Lovely - Neville Longbottom

14) Hiding

Hermione walked past Nora in a really angry stance. "Hermione!" Nora hollered. Hermione turned around. "Oh. Hello Nora." Hermione said. "Are you okay?" Nora asked. "No I am not okay. That Trelawney woman needs to learn how to speak to people. What right does she think she has to speak to people the way she does?!" Hermione angrily says. "You know how she is Mione. She's old and she always says what comes to her mind because she thinks she's helping." Nora stated. "I know but.." Hermione said. "But?" Nora asked. "She told me my soul was cold. And shriveled like an old maid." Hermione said. Nora then hugged Hermione who hesitantly hugged back. "Ignore her Hermione. She's just a crazy lady you shouldn't stress over it." Nora said. Hermione sighed. "Thank you Nora." She said with a small smile. Nora nodded and smiled as they began walking again.

Later that day, Nora went to her father's office. Her father was acting abnormally strange. When she walked in she heard her father talking to the fireplace..with the fireplace talking back. "Dad? What are you doing?" Nora asked. Remus turned immediately. "Nora! How long have you been here?" Remus asked. "I just got here. Who were you talking to?" Nora asked. "No one! I was just trying to get the fire started." Remus said. Remus was talking in an abnormally fast pace. Like he was hiding something. But what was he hiding?

"Okay. I'll be going now, I'll see you later dad." Nora said as she left the office. She went straight to the library to try to research what her father was doing. After four hours of searching, Nora grew tired and was about ready to leave. That was before none other than Neville Longbottom arrived. "Hello Nora!" Neville greeted. "Hi Neville." Nora replied. "Is everything okay?" The boy softly asked. "Yeah I'm just..trying to find a certain spell. One that you can make random things talk to you. Or maybe have someone else talk through it." Nora explained. "Well I don't know of a spell but I do know something that does that." Neville said. "What is it?" Nora asked. "It's called the floo network. My gran used to use it to give things to my dad while he was at work. You can put your face in it to talk to someone but I think it only works in a fireplace." Neville explained. Nora's head then went off like a lightbulb. "Come with me!" Nora said as she grabbed Neville's hand.

Nora dragged Neville all the way to her father's office. "Nora! What in the-" "Show me how to use it." Nora interrupted. "What?" Neville said confused. "The floo network. Show me how to use it." Nora quickly asked. "You need floo powder. Do you have any?" Neville asked. "What's floo powder?" Nora asked. "It's what makes-" Suddenly they heard footsteps coming towards the door. "This way Neville!" Nora whispered as she dragged Neville to a good hiding spot.

Remus Lupin walked in. He looked stressed. Like he was freaking out about something. Suddenly, he grabbed something out of a glass vase and went to the fire place. "Sirius Black." He said as he threw the substance into the fireplace. The fire then turned green. Remus then put his face in the bright green flames. Nora stared at her father as he talked with his head engulfed in flames. Nora watched in awe at the scene she was watching. Just as quickly as he put his head in, he took it out. He then quickly put on his coat and walked out the door. Nora quickly left the hiding spot to follow her father before Neville could get a word in.

Nora quickly followed behind her father trying not to make herself known. As they walked, she noticed that he was going to the womping willow tree. Nora watched as her father went into the cave underneath the tree. A few moments later Nora went to the tree herself. As soon as Nora went near the tree, it started to attack.

After minutes of fighting the tree, she quickly ran to the cave and threw herself in it. Once she collected herself, she started making her way on what looked like a staircase. She followed this staircase all the way up until she reached a ladder. She waited a moment before climbing up.

Once she made it to the top, she went inside of what looked like a hidden dormitory. Nora looked around at the old dusty room until she heard a voice coming from the other room. She slowly crept towards the door with her wand in her hand. Suddenly the door opened to reveal her father standing with a man. The man she saw in the newspaper. The man known as Sirius Black.

"What are you doing here?!" Her father asked. "Why are you here with him?! He is a dangerous man Dad! He worked with Voldemort! Why are you here with him?!" Nora said quickly with her wand pointed towards Sirius. "Nora let me explain.." Remus said calmly. "Remus..this is Nora? She's so much older than I remember." Sirius said inching closer to her. "How do you know my name?" Nora asked still pointing her wand. "I can't tell whether she favors you or Lydia." Sirius said to Remus. "Oh most definitely her mother. She has my eyes, my ears, and bits of my personality. Everything else is her mother. She's beautiful, ain't she?" Remus said.

"What is going on?!" Nora exclaimed. "How do you know who I am and how do you know who my mother is?!" Nora demanded. "Nora..i will explain. Just please put the wand down." Remus said calmly. "What if he tries something? What if he tries to hurt me?" Nora said with her wand tightly gripped in her hand. "He wouldn't hurt you Nora he is your uncle. He took care of you when you were a baby. You, Florence, and Harry used to have playdates regularly over at his place before Voldemort ruined our lives." Remus explained. Nora paused. "My uncle? He's my uncle?" "Yes Nora. He is family. Therefore, he is your uncle. Just not by blood." Remus explained. Nora looked at Sirius. He had a stoic expression laid upon his visible facial features. Nora slowly lowered her wand. "What is going on?" Nora asked. "Come with me. I'll explain." Remus said as they walked to another room.