"So did you and Lily do it then?" Sitting in study hall and snapping his neck towards his friend, James didn't like the way that was phrased, stuttering a little. "Yes—oh that thing. Yeah I told her." Waving it off, James was a little ashamed to admit the fact he made Lily feel sad about herself.
"What did you two do?" Sirius budged in, finally coming to class, sleeping in a little. "Finally flipped the sofa cushions, you're supposed to do that apparently." James lied, impressed with how fast he came up with that. Remus had the exact reaction of James. Peter couldn't help but smirk at the two boys, letting Sirius stay gullible.
"Bloody hell, should we be doing that to the common room sofas?" Sirius asked, looking at Remus for the answer. James couldn't help but notice the tension between Remus and Sirius these past few weeks. The first time he noticed was last term when they were on the couch together in the common room, sitting so far apart and yet wanting to be together.
It was never his business to know what was going on between them, however he finally understood why they always kept their space sometimes, especially in bigger crowds. "No, but we can." Remus suggested, looking at Sirius while also reading a book.
James only ever got to witness Remus lifting his head from a book when he fell off a chair— finally getting him to look. If Remus ever looked at you when reading, you meant something to him, Nora was one of the people who also got to witness that, not realizing it was a competition at times.
"Mr.Black, it doesn't help you're twenty minutes late and now bothering everyone else. It also doesn't help your sister is probably doing the same thing." Professor Merrythought expressed, grumbling out as she tried to get the boys to work.
James was lucky he was already facing where Nora and Atticus were, their books not open as Nora was laying her head on the table, Atticus closely beside her, deep into conversation. He wished he knew what they were talking about, watching Atticus look at her with a smile on his face, trying to get her to laugh.
It clearly worked when he saw Nora slap his chest to knock it off, rising off the table and both looking at Snape not too far from them, clearly whispering to him about something. James never knew if they were friends with him or just like torturing the lad for their own amusement, but that was the one that did put a smile on his own face.
James wondered what secrets Atticus could've been hiding, two best friends who must tell each other everything, however that wasn't always the case. James saw the way Atticus was stand off ish when it came to things, and how he early ever wears short sleeves, and when he does it's covered by a jacket. It bothered him slightly he was friends with Peter, slowly befriending Remus as well for Nora's sake.
It's not like Nora wasn't doing the same thing, being close with Patil and her friends. Was James jealous of the friendship with Nora and Atticus? No, but something about Atticus made James not like him.
On the other side of the great hall, nora and Atticus were currently trying to get Severus to see his notes from yesterdays class, both missing it after Atticus and her had food poisoning and stayed in sleeping.
"Oh come on Snape, I haven't bothered you, isn't this a reward?" Nora asked, needing to see the notes for history of magic, slacking on her studies a little bit. It wasn't her fault however, it was the stupid stomach and brain she had, being sensitive to everything around her.
"You haven't bothered me, because you haven't seen me in three weeks." Severus corrected, hissing at them. "Douchebag." Nora grumbled, Atticus surprised to hear that.
"What? The muggles say that, I don't know exactly what it means but it has a good ring to it." She told the lad, hearing Merrythought dismiss them all. Getting up in her seats, Nora saw Severus' book slide towards her, her face lighting up and quickly grabbing it.
"I owe you." She said, putting it into her pocket. What she didn't know was that Severus took that personally, pocketing that until it needed to be used.
"How's it going with Patil?" Nora asked, feeling like they needed to catch up after a couple of days. "Oh, uh, actually I stopped seeing her, i think it's time I stop dating and focus on other things. It's quite tiresome."
Frowning at that comment, Nora also related to him, especially with being a slytherin with many secrets, nobody needed a sad, deranged boyfriend or girlfriend that had a million problems to deal with. Even if she has found someone who can get past all of that, it's the regret of not being able to tell them is what's eating her alive.
"Now you can focus on your studies." Nora told him, Atticus hating that. "Have you ever said I love you to potter?" He asked, his question lingering in the air before Nora could answer.
"No, I haven't. Just looking for the right time." Nora told her friend— best friend in fact. And if there was anyone she could be completely honest with, it was Atticus; and unfortunately to James there were things he could never know.
Silence lingered over the two, being done for the day they thought it was best to stay in the common room, putting on some more comfortable clothing as Nora needed to get her slippers from Atticus' dorm, swiftly going over.
"Sorry, I forgot my— " opening the door and stopping in her tracks, Nora couldn't help but look at the shirtless Atticus with something familiar on his left forearm, the boy going frozen.
"What the fuck is on your am Atticus?" Nora whispered, shutting the door behind her, not wanting anyone else to see outside. Luckily for them, nobody was in the dorm either.
"It's not what you think—"
"Not what I think? I think that's the fucking dark mark on your arm? The one you swore you could never get because of how your mother is against it! How your father may be a follower but you couldn't be." Nora hissed, walking closer towards him.
"I had to! I had no option, my father and the dark lord thought I was a good asset. I tried telling him I would just slow him down, he thought it was hilarious." Atticus argued back, putting on a tshirt in the midst of the argument.
Anger was fogging her brain, unable to speak as she felt betrayed by her own best friend, not being able to save him either. First Evan, then regulus, and now the boy who was her best friend and brother, all tied into one.
"Atticus no, you could've told me it was happening. I could've done something. I cannot lose you too. I've already lost one brother to the stupid mark and he has completely changed— you can't either!" Nora pleaded, Atticus' eyes softening as he grew teary eyed.
"I'm sorry, I didn't have the guts to properly tell you! I was scared and knew how painful it truly was. Mum doesn't even properly know. Father wouldn't tell her, she would just divorce him and go back to France and take me with her." Atticus told her, Nora side eying the lad with his story.
"You've been lying to me. You thought you could get away with this for a while. It's been on your arm for merlin knows how long. Point is, you've been lying to me and I hate you for that." Nora spat, Atticus now closer towards her,
"I've been lying to you? How about the one that's in a relationship with a boyfriend who doesn't even know she's a spy for the organization she was invited to. Or the fact her brother is a death eater and she's throwing up because of all the guilt that is eating her." Atticus yelled out.
Nora kept flinching at his words as she tried to stand her ground at the yells, swallowing the tears that reminded her of her drunk father as he would yell in her face, his true colours shining.
Atticus didn't notice how much this was effecting her as Nora slapped Atticus in the face to make him stop, not being able to handle the truth she was hearing.
"Fuck you! Fuck you for saying all of that! You were supposed to be my number one supporter, my friend, my fucking brother. I may be a hypocrite—"
"You're a lot more than a hypocrite Nora, so throwing that in my face is just you still ignoring the fact you don't even understand what you're doing."
"Yet, I would never act like my father yelling at someone because of the mistakes they've done!" Nora yelled back, hitting a nerve— which is what he needed, her chest rapidly beating.
"Mistakes? Oh fuck off you know damn well what you're doing these days and you just what someone to take pity on you. Why do you think you're puking every day, because you know you've dug a hole for yourself. You have no friends other than me. You need me more than I need you."
The truth was finally being revealed, she knew Atticus was holding grudges over these years, she just didn't know how many more shots were going to hit her in the gut.
"Is that how you really feel?" Nora asked, letting the tear run down her face, standing near the other beds, keeping a safe distance. "Well fine, have fun without me. You and I are done." Nora finalized, keeping her head up high.
"Get the fuck out of my face." Atticus whispered, his throat growing raspy. Nora obeyed, grabbing her slippers from the corner, turning her head fo look back at her. "You'll be sorry." She said, opening the door and completely slamming it shut.
For the first time, Nora had experienced her heart breaking into a million pieces, falling onto the ground with her back against the wall. The one person she's had for the last 17 years finally had enough, and she didn't know if she'll ever see them getting past this.
One month, it had been one month since the argument of Nora and Atticus that somehow was able to spread all over Hogwarts, everyone noticing them no longer together. Many had assumed they were dating, finally breaking up, however others knew they fight and make up all the time, letting time pass to see them sitting together.
The Slytherins were quite concerned to see the slytherin princess and the slytherin prince no longer together, a fight so big and so difficult to understand, everyone couldn't even look at them without needing questions. It concerned Theo and Damon, sending multiple unread letters to the both of them, never quite knowing.
Nora enjoyed being alone, focusing more on her studies, reading and even talking to professor Slughorn who eventually kicked her out to be able to sleep. It was clear to Nora that regulus would obviously take her side in this argument, however that wasn't that case, sometimes seeing Atticus and him laugh together at dinner.
It pained her to see the way regulus was laughing so easily, struggling all these years and they were related. Unfortunately Nora wasn't able to tell the whole truth to James, no surprise there, simply telling him they had an argument and it was too sensitive to talk about.
The days were long, the nights were short, staring at the moon at the astronomy tower and watching the stars soon appear, wondering what made regulus choose Atticus. Was it that death eaters need to stick together? Or was it the fact Atticus said things to Nora that regulus never could? She couldn't tell.
There was no surprise to Evan taking Nora's side, liking her a little more, letting her watch the moon alone tonight; at a Ravenclaw party at the moment.
However Nora wasn't at the astronomy tower, sitting on the couch of the common room, sulking as Severus sighed miserably, both staying in on their Friday night— everyone else at a party or already sleeping.
"Nora please shut up, your groaning is very unpleasant and it truly sounds like you're dying." Severus politely told her, shifting in his seat.
"I'm sorry— not! Let me have my sulking time." Nora demanded, hearing a book close as Severus stood up. "Alright, what's wrong with you?" The boy finally asked, not totally sure what was happening to her.
"Just leave me alone, I'm just a nuisance to everyone's lives." Nora said; mumbling as she put her face into the couch, her eyes too puffy to be seen. "And is that why Atticus is at a Ravenclaw party while your eyelids are too swollen?"
"Precisely"
Practically hearing Severus roll his eyes, Nora turned to look at the boy, her legs slightly aching from hanging over the arms, especially on her stomach.
"Honestly Nora there's more to life than worrying about whether or not you have friends." Severus told her, leaning back in his seat. "You're only saying that because you don't have any friends." Nora sat, sitting up and grabbing a pillow.
"How does Potter feel about this?" Severus asked, obviously hinting towards something. "Oh that's right! He can't know because you're lying to him." Sarcasm dripped out of his mouth, throwing it back in Nora's face with a smirk.
"You're in the wrong here Nora. Atticus was simply protecting himself from others, including you. Maybe it's time you rethink who you can trust in this world. Because even your best friend is scared to tell you things while the person you're dating— barley knows the truth about you."
Watching the boy get up from the couch and call it a night, Nora laid there, sniffling a little as she scared at the bracelet Atticus had once given her. It was third year when he declared she was like a dog, feisty at first and cuddly the next. The bracelet had a paw charm that only she would understand, growing sad and realizing.
It seemed like anything Nora did, was always going to be thrown back into her face, feeling the need to give up a little as she didn't move from the couch.
"So let me get this straight. They fought and it's been a month since either of them talked? But they're best friends!" James has never been worried in his life, maybe one or two times in his life— however, nothing compared to the pain he was feeling for Nora at the moment, watching her every day grow sadder and sadder, nothing cheering her up.
She wasn't the only one in this situation, noticing bulstrode sit aloe at times too, never seeing him shine his usual charm to others. There was truly a breakup in slytherin, two people sitting on opposite ends of the table, a fight nobody understand except them.
Unfortunately for dinner students weren't allowed to switch with tables, needing to stay in their houses, and it pained James every night. Sirius wasn't one to understand the situation, furrowing his eyebrows every-time he saw a gap in the table.
"Best friends fight though." James said, trying to sound reasonable, however Remus wasn't buying it. "This is more than a fight. We've seen them argue, this is truly worse. She hasn't told you why?" Shaking his head, james didn't truly understand, worried that this was another secret that he wasn't allowed to know, driving a wedge between him and Nora— frustrated once again.
"Weird... Pete! You talk to the lad, has he told you anything?" Sirius asked, eating a chicken leg. James saw the way Peter froze for a moment, about to eat his spaghetti as he put his fork down, breaking a sweat almost.
"He didn't tell me much, but they were just fighting a lot, they've been keeping secrets from each other and they both got fed up at the end of the day." Peter simply said, his hands a little sweaty.
"I guess we'll never truly know." Remus said, clearly not wanting to talk about it more. James wanted to though, he wanted to launch an investigation on why they aren't talking and what caused this to happen.
Staring at Nora, the girl finally looked up from the food she hadn't touched in twenty minutes, her swollen eyes finding James as they slowly softened, but James couldn't tell, still thinking she was sad even look at him.
Everything will be okay, he mouthed, a soft smile on his lips before winking at her. James saw her eyes go teary eyed, having a reaction that made him get up, following Nora out of the great hall, wondering where she went.
Hearing soft sobs in the abandoned bathroom, James stood by the doors as he watched Nora hover over the sink and cry, her hands on both sides, heaving a little. James didn't know whether or not to console Nora for some reason, slowly walking towards her as he wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on her head.
"James I—"
"No, don't say anything you wouldn't say if you were in this state Nora. You're hurting, it's okay to hurt." He soothed her, his heart breaking to Nora in such pain, hugging him tight. "I'm losing everyone I love, I can't lose you too James." She hiccuped, her head resting against his chest.
"You won't Nora, I'm here for the long haul." Kissing her head, James repeated it, wanting her to understand no matter what, he loves her forever and always.
"Are you?"
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my only class got cancelled for the day and I thought, why not update because I have nth else to do. In Canada right now it's terrible and now idk if I should go home or not so I'm sitting in the library. hope you enjoyed my rant and the chapter!