IN RUINS- James Potter

chapter ninety three

"She's your only sister." Looking over at James staring out the window in a mood, Nora looked over at Lupin who shrugged his shoulders, Sirius finally letting it. "That's why she's my favourite." Sirius teased, about to ruffle Nora's hair, but he decided to keep his hand.

"I just wanted to see how everyone's Christmas was." Nora stated, leaning against the door. Nora crossed her arms as the boys all mumbled something. "Mum and pop surprised me with new record player and vinyls, was fun." Pettigrew said, growing shy a little.

"Well I had a very good Christmas, probably the best one I've ever had." Nora said, watching James slowly turn his head and look at her, not leaning on the window anymore. "But you spent Christmas Eve at an engagement party and Christmas Day alone in the house." Sirius stated, Nora blushing anyways.

"So? Doesn't matter where I was, but who I was with." Nora was specifically talking to James, as if there was nobody else around them. "Anyways, I need to talk— to potter." Nora said, barley finishing her sentence when James immediately stood up, Pettigrew snorting out.

"Hands off her though prongs." Sirius teased, both of them looking at him with a shock on their face.  Rolling her eyes and letting James walk out first, Nora and him noticed a cabin unattended, going to go sit in it, sitting side by side.

"Good news, mother is not mean at the moment." Nora told him, blabbering it out in fact, James tilting his head. "Oh, well that is good news, are things getting better with her?" He asked, being quite concerned.

"I think so, or I don't know, but there was a time she almost made regulus go into an arranged marriage and now she canceled it. If that isn't a good sign I don't know what is." Nora half joked, James still getting used to that.

"Well I'm happy for you Nora, it's progress." He told her, holding her hands, doing a double take as he noticed the ring on her, gasping. "You're... you're wearing it." He said, not being able to look away from it.

"That's the thing, I need to know what this ring really means James, and you gave it to Atticus instead of me. You could've pulled me aside." Nora explained, holding his hands back.
James sighed for a moment, looking at Nora deeply into her eyes as he pursed his lips.

"Many people use this as promise they are to marry each other. But for me, being in your life is all I need Nora, it's just a pinkie promise in a ring that I'll always be there for you through thick and thin. You have been through so much and I wnat you go have someone, and I'm hoping that's me. It's been a privilege to be your boyfriend and I wouldn't trade it for the world."

It was at that moment Nora knew she underestimated the feelings of James Potter, another way of simply telling her he loved her so much he was ready to be there in the long haul. Nora couldn't even get herself together after hearing that; staring at him with such lust into the eyes she's always loved, and that's the one thing she knows that she loves.

"Oh James." Was all Nora could say, wrapping her arms around him and kissing his cheeks twice, embracing him as she cuddled against his neck. "always here for you Nora, always."

James potter was not completely honest with himself at the moment, nor was he honest with the girl he just gave a promise ring too. Sitting at the welcome back feast and watching Nora sit with Atticus, regulus and Evan, James wondered if she talks about him towards them, then seeing Atticus begin to laugh, having a few people look over at that.

He knew Nora was a girl full of secrets, and sometimes he was able to tell when she was being secretive, but at other times, it didn't bother him, knowing it was all family related things she wasn't comfortable in saying. But the secret James was holding, was between him, Remus and Lily Evans; someone he was trying to get out of his life.

Thankfully for Lily, she doesn't remember the horrible thing; but for James, he was the only sober one at the New Year's party, helping some of the girls get some sleep as James was helping Lily sleep in a room, hearing something he never thought he would hear.

"I fancy you James Fleamont Potter, a lot."

It was something James kept worrying about ever since, his new year off to a rough start, growing miserable knowing he deserted his current girlfriend off to get back to a Christmas Eve party, and if he had invited her to the New Year's party, he could've avoided Evans admitting her feelings.

It frustrated James knowing he loved Nora and thought he found the girl he was destined to be with, wanting to be with her and if he was away from her for more than ten minutes he ached for her. He was whipped for a girl in ways he'll never be for Lily, and that's why he needed to be straight with Evans, needing to reject her once and for all.

He was no longer in love with Lily Evan, in fact he knew he would never be able to see them in a relationship, not anymore.

Something finally clicked in James, wanting to smack himself for how long it took him to finally realize, him and his friends finally heading back to their dorms. "You want to sleepover prongs?" Asked Peter, all standing in front of the head boy and girls dorm, James narrowing his eyes.

"Actually yes, I will, give me twenty minutes and I'll meet you lads." He told them, patting peters arm, winking at the boy as James mumbled the password, opening the door and noticing Lily grab her trunk to put into her rooms.

"Evans, can we talk?" He asked, adjusting his glasses to see her. James saw the way her hair had changed, knowing it was ss mess during both of the parties, clearing his throat. Lily shut her door as she sat down, however James didn't, standing near the fireplace.

"Do you remember what you said to me? On new years?" He asked, crossing his arms, Lily's acting be a little obvious she knew. "Lily come on—"

"Of course I know what I said to you James, I was drunk and wasn't thinking." Lily frustratedly said, rolling her eyes. "Good, because it's time I tell you I'm no longer in love with you, I'm in love with someone else— no, I'm dating someone else. And for you to say all of that while you were drunk and miserable is not fair to me." James said, keeping his tone mellow.

Watching the way Lily's eyes widened and soon grow soft, made him wonder if he was too abrupt, keeping a strong face. "You still loved me?" She asked, screwing up her face a little.

"No, that's the thing. In sixth year I gave up because I knew I had no chance to be with you. And that's when I developed feelings for someone else, and made me realize we would never be a good couple." He told her, trying to keep this short and sweet.

"That's when I began to realize how much I missed your ways to make me laugh, annoyed or an excuse to look at you. I began to fancy you. I guess that's when you stopped." Lily said, being honest with herself for once, James being shocked by all of this.

"I'll admit, I know you've been seeing a girl, and I know I shouldn't have said that, but if you love this girl then I should respect that, I guess this is how you felt. Loving someone you can't be with." Lily told him, James looking at her sad green eyes, her sniffles going out of control.

"But just tell me this," Lily said, getting off the couch,  looking at James.

"Is it Nora?" James uncrossed his arms.

"It's obvious how much you love her James, I've seen how you two run away from each other when I walk in the room, or when she's sleeping on the couch. You two aren't studying, and I'm sorry if I made this awkward; but now I know you're in a committed relationship I'll back off." She told him, sighing.

"No chance we can still be friends?" He offered, Lily shaking her head. "We were never friends in the first place, it'll just make this worse." Watching the red head go towards her door and shutting it, James couldn't help but feel bad for the girl, trying to be happy for himself but he was also in her shoes once, and it was giving him Deja vu.

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happy new year everyone! here's a chapter that will make you smile and then go like this😲. that was my first time using an emoji, that felt weird. Anywho! I got back to uni and I'm so sad, so I'm cramming chapters before I go back.