It Started With A Prank War {The Marauders}

Chapter 25 - Different

The trip back home was silent, and I started to wish I didn't leave so quickly. Mum drove the car as I sat at the front, staring out the window. Hugh at the back.

"So... Hugh, Mum adopted you last month, right?" I asked Hugh and turned around.

"Yeah." He nodded.

"Have you met our father?" I continued, looking for scars on his arms.

"Isabel." Mum warned and I frowned at her.

"What? It's a good question."

"I have." Hugh said.

I nodded. "Huh, so has he beaten-"

"Isabel Fall!" Mum said again.

"What?! Has he Mum? And did you just leave him there?!"

She shot me a glare but didn't say anything else. Hugh looked at both, of us with confusion but also didn't say anything.

"We're here." Mum said finally and pulled up the front of our house. I sighed and grabbed my trunk before walking towards the house. Hugh followed me and Mum opened the door. We walked inside the clean house. My father walked over to us.

"Hello Hugh!" He greeted with a smile. I rolled my eyes. Hugh smiled back.

"Hi!" Hugh said cheerfully.

"How are you?"

"Good."

"That's good." Father turned to me and his smile turned into a cold look. "Isabel."

"Father." I replied.

"How was your time at Hogwarts?"

"It was great. Thanks for pretending to care." I rolled my eyes and walked up the stairs then to my room. I unpacked my trunk and sighed. After I was done, I went back downstairs to see Hugh, talking to my parents like a normal family.

"Hugh," I said quietly. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" Hugh nodded and followed me, much to my parents disappointment. We walked back to my room and closed the door behind him.

"What's up? Nice room." He said and looked around.

"Thanks. Um... how old are you?"

"Nine."

I nodded and sighed. "What did our mother and father say when they adopted you?"

"They said, they're happy to adopt me and they'll look after me..." I bit my lip and sat down on the edge of my bed, still wondering if Father would beat him up as well. I wasn't going to let that happen.

"Listen Hugh, come here." He walked over to me and I looked at him. "They're not who they say they are."

"What do you mean?" He asked quietly.

I sighed. "You might be a bit too young to understand but... I'll make sure they don't do anything to you. Okay?" He nodded. "Can you do me a favour?"

"Sure."

"Tonight. After dinner. When you have finished eating, I want you to go upstairs and to your room."

"Why?"

I shook my head. "Just do it please." Hugh nodded. "And whatever you hear, don't come downstairs until I come check you."

"Alright..."

"Thank you." I stood up and sighed.

"What are they going to do?" He asked and you could hear the fear in his voice.

"Nothing. Nothing. It won't happen to you. I promise."

"But will it happen to you?"

I stopped and sighed, before shaking my head. "N-No. It'll be fine... just for your safety, stay up here." He nodded and walked out of the room. I sighed and lay down on my bed, staring at the ceiling.

A few hours later, I walked back downstairs for dinner. I sat down beside Hugh and we all started eating.

"So Hugh what do you want to do over these holidays?" Mum asked kindly, making me frown slightly.

"Um... I don't know." Hugh mumbled and smiled sheepishly.

"We can go wherever you want."

"Okay." Hugh stood up and grabbed his plate. "I'm full, thank you for dinner." He placed his plate in the sink and looked at me with worry, before hurrying upstairs.

"You welcome, darling." Mum said and looked at my father. "I wonder why he left so quickly."

"Who knows. What's with you being so nice to him?" I asked. My parents looked at me.

"What do you mean Izzy?" Mum asked nicely.

"Don't talk to me like that. You were like that to me after her death. Then you started abusing me."

"Isabel!"

I stood up furiously. "What?! It's true Mum! Listen!" I banged on the table and turned to my father, glaring at him. "Do anything to me. I don't care. But if you do anything to him, or even touch him. I will take him and run. And you'll never see us again."

I turned around and made my way upstairs. Suddenly, a vase full of daisies flew past me, smashing against the wall and just missing me. My eyes widened and I turned around. My father stood up and walked over to me.

"Don't talk to your parents like that Isabel." My father spat. 

"Well start acting like one."

His hand swung towards me and connected with my face. I screamed and fell down. He grabbed his wand and pointed it to me. I moved away quickly.

"Crucio." I screamed and thrashed around as a thousand invisible knives were shoved into me. The pain stopped and he kicked me in the stomach. I tried to stand up but he grabbed my arm and shoved me to the wall, almost breaking a glass photo frame. He said the torture curse multiple times again, the pain getting larger.

"Stop! S-Stop please!" I begged, tears running down my face. He kicked and punched me again and again. I screamed and curled into a ball.

Suddenly, the pain stopped. My mother stood up and walked to the stairs. I looked up slowly and saw a small figure running up the stairs. Mum was following him, I sighed deeply. It was Hugh, and now he knows.

My father grabbed some rope and started to tie my hands together. I tried to thrash around, but I had no luck. He tied me to a chair and said, "Crucio," again. I screamed, black spots filling my vision. He punched and kicked me again, creating more bruises and cuts.

It seemed to go on forever. Until finally, he untied me from the chair and grabbed the collar of my shirt. He dragged me up the stairs and to my room. He threw me into my room and made sure that my hands were tied tightly together. Then he slammed the door shut and I heard the lock behind it.

I lay there for a few minutes, too weak to move. Then I realised what was different tonight. I wasn't the one that saw Hugh as a replacement, my excuse for parents did. Also, now that Hugh's here. There wasn't really a reason to beat me up anymore. Now my father was only doing it for fun and it was getting worse.