As they arrived in a forest that was a ways away from a campsite near the larger-than-life Quidditch pitch, Charlie was quick to latch himself onto Isabella, taking her hand and keeping her close. His excuse was to prevent her from being separated, and with a sigh, Isabella let him.
She was 100% done. She'd let him flirt, she'd let him grab her hand and lead her through the tightly packed campsite, but if he tried to "make a move," she'd punch him in the face. Yes, she had to admit that he was remarkably handsome, but he was several years younger than she was, and her heart was already in the hands of another.
Instead of focusing on the hand holding hers, Isabella let her eyes take in her surroundings. The smells, the different kinds of people, the little house-elves riding on the backs of llamas—it was all so amazing, really. The campsite was packed with the tents of people who would be leaving in the morning, tents Isabella knew from experience were far larger on the inside then they appeared on the outside. Some tents were simpler in appearance and size, while others were larger, resembling a castle in every meaning of the word.
Percy had appointed himself as the unofficial leader of their group, and was leading the group to a tan colored tent that looked like it could house no more than three people. Arthur and Harry were loitering outside the tent, talking, when Percy called out to them. They had been discussing the differences between camping with muggle equipment as opposed to camping with wizarding equipment, but then the conversation was cut short upon the arrival of the remaining Weasleys, and Isabella.
Arthur smiled upon seeing his children, and Isabella, and motioned for everyone to go inside, moving aside one of the flaps of the tent that served as a door.
The inside of the tent was similar to that of a three-bedroom apartment, fully furnished, and even with a working bathroom, and kitchen. The three bedrooms would be divided amongst the tent's occupants, but the consensus was to have all the females share a room, and leave the other two rooms for the males to sort between one another.
Isabella had decided to wander the grounds a bit. The match wouldn't start until later that night, so she had a bit of time to explore. She was curious about all the little stands vendors had set up, and what they offered, and of course, Charlie had offered to be her escort. Thankfully, Bill had decided to tag along, giving her an apologetic smile. It appeared that the eldest Weasley knew about his brother's infatuation with Isabella, and was trying to save her from any awkward moments that might have come up should she and Charlie walk alone—Isabella did not even know where to begin to thank him.
"Hey, they sell Omnioculars here," said Charlie, stopping in front of a little stand that belonged to an old witch with black and white speckled hair.
"Oh, I've heard of these," Isabella mused, looking down at the table. It contained a row of Omnioculars, all in different sizes. "My father says that they work like muggle binoculars, but they slow down and replay what you're seeing. He even says that sometimes, depending on what model you have, it'll tell you what moves some of the Quidditch players are making."
"Your father's into Quidditch?" asked Bill, interested.
"Yes; he loves it with a passion," Isabella said with a smile. "I remember when I was younger, my mother would always tell me how she thought that he'd graduate from Hogwarts and go off to play professional Quidditch—but no, he became an auror instead."
"What a turn of events, "said Charlie with a chuckle.
"Tell me about it," said Isabella.
The three moved past the stand and down the row of vendors, making their way to a small gathering of picnic tables. There were witches and wizards pulling things out of cauldrons, selling delicious confections to anyone who was willing to pay. A woman was even selling muggle cookbooks, and Isabella bought one, shrinking it and tossing it into her shoulder bag.
"This is great," she mused as she munched on a bag of chips.
"Mum tried making these by hand once," said Charlie as he held up a hotdog.
"How did that work out?"
"Bad," both Bill and Charlie cringed, making Isabella laugh.
Soon, a gong, loud and eerie, came from the direction of the forest—the Quidditch match was about to begin shortly, so the group decided to make their way back to the tent.
"That bloke, Viktor Krum—he seems like a good player," mused Isabella, "though personally I wouldn't know. I've never been much into sports."
"What are you into, Isabella?" asked Charlie curiously.
"I was training to be a healer during the First War, but then I got pregnant with Talia and decided to focus on her, so I didn't really finish my schooling. It's something I'd like to get into again, now that she's in school and I don't have to be watching her all the time," Isabella said with a smile. "However, I'd like to work with potions. It is a subtle science—an exact art. I always found there to be a very odd beauty to a softly simmering cauldron. The delicate power of a potion that can rock your whole world, bewitching the body and ensnaring the mind, is also something I've thought fascinating."
Bill looked at Isabella, impressed. She was very passionate about potions.
Charlie however, smiled teasingly and said, "You're definitely related to Snape."
"That hasn't stopped you from flirting incessantly," said Isabella with a shrug, holding her head high.
Bill had to place the back of his hand on his mouth to stifle a laugh. His brother's face had turned completely red, and he stared after Isabella with wide, surprised eyes.
Silence ensued. Maybe now Charlie will stop making advances, thought Isabella.
"So," she said casually, trying to fight off the smirk that was threatening to take over her lips, "where are the seats we're supposed to be sitting on?"
"We're in the highest box, from what I remember dad telling us," Charlie informed Isabella, keeping his eyes on his shoes, obviously embarrassed.
From holding my hand to looking at your shoes, thought Isabella, amused. She did her best to keep her laughter to herself, but a giggle still left her lips, and it was enough to make Charlie look at her questioningly, his cheeks flushed.
"What's so funny?"
"Nothing," Isabella said with an impish grin, crossing her arms, "I was just remembering something Remus told me the other night. That man can make me laugh like no other."
"Oh… right."