Chapter Fourteen

Edward wanted me to meet his family.

Tomorrow night.

He told me after Ancient Runes that Alice was bouncing off the castle walls at the prospect of meeting me. But he – being the extra careful vampire that he was – told her she needed to go hunting first. So a quick hunting trip had been arranged so they could all meet 'Edward's human.'

I didn't know what to make of meeting their family. What if they didn't like me? Despite what Edward said, I wasn't that interesting a person to meet. What would we talk about?

It turned out that I really didn't need to worry that much about it.

Edward had started eating meals with me. Well, I was the only one doing the eating: he just sat there making his food vanish mysteriously from his plate at a steady rate. We sat apart from my other friends: it would have been awkward for all of us if Edward was to join in. He wasn't like the rest of them, and they wouldn't be able to relate to him at all.

Jessica wasn't taking it too well – she kept on sending me disapproving, albeit curious, glances throughout meals. Mike was really the funny one to watch: half the time he looked as if he was going to march over to me and pull me back to their portion of table. Edward just laughed and told me the words 'Edward', 'me', and 'duel' were constantly running through Mike's head.

"So," I began, trying to sound calm and collected, as we walked out of the dining hall. However nonchalant I looked on the outside, I was really a bundle of nerves on the inside. "Where are we meeting them?"

"In Alice's room," said Edward, giving my hand a familiar squeeze. "Her dorm mates won't come in until ten. Apparently they owe Alice a favor."

"Isn't she in Ravenclaw?" I asked, a bit stunned. I had never thought of checking out the other dorms before. I thought it was strict policy that students were to stay with their own Houses. "Are we allowed in there?"

"You?" asked Edward, sending me a sly glance. "No. As for me, I'm pretty much allowed to go anywhere I want."

Stupid, arrogant vampire.

"Really?" I asked, arching my eyebrows up at him. "And why is that? Vampire inner circle thing?"

Edward snorted. "No. I'm just a prefect."

I had been told that on my first night at Hogwarts, when everyone had appeared shocked over the news. However, that tiny little piece of information had slipped from my mind rather quickly, as I had bigger and better things to worry about concerning Edward Cullen. I gaped at Edward, searching the outsides of his robes for a 'Prefect' badge that had somehow gone unnoticed.

Edward laughed, and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. "You didn't know?"

"I knew," I clarified. "I just forgot…I mean, you don't act like a Prefect,"

"Would you rather I proudly display my badge and badger all unruly students about breaking rules?"

Ha. That would be the day.

"Have you ever even taken points from anyone?" I shot back, sending him a jokingly disapproving look.

Edward's smile faded into a small one. "Yes. I took fifty points from Slytherin once." He leaned down to kiss the top of my head. "For harassing a student who I was growing very fond of." I stared up at him in shock, but Edward just grinned slightly. "I would have taken a lot more, but I can't take more than fifty without a professor present."

I didn't respond to that. How could I? I just merely smiled up at Edward, and momentarily placed my head on his shoulder. I guess falling for a Prefect had its perks.

We traveled up a tightly winding spiral staircase to a large wooden door. I immediately began searching for a doorknob, but there was nothing on the door but a bronze eagle knocker. I glanced at Edward, questioningly, but he just sent me a smile.

"Wait."

I only had to wait for a second more. My eyes widened as the knocker turned its eyes to us, and spoke.

"What does a love potion do?"

What in the name of Merlin?

"It creates obsessive infatuation," said Edward, swiftly, coolly. "But never does it create love."

With that, the door swung open, and I turned to Edward in shock.

"What was that?"

"That," started Edward, stepping through the doorframe with me right behind him. "Is how you get into the Ravenclaw tower: by answering riddles and questions."

That made sense; after all, Ravenclaw was connected to the brightest and the cleverest of all the students.

"That was a rather easy question though."

"To us," agreed Edward, taking a hold of my hand once more. "But many people would say the obvious wrong answer: that it creates love."

Ah. Tricky little bugger.

I smirked. I'd like to see some of those Slytherins get that question right.

The Ravenclaw common room was quite beautiful: it was decorated in blues and bronzes with high windows that overlooked the mountains. Near the wall was a life-size white statue of a beautiful lady with a tiara gracefully settled on her forehead.

"Rowena Ravenclaw," explained Edward, catching me eyeing the statue. "She was one of the original founders of Hogwarts and was well known for her brains and her beauty."

I nodded, remembering reading something about the founders before moving. For a time, my mother had been convinced that I would be put in Ravenclaw. But that wasn't saying much, because soon after that she thought that Hufflepuff would suit me nicely.

But I got Gryffindor, I thought, smiling to myself. And it was a good thing too, or I may never have had the chance to get to know Edward.

"This way," said Edward, leading me past the statue and into yet another winding staircase. We stopped on the sixth level, and Edward reached for the doorknob.

But someone beat him to it.

"Bella!"

I didn't have time to prepare myself before I was locked into a very tight hug by a very enthusiastic vampire. I was even more shocked when that same vampire stood on her tiptoes to kiss my cheek, and dragged me into her dorm room.

"Careful, Alice," I heard Edward's voice say from the doorway. He sounded very serious. "She's not as tough as the rest of us."

In any other case, with any other people, I would have been insulted by that comment. But when you are with a group of vampires who are a hundred times stronger than you, you tend to appreciate it.

"I think I know what I'm doing, Edward," said Alice, shooting her brother a rather dark glare for someone of her size and stature. I quickly remembered her talent, and I smiled slightly. I guess she really did know.

"I've been waiting since the beginning of the school year to meet you," said Alice, inviting me to sit down on her bed. I assumed it was her bed anyway: the whole section of the room was tastefully decorated with drapes, moving photographs, and other little trinkets that just screamed Alice. I held back a laugh as Alice shot Edward yet another one of her 'looks.' "But someone had to take his dear sweet time, didn't he?"

Edward's eyes shot to the ceiling in a bored look that clearly stated that he had heard this many times before. I giggled slightly; Alice's atmosphere was contagious.

"So how did you enjoy your night out?" asked Alice, eagerly. I relaxed, extremely glad that we had decided to skip the awkward 'small talk' stage.

"It was really great," I answered, thinking back to the clearing. Of course, she probably knew all about it already.

"How was my brother? Does he need brushing up on his romancing skills? Cause I know a guy who could give him pointers." Alice winked at me at the same time I blushed a violent shade of red, and at the same exact time Edward let out an undignified 'Alice!'.

"He is perfect," I said, through my embarrassment. As if to prove my point, Edward joined us on the bed, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me into his lap. That only increased my embarrassment, but Alice didn't seem to mind the display of affection at all. If anything, she looked more gleeful.

"We're going to get a letter from Esme tomorrow," said Alice, leaning back on the bed's headboard. "She's thrilled to hear about you, Bella. Every once and awhile I see her coming to Hogwarts to just meet you." Alice giggled. "But Carlisle keeps on convincing her that that would only embarrass us."

I glanced up at Edward. "She's that excited about me?" That was unfathomable.

"Probably," stated Edward, bluntly. "She's been worried about me for years."

I wanted to question him more about it and his self-inflicted isolation, but my thoughts were interrupted by the door loudly opening once again. We were quickly joined by the two other Cullen brothers, Emmett running in first.

"Human girl!" he cried, about to make a running leap for the bed. I cringed, knowing very well that my naturally thin, non-athletic body wouldn't be able to hold up well if a human Emmett were to leap at me – let alone a vampire one. Edward must have thought that too, for he shot out from behind me at a shocking speed, and effectively tackled Emmett to the floor. I heard him tell Emmett something, but the speech was far too fast for my ears to pick up. Emmett laughed anyways.

"Relax. I won't bite," he said, as Edward got off of him, with a frown on his face, and returned to my side. Emmett straightened himself up and pretended to dust himself off before extending a hand to me.

"Hello, human girl. I'm the guy your mate over there threatens on a daily basis. I'm also the one…Ouch!" Alice had just grabbed his ear and yanked him away from me.

Alice smirked. "I couldn't let you say that."

I laughed. It was clear to see that the biggest of them was also the one that got picked on the most. My eyes fell upon the last Cullen in the room, who was standing a couple of feet away from the rest of us, warily. He smiled at me and introduced himself as 'Jasper' but didn't making any hint that he would move closer any time soon. Something Edward said about Jasper being the newest to their lifestyle rang in my head, and I smiled acceptingly back.

There was, however, one Cullen who was missing from the group and who didn't decide to show up at all during the evening. I inquired about Rosalie much later into the night, when everyone had settled down more and Edward and I could talk in semi-privacy. Edward frowned, but answered anyway.

"She's just being stubborn."

"Rosalie?" asked Emmett, from the bed across the room. "Yeah, she's just got an attitude the size of…" His voice drifted off as Alice shot him a warning look. He grinned sheepishly at her and continued. "The size of this castle. She probably won't speak to me for a few hours because I'm here." He shot me a look that vaguely reminded me of a teddy bear. "That's how much I love you, human girl. Don't forget it when I become a poor, starving vampire without a home or mate."

He was joking, so I didn't feel the least bit bad for him and his 'poor, starving vampire' self. I heard Edward groan.

"Emmett!" he said, shooting his eyes over at his big brother. However, Emmett eyed him extremely seriously.

"Do you think that will work? Or do you think…"

"Just stop!" cried Edward, falling back and burying his head under the pillows. I giggled, and laid down on my stomach to join him.

"What was that about?" I asked, taking the pillow off of his head. Edward immediately wrapped his arm around me and pulled me into his side.

"Just Emmett thinking of creative ways to get Rosalie to talk to him."

I blushed. I didn't even want to start guessing at what sorts of ideas Emmett was coming up with. Poor Edward for actually having to hear them!

"I'm going to go beg on my knees for forgiveness," announced Emmett, getting up and sending Edward and me a wink. "Show Edward a good time, Bella. He's been so lonely all these years…"

Edward muttered something under his breathe that was so fast that I didn't have a prayer of understanding it. He whipped a pillow at Emmett's face, its speed stunning me enough to make me forget my embarrassment. Emmett caught it and exited the dorm room, chucking to himself. Edward just groaned again.

"Don't worry, Edward," said Alice, who was sitting on her bed with Jasper's arm around her. "Rosalie won't talk to him for a day after he does that."

Once again I found myself not wanting to know what 'that' was.

Despite Alice's reassuring words, Edward groaned and flipped his head away from me to look at the clock. He rolled off the bed, exposing the hovering blue numbers on the wall.

9:52

"We better get going," declared Edward, straightening himself up and extending a hand toward me. I took it, and he pulled me up and out of the bed with ease.

"You'll have a good night," said Alice, smiling at us, before tucking her head in Jasper's neck. Those two just seemed to fit together perfectly, and they just looked so in love. I glanced over at Edward, who had a secret smile on his face.

I wonder if we will ever look like that.

We said our good-byes to the two remaining Cullens and began to walk down the staircase.

"Do you like them?" asked Edward eagerly, taking my hand and giving it a light squeeze. He chucked slightly. "I hate not being able to read your mind."

I ignored the last comment – he knew how I felt about that – and smiled up at him.

"You have a wonderful family."

Edward beamed in happiness.

"They absolutely love you," he assured me. He was ignoring the stares we were getting as we entered the Ravenclaw common room. Everyone was looking at us: probably wondering what two Gryffindors were doing in their House or perhaps they were just gawking at Edward.

He looked absolutely perfect when he was happy.

I didn't know where he was taking me, but he was being awfully secretive about it.

We had arrived in the Gryffindor common room at a little after ten last night. Edward had told me to tell my roommates that I was heading up early. After I got ready for bed, and pretended I was asleep, we would sneak out. When I had asked him where, he had just smiled.

And that was how I found myself traveling quietly through the halls of Hogwarts, dressed in pajamas, with Edward Cullen.

At first I thought we were going to go out to the woods again, but that theory was quickly dispelled when we started to travel up in the castle and not down. After a few twists and turns, I was completely lost.

"Wait here," ordered Edward, stopping in front of a stone wall. If I had counted the number of staircases correctly, we were somewhere on the seventh floor. I watched Edward, curiously, as he began to pace back and forth in front of the wall.

"What are you doing?" I asked, wrapping my arms around me. The castle was really chilly for something that was enchanted.

Edward didn't respond, he just kept up with his pacing. He made it across the wall three times before something strange happened. I had heard from Jessica, once, that some rooms moved around in Hogwarts. Perhaps this was one of them.

A door had appeared magically in the wall, right in front of where Edward had been pacing. He stopped and took both of my hands. He paused for a moment, and cocked his head to the side.

"Should I ask you to close your eyes?"

What in the world is he planning?

"Not unless you want me to fall," I warned him. Edward chuckled.

"I would be more than happy to catch you," he said, looking at me warmly. My favorite crooked smile appeared on his face, and I felt my heart speed up of its own accord. "Let's do this properly. Close your eyes."

"What do you mean 'properly'?" I asked, closing my eyes regardless. This was very dangerous for me – the witch with two left feet – but I trusted him.

"Isn't the dashing young man supposed to ask the beautiful young lady to close her eyes before he shows her some place special?"

My heart fluttered against my chest, as I allowed Edward to lead me forward. A scene from Beauty and the Beast floated into the front of my mind, and I hid a small smile. How did Edward just know how to make me feel this way? Like I was the luckiest girl on the planet?

We must have made it into the room, for we stopped and Edward squeezed my hands lightly.

"Just one second."

He left me, and I heard the door close behind me not a second later. He returned to me, but this time wrapped his arm around my shoulder.

"You can open them now," he said, quietly, pressing his lips gently into my hair. I waited a moment, allowing the feeling of his kiss to soak through me. Then I opened my eyes.

I didn't know what I had been expecting or if I had been expecting anything at all. But nothing could prepare me for the sight that lay before me. I was hit with a million emotions at once – surprise, warmth, excitement, shyness, and, most dominantly, love.

The room wasn't terribly large: just enough to comfortably fit a desk, a dresser, a book case, and a bed – a large, king-sized bed. The whole room was decorated in creams, golds, and whites, complete with a darker shade of wood on the furniture. A fire crackled at its place on the wall, casting the room in a soft glow. In short, it was eerily beautiful, and a shiver ran down by spine.

Is he going to…

The thought of it made me shy and excited at the same time. However, I quickly scolded myself. He hasn't even really kissed you yet! Just being around you is hard for him!

Edward was eyeing me critically, if not a bit bashfully himself. A smile must have reached my face, for he relaxed. Despite my logical thinking, my heart spun around in pleasure as he lifted me up and carried me to the bed.

"Do you like it?" he asked, laying me down and sitting down beside me.

"It's wonderful," I answered, a blush reddening my cheeks as Edward lifted his legs onto the bed and leaned in closer to me.

"I hope you don't mine?" he asked, eyeing me cautiously. He was asking permission again, and I was more than eager to give it to him. I had tried sleeping last night without Edward there, and it had just felt…strange. I hadn't liked it at all.

"What is this place?" I asked, smiling as he brought me to him. He had wrapped an arm around my shoulders for me to lean back on. The other he took my hand in, effectively wrapping around me completely. I sighed, and sank further into the bed.

"It's called the Room of Requirement," answered Edward, quietly. "It appears when someone has need of it." He smiled. "I asked for 'A romantic Alice-approved room where I can be with you for the night.' I wasn't disappointed."

I giggled softly, burying my face into Edward's chest. "It's perfect."

I knew Edward was smiling, even if I couldn't see it. I remained there in silence for a while, just enjoying the unnecessary rise and fall of his chest and his intoxicating scent. I smiled a bit, beginning to understand the fascination Edward seemed to be developing for listening to my heartbeat. A few minutes later, Edward shift positions, resting his head just under my collarbone.

"Is it still hard for you?" I asked, my fingers making small circles on his stone cold arm.

Edward's voice was distant, as though he was half-asleep. "It's easier. It keeps getting easier."

I was silent for a while, allowing him to listen in peace. My fingers began to travel the length of his arm, becoming braver by the minute.

"Your siblings are really in love."

Edward nodded, his eyes still closed. "They have been for years." Abruptly, his golden eyes opened and he lifted his head to look at me. "They are married, you know."

No. I had not known.

"But they are so young!" I gasped, my mind instantly flying to Renee's 'Don't dream of marrying until you are thirty' speech. Edward chuckled.

"We're not getting any older," he pointed out. "And they are in love. There is no reason for them not to."

There wasn't, but the concept was so foreign!

I suddenly blushed. "So, while at Hogwarts…do they…" I let my voice fade.

Edward chuckled at my shyness. "Yes."

A question made its way to my tongue that wouldn't allow me to swallow it back down. I waited a moment, willing it to disappear, but it slipped out softly anyway.

"Have you?"

Edward was silent, the light of the fireplace casting a warm glow on his face. He looked so desirable…so perfect. How could he have not? Why does the thought hurt so much?

"Never," answered Edward, softly. "I've never felt this way about anyone else before."

He must have enjoyed the increase of my heart rate, for he smiled. He found my right hand with his own, and brought it to his lips, kissing each finger separately.

"Have you ever?" he murmured between kisses, not meeting my eyes. The question shocked me.

"No," I answered. Did he know that he was the only one…? "I've never even been kissed before."

Edward stopped, suddenly, and gazed into the fireplace. He slowly lifted his head, allowing me to look into his eyes. I gasped softly at the amount of emotion wrapped up in those two golden irises. It was pure beauty.

"I think…" Edward started, slowly, pushing himself up. His hand that wasn't supporting him reached up to caress my cheek lovingly. "I think I could remedy that for both of us."

I was frozen as he leaned in slowly, his quiet 'hold still' completely unnecessary. My eyes must have closed sometime after that, because all I remembered for those first few seconds was the feeling of Edward's lips softly pressed on mine.

And then I reacted.

AN: So, that was the last completely happy chapter you guys are going to get for awhile...be scared...mwahaha...There is alot of action and drama coming in the next two chapters.

I finally got my hands on The Host! It's really really good so far. I makes me really excited to read all the other brilliant stories that Meyer has swarming around in her head right now. As much as I love Twilight, I'm sure she has more ideas that are awesome as well and I can't wait for them!

As always, thanks for the reviews! Please keep them coming! You have to compete for my attention with The Host right now...