Chapter 20

Sirius walked down the lakeshore to think. His mind was filled with way too many thoughts, and he needed some time alone to sort everything out. Not the least of which was turning forty-one years old today. Forty-one – it seemed so old, he thought, as he mentally processed the number.

Isabelle had gone all out for his birthday, enlisting the help of the Weasleys. Putting their minds together, she, Hermione, Harry, Remus and the five Weasleys invented pranks and practical jokes that he had never thought of. Which was quite an impressive feat, considering. Isabelle's excuse was that since she missed this thirtieth and fortieth birthdays, and that he had the courtesy of making her thirtieth birthday so eventful, she was only returning the favor.

It was nice to see her smile and laugh, he thought, frowning. Ever since they went to dinner – and back to her apartment – that night, she had been a little formal and distant. The next morning, she stumbled into the kitchen clutching her head, claiming that she didn't remember a thing past getting into the club. But, she was an excellent actress, as he knew all too well. She didn't like to talk about her feelings, or things that happened to her in the past. And that was the heart of the problem.

"Hiding, birthday boy?" Remus teased in a singsong voice, sitting down beside him.

"Yup."

"From the family or all the happy couples?"

"Both," Sirius laughed. Shortly after his date with Isabelle, he broke up with Sara, careful to remain friends. A Ministry spy as an enemy is never good.

"Well, being single isn't all that bad, is it?"

"It is when every other member of your family, even your child, has a more exciting love life than you do," he replied sourly. "Especially when you're in love with someone and can't do a damn thing about it."

Sirius reached into his cloak pocket, pulled out a small box, and passed it to Remus. He opened it, and whistled through his teeth.

"Breaking out the family jewels, I see," he joked. "Nice ring, but where is it? The thing's tiny – what size is this, anyway?"

"Four and three quarters," he said evenly.

Remus' face paled, as he turned the ring over in the palm of his hand nervously. He peered into the ring, trying to make out the inscription. "I John 4:18a? What in the heck is that?"

"It's a Bible verse Abuela taught me when I was little. The verse says 'En el amor no hay temor, sino que el perfecto amor echa fuera el temor'."

"Ok, not everyone is Spanish, so could you please give me the English translation of that?"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "There is no fear in love, for perfect love drives out fear."

"And Isabelle, also being a good Catholic, would know that verse?" Remus asked.

"Of course she would. I taught it to her when she was ten. She had a nightmare, and ran off in the middle of the night. Light sleeper that I am, she woke me up, so I found her sobbing her heart out. I asked her what was wrong, and she said that she was scared, and I asked her of what. She said everyone. I told her she had nothing to be afraid of because we all loved her. And then she said that when people say that they love her, that's when they hurt her." He paused for a minute. "I'll never forget that as long as I live."

"What did she mean by that?"

"I'm not entirely sure. I have my suspicions, but Isabelle isn't exactly willing to talk about any of it. Anyway, I said that if anyone made her afraid or hurt her, they didn't really love her. She didn't have to be afraid of any of us because we loved her. Since then, whenever I think of her, that verse always comes to mind."

"So, do you love her?"

Sirius thought that an odd question, considering that he was sitting there with a ring. "Too much. She is the thorn in my side, to use another Biblical metaphor."

"And she calls you the god of her idolatry."

"Does she really?" He couldn't help but smile. What was it with him and literary women?

"Yeah. You know she loves you. She told you as much recently, I heard," Remus said with an evil smile.

"She told you about that? I thought she didn't remember that night at all."

"Oh, she remembers every last word that was spoken. Most of all, she remembers that you turned her down flat."

"Let me guess. She didn't really pass out, either."

"Nope. Cried herself to sleep, humiliated."

"How could she remember a thing? I've seen grown men knocked out from drinking less than she did."

"What can I say? The woman's a fish. Oh, and I heard she showed you her little tequila talent," Remus winked knowingly.

"Yeah, that was nice," Sirius said, a little too enthusiastically. "Didn't know anyone could actually do that, but I'm telling you what, that drove me crazy."

"Ok, what I don't understand is that she loves you and you obviously love her, why aren't you together?"

"Because Isabelle doesn't have a healthy attitude towards men. If I had any sense whatsoever, I'd have kept my hands off her."

"I don't understand." Remus furrowed his brow.

"I don't understand all of it, myself. Especially, like I said before, she won't talk. What I do know for sure is that someone hurt her really badly, someone she trusted."

"Who?"

"I'd rather not say, since I'm not totally positive. Point being, this person was an authority figure to her. And, deep down, she's just a hurt little girl looking for someone to tell her everything's going to be all right."

"Was this before or after she went to America?" he asked, livid. He could think of a few nasty things he'd like to do to anyone who hurt her.

"Again, I'd rather not say. But, the abuse shows most clearly, to me, anyway, in her relationships with men. Other than a couple boyfriends in school, every man she's been with has been significantly older than her – at least four years older. And, in some position of authority over her. Also, she has a tendency of throwing herself at men, at least physically."

Remus was shocked. "No wonder you turned her down."

"Yep. I'm the ultimate in authority figures to her. You said it yourself – I'm the god of her idolatry. I can't figure out whether she genuinely loves me, in a normal, healthy sense. Isabelle is so messed up that I'm not even sure she knows what's going on in her brain. I'm such a selfish, thoughtless idiot for what I did to her over Christmas," Sirius cursed himself.

"Wait a minute here. All you did was kiss her. Big deal."

"Does she tell you everything?" Sirius asked, exasperated. Remus shrugged. "May I remind you of who she is – the baby sister of my sister-in-law?"

"As you've noticed, the baby sister grew up. Kids do that. And, not to be harsh, but Lily's dead, and has been for a very long time. It's hard to be judgmental from the grave. Things are very different than they were back then."

"But--"

"But what? She's a grown woman, problems or not. It seems to me that even if she doesn't have the healthiest outlook on a relationship with you, she still loves you the best way that she can. And, what would be better – turning her down so that she can fall into another self-destructive, abusive relationship?"

"That's the bottom line, isn't it? I wish I could protect her from being hurt again from anyone, including herself. I just want to make her happy. Why are things so complicated?"

"Why are you so daft? I've spent the last half hour telling you that this isn't complicated at all. One more time, and maybe it'll sink into your stubborn skull: You love each other and want to be together. Everyone wants the two of you to be together. Well, except for Snape and that really grumpy woman who follows him around, yelling." Remus waived his hand dismissively. "Hey, that's sort of a bonus – you get the girl and irritate Snape at the same time."

"Second time around," Sirius mumbled under his breath. "The hard part is finding the time to talk to Isabelle. Stacey's like a chaperone or something. Whenever I'm within five feet of Belle, she suddenly appears from nowhere."

"Isn't your bedroom next to hers?" he asked sensibly.

"Yes, but Stacey's staying with her since she had a fight with Snape last week. You know that."

"Sorry, forgot. You're just shut out, aren't you?" Remus laughed.

"Shut up. This really isn't funny," Sirius said through clenched teeth.

A blur flashed in between them, nearly landing in Sirius' lap. Isabelle flattened herself against the ground dramatically and put her hands over her head.

"You do not see me. I do not exist," she said in a hypnotizing voice.

"Valentine's Day blues?" Sirius asked, with a small smile. Where did she get so much energy? Must be the ten-year age gap, he decided.

"You have no idea, birthday boy," she grumbled, propping her head on her elbows.

"Well, I guess I should be going," Remus said, giving Sirius a wicked grin.

"I didn't chase you off with my negative energy or anything, did I?" She frowned.

"No, I actually have a date."

"Who's the unfortunate victim?" she teased.

"Real cute. Diane from the Three Broomsticks, if you must know."

"Again? She's a real glutton for punishment," Sirius laughed.

"No, she just knows a good thing when she sees it."

"Or maybe she's had one too many and isn't picky."

"You're lucky I'm in a good mood, Isabelle, or I'd have a few choice words for you."

"Oooooh, scary," she said in a spooky voice.

He gave her a poisonous look. "Goodnight, kids. Have fun."

"So, why don't you exist?" Sirius asked Isabelle, laughing at the pained look on her face. She really had a flair for the dramatic.

"First of all, I think I have a sign tattooed on my forehead saying, 'Hey, please ask my advice on what to do for my significant other for Valentine's Day'. Let me see…Harry asked three times whether taking Ginny to the prefects' bathroom for a midnight swim was a bit presumptuous."

"Nice choice. Fond memories of that place," he said, nodding his head in approval.

"Likewise," she replied with an evil grin that widened when Sirius frowned. "Anyway, I told him that he's a fifteen year-old boy – of course he's being presumptuous. Then, there's the Ron and Hermione saga."

"What Ron and Hermione saga?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Better let her tell you. Then there's Neville, who really doesn't have a clue about women, poor boy. And, Draco's about to drive me insane."

"Draco?"

"Yes," she said sourly, "Draco. Ever since his mum got put in the sanitarium, he's kind of adopted me. Says that I'm his 'Mummy Number Two', so that's what he calls me. Number Two. Thinks he's clever."

Although he knew that Isabelle had something to do with all of that, Sirius didn't ask questions or comment. There were some aspects of her life that he really didn't want to know about sometimes. And Malfoy was one of them. No matter how he tried, he couldn't get used to the idea that she was romantically involved with trash like Malfoy.

"So, he shows up at my office yesterday asking what he should do for Cho for Valentine's Day. Then I tastefully remind him that he stole her from my nephew at the Christmas Ball, and that he has a lot of nerve asking me that question. You won't believe what he says next."

I'd believe anything coming out of the mouth of that child, Sirius thought. "What?"

"He says, 'Well, what did my father do for you, because that sure worked.' Can you imagine? To which I reply, 'Draco, he got me out of prison.' The little prat. So, I told him to ask his father, the relationship expert, what to do, and sent him on his way." Isabelle noticed the ring box on the ground where Remus had placed it. "What's that?"

"Uh, a birthday present for Hermione," he lied, quickly picking up the box and stuffing it into his cloak. He felt terrible for lying, but this wasn't exactly his ideal place or time to propose. Especially since she had no idea how he felt about her.

"Really? Advanced planning, I'm impressed. What is it?" she asked, eyes lighting up.

"It's a surprise." Oh no, Sirius thought. Those were like the magic words to Isabelle – like waiving a red flag in front of a bull. No way she'd let the subject drop now.

"What kind of surprise?"

She was so excited that he almost passed the box over to her. No, he decided with a small smile, that just might give her a heart attack. "The kind that I'll show you later when it's finished."

He held his breath, hoping she would leave it at that. Luckily, she believed him, which made him feel even guiltier because she trusted him.

Isabelle leaned back on the cool grass, looking straight up into the sky. She sighed, covering her eyes with her arm.

"What's going on?" Sirius asked. It was unlike her to suddenly get so quiet.

"Nothing," she said unconvincingly.

"Liar."

"It's everything, and nothing at the same time. My life is such a mess, Sirius. There's no stability in it whatsoever, and anyone I love, well--"

"Dies." She nodded.

"Or ends up permanently emotionally scarred. I'm relationship kryptonite," she lamented. "What's so funny?"

"Relationship kryptonite? Where on earth did you get that one from?" he laughed.

"From someone I am no longer friends with, the hypocrite," she said sharply.

"Whoa! Sorry I asked."

She rolled over on her side, propping her head on an elbow. "Sorry for being so down. It's just that seeing all of these happy couples walking around on Valentine's Day only serves to remind me that I'm incapable of having a normal relationship."

The look on her face broke Sirius' heart. "Isabelle, you're not incapable. There are plenty of guys who would give anything to be with you."

"Like who?" she snorted.

Like me, he thought. "Like any guy who's ever heard you laugh at a corny joke, or cry at a sappy movie you've seen a thousand times and know by heart. Or seen the way you lose yourself when you dance, or danced with you, for that matter. Basically, any guy with eyes who's spent at least five seconds around you. Isabelle, I--"

"Yes?" Her heart was in her throat.

"Professor Black!" a voice shouted from behind them.

"What is it, Fred?" he said through clenched teeth.

Fred Weasley looked from Sirius to Isabelle and back again, slowly realizing what he must've interrupted. And that he wasn't really on Sirius' good list ever since Christmas, anyway, he remembered. He gulped.

"Uh, Professor Dumbledore wanted me to tell you that he wants to meet you in his office right away," he babbled.

"Did he tell you why?"

"Yes. Something about a Death Eater attack in Brighton. He wants to see you, too, Professor Evans."

"Brighton?" she asked, paling. "Are you sure, Fred?"

"Yes, why?"

"No reason. Will you go tell Professor Dumbledore we'll be there right away?"

"Sure." He ran off, glad to get away from Sirius' piercing stare.

"What's the big deal?" he asked Isabelle.

"The big deal is that the only wizarding family that lives in Brighton are the Malfoys. I know that for a fact. This can only mean one thing, which is that Sergei is figuring things out. He must be angry that Lucius and I got the best of him earlier this month. And, it's just a matter of time before he finds out the rest," she answered ominously. "Didn't I tell you I was relationship kryptonite?"

-----

"Stephen, you're too close to the water. Please come back here." The little boy didn't listen, stepping even closer to the lake's edge. "Stephen Thomas Parker, get back here now!"

His blonde, curly-haired head whipped around instantly. "Sorry, Aunt Isabelle. Didn't hear you."

"You heard me loud and clear. Now get up here before we have to go back to the house."

Sensing a serious threat, he scampered up the hill and plopped down next to Abbie, sulking. She took a handful of dirt and rubbed it in his face, laughing.

"Abbie, that wasn't nice," Isabelle told her absentmindedly. "Apologize."

"Sorry, Stephen," she said dutifully.

"Thank you. Ready to head to the match, Phillip?"

He stretched and yawned. The stress of the past few months was beginning to take a toll on him. "Whenever you are."

"Are we going to a real Quiddich match?" Stephen drawled excitedly.

"Sure are," Isabelle replied, trying to hide a smile.

It was nice to see him so enthusiastic about something, she thought. Before the attack on his parents, he was like a human tornado. Although he wasn't up to his former energy level, this was a start. She made a mental note to thank Harry and Ron for all the hours they put into playing with him and teaching him Quiddich.

"Is Harry playing?"

"Yep," she said.

"And Ron?"

"Yep."

"Cool." He grinned.

Isabelle turned to Phillip, who looked like he was about to keel over any second. "Hey, why don't you go home and get some rest," she told him sympathetically.

"No, I'm fine, honestly," he replied, rubbing his temples.

She looked at him skeptically. "I know what it's like to lose your whole family in the blink of an eye, so I know you're not fine. Go on, take the day off. I'll bring the kids by your house in the morning, ok?"

"Thanks." He smiled at her gratefully, and kneeled down to the children's level. "I don't feel very good, so I'm going home for a little while. Will you be ok going to the match and spending the night with Aunt Isabelle?"

Abbie nodded, and hugged him goodbye. "Feel better, Uncle Phillip."

"I will."

"Woo-hoo!" Stephen hollered. "Is Harry going to be at the house tonight?"

"I don't know, but we can ask him," Isabelle laughed.

"Well, I'll see y'all tomorrow," Phillip said, and walked off towards Hogsmeade.

"So, would y'all like to go to the pitch and get our seats for the match?" Isabelle asked.

"Yes!" Stephen said, running up the hill.

Not to be outdone, Abbie took off after him, and the two raced to the entrance of the pitch. Students were milling around, chatting and heading for the stands. Suddenly shy, Abbie clung to Isabelle's legs, wanting to be picked up. She scooped up the little girl, and held Stephen's hand as they walked around the pitch.

"Hey, Professor Evans!" Angelina Johnson called out from the sidelines.

"Hey, yourself," she replied, walking towards where she was standing.

"Are you a real Quiddich player?" Stephen asked in awe, staring at her broom and equipment.

"Sure am," she replied, smiling at Isabelle. Fred walked up, slapping Stephen high five.

"You're not stealing my girl, are you?" Fred asked in a mock serious tone. He shook his head violently. "Good, glad we got that straight."

"What's going on, mate?" Harry asked the little boy.

"Ready to see you beat Slytherin, that's what," he replied, narrowing his eyes at their stands.

"You and me both."

"Are you going to be at the house tonight?"

"I don't know," he answered slowly. Harry looked at his hopeful face, and got an idea. "I need to find something out first."

He leaned over, and whispered in Isabelle's ear. She nodded. Harry walked over to where Ron was warming up. After a minute, he motioned for Stephen to join them.

"Sorry, we're not going to be at the house tonight," Harry said, watching Stephen's face fall.

"But, neither are you," Ron added.

"What do you mean?" he asked, puzzled.

"Well, we Gryffindors always have a party after we win a match. And, since we're planning to win, we don't want to miss it. How would you like to party with us tonight in the dorm?"

Stephen looked at Harry like Christmas had just come early. "Beyond cool."

"Alright, come on, before all the good seats get taken," Isabelle said, walking up behind them and leading the children up the stands.

Abbie clung to Isabelle as she peered over the side of the tall tower, looking at the small figures below on the ground. Stephen leaned over fearlessly, gaping at the scene.

"Did you play Quiddich here, Aunt Isabelle?" he asked.

"I was supposed to, but I came to America and went to school with your parents instead."

"Oh." He sat on the bench, thinking. "Do you miss them?"

"All the time."

"I miss them, too. And M.J and Rose. Carrie, too. And Uncle Thomas and Aunt Sarah Lindsay. But, mostly M.J. She was my best friend."

Isabelle wrapped her arm around the little boy, who leaned against her sadly. "I miss my big sister, too. She was my best friend."

Stephen looked up. "Is that Harry's mom?"

"Sure is." She hugged Stephen tightly. "Us orphans have to stick together, right?"

"Right," he said with determination.

Isabelle looked into the sky, where Draco was doing some last-minute flying practice. She covertly signaled for him to fly over. With an incredibly bored look on his face, he flew over to where she was seated.

"You rang, wicked stepmother?" he asked snidely.

"Yes, evil child. I just wanted to thank you," she replied with a smirk.

"For?"

"For the fifty galleons I'm going to win from your father when my nephew beats the pants off you in this match."

"Do what? Keep dreaming."

She snorted. "Please. I've looked up the stats. You don't stand a chance against Harry."

Draco's eyes flashed fire. "We'll see. I'd think that you'd be more loyal to your own kind, Mommy dearest."

"Blood is thicker, sweetheart." She winked. "Oh, and I win a hundred galleons if Harry gets the snitch in five minutes or less."

"Now that's just insulting. I would say something, but I don't want to hurt sensitive ears," he sneered.

"How thoughtful of you, Draco," Isabelle said sarcastically.

"I'm just a thoughtful kind of guy. If you would please excuse me, I have a match to play against your precious nephew. Oh, sorry – the five minute miracle man."

Before she could reply, Draco took off to the center of the pitch. Isabelle had to admit his parting remark was quite witty, even if it was completely uncalled for.

"Welcome to the most anticipated match of the year, first-place Gryffindor versus second-place, and rightly so, Slytherin!" Lee Jordan projected, as the team captains flew to the center of the pitch and began the match. The Slytherin stands booed at his comment, which caused the Gryffindor stands to scream louder. Stephen looked at Isabelle, concerned, as the stands began to sway.

"Don't worry. They won't fall – they're designed to move like this," she reassured him.

He smiled and focused on the match. Isabelle looked to her left, watching Ginny Weasley gingerly sit down alone.

"Ginny – would you like to come sit with us?" she called out.

"Sure, thanks," she replied gratefully.

"Hey, Virginia," Stephen greeted her distractedly. Abbie smiled and crawled into her lap. Ginny wrinkled her nose.

"He spends way too much time with Harry," she laughed. She lowered her voice. "Stephen says that he likes to call me Virginia because that's where he's from, and it reminds him of home. So, I let him."

Isabelle smiled. "Y'all are really great to these kids. You have no idea how much I appreciate it."

"Well, Harry's big on family," she said lightly. Her eyes clouded over, which did not go unnoticed by Isabelle.

"Speaking of, where's Hermione?" Isabelle asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Hermione's not coming to the match," she said as evenly as possible, considering that she was about to lose her temper. "She and my brother had a fight this morning because she was bringing Krum. So, she said that she wouldn't come at all, then."

Isabelle saw at the pure anger in the girl's eyes. "She really shouldn't treat Ron that way. In fact, it's quite childish and petty."

Ginny looked at Isabelle wide-eyed. Did she just insult her own family? Sensing an opportunity to vent, and hoping it was appropriate to do so, she took a deep breath and continued.

"Hermione's just playing my brother, and he lets her! I can't stand watching it. They'll fight for days, and then randomly hook up. Oh, but they aren't 'sure of their feelings', so they break up again. Then, Ron'll go snog some girl for spite, which ticks Hermione off, so she brings Krum around and throws him in Ron's face."

"What does Harry think about all this?"

"Harry defends Hermione! I can't say a thing against her, or it turns into a huge fight. Apparently the girl can do no wrong. He says that she's just 'confused', and that things between she and Ron are 'complicated'. I say that's a load of crap." Ginny sighed. "Then he says that I'm not being fair to Hermione, especially since I don't know her very well. And I tell him how can I, when she's the Ice Queen and doesn't let anyone in her vortex? She's very intimidating."

"The Ice Queen?" Isabelle laughed. "No, if anything, she's the Ice Princess. The title of Ice Queen belongs to Hermione's mum, hands down, trust me."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. Regina was the single most intimidating woman on planet earth, at least to me. And, talk about not being able to say anything wrong about her – she did no wrong in anyone's eyes, except for James. They fought constantly. But, Sirius simply adored her. It was disgusting; worse than the way Ron follows Hermione around like a lost puppy dog."

"Nothing's worse than that," Ginny said in disbelief.

"Ha. Sirius was pathetic. Heaven forbid I get in a fight with her, because of course, she's right, and I'm wrong. I mean, whatever. Everyone has problems, and I'm not going to bend over backwards because she got a bad shake or two."

"Exactly! That's what I think, too." They smiled at each other, each feeling a real bond with the other. "Did you ever get along with Hermione's mum?"

"Yeah, we became close right before she died. Turns out that Sirius was right all along, and she was a really nice person underneath the frosty exterior. Hermione's the same way. You just have to be really patient and let yourself grow on her. Which is frustrating, but that's just the way she is."

"But, what do I do in the meantime?"

"Other than scream and tear your hair out? Not much, but I'm here if you ever want to talk. Believe me, I know my family's not perfect. But, they're mine and I love them, anyway."

Sirius walked up the stands, cursing himself for being late for the match. He looked around for Isabelle, knowing that she was supposed to be here with the children. After a couple of minutes, he spied her at the front of a particularly crowded section of the stands. He fought his way through the excited crowd. Isabelle was lost in conversation with Ginny Weasley, and didn't notice him coming up behind her. Not wanting to interrupt them, he stood quietly and watched the match, trying not to overhear them.

"Well, I have the secret to bear being around Hermione when she's in one of her moods," he heard Isabelle say. "But, you have to promise, and I mean swear, not to tell it to anyone."

Ginny laughed at her mock seriousness. "I swear."

"Ok, remember when we did the unit on Christmas televisions specials in Muggle Studies?"

"Yeah."

"Remember the show 'Frosty, the Snowman'?"

"Yeah," she said slowly.

"Well, James and I made up our own version of the theme song to 'Frosty, the Snowman' when I was a teenager about Regina. A little tune called 'Frosty, the Snowbit--' well, it rhymes with rich. Young ears," she pointed discreetly at the children. "Anyway, between the two of us, we made up at least ten verses."

"You're kidding," Ginny giggled.

"Nope. We'd walk around humming the song when Gina was on a rampage. Pretty similar to Hermione's little fits, actually. Kept us sane."

Isabelle began singing the verses, which made Ginny laugh hysterically. Sirius couldn't believe his ears – he had no idea Isabelle felt this way about his wife or daughter. She did have a point though, he admitted. He didn't know whether to be angry or laugh.

"So, when Hermione starts irritating you, just start humming the song in your head. I guarantee it'll make you feel better. You probably shouldn't tell Harry about it, though."

"Yeah, he'd have a fit, even if it was his own father who made up the song." Ginny made a face. "Professor Evans, can I ask you a question? It's kind of personal."

"Sure, anything," she replied with an encouraging smile.

"Did you ever feel a little left out of things? Like you didn't really belong? I feel that way with my family since I'm the youngest and the only girl. And, I feel so left out when I'm around Harry, Ron and Hermione. Like I'm just extra baggage or something."

Isabelle sighed. "Yes, I did. I always felt like I was an observer, not a real participant."

"Like you're standing outside, looking in through a window?"

"Exactly! And I feel that way right now, to tell you the truth. Sometimes I feel like I'm just the family historian. I'm here to give out family heirlooms I've kept for years and tell old stories. And, do you know what the worst part is?"

"What?"

"I didn't even exist to Harry until Sirius' trial last year. All these years, I've been secretly helping him, and he didn't know I had ever lived, let alone that I was supposed to be dead! Oh, that makes me angrier than I'll ever let anyone know."

"I knew you existed," Ginny said quietly. "Bill told me all about you."

"Really? What did he say – we didn't exactly part on good terms," Isabelle asked somewhat sheepishly.

"Lots of things. He used to talk to me all the time about you. But, he made me promise not to say anything to Harry. Said it wasn't our place to inform him of his own family, and that if it was being kept a secret, there must be a good reason."

"Yes, and I'd like to know why Sirius never said anything. Guess I just wasn't important enough to him to be worth mentioning to Harry," Isabelle said, irate.

Her words cut Sirius to the core. Why hadn't she ever mentioned this, any of this, to him? But, then again, since when was Isabelle upfront about her feelings, he reminded himself. How could she honestly think that she didn't matter to me? he wondered. More importantly, how can I prove to her that she's wrong?

That's the problem, he told himself. I haven't exactly spent a great deal of time with her after the disastrous end to our date, and even less time together after my birthday. Not that he didn't want to be around her; it was almost as if she was shutting him out of her life.

No almost about it, he admitted. Something had to change, and fast. He turned and walked back down the stands, leaning against the wall. Isabelle would be furious if she knew that he overheard her conversation with Ginny. She considers girl talk sacred, he thought with a smile.

A loud cheering erupted from the Gryffindor stands. Sirius looked up and watched Harry chase after the snitch, Draco following closely. For some reason, Isabelle had a soft spot for Draco Malfoy, although he seemed pretty worthless as far as Sirius was concerned. Her huge heart amazed him – she managed to love the unlovable.

He kicked the wall, completely frustrated. Why do I even bother with her? he asked himself. She's emotionally withdrawn, stubborn, irritating, and keeps playing around with other men. I just need to get over her and find a nice, normal relationship before I destroy what's left of our family, he decided.

"Hey, where have you been all afternoon?"

Sirius turned around and stared. His resolve instantly disappeared when Isabelle smiled curiously. "I-uh, decided to watch the match down here."

"Oh." She shrugged.

"Can we go find Harry now? Please?" Stephen begged, pulling on Isabelle's sleeve.

"He's spending the night in the dorm," she whispered to Sirius. "I'm not sure if it's a good idea to expose a five-year-old to a Gryffindor house party, but Harry and Ron invited him. Maybe things have quieted down since I was a student."

"What, since the days when you celebrated the glory of Gryffindor by table dancing?" he teased, winking at Ginny.

"Don't get me started on what happens at a Gryffindor house party, tattoo boy," she replied evenly.

"Who in the bloody hell told you about that?" Sirius cursed, exasperated.

"And reveal my informant? Never." She flashed him a wicked grin and started walking across the pitch towards where Harry and Ron were celebrating. Too bad it took him an hour to get the snitch, Isabelle lamented.

"Hey, man. Ready to party?" Harry asked. Stephen just smiled, in awe of his hero. Isabelle discreetly passed Harry a small vial.

"Slip it to him before the party gets too crazy, ok? That's all I ask," she said softly. "One word out of you Sirius, and I swear I'll feed you to the giant squid."

He couldn't help himself. "What, did you dance on the squid, too?"

A heated argument in Gaelic immediately broke out. After a minute, Harry, Ron, Ginny and Stephen quietly walked away. Funny as they were when they argued, it was only a matter of time before they started throwing curses. And, none of them wanted to be accidentally hit with the bizarre hexes that Isabelle and Sirius came up with.