Chapter 13: Everything About You
You know I've always got your back
So let me be the one you come running to, running to
I said it's just a matter of fact
You just call my name
I'll be coming through, coming through, I'll get coming
On the other side of the world, it don't matter
I'll be there in two, I'll be there in two, I'll be there in two
I still feel it every time
It's just something that you do
Now ask me why I want to
Yes, I like the way you smile with your eyes
Other guys see you but don't realize that it's m-my loving
There's something about your laugh that it makes me wanna have to
There's nothing funny so we laugh at n-n-nothing
Every minute's like our last so let's just take it real slow
Forget about the clock that's tick-tick-ticking
I still feel it every time
It's just something that you do
Now ask me why I want to
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"Good morning, Bella" I looked up from my book, hearing his heart beat before he'd even spoken.
"Morning Draco" I smiled, getting up to meet him.
Draco looked me over once before asking me if I was ready, I was confused for a second before quickly remembering that today was the first Hogsmeade weekend, "I've just got to get changed, and then I'll be ready, where should I meet you?"
"The main entrance courtyard"
I took off with a smile, running as fast as my vampire abilities would take me, I didn't pause when I reached the Gryffindor dorms, I flew up the stairs and ignored Rosalie's shocked look at my barge in.
"What's got you all happy?" Alice asked, although I'm sure she would already know what I had planned for today – and who I was with.
"Nothing" I smiled, looking through my clothes for my purple flannelette 3/4 shirt, when I'd found it, I put it on quickly over my black tank top, leaving the black jeans that I already had on and kicked off my flip flops to put on a pair of black ballet flats.
"You're seeing that kid again, aren't you?" Rosalie asked with disgust, I rolled me eyes at her.
"Well, yes, I do have to protect him"
"You're taking it a bit too serious, Bella." Rose told me, "you go everywhere with him."
I rounded on her, "of course I'm going to take it seriously, I was created for this and it's someone's life!" I exclaimed.
Alice took a small step towards me, "someone's life, or his life?" she asked gently, I rolled my eyes again, not answering her.
I heard Rosalie scoff behind me, "he's a human, there's plenty more of them, it's not like they'll go extinct"
My mouth dropped open for a second before I regained my composure, "well maybe I'm still sensitive to human life, I was one not too long ago." I muttered and walked past them, out the door.
"Good one, Rosalie" I heard Alice growl before I walked out of the common room.
"Hi" I smiled at Draco as I approached him, the whole time hearing Alice's words in my head someone's life, or his life? I quickly shook off whatever doubts I was having – of course this was about his life, it's my job to protect him, it's just a job.
"Hey" he said casually, "ready to go now?" I nodded and followed him across the courtyard to the school gates.
I saw a few metres ahead, Hermione, Ron and Harry were walking.
"I can't believe Lavender is making me wear this" I heard Ron moan, I heard the clinging of a necklace as he pulled on it.
"Take it off then" Hermione muttered, so lowly that I almost didn't hear her.
"I can't, she said it means a lot to her" Ron sighed
I heard Harry chuckle, "you tosser" he laughed.
Hermione made a sound of distaste and stalked off, muttering curse words about Lavender Brown. In Hermione's departure, Harry and Ron had slowed down their walking pace, Draco and I were quickly catching up to them.
"Morning" I said as we slowed down to walk beside them, Draco sighed frustrated, probably annoyed at having to be seen with Gryffindor's, in my short time at Hogwarts, I'd learned something about the houses – although the legendary rivalry between Slytherin and Gryffindor would have been hard not to pick up eventually.
I gave Draco a quick reassuring smile before turning to Ron, "what's wrong with Hermione?" I asked, pointing to where she had disappeared, I could still hear her footsteps, faint as she trudged up the hill that was coming.
Ron shrugged, "she's barking mad" is all he said, I waited for a few seconds, expecting him to elaborate but he didn't, he just glared at her retreating back.
"Is she alwa-" I started to say but stopped when I heard a shrill scream, I moved my head to the direction that I'd heard the scream so fast that to the others, it would have looked like a blur.
"What was that?" Harry asked, drawing out his wand – as did the others. I pulled mine out of my jean pocket and held it by my side, ready to cast the first spell I thought of if anything unexpected happened.
I took a tentative step forward, and felt Draco's arm go around my waist, "What are you doing?" he asked me, exasperatedly.
"Going to see what that noise was." I said calmly, although I already knew what it was – and who had made it.
It was Harry that spoke next,"What? Are you insane?"
I rolled my eyes, my vision never leaving the hill, "This is my job, remember?" I told them, then spoke more softly, "I'll be fine, magic can't hurt me." I smiled and pulled away from Draco's grasp, casting a quick glance behind me.
"Stay with Professor McGonagall" I told them all before speeding off up the hill – I heard a noise of protest but within seconds I was out of their sight and over the hill, watching the seen play out in front of me.
4 floating cloaked figures hovered over the ground , in a semi-circle – as haunting as these creatures were, it was what they were hovering over that caught and held my attention. A girl who I quickly recognised as a girl in Draco's Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Pansy Parkinson, lay rigidly on the ground, you could tell that she was trying to move her arms, her legs, anything that would help her get away from the figures over her.
"I-I can't… too many" I heard the whimper of Hermione next to me, her wand shaking in her hand as a small weak spell tried to explode from the end, but quickly evaporated.
"What's the spell?" I quickly asked, bringing my wand in front of me.
"Expecto Patronum" she told me, taking deep breaths, "think happy memories."
I nodded slowly and thought of the time when I'd first opened my eyes in this life, the relief that the burning pain had ceased, the content that I'd finally found a place where I belong.
"Expecto Patronum" I murmured, a silver smoke erupted from the end of my wand, the moment my concentration broke, so did the spell.
I shook my head quickly and tried to think of a different memory – a stronger one. I thought of the first time Edward told me he loved me, the first time he told me that he wanted to spend eternity with me, our first date, the first time in our meadow. I let myself believe all of these memories, believing that we were still in love, in a second, I was filled with elation, I smiled as I spoke the incantation quietly.
I was momentarily surprised when I saw the silver smoke materialise on the tip of my wand again, it slowly took the form of a Mountain Lion and walked slowly, stalking the floating masses. I quickly regained my composure and watched it run around the girl lying on the floor, blocking her off from the dark figures that looked to be sucking all her energy out of her.
Slowly, almost agonisingly slowly, Pansy started to get colour back into her face, her lips started to turn pink again, her skin had a natural blush creeping into her cheeks. I withdrew my wand when the hovering figures had disappeared.
"My god," I heard a screech from behind me, "My dear, are you alright?" Professor McGonagall raced up, and rushed past Hermione and I to bend down and tend to Pansy.
"Bella," she said, turning to me quickly, "you did very well," she told me appreciatively, "will you please take Pansy to the hospital wing as fast as you can? She doesn't have much time."
"Of course" I said at once, bending down to gather the unconscious girl in my arms, I held her cautiously, careful not to harm her fragile limbs and sped off, my feet barely making footprints in the snow.
"My goodness, what happened to her?" A woman I recognized as Madam Pomfrey, the schools nurse, exclaimed as she saw me suddenly appear with Pansy in my arms.
"I… Um," I stumbled, not knowing how to describe what'd I'd seen.
"Dementor's attacked her" I heard a velvety voice say behind me, I stiffened but didn't turn around – silently following a pale faced Madam Pomfrey's orders to lay Pansy on the bed.
"Oh my," she murmured as she looked over Pansy, "Oh my, Oh my" she kept repeating.
"Are you okay?" I heard Edward whispered, so low that the nurse wouldn't hear, he'd moved next to me and gently touched my shoulder, I flinched as if he'd burned me and took a tentative step away from him, ignoring his question.
"Will she be okay?" I asked Madam Pomfrey, had I been too late?
"I hope so," she whispered, getting a vile of some substance and putting it into a syringe. Now that I was standing here doing nothing, my mind started wandering back to what I'd been thinking about to make the protection spell work – and what shape it had taken. It could have been coincidence and doesn't mean a thing, but I couldn't shake it from my mind.
In that split second, I'd let myself believe that Edward still loved me, it had provided the protection that Pansy had needed, but had almost completely destroyed any progress that I'd made. I chanced a quick glance at Edward, I only looked at him for a second before he returned my stare, my eyes cast downwards and I would have blushed if that had been possible. You are my life now Edward's voice said in my mind, I shut my eyes tightly, trying to clear my thoughts.
I breathed a sigh of relief when Madam Pomfrey said that Pansy would be okay, and dismissed us, without another glance at Edward – even when I heard his soft voice calling my name, i took off, I was almost out of the corridor when I suddenly remembered that I'd left Draco and the others alone.
Sensing my distress, Edward raced to catch up to me, "what's wrong?" he asked me, looking down to my level to see my eyes.
"Draco. Harry… who's?" I looked up at him questionably, I saw sadness cross over his features before he answered me.
"They're with Emmett," he whispered, "he's safe."
I processed this for a few seconds, they were safe. I haven't failed. I gave him a brief smile before walking off back down the hallway, at a slower pace now.
He's safe? What would Edward have meant by he's safe? I shook my head for what felt like the hundredth time that evening, I was sitting in the Great Hall, watching everyone else eat, it had been announced that Pansy Parkinson had been attacked by 3 Dementors on her way to Hogsmeade but had survived thanks to Hermione and my Patronuses. If I'd been human my face would have been as red as Gryffindors colours. Instead I distracted myself by obsessing over Edward's words, does he think I have feelings for Draco as well? Do all the Cullens think I do? I shook my head again, no that can't be right. I've been nothing but professional towards Draco. Besides, it was too soon after Edward to even think about anyone else.
"Bella," I looked up to see Alice standing awkwardly in front of me, "will you come with me? I'd like to talk to you, privately."
Without a word, I followed Alice out of the Great Hall and down to the entrance court yard, she stopped in front of the big fountain.
"Alice, what do y-" I started to say but cut myself off when I heard a sob come from her, she turned around slowly, looking like she was barely holding it together.
"Be-Bella, please" she whispered, "don't do this." I didn't even have time to ask what she was talking about before she broke down, throwing herself into my arms, her body shaking with dry sobs.
All I could do was quietly shh her and pat her back, waiting for her to calm down enough to explain.
[Author Note: I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to update! I've had the biggest writers block for this story! I hope this story was up to all your standards. And sorry for the cliffhanger :p hahaha xx]