Chapter 24

"Okay, the breakup plan," Nora spoke, her voice hushed and her eyes narrowed as she looked at the multiple friends she had around the table, "is back on."

"What was the breakup plan before?" asked Sirius as he leaned on the table, one arm around Adria who was trying not to snap.

Nora and James shared a look, biting their lips to hide their amusement as Nora shrugged, "I forced James to read a book once and we thought that if we were ever in that book then we would break the two characters up."

"Oh, that's me with all books," Blair scoffed, casually leaning on Isaac beside her, trying her best to avoid Remus' eyes so that she wouldn't find herself blushing, "I'd break them all up and have them for myself."

"Poor Remus," Adria coughed from beside her, earning a hard glare from Remus, and an even harder punch from Blair.

"Anyway," Nora smirked, "we all know why we're here, we can't just go up to Caden and accuse him of hurting Lily, we need to get Lily to us, we need to help her, but we're going to have a little fun."

"The only pranks that I condone!" Adria piped in, raising her hand whilst the others laughed softly.

"Show no mercy, Sirius, you are in charge of keeping Adria from killing him," Nora scoffed, watching as he sent her a mock salute.

"Okay James is in charge of wizard pranks," Nora spoke, reading over the notes she had took.

"That's so unfair!" Sirius exclaimed, "he's only in charge because he's your boyfriend!"

"Yeah, and why are you in charge?!" asked Adria, high fiving Sirius whilst both James and Nora sent them a glare.

"Because I planned it, and James is the best at being cruel," Nora smirked, high fiving James all the same, "Adria and I are in charge of muggle pranks."

"You're on your own, Sirius, I'm in charge of something!" Adria grinned, leaning over the table and high fiving Nora.

"Why don't me and the boys be in charge of wizard pranks," James whispered to Nora, nudging to Sirius, Remus, and Peter, seeing as working without the boys for pranks would definitely be rather odd.

"Good idea," Nora grinned, nodding her head, "change of plan, the self-proclaimed idiots- sorry, the self-proclaimed Marauders are in charge of wizard pranks."

"Yes!" Sirius grinned, high fiving Remus, Peter and James quickly.

"Blair and Isaac are in charge of snacks because they both wanted to be involved but aren't the best at pranks," Nora giggled, watching Blair and Isaac high-five, "Finn and Milo are in charge of being the cutest, because they wanted to be involved too, but again, aren't good at pranks."

"We'll try our best, guys!" Finn piped in, throwing his arm around Milo, and then using his free hand to high five his boyfriend.

"Arden wants to be in charge of, um, hot chocolate?" Nora asked, lifting her head to stare at the girl.

"The house elves can get annoyed if we work them too hard, but they like me, I think they'll be alright if I'm the one going to get it," Arden shrugged.

"Why would we need hot choc-"

Nora cut James off, nudging him with a glare, "we always need hot chocolate, James Potter."

"Okay, so, Marlene, Mary, and Dorcas, as well as Adria, you guys should be in charge of keeping Lily from knowing that anything is going on, and more importantly, being there for her," Nora smiled softly, "she needs to know that all of us are there for her, but you four are her best friends, and Adria you've known her more than all of us here, so if she talks to you about twatty mctwat face, then you have to tell us, if it's alright?"

"Yeah, if she tells me anything, I'll go and kill him," Adria shrugged.

"Sirius, make sure she doesn't kill him."

"I'll try, but if I don't see it happening then I can't stop it," Sirius tutted, running a hand through his hair whilst subtly high fiving Adria.

"Also, we need someone to be in charge of keeping track of Caden," Nora spoke, "Aubrey, do you think you could, do it?"

Nora turned to the Slytherin beside her, seeing the look of disgust on her features, she spoke, "If it means helping Lily, I'll do it, but don't think I'm happy about it."

"Who would be," Nora scoffed, linking her arm with Aubrey's, "so, of course, all of us want to kill Caden-"

"Yes."

Nora looked up when everyone spoke in unison, seeing the anger written across their faces that a girl like Lily, a kind, lovely, amazing girl like Lily Evans was going through something like this and only now did they all truly realise what was going.

"But our main priority is getting Lily away from him, we need to make sure he doesn't suspect something because he'll think he is getting caught, get more aggressive, his fear could hurt Lily, we need to act normal around him, well you all do, Aubrey and I aren't talking to him still but of course, Aubrey is willing to become his friend again if it means helping Lily."

"She doesn't deserve this," Adria whispered, biting her lip, furiously shaking her head, "I thought Caden was nice, I thought he was good for her."

"We all did, Addy," Marlene sighed softly, patting her best friends arm, "Lily was so happy with him, we thought he made her happy, it looked like he did."

"How did you realise, Nora?" asked Dorcas, turning to face the hufflepuff.

"Caden had been my best friend for so long, it was always Aubrey, Caden, and myself, and I wondered, if Caden can hurt me like that, if he can shout at me like that, break a promise, my trust, a tradition that we've had for ever, then what would he do to Lily?" Nora grumbled, her eyes narrowed, "he'll pay for this, we'll make him."

-

The library was basically empty as Nora sat upon one of the seats close to the window, her legs draped over Remus Lupin's as the two read together, fairly concentrated in the books that they were reading.

The two had definitely grown closer in the time that Nora and James had become friends, and then, of course, when they became a couple, and now, Nora would even call Remus one of her best friends, too, as well as Sirius and Peter.

"So, Nora Robinson," Remus tutted, lifting his head from his book as did she when he called her name, an amused smile on her lips as she stared at him, "a few things, first, do you have a middle name? second, I love you but if you hurt James I'd have to kill you, and third, what are you reading?"

"One, I do have a middle name, yes," she nodded, "second, if I ever hurt James, It would never be intentional, and in saying that, I'd probably kill myself first, third, a muggle book about love or something," she shrugged."

"Okay, one, what is your middle name?" Remus asked, "two, that was the best answer and I trust you, three, sounds boring."

"One, my middle name is Hope," she smiled, "two, thank you, I tried my hardest on it, and three, it is."

"Your middle name is Hope?" asked Remus, a smile wide on his lips as he stared at her, "that's my mums name."

"Really?!" she asked, a laugh falling from her lips, "my mother's sister is called Hope, but I never see her, I think I met her when I was younger, but they lost contact when Hope married," she frowned, "she's lovely, I remember when I was younger, I would go to the attic, and there would be pictures of Hope and my mother."

"That's crazy," Remus whispered, wide eyed as he shook his head, "what does she look like?"

"Well she has hair like me," Nora laughed softly, "like you, too, I suppose, all light brown and stuff, she has the kindest smile, even when she was younger, she looked so happy, and kind, and I would love to meet her but she lives in England, I think. My dad is Irish, so my mum moved to Ireland to be with him, she's from Wales."

"Your mum is Welsh?" asked Remus, wide eyed as he stared at her, "so is my mum, Hope."

"You're kidding," Nora gasped, her hand clasped over her mouth, "that's weird."

"It is," Remus nodded, "have you ever tried to visit her before?"

"No, actually, I would like to, my mum used to tell me and my brother stories of her when we were really young, and I remember some, but mum didn't approve of the man that Hope married, uh, she said he was weird, and different, and that she didn't want him near us, so she made him leave, and of course, Hope left too, the thing is, I just know she's nice, I'm positive of it, y'know?"

"Yeah, I understand," Remus whispered, patting her knee.

"I always wondered what it would be like if I was in contact with her," Nora sighed, "what if she took me in? allowed me to stay with her, I'd have someone, I'd have an auntie, and her husband, he would be my uncle, and what if she had kids? I'd have a full family, and they would love me, and I would love them and maybe I wouldn't have to travel so much, because I didn't need to go home to the people that don't want me."

"Can I show you something, Nora?" asked Remus, gently moving her legs and standing up. He reached for her hand, pulling her off of the chair she sat on whilst grabbing both of their bags.

"Where are we going?" she asked, pulling on the strap of her bag as she walked beside him, her eyebrows furrowed as she hurried her step to catch up with him. Seeing as Remus was even taller than James was - and James was bloody tall - it was a slight struggle for Nora to catch up with his long strides down the hallway, "I have little legs!"

"Oh merlin," Remus chuckled, pulling her arm quickly so that she would speed up, "we're going to the Gryffindor tower."

"Oh no, I can't take this walking!" she exclaimed, clutching her side as she pulled herself up the stairs, complaing the full time whilst Remus turned to wait for her, "you better have a good reason for this Remus John Lupin."

"How do you know my middle name?!" he exclaimed, "it was the same with Adria, I didn't tell you my middle name!"

"I know," she shrugged, "you will never know my secrets, R.J Lupin."

"That just sounds odd," he scoffed, finally slowing his pace when they turned onto another corridor, "how are you feeling with the whole Caden thing?"

"I'm fine, I just wish I figured it out sooner," Nora tutted, shaking her head with a sigh.

"It's not your fault, Nora, it's no one's fault, if we all had the mindset of figuring it out sooner then we'd be distraught," Remus sighed, patting her head, "now let's go."

Remus recited the password once they reached the fat lady, to which Nora greeted before she entered the common room, "oi where are you two going?" the familiar voice of James called when he saw Remus guiding Nora in the direction of the boy's dormitory.

"Oh, didn't I tell you?" Nora asked, "I left you for Remus."

"A little heads up would've been nice!" James exclaimed, watching the amused smile attack Nora's lips as she sent him a wink, hurrying after Remus as he ascended the stairs.

She sat on James' bed once she reached the dorm, her legs crossed in a basket as she watched Remus rummage through his trunk for something she didn't know, and soon, after at least five minutes of searching - and throwing everything he owned out of his trunk - did Remus finally stand up, clutching a photograph of someone Nora couldn't see.

"This is my mum, Nora," Remus whispered, handing the photo to Nora who couldn't help but gasp.

The familiar smile, beautiful, kind, lovely, the light, sandy brown hair that framed her face and her hands holding onto a young child, of who she was sure was Remus. Her eyes glazed with tears that she threatened to not let spill, and soon did she croak out, "oh my god," unsure if forming proper sentences was something she was capable of as she lifted her eyes to Remus, "you're my cousin."