Isobel got in the car. Not that she had much choice in the matter as Pogue would have tossed her into the car kicking and screaming regardless of what she would have tried to. But at least Pogue had managed to get Reid relegated back to the front passengers seat and Tyler was no driving. Isobel had refused point blankly to get back into the car if Reid was driving. Isobel had more then enough excitement for tonight without worrying that Reid was going to get her killed for the second time tonight. Isobel's nerves were barely there any more since Reid had driven them off a cliff so she was pretty much on edge but thankfully Tyler was a much more careful driver. The drive from Marblehead to the Danvers house was pretty much very quiet journey, well if it wasn't Isobel hadn't noticed as she hadn't been paying much attention until Pogue had told her that it was time to switch from Tyler's truck to his bike. Isobel let Pogue drag her along as it was easier then fighting with him again as she was too exhausted to fight with him anymore. It had been an extremely long night with lots of arguing and Isobel just wanted to get home and crawl into bed and forget all about today. But things weren't going to be that simple as when Pogue pulled up to a stop at the top of Isobel's driveway, there standing outside the front door waiting for them was Isobel's father Emerson with a not to happy look on his face. Once she had climbed off the back of Pogue's bike and taken her helmet off Isobel glanced at Pogue and he looked right back at her without the same look of dismay, they both knew that they were in a whole load of trouble.
"Little hellion I want you inside right now, you as well Pogue." Emerson Hembry stated in a firm and disapproving tone of voice, pointing to the house and without saying anything Isobel along with Pogue wordlessly walked into Beacon House otherwise known as the Hembry's family home. Walking throughout the front doors Isobel entered the foyer and from what she could see the house was pretty much empty, most of the lights were off except from light coming from the direction of the living room. Being as quiet as possible Isobel headed in the direction of the living room and when she entered she felt the warmth of the fireplace and judging by the discarded book and the glass of scotch sitting next to it, Isobel's father had been up waiting. Isobel was certain that she knew what this was about, no doubt as did Pogue but the two of them waited until Isobel's father had joined them into the living room.
"Dad…" Isobel began but her father motioned for her to be quiet.
"Somebody was using tonight and it wasn't just the small stuff, they were using a lot and I know for certain that it wasn't myself and I doubt it was James or any of the other fathers which just leaves you Pogue and the rest of the boys." Emerson said and Isobel mentally prepared herself for the lecture that was coming. Ever since it had been discovered that Caleb's father William had become addicted to magic and was beyond was saving when he body started rapidly ageing because of his prolonged abuse of magic, Isobel's father Emerson had stepped up and established himself as the de factor leader of the founding families and the covenant. After seeing what had happened to one of his longest friends because of his constant misuse of magic Emerson had made it his personal mission to make sure that none of the boys ended up like William Danvers. Hence why Isobel and Pogue were on the receiving end of a lecture as there was no way Emerson Hembry was letting such a huge concentration of power that was used tonight slide.
"Mr. Hembry–"
"–I don't want to hear it Pogue, we have talked about this to you all five of you constantly ever since you received your powers but it doesn't seem as if it's registering at all with any of you. Yes, your young with these powers but there are consequences to using them and you know that. Each time you use magic it adds up and your body taken the strain of it all and the power will kill you if you let it which is why you cannot be foolhardily using you magic for your entertainment. People have died Pogue! Caleb's father is practically all but dead…" Emerson lectured, going full on into his angry and disappointed parental mode which Isobel was very much used to.
"It was me." Isobel admitted although she was somewhat lying as ven though she had used magic tonight, it had only been a small concentration compared to the amount that the boys had been using. But her father didn't know that. Isobel watched her father look at her with an odd look, blinking repeatedly as if he wasn't sure of what he was hearing.
"What did you say Isobel?" Emerson slowly asked and Isobel sighed, she was really going to regret this but she wasn't in the mood to be forced to stand here and listen to her dad chew out Pogue for half an hour before he let them both go.
"It was me, I was the one who was using tonight not the boys." Isobel lied taking the blame of the boys actions, trying to look as guilty as she could so her father wouldn't suspect any deceit on her part. Isobel just wanted for this thing to be other with already but she of course wouldn't let thins thing go. The next time she saw all of the boys they would be getting the lecture that she had just spared them from and she wouldn't be as nice as her father would be. Isobel briefly glanced over a look at Pogue and gave him a look which told him to go along with it.. And credit to Pogue he did go along with it for once in his life.
"You were using?" Emerson stated very much in shock over what he was hearing and Isobel couldn't help but blame him as despite the fact that she was indeed a witch, she was very much on the anti-magic bandwagon. It was common knowledge throughout the whole of the covenant that Isobel did not use magic in the slights and wasn't keen on the subject being brought up around her as she preferred to live a magic free life. "But you haven't used in over a year Isobel, so why start now?"
"You keep going on about how much our power increases after we ascend and how special I am because I'm the first female witch born into this especially since I am first born child. You guys all make such a big deal about even more so since I ascended two years earlier than the men do and I just got curious. I wanted to see what the big deal was so I just started messing around. I figured I should t least have an idea of what I'm capable of but if I had known that you'd make such a big deal out of it and rip a new one into Pogue then I wouldn't have bothered…" Isobel replied in a very casual manner giving her shoulders a brief shrug to play things of and moments later her dad sighed. Isobel knew straight away that they were off the hook because as much as her father hated any of them using, he like the rest of the families were interested in what Isobel was capable of doing and what limitations she had.
"I'm sorry for jumping to the conclusion that it was you and the boys who had been using Pogue, I just naturally assumed that it was one of you." Emerson said in an a apologetic manner to Pogue, who had been pretty quiet for the majority of the conversation.
"It's fine Mr. Hembry, I get it completely." Pogue replied and Isobel rolled her eyes at his sweet tone of voice, pretending like he had been wronged and suffered a great injustice when in fact he was in the wrong and Isobel was taking the blame for him.
"Well on a more positive light, if the little hellion has decided to start using her powers and embracing her craft then maybe it's the perfect time for her to return to the covenant–"
"I'm not returning to something that I never belonged to dad, I have no intention of joining the covenant and no one should be making any plans for that just because I decided to use my powers for a couple of hours to try out some tricks. How many times do I have to make it clear that I don't want to have anything to do with the covenant? I don't want any part of it especially if i have to put up with Pogue and the others any more than I already have to. It's bad enough I have to go to school with them, have Pogue living next door and coming over here like he lives here and having to put up with seeing the boys tactically everywhere I go and be grouped together with them constantly. So can we just let this whole thing go? I don't want anything to do with the boys or the covenant. It wouldn't kill anyone to wait for Ollie to be off age so he can take our family seat and complete this generations coven." Isobel retorted, referring to her younger brother Oliver who she was determine to see take their family seat in the covenant instead of her.
"I don't get it little hellion, you and Pogue used to be so close almost inseparable when you were younger and now you the two of you can barely get along with each other for some reason. Despite our best efforts we can't force the two of you to get along." Emerson stated as he eyes up both Isobel and pogue before sighing. "But regardless of that, you share the same history as each other and you two are connected to each other by something much bigger than whatever has been going on between you for the last few year. This week is Caleb's ascension and more than ever this is a time for you to all be sticking together and be united instead of arguing constantly especially you Isobel."
"Me? What the hell have I done now? Why is it only me whose being singled out?" Isobel demand which caused her father to chuckle in amusement.
"Little hellion, I never said you did anything and I am not picking on you in the slights. I only meant that out of the five of you that you know what is coming as you are the one whose ascended already. The boys particularly Caleb will look towards you for guidance during this week and in the coming future and I hope that you won't be too stubborn to help them and give them advice on how to deal with ascending." Emerson explained and Pogue quietly snorted in amusement and Isobel glared at him. She could be helpful and give advice if she wanted to, not that she currently did want to at the moment.
"And why should I help them? Put aside the history between our families and the covenant give me one good reason why I should help them in the slightest? As far as I can see it doesn't benefit me in the slightest to hold their hand and wipe their noses throughout the period leading to the ascensions. Personally I think that they they don't even deserve my help as they've done nothing but ruin my life since the day I was born." Isobel argued.
"If you do this, then I will give you my blessing for Yale." Emerson retorted and Isobel narrowed her eyes at her father, she didn't see that one coming as she didn't think that her dad would pull out the Yale card. But that wouldn't stop Isobel.
"I don't need your permission to apply to Yale dad."
"But you do need me to pay for your tuition little hellion, let's not forget that." Emerson politely reminded his daughter and Isobel scowled at him before grabbing Pogue's arm and dragging him out of the living room and the foyer before literally pushing him out of her front door. Isobel couldn't believe that her father had practically blackmailed her into helping Caleb and the others. It was so damn sneaky and manipulative of him and no doubt he was hoping that Isobel helping Caleb with the led up to his ascension would convince her to finally take their family's seat after years of refusing it. Isobel could see what her father was trying to do and it wasn't going to happen.
"Iz, about what just happened in there, thanks for taking the blame." Pogue wearily began and his actual sincerity not only stuns Isobel but also creeped her out a tiny bit as it was weird. Pogue being nice to her was so out of character, she felt more comfortable with him throwing insults her way instead of him trying to be nice to her.
"I think we both know that I only admitted that it was me using tonight because I didn't want to be forced to hang around whilst my dad lectured you on the consequences of you guys abusing your powers. He can't say anything to me because I don't age when I use my powers which is why I took the blame. So don't think I did this to save your ass out of some obligation that any of you think I may have towards you because I don't owe you anything Pogue. In fact it's you and the others who owe me big time for tonight, not only with me covering with my dad for you guys but also the Marblehead stunt. You could have stopped Reid from driving across Marblehead but you didn't say anything even when I had made it beyond clear that I wasn't comfortable with what was going on and then you ask for me to help. You know I don't use magic because I don't like it and yet you had the nerve to ask me to do something that I am not comfortable with doing! We may not like each other but the least you could do is respect my personal choice even if you don't like it Pogue!" Isobel sneered in annoyance as she looked at Pogue, her father had just lectured her about how she should be helping the boys. But what he didn't understand was that she was always helping them. Isobel was always helping them, keeping an eye not the foursome and trying to keep them as bets out of trouble as she could. Isobel would much rather be doing other things then trying to keep four wayward boys who she disliked out of trouble but she needed to do this, to protect them all.
"Iz…"
"Do not Iz me, it's not going to work Pogue." Isobel snapped.
"Okay I'll admit that tonight got a little out of hand especially with Reid and I should have said something earlier Iz and I will talk to him about tonight because your dad is right Isobel. With Caleb ascending this week we all need to stick together." Pogue said and Isobel rolled her eyes as she couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"Since when on earth have you cared about me Pogue? You don't care about me, you have made it abundantly clear over the years that I am nothing to you. The only thing you care about is my powers and you made that perfectly clear tonight when you needed them for that Marblehead stunt. So don't try and kid a kidder Pogue, caring about my powers is a lot different than caring about me so cut the pretence as I am not buying any of your bullshit. Never have and most certainly never will! So go home and leave me the hell alone as you've done more than enough for tonight!" Isobel snapped as she turned around to make her way into her house but she didn't get too far as Pogue grabbed her by the wrist and yanked her back.
"I am sorry about tonight but don't you dare give me that bullshit Isobel, you may deny it all you like because it's easier for you to have this ten foot wall around you because you think your alone in all of this because your the first female witch in the covenant. But you know that we care about you. That I care about you despite outwards appearances. You may be the biggest pain in my ass and you drive me mad pretty much everyday but I can tell you right now that your powers have never mattered to me, I couldn't care less whether you had them or not as it would change how much you mean to me. You are not as alone as you may think you are, so don't you dare think that I don't care about you because I do, always have and always will Izzy."
There it was. Izzy. Isobel didn't really like nicknames although friends and family did use Iz which she didn't really mind too much although Isobel would prefer if they didn't use it. But there was nothing that she could do about it. However there was one nickname that she did have and it was Izzy. It wasn't a nickname that was commonly used as Pogue was the only person who called her that, he was the only person who was allowed to use Izzy. Not even Isobel's family could use it. The nickname Izzy was something that Pogue didn't use often anymore, it was something from when they were younger and despite Isobel's hatred of nickname she still allowed Pogue to call her Izzy, no matter how angry she ever got. It was kind of like Pogue's own personal term of affection for Isobel, rarely used but still special nonetheless.
"I hate you." Isobel feebly admitted after a moment but she knew that her and Pogue didn't believe that for one second. Whilst Isobel had Kate as a best friend and told people she had one friend that wasn't true as whilst she would never admit this out loud but Pogue Parry was her best and truest friend. It didn't seem like it as the two of them argued constantly and said they hated each other at least a dozen times a day but it was just how the two of the operated for the last few years. Neither of them took the insults that they volleyed back and forth along with the name calling seriously, it was just a weird component of their very weird friendship. They didn't act like best friends, they acted like worst enemies the majority of the time which is kind of what made them such good friends, despite the fact that they were constantly arguing as the two of them had a knack for pushing each others buttons, frequently.
"Love you too Iz, catch you tomorrow." Pogue replied with a smirk as he let go of Isobel's wrist and headed back to his bike Isobel couldn't help but roll her eyes as Pogue sped away. Even after all these years she was still stuck with such a cocky asshole who was going to send her to an early grave. Isobel wouldn't have things any other way with him.