A/N: Hi! This chapter is a bit shorter but it took me ages to finish it. I had to rewrite it several times before I was even remotely happy with it. There will be another A/N at the bottom because I have an idea which I'd like to share with you.

But for now, enjoy!

Chapter two

I couldn't sleep tonight.

It was after midnight and I was lying in bed, wide awake, still thinking about everything I'd heard on the radio this afternoon. Edward wasn't with me now, he'd gone hunting with Carlisle but he'd promised to be back soon.

After the Potterwatch had ended, it took me a while before I was able to focus on something else, but I still was too distracted. Eventually Toby had decided to end the lesson early and moved it to another time. Edward had looked worried and didn't really want to leave but I'd told him I was fine.

Now I regretted it.

I'd gotten so used to him being with me at night, that falling asleep alone would have been hard for me even without the news from Britain.

I couldn't get the images out of my head. Everytime I closed my eyes, I saw the faces of my friends, imagining them getting beaten or cruciated or chased by acromantulas. Lupin's assurance that they hadn't been injured permanently didn't help much.

There was also the mystery of the unknown artefact they had wanted to steal. What was it and what had they needed it for? They must have known that Snape's office would be closely guarded, not to mention you needed a password to get inside. It seemed absolutely crazy that someone would try to steal from there. I'd never been in the Headmaster's office myself but I knew there were portraits of former headmasters and I was sure that at least some of them wouldn't keep a robbery to themselves.

I felt a light breeze from the window and a second later familiar cold lips were pressed against my temple. Edward's dark figure then sat down on the bed next to me, leaning back against the headboard.

"It's late. Why aren't you sleeping?" he murmured, pulling me to his chest.

"Can't sleep," I said with a sigh, looking up at him. It was dark so I could only make out his outlines but I still couldn't resist looking at him.

"Is something bothering you?" he asked, sounding concerned. I sighed, not really sure if I should tell him, afraid that he would think I was overthinking it or something. When I didn't answer immediately, he inhaled through his nose impatiently. "Bella, you've barely said two words since Toby left. Talk to me, please."

I sighed again. I knew he wouldn't let it go. Not being able to read my mind was driving him crazy especially at times like this, when I was lost in thoughts, not really wanting to talk about it.

"I was thinking about the Potterwatch," I admitted, closing my eyes. He was quiet so I went on telling him about Dean Thomas and Ted Tonks and how I knew them. And how worried I was about Ginny and the others who had tried to steal from Snape.

"You don't know it was her, Bella," said Edward quietly, tightening his arms around me.

I finally opened my eyes again and looked up at him incredulously. I wanted to laugh but there was nothing funny about it. "I do. There's no way she would have missed being involved in something like this. And I'm sure Neville and Luna were there too."

I had told him once about the members of DA so I was glad I didn't have to remind him who I was talking about.

"How can you be so sure?"

I closed my eyes again, taking a deep breath. "Because they were always the most dedicated members of DA, right after Harry, Ron and Hermione."

"And what about you?" Of course he would ask that.

"Well…" I hesitated, knowing he wouldn't like what I was about to say. I felt him tense beside me. "Ginny is my best friend so… yeah… me too."

"What does it even mean that you were the most dedicated? What did you do?"

I hesitated again. I knew he wouldn't like it but on the other side I wanted him to know. I took a deep breath. "We might have gone to a mission with him in my fourth year. And there was a sort of a battle in school in June we somehow got involved in."

His arms tightened around me a little but other than that he was quiet. I refused to look at him, instead I decided to elaborate a little. I still wasn't feeling too tired anyway.

"At the end my fourth year, Harry got convinced that You-Know-Who had kidnapped his godfather and held him at the Ministry," I started, deciding on not going into too much details. I heard Edward take a sharp breath and I spoke quickly before he could ask. "Don't ask me how Harry thought so. It's complicated and I don't really understand it myself." It was true. „Anyway, I got involved by chance, really.

"Ginny, Luna and I overheard Harry shouting about something and we just got curious, you know. Before we knew it, we were persuading people not to go into the corridor where Umbridge had her office, so Harry and Hermione could check through Umbridge's fireplace if his godfather had really been taken or it was just a trick…"

So I spent the next hour or so talking about our trip to the Ministry. I had planned on leaving out the details but I ended up telling him everything after all. I still remembered many details rather vividly and when I got to the point where we had been surrounded by the Death Eaters, I was clutching Edward's shirt so tightly, that he had to gently take my hand away or I would have made a hole in the thin fabric.

Edward was quiet the whole time, rubbing soothing circles on my back when I became particularly stressed. I'd never talked about it, not even with Ginny who had been there too. But maybe it was because we had both been there that we'd never talked about it.

"So you saw him? You-Know-Who?" Edward asked when I finished, feeling completely exhausted.

"Yeah. It was just a glimpse, really. But I'll never forget it." I closed my eyes and of course the greyishly pale noseless face and vibrant red eyes filled my vision. "You know what I always thought was weird? He had red eyes but I know he's not a vampire."

"Hmm. That is strange," he muttered into my hair, sounding thoughtful. "Maybe you should ask Toby about it."

"Mmm," I hummed, yawning loudly.

"Get some sleep now," was the last thing I heard before drifting into surprisingly dreamless sleep.

When I opened my eyes Sunday morning, I was immediately blinded by a bright light coming from the corner of my room. I blinked several times before I realized what it was.

"Sorry," Edward muttered sheepishly, getting up from my rocking chair. He quickly drew back the curtains on my window and the room became dim.

He walked to my bed and sat down next to me, taking my hand and placing a gentle kiss on my knuckles. I could finally see his face, now, when the room was protected from the surpising bit of sunshine that had found its way to my window. He smiled but I could tell something was bothering him.

"Is everything okay?" I asked, frowning.

"Of course." He lifted one corner of his mouth into my favorite crooked smile. "I was just thinking."

He didn't elaborate and I didn't ask. For now, anyway.

"I think I heard your owl last night," Edward said while he was watching me eat breakfast.

My owl, Agnes, had been enjoying her freedom since I'd arrived in Forks and I had been seeing her even less since I'd started seeing Edward. The rare times I did see her she looked annoyed and soon flew away again.

"I think she's angry with me," I said with a sigh, stirring my cereals with a spoon.

"Angry?" He laughed incredulously. "She's an owl, Bella. They don't get angry."

I giggled at his patronizing tone. He sounded like a parent who tried to be patient with their five-year-old.

"Magical owls are more inteligent than normal owls, you know?" I said, shrugging. "They have feelings, emotions."

"In that case we should ask Jasper if he can feel something from her." He smirked, clearly not believing me.

I rolled my eyes and got up to put the empty bowl in the sink. Then I crossed the room back to where Edward sat and he, seeing my intention, opened his arms for me so I could climb onto his lap. I put my arms around his shoulders, just as he hugged me closer to his chest, and then I sneaked my hands slowly into his hair on the back of his head. He closed his eyes and hummed in appreciation.

"Why is it so hard for you to believe that our owls are intelligent?" I asked, gently massaging his scalp.

He kept his eyes closed while answering. "I don't know. Maybe because they don't look magical unlike unicorns or dragons. They're just owls." He shrugged, finally opening his eyes that were smiling at me now.

"Well, you'll see for yourself when you meet her." If I ever managed to persuade her to come into my room again in the first place.

"So, what are we doing today?" Edward asked after a few minutes of silence, changing the topic. We were alone in the house again, Charlie had gone fishing as nearly every weekend.

"I don't know." I shrugged. "I should probably practice the non-verbal spells but I could use a little break from magic just now," I admitted. I was still a little flustered from yesterday's news so I just wanted to clear my head and think of something else for a while.

"Let's go to the meadow then," he suggested and I happily agreed.

The sun had long disappeared behind the clouds but it was still warm enough to enjoy the day out. I was happy to be outside for a change since I had spent the last few weeks either at the Cullens or at home, rarely going out except for the practice sessions in the clearing behind the Cullen house. I wasn't allowed to go into town because officially I didn't live here anymore. The only other place I was allowed to visit was the house of my friend I'd met at Forks High School Angela Weber, but she'd been busy with school and taking care of her little brothers so we had yet to make arrangements for my visit.

The wildflowers that had been in full bloom in the meadow last time I had been here were gone now but the place had lost none of its charm. It was still green thanks to the everpresent rain and the trees surrounding it had gained the autumn colours now.

Edward lay down on the ground and closed his eyes, much like the first – and only – time I had been here with him about a month ago. And just as the first time, I sat down beside him, watching his handsome face, how his lips curled up into a gentle smile or how the breeze played with his messy bronze hair. He looked so calm and peaceful, carefree even, no doubt enjoying the quiet without any disturbing thoughts invading his mind.

"What are you thinking about?" he mumbled without opening his eyes and I had to laugh out loud. This made him look up at me with raised eyebrows. "What?"

"I was just thinking how you must be enjoying the quiet. But clearly I was wrong."

He chuckled and took my hand in both of his, placing it on his chest. "Well, I am enjoying it. It doesn't mean I'm not curious though."

"You don't know what you want," I teased but he just shrugged and started to play with my fingers.

After a while, I got an idea and started patting my pockets for my phone.

"What are you doing?" Edward asked curiously and lifted himself on his elbows.

"Well, Renee wanted a picture of you, didn't she?" I grinned triumphantly as I pulled out the phone out of my jeans.

"That she did."

"So…" I frowned at the little device, trying to figure out how to take a photo with it. Edward chuckled and took it from me. His fingers blurred across it for half a second and then he gave it back to me with a smirk. I scowled at him playfully but eventually I managed to snap a picture of him, half lying with a playful smirk on his handsome face.

I checked the screen and laughed. "Renee will be ecstatic."

He rolled his eyes, lowering himself back on the ground. "Are you going to send it to her now?"

"Yeah, and then I'll turn the phone off for at least a week."

I briefly considered actually doing it but then I changed my mind and put the phone back into my pocket. I would send it to her later. Instead I lay down next to him, resting my chin on his chest. Edward grinned at me and placed his right hand on my lower back and his left under his head, looking completely at ease with my close proximity.

"Can I ask you something?" I asked, feeling suddenly shy so I kept my eyes on his chin.

"Sure."

"Um…" I hesitated, biting my lower lip.

"What is it, Bella?" He sounded curious, probably intrigued by my blushing.

"Well," I started again, clearing my throat nervously. "I was wondering… You seem much more relaxed around me lately. Like my scent doesn't affect you anymore…"

"It looks like that, doesn't it?" He murmured and I looked up into his eyes that were gazing intently into mine. Then he sighed, shifting his gaze on the cloudy sky. "Like I told you before, the more time I spend with you, the easier it gets. But it doesn't mean your scent doesn't affect me anymore. I still have to control my every move around you… But maybe it's become more automatic." He shrugged and looked back at me. "What is your question?"

"I was wondering," I said again, mentally cursing my natural shyness. I took a deep breath and just blurted it out. "Will it ever be possible for us to get more… um… physical…?" His eyes went wide so I hurried with explanation. "I mean, I'm not ready yet and I don't think you are either but maybe sometime in the future… if it's even possible…or…" As if I wasn't already feeling embarrassed enough, a horrible and completely humiliating thought crept into my mind – and of course I had to blurt it out as well. "…or if you're even interested in me that way." I hid my face in his shoulder after I finished, praying the ground would swallow me whole.

The silence that followed seemed to last forever but then I could feel his body shaking with laughter. I raised my head, feeling my cheeks go impossibly even redder. I narrowed my eyes at him and he immediately stopped laughing.

"I'm sorry, Bella. That was rude of me," he apologized, looking sincere, his lips curled up in a gentle smile. "But the idea that I'm not interested in you that way is completely ridiculous." This time my eyes went wide at his honest confession and he chuckled seeing my expression. Then he grew more serious. "But you're right that we're not ready yet."

"Yet?"

"Yet," he confirmed with a nod.

"So, you think it will be possible?" I was genuinely surprised. I had been a hundred percent sure he'd say no and I'd have to beg him to even hear me out.

He sighed, looking thoughtfully at a strand of my hair that he'd been playing with. "We'll have to be patient, though. Even if the bloodlust weren't the issue anymore, I'm still so much stronger than you." He looked at me sheepishly. "I'll have to learn how to touch you like that without hurting you. I can't lose control even for a second."

I swallowed hard but nodded. "So we'll take it slow then."

"Yes, slow," he whispered and, gently cupping my face, he lifted his head to kiss me on my lips.

When we got back to Charlie's, it was late afternoon and I was starving. I hadn't eaten since breakfast and it was my grumbling stomach that had prompted Edward to take me back. We had to come through the forest behind our house, using its cover so I wouldn't be seen by our neighbors across the street or some random passer-by. I hated having to hide like that but I understood it was necessary.

I opened the back door, coming straight to the living room, and stopped in my tracks when I saw Charlie, still in his fishing clothes, pacing around the room, looking very upset. He stopped pacing when he heard the door open and turned around quickly.

"Dad?" I said with concern and walked to him. I glanced at Edward questioningly but he just stared at Charlie with a deep frown.

"Where have you been, Bella? I tried to call you but you weren't answering."

I pulled out my phone, seeing it was dead and sighed. "It's dead."

"What happened, Charlie?" asked Edward quietly, looking intently at Charlie's very stressed face.

Charlie threw both his hands into his hair. "My friend Harry Clearwater. We went fishing together and now he's… he's dead."

A/N: Okay, so I was thinking, while writing (and rewriting) about Bella telling Edward about the Ministry, that I'd like to write some kind of compilation of outtakes about Bella's past at Hogwarts or different POV of already written chapters of MT or BM. So I want to know if you're interested in something like that. I think I'll write it anyway for myself but should I post it here as well? If so, please let me know in reviews or PM. And if there's something in particular you'd like to read about then I'm open to suggestions. Thank you!

J.