Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Twilight or Harry Potter.

Thank you to all of you who continue to support this story and to my amazing BETA Miss. Ellen, who was even more magnificent in helping me with this chapter than usual.

Now on with chapter thirteen…

Chapter Thirteen

The Beginning of Forever

New Years at the Cullen's had been interesting to say the least, but it also opened my eyes to a lot of things. Most importantly I learned that I needed to allow myself to accept that Bella and I truly were mates. The next semester seemed to fly by in a blur, and by June I had officially finished my first year of college. At first Bella had suggested we take a summer class or two, but quickly got over the idea when I told her I wanted to take her to England for the summer. In fact she squealed so loud that, for a second, I thought Alice was in the room.

That, however, was on top of the trip we were already planning to take to visit her new baby brother, Daniel. The little tike was born in early May and I had never seen a prouder big sister then Bella. She had wanted to fly out right away, but we had finals coming up so we decided to wait until school was over before starting our official vacation.

There were actually several reasons I wanted to take a trip back to England; firstly because I knew how much Bella dreamed of seeing it; secondly, to be truthful, despite growing up in England, I'd never seen much outside of Surry and Diagon Alley. Well, that is if you don't count the nine month camping trip Hermione, Ron and I took tramping around the country looking for Horcruxes. I certainly didn't, it wasn't like I was actually enjoying myself. I also found myself wanting to look up on my friends, the people I'd left behind. I knew bits and pieces about their lives, mostly from what I read in the papers, but I knew I would feel better if I actually saw them in person, even if they didn't know I was watching.

I had originally left England because it was hard to be so close to them and not actually able to talk to them. The distance made it easier. Of course, things were different now, now I had a reason for my immortal existence, now I had a reason for hope and happiness. Plus, now that I had no doubt that Bella was my one and only I wanted to make it official. I was going to ask her to marry me. When and where I hadn't actually worked out yet, but I knew it would be sometime during our trip.

Making my way out of our bedroom where I had been doing some last minute packing, I headed into the front room where Bella was sitting in her favorite chair, chatting with Renee on the phone.

She had laughed and tossed her head. "Well tell Phil he'd better get used to it, Danny's going to be in diapers for at least the next couple of years."

I leaned against the mantel, and just watched her as she talked and laughed with her mum for several more minutes before finally saying her good bye and hanging up.

"So Phil's not one for changing nappies?" I asked as she stood, placing her phone on the mantel.

"Apparently not, though from what Renee said I don't think she's going to let him get out of diaper duty much longer," she chuckled.

"I hope not. So," I sighed wrapping my arms around her waist, "you all packed and ready for our trip."

She grinned, reaching her arms over her shoulder, "You bet I am," she sighed happily, running her fingers through the ends of my messy hair. "I have wanted to see London since I the first time I read Oliver Twist when I was ten-years-old.

My Bella and her love of classic literature. "We will certainly see London, and anywhere else your heart desires."

Her smile widened, but then faltered a moment later. "You mean everywhere except Diagon Alley."

I wish she hadn't brought that up again. Shaking my head I pulled from her embrace, "I can't, Bella. I already told you, I'm too recognizable."

"Yes, you've mentioned that before," she groaned. "Can't you just disguise yourself?"

I supposed that I could have, though no glamour would ever cover up my scar. Even turning into a vampire hadn't gotten rid of it, and although it wasn't as prominent as it once was, it was still noticeable.

"Sorry, Bella, I'm not going to take the risk. The wizarding world thinks I'm dead and it's best it be kept that way."

As much as she didn't like it, I thought deep down she knew I was right, so she never really argued about it. I assumed she just wished there was another way, a way to have a least a little bit of my human life back. Technically, because my friends were magical and they already knew about vampires I could reveal myself to them, but at what cost? To them I was gone, martyred for the freedom of all wizard-kind. I couldn't just come waltzing in a decade later, turning all they've believed in on its head. What would they think if they found out the Boy-Who-Lived was now a blood thirsty vampire? I couldn't ruin their idealistic delusion of me.

XXX

Daniel Phillip Dwyer was an adorable little guy, who looked even more like his mummy in person than in his pictures. Bella had taken an instant shine to her baby brother. She rarely let the little tike out of her arms during our entire visit. There was one night, while Renee and Phil were sound asleep, little Danny started to fuss. Bella hastily headed into her baby brother's room, gently picking him up from his crib.

"Harry can you warm him up a bottle? I think Renee left some breast milk in the fridge."

I happily agreed and made my way into the kitchen, warming up the bottle, then making my way back into the nursery. As I reentered the baby's room, I smiled softly at the beautiful picture before me. My Bella looked so amazing like that, holding him, rocking him, humming lullabies to Danny. It broke my frozen heart to know that this was the closest Bella would ever get to being a mother.

Bella fed and rocked the infant until he fell back asleep. She did not put him back in his crib that night but stayed there, all night, just watching him sleep, and I stayed with her.

We stayed with the Dwyer's for five days, before finally bringing an end to our visit. I could tell it was hard for Bella to leave her family, but it was already getting difficult to find ways to avoid the sunlight. Pretending to sleep in late and closing the blinds only went so far.

XXX

We had taken a private plane, arriving at London Heathrow Airport at 3:23 in the morning, then taking a taxi directly to Dukes Hotel. I will admit I went all out as far as luxury, despite Bella's wishes that I not. She didn't see the sense in wasting money needlessly; even if I had more then I could spend in a dozen life times. After checking into the hotel, Bella insisted we go over the itinerary she'd made. Sometimes, like when she set a study schedule for finals for example, she would get really serious and over-organized everything. She reminded me a lot of Hermione when she was like that.

"So, first stop is, without a doubt, as soon as it opens, The British museum." She started scooting closer to me on the bed, so I was looking directly down at her list. I found it kind of funny that she made a list at all, we have perfect recall so there really isn't a need for it. Perhaps it was more out of habit than anything else.

"Okay, what else?"

Bella's grin widened as she enthusiastically filled me in on the rest of her agenda. When she was had finished I scooped her into my arms, kissed her passionately and quickly suggested another activity to entertain us for the rest of the wee hours.

XXX

It was midsummer, and London was due to be overcast and rainy for the next several days, which was often the case. This gave us plenty of time to take in the sights that weren't open to the public during twilight hours. As I mentally went over the list in my head, I tried to decide where and when would be the perfect moment to pop the question. As my proposal would be a moment we would both remember for eternity I wanted it to be special. Not necessarily extravagant, because I knew Bella wouldn't want me to go overboard, but still I wanted it to be something she would always look back on as one of her most treasured memories.

I was thinking perhaps the Statue of Eros at Piccadilly Circus might be a good place. I remembered Hermione once telling me and Ron that her father had proposed to her mother there, and that tradition states that if you propose under the statue of Eros at the stroke of midnight, you will receive good luck and happiness in your marriage. I hadn't known Hermione's parents well, but from what she had said about them they did seem to have a happy and fulfilling marriage. Of course they were humans, Bella and I weren't - at least we hadn't been for a while. Our relationship was on a completely different level, emotionally. Mr. and Mrs. Granger were in love; Bella and I on the other hand, our souls were perfectly matched to each other. We were meant to be together, forever, and nothing but death could ever pull us apart.

"Harry, you ready?"

I shook myself from my musings to see Bella now standing by the door placing the strap of her purse over her shoulder. I stood from the chair I had been sitting in across the room, and in a flash I was across the room and at her side. "I'm set."

Slipping my hand in hers we left the room and headed out for the day.

XXX

BPOV

Three days had passed since we'd arrived in London, and we had been having an amazing time. We had seen so many wonderful places: The British Museum, Buckingham Palace, St. Paul's Cathedral, and after a brief break in Hyde Park we planned to visit Big Ben.

We were sitting on a blanket we had stretched over the grass, enjoying the scenery; with the greenery surrounding us, the fountain in the middle of the pond in the distance, and the rustling leaves of the tree stretched overhead. It was chilly and drizzling off and on, so few humans were out and about. A woman strolled by with her dog that chased a squirrel on the path, and an elderly man wandered over to sit on a nearby bench, read his paper for a few minutes and then leave, but mostly we had the area entirely to ourselves.

"You know, I wish we could eat regular food, a picnic lunch would be great right now."

I smiled giving him a quick kiss in agreement. "You're right, it would be. Still, it's nice just being here with you," I added then. I reclined against him.

Harry reached his arm around my shoulder, sliding his hand gently down my arm. I leaned my head back and closed my eyes, enjoying the feeling of his fingers smoothly gliding across my skin.

"Bella," Harry breathed my name as he gently pushed me up so I was sitting upright beside him, looking into his gaze. "I love you so much."

"I love you too." I leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips, he responded for a brief moment but then pulled away.

Suddenly rising to his knees, he took my hands in his and stared deep into my eyes. "Bella, from the very first moment I saw you on that pier, your sweet golden eyes so kindly gazing upon mine, I felt drawn to you. Even as a human I never truly felt happy, or even content with my life. But now… now that I have you, now that have found my other half, the part of my soul that was missing for so long, I see hope for my future. A future I wish to spend by your side for the rest of my existence."

Bringing my hand to cup his face, I leaned in and kissed his lips sweetly. "Yes Harry, we will be together, forever."

He took my hands together in his, peppering kissing across my knuckles. "A forever I would like to spend as not only your mate, but your husband." Releasing my hands, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box.

For a moment I thought I heard my heart literally thump inside my chest. He was on his knees, with a ring, he was going to ask me to marry him. Renee had drilled into me since I was a small child that marriage before thirty was a disaster waiting to happen. Then again I was never going to turn thirty, not really. And Harry wasn't just the man I loved, he was my mate, my soul mate. Without him, I truly would be lost. When Edward left, yes it hurt, but as time went on my heart healed. What I have with Harry… losing him, I believed, would rip my soul in half.

At the creak of the box opening, my eyes darted to the ring inside; it was a delicate silver band with a half karat diamond resting in the center. It was simple but at the same time beautiful.

"Isabella Marie Swan, the love of my existence, will you marry me?"

My head nodded nearly uncontrollably before I finally was able to whisper and emotional "Yes."

Harry grinned wider then I had ever seen him do, his face lit up, his golden eyes sparkled with happiness. "Yes! Yes, she said 'yes'!" He cried out before pulling me into a fierce kiss.

"Here, let me put this on." He then gently pulled the ring from the box and slid it on my finger. I couldn't help but admire it, such a beautiful symbol of our commitment to each other.

"I love you so much, Bella". He said pulling me back into his arms.

"I love you too, Harry, and I can't wait to be your wife."

He smiled against my hair then kissing it. "I can't either. Mrs. Potter."

We stayed in the park for just a little while longer, but not before a tiny ray of sunshine broke through the clouds and danced across our joined hands while we admired the ring together. That sent us dashing back to the hotel to celebrate our engagement in private; our plans to visit Big Ben put off for another day.

A/N: Okay, so sorry about the wait but I was having difficulties writing this chapter for some reason. With the thanks of my magnificent BETA I was able to work through them. I hope you enjoyed. Next up, Harry visits his parents grave and some old friends.