Hello dear readers! So this is it for the What You Don't Know series! I appreciate all of you sticking with the stories for all of this time. It means the world to me! I hope you enjoy this chapter…I really did but that's not saying much since I wrote it. Lol
Okay, let's go!
It's been two months since the 'Final Battle'—as the papers are calling it now—at Hogwarts. I've been hiding out in La Push since I left the castle, trying to ditch the media the best I could. At first they came looking for me here but once my werewolves shifted they were scared off for good. I didn't want to talk to them; I had nothing to say.
Besides, they didn't need my comments on what happened at Hogwarts anyway. They had Harry to answer all of their questions. He'd blown up into a megastar, well, even more than he already was, practically over night. Harry was being featured in papers and on the radio and he had become a bigger icon in the wizarding world than ever.
Not only did he destroy Voldemort but he also became the new Minister of Magic. I could barely believe it when I read it but, sure enough, there he was on the front page, dressed in a black suit, smiling and waving the whole while. The Ministry was going to hold elections but it didn't seem necessary because everyone was already behind him.
Harry Potter, who never even graduated from Hogwarts, was now the ruler of the wizarding world…it was weird, I'll admit, but it never stopped me from being proud of him.
So, while he was off running the world, I was sitting here in Washington, cooking and cleaning, falling into the same pattern that I always did when I came to La Push. Don't get me wrong though; I loved being here with family and friends. But everything was too different to go back to this normal situation. I couldn't remember the last time I had been able to relax and now that was all that was expected of me.
I spent a lot of time wandering the forest, trying to tame my new, rather animalistic ways that appeared when I became a full vampire. Most of the time I wanted to kill something like an animal or…I don't know, one of the werewolves for being a pain in the ass but once in a while I would get a craving for human blood and that wasn't something that could be happening. I needed to control myself and until I could I was putting myself in isolation.
"No, Hermione, I'm fine." I told her, talking on the phone instead of through owl now that she was back with her parents.
"But no one has see you since whatever happened with you and Harry." She explained, sounding worried. "You didn't even make it to the funerals for Fred, Tonks, and Remus."
I ran both my hands over my face and sighed. "I've been…busy."
There was a pause on the other end of the line and I began to chew on my marble lip as I waited for my friend to say something. "He's the Minister of Magic now, Allie."
"I know that." I told her quickly.
"You can't avoid him forever."
"Yes, I can."
Another pause. "Does that mean you are going to avoid us forever?"
It was my turn to pause and think of an answer. Could I really avoid Harry forever? And, if I could, would that mean losing all of my other friends, as well? Was my whole life in the wizarding world over because Harry and I were over?
The thought made me feel sick to my stomach.
"Oh, my god." I murmured to myself as I vampire ran from my spot on the cramped couch to the even more cramped bathroom and collapsed in front of the toilet, spewing the contents of my stomach into the bowl. Unfortunately for me, that meant I was puking up blood, just like the night that I jumped out of the tower to go save Harry.
"Allie, what is wrong? What's going on there?" Hermione's voice was panicked as I wiped my mouth off with a towel and flushed the disgusting gunk. I collapsed against the wall and ran my free hand through my always-perfect hair. "Allie, are you okay?"
"Yeah, sorry about that. I-I-I just threw up, is all." I said, trying to work out what just happened.
"Throwing up? Do you have the flu? Are you sick?" She asked, earning herself another pause.
"No." I said the words slowly. "No, I can't get sick."
"Then what's wrong?" Hermione asked just as slowly.
"That's a good question." I told her as I began to think what could have caused that. I shouldn't have been puking, it was impossible. Vampires don't puke. Vampires don't get sick. I leaned my head against the wall and gazed across the hallway to Jake's room. His door was wide open, revealing his tiny bed and even tinier bedside table. On the table were two picture frames: one held a photo of me and Jake from my last birthday, the other was a picture of him and my mother, huddled around tools and motorcycles.
The image of my mother was enough to throw me into the realization of what was going on with me. I was…no, I couldn't be. That would be-
"Impossible." I whispered out, my jaw hanging open so far I was sure it was touching the floor.
"Sorry?" Hermione's voice snapped me back to the present, making me realize that I was still on the phone with her.
"Um, nothing. I-" I didn't know what to say. There was nothing to say because it was fucking impossible. "Listen, Hermione, I gotta go. Call you later?"
"Yeah, sure. No problem. I hope you feel better." She told me.
"Yeah, you too." The words came out quickly, without me really processing what I was saying, and the next second I clicked the phone off. I stood up from the floor on shaky legs, staring at my icy reflection in the mirror and staring myself down.
"Pull yourself together." I encouraged. "This is impossible. There is no way that you are-"
I couldn't even finish my pep talk before I needed to puke again. I leaned back over the toilet and…well, you know what happened.
"Allie?" I heard Jake call to me through the house. It didn't take him too long to find me slumped over with my face in a toilet bowl. "What the hell are you doing?"
"What the hell does it look like I am doing, dumb ass? I'm puking." I snapped back at him. The wet dog smell that he always carried with him made me feel more grossed out then usual.
"Kid, that's impossible. You can't be throwing up. You can't get sick." He crammed himself into the bathroom with me and held my hair as I continued to dry heave.
"Then please explain to me why this is happening because I would love to know." I was really hoping that he would have an alternative explanation but I doubted it.
My guardian sighed. "I have no clue."
I flushed the toilet again and got up to rinse my mouth out. Once I spit I slowly turned around and looked at Jake, keeping one hand on the sink the entire time to steady myself. Silence filled the quiet house as I kept looking at him, trying to find the words but they were too hard, too illogical.
"What?" He asked.
It was strange for me to have actual vomit instead of word vomit for a change. I opened my mouth and then closed it several times before I could get anything out. "Do you know if-I mean, do you know if it is possible-Could I-"
"Squirt, just spit it out."
I took a deep breath. "IthinkIampregnant." I said it so fast that it all came out as a big jumble.
I stared at Jacob.
Jacob stared back at me.
We just stared.
"Is that possible? Since I'm a half breed, can I-?" I took another deep breath.
My guardians looked from me to my stomach and then back again. He did this several times before nodding his head. "I suppose…"
I collapsed on the edge of the bathtub and put my head in my hands. "Oh, fuck me."
"Well, apparently someone did." Jacob hissed.
My eyes snapped up to look at him. "That is not funny."
"You know what's not funny, Allie?" He yelled. "Watching another one of you Cullen girls go through one of these demonic pregnancies. I mean, what the hell is wrong with you, Allie!"
I stood up and glared daggers into Jacob's eyes. "Demonic pregnancy? That's what I was?"
"You know that's not what I meant-" I pushed past him before he even had time to finish his sentence.
"Oh, sure it was. I screwed up my mother's life. I almost killed her when she gave birth to me. Hell, I'm the reason Voldemort killed her. So thanks for making it crystal freaking clear how you feel about me, Jake." I was shouting the words behind my back as I walked out of the house and started to head for the woods.
Jacob was on my heels the entire way. I only made it within the tree line before he caught my shoulder and spun me back to look at him. "Allie, that is not fair! I-" He paused, shaking his head. "Don't you understand what this means? Allie, you are having a baby!"
"Well, no shit!" I scream before falling to the ground and starting to ball my eyes out. This isn't happening. I can't be pregnant with Harry's child. It…it just wasn't happening.
Jacob sighed before sitting on the ground next to me and scooping me up so I was sitting in his lap, buried in his shirt. "I'm so sorry, Jake. I'm so, so, so sorry." I sobbed the words over and over; before long they stopped sounding like anything intelligent.
Jake had his arms wrapped around me so tightly you'd think he was the one who needed comforting. He smoothed out my hair and repeatedly told me that it was going to be okay, that I was going to be okay.
I leaned back after a while so I could look up at him. "I don't think I can do this, Jake."
The man pursed his lips. "You know…as much as I hate this, I think…I think you can, squirt."
I wrinkle my forehead at him. "You do? You crazy or something? Why on earth would you think that?"
He shook his head before kissing me on the forehead. "Because you are the strongest person I know and if anyone can raise a super magical baby, it's you."
I wasn't sure if I agreed with him. I wasn't strong. Hell, I was a freaking crying mess right now at the very thought of being a mom. There was no way I would be good at this.
But then I remembered the dream I had before my sixth year at Hogwarts started, the one that showed my and Harry's little girl, and I couldn't help but remember how much I had wanted to know that girl and be part of her life. I loved that little girl when she was just a dream and now that she was really real, I think I would love her more. Maybe, in this situation, love would be enough for this baby and me.
Slowly, I began to nod my head. "Okay." I whispered loud enough for Jacob to hear. "Okay."
He took a deep breath. "Okay," He said before taking back into his big bear arms and hugging me.
I hugged him back tightly like he was the only thing in the world that was keeping me grounded at that moment…well, he probably was. As we sat there a question popped into my head. "Hey, Jake?"
"Yeah?"
"How bad do you want to kill Harry right now?" I questioned.
"Oh, kid, words cannot even describe how much I am holding back right now…why the hell do you think I am hugging you so tight? That boy is just lucky there is an ocean between us or else he would be dead before he even knew what hit him."
I chuckled slightly before trying to get up. "Jake-?"
"No, seriously, kid. I'm not ready yet." He said, causing me to chuckle and hold the hug for a bit longer.
Ten minutes later Jacob was stable and able to stand up and walk without feeling like he was going to burst with rage, literally. We slowly walked around the forest so he could cool off.
"So…are you going to tell him?" Jacob asked me.
"Tell who?" I questioned in return, not wanting to deal with what he was talking about right now.
"Voldemort, obviously." He answered sarcastically. "Allie, are you going to tell Harry?"
I stopped walking and instead hugged my stomach tightly. Telling Harry about this would be next to impossible…no, I take that back, it would just be impossible. It would only screw everything up; not just for us, but also for the entire wizarding world. I couldn't do it. "No, I'm not going to tell him."
"Okay, say what? You can't just not tell him! He has a right to know that he is going to be a father!"
"Jake, if he finds out now that I am pregnant he will leave his office to take care of us…he'd give up being the Minister of Magic so he could be with us."
My guardian raised an eyebrow. "And?"
I sighed, realizing that he was not going to understand this. "And…the wizarding world needs him a hell of a lot more than I do now. They need his guidance and they need him so they can heal from what Voldemort has done." I paused, hugging my stomach a little bit tighter. "I can't be selfish and take him away from all the good he can do…He's a leader, Jake, and right now they need a leader."
"So, that's it? You are going to avoid him for the rest of eternity and keep his child away from him?"
"Yup." I answered back before beginning to walk away from him and head towards the house.
"Allie, that is the dumbest plan I have ever heard. You have to tell him-"
"I don't have to do shit, Jacob." I explained to him. "Yes, I want Harry to know but…not now, not when he is just starting to change this world into something good."
"Then when is going to be a good time, Allie? Admit it, this isn't just about wanting him to keep his job…this is also about you not wanting to face him again. You are afraid to see him again." He paused, shaking his head. "So, when will be a good time, Allie?" Jacob said quietly, now starting to feel defeated and knowing that I will not back down on this.
I shrugged helplessly, also feeling defeated. "I don't know…just not now." I paused to look up at him. "Okay?"
Jake's brown eyes met my blue ones and kept them for a moment before he slowly began to nod. "Okay, you'll tell him when you are ready."
I nod quickly at him before turning back around and sniffing the air. "I'll see you later, Jacob." I say before taking off, running away from him and his incessant questions. I couldn't think about them right now. I couldn't deal with them. Everything was so new and coming at me so fast that I wasn't sure if I would be able to keep it together. And I couldn't break down in front of him again, I wouldn't. So, instead, I ran as fast as I could until I came to the abandoned cottage in the woods that had once been my home that I shared with my mother and father. Slowly, I walked into the dusty, broken building and took a look around.
Not much had changed since I came to look at it the summer before my fifth year; the property was still mine and no one would go near the home where an entire family was murdered anyway.
Broken furniture was thrown all around the kitchen and living room, making it seem like more of a battle had taken place here then there actually was. I didn't linger in those rooms long; they brought back bad thoughts of that being the place where my parents were actually killed. Instead, I walked straight into the nursery, my nursery, and sat down in the rickety old rocking chair that sat in the corner, looking out at my crib. Sitting in a nursery like this, where a baby would be, I tried to picture myself doing this with my baby. I would sit with her in this rocking chair to get her to fall asleep. I would put her in her crib at night and know that she is safe and warm. I would read her books off the shelf like my mother had done with me when I was an infant.
I imagined all these things, trying to see how the images looked in my head.
They all looked okay, I supposed, but there was one thing that worried me.
I didn't know what the hell I was doing.
I couldn't do this by myself, I knew that.
I needed Harry. I wanted Harry. He would know what to do…he was always so much better with kids than I was.
But I couldn't have Harry…I wouldn't.
So it was okay that I didn't know what I was doing. It was okay that I was scared to death.
It was all going to be okay.
I took several deep breaths before exiting my parents' home, thanking them silently for their guidance, before heading back to Billy's and the start of my new life.
Harry's POV
Five Years Later…
I was walking down Diagon Ally, on my way to the Leaky Cauldron for a drink with a couple colleagues, when I first saw her. A tiny girl, no older than five, was standing in the middle of the street and looking around in search of something. She had long and wavy blonde hair and dressed in a little white sundress with silver sandals. The girl wore a straw sunhat too, keeping her pale skin from burning.
My eyes darted around the street, trying to make out if her mother was there but no one seemed to be paying attention to this little girl.
I quickly crossed the street to where the girl was standing and smiled down at her when she met my eye. "Hello there, sweetheart, you look a little lost."
The little girl pursed her lips and shook her head very quickly several times. "No, I am not lost." Her intelligent little voice with only a slight British accent surprised me; for one so small she was truly advanced.
"No?" I questioned her, squatting down so I could look her in the eye—they were very green and reminded me of mine, actually. "If you are not lost then what are you doing?"
"I was looking for you, of course!" She exclaimed like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
I tilted my head at her, trying to stifle a laugh. "Me? You were looking for me? And why is that, may I ask?"
"Because you're Harry Potter, the Minister of Magic. I'm a huge fan!" She paused, looking me over once. "You are shorter in real life than I pictured you to be."
I laughed again. "Well, sorry to disappoint."
Her green eyes got wide and she began to shake her head vigorously. "Oh, no sir, I didn't mean that as a bad thing, just an observation."
I shook my head at her and put one hand up to calm the child. "Hey, no offense taken. I know that I am not the tallest tree in the forest."
That comment made her laugh a little musical laugh that, like her eyes, seemed vaguely familiar to me. But I knew all of my friends children and knew that it just had to be a coincidence. My eyes turned from the girl to look up and down the street in search for any sign of a parent looking for their child. "Say, where is your mummy? You shouldn't be out here alone and I'll bet she is terribly worried about you."
The girl let out a small, exasperated sigh. "I told her that I was coming out here. I saw you walk by the store window and I said 'Mom, the Minister of Magic is here. I have to go see him or else I will just die.' Mommy read me the latest article on your peace talks with the giants and I had to tell you how brilliant I thought it was, you know." The girl shrugged. "It's not my fault she didn't hear me!"
I stared at the little girl again, wondering how on earth she would know all of these things; she was extremely smart, almost impossibly smart for someone so young.
"How old are you?" I asked her.
"Four." She told me, rocking back and forth on her heels. "I'm short for my age…"
I shook my head. "Oh, no. I don't think you are short. I think you are rather tall actually."
The girl raised one eyebrow at me. "No offense, Minister, but I think you are lying to me."
I chuckled again before running my hands through my hair and looking up and down the street again. The girl gasped at me and I turned back to see that she was staring at my forehead. "Ahh, you've seen my scar, I suspect. I usually cover it with my hair or a hat when out in public, you see. I got this scar a long time ago from a very bad man and I don't like people to just see me for my scar but for what I have done since I got the scar…do you understand?"
The little girl nodded but her mouth still hung open slightly. "But, my mommy has the same scar…"
My heart stopped when I heard those words. No, that can't be right because the only other person who has that scar is…
My eyes shoot back up to look at this tiny child before me. Long, wavy blonde hair and green eyes, my green eyes…but vampires couldn't have children. She couldn't have had this child; it was absurd to even think so.
"What is your name?" I asked her quickly, trying to keep my composure.
The girl smiled when I asked her for her name. She stood up straight, chin high. "Cullen." She said, causing my heart to stop. "Cullen Lily Potter." Her smile widened. " I know my name is a boy's name but it's also my mommy's last name so I guess it's okay. I think it's cool that we have the same last name though, don't you think so? I've always thought so. That's why I first had momma read about you…because we have the same last name."
Breath would not find me in that moment. This was impossible and I was in shock. This little girl couldn't be mine; she couldn't be Allie's. But then I looked at her closer, seeing that her sunhat was not meant to keep her from burning but to hide the faint sparkle that covered her cold skin.
And that's when I knew…this child was my daughter.
I stood up, holding the child's shoulders so she wouldn't run off, before looking frantically up and down the street again. "What store is your mother at?" I asked quickly, needing to see her now. Five years, it had been five years.
"Oh, she's at the joke shop visiting George...we always visit him for lunch." She explains to me.
I don't have time to process why they would be seeing George before I heard some calling out from down the street. "Cullen!"
The little girl sighed. "Well, I guess they are out looking for me now." She wrinkled her nose and looked up at me. "Do you think I will be in trouble?"
I open my mouth, not knowing what to say, but didn't need to worry about it because the next thing I know George Weasley is crashing around the corner, eyes wide and searching. His eyes first made contact with me then Cullen. He pursed his lips before shouting over his shoulder. "Allie, I've got her!"
He jogged over to us, nodding solemnly to me before crossing his arms and glaring down at Cullen. The girl shrunk back into me like she had answered her own question; she definitely was in trouble. I looked down at her, patting her shoulder, before my eyes made contact with George's. I was so stunned that I couldn't even process how mad I was at him.
"Harry."
I nodded back to him in greeting. "George."
And just like that, she was there, without any warning. Allie Cullen came jogging around the corner, holding a giant floppy sunhat so it wouldn't fall off while she ran. The girl, to say the least, was as stunning as ever. Her hair was longer than I remembered it being and definitely more tamed. It was straight and braided over one shoulder. She wore a knee-length black jersey dress and cropped jean jacket with a pair of wedged heels that made her look taller and more statuesque. Her blue eyes darted around, just like George's did before she saw her daughter standing in front of me.
Allie let out a large sigh of relief before running forward and kneeling down in front of Cullen. "What were you thinking, crazy girl! You know you are not allowed to leave the shop without George or me. You almost gave me a heart attack!"
Cullen dropped here head. "I'm sorry, mommy. I just wanted to see the Minister."
That was when her eyes finally locked onto mine. Allie stood up, wrapped both arms around Cullen's shoulders in much the same way as I had, and smiled slightly at me. "Hello, Harry."
"Hello, Allie." I was so stunned that I must have sounded just as confused.
"You know the Minister, mommy?" Cullen looked up at Allie with her forehead scrunched together.
Allie continued to stare at me for a second longer before looking down at Cullen. "Yeah, we went to school together."
"That. Is. So. Cool! Why didn't you say anything?" The little girl asked, sounding excited again.
Neither of us answered her. Instead, Allie bit her bottom lip before looking back at George, perhaps for a little help. "George, could you-?"
The Weasley snapped out of the trance we were all stuck in—well, besides little Cullen—and nodded. "Oh, yeah. Sure." He came forward then and picked Cullen, my daughter, up and started to walk away.
"So, what will it be, Cul? Ice cream or candy store?" He asked, earning a really excited shriek of 'ice cream' from Cullen.
Allie and I watched to two of them take off down the road to the ice cream parlor before turning to look back at each other. Allie was still gnawing on her lower lip, trying to find words, while I just stayed in a cationic state of shock.
"You look good, Harry." She finally said. "Very becoming for a Minister of Magic."
I tilt my head at her, suddenly angry. "That's really all you have to say to me after five years?" I asked, "That I look good?"
She signed before starting to fidget. "What do you want me to say?"
"Oh, I don't know, Allie, maybe where the hell you have been? You've dropped off the face of the Earth to everyone but George apparently."
"Mr. and Mrs. Weasley know too. I only live five miles from the Burrow." She answered back.
"But you couldn't bother to tell me or Ron or Hermione for that matter?"
"I see Hermione once in a while." She said back slowly. It's when she talks like this, very calm and collected, that I know she knows she is in the wrong. But I can't stop attacking her because of the sudden rush of anger.
"Oh, yeah, and there was another little matter you forgot to discuss with everyone…now, what was that? Oh, that's right, the fact that you have a daughter!" I paused to take a deep breath. "Is she-Cullen, is she-"
"Yours?" She finished for me. "Of course, she is, Harry."
I blinked a few times. "How?"
She bit her lip again and shook her head. "I've no idea." We fell into silence again. A moment later Allie asked if I would like to take a walk and I agreed.
The two of us walked down the main street of Diagon Alley silently for what seemed like an eternity. We watched as people popped in and out of shops and as children looked at the Quidditch store display, wanting to catch a glimpse of the newest models of Nimbus brooms.
I looked at the children for a moment before speaking. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I was afraid." She said simply. "I was afraid of so many things. I was afraid of what you would think. I was afraid that you would give up your career for us." She paused to give me a small side smile. "The wizarding world needed you more than I did."
"I had a right to know."
She nodded. "I know you did and I'm sorry. But can you honestly tell me that you would have kept your position as Minister if you had known? If you had given it up for us, we both know the wizarding world would have taken much, much longer to heal and I wouldn't have been able to forgive myself."
I wanted to argue with her. I wanted to tell her that she was wrong and that I would have been both Minister and father but I knew better than to lie to Allie Cullen.
She was absolutely right. I would have quit my post to be with them and we'd both end up hating me for it later. I hated that she was right.
"And Cullen?" I asked, needing to change the subject. "She's okay?"
Allie smiled at the mention of our daughter. "She's more than okay. She's brilliant, Harry. Half the time the things she says are over my head." She laughed then. "She is a great kid. I love her to death."
"Does she know that I am-?" I can't say the word 'father' because it's still too new.
Allie shook her head. "I think she suspects, though. She has me read all of the articles in the paper about you to her. She even collects some of the pictures to put up on her bedroom wall." The vampire chuckled. "I swear, Cullen's the weirdest kid. I've never met a four year old more obsessed with politics." I smiled at that, knowing from just a few moments that my daughter was a brainy one. Allie continued. "She asks about you from time to time, wondering why her father isn't around, and I just tell her that he has very important business and needs to take care of other people who need him more than we do…she understands."
I nod then, working to find my next words. I then remembered her saying that she lived five miles from the Burrow, which made no sense. Allie and Cullen had been so close all these years and I never knew it. "You said you lived five miles from the Burrow?"
She nodded. "There's an old Victorian in the middle of a meadow. I bought it a couple months before Cullen was born…I couldn't stay in America…It was too full of bad memories. England's my new home and, besides, I wanted Cullen to be raised in the magical world where she would be accepted for who she is."
"So, she is a witch?"
Allie nodded again. "Yeah, she's going to be a handful, I can already tell."
"And Jacob? Where is he, and Teddy for that matter?"
"Jake stayed in La Push and Teddy likes it a lot there, with the other werewolves. He spends most of his time with Jake but he lives with us during the fall and winter months. Once he's a little older, getting ready to go to Hogwarts, and has more control over his sifting then he'll probably live with me more permanently."
I nodded, feeling relieved to hear that Teddy was doing well and thriving despite his unique circumstances.
So many questions were going through my head that I wasn't sure what to say next. The way we heading down the street reminded me that we would be winding around towards the ice cream shop—to my daughter and George.
"And George fits into this all how?" I asked.
Allie sighed but kept walking forward, not looking at me. "After Cullen was born Jacob was living with us for a while, helping me learn the ropes of parenthood. But then Billy, Jake's dad, got really sick and he needed to go back to the reservation and look after him…he took Teddy with him so I wouldn't have to juggle two babies and then I was alone with Cullen for the first time." She shook her head as she remembered the situation. "That kid cried for two days straight after Jake left. She wouldn't sleep, she wouldn't eat, and I-I had no idea what to do. I couldn't bother Jake, obviously, and Hermione still didn't know, and the only place I could think of to go was to the Burrow." She looked over at me then. "If anyone could help me it would be Mrs. Weasley.
"So I popped over there and she took Cullen and calmed her down instantly. She was asleep twenty minutes later. While she was out, I told Mrs. Weasley everything and she said that she would help me in anyway she could whether it be babysitting or anything like that.
"The two of us spent a lot of time over at the Burrow after that. All of the kids were gone, including Red and Ginny, and they liked having a baby around again…So, one Friday night we were all sitting around the kitchen table and Cullen was crying again and Mrs. Weasley was trying to teach me to sooth her like she did with her children; then next minute George popped in without any warning.
Allie smiled then. "Cullen instantly stopped crying when she saw him. From the moment their eyes met, she fell in love with him."
"And so did you?" I asked cautiously.
The vampire bit her bottom lip slightly and nodded. "A little bit, yeah." She paused a moment to take a deep breath. "What about you, Harry? Did you fall in love since-?"
"No," I told her, cutting off the last words of her sentence. "No, never."
And it was true. I tried to forget Allie after she left me that last night at Hogwarts. I threw myself into fire whiskey, thinking I could drink my memories of her away, before throwing myself into other woman, seeing if one of them could replace her. But when none of that did the job, I then threw myself into my work. And that is where I have been ever since.
It worked pretty well too, that is, until she appeared out of nowhere today and undid all the barriers I had built up between me and my feelings for her.
A small blush came to Allie's white marble cheeks and she looked away from me, unable to hold my gaze anymore. "Oh." That was all she said about that before going back to what she was previously saying.
" So, ever since then it's pretty much been the three of us and Teddy when he's home." She finished telling me about her relationship with George and my anger had only grown while she spoke. How dare he act as father to my child when I didn't even know about her. How dare Allie let him when I was still around. I was furious and I wanted nothing more than to punch George square in the jaw.
"Harry," Allie called me out of my fit of rage to look at her. "Cullen knows that George is not her father…but he is her Jake and I won't take that away from her."
"She doesn't need a Jake though, Allie. She has a father." I told her through clenched teeth.
"She does." The vampire nodded in the direction in front of us to show me that we were now several yards away from the ice cream parlor. I saw Cullen and George sitting at a small table outside the shop, sharing a large ice cream sundae. "And, I think she would like to know you finally."
My eyes turned from my daughter to look at her mother. "I made plenty of mistakes in the past, Harry, and not telling you about Cullen was the one I regret most…but please don't take it out on her." She paused to look over at our daughter and smile. "But, it's up to you."
Cullen looked up from her ice cream, staring at the pair of us, her parents, with bright green eyes that matched mine and my mothers before me. "Mommy, come here! You'll never guess what George just told me!"
"Oh, I can only imagine." Allie responded, taking one last look at me, before going over to the table and taking the empty chair that George had just stood up from. George placed his hands on Allie's shoulders for a moment, leaning down to talk to her and Cullen, before standing back up and walking over to me.
The Weasley stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans and stood next to me while we watched the two girls laughing at the table. "Listen, Harry, I realize that you must hate me-"
"I don't hate you." I responded. "I want to kill you…but I don't hate you."
George nodded. "Alright, I suppose I deserve that." He sighed. "But you have know that I love them, I really do. I was going through a really rough time back then, with dealing with Fred's death, and then…out of nowhere…there they were. They saved me…gave me a sense of purpose again."
I didn't say anything, no wanting to let something slip out that I would later regret.
George turned to look at me but I continued to look over at the two girls at the table. Cullen was now dipping her fingers in the left over whipped cream from her sundae and chasing her mom around the table in hopes of smearing it on her face.
"Harry, she still loves you, you know." These were the words that made me finally look at him. "She might not say it because she's scared to admit it but she still loves you."
"How do you know that if she doesn't say it?" I asked.
George let his eyes stray over to the girls before looking back at me. "Because she has never looked at me the way she used to look at you." He smiled slightly. "We all know that the two of you are supposed to be together, Harry. She's-she's just so stubborn." The Weasley chuckled. "I've been trying to convince her to tell you about Cullen since I found out but she was scared…she was scared that it would be too hard to share a child when she believed the two of you couldn't be together. But it was always supposed to be you, Harry…I was just keeping your spot warm until she came to her senses."
I didn't respond still, not knowing what to say to the man that had been taking care of my family for all these years. I just stared at him as I tried to figure out what he was telling me.
George gave my shoulder a pat, shoving me in the direction of the ice cream shop. "Go ahead. They're amazing, Harry. Really, you have no idea how lucky you are. You should be over there with them." He smiled again. "Go."
I looked at the girls and then back at George for a minute. "Thanks."
George nodded before I turned and started walking over to the table where Allie was now sitting with Cullen on her lap and a little bit of whipped cream on the tip of her nose. Cullen grabbed a napkin and whipped her mother's nose clean before taking her spoon and diving back into her ice cream.
I made it to the table now. Allie noticed me before Cullen did and gave me a small, encouraging smile.
I looked down at them, my girls, my family, and smiled.
I didn't care how it happened. I didn't care that it had been kept from me. I didn't care that George had been taking care of them.
I didn't care about any of that now.
As I looked down at them, none of it mattered. All that mattered was that we were finally together…after all this time.
"Mind if I join you?" I asked before sitting down and staring into the faces of my future.
This was it. This is all I wanted out of life.
I loved them, both of them, unconditionally.
And everything was how it was supposed to be, finally.
Seven Years Later….
Allie's POV:
We were walking through the terminal at King's Cross Station on our way to drop the kids off on the Hogwart's Express. I held Cullen's hand in one of my own while I wrapped my other arm around Teddy's shoulders. Apparently, he was too old to hold my hand now that he was a second year at Hogwarts.
Harry trailed behind us slightly, weighed down by the trolley we rented to take the kids' bags to the train. I turned to look at him over my shoulder. "Do you have it, sweetheart? I can take it if you-?"
"I've got it." He said with a wink. "You just concentrate on getting Cullen through the barrier."
I laughed at that statement, shaking my head. Last year, we had a slight issue with getting Teddy on the train on time because Cullen refused to cross onto platform 9 3/4.
"Hey," She shot at both of us. "I'm sorry I'm the only one of us who realizes it's absolutely insane to run at full speed towards a brick wall. It's my survival instincts kicking in."
"You're a vampire." Teddy told her, looking around me stare down at his little sister. "You can't possibly die."
"I can get hurt still, smart one." She shot back.
"Alright, you two. Fight nice." I say, shaking my head at them. They always got into arguments like this, feuding like the vampire and werewolf that they truly were, but the two loved each other very much no matter how many times they denied it.
Finally, we arrived at the spot between platforms nine and ten. I stopped about five feet from it and waited for the inevitable comment from Cullen saying that she wasn't going to do it.
"Go on, Cul. You're first." I tell her with a small smile. I let go of her hand and turn to gaze at Harry who was now slowly inching his way towards us.
"Absolutely not! What if it's closed? I refuse to-"
Just then, Harry runs up behind her, sweeping her off her feet, and racing through the barrier before she even knew what hit her. Teddy and I started laughing, imagining what kind of fit she was probably throwing on the other side.
"I'll grab the cart, buddy. You go make sure dad is still alive, okay?" I told him, earning a nod from the dark haired boy. Well, at least it was dark today. Teddy inherited his biological mother's talent for Metamorphmagus and changed his looks often. But today he looked like his normal self, brown hair and brown eyes, like Remus.
"Okay, Mum." He said, before taking a running start at the platform and disappearing a second later.
I went back to the cart, grabbing it, and taking a look around to make sure no one was looking. When I concluded that the coast was clear, I took a running start and slammed right through the brick wall, coming out on the platform where the Hogwarts Express idled.
I heard my daughter yelling before I saw her. The poor girl had her arms crossed and she was tapping one foot as she looked up at Harry with an accusing look in her eye. A smile grew on my face as I watched my eleven-year-old scold a full-grown man. "How dare you, Harry James Potter." She said in a low voice.
Harry's eyes grew wide at her comment before gazing over at me. "She's been home with you too long."
I look down at Cullen whose fury was beginning to fade now that she was on the platform and shook my head sadly. "No, she hasn't." I said.
"Oh, boy, here we go again." Teddy said from the other side of Harry.
"What? It's okay to be sad when your children are leaving you to go off to school." I said, at the same time Harry wrapped an arm around my waist and kissed my temple. "It's only natural."
"Yeah, Teddy. Don't you remember last year when you left? She cried for a week straight." Cullen explained to her brother before looking back up at me. "Is that natural, mommy?"
My face fell as my daughter called me out. I looked at Harry a second before looking back down at her. "Okay, maybe she has been around me too long." I shook my head and put my hands on her shoulders to get her moving towards the train. "School will do you a world of good, kid."
Cullen started laughing but Teddy didn't. I looked down at my son to see that he actually looked sad; it was strange because last year he was so excited that it was his turn to go to Hogwarts. I passed Cullen to Harry before going over to Teddy and catching his eye. "Are you okay, Teddy?" I asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine." He replied, not looking at me, but at the rock he was kicking around with his sneaker.
"Oh, really? Because you don't look too fine to me." I said, catching his chin so he would look at me. "What is it, sweetheart? You can tell me anything."
The boy took a deep breath and kicked the rock one more time before answering. "It's just that-last year, some of the kids made fun of me."
I wrinkled my forehead and tilted my head. "What do you mean? I thought you made tons of friends last year at school."
"I did." He answered reluctantly.
"Then why did they make fun of you?"
Teddy took another deep breath before answering. "They said it was weird that I had a different last name from my family…you guys are the Potters and I don't have the same name as you do." The boy looked back down at his shoes, embarrassed about the entire situation.
I sighed, feeling bad for Teddy, and took his hands into my cold ones. "Theodore Remus Lupin, look at me." He finally brought his eyes back to me; but, this time, they were green to match Cullen's and Harry's. "You were named for both of your biological parents families. They were great wizards and they get to live on through your name…I wouldn't dream of taking that from you...or letting anyone put you down because of it. You might have a different last name but you are a Potter through and through. You are my son and I love you, regardless of your name. Do you understand me?"
Teddy nodded. "Yes, mum. I understand."
"That's my boy." I say with a smile before going in for a hug. I hesitate a second. "May I?"
My soon to be teenager sighed and nodded. I closed the gap between us and gave him a huge hug before standing. The two of us walked over to the spot where Harry and Cullen were waiting for us near the first year's entrance to the train. I winked at Harry, letting him know that everything was okay. The man nodded in response.
"Well, I think I am going to go take these bags to get loaded onto the train." Harry announced. "Want to give me a hand, son?"
Teddy nodded and they both set out to the back of the train, promising to return in a moment.
Cullen and I stood on the platform, watching all the other parents bustling to get their children on the train. Somehow, all of them managed to take a second to stop and stare at either Harry or me though, but I was used to it by now. Though Teddy understood, Cullen would never fully know what her father and I had been through together in hopes of making the world better for them.
"Allie?"
I spun at the sound of my name, not exactly sure what to expect, but was surprised when I saw the one person I thought I would never have contact with again. Before me stood Draco Malfoy with his arm wrapped around a little boy that had to be a first year, like Cullen, and the spitting image of his father. The man had an aged look about him, like the things he had seen in his life had finally caught up with him. But it was still Draco Malfoy, nonetheless.
"Draco, hi." I said, taking Cullen's hand and leading her over to the man. "It's been a long time."
"Yes, it surely has been." He said with a stunned smile on his face. "How has your life been?"
"Pretty great." I told him. "And you?"
He nodded. "Good." I had a feeling he was exaggerating; I could tell by the look in his eyes that showed itself when he was lying. He studied me for a second before looking down at Cullen. "Is...Harry around here somewhere?"
"Yes, he's with our son. They went to get the bags on the train." I paused. "And your wife?"
"Talking with some old friends." He informs me.
I nod in response before the two of us fall into another silence, searching for something to say to each other. It was just really…weird.
"You haven't changed a bit, Allie." He told me, snapping me from my thoughts.
"One of the perks of being a vampire, I'm afraid."
He nodded, showing he understood.
Another silence filled the air between us.
"This is a really awkward conversation." Cullen cut in with the big mouth that she inherited from me.
I looked down at her with my jaw hanging open. "Cullen!"
"What? It is." She said with a shrug like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
I shook my head at her before looking back up at Draco. "She's her mother's daughter unfortunately."
He chuckled lightly. "No, I don't see that as a bad thing."
He caught my eye for a second before looking down at his son and patting his little shoulder. "Um, this is my son, Scorpious."
I smiled down at the boy who nodded his head to greet me.
"Nice to meet you, Scorpious. This is my daughter Cullen. She is a first year just like you."
"I'm going to be in Gryffindor." Cullen explained to him with a definite shake of her head, like it was finalized already.
"How do you know?" Scorpious questioned her with a raised eyebrow and skeptical tone.
"Because my mother was in Gryffindor, so were my father and brother." She told him.
"I'm going to be in Slytherin." Scorpious responded. "Both of my parents were in Slytherin."
"Slytherins are evil." Cullen shot at him.
"Well, Gryffindors are full of themselves." The boy hissed the words back at her.
Draco and I shared a knowing glance at each other as our children bickered back and forth, much the same as we used to. I couldn't help but think that our kids would friends…actually there was no doubt in my mind that they would be.
"Oh, yeah? Well-" I cut Cullen's next comment off by clasping my hand over her mouth. Though I am sure it was very witty, like everything that came out of my daughter's mouth, but they could save their little squabble for later.
"Okay, well, that's enough of that. We'd better go find daddy and Teddy, yes?" I say, looking up at Draco and smiling. "It was really good to see you, Draco."
Draco smiled back. "It was good to see you, as well. Goodbye."
I waved slightly at him before turning and tugging Cullen further down the platform to see what was taking Harry and Teddy so long.
"Who was that, mommy?" Cullen asked as she looked back at the spot where Draco and his son still stood.
"An old friend." I told her, feeling the term was correct to describe my and Draco's relationship. It was strange though after all these years to have closure with him. We went through so much and to final talk on civilized terms without any secrets or fake personas was great. I felt that I could finally put Draco Malfoy behind me for good, though I was not sure I could say the same for my daughter and his son.
We made our way through a large crowd, breaking through the other side to see Harry and Teddy standing with George, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Ron, and a very pregnant Hermione. My best friend had little Rose, now two, clutching onto her hand.
They all stood there, our family, to surprise the children and see them off.
"Uncle George!" Cullen wretched herself from my hand and ran into George's awaiting ones. He picked her up like he used to and gave her a large hug.
"Oh, there she is!" He said. "Didn't think I'd miss sending you and Teddy off to school, now did you, Cul?"
I smiled over at him before going to say hello to Hermione. "Hey, look at you. You are getting so big!"
I gave her the best hug I could manage before she spoke. "Yeah, don't remind me."
"She means it, Allie." Ron explained to me as I went to give him a hug. "Every time I mention her size she hits me upside the head."
"You deserve it, I'm sure." Harry told him as he and Teddy came over to stand with us. "It's your own fault for bringing it up, mate."
"Thank you, Harry." Hermione said with a nod. "I've been trying to tell him that for months now."
I smiled at them and shook my head. Leave it to my adult friends to still fight like we were teenagers. Well, I suppose some of us were still.
Teddy came to stand next to me and I leaned down to kiss him on the forehead. The boy looked a little let down and I could make a pretty good guess as to why that is. I look up from my son, over his head, and smile at who I saw coming down that platform. "Hey, I think there is someone here to see you, too."
The boy turned from me to see the large form emerge from the steam coming off the train. Instantly, his face lit up and he ran towards him. "Jake!"
Jacob smiled, looking the same as ever, and kneeled down to give Teddy one of his famous bear hugs. "Hey there, buddy! I thought I missed you guys for a second."
"Jake!" It was Cullen's turn to run past me to go see my guardian.
"There's my girl!" He said, opening his arms wider to engulf both my children in his large embrace. "Oh, I am going to miss you guys! But you'll all coming to visit me during Christmas, right?"
"Yup!" Teddy announced, excited about his adventure already.
"Good." He said with a nod before standing up and coming over to give me a peck on the cheek. "Hey, squirt."
"Hey, Jacob."
Jake let go of Cullen's hand to shake Harry's. Both men said hello in a friendly manner. It is safe to say that it took the two of them several years before they recovered from the whole 'Harry got me pregnant at eighteen and Jake was going to kill him' situation but once Jacob was over it they were on friendly terms again.
From the front of the train, the whistle sounded, causing both me and Cullen to cover our ears for a second.
"Alright, guys, time to go." Harry said, kneeling down to look both of the kids in the eye. "You be good." Harry gave Teddy a big hug before leaning down and kissing Cullen on the forehead. "I love you guys."
"You too, dad." Teddy said with a small smile.
"I love you too, daddy." Cullen told him.
My children then turned to look at me. I took each of their hands in one of my own and smiled down at them, trying to keep it together. "Teddy, remember when you are shifting to go to-"
"Go to the Shrieking Shack. I know, mum." He said. I nodded.
"And Cullen, you make sure that you hunt every now and then…not in the castle but out in-"
"Out in the Forbidden Forest that is not so forbidden to us vampires…You told me, mom."
"Okay," I told her while smoothing out her blonde waves. "Write often, my loves." I explained before reaching out my arms and wrapping both of them in my arms. "I love you."
"Love you, mom." They both said in unison, squeezing me tight, before letting go and heading towards the train. Teddy led his sister by the hand as she watched Harry and I, waving for a moment longer.
Harry came over and wrapped an arm around my waist as we watched them board the train and then disappear.
"Look what you did," He told me. "You raised two beautiful, amazing children, Mrs. Potter."
"You helped," I said, resting the side of my head against his cheek. "Well, a little."
Harry chuckled. "We can share the credit."
The next thing I know the train begins to pull away. From the compartment closest to us, I see Cullen, followed closely by Teddy, come to the window and wave furiously. Harry and I waved, along with our friends and family on the platform as the train moved farther and farther away.
I looked over at Harry, amazed that we had come this far after everything we went through since we met back in our fourth year. My husband was aging well, at thirty, he didn't look very worn from all he had seen in his life. I think our family, the children especially, helped to keep it in check, keep him from reliving all the stress. But the fact of the matter was that he was aging.
I was not turning Harry and for the moment he was content with that knowledge…but I'm not sure how long that would last. Yes, at some point Cullen would stop aging too, around sixteen like I did, and I was never changing, hadn't since the day I died. We were vampires whereas Harry and Teddy were mortals. What this meant for us, I wasn't sure. All I knew was that we were together and we were happy.
Everything else would fall into place; I was sure of it.
I had the love of my life. I had my best friends. I had my Jacob. I had my amazing children. I had the life I never dreamed I would possibly have.
And for right now that's all I needed to know.
Well, what do you think! I hope you enjoyed reading the stories as much as I love writing them for you. Once again, thank you so much for sticking with the story. I'm not sure what I am going to be doing for my next projects. I know I am doing a sequel to my Narnia fic The World As We Knew It but besides that I am not sure. Please let me know if there is anything you would like to see me do! I'm always open for options. Thank you so much for reading! Love you guys!