Sorry it took awhile again but I had summer homework I needed to finish so I punished myself by not being able to write and then I had school and couldn't figure out where to end it. Also, I couldn't think of a name for the chapter. Seriously, it took me days before I just settled on this.

To Rista07 (because I like answering everyone now): Thank you for your review, and that issue was slightly touched upon in this chapter.

The Strength of Blood

13: Hating Blood

Edward's POV

"What are you thinking?" I asked, frustrated and curious as to what was going on in my Harry's head. He snuggled closer to me and I forced myself not to breath. It was awkward and going to take a lot practice until I finally developed enough control, but it would be worth it in the end.

"Why does my lion want to know?" He asked back, rubbing circles on my sparkling chest and still fascinated.

"I'm...curious," I said simply. No use overloading him especially with everything else that happened today.

"Well, in that case, I'm thinking how wonderful this place is," He stomach immediately growled at the end of his statement and he moved a hand to it from the pain. "And about how hungry I am," Harry added.

I stood up, seeing that the sun was nearing the cloudy part of the sky, and offered my hand to him. He took it and I helped him on my back for a quick ride down. "Better hold on tight, my little lamb. You're in for quite a surprise,"

"What do you me-" I took off at a vampire speed before he could finish and instantly felt his arms tighten around my neck. I heard him release a cry of joy and smiled at his antics. It was nice to know that he enjoyed running as much as I did. All too soon we came upon the area of human sight and I crouched to let him step off. He seemed a bit unsteady back on his feet but that would be cured by the time we get in the school's zone.

"Wow. I can't believe...I've never done anything that fast before! It must really suck to have to go at this pace," He said quickly.

"Yes, it does." I replied. My thinking of being able to run side by side with him like that must have tinged the sound of my voice with longing since I saw Harry look at me expectantly. "It's nothing," I answered his look, figuring that I had burdened him with more than enough today. The topic of being a vampire's mate, my mate, could wait for another day.

"Would you like to find something at school or elsewhere?" I asked.

"Here, if you don't mind. I'd like to see what Draco and Luna are up to," Harry replied.

"Trust me," I laughed, ignoring the more clear sounds of the students. "There is only one thing here that appeals to me." He blushed faintly when I looked back at him. "What's with Malfoy and Lovegood, anyway?"

"It's a long story," He began, pausing. "But, essentially, they were the first to help me move on with my life after Cedric-I mean, you died." I had to smile at his stumble as I put my arm around his shoulders. "And Ron and Hermione didn't take to well with that so we just, kind of, broke off. Plus, I actually ama part of the Malfoy family now since they blood-adopted me."

"Whatever happened to my sweet, young, naive Gryffindor?" I teased, opening the door for him that we went through the first day he was here. Suddenly, I heard Alice's voice call to me, 'Edward, don't bring him in!', at the same time Draco yelled out to Harry. "Save yourself, Harry!"

I stepped in front of him and shielded him from the mob of girls hungry for him because he was, from what I gathered, one of the children of the famous Lucius Malfoy. Their want of him inspired a possessive nature inside of me and I almost hissed at them. "Back off now," I uttered low and menacingly, scaring a few off. The others that stayed around to feel my glare finally listened to their instincts and went back to their seats.

"Impressive display," Harry complimented, walking back to my side. "But I can take care of myself. Mob or no mob."

"I know you can, but I'd rather you not tempt Fate so soon knowing how you are." He just shrugged as if he thought his life was rather normal in response. I would have responded in a light-hearted fashion had not I heard Draco's, and Luna's, arrival. I straightened my posture, bristling He immediately thrust his nose in the air and viewed me with disdain, just like Rosalie's attitude toward me from the beginning and every so often though now it was a watered down version. Luna came up to me and kissed me on both cheeks.

"Thank you for saving Harry from the Bull-headed Elephant-toads, they can be a nasty bunch." She said. 'I'm glad you told him the truth. It would have hurt him so much more if you hid it from him' I nodded at her to show that I heard.

'He may have saved him now, again, but I don't trust him. Vampires have only one thing on their minds.' I was determined not to rise to his bait whether he knew I could hear him or not. "Well, you guys can stay and glare at each other but I'm going to leave this tension and find something to eat. I haven't eaten since my meager breakfast and I'm starved. Coming, Luna?" I heard Harry leave, but I didn't turn my head away from Malfoy.

"When was the last time you ate, Vampire?" Draco hissed.

"Today, thank you very much. And for your information, no, it was not a human. I'm a vegetarian," I replied, answering his would-be second question. He narrowed his eyes, unappreciative of my family's little joke.

"Don't lie to me, Vampire. Just what are your intentions with Harry?" He questioned again.

"He's my mate." I said succinctly.

"Aha! I knew it!" He grinned, though it wasn't a warm one nor directed at me. "You are going to-"

"What's going on here, Edward?" Rosalie interrupted him, walking by my side. 'Why are all these humans getting my attention? And why are you having a glaring contest with him?'

'Who is she? I've never seen anyone like her; the way she carries herself...She can't be a vampire, too, can she?' I smirked. It seems that Malfoy had fallen easy prey to Rosalie's charms, or at least her good looks. And he wasn't the only one falling, if I was correct. "Rosalie, this is Draco Malfoy. Malfoy, this is my elder sister, Rosalie."

His demeanour had completely changed. He bowed, as if using his pureblooded customs would woo her, and with a real smile. "You may call me Draco, your loveliness." He took her hand and gestured, "May I?"

Rosalie, too, changed completely and unexpectatedly. She made a noise sounding like giggles, giggles, and used her free hand to hide her smiling mouth. "Of course," She purred and he gently placed his lips to her hand. I shook my head and moved to our table and away from the couple. They were perfect for each other; I just wondered how long Draco would stay a human. After all the sorrow Rosalie had in her life, she wouldn't wait forever to turn her mate. But neither would I.

"How long do you think she'll last?" I asked Emmett as it seemed he knew her best.

"Oh, I don't know, green?" He replied, looking off into the distance. One quick glance into his thoughts and I shared a look with Alice and smirked. "She's so delicate and light," He sighed.

"What do you think Carlisle will say?" I spoke to Alice this time.

"It's not Carlisle we should worry about, but their father," Jasper answered me and I frowned. "The hate I feel from the older one against vampires has to have been bred and raised in him..."

"Alice? What can you get from him?" I watched her put a hand to her head and close her eyes as she filtered through all of the possible futures. Emmett returned to reality once he noticed Alice receiving those visions.

"He's unsure now, but he has two main ideas from what I can glean. He either plans to kill us all with his father's help in the woods behind our house or he...he just kills you." She said softly, placing her hand into Jasper's and looking into his eyes. He tries to console her as I run through all the possible motives of Malfoy's picking me out of the crowd. Didn't he understand what kind of consequences that would have on Harry if he succeeded or even attempted it? And from what I learned, that kind of betrayal would cut Harry more than anything he had ever encountered before. I didn't even suspect that Malfoy had such a deep hatred in him that he would sacrifice his "brother's" feelings...

Speaking of Harry, he choose this exact moment to slide in a seat purposely very close against me. For a brief second I almost moan at his nearness and my twin desire to drink his blood and claim him by his lips in front of the whole student body. That amount of time, too fast for even a wizard like his eyes to catch, was enough that the whole table gave me their own pointed glances and knowing smiles.

"Nobody minds if I join your group, right? I know you're all vampires, and I wouldn't dare tell any one. I'll even let you on a secret of my own, I'm a wizard," Harry introduced himself to everyone in a way.

"I very much mind," I hissed quietly into his ear, noting with satisfaction as he shivered.

"Oh, another wizard!" Alice exclaimed, delighted, just as Rosalie returned to her spot on one side of Emmett. "And he's not a vampire," 'yet.' She finished in her thoughts. "This ought to be fun. I can't wait for when you demonstrate some magic. I'm Alice, by the way, you're best friend."

I was pleased that Harry didn't bat an eyelash at her behaviour, it took me awhile to get used to Alice, but he was friends with Luna. "I assume you are a Seer then?" He stated evenly.

"Not exactly. My visions are only of decisions, possible futures that could happen," She explained. "Dear me, I've forgotten to introduce Jasper, my mate."

"Pleased to meet you," He said somewhat stiffly. "It's okay, you won't hurt him," Alice murmured to him.

"How do you know he won't hurt us?" Rosalie asked coldly, looking at me. "I heard something about one of them trying to kill us." I growl faintly.

"Actually, that was about..."

"Draco? I know he's protective of me but he would never do something like that!" Harry exclaimed with passion. He must have realized who we were talking about even if he never heard our conversation before.

"You may think that because he is a Slytherin that he would, but trust me Edward, he wouldn't dare," He turned to me and I could detect a faint sign of doubt lacing the end of his words, as if he started to disbelieve himself as he spoke. I had half a mind to agree with him, he was my lamb after all.

But. "Alice already said, little wizard, that your Draco was planning on our deaths and Jasper confirmed it." Emmett hit head-on where the rest of my mind lay. However, as thankful as I was that he didn't mention the plot to single me out, I still didn't like the way he said it.

"Alice's visions are subjective. Mal-Draco can be swayed from them easily enough," I spoke, looking quickly at Rosalie and instinctively curling my arm around Harry's shoulders and the back of his chair.

"Edward's right. The only reason why he keeps switching back and forth is because he's in a conflict with his hate against vampires and his need to protect himself and his family from any possible danger. He likes you a lot, Rosalie, which makes you a threat. So he will kill all of us in that scenario. He knows that Harry likes you a lot, and that also makes you a threat. But then he would just kill you," Alice agreed, missing my warning glare.

She blinked. "Oh. Oops?"

"Draco wants to kill you?" Harry asked softly, hurt. He dropped his spoon that he was using to eat his lunch desert with first onto his tray, drooping inward slightly as if that helped him run through his thoughts easier and I sighed.

"Only because I'm with you. If we stop...if I could have just left you alone..." I choked on my emotions, equally torn between blaming myself for Harry's pain and blaming Draco for his blind-sightedness.

"Edward, our relationship isn't one-sided," He whispered softly to me. To everyone else he spoke clear and quick. "I'll do it."

"Do what?" Rosalie hissed.

"You're obviously looking for a solution." He said easily as coldly as she was. "I'll talk to Draco about it, I'll talk to our father as well, about all of you. I'll prove to them you guys mean no harm to any of us on one condition."

"What's that?" I asked.

He grinned mischievously, perking back up. "You have to take me to meet your parents." For a moment I was startled, easily showing it on my face, before I gave a reluctant sigh. I already knew everyone's reactions to our relationship without having read their thoughts- surprisingly Rosalie just shrugged it off and Emmett was the only one who tensed up- but I dreaded the thought of Esme being less than accepting. She reminded me of my deceased mum, and I hated the thought that she would share the same views as my father. It would be like some sort of a last reassuring hope breaking that I did have a place in my human family.

I inwardly shook my head. I had a vampire family now, and even if they didn't like my choice in a mate's sex then they refused to say anything about it at least with the others around. And I can respect that. But focusing on the past like I have been wouldn't be a help to me at all.

I grinned back. "Well then, I suppose we'll have to tell Esme that she can finally use that kitchen of hers for real."

I cut it short because I wanted to keep with the one POV chapters (it makes it look longer ;p) so that means Harry's is next and so is the meeting between Cullens and Malfoys-plus-Luna!!! ...Oops, I revealed too much...he he.

Daily/Chaptery Q: Would you rather see me get rid of James and Victoria around the same time or have me go canon a bit more? Either way, Voldemort is going to take her place when she raises her army in the book with his hybrids, just one way will make it longer probably.