Before Dawn {Sirius Black Love Story}

Three

Chapter 3

Sometimes, at Hogwarts, it was easy to forget that outside the castle walls, beyond the classes and Quidditch, there was a war going on. Sure, they heard the news. Some students, like Lily and Peter, did get The Daily Prophet delivered to them and of course, there were the radios reporting the attacks on Muggles and Wizards alike. But sometimes, it was easy to forget.

Well, for some, at least.

In the school there were siblings or children or cousins of Aurors, who sent updates or told stories during the holidays; that was their reminder. 

Others were just gossips, or knew the right people to talk to for information, they got their reminder.

And then there were those rare, terrible occasions, when the cries and tear streaked faces of relatives or friends of those targeted in the attacks were heard or seen around the castle.

And then there was Nora. She was neither the former or the latter. She had no relatives, other than her Gran - and according to her, some distant cousins in Italy, but that didn't really count, did it? - and her Gran couldn't possibly be an Auror. Despite not having her connections, Nora still received a reminder; usually she got one once a month, sometimes more, and it was always stamped with the same mark people outside and inside of Hogwarts, feared.

Why her? She didn't know. Merlin knew how many times she'd asked herself that question. And Merlin also knew how many times she threw her head in her hands when she couldn't find an answer.

That was how Lily found her, when she returned from Transfiguration.

Nora had otherwise been alone to her thoughts until Lily had come in. She had gone upstairs as soon as it had been an appropriate time spent with Remus on her essay. After a lame excuse she'd left him downstairs, looking confused. Once she was up there, she had gone down to her knees by her bed and reached under it; her hands grabbed a box and pulled it out. It was an old, uninteresting wooden box. Quickly she had opened it and shoved the letter in, without looking at the other contents. She couldn't do that right then. All she had wanted to do was lock it away and forget about it.

"Hey - oh, you all right?" Lily asked, pausing in the doorway.

Nora lifted her head from her hands. "Er - sure. Yes. I just.. hit my head, er - " she rubbed her head, "Ow..."

Lily frowned, clearly seeing right through her. "O-kay..."

"Good lesson?" Nora asked, standing up and brushing off her knees; they were dusty from the floor.

Lily stared at her. Instantly, Nora knew Lily could see something was up. It wasn't like Nora to take an interest in her own lessons, let alone anyone else's. "It was good. I wish you'd chosen Transfiguration - it's lonely in there." she pulled a face.

Nora smiled, "You're not alone. You have Sirius and James and Peter."

Lily shook her head and set down her bag.

"Come on, Lily, they're not that bad..."

"No - I know they aren't. But still, it would be better if you were there. You seem to be able to control them, they listen to you, especially Sirius, he only listens to two people: you and James."

Nora rolled her eyes, "Sirius doesn't listen to me. Do you think if he did, I would still have blue hair?"

Lily looked thoughtful, "Maybe not... Speaking of which, we need to sort that out..."

***

"Professor Slughorn?" Lily called. Her hand hovered in front of his door and when she didn't answer, she knocked again, "Professor, it's Lily -"