I woke up peacefully. It was one of those mornings where you can tell you didn't sleep in too late, nor got up too early, and instead of opening your eyes, you just stretch and lie there, enjoying the moment.

That is, until you open your eyes to see your brother looking down at you.

I yelped, falling straight out of bed. "Remus! What in Merlin's name are you doing?" I screeched, tangled in my blanket that had fallen on the floor around me.

Typically, Remus laughed as he helped pull me up, "Mum and Dad told me to make sure you woke up in time. It's our first day of Hogwarts." My eyes widened a bit with realization, and I couldn't suppress the look of disappointment on my face. We were officially seventh years. This would be our last first day. Ever.

Remus sighed in exasperation, "Iz, come on. I know you love Hogwarts, but we'll be fine! We still have a whole year left full of Dumbledore, terrible pranks, Quidditch, and not to mention, NEWTs!"

I had a lump in my throat, but swallowed it down and forced a grin, nodding. "You're completely right. Hogwarts! Magic! I'll be down in half an hour and meet you there so we can go."

Remus grinned, "I think that depends on when Mum and Dad want to leave." Before I could say anything, he walked out, and my fake smile grew into a real one. My parents hadn't escorted us to the train since we were second years and I'd just gone to Hogwarts, so this would be a really nice event.

I looked down at my partially packed suitcase and almost groaned out loud, running to the restroom to get ready, so I could get a chance to finish packing without being too late.

Ever since last summer, Remus and mine's relation with our parents had been getting better. Gradually, they stopped being so scared of us, and they finally came to terms with our condition. Well, as much as we could possibly have asked them to. But they were our parents, and they loved us, and we loved them, and that's what truly mattered.

As I brushed my hair and teeth simultaneously, I threw objects in my bathroom into a bag as quickly as I could. This resulted in getting toothpaste all over my hair when I accidentally switched the toothbrush and hairbrush, but that was about as chaotic as it got.

I rushed back into my room, throwing the bag into my suitcase, and got my wand from the nightstand, frantically levitating clothes and books into the trunk. I grinned as a hidden picture of Sirius and I flew across the room from its secret position under my pillow into my suitcase.

Finalizing the packing, I looked around the room, checking every place I could have forgotten something important. The truth was, I didn't plan on living in my parents' house ever again, and I wouldn't want to spend a long time packing in the future.

"Isabelle! It's time to leave, Love!" I heard my mother yell up the stairs and I let out a deep breath, clicking my locket around my neck.

"Coming!" I exclaimed back as I stared at my reflection in the mirror. I wouldn't say I looked that muh different than I did a few years ago, but I'd been through more. I'd been heartbroken, I'd been lied about, I'd been judged, I'd had my secret let out, I'd been inches away from killing someone, I'd been told secrets, and I'd fallen in love all over again.

I pushed my sleeve down a bit, making my bite mark visible to myself. I was no longer scared of it. I was scared of other things, but not that mark which I'd been emotionally running from for years. I wasn't running anymore.

I took another deep breath, grabbing my wand and broom, along with my trunk following behind me in midair.

At the end of the stairs, my family was waiting and as I stepped down to the bottom, I smiled. "Ready."

The goodbye was tougher than normal. After a summer of bonding with our parents, and coming to peace with each other, it actually felt very sad to know we wouldn't see them for a while.

We'd agreed that this year, we would come home for the holidays, and we would have a big muggle, family Christmas. Honestly, I didn't know how much of that was actually true, but it was nice to at least seem like we were a perfect little family.

Our mother cried; our father sniffled, and Remus and I were found in tight, loving hugs which brought comfort. I forgot about the war, as our small family embraced for a few moments. I even forgot about Sirius, and the future that would come. I just thought of the present, and how I would cherish that minute forever. There were no promises to write, no urges to stay safe, and nothing pertaining to that time of the month, but those few moments was the important part.

"Iz, let's go find the guys, we're late," Remus laughed and I smiled, following him through the train as he looked into the different compartments.

We passed a dozen wagons before finding Peter, James, and Sirius in one, in a small argument.

"Mate, you're officially a prat now," Sirius asserted, but in his usual very-cool manner.

"I'm not! I didn't even want it!" James retorted.

"Sirius, I think it's kind of cool…" Peter hesitantly added, and Sirius scoffed.

"Why don't you just give it back then? If you don't even want it," he challenged, and James looked a bit uncomfortable.

"Woah, woah, woah, what's going on in here?" Remus asked, which was much better than what I was going to say ("what are you blithering idiots on about now?").

James kept his mouth shut, looking a bit embarrassed, but Sirius had no trouble answering, "The infamous, pranking Prongs has been titled Head Boy this year."

Remus and I had quite a bit of trouble hiding the surprise on our faces, and frankly, we were both bloody speechless. We'd known Remus hadn't gotten Head Boy this year, but he remained a prefect and wasn't upset by the decision at all, but neither of us had known James had been made Head Boy.

As James grew redder, Remus found his voice to speak, "James, that's fantastic. Congratulations!"

I quickly jumped in. "Yeah, Rems is right, I'm so happy for you. As should everyone else," I hinted to Sirius, looking directly at him.

He still looked cross, but nevertheless muttered, "congratulations."

James still looked weary, but nonetheless relieved by most of our reactions, messing up his hair a bit more.

While he fidgeted with his hair, something clicked in my mind, "hey, didn't Lily make Head Girl this year?"

I could see him getting embarrassed again, but it forced the color away, and shrugged. "I guess so, I mean she's the only girl fit for the job, except you, of course," James smirked, bringing it back onto me and I rolled my eyes.

"Go do your duty, Head Boy," I replied, and was actually speaking truthfully since the train had already left the station.

Remus nodded to James, and the two of them went off to wherever they were meant to be meeting. I smirked a bit to myself, picturing Lily's face when she found out that James was now in partner in leading the school.

So then, it was Sirius, me… and Peter.

"So how was Australia, Pete?" I asked, sitting down next to Sirius, but not close enough to be touching.

He grinned, "It was fantastic, and sunny. Oh and Sirius, the babes there were so fit, you would've loved it." The comment couldn't help but irk me, but

Sirius was being good about it.

"But, honestly, it's about after-Australia that I would be interested about," Peter added, grinning as he looked down at his hands. "You know that sixth year, Amber Lane in Hufflepuff? Well, I met ran into her the day after I got back, and we got to talking, and…" Peter smiled and shrugged, looking down at his watch. "Speaking of which, I've been meaning to meet her, but will the two of you be… Uh, okay, on your own?"

I almost laughed, but then remembered that earlier that year the pair of us had hardly been speaking. "Yeah, no, we'll be fine, Wormy," Sirius answered in a slightly aggravated tone, and Peter shot up, saying a quick bye and getting out.

I finally laughed, "Why are you so grumpy today?"

Sirius gasped dramatically, "I'm not grumpy! I just don't understand why James is taking a role of responsibility or why Peter has a girlfriend when I don't."

I stuck my tongue out at him at the last part, but rolled my eyes. "Leave James alone, he's been good lately, and I think he'll finally get a chance with Lily."

Sirius huffed and pulled me in by my waist, pulling the small window curtain down on the compartment doors with his wand. "But will I get any chances with you now? Everyone's always going to be on our arses here," he complained, and I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes again.

"We'll make time alone, I promise. Do you really want to tell them now?" I asked, biting my lip. Sirius shook his head.

"Maybe it's just because I love you, and know you don't want to, but no, I don't want to tell them just yet. Maybe Christmas, like that first year?" Sirius suggested, referring to our Christmas at the Potter's involved a magical mistletoe and an almost kiss by Lily.

I grinned and shrugged, "we'll see when the time is right, and if it's all worked out till then." I didn't say it to be mean, or to say I didn't love him back, because I sure did. I said it because I really didn't know what was in store for us and if one of us would do something stupid to each other again and mess it all up. So, I kissed him.

In the midst of our kiss, Sirius whispered into my ear, "I would gladly work it out, for the rest of my life."