(A/N)

So here's the next chapter. My goal is weekly chapter though if I don't have enough inspiration one week I might need to take two weeks or do a short chapter. If anyone has a preference then feel free to leave it in a review or a pm. I would also like to thank Angel Rose for her help as beta :). As per last time I am happy to get both pm's and reviews though pm's are preferable for anything rude so that I can reply to you.

Also I would defiantly suggest you all check out Allanna Stone and her stories, I See the Light and Strange Markings.

Happy reading :)

Chapter 19

Izzy's P.O.V.

Slowly things had calmed down after the fiasco in Dumbledore's office. It seemed the Cullen's were all trying to be as friendly as they possibly could so that I would grow to know them better. I guessed that Edward was able to read my mind so he probably knew I was leaning towards choosing Severus and thus his family was trying that much harder and had even decided to be students at the school. The day after I had run into the forest there had been a midyear sorting of the Cullen children. Edward, Alice and Jasper were in Ravenclaw while Rosalie and Emmett were in Gryffindor.

I was relieved that none of them would be in my house to try to pressure me though Draco had said that Dumbledore had specifically told them and Severus not to pressure me. Severus certainly wasn't, in fact he hasn't mentioned it once. We've been continuing the lessons with the pensive and he has been just as supportive as before as if none of the moodiness ever happened. If anything this has assured me more than if he had been especially apologetic because his reaction was exactly what I needed and I got the feeling that he knew this and was doing it because he knew that's what I needed.

During this inner monologue I had been getting ready to go to breakfast in the great hall. I emerged from the dorm to find my Slytherin friends waiting for me and we all went down to the great hall together. Draco waved to me as we entered so I ended up sitting between him and Amy while ignoring the glares I was earning from Pansy from across the table.

The day went fairly uneventfully as did the last few weeks before the break they were to go on. It was during the last week of classes which was made up of primarily tests that I was called into the headmaster's office.

I was in the middle of transfiguration when I was called out if the room by Severus of all people.

" Did I do something wrong? " I asked cautiously once the classroom door had shut behind us.

"Not at all," he replied. "The headmaster merely wants to speak with you about the decision of guardianship."

And though he tried to hide it I could tell he was nervous about how I would choose.

"Don't worry, I've already made my choice, I just want to do one last check to make Dumbledore happy that I truly thought it through," I responded.

Snape P.O.V.

The expression on her face was frustrating. It almost looked as if she was trying to comfort me but I honestly could not tell. And it's not as if she could know how I felt right now, scared she would not choose me, could she? I don't believe I'm that see through, and yet...

A few minutes later we entered the office where currently Dumbledore and the Cullen's were sitting waiting for us in his office.

"Welcome, Isabella," Dumbledore greeted her cheerfully. "I imagine that professor Snape has filled you in on the topic of today's meeting?"

"Indeed he did and I have a request for everyone here," Izzy responded.

"And that is?" Dumbledore inquired.

"I believe I have made a decision however just to be sure I want to spend one week of our schools vacation with the Cullen's and one with professor Snape," she explained.

Silence filled the room then was broken by Dumbledore.

"That is a very mature way to go about it Miss Potter, not that I expected any less from you" he responded, eyes twinkling," I'm presuming this is alright with everyone involved?"

I replied with "Of course headmaster," at the same time that Carlisle replied with "Of course Albus."

Eventually it was decided that Izzy would stay with the Cullen's for the first week and with me for the last week then return with me to school the following week. This was of course fine with me, it would give me more of an opportunity to prepare for Miss Potters presence in my house and let me make it more comfortable for her.

Izzy's P.O.V.

As we walked back to my transfiguration class I kept shooting looks at Severus, concerned he would mind what I had chosen. Eventually he sighed and turned to me.

"What on earth has you looking at me every ten seconds, Miss Potter?"

"Ummm..." I stuttered, unsure if I wanted to answer.

"Isabella…"

Finally it just slipped out in a rush.

" Yournitmadatmeareyou?"

" What?"

Shook my head, with a sigh. "You aren't mad at me, are you?" I repeated, slower this time. "I mean for what I chose to do."

He just stared at me for a minute, face unreadable. Just before I threw something at him to make sure he hadn't frozen like that he responded.

"Isabella Marie Potter" he started, making me jump. "Where on earth did you get the idea that I would be mad at you for what you chose? Truly child I don't know where you get these ideas sometimes."

I had been going to explain but thought better of it. He truly didn't seem mad so I hugged him tightly for a minute then continued walking. And for once he wasn't cautious hugging me back, and simply reacted, not trying to analyze the connotations the action could hold.

After that I skipped back into class after cheerfully waving back at Snape as he turned towards the dungeons.

The rest of the week passed in a blur and soon it was time for vacation. I had packed up my stuff, said my goodbyes to my friends and gone up to the headmaster's office to meet the Cullen's to leave. I have to admit I'm kinda nervous about staying with them because I haven't actually ever been with just them for an extended period of time and I'm kinda nervous how it will play out for me.

Instead of taking the train the Cullen's decided to just Apparate back to their houses since it was all the way back in America and that would be a very long trip via Muggle transport.

We arrived at the house and Alice showed me up to my room or rather my guest room since it was apparently Edward's room usually. I looked around it in a sort of awe: this room was even bigger then the dorm room at Hogwarts! I spent time investigating my room and it was during this that Esme came up and told me it was dinner time for me.

I followed her downstairs and sat at the counter. After a bit I noticed an odd digging feeling in my brain, then. Realized what the feeling was. During our more recent lessons I had allowed Severus to show me what it felt like to have him look at my memories in my head. This feeling was similar to that though it felt a bit odder. I looked round the room at the various vampires figuring probably one of them had a special ability or was simply doing the same as Snape. After a few minutes of being unable to identify the culprit I sight loudly and made a request.

"Would whoever that is please stop it?" I asked, frustrated.

Everyone looked at me, startled.

"Stop what, dear?" Esme asked kindly.

"Stop digging in my brain!" I replied. "One of you is reading my mind and I can't tell who but whoever it is stop it!"

Edward .

I was shocked. She could feel me in her brain? That had never happened before. Even though my family knew I was snooping sometimes it had nothing to do with feeling it, simply with seeing my reaction later on and knowing its origins. I found myself staring in confusion and frustration at the girl.

Izzy P.O.V.

It was Edward, I knew it was. Once I made that statement he got a confused expression on his face then turned to look at me, looking equally frustrated by my expression. Too bad for him. I had spent the years I lived with the Dursley's practicing not show emotion when I felt something so I hid mine now behind a mask of calmness. After another couple minutes of this staring contest I was too tired to keep it up so I announced I was going to bed, went upstairs and did just that.

A few hours later I woke up screaming and crying, having had nightmares of Uncle Vernon again. They were getting worse, I could tell. But in my hysteric state I could not ponder this. In the next moment I felt myself pulled into cold arms which I viciously pushed away, not wanting to be held by anyone right now. Despite my initial reaction, someone, I have no clue who, perhaps even the original culprit, tried once again, and once again I thrashed away from them. Finally they got the message and no one tried to touch me again.

After a few minutes went by I stopped flailing. The tears were subsiding though still present and I was rocking back and forth in a ball still but had stopped trying to kick anyone anymore and was reasonably sedate. After another few minutes I calmed down enough to look up to see the whole Cullen family looking at me with varying degrees of concern. Finally it was Esme who broke the silence.

"Are you alright now, dear?" she asked gently.

"I'm fine, sorry to disturb you with my nightmares" I replied.

"It's absolutely fine dear, you most certainly didn't wake anyone" she said, smiling.

After that I decided to go back to sleep so the Cullen's left my room and went back to whatever they do at night. It took me a bit to get back to sleep because I kept finding myself pondering my reaction to the friendly gesture earlier. I mean normally I'm alright with affection after those nightmares even if I don't necessarily want it. The only time I had really struggled that much before was in the dungeons and that time I wasn't kicking, just struggling. However before I could really reach an answer I fell back asleep and thankfully had not more nightmares that night.

The next morning I found myself being gently shaken by Esme telling me it was time for breakfast. I went downstairs and while I was eating Alice bounced into the room at sat down next to me.

"We're going shopping today!" She announced in a very cheerful voice.

"Shopping for what?" I asked, confused. "Hagrid bought me plenty of clothes and things when he first brought me to Hogwarts. I already have enough of everything."

"Of course not silly, no one can ever have enough clothes!" she replied with a laugh.

Somehow despite her cheerful tone and bouncy attitude this seemed like a very ominous statement to me.