IN RUINS- James Potter

chapter one hundred and fifteen

"I love you Reggie."

"I— I love you too Rory."

Rubbing his back and letting go of the hug, she watched regulus wipe his eyes as the two aparated home, jumping when seeing a girl in distress on their doorstep. Holding regulus' hand tighter, Nora watched the girl lift her head up, revealing her pale and bruised up face.

Nora gasped when she saw who it was, regulus just and her rushing over to see what was wrong. "I'm sorry, I didn't know where else to go." Betty sobbed out, her legs covered in blood and her hands were bloody.

"Elizabeth— what happened?" Regulus asked, Nora holding the girls hand, reassuring her it's okay. Despite of being mortal enemies, Nora needed to push that aside, staring at the girl and seeing her once best friend coming back.

"He, he made me, Theo and Damon go on a mission last night. When I went inside, I saw a hand drawing on the fridge and suddenly froze, staring at the kids drawing and couldn't do it."

Realizing the dark lord beat her up, she didn't understand why she wasn't killed for fulfilling a task, Betty shedding a tear. "He's doing it to all the recruits, regulus and Evan luck out because they go back to school; but for the rest of us, we're screwed." Betty choked out to Nora, the girls staring blankly back at her.

"Betty we gotta take your inside to clean you up, can you walk or should we carry you?" Nora asked, already knowing the answer as regulus grabbed her other side; both helping her up the stairs as Nora used her wand to open the door not being able to find her keys.

Stumbling with the girl, Nora didn't care if her mother was home or not, ushering her to the restroom and regulus yelling for Kreacher. "Yes Master Regulus?"

"Get me the kit, wheres mother?" He asked, Kreacher looking over at the girl on the counter. "Kreacher just sanitized that. Mistress  is upstairs." Glaring at Kreacher to go, Nora frowned as Betty shook her head.

"I'm sorry for being a bitch Nora, it wasn't cool." Betty said, groaning when Kreacher came back with supplies. Nora didn't know what regulus was about to do, but it appeared her was prepared to help her, furrowing her eyebrows.

"I used to clean you up, most of the time you were unconscious." He confessed, Betty looking over at regulus. Nervously hitching by a breath, Nora was scared by that information, having no memory of it and sometimes wondering why she never had blood near her head.

It all makes sense.

"Elizabeth—"

"Please call me Betty."

"No. Now this is going to sting so I suggest you squeeze Nora's hand." Both watching the boy wipe the active blood, Betty hissed a little, Nora gasping at how hard Betty was squeezing her hand. "You don't have any signs of broken ribs or arms, but you're gonna be sore for a while." Regulus spoke, throwing all the things he used into the garbage bin.

Staring at her brother amazed, Betty groaned getting off the counter, looking at the boy. "Thanks kid, you should consider being a healer. You'd be a damn good one." She told him, regulus giving half a smile at that, his face going slightly red.

Helping Betty out of the restroom, lunch was being served anyways, the girl appreciating it. "I'm assuming your parents aren't very nice to you?" Betty asked, Nora going silent, letting her silence answer.

"It's okay Nora, you're not alone y'know." Betty reassured her, Kreacher handing them grilled cheese to eat for lunch. "Not allowed to go home?" Nora asked, Betty being the silent one now, both taking a bite into their food.

"You can stay here as long as you want, that couldn't have been easy." Nora told her, Kreacher handing them water to drink instead. Regulus soon sat down beside Nora, both staring at Betty.

"I'm sorry I came unannounced." Betty said; enjoying the grilled cheese. "We don't have visitors often; it's nice when we do." Regulus confessed, Nora shrugging her shoulders in agreement, smiling at the girl who was still shaken up, needing some food in her system.

She needed to get her mind off two things; James and Riddle. Unfortunately regulus didn't need to be dropped off anymore at the station, hugging him goodbye because Nora was off to see Sirius in his flat, meeting him for breakfast.

Running across the street and up the stairs to the flat, Nora noticed the door already open, hearing laughter erupt, her stomach going into a flip.

"Rory! Ugh I'm so glad you're here." Sirius smiled, getting to hug her before she were to protest. Patting him back, Nora couldn't help but look at Peter with anger, her eyes slowly travelling to Lily, and soon to James, his eyes angry just as much as her.

"Hi everyone." Nora greeted, some of them on the couch and by the counter helping Sirius cook. Noticing a bigger table, Remus had made some room for her on the couch, noticing the tension between James and her, unsure to even say hello.

"Nora! It feels like forever when we haven't seen you, we missed you at the meeting." Marlene said in a pouty tone, messing with her as she hit her knee. "Yeah Nora, where were you?" James asked, sassing her a little as he leaned on the couch, Nora eyeing him.

"Yeah, I wasn't feeling very good, first Evan got sick then it went to regulus and me." Nora lied swiftly, Remus scooting away. "Well she's not sick anymore you wimp." Lily teased the boy, throwing a marshmallow at him to stop it.

Feeling paranoid with all of this, Peter looked like he began sweating every time he looked at Nora, death staring him as he  sat there beside Remus. She knew to not say anything, keeping quiet today.

She didn't want to be here anymore, feeling James' eyes linger on her as well, her hands suddenly itchy and needing to be put in water to not be red anymore. Fiddling with her rings, Nora noticed the black box Lily and Marlene were looking at, realizing that was the famous television the muggles spoke so highly of.

"What the hell is that orange thing?" Nora asked, Remus snorting beside her. "It's Willy Wonka and the chocolate factory. Great book." Turning her head slightly to James and knowing they've read that book together, Nora grew sad when she realized this was his favourite book that was also a movie— but it was actually called Charlie and the chocolate factory.

"What's wrong with you and James?" Remus whispered, Nora fiddling with her hands even more. "Oh it's uh, it's nothing. Just an argument we had." Nora said, patting Remus' leg.

"An argument that's lasted all of Christmas and past new years? We had a party at his house and you weren't there." Her heart nearly went into a million of pieces, looking at Remus and realizing she can't be here, standing up.

"I think I need some fresh air." She said, looking at the balcony, opening the sliding door and letting the cold fresh air hit her as she tried wiping her eyes. "I know about you, Nora." Said Peter, coming onto the balcony.

"I know about you too." Nora sniffed, looking at Peter. "You even think about it, I'll be the one to kill you before the dark lord can." She dangerously threatened in a low voice, watching the boy have sheer panic on his face.

"You already lost James; makes sense if you went insane." Peter hissed, patting her back before she went back inside, in disbelief with that conversation. Least her threat wasn't recorded.