With Love, || N.B.

𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒚-𝒕𝒘𝒐

September 1st, 1994

"Got everything?" Narcissa smiled softly, sighing as she messed with the lapels of Nora's robes.

"I think so," Nora responded quietly, her hands coming to rest on Narcissa's forearms.

As Narcissa's hands softened, her fidgeting stopped and they stayed on Nora's chest. "I don't want you to go," she said, averting her eyes. Her voice was barely above a whisper, throat tight as she fought back tears. Narcissa's fingers started tracing the buttons on Nora's robes, running over the detailed stitching of the fabric and toying with the curls of her hair that had fallen over her shoulder. "Not again."

Nora slid her hands down to Narcissa's wrists, rubbing them soothingly before taking her hands in hers. "I know, darling...I know." Her hands moved to Narcissa's cheeks beckoning her to look in her eyes. "I won't be gone forever, though. We both know I'll be back and forth to visit you three. And you'll have plenty of my letters to look forward to."

Narcissa's lip trembled as she nodded, looking back and forth between Nora's eyes. "I know...I just...I'll miss you, that's all."

Nora leaned forward and placed a tender kiss on Narcissa's lips. She pulled away, thumbs stroking Narcissa's cheeks as she smiled softly. "I know you will...I know...I'll miss you too, my darling." She pulled her into a tight embrace, taking comfort in the feeling of Narcissa's soft breathing against her front. "But you'll have...company..." she said hesitantly.

Narcissa pulled away, wiping her eyes on her sleeve as a small laugh broke through. "Yeah, I guess Sirius isn't all bad. I suppose I can deal with his air guitar solo while listening to...whatever that muggle band is."

Nora chuckled. "AC/DC?"

"Yeah that one." Narcissa smiled. "Remus isn't so bad either."

"Compared to Sirius?" Nora asked, leaning in. "He's a saint."

The both of them laughed together, standing in the middle of the foyer in a never-ending hug. They broke away, heads turning as the front door opened.

"Ah! Come to hex me for stealing your job?" Nora smiled, pulling Remus into a hug.

Remus chuckled. "No, not here to hex you-yet. Just come here to see you off."

"Oh, how kind," Nora said, eyeing Sirius as he joined the three in the foyer.

"I assume you were going to leave without saying goodbye, and I can't say I blame you," he scoffed.

Nora looked at Sirius, amusement in her eyes as she pursed her lips, arms opening wide for Sirius. She smiled, hugging him tightly. "Thank you, Sirius," she muttered. "Really." She pulled away, smiling softly. "For everything. You didn't have to do this."

"Well, it's the least I could do," he smiled back. "It was getting lonely with only Witherwings anyway. He's not one for conversation, and he insists on staying out back."

As Nora and Sirius continued chatting, Remus leaned into Narcissa's ear. "'Only Witherwings' he says. I must've been invisible for the past year," he grumbled.

Narcissa giggled. "I wish I was invisible around him."

"It would be fun to fuck around with him, wouldn't it?" Remus asked.

"It would," she agreed. "What would we take first? His records? I feel like the house would be eerily quiet without them. Perhaps he'd succumb to his fated insanity."

As Narcissa and Remus laughed together, Sirius stared at them and deadpanned. "Yes, thank you for that. However, Azkaban did just the trick."

Remus and Narcissa hid their snickers behind their hands, failing miserably as they leaned on each other.