*＊✿❀Chapter 13 ❀✿＊* To Nora's utter terror, Travis Unscalo stood at the threshold, a look of confusion and embarrassment on his face. "I...Um..." He stood there, looking from Nora to Blair. "So this room is taken...." Unscalo said, backing away, when there came another voice, lighter and kinder. "Okay....Maybe we can find another then?" He appeared to have been with a girl. She poked her head around the corner; She had short, brown curly hair, tan skin, and dark, sweet eyes that matched her Hufflepuff robes. "No, we-we were just leaving, you can have this room...." Blair said, grabbing Nora's hand and guiding her out. Unscalo and the Hufflepuff walked in awkwardly past them and shut the door, then they heard the door's lock click. Nora and Blair walked away before they were able to hear anything. "I guess I'll see you this weekend?" Blair said, grabbing the box. "Y-yes, yeah, that's right." Nora said, remembering what they were doing before they'd been interrupted. "All right then, bye." Blair said, giving Nora a kiss on the cheek before heading up the stairs. Later that day when Nora returned to the common room, she sat by the fire and began doing some homework. Jeremy joined her not long after she'd started, except, he claimed to have been all caught up so he simply sat there, but not criticizing her work as usual. "How was the 'practice' with Blair Mist?" He asked. "Why do you say it like that? We actually practiced!" She said, scribbling out something on her parchment. Jeremy scoffed. "Practiced other things...." He muttered. "We aren't together, Jeremy." She said in an impatient tone. "Not yet at least. She likes you, doesn't she?" He said, Nora felt his gaze on her as he sat on the couch behind her while she sat close to the fire for light. She hesitated. "Yes-no. No? Sure? I don't know! What I need to know is what Bowtruckles eat!" Jeremy sort of just stared at her for a moment, as though in pity. "Woodlice, Nora, they eat Woodlice." He said clearly. "Oh-wait. what did you say?" She asked, not believing her ears. "Wood-?" "Not that....You called me Nora." She pointed out, turning around to smirk at him. He avoided direct eye contact, "Whatever." "I think someone is starting to warm up to me." Nora teased. "You called me Nora!" "Shut up," He said with a sheepish smile. Nora sat next to him, smiling cheekily. "You're starting to like me! For the last four years it's been Nory, Nory, Nory....But now-" "Shut up," He repeated. "I can call you Nory again if you'd like." "No, I like this new thing." Nora said softly. "But seriously, does Blair Mist like you?" He asked with a side-eye. "Jeremy-" "But just say-like, if she asked you out would you say yes?" "Why do you even care?" She said, blushing. *Can he read my mind?* "Well...." He trailed off for a few moments, before finally saying, "Because I care about you, and, well, Blair Mist wasn't exactly loving towards my sister." Jeremy said ominously. "What do you mean by that?" She asked, frowning. "She was more interested in my sister for her looks and she used her as an object. My sister felt like a tool. She said that Blair didn't want her for her personality." Nora's heart dropped. "I'm....So sorry....is your sister doing alright now?" Jeremy nodded. "Yes, she's still single but she's now a wand maker in France."
What Jeremy had told Nora stuck with her up until that weekend. The snow had melted for the most part and a chill breeze still lingered in the air. That afternoon, Nora hesitated on meeting Blair, but she'd said that she would go and she didn't want to disappoint. Blair stood by the Entrance Hall with other students of the third year and up, she smiled broadly when she saw Nora and Nora walked over to her. "Are you ready?" Blair asked. "Yes-" But her focus was on another; Jeremy. He stood by the doors as Blair and Nora neared them. He did a double-take on the pair of them and lingered behind a couple students and trailed them. Nora tried to catch another glimpse of him over the sea of heads, but she wasn't tall enough. Blair held her hand gently as they made their way down to the village. The crowd began to thin out as students scattered across the small wizarding village, Nora tried, again, to catch a glimpse of Jeremy but was, again, unsuccessful. "How about we head to Honeydukes? I need to pick up something for my brother." Nora lied, she had just hoped that Jeremy wouldn't be able to follow them in one of the busiest shops. Blair agreed, together they weaved through the students in the sweetshop. Nora told Blair that the Cauldron Cakes were on the other side of the shop and for her to hold a spot in the long line to check out. "Ah! Whoops! I'm sorry-" Nora had collided with someone, praying it wasn't Jeremy, she looked- "Oh, phew. Hello Ophelia." Ophelia staggered backwards with her arms full of Chocolate Frogs, Iris followed closely behind her with her arms also full of Chocolate Frogs. "What's with all the Frogs?" Nora asked, helping Ophelia regain her balance. "They're on sale, we've now got a whole supply." Iris replied brightly. "Oh, brilliant. Well, I'll see you two around." Nora said as Ophelia and Iris made their way to the line. Nora decided to get a Chocolate Frog as a cover up, then stood in a small box and peered over the crowd to see if he really had followed them in the shop; the coast was clear. Nora hopped off the box and weaved her way back to Blair. Until someone grabbed her arm and pulled her aside. "What're you doing stalking around with Mist?" Jeremy asked. *Great, JUST great.....I didn't see him before....How'd he get in?* "I am not stalking around with her! She asked me out, okay? I said yes, okay? She likes me, okay?" Nora said, letting it out felt better than she thought it would. Jeremy blinked. "Nora, I wasn't jealous of her asking you out or anything, it's that Mist isn't a loyal person. I can help you escape from this without her knowing." The only reason Nora considered this offer was because of how genuine he sounded, like he actually wanted to save her from something she might regret. "No thanks, Jeremy, I trust Blair and I think she'll be good to me. And maybe you should stop stalking us." She added, poking him in the chest, then left. The rest of their date went on well, to end it off they went to the Three Broomsticks and ordered a couple Butterbeers. Blair went to the bathroom and Nora sat there, alone for a bit. Then she looked over to see Blair-
