Chapter 27
Throughout the rest of the year I was so good at avoiding Regulus, I only ran into him one time. It was about a week after the kiss.
I was walking out of the dungeons, just finished with my exam. I think I'd done alright. The potion had turned out green instead of blue...my color was better.
But anyways, I was walking along when suddenly I ran into a solid object, dropping my books everywhere.
"Aw, shit," I muttered to myself as I bent to pick them up.
"I've got them." As soon as I heard that familiar voice I looked for a way to escape. Yeah, I was a coward. But there was no way. He was, after all, holding my books.
I sighed. I probably should've faced this a long time ago anyways. "Thanks," I murmured as he handed me the books. I made to leave but Regulus grabbed my arm.
"Wait, Izzy," He exclaimed, turning me to face him."Have you been avoiding me?
"...Yes, I have," I stated stubbornly.
"Is this just because-" He lowered his voice. "Because I kissed you? If you don't want anything, we can still be friends..."
"No, that's not it, Regulus," I said, choosing my words carefully. "It's the people you hang out with. Your ringleader. Malfoy? If you hang out with them I can't help but suspect that you're like them. And just two weeks ago I saw you torturing a 5th year just because he ran into you."
"Sirius tortures kids too," He desperately tried to defend himself.
"Sirius would never use the Dark Arts," I spoke coldly. He opened his mouth to object, but I beat him to it. "I know you didn't Crucio the kid. But I've seen you with Avery and Malfoy..I tried to ignore it...convince myself I never saw it because of how you seem to be around me, but I can't do that anymore! Either you change or we can never be...anything."
And with that I strode past him, slowly glancing back to see him staring at the place I had been standing.
And that was the end of that. No more Regulus. But I eventually learned to not miss him too much. I had everyone else. Ryan and Sandra were still in the blissful, 'honeymoon' stage. Frank and Alice were going strong. Mary was happy with her books, Lily was, well, Lily. And Sirius was back to being my sometimes friend. Which was good, considering that he was living with us over the summer.
It was the end of my first, and almost last, year at Hogwarts, and it already felt like I had been there forever. It was my home, with all my friends...but I was definitely still ready to go have a homework-less summer at home. So the train ride was fun, and finally I was home for the summer.
"Hey, are you guys coming?" I leaned against my brother's bedroom door about a month later.
"Where are you going?" James asked.
I rolled my eyes. "I told you yesterday! I'm going to Diagon Alley to meet up with Lily and Andromeda."
"Wait, you are? We can-" James started eagerly, before-
"No we can't," Sirius interrupted harshly. "We're goint to Remus' tonight. Remember?"
"Oh...yeah," James' face fell. "Well, have fun I guess."
"I will," I grinned, walking out the door.
Sirius' POV
"Full moons are the best," I grinned the next morning. James and I had helped Remus out with his "furry little problem," as James would say it, that last night. Wormtail had flaked out again, claiming his mom wouldn't let him go. Sometimes that little moron annoyed the shit out of me.
"Sure," James muttered moodily in response to my comment. He was still in a mood about not being able to see Lily. Personally, I didn't see why he kept chasing her after all those years. No one likes rejection. Not that I would know.
"Are you boys going to stay for lunch?" Mrs. Lupin asked us in her warm, kind voice.
"No, ma'am, we've got to get home to help Mrs. Potter with some chores," I said, all charm. Parents love me. Except my own, of course.
"Alright, you two have fun. Come over anytime. And...thank you so much for helping Remus out," She added quietly. " I don't even know if I should be letting you do this. It's so dangerous..."
"Oh, no, Mrs. Lupin. Of course we'll keep helping out Remus," I assured her.''
"Alright, boys. You better get going. Into the Floo with you."
So we stepped into the green fire and were whisked away back to the Potter's house.
"Is Izzy with you?" A worried voice came through the smoke as I stumbled out of the fireplace.
"What?" James asked.
"Where's Izzy?" Mrs. Potter questioned.
"She went to Diagon Alley with Lily last night," James informed her. "She might've ended up spending the night."
"Maybe, mayube," She muttered. "Well, go check, would you? You know where she lives?"
James nodded, and we were out the door.
"Why would Izzy not owl your parents where she was?" I questioned James.
"I don't know," James said. "She hasn't really gone against anything since my mum agreed to let her go to Hogwarts.
"Well, we can ask Lily," I said, raising my arm to knock on the door.
The door flew open with my hand still posed in the air to knock again.
"Where's Izzy?" A disheveled Lily asked.
"Isn't she here?" James asked, for the first time talking to Lily without flirting.
"NO. She never came last night. And she never owled me or anything-"
"She what?" I spoke, my voice dangerously low.
"Merlin, what is going on?" Lily asked.
"If she's not at home, and she's not with you, then where is she?" James asked slowly.
