𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐄𝐏A𝐑𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐄, jp

Hogwarts.

The final week of the Christmas holidays flew by, and Isabella spent the majority of it at the cafe with Jess.

They talked for hours and hours about school, their friendships, families, and just caught up on the past few months. It was nice — refreshing. Izzy still wasn't feeling happy. She was anxious about going back to Hogwarts, even though she and her friends were on good terms, she knew things wouldn't go straight back to normal. She also knew that even though getting out of the house and seeing Jess was nice, she still went to bed each night with that familiar feeling of dread and sadness. The marks on her wrists were still there, they were probably going to scar, and they were a constant reminder of how low she had been feeling.

The night before she left for the Hogwarts Express, her parents sat her down.

"We know you seem to be doing better, Iz," Lyall said slowly, his hands looping together as he spoke. "But we're still worried for you, especially as we won't be there at Hogwarts to make sure things are going well."

Izzy let out a soft sigh. She hated the way they worried. She just wanted to handle this alone.

"We've spoken to Professor McGonnogal, and we've come to the conclusion that it'd probably be best you do speak to a healer of some sort, a shrink," her father told her, and her eyes widened. "It'll just be once a week, and it's only to make sure that you're taking care of yourself. We just want you to be okay."

She bit the inside of her cheek, and simply stared at him, then at her mother, and then back again. She didn't want to speak to anyone. She was fine. She didn't say that though. She just nodded, feeling knots of anxiety twist in her stomach.

"Professor McGonnogal has recommended some extra tuition, as well," Hope said lightly. "In potions and transfigurations, but she'll discuss that properly with you when you get to school. Other than that, she said your grades are doing well and you should be passing your OWLs in May, so you've just got to keep up the hard work, and focus on yourself and your grades."

"We think Hogwarts is good for you," Lyall finished, "as much as it's been a bumpy ride for you and Remus, you're scoring the best grades you ever have done, and you haven't been doing any of that silly pranking you were doing at Beauxbatons, so the change is doing you nicely."

Isabella wasn't sure about 'nicely.' She was under more stress at Hogwarts than she had been anywhere else in her life, but she didn't voice her opinions. Her parents didn't need to know any of that, or they'd just find more solutions that she didn't want. The shrink was enough, that was for sure.

"Minerva also said that she is giving back your Hogsmeade permissions," Hope was smiling. "You held up your end of the deal and put the work in! You're allowed to go on the trips now, and if you wanted to, next year you'll be allowed to try out for the quidditch team!"

"Really?" For the first time throughout the whole conversation, Izzy's eyes had lit up, and a smile appeared on her face. "Well that's good at least."

"Exactly," Lyall nodded, "you just need to stay on track. We have faith in you, Iz. Things can be okay."

"We've spoken to Remus," Hope added. "There shouldn't be anymore trouble, and Iz, he's going to speak to the shrink as well."

Isabella furrowed her eyebrows, "why? He seems fine?"

"The situation between you two isn't normal, Izzy," Lyall told his daughter. "Siblings don't treat each other this way. I think to be able to be on good terms with each other, you both need to get to the bottom of all of this drama."

"You're both past healing on your own, we've tried everything. Separation. Being together at school. Talking as a family. This is something that is going to have to be taken seriously for you both to get better."