Chapter 4 – The Brothers Black

OoO

Izzie was sitting in an abandoned classroom waiting for two of her friends. She had hopped on a dusty desk, her feet dangling a few inches above the ground. She was casting little snowflakes in the air when the door opened. She smiled as Regulus Black walked in. She jumped off the desk and walked over to him.

"Reggie." She smiled wide. Regulus lips quirked a little. She cocked her head in a question and when he nodded, she hugged him tightly. "How's it going in Slytherin?"

"Mostly they ignore me, but I have Crouch and Rosier."

"That's good." She nodded with a smile.

"How-" He swallowed thickly. "How's Sirius?"

"I'm not the one to ask, Reg. As far as I know, he's good. But you should ask Remus."

He nodded briskly, but a light blush appeared on his pale cheeks. "But they seemed interested in you."

"Oh, Merlin. I knew they were laying it on thick, but for even you to notice it." She shook her head. "They suddenly got it in their heads to get to know me."

"Why?"

"They found out earlier this year that Remus and I have been friends before Hogwarts and wanted to 'make it up to him'."

"They didn't know?" Regulus asked a little shocked.

"Idiots, the both of them." She grinned. The door opened again, and I saw Remus walk in over Reggie's shoulder. "Remus."

"Sorry, I'm late. Slughorn was talking my ear off." He loosened the tie around his neck. Slughorn always wanted them to dress up for his dinners or parties. And Remus hated it, but she had to admit he looked really good in them. She had a feeling Reg felt the same, because his blush worsened as he looked at Remus.

Regulus and Izzie became friends two years ago, after Sirius left their house. The Black's wanted Regulus surrounded with the right kind of purebloods and sent him to her house on a regular basis. And they got along quite well. They both didn't believe in what their parents stood for, and both have been abused by their parents. Remus and Lily knew about this development naturally. Izzie told them a few months after they were forced to spend time together. And in the eyes of their parents, they let it show that they despised each other because they would never want them to be happy. Lily knew, but never really met Regulus. Remus had come with her to their secret meetings for about a year now. They got along quite well, but ever since the start of the year, they've been acting a little differently towards each other. And Izzie's guess was that they like each other. It was quite obvious with their secret glances and soft blushes.

Izzie transfigured some broken chairs into fluffy pillows before they sat down. Remus on her right, Reggie on her left.

"How's your hip, Isabelle?" Regulus asked. Even though she used his nickname, he still called her by her given name.

"Healed, part from a little scaring."

"I guess we all have our scars." Regulus said, looking down. They all got quiet because it was the truth, we all had scars. Some better hidden then others, but they were there, and weren't going anywhere. They sat in silence for a long time. It wasn't an awkward silence, it was a comforting one. And one they had regularly. "When's the next moon?" He asked. Izzie looked up and saw that his eyes were already on Remus.

"Next week." Remus didn't look at either of us but looked straight ahead. She reached over and intertwined their fingers together. Regulus, rather hesitantly, reached over and squeezed his shoulder. Remus broke his gaze from the wall opposite of them, and turned to Reg. The look they shared was intense and suddenly she felt like a third wheel, not that she minded. They would be good for each other.

"I'm-" Regulus cleared his throat and pulled his hand back, blushing once more. "I'm happy you have my brother there with you."

"What?" Izzie and Remus said in unison.

"Oh, you don't really think I didn't know, did you? Sirius is my brother, I can feel his magic. And one night last year, I saw you and three woodland creatures disappear in the forest. I knew it was Sirius."

"I -" Remus looked a little flabbergasted, but Izzie wasn't much better. "What were you doing out that late?"

"Snape locked me out of the common room, I was wandering around the castle." He shrugged nonchalantly, like that was normal.

"Hey." Izzie grasped Reg's hand. "Next time something like that happens, come to me, okay? Sent a message, barge straight up to the common room, I don't care."

"I-" He wanted to object, but Izzie was staring him down. "Alright, Isabelle. I promise."

"Good." She smiled and stood up. "I'm going to get some snacks from the kitchen, wait here." She was out the door before either could object. She wasn't really hungry, but maybe some time alone would help these two sort out their feelings.

OoO

It was a few days before Sirius birthday and the marauders were busy planning his birthday party. Sirius and Remus were sneaking to Hogsmeade to get some alcoholic beverages. Peter was hunting down decorations and James was sitting in the middle of the common room packing up presents. Izzie flopped down in front of him, her back against the couch.

"Having fun?" She pursed her lips from smiling because she had seen him struggle for the past ten minutes.

"This is horrible, it looks like a five-year-old had wrapped it." He sighed, tossing the tape away from him.

"You know there is a spell for that, don't you?"

"Uhm, yeah. Of course, I do. I just momentarily forgotten about it."

Her lips twitched up on one side. "Right, you forgot." She took her wand from her back pocket. "Do you need a reminder?" She waved her wand in front of him.

"A reminder wouldn't hurt." He smirked; his glasses smudged. Izzie waved her wand and muttered the incantation, and the presents were wrapped up nicely, with a big bow on top. "You're bloody amazing." He leaned forward and gave her a sloppy kiss on the cheek. When he pulled back, Sirius and Remus were watching them from the portrait hole. Remus looked amused while Sirius scowled a little. "Don't tell Lily I said that."

"I don't think she'll mind if you call another girl amazing for spell work." She rolled her eyes.

"Nicely wrapped, Prongs." Remus said. We both turned to look at them, bottles of alcohol in their arms.

"Thank you." He bowed slightly.

"Oi!" Izzie punched his shoulder.

"Right, it was actually all Izzie's doing."

"Told you, she knows a spell for everything." Remus grinned.

"Yes, our little Charmer." James winked. Izzie rolled her eyes before she made a move to push herself up. Sirius promptly pushed his bottles in James' arms and held out his hands for her to take.

"Oh, thanks Sirius." She smiled softly as she was being lifted from the ground.

"Ready for potions?" He asked. Potions was the only class that Remus, James nor Peter attended. Only Izzie, Sirius and Lily. Potions was her worst subject and was always happy to have Lily there to help her out. But now Lily was in the Hospital wing with a really bad cold. And it would be just her and Sirius.

"Yeah." She grabbed her bag from the chair and hung it over her shoulder. "Let's go."

"Good luck!" Remus called back with a snicker. She wasn't sure he meant with the class itself or Sirius. But she pointedly ignored him as she and Sirius walked out of the common room.

OoO

They were an hour into the class, and it was an utter disaster. Sirius was a natural when it came to potions, he was at the same level as Lily but just didn't care to put in much of the work. Her potion was steaming, and she knew with certainty that wasn't supposed to happen. Sirius leaned in close, his long hair tickled her cheek.

"Having problems?"

"What does it look like?" She snapped. "Sorry, it's just –" She sighed. "Normally Lily helps me, she keeps my head cool. I don't really know why I still take this class." She groaned, flopping down on the chair. Sirius sat down next to her, easily waving his wand over her potion until it was softly simmering.

"You're doing fine, just go a little slower." He said leaning closer. He smelled like leather and the woods after it had rained. "When you stir, take your time, like this."

He leaned over her cauldron and stirred the potion at a much slower pace than she had done a few minutes ago. "Thanks." She smiled at him when he turned back. "I think I'll just ask Professor McGonagall if it's still possible to drop the class. I'm never going to get it."

Sirius sat down next to her and regarded her with a frown. "You're still here, even though you hate it. Your parents are making you take this, don't they?" She nodded. "Then you know you can't drop it. If your parents are anything like mine, it is mandatory."

"It is." She admitted reluctantly. Fucking bastard! She thought about her father.

"Maybe you just need a good tutor."

"I had tutors, a few actually. Never paid off."

"I said a good tutor." He smirked.

Izzie rolled her eyes, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. "Who do you have in mind?"

"Me, of course."

"You?" She started laughing. Sirius frowned as he leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm sorry." She tried to control her breathing. "You're serious?"

"Yeah, I am."

"And what do you want in return?" She leaned her head in her hand, that was resting on the back of her chair.

"In return?"

"Or are you willingly going to offer your free time to tutor me? I've never seen you in the library. To study." She added when Sirius opened his mouth to object. He leaned back in his chair grinning, shaking his head so his hair fell over his shoulders.

"Alright." He said thinking it over. "What about one kiss at the end of a study date?"

"No." She shook her head. "I don't know where those have been." She gestured to his puckered lips. "But my guess is everywhere, no thank you."

"Well, my lips are experienced." He smirked again, but something flickered in his eyes, she couldn't make out. "Tell me something about yourself then. Just one thing every time we meet. Maybe then I'll finally get to know you. You already seem to bond with James."

"Yeah, but that's mostly because -" She started with a chuckle but stopped when Professor Slughorn came over. He inspected their potions before nodding and walked over to the next students. "'Right, you have a deal." She outstretched her hand for him to take. He shook it smirking that typical Sirius Black smirk, that most girls would swoon over.

OoO

That night, Lily was back from the Hospital Wing. Even though she was still sniffling, she was already busy with her homework. Lily just explained how André, her boyfriend for the past month, had come to the hospital wing to check up on her.

"I haven't kissed someone in such a long time." Izzie pouted jokingly as she lay her head on Remus's lap. He leaned down and gave her a tiny kiss on the lips, smiling. "Thanks, Remus." She chuckled.

"What about Roger? The Ravenclaw you were seeing?" Lily asked. She turned towards the redhead who was sitting in front of the fire, doing her homework.

"He called someone a fag. So, of course, I had to set his robes on fire."

"Of course." Remus nodded sensible. She squeezed his hand tightly.

"You did what?!" Lilly shrieked.

"It wasn't dangerous, Lils. I just fringed the edge of his robes."

"Whatever will I do with you." Lily chuckled, rolling her eyes before turning back to her homework.

"Oh, so she gets off scotch free, but whenever we do something..." Sirius said, Izzie turned to look at him. He was standing behind the couch, his elbows leaning on the back and his head leaned into his hands.

"You do things without any indication. Izzie had a motive, a good one." She said not looking up.

"We have motive! Right, Moony?"

"Uhm-" Remus said, making Lily and Izzie snicker.

"Whatever." He waved them off and turned to look at Izzie. "You do remember I offered to kiss you, right? So, you have nothing to complain about."

Lily's head snapped up, just like Remus's. "What!?" They both shrieked. Lily with a grin, Remus with pure horror.

"It's fine." She reassured him, rubbing the hand that laid on her stomach. "I told him I'm not kissing someone who's been... well everywhere." Izzie grinned. Lily snickered before turning back to her homework. She turned to look at Remus, but he was looking a Sirius with a slight frown. Not that Sirius would notice, because he was watching her.

"Oi! Padfoot! Ready to go?"

"Where are you going?" Lily asked frowning.

"Better if the Prefects are left in the dark." James winked. Sirius tore his gaze away from her and followed his best friend out of the common room.

OoO

Yeah, Reg! I love him! And he knows! He's a an observant little snake ;)