Worse Than That

By Trixie0828

This story is a fan fiction and anything dealing with muggles, Hogwarts, the wizarding world and the characters are not mine they are Rowling's. The only thing that is mine is Isabelle, anything else is not mine and it all comes form Rowling and my being a fan of her books. This is only my interpretations of what I think her characters would do in this kind of situation.

I know Isabelle cries a lot, but it's just because she's really sensative.

Most of this stuff may not make complete sense because I'm not that great at writting and it made sense in my head when I did it. Read if you like if you don't its no skin off my nose. But it is also okay if you do.

Chapter 4: Things Would Be Alright

The next morning Isabelle stayed in bed until she heard all the other girls leave, she didn't want to face anyone yet, especially after she heard some of their loud whispers. About 11:00am Lily came back into their room and flung open Isabelle's curtains and pulled the covers off her.

"I know this will be hard for you, but staying in bed avoiding it won't help." Lily said sitting on the edge of Isabelle's bed.

She was right but it was easier staying bed, "Okay, you have a shower and get dressed. When you done meet me in the common room and I'll bring up some dinner for you and then we go outside and face everyone." she said as she left the room and Isabelle began to force herself out of bed.

She wondered what the day might bring, if it would be like everywhere else rejected, people whispering in fear, avoiding her like a plague. It was a Saturday and also a Homestead weekend so many of the third years and up would be able to avoid her easily without appearing to.

The poor first and second year students would probably hide and cowering as close to the walls and corners to try and hide from her when she passed through the halls or a room. Isabelle also wondered weather the boys would be down in the common room and if they are what will they say what will I say she thought what if they has that look in their eyes still I don't think I could take it.

After tying her hair back so her ears would not show as much and would make them appear normal. Walking down the steps of the girls dormitory she stopped just before for she came into view of the common room. Isabelle took a deep breath and took her first step into the most lonely, heartbreaking month of her life.

When Isabelle entered the common room it was as she had dreaded there was no one in the room except Lily who had just walked in with a plate of food. At the sight of the empty room Isabelle fell to her knees in a tears.

Lily rushed to her "Isabelle…" "I can't do it Lily… I can't face everyone…I've gone through this more than a dozen times its all the same; people avoid me like the plague and everything I touch seems diseased." "Is you have to stand your ground, you have to stand up for your self." Lily said to her help stand which made Isabelle smiled a very small smile, "That's exactly what my cousin, she has always told me every summer since the first time anyone found out."

"Well she's right, now eat and lets go to Hogsmeade." Isabelle enjoy the breakfast that Lilly had brought her, eating slowly dreading the moment they would beginning their walk through the castle to Hogsmeade.

As the two of them walk through the castle there were some students in the halls and they would either quickly walk away in fear or glare at Isabelle and move aside in disgust. This behaviour continued all the way to Hogsmeade and when Lily and Isabelle reached Honeydukes no one would let them through the door.

One boy pushed Isabelle to the ground when she tried to enter. "Where do you think your going?" the boy beside him said with a disgustedly. "Who do you think you are?" Lily shouted as she help Isabelle to her feet.

"That thing isn't coming in here, it's not wanted here." he snorted back. This began to out rage Lily, and just made Isabelle shrink back and hang her head.

"She is not a thing she's a person and she has every right to go into that shop and any other that she pleases if she wants to." Lily said growing very angry.

She was right in the boy's face now with her hand just barley touching her wand, ready to draw at any moment. "You heard me that thing is not going inside."

"And who are you to say who can come in my shop or not." Mr. Honeyduke said in a gruff voice standing directly behind the boys.

He pushed them aside and made room for the girls to enter the shop, the chatter had stop the moment Isabelle entered the room. She kept her head down as they walked through the shop everyone moved away from her like she was diseased and shortly after Lily and Isabelle entered the shop everyone else cleared out.

The shop keeper and his wife didn't seem to care they went on as usual after a quick look around Isabelle couldn't stand it she ran out. She ran and ran away from everyone, "Isabelle…Isabelle…" Lily shouted as she ran after her but she could not keep up and lost sight of Isabelle in the crowd.

Isabelle stopped at the broken down fence that surrounded the perimeter of the Shrieking Shack, and fell to her knees. There on the ground she cried and thought what a cry baby I am so weak…but I can't take this …it's happen so often and I can't even run home and hide. Everywhere I go there will always be people to give me those stares and glares…

Just then the two boys that had tried to prevent Isabelle and Lily from entering the shop surrounded her. "Aww the little Elf get hurt? You think your hurt now?" the taller boy taunted, "Leave me alone please." Isabelle said softly as she began to stand.

They didn't move, "Please…if you could just move I'll go back to the castle and…" pushing her back to the ground and pulling out their wands, the taller boy spoke.

"Your not going back to the castle…" just then a large black dog jumped over the fence and landed in front of Isabelle and barked, growled and nipped at the boys. The dog chased them off and returned to Isabelle's side, he sat and looked at her.

Tears slowing trickled down her cheeks, the dog the same dog that had came to her last night, he had the same sadness in his eyes.

But it wasn't sadness really either it was more of guilt, the dog moved closer and laid down and put his head on Isabelle lap. "Isabelle…Isabelle…" she could hear Lily's shouts getting louder. "Isabelle are you okay?' Lily said as she ran to her side the dog jumped up and start running toward the shack.

Isabelle replied to Lily as she stared at the shack "Yes I'm alright." why do those eyes seem so familiar… she thought paying no mind to Lily. Lily just hugged her and said "We should go back to the castle."

The walk back was much the same as the walk to Hogsmeade, the day was spent in their room because no where they went there was always whispers and in the common room there was a couple of girls standing around.

Lily and Isabelle got up to leave, the one girl said "Great there's no where to sit." "We're leaving you can sit here." Isabelle said motioning to the two seats where her and Lilly had just got up from.

"Yeah right like I'm going to sit it that chair after all you elf germs are on it." she said snobbishly and turned her noise up in the air.

Attitudes like the boy in Hogsmeade and the girl from the common room, continued at supper. After Isabelle's plate was empty and when she refilled her plate, Anything she had touched nobody else would even look at. And they all complained that they were hungry and that there was no more this or of that and asked further down the table.

"Hey you got any more potatoes?" a boy shouted down the table "There's some right in front of you why do you need ours?" another boy replied "The elf touched those I can't eat that." "Oh, here you go." he said as he passed them down the table.

Isabelle couldn't finish what was on her plate and she didn't dare pour her self more pumpkin juice. Lily almost through the potatoes at the boy for his comment and took a big spoonful waving the spoon around in front of his face. Taking what the others thought was uneatable because Isabelle had touched the plate.

If only I was bolder like Lily when it comes to standing up for myself…its just so much easier standing up for others. She just sat there for the remainder of the meal starring at her plate concentrating on hold back the tears.

After supper when Lily and Isabelle reached the common room they went straight to their dormitory. They spent the night reminiscing about last semester, which made Isabelle laugh and then when they decided to go to sleep. She began to once again cry softly, she had closed the curtains on her bed so the others wouldn't have to look at her. "Oh Isabelle." she heard Lily say softly as she crawled under the covers with her and laid down facing Isabelle's back. Isabelle rolled over with tear filled eyes and looked into Lily's green tear filled eyes.

"I'll never leave you, it doesn't matter what they think…please don't cry." Lily said moving the hair out of Isabelle's eyes. "Your braver than you believe and stronger than you seem. You just have to believe in yourself." "Thank you Lily, without Skye or any of my family I just don't think I could go through a day, it's so much easier knowing you're here." she sobbed quietly.

Lily just hugged tightly and they both fell asleep after about a half hour of crying. And that's how the nights for the next two weeks were spent Lily sleeping with Isabelle holding her tight, with Pippin curled up above their heads.

They didn't see the boys at all outside of class, not even at any meals it was like they vanished, they hate me…Lily's other friends won't hang out with her because she won't let me go. James doesn't even try and hit on her and Lily doesn't even see the boys any more…She's being punished and abandoned by others because of me…I can't let that happen she shouldn't suffer without laughter because of me, our moments together are never happy any more. And even when they begin to by joyful someone always says something and takes away.

After this realisation for the next two weeks, Isabelle barely ate at supper, she missed breakfast everyday and lots of lunches. She always told Lily she got up extra early so no one else would have to suffer her presence and since she didn't have class before lunch with Lilly, she used the same excuse. On March 20th the lack of food and energy had finally caught up with her and in Transfiguration as Isabelle was about to take her sit, she fainted.

And as fate would have it Sirius caught her again, and before her eyes closed she saw that face and those eyes gorgeous eyes. It was the first time she saw thosemoon grey eyes in a month, it was good to see them again.

She awoke an two hours later she heard Lily's trembling voice "Will she be alright? What's wrong with her any way?" "She will be fine and she's malnourished that's all." Madame Pomfrey in an very noticeable tone of annoyance. Isabelle laid there with her eyes closed she wasn't going to let them know quiet yet that she was awake.

"How can that be I know she's been eating very little at supper, but she does go to other meals…" Lily said slightly shocked. "No she hasn't she only ever eats enough for a mouse at supper, she hasn't been at any other meals for two weeks." a gruff male voice interrupted her, she knew that voice it was James.

At his comment Isabelle sat straight up, "Well you wouldn't either with the way they look at me. Like I'm some diseased creature, if I dare to look at anything they won't touch it. Their staring to treat Lily like that too, I can't stand it anymore; so I stopped going and I've hidden away as much as I can for them. And it still continues." Isabelle shouted at them, tears streaming down her faces.

It was then she realised that not only was James and Lily there, but Remus and Peter. And to Isabelle's surprise Sirius was still there seated at the very foot of the bed, starring at her. They were all shocked, Lilly's eyes were tear filled like her own once again, their was silence for a long time. Isabelle thought that Madame Pomfrey would have started shooing them all away from her, after her screaming at them, but all she did was walk quietly over to her office.

Say something one of you…please…no more silence. But non of them said a word she knew Lily hated being lied to but she also knew she would understand why. Isabelle looked at all of them starring at her and she turned to Lily "I'm sorry I lied about it but your other friends stopped talking to you because of me." Then turning sharply to look at the boys shouting once more, "And non of you were any where to be found outside of class and I knew that was my fault too. I didn't want Lily to have to hurt and be sad all the time just so I wouldn't be alone."

The tears wouldn't stop, she was speaking her heart she was telling them everything, like that day she called them cowards. "Oh Isabelle." Lily sighed as she jumped up onto the bed still crying and hugged her tight once again.

"Is…we're very sorry…we just didn't know what to do or to say even after what we had said all last semester about elves…" Remus very ashamed of himself and his friends began. "We thought after all that, that the two of you wouldn't want us around…" Peter added shyly. "And as much as we adore the two of you, both of you can be kind of scary when upset." James said lastly with a bit of a smirk.

"Well you didn't even try did, you just ran away like…" Isabelle retorted letting go of Lily to face them. "Like a bunch of cowards…yes once again we showed our less admirable sides and abandon you." Sirius said with a heart broken tone. "Something I know that we all regret", the others nodded in agreement, "and that's why when you fainted in class we all came up here and have not left your side since."

He said all this while looking directly into her eyes never blinking, never removing his gaze, "And never will again." He said that last sentence with such a warm wonderful smile that made her melt, she wasn't angry with them she was glad they were there. "Nope never." the other three said in unison. "Can you ever forgive us?" Remus asked shyly, "I don't know…" Isabelle replied new tears forming in her eyes, but these ones were happy, she paused for a moment and smiled "Only if I can have a hug from each of you."

And without a reply James and Remus had both engulfed her in a bone crushing hug, which made her laugh and as did Lily, when they had finished hugging Isabelle moved on to her. Peter then took his turn and gave her a small gentle hug, last came Sirius as always; it seemed as if he hugged her forever. It wasn't a bone crusher like James and Remus, but so tight, Isabelle had never been held so tight.

It felt so good to have Sirius hold her, but it felt even better to know that the six of them would be together again, laughing and smiling. After strict rules from Madame Pomfrey, eat three square meals a day no matter what anyone says or does. Lily, James, Remus, Sirius and Peter all promised to make sure she ate something, even if they had to force feed her like a child.

Amazingly enough they left the hospital wing just in time for supper, Isabelle hoped to have a little more time to enjoy their company; before she faced everyone again. But that was not meant to be. They were fairly early for supper, even though Gryffindor table was almost completely full. Once Lily, James, and Peter were seated on one side on the table and the others were trying to get a seat on the other.

It was very hard for them to get a seat that night at supper, it was quiet horrid. "Hey move down would you." Remus said as he sat down on the bench trying to make room for Isabelle and Sirius. "There no more room." the girl on his left stated simply "What do you mean there's not room?" Remus replied. Sirius scolded the girl "There's always been room before, why suddenly is there none now?"

"Well there is no room now for the likes of that." nodding in Isabelle's direction the boy to the right of Remus and closest to Sirius she spoke with poison in his voice. "And what is that suppose to mean." Sirius replied gritting his teeth and taking a step closer to him. He stood up and replied "There is no place at this table, nor this school for a lying, scheming, evil elf."

Sirius could not contain his rage he grabbed hold of the boy and lifting him off the ground growled "Who the hell do you thing you are there is nothing wrong with her, she is more decent, compassionate, and good hearted than you could ever be." Isabelle watched all of this with such dread and fear, she saw McGonagall coming towards them and all she could was stand there.

"Stop…please just stop it Sirius!" Isabelle cried out just as McGonagall reached them. "Mr. Black put him down now!" she snapped in an angry whisper, "Not until he apologizes to Isabelle." he growled. "I said put him down." she growled back, reluctantly he lowered him and let go of the boy's robes. "Now I don't know what is going on here, but the two of you explain it to me in your detention tomorrow."

Remus slide over so he was by the boy and Sirius sat down and nudged the girl over so Isabelle could fit. Like at the first supper after everyone found out once Isabelle finished her meal and when to take a second helping. After everyone seemed disgusted and would not touch any more food. Well food the boys the looks meant nothing they just helped themselves to more food, they had seconds and thirds until the food disappeared the pilled the food on their plates.

Isabelle wanted to cried but she also had the desire to laugh, they were acting like pigs piling the food on their plates.

After that display at supper no one bothered them for a week for fear of Sirius' anger. But thankfully, after his detention people slowly but surely came around. Maybe not everybody but a lot more than before, meals were a little more bearable and the six of them laughed all the time. Being able to sit and laugh with them in the common room again and the constant smiles told Isabelle that things would be alright.