IN RUINS- James Potter

chapter seventy two

She wanted to make things right, the fight with regulus was replaying in her head for too long, the last two days were not her favourite, sulking in the bulstrodes house and too much in her thoughts to see Aunt Ariana try and take care of her— Nora just wanted to see the regulus that once had a smile on his face for a moment, regulus who cheered her on during quidditch.

This ceremony was going to change everything for Nora, her hands sweaty and feeling quite hot, she was outside on the pavement going to take a quick visit go the one place she didn't think she would go to, practically marching over and opening the gate, aggressively knocking on the door.

Nora stood on the potters doorstep, seeing the door open to be her brother, shocked to even see her. "Nora? What are you doing here?" He asked, closing the door behind him. Nora didn't totally know what she was doing here, something in her heart led her here, and now she's blanking out.

"Growing up, and even now, have I been selfish?" She asked, putting her sleeves over her hands and playing with the ends, her left leg aching a little. She didn't know what if she wanted to hear this answer, Sirius furrowing his eyebrows.

"Are you mental? You've risked your life to save me multiple times, defended me when they were yelling. You're the most caring person I know Nora. You're the reason I'm still alive. Who said you were selfish?" She hesitated to answer that question, mumbling out his name as Sirius made her repeat it.

"Regulus and I got into a fight, said I was being selfish recently." Nora said, Sirius shaking his head immediately. "He wouldn't say it if he was still at Hogwarts, it's the frustration and sadness being at home Nora. I had it all the time."

It's because he's becoming a death eater.

"I guess." Nora mumbled, looking away from Sirius as he nodded his head, agreeing with his own words. Sirius looked his sister up and down for a second, noticing the clothes she was wearing.

Wearing a black skirt, stockings underneath, a long green sleeved shirt that was tucked into the skirt and a black leather jacket was raising suspicions towards her brother, confused by why she was wearing that.

"Wait, so you came all this way to ask me that question?" Sirius asked, going back to the conversation. Nora fiddled with her hands, humming and looking away from her brother to avoid the lying eyes. "Oh, alright. But everything is okay at.. the house?" He asks, crossing her arms together.

No.

"Uh yeah, some days it's quiet, some days she's yelling at me at how I'm a disappointment— you know, the usual." Nora shrugged her shoulders, sarcasm dripping out of her mouth. Unfortunately Sirius didn't understand the sarcasm, feeling a little bad for her.

"Well alright, you be safe yeah? The war is getting worse." Sirius told her, both looking up at the sky to see cloud be gloomy and dark, nobody outside their house. It was truly quiet.

"I'm glad we talked Sirius, it had been a while." Nora told him, reaching her arms, hesitating for a second and wrapping her arms around him, awkwardly standing there. Sirius and Nora have never hugged before, feeling him wrap his arms around her and lay his head on her shoulder, needing this hug as much as Nora needed it.

It was the first time they ever touched each other with so much meaning. Nora didn't want to let Sirius go, resisting the urge to tell him what's happened to her in a few hours, hugging him a little tighter.

If it wasn't for a car going by, Nora wouldn't have let go, pushing herself off of him as Sirius gave her such sad eyes. "I, I better go, going to the rosiers for lunch." Nora lied, scratching her head and turning to walk and open the gate, never turning back to see him.