Nora,
Before you are to leave, I'd like to have a word with you if you don't mind. Please be in my office at 10am.
-Albus Dumbledore
Home, she wasn't going home, nowhere is her home, yet she was going to a place she needed to be. With her father gone, Narcissa's engagement in just a few days, she had very little to look forward to— and the fight with James wasn't helping.
She was surprised at how long she could stay away from him, annoyed with how he wasn't even trying to apologize, making things worse on her end. Nora couldn't believe she agreed to something that seemed so stupid; letting Lily express how she feels towards James, she feels like an idiot for doing something like this, cringing everytime she thought of it.
Heading into the corridors one last time before leaving, she was scared to meet with Dumbledore, almost late, quickly rushing up the stairs and getting into the griffin, closing her eyes to not be dizzy.
Seeing the door already open, Nora was surprised to see nine other people turning to look at her; holding in her pants from the stairs. "Ah Nora, was afraid you didn't get my note." Watching the door slam, Nora mumbled a sorry, standing beside Sirius.
"What's going on?" She whispered, standing behind the five girls. Nora noticed how she was the only slytherin, her shoulders going tense. Dumbledore stood at his desk, walking towards the side of it; looking at the ten of them there.
"You ten have shown me the best qualities of yourselves these past seven years, great role models, excellent in charms and even better in the dark arts. Which is why I think you all would be a perfect fit to an organization I'm creating, helping the Ministry to take down the death eaters, and most importantly tom riddle."
She wanted to throw up, the one thing she was tasked to do is finally coming true, her stomach going into several knots, biting her lip. "Each and everyone one of you will be an asset. However I must inform you, it will be difficult and once you graduate Hogwarts you are to stay in this organization, there are many spies out there."
Like me.
"Sir, exactly what would we be doing?" Asked McKinnon, slightly confused. "Miss. McKinnon you will be helping the population to not let the death eaters terrorize the wizarding world anymore. With your contribution, we would be one step closer to success."
She wondered how she was able to do this, nobody batting an eye at how Nora was simply two things, a slytherin, and a man on the inside for Tom riddle. Something in her clicked to make herself seem shocked with all of this, needing to pull this off properly, she agreed with no hesitation.
"I'm in." Nora spoke, everyone looking at her. "Really?" Asked Mary McDonald, everyone a little hesitant.
"Like you don't want to take them down? They're a menace and truthfully a little stupid for thinking they are going to get away with burning houses down simply because they're muggle born." She knew that would flip a switch in McKinnons and Lily, noticing a spark in Pettigrew as well.
"Exactly what I was thinking Miss.black." Dumbledore winked at her, Nora smiling in appreciation. Very quickly did everyone agree, easily persuaded by her little speech. Everything that came out of Nora's mouth was a lie, and yet she believed herself, snapping out of it.
"I'm in too." James finally said, looking over to Nora, knowing something she didn't. Nora could tell by the way he looked at her, both looking away from each other and back up to Dumbledore who smiled.
"I knew I could trust you all. If you're going home happy holidays, if you are not, I shall see you at todays dinner." He dismissed them all, looking at both James and Nora to stay back for a moment.
"I'm happy you here sis. You and Reggie going back?" Sirius asked her, not knowing where they were going to go. "Yeah, back to the potters?"
"Yeah."
"Okay, I'll see you Sirius." Nora said, hugging her brother, looking at James before a he looked down at the ground, Sirius patting her back, wanting to let go.
Watching the door close, Nora was standing her so closely to James, her heart beat frantically as she didn't know what to do, Dumbledore pacing back and forth.
"As a couple you go through challenges, however I want to make myself very clear your relationship shall not interfere with this organization. There are greater problems than this. Understood?" Dumbledore demanded, Nora mumbling understood.
"Yes, sir." James said two seconds after. Her stomach went into tangles as they were excused, walking out together. "Nora, how do you know this is a good idea?" James asked, their pinkies linked together.
"I don't, and nobody else does either. We just have to get through this war and everything else will be okay." Nora truthfully said, her stomach hurting from clenching it. James furrowed his eyebrows at that, Nora could tell he was skeptical after just throwing his life away into this war; turning to look at her.
"Are you going home for Christmas?"he asked her, going to one of the benches in the abandoned hallway to sit together. Holding their hands, Nora nodded at his question, sighing. "It's going to be weird without father. Cissy wrote and told me mother is an absolute wreck. I don't know how it's going to go; but i will try to write to you." Nora said, squeezing his hands.
James smiled at her, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, cupping her cheek for a moment. "You're going to be okay there right?" He asked, Nora melting at his touch. "Yeah, plus we're staying at Cissys for a while too and I'm going to the quidditch game with Theo and Damon."
"Oh, right. Let me know how to goes okay? Our door is always open to you and regulus too." He said, Nora smiled at that gestured; but they both knew Nora wouldn't dare do that as much as she wanted to. "I appreciate it, really." She said, cupping his cheek as he leaned in to kiss her every so gently.
"Do you still need to get your stuff?" Her eyes widened by that question, opening her bag that had an extendable charm on, handing him his gift in case she couldn't give it on Christmas Day.
Inside the neatly wrapped box was a black leather jacket with his initials on the sleeve in green, also giving him some chocolate and hoping it wouldn't melt. "Oh, I left my gift for you in the dorms." James told her, Nora waving it off. "Give it to me for Christmas, maybe we'll open it together." She sounded hopeful for one, something she rarely does.
Nora didn't understand why she sounded hopeful, getting up and hugging him, wrapping her arms around him as James did the same. She savoured this moment in case she didn't know what was to happen, sighing to herself. She was scared, not hugging James anymore as they had to part ways.
It killed Nora to not tell him the plans she is forced to do, walking back to the dorms and entering the common room where Elena Parkinson was handing Nora her bag beside Pandora. "Extension charm is very smart, remind me to do that so I don't have to haul this around." Nora smiled at the girl seeing two trunks worth of clothes that are going home, one of them being Melody's as well.
"Pandora you're not going home?" Nora asked, the blonde becoming giddy as her sister rolled her eyes. "Staying back to be with some friends." She said, Nora understanding what that meant.
"I only want to go home because I miss my bed." Elena truthfully said, shaking her head. Nora missed nothing about home, and she don't think she ever would. "She's only saying that because of a boy who just recently moved in." Pandora teased, giggling a little with her sister.
Noticing Atticus sitting on the couch with his stuff, Nora came to sit beside him as she sat closer to the fireplace; waiting for regulus and Evan. "Least we get to see the quidditch game." Nora said, Atticus nodding his head.
He was off, Nora could tell he wanted to say something but didn't know how, both ignoring the things they want to say. She didn't know how to address the fact when she gets home, nothing will be the same anymore. Not to mention she must cancel the engagement of regulus and Lucy, hating his this is their life.
It didn't take long for the two boys to come downstairs, Evan's eyes a little swollen. He was also in a mood, miserably looking at the older two with a sigh. "Alright, let's go." Atticus spoke, hopping off the couch as if he wasn't even sitting down.
Noticing Snape sitting by the desks, Nora knew he had to come home too, apart of the meetings as she sighed at him. "I did it, dumbledore recruited me." She said softly, Severus looking up at her. "Really?" He asked, slightly impressed.
Crossing her arms together and comfortably nodding, Severus scoffed into a smile for a moment, mildly impressed with her. "And what does this mean with Potter?" He asked, looking up at her. "I don't know." Nora whispered.
"You still don't deserve him, if anything he's holding you back from what matters." Nora shrugged her shoulders, not caring what he had to say anything, her arm itchy. "The one thing that matters, is keeping five people in my safe, and that includes Lily as well. Since she's been friends with me she's more of a threat. So I recommend shutting your mouth about me being with potter if you don't want anything happening to Evans."
The train ride made Nora sleep all the way home, finally waking up by the touch of Evan, poking her arm multiple times. She couldn't believe she was already at kingscross, sighing and looking at the boy.
"You sleep so peacefully." Evan told her, winking at the girl. Fixing her hair and putting it into a braid, Nora made Evan hold her bag as she finished with her hair, trying to spot her mother.
She didn't like this, walking over to their usual spot, scratching her arm; anxious hitting her like a bag of bricks. Nora didn't know where her mother could be, spotting Ari Bulstrode with Caesar Rosier, mumbling something.
"I don't think she wanted to come get us." Regulus said, deciding to walk over towards the rosiers, Evan already standing there with Atticus. "Oh regulus, Nora. I have bad news to say your mother hasn't been feeling well. I think Narcissa were to be here, would you like us to wait?" Ari asked, Nora turning to see if Narcissa will ever appear.
"Uh, no that's quite alright, we can wait. See you later." Nora said, holding onto regulus' shoulder as the two shook Rosiers hand before leaving again, looking as if they were lost puppies.
"I think she forgot about us Nora." She didn't want to hear that, watching James walk away with Sirius and his mother, waving to her before he were to leave the station. "Cissy is coming, she wouldn't just abandoned us here." Nora said in a sharp tone, annoyed with the evening already.
"No, but rabastan would." Watching where he pointed, rabastan stood tall beside Narcissa, both looking with concern until they saw the two kids, waving at them. She didn't understand why he had to be there as well, walking over as she hugged her cousin, side hugging rabastan.
"We thought to take you to the Lestrange manor for dinner, Bella is making the food." Narcissa said with a smile, rabastan snorting. "So you best not eat it." He teased, Narcissa hitting his chest to knock it off.
Nora looked at regulus, not wanting to make the decision, letting him nod an okay, grabbing their hands and being able to aparate away in a swift motion.
They stood outside the manor, her boots falling into the snow that was on the pavement, looking around to see Christmas lights on other muggle houses around them— lighting up the entire street, hearing Christmas songs in the distance.
Walking inside and hearing Bellatrix yell about a fire, rodulphus had been yelling at his wife, wanting the elves to make it instead. The manor felt more like home, noticing it being decorated for the holiday season, a bare twelve foot tree sitting in the main foyer, ornaments waiting to be hung.
They were waiting for Nora and regulus, walking deeper into the manor, the mantle having a garland that swirled all the way up to the top, lights everywhere. She never saw this side of Christmas, everyone enjoying themselves instead of being worried, walking into the kitchen and Bella's eyes lighting up.
"Oh Nora! Reggie! I'm so happy to see you two again." Bella said with a cackle, hugging them tightly. "Bella they can't breathe." Rodulphus told her, pinching his nose.
"Hi kids." He said in a sharp tone, looking at them. Nora waved at the lad, turning around to see Lucius come down the stairs, choking on the smoke that was still in the air. "Okay that's it, she's not making the food anymore." Lucius concluded, shaking regulus' hand, nodding at the girl.
"No please! I made smoked salmon and steak!" Nora thought it was odd to see them all together again, bickering and whining like they were ten again, mumbling insults at one another.
She grew a smile when she saw Dobby the house elf here too, having an announcement. "The tree is ready." He said, Narcissa clapping her hands with glee.
"Bella, let Dobby do the rest, come help us with the tree." The blonde spoke, grabbing her sister as the men also groaned, knowing they had to participate.
Dumping all the ornaments and having it be a theme of silver and white, Nora didn't know what to think about this, happy to be with people than just herself with regulus, seeing him having a good time.
Some jazz music played on their record, Narcissa humming a tune. "Happy to be here than home?" Rabastan asked Nora, helping her with the middle part of the tree. "Yes, this is quite nice." Nora smiled, remembering the one thing she was going to tell regulus, taking the opportunity to tell them now.
"Uh, I have something to say." She awkwardly said, grabbing everyone's attention, especially regulus. "I uh, Dumbledore is letting me be in his organization; I did it. I completed the dark lords task" She said, fiddling with her hands.
Everyone grew quiet for a moment, their eyes widening as they realized, beyond ecstatic as they all smiled in glee, especially regulus who had a pure genuine smile. "Rory! I know you could do it— well I really didn't, but you proved me wrong." Bella said, pinching her cheeks.
Rodulphus and Lucius looked like they had other plans about this, however Nora could see they were quite proud of the girl, giving a satisfactory nod, regulus hugging his sister. "Good job Nora, the dark lord is going to be proud." Rodulphus said, lifting his chin up to show dominance over her, Nora taking that as a compliment.
"Good job indeed." Rabastan said, patting her back and handing her another ornament to put onto the tree. She couldn't stop smiling; the one thing she had to do was now off her back and in the hands of someone else. Nora knew memories like these with her family wouldn't come around so often, wishing she had experienced something like this was Sirius as well, missing him a little.
Regardless, Nora was happy to be around her cousins once again, regardless of being death eaters, they are so much more than being labelled. If Bellatrix didn't care about being crazy, Nora shouldn't, and if Narcissa was happy about marriage and being with a boy she's loved, Nora should embrace that too.
But she couldn't, because at the end of the day, their life is different than hers, and it won't ever be the same with her and James anymore, she needed to accept that before the winter break was over.
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this holiday season is making me extra butt hurt because I'm single and writing about these two is making me feel soo single and everyone I know is getting into relationships while I want Aaron Taylor Johnson to run me over....