Chapter ten

Harry gently knocked on the door and saw Elinora wipe her face before she got up and opened the door.

'Harry, did you want something?'

'Yeah, can we talk Elinora?'

'Nora, I never liked my full name.'

'Nora then, so can we?'

'Sure, come in,' Nora turned and walked over to the window, 'So what did you want to talk to me about?'

'About why you're upset with me and why you're acting so strange lately.'

'I'm not acting strange and as for being upset, I just can't understand someone doing what you're going to be doing, you could die.'

'Yes, I could, but would you rather live in a life where someone tells you what to do. I mean with everything, who you can marry, what job you get, if you live or die. Because if I didn't do what I have been for years that's how we, you me, everyone could be living. Voldemort wanted completely control and you need to get over hearing that name, Voldemort Nora and he's dead.'

'But what of your family, what happens to them if you die, to your children that could grow up without a father?'

'And a wife would lose a husband, I get that Nora. I'm not going to be reckless in anyway, but I just can't let our world suffer like it has for so long. You know I lost my parents don't you, everyone has heard that story?'

'Yes, he killed them, you survived the killing curse and that's how you got your scar. They left you alone Harry, a helpless child with no parents, so I can't see why you'd be willing to do the same.'

'Because they wanted me to grow up in a safe and free world, which is what we've got because a group of us were not going to give up. I lost Sirius, my owl Hedwig who was my only friend in that muggle house. Dobby died in my arms then I buried him. I saw friends die right in front of me, Dumbledore died and I saw it. Fred Weasley died and I saw it happen. He'd just been laughing at a joke his brother told and died with that laugh still on his face. I saw Voldemort murder woman and children, little kids Nora. So you tell me, should we have let that keep happening just because you might be afraid of losing someone close to you one day. I've lost more than most and I hate it and find it hard to live with but I do, everyday I force myself to go on because I'm scared that someone else I care about will die. My friends are my family now and I want to keep them safe. I've said this so many times, to myself only, but if I lost someone else I don't think I could make it, so I do get what you're saying or worried about. But think seriously Nora, who would look after our world, stop the death eaters, stop the danger if people like me let themselves stop fighting,' Harry stepped over to her and took her hand, 'I grew up in a muggle house, they hated me, hated magic, hated my parents and called me a freak and a waste of space. They starved me, locked me up and beat me, but I'm still fighting because I want a safe world for everyone but more so for the kids, so no more kids ever have to live without family,' Harry turned away but never left the room, 'I have to, because going through that as a kid made me realise I wanted to stop other kids suffering.'

Nora stared at Harry's back then stepped back to him and took his hand, but saw the pain on his face.

'You really are scared aren't you Harry?'

'Yes, I am because I got to see and feel what real evil can do and I want to stop it from happening again.'

'Alright, I get it, I really do, but I'm not used to seeing you scared or hearing you say you're scared.'

'I've been scared plenty of times, scared I'm going to lose someone else, scared I wouldn't have the strength to go on, scared that I wasn't brave enough to do what I had to, scared that I will always be alone.'

Nora stared into Harry's gorgeous green eyes, then leaned in and kissed Harry very softly, but never took her eyes off his.

'You'll never be alone, you have me.'

Harry kept staring into Nora's eyes, 'How do I have you, you're Teddy's aunt, nothing to do with me, not really.'

'You have me because I happen to love you and have from the moment I met you.'

Harry kept staring into Nora eyes, then put his arms around her, 'I know I care about you and haven't stop thinking about you since we met and would like to see if anything could come of this.'

'But you don't love me, do you?'

Harry turned away again, 'I don't know and if I did, I'm scared to say it, or even think I can say it.'

'Why, their just words spoken about how you feel, spoken from the heart, so tell me why you're scared to say three little words?'

'I've only said them once before and he died, Sirius, I told Sirius I loved him and he died not long after.'

'Then until you're ready to say it you shouldn't. But I'm not going to die, I'm not the one that will be in danger, you are and I said the words Harry, I said I love you.'

Harry turned back around, 'I know, but I've lost everyone Nora and I never thought I could let myself get that close to anyone again, but I would like to with you, but to say those words might be hard for me.'

'So you might love me but can't say it. If you can't, then you can't because if you let yourself get close to me, you might find yourself saying it one day and that is scaring you.'

'Yes it is, but I think I'm more frightened of being alone. I told Hermione and Ron I didn't want to take the chance of getting close to anyone and they understood because they have seen or been with me through everything. They saw Sirius die, they saw what I went through after losing him. They never saw Dumbledore die like I did, but they knew I did and what I was going to go through again. I finally let myself get close to Remus, he died. I know the war is over, but people like me know there will always be danger out there, someone evil that just likes to kill.'

'So let's take things slow, see if this can go anywhere and you might see that I'm not going to die,' Nora slipped her arms around Harry, 'What do you say?'

Harry sighed, but nodded, so he put his arms around Nora and they both stood there staring into each other's eyes, before their lips finally met in a passionate kiss that seemed to go on forever.

Andromeda had been listening and watching through a small crack in door. She heard what Harry said and felt more admiration for him than ever before. She heard what he had been through as a child and she already knew what he'd been through because of Voldemort, but he still turned out to be a very nice young man and if her youngest daughter had to fall in love with someone, then she couldn't have picked anyone better than Harry. She gently and quietly closed the door on the young couple and went about fixing lunch because she had a feeling Harry would be staying for lunch today even though he never had before.

Harry and Nora's lips parted but they kept staring into each other's eyes, 'That was nice.'

'Yes, it was, but I want to ask you something,' Harry took Nora's hand and they both sat down, 'How are you going to feel knowing I'm out there fighting?'

'Worried, scared I could lose you. It's more to do with you being an auror and Dora was an auror and she died.'

'I do understand how you're feeling, I told you how I've lost everyone and I don't want to lose anymore. But I'm good at defence Nora, really good and I recently found out I'm pretty powerful. So using that will help our world, help keep it safe. We all fought to live in a safe world and I don't want to lose that. A lot of aurors died and they need more. But it's not like it was before even if there is still danger out there. There's no Voldemort anymore,' Harry felt Nora tighten her hold on his hand, 'Why are you scared of the name, it really is just a name.'

'I don't know really, I suppose growing up to fear him and his name is just hard to hear even if he is dead.'

'You know that wasn't even his real name.'

'I heard that but I wasn't sure if it was true. You could never be sure what was true or not.'

'It's true, his real name was Tom Marvolo Riddle and if you mixed those letters up you get I am Lord Voldemort. He showed me that when I was twelve. He was really a half blood, not a pure like he let everyone believe. He was just born evil, it had nothing to do with his parents either.'

'How do you know all this?'

'I saw a lot of memories of him Nora, from the time he was ten in the orphanage he grew up in till later in his life when he first changed his name to Voldemort. Dumbledore and I would sit and discuss him and work out ways to finish him, which we did. Even though Dumbledore tried to stop him, he knew it would always come down to me. We were always meant to go up against each other and we did. So now let's forget about him since he's dead and get to know each other as boyfriend and girlfriend, how's that sound?' Harry smiled sheepishly at Nora who giggled before they started snogging again, getting to know each other, but first, their lips and bodies wanted to get to know each other before anything else.