Chapter 3

Isabelle woke up and stretched, yawning. She sat up in bed, before flinging herself down again and covering her head with a pillow. It truly was wonderful to be able to have a lie-in instead of having to be at breakfast at an ungodly hour, she decided. Summer holidays truly are a beautiful thing. After a few more minutes, she finally got out of bed and stumbled downstairs.

"Morning, sunshine," James teased.

"Morning," she mumbled, pouring herself a tall glass of orange juice. "Hey, big sister--"

"No, you may not put vodka in your breakfast beverage. Even if you were legal, it's a bit early for happy hour, don't you think?" Lily replied from deep within the depths of Witch Weekly.

"As the great philosopher Remus Lupin once stated, 'It's never too early for happy hour,'" she replied hopefully.

"Clever, but no."

"Fine," she huffed. "Is it alright if I go shopping with some friends today? I need some dancing gear; my shoes are completely worn out."

"Sure. When are you going to be home?" Lily asked.

"Dunno. Probably around nine o'clock tonight."

"That's fine."

"See you tonight, then," James said before disapperating.

"Can you pick me up a couple of things in Diagon Alley?"

"Sure, Lil," Isabelle said, taking a small list and looking it over.

"Have a good day, Sis," she said, and disapperated.

Isabelle quietly got up from the kitchen table, and walked outside. Swallowing nervously, she crossed the yard to the large, four-car garage and opened the door, letting herself in. The familiar, sickening smell of motor oil and dampness assaulted her nose as she fought to keep from losing her small breakfast. There was something she needed to do.

And, today was her only chance, since Sirius and Gina were moving up from Milan permanently tomorrow. Gina preferred to sketch designs while sitting under her tree, so more than likely, someone would always be at the house. So, Isabelle crept to the far corner of the garage, stopping in front of a large, tarp-covered automobile.

It wasn't just any car, she reminded herself with a sneer. It was her father's prized possession – a green 1960 Aston Martin DB4 convertible. She ripped off the tarp and stared at it for a minute. Then, she picked up a sledgehammer that was on a nearby bench, and bashed out the windshield, listening to the sound of breaking glass echo throughout the vast space.

"How'd you like that, Daddy?" she screamed, deftly opening the hood. "Oops, sorry, Daddy – didn't mean to hurt your toy here."

She ran her finger along the engine, strategically pulling out wires with the care of a neurosurgeon. "Top speed of 141 miles per hour, and will go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 8.5 seconds," she recited.

"Not anymore!" She gleefully clobbered the engine. "Oh, forgot this particular DB4 has a 4-speed manual transmission with optional overdrive. Surprised I remember that? I remember all of your lessons, Daddy, even the ones I'd love to forget."

"Hmm, wonder why no one thought it was odd that a five-year-old girl knew about as much about cars as some mechanics? That's right, silly me. I couldn't speak English, you sick piece of slime! You saw to that, didn't you? Was your game fun, Daddy? Huh? Was it?"

Isabelle shattered the headlights and front grill assembly. "You told Mum I was bilingual, all the while knowing I wasn't. And then you had the nerve to tell Petunia and Lily that I spoke English, when I couldn't. While we're on the subject of my sisters, I'd really like to know why me, and why not them? Why not share the fun with others?"

"Oh, sorry, that sounded a little bitter, didn't it? I am actually quite grateful that mine is the only life you managed to mess up royally. And, you certainly did a good job of that." She pounded the front bumper, leaving it a mangled piece of metal.

"Back on point, Daddy dearest. You really were quite clever, or so you thought. Poor retarded little girl can't speak English, so she can't tell anyone how twisted you were. I have to give you credit, Daddy. You did cover all your bases, no pun intended."

An ironic smile flashed on her face. She reached inside her boot for the knife her nanny secretly bought her when she was six, and that she had carried on her person ever since. Isabelle turned the handle over in her palm; it was her favorite part of the whole knife. The mother-of-pearl glistened in the tiny rays of sun that filtered through the ceiling above – so white, so pure. She screamed and slashed the front passenger side tire, leaving a clean gash.

"See that?" She switched hands, knifing the convertible top. "Not as dexterous with the right hand. You knew – I know you knew, you disgusting filth, that I'm left-handed. But, you told everyone I was right-handed, because that made me look even more idiotic. Icing on your nasty cake."

Isabelle slashed the three remaining tires, causing the car to drop to the ground with a thundering noise. "Ooopsie. Sorry, got ahead of myself. The icing on your nasty cake was your lovely little plans to ship me off to an asylum for autistic children. That was only when you were through with me, though…hmm…wonder how long you had in mind to keep me around? No matter. You know what the best day of my life was?"

She paused for a minute, listening to the silence echo. "Well, I'm going to tell you anyway. It was when you came home all depressed and there just so happened to be a loaded gun on the kitchen table. Wonder who put that there? I did, just waiting and hoping that you'd get the idea and use it. Fortunately for me, after pointing out some of your finer traits, you did manage to do humanity a favor and remove yourself from our company."

"And poor crying Petunia and Lily. Boo-freaking-hoo. Ah, but you almost got the best of me, Daddy, after all. I didn't count on you mentioning my 'handicap' to Petunia. So, she got sick of trying to figure me out, and you almost won. But, guess what happened next?" she said in a stage whisper.

"You lost!" she hollered, cutting the red leather interior into tatters. "Someone figured out everything, and I mean everything, Daddy. Shame on you for not finishing me off when you had the chance. And, you know what? He loves me just the same, even though I won't admit any of this out loud. I do feel sorry crushing Lily, so you did beat me in that regard."

She smiled triumphantly. "But, do you know what the best part is? He's never, and I mean never, thought about me in a perverse, disgusting way like some people I can think of. Sirius Black means more to me than you ever did. Or could. Even if we did get together someday, keep dreaming Isabelle, there would be nothing wrong or shameful in it. Like that would ever happen, though."

"Anyway, one day, I'm going to have a family of my own, with a house full of children. And, a husband who loves me, even though I'm messed up, thanks to you. That's my dream, and you can't take that away from me anymore. Because you can't hurt me ever again. I just came here to tell you that Daddy, and goodbye. Go hifreann leat! (To hell with you!)"

She spat on the car with contempt before putting her knife back in its sheath, and dropping the sledgehammer on the floor. She reached inside her jeans pocket and carefully removed a small glass vial, which she poured on what was left of the car. The car fizzled and melted into a puddle of goo.

Satisfied that the car had dissolved completely, she turned on her heel and marched outside. Halfway to the house, she clicked her fingers. Smoke billowed to the heavens as the garage exploded into flame. Isabelle smiled, spinning around. Watching the cleansing fire envelope the building gave her troubled soul a measure of peace she had never felt before, a sense of closure to a particularly horrific period of her life.

"Go scriosa cúnna ifrinn do bhall fearga, Athair! (May the hounds of hell destroy your [male part], Father.)" Isabelle cursed.

As the garage crackled noisily, she walked into the kitchen. Humming, she picked up Lily's list and threw some Floo powder into the fireplace. After arriving at the Muggle entrance to Diagon Alley, she snuck to a payphone and called the fire station in Dover, alerting them of a possible fire at the Evans estate. Then, she walked through the Leaky Cauldron, swinging her purse happily. She could really go for some double chocolate fudge ice cream, she decided, heading towards the ice cream parlor.

~~~~~


Isabelle crept through the fireplace, and through the dark kitchen. Just as she reached the bottom of the staircase, the room flooded with light. She turned around slowly, where Lily and James were leaning on the kitchen table, arms crossed.

"Where have you been, young lady?" Lily said angrily.

"Diagon Alley," she replied shortly, dropping a large package on the table.

"Do you know what time it is?"

"Skin-thirty," Isabelle said sarcastically, holding up both wrists to show that she wasn't wearing a watch.

"Midnight," Lily yelled. "You were supposed to be home three hours ago. We were worried sick about you."

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right."

"Yes, right. There was a fire here today, and we were scared stiff that you were hurt."

"That doesn't even make logical sense, sister dear."

"It did when I rushed home to see half of the grounds on fire!"

"Big deal."

"It is a big deal, and I want an explanation for why you're late," Lily spat.

"Whatever, like you really care."

Isabelle stormed outside, slamming the door shut.

"James, I just don't know what to do! I try, and try to understand her, but she just won't talk to me. Or listen, for that matter." Lily began to run after her, but he caught her arm.

"Let me go talk to her for a minute," he said, giving her a sympathetic smile. "Good luck," she replied, throwing up her hands. "I can't read a thing from her, and it's driving me crazy. Whatever's bothering her is so traumatic that she has this impenetrable mental block. If only I could get an idea of what's wrong, some direction. Oh, I'm so frustrated!"

"Well, I'm no mind reader, but I'll see what I can do," he said wryly, walking outside. He found Isabelle standing at the edge of the burnt grounds, surveying the huge pile of ash that was the garage.

"Leave me alone, James."

He ignored her comment. "Quite a mess you created, Isabelle."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I think you do." He paused before continuing. "Is there anything you'd like to talk about?"

She clenched her jaw. "Nope."

"Well, you can talk to any of us when you're ready."

"I'll keep that in mind," she replied curtly.

"Good. Meanwhile, I was wondering if I could talk to you for a minute."

"Do I have a choice?"

"Not really."

She turned around to face him. "Fine. What do you want?"

"To talk to you about your sister. I think you're being a little too hard on Lily. She's trying her hardest to understand you, but you're not making things easy."

"Why should I? It's not like she really cares."

"She does care."

"Whatever." She turned back around so that James wouldn't see her cry. "Like she ever thought about me at all before Petunia dumped me in her lap."

"Dumped you in her lap? Is that what you think happened?" he asked. She nodded, wiping away a stray tear. "Isabelle, we definitely need to have a talk. Will you sit on the porch with me for a minute?"

After they walked to the back porch and settled themselves on chairs, James sat for a minute or two, thinking. Trying to reason with a thirteen-year-old girl was never an easy task, especially one as emotionally closed off and stubborn as she was.

"Petunia didn't dump you on Lily. In fact, Lily fought her very hard for the privilege of raising you." Isabelle sat up, surprised. "And, she did think about you before we moved here."

"Really?" she asked hesitatingly, not knowing if she should believe his words.

He smiled. "Yes, really. Lily adores you, and has since the day you were born. Did you know that she named you?"

"No, I didn't."

"Yup, she did. She read your name in some book, and convinced your mum to name you Isabelle. Petunia said it was pretentious, but, hey, she obviously lost that argument. I remember the first time I met Lily. It was on the train to Hogwarts first year, and she was in a compartment with my sister. Do you know what she was doing?"

"What?"

"Showing her pictures of you, and talking about how upset she was that you were going to grow up, and she was going to miss it. When we would go shopping in Hogsmeade, she would spend hours trying to figure out what to buy to send you. Lily even offered to quit Hogwarts and go to a school in Dover after your mum died, to help you adjust to your mum being gone."

"Oh." Suddenly, Isabelle felt very guilty about the way she treated her sister.

"Oh is right. Maybe you should give Lily a chance. She's pretty amazing, but I'm a little prejudiced."

"But, I was so mean," she said with downcast eyes. "She probably hates me now."

"Nah, you just had a fight. I have fights with my sister all the time, and I still love her."

And so does Sirius, Isabelle thought sourly. "Guess I should go apologize, huh?"

"Might be a good idea."

"Thank you, James," she said, standing up and giving him a hug, which was quite a rarity from the usually unaffectionate Isabelle. She generally reserved any emotional displays for Sirius, and that was always when they were alone.

"Anytime."

They smiled at each other. Isabelle went inside, and shyly opened the door to the living room, where Lily was curled up on the couch reading a book. She took a nervous breath.

"Lily?"

She looked up. "Yes?"

"I, uh, just wanted to say that I'm sorry for coming in late and yelling at you," she said in a rush. Lily smiled and put her book down.

"Don't worry about it. Just owl me when you're running late from now on, ok?"

"Ok. What are you reading?" Isabelle asked, trying to make conversation.

"The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger."

"What's it about?"

"Well, it's about a teenage boy, Holden Caulfield, and the problems in his life." Lily patted the couch next to her. "Come here, and I'll tell you more about the book, if you want me to. I read it a few years ago, and picked up a copy the other day because I thought you might like it."

"Sure."

James quietly crossed the kitchen and pressed his ear to the door. They were engrossed in conversation – an actual conversation, he thought with amazement. He silently walked upstairs, pausing at the doorway to Isabelle's room. He looked at his hand, which held a beautiful sapphire and platinum hair clip that one of the firefighters gave him earlier that evening. Astonishingly, it survived the fire, despite being near to their best guess as to where the fire started.

Creeping into her bedroom, he laid the clip on her pillow. Lily gave it to her when she was nine; in fact, he remembered helping her pick it out. Isabelle fell in love with it immediately, and wore it nearly every day. Including this morning, he thought with a sad smile, as he left her room and headed for bed.

~~~~~


Isabelle slowly marched through King's Cross station, dragging her feet. It truly had been a fun summer, and she was sad to see it end. She looked up at Lily, and could tell that she was thinking the same exact thing.

"Do you have everything you need?" she asked for the third time.

"Yes, Lily," she answered patiently.

"I'm being a pest, aren't I?"

"Sort of, yeah," Isabelle admitted.

Lily looked at her watch. "Ugh. We should hurry, or we'll miss the train. I hate it when British Rail runs late. What are you looking for?"

"Sirius. He promised that he'd say goodbye to me at the station."

"Maybe he got tied up at the office."

"Maybe," she echoed sadly.

They crossed the barrier to Platform 9 ¾, where parents and students stood milling around the train, loading trunks and saying their goodbyes. Bill spotted Isabelle, and waved exuberantly. She and Lily walked over to where he was standing.

"Hello, Mr. Weasley," Lily said, smiling. "How is your wife doing?"

"Due just about any day now," he answered with a nervous grin, running his fingers through his thinning hair.

"Mum's as big as our house," Bill muttered under his breath.

"You would be, too, if you were having twins," Isabelle answered defensively.

"If I was having twins, it'd be a miracle of modern science," he replied snidely.

"What would you know about science? Last time I checked, Potions wasn't exactly your forte." Isabelle refrained from further comment, mostly because Lily's fingernails bore into her shoulder, clearly indicating that she needed to be quiet.

"And who is this little one?" Lily asked, looking at the wide-eyed, squirming toddler Mr. Weasley was holding.

"This, is Percy." He put his free hand on a nervous-looking red-headed boy. "And this is Charlie. He's starting at Hogwarts this year."

"Nice to meet you," Charlie said politely.

"Nice to meet you, too," Lily replied. The Weasleys really are a nice family, she thought. Just the sort of people Isabelle needs to be around.

The train whistle sounded, and the conductor shouted that the Hogwarts Express was leaving in five minutes. Students quickly gave their last hugs, and stampeded towards the train, wanting to stake out their compartments. Isabelle looked at Lily.

"Let me know when you get a day off in Hogsmeade, ok? Maybe I can come up and we can go shopping," Lily said.

"I'd like that." Isabelle smiled, although she was devastated that Sirius wasn't there. She waved, and followed Bill and Charlie to the massive queue to board the train. Right as her foot hit the staircase, she heard someone call her name. She turned around, and ran through the crowd, engulfing Sirius in a massive hug.

"Sorry I'm late," he apologized.

"I thought you weren't coming," she said, giving him a wounded look.

"And miss sending my girl off to school? Never."

He smiled, and Isabelle suddenly felt weak-kneed, getting an awful nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach. In that moment, she realized that she was hopelessly in love with Sirius Black, who was just as hopelessly in love with someone else. She took a step back, nearly tripping.

"What's wrong?" Sirius asked. She was looking at him like he had transformed into an alien life form.

"N-nothing. I just need to get going before I miss the train."

She bolted away from him, scrambling onto the Hogwarts Express right as the wheels began to turn. Sirius watched her retreating form sadly. She was growing up, and he didn't like that one bit.

~~~~~


"Freedom is a beautiful thing," Sydney said happily.

"No joke," Isabelle replied. "A whole day without Madame Bordeaux breathing down my neck."

"I thought you loved dancing," Ali said with a puzzled frown.

"I do, but she's insisting that I concentrate more on my Spanish ballet."

"What's wrong with that?" Sydney asked.

"I'm not Spanish," Isabelle huffed. "I'm Irish, and I'd rather do traditional Irish dancing. But, no, just because I'd make the 'perfect Carmen' one day, I have to learn stupid Spanish stuff. As if they'd ever let a blonde play Carmen. Please."

"There are such things as wigs, you know," Ali said sarcastically.

"Could you imagine me with dark hair? Blech," Isabelle made a face.

"Hey, maybe you could go to the Halloween Ball tonight as Carmen," Ali teased.

"You're so witty, Ali. Anyway, where to first? I have to meet Lily for lunch at noon."

"Dunno. I've never actually walked around Hogsmeade," Sydney admitted.

"Me, either. Maybe we should just see what we find," Isabelle offered.

After a morning of walking around the town, Isabelle was more than ready for lunch. She pulled a tiny piece of paper out of her cloak and reread the contents. Lily was going to be waiting outside of Leonardo's, wherever that was.

"Do either of you know where Leonardo's is?" she asked.

"I think we passed it two blocks ago," Ali answered helpfully.

"Thanks. See you tonight," she called, hurrying down the street so that she wouldn't be late. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw a hanging sign for the small deli.

"Hey, sis," Lily smiled, giving her a hug. "Did you have any trouble finding the place?"

"Not a bit," she replied.

They walked into the deli and placed their orders. Since the day was far too beautiful to spend indoors, they decided to eat on the outside patio. Almost all of the students who passed the restaurant waved to them, and several stopped to chat for a minute.

"You're quite popular," Lily chuckled.

"A little," Isabelle said sheepishly. "Probably because I tutor half the school in Potions."

"You do?"

"Oh, yes. I love teaching," Isabelle said enthusiastically.

"I thought you were going to be a professional ballet dancer." Lily raised an eyebrow.

"I am, but I can't dance forever. Eventually I'm going to get married and have kids, so I have to have a back-up plan. That's where teaching comes in."

"Wow. You have it all planned out, huh?"

"Yup. I just have to find a decent man first." Or at least get over Sirius, Isabelle thought with a sigh. As if that's going to happen in the next century.

"A decent man? Aren't you a little young to be thinking about marriage? Besides, what's wrong with Bill?"

"You're never too young to think about your future," she said seriously. "As for Bill, he's like my big brother. Dating him would just be weird."

"Yeah, I remember saying that about James," Lily replied.

"But James is hot. Bill's just, well, Bill." Isabelle wrinkled her nose.

"He is cute," Lily said with a grin.

"Speaking of, why are you spending your anniversary with me instead of your husband?"

"I'm spending the day with you. Tonight's another story."

"Really?" Isabelle drawled. "Details?"

"Well, James is supposed to come here this afternoon, and then we're supposed to go on holiday. He won't tell me where, though."

"Oooh, a mystery. Where do you think you're going?"

"I have not a clue, to tell you the truth. Ready for some shopping?"

"Of course," she exclaimed, jumping out of her chair.

Isabelle couldn't remember the last time she had such a wonderful afternoon. She mentally thanked James for convincing her to give Lily a chance as she walked down the crowded town square. The day passed so quickly that she didn't realize how late it was. If she didn't hurry, she'd be late for the ball.

Something caught her eye, causing her to stop dead in the middle of the street. She turned, and followed a hooded figure at a measured distance, watching where he went. Confused, she leaned against a cottage wall, thinking. Why would Remus go to the Shrieking Shack? Wasn't it haunted? she wondered, turning to go back to the castle. Her Invisibility Cloak would definitely come in handy tonight.

~~~~~

Alrighty then. Forgot how intense this chappie is! As usual, all feedback is welcome...