Chapter Eighteen - First Day
The first day passed quickly, Izabella finding that the more she relaxed, the more fun she had. She enjoyed teaching her classes and was surprised to find she was actually quite good at it. Her last lesson before lunch time was with the seventh year students.

“Finish copying the notes then you can pack up your things.” Izabella said as she stood by the black board and smiled at her students. She walked over to her desk and shuffled her papers as the students started to stand up and put their things away into their bags.

Izabella looked up at the clock and sighed.
“You may as well go now, it's not long until the bell. Just don't tell anyone I let you go early.” she said raising her eyebrows at Fred and George who were sat at the back of the classroom with Lee Jordan. They grinned back at her as they made their way to the door.

Izabella chuckled as she watched them leave then sat down at her desk, sighing exhaustedly. She sorted through the parchment on her desk, putting things away into her drawers, then looked at her timetable. Two more lessons; the second years then the fifth years.

Izabella jumped slightly as the sound of the bell echoed through the corridors. She stood up and made her way to the Great Hall with the crowds of students rushing for their food.

Once she reached the top of the stairs, she spotted Harry leaving the dungeons and storming through the Entrance Hall on his own. She frowned and hurried into the Hall, walking down the length of the Gryffindor table.

“You alright Harry?” she asked as she approached him. He nodded, not looking at her. She watched at him, concerned, then perched on the bench next to him.

“Padfoot says hello.” she said quietly. Harry turned around quickly, beaming at her.
“Is that who the letter was for?” he asked in a low voice. She nodded and put a hand on his shoulder gently.
“He misses you.” she said softly. Izabella smiled at him then stood up and walked down to the Head table.

“Please be careful when you speak to Potter in public.” Snape snapped, sighing as Izabella sat down and pulled a plate, piled high with food, towards her.
“Why?” she said defensively. She looked up from her food and caught Malfoy looking between her and Harry suspiciously.
“Oh.” Izabella said, biting her lip and looking down at her plate. “I'll have a word with Malfoy later.”
Snape rolled his eyes and sighed.

“How has your first day been?” he asked.
“It's been good. Had fun tormenting my godson?” she asked in a cold voice.
“I don't know what you mean.”
“Yes you do Severus. Harry looks miserable and I know he had Potions today.” she said, raising an eyebrow accusingly at her brother.

“Well the boy is exceptionally incapable in my subject.” Snape said curling his lip. Izabella snorted a laugh and rolled her eyes.
“Lily would hate you for being horrible to him.” she mumbled childishly.
“Stop using Lily against me.” Snape said sharply. “It isn't my fault the boy is awful at Potions.”
“And it isn't Harry's fault he looks like James.” she said quietly, looking down at her food. Snape narrowed his eyes at her and clenched his jaw.

“Hem hem.”
Izabella turned at the sound that was already annoying her and plastered a fake smile onto her face.

“Hello Dolores.” she said sweetly, smiling up at Umbridge.
“Good afternoon. I was just curious as to where you were rushing off to this morning?” she asked, tilting her head to one side.
“I needed to prepare something for my first lesson.” she replied. Umbridge nodded slightly.
“So it wasn't anything to do with the letter you received?” Umbridge asked innocently. Izabella hesitated, her mouth hanging open in disbelief.
“Er... I don't think that's any of your business.” Izabella said frowning.
“I think you'll find it is my business.” Umbridge said firmly. Izabella paused, then smiled once more.
“It was from Remus Lupin. He's a friend of mine and wanted to wish me luck on my first day.” she said with a false smile.
“Right.” Umbridge said, arching her eyebrow. “That will be all. I shall see you later.” she continued, turning smartly and waddling out of the Great Hall.

Izabella rolled her eyes and turned back to Snape.
“Can you believe that? The cheek!” she scoffed.
“Izabella, be careful.” Snape warned quietly.
“Oh come on Sev. She's just some Ministry hag.”

“She's dangerous Iz. Even Dumbledore's worried.” Snape said, frowning as he watched the pink figure leave the Great Hall. “You need to burn all your letters from Sirius as well.” he said in a low voice.
“How did you know?” she asked, surprised, narrowing her eyes at him.
“I'm your brother. I could tell by your face.” Snape said pursing his lips. “Just don't get on Umbridge's bad side.” he said pleadingly.

Izabella nodded slowly then looked out across the Great Hall, just in time to see Harry storm out unaccompanied and Malfoy look up at Izabella, watching for her reaction.

“Don't go after him.” Snape said, rolling his eyes. Izabella sighed and flashed a glare at her brother. She looked up at the ceiling and the grey sky that hung above her and bit her lip.
Izabella felt an overwhelming urge to protect Harry, but she knew she had to stop worrying about him. She had a job to do and needed to keep her thoughts clear. She sighed and finished her lunch, her mind drifting to Sirius.

Great chapter, loved Izabella and Snape arguing over Harry

The sibling bickering is quite humorous. And I'm curious to see what she tells Draco and how he reacts to it... Great post! Please PAMS!

Thank you guys! Sorry for the wait but I'll post the next chapter tomorrow

Hello Jazz. Sorry I was behind, but so happy I'm caught up now. Great writing. I love how Izabella has attitude with Umbridge. I do think Snape is right and she needs to be careful with her. I hate Snapes blindness to Harry and only sees him as another James. So unfair, but you write it just the same as the books. I love that, and it makes the story so interesting. I know I've said it before, but I love the whole brother and sister relationship of Snape and Izabella. You write them perfect. I'll try to be more on time from now on. I'll be watching for your next chapter.

Thank you Connie! I'll try and get the next chapter up later today!

Chapter Nineteen - Two Sides To Every Story
“I'll see you tomorrow.” Izabella said as the bell rang through the classroom and the second years packed up their things quickly, waving to Izabella as they left the room. Izabella smiled then walked between the desks, collecting in the books and stacking them in a pile on her desk. She breathed heavily and ran a hand across her forehead.

“Can we come in Professor?” asked Dean Thomas, standing in the doorway hesitantly.
Izabella turned around at the sound of his voice and smiled at the students who were waiting outside the classroom patiently.
“Yes of course. Take a seat where ever you want.” she said as the fifth years trickled in slowly, taking seats with their friends and talking in low voices.

Izabella stood at the front of the classroom, waiting until the room appeared full before speaking.
“From the look on your faces, I'm going to guess that you've just had a lesson with Professor Umbridge?” she said, raising an eyebrow and grinning slightly. The class nodded and mumbled quietly. Izabella laughed and sat on the edge of her desk.

“She's seems to have that effect on people.” she said quietly, sighing as she looked around at the miserable faces.
The door slammed open and Harry entered the room, his face stony.

“Harry, why are you late?” Izabella asked, frowning as he made his way over to sit with Ron and Hermione, who watched him warily, like an active volcano.
“I was with Professor McGonagall.” he replied as he sat down.
“For what reason?”

There was a pause. The class shifted awkwardly and watched Izabella closely.
“Professor Umbridge sent him.” Hermione said slowly as Harry stared at the table in silence.
“What happened?” Izabella asked exasperatedly.
“I told her the truth. About Voldemort.” Harry said, looking up at Izabella, his jaw clenched. There was a shudder around the room and even Izabella was taken aback for a moment. She glanced at Malfoy quickly then looked back at Harry and sighed.

“Very well.” she said nodding slightly. “Let's have no more drama in my class please. Save that for Professor Umbridge.” Izabella said, winking. A ripple of laughter passed through the class.
Izabella cast a final concerned look at Harry then began her lesson, glad to see the room became less moody as the first day drew to a close.

“That will be all for today. I'll see you tomorrow.” Izabella said smiling around the room. The bell rang loudly signalling the end of the day and causing the fifth years to hurriedly shove their things into their bags and rush for the door.

“Draco, a word please.” Izabella said above the noise, making Harry stop and frown.
Izabella rolled her eyes at the Slytherin's wolf-whistling as she made her way towards the door, leaning against the frame.

“Enough of that thank you.” she said firmly, ushering the students out. “I'll see you tomorrow Harry.” Izabella said sharply as he hesitated by the door. He turned and glared at Malfoy for a moment then left the room, Izabella shutting the door firmly behind him.

As she turned to face Malfoy, who was leant on a desk with an arrogant expression, the smile dripped from Izabella's face and her dark eyes became cold and bottomless.

“How has your first day back been?” she asked him as she walked over, folding her arms across her chest as she perched on the desk opposite him.
“Alright.” he said shrugging. “Always fun watching Potter get into trouble.”
“That's not very nice.” Izabella said, raising an eyebrow.
“Sorry, I didn't mean to offend your favourite student.” Malfoy said tauntingly.

“I'm a teacher Draco. I don't have favourites.” Izabella said quietly.
“Well you're very close to Potter. I saw you together at lunch... And I informed my father straight away.”

“Yes, I bet your father begged you to tell him all about me. Not that he'll let your mother know of course.” Izabella said, her eyes glinting. Malfoy frowned.
“What happened between you and my father?” he asked

Izabella laughed; a cold, harsh laugh that sounded wrong and disturbing coming from her mouth.
“You'll have to ask darling Lucius that.” she said winking at him. Malfoy narrowed his grey eyes at her.

“You think you're so special. Well you're not.” he said childishly. Izabella grinned.
“The Dark Lord seems to think I am. But then again, any one is better than Bellatrix... and your mother.”

Malfoy clenched his jaw slightly and his hand tightened around his wand in his pocket.

“Look, Draco. The Dark Lord wants me to be his spy. He's given me a job to do and you aren't going to get in my way. Has it occurred to you that maybe I'm getting close to Potter so that it's easier to kill him?” said said, her voice low and dark.
Malfoy swallowed loudly and shrugged. “Exactly. So you can stop with the questions and stop watching me and Potter. Or I shall inform the Dark Lord of you trying to ruin my plan. The first time you met me was in school and that is the only place you know me from, got it?”

Malfoy nodded, taking a step backwards and looking slightly intimidated.
“Excellent. You may go now.” Izabella said, straightening up and smiling sweetly. Malfoy stared at her for a second then backed out of the room quickly, slamming the door behind him.

Izabella paused waiting a few moments then collapsed into her chair. Her head hung in her hands and she sighed as a tear fell down her cheek. There was a knock of the door and Izabella lifted her head quickly, wiping her cheeks.

“Come in.” she said in a wavering voice. Snape strode into the room, shutting the door behind him and raising an eyebrow at his sister.
“What happened with Malfoy? He look petrified.” he said, sighing. Izabella rolled her eyes and stood up, fiddling with the papers on her desk and avoiding Snape's eyes.

“I just warned him to leave me alone. I told him the Dark Lord gave me a job to do and I couldn't do it with him snooping around all the time.” Izabella's voice cracked slightly and she turned her back on Snape, her shoulders hunched over and her head hung low.

Her thin figure shook slightly as she began to cry, hot tears spilling over the edges of her eyes. Snape paused, a look a pain on his face, then crossed the room to stand beside her. He lifted a hand slowly and placed it on her back gently.

Izabella sobbed quietly then turned and buried her face in his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist. Snape hesiatated, before engulfing her in his arms tightly. He rested his chin on her head and sighed quietly.

“It will all be okay Iz. I promise.” he said gently as she slowly stopped crying. She pulled away from him and sniffed noisily. Snape put his hand on her chin and lifted her face up, wiping her tears away.
“What's the point Sev?” she asked in a whisper.
“For Potter remember?” Snape said, lifting his eyebrow.
“Last time it was for Lily and look what happened.” Izabella said sourly. Snape sighed.

“For Sirius then.” he said quietly, looking down. “He'll never be free until the Dark Lord has gone.”
Izabella laughed.
“Like you want that to happen.”
“Of course I do. He's the only person who ever made you happy.”
There was a silence in which Izabella watched her brother closely. She took a step towards him and kissed his cheek softly.

“Thank you Sev.” she said gently. He nodded curtly and Izabella smiled as she left the room. She paused at the door to look back over her shoulder, then smiled and slowly made her way down to the Great Hall.

Aww, that was heart-melting I'm looking forward to another update

I agree with Lady of the Lake^ That was heart melting. The thing with Malfoy was hilarious; I'm glad he's a little scared of her. Fantastic post; Please PAMS!

Aw thanks guys! I wanted to show Snape's nice side Working on the next chapter now!

Hello Jazz. Excellent chapter. It must be heart wrenching for Izabella to treat Harry the way she did in class. And it must have felt good treating Draco the way she did in class. I wonder if Draco will send word to his dad that he was mistaken, and try to make amends for getting in Izabella's way. So funny. I also wonder if Draco will try to find out what was between his father and Izabella. Curious about that myself.
I'm not sure I understand Izabella's position at school. I thought she would just be teaching when Umbridge was busy with her other duties. But here the students came in from just having a class with Umbridge. Did I misunderstand something?
Regardless of her post at Hogwarts, I loved your chapter, and I think it was well written. I'll be watching for your next chapter.

The Lucius thing will all be revealed soon don't worry
No that's right. The fifth years had double Defense but as Umbridge had other things to do they had one lesson with Umbridge then moved and had the rest of the lesson with Izabella She is a proper teacher but just has slightly less lessons than the other teachers I hope that's cleared it up for you! Next chapter soon!

Wow! Can't believe we're at chapter twenty already! Thank you to everyone who always reads my posts, means alot to me. Hope you enjoy it!

Chapter Twenty - The High Inquisitor
Izabella's first week passed in a blur yet she was relieved when she woke up and realised it was finally Saturday. The soft morning sunlight crept into her room, casting gloomy shadows on the bare walls. Izabella caught sight of the pile of papers on her desk which needed marking and sighed. She chewed her lip for a moment then turned over in her bed, pulling the covers over her head with a small smile and slowly drifting back to sleep.

When at last she woke again, the weak sun was higher in the sky and after glancing at the clock on the table by her bed, she groaned and stretched. She slowly swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up. Dressing in dark blue robes, she allowed her wavy hair to fall down her back and then left the room.

As she entered the Great Hall she realised it was lunch time and her stomach grumbled furiously at her for missing breakfast.
“Good afternoon.” Snape said pointedly as Izabella took her seat and started to pile her plate with food.
“Afternoon,” she said grinning. Snape watched her, a disgusted expression on his face, as Izabella shoved a sandwich into her mouth.

“What? I'm hungry!” Izabella protested around the food in her mouth. She took a sip of pumpkin juice as Snape rolled his eyes and picked up his newspaper.

Izabella coughed, spraying pumpkin juice onto Snape's robes, as she leant across the table and snatched the paper off him.
“You cannot be serious.” she said in a low voice as she scanned the front page of the Daily Prophet.
“Are you really surprised?” Snape asked, wiping at his sleeves, his lips pursed. Izabella's mouth dropped open and she turned to face her brother, brandishing the newspaper wildly.

“Umbridge is going to be inspecting our lessons? Judging our teaching?”
Snape dropped his head slightly, clearing his throat loudly. Izabella turned in her chair to find Umbridge standing behind her, smiling falsely.
“So you've heard the good news?” Umbridge said, arching an eyebrow.
“It's fantastic.” Izabella said sarcastically, finishing the juice in her glass and standing up.

“It's a good opportunity for me to check you are sticking with my lesson plans.” she said a hint of a threat in her voice, looking up at Izabella who was considerably taller than her. Izabella narrowed her eyes and stared at Umbridge, her fists clenched. “Well I shall be seeing you soon.” she said, inclining her head slightly, the pink bow which lay on her head wobbling, then walking away and out of the Hall.

McGonagall leant back in her chair and looked at Izabella sternly.
“How do you expect me to keep Potter out of trouble if his godmother can't keep her temper around Professor Umbridge?” she asked accusingly, watching Izabella over the top of her spectacles. Izabella sighed and nodded.

“I know, I'm sorry. I'll behave.” she said taking a deep breath. McGonagall nodded sharply then turned away from them, leaving Izabella to smile at Snape before leaving the Hall, walking slowly and biting her lip thoughtfully.

Once she reached her room, she sat down at the desk, staring absent-mindedly at the wall, her head resting in her hand. She sighed heavily then pulled the pile of work towards her and began marking the essays.

A while later, her back aching and hand stiff, she looked up at the window and frowned at the small grey owl that was tapping on the glass. She rushed over, pulling back the window to allow the owl to fly in, landing graciously on the bed. Izabella sat on the edge of the bed, retrieving the letter from the owls leg and patting it gently before it flew off back into the sky, which had begun to fade into darkness. Unfolding the letter, Izabella smiled as she recognised Sirius' handwriting.

Izzy,
Meet Harry in the Gryffindor common room around eleven tonight.

Izabella read the note twice, her forehead creasing in confusion. The door opened and Izabella jumped, clutching the parchment close to her chest. A small house elf toddled into the room, freezing when she saw Izabella.

“Sorry, Miss. I thought you had gone to dinner.” said the house elf, bowing out of the room.
“No it's fine. I'm going now.” she said kindly, smiling at the elf as she pocketed the note, and left the room.

The corridors were empty but as she got closer to the Great Hall there was a rumble of voices and Izabella inhaled, causing her stomach to grumble.

She hurried through her dinner, keeping her head down when she heard Umbridge talking and feeling McGonagall's eyes piercing into the back of her head. She watched Harry closely but he never looked towards her and she wondered if he knew what Sirius' note was supposed to mean.

Izabella returned to her tidy room and, not wanting to ruin the freshly made bed, she sat at her desk gazing at the table distractedly and checking the time regularly.
Just before eleven o'clock, she quietly made her way to Gryffindor Tower, stepping lightly and listening for other footsteps. When she reached the portrait, it swung open for her and Izabella raised her eyebrow.

“Teachers are granted access in to all House common rooms.” the Fat Lady explained, noticing Izabella's confused face. Izabella grinned as she crawled through the portrait hole, thinking of how useful it would have been when she was attempting to sneak in and see Lily, and Sirius of course, when she was a teenager. She looked around the deserted common room until she spotted Harry, Ron and Hermione by the fire.

“Hi,” she said cheerfully making her way over and collapsing onto the sofa. They looked around with surprised faces.
“What are you doing here?” Harry asked, looking around to check they were alone.
“I thought you might be able to tell me actually.” Izabella said, passing Harry the note from her pocket. He read it and raised his eyebrows, passing it on to the others. Hermione looked up with a stern expression.

“You don't think he'll do anything stupid?” she asked. Izabella sighed.
“Probably.” she said in a tired voice. At that moment Harry dropped to the floor in front of the fire.

“I've just seen him.” he said calmly, looking into the fire. Izabella groaned and fell to her knees beside Harry as Sirius reappeared in the fire, beaming up at them.

“You're an idiot.” Izabella said exasperatedly making Sirius roll his eyes.
“I needed to answer Harry's letter.” he said innocently. He grinned then turned to Harry, his face turning serious.
“I don't think we need to worry about your scar Harry, now Voldemort's back it is bound to hurt more.” Sirius said. Izabella looked at Harry concerned but he just nodded and looked comforted by Sirius' words.

“As for Umbridge...” Sirius sighed.
“I hate that woman.” Izabella spat, folding her arms tightly and scowling. Ron and Harry laughed at her, nodding understandably. Sirius smiled fondly.

“What is she teaching you?” he asked curiously.
“Nothing. We're not allowed to do magic.” Hermione said furiously.
“Good job Izabella lets us.” Ron said gratefully but Izabella sighed.
“Maybe not for long now we have these inspections.” she said apologetically. The trio looked disheartened and Izabella placed a hand on Harry's shoulder comfortingly.

“When is your next Hogsmede trip? I could come and cheer you all up. As Padfoot obviously.” Sirius said brightly.
“No Sirius! It's too dangerous.” Harry said frowning deeply.
“Oh come on Harry. It'll be fun.” Sirius protested.
“Not if you get thrown back in Azkaban it won't.” Harry said in a quiet voice, looking down at the floor. Izabella watched them both, a worried look on her face.

“You're less like James than I thought.” Sirius said in a low voice, his unshaven face displeased. Izabella arched her eyebrow and gave Sirius the I-told-you-so look.

“Much more Lily.” Izabella said with a wink, gently patting Harry's hand. He smiled back at her then turned to the fire.

“I'll write to tell you the next time I can come into the fire. If you can take the danger.” said Sirius.

“Sirius I don't think-” Izabella started but Sirius interrupted her.
“Izabella.” he said in a low voice. He gazed at her out of the fire and Harry was surprised to see she nodded and dropped her head slightly. He always thought it was Izabella that took control in the relationship but she didn't protest again.

“I think Lupin's just arrived, I'll see you soon.”
“Say hi to Lupin for me.” Harry said. Sirius nodded and smiled out at them all, looking at Izabella for a long moment before he disappeared out of the fire with a quiet pop. She leant against the chair and sighed quietly. Harry shook his head slightly as he stood up, clearing away his books which lay on the table.

“You think Sirius is bad,” Izabella said laughing. “You should of seen him and James together. Nightmares.” she said chuckling. Harry smiled then bent down and kissed Izabella's cheek.

“'Night.” he said, lifting a hand in a wave as he followed Hermione and Ron out of the common room.

“Goodnight Harry.” Izabella said in a quiet voice as she watched him leave.
She stood up and looked into the fire where Sirius' face had been then left the common room and hurried back to her room.

I can't wait to read more about when Umbridge is inspecting them Great chapter!

Next chapter later today!

Hello Jazz. Yes it did. Thank you very much. I loved this! So funny! I think Sirius is adorable and charming when he's trying to make it look like he's innocent.

Great chapter Jazz. I'll be watching for your next.

Haha thank you Connie! Now, this next chapter is a little... dramatic. I hope you like it, let me know what you think
Chapter Twenty-One - Love Never Dies
Izabella had just returned from lunch on Sunday afternoon and was sitting on the edge of her bed. Weekends go too fast, she thought with a sigh.

She wandered over to the window and looked down on to the grounds, leaning on the windowsill. There were figures flying above the Quidditch pitch but she couldn't make out who it was. She turned her head slightly as there was a scratching noise at the door. Frowning, she walked over to the door and pulled it back. Gasping as she looked down, she ushered the large black dog into the room and slammed the door.

“Are you totally stupid?!” Izabella yelled, glaring at the dog as he jumped onto her bed. The dog barked a laugh then shuddered slightly, merging into the grinning figure of Sirius. He lay on her bed, lounging across the pillows casually and beaming up at her.

“Sirius this isn't funny. You have to go. Now.” Izabella said seriously, tapping the door with her wand until the lock clicked.
“Why? No one saw me.” he said shrugging and patting the bed beside him, gesturing for her to sit by him. Izabella sighed and hesitated for a moment then walked over to the bed. He grinned and wrapped his arm around her, Izabella leaning her head on his shoulder gently.

“I missed you.” he said quietly, kissing the top of her head.
“I missed you too.”
“Remember when we used to do this as teenagers? Sneaking into each other's room.” Sirius said laughing.
“Yes, but your punishment then would of just been a detention. Not a one way ticket to Azkaban.” Izabella said sighing. Sirius rolled his eyes.

“Come on Izzy. You used to be fun.” he said, poking her in the arm teasingly.
“I grew up, unlike you.” Izabella said laughing as she looked up at up him. He grinned then leant his head down and kissed her lips softly.

“I can't wait until all this is over and we can just be together, without having to hide.” he said in a quiet voice, hugging her gently. Izabella nodded and buried her face in his chest, closing her eyes and smiling slightly.

She groaned as there was a sharp knock on the door.
“What are we going to do?” she said in a whisper, biting her lip worriedly.
“Just ignore them, they'll go away.” Sirius replied in a low voice, watching the door warily. The knocking continued, getting louder and Izabella stood up, panicking. She pointed to the wardrobe, making Sirius shake his head violently.

“No way!” he protested in a whisper. She grabbed his hand and pulled him over to the wardrobe, pushing him in and ignoring his complaints.
“Get rid of them quickly.” he begged as he curled up in the corner of the wardrobe, glaring at her. She shut the wardrobe, locking it with her wand then ran to the door, glancing around for any sign in the room that someone had visited her.

Satisfied, she opened the door and leant against the wall casually.
“Oh.” she said as she caught sight of her visitor.
“You took your time.” Lucius Malfoy said distastefully as he pushed past Izabella and made his way into the room.
“Come in why don't you.” Izabella said sarcastically, rolling her eyes and shutting the door.

She turned to face him and raised her eyebrows. “You've surprised me Lucius. I expected a visit from you much earlier than this. You not been able to get away from your wife?”
“I came to tell you that the Dark Lord wishes to see you again.” he said calmly, ignoring her jibes.
“Now?”
“No. Next weekend.” he said. Izabella nodded slightly.

“I'm sure Severus could of told me. He could of just called.” Izabella said, looking to his forearm pointedly.
“Well some people don't have the same means of communication.”
“Because some of us don't have to prove our loyalty with a tattoo.” Izabella said coldly, pushing her sleeves up slightly to reveal her bare forearms.

Malfoy lifted his eyebrows as he looked at her arms then shifted his gaze to her face. Izabella folded her arms and leant against the desk, yawning.
“Is that everything? I have things to be doing.” she said in a bored voice. Malfoy took a step towards her.

“Draco wrote to me the other day. He says you're getting very close to Potter.” he said, watching her closely. Izabella sighed.
“As I explained to your son, having someone close to him will make it much easier to kill him.” she said in a dark voice.

“And you would be willing to do that would you? You would kill Harry Potter, your godson. Your best friend's son?” he asked her quietly, moving towards her until their faces were inches away.
“Gladly.” she said after a pause, looking up into his eyes with a determined expression. Her stomach was doing backflips and she felt like she had just spat on Lily's grave. He arched an eyebrow.

“I know you Izabella. Something is wrong. What are you hiding?”
Izabella laughed harshly, avoiding looking at the wardrobe and moved away from him, looking out of the window and sensing Sirius' eyes on her through the cracks in the wardrobe.

“You don't know me at all Lucius.” she said quietly.
“Why do you have a problem with my son?”
“I don't-”
“Does he remind you of everything you could have had?”

Izabella turned sharply and found Malfoy standing right behind her.
“All you ever wanted was a child. I could of given you that. You could have had a family, a house... Instead you're here, teaching and living in a small bedroom on your own.” he said quietly, stepping towards her. Izabella shook her head slightly and dropped her gaze. “Why didn't you just marry me Izabella?” he said with a sigh, taking her hand.

She looked up at him and swallowed loudly, her heart beating fast. He leant his head down and slowly pressed his lips against hers. Izabella melted against him for a moment before she tensed and pulled her head back.

“No Lucius.” she said in a rough voice, putting her hands on his chest and pushing him back.
“Izabella-”
“Narcissa will be wondering where you are.” she said coldly, moving out of his grasp and towards the door. He looked at her for a long moment and sighed.

“Very well.” he said walking briskly to the door. He stopped and placed a hand on her cheek for a second, then smiled slightly and opened the door. “I shall see you next weekend.” he said nodding at her then leaving the room swiftly.

Izabella slammed the door shut and leant her forehead against it, breathing heavily. She heard a creak behind her and closed her eyes, her expression pained.

“Why didn't you marry him?” Sirius said in a low, sour voice. Izabella turned slowly, to see him standing by the window, his fists clenched and his eyes averted.

“Sirius please.” she said taking a step towards him. He looked up at her with dark eyes and shook his head.
“I was seventeen Sirius. I didn't ask to get engaged. It was my mother's idea. They planned it all behind my back. I was still in school!” Izabella said, a tear falling down her ashen white face.

“Maybe you would have been happier, playing happy families with him.”
“You think it was easy for me to choose you!?” Izabella said, her voice rising. She pulled her sleeves up to her shoulder and shoved her arm in front of Sirius' face, brandishing the scars that traced up her arms.
“I didn't-” he stopped as Izabella lifted up the bottom of the robes, showing Sirius her legs and the marks which looked like some kind of jinx and were still looking raw and red. Collapsing into a chair, Izabella began sobbing. Sirius watched her, his face agonized.

“I didn't know.” he said quietly.
“Because I didn't tell you. I didn't even tell Lily, but of course Sev did. She was horrified when she found out.” she said, wrapping her arms around her legs and curling up in the chair.

“I could kill Malfoy.” Sirius said in a dangerous voice but Izabella shook her head.
“It wasn't his fault. When I told him... that it was you I loved, he was very nice about it. He did love me, I suppose.” Izabella said, lifting her shoulders slightly and sighing. “He saved my life you know.” she said in a low voice.
“Who? Malfoy?” Sirius asked, frowning.

“Voldemort. After I had given the ring back, Lucius went and told him. He came in when our parents were... punishing me for breaking off the agreement and he made them stop. I owe him my life.” she recalled in a whisper.

Sirius grabbed her hand and pulled her up to standing, then sat down on the bed gathering her in his arms and cradling her gently. There was a silence in which Izabella sobbed gently against Sirius' chest.

“So that's why you went and lived with Lily?” Sirius said understandingly. Izabella nodded.
“And why I never spoke to my mother again. Although I can slightly understand why she did it. She married a Muggle, she was an outcast but she just wanted the best for me. Even if she did have a funny way of showing it. A marriage into the Malfoy family would of secured my future. And hers of course.”

Sirius hugged her tightly and kissed her forehead.
“No one will ever hurt you again. I promise.” he said as he rocked her gently. Izabella smiled and leant against Sirius's chest feeling drained. Slowly, she fell off to sleep as sun began to set and the day turned to night.

Fantastic chapter, the best up to now I dare say! Now I don't know which couple I like more: Izabella/sirius or Izabella/Lucius! Please update soon!

Thankyou! I wasn't sure about it at first, but I'm glad you like it Awww Working on the next chapter now!

Just a short chapter!
Chapter Twenty-Two - Monday Morning Mayhem
Izabella blinked open her eyes, stretching with a groan. She frowned as her eyes swept around the room. Did I dream last night? She wondered as she realised Sirius was not there. She sat up and as she did so, her hand touched a piece of parchment that had been folded neatly on top of her pillow. She opened the note, yawning widely, and read it carefully.

Izzy,
I didn't want to wake you, but I thought it would be best for me to leave when it was dark. If you ever need me, just write and I'll be there straight away. I love you.
Your Padfoot.

“I love you too.” she whispered. Izabella smiled and held the note against her chest. She leant back against the headboard of the bed and looked out of the window at the cold gloomy morning.

With a sigh she got out of bed and dressed, throwing her hair up into a bun. She read the note once more then held her wand against it and watched the parchment curl as it was swallowed up by flames. She brushed the ashes off the edge of the desk and into the bin. She picked up the pile of papers which were stacked on her desk and balanced them carefully in one arm as she opened the door.

She frowned slightly as a pink piece of paper flew towards her, floating in the air by her face. She took the note and opened it, sighing as she read.

Miss Prince,
Please be aware that I shall be inspecting your last lesson today. You should act normal and treat the class as though I am not there.
Yours sincerely,
Dolores Umbridge
Senior Under-secretary to the Minister of Magic
High Inquisitor

Izabella's mood dropped and her appetite had suddenly disappeared. She groaned quietly then screwed up the note fiercely and threw it into the bin, pulling the door shut behind her. She went straight to her classroom, pushing through the crowds of tired-looking students and storming into her office.

Walking around the room, she placed the marked papers onto desks, his expression distant and her mind wandering. Voices by the door made her jump and she turned sharply; it was the first years. The students made their way to their desks, talking amongst themselves. Izabella took a deep breath then began her lesson.

The day dragged by slowly and Izabella found herself snapping at people without reason as the inspection loomed closer.

Finally, it was last lesson. Izabella walked over to the large cabinet and opened the bottom drawer. Distastefully, she pulled out the books she had swore she would never use. Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard. With a sigh, Izabella took a handful of the books and started to give them out, placing a copy on each desk.

“Izabella?”
Turning quickly at the sound of the voice, Izabella dropped a book.
“Oh, it's you.” she said with a sigh, picking up the book and placing it on the table.
“Who were you expecting?” Snape asked, crossing his arms on his chest.
“No one.” Izabella said quietly, leaning against her desk.

“Are you worried about this inspection?” Snape asked her gently, walking towards her. Izabella hesitated, a crease in her forehead.
“Yeah I suppose.” she said finally, dropping her gaze.
“What's happened?” Snape asked in a worried voice but Izabella just shook her head.

“Hem hem. Haven't you got a class waiting for you Professor Snape?” Umbridge said, standing in the doorway with a clipboard under her arm. Snape sighed and cast a long concerned look at Izabella before sweeping past Umbridge and out of the room. Izabella turned and plastered a bright smile onto her face.

“Good afternoon.” she said, gesturing to a chair in the corner for Umbridge to sit in. She nodded gratefully and took her place, watching as the students entered the room. Izabella waited at the front of the class, an apologetic look on her face as they caught sight of the books on their desk.

Draco Malfoy entered and Izabella watched him closely. She had never realised just how similar he looked to Lucius; they had the same grey eyes... Izabella shook her head and turned her face away from him.

“Good afternoon everyone. I want you all to read Chapter Five today. Hands up if you have any questions.” she said, taking a seat at her desk and looking around at the class. Slowly they realised, each student turning one by one to look at Umbridge in the corner of the room. Understanding, they turned back to the front and opened their books.

Izabella smiled gratefully and the lesson passed by quickly, Umbridge standing occasionally to question various students. Near the end of the lesson Izabella moved to perch on the edge of her desk.

“Anybody have any questions?”
Hermione's hand shot up in the air and Izabella smiled.
“Yes, Hermione?”
“I was wondering, Professor, if you agree with what the book says about protective spells? Do you really think they aren't useful?” she asked curiously. Izabella glanced at Umbridge then sighed.

“Of course protective spells are useful, but you can't rely on them. If you're in a duel, you will need to use jinxes as well. You can't just run away and use a few protective spells on yourself.” The class nodded and leant forward, looking interested.

“Not that the students will ever need to duel of course.” Umbridge said loudly from the back of the room.
“Unless you bump into Voldemort.” Harry mumbled.
“Detention, Mr Potter. My office tonight.” Umbridge said coldly. Izabella sighed and glared at Harry.

“Thank you Professor Prince. You shall receive your results in a few days.” Umbridge said, smiling sweetly as she left the room. The class was silent for a moment. Izabella sighed heavily.

“Listen, you all need to keep your temper around Professor Umbridge. She could seriously make your life a misery if you misbehave.” Izabella said in a low voice, looking around the class. She caught Harry's eye and looked at him pleadingly for a moment then nodded and smiled around the class as the bell rang.

“I'll see you all tomorrow.” Izabella said as she dismissed them. The class emptied and Izabella sat at her desk.
“This is going to be a long week.” she mumbled to herself, sitting back in her chair and yawning.

Hello Jazz. I enjoyed both new chapters. I sure don't like Umbridge. How does she always know when to be somewhere or do something that will just spoil the day?
I wonder what Draco will do about the last thing Izabella said; He runs to Umbridge with everything in the books. He's on her good side. But, if he makes things difficult for Izabella, then he won't be real popular with his new boss the leader of evil.
It's great reading Sirius sneaking around to see her. I hope he doesn't do anything stupid again though. Umbridge is just everywhere all the time.
Great chapters Jazz. I look forward to your next.

Haha, I waited for this Umbridge is so in character, you write her just as J.K.

I loved both chappies, Jazz! Sirius is my favorite little mischief maker, so I loved him sneaking around to see Izabella, I just hope he doesn't get caught I am curious to see if Draco says anything to Umbridge about her and how she teaches or that one comment, that Connie's all ready pointed out above. He is quite chummy with her in the books, and will end up on the Inquisitorial Squad. Can't wait to see what happens! Please PAMS!

No one likes Umbridge... she's evil
Ahh exactly, what will Draco do?
Thank you Connie Next chapter soon!

Thankyou! I hope J.K. won't mind

Thank you! Next chapter soon yay!

Chapter Twenty-Three - The Meeting
“Go away.” Izabella moaned, pulling the covers over the top of her head and sliding further down the bed.
“Izabella you are late.” Snape said sharply, yanking the blankets away from her and glaring at her fiercely. Izabella lifted her head, her eyes squinted against the light, and looked at the clock. With a groan she rolled out of bed.

“I'm up I'm up!” she said, yawning as she grabbed her robes.
“Do not go back to sleep.” Snape said in a warning voice. “And do not be late for the meeting.” he said with a sigh as he left the room, slamming the door behind him.

Izabella rolled her eyes, but dressed quickly and hurried out of the room, running through the empty Great Hall and through the door behind the long table. As a table full of faces turned towards her, Izabella blushed and dropped her head apologetically. From the top of the table, Dumbledore grinned slightly and gestured for her to sit. As Izabella crossed to her seat, she stopped and groaned inwardly.

“I thought this was a teacher meeting?” she said, a tone of annoyance in her voice as she bitterly took the only available seat beside the smug Lucius Malfoy. From his expression, she figured it wasn't a coincidence that she was placed next to him.

“The governors like to know what's happening at Hogwarts.” Malfoy said, smiling. Izabella rolled her eyes and folded her arms tightly, ignoring the glares Snape was giving her from across the table.

“Now that everyone is here...” said a well-dressed man at the other end of the table, arching an eyebrow in Izabella's direction. She rolled her eyes slightly and ignored the stares she received. “We wanted to discuss any issues there may be this year and find out if you teachers agree that the High Inquisitor role is working tremendously.”

Umbridge smiled, a look of deep satisfaction on her face.
“Thank you Mr Hardy.” she said, inclining her head towards the governor at the top of the table.

She looked around the table, as if she was daring anyone to speak against her. Izabella narrowed her eyes and was about to say something when-
“Ouch!” she cried, glaring at Snape from across the table as he stamped on her foot.
“What now?” said Mr Hardy exasperatedly.

Izabella caught Snape's eye and almost missed the slight shake of his head, but the look on his face was enough.
“I... poked myself in the eye. Sorry.” Izabella mumbled, dabbing at her eye and dropping her head.

“Are you okay?” Malfoy asked in a quiet voice, placing a hand on her leg beneath the table.
“I'm fine.” she snapped, pushing his hand away forcefully and shifting slightly in her chair.

“Well the Quidditch match should be interesting.” Mr Hardy continued. “However lets not have the students practising too much, we need good grades from our O.W.L and our N.E.W.T students.” he said firmly. The teachers all nodded.

“Well if that is all-”
“Actually, Mr Hardy, I would like to say something.” said Umbridge. “I've been finding Harry Potter rather... difficult to teach. He's been in detention for three weeks since September.” she said innocently.
Izabella bit her tongue, aware that Malfoy was watching for her reaction.

“Potter has been fine in my lessons. He never misses class and always does his homework.” McGonagall said stiffly, a few other teachers nodding in agreement.
“Perhaps he's not good with new teachers.” suggested Malfoy. “How do you find him Izabella?” he said, turning to face her. She glared at him for a moment then shrugged.

“Harry has always been very well behaved in my lessons.”
“He had a little outburst the other day, during your inspection.” Umbridge reminded her.
“I wouldn't call that an outburst. Everybody is entitled to an opinion.” Izabella said.
“Not when it is scaring other students.” said Umbridge firmly. Izabella raised an eyebrow at Umbridge then turned away, her jaw clenched.

“Potter has always been difficult. If he's proving a problem perhaps we should do something about it...” said one of the governors, looking around the table until his eyes finally rested on Dumbledore.
Izabella turned to look at him and was surprised to see Dumbledore was looking out of the window, apparently not even listening to the conversation. His expression was distant, his forehead creased as though he was trying very hard to remember something.

“What would you like to do? Throw Harry out of school before he has learnt to defend himself?” Dumbledore said quietly.
“The boy has nothing to defend himself from.” Umbridge said laughing girlishly. Dumbledore turned to look at her, his blue eyes boring into hers.
“There are plenty of people who wish to harm Harry.” he said in a calm voice.

Izabella watched the two of them closely and felt Malfoy shift beside her.
There was a pause, and a silence filled the room.
“Anyway. We have nothing solid that we could use to expel the boy.” Mr Hardy said, his voice slightly bitter as it cut through the tense air.

“If that is all I have things to be doing.” Dumbledore said, standing up. He inclined his head slightly before sweeping out of the room. Around the table, chairs were pushed back and people started to disperse. Izabella's stomach growled and she made her way to the Great Hall, only to be stopped by Snape before she reached the door, and he took her upper arm firmly and pulled her to the side of the room.

“What has happened?” he asked her in a low voice.
“I don't know what you mean Sev.”
“Why is Lucius Malfoy suddenly so attached to you?”
“Don't be stupid-”
“So why is he watching you now?” he said quietly.
Izabella turned her head slightly and rolled her eyes as she spotted Malfoy staring at her from across the room.
“I don't-”
“Izabella.” Snape's voice was low and dangerous. She sighed.

“He came to see me the other night, to tell me about this weekend.” she whispered. Snape nodded understandingly but still didn't let go of her arm.
“And?” he said in a firm voice.
“And what?” Izabella demanded. He looked deep into her eyes, concentrating, but she pulled away from him, blinking and dropping her gaze. “Don't you dare!” she warned.
“Tell me then.”
“Fine! Some things were said about the past and it just... brought back memories okay?” she said quickly avoiding his face. He sighed.
“Iz...” he said gently, but they were interrupted.

“I have the results of your inspection.” Umbridge said coldly, handing Izabella a pink envelope. She looked up at Snape pointedly and he sighed, flashing Izabella the we-need-to-talk look before leaving the room. “You are an adequate teacher and there is no cause for concern at this moment in time. I am glad that you are sticking with my lesson plans, lets make sure it stays that way.” Umbridge said, staring at Izabella with cold eyes for a moment before she smiled sweetly and left the room.

Izabella opened the envelope and scanned it quickly.
“An adequate teacher... Isn't she charming.” Malfoy said, walking towards Izabella and grinning slightly. She rolled her eyes and shoved the paper into her pocket.

“I don't care anyway.” she mumbled, shrugging.
“How's that eye?” he asked, arching an eyebrow as he reached forward and brushed a piece of hair off her face. She took a step back and frowned.
“Lucius. Stop it.” she warned. He smiled.

“Draco thinks you're a good teacher anyway. Although I would advise against warning that particular class about Dolores Umbridge. There are a lot of students with parents in high places.” he said as he leaned casually against the wall. Izabella's mouth dropped open slightly and she shook her head.

“I thought I warned your son about-”
“Draco didn't tell me. I heard it from the parents of his friends.” said Malfoy.
“Oh...”

“Be careful Izabella. She is more dangerous than she seems.”
“People say that about the Dark Lord too.” Izabella whispered, rolling her eyes.
“You're not invincible Izabella. I don't want to see you get hurt.” Malfoy said, moving closer to her and stroking her cheek softly.
“Lucius!” she said through clenched teeth, pulling away and looking around. Surprised to see that the room was empty and they were alone, Izabella blushed slightly.

“I'll see you on Saturday.” she said, backing out of the room quickly. She burst into the Great Hall, which had filled with students, and took a deep breath before taking a seat and picking at her breakfast thoughtfully.