Thank you Kamerreon for all your hard work!

Chapter Twenty

Sirius was absolutely shocked, when he stood in the entry of the Cullens' home and stared straight ahead at James who had his arms wrapped snugly around Harry's frame.

"Hello Sirius," James said awkwardly. He hissed Harry's head and then looked at Edward. "Is my throat supposed to burn around humans that aren't Harry?" 'I feel like I wanna eat him…'

Edward winced. "Yes, you'll get used to it. Think of other things."

Sirius sighed heavily. "I see - you are - well."

"Never better. A little stronger and faster… and a new appetite…" James shrugged. "But it's not so bad…" 'I wonder if he tastes good… wait no, I don't! He's my friend not food!' "Where's Remus?"

"He didn't think it wise he show up," Sirius said sadly as he took a timid step forward. "You remember me though?" James scowled playfully, uncurled his arm from Harry, and embraced Sirius who squeaked at the cold arms. "This is different - please don't bite."

'I want to bite so bad! But I won't… I promise.' Edward heard James chanting. 'Gahh he smells good… much better than those elk!' "I'll try not too."

"Wow you got a grip now…" Sirius laughed. "But it's the same ol' you."

James chuckled and backed up. "Sorry Siri, I'm still learning my strengths."

"It's okay," Sirius said with a deep breath. 'And it is, old friend.' Edward heard Sirius say to himself. "You're still the same James, just cold, hard, and… sickeningly sweet scent."

"My eyes are a little quirky right now."

"Yes, I see that… what are you going to do about work?" He asked once James remembered his human attributes and led Sirius to sit down in the living room. It had taken a prompt look from Rosalie before he remembered.

"Right now, Carlisle has him in critical condition." Edward answered for everyone. Jasper kept a few feet back, ever watchful on the scene yet remaining separate from everybody. Alice perched on top of the white sofa with her skinny legs between Harry and Esme. "He keeps going in and out of a coma… with his status what he says goes."

Edward was on the arm of that same sofa, and Harry was smack dab in the middle of James' lap. The man refused to let him go.

Rosalie took the floor by James and Harry's feet. Emmett was nowhere to be found at the moment and that sort of scared Harry, all things considering.

"What's this Riddle doing now?" Sirius questioned.

"He's in the south. A really rare place for our kind," Alice announced. "I can't really understand what he's up too. I just see him going through a hot forest. He's sparkling madly so I would guess he was perhaps in Texas."

"What's in Texas?" Sirius asked aloud.

"No idea, for now he's running."

James growled nastily. "When I get ahold of him… I'll use this newfound strength and rip him to pieces." He clutched Harry closer. "I was a fool once, but not again."

Sirius looked panged. "I'm sorry we didn't tell you before this."

James waved a hand dismissively. "I understand why, even if I don't like it. I'm just happy you did everything you could to protect Harry."

"Didn't really work in the end, all my fault," Harry muttered.

"No, Harry it wasn't," Alice admonished. "Had you not listened, there's a good chance that not only James would be dead but your friend Cedric. He may have had Bellatrix throw caution to the wind and grab you from within."

Harry frowned deeply when this was said. He'd never thought of that. Really, he only heard his father's screams and that was it. He knew he had to get to him after that no matter the cost.

He gazed over at Edward who was sitting there still. "Edward?"

Edward didn't have to read Harry's mind to know what he was thinking. "Yes, Harry, I would have stood by my promise," he murmured painfully.

"What promise?" Sirius and James asked at the same time.

Alice gasped when she saw this. It was a solid promise. One that Edward would follow through no matter his own torment. "Wow…"

"I wasn't kidding," Harry said sharply.

Edward growled at her. "Shut your mind up!"

Everyone looked shocked; Jasper cringed. "Is it that bad?"

"If Tom so much as touched me with his venom… I asked Edward to kill me."

There was stunned silence. James clenched him and Edward moaned out as though he were a lion having been shot in the foot.

"Wow," Sirius said in shock.

"I made him promise. I don't want that thing's venom touching me," Harry hissed disgustedly and shuddered. "I'd rather die…"

Esme cooed at him. "That's not going to happen!"

"Really, I'll change you myself if it comes to that!" Rosalie declared, shocking everyone.

Sirius flinched. "Let's not get hasty now…" He said grimly.

"I wouldn't mind being changed by one of you," Harry reminded what they had talked about. "It's him I minded."

"It's not coming to that," Edward proclaimed. "I'm keeping you human as long as I can." Alice made a 'hmm' noise and this caused Edward to snarl again at her. "Don't even…"

"I said nothing…" She held up her small hands.

Harry laughed. "Calm down Edward, I was merely making a statement." He rubbed his mate's knee. "I'm not asking."

"I know…" Edward said quietly and ran a hand through his already mussed up hair.

Sirius looked stunned. 'You don't want Harry to be one of you forever?' He taunted inwardly.

Edward glowered at the human and refused to answer that. Instead, he pointedly turned away from the dog lover and began picking at Harry's long black hair. It'd grown out a few more inches, he noticed, falling well past his shoulders stopping at his elbow.

When Edward met Harry, it was laying right off his shoulders. Only seven months give or take. It felt like a century. He couldn't imagine a life without Harry.

Not now and not ever.

(o)

"I really don't think dad is the leather type of man," Harry said as straight-laced as he possibly could when Alice Cullen held up a pair of tight leather pants.

Rosalie was in the corner and she snickered. "I think he's more of a casual guy. Like Emmett."

Alice pouted. "But he'd look so cute with that messy hair!" Alice cooed.

Esme came back with an arm full of shirts and sweaters. "These are for you… and these are for your father. I think he'd look really gorgeous in deep crème coloured turtle neck. He just screams turtle neck man!"

Harry burst into a million giggles and just nodded at her. "Of course mum!"

Esme beamed and lightly jumped him for his comment; Alice and Rosalie smiled at one another.

"Well, is Carlisle a leather man?"

Esme giggled furiously as Alice pretended to start coughing, while Rosalie stared up at the ceiling with avid amusement.

"I don't know, perhaps we could see?" Esme wondered aloud. "We buy each of them a pair and make them wear it."

"Only if Emmett and Jasper."

"Don't forget Edward…"

"A family who wears leather together stays together," Harry mumbled walking away from the laughing vampire women.

Shopping was good even though trying things on was absolutely annoying seeing as he had a sling around his neck. It was a very fancy sling, according to Alice, if he was injured it might as well look good. It was fancy and crush velvet blue with a black strap.

If Edward hadn't told him that they were self-indulgent creatures, Harry would believe it now.

"You should change your earring sometime!" Alice insisted as she spun a jewelry box around a little faster than a human would be able to see.

"I have two pieces. The Chinese symbol and the gold bar." Harry said touching it absentmindedly. "I got this shortly before I arrived. I almost got my tongue pierced."

Alice looked at him incredulously. "I could see Edward's expression on that one."

Harry smirked. "I decided however that a needle through my tongue sounds painful… no matter how cool or rebellious it was."

The lady at the counter asked if she could help them. Her eyes were on Harry however, who blushed and shrugged. "Ask her."

"I want to see these two crosses… this silver loop… and… these diamonds!"

Rosalie stepped up and glared at them. "If they're not real Alice, you're not getting them."

"But they look nice!"

That same lady glared at Rosalie who flicked her blonde hair. "Harry is not wearing such fake baubles. We can have them custom made."

Alice and Rosalie continued to banter back and forth. The woman was absolutely scandalised not only by their beauty, but by Rosalie's hissing intelligence and fashion flare.

She looked at Harry who shrugged. "You get used to them."

"Are you related?" She asked.

"My sisters," Harry answered with a smile.

"Oh…" her eyes lit up. "How old are you?"

"Seventeen."

"Young," she said quirking a dark eyebrow. "So very young. I'm twenty-five."
Harry blushed and wondered why she told him this? She leaned against the glass counter and Harry wondered why she was acting so weird. "Are you from around here?"

"Uhm, Forks, Washington," he answered turning away from her and staring at the bickering girls. Where was Esme when he needed her?

"Ooh, a small town. I hardly know it. Are you staying in town?"

"He's taken!" Rosalie growled out before going back to her rash discussion with Alice about what fake gold could do to ears.

Harry blushed some more and the woman straightened, she was flustered and a bit beside herself. "Really?" She asked. "Who's the lucky girl?"

Harry wrinkled his nose. "I don't like girls," he said blithely, shocking her to the core.

"My son!" Esme had appeared at Harry's side, causing the woman to jump in surprise.

"Oh…"

Esme smiled widely and squeezed Harry. "Girls, girls, girls!" She intervened. "How about you buy them now and get some custom made later?" She suggested.

"That sounds better." Alice nodded with a huff. "These, please!"

Rosalie tapped her foot. "And if his little ears go red with infection?"

Alice arched an eyebrow in a human gesture. "They won't," she said as a matter of fact.

Harry touched his ears again. "I never thought they were so important."

Rosalie flashed him a smile. "Course they are sweetie! We can't have you running around with gaudy fakes." Her eyes flickered to the saleslady when she said this, causing her to flinch and bristle.

It was bad enough this woman was intimidated by all three gorgeous females, but now she was being cut down by the prettiest one of the lot. Harry almost felt bad for her.

Almost.

Harry was exhausted by the time he got back home. There were boxes and bags full of clothes for his dad. The teen had tried to decline some of this but they insisted and wouldn't let him or even James take no for an answer.

They were persistent.

Emmett and Carlisle took James out hunting, Jasper was nowhere in sight. Edward was playing on the pianoforte, which caused Harry to pause in the doorway and watch while the girls went upstairs to fix the room for James.

He knew Edward played but he had never heard it before. The singing had been melodic enough but the gentle playing of his fingers along the white of the keys sent Harry into a trance of sorts.

It went slightly high and then merged into a smooth low that ended with a vibrating hum. He picked back up going a little faster, his fingers moving with perfect precision.

"I see you," Edward mused with a smile.

Harry giggled. "I didn't want to disturb you…"

"Never." Edward continued to play, his golden eyes staring at Harry's through the reflection of the mirror in front of the piano. "Come here."

Obeying, Harry stepped behind Edward, wrapped his good arm around the vampire's neck, and began to kiss softly. "You play so wonderfully. Why didn't you before?"

"I did but you were asleep…" He confessed, going back into the low hum. "I didn't start playing again until you came into my life. I got really depressed for a while."

Harry frowned at the thought of Edward being depressed and kissed him on his ear. "I'm here now, I'm not going anywhere."

"No, you're not are you?" Edward's eyes shined. "I now have everything."

"You're such a classic romantic," Harry teased placing his weight against Edward's back, though the vampire hardly noticed.

"Hmm, maybe I am. I was born in 1901."

Harry ran his fingers through Edward's messy tawny hair. "My old man." Edward laughed quietly at this. "I love you!"

His smile was so crooked and Edward seemed to glow even more as he started playing faster and harder. "And I you - my little creature…"

Harry buried his face into Edward's neck, the cool marble skin soothed him just as much as the melody playing underneath those fingertips.

The warm burning across his neck and the puffs of air made Edward want to shiver, in a good way. He had that impression. The small weight Harry had against him was comforting. He had to wonder though, how did it get like this? How did he, a monster, get ahold of this little thing behind him? Yes, he considered himself a monster still. They were all monsters. He wasn't sure about Carlisle's theory about vampires and souls. How could it be possible? How did a vampire have a soul?

"Do you believe in vampires with souls?" Edward asked Harry, wanting to know his logic.

Harry smiled against the cold flesh. "Yes, Edward I do."

"Why?"

"Because I'm looking at one." Harry reached his hand around and placed it above Edward's heart. "There is no way that someone without a soul could get my blood and heart pumping the way you do."

It warmed him to hear this but… "What about Riddle? There are others like him, you know."

"He was sadistic before he was turned. It only heightened what he was. Look at my dad, Edward. My father was always a fun loving jokester who had the side to him to be very vain. He always brags about his looks and his skills. He was happy-go-lucky even as human and look at him now… he's the same except a little stronger. I think everyone is born with a soul and they keep a soul until their existence is up. It's what you do with your soul that counts. Carlisle has yet to be proven wrong, right?"

Edward smiled briefly. "Yes."

"Just because your appetite is different doesn't make you any less of a person. Human you might not be, but you are a person. You have a soul. I know you do."

Edward had stopped playing some time ago, Harry's words. Not even Carlisle could make them sound so solid, so persuasive. He chuckled to himself as Harry squeezed him some more.

Perhaps Harry was right. Perhaps he could believe. He had too.

What else was there?

xoxo

A/N: Chapter One of Emerald Moon will go up on January 1st. But I'd be more pleased with the dates not being 'last' year technically. It also gives me more room finish other chapters of my much neglected stories. Hehe. Thank you to all who've read this story! I hope you enjoyed it.