Chapter 45

She could feel herself getting more and more nervous as she walked away from James, butterflies floating frantically around her stomach like they were furious, but in actual fact, she was just incredibly nervous. Her time with James' parents went well, amazing, actually, a perfect greeting, she really loved his parents already, she couldn't wait to see them again, seeing as she knew she would already visit James at some point just to see them.

She could feel her throat drying as she pushed herself through the people on the platform, she was alone. James was long from where she was, she couldn't see him through the multiple crowd, but she couldn't see Remus either, she was alone, terrified, she had to face her problems, problems that weren't exactly problems at all but she was still terrified, she feared the rejection of Remus' parents, she feared that she would have to get the train to Ireland, ignore her parents as she rushed to her room, crying about what could be, writing a letter to James to tell him the news, she was simply terrified, and now she was alone, like she would be if rejection happened.

But then suddenly, the crowd broke, she stumbled through, and there was Remus, a grin on his lips as he spotted his cousin, throwing his arm around her with a laugh as she made her way towards him, "you ready, Nora?" he asked, eyebrow raised as he saw how pale her face looked, wide eyed, Remus was sure she was shaking.

"You alright, Nora?" he asked, stopping as they walked, a frown on his lips, his head titled as he stared at her, "They're going to love you."

"Yeah everyone is saying that about a lot of people," she mumbled, a frown on her lips and her eyebrows knitted together.

"Because you're bloody brilliant Nora, a brilliant friend, a brilliant person, a brilliant cousin, you have helped so many people and you don't even realise it!" Remus exclaimed, stopping her as she walked, "my life as your cousin has gotten so much better, the fact that I have family at Hogwarts, and yes, the boys are my brothers, Adria is my sister, but it's not the same, you're truly my cousin, my family, a part of me, blood related, and honestly, I would never think of anyone better to have as my cousin than you!"

Nora smiled softly, wrapping her arms around Remus in a hug tightly, a puff of air escaping her lips as she tightened her grip on the boy, "thanks Remus," she mumbled softly, he really was the best cousin, it was shocking and unexpected that they were related but she wouldn't have it any other way, she couldn't imagine a life without Remus, not only was he her cousin, but also, he was one of her best friends, and she couldn't think of a better way to spend some of her summer than his house.

She just hoped his parents would like her.

She allowed Remus to guide her through the crowd, silent, unable to speak a word, Remus tried to talk at first as he walked with her, whilst finding his parents too, but he stopped when he realised she wasn't going to reply. Her eyes were on the crowd in front of her, locking onto each individual in her way for a few moments until they walked out of the way, she was so scared, so scared of the rejection that had a chance of happening, a chance of breaking her heart, breaking her in two.

But then she saw the woman, the woman that was her aunt, and she knew it was her aunt, it was so painfully obvious, she had the same features as her mother, but so much softer, kinder, brighter, her hair was ever so slightly lighter than her mothers, she had the same hair as the hufflepuff. Her eyes the same beautiful colour, but brightened ever so slightly when she saw the two teenagers in the crowd, she was so beautiful. Nora hadn't even reached her but she couldn't help the small smile twitching on her lips, the woman had that effect, it seemed, her smile was contagious, and Nora knew it.

Hope knew Nora instantly, as she stood with her son, she had stopped dead, it was though the space between hope and Nora cleared, Remus moved out of the way but Nora didn't follow, she was fixated on her aunt, her family. The young girl was gorgeous, beautiful, Hope was shocked, swelled with happiness, pride at her niece, she loved her, she had ever since the day she was born, the day after Remus, it was shocking, unexpected, but a miracle, it was a miracle that Remus and Nora found each other, fate.

She was heartbroken the day that her sister walked out of her home, taking her niece with her, never to be seen again, Hope wished to see her, she wished for her, longed for her, as well as her brother, as well as Elijah, she heard of Elijah's passing after the funeral, a simple phone call telling them of the news, Hope sobbed for days, her nephew was dead.

What would her niece think, even as infants, the two were inseparable, she knew that Nora would feel terrible, she was informed by her sister's husband that it was Nora's fault, and the feeling in Hope was fear, not for her, but her niece, she knew that her parents would never treat her the same after that, and when Remus informed her, told her in his letter, "hey mum, why didn't you tell me I had a cousin?" her heart pounded in her chest, wide eyed as she read the letter with Lyall, she was ecstatic.

The two teenagers had found each other, Remus said she was his best friend as well as the boys, as well as Adria, and to think that, to think that not only had they found each other, that they were best friends, it put Hope at ease.

She couldn't help herself as she pushed herself forward in the direction of the girl, she couldn't help herself as she threw her arms around her, pulling her into her hold, holding the girl who was incredibly tense, incredibly stiff, still, terrified.

But her fears eased, and soon, she found herself hugging the woman back, relaxed, calm, at peace, with a smile on her lips and her head on her shoulder, she had nothing to be scared of, she had found her family, the family that would help her, take care of her, be there for her, she didn't need to feel so alone anymore, because she wasn't alone.

She had family that cared for her now, and merlin Hope cared for her, so did Lyall, he was so excited to meet her, he didn't judge the girl based on her parents, he felt sorry for the girl, actually, that she had to grow up with people like that, who abandoned her when tragedy engulfed them, and instead of loving the child that they had left, instead of fighting through the pain for her, they simply blamed her.

"Oh merlin," Hope whispered, shaking her head, a wide smile on her lips as she held Nora's face in her hands, wiping the tears that had spilled from the Hufflepuff's eyes, "you are so beautiful, my niece, my beautiful niece!"

"I-I don't know what to say," Nora whispered, tears glazing her eyes as she held onto Hope's hands, she could feel the love radiating from the woman as they stood there, "I knew it was you, I saw you, I just knew it- y-you look like my mum!"

Hope stared at her, searching her eyes before pulling her into another hug, tightening her grip on her niece, a cry escaping her lips as the two stood there, completely oblivious to the stares of Remus and Lyall, "I've wanted to meet you, Nora, I've wanted to see you since the day your mum took you, I wish I had, I wish it didn't take this long to finally see you again, but that doesn't matter anymore, what matters now is that you're here!"

Nora nodded softly, a smile on her lips, her eyes crinkling with happiness, she had a family, she had an auntie who loved her, she had people in her life, family, a home that she wouldn't want to run from, she loved adventures, she really did, but she could feel it, bubbling in her stomach, she had found something amazing, she was introduced to someone amazing, she couldn't believe her luck.

"I wanted to find you too," Nora whispered softly, "I used to stare at the pictures in the attic of my parents' house for hours on end, for years I'd sneak up there, I knew that I was named after you, Nora Hope Robinson, I knew I wanted to meet you the moment I saw the picture of you and my mum."

"Did you tell your parents that you were staying with us?" asked Hope, her hands-on Nora's shoulders, worry seeping through her that she would see her sister here at the platform, and when Nora shook her head, Hope's eyes widened.

"They wouldn't have come for me anyway," Nora sighed, a puff of her falling from her lips, "they never have since Elijah passed, they make me find my own way home, the really don't care for me anymore."

"Oh merlin," Hope whispered, shaking her head, a sigh floating in the air between them, "well I care for you, I do, I really do."

The smile on Nora's lips couldn't have possibly widened as she nodded, allowing Hope to guide her over to her husband, who had a wide smile on his own lips as he stared down at the girl, "Lyall Lupin, it really is a pleasure to meet you, Nora, you look like my wife."

Nora laughed softly as she nodded, "we have the same hair," Nora spoke, lifting a lock of her hair as she looked at Hope, and then to Remus.

"Ah yes, the Howell hair," Lyall spoke, patting his sons head, and his wife's shoulder, "very light, but not exactly blonde."

Nora nodded as she stood there, kind smiles thrown her way, a wide grin on Remus' lips, a look that said 'I told you so' written across his features, he wished to say it, rub it in her face that he knew that his family would love her, and it was true, they did love her, the moment they saw her, Hope gasped, Lyall's eyes widened, she was family, she could pass as their daughter, really, they couldn't wait to meet her.

And now that they have, they loved her so much.

Lyall soon stood forward, throwing his arms around the girl, and she soon wrapped her arms around him, he was as tall as Remus, maybe just an inch smaller than the boy, but that wasn't surprising, Remus was taller than everyone.

It didn't take long for Hope to join in, she was just so happy that she was finally reunited with her niece, she couldn't help her happiness, she was terrified that she wouldn't like her, but little did she know that Nora had felt the exact same way, they were very alike.

Remus couldn't help but laugh when Nora turned to him, her eyebrow raised as he watched his parents and his cousin, his cheeks had flushed red when he caught Blair's eye, awkwardly waving from afar, a wide smile on his lips as she smiled at him, but soon did her eyes trail to the group, slightly confused seeing as she couldn't see Nora's face, but when Nora grabbed Remus' hand, pulling him into the group hug, the girl couldn't help but giggle at Remus' obvious embarrassment.

Remus smiled as he threw his arm around Nora, patting her shoulder, and soon did he speak, "I told you so."