Chapter 7
Ricky had not thought about their NEWTs being the next year. Isabelle was the only one that could explain it to him so he would understand. She knew that he had a problem retaining what he read. His face drains of any color.
"What about the study group?" He asks, suddenly afraid of what will happen next year without her.
Isabelle looks at him over her thick plastic framed glasses. "You mean your jock buddies, that I helped out of the goodness of my heart. That I took time away from my paying tutoring students to help because as your girl, I felt I was doing my part for the team." She sing-songs as she walks around dusting the shelves. "Yeah, it's not happening. I put up with all the slurs and teasing because I thought you actually cared for me. Now, I know you only care about getting another notch for your belt.
Your little group of arseholes can shove off. I've done my public service to the school long enough. You can also kiss my collecting your missed assignments and making the team snacks goodbye as well.
If I want to see Quidditch, I'll wait for my Father and uncles to play. My uncle Harry still holds the title of youngest Seeker in a hundred years. Uncle Charlie was the seeker before him. Daddy and Uncle Fred were champion beaters and as much as he is a screw up in life, Uncle Ron is a champion keeper. Oh yeah, I cannot forget that Auntie Ginny was a professional chaser before marrying Uncle Wayne. My family is famous for many reasons Richard." She glares at him.
The dark haired boy is taken aback. He was sure that he could string her along, and keep Laney on the side. Now once the news gets out about them not being together and Isabelle not doing what she has always done, in their most important year, he will be toast. He and his friends are being paid back ten fold for their mistreatment of Isabelle's kind heart.
He never thought that she would refuse to help him with his work or to take him back. All his plans for the summer and year revolved around her taking him back. Now not only are his parents going to be angry, but his teammates, who relied on her help i.e. doing most of their work for them, were going to string him up by his toes from the astronomy tower for this.
"Issy, please won't you reconsider? We had two great years together." He wheedles.
Isabelle rolls her eyes and turns back towards him. "I don't see it that way, Mr. Corner. I see a few weeks of you keeping up your mask of the good and polite boyfriend before turning into a arsehole who doesn't care what his friends say to his girl. I was not your girl, I was your easy out of school and someone that you could string along to get what you wanted. I woke up and accepted the responsibility for my part and am now changing it for myself.
I will not take you back. I will not do your or your buddies' work anymore. I will not be in the stands cheering you on, most likely I will be cheering on the other team. When I am ready, I will find another, but until then, I choose to be single and figure out what I want aside from someone that treats me like my father and uncles treat my mother and aunts. You have lost my help and goodwill forever Mr. Corner." Isabelle goes to the backroom to get more bookends. Ricky tries to follow her, but is stopped by Hermione's glare.
"You have said your peace and I believe that you are worse off for it, Master Corner. My daughter is working and doesn't need her ex-boyfriend harassing her.
I will give you this one warning; Do not come back here unless you have the plan of purchasing a book or related item and the money to do such.
I will be fair in that respect, but know this if you don't heed my warning I will not only unleash her uncles and father on you, but I will personally craft a special ward to keep anyone with your kin out of both stores and no one has ever been to unravel even one spell from my wards."
Richard runs from the store. He doesn't need to be told twice. Leave the Weasley girl alone.
George is finally released and after whining about not being able to do his job as a father, he calms down and commends his women for what they said and that Hermione didn't frost the young man's pride and joy off.
"Thank you, for the great idea, Love. Frostbite in a jar. For when you catch your cheating mate in the act. No purse will be without one." Hermione and Isabelle chortle at the face that George pulls, imagining that certain revenge. Hermione writes down the beginnings of her idea on a piece of scrap paper.
After the workday is through, Hermione locks up and goes next door to finish up the paperwork at the Triple W. While she is in the back office with George, Isabelle is walking around the first floor, looking at the new products that her uncle and father had come up with since she left for school this year.
"Miss, I am sorry, but I am lost and need to find the register. I don't come in here very often and always end up lost in the rooms." Isabelle turns around to see a tall, solidly built but still very slim young man. She looks up to his face and the sheepish expression on it and smiles. She knows just who he is, he looks just like his father.
Her parents said that Draco's son Scorpius was going to start his seventh year at Hogwarts. He had transferred from Durmstrang, because the former Mrs. Malfoy, Astoria Greengrass had just lost custody of Scorpius, when he told the authorities and then the courts that Astoria was unfit and had been addicted to Muggle opiates for some time.
Draco was ecstatic that his son was coming home. He had not seen Scorpius more than two weeks in the summer for many years. Draco has pulled his life together and had started dating a decent woman. Lucius and Narcissa were remodeling Draco's childhood rooms for Scorpius.
"No problem. I can find my way around here rather well. Judging from your loaded down arms, you really need the register. Come along, Master Malfoy." He was surprised that she knew who he was.
"Yours happens to be the only family with dominant genes that result in ice blonde hair and slate gray eyes. It's obvious that you are the son of Draco Malfoy." She smiles at his amazed face.
"You don't mind being seen with me?" He asks hesitantly, looking around for anyone who would disapprove. She was beautiful and looks to be about his age. Hopefully, she is in some of his classes.
"No, my mum and dad are friends with your father and his girlfriend. It wasn't always that way, but Mum and Draco made amends years ago now and are good friends. Now, please follow me." Scorpius motions for her to go ahead of him. 'I'll follow you anywhere, pretty lady.' He thinks and mentally plans to ask if she has a boyfriend. If not, he plans to make sure that she knows he is interested in filling that role.
Scorpius had told his father that he wants to find his own girlfriend/woman/wife, so no betrothals. Draco had agreed on the condition that whomever it is must have magical parents. "Your grandfather has been pretty open minded in the light of your mother's and my divorce, but please don't push him too far. He is trying his best to change his ways and a muggle granddaughter would send him into a cardiac episode."
They arrive at the registers and Scorpius sets his things down to pay for them. The tall red head at the counter turns to the girl.
"Isabelle, who's your friend?" He begins ringing the items in and tells Scorpius the total. He whips out his vault card and runs it over the payment pad. The man starts to bag up the items.
"Uncle Gred, you know I am not brain dead enough to fall for that. Fredrick Weasley, this is Scorpius Malfoy, Scorpius, this is Fred Weasley, the part-owner of this fine establishment and to my eternal shame, my uncle. His twin brother and fellow owner, George is my father. My mother is Hermione Weasley nee' Granger."
Scorpius turns to her in shock. This beauty is the daughter of his father's former nemesis and now good friend. He holds out his hand to the man. "Nice to meet you, Sir. You have a great shop here." Then, Scorpius turns to Isabelle and bows. "I am glad to meet the daughter of two war heroes and would like to extend my invitation to dinner tonight."
Isabelle smiles gently. "I would love to, but alas I am to have dinner with my parents tonight. My father made the point quite clear that he wants me to attend."
Scorpius smiles back. "Another time then. The summer just started and I am free for most of it." He kisses her hand and takes his leave.
Once he is out of ear-shot, Fred starts laughing. "Isabelle, I swear your father is going to have to beat them back with large sticks once the news of your new single hood reaches the gossips and I feel safe in saying that I think that boy might be first in the long line of the second generation."
Hermione and George walk out while Fred is still chuckling at their daughter. He relates the incident and Isabelle can see the speculative look in their eyes.
"Well my dear, while your uncle is having way too much fun in this outcome, he is still right on two accounts. The gossips will not be able to let this go and the boys will be all about it." Hermione tells her. She is now secretly hoping for the outcome. Draco's son was raised right, before Astoria went loco. He seems well mannered and kind.
The small family discusses this more while at dinner that evening. "It just felt right talking with him the little that we had a chance to." Isabelle tells them.
"Just take it slow. You just broke up with a long term boyfriend. Granted, Richard is a jerk, but you were together for a long time." Hermione tells her gently. She doesn't want this to be a rebound relationship.
George agrees. If his daughter and the Malfoy heir are going to be a couple, then they need to go slow and ease into it from being friends first.
The three wait for their entrees to come as they talk about their lives. Mostly, it was a catch up for George and Hermione on Isabelle's time at school.
"...Then, Morgan told Lila that she was not and of course it was through the school by suppertime." Isabelle assures them that nothing like that happened with her. She and Rick only made out a few times in the Common Room and under the stands of the Quidditch pitch, after games or practice. "I didn't feel comfortable those times though. It felt like he was trying to get caught by the other guys." She explains.
"That is because he was." George supplies. "He was playing the old game of look, I can get a girl to kiss me. The fact that he was only wanting to do that in public, means that he was trying to advertise for more chances. It is good that you got out before he actually took someone up and you caught him. You would be more heartbroken. I just want you to take your time healing before jumping into another relationship, alright, Honey." He reaches out and pats her shoulder.
Isabelle nods and processes what her father said. "Are we continuing with the story tonight?" She asks, she hasn't spent much time with her parents at home in the last few years.
In the past, there was always a party at so and so's house, that Ricky had to go to. He would bring her along, even though she never fit in and was bored within a few moments of arriving. He would be off with his friends doing god knows what. She had tried to stay with him once and he took her outside and said she was suffocating him.
The last few, she left within the first half hour of his disappearance and he never knew. She would go to a dance club in downtown London, that catered to the underage. It was safe, active and she always enjoyed herself.
"Yeah, I don't see why not." Hermione smiles. She is happy that Isabelle is wanting to spend time with them again.
When they get home, everyone gets ready for bed and George takes down the pensieve. He and Hermione load the bowl with the next year's memories.