IN RUINS- James Potter

chapter ninety six

"Can I just say; you two suck at trying to be discrete." Sitting in the courtyard and sitting beside James, the two were in a lecture by Sirius; watching his walk back and forth, having some rules all of a sudden.

"Or did we want your attention?" james teased; Nora shaking her head at that. "We most definitely did not want that." She corrected, Remus and Peter rolling their eyes.

Sirius finally sat down in the circle, looking at the couple as he shut his mouth, thinking of the right thing to say, narrowing his eyes at his best friend. "First, I'm happy for you two. But also a little upset you didn't tell me, am I that dramatic?"

"Do you want the lie or the truth?"

"Was he asking a rhetorical question?"

"I think you can answer that yourself."

Nora didn't need to say anything back to her brother as the lads all said their opinion, Sirius shutting them up to get back to his lecture, looking at Nora now. "You're very good at keeping secrets Nora, but of all the secrets; why didn't you tell me about you and prongs."

"I was scared. I've hated him for years and then suddenly he... seduced me into loving him— a love potion even!" Earning a punch to the arm by James, Nora was being too serious for Sirius to tell if she was joking or not, his face going blank.

"There was no seducing!" James clarified, Nora frowning at James taking away the fun of this. "Well alright, but no hanky panky, not around me." Sirius said, trying to be serious, however it made Nora laugh with that word; holding in her giggle.

"We will try our best." James said, purposely putting his hand on Nora's thigh, watching Sirius cringe at the touch. "Oi! What the hell did I just say?" Sirius whined, wanting to break James' hand.

Nora needed this, as much as she needed to fix her relationship with Atticus, she needed to be present with her brother and boyfriend, needing to get past the sadness she's been dragging James in. As much as Nora wanted to stay in the honeymoon phase, reality needed her much more than her fake reality.

"Oh leave them alone, this is the most they do in public anyways, I would know." Said Remus, Nora furrowing eyebrows at what that meant, James snorting a little.

"Do you tell them everything?" Nora asked James, punching him back in the chest. "Technically no, but when James was living with us he would chat up a storm! I'm surprised Sirius never heard." Said Pettigrew, informing Nora with all the information he had.

"We also know you both have a birthmark on your collarbone." Said Remus, Nora looking at Sirius— almost disgusted to be reminded they have the same thing on their body in the same place.

"Okay stop, this was supposed to be a lecture for my sister and best friend, not spilling every single piece of Information in your heads." Sirius said, shutting it down. Nora had forgotten which side Sirius' birthmark was on, not wanting to reminded as Sirius was also looking at Nora, both looking away.

"My next question for you two is; how long has this been going on?" Sirius asked, Nora looking at James as James looked at Remus, all having different answers.

"After you ran away."

"Probably the summer before sixth year."

Both on the same side of Information, Nora looked at her speechless brother, no words able to come out of his mouth. She had never seen her brother so quiet for so long, a bit worried until they heard a squeak. "That long? Holy shit! I only figured when prongs confessed his feelings for you!" Sirius said, shocked if anything.

"Yeah, we did a pretty good job keeping it. But out of respect." James said; not helping the situation. "Oh yeah! Did a real good job hiding at the fact you're dating my twin sister." Smiling at his sarcasm, Nora knew James was going to be in trouble later, Lupin winking at her as she needed this laugh.