45
THE moment the door shut behind Lupin, Tonks, and Dumbledore as the three of them left Ollie alone with Norah to have what she surmised was about to be an incredibly painful conversation. A talk with lots of shouting, tears, and something thrown at her most likely, was the moment her heart pounded against its cage, showing no sign of stopping really anytime soon.
Norah shot a silent prayer to Merlin or her Muggle parents in Heaven, Merlin bless their souls, whichever would hear a wretched werewolf's prayer, that Ollie would be able to be reasoned with right now.
She had, of course, expected some amount of anger from her partner and new boyfriend upon learning the truth, but she hoped it was nothing that they couldn't talk through together, as mates now.
But as Ollie continued to keep his arms folded across his chest and staring into the depths of the fire crackling in the metal grate, avoiding looking at Norah, the poor werewolf could barely contain her racing heart or frantic breaths as she grasped onto the back of the same armchair she'd just vacated for support. Ollie was beyond angry.
He was furious, in fact. Norah could see that for herself quite plainly. When Dumbledore, Lupin, and Tonks had been present in the parlor alongside them, Brennan hadn't spoken of his anger, but Norah liked to think she knew the man well enough by this point to know when Ollie was upset and on the verge of losing it.
The man's burning blue eyes were filled with a wave of horrible anger and betrayal, the likes of which Norah could only recall seeing once, on her first night here in the Order after she'd regained consciousness when the man had learned of Jack's passing from Tonks.
Norah knew she would just have to explain to Ollie why she had agreed to follow along with Father's plan in the first place. It was the only way.
She hoped her partner, former partner, she had to remind herself bitterly through her stinging tears, would understand and have faith that Ollie would.
But that didn't mean this conversation was going to be an easy one to be had. On the contrary, it might turn out to be one of the most difficult talks of her entire young adult life. Norah swallowed as Ollie continued to face away from her, staring into the fire.
She was sure the man was no doubt going to start launching into a screaming tirade at the top of his lungs, to ask her why she'd agreed to such a horrible idea of Greyback's.
But that did not come.
"Ollie, b—before you get angry with me," Norah raised her hands in defense as Ollie moved to turn away from her, but continued to face away from the witch, "please, j—just let me explain," Norah begged.
Norah paused, expecting the Legilimens to interrupt her, to yell at her and refuse point-blank to let her speak, but Ollie did no such thing. With his back still facing away from the werewolf, he stayed silent.
This gave Norah a tiny spark of hope within her chest.
Maybe Ollie was willing to listen to her…
The flustered and heartbroken werewolf breathed out a deep and shaking breath and continued.
"I—I didn't mean to…to hurt you like this, I…Greyback threatened me, threatened us both if I didn't…follow his orders," she whispered, her voice cracking as she ducked her head, letting a lock of her white-blonde bangs fall in front of her face like a curtain, shielding whatever expression Ollie currently wore from her.
Ollie tensed and stiffened, alarmed at how on edge he felt. Every nerve in his body was on high alert. Every drip of the pipes of the house's awful plumbing had the hairs on his body standing on end.
He knew that once Norah walked out that door, everything between them would change and end, but even here in his mind, he wanted more time to linger.
And he hated himself for it. Hated Norah for making him feel this way about her and invoking these old, semi-forgotten feelings he'd not had since meeting and befriending Tonks.
Discovering that Norah had gone missing in Diagon Alley had been perhaps the only time in Ollie's entire existence that the son of Death Eater Jack Brennan had known fear.
That wretched disgusting emotion he wished he could repress and bury until Ollie felt nothing at all.
It was a truly terrible feeling, to be walking alongside Lupin one moment, chatting animatedly about what kind of food they thought Molly would whip up with Lyall's help for his and Dora's wedding, only to find Tonks lying slumped against the wall of Flourish and Blotts, stirring from unconsciousness, looking like she'd been hit with a hell of a Stinging Jinx, and Norah was nowhere insight to be found.
Ollie remembered standing there frozen, blinded by the feeling of this new emotion that rocked his body. The only thing he could think of at that moment was Norah.
He'd hardly paid attention to Tonks. She'd been nowhere to be found, but Ollie had a sinking suspicion that he knew, how could he not? He knew with every fiber in his being that she'd run.
As he'd set about searching Diagon Alley, he felt the sprouting of betrayal, sadness, and rage inside.
And right now, as he looked at her, he imagined killing this young woman, this thief of his heart where she stood, hoping to plead with him and make her case about why she'd had to do what she'd done.
He stared up at the ceiling for a moment, imagining pointing his wand into her breast and uttering the last and final Unforgiveable Curse. He wanted to watch as the familiar burst of green light emanating from the tip of her wand, the light leaving the werewolf's sparkling blue eyes permanently as she would stagger backward for a moment before her limp body would crumple into a heap at his feet.
And it felt good.
Ollie felt his muscles twitched and the surge of uncontrollable emotions, dark thoughts that he'd fought to bury since Father's abuse had left its visible mark on him long ago, resurface, and he yearned for the werewolf's blood.
He ached to punish Jameson for what she'd done. Even now, as she tried to plead with him, he wanted to kill Norah.
The more his former girlfriend apologized, the more she pleaded, the angrier he got.
Ollie wanted with all of his heart to believe Norah. He remembered just last night and this morning, how she had touched him, soothed his nerves. He wanted that back, but Jameson had ruined it for him.
It was something he knew he could never forgive, no matter how much he might want it.
"Ollie, please," Norah pleaded. "Say something. Scream and rant if you have to, hit me if you want, but…talk to me, please,' she begged, to which he stiffened and grunted in response.
She wanted him to speak, but he would not. He would not grant her any sort of response, for the wolf did not deserve an answer now.
The wound of her betrayal was far too fresh and great in his mind, adding another layer of salt onto the already tender wound that was his broken heart.
He hated Norah. He wanted her to die. But he did not only wish to kill this werewolf. He wanted to torture her. Ollie wanted Jameson to suffer. And suffer. And suffer.
Just like Father had made him ache and suffer. He'd always enjoyed killing, in the past, but had never needed to draw it out.
He saw no point in prolonging human suffering anymore.
But with Norah Jameson, Ollie wanted it, his body needed it so badly that he was violently shaking with the wild urge.
She needed to suffer, to cry, to bleed…
But as he turned towards Jameson to look at his now-ex, his slender fingers curled around the handle of his wand, he could not do it. Her blue eyes were haunted, so sad. She looked so scared. It shook him, rattled him.
Ollie wanted to make it stop, but he wanted her to suffer and hurt.
His was a horrible conflict, really.
One that he'd not felt before since meeting Tonks all those years ago. It yanked at him. Tore at him. Ate him apart from the inside out, twisting and churning his insides until he thought he might puke.
It only lasted a moment, but it was more than enough for the man to become clear as to his decision. His decision then became clear to him as he felt the strong urge to kill that previously pumped through his veins dissipate, but those few seconds felt like an eternity, like Time itself had ceased to exist.
He needed Norah with him. He needed her. Wanted her. It was the strongest desire he'd ever felt. Stronger than killing. Words were almost impossible to describe, but of course, she could not stay here. Dumbledore had given the order of her dismissal, and he was entirely too angry with her right now to properly sort through his wild emotions.
Angry though he was, Ollie knew he could not kill Norah. At least not yet.
Not when he felt like this.
"Ollie?" Norah whispered. Her voice was nearly shaking, as she knew anything she said might only anger the temperamental man even further and upset him even more than he already looked to be.
Her soft voice met his eyes. Norah's was a voice he liked. He wanted to hear it more. As he silently watched the petite little blonde witch and wolf cautiously take a step forward, he felt his rage return.
The more this feeling, this draw to Jameson, grew, the more Ollie decided that he hated this witch. He hated Norah for making him feel these things. The betrayal, the pain, the hurt, the sadness.
Tonks had made him feel this way once when she'd told him that she was in love with Remus.
But this…this was so much worse, and he hated Norah for it. They had…they had slept together, she'd marked him as her mate, and now he was expected to hear her out? This was all too much, too much to process.
But once again, Ollie knew he couldn't kill her, could not spill Jameson's blood, much less bring himself to raise his wand against her in the effort to keep Norah Jameson at arm's length. He fell silent.
He stiffened, inhaling a sharp breath that pained his heaving lungs as very gently, Norah reached up and touched Ollie's cheek, her fingertips hovering over the scarred tissue where his father had burned him.
It was a soft little graze, she was barely touching his scar as it was, but Ollie still shivered.
Her fingers moved upward to his forehead, gently trailing the creases there as his brows knitted together in a frown as he made to move away from her.
"I—I wish that things could have been different for you, Ollie. I wish that you could see just how handsome you are, even with your scar, that you could see yourself as I see you, Ollie," Norah whispered in a choked voice, and against his own wishes, Ollie hummed again.
He liked it whenever the prickly little blonde werewolf said his first name. Her fingers moved down the other side of his head to his other cheek before ghosting over his strong angular jawbone, the pads of her fingers sending electrical tingles as she touched the two-day stubble that grew around his jaw.
He'd need to shave soon before Remus and Dora's wedding, he thought. He hated the way that her little touches felt so nice as her fingers moved over his Adam's apple to his chin, and then rested hovering over Ollie's lips.
"I—I h—had no other choice, Ollie," she whispered, and instantly, Ollie's jaw clenched in ire.
She had to do nothing. She should have stayed with him and told him the truth. He'd have protected her from anything that came their way, but it was too late for that. He did not like that she said that to him.
Norah swallowed and continued. "I—I couldn't let my father h—hurt you. I swore an oath to the Order to do no harm. This was all I could think of."
You harmed me, is what Ollie wanted to say, but did not know how to articulate his feelings. His lips actually parted, and a tiny grunt escaped, but nothing more as he struggled to find his voice.
He wanted to say it but couldn't bring himself to say it.
"Why?" he growled, startling Norah, and causing her to immediately pull her hand back as she attempted to withdraw into herself. "Why did you run off today?"
He looked, Norah thought, perhaps for the first time since knowing her partner, truly frightening, and when he lifted his chin to meet her gaze, there was an icy coldness that did not belong to Ollie Brennan's eyes, an unfamiliar hardened look.
Norah swallowed down hard. She'd never seen Ollie look quite like this before. He was…yes, there was no doubt about it. Her former partner was angry.
His head snapped up so fast that Norah had to move her head back in order to avoid connecting with it, as he almost gave himself whiplash, he moved so fast.
"H—how can you be so fucking calm about this? Rookwood attacks you in Knockturn Alley in broad daylight, and you didn't think we needed to know the truth about who your father is?"
Ollie did not shout, but he seemed so shocked, so off-put by Norah's reasons for not disclosing the truth to the rest of the Order. There was pain and anger laced throughout his voice, and it was in the man's burning blue eyes now.
"You could have been killed and you're more concerned with my well-being. Why?" Ollie yelled.
Norah swallowed a lump in her throat. "I—I couldn't tell you because I…. because I love you, Ollie," she whispered, downcasting her gaze, and staring at her boots, wishing a hole in the floor would open up, much like it had in Echo Alley, and swallow her whole and not let her come out until he was gone.
"You love me," he sneered, hating how the undertone of his voice carried a slight mocking lilt.
Norah watched as the doubt and uncertainty returned to Ollie's brilliant crystalline eyes.
She hated herself at this moment. Everything leading up to this moment had been her fault.
If she had stayed well away, then at least Ollie would be happier. He could have found a different witch with whom to spend the rest of his life, one who'd treat him right.
Ollie was silent for a moment, his questions written in his expression as he nervously continued, trying to will his temper to cool as he lowered his voice, lest the whole of Headquarters knows of their argument.
"You never told me." He avoided her eyes.
Norah grew quiet and intense, and the time had come. She knew she had to be forthright with the man. She owed him that much as he'd saved her life now on multiple occasions.
"Told you what?" She tried to summon up just a shred of her famous Gryffindor courage within herself to explain to Ollie.
Ollie steeled himself for Jameson's reply. Ollie knew Norah would be honest, as Veritaserum took an hour or two to wear off, but he was not sure he wanted her to be.
"Why you left this morning? You didn't tell Dumbledore and me the full truth, Norah. Not all of it. It looked like you were holding back. Why?"
The words poured from his mouth as plain as if he were asking Norah to help him find his socks. Ollie almost wanted to cringe but fought the urge to show just how uncomfortable he was growing.
It had been the most painful moment of his life when his older brother had died, and now his father too, and he was making it sound like a common occurrence, for people to abandon him now.
For a moment, Ollie wondered if so much had passed since those dark days that it didn't hurt him quite as much as it had in times past. But then he realized that it was too painful for any emotion at all.
Norah's betrayal had cut him to his very core. Although Ollie was lost in trying to come to terms with and understand his own conflicting emotions, Ollie recognized the same confusion and pain in Norah that had torn his heart to shreds earlier today, thinking the worst that something awful happened.
Why had she done it? What had Norah been trying to prove? What was she thinking, going off alone?
Ollie allowed himself to hope for a moment, before bracing for the young wolf's answer. He feared this was going to be just like Tonks all over again.
His damned wretched heart, that stubborn beating muscle, now a throbbing mass of corded muscle, pounded relentlessly so audibly loud he swore she heard it, that her ears perked up at the noise itself.
Norah cringed, watching as the fear returned to the man's burning blue eyes, and she hated herself.
If she'd stayed away like she knew she ought to have, Ollie would have found happiness with someone else.
Someone else who was better for him. A someone who was not a wolf. Not the daughter of Fenrir Greyback, that savage animal, that monster. But none of that mattered. She'd put him in danger regardless.
Unable to bear his grief, the words tumbled out of her mouth like she'd spat out a piece of poisoned chocolate.
"I left today to try to protect you. Someone had to stop Rookwood, Brennan," Norah snapped, staring intensely into Ollie's eyes. "It had to be me."
Norah could tell Ollie was growing incredibly upset and angry by the way his posture stiffened and his tense stance, the way he held himself.
The laughter and mischievous sparkle had vanished from his blue eyes. His focus was now fixated on a spot on the wall behind Norah's head as if she'd somehow become invisible to him or he couldn't bear to look.
She'd crossed some invisible line, offended the man's sensibilities just now by not coming to him or anyone else in the Order when Greyback made his threats.
Her blood drained and her heart hammered inside of her chest as bile rose up at the back of her throat.
She was never afraid of Ollie Brennan's anger when it came out like fire, for that burnt out hot and fast before cooling, but she was deathly afraid of the Legilimens' ice.
It coated the former Slytherin like a protective sort of permafrost.
This behavior had served as a shield to him during his harsh upbringing, but now that same method would work to isolate him from his friends and family. From her.
But she knew she had to try. Norah swallowed and took a moment to compose herself before speaking.
"There's no one else in this city I trust more than you, Ollie. And I never…I never want to hurt you," Norah whispered, cringing at how awkward she sounded, and how forced her words of affirmation came out.
This did not look at all good for them both.
"I don't deserve your affection, just as you don't deserve mine," he hissed coldly through gritted teeth, turning his head to avoid looking into Norah's pleading blue eyes.
He did not want his ex to see him as he was currently, an utter, disheveled wreck.
"I've done nothing to you but cause you hardship and strife. Lupin and Tonks found you almost strangled to death in Knockturn Alley behind Borgin and Burke's shop, because of me. Your father put you up to this. Because of me. I don't know when I'll run into Rookwood next," he growled, lowering his voice an octave. "But when I do, the bastard is fucking mine. Your—your life would be much better off, without…"
Without me, his mind finished, but Ollie couldn't manage to make himself speak the words.
"You should leave," Ollie growled coldly in a tone devoid of any previous warmth and affection he might have held for his former girlfriend when he'd finally regained control of his voice again, though it shook as he spoke the words he didn't want to utter.
As Ollie turned back around to face Norah, the heartbreaking look of devastation on her face was almost too much for him to bear, and Ollie almost felt the beginnings of hot tears pricking at his vision.
She was looking like he'd slapped her.
"I—I can't have you around anymore. It hurts too much. Both of us being around each other is too dangerous, and I won't have either of our lives in danger, Jameson," he spat, ensuring his voice stayed distant.
"Wh—where on earth do you think I could possibly go once I leave here?" Norah demanded, feeling her own temper threaten to swell to the surface as the shadow of the wolf flitted across her peaky features, half her face bathed in a faint amber glow caused by the flickering of the red and orange flames currently dancing in the fireplace.
Ollie said nothing at first.
Norah continued, unable to remember when the last time was she felt so undeniably flustered and bothered.
"It's not like I can just run out to Diagon Alley and get a job and stay in a room above The Leaky Cauldron! No one will hire a werewolf thanks to that bitch Umbridge's legislation that she's enacted recently! I have no money, no one will hire me, much less look me in the eyes once they find out what I really am!"
"You're a smart witch, Jameson, you'll figure something out. You were smart enough to deceive Dumbledore, that's no easy feat," he snapped, his tone frosty. "Go turn a trick upstairs to earn a little money, you had no problem with seducing me to get what your father wanted," Ollie answered coldly, taking a step forward so he was now towering over the werewolf. His lips curled upward in a vicious sneer.
Ollie cut her off before Norah could reply, though the look of antagonizing hurt she shot him tugged at his heart.
"You'd do well to keep your mouth shut, Jameson. You used me, wolf, you lied to me, stole from me," he growled, referring of course, to his heart, though he could never let Jameson know the truth. "To think that I could ever trust you was one of the biggest mistakes of my life," Ollie growled angrily. "That I almost loved you was a mistake…"
"B—but you're still not hearing me." Norah stared up at Ollie with huge almond-shaped eyes.
Though it stung and hurt like hell to hear Ollie claim to have no further trust in her and to call her names, the werewolf knew there were more important things to be discussed with her than her wounded feelings now.
Ollie shoved Norah then, not as hard as the tall man likely could have, but enough for her to stumble a few paces backward, caught off guard as she let out a squeak and shot out an arm to catch herself, using the wall as a support brace to maintain her balance.
"There's nothing more you can say, werewolf," he spat her title as though it was poison in his mouth. "I put my trust in you as my partner and my girlfriend, and you stole something most precious to me with no regard for how I would feel, or anyone else! You've no excuse! Just get out and don't bother to get in touch with me again, Jameson. Go. Now…"
"No, wait, Ollie, please, just—just let me explain! You have to listen to me, Brennan, please!" Norah begged, feeling a surge of panic rise within as her breaths hitched in her throat, becoming more frantic after Ollie had shoved her.
She wasn't really hurt, but the fact that her former Order partner and boyfriend of less than a day had shoved her and lashed out at her physically was more than unsettling.
Even more unsettling was the fact that the wizard had first ensured the two of them were alone and in an enclosed space, with a Muffliato Charm cast on the door by him the second the door had shut.
"I don't owe you a goddamn thing, Jameson!" Ollie all but screamed at Norah as he shoved the werewolf again, much harder this second time. Norah shied away from him as she stumbled back a few paces.
She was breathing even harder now as she widened her eyes to stare in shock and confusion at the man's blue eyes, darkening and flashing indignantly, burning brighter than midnight troches as the color of his eyes turned almost cerulean in hue, dark, angry, and every bit as deadly as Jack Brennan's own eyes had been once upon a time.
He was utterly furious.
Norah peeked over her shoulder towards the door, wondering if the man's Silencing Charm had worn off yet.
Would Tonks who was supposed to be standing just outside the doorway, ready to escort her home once Ollie was finished with her, hear them? Would Tonks or Lupin come to her aid if she needed it?
The door was heavy, and for all she knew, the man's Silencing Charm was still in full effect now.
Maybe no one else in this bloody house could hear them. And Ollie had stated in front of Dumbledore and Remus and Dora that he'd wanted to speak to Norah alone.
Would either of them dare to interrupt the temperamental Legilimens during a private meeting? Norah highly doubted they would.
"Ollie, please, I—I know you're angry, a—and you have every right to be," Norah spoke in as calm a tone as she could manage. Which was amazing considering how badly her voice shook, that she could even speak at all. "But everything will be fine, I—I can fix this, just give me a chance to make it—"
But Ollie cut her off by shoving her again, this time even harder, enough so that Norah's back actually hit the wall behind her, knocking the wind from her lungs as again, he'd caught her off-guard.
"Everything will NOT be fine! You—you hurt me, you've betrayed me! You could really DO this to me?! And Lupin and Tonks, you'd do this to them?" he yelled, shoving Norah again just as soon as the werewolf had regained her balance from the last one.
"Ollie, please stop!" Norah cried, attempting to escape her seething partner, but the only thing she managed to succeed in doing was backing herself into the corner as Ollie stalked his way after her. "I—I was only trying to protect you. I was trying to help you!"
"Help me?" Ollie growled. "You think betraying my trust and keeping secrets from me is helping me?"
When he lunged forward in an effort to push the young blonde werewolf again, Norah ducked out of the way with a soft gasp, darting to the other side of the room. She inhaled a shaking breath as she stared at the man now more or less blocking her exit.
Ollie did not speak.
He simply glared at his former partner shaking ever so slightly beneath him.
As Norah continued to inch her way along the wall, Ollie remained unmoved and unresponsive. He just needed some time to cool down, and Norah figured she shouldn't press the matter any further.
But before she could make a beeline for the door and escape this room and her angry partner, the man's hand shot out toward her without any warning. His strong fingers wrapped harshly around her small, delicate wrist as he yanked Norah back, roughly slamming the werewolf against the wall.
Norah could only let out what sounded like a wolfish whimper, more of a whine as she was dragged harshly back in front of the tall man, who stared down his slender nose at her with what she could only describe as hatred boiling over in his burning irises.
"You don't deserve to stand in this room, wretch," Ollie growled. "I should walk you outside myself and throw you out, so the entire Order of the Phoenix can see what happens to a vicious traitor."
Norah gulped nervously. Surely, he wasn't bloody serious, was he? But the way the man was gripping onto both of her wrists, tight enough that Norah was frightened her bones might snap in half, was telling enough. This man was Jack Brennan's son. The man's anger was real, and so was his threat.
"Ollie," Norah gasped in a pained voice. "Y—you're hurting me! Please don't! Please let me go!"
But her words only enticed the Legilimens to squeeze onto Norah's arms even tighter, causing Norah to cry out in pain.
With his fists still tightly gripping onto his former partner's arms, Ollie began to drag Norah towards the living room parlor's door.
Throwing Norah harshly to the hardwood floor, Ollie reached the door and yanked it open roughly. Unfortunately for the poor werewolf, Norah was so flustered and in such a state of shock to make any attempt at escaping the man at this point in time.
She rubbed at her throbbing wrists which now stung and bore red finger-shaped markings for a brief moment before Ollie reached for Norah again.
But before Norah could plead with Ollie to stop, she felt a pair of rough but firm hands grip onto her shoulders and continue to drag her out into the hall. Tonks and Lupin looked on in confusion.
Ollie stopped dead in his tracks but still held tightly onto the frightened blonde werewolf, ignoring her whines.
"Ollie," Tonks questioned with a furrowed brow, the edges of her lips curling down in a frown as her thoughtful gaze flitted from Ollie to Norah. "Is everything alright?" she asked as she looked across the way to meet Norah's large, frightened eyes as she swallowed a lump in her throat but remained quiet.
Anything more Norah said to Ollie at this point would probably only infuriate the man even further, so she elected to keep her lips sealed and stay quiet.
Norah noticed how Tonks's facial expression shifted from a look of concern to one of sympathy as her pale grey eyes met Norah's terrified blue orbs.
No doubt the werewolf had visible tears brimming at the edges of her cracked and red-rimmed eyes and trailing down her cheeks.
Norah wished Tonks and Lupin hadn't seen her like this.
Or the rest of the Order, Norah noticed, as a small crowd was watching them from the kitchens, Mrs. Weasley looking displeased and disapproving of the way Ollie was handling this situation, Arthur too, but said nothing.
Lupin frowned. "Give Norah to me, Ollie," he offered, reaching his arm and hand out towards the pair of them. "You've made your point. Norah is no longer an Order member and is no longer your partner, and therefore, no longer your concern. There's no need for you to hurt her. Hasn't Miss Jameson suffered enough?" he growled warningly.
The young blonde witch struggled and fought to pull away from Brennan's painful grasp and toward the relative safety of Lupin's generous and kind offer, but the Legilimens refused to let her go.
Norah was rewarded for her futile struggles by her arm being twisted behind her back even further, causing her to finally cry out quite an audible whine.
"You'll be alright, Norah," Remus steadily promised. "We won't let Ollie hurt you, Miss Jameson." Norah's wide eyes looked from Lupin, over to Tonks, and then back toward Mrs. Weasley.
Would no one stand up to Ollie and help her? Before Norah could open her mouth to plead with someone—anyone at this point—to have mercy on her and help her, the werewolf let out a pained gasp as Ollie shoved Norah roughly forward with a growl, causing Norah to stumble before falling to the floor.
She was lucky enough to be able to break her fall with her hands, though her arms and wrists ached and almost felt numb and tingly from having Ollie hold onto her so tightly in a vice grip just now.
She was fairly sure her knees would be bruised for a couple of weeks after this, as well, when all of this was over.
Tonks instantly yanked Norah to her feet, and Norah instantly struggled to get away from the Auror.
She knew she'd rather take her chances here while there was still a chance of relative safety than to go back to the Pack knowing she'd failed Father. Greyback was sure to kill her for her failure.
"Hold still, Norah, I promise, I'm not going to hurt you!" Tonks spoke, clutching onto Norah's arm firmly as the werewolf squirmed, grunting, and growling with the effort to free herself.
But Norah refused to go without putting up a fight. She knew that as an Auror, Tonks's skills probably outmatched her own, and with everyone else in the Order here as a witness to Norah's misfortunes, she stood no chance of overpowering the witch close to her age and making a run for it, but she knew she had to try, otherwise, she was dead.
Remaining compliant could very well cost her her life.
"Let me go, Tonks!" she screamed frantically, fresh tears springing to the edges of her lids at the thought of yet someone else she'd come to know and trust and like, one who she considered almost like the sister she'd never had but always wanted, against her.
Tonks, however, continued to hold steadfast onto Norah's forearm in a surprisingly strong inescapable grip in what Norah thought almost a hug, before pushing her gently towards Lupin's arms, who wound an arm around Norah's shoulders and instinctively pulled her close. Now she was confused.
"Listen to us. We won't let you hurt her, Ollie," Tonks spoke up, bringing herself to stand in front of Remus, who held onto Norah with gentle arms. "I know you can't understand her actions right now, and frankly, neither can I, but she's your girlfriend. You can't just throw all this way because of who her parents are, no matter what her reasons were originally, but can't you see, that Norah's different, Ol? She—she's not like Greyback or any of his followers! We both know that!"
Ollie growled out in rage as he made a move towards the Auror and older werewolf, who were standing guard in defense of Norah, the only two amongst the Order of the Phoenix to dare to do so.
No one else wanted to go against Dumbledore.
It wasn't until Tonks planted herself firmly in between Ollie and Remus and Tonks that the Legilimens finally ceased his attempts to attack her.
"Get out of my way, Tonks," Ollie growled as he pushed past Lupin and Tonks and stalked his way down the hallway, waving his wand so the front door opened with a loud bang.
The force of his movement was so loud that the echo reverberating off the wall so audibly loud that the others in the kitchen watching the tense scene before them flinched in surprise, and a collective gasp could be heard as he waved his wand again.
The front door slammed shut so hard behind him as he vacated Headquarters, that it rattled in its hinges and almost fell clean off the post.
Tonks shook her head and blew out a puff of air with her cheeks.
"Are you okay, Norah?" Tonks asked in a tone full of worry and concern as she turned towards the visibly shaken and frightened werewolf. "I'm sorry if I scared you," she apologized, shooting Norah a pained look as she put her hands on Norah's shoulders to try to steady her as she saw her wobble. "But I didn't know how else to get him to let you go."
"I—I'm okay," Norah gasped, though she felt anything but. In fact, she felt like she might be sick. She breathed out a shaking breath and swallowed down past a pained sob.
This was bloody it.
Once she walked out the front door alongside Tonks, she was officially homeless. There was no way she could go back home to Father like a dog with her tail tucked between her legs and admit her shame and failure.
Lupin must have sensed what she was thinking.
"There's no need for you to feel ashamed, Norah," Remus offered kindly, shooting her what he hoped was a reassuring smile as he wound his arm tighter around Norah's shoulders. "Ollie is the one who should feel shame for his actions, not you," he said, a flicker of some foreign emotion akin to pity darting through his eyes that had momentarily shifted to gold as the wolf within him came out in response to Ollie's aggression and anger towards Norah just now. "Did he hurt you, Norah?" Lupin looked down at the young werewolf with worried eyes, which thankfully, had reverted from their golden hue and back to brown. "I mean to say, are you able to come along with me? I'll take you upstairs, help you pack your things, and take a look at you. Can you walk at all?"
Norah nodded numbly. Lupin turned to Tonks.
"I'm going to take Norah someplace where Ollie won't see her. I think our friend needs his space. Ollie seeing Norah at this point will be a danger to them both given the man's current mood," he sighed.
Tonks nodded in agreement, tugging on a lock of her hair, short, spiky, and a light lavender hue this evening.
"I think it's safe to say his mind is on…other things at the moment," Tonks furrowed her brows into a frown as she stared at the door Ollie walked out of as if she hoped he'd materialize out of thin air and apologize for the horrible way he'd talked to Norah.
Norah hesitated, biting down on her bottom lip as she followed Tonks's gaze.
"I—I should follow him and try to reason with him. What if he hurts himself?" Norah whispered in a faint, choked whisper.
But Lupin shook his head no. "No, I don't think that would be a wise course of action, Miss Jameson, nor in your best course of interest at this point. You might be alright now, but you may no longer be okay if you stand next to Ollie right now in his current state of mind. Give him time, he'll come around, and though you may not be an Order member, Tonks and I believe you, and we expect to see you at our wedding, and Dora and I won't take no for an answer. You already promised us, yes?" he added sternly, though his light brown eyes were twinkling slightly as Norah gawked at him.
Unsure of what else to say and feeling at a loss for words, Norah could only nod numbly in response.
"I—I'll be there," she promised faintly.
"Good." Lupin nodded his approval and shot her an encouraging smile before turning towards Tonks. "Will you follow Ollie, Tonks? Just in case…you know your friend better than I do, but if I were you, I wouldn't approach the man in his current mood. He might be dangerous. Back off and give him the space he needs, but don't get too close to him…"
Tonks inclined her head to show Remus she'd heard his words and turned on the heels of her combat boots and Disapparated with a loud crack!
Lupin sighed and turned towards Norah, whose expression was looking on the verge of resting somewhere between mass hysteria and heartbreak.
"Don't worry about Ollie, Norah," Remus said, offering the younger blonde werewolf a grim stare. "Let's just focus on getting you looked at. Nothing will be solved just yet anyway. Follow me, we can talk upstairs," he murmured, taking hold of Norah's arm.
Norah was reluctant to leave, but she hesitantly let the older male werewolf lead her out of the hallway, up the stairs towards her room, and away from Ollie.
She could only hope Tonks could talk some sense into Ollie before it was too bloody late. Tonks might be the only one he'd listen to now. Because Merlin only knew he was done with the likes of her.
What had happened to her tonight was her fault.
Norah was grateful Lupin's back was turned to her so the man wouldn't see her tears streaming down her cheeks as he led her inside her room and shut the door, the only barrier of protection he could provide the distraught young werewolf at this time.
It was going to have to be good enough for now.
Things definitely aren't looking good for Nollie. Coming up Lupin & Tonks attempt to talk to Norah & Ollie respectively, but will they listen?