Hallo dear reader,
this is my first take with a HP story. English isn't my mother tongue and I don't owe HPs in english, so please excuse my expressions if I misspelled something or used a wrong word. I hope you still get what I am talking about, but unfortunately my spelling program doesn't include Harry Potterish. I couldn't get this story out of my head so I hope you enjoy it!
Anna
Isabella and her houself Wendy were sitting in the library in her mother's home in the middle of the national park Boucles de la Seine Normande when a head appeared in the crackling fire.
„Isabella?"
„Yes, father?"
"I need to talk to you."
"Of course, please floo over."
"I don't have much time. Your school will participate in the Triwizard Tournament. It is the choice of the government, there is nothing we can do. It will be held at Hogwarts and I know that Madame Maxime will choose you among others to represent Bourbarton. I tried to convince them of a restriction and all agreed, but chose class level instead of age so all seven-years will participate. You will use your mother's name, I already told Madame Maxime. The goblet of fire will choose the school champion. I can't stop you from going to Hogwarts, but I forbid you to put your name down!"
"But fath…" But her father's head had already disappeared.
"A good-bye would have been nice. When was the last time I spoke with my father?"
"He sent you an owl that you aren't aloud to go to the Quidditch Worldcup a few weeks ago."
"YES." Isabella hissed, she hadn't forgotten his ban and the fact that he told her houselfe to do everything to keep her from sneaking away.
"And before."
"The letter about the man who broke out from Azkaban, Miss."
"You are right. Will you accompany me to Hogwarts, Wendy?"
"Whatever Miss wants."
During her whole time in Hogwarts she spoke to her father one more time and even this talk was interrupted and cut short with other, more important matters. The fact that she obviously wasn't the smartest witch in Bourbarton any longer got her lots of mockery, derision and taunt. Although her mother had been French through and through, her British father had made her an outcast right from the beginning. The only reason why the jibe and gibe had been bearable in the last 6 years was the reason that she was the most talented and smartest witch of the whole school. But with the goblet of fire as an incorruptible judge the girls were unstoppable.
Isabella was happy to finally leave her school time behind. She would start her N.E.W.T.s two weeks after the last task and then she would be free. Although she had been disappointed that she wasn't allowed to represent her school during the Triwizard Tournament she had been excited to spend the year at Hogwarts, but it had turned out to be the worst of her whole school career, what had been supposed to be the cherry on top turned into the most depressing experience in her life. The news that the Diggory boy died and the dark lord returned made Isabella question her sanity and when her father ordered her to leave the continent she was convinced it all had been a very, very bad dream. She didn't want to believe that she was awake. At least she could convince her father to let her finish her N.E.W.T.s .
This was the reason why the barely 17-year-old Isabella Lavie had to start in the middle of the school year muggle high school in some small town in Washington, called Forks.
"I am 17, I am a legal adult in my country, I finished school, but my father sends to the other end of the globe to attend another one. But not only another one, no, a MUGGLE school! I have never been to a muggle school, I was home schooled before I started at Bourbarton. And just coincidently in this country the legal age is 18, holy fucking damning moaning myrtle diarrhea and the drinking age is 21! 21! Can you imagine this? I can't even get a job here, all I can do is attend muggle school and I can't even do it drunk. Fuck my life."
Isabella's father knew a squirt named Charlie Swan who owed him a favor. So to pay him back he took Isabella in until she finished high school and promised her father to make sure that she followed all the rules of his country.
"You can apparate to school, right?" Was the first whole sentence this Charlie guy had said to her after he had opened the door and pointed her to her room yesterday. She had huffed as a respond and appeared two seconds later in her new prison aka room. Now she stood in the forest in front of her new school.
"Wonderful." murmured Isabella while she cast some cleaning charm on her shoes as she had landed in a big muddy puddle and walked grumpily to the building with the letters office on it.
"Hello, my name is Isabella Lavie and I am the new exchange student."
"Oh, yes, how exciting, welcome to Forks! You are staying with the Chief, right?"
'The last exciting thing I have seen were some breeding dragons" Isabella wanted to shout but she felt too tired to oblivate this older lady and only nodded in response.
"Wonderful! Alright, here is your schedule and a map of our school. Have a beautiful day, dear!"
Wonderful Isabella thought and left to find her first class. After the first five minutes she wanted to jump to the bottom of the sea just to make all those noisy and irritating brats stop so she secretly cast a notice-me-not and a slight repulsery charm and the other students left her alone though she could still hear them talking about her, they just didn't realize that she was sitting next to them.
Luckily she had been able to convince her father to keep her magic. At the beginning he wanted her oath to include not to use any, but she argued that she should be able to defend herself even against muggle or simply natural disaster and he gave in. She understood his argument that she was easier to find when she used magic but she didn't care, she would rather fight against 100 death eaters than part with the only thing she was good at and could control.
The teacher, equally affected by her charms, let her be and she spent her first periods thinking about new spells she could develop. Lunch break came soon and she followed the other students to the cafeteria. She didn't want to listen to the others talking about her again and wondering aloud where she was so she just grabbed some food and walked to an empty table at the end of the room. She was glad to finally eat some food, as Charlie had nothing at home and didn't realize that the five empty seats at her table where quickly occupied.
"Why don't you sit on your regular seat, Ed?" The biggest one asked.
"I don't know, let me and don't call me Ed!" The red headed boy answered.
"Has anyone seen the new girl?" The tall, blond boy wanted to know.
"No, not yet, it seems like she disappeared before the first class."
"Can't blame her. Terrible place for a school exchange. At least you could go somewhere sunny."
"The Chief won't be happy to hear this." The big one joked.
This sentence got Isabella back to the presence. She couldn't believe that five vampires shared her table and hadn't realized that she sat next to them. Her smell-me-not charm must be really good. It was one of her own that she created in fifth year when her room mate got this awful perfume she couldn't stand. But this whole thing wouldn't work out if Charlie thought she skipped or even worse told her father. Uuhhh the world sucks.
She had biology next so while she walked to her classroom she got rid of the notice-me-not and repulsery charm but kept the smell-me-not. She would keep this one for her whole Forks experience, you couldn't be careful enough. Their eye color didn't make sense. All vampires she knew had red to black eyes, but never this golden tone. And anyway what did they do at a high school, did their father send them in hiding from their world, too? Ridiculous. Next she would befriend them. Hah. The most possible explanation should be that this is a new kind of torture curse where everything possible goes wrong and the victim ends up insane. Yep, this sounds reasonable…
And just her luck, Isabella ended up at the same table as vampire Edward Cullen.
"Hello, my name is Edward Cullen, you must be Isabella Lavie."
"Yeah, hi. You are the first person to spell my name correctly. How did you know?"
"Well, I speak a bit French myself and just thought, you know, you being an exchange student. But now that I hear your accent I would guess that you are from Britain and not from France. My bad."
"It's okay, my mom is French, my dad English."
"So where are you from?"
"I am British, but I went to a boarding school in France."
"That sounds nice."
"It's alright."
"So how did you end up in Forks?"
"It's a long and complicated story."
"I am sure I can keep up."
"It doesn't matter. For some reasons I couldn't stay at my home and my father has some connections so here I am."
"I'm sorry."
"Not your fault."
"I am sorry that I asked."
"If you ever want to talk. I'm a pretty good listener." Is this some kind of an inside joke?
After Isabella ignored him for the rest of the lesson, Edward skipped his last class and hurried home. Esme was in the garden, but had the feeling that he wanted to be alone so she let him. His siblings returned an hour later with Alice leading. As soon as she ripped the door open she screamed:
"You found her, you found your mate!" Carlisle had arrived in the meantime and sat with Esme in the living room. Edward joined his family slowly.
"I know, I still can't believe it."
"Son! Congratulations! I am so very happy for you!"
"Thank you Carlisle."
"When do we get to meet her?" Esme wanted to know excitedly.
"I'm not sure. She is very defensive. She is not exactly happy to be here. Given the option I am quite sure that she would be out of here within the hour."
"But she is your mate, she won't be able to leave you."
"But she is also human. It would be the best for her to exactly do this. If I really want what is best for her I should find a way for her to return home as this is what she wants."
"So I take it you haven't touched her?" Carlisle asked soberly and Edward shook his head.
"Edward, the best for her will always be beside you. You may think otherwise, but the vampire in you already claimed her as your mate. The two of you won't be able to live without the other, this is not only about you!"
"You think I am selfish? I am thinking about her, this is exactly all I do ever since I met her! What is so wrong about not wanting to damn her?"
"What's wrong about it is that you can't decide for her, you idiot!" Alice shouted.
"Listen son, we don't want to fight. We only want what is best for you! There is a reason why Isabella was chosen to be your mate. She was made for you! Just as you were made for her. Do you want to deny Isabella her mate? She will never be complete without you. Those who are destined to have a mate can only be truly happy if they are together. Their souls aren't complete otherwise. Do you want this destiny for your mate? You told us how unhappy she is. Do you think this could really be changed by a simply move? For as long as they are incomplete there will always be a deep hole in their souls. You know this emptiness. If you are not thinking about your own, can you be responsible for hers?"
"I need to think now, please let me be."
"Of course. You know where to find us."
"Just one more question."
"Yes, Alice?"
"Why haven't you touched her?"
"If I'd touched her, there wouldn't be a choice."
"There never was."
Edward skipped the next day, then the day after and then the whole week. And he thought about his situation and thought about it and thought about it. On the eighths day he had come to a conclusion. He could have been so noble and sacrificing to let her be and bear the pain, but he couldn't let her suffer through the same. He would talk to her, explain her everything but wouldn't touch her. This decision would be hers.
Isabella's week had been uneventful, especially compared to her last school year. She had met the local shape shifters but didn't like them pretty much. She wondered why Edward was missing and why his siblings started to observe her. It irritated her so much that she started to spend her lunch breaks unnoticeable again, but as long as she got noticed during the lessons she was fine with it. Charlie was pretty much gone, most nights he even slept at the station. No wonder why the fridge was empty. But as he was gone so much she could luckily call Wendy to care for her.
But her routine suddenly changed on the eighths day when der previously empty seat in her biology class was occupied again.
"Hello Isabella."
"Hello Edward."
"Could we talk, after school?"
"Sure. Where shall we meet?"
"Let's meet at the parking lot."
Isabella nodded in agreement and spend the rest of the class looking into Edward's eyes.
And this is how Isabella became Edwards mate and girlfriend. He told her everything about himself. The good and the bad, the pretty and the ugly and Isabella touched him. The moment their skins connected their body and hearts shifted. Their souls recognized their mate and marked and claimed them as each other's. And both would never be the same.
Not everybody – vampire or human – had a soul mate, only very special individuals were destined to have a divided soul. Unmated they would be weaker and incomplete, but once they found their counterpart they were unstoppable.
Living with three mated couples and being able to read their minds Edward knew exactly what he was missing all this time. This alone made his willingness to sacrifice his own happiness even bigger. But to feel the difference now for himself was unbelievable. Isabella had learned about soul mates at school but she never thought that she was one of the rare chosen ones. Looking back she could see the pointers, but she had accepted her unworthiness long time ago that she never considered it.
Out of the sudden she had a soul mate for eternity and finally belonged. She was part of Edward's coven now, a full member of his family. She would still have to live at Mr. Swan's house, but only until she was 18 and then she would never have to be alone again. She would be loved. This alone was a complete new concept for her. She was important for somebody. Her feelings would be reciprocated. The moment they touched she became alive, her heart was filled with joy, suddenly there was hope for her future.
A few months later she was sitting outside on Charlie's porch. She was 18 now, but still lived there as the Cullens and she decided she would finish school first and then move together to Dartmouth as it would be less suspicious. She watched the stars when she felt like deep inside her heart a tie had been opened and she could suddenly breath again. While she pondered this mysterious feeling a visitor arrived. Her father's phoenix appeared in front of her and now she knew what this meant. The oath she had taken with her father before he had sent her away was invalid now and she was free again. Luckily the Cullens were on a hunting trip so she asked the phoenix to take her to England and he agreed. The moment she touched him she felt a warm current run through her body and the phoenix had bound himself to her for as long as she would live.
She went back to Forks a week later to find the whole town in turmoil. Everybody was looking for Isabella Lavie. The Cullens, but especially Edward were frantic. Most of the town suspected that Isabella had run away with Edward while they were away and Charlie spent lots of time questioning them. The rest believed that she had had a fallout with Charlie while the Cullens were gone and that was the reason Isabella left, but neither the Cullens, Charlie nor the rest of the town could find her. When Isabella returned Charlie kicked her out and she moved in with the Cullens, which was enough gossip for the townspeople to stop questioning what happened. Although the Cullens took her in with open arms Isabella never told them anything. Everybody was very concerned about Isabella as she sometimes almost seemed depressed, but with the help of the whole family she was getting better.
The whole life of the Cullen family changed a few months later when suddenly three young people knocked on their door. Two shabby looking boys and one girl asked to speak with Isabella.
"Bella, sweetheart, there are some visitors that would like to talk to you, could you come down please?" My new mom called up the stairs where I played a bordgame with most of my siblings. Who would want to visit me?
"Who is it?" I asked Edward while I got up, but he just shrugged with his shoulders.
I walked down the stairs, but as soon as I saw them I couldn't go further.
"What do you want?" I screamed angrily at them and now my whole family came rushing to us.
"Isabella, language." Mom told me and invited the trio in. Awesome.
"Maybe you could introduce us." Dad asked, but I knew it was more an order. I loved him dearly, but right now I wanted to throw all his etiquettes out of the window and our "guests" right after. God I hope they don't out me and I know my family will listen in even if I ask them to go.
"This is my stepbrother Harry and his two sidekicks Hermione and Ronald." I heard my family grasp. They knew I never talked about my biological family.
"You know my name, who would have thought." Ron said sarcastically and Hermione kicked his leg. "Ow!"
"We are sorry to disturb you and wouldn't have come if we thought we had another choice."
"How did you find me?" I needed to know this. I was still holding my disillusioned wand in my hand, I always carried him with me and I was so certain nobody would be able to find me.
Hermione showed me my father's illusionator and now I understood. I nodded and ignored my family's questioning stares.
"I hoped to talk to you after the funeral, but you didn't come! How could you!" Harry said accusingly. And I simply exploded.
"Just because I didn't announce my presence doesn't mean I didn't attend his funeral or wasn't there, you attention seeking brat!" I shouted back.
"I was grieving! I just witnessed his murder for Merlin's sake, I was there! With him! I didn't plan on losing it and breaking down in front of the whole party!"
"Wait a second please" Carlisle tried to mediate, "who was murdered and whose funeral did you attend?"
"My father's." I simply said.
"When?" Edward asked with a small voice.
"End of June." You could literally see the light bulb in their heads and they solemnly nodded while Edward hugged me closer to him to comfort me.
"I am sorry, love."
"You didn't tell them? You live with them, but didn't tell them, that your father, who happened to be the greatest wiz…"
"Will you shut up!" I roared. "They don't know and I won't have a Weasley spilling my secrets. And haven't you learned anything at school? I don't even need to be a legillimens to read your thoughts, where are your barriers and defense walls, you don't know me, how can you be so reckless?"
"What do you mean? What are you talking about?"
"Really Hermione? I expected more, I thought at least you would have them covered."
"Are you serious? You mean I could use occlumency not only for my mind but for Harry's and Ron's, too? You can project it?"
"Didn't you pay attention to your teachers? Of course you can project it. Even if you didn't practice it you should at least know about it theoretically, how else will you be able to overcome the imperio?"
"You know I went to a lot of schools, but I never heard anything about occlumency or imperio." Emmett pouted.
"Sorry, Em, I'm talking about a special kind of school. But I can't understand what the old man was thinking, at least Harry should know it by heart."
"Well he told Snape to teach me, but I never managed it."
"Hmh."
"Look, we aren't here to fight, we are just really hoping that you can help us."
"I don't want to, but I will listen and afterwards I will decide. Consider yourself lucky."
"Huh she really can't stand you, heh?"
"Emmett, please."
"Sorry, sis."
"Ok, where do I start? Well mhm, do they know?"
"No and I would appreciate it if you would keep this in mind."
"Yeah sure."
"And anyways what is it with the golden eyes?"
"Ron!"
"Sorry Hermione."
"Before your dad died-"
"Call him my father or by his name. My dad is sitting next to me and is very much alive, thank you!"
"My bad. Before your father died he and I were on a mission. But he was murdered before we could finish it so now it is our burden. Until our quest is fulfilled you-know-who can't be defeated. It is getting worse. I know that you are not troubled here in the US, but if we can't stop him it is only a question of time before this will affect other countries, too. I know you weren't close, but if not for him then please consider helping us for your country."
"You know nothing."
"You are right, I'm sorry."
"How do you think I could help you?"
"We all were mentioned in his will. He left us some items. You already saw the illuminator, maybe he gave him to us so we could find you?"
"I doubt it. What else did you inherit?"
"I got my first snitch with the inscription "I open at the end" and Godrick's Sword, but the ministry denied this heirloom as it was property of Hogwarts."
"Sneaky. What else?"
"Ron got the illuminator and last but not least Hermione got this kid's book "The Tale of the Beadle Brothers"
"What? Show me!"
"Here."
"How did the book fit into this bag?" Alice wondered, but I couldn't answer, my eyes were fixed on the book. I opened the first page and the dreadful premonition was confirmed.
"How could he, this was not his to give! I hate him, I hate him, I hate him!" I shouted and if I hadn't been humiliated enough already I started to sob. Edward was still holding me close and tried to comfort me, be it was my dad that broke my heart.
"Baby, please tell me what is going on. I love you so much, my beautiful daughter, tell me what he did to you so I can fix it. Do you want me to throw them out?"
"You would do this?" I sobbed, I couldn't believe my ears. Nobody had ever offered to throw the Harry Potter out of their house for me.
"Of course baby girl, you are my daughter, my kid's well-being will always come first and you are clearly distressed."
"They can stay for now, I'm just so upset, because this book is mine. My mom bought it for me when she discovered that she was pregnant. I only own a few of her things that belonged to her but this was the only thing I had she ever bought for me."
"What happened to her?"
"She died during my birth."
"I am so sorry Isabella, I had no idea, please keep it. Maybe Prof. Dumbledore gave it to me so you could get it back?"
"But he could have simply left it in my room where I kept it safe. There was no need to break my wards- eh safe to get it out so you could give it to me."
"We all know the old man always talked in riddles, why should it be different when he's dead."
"Tact Ron! So he clearly tried to leave a message and it includes you."
"That is pretty much all we know, we don't know what we are asking for exactly, please help us to figure this out."
"So what are you looking for?"
"Horcruxes."
"Damn."
"You know what they are?"
"Yes. How many?"
"Two done, at least three more to go."
"But we can't be certain."
"Right."
"Damn." I'm sorting through all puzzle pieces in my head, rearranging them, connecting them. Parenthetically I am running my fingers through my most precious book and skim through the pages. It is written in runes, a language I always loved, but suddenly I stop. Who dared to write in it?
"Was it you?" I accuse Hermione
"Did you scribble in my book?!"
"No! I never would!"
"That's true, in fifth year Harry had this pot- äh cooking book with notes on the sides, she despised it."
"Yes Ron, that was the reason, not that Harry followed the notes without knowing who wrote them!"
"You're not helping your case here Hermione."
"Ok, so it wasn't you. By the way that was really stupid Harry. So it is a message? For me? No one else would recognize this."
"Can I see?"
"Sure, here. See this, that's no rune. The color is nearly identical, you would never know."
"You are right, I would have thought that it was simply an illustration. Are you sure it was added later?"
"I know this book by heart and even if I didn't I have a photographic memory, the last time I saw this book this symbol wasn't there."
"So it is a message for you."
"Do you have an idea what it could mean?"
"I will need to do a few tests until then I can't be certain, but I can't do this until I tell my family about myself. You are probably tired. If you want to you can use our guestrooms, if you are more comfortable in our garden I will set up a tent for you."
"This is really appreciated, thank you a lot! We have our own tent, we won't bother you."
"Set it up beside the garage. I've got the grounds covered, you are safe here, you wouldn't have been able to enter if it wasn't for the illuminator."
What do you think, how did you like angry Bella and what do you think about her father?
Let me hear your thoughts!