Here We Go Around Again
Chapter One
Disclaimer: Harry Potter isn't mine, they belong to the wonderful J.K. Rowling, my number one idol. The plot, Isabel, Robin, Catherine and the new characters are mine, though.
It was half past ten when they made it to Platform 9 ¾, and Isabel couldn't quite hide her dislike as she sullenly pushed her trolley through the swirling mass of people.
Behind untamed locks of brown silk, emerald eyes glared half-heartedly all around her, and the more she glared, the harder did the water fall over the train station, soaking the students and making it hard to see through the pelting rain.
Beside her, and pushing her own trolley her mother, a tall, beautiful woman, glanced at her in concern.
-Isabel, dear?,- she whispered softly,- I know you're upset, but could you please stop that? It's pouring...
Isabel blinked and looked around, noticing the raging weather for the first time; a light pink covered the bridge of her nose, and started spreading over her usually pale cheeks.
-Whoops,- she said, a sheepish smile drawing itself on her lips; at about the same time, the rain miraculously stopped, and everyone began looking around in wonder. –I'm sorry, mom, I didn't realize I was doing it...
The woman smiled warmly at her, and then turned a disapproving glance at her laughing husband.
-That's hardly a thing to laugh at, Harry.,- she scolded.
From Isabel's other side, the tall, raven-haired man shook his head merrily; he was wearing a black robe, very similar to his wife's and daughter's, and round glasses framed his brilliant green eyes. Also, and partly visible from behind his fringe, a thin, light bolt-shaped scar adorned his forehead, and brought a lot of attention towards himself.
-Come on, Hermione,- he said conspirationaly- it IS kind of funny to see all these people's confused faces at our Izzy's 'rainy' moods! Why, she is just like you in that prospect!
That earned him an identical dirty look from both of his female companions.
-Dad!
-You're threading on thin ice, mister! You shouldn't attempt to cross two angry women's wrath!
Hermione spat, at the same time waving her wand around to dry themselves up.
Harry just laughed at her, thus making her even more annoyed at him.
-Remind me again why I married you?,- she growled, as she hated it when Harry had the upper hand on her in an 'argument' and how, aware of that fact, he rejoiced in teasing her.
Her husband smiled his trade mark innocent smile at her, something he knew Hermione found incredibly cute.
-Because you love me?,- he added in a playful tone, placing an arm around her shoulders.
Hermione looked pensive for a moment and then shrugged.
-Oh. That's alright then.
Isabel rolled her eyes and smiled faintly. She loved the way her parents used to joke with each other all the time, something other married couples rarely did; her parents were best friends as well as husband and wife, and they obviously loved each other very much.
Together they were invincible, and impossible to beat; they had proved themselves worthy of that statement only a couple of weeks before, when they had told her she would be attending that year, for the first time, to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Isabel turned away, and frowned.
She was fourteen years old but, for many reasons, -one of which included an extreme shyness, (both Harry and Hermione wondered where she got if from)- she had always been what the muggles called 'home-schooled'; taught by her mother, who had been at the top of the class when she went to school, Isabel had learned all the ways of magic, and had proved to be able to live up to her magical heritage without having to go to an educational institute.
She was indeed very clever, and her father had once commented that she was perhaps even smarter than the same Hermione; they had never been worried that she wouldn't be educated rightfully, so Isabel didn't really understand what all the fuss was about.
When asked about their sudden change of judgment, Harry had hastily said that since they had been offered the job, they couldn't let the opportunity pass.
It had been such a lame excuse, that even Hermione had rolled her eyes in a 'just shoot me now' way; for Harry Potter was a famous Auror in the wizard community, (and a wealthy one, at that), and had never been known to actually need a job.
So of course, getting suspicious, Isabel had done what every intelligent girl would do when in doubt. She eavesdropped.
Of course Hermione, being the perceptive woman she was, had caught her and, after some serious scolding, had sent her to bed.
Up in her bedroom, she had only caught fragments of their conversation when they raised their voices in a heated argument, followed by her mother's weeping and her father's soothing words as he consoled her. Upset, as she had never before heard her parents fight, nor her mother cry, Isabel Potter had settled into a very disturbing sleep.
So there she was now, ready to board the train that would take her to the place that would change her live forever: Hogwarts.
Isabel had been told by several people, including her best friend, Robin Weasley, what an amazing place Hogwarts was. Hermione had told her stories about the classes and teachers, and about how she and Harry had fallen in love; her father, meanwhile, had told her of his and his friends' escapes, their mid-night trips to the forbidden forest, and Quidditch games. Uncle Ron instead, spoke wonders of Hogsmeade, Zonko's, and of course, Honeydukes.
And yet, Isabel didn't really wanna go; she was very aware of her difficulty to interact with people, and was actually very afraid of what others would think of her.
She had protested heavily against going, but as said before, her parents were impossible to convince when united together.
-'At least Robin's going to be there...',-she thought sadly, scanning the crowd for a red-head.
She was startled then, by two strong arms sneaking around her waist, and lifting her up and around to face one pair of wicked blue eyes.
Her face quickly broke into a sunny smile, and she enthusiastically threw her arms around the person's neck, emitting a delighted squeal.
-Uncle Ron!!!
The Potter's turned from taunting each other to face their childhood friend.
-Ron!
Ronald Weasley was still the cocky guy from his days at Hogwarts; now, at the age of 37, he had reached a comfortable 6'2'' and his hair, as red as ever, was currently wet and plastered to his forehead and neck.
He flashed them a toothy grin, shaking the water out of his hair.
-Hey, guys,-he winked at Isabel, -how's my favorite god-daughter doing?
The fourteen-year-old gave him an odd smile and shrugged. Ron chuckled.
-Upset, huh? I noticed the weather was a little strange...
Isabel flushed, and Ron chanced a sly look at Hermione.
-You have your mother's bad temper.
Harry burst out laughing as his wife and daughter both glared at Ron, and then moved to hug his best friend.
-So, Ron, how was summer?-he asked, patting the taller man on the back.
Ron smiled.
-Fine but busy. Kyle has been giving us a hard time...-he said, referring to his newborn baby boy, who had stayed back at home with Luna, Ron's wife, and Gween, their ten year old daughter.
For the past three years, Ron had been a teacher at Hogwarts, taking over the class that had once been Madame Hooch's: flying.
Isabel was about to ask Ron where Robin, his fifteen year old son was, when she felt two hands clasp over her eyes, and a warm voice whisper in her ear, -Guess who?
She smiled, and turned around to hug her best friend. -Robin!
He pecked her once in the cheek and smiled, -Hi, Izzy...
Robin had the Weasley's trade-mark red hair, his untamed locks covering a pair of the bluest, sweetest eyes there were. He was also quite tall, so much that she had to stand on her toes to be even with him.
Isabel thought he was quite an eye-candy, but it wasn't his looks that usually attracted girls' attention to him; he had a very infectious personality that included both sweetness and goofiness: Robin could easily make anyone laugh.
The two of them had been best friends since they were old enough to hold a wand, and loved each other like siblings, so it was very hard for both of them when Robin was away at school.
-So you finally decided to stop being a lazy lass and join us, diligent students at school?- he grinned, eyes twinkling merrily.
Then, maybe, she hadn't missed him all that much after all.
***
Trunks and pets were stowed in, (Ulysses, Isabel's cat, was having the time if his life play-pouncing on Pig, Ron's over-enthusiastic pet owl), and once inside their compartment, the Potter's and the two Weasley's were finally able to relax.
Just after the train started moving, though, Robin disappeared in search of the cart's lady, complaining that he didn't have enough candy as it was. His father had sighed and said something like, -Of all the brothers I have, why did he have to take after Fred and George?
The adults had then quickly engaged in an animated conversation about the upcoming year, but Isabel, feeling anxious and nervous again, had decided to take a walk to ease her mind of thoughts.
Shutting the compartment's door behind her and leaning her back against it, she let out a heavy breath; her life was taking an unexpected turn, and she was really scared of what that meant.
Isabel wasn't a normal witch; in fact, both of her parents were unsure about the exceptional 'gifts' she seemed to possess, like the rather... peculiar... ability to 'control' the weather, depending on which mood she was in, or the way stuff near her exploded when she was extremely mad, (although Harry wasn't all that surprised about this fact), and how she sometimes started floating while she was sleeping...
She never meant to scare people when she did this, but she really had no control over her own power when her emotions were running wild. Sometimes she didn't even notice what she was doing until she was asked to please stop making hail fall when her moods got her during trips to the beach.
Hermione always said it was only normal, and that she would eventually learn to keep her magic in check as she grew older and wiser, but as time went by and nothing seemed to improve, Isabel had started to lose faith.
It wasn't so bad when she was among family; Harry and Hermione were very supporting and loving, but it was other people's reaction to her that upset her.
When she had first gone to elementary school in London, her muggle classmates used to call her a freak, due to the many strange things that happened around her, and though Robin was always there to defend her, and though her parents always made sure they didn't remember anything, Isabel always did, and it pained her very much.
Harry, who spoiled her rotten and had a special connection with her, couldn't stand to see his daughter suffer, and had at last preferred to have her taught at home by her mother, who was a highly qualified witch. The fact that his work as an Auror demanded he traveled a lot also helped.
Not even when she had reached the age required to attend to Hogwarts had she abandoned the comfort of her home, and so now that some unexpected twist of fate had her going to school after so many years, she couldn't help but being afraid of the future.
She felt tears prickle at the corner of her eyes and shut them tightly for a second, bowing her head. There was no use in crying over it now.
Re-opening them, she took a step forward, and turned to walk down the corridor.
On the way she met many students, both around her age and younger, who looked at her with the curiosity a new face always brought to school. She saw two boys arguing over a chocolate frog, and a young woman who hexed her boyfriend-she gave him donkey's ears-for flirting with a cute blond with pig-tails.
Apparently, Ron and her own parents were the only adults in the train, and so she guessed the other teachers had parted earlier to school to prepare themselves for the students' arrival.
She chuckled as a young, raven-haired wizard, stumbled after a big toad shouting, -Trevor! Oh, Trevor, come back!,- and was so surprised when he tripped, (over his own feet) and fell, that she didn't notice someone sneaking up behind her.
Normally, when calm or happy, Isabel was able to stay in control; she managed a certain degree of control over her power, however weak, when she was slightly upset, stressed, or even a little angry; the weather still changed accordingly to her mood.
However, when she wasn't in her right state of mind, meaning when she was very depressed, scared or just down right mad, almost nothing could stop her.
At that precise moment, Isabel wasn't very stable; she wasn't upset enough for a storm to lash out, but she wasn't exactly overjoyed, either. So when someone tapped her unexpectedly on the shoulder, she was startled enough to break her hold onto her magic and, with a small yelp of fright, she let go.
It all happened very fast.
She felt it swirl from deep within her, inside her veins and in her very essence, felt it move with growing speed towards her skin and to her fingertips, then felt it break free with an invisible force, wave after wave of magical energy growing and spreading around her.
Her eyes lost focus, but in the back of her mind she registered a scream.
Isabel gasped and fell to her knees, trying to regain control, but the damage was already done; a few seconds later, though, she managed to get a hold of herself, and she could see again.
Her eyes widened with horror at the realization that, once again, her power had gotten the better off her: someone was laying in a heap on the floor, ten feet or so away from her, obviously having been thrown back by her outburst.
She scrambled to her feet.
-'Oh God oh God oh God!'
Rushing forward, she tried to ignore the whispers and the stares around her, and kneeled next to the figure on the floor.
It was a boy, she noted with trepidation. A boy about her age, sitting up now and rubbing the back of his head, eyes shut tightly.
-Oh, Gosh, I'm so sorry! Are you alright?!,- she breathed out quickly.
His eyes shot open, and Isabel noted briefly how beautiful they were; honey-colored, they held her gaze, an unspoken question shinning in the depths of his irises.
Her heart sank, cheeks coloring with guilt and shame. She shifted her weight and tried to ignore the fact that her stomach was one big ball of misery.
-'Great',- she thought bitterly,- 'not even there yet and I've already messed up...'
Gloomily, she braced herself for an explosion of any kind; she waited for yelling, glaring, and was even prepared to be hexed into Merlin-knows-what, (she only hoped she still had hands to turn back into herself).
But it never came.
-That was grand!!!
Isabel looked up sharply, disbelief clear on her face. The boy was grinning at her, and his eyes were sparkling with mirth.
-Wha...?
He laughed then, sheepishly, and Isabel could feel her face going hot, though her embarrassment had little to do with it.
-Yeah, well... Robin's told me about your 'unique' abilities, but I didn't really believe him until just now. Man, that was amazing, that thing you did back there!
Isabel blinked, confused. What had *Robin* got to do with it? And why had this... person, reacted like that?
She turned slightly to find Robin standing there, laughing heartedly, his face red and a few tears rolling down his face. A girl was standing beside him, a frown on her face and her hands on her hips.
-Robin?,- she whispered, uncomprehending.
The 15 year old looked down at her, smiling, and chuckled.
-Forgive Nicholas, Izzy dear, but he's one bloody curious git,- Isabel colored at his choice of words,- and that's what he gets for scaring you!
The girl at his side nodded.
-As unbelievable as it may sound, I agree with you, Weasley.
Isabel blinked again as Robin glared at her.
-Hey!,- Nicholas protested, laughingly,-I never intended to scare her; I didn't even know it was her! Not until she sent me flying backwards without using a wand anyway. That's when I knew it HAD to be the 'ever famous' Isabel Potter.
Isabel raised an eyebrow. What exactly had Robin been telling him anyway?
She glanced at the boy again; now that the first shock passed, she could actually *look* at him.
He was *gorgeous*: short sun-kissed hair, a bit tousled, little wisps falling graciously over beautiful honey orbs; straight nose, which turned up at the last bit, perfect eye-brows and eye-lashes... And his smile. Isabel's heart did a flip and started beating faster at that smile.
-Nicholas Harper, it's a pleasure to meet you.
A voice at the back of her mind told her that name was no strange to her, and Isabel realized that Robin had probably mentioned him during their conversations.
She shook his hand and gave him a shy smile.
-Isabel Potter... but I guess you already knew that...
He chuckled and waved his hand towards the other girl.
-That's Catherine; Cathy, for short. She's my twin sister.
The two girls smiled politely at each other.
Robin spoke up.
-She's a pain, you don't want to mess with her, Izzy.
Catherine's left eye started twitching; she glared at Robin and suddenly, with a tap of her wand, his hair was turned a violent green.
Isabel watched in amusement as Robin screeched and the next instant he was engaged in a very heated argument with Cathy.
Nicholas was laughing loudly as she turned to look at him.
-Do they do this often?
He smiled sweetly at her.
-Oh, they're always at each other's throats, if that's what you mean, but that's only a way to disguise the incredibly passionate love affair they've been carrying behind our backs.
Had she not known him all her life, she would probably have dismissed the way her friend's ears flushed at that statement. But she HAD known him as long, and she knew his ears only flushed when he was deeply embarrassed.
Isabel smiled, an enigmatic little smile, and then broke into giggles as Nicholas was suddenly sent flying for the second time that morning and Robin blew the tip of his wand with a smug grin on his face.