Chapter 48

"I can't believe you're here," Nora whispered, shaking her head in disbelief, her arms around James as they lay on her bed. Even after two days, Nora was still shocked that he was here, he didn't even get to see Remus so much as hug him as she gripped onto him, her arms around his waist always, her head on his chest taking in his scent, and his warmth, and the comfort he emitted, but he wasn't complaining in the slightest.

"I'm glad I'm here," James mumbled into her hair, pulling her closer, guiding her face to look at him, "oh merlin, Nora, seeing your face again," he shook his head, dropping his hand, he couldn't even think of the words to explain how ecstatic he was.

She cupped his cheek, pushing herself forward, her eyes closed as she savoured the feeling of her lips perfectly connecting with his, his hand on the bottom of her back, lifting up her shirt to trace his fingertips along the skin, creating goose bumps only he could.

She hummed in content, in happiness, her legs straddling his hips, pushing herself closer to him, dancing her fingers over his neck as his tongue slipped into her mouth, and soon did he roll them over so he was hovering over her, a squeal leaving her lips, her legs wrapped around his waist.

"I didn't know it was possible to miss someone as much as I missed you," James grumbled, pulling his lips from hers, trailing them down her jaw, almost biting her skin as he kissed her forcefully, gripping her tightly as he kissed her neck, sucking, biting, licking at the skin, hearing the moan ripple through the air just motivated him further.

Her head moved to the side, giving him more room, her legs tightening around him, her hand gripping his hair as she gasped, "James!"

He pushed his lips back onto hers, allowing her to pull his shirt over his head, her hands trailing over his bare torso, "I missed you so much," he mumbled against her lips, gripping her thighs, pulling her closer, "so much, baby."

"Oh merlin," she shook her head, biting his lip, pulling away ever so slightly to look him in the eye, staring for a few moments of silence, and soon did she whisper, "I missed you too, so much James, it was terrible, I love it here, it's perfect, and amazing, but oh merlin, I missed my home, I missed you."

His features softened, the lust left his eyes now swimming with love, his hand cupping her cheek, his thumb sweeping over her cheek bone as he pressed his lips to hers, but it was different this time, it was gentle, and sweet, and perfect, it made Nora's heart swell, it filled her with happiness, it was passionate in its own way.

It was nothing like their previous session, where they craved each other, needed each other, hungrily sharing kisses, sharing skin, gripping each other close, they had that, they did that, now they just wanted each other, to hear each other's voice, to speak, to lie there in each other's arms,

James pushed himself off of her, lying beside her, sitting up and pulling her onto him, allowing her head to lean on his shoulder, nuzzling into the warmth that he emitted, her lips pressing to his neck absentmindedly, completely different from what he had done to her. It wasn't rough, or full on, it was soft, gentle, barely their kisses that she always did, brushing the skin ever so slightly.

But somehow still able to drive him crazy.

"Are you excited for Paris, love?" asked James, panting slightly, calming himself down, they didn't do much, just kissed, just held each other, but he hadn't had it in weeks, he hadn't had her in weeks, it was a different kind of want they had.

"I am now," she nodded, reaching for his hand and intertwining their fingers together, "now that you're here."

"Why?" he asked, lifting her head, his eyebrows furrowed, confused.

"Because all I wanted was you," she laughed softly, "I don't care where we are James, I'm so excited for Paris, so grateful for what you are doing for me, but the first thing I want always is you, no matter what, we could be lost, in a dessert, stuck up a mountain, but I wouldn't care, if I was with you, I'd be happy!"

"Oh merlin, Nora," James shook his head, "I'm on the train to falling in love with you, and I'm never getting off."

Her mouth parted as though she was going to speak but no words came out, she didn't know what to say, she had thought about her love for him so much, so many times, but she had never been able to put into words how she felt, because she was scared of love, she wasn't letting herself love him, but she was starting to, and James had perfectly described how she felt about him, because whilst she wasn't there yet, she was damn near close.

She was speechless, blinking as she stared into his hazel eyes, and he stared back, a frown on his lips, he worried that he had said the wrong thing, that he had scared her, moving too fast, but instead, she lifted her hand to his cheek, softly, perfectly, and soon, slowly, did her head move to his, her lips move to his, her face with his.

His fingers traced up her legs, clasping around her thigh, pulling her closer, so much that they wrapped around his waist, her other hand on the other side of his face, almost pushing the glasses from his eyes from how much she just wanted him, to kiss him, and hold him, and be with him, she needed him.

And he needed her.

Because a life without Nora Robinson wasn't one he wanted.

"James," she breathed out, a sigh leaving her lips, as he kissed every inch of her face, gripping her waist as she sat on him, her head thrown back as the feeling traced shivers up her spine.

"Have I mentioned that I missed you?"

-

"Can you believe I'm stuck with Romeo and Juliet?" Remus grumbled as he walked beside Nora, his hands stuffed into the pockets of the denim jacket he wore, rolling his eyes as he looked at the couple, hand in hand with wide smiles content on their lips.

"We aren't that stupd, Remus, please," Nora scoffed, "Romeo and Juliet was a tradgedy, it lasted three bloody days and they died!"

"Then who am I stuck with?"

"Nora and James," Nora grinned, turning to press a sloppy kiss to James' cheek, giggling when his smile widened.

"Even better," he scoffed sarcastically, earning a nudge from Nora, and soon a glare.

"Leave us alone, I haven't seen him in weeks!" she exclaimed, soon wrapping her arms around his waist, a wide smile bright on her lips, "you are such a grump, Remus Lupin, all jealous that you can't do this with Blair!"

James laughed loudly, throwing his head back whilst Remus flipped them off, pushing himself ahead of them, "piss off!"

"We can always go get Elena!" Nora teased, watching him pick up a stick and shielding her face in James' chest when the turned and threw it at her, missing her by an inch.

"Oi!" James exclaimed, an amused smirk on his lips as he leaned down with Nora in his arm, grabbing a stick and chucking at Remus who looked angrier than before, "that's what you get!"

"Oh, you shove off," Remus scoffed, "you big softie."

"I want to know who Elena is," James whispered in Nora's ear, nudging her as they walked, watching the giggles tumble from her lips, a sound he had missed terribly.

"This girl that asked out Remus," Nora smirked, wiggling her eyebrows, "but guess what?!"

"What?!"

"He flat out rejected her!" she exclaimed, watching the loud laugh erupt from James' lips, "it was so awkward, I was just standing there beside him, wide eyed, and he's like 'oh I have a girlfriend'!"

"What?!"

"I know!" she nodded, her arms flailing, completely oblivious to the amused smile shining on James' lips, "I didn't even realise who he was talking about at first, I mean, he was so sassy to her, but he didn't even raise his voice, he was so calm!"

"Who was he talking about?!"

"Blair!" she shrieked, "and she said, 'well Blair isn't a very good girlfriend for not visiting you' or something along those lines - it was long ago, well not really, but still- and then Remus said, get this, he said 'I would rather have her never visiting than you at all' I was shocked, he just pulled me away, didn't even say goodbye or anything!"

James clasped his hand over his mouth to stop his laughter, he pulled Nora along quickly, patting Remus on the shoulder, he lifted his hand and high fived him, "Nora told me the story of Elena!"

Remus couldn't help but laugh, shaking his head, he spoke, "she had what was coming to her, bloody idiot."

"Poor girl," James shook his head, scoffing, "so where are you actually taking us?"

"A walk, get you out of that bloody room," Remus shook his head, "I don't need to be an uncle any time soon!"

"We're basically cousin in laws," James shrugged, tightening his grip on Nora as they walked, a smirk on his lips when Remus turned to him, his nose scrunched up, shaking his head.

"Really?" he groaned, shaking his head, "never say that again, James, please."

"What?!" Nora exclaimed, "it's true!"

"Oh what, have you two thought of marriage and everything?" asked Remus, his eyebrow raised as Nora and James shared a look, scoffing as they did so.

"Not yet," James waved him off, "proposing soon though, picked out the ring the other day."

"Oh yes," Nora nodded, "it's lovely."

"Yeah, goodness, Remus, wedding is sixth year talk!" James exclaimed, watching Nora as she muffled her giggles with her hand, shaking her head as she done so

"You two are something else," Remus shook his head, watching Nora as her head fell onto James' chest, her giggles spilling through as he wrapped his arms around her tightly, grinning as he done so.

"I can't wait until you and Blair get together," Nora wagged her finger at the boy, punching his shoulder on her way by, "she can make you less of a grump, I cannot wait!"

"I'm not a grump," Remus chuckled, "I'm just sick of couples everywhere I go!"

"Yes!" Nora nodded furiously, "because you want Blair, and merlin you bloody have her, you're just too blind to see that she is head over heels for you!"

"She's right," James chuckled, his arms around Nora as she walked, almost stumbling when he pulled her closer, her back against his chest as she fell into him.

"She's not-" Remus cut himself, shaking his head as he turned the corner, guiding the two beside him, "she wouldn't want someone like, she's just my friend, that's all, and that's all she'll ever be unfortunately, she could have anyone, absolutely anyone, she'd never go for someone like me, merlin, she has the greatest personality, she just loves books, oh and her smile- merlin, she would never-"

"Remus, stop it," Nora huffed, patting his arm, "I don't care how much I have to tell you this, Remus, but she wants you, and she's not going to wait forever, you need to take your chance, Remus, the worst she can do is reject you, but that will never happen, you two send letters to each other, merlin, she doesn't do that with anyone else, she is never reading around you unless you're reading too, haven't you realised that?!"

"Well yes, but-"

"But nothing, all she does is read, Remus, I've never saw someone that reads like she does!" Nora exclaimed.

"She's being polite."

"No, she realised that she doesn't need her book characters anymore, because she's found you."