*＊✿❀Chapter 11❀✿＊* "Ow!" "Shut it!" "Don't talk to me like that!" Nora's eyes flickered open at the sound of the voices. It had to have been well past midnight and she still sat in the armchair she had fallen asleep in. "I'm CLEARLY injured you brainless baboon!" "Dumbledore said to be quiet you wimp!" The voices seemed to be coming from the spiral staircase that led up to the dungeons, the opposite way of which Nora's head laid on the armrest, she slowly turned her head and the feeble light of the fire illuminated two figures, one tall and the other slightly shorter. *No....* Nora thought, *How could it be...?* She sat up slowly and watched the shorter one march off down to the boys dormitory, the other, however, was still making his way to the stairs. Nora stood up cautiously and walked over to him, she extended her hand and grabbed his shoulder, he flinched and whipped around. Relief flooded Jeremy's face and Nora hugged him tightly. "Oh, I thought for sure you were going to be-" But then she pushed away and shoved him, his expression went from relief to horror in seconds. "WHY in Merlins sweet name would you attack a defenseless boy?!" Then she hugged him again. "But I'm so glad you're okay..." Jeremy sort of just went with the rollercoaster if emotions before sitting down near the fire with Nora to explain everything. "Unscalo was whispering about something to some other fourth years and I didn't trust him one bit with my secret because he's been following me around and taunting me with it. And-" "Please tell me you didn't just start attacking him then-" "I didn't," Jeremy assured her, "I got closer to try and hear what he was saying, I never really heard what he said, due to the instinct that overcame me." "Instinct?" Nora repeated. "Yeah. It happens sometimes. I'll be perfectly normal until I see someone I-well, it's-it's kinda hard to explain." Nora gave him a slight side-eye as she rested her chin in her palms with her elbow on the armrest. "I sort of feel an urge, like to cause pain, or because I'm jealous or really feel strongly about anything. I've been able to control it for awhile, but....Unscalo really pushed my buttons this time, I just know he was talking about me." Jeremy finished with a yawn. Nora checked the grandfather clock next to the fire, it was two a.m. "Well, I'm going to bed. I'm glad you're not expelled and you owe Dumbledore your life." Nora said, standing up and stretching, "Goodnight." She said before passing him to the stairs up to the girls' dorms. "G'night." He said quietly.
"SH! She's still sleeping! She was up all night with Jeremy!" "Oh, right, sorry!" But Nora had already opened her eyes; Tryxi, Yvette, Yasmin, and Odette had rushed out before Nora sat up but Isma remained still, sitting on her bed, braiding her hair. When she saw Nora was awake she quickly tied down her braid and smirked. "So....You broke away from the crowd of students to find Jeremy Selwyn, AND you were up all night with him?!" She smiled cheekily. Nora, instead of brushing her off, actually smiled and blushed, she filled Isma in on everything that had happened except for what Jeremy had told her. "You have a vampire boyfriend? Jealous!" Isma grinned. Nora and Isma gossiped for a bit before Nora had to get ready for Muggle Studies. She skipped breakfast and headed straight for the classroom under the castle. And that's when it hit her; She realized that the Slytherins and Gryffindors would be taking this class together, *Oh Dakota,* She thought. It had been such a long time since she'd last talked to her, Nora had just been busy, but now she felt guilty, almost like they were growing apart. During Muggle Studies, Nora sat next to Dakota and wrote a note to her saying they should meet up after class. Later, Nora met up with Dakota in the library but found Dakota sitting with Laveda in her lap. This sight slightly hurt Nora, though she didn't know why. "Oh, um, hello Laveda. Didn't know you were coming." She said as she sat down awkwardly across from them. "Yes, well I thought I'd tag along in case you were late and Dakota was bored." Laveda said, standing up slowly. Nora suddenly became very intent on a bird flapping around outside the window as Dakota and Laveda said their goodbyes. After Laveda left, Nora apologized for not making time for her and explained everything that had happened between herself and Jeremy. "I knew you guys were going to get together sooner or later." Dakota wore the same smirk as Isma. "We're not officially together, and besides, it was more of a friendly instinct to go after him." Nora argued. "Nora, that was anything but 'just friendly', you're mad for him." "I am not mad for him!" Nora said in a quiet but purposeful voice. "He's annoying." "Annoyingly cute?" Dakota teased. "No! Listen, I-" But someone had caught her attention, a beautiful girl with gorgeous, silky, short, wavy silver hair and bright peach-toned skin walked in the library holding a couple books to her chest. "Who's that?" Nora whispered to Dakota. "That's Blair Mist, she's a sixth year Gryffindor. Why?" Nora was lost for words, she felt her cheeks heating up. "N-no reason." She replied quietly. Blair Mist glanced over at her, Nora quickly looked away as Dakota smirked. "Do you know her?" Nora asked, refusing to turn her gaze up from the dark wood table. "Yes, she's my cousin." Dakota replied. Nora had never felt this way before, it was certainly odd. She always thought she was straight, though she'd never been against the idea of being open to the same gender. "Could you introduce me to her?" Nora said before she could stop herself. Dakota nodded, "Psst! Blair!" She called in a trying-to-be-quiet voice. Blair set the books she came to return on Madam Pince's desk before striding over to their table. "Blair, this is Nora Wesston, I've told you a bit about her." Dakota said, gesturing to Nora, who gave Blair a smile and a nod. "Oh yes, I've heard lots about you and have been waiting to meet you ever since Dakota first arrived at Hogwarts and you two met." Said Blair as she gracefully took a seat next to Nora, "Blair Mist. It's a pleasure." She said kindly. "And it's a pleasure to meet you as well." Nora spoke in a small but eager voice. "So I was thinking of heading out to the pitch tomorrow to get some practice in, I was previously on the Gryffindor Quidditch team as a Beater since my second year, I took off though, due to studies. But if you want to come, I'd love the company." Blair suggested, though more to Nora than Dakota. "And I know you fly bloody well, Nora, I've seen you play and you're a force to be reckoned with." "Oh, thank you." Nora said, flattered. Embarrassed nonetheless, Nora didn't remember ever playing against Blair. Dakota cleared her throat. "Hem hem, I'm still here you two. But I guess I'll get going, Laveda wants to tell me something. See you around." She added, with a wink to Nora before she left. Nora and Blair began to talk for a bit, Nora learned that Blair, too, had to give up Quidditch in her fifth year, and that she took only the required classes so that she had more time for friends, and that Blair was a carefree, loyal, brave, and bold girl. These traits somehow drew Nora in, and the funniest part was Blair seemed just as-if not more-interested in Nora than Nora was Blair.
