I, London Man, did NOT write this story. This was written by Frosty. I am just hosting it because EF was going to cancel their account. EF allowed me to have them on my site so people can read or reread them if they wanted.

I did NOT steal this story. Also, I want to thank Frosty for letting my host their stories.

Chapter 25: The Next Step

Harry Potter and the Setting Sun

Disclaimer: HarryPotter by J.K. Rowling, the Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyer and all related materials belong to their respective owners. This is non-profit fanfiction.

Warning: This story contains slash.

Chapter Twenty-Four – The Next Step

Harry's answer left his mouth before he took the time to really think about what Edward was asking him. They'd never talked about marriage before; at least, not a marriage between the two of them. They'd discussed the various marriages between Edward's family members, but never once did the topic of Edward and Harry getting married come up. As far as Harry knew, it wasn't even legal for them to get married. But answering 'yes' just seemed natural. Instinctual. Right.

He loved Edward. Even when the vampire and his family were gone the previous year, Harry couldn't imagine himself finding love with another person. The few times he tried to entertain the thought of being with someone else, he always found that the image of the boy he was imagining would fade away and become Edward Cullen. Harry knew that he wanted to spend all of his life, whether it be a mortal life or an immortal one, with Edward. It was simply a fact of his life.

Why then did he suddenly feel so guilty at having said yes to Edward's proposal?

The human had little time to think about such things. His answer and barely escaped his mouth before Edward's lips forcefully crashed against his own. There was a joy and strength and even a possessiveness in the kiss that Harry couldn't remember feeling before.

By the time the kiss ended, Harry found himself a bit dizzy and lightheaded. As considerate as Edward was, his passion sometimes caused him to forget small details such as the human's need for air. After the kiss was done, Edward leaned forward so that he could kiss and suck at the side of Harry's neck. The feeling was incredible to Harry; the wizard knew that the action would leave a mark that would still be visible when classes resumed on Monday.

It was then that Harry realized what was nagging at the back of his brain: the pack. This was the first step in Jacob's great fear. The wolf feared that Harry would abandon his friends for Edward. If he became a vampire, Harry wouldn't be able to remain in Forks any longer; the physical changes would be too hard to explain. Harry would have to leave Forks. And because he would be a vampire, the treaty would forbid him from ever going to La Push, even for a visit.

He could remain a human. But then, how long would it be before his aging would strain the relationship between Edward and himself? Not that he thought Edward so shallow as to base the relationship on physical appearance alone. But the time they spent together in public would look increasingly odd. Harry would be unable to masquerade as a high school student alongside Edward and his siblings. Eventually, he would grow old and die and leave Edward a widower. Could he really not become a vampire?

It was impossible to remain with Edward the way he wanted to if he remained a human, Harry realized. He would have to become a vampire for the relationship to survive and mature. But what was the cost going to be?

His humanity seemed like such a small price to pay. He had, in recent months, spent a great deal of time thinking about his mortality. He had accepted that he would miss out on growing any older and having children. He had also accepted that he would never be able to have certain careers. All of those things seemed like nothing compared to the thought of losing Jacob and Leah. But the thought of losing Edward again was almost too painful to think about.

"Edward," Harry said softly. It took a moment, but the vampire ceased his assault on Harry's neck and looked up at him.

"Yes?" Edward asked mischeviously.

"I hate to end the moment. I mean, I really hate to end it. But I have to go to La Push."

"We just got engaged and the first thing you want to do is go see the wolves?" Edward asked in jokingly upset manner. In truth, he knew that Harry would want to tell Jacob and Leah at the first opportunity.

Harry reached a hand out and caressed his fiancé's cheek. "I just have to settle some things with them."

Edward gave Harry a soft kiss on his lips before moving towards the unassaulted side of his neck. "I don't think I like these things if they drag you away from me," he said between kisses.

"I'm becoming a vampire," Harry said resolvedly.

That statement tore Edward away from his human's neck to look him in the eye.

"You're what?"

"I'm becoming a vampire," the human repeated.

"When did you decide that?" Edward asked.

"Well . . . I've been thinking about it since before the big fight with Victoria; another train of thought you have a shapeshifter to thank for. I'd pretty well reached the decision to become a vampire before you asked me to marry you, but that did sort of crystallize my thinking about it. I don't have a timetable or anything. I mean, I've told you what wizards think of vampires, so it'll have to be after whatever I decide to do about Britain. But it's happening sooner or later."

Edward's face was very hard for Harry to read. He couldn't tell if the vampire was happy or upset at the decision.

"You do want me to become a vampire, don't you?" Harry pressed.

"Want you to? It is something I've secretly desired for quite some time. But I do not want you making this decision because of my proposal. It should be your decision and your decision alone," Edward replied.

"And it is. This is my decision. One human lifetime loving you isn't enough for me. I haven't brought the topic up with you because I didn't want you to feel obligated to stay with me. If I became a vampire and you changed your mind about being with me . . . I was afraid you'd feel stuck."

"Silly human," Edward said with a playful smirk. "When are you going to realize that there is nothing you could do that would change my mind about loving you?"

Harry held up the box in his hand. "I think I'm starting to get the picture."

"Good," Edward said. The vampire plucked the ring out of the box and started to slip it on Harry's finger. He stopped part way and looked to Harry for confirmation that he should continue. Once he had that silent assent, he finished slipping the ring on Harry's finger. It fit perfectly. "So, what does becoming a vampire have to do with you visiting La Push? You know that you can't remain in Forks once you're turned, so the treaty won't matter."

"I know," Harry said as he admired the ring on his finger for a moment. "But I need to talk to Jacob and them just the same. I need to make sure that we'll still be friends."

"I don't suppose you know the meaning of 'mortal enemies,' do you?" Edward asked dryly.

"Jacob and Leah fought with Sam over my right to decide for myself whether I wanted to become a vampire or not. But if I become a vampire, I'll be banned from La Push and I won't be able to return to Forks. They'd have to come visit me off of the Reservation. I need to know whether they'll do that. I need to know that they realize that what I am doesn't change who I am."

"If it would make you feel better, I could buy you a puppy," the vampire joked.

"Not the same. Besides, Jacob's already house trained," Harry joked in return.

"Very well, my love. I will escort you to the border," the vampire said as he pulled Harry off of the back of the car and walked with him to the passenger side door. "I will wait at the border until you are finished with your visit. You'll need a ride back and I would, after all, like you to be with me when I tell the rest the family."

Harry slid into the car. Edward's speed and enhanced senses made it so that Harry didn't need to wait to continue the conversation. "They don't know?"

"No," Edward answered. "Though Jasper does suspect. He was in the house when I left to take my mother's wedding ring to the jeweler's."

"Your mother's ring?" Harry asked in amazement.

"My mother's ring was much more effeminate. The diamonds were set upon a thinner band in a pile. I had the gold melted down and used to fashion a broader band for you. More gold had to be added to it, of course. And then I had the diamonds from my mother's ring reset into the new band. It makes it a family heirloom, with a twist."

"It makes it perfect," Harry corrected.

It took virtually no time at all for Edward to drive Harry to the border between the Reservation and the vampires' territory. Harry and Edward shared one last kiss before the human exited the car and made his way to the Black house.

It came as no surprise to Harry that all four members of Jacob's pack were hanging out at the home. What did surprise him, however, was that Paul was there as well.

"You stink of leech," Paul said as soon as Jacob let Harry inside.

"Screw you," Jacob replied hotly.

"Jacob!" Billy called out a reprimand from the kitchen.

Harry was careful to keep his left hand in his pocket as he greeted Seth, Quil, and Leah. "I feel like I'm missing something," he said after the 'hellos' were finished.

Leah decided to fill Harry in. "Paul imprinted on Rachel," he said simply.

Harry had only met Rachel once in passing. She was Jacob's older sister who attended a university somewhere in the Midwest. Harry thought the school was located in Kansas, but he'd we wasn't sure; all of the states in the middle of the country seemed to blur together to him.

"Yeah, so now he thinks he has the right to be over here all the time, even when she's not around," Jacob groused.

As if on cue, Rachel picked that moment to walk in the door directly behind Harry. "Oh, hello, Harry" she said when she saw the boy standing in the living room. By her use of Harry's real name, the boy deduced that she'd be let in on the big secret. But judging from Leah's reaction, no one had bothered to tell her that.

"What did you call him?" she asked dangerously.

Rachel seemed taken aback by Leah's sudden hostile tone. "I-I called him 'Harry.' That is his name, right?" she asked uncertainly.

"Paul!" Jacob, Leah, and Seth called out at the same time.

"What?" he asked indignantly. "You wanted me to lie to protect your little leech-sucking princess's cover?"

For a minute, Harry thought for sure that Jacob was going to deck Paul. Fortunately, Billy put himself between the two werewolves.

"Easy, boys," he said forcefully. "Jacob, control your temper. And you, Paul. You had no right to tell Harry's secret."

"Like hell I didn't," Paul replied. "He's probably telling the leeches everything he knows about us." Evidently, whatever tentative friendship Harry and Paul and formed during the past year was gone.

"I haven't told them anything. Besides, I doubt there is anything about you I could tell them that they don't already know," Harry defended himself. "They were here back in the days of your ancestors, remember?"

Paul just sneered at Harry in response.

Billy let out a sigh. "Harry, you know you're always welcome, but I think we need to straighten things out here for a bit. Do you think you could come back tomorrow?"

Harry didn't get a chance to respond.

"What the hell? Paul's the one being a little piss-ant! Why the hell should Harry be the one to leave?" Seth argued.

Billy was trying his best to remain calm, but it wasn't really working at this point. "Because, this is pack business. And Harry isn't part of the pack," he snapped.

"Harry is part of my pack," Jacob said, emphasizing the point that he no longer recognized Sam Uley's pack as his own. "Paul isn't. He's content to be Sam's bitch."

Paul finally lost it at that point and leapt past Billy and onto Jacob. Harry could see the telltale signs of him beginning his transformation: fur appearing on his body, the elongating of the lower part of his face, the stretching of his limbs. Seth pulled Harry back out of reach of the fight. Leah did the same for Rachel as the girl let out a shriek that made Harry suspect that this was the first time she'd seen Paul transform.

Jacob began his transformation a moment before Paul made contact with him.

Quil, fortunately, had the presence of mind to hit both Jacob and Paul in a running tackle that forced them outside of the still-open door. Billy was bound to be relieved that the fight wasn't going to happen inside the house. He'd had enough trouble buying replacement clothes for everything Jacob ruined; the last thing he needed was the interior of his house being destroyed.

Harry could only see bits and pieces of the fight through the front door, but it was short. Paul was too hotheaded to think straight and, as far as size was concerned, he way out of his league. Jacob had been the largest wolf except for Sam before the breaking of the pack, but now he appeared to be a bit larger than his former alpha. Paul tried to bite at Jacob a few times, but the bigger wolf smacked him away with enough force to kill most animals. It only took a few blows for Paul to be rendered unconscious and left bleeding all over the front yard.

Rachel let out another cry when she saw what had happened to Paul, but Leah was quick to reassure her that Paul would be okay. Werewolf healing and all that.

Once he was certain that his opponent had been subdued, Jacob transformed back into his human form and made his way towards his room. Harry was careful to not look directly at the naked man.

A very tense silence descended on the room once the fight was over. Billy was shaking his head in a disappointed manner. Harry wasn't sure if the man was upset because of the fight, its cause, or both. He had a sneaking suspicion that Billy blamed him for the drama between the La Push werewolves in recent months.

Jacob disappeared into the hall that led to the bedrooms and returned about two minutes later wearing a pair of jeans shorts. "So, Harry, what's new with you?" he asked casually.