Chapter 17

"Nora, Nora, Nora!" Adria exclaimed as she turned around, a grin on her lips as she looked at the girl, a laugh escaping her lips as she saw Nora clad in a hoodie - she was certain she had stolen from James - and a pair of shorts, "aren't you freezing?"

"I'm alright," Nora chuckled as she approached the girl in the courtyard, her slippers the only thing shielding her feet from the snow that decorated the ground, "I slept in so I tried to get here as fast as I could, I needed to see you all before you left!"

"Well, of course!" Adria exclaimed, laughing softly, "I think James has already left though, I can't find him anywhere."

"What?!" Nora frowned, her shoulders slumping as she looked around the courtyard, the sadness in her stomach that all of her friends where leaving bubbling furiously, "why?!"

"I'm not sure," Adria tutted, throwing her arms tightly around Nora, "y'know, you could've came to my house, it would've been fun to have someone else join us!"

"I know, James said you would be more than happy to invite me, but I like the castle, as much as it is lonely, it really is like my home," Nora smiled softly, trying to mask her sadness as she bid Adria a goodbye, frowning as she made her way to the three boys she had grown closer to in the time between now and September, "have a nice Christmas, boys!"

"You two, Nora," Remus smiled, opening his arms which the Hufflepuff walked into, squeezing him tightly with a soft laugh, "are you sure you'll be alright here on your own?"

"Yes, I'll be fine," she mumbles as she pulls away, throwing her arm around a grinning Sirius, "I just wish I got to see James before he left."

"What are you-" Peter was cut off by Remus - not so subtly - shoving him, a grin on his lips until Nora turned with an odd look upon her features.

"Adria said he had already left, she hasn't seen him," Nora sighs, wrapping her arms around Peter in a hug, and soon did she rest her elbow on his shoulder as she talked with the boys, "he probably slept in, the idiot."

"Whilst that wouldn't be surprising, he wasn't in the dorm when we left," Sirius sighed, throwing a sympathetic smile at Nora who couldn't help but nod.

"Oh well, I suppose I just wasn't important enough," she shrugged, trying her best to wave it off, watching the frowns on the boy's faces deepen.

"Nora-"

"I need to go find Aubrey, I'll see you later," she waves, forcing the grin onto her lips as she pushes past the boys, looking for Aubrey in the crowd until she stumbles across Isaac and Blair.

"My fellow adventurers," she grins, slipping her arm around Isaac's waist who throws his arm around her with Blair grinning in front of her, "anything planned for Christmas?"

"Stay in bed all day and watch Christmas movies," Blair giggled, "hopefully my dad won't be too much trouble."

"Well, you could always come back here early if he is," Nora pointed out, "then again, of course it would be tough to leave your sister."

"Exactly, I hate leaving her with him," Blair frowned, shaking her head, "you alright, Nora, you seem down?"

"I'm fine, I suppose," she sighed, spotting Finn and Milo amongst the crowd and making a note to go and see them, "I just, I thought James would at least say goodbye before he left."

"Ah," Blair tutted, moving to throw her arm around the girl, "I'm sure he had a reasonable explanation."

"Yes, forgetfulness," Nora mumbles, "well I'll see you two later, have a nice Christmas!"

"You too, Nora!" the two call, waving as they watch the girl stumble over to Finn and Milo.

"My boys!" Nora exclaimed, laughing when the two turned to her, automatically throwing their arms around the girl in a hug.

"Aren't you freezing Nora?!" Finn exclaims, "merlin, you're going to catch a cold!"

"I'm alright," she shrugs, keeping her arm around the boy, "are you excited for Christmas?"

"I am, actually," Finn nods, smiling widely, "Milo is joining us."

"Oh, that'll be lovely!" Nora exclaimed, grinning widely for the two, "make sure to write over Christmas, I don't think I could cope all alone without some source of contact!"

"I do feel terrible that you'll be here alone," Milo frowned, throwing his arm around her shoulder, "I'm sure you could still go to Adria's if you don't mind no luggage."

Nora let out a laugh as she nodded, "I think Adria would probably take me shopping," she scoffed, "I do like the castle, and I like my dorm, so I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" asked Finn, his eyebrow raised as he watched the girl nod.

"Positive, I really need to go find Aubrey, but have a good Christmas, and really, don't forget to write!" she grins, bidding the two boys a goodbye, finally pushing into the crowd until she stumbled into someone, that someone, thankfully being Aubrey.

"Oh Aubrey!" Nora exclaims, "I was looking for you!"

"I was looking for you!" Aubrey laughs loudly, shaking her head, "please don't open until Christmas day, and if you do, I will know," she warns, handing the girl a gift bag.

"Aubrey!" Nora groans, throwing her arm around her best friend tightly, "you didn't need to get me anything, you headcase!"

"Yes, I did!" she exclaimed, "not only are you my best friend, but you will be here all alone, and I'm terribly guilty about that!"

"Oh merlin, don't be!" Nora laughs, "I'll be completely fine, Aubrey, I'll just do what I always do, and yes it can be a bit lonely, but if you write to me, at least I'll have letters to keep me company."

"It's times like these that I wish I had a decent family," she huffed, "it's times like this that I wish you had a decent family that weren't a bunch of arses!"

"You and me both," Nora scoffs, a frown on her lips when McGonagall's voice boomed through the courtyard.

"The carriages are here for the second trip, students!" McGonagall shouted, clapping her hand.

"You better go, you don't want to wait again," Nora sighs, "try and get a good seat on the train, and also, try and sleep!"

"Okay mama Nora," Aubrey teased, a giggle tumbling from her lips as she hugged Nora one last time, waving furiously as she pushed herself forward.

"Bye Nora!" Adria shouted, waving furiously from where she was with Sirius, a grin on her lips as Nora waved back.

"Nora!" the girl turned at the voice, and soon was she greeted by a frantic Lily, "I couldn't seem to find you, but have a good Christmas, we should hang out when I get back!"

"Oh yeah!" Nora nodded with a wide grin, waving furiously, "have a nice Christmas, Lily!"

A sigh tumbled from her lips as she backed up, watching the bright smiles and happy faces as students, friends, the lot got into the carts pulled by the thestrals, the creatures with the leathery black skin, elegant, like hairless horses that terrified Nora when she came back for her third year and the dark eyes stared back at her.

Curtsey of her wonderful brother, Nora could see the extravagant creatures, whilst rather terrifying.

She leaned against the wall as she watched Adria and her friends climb into one of the carriages, her bright smile contrasting against the sadness she had been feeling since she came back, and with a sigh, a smile fell onto Nora's lips.

she had to admit that her fifth year was a rollercoaster, not only did she lose one of her best friends, but it seemed that she had gained so much more. There was Adria, the girl with the hilarious sense of humour and kind smile, who introduced her to Finn and Milo, the wonderful boys who never failed to put a smile on the girls face, she couldn't imagine a life without them, and she didn't want to, they were close now, and she loved it.

She had grown closer to Aubrey, if that was even possible, but with her fallen out with Caden, it seemed to have brought the two girls closer, although they had already been inseparable, she knew that she had the best friend anyone could ask for, she was best friends with Caden too, but she hadn't talked to the boy because of what he had done to Nora.

Then there was Blair and Isaac, two that she had been friends with for a while now, not so much close friends but they shared the adventurous trait to the point that their conversations where more than pleasant.

And of course, then there was Lily, who she could never hate, nor did she want to, but even though the girl had a terrible boyfriend, Lily, herself, was more than lovely.

And then there was James Potter, the boy with the hazel eyes and the gorgeous smile, able to make the butterflies erupt in her stomach, or the blush attack her cheeks, and whilst it infuriated her, she wouldn't have it any other way. She wondered why he left without saying goodbye, wondered why it bothered her so much, but she knew, that she already knew why it bothered her so much.

She was upset, she wouldn't see him for two weeks, and he hadn't even said goodbye to her, and that thought just couldn't seem to leave her mind. She missed him already, missed the way he called her love, or the way he would take her hand, or wrap his arm around her.

A frown attacked Nora's lips as she watched the carriages disappear from view, students still littered the courtyard waiting for them to return, and Nora still stood there, ignoring the cold that swept through her, until a heavy coat placed over her shoulders, breaking her from the daze she had placed herself in.

The coat was warm as it hung from her shoulders, a winters coat, grey and cotton, and all around lovely, but it was unmissably familiar, as was the scent that filled Nora's nostrils of who it belonged to. The realisation filled her mind only after a few moments, and soon did she turn to meet the hazel eyes behind the black rimmed glasses, seeing James Potter grinning down at her as he pulled on his coat.

"James?!" she exclaimed, wide eyed as she stared at the boy, her head titled as she felt the sadness, any loneliness that she felt leave her body, "what are you doing here, why aren't you with your friends?!"

"Well I was under the impression that you where my friend, and I'm with you, aren't i?" he smirked cheekily, subtly pulling her closer to him before his hand slipped around her waist, "did I forget to mention that I was staying?! Oh merlin, so forgetful, aren't I, love?"

"You're staying?!" she repeated, a gasp falling from her lips as he nodded, laughing at her reaction.

"That I am," he grinned.

"You complete arse!" she huffed, her arms flailing around, "why didn't you tell me?!"

"Because I had a sneaking suspicion that your reaction would be adorable," he shrugged, his hand finding her cheek, gently running his thumb over her cheekbone, "and look at that, just as always, I seem to be right!"

The blush that filled her cheeks was unmissable as she scoffed, shaking her head she couldn't help but look at him, the grin falling onto her lips as she wrapped her arms around his neck, tightening his grip on him as they embraced.

"You're still an arse," she whispered, nuzzling into the warmth of his neck, "I hope you know that."

"Well, Nora," James chuckles, pressing a kiss to her cheek softly, "I believe that if there was anyone in this world able to remind me that I was an arse, then it would be you."

"I'm just doing god's work!"