Love & Scars

In Hiding

The four of them searched the castle until late at night. When they arrived in the tower, their hearts sunk when she wasn't there either. Lily decided to stay in the girls' dorm in case she came back, but she didn't nor did Sirius. The next morning, they rushed down to the great hall, but she wasn't there. Sirius his eyes were bloodshed as he stared in front of him with a vacant expression.

"Reg!" Remus breathed as his boyfriend appeared in front of them. "Please, tell me she was with you."

"No." His voice trembled, and he wrapped his arms around him.

"Reg, people will see." Remus said shocked as he stood stiffly in his arms.

"I don't care. You need me." He nuzzled his face in his neck and Remus wrapped his arms around him. "I wanted to ask you out to Hogsmeade, for an official, public first date. I love you, Remus. And I'm done hiding it."

"Reg-" But Regulus pulled back and kissed him slow and soft. Whispers began to fill their ears. Since they were standing in front of the great hall, everyone saw the display of love. "I love you too." Remus said once they pulled back. He was beaming and Regulus couldn't help but mimic his expression. Then they remembered what happened the previous night, and their faces fell.

"James, the map." Remus whispered.

"I thought -" Remus took him by the arm and dragged him to an alcove and the others followed. "I thought we couldn't find her on the map." He said once they were hidden.

"You can't but I have spell." He said already taking the map out of James's hand. The folded the map open as far as they could, and their eyes scanned the map.

"Where are you, little charmer?" James muttered.

A few minutes later, Remus tucked the map away. "She isn't in the castle."

"Maybe she went to Hogsmeade?" Lily suggested with a frown.

"Let's go." Remus said already out of the alcove. "Black." He seethed when Sirius stood in front of him. He must've saw them disappear in the alcove and was waiting for them.

"Where's Izzie?"

"Good question!" He snapped, Regulus came to stand next to him and intertwined their fingers. "Even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you." He said before he walked away from him, tugging Regulus with him.

Sirius looked with pleading eyes to James. "We don't know where she is, we've searched the castle, she isn't here." He said before following Remus and Regulus.

"She planned out a whole day for today, did you know that?" Lily asked. "You didn't ask her to go to Hogsmeade, so she thought you didn't want to spend Valentine's Day with her doing all girly stuff. So, she planned to do all your favourites including flying" She shook her head, stepping away from him. "I still can't believe you accused her of using a love potion on you."

"I can't either..." He whispered as he saw her walk away.

They searched Hogsmeade until it got dark. They asked the shop owners, they asked Madam Rosmerta if she spotted her but none of them saw her since the last time, she came to Hogsmeade. They were ready to leave the little village when Regulus stopped, looking at an alley between two small houses.

"Isabelle?" He called out when he saw a head of caramel hair. The girl didn't turn around, she took the offered hand of an unknown man before they apparated out of the village. "I swear it was her." He turned to the others.

"It was." Remus confirmed, sniffing the air around them. "I don't know who the other was though. A man, but other than that."

"You don't think..." James frowned.