The Breakup Plan •James Potter• |editing|

❁Chapter 35❁

Chapter 35

"I can't believe we're here," James frowned, running a hand through his - styled- hair, his eyes narrowed at everyone around them, "why didn't you just say no?"

"Because Isabelle has just lost her husband and her son, I bet half of these people didn't even know Caden," Nora whispered, throwing him a glare whilst trying to ignore how incredibly good looking he was in a suit, "she needed some support."

"Is this what it's going to be like having a Hufflepuff as a girlfriend? Just you being nice all the time?" asked James, his eyebrow raised as he watched Nora turn to him.

She gripped his coat, pulling him close to her, so close, in fact that their lips almost brushed - which of course, was entirely inappropriate for a funeral - and with a smirk on her lips, subtly trailing her eyes to his, she whispered, "never underestimate a badger, James Potter."

"I learned that a long time ago," he smirked, leaning down to press his lips to hers, but missing when she stepped back, winking at him, she slipped her hand into his, pulling him along, "you tease."

"Don't you think it would be entirely inappropriate for us to just start kissing outside of a funeral?" she whispered quietly, her eyebrow raised as he shrugged.

"It's not like I care about him," James grumbled, his eyes dark as he eyed the people mourning around him, crying over the loss of someone 'so young'.

He wanted to scream as he heard people, his family, he supposed, talking about him, "he was the loveliest boy," they would say, shaking their heads, and dabbing their eyes with crisp white cotton handkerchiefs.

"I know you don't care about him, James," Nora whispered, pulling him closer to her for comfort, "and I don't either, I feel free, I feel at peace, but Isabelle needed me, and I wasn't going to let her down, she is distraught, James, she came and visited me at school, for merlin's sake, so please, for me, will you just pretend that you're sad?"

"Only because it's for you," he huffed, gripping her tightly as they walked through the crowd of people, soon spotting Isabelle who gestured them over.

"Isabelle," Nora sighed, a sympathetic look thrown her way, "how are you doing?"

"I'm fine, thank you, Nora," she sighed, "It's nice to see you again, uh-"

"James, James Potter," he forced a smile, taking her outstretched hand politely to shake it.

"James, yes," Isabelle nodded, "I'm sorry, for you too, when you were fighting for justice for Nora, I was fighting for my son who was very evidently in the wrong, and for that I apologise."

"I understand, Mrs Duncan, I can't say that I know what you're going through, but I do get that it must be tough, you must have wished that Caden wasn't capable of what he had done," James sighed, patting her shoulder as he sent her a dazzling smile, "I really am sorry for your loss."

"Thank you, really," Isabelle smiled.

"Such a lovely young man," Nora heard Isabelle say as she bid them a goodbye, gesturing to the seats close to where they stood as she moved to greet an older couple.

"You little shi-"

"Now, now, Nora," James tutted, a subtle smirk on his lips as he whispered in her ear, his lips - oh so subtly - brushing her ear, "we're at a funeral, how dare you use that language."

"You're not taking this very seriously, James," Nora huffed, "I should have just come myself."

"Nora-" James sighed, taking a step in front of her and reaching for her hands, intertwining their fingers as he pulled her closer, "look, it's just- I want you to forget about Caden, that's what I thought you wanted, to leave it in the past and try and move on, I know that this is hurting you terribly, and I will do everything in my power to make you happy, to bring you back, but until then, we'll get through this hurt together, because merlin I'm not leaving your side. I just want you to be alright, but how are you going to be alright if he is still a part of your life? I don't want him to impact you anymore than it has, I don't want you to get up there and have to mourn a life that impacted yours for the worst."