Since chapter 3 took so long for me to get up, I decided to post this chapter as soon as I could! Just as a warning, myself and my beta are both leaving for our first year at university. Though I have a little over half of the story written and the rest fully planned, I cannot promise when I will be able to update/write nor can I promise when Mandy will be able to edit it. But this story will continue, I promise. Thanks again to Mandy, who I've thanked at least a thousand times by now. Also, thanks to Lauren who was there this week when I figured out a new plot twist. And thanks to everyone reading and reviewing this! You all are the best


When Monday morning rolled around, Isabelle made sure to wake up with plenty of time to get ready. While she was pretty sure that her body had finally adjusted to waking up earlier, she didn't want to have another teacher yell at her for being late.

Aline, on a bed across the room, rolled off her mattress as Isabelle finished tying her House tie. Grinning, she said, "Actually going to be on time for class today, Iz?"

"Of course. I'm a model student,"

Aline snorted but followed Isabelle into the adjoining bathroom without another comment. Isabelle plaited her hair in the mirror in content silence as Aline fixed her own hair and brushed her teeth.

"I hope you know that you can always talk to me." Aline suddenly blurted out, her eyes trained on Isabelle's reflection in the mirror.

"What do you mean?" Isabelle turned towards Aline, who was now steadily gazing at her own reflection in the mirror.

"Well, I'm not an idiot. I read the papers." Aline was turning red as she spoke, "I saw what The Prophet wrote about your family. And I just wanted to clarify that if you ever needed someone to talk to, you have me. To talk to or vent to or whatever. I'm always here for you."

Isabelle and Aline had been friends since they were very young. The Lightwoods and Penhallows were close friends, so the girls grew up together. People in Idris used to joke that they were twins separated at birth. And though Isabelle planned on not talking about the accusations to anyone outside of the immediate family until they died down, it touched her that Aline offered.

Isabelle smiled, "I know. But thank you. Really." Aline met her eyes in the mirror and returned the smile, "I'll be waiting for you in the common room so you can change into your robes, okay?"

Isabelle made her way into the common room and waited. With vague disinterest, she watched her housemates that walked down from the dormitory and left for breakfast, giggling with their friends. She knew that some of the Slytherins were slightly wary of her. Even though their parents may have once been in the Circle, Isabelle's were the ones who might still be committing horrible acts of violence. The Slytherins were still being nice to her, but Isabelle knew that it was only a matter of time before they turned on her too. That is, if the investigation wasn't ended soon.

"Ready to go?" Aline appeared in front of Isabelle, dressed in her school robes.

"Ready," Isabelle smiled and the girls made their way to the Great Hall, chatting about their classes. When they arrived in the Great Hall, they sat next to Alec, who was lost in his own mind, his eyes focused on an empty chair at the tall table in the front of the Great Hall. Aline gave Isabelle a questioning look, but she began to pile toast on her plate to avoid Aline's gaze.

"So, Alec," Isabelle called, getting his attention. He blinked as though he just woken up, "What class do you have first today?"
"History," He said, wrinkling his nose, "And what class do you have? Must be something good because you're actually here on time."
Isabelle rolled her eyes but Aline jumped in, "We have Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"Aha!" Triumph blazed in his eyes, "You want to impress Professor Herondale!"

"What? I do not!"

"Weren't you telling me yesterday how attractive you think he is?" Aline smirked as Isabelle sputtered.

"Traitor!" The illusion of anger dissipated as Isabelle burst into giggles, Aline and Alec quickly following suit. Isabelle wiped at her eyes before saying, "No, I figured that having one day of being late is enough. I can't have teachers think I'm going to be a troublemaker this year."

"Yet," Alec muttered as Aline snorted but wisely kept her thoughts to herself..

Taking a bite of toast, Isabelle rolled her eyes but refused to comment. So, she didn't have the perfect track record when it came to good behavior, but that didn't mean she was a troublemaker. It just meant that she knew how to have fun.

Before Isabelle could rejoin Alec and Aline's conversation, something about an upcoming Camille Belcourt concert next summer, she noticed her snowy owl flying towards her. The large bird dropped a letter neatly onto Isabelle's crumb-filled plate before flying off to the Owlery, one its wings brushing the top of Isabelle's head. Hastily, Isabelle unrolled the parchment and read;

"Dear Isabelle,

Thank you for your letter. Your father and I are sorry that you had to find out about the accusations through The Prophet. However, it happened far too quickly for us to warn you or your brothers.

Yes, the Ministry is taking actions against us. They're doing a full scale investigation, which includes being able to burst into our house and search it at any given moment. They've suspended our Auror license for the time being. The people of Idris have turned against us as well; anytime we go out, we're met with glares, whispers, and there have been people who have the audacity to come up to us and be rude. Max, as it is, has been taken out to school for his own good. With our pasts being brought back up and tensions clearly growing, your father and I decided it would be best for him to be away from children who may attempt to bully or harm him.

I do apologize to you, Jace, and Alec. Unlike Max, we can't take you out of school because your classmates are cruel. I know some teachers will probably be much colder to you as well. However, you have to keep your head up and try not to let them get to you. You're a Lightwood, Isabelle. You will be able to overcome this, just as your father and I will.

We'll keep you updated on anything new. Continue to be strong even if people try to tear you apart. Send our love to your brothers.

Love, Mum"

"Who's the letter from?" Alec wondered, taking a bite of scrambled eggs.

"Mum," Isabelle passed the letter to him. Alec's blue eyes widened as he read the letter, then narrowed as he handed it back to her. He put his fork down and pushed his plate away with a quick, sharp movement.

"When did you write to them?
"Saturday morning."

Alec shook his head with disgust, "I can't believe they suspended them from their jobs! Nothing has been proven yet."

Isabelle let out a frustrated sigh, "I know. And as much as I'd love to trash talk the Ministry and their treatment of our parents, Aline and I have Defense Against the Dark Arts to get to. We'll talk later." She stomach churned at the thought of her parents and brother trapped in their own home.

As Aline and Isabelle made their way down the corridor, Isabelle handed Aline the letter. Aline furrowed her brow as she got further along with the letter, "How can they strip your parents of their license? It's not like they've been convicted of anything!"

A bitter laugh escaped from Isabelle's lips, "I guess all they need is something that could possibly point to my parents to cause them to take drastic measures. It's insane."

"I'm sorry, Iz. I'm sure they'll be back on the field soon enough. It's not like the Ministry can keep them out 're some of the best aurors we have."

"I hope not," Isabelle said as she pushed the doors open to the classroom. Her mood lifted when she saw Professor Herondale standing at the front of the class, gazing at his students. Despite all the teasing Aline and Alec gave her, she did think that Professor Herondale was quite attractive. With his dark hair and piercing blue eyes, most girls at Hogwarts found themselves looking forward to their classes with him. However, as handsome as Isabelle thought he was, she could only appreciate it so much. He had the same coloring as Alec, making Isabelle feel uncomfortable every time she found herself thinking of the professor for too long.

"Alright, class." Professor Herondale said as the last students found their seats, "Welcome to 5th year Defense Against the Dark Arts. I'm sure you've heard the lecture of how difficult this year needs to be, so I'm going to skip that." A murmur of appreciation ran through the class and Professor Herondale's eyes twinkled, "We're going straight into our first lesson."

Isabelle and Aline grinned at each other. Both of the girls were relatively good at performing defensive spells, and after a long summer of not being able to use magic, they were more than ready to learn.

"We're going to be learning the inflating jinx. Now, in an actual fight, you would be able to direct this curse at someone, causing them to inflate. It will slow them down, and if your curse is powerful enough, it can cause them to float away.

"For the sake of our safety, we're going to be practicing on inanimate objects, starting with smaller trinkets, then working our way up. To cast your jinx, you flick your wand in an upward motion," He flicked his wrist up, "And say, Inflatus. The trick is trying to imagine the objects growing larger and lighter. Now, let me see the hand motions." He watched his class repeat the motions until he felt as though they were able to perform the spell.

He pulled out his wand and flicked his wrist, small baubles appearing on the desks of every student. "These are what you'll be trying to inflate. It'll take time, so don't be discouraged if your object doesn't change shape at first."

Isabelle pulled out her wand and turned excitedly towards her bauble. In front of her sat a small plastic snitch, the kind her father used to bewitch for her to play with when she was younger. Focusing all her attention on the snitch, she flicked her wrist and murmured, "Inflatus." The snitch didn't even twitch. She glanced around- everyone seemed to be intently focused on their objects. Professor Herondale wandered about the classroom, offering suggestions to his students. Isabelle turned back to the ball and muttered the spell again. It slightly moved. Just as Isabelle was about to try a third time, the door bust open.

"Tessa?" An unreadable look came over Professor Herondale's face as he took in Professor Grey. Her hair, normally pinned back, was loose and falling in her face. Her cheeks were pink and her eyes wild. She scanned the room, before pushing brown curls out of her face.

"I need to speak with Miss Lightwood."

Isabelle willed her face not to turn red. This was the second time Professor Gray singled her out in class, and she was sure that it was all her classmates would be able to talk about after she left.

As she stood up, Professor Gray added, "You will want to bring your bag and books." Isabelle quickly grabbed her bag, refusing to meet the eye of any other students. She followed Professor Gray into the hallway and tried to keep up with her fast pace.

"Am I in trouble?" Isabelle noticed that they were headed towards Headmaster Branwell's office.

"No, not quite." Professor Gray suddenly stopped and turned towards Isabelle, "Minister Herondale is here to see you."

The Minister was Professor Herondale's aunt, though most people would never guess it. Despite the professor's sarcasm and dark humor, he obviously cared for his students and seemed genuinely concerned about any problems they might have. Minister Herondale, however, ruled with an iron fist. Since she was in office, the laws have become more strict, punishments more cruel. It was said that she once had more of the humor and love that Professor Herondale had, but when her son died fighting Valentine, she hardened into a shell of who she use to be.

"I don't suppose she wants to talk to Professor Herondale, does she?" Isabelle asked in a quiet voice.

"No," Professor Gray sighed, "She wants to question you about your parents involvements in the murder of Karen Jaeil."

Though Isabelle paled, a wave of rage rose through her, "Did she really come all the way here to question me about my parents?"

"I'm afraid so," Professor Grey sighed, "She has already talked to your brothers. It seems as though the charges are more serious than we originally thought."

Isabelle scowled, but allowed Professor Gray to lead her the rest of the way to Headmistress Branwell's office. Isabelle wasn't a stranger to the Headmistress's office. On occasion, a prank that she and Jace coordinated would go astray, resulting in a stern conversation with Branwell. However, Isabelle's stomach filled with dread as Professor Gray knocked on the door of the office. This wasn't just being talked to about a prank; this was an interrogation by the Minister.

"Come in," A cool voice called out, a stark contrast from Headmistress Branwell's warm and familiar one.

Professor Grey glanced at Isabelle, who took a deep breath and nodded. The professor pushed open the doors and the two stepped inside. Standing in the center of the room was a tall, pale woman. A scowl was etched onto her face and her eyes narrowed as they landed on Isabelle.

"Isabelle," Headmistress Branwell stepped forward. Her small frame looked even smaller as the Minister loomed over her, "This is Minister Herondale."

Isabelle smiled pleasantly, "What brings you to Hogwarts, Minister?"
"I thought it was time that you and I had a little chat," Her face remained impassive as she spoke, "About the recent attacks on muggle-borns."

Despite herself, Isabelle protested, "It was one attack!"

"Indeed," The Minister cooly replied, eyebrows raising, "Yet, there were serious allegations made against your parents. And given their former history, it's my responsibility to ensure that these allegations are checked out."

Isabelle saw Professor Grey and Headmistress Branwell shaking their heads at her. She bit back her response. Fighting with the Minister wouldn't help her parents. Now was not the time to lose her temper.

She sighed, "What do you want to know?"

The Minister waved her wand and a chair appeared behind Isabelle. Sitting down reluctantly, Isabelle looked up into the smirking face of Minister Herondale. "Do you know what your parents plans were the night of the murder?"

"I mean, I obviously wasn't there but I can assume they were with was the first night back at Hogwarts. But, they usually take Max out for a nice dinner since he's always upset that we're at Hogwarts and he's not."

"So, for all you know, they could have gone out into Karen Jaeil's village?"

"Max would have been home alone, and Mum and Dad never leave him home alone."

The Minister's grey eyes narrowed, "Could they have found someone to watch him?"

"I doubt it. Max looks forward to this dinner all year, and they wouldn't take it away from him."

The Minister huffed, realizing she was getting nowhere with that tactic. Isabelle's lips twitched, wanting to smirk. "Have your parents mentioned anyone suspicious lately? Any strange visitors you didn't recognize? Anyone from the former Circle?"
Isabelle thought about this. Her parents, when not travelling for work, constantly had people, so it wasn't a far fetched question. While they often mentioned people that Isabelle had never met, no unusual names had been mentioned recently. As for anyone from the Circle, her parents made a point to not communicate with anyone from that period in their life. After the war ended and they were given a pardon, Maryse and Robert cut off all ties to their former friends.

"No, no one I can think of."

The Minister's face contorted, "You just don't want to believe that they had anything to do with the murder, do you?"

Though she found the whole thing a little ridiculous, she had been compliant. She couldn't help the anger that began spilling out of her, "Excuse me? No. I don't think my parents are responsible. They gave up that life when they were offered jobs as Aurors. Not once have they given you any reason to believe that they are guilty, aside from an article from the Prophet. Unless the ministry is basing their investigations off whatever trash any reporter writes you have nothing but proof of their dedication to their jobs to 've been the best Aurors that you've had in years and you know it! I haven't been lying to you and just because I'm not giving you the answers you wanted to hear doesn't mean I'm wrong. I think this whole interrogation is pointless when you have a murderer to look for. And guess what. That murderer is not a member of family."

Minister Herondale's face turned purple and her hands began to shake. Despite this, Isabelle kept her chin raised and gaze leveled. The Minister opened her mouth angrily, but Headmistress Branwell hastily jumped in, "If that's all the questions you have, Imogen, I think it'd be best if Isabelle gets back to class. She already missed a majority of her last class and the start of her current class. We don't want her falling behind in school already."

"Of course," The Minister said tersely, "I do believe that'll be all. For now."

Professor Gray stepped forward and guided Isabelle out of the office, with one hand gripping the younger girls bicep. They two walked down the empty corridors in silence, Professor Gray waiting for Isabelle to cool down.

After a few minutes, Isabelle sighed, "I just made things worse, didn't I?"

"Unfortunately, you have. The Minister doesn't like people to talk back to her."

"I was right, though, wasn't I?" Isabelle looked at Professor Gray, "What I said about my parents was true. I couldn't stand there and just let her talk about them like that."

Professor Gray stared ahead, refusing to meet Isabelle's eyes. "What's your next class?"

"Muggle Studies with Professor Lovelace."

"She's not going to be pleased that you're late. I'll walk you to there."

"Don't you have a class right now?"

"I do," Professor Grey smiled, "But I think the third years can wait. I'm sure they won't mind."

"Can I ask you a question?"
"Of course."

"Not that I don't appreciate all this, but why are you being so kind to me? I mean, I know that you don't believe that Mum and Dad killed that woman, but you didn't have to stay throughout the questioning and miss your next class."

"I didn't." Professor Gray agreed, finally looking at Isabelle, "But, I know that Minister Herondale can be...a bit much. I didn't want you to go into that alone. I don't want you to think that you have to face this alone. Understand that I want to help and if you ever need to talk, I'll always be available to listen. There are several other teachers that feel the same." She gave Isabelle a small smile, "But, as one of my best students, I thought you may feel more comfortable talking to me."

Isabelle blinked, taken aback by how sincere her professor seemed, "Thank you. Really. I will be sure to come talk to you, if I need to. But, you're acting as though this won't just blow over." Isabelle had said the last sentence in a joking manner, but worry crept into her body when she saw Professor Grey's lips purse together and the color drain from her face. "Professor?"

"Isabelle," The two had made it to Isabelle's classroom, but neither moved to enter, "This was supposed to stay quiet until there was further evidence and a full investigation was performed. But, there's been another death. And," She added as Isabelle opened her mouth, "The body was found in the exact condition that the first body was in."

Isabelle's dark eyes widened, a shaky hand covered her mouth. "And they still think that my parents killed this person?"

"They had the 'L' cut into their wrists."

"But...but...my parents have been at home. With Max. They just wrote to me. They wouldn't."

"Isabelle" Professor Grey put a hand on the panicking girl's shoulder, "I know. But, to the Ministry and the Aurors, your parents have been locked in their house. They could have easily apparated into the victim's village. The investigation, unfortunately, is far from over."


Jace was not having a good Monday. Like Isabelle, his talk with the Minister had not gone very well. She had taken an immediate dislike to his sarcastic answers, disdain worn clearly on her face as she interrogated him. After 10 tense minutes, he had ended up storming out of the office in a fit of anger, making sure to slam the door hard behind him on his way out. Then, Jace made the mistake of going to History of Magic. He wasn't paying attention to the lecture, as he was too busy worrying about his adoptive parents, so when Professor Starkweather asked him a simple question about the Goblin Wars, Jace was unable to answer it. The snickers of his classmates and Starkweather's disappointed face worsened Jace's already dark mood.

As he made his way up the Astronomy tower, he decided that he needed to have a meeting with Alec and Isabelle after his classes. Jace, caught up in his thoughts, didn't see the small body walking his way and crashed into her, spilling both of their books and quills on the floor.

"I'm so sorry!" A familiar voice exclaimed, as the girl began bent down to retrieve her books.

A slow smirk settled on his face, "Ah, Clary. I know I'm incredibly attractive but there are other ways to get my attention than running into me."

Clary looked up, red curls falling in front of her face. Her cheeks grew pink but she replied steadily, "Please. I wasn't distracted by you. Simon was in the middle of telling me an incredibly interesting story." Simon gave Jace a smug smirk.

"Though I'm sure your conversation was riveting, it can't nearly be as captivating as I am." Jace's words, which normally would have been taken in a joking manner, came off much sharper than he intended. He grimaced when Clary raised her brows, quickly picking up the rest of her books.

"See you around," She said with a tight smile, before brushing past him.

"Wait," Jace grabbed her arm before she was out of reach, swinging her back around to face him. He ignored Simon scowling at him, "Look, that came out worse than I meant it to. I'm just..." He raked his fingers through his hair as he thought about his morning, "It's just been a rough morning."

Clary's eyes softened, "I'm sorry about your day. But someone as captivating as yourself should know better than to take their bad day out on other people, especially my best friend." She gently tugged her arm out of Jace's grasp, "Now, excuse me, I have to get to Potions."

"Who do you have Potions with?"

Clary crinkled her nose at the question but answered, "The Slytherins. Why?"

He ignored her question and answered with his own, "So, Isabelle is in your class?"

"Yes."

"Will you please tell her that I need to talk with her at lunch?"

If she found anything strange about the request, she didn't say anything. Maybe it was the pleading tone Jace's voice had taken way, Clary simply nodded before turning back to walk with Simon, who shot Jace another glare over his shoulder.

With a sigh, Jace turned and trudged to his Astronomy class. On a good day, Jace would be interested and engaged in what Professor Gladstone had to say. Today was not that day. For the hour and a half of class, his mind wandered, and he alternated from staring out the window and doodling on a piece of parchment paper. He was too distracted to notice the worried looks that Professor Gladstone continuously shot him throughout the class. Once class ended, Jace rushed out the room, eager to meet with his siblings for lunch.

Jace walked quickly in the corridors, brushing past the younger students and some of his friends who tried to talk to him. He paused in the doors of the Great Hall, scanning the Slytherin table for either Alec or Isabelle. He sighed with relief upon seeing Isabelle sitting near the end of the table, away from her housemates. Though it wasn't a formal rule, students almost never sat at any other table aside from their own house's. Walking over to Isabelle, Jace decided he didn't give a damn if the other students whispered about it. He needed to speak with his family and he wouldn't let anything get in the way of that.

"Well that was a shit morning," Isabelle stated as Jace plopped down across from her, "And did you really have to use Clary as a messenger? I don't think you're going to get in her good graces that way. Girls don't enjoy being used owls."

Jace ignored the last sentence "It seemed like the best way to get the message across. And you're telling me." The two sat in silence, waiting for Alec to show up. After a few minutes, Alec walked into the Great Hall, gave the pair a questioning look, but sat next to Isabelle.

"Are we having a family meeting?" Alec asked, grabbing a handful of grapes from the nearest bowl.

"No, we're braiding each other's hair and gossiping about boys," Isabelle deadpanned. She paused, biting her lip, "Please tell me that your talks with the Minister went better than mine."

Alec's eyes widened, "Mine went fine. Isabelle, what happened in yours?"

She cast a desperate glance to Jace. He shook his head, "Hey, don't look at me, Iz. Minister Herondale and I didn't exactly end of on a pleasant note."

"What did you two do?" Alec groaned, ignoring the plates of food in front of him to give his siblings an incredulous look.

Isabelle looked sheepish, but Jace could still see a glimmer of pride in her eyes, "I may have told her off for accusing our parents."

Jace smirked. Good. The Minister had been in dire need of someone letting her know how presumptuous she sounded. "Isabelle, you didn't." Alec's face had paled, "She's the Minister."

"I don't care," Suddenly, the sheepish look was gone as she lifted her chin, dark eyes flashing, "She had no right to have that type of attitude, and I don't care if she is the Minister or just a shopkeeper. I'm not letting her try to pin the murders on Mum and Dad."

Alec rounded on Jace, "And what did you do?"

"The Minister didn't like my tone. I didn't like hers." He scowled, "I ended up storming out in the middle of the questioning. The whole thing was bullshit."

Isabelle grinned, "So that's why she was so pissy when I went in. Good for you, Jace."

Alec put his head in his hands; he was pretty sure his siblings were put on this earth to test his patience. "Guys, this isn't good. She could take it out on Mum and Dad or try to somehow interfere with the investigation." He looked up, a small spark of hope shining in his light eyes, "At least this will all be over soon."

As Jace began to nod, he noticed that Isabelle had suddenly become quite interested in rearranging her peas. "Isabelle, what do you know?"

She looked up, pale and nervous. She hmm-ed and hah-ed for a few minutes before blurting out, "The investigation might not be as close to being over as we think."

"What do you mean?" Alec asked.

"Professor Gray told me that there was another body found." Her words were rushed, "His name is Henry Monte. He was a half-blood, killed in the same manner that Karen was. Stabbed with an 'L' carved into his wrist. Apparently, it just happened and The Prophet hasn't broke the story yet. Professor Gray told me so that we wouldn't be caught off guard when it was reported"

Dread ran through Jace. Another body? The dread was replaced by disgust as he thought about the way the victims were being killed. Valentine and his Circle had refused to use spells to kill their victims. He believed that the non-pure were undeserving of their magic and should die like common muggles. The fact that the murderer was using the exact method that his parents had used worried Jace more than he let on. Though it was common knowledge that each member of the Circle left some little mark on their victim, the public was never told how the members killed their victims. Each family had a certain method, from stabbing like the Lightwoods, to strangulation. The murderer clearly knew something that had been kept secret, trying to make Mum and Dad look suspicious.

"But," Alec was saying when Jace rejoined the conversation, "They told you that they were staying inside the house."

Isabelle scoffed and rolled her eyes, "The Minister hasn't seen head or tail of them. Our house isn't on lock-down yet, so they could still apparate out. She thinks one, or both of them apparated to Henry Monte's village and killed him."

Jace felt like his head was swimming, "So what are they going to do?"

"I don't know." Isabelle shrugged, "Professor Gray only knows so much." The three of them sat in dismayed silence, the happy chatter of students washing over them.

Alec cleared his throat, "Do you know when Monte's death will be reported?"

Isabelle shook her head, "No. It could be tomorrow or in a week. I'd think they'd write about it sooner rather than later, though."

"We need to stick together," Jace leaned towards his siblings.

"He's right," Isabelle glanced around the Hall, "After the last article, the news spread like wildfire. I think we've all experienced how everyone reacted after the first article. People are only going to get worse after the second report."

Jace rubbed his face. The gossip didn't bother him that much; he knew that his parents weren't guilty. But knowing that there was already a second murder, he could tell that this wasn't just going to blow over. Isabelle perked up slightly, "We'll get through this. We're Lightwoods. We can get through this." The three looked at each other, hesitant smiles growing on their faces, feeling a tad more confident about the upcoming year. They began to eat the food on their plates, resuming a conversation that didn't involve their parents and they could almost pretend that it nothing was wrong. Almost.


Simon spent the most of the day looking for Isabelle in between classes. He couldn't help himself. After Isabelle was abruptly taken out of their Defense Against the Dark Arts class and didn't return, Simon was worried that something else had happened with her parents.

"Looking for someone?" Clary teased on their way to dinner. She noticed how Simon swiveled his head as they walked, trying to look into the faces of everyone they passed.

"Am I that obvious?"

Clary had to choke back a laugh. Only Simon would be that oblivious to himself. "Yeah, a bit. Who are you looking for?". Simon turned red and rubbed the back of his head. Simon didn't see Clary raise her eyebrows as he sheepishly looked at the ground. "Simon! Who is it?"

He looked up, "Isabelle Lightwood."

Clary tried not to gape at him. Despite her talk with the girl, Isabelle's friends ran in completely different circles from hers and Simon's. On top of that, she had never heard Simon actually talk about her. Clary had to wonder if Isabelle even knew who Simon was. "I...see? Why are you searching for her?"

He scowled at the ground, "It doesn't matter."

"No, I'm sorry. I just didn't know you two were friends."

Simon scrunched up his face, "I don't know if I'd call us friends, Clary."

"Okay, then why do you need to see her?"

"I just need to talk to her."

"About?" Clary couldn't help herself. Since she was a child, Clary's curiosity had always gotten the best of her. Her "besetting sin" her mother had always called it. And now with Simon keeping secrets about being friends with Isabelle Lightwood, her curiosity was insatiable.

"It doesn't matter," Simon reiterated, returning his gaze to the faces of students heading towards dinner. He couldn't explain why he didn't want to tell Clary about Isabelle being pulled out of class. After all, Clary was the one who tried to warn her about the article in the papers. But, something about this felt different. Clary wasn't in the room when it happened and this felt personal. If he were Isabelle, he didn't think he would want more people knowing about the incident than those who already knew. Even if Simon told Clary, she'd probably brush it off and tell him to stop worrying, it's not his problem. But Simon wanted to hear that from Isabelle, to make sure she was okay. Clary narrowed her green eyes but said nothing. The two walked into the Great Hall in a cool silence.

"There she is," Clary flatly said, pointing to the Slytherin table. And there Isabelle was. She was sitting next to Aline and a few other girls, laughing and seeming genuinely happy. Simon let out a relieved breath and turned to thank Clary, but she was already stalking away from him. One of her hands was curled in a fist on the strap of her bag.

Great. Now he managed to piss off his best friend. At least he could focus on dinner rather than continue to search for . Though, he tried to talk with his friends and focus on the conversation, his eyes and mind kept drifting back to Isabelle. She seemed fine, but he had seen the reaction she had after the Prophet incident, how upset she had gotten. Though Simon didn't fully understand it, he felt compelled to check on her. Throughout dinner, he kept one eye on her, wanting to try and catch her before she disappeared in her Common Room for the night. When Isabelle and one of her friend stood up, bading farewell to her friends at the table, Simon quickly swallowed the last bite of his pumpkin pie and got up, throwing a hasty goodbye to his friends. When Simon caught up to the girls in the corridor, the two were giggling together, oblivious of his presence.

Isabelle turned after he tapped her on the shoulder, still smiling from something her friend said. When she saw Simon, her smile tightened but remained. "Yes?"

Suddenly face to face with her, Simon felt a wave of anxiety run through him, "Can I speak to you...alone?"

Isabelle cast a glance at her blonde friend, "Go ahead, Angelique. I'll be there in a minute." Angelique nodded, shooting a curious glance at Simon before turning and proceeding down the corridor. Isabelle looked back at Simon expectantly, eyebrows raised.

"I just...I wanted to see how you were doing." Simon looked at the floor, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

Isabelle cocked her head, dark hair falling forward, "I'm fine?"

"I was there in Defense Against the Dark Arts," Her eyes were suddenly cast to the floor, red creeping into her cheeks, "I just wanted to make sure that you were okay."

"Why?" Isabelle suddenly looked up, her eyes narrowed into slits, "We're not friends. You barely know me. Why do you care?"

"I was there after Clary showed you the Prophet. I saw how shaken up you were, even if you try to deny it. I don't care about gossip and I'm not trying be an asshole to you, like some other people. I honestly just wanted to see if you were okay."

Isabelle looked down, refusing to meet his eyes. When she finally did, her face was cool and composed, "I'm fine. Thank you. Now please excuse me, I have to get back to Angelique." With that, she turned and headed down the corridor, not once looking back. Simon sighed and began to walk to the Hufflepuff Common Room. Everything that Isabelle said was true but he couldn't help himself. He knew that he wouldn't be able to stop worrying about her anytime soon.


Of course, the news on Henry Monte's death wasn't kept quiet for long. Once the students caught wind of the second murder, their whispers about the Lightwood family were louder and less contained. Some of the professors had grouped together and decided to keep an eye on the Lightwood children, to make sure that everything wasn't getting to them. Magnus Bane was one of those professors.

He tried to convince himself that it was out of the kindness of his heart. He used the excuse that he wanted them to stay focused for their exams. He tried to tell himself that it was because he knew their parents and, despite not liking Maryse or Robert in particular, he felt like it was his duty to watch out for their kids.

None of those were untrue per say, but they certainly weren't the driving force of why he wanted to help. No. Magnus wanted to help because he liked them. Was drawn to them.

Okay, so he wasn't drawn to all three of them, but he did like them all. Isabelle Lightwood, who was nowhere near becoming the next Potions Master, yet she threw herself into every lesson, damned if she wasn't going to at least try to create similar to what he had instructed. Then there was Jace Wayland. Arrogant, sarcastic, but surprisingly good at brewing complex. He would make a good teacher if he learned to curb his attitude.

Finally, there was Alec Lightwood. Magnus, deep down, knew that he the reason he was invested in the Lightwood family was because of Alec. The quiet boy with brilliant blue eyes. Magnus found himself drawn to the boy, looking for him during dinner, in the corridors, in his class. Every smile that Magnus saw from the boy made his heart lurch.

But, a small voice in whispered every time Magnus caught himself staring, he's just a boy. And you're his professor. Which was true. Even though Alec was nearly of age, Magnus knew that Charlotte would not react kindly to his attraction to the eldest Lightwood. No. Magnus would just have to keep it under control.