Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all characters, places et al. are owned by J.K. Rowling. Also Twilight and all characters places et al. are owned by Stephenie Meyer

A/N: Ok, hope it wasn't too long since the last update :) It's time to have them meet, I think. Hopefully you will all enjoy it...

Chapter 11: A Handshake

Draco barely managed to keep his mind focused on his classes, the image of Jasper was hovering behind every thought. He didn't need to dig deep in his memory of the moment their eyes locked, even if it was just for a fleeting instant. The burning intensity of his topaz eyes drilling into him, the grey sweater clinging to his body like a second skin... In that moment Draco had looked just like any love-stuck teenager drooling over his infatuation – and he didn't care one bit.

Unfortunately, the Cullens were not in talking mood it seemed. Emmett and Rosalie were hovering around them like grizzly bears protecting their cubs. Draco knew a lost situation when he saw one. He waited. It was not as if I hadn't waited so far, I can hold out a bit more. I think...

At lunch, he stumbled into a conversation about the Cullens with Bella and Jessica at the table.

"Really, Bella," Jessica said with more than a hint of frustration, "don't bother with Edward. Why are you still interested? He's too aloof to even recognise us. It's a lost cause."

Before Bella could answer, Draco said with a devilish grin, "one could get the impression that you're just frustrated because he didn't fancy you. If you weren't, you wouldn't tell this same thing to anyone with a heartbeat."

Jessica's face got red with anger – or embarrassment, he wasn't sure. "Shut up," she snapped. "What do you know, huh? Being here one week and all? I've seen too many girls cry their heart out for Edward, and I want to spare Bella the pain."

"Oh please," Draco shot back, "you try to hide it, but believe me, I have seen that before. You can't fool me. Just admit it, Jessica. It's not like it's going to kill you..."

Haughtily, she stood up and took her tablet, "I don't need that from you, right now," her voice breaking just a little. Draco actually felt a slight pang of guilt, but it went away quickly. At least she wouldn't fawn over him for at least half a day or so...

"Sorry," Draco shrugged and smiled at Bella, "sometimes I don't understand her myself. It would all be easier if she just were more true to herself."

"It's not your fault," Bella said. "I suspected as much. She's too much in it, emotionally..."

"But you don't deny you are somewhat interested in him? I've seen you look at him a lot before he left and now."

"Just as you are in Jasper?" she said, chuckling when she saw his face congeal into a shocked mask. "Don't make that face, Draco. I have eyes, you know. And it's not like it's something bad. Just chill..."

"You're the second to find me out, after Angela," Draco sighed. "Am I that obvious?"

"You could try a bright yellow billboard over your head with flashing lights, it would be less obvious."

"I have no experience, whatsoever, in that regard. Let's just say I had a complicated childhood, and my family was not very understanding of people who are...different." And there were a lot more definitions of different for a wizarding family than just 'gay'.

Bella looked compassionately at him. "As long as you can be who you want to be, now, it's going to be better, no?"

"Maybe..." Draco leaned back and stared at the ceiling. "I always wanted a nice, easy life. I didn't wake up one morning and said to myself, 'Let's just have a bunch of problems too big for me and see how I do'."

"No one does, Draco," she sounded understanding. "Trust me, I didn't have that morning, either. You have any plan?"

"Plan?" Draco snapped back towards the table. "What do you mean?"

"How to get him, Captain Obvious?" Bella laughed. "Or you just want to admire from afar?"

"I didn't think about that step, really..." He already ruled out love potions or something like that. But really, what did he want to do? "Maybe talk to him, say hi... But he loves Alice, at least she's his girlfriend."

"Draco," it was Bella's turn to sigh, "Talking is fine. And I don't think Alice is going to be a problem for you. Call it female intuition, but they don't act like lovers around each other."

"Maybe you're right..." He forced a pained smile. "And how about you and Edward? You haven't really answered my question. I have eyes, too."

Bella's forehead wrinkled as some thoughts raced through her. "I don't know. He reacts...weird around me, but he has something special. He's not like the rest. Maybe I, too, fall for the lost causes."

"A toast to the lost causes," Draco faked to raise a glass.

Bella smiled and raised another empty hand. "To the lost causes!"

It was harder than he thought it would be, Jasper thought. Not to rush over to Draco and suck the tasty blood out of his pristine neck poking out of the burgundy cardigan. To put that beautiful face to his, to kiss those lips...

But so far, he had managed. Being fed helped, and having the support from his family.

Family... It had been a very awkward discussion when he had come home Saturday night. He had worked up the courage to tell Alice the truth about his feelings. First, it had enraged him when Alice had told him that she had always known it would be like this. He almost lost it back then, again. But Carlisle and Esme had helped, their pure souls glowing with compassion and when he was finished wailing and shouting out his anger, frustration, his hurt, he felt better. And in the end, he forgave Alice for lying to him. He even could understand her. Wouldn't he have done the same? If someone told him that he would leave his love, who would believe it?

They had incredible times, and he would never forget them. Now... Now was a new beginning, for him and Alice. Just that he didn't have a clue how to approach Draco. He was a killing machine, not a suave womaniser like Edward could be.

Edward cast him a hurt look. Sorry, Jasper sent back. But it's true. I don't have exactly tons of experience charming young men to my bed, Jasper's mind sent dryly.

We'll get you there, Edward reassured him. At least you have one problem less, Edward sent. Draco is interested in you. I heard them talk about you. He nodded towards the table on the far side of the cantina, where Bella and Draco where talking and laughing with each other.

Isn't she the one who makes your beast- he asked Edward.

Yes, a pained feeling crashed into Jasper. She is.

Draco was already getting frustrated by the end of the day. He had seen Jasper several times that day, but he never saw a chance to just talk to him alone. He never was without his family. It seemed like they were hovering around him to protect him from Merlin knows what.

When he finally met him, he was so startled he nearly dropped dead from surprise. He was walking on the car park to his very first driving lesson, which he wasn't looking forward to a lot right now – and especially not in this mood.

"Hello," a sensuous voice said from behind. He twitched for his wand, but he slammed down on his impulse and turned towards the voice. There he was, standing just inches away from him and looking intently at him, only Edward visible some steps behind Jasper. It was as if they had appeared out of thin air.

"Eh, Hello," Draco slightly stammered. He looked more closely at Jasper, and his heart started beating like crazy. He felt as if an armada of butterflies went to town in his stomach. He hasn't felt like that, well, like ever. His surrounding blurred in his vision as he focused on those mesmerising eyes.

"I am sorry to have been impolite," he went on, "but they wouldn't let me out of their grasp," he nodded towards Edward, his eyes never leaving Draco's. "I really wanted to meet you," he said with an intensity that almost burnt the air between them.

Draco gulped. "I wanted to meet you, too," he managed to get out. It was bad, that his blood rushed out of his brain to a location much lower...

Jasper slowly extended his hand. "Maybe we meet later, after your driving lessons?"

Draco's hand moved as if remote-controlled and when his skin touched his, it felt as if he had touched a live wire. Jasper's skin was cold, but he didn't really feel it.

After what seemed like an eternity, he was put back into the here and now when Edward interrupted them.
"We should let him go, Jasper," he put his hand on Jasper's shoulder.

Jasper shook his head like he was getting out of a trance, and stammered something that sounded like a yes. He was almost pulled away by Edward and Draco stood there, still as if in shock, for another minute or so, when a loud honking noise pulled his mind down to Earth again. He was so stunned, he even forgot to ask, how they knew about his driving lesson. And he also didn't see the leering face of Peter Mills.

"You see?" Edward said to Jasper as they walked towards the waiting cars. "You managed. I knew you would."

Jasper's face was a mask of pain and desire. "It smelled so good, Ed. I could feel it. I want it..."

Edward winced as Jasper imagined it in gruesome detail.

"Just...relax, Jasper," he said soothingly. "You can control the beast. You're not slave to your hunger."

Jasper looked back and saw the last glimpses of Draco. "It is hard, Edward. So hard. How can you not smell it? Feel it? I want him," he said through clenched teeth. "But I feel something else. To protect him, to be close to him. To be with him." He looked at Edward and was struggling with the thought. "How can I feel that, too? Kill him, protect him... I can't do both!"

"I now the feeling," his mind drifted off to the beautiful face of Bella and he knew, deep down, he felt the same as Jasper did. But you had a lot more time bracing for something like this, and you barely manage...

He still was somewhat unsure if it was the best to expose Jasper to the danger like that, but it was Alice who was pushing them, saying it was meant to be. But maybe it was just the guilt of all those years lying to him that made her? He still wasn't decided on that yet.

"Just focus on what you want to be and not the beast in you," Edward patted Jasper on the back. "And we will be around, to keep you and him safe."

"Thank you, Edward," Jasper sighed. "You're the best..."

That night, Alice had sneaked away to go to her secret spot again. As she waited for her Wolf to come, she thought about the day.

The Jasper she had loved was gone, that much was sure. But she still could love him as a friend, she admitted to herself. It was weird, but she wanted to see him happy. Rosalie had mocked her for that, playfully or not, she couldn't tell. But she has her Emmett, and Alice doubted she was capable of feeling like she was now. Maybe no one should...

When she heard the familiar rustling in the forest, she looked up, smiling. Really, honestly smiling. She depended on those happy moments, now. It was her anchor to sanity, despite how insane it was an anchor.

The big, gangly wolf came into her vision through the forest and by now she could read his face to see that he was happy, too.

"Long time, no see, my Wolf," she chuckled as it came closer to her. When he was next to her, the big head nudged her gently – a nudge that would almost break the ribs of a human – and put his head down on Alice's lap.

She crawled the soft spot behind his right ear which he seemed to love.

When she stopped, he looked up.

Alice drew her breath and exhaled slowly. "I really love our meetings, but, well," she looked into his big eyes, "I know what you are, and you know what I am. So, maybe you could...change? I think I earned your trust by now to see the you behind all that fur."

The wolf looked at her for what seemed like hours, then quickly turned around and rushed into the forest.

"Wait," Alice cried behind him. "Don't go..."

She was about to turn home, when another rustling came from the spot she last saw her Wolf. What she saw, almost took her breath away. A teenage boy, well on his way to become a man, stepped into the moonlight wearing only sweatpants. He was quite tall, and athletic, but still had was a bit gangly. His black hair was wavy around his head and shy smile was plastered on his face.

"Hi," he almost whispered. "I won't leave you, ever," and she believed every word he said.

"We have a lot to talk about," Alice smiled and sped to him faster than the human eye could see.