Chapter 12: Letters & Confessions

Nora hadn't spoken to her friends for a week and felt that her anger was no closer of cooling down. Everyone around her had noticed the change and were careful around her. It didn't help that she was growing up and her limbs felt painful. She was glad to get something else to think about, when a letter from her aunt arrived:

'Hey Nora!

I hope that this letter finds you well. I have some amazing news for you: You got a new cousin! We got the most beautiful baby girl! She was born on Tuesday. We are holding the Christening in 26th of September within the ceremony. Me and Dan wish that you could come, we'd love for you to meet her.

Within the letter there are some pictures of her. Please reply and tell me if you can make it, so I can send you the train tickets.

With Love

Aunt Laurel and Uncle Dan'

Nora smiled as she saw pictures of the small baby. The girl's eyes were closed, and she could swear the girl had Dan's nose. "Oh, 'ho's this cutie pie?" Daisy asked as she sat beside Nora with Matthew in the breakfast table.

"M… my new c… cousin," Nora answered softly smiling. "I h… have to ask P… Professor Sprouts after today's l… lessons. I'd r… really love to make it i… into the C… Christening."

"I'm sure she will," Matthew said. "She's very reasonable person."

"Yeah, I r… really hope so."

"Of course, she will!" Daisy cheered. "This is amazin', is it a lad or a laddie?"

"G… girl," Nora couldn't remember the last time she had smiled.

Corvus re-read the letter his aunt had sent him. After re-reading it he read it again.

'Corvus,

your uncle and I decided to look up for your marriage partner. We have agreed that after coming to an age, you shall marry Olivia Underwood, so our family line should stay pure and clean. I expect you to be on your best behaviour and be-friend the girl.

We will have dinner with the family on your Christmas break. If everything goes according to the plan, we will have great new asset within the family.

With the best regards

Your Aunt Narcissa'

"What has made you so spooked?" Astoria asked, trying to cover a smile. She found the look on Corvus face hilarious. It was rare for Corvus to be shocked about something.

"Read this and you'll know," Corvus answered and gave the letter to Astoria.

"Oh Merlin! You'd marry Olivia!? Our Livia!?" Astoria asked, shocked.

"Yes, apparently."

"Well… good for you, I guess?" Astoria said. She felt a little jealous for Olivia. How Corvus aunt and uncle had preferred her over Astoria and her family.

"Yeah, maybe," Corvus wondered. "Though, it feels weird that they chose Olivia, I mean she's just a friend. Do they even know that she was sorted in Gryffindor?"

"I guess not," Astoria thought. "Hey that can be a great dinner topic."

"Yeah, and then I'll marry someone else, like Leslie Norton or Dorea Wyton?"

"Good point," Astoria said. She wanted neither Leslie nor Dorea anywhere near her life, and if Corvus married either one of them, she probably would have to cut ties with him. If he married Olivia one day, she could stay friends with both. "Do you know, if Olivia knows?"

"I've no idea. I mean I just found out myself."

"Do I know what?" Olivia asked. She sat down next to her friends in the lunch table. Michelle greeted them with a nod as she sat down next to Corvus.

"Well," Astoria looked at Corvus with an evil grin: "We were talking about your marriage proposal."

"What!?"

"Quoi!?"

"What are you talking about? What proposal?" Olivia asked in shock.

"Between you and Corvus of course," Astoria said, and Corvus gave her the letter. Olivia read it, eyes opening wide: "What in the bloody Merlin's name is this? I've to send a letter to my parents and ask what kind of joke is this! I mean, I'm not going to marry you Raven Boy, nor anyone else for no other reason than love!"

"Yeah, I don't want to marry you either, so no hard feelings. But I'd rather marry you, than someone like Leslie Norton, or Dorea Wyton."

"Awful choices," Olivia huffed.

"I've never understood this arranged marriage thing. My aïeule and papy tried to marry off my papa with some ladies, but papa always turned them down," Michelle commented on the matter.

"Yeah, my parent's marriage was also arranged, and it has been everything else, but a happy one," Olivia said, recalling her summer holiday. Her parents had fought every day, that she had seen them.

"Mine are happy," Astoria recalled. "But they were lucky, that their personalities matched."

Olivia huffed: "I wish I'll be that lucky one day."

"Me too," Astoria and Michelle sighed.

'Hey Nora,

Sorry for not sending you letter sooner. How are you feeling? How was your summer? How has the new semester been? Who's your new DADA teacher? What is the person like?

My summer was great. I visited Germany during summer, and I met some most interesting people there. After the trip I got my S.U.P.E.R results back and managed due to them to get an internship from St Mungo! I got a place from the 4th floor, that heals hexes, jinxes and spells.

I've enjoyed the internship so far. Every day is different, and I've learnt SO much during this short period of time! I LOVE it! I wish to be even half as talented healer as my tutor is! She's amazing. She always seems to know what to do and what to try. If you come home during your Christmas Holiday, then maybe we can catch up?

I wish to hear from you soon!

With love

Leyla Murphy'

Nora smiled at the letter. She missed the older girl's presence and felt bad for not sending the girl a letter during the whole summer. I should exchange numbers with her, so I can call her during my breaks, Nora thought.

She had spoken with Professor Sprouts and had gotten permission to visit her aunt for the weekend. The teacher had agreed to Nora's question quickly and had told her, she wouldn't travel by the train. Nora had informed her aunt on the matter, so she could save up some money.

'Hello, Leyla

It's lovely to hear from you. I'm feeling a lot of better. The school is a lot of safer nowadays. The safety matters have been risen, and dementors guard the gates, since Sirius Black is on the loose. The subjects are interesting, and our new DADA teacher is Professor Remus Lupin. He is fantastic teacher. I like his lessons the best. Too bad, he never got to be your teacher. I'm sure, you'd enjoyed his lessons.

My summer went well. I was at home preparing my aunt's weddings. She got married, and just had a baby. I'm actually going to visit her in next weekend, since it's my cousin's Christening. Maybe we could exchange phone numbers, so I can call you from there?'

Nora paused writing for a moment and decided to tell her about the fight. She wished to talk about it with someone, and Leyla seemed mature enough person to help her to clear up her mind.

'Actually, I had a fight with Corvus, Michelle, Astoria and Olivia. Since I've been a little child, I thought that my parents died due to a gas leak explosion in London. About a week ago I learnt that they were actually murdered by Sirius Black, as he murdered his friend. I also found out that they had known about the matter for almost a year. I'm still really angry with them, and I've no idea, what I should do. I mean this is about my parents! About my life! Do you have any idea what should I do?

Also, how was Germany? What all kinds of things have you learned so far? And how's everything in your life outside of the internship?

With all the best

Nora'

Nora was satisfied with the letter and gave it to the same owl that had sent her to post.

"Has anyone seen Nora during the whole weekend?" Olivia asked, worried. It was Saturday afternoon and none of them had seen the girl after Friday's last lessons.

"No, I haven't. I've seen her speak with Professor Sprouts quite a lot outside of the lessons lately. Maybe she has gone somewhere?" Michelle suggested.

"Yeah, hopefully. Seeing her missing, just reminds me about the last spring," Olivia frowned.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Astoria sighed.

"By the way Corvus, is it true that your cousin's arm is ruined?" Michelle asked. "I heard Davies saying, we wouldn't be playing against Slytherin during this semester?

"What? What has happened to his arm?" Olivia wondered.

"Haven't you heard? He was in the Magical creatures' lesson, where Hippogriff attacked him, breaking his arm," Astoria explained.

"Oh yes, I've heard about that! Though it's only a broken arm. You'd think Madam Pomfrey could fix it within blink of an eye?" Olivia recalled.

"He's faking it," Corvus told to the girls.

"It seems quite reckless from Hagrid's part, to bring Hippogriff to his first lesson," Michelle criticized.

"I heard that the incident wasn't his fault. He warned the class that they are proud creatures, but Draco went and insulted the creature. A guy from a previous year preferred it to the muggle pet, horse," Olivia defended the man. "Plus, I think that kind of lesson would be really interesting."

"Maybe so, but the damage has still been made," Michelle pointed out.

"But back to the original topic, where do you think Nora is then?"

"Isn't her aunt pregnant?" Astoria asked.

"Do you think something went wrong?" Olivia gasped with horror.

"I doubt it," Astoria said, trying to calm her friend down. "I meant maybe she's having the baby?"

"I though the due day already went by?" Michelle wondered.

"Maybe they're having the Christening then," Astoria pointed out.

"Or then something happened with her grandparents," Corvus said out loud, thinking of the twos old age.

"Oh, I really hope that nothing has happened!"

"Why don't we ask from Daisy what's going on? She might know."

"Good point, let's just do that!" Olivia got up and spoke with the girl. Corvus could see the girl sighing with a relief. She waved to Daisy as a goodbye and came back to others.

"So?" Michelle asked.

"Good news. She's in her cousin's Christening. She'll be back on Sunday evening," Olivia informed others. The common mischievous smirk appeared on her face.

Corvus smiled tinily, relief secretly washing over him.

Nora couldn't get over the fact, how tiny her cousin was. Nora was holding on the baby girl, who had just been named as Diane Roselyn Knight.

"I just can't understand, how beautiful she is," Aunt Laurel's voice startled Nora. She hadn't heard her aunt coming to her. Happy smile appeared on the woman's face: "Sorry to spook you."

"I… it's okay," Nora whispered, not wanting to wake up the baby. "And m… me neither."

"There has been something during this whole weekend that I've wanted to speak with you Nora," Aunt Laurel said. "Is it okay if I take her, and give her to Dan, while we talk?" Nora nodded, and Diane went to her father's embrace. Aunt Laurel came back shortly and coughed couple of times to clear her voice. "I've been meaning to apologize to you."

"A… apologize?"

"Yes. For not being the best kind of aunt for you, for not being as loving as I should have been. As you know, I've been short with my nerves in the past. Not physically angry, but you still had to be on the edge, and I took out lot of my anger on you." Aunt Laurel looked at the side, watching her husband from the distance, having a quiet moment: "You know, before having you, I was about to be promoted. I was young, childless, and single. They were offering me job from London. Then Phil and Rosie died, and I was forced to have you, and they told me, that they couldn't have someone on the job, who had a baby to take care of."

Aunt Laurel sighed deeply: "The first months were hell. You were constantly crying after your parents. Your "ability" came up and crazy things happened around you. I thought I was hallucinating. I barely slept on those days, and I started to resent you for my sufferings.

"Then you grew up, and started to resemble Phil. You are so much like him you see. The way you move a little clumsily, the way you speak, your freckles and your eyes, they all remind me of him. Sure, you have a lot of Rosie in you, but mostly Phil. And that made me so angry, because my brother was gone, and you were there with all the insane things happening around you. I had to get off from work early or go there late, or leave early, to resolve things that happened around you, so I knew no one would recommend me if I changed the workplace." Aunt Laurel had turned to look at her daughter, who was currently in Dan's brother's embrace. Nora could see that the woman was collecting the courage to speak.

"Seeing you every day, made me feel angry, yet guilty. When I have thought about it later, I've realized that I was mostly mad at myself for being afraid to love you. An orphanage child, who had lost her parents a way too soon. I wondered if I could love anyone at all.

"You don't know about this, but I've lied to you about Dan. I've actually known him for three years, and almost the whole time he has wanted to go out with me. I thought that I wasn't allowed to be happy with someone else and used you as an excuse to decline his date offers. When you went to school, I had no reason to decline him, so we went out, and I fell in love with him." Aunt Laurel once again took a small break from her speech, and her eyes laid on Melanie. "I always knew he had a child. He has always been very open about it. So, when the day came, that I had to meet Mel I felt terrified. I wondered if I'd resent the girl, hate her for not being mine.

"But on the first moment I met Mel, I knew I'd love the girl for the rest of my life. She has both Dan and her mother in her, but she's still so pure and real. I felt scared for coming to care for the girl so soon," Laurel recalled. "I actually tried to break up with Dan because of it once. Everything was too much. That's why I never send you any messages last year," Aunt Laurel said apologetically. "I was so scared that I'd screw things over, and I'd end up heart-broken, so I decided to break it myself rather than allow him to smash it," Aunt Laurel let out small sad laughter: "But he didn't let me to do that. He spoke sense into me and I'm glad that he did. He has made my life so much better.

"Then everything changed again. I was pregnant. I thought I'd never have children of my own. I thought I didn't want to have any. I still remember the time I was alone with you when you were less than one year old. But Dan promised to be with me all the way, and he has. Then I had to think about telling you about all of this, and I was worried how you'd take the news, and if you'd come to resent me and her, but I'm happy to see that my worries were for nothing," Aunt Laurel smiled and looked directly at Nora for the first time during their conversation.

Nora took in the words for moment, before she spoke: "I've n… never hated y… you Aunt Laurel, and I n… never could. N… neither could I ha… hate Diane." Nora took a deep breath before continuing: "I've a… always felt t… that there has b… been a gap b… between us, and I've a… always tried to c… close it. That it w… was my fault. But I've n… never thought that y… you hated me. But y… you care for me in y… your own way, b… because you a… always came for m… me and was r… ready to f… fight for me, de… defend me."

Aunt Laurel gave Nora tight hug: "I'm sorry to make you feel that." As the woman pulled away, Nora could see lone tear running down on Aunt Laurel's cheek. "I want to make it clear, that the gap was never your fault. It was for me being afraid to let you or anyone else to get close to me. For being afraid to love you, and I was fool for being terrified of those things. Because now that I'm no longer afraid, it feels like loving you has been the easiest thing that I've ever done."

Laurel wiped away the tear. "I was the one, who decided her second name. I wanted her name to have a Rose, just like your mother had." Aunt Laurel confessed suddenly. "It's my way to apologize and respect your parents for my sins. I know I can never make up the way I raised you, and I don't know what kind of a guardian I can be to you in the future with Di and Mel still growing and needing me."

Nora felt touched: "I… it's okay Aunt L… Laurel. Actually, I w… was wondering and U… Uncle Bill asked me when I c… called him yesterday i… if I could spend m… my Christmas holiday in h… his place. G… grandma and grandpa a… aren't in their b… best c… condition, and g… grandpa's Alzheimer has gotten w… worse."

Aunt Laurel smiled: "Of course. I don't mind if spend it there or with us." Aunt Laurel looked at her husband and the two shared a nod. "But I have to go to save Dan and Di from my mother and the rest of the relatives."

"Of c… course." Nora smiled as her aunt went and took Diane into a warm embrace. Dan took his arm around Aunt Laurel and Melanie hugged her father.

They are the picture of perfect, Nora thought before she went back to socialize with all the relatives.