Chapter 27

He looked peaceful, content, lovely, to Nora, he was more, he was everything, he helped her, saved her, brought her here, he was incredible.

He was James Potter, the boy that she was on the fastest train to falling in love with.

She wanted to wake him solely for the fact that she wanted to talk to him, to hug him, to touch him, she was alone, lonely, Adria had left. She wanted James, she was sure he would be alright with her waking him up but he needed rest, he needed to sleep.

A sigh tumbled from her lips as she looked around the hospital wing, a few students scattered around, some in beds sleeping but most where getting small cuts or bruises healed quickly.

"Nora," her head snapped to James, her hand untangling from his messy hair as she watched him, wincing slightly as he moved his neck, a groan tumbling from his lips as he blinked away the sleepiness, "oh, love," he frowned, taking her head in her hands and stealing a kiss, forceful and passionate, a message to her transferred between his touch, begging that she was alright.

And she was alright, because he was with her, he was near her and there for her and if she didn't have him then she was sure she would've died, as dramatic as it sounded, it was also true.

It was alright to need someone in this world, and merlin they needed each other.

"How are you? how are you feeling? Are you hurting? Are you alright?" he asked, searching every part of her body for anything that could remotely hurt her, wincing at the number of bruises that littered her skin."

She reached for his hand, scooting over in the bed so that he could lie down, and soon did she wrap her arm around his waist, nuzzling her head into the warmth of his neck, "I'm alright now that I have you."

"I was so scared, Nora," he mumbled into her hair, kissing her head as he held her, "so bloody scared."

"I know, I'm sorr-"

"Don't even finish that, Nora," James cut her off, gently guiding her head to look at him, his eyes holding so much pain, and she was sure hers did too, "don't you dare say sorry for something that wasn't your fault, i-if I didn't walk out of the dorm, if I just stayed there and listened, and let you explain then you wouldn't have come after me, you would be alright."

"Don't say that James," she whispered, pushing herself up and pressing her lips to his softly, her heart jumping at the feeling, "don't you dare blame yourself for something, even if you weren't at the treehouse, Caden shouldn't have been either, it's his fault, we're blaming him or we're blaming no one."

"He'll pay for this, Nora," James frowned, gripping her hand, a sigh left her lips as she pushed herself up, situating herself between James' legs and letting her chin rest on his chest as she stared at him, "I don't care if a go to Azkaban."

"Neither do I," Nora grumbled, "if we kill him together we could share a cell?"

"Sounds like a plan," James whispered, a small smile attacking his lips as he ran his hand through her hair, his fingertips dancing along her scalp as she closed her eyes, allowing herself to be engulfed in the feeling, "do you want to tell me everything that happened?"

"Alright," Nora whispered after a few moments of silence, a shaky breath tumbling from her lips as she sat up, blatantly ignoring the pain that creeped through her body.

"I was looking for you when you left, I thought maybe that's where you would go because it wasn't in the school, so it would give you space," she muttered, shrugging her shoulders as she stared at him.

She closed her eyes as she spoke of what happened, her shock as she reached the tree house, thinking she would see James sitting on the couch, thinking they would be able to talk about why he left, but instead she was met by the sight of Caden.

She told him of her fear, of what she knew he could do, that she had never been scared of Caden before, of anyone, but she was informed of what he could do, what he was capable of, "h-he grabbed me," she whispered, wincing when the thoughts poured through from her memories.

She recalled what he done, grabbing her waist tightly, holding her roughly in his arms, stroking her face, his breath close to her ear as he whispered harshly to her, "he c-called me a slut," she croaked out, "that I cried when I didn't get what I want, so I told him I had what I wanted, I told him I had you."

She heaved a sigh as the words tumbled from her lips, telling James of him getting angrier, rougher, holding her tighter, "he asked if I, um, if I f-fantasied about him, like he done with me," she shivered at the thought, shaking her head in disgust as the image flashed through her mind, of Caden's eyes on her, hungrily, lustfully, forcing himself onto her whilst her protests screamed through the trees in the forest.

"He started kissing my neck, and whispering in my ear," she choked back the sob, she didn't even realise how disgusted she was, she hadn't realised she was crying until James wiped her tears, guiding her head to lie on his chest.

"Oh, baby girl," he spoke softly, gently, so much different from Caden, so much different from the harshness she had seen, he held her gently, guided her softly, stroking her hair and decorating her skin with his fingertips that danced along her back, "he'll pay for this, love, I promise, I won't let him away with this, neither will our friends, I swear I'll kill him."

"Leave that to me, love," she smiled softly, pressing her lips to his, "just lie with me, now, please?"

"Always."

-

"I want him expelled!" James screeched, fuming as he paced Dumbledore's office, his eyes narrowed as they swept over the four professors in front of him, his hands clenched at his side.

"James, calm down," Adria sighed, gripping onto her best friend's arm, "you are getting angry, James, and that won't solve anything, we need to stay calm for Nora, alright, we're here for Nora," she whispered, throwing a glare at the silent Caden at the other side of the room.

"Expulsion?!" McGonagall spoke, wide eyed, "Mr Potter, I think we should solve this-"

"Solve this?!" James repeated, allowing Adria to hold him back, "he forced himself onto my girlfriend, he pushed her out of a fucking tree!"

"James, language," Adria snapped, her eyes wide as she held him back, rubbing his back as his shoulders slump.

"The girl I love is in the hospital wing because he pushed her out of a tree, she could have died, she has bruises everywhere, Madam Pomfrey said she broke four ribs that she had to heal, she was in so much pain because she said no to him!" James' voice roared, running a hand angrily through his hair, "he should be going to Azkaban for fucking attempted rape-"

"James!"

"What?!" he screamed, pulling himself from Adria, "what if Nora didn't fight back? what if I wasn't there? What would he have done? Let her go? I don't fucking think so!"

"Mr Pott-"

"Don't," James whispered, his eyes glazed with tears he wished not to spill, though he was worried he didn't have a choice when the first tears slipped from his eye, "attempted murder too, I say, he pushed her out of a tree, a tree higher than ten foot, she could have died if she wasn't so fucking strong!"

"Miss Hopkins, what is your stance on the matter?" asked McGonagall, a sigh falling from her lips as she turned to Adria.

"I agree with James, Professor," she spoke, linking her arm with the boy next to her, "Caden is nothing that I thought he was, he hurt his best friend, Nora Robinson was his best friend, and he broke that, he broke her trust, and when she said no, when she tried to get away from him, he wouldn't let her, he forced himself onto her, he hurt her, he caused her so much pain. She is still having nightmares about what happened, Professors, she is in pain, physically and emotionally, and all that James and I, and our friends can do is be there for her and try to make this pain bearable, but that's hard, isn't it? she'll still have the nightmares, and she'll still be afraid whenever she passes him in the hallway, all because of something that he did."

"Very well, Miss Hopkins," Professor McGonagall whispered, trying her best not to look at Caden or she was sure that she would lose her job.

"This is all a big misunderstanding," Caden's parents stood forward, who had arrived not too long ago, "we'll pay for the damage made, how are we even sure that this girl is telling the truth?"

"This girl?" James repeated, "a girl that has been to your home, who has known your son for years, and you have the audacity to call her 'this girl', no wonder he's like this!"

"James, look at me," Adria whispered softly, guiding his head to look at her, "you have to calm down, if you insult them, then they're going to fight, I have a plan, just trust me, alright?"

James stared at her, a frown attacking his lips until a few moments later, he nodded, "alright, fine."

"Let's say Nora is lying-"

"Adria-"

"James," she snapped, reaching for his hand and squeezing it comfortingly, "let's say she is, let's say she threw herself off a tree for no other reason, and decided, you know what, I'm going to blame Caden, but that doesn't justify the bruises that his hands have left on her side, that doesn't justify her waking up drenched in sweat because she relived the moment that he pushed her."

"Miss Hopk-"

"If Nora is the one lying, I'm sure Caden wouldn't be opposed to taking Veritaserum-"

"Miss Hopkins, the use of Veritaserum on a student is forbidden," Professor McGonagall sighed, throwing the girl a sympathetic smile. She was disgusted, she believed her students in her house, she would fight for their victory, for the victory of the girl lying in the hospital wing.

"I know, Professor, but this is important, if it gets to the bottom of this, if it proves Caden's innocence then I'm sure the use of it would be justified," Adria spoke, her eyes harshly on Caden who was looking away.

"I'm sure that's not necessary-" Caden's mother was cut off by a scoff tumbling from Adria's lips.

"So, you don't want your son to have the justification that he is innocent?" asked Adria, her head titled, "this could save him."

"He is in a lot of trouble, Mrs Duncan," Flitwick piped in, "if there is a chance that Caden is telling the truth when he says that he hadn't even seen Nora, then this would be the perfect time to show that truth."

"And if we don't agree to this?" asked Mr Duncan.

"Then we shall have no choice but to believe Mr Potter, and Miss Hopkins," Dumbledore confirmed, clapping his hands together, "a young girl, a student of mine is in hospital, in pain, with many broken bones, and is accusing your son of doing the damage, and not only that, but forcing himself onto her, scarring her, expulsion is simply the easiest route out of this. Mr and Mrs Duncan, if this went to court, if Miss Robinson wished to press charges, then Caden could go to Azkaban."

"And what does Miss Robinson want?" asked Mr Duncan, his eyes narrowed as he gripped Caden roughly, anger bubbling in his stomach.

"To never see Caden again."