If you think you are doing so well," Professor Landon asked as she watched the brunette. Ella pulled her satchel over her front and then reached inside to grab the exam papers she had been practising. She pulled them out and slammed them onto the table. The bright red O's marked on the front with the scraggly handwriting.

     "I've had at least three people markin' this paper and checkin' it over. There's no errors that would cause me to lose any marks or drop a grade." Ella said simply as she pushed them towards the older woman. Professor Landon reached for them and glanced at the cover. Briefly she flicked through them, her gaze didn't stay on a single page long enough to read any of the answers. Ella knew she didn't care.

     "And your friends marked this paper?" She asked as she met Ella's scrutinising gaze. The brunette stepped forward a little and went to reach out for the papers before her hand was slapped and she withdrew. Clearly, she was not meant to be taking it.

     "Of course." Ella said as she waited for the rebuttal of Ella's claim. In Professor Landon's eyes, Ella could never truly be a good student. She was determined to watch Ella fail and Ella knew that this would just be another one of those moments. Another failure and she wanted nothing more than to scream.

     "So there's a bias." The words made Ella's teeth grit as she looked down at the floor. She kicked some dust before she shrugged. It was a weak argument but it was still an argument. Lily, Layla, James and Remus all wanted Ella to succeed and to boost her confidence. They had every reason to subconsciously lie to her but she had more faith in them than that.

     "There's a bias in everythin' that's done. You're biased in your exam markin'." Ella said quickly. She wasn't going to let some unconscious bias ruin her again. There was nothing that could prevent this. Yes they might let her off on a few mistakes but Remus had read it and he was in no way inclined to lie. He knows that she needs the boost.

     "And that is why I did not mark them." Professor Landon responded. Her voice calm and collected as she met Ella's gaze. The brunette pulled her eyebrows together and glanced down at the floor before meeting the older woman's gaze again, "I did not mark my papers. They are marked by an unbias quill that is enchanted by Dumbledore himself. So there's no bias in your marking if you are going to continue accuse me of such a thing." Professor Landon said as she moved to stand up. Ella watched the woman for a moment, trying to read her face and work out whether that was true. She'd never heard of that before but it made sense. Why would they go through the trouble of hand-marking if they could just do it with magic. It would make it safer and remove bias but at the same time. It didn't seem real.

     "I didn't accuse ya," Ella said quickly as she shook her head. Professor Landon tilted her head slightly before she walked over to stand in front of Ella. Her heels giving her the height advantage as she looked down her nose at the younger girl.

     "But you were going to because you think that you are too perfect to get anything wrong, don't you?" She responded, her voice dripping with condensation as she reached out to lift Ella's chin up. The brunette couldn't stop her so just met her piercing gaze with one just as fierce. Ella wouldn't let herself be intimidate and she squared her shoulders, standing slightly taller.

     "No." Was Ella's simple response. Nothing else was necessary because there was no part of her that believed that.

     "You do. Your father thinks the same. You both have the same arrogance. He is meant to be my husband! He is supposed to look after my children but he is too worried about his daughter that he abandoned to care about our children." Professor Landon said, pinching Ella's chin. Her nails digging into her cheeks before Ella stepped back, breaking away from the grip. Professor Landon's teeth gritted slightly as she watched Ella step back from her.

     "That's not my fault," The brunette said softly. Keeping her voice calm and level as she watched her.

     "Yes it is. You are the reason that our children have been neglected and thrown to one side for his more perfect daughter. His daughter who is so perfect and wonderful and has so much promise. He doesn't even bat an eyelash when it comes to our children." Professor Landon continued, her words slowly turning into a rant. Her eyes becoming wild and frenzied. There was something behind it that Ella had never expected to see. It was almost like Professor Landon was jealous of Ella's success. Something that the brunette found baffling.

     "I'm sorry I work 'ard, Professor Landon, but I don't control my father. I've asked 'im to stay away from me! I don't care about 'im," Ella said, her words were honest. Professor Landon knew that too. It was obvious on her face but Professor Landon had every right to still be angry at her. Ella was the only reason that her husband would be acting like that. Nothing else made sense.

     "If you fail, he'll stop looking at you." Professor Landon said, suddenly composing herself as she walked over to her desk. She grabbed the exam papers from the desk and held them in her hand, taking her wand out. She then tapped them muttering 'incendio' and the papers quickly caught fire. They were dropped into the bin and Ella frowned as she watched them burn.

     "'e doesn't care about me anyway! " Ella said quickly, her frustration was only building up more. She didn't understand why Professor Landon didn't understand that but maybe she knew something that Ella didn't. There seemed to be a lot of things that Ella didn't know and she hated not knowing. It was ruining her and secrets is what got her into so much trouble.

     "You're such a naive girl, Ella-Rose. All he cares about is you. Why do you think he came here? To see his magically talented daughter through her last year. Watch you grow up." Professor Landon said as she crossed the room. Ella rolled her eyes and stepped back towards the door. But that was quickly stopped, Ella was shoved back into the room. Stumbling into the desk as she let out a small shriek.

     "'e doesn't care about me, Professor Landon. Failin' me won't stop my father from pullin' away from you." Ella said quickly, pushing herself to stand upright. She just wasn't going to let herself be thrown around like some rag doll. She wasn't going to be trapped in this office either. She needed to get out and get away from her step-mother. None of this made sense and it was clear that what everyone thought was true. She was just out to get Ella.

     "It will do everything. You don't understand life, Ella-Rose. You're too naive and young to understand anything in the world. You are everything to him and now I have to take that away." Professor Landon said as she stepped closer. Her wand in her hand but Ella ducked under her arm and managed to get to the other side of the room. She couldn't understand what was going on. This didn't make any sense. Professor Landon had never been like this before and it made no sense.

     "If you are threatenin' me, Professor Landon, I will go to Dumbledore." Ella said seriously. Her hand slipping down into her satchel to grab her own wand. Ella wouldn't let being threatened work now. If this was a few weeks ago, she might have but this was not happening. She wasn't going to be humiliated and forced into silence again.

     "You will do no such thing!" She shrieked as she gripped Ella's wrist. Her sharp nails digging into Ella's skin as she was shoved back. The woman was hysterical, her eyes full of rage and fury as she pushed Ella down into her chair, "You are going to sit here like the good student you are and we are going to talk about this civily because you need to work out what subjects you will drop." Ella tried her best to break away but Professor Landon seemed to have cast a spell to keep her in the seat temporarily. Professor Landon then leant over for Ella's schedule.

     "I am not goin' to drop anythin' for you and your vendetta." Ella snapped and Professor Landon quickly turned. Her hand colliding with Ella's cheeks, the desperation evident in the teacher's eyes. She needed this but Ella wasn't going to give in. She wasn't going to fail because of this. She had ambitions and they were not going to be ruined.

     "Oh you will or I will make you. I've got the perfect little spell that can make you do exactly what I want. How do you think I'm still here?" Professor Landon said. Her leering gaze trailing over Ella's face before she turned back to the book in front of her. The spell seemed to have temporarily shifted and Ella broke free from it. She needed to leave.

     "I will not do anythin' for you," Ella said, scrambling out of the chair. Professor Landon then came at her, gripping her arms and pulling her back from the door. But Ella manages to shove her elbow back into the side of Professor Landon's face. The usually perfectly composed blonde was coming undone at the seams as they fought for control. Professor Landon's nails digging into any part of Ella's skin she could find as she pulled back. Ella shoved herself forward, trying to get out of the grip as the nails broke through the surface. Bloody nail marks spreading across her arms before she managed to scramble out of the older woman's grip.

     Ella gripped the door handle and yanked it open. But not before Professor Landon shouted 'Silencio' causing Ella to be unable to say a word. But she was still able to run away. Her satchel over her shoulder as she bolted down the corridor. Her arms were bleeding profusely from the attack and her eyes were filled with tears as she rushed to find one of her friends.

     The girl's body colliding with a group of Slytherins. She didn't recognise most of them but the dark hair of one of the boys reminded her of Sirius. Either way, she stumbled away not wanting to face any more of their insults. Her feet carrying her stumbling down the stairs where she fell into the arms of James. Dishevelled and disorientated, Ella gripped onto the boy. Her arms gripping his shirt as the tears began to fall but no noise escaped her lips, they couldn't.

***

𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑'𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄 ! so... we got a little bit of a cliff hangerrrrr :) so, we fiNALLY got that conversation between ella and james! they are offically together and we can enjoy like three more chapters of james being an adorable boyfriend. then of course we have the sequel and... it's gonna be a fun one honestly. alright, okay, so i do hope you enjoyed, this is so close to being done and i HATE IT but we move, it's fine, it's fine