Chapter 20 – A snake in the Lion's den

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People were staring at her as she walked through the castle. Pomfrey had finally let her out of the hospital wing, it felt weird being out. A whole month has passed since Easter break and the whole world didn't stop on her account. She was going to have a hard time in classes on Monday. Lily tugged her closer to her side.

"What did the professors say about my absence?"

Lily cringed a little. "Family emergency."

"Oh, well better than nothing. So, tell me about you and James." Izzie grinned, nudging her side.

Lily's blush nearly matched her hair. "I've told you, nothing happened."

"But you want it to happen."

"I- no -" She spluttered looking around the corridor. She guided her to an alcove. "He's been so sweet and caring; he has been so worried about you. Trying to make me laugh ever since... but I couldn't. Not when you were barely breathing."

"But I am breathing now. See?" She put her hands on Lily's shoulders and took in a few deep breaths. "Nothing's stopping you now for going for the boy whose been pining for you for years. Isn't there a Hogsmeade weekend coming up?" Lily nodded. "Ask him."

"You want me to ask him?" Her beautiful green eyes turned large. "I can't do that."

"Why not? You'll know he'll say yes. Besides." Izzie grinned. "It might shock him a bit, making him less cocky."

"Oh, I do like the idea of that." Lily grinned suddenly. "Let's head up, they'll be waiting for you."

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Izzie was surprised to see the common room that empty, seeing it was barely eight o'clock. Only Remus, James, Peter, Sirius and surprisingly Regulus were sitting in front of the fireplace whispering.

"Where is everyone?" She asked Lily.

"The Marauders might have something to do with that." She smiled softly, but her eyes were focussed on James.

"You better ask him now, because that drool isn't really ladylike."

"I'm not drooling." She huffed but her cheeks tinged red again. She tugged her to the fireplace. Remus leaped up and hugged her fiercely, right after Reg did the same. Peter smiled and offered a little wave from his seat. James was cautious as he stepped closer. He lowered his head, a little tilt in it. Izzie smiled and then James wrapped her in his arms.

"I'm sorry I haven't been over that much."

"I'm just happy you kept Lily company and not let her worry too much."

"Yeah?" He asked in her hair.

"Absolutely." She pulled back and kissed his cheek.

She looked to the last person of the group. Sirius hasn't made a move stand up or even look at her. But right now, she didn't care, the cosiness and the warmth of the hearth pulled her to a relaxed state. She positioned herself between Lily and Remus.

"So, Reggie." She leaned forward to look at him. "How does the Lion's den suit you?"

"It's okay." He shrugged, but his eyes twinkled as he looked around. "A tad cosier than ours."

"More than a tad." Izzie snorted.

"You've been to the Slytherin common room?" James asked surprised.

"You know now that Reggie is one of my best friends, right?" She raised an eyebrow as her lips turned into a smirk.

"Yeah, but doesn't mean they let a Gryffindor in."

"Well, I'm a special case." She grinned.

"My bet is that Barty Crouch has something to do with it." Peter pointed out.

Without even looking at Sirius because she's been avoiding his face as he ignored her, she knew he had tensed. James though looked truly lost.

"Crouch? Regulus's friend? What does he have to do with this?"

"I still forgot how oblivious you were of her before this year." Lily said frowning.

"They dated." Sirius gritted out. Izzie's eyes snapped to him with a glare. But once again he wasn't looking at her, his eyes were fixed on the fireplace.

"We did, and like I told Sirius it wasn't like we were hiding it, so you don't have to look so surprised." She chuckled a little dryly. James snapped his open mouth shut, but when Lily spoke it dropped back open again.

"Anyways." She redirected the conversation. She squared her shoulders confidently. And Izzie, although surprised at the timing, grinned encouragingly at her. "The Hogsmeade weekend is coming up. Do you want to come with me, James?"

The room was silent. Not only James's mouth had dropped open, everyone else's too. Except for Regulus, who pretended to be bored at the whole conversation. Lily revelled the fact that she had shocked James. She wore a proudful smirk and winked at her best friend, who was practically bouncing from her place next to her. James closed and opened his mouth a few times, turning red.

"I think you broke him." Izzie chuckled. That made him snap out of it.

"If you're serious, - Don't." He pointed to Sirius as he opened his mouth. "- Then bloody hell yes!"

"That's settled then." Lily smiled, ducking her head with a small blush.

Izzie smiled as she leaned into Remus. She was happy for Lily; she deserves a great guy.

"Did you hear about what happened in Transfiguration with a group of fourth years?" Peter asked, already laughing.

Izzie's eyes fell shut as she heard Peter talk, as she heard her friends laughing. The easy-going laughter, the warmth of fireplace and Remus's body, made her doze of quickly. But it was when she closed her eyes, she felt his gaze on her. She forced herself to keep her eyes closed and not catch him in the act. She'll talk to him tomorrow.

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Lily woke up from a scream. First, she thought it was a nightmare, but then the scream filled the room again. She bolted up and saw Mary and Marlene awake too, all their eyes frightened as they looked around. Another scream and now she knew. Izzie. Lily threw her covers away from her and ran up to Izzie's bed. She was trashing in her bed, her head going from left to right. Another scream, and Lily felt it run through her bones.

"Izzie!" She tried to press her shoulders down to step her from trashing. "Izzie, please." But she kept moving, she kept screaming.

"Mary, Marlene, keep an eye on her. I'm going to get Remus." She said as she darted out the room. She had never run so fast down the steps and was surprised she didn't slip. She was out of breath once she reached the doors of the sixth years dorm. She pushed the first door open, hoping it was Remus's room. Still breathing heavy, she cried. "REMUS!"

She was in the right room because Remus bolted right up and jumped out the bed with his wand. "Lily? Lily, what's wrong?" He came over quickly as the others woke up.

James and Sirius were on either side of Remus.

"Izzie." Was the only thing she could say between her heavy breaths. Remus was out the door before she could turn around. She followed him down, two sets of footsteps behind her. When she reached the common room, Remus was already gone.

"How does Remus get up there?" James asked.

"Izzie taught him a spell." She smiled but her eyes were filled with tears. James wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"What happened?" Lily barely heard Sirius's voice.

"Just like Remus said, nights will be the worst. She was screaming and trashing around. I couldn't wake her up and she didn't calm down when I touched her." She looked at Sirius. "It's nothing like you or Remus." She saw Sirius's jaw twitch; his grey eyes were stormy. She couldn't read him in the slightest. "Don't push her away, Sirius."

"I'm not-"

"You are." James interrupted. "You've barely been visiting her since she woke up. You're never alone with her again and you've barely looked at her tonight."

"She needs you, Sirius. She might not say it, or she might push you away herself, but she needs you. She's been through so much, even more than we know. There is something she's not telling me, something that happened at her house. Something bad."

"I think Remus knows." James said. "The way he looks at her... there is definitely more."

Before Sirius could answer, but Lily thought it was too much to progress right now, Remus appeared downstairs. In his arms was Izzie. Asleep, but she wasn't screaming anymore, and she looked relaxed against Remus's chest.

"Are you taking her to Pomfrey?" Lily asked.

"No, I'm taking her to our room. She didn't want to spend another night in the hospital wing. She's calmed down now." He turned to Sirius and James; Sirius had gone pale as he looked at Izzie. "Do you mind if she stays?"

"Of course not." James said. "Do you mind?" He asked her.

"No." Lily shook her head. "I want her to be safe, and that's with Remus." Her eyes flickered shortly to Sirius. She reached up and kissed James's cheek. "Thank you." They both blushed, but she turned her attention back to Remus. "You'll wait for me in the morning?" Remus nodded. She caressed Izzie's head once before she darted up the stairs.

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Remus didn't wait for James or Sirius to say something. He just turned around and walked up the stairs. Izzie was muttering something, but it was so soft he couldn't even hear it with his wolf hearing.

"It's okay. I've got you." He tugged her closer to his chest. The door to their room was still open, Peter had fallen back asleep. He laid her down on his bed, but her hands clutched his shirt in her sleep. He looked over his shoulder to Sirius. Both Sirius and James were perched on the end of their beds. "I need to change my shirt. She ripped it."

Sirius was on his feet in less than a second, he crouched down next to the bed and took a hand from Remus's shirt. Izzie let out a shuddering breath before turning completely towards Sirius. He saw how Sirius rubbed slow circles on the back of her hand. Sirius's eyes widened as her fingers shifted until their fingers were intertwined. Sirius let out a shaky breath as he pressed their palms together. Remus turned around to change, giving him some privacy in the meantime. Because he assumed Sirius had a lot to figure out, just like Izzie.

"Do you want to sleep next to her?" He asked once he was done changing.

"W-what?" Sirius looked up to him. "No, when she woke up, she started to hyperventilate that I was with her. I won't do that to her again."

Sirius face was one of terror. He was truly afraid to scare her, to hurt her. He sat down on his bed and Izzie instantly sought out his warmth, except for her hand that was still intertwined with Sirius. Sirius was ready for her to let go and let her grab onto Remus, he could see it in his eyes and the way he shifted to stand up. But even though Izzie curled completely into Remus, her hand didn't waver from his. Sirius closed his eyes and took in a deep breath; he lifted their clasped hands and kissed it softly. It was such a gentle and private move, Remus had to look away. He just saw James's head disappear behind his curtains. Then Sirius untangled their fingers one by one, placing her hand on Remus's chest. Her brows furrowed when his touch was gone before they eased up when Remus quickly grabbed a hold of them. With long last lingering look, Sirius disappeared in his own bed. But just like Remus, he stayed awake for most of the night.

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The next morning, Izzie woke up feeling safe. "Remus?" She asked as she smelled parchment and moonlight. She knew moonlight sounded ridiculous and doesn't have a scent, but there is a scent that always filled her nose as she thought about the nights in the moon.

"I'm here."

"How did I get here?" She asked nuzzling his chest.

"You had a bad night. Lily couldn't wake you or calm you down, so she came to get me. I thought it was the best if you stayed with me."

"Thank you." She said sincerely and clutched his shirt. "But I can't sleep here every night, I'll ask Pomfrey for something to sleep."

"You can come here anytime, Iz."

"I know." she said softly. "But you and Reg need time alone and I don't mean just stolen moments in an alcove. So, promise me you'll make time for him?"

"I promise." He squeezed her hand. "Ready for some breakfast?"

"Yeah." She slowly pushed herself up. Remus was already changing into his weekend clothes. Peter's curtains were still closed, James's were open, and his bed was empty. Sirius was just tugging on his boots, ready to head down. Before he could reach the door, she stopped him.

"Sirius, wait." She grabbed his wrist. "We need to talk."

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Since it's my birthday, I'm going to update all three of my current stories! Hope you enjoy!