A/N: ANOTHER chapter! I am just spoiling you lot :P

Partying and Awkwardness

Six months had passed since Isabella Flynn had left England, heading for France. She had picked up the language quickly, taking night classes near her flat. She was working at the Wizard Bureau in Paris, working nights on investigations with her partner-in-crime; Gabriel, and by day she explored the city and caught up on sleep.

This morning, she felt particularly lonely and far away from her dearest friends. Lily had sent her a letter through Dumbledore detailing plans for her wedding and her hen's night, which should be blast.

The letter had no mention of Sirius, and was full of bubbly little remarks that made Izzy feel as if she was not missed at all, which was ridiculous.

However, Izzy stepped into the phone booth spontaneously, as she was walking to her usual café for breakfast.

She thanked Merlin that she had made Sirius get a telephone, nervously clutching the receiver.

The phone rang for what seemed like ages until it picked up with a click, and she could hear him breathing, the most familiar and comforting sound she'd heard in a long time. "Hello," Sirius said cheerily down the line.

Izzy's knuckles tightened around the receiver. All of a sudden, she couldn't do it. Sirius sounded happy, together, and normal. She couldn't just throw herself back into his life and disrupt everything. So she didn't say anything, but she stayed on the line just a little longer.

"Hellooo?" Sirius said again. "Who is this?"

She slammed the phone down with a shaking white hand, leaning against the wall of the booth. "That was dumb," she berated herself, shaking her head and stepping out on to the street.

As she stepped into Café Amour, Pierre, the proprietor of her favourite establishment called out, "Order for the lovely Isabella!"

"Oh, Pierre!" Izzy grabbed her croissant and morning coffee off the rather handsome man. "What would I do without you?"

"Goodness knows, Miss Izzy," Pierre sat her at the window table and handed her the newspaper.

"Thanks, you old duck." Izzy said in English.

"Old duck?" Pierre said, confused.

"You said you wanted to learn English," Izzy said mockingly.

"Very funny," Pierre chuckled as he headed back into the kitchen area.

Later that week, Izzy received a reply from Dumbledore that allowed her to return to London for Lily and James's respective last nights as single kids, and their wedding.

Packing her bag, Izzy excitedly locked her little flat and headed to the train. She was met by Lily after sleeping the whole way on the train – and her best friend ran at her wildly.

"Oof!" Izzy caught her around the waist. "Hey Lil!"

"I'm nearly a married woman!" She squealed.

"I know, love." Izzy laughed.

"And how have you been?"

"Fine. Working." Izzy said shortly. She did not want to talk about herself. "How's … Sirius?"

"He's angry." Lily said quietly; thinking back to a time when a very drunk Sirius had spilled his guts to her, completely by accident.

Lily laughed, helping Sirius back on to his chair in his living room, taking the bottle away from him. "Come on, love, let's get you up."

She had come over to see how he was doing in the weeks after Izzy's departure, and to be honest, this was the worst thing she could have found. Sirius, on the floor, drunk as all get out, mourning over his ex-girlfriend.

"What's up, Sirius?" Lily asked concernedly. "How are you?"

"Fine."

"How are you really, Sirius?" Lily asked. "We all know you're upset over Izzy. We haven't seen you for weeks."

"I'm fine."

"Just tell me, Sirius. You've seen the power of my wrath."

"Yes, I have," Sirius said, reaching for the bottle which Lily snatched out of his reach.

"No-o."

"Fine." Sirius sighed.

"Good. Tell me."

"I'm mad." Sirius said quietly. "I don't want to be mad. But I am. At her, for leaving. At me, for not being able to make her stay. At her mother, for making her so flighty and adventurous, and at my fucking family, for making me such a fucking fuck-up that I cannot get over a break up. I feel like a fucking woman!"

"I'm going to ignore that comment," Lily said sadly as she wrapped her arms about Sirius, rocking him in her arms.

"But most of all," he whispered. "I'm angry that I didn't try harder to make her stay."

Lily shook herself out of her reverie. "Not at you," she added. "But I have to warn you, he is much like the old Sirius – the one we didn't like very much. You'll get used to it."

"I'm sure I will." Izzy tried on a smile.

"Sirius said you could stay with him, but I'd really prefer you to stay with me," Lily said kindly.

"But –"

"I know you, Isabella. You look like you're ready for a backslide and I am not about ready to let that happen. Plus, I am the bride and you will do what I say."

"Fine," Izzy pouted jokingly. Was she going to backslide? She sure hoped not, because that would simply make everything far too complicated when it was time for her to leave.

"Good."

"So, hen's night?" Izzy asked excitedly.

"We're doing the first part separately, and then joining up with James and the boys for the rest of the night. And the rest, Best Friend, is up to you."

"Yay!" Izzy squealed. "I feel like I've been handed the keys to the city!"

Lily giggled. "Just, don't go too wild, Iz."

"Too late!" Izzy yelled as she began to run out of the station, just to feel exhilaration, just to feel the wind in her hair, excitement and happiness as well – just for a little while.

Back at James's house, where the girls headed first, Sirius had no idea what was in store for him. "So, is Izzy coming back for the wedding?"

"Uh -" James and Lily had fought over who was to tell Sirius that Izzy was returning, and thus had handballed it so often in the past few days that neither of them had done it. "Well!"

"We're back!" Lily called as she stepped in the door.

"Yes." James said quickly. "And she is about to walk in that door. Sorry, man, you can kill me later."

"I will," Sirius muttered darkly, as he stood to face his ex-girlfriend, who was standing sheepishly as the door, hair hiding half her face, beautiful as ever.

"Hi, Sirius." She said quietly.

"Iz ..." He breathed.

So, a few days later, Izzy and Sirius had everything organised for the hen's and buck's night. They had been treading on thin ice around each other all week, and the awkwardness was beginning to stifle Izzy.

But tonight was a night for revelling, and drinking, and friends and fun. And after the fifth, perhaps un-thought out shot of Firewhisky, Izzy would not remember much of it, and Sirius even less.

Yeah! Partying, partying yeah! Reviews, darlings. :)