Disclaimer: I do not own anything but an unhealthy obsession for two of my favorite things ever: Harry Potter and Twilight.

The Stares that Burn

AN:/ Hey, party people! This is the second chapter of AHAW(obviously) and so far I don't hate it yet. I've read Harry/Edward fics in the past, and I've seen so many where Bella's a complete bitch, but she won't be one in this story, so...

Yeah...(awk)...

ENJOY!

Edward tried not to notice when Harry flinched every time someone accidentally brushed against him in the busy hallway and winced whenever he caught someone staring. Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe Harry wasn't ready for this yet.

After all, the man had won a war a mere six months before. Ever since, he hadn't felt comfortable in even the smallest of crowds.

The month directly after the Final Battle had been especially difficult for him. The nightmares and the flashbacks haunted him and still did. Edward had been by his side every step of the way. There had even been a point in which the nightmares appeared every time Harry so much as closed his eyes. It simply became easier for Edward to sleep in the same room as him so as to be able to talk him down whenever the man woke up screaming. But even when awake, Edward had never been farther than the next room over. In those progressively fewer nights, after Harry had fallen back to sleep, Edward would feel such anger at the people that caused this to his friend.

The last few months had been better, at least Harry hasn't had another one of his silent spells in which he had been known not to say a word for days—sometimes even weeks. The nightmares had lessened and Edward no longer needed to sleep in the same room as Harry, even though he did, just in case. Harry was actually comfortable going outside and could walk through a large crowd without breaking down completely like he used to. He had even had enough courage to successfully point Edward in the right track of Victoria, but turned away as Edward separated her body from her head. But... other than that...

He was doing well.

This is horrible—terrible. I can't do this.

Harry's entire body was stiff as he walked down the blindingly white linoleum. He didn't how much of this he could take—the lingering stares that burned; the incessant flirting.

Thank goodness for Edward. The redheaded man in question walked directly in front of him. Without him, Harry doubted that he would have made it this far to lunch. Hell, he doubted he'd still be alive without him.

He stared at the back of Edward's head, a sight that was familiar to him since he tended to walk behind his friend wherever they went. His eyes followed down the squared shoulders to the hand that was intertwined with the girl's—Bella's. The sight evoked a strange, unfamiliar feelinf in his chest that he found less than desirable.

It wasn't that he didn't like Bella; she was kind when they first met and had been such ever since he had been there, but—he didn't know. He wrote it off as simply being protective of Edward.

"Angel?"

Harry looked toward Bella's pale, heart—shaped face.

"Are you alright? You seem really quiet." Harry found the slight, natural rasp in her voice pleasant.

He looked to Edward just as the vampire answered for him, "He does that a lot, it's okay."

"I didn't really talk much on my first day either, and that wasn't too long ago so I totally understand," her smile was sympathetic and welcoming.

Damn it, Potter! Stop feeling this way towards this girl!

He simply nodded at her in response because he'd heard everything of her previous arrival from Phoenix. Edward had made sure that he had. The table they arrived at toward the back was already filled with people and inane human chatter when they got there. Alice joined in happily in the nonsensical conversation as she absentmindedly played with Jasper's fingers. The blond looked just as uncomfortable as Harry felt, and Jasper must have known that because a second later Harry was overcome with a wave of calm.

He flashed Jasper a grateful smile to which a response came in the form of a collective gasp heard only by those with intensified senses, came from anyone who had been staring at Harry(read: the entire fucking student body). The angel, himself, cringed at the sound.

Edward grinned in ridicule.

Read, Review, Comment! Luv you guys!