Chapter 8
"Sorry," James grumbled as he fell onto the bench opposite of Nora at the Hufflepuff table, watching the girl as she casually read the book, occasionally lifting the spoon from the porridge on the table in front of her, and soon had her eyes lifted to meet his.
"Something tells me you're not so keen to apologise," Nora commented, "how many times are we actually going to apologise to each other, it seems like a lot, if I'm honest."
He gave her a look as he reached for an apple in the middle of the table, "do me a favour?"
She groaned, "what?"
"Quidditch try-outs are today, wanna come watch?" he asked, a smirk on his lips as he watched her nose scrunch up, "please?"
"Why?"
"I could use the support," he shrugged, "busy friends."
"So, you ask the barely acquaintance to tag along?" she teased, her eyebrow raised, "I don't know, it might cost you."
"Cost me?!" he repeated, "oh merlin, Nora."
"I'm only joking, when is it?" she asked.
"Now," he grinned sheepishly, "will you come?"
"I suppose," she tutted, watching curiously as he brought out something from the bag he had beside him, showing it to be a scarf decorated in red and gold, a Gryffindor scarf, "I'm not wearing that."
"Why not?!" he exclaimed, "you have to!"
"Oh really? Why do I have to?!" she grumbled, pinching the bridge of her nose, "you're bloody lucky I'm even coming," she sighed, pushing herself up from the table, grabbing her bag and moving in the direction of the door as James followed from the other side.
"Look," he sighed, stopping in front of her and letting the scarf fall around her neck, a grin on his lips as he kept hold of the ends, "it suits you, see!"
"Apparently, a lot of things do," she huffed, rolling her eyes as the familiar scent of James filled her nostrils, "fine, I'll wear it."
His grin widened as he lifted his hand, watching as she lazily lifted hers in a high five, "I'm going to complain the whole time, you know."
"I know," he chuckled, "but I'd rather someone be there, now come on!"
"You only want someone there so you can brag when it's over!" she scoffed, allowing him to pull her arm as she lazily followed behind.
"That might be partly true," he spoke, allowing her to catch up, "but also, after practice we could always plan more."
"Very true," she nodded, "I'm not so fond of Quidditch, I understand it, but it's just not my cup of tea."
"Maybe because you haven't seen a good game?" he winked, pulling her quickly in the direction of the pitch, taking long strides as she jogged to keep up her pace.
"Well, I'm sure it will be a while until I see one, then," she joked, watching him turn to her with a glare, which she met with a grin, "I'm only joking."
"You're joking a lot, apparently," he tutted.
They stumbled to a stop just next to the large quidditch pitch at the end of the trail, "so are you actually trying out because as far as I know, you are on the team?"
"Oh, keeping up with my life, are we?" asked James, his eyebrow raised as he watched her eyes narrow.
"Sorry, Mr Athlete, but it's just a known fact," Nora sighed, "I'm sure you just crave my attention."
"Oh yeah, it's all I think about, you see," he tutted, shaking his head and making sure the small smile begging to show, didn't, "and I'm not trying out, I'm helping the team pick new players."
"It's all too confusing for me," she grumbled, shaking her head until she lifted it to meet his eyes, sending him a mocking salute, "well good luck, anyway."
She bid a quick goodbye as she hurried off to the stands, unsure that all of the stairs where worth it, but nonetheless she had no one to complain too, maybe that was why James wasn't so opposed to it, she wondered.
She watched curiously as leaned down to see the pitch, the teams hadn't started flying yet, but she heard who she thought was the captain calling out for Adria's name more than once, visibly angry that she wasn't there but nonetheless deciding to carry on with the games without her, making one of the keepers a seeker for a change, although it was obvious the boy wasn't so fond of it.
Soon did the two teams make their way into the air, the ones trying out where called the 'amateurs' courtesy of the captain, but even Nora didn't think that was all fair. She watched intently as the game continued, it was rather obvious that the girl trying out for seeker would probably get the position, seeing as they were short of one, so when the current team won, the girl didn't look at all phased.
Her eyes found the snitch as she watched the two seekers, until her eyes trailed around the pitch, landing on James who had moved his broom swiftly to a stop, flying with ease, so much to the point that it didn't take long for Nora to realise that the boy really was incredible.
Of course, she wouldn't tell him this, seeing as he was rather egotistical as it was, she really didn't want to add to his inflated head, she was sure she wouldn't hear the end of it if she complimented it, but she couldn't say she was having a dreadful time watching the team. She wondered what the point of wearing his scarf, she couldn't deny that it was very comfortable as it wrapped around her, and the scent of James wasn't a bad one, but it was rather odd.
Especially seeing as she was the only one in the stand.
She couldn't help but roll her eyes when James decided to show off, swiftly zooming past the stands that she sat in, whilst throwing her a wink and a grin, unable to help his happiness when her laughter filled the air, shaking her head, she mouthed 'you're crazy!'
-
Nora couldn't help her mind that wandered as she sat curled on the couch of the tree house, the blanket covered her fully, and the muggle book she had picked up at a charity shop rested on her legs, but she wasn't thinking much about the book, or anything that would usually peak her interest, like her next adventure during summer, or how she could earn some more money.
But rather, she was thinking of a boy.
Not the boy she thought she would be thinking of, with the dark blonde hair and perfect smile, his eyes that she had previously found herself getting lost in, and the way he said her name, but rather, the most insufferably kind boy she had ever met.
The boy with the most confidence she had ever met, with an ego bigger than Hogwarts, and arrogance for miles, but also, the boy with the brightest laugh, and the need to help others, to make people laugh when he done, and prank like it was a job to him. With hazel eyes hidden behind wide glasses and hair messier than what Nora had ever seen before, she wondered why she was thinking of him so much.
She wondered why she was smiling as she done so.
"Nora?"
The girl's head lifted at the sound of her name, a frown clasping over her lips until the familiar sight of Aubrey Martin came into view, a small smile on the girls lips as she slipped off her shoes, basking in the warmth that the tree house emitted.
"I thought you'd be here," she whispered, taking a seat across from Nora who moved to sit the book down that she had barely read, "you alright, you look confused?"
"I suppose," Nora shrugged, "just thinking about stuff, the usual."
"The latest Nora adventure, I assume?" Aubrey laughed softly, running a hand through her light blonde hair.
"Oh yes, of course," Nora lied, a grin taking over her lips, "maybe I'm off to Paris next summer, who really knows?"
"Oh shush," Aubrey giggled, "that's the adventure I would never miss."
"imagine us two in Paris," Nora sighed, evidently longing for a dream like that to come true, "away from our families, away from the world turning to dust, we'd be happy, able to live our lives and not stress about O.W.Ls or anything of the sort."
"It sounds like heaven," Aubrey sighed, "but how do you suppose we find jobs good enough to pay for us to live in a place like Paris?"
"I'm not sure, exactly," Nora pouted, "we could always sell everything we own, but I suppose that's not much, is it?"
"No, it's not," Aubrey chuckled, "I don't understand you sometimes, Nora, don't get me wrong, it's amazing, but why travel so much?"
"I've never had a proper place live, really, after what happened with Elijah, my family may as well have kicked me out, they definitely don't want me there, and if I had a place to go and listen to my music, then I would have left years ago," Nora sighed, "I feel at home when I'm on the train, when I'm climbing up mountains to capture the scenery, or walking down the city streets of London, it's a new adventure from Ireland, it's fun, and new, and terrifying all at the same time, but I love it, so much, it's incredible, and exciting. I love the sea, I love the beach, I went during summer and just spent the day sitting on the beach, looking out at the sky, and wondering where it stopped and the sea started, it was perfect, and if you were with me Aubrey, merlin, we would have a blast. I love being alone, but I've been alone for years!"
"I'm not like you, Nora," Aubrey sighed, a small smile over her lips as she reached for her best friends hand, "I'm terrified of getting lost, I need to know where I am at all times. When you told me that you intended to go to London and ended up in Glasgow that one time, it really scared me, I don't know how you could do it, leave for so long, sleep on trains, eat barely anything in a day, live off of a few pound you find at the bottom of your bag, it's fascinating, it's a skill that not many can do, and it baffles me that you don't see how amazing it is!"
"It's my life," Nora laughs, shrugging her shoulders ever so slightly, "I suppose I'm just used to it, but I've told you of Blair and Isaac right, Isaac Hall, remember? They went to France during the summer, train hopped until London and then got the train straight to France with just enough money to get by. They lived with an old woman they had met on the train previously, who gave them food and beds, and the thought just sounds incredible, I'd love to go to France, really."
"It would be wonderful," Aubrey sighed, "maybe your boyfriend will take you some day."
"Wha- my boyfriend?" she repeated, her eyebrow raised as she looked at the smirking Aubrey who was wiggling her eyebrows.
"James Potter."
"Oh, shove off," Nora groaned, furiously shaking her head, "James Potter and I are barely acquaintances!"
"Oh yes, all acquaintances I know are with each other nonstop!" Aubrey scoffed, "you two went to Hogsmeade together, Nora, and don't think I don't know that he gave you his coat, how romantic!"
"Shut up!" Nora huffed, "I was cold, and he had a jumper, he was just being nice."
"Well, has Caden ever given you his coat?" Aubrey teased, a wink sent in Nora's direction who rolled her eyes.
"No," Nora muttered, "but that is not the point!"
"The point is, is that you are going to get over your feelings for Caden, and love James Potter, simple!" Aubrey giggled, watching Nora shake her head furiously.
"That is not the point either, and it never will be!"