Isabelle didn´t waste any time. Without hesitation she pressed the buzzer, not letting it go until she heard the voice through the intercom. „YOU HAVE FIVE SECONDS BEFORE I BLOW UP YOUR HEAD! WHAT´S THE MATTER?"

Izzy snorted, making sure she´d be heard at the other side of the intercom. „Cool it, it´s me. Now don´t be such a diva and open the door. You know, if you don´t, I will find my way in, and I can promise you you won´t like that!" The determination in her voice made perfectly clear that she meant everything she said. She could hear a defeated sigh before the door opened in front of her, letting her in. Izzy smiled, self-satisfied, and quickly walked up the stairs to Magnus´ loft. He was standing at the front door with his arms crossed over his chest, glaring at her in annoyance.

Isabelle looked him up. He didn´t look good, she thought. His hair was longer than usual and hung loose, the dark sweat pants and the faded brown shirt he wore indicated that he hadn´t expected any visitors today, nor did he plan to go out. Also, she noticed his cat eyes were red-rimmed. Apparently he hadn´t gotten much sleep, lately. Izzy was more than pleased. If her brother was a heartbroken wreck after the break-up, Magnus didn´t deserve any better.

„What do you want?" If Magnus wanted to sound intimidating he failed miserably.

„Came to visit my friend." she said, moving past the warlock into the loft.

Inside, she inhaled sharply. The apartment looked like a bachelor pad, untidy, and empty pizza boxes piled up on the coffee table. The place seemed gloomy, just like Magnus himself.

„Nice furnishing." She remarked dryly. She turned around to see the warlock still standing at the doorway as if waiting for her to leave again. „You can stand there all day if you want, I won´t go." she declared. Magnus shot a glance to the ceiling, probably sending a prayer to heaven or evaluating if he should risk a fight with her. Luckily for him he decided against it, closed the door and grabbed a glass filled with an indefinable liquid from the kitchen. Izzy followed him and hopped onto the counter.

„My dearest Isabelle." Magnus said „As you are angry with me by the look of things – and I won´t blame you in that matter – I don´t assume you´re here for gossiping. So, what is your intention?" Isabelle shot him a faked smile. „My first intention, so to speak, was kicking your ass." she said matter-of-factly. Magnus didn´t look surprised. „But I´m way too mature for that. I know what happened. Alec told us everything. And I´m not angry with you. Do I think you´re a fool breaking up with my brother? Yes, definitely. But as far as it concerns me, you´re still my friend." At that Magnus´ face changed, honest surprise displayed in his eyes. Apparently he hadn´t expected Isabelle´s loyalty to him to continue. „If Alec told you everything, you should know my reasons. And you should see that nothing you can say will change anything in my decision."

Isabelle made a face. „You are a fool, indeed.", she said, jumping gracefully from her seat on the kitchen counter. „I didn´t come to beg you to take Alec back. That would be just pitiful." Magnus raised an eyebrow. „Oh? So why did you come, then?" He leaned on the counter and watched the shadowhunter walking into the living room. „I´m here to reason with you." she explained. „Alec might be an idiot, but he´s not a bad person. He´s the most caring and conscientious person I know, and it drives me crazy sometimes, but it´s true. You´re mad at him because of something he didn´t even do and with that you punish him and you punish yourself. Look at you! You look bad – no offense."

Magnus rubbed his nasal bone in exasparation.

„Did Alec send you?" he asked flatly. „Look, I don´t see where this is going. What Alec did was a breach of trust and once broken, trust can´t be rebuilt that easily. Take it from someone who knows: Sometimes the strongest bonds can´t withstand such pressure. The relationship between Alec and me just simply didn´t work out."

Isabelle´s eyes gleamed a furious black as she looked at him. „Don´t tell me you don´t miss him. You´re wearing his sweater, you´re pining for him." she snapped. She had recognized the shirt unmistakably as Alec´s from its dull colour. Maybe Alec had forgotten it here when he had picked up his stuff from Magnus´ apartment

Magnus turned away from her, but for a moment, she had seen the hurt in his eyes. It wasn´t long until he managed to hide it again, but she had seen it. It gave her enough affirmation to go on.

„Do you know what you did to him when you left him behind? Alec gave up so much for you, he took a plunge in at the deep end when he outed himself in front of the Clave. You have no idea how much courage it requested from him. He risked everything for you. And you´re throwing it away like it was a piece of shit, just because he did one mistake. A very stupid one, admittedly. But don´t you act like you´re the only victim in this whole affair. Because you´re not." Isabelle couldn´t see Magnus´ reaction to that, because he was still standing with his back to her. Still, she noticed that his body tensed slightly at her words. „Alec is strong." she continued. „He loves you, but he can do without you. I´d just wish he wouldn´t have to. Be without you, that is. I don´t want to go through the process of getting used to another man at my brother´s side. You know I don´t trust easily." she winked at him.

A moment of silence followed. It took a while until Magnus turned around to face her, so long, that Isabelle almost got impatient. „I appreciate what you´re trying to do for your brother." he said. Isabelle hanged her head. She didn´t like where this was going. He was going to turn her down. „But..." he went on. Of course. There was always a but.

„This is something between Alec and me, or rather it was. Because we´re done. You can tell him that."

Isabelle lifted her head, her chin set into a stubborn line. „Alec didn´t send me. I came here myself." It was true. Alec was longing for Magnus. He did a good job distracting himself with his duties, but he suffered under the break up. And Isabelle hated seeing her brother like this.

But it seemed like she couldn´t do any more for him, than what she had done right now. She wasn´t good at giving relationship advice when it came to true love. Isabelle was a great warrior and she didn´t flinch away from slaying a Dahak demon – but love was something she had no control over. She thought about Simon. She trusted him and that´s what terrified her so much. She was experienced at dating, she could tell you excactly what to do to seduce a man. But with Simon it was different. She had learned not to give her heart away easily, for men can´t be trusted in that matter. Her mother had taught her that. Yet, with Simon it seemed like everything was so simple. He was cute and brave, considerate and smart; he made her laugh. And he could keep up with her.

Isabelle sighed. How could she blame Magnus for being a coward, if she wasn´t able to sort things out with Simon herself?

„I don´t think you should come again." Magnus said, leading her to the front door. She let him. She didn´t say another word, not even a goodbye, as she stepped out.

Magnus slammed the door shut, not wanting to see Isabelle leaving. He liked her a lot, and he knew deep in his heart, that she was right. Every word she had said was true and it gave Magnus an even emptier feeling inside like before she had appeared at his doorway. A part of him didn´t want her to go, wanted her to reason with him so long until he forgot his stupid reason why he had broken up with Alec. Another part just wanted to never see her again, or Alec, or any of their friends, so that he could ignore how good they had made him feel, how alive. He didn´t know which part was bigger.

With a sigh he flung himself onto his couch, determined not to drown in self-pity. Chairman Meow was appearing from under the coffee table and stopped in front of the couch, looking up at Magnus through reproachful cat-eyes. Or he had just imagined that. Because, really, how could a cat look reproachful?

„Don´t you tell me too, that I made a mistake." Magnus said. „It was the only decent thing to do." The Chairman made a sound that sounded like a huff and disappeared behind the kitchen counter. Apparently his cat missed the shadowhunter as much as he did.

Magnus pressed a cushion into his face, trying to ban any thought of Alexander from his head.

He didn´t know how long he was lying there like this, without moving. Eventually, the vibration of his mobile phone cut him off of his train of thoughts. He groaned. How could he get over Alec, if he kept texting him every day? He took out his phone, anyway.

To his surprise, the text he had received wasn´t from Alexander. It was from his sister, Isabelle.

He narrowed his eyes as he read it, but he couldn´t help the small smile creeping up on his face.

I don´t give up yet.
:* Izzy