Starry skies and Gardenias

Chapter 158

"I was wondering," Isabella said looking up from her Ancient Runes homework. "Are you really alright with not telling anyone else?"

"Yes," Regulus said, his eyes not leaving the book he was referring to for his own work.

"What if Sirius and the others found out?" Isabella said curiously.

"Well," Regulus said looking up, thinking. "Sirius would be pleased and shocked, I am expecting. . .Lily would be over the moon. She always seemed like the type to get very happy for someone else. James would certainly throw a party and let everyone in the Order know,"

"Which shouldn't be happening at all," Isabella said. She didn't know how many more spies of traitors the Order would have.

Regulus nodded.

"We'll keep it from them too for the time being," he said and Isabella agreed.

"What about your mother?" Isabella asked.

Regulus chuckled dryly.

"I'll get yelled at, maybe even hexed," he said matter-of-factly. "Then I'd be disowned and kicked out,"

"We can't have that," Isabella said slightly alarmed. Not that she didn't think it was possible, but it was still a bit too much. Sirius was easy to kick out, but Regulus was the golden child.

"Sirius would be pleased though," Regulus said, sounding rather pleased himself. He returned his gaze to his homework.

"What if Warrington found out?" Isabella pressed.

"Are you doing this to disturb my concentration?" Regulus huffed. "Because we both know we can't let anyone know.  Especially Marcus. . .He might get into danger,"

Regulus dipped his quill into ink. 

"The Dark Lord must have spies other than me, and if somehow we raise suspicion, the first person he is going to go for is Marcus," Regulus said.

He put his quill down in the ink bottle and turned to Isabelle with a frown.

"Why is the Dark Lord even interested in you?" he said. "I thought you'd be safe out of everyone. Ollivander, I get it. He wants a wand or something maybe,"

Isabella shrugged.

"I can only guess," she said vaguely, thinking. It was true. . .What reason did Voldemort have to specifically send Regulus to keep an eye on her?

"I was going to use Dumbledore's name for everything," Isabella said. "Since, anything that goes against You-Know-Who's plans, he is bound to suspect Dumbledore first,"

". . .And Dumbledore did tell me about a prophecy. . ." Isabella trailed off. 

The chances that Voldemort actually believed in the prophecy. . .Well, he would tend to panic when the news of his downfall came in. . .

"I am the only apprentice Ollivander has taken, and it is not exactly a secret at Diagon Alley," Isabella said. "Everyone's been seeing 'Bella' since I was twelve. Flourish and Blotts know that I come first, right after the booklist arrive. Mr Fortescue knows my favourite ice cream flavours by heart. Madam Malkin smiles at me whenever she sees me. Tom knows me as a regular customer at his inn. . ." 

"If You-Know-Who is looking for a wand," Isabella said slowly. "Then if he can't get it out of Mr Ollivander, he will go looking for his apprentice, me. Which is why I am supposing Dumbledore asked me to hide away,"

"No, no," Regulus said hastily, shifting in his seat to see her properly. "What was that about a prophecy?"

How was it that she was leaving such an important detail out?