Thank you ^so^ much for your reviews.

Chapter Seven

Harry had never side-long Apparated with anyone before.

It weighed him down, twisting him horribly through time and space. He almost lost concentration, and that would have been devastating. But somehow, he kept focus and propelled them forward through time. He knew the boy who had grabbed his arm was no other than Edward Cullen, the very same vampire he didn't want to deal with at the moment.

His body cracked into existence a few miles away, near a lake he had spied earlier that day. Despite his reluctance to get along with the cohabitants in Forks, he didn't find any fault in enjoying the beauty the small town had to offer.

He shook Edward away from him once they landed, pushing him away. His physical force was nothing compared to Edward, but the vampire allowed Harry his distance. "You're a fool," Harry snarled in frustration. "You could have been splinched, I, for that matter, could have been splinched at your sudden tag along."

Turning his shoulder on the unaffected Edward, he walked toward the edge of the rocky cliff. The cliff wasn't high by any means. Harry could easily sit on the edge and his toes would skim the calm waters below him. When night fell, the blue and green lake turned a sinister black, veiling everything underneath it. Harry's eyes stared at his reflection, wishing he could veil himself under something equally as concealing.

Why did he need to feel so sour when it came to people rejecting him? It was life, it had happened many times throughout his past. Shouldn't he get used to people not wanting him around because of the danger it presented?

He couldn't be angry or bitter toward the Cullens. If he had been in the very same position, he wouldn't want his family in danger because of the wizard who was sent there to protect them lured trouble. And he did. No matter where he went, Voldemort somehow followed him with his toxic presence.

"It's called side-long Apparation." Edward's musical voice cut a knife through his mind. "Many wizards do it."

Harry scoffed. "Are you an expert at the Wizarding world now, Edward?" he asked bitterly. "Do you think you know what it's like in our world just because you read a book?" He stared unseeingly down at his pale and sunken face in the water. "I'll be the first to tell you, I thought the same thing when I found out I was a wizard." He gave a bitter smile at the memory, his back still turned to Edward. At least the vampire was respecting his distance. "I was thrilled to live in a world that was so magical."

Edward's reflection suddenly appeared next to Harry's. Green eyes studied the differences between their appearances. Edward was magical, Harry was plain. The vampire's skin all but radiated off the moon's rays, looking almost as bright as the moon itself. Harry was dark and murky in the lake's waves.

"Little did I know the Wizarding world was all about discrimination, pain, loss, and living each day in fear." He kicked a few pebbles into the lake, disrupting his reflection. Edward's stayed in place, his eyes no longer in the water but on Harry's face.

"I think…" Edward started off a bit hesitant. It was as if he were afraid of saying the wrong thing and disrupting Harry. "You were just born into all this. There is a Dark Lord in your world who wishes you dead. From the moment you found out about the Wizarding world, you also found out about Voldemort. Did you ever think that revelation made you blind to the true beauty around you?"

Harry looked up at the vampire, quizzical. "How can I see the true beauty when I'm constantly running in fear?"

A cold hand touched his skin. Glancing down, he watched as Edward curled his hand over his own, bringing it up to his chest and cupping it. Harry was too startled to pull back, too startled by the mere emotion in Edward's eyes.

"Perhaps you need to slow down and accept help from the ones that care for you."

Harry's lips thinned before curling into a humorless smile. "They only end up dead."

A shapely bronze eyebrow curled in amusement. "And if they're already dead?" Harry snorted, tearing his hand back, but Edward remained strong, holding it steady. "Don't listen to the others, Harry. I want you here. Carlisle and Jasper want you here. The others, especially Esme, wanted you to leave only so you could seek protection. She thinks you will be better off with other wizards protecting you. Her words didn't come out right."

"Edward—"

"I need you here," Edward exclaimed softly, a hint of purr to his voice.

Harry was a bit startled at the vampire's tone. "I wasn't planning on leaving; I just needed time to think. Alone." He gave the vampire a glower. The vampire didn't seem all too worried over Harry's remark. Instead, he seemed amused, a bit bittersweet.

Edward's eyes crinkled into a smile. "I don't think you should be alone at a time like this. You'll put up more shields, more defenses. You'll make it impossible for me to get through to you."

"And what's wrong with that?" Harry pulled his hand away, finally able to feel sensation again. His hand had gone a bit numb with both the pressure and the cold temperature of Edward's hands. "Having defenses up is a good thing, especially with the most powerful wizard after me." Didn't Edward understand that Harry couldn't just drop everything and have fun? Unlike Edward, Harry didn't live forever.

"No, I wholeheartedly agree," Edward acknowledge, surprising Harry with his agreement. "However," the vampire's voice dimmed. "One can have too much barriers, like you. You continue to block out help and common sense. You act as if you need to die trying to save the world when you can get all the help you want from the wizards and vampires around you."

Harry blinked at Edward before laughing, especially at the beginning of the last sentence. The vampire's face drew tightly and he frowned at Harry.

"You're trying, I know." Harry chuckled. "But you're wrong on so many levels. I do have to die. You… you wouldn't understand." He lost the humor and turned sour again.

He gasped as hands turned his body back around quickly. Harry was then pushed forcibly into the trunk of a nearby tree. It hadn't hurt. Edward was trying hard to protect him from the brunt of the push, but it startled Harry. Edward's eyes were bright as he loomed in close.

"Don't you see I'm trying to help you? Why do you persist to push me away when all I'm trying to do is get you to live again?" Edward's face contorted and he looked as if he were in an inner battle with himself. "Is it because you can't trust me? What… what if I told you something that would make certain of my loyalties to you?"

Harry, his shoulders still pushed into the trunk, stared at Edward in bemusement. He felt a bit guilty when he saw the vampire's face. It must be difficult for the bronze-haired vampire to be so gentle with Harry, especially when he wasn't making it easy. The boy's face was torn, almost desperate.

Issuing a soft sigh, Harry slowly and hesitantly placed a hand on Edward's wrist. "I'm sorry," Harry spoke truly. "I'm being a right prick to you when you're only trying to help me. I'm not normally full of self-pity." And he was. He was drowning in self-pity. It was horribly pathetic. And he hoped he would never sink so low again. "And you're right. I have a lot of defenses up, but I need them." Edward looked as if he was going to argue, but Harry interrupted. "However, I'll try to be more agreeable."

Edward's eyes pierced through his core, both chilling and burning him. The vampire bowed his head, controlling himself before looking back up at Harry. "Will you come back with me?" His hands slid off Harry's shoulders before holding his hand out.

Harry stared at the flawless, marble-like hand before reaching out reluctantly.

"That comment I made earlier tonight," Edward started before Harry could Apparate. "About your presence wanting me to kill…" he tightened his hold on Harry's hand. "It came out wrong. You don't make me want to kill. I just find it hard to control myself when people I care for are in danger. I feel a sort of fierce protectiveness for you."

Harry lifted an eyebrow, bemused. "And why is that?"

Edward's face closed. Topaz eyes darkened as they searched Harry. The boy appeared to be thinking, as if he were arguing with himself. Harry wished he possessed Edward's ability to read minds. Even Snape's ability to perform Legilimens would be useful.

Edward gave a light sigh before offering a bitter smile and shaking his head. "I have no idea why. Call it an instinct."

Harry gave a grunt at the nonsensical answer.

Before the vampire could ask after his actions, Harry closed his fingers around Edward and Disapparated.

Edward's fingers tightened around his hand, almost in a painful squeeze as they traveled through time and space. Just as Harry was sure Edward would snap his finger cleanly off, they appeared right in front of the Cullen home. Harry quickly dropped Edward's hand and assessed the wards. They were still in place. Still standing and humming along flawlessly.

Harry's eyes suspiciously danced across the wooded perimeter as he made his way up to the Cullen house. So far, there weren't anymore Death Eaters around. Was Voldemort just scattering the Death Eaters in possible locations, just to see if there were sights of Harry? But why would Voldemort think of Forks of all places?

Upon entering the house, with Edward at his back, Harry spotted the prone form of the Death Eater on the ground. The Cullens were surrounding the man, their expressions varying.

"Who is he?" Harry asked younger wizard came to a stop in front of the maskless Death Eater, staring at the man's features.

"Augustus Rookwood," Remus murmured. "He was a spy for Voldemort in the first war; he worked in the Unspeakable department."

Harry looked distastefully down his nose at Rookwood. "Did you call Dumbledore?" He could feel the stares on his back and Harry ignored them in favor of standing next to Remus. They might have thought he should leave, but Harry knew he was the only wizard who cared enough to take this 'job'. Let them think poorly of him. They would never see him again after he dealt with the Volturi.

"I flooed him." Remus looked toward the fireplace. "He should be over shortly—"

The werewolf didn't get a chance to finish what he had begun, for the flames in the fire turned green. The Cullens all took a step back, putting Bella behind them at their backs. The only one who didn't look surprised was Edward. He eyed the fireplace with a cool calm. Harry withheld a grin at the bronzed-haired boy. Edward must have drunken every bit of information and tidbit in the book Remus had given him. Nothing seemed to surprise the vampire.

But why was Edward so interested in the wizards? His interest extended far beyond normal curiosity.

Dumbledore leaped through the fire gracefully with Severus Snape on his heels. Harry pursed his lips. While he had been taking lessons from various instructors, Snape was the prime professor he learned from. Surprisingly, he had gotten along coolly with the man. There were, of course, brief periods were Snape only saw James in Harry, but otherwise, they'd gotten along civilly. Civilly, certainly not friendly.

The onyx eyes of Snape studied the body on the floor before looking up at Harry.

Dumbledore gave a solemn sigh before greeting Carlisle with a friendly handshake and smile. "I'm sorry, my old friend," Dumbledore began, placing his hand on Carlisle's shoulder. "While there were rumors spreading amongst the Wizarding world that Harry was out of the country, I never would have thought the Dark Lord would pick Forks, Washington as a supposed target."

The other vampires in the room were looking at Dumbledore in barely hidden interest. Harry supposed the old Headmaster was a sight to see. The man all but reeked of power and demanded one's attention. Of course, the sparkling lavender robes didn't help matters.

"Everything was taken care of especially well, Albus," Carlisle commented surely. "Harry did a job well done. I wasn't worried in the least."

The man passed it off as if it were nothing, as if half his family hadn't voted on Harry's evection. Carlisle offered Harry a small smile and the wizard mirrored it with one of his own. He was subconsciously aware of Edward standing next to him, as if the vampire prided himself with being a fierce protector. The vampire was staring at Albus impassively, not known for being closed off, but he seemed rather good at it as he stared at Dumbledore.

Harry cleared his throat, stepping out from behind Edward and placing his foot on the Death Eater's leg. "I had some help from Edward," Harry began, trying to clear the tension in the room. Not that he wasn't enjoying it, no, he found it oddly amusing. He just wanted things to get back to normal. Or… as normal as they could be.

His runes book…

Snape bent down, examining the neck. "I presume he had a hand at Rookwood's annihilation?"

"He did," Harry responded stiffly.

The light in Dumbledore's eyes brightened as he studied Edward's positioning to Harry. "You must be Edward?" Dumbledore questioned lightly. "Your…eldest?" Blue eyes jumped to Carlisle for conformation. The head of the coven nodded once.

Harry sighed. Did they really need to discuss things so trivial? "What are we going to do with the body?" Harry injected smoothly. He looked at Snape for good measure. Sometimes he believed Snape's head was more grounded into reality than Dumbledore's. "If the Dark Lord knows Rookwood went to Forks to investigate my whereabouts, won't he be suspicious if Rookwood doesn't return? Surely, he'd send even more Death Eaters here to search for Rookwood and in turn, me."

Snape stood up from Rookwood's body, eyeing it coolly. "You're right, Mr. Potter," Snape drawled. "It best we stage his death in Britain, don't you agree Headmaster?"

"You are quite right, Severus, quite right." Dumbledore looked at the body thoughtfully. "It won't be too difficult to make it appear as if he passed away in Britain."

"Good," Harry spoke tightly. "Then it's covered?" Vibrant green eyes looked at Dumbledore. "Do you have any idea where Voldemort could have gotten word of my location?"

The Headmaster gave a light sigh. "I have kept your location secret, even from the Order, Harry. Have you, perhaps, written your friends about your whereabouts? There is a possibility that they might have spoken in the halls in front of the wrong ears."

"No," Harry said certainly. "I told them I wouldn't be there for the term, but I never disclosed the information of my whereabouts or what I was doing. I thought you might have told them…" he trailed off. If Ron, Hermione, and Ginny hadn't spoken about it in public, then how did Voldemort guess his location?

Dumbledore and Harry shared a look. The man's blue eyes danced up to his scar.

"Have you been practicing Occlumens, Mr. Potter?" Snape accused sharply, his eyes narrowing once he caught the silent conversation between Harry and Dumbledore. "Surely you wouldn't allow such an invasion of privacy?"

"I practiced it," Harry defended himself. He hadn't felt Voldemort enter his mind… had he?

Snape looked down his nose at Harry, onyx eyes not at all believing. Edward hissed softly before stepping in front of Harry and stopping Snape's critical assessment. Before Harry could scold Edward for his interference, Remus stepped in, chuckling.

"Thank you, Severus and Albus. We will take things from here." The werewolf spoke crisply, his hand on Edward's shoulder.

Harry eyed the proceedings, intrigued. Remus seemed oddly defensive of Edward. Snape's angry and callous eyes easily turned away from Edward and onto Remus. Did Remus feel he needed to defend Edward because they were both magical creatures? Or was it something a bit more? Harry knew Remus was the one to give Edward the book on the Wizarding world… what else did they talk about?

Harry's stomach took that time to growl.

The vampires, naturally, all heard it. He flushed, hating being vulnerable to such silly things. But he had to remind himself he hadn't eaten at all today. Breakfast was at Bella's home and the first day of Muggle school consisted of Harry sitting stiffly at the lunch table, without any food or money.

Esme jumped. "You haven't had dinner," she hurriedly ran into the kitchen, flustering Harry even more. "I'll go cook up something…" her voice trailed off as she clambered around in the kitchen. Harry, certain that Rookwood and the others were taken care of, hurried after her.

"Mrs. Cullen," he reached for the pan she put on the stove. "Please, you don't need to make me anything. Do you just…have an apple or something?" She blinked at him. He blinked back.

"You need something more than an apple, Harry," Edward of course came gliding into the kitchen. "You didn't eat breakfast at Bella's. Did you even eat lunch?" Edward eyed an innocent-looking Harry, his topaz eyes piercing straight through the wizard's core.

Harry glanced outside at the evening sky. "I…" he caught sight of Bella. She was leaning against the doorframe of the kitchen, hugging herself around the middle. She looked miserable as she stared at the back of Edward's head. "Bella should probably get back home. Her dad is most likely worried. An apple is fine, really."

Edward glowered dangerously.

-RS-

That's how Harry found himself slumped in Bella's room, grumpily sipping on the hot broth of soup. A sandwich lay half-eaten on his lap. He tried to ignore the observant Edward in the opposite corner of the room by concentrating on the runes book in front of him.

Bella was sleeping in her bed, knocked out as soon as she crawled into her bed. Harry could tell she was angry with Edward, probably due to the vampire's distance, but she hadn't said anything in front of Harry. When they arrived at Bella's house, she had spent some time with her father. Meanwhile, Harry was forced to eat the sandwich and soup Esme sent with them.

And as soon as Bella finished getting ready for bed, she had crawled into bed and turned off the light. Harry lightened his wand, reading his runes book amongst his blankets and pillows.

"What?" Harry snapped, forgetting his promise of ignoring the vampire. His lightened wand lifted, shedding light across Edward's figure. The vampire was sitting closer to Harry than he had originally thought. "I'm eating your damned food. You have no reason to be pouting."

Edward's lips creased into a smile. "I'm not pouting, I'm merely observing."

That was all Edward was inclined to say. Harry scowled, looking back down at his book. He was itching to perform the rune to increase his sight. Even now, he needed corrective lens to see, let alone see vampire's fast reflexes. If he could cast this rune, he would have perfect and sharp vision. The vampires' movements wouldn't be so fast and Harry could comfortably cast spells in their direction without looking like a bloody fool for missing his target so many times.

"How did you survive?" The poignant voice floated through the room.

Harry looked up, holding in his flinch when he noticed Edward had silently crept mere inches from his face. His eyes were on his scar, again. "How did I survive?" Harry repeated Edward's question, a bit irritated that he was being interrupted from his reading. "My mother." Harry responded tightly.

Edward's molten gold eyes looked down into Harry's eyes. The vampire was oddly observant tonight, calm and pokerfaced. "Your mother?" Edward continued to pester softly.

Harry wondered why he wasn't getting uptight and annoyed with the constant interference in his life. Perhaps it was Edward's tone of voice and his curiosity. The vampire's curiosity at his personal life wasn't overwhelming and intrusive as it would be with other individuals.

"She…" Harry looked down at his sandwich. He wrapped it up and put it aside, intent to use it tomorrow for lunch. "She sacrificed herself for me. It was a mother's love that spared me."

"Your mother sounded like a remarkable woman. Wholesome and unconditionally in love with her son," Edward whispered.

Harry smiled, truly. "I would like to think so." Never before had anyone commented on Lily's sacrifice as if it where Holy and pure. Everyone in the Wizarding world had thrown aside her sacrifice in favor of hailing Harry the hero.

Edward frowned, his face looming closer. "I don't understand, though. If your mother was the one who stopped the curse from killing you, why does everyone assume you are the one to stop him this time? Why place such a large burden on a mere teenager's shoulders? You were nothing but a child when you found out you had to kill the Dark Lord again." Here, the calm in Edward's voice trembled into irritation and anger.

Harry laughed lightly; amused at the question he had asked himself so many times before. "Because I am fated to destroy Voldemort. It's written in stone, I suppose."

"Enlighten me," Edward murmured.

Harry debated. His fingers tapped the mug his soup resided in. He supposed it wouldn't matter if he told Edward. The Dark Lord already knew the information he was to indulge the vampire with. "A prophecy was made about the Dark Lord and me. Its contents aren't important; it just states that I need to be the one who brings him down. He knows this, that's why he attacked me that night when I was only one." Harry didn't so much believe the prophecy as he did the Horcrux inside him.

"Fate," Edward grinned. "It can be a pain, can't it? But sometimes, fate can work in Her own way by presenting us with precious and priceless miracles. Even in the darkest of times." Harry found himself unable to tear himself away from the burning gaze of Edward.

He struggled, but he eventually looked away from the vampire's haunted gaze. "Fate, miracles…" Harry scoffed. "I'm not one to believe such bollocks." He pulled up one of the blankets and considered for a moment. "I do believe in luck, however. But I can't bring myself to believe in miracles."

"Aren't they relatively the same thing?" Edward countered.

Green eyes flashed. "No, of course not. If they were the same thing, I would believe in miracles." Harry replied scathingly.

Edward lifted his lip, revealing stark white teeth in Harry's wand light. "Miracles go against the laws of nature. They beat all odds, such as escaping terminal illness and giving birth to a child. Luck is just the same. With luck… luck is caused by an accident or chance without someone's conscious intent. They beat all odds."

Harry glowered at the boy. "Bloody hell," he muttered. "If you'd like to get so technical about it, Edward." The vampire grinned, knowing he had won the argument. Harry sniffed. "I still don't believe in fate."

"Fate has blessed you," Edward whispered before backing away from Harry and escaping into the shadows. "You just don't know it yet." His voice tapered off; as if he wasn't too sure Harry would see it that way.

Harry raised an eyebrow, finding it humorous. "I'm sure She has." His eyes landed on the wrapped sandwich next to his make-shift bed. "Esme made a wonderful sandwich for tomorrow's lunch. I suppose fate blessed me for tomorrow's hunger spell."

Edward snickered. Harry found himself grinning and stopped himself before he made a fool of himself.

"You are far too cynical," Edward reprimanded. "As long as you're not closed off and angry, I can deal with your cynical tone. I find myself enamored by the front you put up. And your inability to change the subject fluidly."

Harry shook his head, wondering why he found Edward so easy to be around tonight. Surely, it must have been the Death Eater attack and the full belly. He felt tired and exhausted. Tomorrow would be another day of Muggle school and Harry was sure that he would be getting homework. He would need to force Edward or one of the Cullens to assist him with it. He was sure, by the end of the week, he would be approaching the Volturi himself so he wouldn't have to complete anymore 'homework'.

He also needed to ward Bella's house. Remus had assured Harry they would do it tomorrow. And Harry would keep the werewolf's promise on that.

Harry flicked his wand, extinguishing the lumos. Closing his runes book, he placed it under his pillow and adjusted himself on the floor. The blankets persisted to wrap him up uncomfortably. He growled lightly, kicking his legs in order to untangle the sheets. He ignored Edward's snort from the darkened room.

Harry laid stiffly, his skin prickling at the thought of Edward's stare in the dark. He wondered why it wasn't such a frightening prickle.

"When did you want to attempt the obliviate on Bella?" Harry's voice broke the silence.

Edward was quiet for a few passing moments, before replying curtly. "Whenever you want to do it," came the void response. "I have a premonition that it will not work on her. But the only thing we can do is try. While I want to destroy the Volturi if they come after us, if death on their minds, I'm find myself in opposition to their deaths. They may be cruel and wrong on their beliefs, but they are a commanding force. Rogue vampires always hesitate turning humans and killing them in masses with the Volturi in mind."

Harry understood where Edward was coming from. He had to agree. The Volturi were the 'Ministry' in the vampire world. They looked down on mass killings and turning children and multiple humans. They wanted to keep their existence silent. And while they may kill humans themselves and their opinions and selfish means were immoral, they were an authority in their own right.

Harry blinked his heavy eyelids. "Edward?" Harry murmured. His tongue was thick with sleep. "Can I tell you something? Just between the two of us?"

"Of course," the vampire replied without hesitation.

"I've never killed before," Harry slurred. One could argue that he'd kill Quirrell, but that had been desperate and full of self-defense against Voldemort, not Quirrell. "And even if it's my duty, I don't want to take a life, no matter how corrupt they are…"

Harry nodded off, his mind shutting down. Before he surrendered into unconsciousness, he heard Edward's distressed voice.

"You will never need to do anything you don't want to, Harry. I'll do it for you. Always."

Cold and smooth hands brushed his face, reassuring Harry that he wasn't alone.

(A/n) While Harry admits he doesn't want to kill, the fact of the matter is that he *would* and can go through with it. I just wanted to give light to Harry, the real Harry. I mean, for someone who has never killed before, the prospect of taking a human life is frightening.

Thanks so much for reading. I'm happy you're enjoying it thus far. The story should pick up next chapter.