Something in the broom closet sparked the intimacy with Nora and James; almost giddier, could barley be away from one another, looking at each other with such lust and passion it almost scared Nora of how she always felt like she was flying. A smile was always on her face, scaring her peers around her, never seeing this before.
She couldn't take her eyes away from James sometimes— and vise versa, when it was the end of class, they couldn't take their hands off each other. It was all innocent mind you, James open for whatever Nora wanted, knowing he was the first person she's ever been with.
For some people it was refreshing for Nora to be this happy, knowing she's been through a lot, but for others it was concerning in case she were to get her heart broken, but she didn't care in the moment, being able to be with James.
The brunette never realized how popular abandoned classrooms or broom closets really were if people wanted to snog, curious as to how James knew, not asking any questions of the sort.
James was close to taking off his shirt for Nora a few times, loving how it always made her legs weak, not being able to take her eyes off of him, distracting him at quidditch practise.
Sitting and watching James come onto the pitch with a stupid grin on his face, Nora couldn't take her eyes off of him, biting her lip.
"In-love-with- James says what?" Atticus asked, Nora snapping out of looking at James and furrowing. "What?" She asked. Nora almost forgot Atticus was with her, grimacing for a second.
"As I was saying," Atticus cleared his throat, Nora turning to focus on the lad, apologizing. "I don't know what you and four eyes are doing, but he has looked at you the past two weeks after we agreed he would stop looking at you for the sake of saving your relationship from your brother." He informed.
Nora couldn't believe it was already two weeks, feeling it as if it was just five minutes, shocked. "What did you two do?" Atticus asked, seeing some type of glow on her. "We haven't done anything, just snogging."
"Nora you have the same look when Theo comes back after shagging a girl— oh god you didn't.... did you?"
"WHAT?? No! Never." Nora squeaked out, pinching the bridge of her nose. "If I couldn't even kiss the lad two months ago, you think I would go for the main prize?" Nora asked, Atticus mumbling an apology for that.
"Was a good question." He shrugged, looking at her as Nora still didn't say. "Okay fine, if you must know," the brunette said, Atticus coming a little closer as Nora death stared him for a minute.
"Honestly, something just happened, one minute we're in the library, next minute... in a broom closet. But James was so different, and it was purely snogging, nothing more nothing less." Nora described as much as she could, Atticus realizing what this was.
"Well good for you, and I'm assuming you know how to snog now too?" The lad asked, Nora giggling a little. "He's a very good teacher." She teased, Atticus pretending to vomit, earning a hit to the stomach.
"I had to hear you and McDonald all the time, only fair you hear a snippet." Nora told him, putting her hand out. "We both still tell each other things like this, no matter the details." She told him, their hands being shook.
"You regret shaking on it don't you?" Atticus asked Nora, knowing their experiences are going to be different from one another. "Maybe." Nora mumbled, a chuckle especially Atticus' mouth.
Beginning to stand up from the bench, Nora and Atticus saw the way James lifted his shirt, both shocked as they didn't move for a second. "Bloody hell." The two said in sync, two different ways of saying it: one mesmerized and the other bored of it.
"I can see why you like him." Atticus mumbled, thinking Nora wouldn't hear him— which she totally did. A satisfied smile lingered on Nora's lip, winking at James, letting him get distracted again.
Turning to catch up to Atticus, the two saw Theo and Avery from afar, waiting for their input on the Gryffindor team, forgetting that they were supposed to spy on them. "They only did laps, didn't really base the practise on formation." Nora lied flawlessly, almost believing herself.
Atticus nodded his head, trying to think of something, but Nora subtly shook her head to not make him say anything, Avery and Theo understanding. "Makes sense why it's only an hour." Theo said, uncrossing his arms.
"Thanks for trying to spy, they didn't suspect anything right?" Avery asked, both of them shaking their head. "Also, potter seems really out of it, we could use that to our advantage." Atticus blurted out, Nora snapping her head so fast into his direction, trying her hardest to not roll her eyes in disappointment.
"You know, I was just thinking of how we've seen him with such a stupid grin on his face, clearly has a girl in the picture." Avery smirked, looking at Theo who left the two standing there.
Nora waited a few seconds, watching the two friends leave as Atticus tried to defend himself. "Going to be honest, it would help us, and if someone was spying on us, they would see you're happier than usual too." He shrugged his shoulders, wishing he didn't always have to explain his thinking, Nora sighing.
"You know regulus is always surprised by your mood, have you told him why?" Atticus tried to change the topic, walking back into the castle with her, Nora shaking her head with some shame.
Nora didn't know how regulus would react, and if she wanted to him to know something so personal. It was different telling Atticus, but with regulus, she was worried it would be awkward and a weird thing to discuss. "Nora..." Atticus whispered, disappointed in her.
"This better not be affecting your grades. That's the one thing that needs to stay consistent." Atticus scoffed, heading back to the common room. "I know okay, I liked the little distraction." Nora whined, wondering if the spark with James is going to go away with Atticus still so sad with the breakup.
She tried to convince herself that he was going to find another girl to bounce back on, wanting him to experience what she is. It's been almost 2 and a half week, and by now he should be over the pain, but something was missing that he wasn't telling Nora, letting her have her own theories.
The girl didn't push with her questions towards Atticus, opening the door for the common room, Theo and Avery already on the main couch discussing tactics.
"Exactly what could you be plotting? We can't cheat in quidditch." Atticus asked, walking over to the lads. Nora quickly went over to see their little outline, seeing her name on there.
"Woah wait, I thought it was okay that I'm not playing anymore?" She asked, especially with what happened. "We said that?" Avery asked, Theo looking away from Avery, acting surprised towards that statement.
"You idiot, why'd you say it was okay?" Avery snapped, ready to slap the back of Theo's neck. "Oh I don't know, maybe because of a stupid article that made her almost go to the hospital wing?" Theo's voice dropped of sarcasm, tsking at his friend to knock it off.
Avery held back what he was going to say, rolling his eyes. "Fine, then our plan isn't going to work." Avery whined, pouting as if he was ten.
Nora ignored that comment, seeing betty and Cassie coming down the stairs, parkinson slowly behind them. It always made her cringe, having to share a room with the three of them, wondering how bad it would be if she suffocated one of them with a pillow. That question always came across her while she tried to sleep.
She wanted to suffocate betty the most, her eyes narrowing at her when she walked to stand in front of Avery and Theo, trying to get Theo's attention. "We're going to get the herb from the hufflepuffs for the party tonight, want to come?" She asked in such an innocent voice, Nora needing to hold Atticus' shoulder to not vomit.
"Flint, literally nobody cares about you, now respectfully fuck off." Avery said without batting an eye at her. Theo didn't say anything, pretending to focus on the thing in front of him. Nora and Atticus looked at Cassie who gave a soft smile, her dimples showing.
That poor blonde was too dumb to know what was happening sometimes. Nora gave an upside down smile, watching betty look up at the brunettes, eyes shifting to Nora and Atticus for a moment. It was a mix of rage and disgust mixed on her face, Atticus showing a little bit of sass and waving her goodbye to leave.
Nora knew Atticus didn't see, but Parkinson gave a smirk to the four of them, following Cassie as the three left the common room, hearing betty rage in the corridors before the door shut.
"Thanks mate, I've been trying to call it off, she's just not listening." Theo said to the two, shaking his head. "Did your parents let you?"
"Well yeah after the article they cut ties with the flints." Theo said, shocking Nora a little bit. "What she said about you wasn't cool Nora, haven't your parents told you about this?"
She hasn't received a letter in a long time, even before the article. Normally this would be a good thing for herself, but something felt off this time; Nora biting her lip out of nervousness for a second.
"There's a party tonight?" Asked Atticus, taking the focus away from Nora for a second. "Yeah, we're gone in three months, need to party as much as we can. Plus, you two will be taking over next year yeah?" Avery asked, needing confirmation from them.
"What? We don't know anything about throwing a party." Nora said, already stressed out. Theo put his quill down, looking at his best friend and looking back at the two. "Well, today is the day we will teach you, we need to go to hogsmeade, care to join so you know where to get some?" He asked, an evil grin slowly forming.
"Just kidding, you have no say in this, now let's go."
Something about this felt forbidden, it was later in the night, an hour before the party were to begin and go on a mission with Theo and Avery, getting herself ready, currently fixing her curled hair.
Wearing a short silver sleeved dress, it was the only appropriate outfit for the way she was forced to help, needing to look the part. She felt a little out of place, putting a green bow in her hair to have it half up and down, letting it be out of her face.
Standing in front of her mirror, Nora felt like every girl that was in Slytherin, wanting to puke, going down the stairs, emotionless. "Least pretend to look happy." Atticus said to her, wearing black trousers and a white shirt, sunglasses on his face.
"I feel like an idiot." Nora mumbled, pouting. "Well get used to it little Nora." Said Theo coming up from behind, also wearing sunglasses with Avery.
It was apparently a new look for them. That, or they were already on something, Nora couldn't tell. "Alright, let's go." Avery said, his hair fluffier than it was a few hours ago.
Before they left, some of the seventh years reorganized the furniture for more space, Nora being the last one to leave, the common room door closing behind her. "Are you two excited to leave?" Asked Atticus, walking beside Nora, the boys in front of them.
"Hell no, other than the fact we can party every day." Theo said, Nora frowning in response. They only partied to ignore the other things in their life, Severus for example is always on his room, choosing this life after he yelled at the only person he's every liked, no longer in his life. Unlike theo and Avery, Severus did it by choice.
Nora was concerned for those two, she always has, as much as she tried go ignore it, seeing their eyes calling for help even if they are having the time of their life. People cope in different ways.
Nora followed the way they were taking them, apparently there was a secret way to leave the castle, Nora looking around her surroundings, before following, knowing she as going to regret this.
Walking down a ladder and then through a tunnel was too much for Nora, hating every second of it, seeing another ladder they have to climb. "I'll go last." She quickly said, stepping aside, letting the lads climb up, watching them all go through the confined hole.
Were they in a pub? Quickly climbing up to not get left behind, Nora reached her hand out for someone to help her, Theo lifting her up as she fixed her dress, taking a look around.
They were in an old pub, one man behind the counter, a few people sitting around and drinking, looking at the four kids, especially with how Nora was with them. "Ah Theo, need more?" Said a lad, Nora turning to see a lad in his early twenties talking to the two, Nora and Atticus curious as to who it was.
"A friend of ours, father owns this pub." Avery explained, Theo following the lad. Avery walked over to the two kids, looking them both up and down. "For two kids who hate parties, you seem to have the perfect outfits for it."
"We bought these last time we went to Hogsmeade, we were running out of clothes to wear to these parties." Atticus explained, looking at Nora for a second before looking back at Avery.
Nora was too distracted to what they were talking about, seeing Theo come back and wanting to leave, casting a spell to make the alcohol follow them, going down the ladder first, Theo being the last one.
"Where were you keeping your wand?" Asked Avery, confused as to where it came from. "Why do you think her hair is so big?" Theo said, hinting it to being in there. Nora laughed at that, actually keeping it in her hair.
"Anyways, I told Marcus you two will be taking care of the parties and will continue to serve us, so you have nothing to worry about." Theo said, changing topics.
Nora groaned, wanting to go back to the common room, going up one more ladder and coming back to Hogwarts, waiting for the rest. "Scary how convenient that is." Said Atticus, coming behind Nora.
Looking at the time on Atticus' watch, Nora realized the prefects would be doing their rounds, hoping to not be caught, not to mention all the liquor they have.
"We have to be careful."
"Really? Wouldn't have thought of that."
Unfortunately for Nora it was already too late, that familiar smell coming around the corner when she saw James, not wearing his glasses and wearing a red shirt with black trousers. There had to be a Gryffindor party as well, and James tried to find Nora to make her attend.
The three boys pretended to talk to each other, Nora watched the way James looked her up and down; a smirk growing on his face when he quickly left. Her stomach fluttered for a second, trying to restrain her face from going red.
Clearly Nora wasn't the only one to see the way James looked at her, her head turning to see six pairs of eyes look at her and trying to say something, stunned.
"Does potter fancy you again, Nora?" Theo asked, whispering in case he was still there. Noras eyes quickly looked at Atticus, looking back at Theo as she pretended to act shocked.
"Oh come on, I doubt it." She told the boys, rolling her eyes. "Nah, the way he looked at you, he clearly is fancying you." Avery said, looking at Atticus to say something.
"But wait, do we approve of potter?" Theo asked, squinting his eyes. "I mean, they did date last year, so there's obviously lingering feelings." Atticus raised his eyebrows, being a little cheeky git.
Nora hated the fact Atticus was also playing into it, Theo and Avery giving each other a look. "You should talk to him, clearly he's not over you, love." Theo said, taking off his glasses so she knows he's serious.
"Nah he doesn't like me, let's just go to the party." Nora told them, waving them off, hating the attention she was receiving, Atticus letting her walk first.
—————————-
next chapter is a little bit of a time jump just to get the story moving along, probably a month or so, before summer! I have big plans for seventh year and I'm so excited omg AHHHH