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Thank you to everyone who has stayed with me throughout this entire story I appreciate your support . A very special thank you to my amazing BETA Miss. Ellen, who has helped me tremendously with this story.

Chapter Eighteen

Eternal Bliss

I chuckled at the sight of Bella loudly whooping and cheering as Daniel walked up to the stage to receive his diploma. Her boisterous reaction was very, well, un-Bella like. Though considering the occasion it was appropriate enough. Daniel blushed scarlet at his sister's praise but otherwise pretended not to notice. Phil chuckled at his step-daughter's reaction and simply kept clapping for his son. As my father-in law watched his son shake hands with the High School principle and accept his diploma, he whispered a quiet, "He did it, Renee."

Renee, eccentric, scatter-brained, fun-loving, always good for a laugh; Renee lost her life to brain cancer when Daniel was just seven years old. Phil was a mess for close to a year afterwards and Bella and I did our best to help him keep it together, for Daniel's sake. Though, in truth I think Bella was just as heartbroken as Phil was, she just did a tremendous job of hiding it. Bella had very few weaknesses, but one of them was that she felt like she had to protect everyone, even at the sake of her own sanity. She didn't hunt for nearly a month after Renee passed away. I literally, with the help of Emmett and Alice had to drag her out to the forest and practically shove the deer on her face. It was a difficult time for all of us.

We ended up moving to Florida to help out with Daniel. Thanks to Severus and a new potion he had created that blocks the reaction of our skin to the sunlight, in other words an extremely powerful sunscreen, we were able to walk around in the sunlight like any other human. We ended up moving back to Seattle around the time Daniel started fourth grade, though we still visited often and called or Skyped every couple of days.

As the ceremony ended, Daniel, after talking briefly to a few friends, one of whom whispered: "That's your older sister? She's freakin' hot!" he found us through the crowds of people.

"I'm so proud of you, Danny," Bella congratulated him, pulling him into a tight hug.

"Thanks Bella," he said with a grin as she slowly released him from her embrace.

"Congrats, Dan!" I said extending my hand."

"Thanks Harry," He replied but instead of shaking my hand he pulled me into a tight hug. It was one of those moments that if I had been able to cry I would have. Daniel may have technically been my brother-in-law, but in my heart, at times, he felt more like a son. The only son I would ever have.

Daniel knew about my magic, which I was happy to share with him. He was family, so really I wasn't breaking any rules, at least from the Ministry of Magic's stand point. No he didn't know Bella and I were vampires and it was far safer that he didn't. I hadn't intended on telling him, but one weekend while we had been visiting, he was hit by a car while riding his bike with some friends. One of his friends had raced to the house to get Phil, while the other had run home to call 911. The driver had run off. Not that he got far for long, but that was another story. Daniel was conscious but had a deep gash on his neck. The blood was literally pumping out of him. It was the first time I had seen Bella show any sign of blood-lust. Her eyes had gone pitch black and she immediately stopped breathing. I had stopped breathing, too, though for some reason the scent of his blood didn't get to me the way it had Bella. She shook her head and slowly backed up, whispering, "I can't, it's too much." She admitted later she was beyond ashamed for how she reacted. I had tried to comfort her but to no avail. She had refused to see Daniel for months after that, which was extremely hard on both of them.

As the blood had continued to pour from the small boy, I knew that if I didn't do something, Danny was going to die of blood loss before the ambulance even arrived. I told everyone to back up, that I was a med student, which at the time was a huge lie. I then stealthily pulled out my wand and healed enough of the wound to dramatically slow the bleeding. I then pulled off my shirt, wadded it up and pressed it against the gash in his neck. He had seen the entire thing, his eyes wide with confusion and unbelief. It was two days later, in his hospital bed, that I told him the truth, that I was a wizard. He thought it was the coolest thing he had ever heard!

After the ceremony we all headed home where Phil made Daniel's favorite meal, steak on the grill. After lunch we handed out presents.

"I have a couple things for you, buddy," Phil said reaching into his pocket he pulled out two hundred dollar bills and handed them to his son."

"Cash!" Daniel grinned, "Just what I wanted."

We all laughed.

"I thought so. I also have a little something else, well it's from me and your mom."

Daniel eyes softened, "Mom?" he whispered.

Phil nodded and handed him a DVD. "Your mom started it when you were just a baby. It's a slide show of pictures but also has a few video clips in there. It's your whole life, from the very first sonogram we got of you to your senior prom."

Daniel was trying hard to fight the tears, but eventually he just couldn't hold them back. "Thank you," he ran his hand over the plastic cover which had a picture of Renee and Phil and Daniel on his seventh birthday. It was one of the last happy moments they had together before she passed away.

"You're welcome. She had said she wanted to give it to you on a special occasion, and this is pretty special. I just wish she was here to see it."

"She is," Daniel spoke up. "The ones who love us never really leave us. She's always with me."

He looked up at me briefly before his eyes moved back to the photo on the DVD cover. They were the exact words I told him the day of Renee's funeral and it was the same thing Sirius had said to me. Deep down I know my parents are still watching over me, just like I knew Renee was watching over her son.

"Okay," Bella breathed, "our turn." Her lips pulled into smile as she pulled a set of silver keys from her pocket. Without another word she took his hand and placed the keys on his palm.

Daniels eyes widened in realization, "No. Way!"

"Oh, yes way," she said with a chuckle. "You know that new red mustang convertible that's been sitting in Mr. Walkers driveway for the past week?"

"What. Seriously?"

"Seriously. Now give your big sis a hug before you leave and show off your new toy to all your friends."

Daniel pulled Bella into a tight hug and then me as well. "You two are beyond awesome. Thank you, so much."

"You're welcome, now go have fun and be safe."

With a nod Daniel was racing out of the kitchen. "Wear your seatbelt!" Phil hollered after him.

Phil leaned back into his chair, scratching the day-old stubble on his chin. "I still wish you would have let me help out with the car."

"Oh, but you are, "Bella said with a smirk. "He's going to be on your auto insurance, you're more than welcome to pay for that."

"Plus, I'm sure he'll hit you up for gas money quite often," I added in.

Phil laughed as he stood for his chair. "I suppose so. Renee would have loved a moment like this."

"Yes, she would," Bella agreed, "and I'm sure she would have insisted the first person he takes for a spin was her."

Phil and I broke out laughing knowing that was exactly something Rene would have done.

When the laugher died down, Phil rubbed his eyes before letting out a long, deep breath, then saying, "It's times like this that I miss her the most," before pushing in his chair and leaving the kitchen.

Closing her eyes and shaking her head, my wife added in a whisper, "And it's times like this that I wished I had had the courage to change her."

XXX

I didn't say a word but flipped lazily through my most recent copy of 'Quidditch Quarterly' as Bella sat fixated on Severus' every word. He had met a Healer in Berlin who specialized in regenerative potions and was interested in his work on trying to revitalize dead and severely damaged organs. While Bella wasn't a witch, you wouldn't know by the conversations she and Severus had, you would have thought she had been studying potions her entire life. Severus has often said that Bella knew more about potions and elixirs then many professional potioneers. He of course had to add, "Doesn't that bother you, Potter? That your muggle wife knows more about potions then you do?"

I just shrugged, retorting, "Bella's brilliant, she's better at me in most things and I have no problem admitting that."

Severus snorted and muttered that I was utterly pathetic and that if finding his mate entails having absolutely no pride in his abilities and gifts then he'd rather go without. Of course that was before he met Elsa, a newborn vampire that had been abandoned by her maker deep in the Black Forest. Severus had been hunting when he came across her feeding on a hiker. He showed her that there was another way and they have been together ever since.

Elsa was currently out shopping with Esme, with whom she had become close friends. Severus was still staying with the Cullens, though he would often visit Edward who now resided with his wife, Tanya, in Denali.

"Are they still talking," Alice whined as she plopped down on the couch beside me.

"Yes, for almost an hour now." I said closing the magazine and plopping it down on the coffee table.

Alice rolled her eyes and crossed one leg over the other "You two are leaving for England in the morning and Bella promised me she would give me her opinion on the dress I'm designing." She pouted.

I couldn't help but roll my eyes, sometimes I don't understand how she and Bella can be such close friends, they are so completely opposite. "We aren't leaving for six hours, I know Severus can be a bit longwinded but I don't think they'll go on that long."

"I heard that, Potter," Severus cut in then, standing from his seat, "and Alice, you no longer have act like someone has just taken away your favorite pair of designer shoes, we are done."

"Goodie!" Alice jumped up from the couch, grasping Bella's hand and whisking her out of the room."

Severus sighed as he sat down in the space Alice has just vacated. "That girl is like a Cornish pixie on a caffeine high."

That was a pretty good way to describe her. Though I think Emmet's description of her as the Energizer Bunny on speed has to be my favorite.

"So, Harry, how is your residency going?"

"Good. I only have a month left when we get back from our trip."

Severus gave a rare smile, "Your mother would be very proud of you. You know, when she was young she wanted to become a healer."

My brow rose at his words, I hadn't known that. When people talked about my parents it was about how brave they were and how much they loved me, but hardly anyone ever mentioned anything about their private lives; what job they had, what hobbies or interests they held, at least aside from my dad being obsessed with Quidditch anyway. I hadn't even known my grandparent's names until Severus told me. Looking back I wondered why I never had asked Remus or Sirius that question.

"Really?"

"Oh yes, since before we even started Hogwarts, though around our fifth year she started to consider going into wizarding law… in the end she didn't get a chance to do either."

No she didn't. She married my dad, had me, and went into hiding.

"You do realize how remarkable you becoming a doctor is, don't you? Even more so then Carlisle, I think."

I didn't know if I agreed with that. Carlisle had more control than any vampire I had ever known. "I don't know about that."

"Think about it, Carlisle has never fed from a human. Aside from the small amount of blood he ingested when he changed Edward, Rosalie and Emmett, he had never tasted human blood. You on the other hand lived as a nomad, a human drinker, for over a decade before changing your diet. You switched your life style for Bella, but you continue it for yourself. You were able to save Daniel when Bella couldn't and you know how resistant Bella is to human blood because of her shield."

Yes, he had a point; it was something Bella had pointed out to me on several occasions. I wasn't sure why exactly, but abstaining from human blood as long as I had… it was almost like I had built up an immunity to it, as crazy as it sounds. Carlisle was a doctor and had been for over a hundred years, but he hadn't even started practicing until he had been a vampire for over two centuries; another fact Bella had pointed out to me when she had first started trying to convince me to apply for Medical school. Both Edward and Rosalie had gotten medical degrees but neither of them did a residency or practiced for whatever reason, but I was and I would, and I was looking forward to becoming a doctor. I wanted to help people, to save them.

"It's an amazing thing you are doing, Harry, a truly amazing thing." Severus gave me a small smile, which I truly appreciated. His smile, however, widened tremendously a moment later when Elsa walked into the room. He wasted no time in racing over to her, taking her in his arms and telling her he missed her and loved her. It was beyond odd seeing this side of Snape. We had certainly become friendlier since he had come to live with the Cullens, but since finding the love of his eternity Severus Snape has shown a side of himself I never knew existed.

As the love birds walked out of the room, Rosalie walked it. "Hello Harry."

"Hi Rosalie. No Emmett?" I asked; those two are rarely apart.

She shook he head, leaning against the edge of the couch. "No, he and Jasper are out doing something. I have no idea what, but by the look they had in their eyes when they left I don't think I want to know."

Emmett was a great guy and a lot of fun to hang around with, but when you put his playful spirit alongside Jasper, the cunning strategist you get… well you get Fred and George.

"Do you want me to have a look at your car before you head back?" she offered.

"Sure, if you don't mind."

She shrugged, "I don't have anything better to do, so why not." She had started to leave the room but before she reached the doorway that lead to the kitchen I called out for her.

"Hey Rosalie?" She stopped walking and looked back at me. "Can I ask you a question?"

"I guess, no promise I'll answer it." She replied pushing her long, blond hair over her shoulder.

"Why did you never put your medical degree to work?"

She gave me a small smile, but I could see the sadness in her eyes. "In part it was because I look so young, it was difficult enough getting though medical school believably, let alone a residency."

Ok, I could understand that, but that really wasn't an issue for her anymore. "I'm sure Severus would offer to help you appear older."

"I'm sure he would but I think I'll hold out a bit longer. Perhaps one day he will get that potion right and I can go about it the right way." She gave me a quick wink before turning and heading through the kitchen and into the garage.

XXX

I couldn't help but laugh as I listened to Hermione and Ron bicker back and forth. Their youngest was dating a Malfoy, and needless to say it was causing some friction. It had become an annual trip for Bella and I every summer. We would head to England, mostly to check on my friends to make sure they were happy. If they needed anything, I was always happy to provide, anonymously of course. We would have a "picnic" in the exact same spot I proposed to her years ago, maybe see a show or two and we would visit my parent's grave. Since we'd married, I always took Bella with me.

At the moment, however, we were sitting under my invisibility cloak on a neighbor's roof listening to Hermione tell Ron he was being pigheaded and that Cassie was nothing like her father, while Ron was quite insistent that his wife had lost her mind and that all Malfoys were evil!

Bella laughed and shook her head in unbelief, "Have they always been like this?"

I laughed and nodded. "Since the day they met. They've always had an odd sort of love-hate relationship."

"You're insane!" Ron shouted before bursting out the front door and then apparating on the spot.

Inside Hermione whimpered before dropping her head into her hand and crying. "I just can't do this anymore," she sighed.

Bella frowned, "You would never talk to me like that."

"No," I said with a sigh, "I wouldn't." I then pulled my wife into my arms and kissed the top of her head.

They lived in a nice wizarding community. They had bought the house with the money I had left them. They'd raised four children in that house, though two of them had already grown and left and started lives of their own. Harriett was a medi-witch and Rose played Professional Quidditch for the Holyhead Harpies.

"I just want to go in there and hug her," Bella sighed.

"Me too," I agreed.

Instead, we stayed there and watched over her until Ron came home three hours later. He apologized for yelling but still didn't want his youngest son dating a Malfoy. They went to bed agreeing to disagree.

XXX

I thought it quite funny that the one and only time I talked to Teddy he stated that he had no interest in Quidditch, yet here he was playing Chaser for the Cannons. He had tried a career in Wizarding Law, to please his grandmother but didn't even last a year before he decided he just couldn't take the mundanely of it. Needing a steady paycheck he tried out for the Cannons and has been playing for them ever since. I have been able to catch a couple of his games. Bella and I would sit in 'nose bleed' seats; I would wear glamours as well as sitting under my cloak with Bella. She never did get into the sport and while she would pretend to be interested, I could tell most of the time her mind was somewhere else. Not that I cared, her being there with me to root on my Godson was more than enough for me.

"Yes!" I cheered pumping my fist in the air. "Go Teddy!" He had just scored his third goal of the game and it was only fifteen minutes in.

"Do you miss playing?"

Bella's question surprised me, though I answered honestly. "Yes, sometimes." I miss a lot of things about the wizarding world, the interaction with other wizards more than anything. Perhaps one day when all I was became a name and a picture in the most recent copy of 'Hogwarts a History,' when my friends and enemies were gone from this earth, I could play a more active role in the world that I love.

She took my hand a squeezed it, she didn't say anything but she didn't need to.

XXX

It was a warm summer evening as I stood by my parent's grave, Bella at my side. I had decided to purchase some flowers for their grave rather than conjure some. I placed the daffodils gently against their headstone, according to Severus they had been my mum's favorite flower.

"So, I've almost finished my residency and I've got a couple job possibilities lined up."

"He's being modest," Bella chimed in, "He's already been offered positions at two different local hospitals. Carlisle says the medical community can't stop talking about him."

"I don't think it's that big of a deal, Bella. Carlisle is just trying to make it sound that way."

"Are you kidding any hospital, any Oncology department anywhere would be lucky to have you."

She put her arm around me, squeezing my shoulder and placing a kiss on my cheek. I had gone into Oncology for several reasons, the biggest being Bella's mom. I wanted to try and save as many Renees as I could. I wanted to save people the heartache of losing their spouses, their mothers.

"Yes, well. Changing the subject, Severus is getting married. I think you would like Elsa mum, she's smart, funny and she manages to bring out a side of him I think few have ever witnessed. I've heard the man actually say the words "I love you" to another human being, you have no idea how odd that is."

"Oh, you remember Daniel, Bella's brother, he's starting college in September. He's majoring in Physical Education. He wants to be a coach, like his dad."

For the next hour I talked about pretty much everything that was going on in my life. I talked to my dad about all the pranks and jokes Emmet had pulled on the family. Most of the time I laughed along with him even if it was at my expense, though I'll admit I wasn't exactly thrilled with him when he used my Quidditch Magazines to build a paper mache likeness of the Eiffel Tower for a school project. "I got him back pretty good, though," I explained, "I emptied his thumb drive with all his papers and assignments he had written over the past twenty years on it. He had a tendency to recycle his work. He won't be doing that now, at least not for a while. I may have also given him a monkey's ears and tail. I don't know why it was the first hex that popped into my head," I admitted with a laugh. "He didn't leave his room until it wore off three days later!"

When it was time to leave, I told them I loved them and that I thought of them often and that I would visit again soon. Bella said good bye as well, promising to take good care of their son, which she most certainly did. I wouldn't be where I was now without her.

Sometimes I wondered what my life would be like if we'd never crossed paths that chilly night on that pier. I figured I would probably still be on my own, living off the blood of murderers and rapists. I would be lonely, and angry, and depressed. I never would have gone back to school, much less have plans to become a doctor. I wouldn't have visited my friends as often- if at all, or made friends with the Cullens or even found out about Severus being alive.

Bella never would have been able to see her mom, or visit her brother. I thought about how she probably never would have reconnected with the Cullens had I not been there, and that if she did without me in the picture, I wondered if she would have gone back to Edward. I would've liked to hope not but who knows. In the end I supposed it didn't do any good to dwell on such things. My life was pretty bloody close to perfect right now. I had a beautiful wife, an amazing career ahead of me and wonderful friends that were always there for me, no matter what. And I would have them for all eternity. Who could possibly have asked for more than that?

The End

A/N: Okay finally finished. I want to write more but this was already close to ten pages so I forced myself to stop. In the future I might post some outtakes so keep an eye out for them. Thanks again to all of you who have read and supported this story.