Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Twilight/Harry Potter characters or story.

Sorry for any mistakes, English is not my first language.

Another two years… I know I have no excuse, I'm a doctor now if it counts… Not an easy career choice if anyone is wondering.

Chapter 9: Running out of time

It was now the first of September, and rain was pelting on the window. Bella was alone that morning, Edward had gone hunting during the night and wouldn't be back until later in the morning, and so she could commiserate and sulk in peace. Concealing what she had been feeling since they had come back from Alaska had been grueling, and it was taking its toll on her. She was so very tired, so weary… and still had not come any near telling the Cullens the truth.

After Tanya and her had come back from their… chat, everybody had been tense, surely expecting an argument of some kind. After all, Tanya had pursued Edward for many years and it wasn't unreasonable to think that they would agree on everything… thus they were pleasantly surprised to see them behaving like old friends, all smiles and secretive stares, as if they had been simply gossiping… Yeah, gossiping... more like destroying Tanya's mind...

If they had paid a bit more attention to Bella, they would have seen the dark shade that took over her eyes when she thought no one was looking. The weight she now carried hung limply from her heart. Guilt was not something she was accustomed to, yet it was something she would need to endure from now on…

Bella had promised something, while watching those people she considered family laughing and talking with no care in the world, people who had opened their houses for her, maybe even their hearts, to have her betraying them so thoroughly… To have covered up memories of a long lost love as if she had the right to do it…

I will come back and free your memories once everything is well Tanya, I swear…

If Bella had paid a bit more of attention to her surroundings, she'd see Jasper observing her oddly, no doubt sensing her inner turmoil, and filing out everything till later when he could comment on it with his family. It seemed each day that passed they had more reasons to distrust her, and she was only digging the hole deeper.

Some days later, while Bella and Edward were walking together to school, he brought it up. It had been looming on the horizon, Bella knew, and she hoped they would not fuss too much over it.

"So… what would you like for your birthday?" – Edward was smiling while he asked, a bit of mischief showing in his eyes. Bella had been expecting some kind of comment about it for a few days, though this wasn't the approach she had predicted in her mind.

"I don't want to know how you managed to find out when my birthday is… I'm sure I haven't told anyone." – Bella tried to sound exasperated though it wasn't very convincing, it was kind of cute to see how eager he was about it. Although it made sense, after all this would be the first 'real' birthday the Cullens could celebrate in a long time, and it was only a week away.

"And from your face I'd dare to say that you already have my gift planned… Am I right?" – Now Edward looked bashful, as if he had been caught doing something he shouldn't. How can I not love him? He is so considerate, and not to mention handsome...

"Maybe?... Look, Alice is waiting for us by the door." – Bella smiled to herself, knowing a change of topic when she saw one. Edward's plans to tease her had backfired spectacularly, so she let him guide her to the school door without commenting anything else.

"Bella, I love that dress! Where did you get it? Is it designer?" – Alice was the same as always, though Edward was thankful and so he let the girls chat while he nursed his injured pride. Bella had been behaving strangely during the last few days, always nervous and distracted as if her mind was elsewhere half the time. However, she seemed calmer that morning, had even teased him back, so maybe everything was right again… I wonder if Carlisle will want to accompany me to Chicago…

If only he knew how wrong he was… That same day, everything would change.

Bella had a bad feeling that evening. Edward had left a few hours ago on a 'hunting trip' with Carlisle, and they wouldn't be back till later in the week. A 'father-son bonding experience', that's what he had said, though she suspected they were planning something for her birthday, because the rest of the Cullens were also out of town. Alice, Rosalie and Esme were supposedly in Seattle, had left that same afternoon, and Jasper and Emmet wanted to hunt some big prey and had left the day before.

Maybe the all want to hunt together but didn't want to tell me? It's not as if I wouldn't understand, it's normal for families to share a meal together… Yeah, don't be stupid Bella, you saw their faces, they are clearly planning something… Bella sighed, feeling tired all sudden. Who knew it would be this hard to face them every day and not tell the everything. She was beginning to forget why she couldn't tell them in the first place…

"BELLA!"

She flinched, having been so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't hear her cousin's voice, who now sounded angry. She got up from laying on the bed and took her mirror case, opening it.

"Sorry Draco, I was… Draco? What's wrong?" – He looked troubled and downcast, his pale face paler than usual, blonde hair disheveled and his eyes held so much… Guilt?

Why would he feel guilt? He was incapable of doing anything bad…Oh… OH…

"Draco, please. Tell me you haven't said anything… Please Draco…" – He only averted his gaze, gray eyes clouding in tears. No… not so soon… there was a week left until her birthday… she needed those days…

Finally, he spoke again, his voice no more than a whisper. "Your mother came to my house when we were having breakfast, I didn't think it strange at first, an unusual hour for a visit but well…" – He sighed, though he looked more composed than before.

"Aunt Bella and my mother left to talk about something in private, and they came back minutes later… my mother looked worried but yours…" – Draco gulped, and Bella needn't any description, she could image perfectly how her mother had looked to inspire fear in Draco, she had seen that look a few times during her life, and it was an experience she didn't want to repeat.

"She sat next to me and asked about you. I tried to deflect her questions like I had been doing other times, but I wasn't feeling very well… I hadn't gotten much sleep last night, maybe I drank more than I should… but you know how my parents would get if I didn't appear during breakfast…" – He was rambling now, the same guilt look from before clearly on his face, his eyes avoiding hers at all costs.

"I was going to leave, I had been getting up when she… I hadn't realized how close to me she was... and suddenly, her eyes just pierced mine… my occlumency isn't as good as to resist her…" – Draco left it at that, and Bella knew.

Her mother had used Legilimency on Draco… And that meant… That meant she knew everything.

Bella was unable to stop the tears from falling. Draco looked on guiltily, not daring to break the silence. Nevertheless, he was the one who spoke again.

"Bella… I know it's not much, but I convinced them to let Severus and Sirius pick you up, your parents wanted to go themselves but I imagined how that would go… This way at least you all will have some time to calm down…" – Bella smiled through her tears, she was so lucky to have Draco on her life. He was the best friend and cousin, and she told him so. He sighed but smiled at her, he was looking less pale than before and more composed.

"I think they will be there soon, my father and uncle Rodolphus had gone to prepare the portkeys when I could finally escape to my room, and my mother had already floo-called Severus… You'd better warn your vampires."

"They are not my vampires, Draco. And they are not here, they left to hunt and prepare things for my birthday… they'll be so disappointed…" – Bella hoped they didn't get too angry and would understand. After all, she couldn't have asked for a better moment to be picked up. This way, she could avoid any member of her family actually meeting the Cullens until she had done some damage control.

"Disappointed? If they knew your family, they would be running for their lives. In fact, you should tell them to hide till you have spoken with your parents and explained everything, you father was looking a bit murderous when I left." – Draco had said all this as if he were talking about the weather, not a hint of a joke in his tone. Bella couldn't help but cringe, she could imagine very well how her father must have looked… And her mother… Oh Merlin.

"He is right, kid. These vampires of yours should be thankful, I wanted to share with them a piece of my mind before my dear cousin and your father were through with them." – The voice had come from the door, and when Bella turned, she saw her Uncle Sirius leaning casually against the frame. He was the perfect picture of nonchalance, very elegant with his dark robes, hair framing his aristocratic face, but she could see the hard edge in his posture and the darkening in his clear eyes.

How long had he been standing there?

"Uncle Sirius! When did you arrive?" – Bella went to hug him, but stopped herself in the last moment, hesitating. Would he refuse the contact? He seemed very displeased… Her thoughts were halted by him reaching and hugging her so hard he lifted her off the ground.

"Don't do than again, kid. You don't know how worried we were when we heard of your… associations." - Bella could hear in that word all he wasn't saying, and she stiffened in his arms. She separated enough to look up to his face.

"You don't know everything, uncle. Don't judge me. They haven't hurt me, not once, they actually feed on animals so why would they…" – She was interrupted by another voice coming from the hallway, the tone mocking and annoyed.

"As disgusting as this loving reunion is, we have things to do, Black. I already erased the muggle's memories, and he won't wake up for a few hours." – Severus Snape appeared then on the doorway, his black robes imposing and his face in a grimace. That was his façade, Bella knew, and the fact that he was saying anything at all just showed how concerned he had also been.

"Severus!" This time Bella did not hesitate, and went to hug the man, who tried to disentangle himself from her when he saw that she wasn't letting go. They surely made a funny picture, with Bella clinging to the rigid man. Sirius' laughter made her turn around. He was holding her mirror case, and from what she could see Draco was still there, silently observing.

"So this is how you two had been in contact… I knew I would regret the day I gave them to both of you." – Bella snatched the mirror from his hands, smiled apologetically at Draco and closed it, turning to face the two men in her room.

"Well, I'd better pack, I think." – A few waves of her wand had all her things sitting neatly in front of her, and that was when she realized what Severus had said.

"What did you say you did to Charlie?"

Later that same night, they were ready to leave. Bella had written a note for Edward and Xylon had carried it to the Cullen's house.

I'm going back home. I'll come for you when everything is sorted out.

It was too short and it said too little, but Sirius and Severus were in a hurry and did not leave her any time to contemplate on what to write, though she knew it wasn't enough. Edward would be hurt, all the Cullens would, even so, she did not have the time for anything more. She could only hope that when she returned they would listen and understand her position.

And poor Charlie… Bella was going to miss him. He had been so nice to her, behaving like a real father. She couldn't help the few tears that escaped when she entered his room to say goodbye. He had been sound asleep, and she had stared for a few seconds before kissing his cheek… The first and only kiss she had given him… She hadn't been such a good daughter for him at all…

"Come on, Bella. Stop sulking and help us, we still have much to do tonight. We are lucky it rains here almost every day." – Severus handed her a broom and a sack. It contained a powder (one of his latest inventions) that once inhaled would make everyone around forget most things about her. They had been enchanting it minutes before so it would work properly and people didn't forget more than they should, though it seemed that while she got lost in thought they had finished. Now they had to fly around and let the powder fall, and the rain would only enhance its power.

Come tomorrow morning, nobody in Forks and La Push would remember Bella Swan.

It will be as if I never existed…

I hope the wait was worth it. Sorry again.