Chapter 39

James felt terrible, it was safe to say, he had tried to apologise countless times to both Adria and Lily, and it finally worked, they finally accepted the apologies that spilled from his mouth, begging for them to forgive him, and thankfully they did.

He thought getting Lily to forgive him would be the hardest, seeing as the girl didn't like him in the first place but she was easy to forgive him, and he was terribly thankful.

The only thing was, was that Nora had avoided him for a painful amount of time, he knew he needed her, but he didn't realise how much until he didn't have her with him. He was waiting outside of her Defence against the dark arts class for her to leave, he needed to catch her before she avoided him again.

He missed her too much, he needed to tell her that he was sorry, that he knew what he did was wrong, that Lily had forgiven him. he was leaning against the wall, she wasn't talking to anyone, even Adria had said she hadn't seen anyone, but she was sure it wasn't just the encounter with James that was causing her to go into hiding.

That just worried James more.

He had tried talking to Aubrey, asking if she had seen her, and of course she had, Aubrey was her best friend, but like any best friend would, she didn't tell James where she was, nor what she was doing, or why she was avoiding everyone.

He almost sighed in relief when the first person walked out of the classroom, followed by the next, and soon did he wait, and wait, and wait for each person to stumble out of the classroom. He saw Remus, and Aubrey but no sign of Nora, he was giving up home as the crowd of people faltered.

But then he saw her exit the classroom, bags under her eyes and a frown on her lips, she looked as though she hadn't gotten any sleep, and well, she hadn't really, she was exhausted, and slightly cranky.

So, when James slipped his arm around her waist suddenly, pulling her into him and whispering in her ear that he was sorry, did she turn with a glare, only softening when she saw the sadness in his eyes and the flowers in his hand.

"James-"

"Nora," he whispered, pulling her closer, his hand gripping her side, his arm still around his waist, holding her tightly as her hands lay on his chest, a frown on her lips as he cupped her cheek, his thumb tracing over her lip softly, "baby, love."

"I think you're just listing off nicknames now," Nora whispered, leaning her head on his chest, intaking a breath of his scent, the one she had missed painfully, far too much, "everything just got to me, James, I'm not mad anymore."

"You're not?!" he asked, pulling back to look at her, seeing the small smile on her lips, and finally did the smile capture his lips, and soon did they find hers, forcefully, hungrily, grabbing the back of her head gently and pulling her as close as she could possibly be in the middle of the hallway, he didn't care, he just needed her.

"I hadn't seen you like that James, laughing at other people's humiliation, it was flat out bullying and I don't care about Snivellus, I hate him, really, but I love Lily, and the fact that she was upset, the fact that he called her a mudblood made me so angry, how dare he, how dare he say that, and the fact that Remus didn't help, when it's literally his job to do that, to help!" Nora exclaimed, shaking her head with sigh, "and Sirius and Peter where just edging you on and I love your pranks, I do, they're funny, and a lot of people laugh, I know that's why you do it, James, to make people laugh, but no one was laughing except from you and the boys, the crowd weren't laughing, neither was Severus, it was just cruel!"

"I'm sorry, Nora, I am, I feel terrible," James shook his head, a sigh tumbling from his lips, "Adria and Lily forgive me, I just couldn't find you I needed to find you, I've missed you so much, I knew I needed you, but I didn't know how much, and now I do, and it's bloody a lot!"

"Lily and Adria forgave you?" asked Nora, sighing in relief, "thank merlin."

"Adria said she thinks the incident isn't the only thing that made you go into hibernation," James mumbled, nudging her face slightly before nuzzling his head into the crook of her neck, pressing soft kisses to her skin as she smiled, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"I was over thinking, the nightmares came back, I thought of that night, I think because I was so sad, and stressed that I was just scared, and the fact that the nightmares came back freaked me out, I didn't want that, I really didn't want that to happen, I was so afraid that they would stay," Nora choked out, "so I channelled my anger, and my sadness, and my fear into a new beginning."

"What?" asked James, pulling himself up to look at her, his eyebrows furrowed and his head titled ever so slightly, "what do you mean, love?"

She sighed, reaching for his hand and intertwining their fingers, pulling him along with her down the hallway, "I talked to Remus today in class."

"You did?" asked James, pulling her closer, he just needed her to be closer, he couldn't help himself, he longed for her always, even when she was only an inch apart from him, "what did you say?"

"I could be wrong, but I think maybe, hello," she teased, throwing him a smile as she joked, watching with furrowed eyebrows as he stopped, pulling her closer with her other hand and embracing her tightly, "James, what are you doing?" she laughed softly, gripping his shirt whilst he lifted her head, kissing every inch of her face that he could reach.

"Oh merlin, I just missed you so much," he shook his head, his smile wide as he took her head in his hand, "you have no idea how much I have wanted you next to me, turned to talk to you and you're not there, it was painful without you, apparently, I was sulking, and it doesn't surprise me, I need you, Nora, so much!"

She sighed, reaching up to run her hand through his hair, something she always seemed to do, she loved how soft it was, and when Remus told her that he styled the messy look, she couldn't stop laughing, "I missed you too, James, so bloody much, I just wanted to be with you, I wanted to apologise to you, but then there were times when I was so bloody mad, I was so torn."

"If we ever fall out, we're sorting it two minutes later," James huffed, reaching for her hand again, and pulling her along, "now where are you taking me."

She smirked as she turned to him, pressing her lips to his cheek, she whispered, "you'll see."

-

"Nora, you didn't!" James gasped, wide eyed as he looked up at it, quickly to Nora and then back at the completed tree house in front of him. It was over two trees close to each other, and the stairs leading up to it had been completed with a rope banister, as well as the windows that had curtains on them, and the door that was now made out of wood, instead of a curtain.

"I did," she nodded, running a hand through her hair as she turned to him, "would you like to see our new and improved tree house?"

"You are something else, Nora Robinson," James shook his head, stumbling forward when Nora reached for his hand, guiding him to the steps of the tree house.

"Now you need to hold onto the rope every time you climb up them because it took me so long to get the rope in the right spot!" Nora grinned, guiding his hand to the rope whilst his other one slipped around her waist as she walked, a grin contently on his lips as he leaned his head on her shoulder, more than thankful that she was back in his arms.

"I'm so excited," James grinned as they reached the landing, which was much bigger - and much more secure - than the older one.

The most noticeable thing was the fact that there was a door, a real door and when James looked closer he was sure that there was a lock on it, "Nora, you did not get a functioning door!"

"I did!" she grinned, winking at him, "it has a charm on it, you see, watch this!"

She moved closer to the door, tapping four times with her index finger and twice with her thumb on the cold metal, and soon did the door unlock, "there's also a password, but that's cooler!"

"How are you so intelligent?!" James whispered, shaking his head in disbelief as he followed her in, his eyes widening as the bright yellow walls, and wood flooring covered in carpet stood out to him, "Oh merlin, Nora!"

"Do you like it?" she asked, turning to him with a wide smile, all of the original furniture from the tree house fitted nicely with the décor, it was bright and airy with the bigger window, and much more spacious than before, "I may have stolen somethings, I found them in a closet somewhere last week!"

"Oh merlin, Nora, what did you steal?" James groaned, taking her outstretched hand and following her through a door way, that leaded to another room. His eyes widened when he saw the mattresses neatly placed on the floor, finished with pillows, blankets, the lot.

"For our sleepovers!" she grinned, turning to him excitedly, "I was in your room, but you were too busy sleeping to notice."

"You where?!" James exclaimed, wide eyed, "when?!"

"When I was getting the cloak," she scoffed, "and then I was back and you woke up like 'woah what!' and I said, go back to sleep, and kissed your head and you were sleeping in seconds."

"Speaking of sleep," James chuckled, shaking his head, "how much have you had?"

She frowned as she thought, "not a lot, I don't think, but I'm alright!"

"Nora," James spoke sternly, sighing as he done so, "you need to sleep, right now, love."

"No, what?!" she exclaimed, "no, you need to tell me everything you have done since the day we weren't talking!"

"Merlin Nora," James chuckled, shaking his head, "you're going to sleep, that's final."

"What are you gonna make me?" she asked, her head titled and an innocent smirk on her lips as he turned to her, watching her crossing her arms over her chest.

She moved forward, trailing her hands up his chest, tracing her fingertips over the skin of his neck, "come on, James, what are you gonna do?" she teased, her eyebrow raised as she pushed herself up, pressing her lips to his jaw softly.

"Nora," he trailed off, his eyes closed as she pulled away, a wide grin on her lips as he opened his eyes, leaning his forehead against hers, he whispered, "you're such a little tease."

She scoffed as she pushed herself back, her grin widening as she shrugged her shoulders, moving through the archway, she walked away, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

A loud laugh escaped her lips when his arms sneaked around her waist, pulling her off the ground, "I will force you to sleep Nora Robinson!"

"No!" she whined, squirming as he pulled her into one of the other rooms, "I wanna do something fun!"

He chuckled as he sat down on the bed, pulling her down with her, and catching her so she wouldn't hurt herself, he pulled her up beside him, guiding her head to his chest, and softly running his fingers through her hair, "what do you wanna do then, love?"

"Something fun," she repeated, her voice quiet whilst her arm wrapped around James, as well as her leg, moving her head closer to him, "I don't wanna...I don't wanna slee-" she was cut off by a yawn that escaped her lips, soon followed by a sigh when James chuckled.

"We'll do something fun when you wake up," James mumbled, leaning down to press his lips to her forehead.

"You promise?"

"I promise."