Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to Harry Potter or Twilight, and on the minuscule chance that either of the authors ever see this note, I thank you both from the bottom of my heart for sharing your stories with us.

Side Note: I know I've already altered enough to make this AU, but I hope you don't mind me changing two more things. The vampires in this series will not sparkle in sunlight and will have retractable fangs. I'm sorry, but there are just too many things I want them to do and I don't want to have to worry about sunlight interfering. Plus I think fangs are awesome.

Phoenix Rising – Settling In

Edward sat on the end of the couch in the Cullen's Alaskan home, perplexed. He had his nose buried in a book outlining common behavioral changes in abused children, as well as suggestions on how best to help the child heal from such trauma. Since Carlisle had purchased the book for his own personal library, Edward knew the author had to be top notch.

He glanced from the chapter he was reading on emotional abuse and neglect to the subject of his confusion. The little phoenix was currently full of giggles as she ran around the living room naked and dripping while Alice chased her with a towel, halfheartedly complaining about the puddles of water the child was leaving behind. The other Cullens watched with undisguised amusement as Hera dove between Jasper's legs and made for the front door.

Esme reached her seconds before her escape and handed the slippery child back to her towel-wielding sister. Alice carried the now pouting little girl to Hera's room to dress her for the day.

"Don't you dare put her in purple, Alice," Rosalie groused. "With her green wings she'll look like a Mardi Gras float!" The blonde grumbled before following her sisters, determined that nothing Alice picked out would be good enough for Hera.

All four male vampires shared a look, each wondering why women were so obsessed with selecting the perfect outfit. Esme just smiled knowingly and returned to the kitchen to finish cooking Hera's breakfast.

When Hera first arrived home with them a month ago, she was withdrawn. She wasn't scared of her adoptive family, per se, but she was wary of the new environment. Of course they were all prepared for this since the child had been uprooted twice in a short period of time, but Edward was expecting more trauma. He was, with good reason, scared of how many emotional hurdles they would have to face in order to get his little mate over the horrendous abuse she suffered at the Dursleys' house.

What was confusing the hell out of him was the fact that Hera was displaying none of the symptoms of any type of abuse listed within the pages of the book in his lap. He knew the Flamels weren't lying about the tortures little Hera went through… could she have repressed everything? Was she going to suddenly remember the pain at some point later in her life? He shook his head to clear away the image of a teen-aged Hera reaching for her high school diploma before collapsing in screams from the return of the horrible memories.

Or perhaps this has something to do with her healing abilities as a phoenix… was Hera able to heal mental ailments as well as physical?

So many questions! Unfortunately, all of Nicolas' books on phoenixes were written from an outsider's point of view. Not one of them was authored by an actual member of that species, and they all, therefore, lack a great deal of information. Plus phoenixes were so rare that even the Flamels, who've devoted a great portion of their lives to understanding all types of magical creatures, have never seen one in person.

He'd discussed this all with Carlisle as soon as Hera began getting over her initial shyness and started talking to them, but he'd had no more ideas than Edward. The head of their family finally suggested that they lay their concerns to rest and wait for any problem to manifest before they made an attempt to fix it. "After all," he had said, "you can't stitch up skin that hasn't yet been torn."

Edward sighed and placed the book on the table beside him. The problem, he mused, was not waiting for the proverbial skin to tear… it was finding the wound that was surely already formed. As much as his instincts were screaming at him to heal his mate, he had to concede that Carlisle was right. What could he possibly do to fix a child that always woke up with a smile and fought sleep tooth and nail in the reluctance to see her day end?

He grinned when the emerald-eyed girl, now clothed in a bright yellow sundress, reentered the room and climbed on his lap, beaming at him. She began babbling incoherently and, being the warm and loving mate that he was, Edward obediently nodded occasionally as if he understood every word perfectly. Though he could read her thoughts to help him understand what she was trying to tell him, they were often as confusing as her speech… cycling rapidly through different toys, foods, and anything else that had sparked her interest as of late.

"Family meeting," Carlisle announced that evening after he'd read his newest daughter to sleep with the children's book Esme had picked up earlier in the day.

The vampires appeared in a blur of motion from wherever they had previously been and each took a spot at the dining table. Carlisle smiled as he noticed all attention was now firmly on him.

"I have a few things to discuss with you. First of all, I received notice from the hospital that I'm expected to attend a medical conference next weekend in New York. I had originally declined the invitation only to find out today from the administrator that it's mandatory since I skipped the last two." He adopted a sour expression. "My ticket has already been purchased, and I'm expected to prepare a speech for the event."

His children all snickered, knowing how much he hated such things.

"Loathe as I am to leave the house in the hands of teenagers," he continued, smiling at the sudden influx of laughter, "Esme will be going with me."

"House party!" Emmett ducked his wife's hand as she tried to smack him.

"If you wake Hera up I will slaughter you," Rosalie growled.

The brawny vampire looked sheepish and muttered a quick apology. Everyone silently stared at the ceiling for a moment to ensure that the child was still sleeping before Carlisle continued with the meeting.

"The final item of import is a letter I received from Nicolas letting me know that he sent word of Hera to a school in Ireland that caters strictly to magical creatures." He pulled out a different letter and skimmed over it, ignoring his children's sudden growls. "I'm not sure how, but we've already been sent a missive from said school… The Ardaigh Institute of Magic."

Edward scowled fiercely. "We're not sending my mate to Ireland, Carlisle! Not only will she be unprotected, but she'll be way too close to the people who abandoned her, bound her magic and wings, and placed her in the hands of child abusers!"

Carlisle put up his hands in a placating manner as all of his children looked ready to mutiny. "Calm down, everyone… no one's planning to ship Hera off on the next ship to Ireland, but we will have to be made aware of our options when it comes to her education. Nicolas wouldn't have mentioned it if this school wasn't a good choice for her.

"Now the Deputy Headmaster, Professor Seamus Fredrickson will be stopping by tomorrow at three. All I'm asking is that we greet him in a friendly manner and remain civil while he tells us why his school would be a good match for Hera... okay?"

Jasper growled out, "He's not a werewolf, is he?"

Carlisle sighed. "I don't know, but even if he is we will treat him with the utmost respect until he does something to show himself unworthy of it."

Emmett raised his hand as if he were in school. "Yes, Emmett?"

"If he does show himself unworthy of that respect can we eat him?"

Alice stared at her brother in horror. "You would eat a werewolf? Gross!"

Needless to say, Carlisle called an end to the family meeting not much later.

Thanks again to all of you who reviewed "First Meeting". You guys made me smile so much :)