Jadzia: I will do quite a lot between Edward and Bella. I'm a stubborn girl. Bella is now going to be more like me. She will be stubborn and make her own decisions. It will be fun. I've got a twisted sense of humor too. I want Edward to pay for making such a stupid decision. She won't date someone else. Bella loves Edward, Audra doesn't hate Edward. Audra just doesn't want to get hurt anymore. I'm sorry but Audra will not be dating anyone else.
I have a new story up. It's called Forever Hunted.
Summary: 16-year-old Bella and her 17-year-old adopted siblings, twins Jasper and Rosalie, live an average life with their adoptive mother Esme Swan. That is, until the Cullen family move to the small town of Forks. Bella and new boy, Edward Cullen, hate each other from the day they first meet. They make an unsaid treaty to avoid each other, until Carlisle, Edward's adoptive father and doctor in the small town, proposes to Esme. One day, Bella gets a phone call; one single phone call that could mean the end of her life. And though her new family would give anything to make her safe again, some things only fate can decide. All Human.
Please go read the first chapter. I really want people to read it. I think you'll like it if you give it a chance.
Previously
Harry POV
"She would for you too," I pointed out as the rain began to pelt down on us. We hurried together through the grounds, my firebolt still in my hand.
He smiled slightly. "She would do a great deal for me yes, but you two have a bond. It's different. You died that night, do you remember?"
I nodded. "Mum died for me. I died for Audra. Mum's spell saved me so I'm still here; mine saved Audra."
"But your mother's protection saved you. You both died."
Harry POV
I froze in place, the rain pounding down on my back. "What?" I half yelled. "How? Why didn't anyone tell me before?"
He took me by the shoulders, forcing me to look at him. "You both died that night. When Lily died, she protected you, her eldest, knowing you would protect Audra. What she didn't know is that you couldn't protect her fully. Her protection hindered that. That night you both half died."
I blinked, stunned. "What?" I repeated, utterly confused. Audra was the one good at this, she knew the spells and the mechanics of them.
"When you attempted to protect your sister, it worked, to an extent. You did die for her, but you only half died. When you didn't completely die, the spell took to your sister. It killed her too."
"But she's fine, physically I mean," I insisted.
"No, I know," he agreed. "It half killed her. The spell, it was weakened by you. It didn't have the power to kill her completely."
At that moment Dumbledore gestured for us to gather, calling instructions.
A shaggy black dog came bounding through the forest towards us.
"Dad!" I yelled, waving. He changed course, flying to my side. In a flash Sirius was standing next to me. I threw my arms around him. "She's gone."
"I know," he murmured, rubbing my shoulders. "I was looking for her."
"Did you find her?" I asked urgently, stepping back to look at him. "Is she alright?"
He ran a hand through his long black hair. "I don't know, Harry. I couldn't find her anywhere. Her tracks are everywhere, she doubled back at ever possibility. I tried to follow them but the mud and the leaves covered them."
"We'll find her Sirius," Aunt Vera said softly. She rested a hand on my shoulder. "You have a broom Harry. Fly as fast as you can. We'll search on foot. Look to the skies. If we find her, we need you as fast as possible."
I nodded, swinging my leg over my broom. "Please find my sister," I begged to the crowd at large. "Please." With that said, I kicked off from the ground, hard. I soared through the trees, my eyes flicking back and forth frantically. "Audra!" I yelled. "Audra, it's me. It's Harry. Please come back!"
As I kept flying I began to think. What would have happened, if I had lost Audra? What if she didn't make it? Through life. Through everything.
A shudder ran through me at the thought. Audra, as a baby, her tiny eyes laying shut, her rosy cheeks pale. Dead. New thoughts, new imaginations. Audra now, the body of a teenager, the mind of an adult, the heart of a fallen bird. So strong, yet so vulnerable. So sweet and thoughtful, caring, scared. I couldn't live with that, knowing my sister, my perfect, angelic, hurt sister was dead. Never seeing her smile, laugh, never seeing her look at me again.
A second shiver shook my form. How close had I been to that? How close had I come to losing her? Too many times. Too many times I could have lost my sister. First, Voldemort. He wanted us dead because of a prophecy. And in doing so, he doomed us to a life of misery. Then the Dursleys. Everyday, twice everyday, at least twice, I could have lost her. But she was strong, she was strong for me. None of it compared to him. Her death, in death, at least there would be no hurt. She would feel no pain. We would hurt, we would grieve, but she would be free. She would feel nothing of the pain she left behind. No, he killed her, and left her living to suffer. He left her to feel the pain of rejection, of abandonment, of his lies, his game. He left her to feel what no person should ever suffer. He left her to feel too much of what she had already felt. He played with her, an innocent little four-year-old girl.
I bit my lip to keep from screaming aloud. He hurt her, he abandoned her, now he pretended like he could just waltz happily back to haunt her. I wouldn't let him hurt her again.
I glanced quickly at the sky, scanning it for any sign of green sparks. I felt my heart sink to the pit of my stomach. No trace of sparks of any color were to be seen against the black, rain-filled sky.
"Audra please," I whispered desperately, staring at the sky. "Please, come back."
Just as I was about to turn away something caught me eye. A shower of green sparks.
I whooped loudly, wheeling my broom around and shooting in the direction of the sparks. I kept my eyes trained on the sparks, following them. And what I saw next caused me to freeze in mid air.
A spray of bright red sparks, directly above the green.
"No!" I yelled angrily. I willed the broom faster and faster, pushing the firebolt to it's fastest. The trees blurred together into one stiff wall that I sped past, weaving between them in the direction of the sparks.
I pulled the broom to a stop under the sparks, spiraling down to the tiger huddled in a ball on the ground. A tall figure in green robes was bowed over her.
"Audra," I called, hopping off the broom. I wrapped an arm around her neck, scratching the thick fur around it. "Audra, are you alright?"
She whined softly.
That's when I felt it. The cold. The dark. The absolute hopelessness of it all. Dementors.
Aunt Vera looked up at me. "They're here," she whispered hoarsely. "They're everywhere."
As if to prove her point a black hooded figure swooped down upon us. Déjà vu flashed through my mind. Last year on the Black Lake after Peter Pettigrew had escaped from Azkaban.
Flashback
Audra had come to the castle with Remus when he came to teach. Sirius spent most of his time here as well, that's how they knew we were in trouble.
We chased Peter into the shrieking shack. Audra had come with us. I was so worried about her. He had his wand to her throat, his other arm choking her.
"Please," I yelled. "Please don't!" I raised both hands my wand in my back pocket. Ron and Hermione mimicked me, raising their hands.
"Now," he hissed. "On three, I will leave. I will be gone, you will be dead. Starting with this one." He stabbed at Audra's neck with the wand.
She bit her lip, hard. A single droplet of blood dripped down her chin.
"One."
Hermione whimpered slightly. Ron put an arm around her still keeping his hands in sight.
"Two."
I took a step closer to them, my arm going around her waist. Her wand stuck from her back pocket. My fingers twitched over her wand hilt.
I pulled the wand from her pocket.
"Three."
Three flashes of light burst through the room. Ron shoved Hermione to the floor, falling to the ground next to her.
I dropped to the ground, coughing in the smoke that billowed through the room. "Audra!" I yelled. "Audra!"
"I'm fine," I heard her call back.
"Harry! Audra!" I heard Sirius' voice. Hands grabbed me, pulling me off the floor and righting me.
"Audra are you alright?" Remus asked Audra, his hands on each of her shoulders.
"I'm fine Dad," she murmured hugging him tightly.
"Where's Pettigrew?" Harry demanded.
"He's right there," Remus told him, his voice strained. He gestured to the crumpled form on the ground.
"Tie him up and let's take him up to the castle," Sirius ordered.
Ron and Hermione hurried to obey. Hermione conjured thick ropes with her wand tip, wrapping them tightly around Peter Pettigrew.
Remus inspected Audra's twisted knee, tapping it twice with his wand. "What happened? Did he hurt you?" he asked worriedly, his eyebrows furrowing as he watched the magic heal her knee.
"No," she muttered shamefaced a bright blush creeping up her cheeks. "I fell when I was going through the willow."
"Come on Audra, up you get," he sighed, lifting her onto his back. She wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her head on his shoulder and yawning softly.
Outside the moon was just beginning to rise.
I froze. "Audra run!" I yelled frantically. "Full moon."
Sirius pulled her from Remus' back and the three transformed in seconds. A tigress, a black dog, and a werewolf. Audra roared furiously. A sick smile spread across Pettigrew's face. He winked and his clothes fell in a ball to the ground. A rat ran through the grass away towards the lake. I snarled angrily chasing after it.
Dementors swirled around us as I ran.
The rat disappeared into the trees.
"No!" I yelled angrily.
Desperation filled me from both from the dementors and the loss of my parents murderer.
Audra came flying through the trees. "Harry!" she screamed, throwing her arms around my chest. I hugged her tightly.
"Expecto patronum," I cried out desolately. A small wisp of silver mist escaped from my wand. I tried again and again each time with the same reaction. Finally we fell to the ground. "I'm sorry Audra," I croaked before the darkness consumed me.
End Flashback
I pulled my wand from in between my robes. "Expecto Patronum!" But I was so filled with pain for my younger sister, nothing but a silver haze whirled around us.
"Expecto Patronum!" Remus yelled. A full grown wolf exploded from the tip of his wand. The dementors whirled and soared away, making screeching noises as they did.
Remus raced up to us, hugging the tigress. "Audra I'm sorry," he sighed. "I didn't know. I had no idea. Dumbledore didn't ask any of us about it."
She whined softly.
"Audra, you don't have to anywhere near them. I promise," I whispered.
She nodded her feline head.
Finally we convinced her to come back up to the castle.
I guided her up the Marble Staircase. My body locked in place when I saw them standing in the shadows.
"Take her up to Gryffindor tower. Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred and George will take care of her," I ordered Professor McGonginall. She nodded.
"Come along dear," she whispered, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
I waited until they were out of sight before turning to glare hard at them. "I hope you're happy with your work," I hissed.
"Harry we never meant…" Rosalie tried to answer.
"Never meant what?" I snapped. "To toy with a four year old girl or to hurt her again and again even after everything she's been through?"
"I never meant for that to happen," Edward murmured. "I thought she would be better off with us, with vampires out of her life."
I snorted derisively. "You actually think I'll believe any of that?" I demanded disbelief coloring my voice. "You honestly think I'd listen to sick, cruel monsters?" I growled angrily.
"We came back to protect her," Carlisle added.
I opened my mouth to answer but Remus stopped me. "Harry go to bed," he ordered. I had never heard such a hard tone in his voice. I obeyed immediately.
Edward POV
"You don't know what you did to her, to my daughter," Remus fumed, his eyes blazing with fury. "Every other minute she would change. Tiger to human and back again."
He pulled at his tangled mess of blonde hair, endless pain twisting her face.
In his mind he was remembering Bella, lying lifelessly in her bed. Her face was drawn and thin; her eyes sunken and dull. She shuddered violently, shifting from human to tiger. Her tiger form whimpered, trembling.
I flinched, fire spiked through my chest.
"But it never helped her. Her animal form protects her from physical pain. You didn't hurt her physically. Physical pain she can handle. You only managed to convince her that no one is worth trusting. The first time she ever said anything was when Harry came back. The only reason she trusts Sirius and I is because her mother and father trusted us enough to care for them. It took months to get her to trust again. And it was all because of you. You convinced her to trust again then ran her threw. After all she went through she could have gotten better so quickly. But you! You hurt her more than any physical pain could ever have hurt her. She had finally felt like maybe, just maybe, she was special to someone. Then you throw her away like an old toy you got bored with. Not any more. You stay away from my daughter or so help me, you will be a pile of ashes by dawn."
Then he followed Harry up the Marble Staircase and out of sight.
I felt as if the whole in my chest were swallowing me, burning me, that fire not venom ran through my veins.
"They're right," I breathed. "I am a monster."
Remus POV
I marched up the stairs and down halls, coming to stop at Dumbledore's office. I slammed the door open.
"You will keep them away from my daughter," I ordered flatly. I glared at his ruby red night cap as he was focusing on an open book laying on his desk.
He looked up his blue eyes emotionless. "I am afraid, Remus, that I cannot do that," he sighed. "I have made it required for the Potters to attend the Cullens defensive and offensive lessons. There is one lesson each day for advanced spell casters of all ages."
"My daughter will not be subjected to that kind of torture," I snapped. I ran a hand through my messy blonde hair. "I will not allow you to do that to her. She can't stand that! She can't even be in the same hall as them without breaking down; do you think she can stand an hour lesson each day with them?"
"She will learn to with stand her emotions," he answered. "What does not kill her, will only make her stronger."
"But chancing her death?" I demanded. "You know how strong willed she is. She will run again. And next time what if we don't find her? What if Voldemort finds her first?"
"She will not run," he said certainly. "She would never leave Harry to face Voldemort alone."
"She won't think straight with them around," I argued.
"I'll be fine Dad," Audra sighed from the doorway. "I over reacted this afternoon, I'm sorry."
I pulled her against me, hugging her tightly. "It isn't your fault. They shouldn't be here."
"They're here to keep Harry and I safe. With those intentions I will not condemn them. I will go to the lessons but I can not be expected to have any more interaction with them apart from classroom activity," she said each word with elegant precision far beyond her years.
Dumbledore nodded. "That is understandable. I'm positive they will understand. But I do request that you attempt to be at the very least civil to them. They are your professors and you will show them the same respect due to any other teacher. They will be forced to hand out detentions and if given one, you will be there at the correct time and place assigned."
"Forced," she snorted.
"They seemed rather reluctant to hand out punishments to you and I must keep the equality among all of you. Yes, they are being forced to treat you as any other student here. No they are not allowed to pass you in tests, grant acceptances for rude behavior, and such."
Audra rolled her eyes. "Why they would I have no idea," she muttered.
"They were very, very worried after the little show during the concert," he pointed out.
"Yeah, worried that I might be cursed crazy and tell the world what they are," she laughed bitterly.
"Audrianna, at least be polite to them," he begged.
"I will, I will," she said sarcastically, raising both hands in the air and rolling her eyes.
"Audra, just because you already know more than this school can teach you does not mean you can disrespect the teachers here," he said coolly. His hard blue gaze focused on her. "You will pay them the proper respect…"
"Due to any other professor," she finished. "Yes Uncle Al I understand. I will be as polite as possible to the… Cullens." She forced their family name out with curt difficulty.
"Thank you dear, now please run along to Gryffindor Tower; it's by far passed curfew which you will consider now that you are not a child running around the castle any more," he sighed.
"Goodnight Professor," she said with a curt nod. Audra turned to me. "Thanks for coming out here for me Daddy," she murmured, hugging me tightly. "I love you."
I hugged her back. "I love you too Audrabells. Now go to bed," I whispered back. She gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before disappearing down the spiral stairs.
I turned back to Dumbledore. "Please take care of my girl," I breathed. "Please don't let her hurt any more than she already has. I love my daughter too much to let that happen again." With that said, I whirled on my heel and disappeared into the fireplace.
The First Day of Classes
Audra POV
It was late, the day was ending. It was time for my first defense lesson with the… Cullens. I headed out of my Charms class, joining the small throng of people heading up to the Astronomy Tower. They wanted our first lesson out in the open, where we could move freely.
"Harry! Hermione! Fred, George! Ron!" I called, fighting my way through the crowd to them. They battled their way against the flow of people to get to me.
"Come on it'll be faster like this," Fred yelled over the babble of excited sixth and seventh years that made up most of the class. I was the only one under the age of fourteen to attend this selective class. He swung me up onto his back and we ran through the crowd.
We made it to the top tower first. Fred sent me back on my feet. The class began congregating around us, murmuring nervously about what we would learn.
Five minutes passed, none of the Cullens turned up.
"Do we have to be here if the Professors aren't?" I asked lazily. "We could be rehearsing for our next recording."
"Rehearse here," someone yelled.
"Black Magic! Black Magic! Black Magic!" they all began to chant, growing louder and louder with each repetition.
"We could since none of them are here," Harry said unsurely.
"Oh to hell with the chanting let's do this!" I yelled.
The group of students screamed, cheering like average muggle teens.
Fred pulled his wand out, conjuring up two drumsticks. Harry, George and Ron performed a quick spell. Harry slammed against his wand like a guitar. The sound echoed over the grounds.
"Five, six, seven, eight," Fred said quietly.
And when it rains,
On this side of town it touches, everything.
Just say it again and mean it.
We don't miss a thing.
You made yourself a bed
At the bottom of the blackest hole (blackest hole)
And convinced yourself that
It's not the reason you don't see the sun anymore
And oh, oh, how could you do it?
Oh I, I never saw it coming.
Oh, oh, I need the ending.
So why can't you stay
Just long enough to explain?
And when it rains,
Will you always find an escape?
Just running away,
From all of the ones who love you,
From everything.
You made yourself a bed
At the bottom of the blackest hole (blackest hole)
And you'll sleep 'til May
And you'll say that you don't want to see the sun anymore
And oh, oh, how could you do it?
Oh I, I never saw it coming.
And oh, oh, I need the ending.
So why can't you stay just long enough to explain?
Take your time.
Take my time.
Take these chances to turn it around. (take your time)
Take these chances, we'll make it somehow
And take these chances to turn it around. (take my...)
Just turn it around.
Oh, how could you do it?
Oh I, I never saw it coming.
Oh, oh, how could you do it?
Oh I, I never saw it coming.
Oh, oh, how could you do it?
Oh I, I never saw it coming.
Oh, oh I need an ending.
So why can't you stay
Just long enough to explain?
You can take your time, take my time.
"You like it?" I yelled. The crowd roared with approval.
As the cheering subsided we heard the voice. "As much as we all do love Black Magic, we do have a lesson to teach." Carlisle stepped out from the shadows, Jasper and Edward flanking him on either side. Fred held out a hand to help me down. I took it with a small thanks, determinadly not looking at them. I jumped off the wall, allowing him and George to steady me.
"Many of you do not know what these classes are for," Carlisle continued steadily. "All Professor Dumbledore has told you is that this is an advanced class for defensive magical purposes."
"He didn't even tell us that much," Draco Malfoy drawled.
"Then please do enlighten us," Jasper said patient as always. "What did he tell you?"
"He told us that we would be taking an extra class," he sneered. "More homework; more wasted time."
"If that's what you think, we won't stop you from leaving," Edward answered flatly. His expression screamed I don't care. "This is after all, a class for those willing to learn what is needed."
Draco rolled his eyes. "I don't care, until quidditch starts I have nothing better to do."
"Do you have something against using a brain, Malfoy?" George demanded.
"Excuse me, what Weasley?" he asked, turning his gaze to us.
"There is no quidditch this year," I told him through gritted teeth. "Tournament instead."
"Why are you here, Potter?" Malfoy inquired rudely. "I thought this was a class for advanced spell casters. Not children."
I raised my eyebrow, drawing my wand from between my robes.
Harry grabbed my wrist. "It isn't worth the detention Audra," he said loudly. "You would get in trouble for using spells on an ignorant student. And they don't approve of that spell here." He grinned, knowing exactly which spell I had been planning on using on Malfoy.
"You little…" Malfoy whipped out his wand. "Stupify!" A jet of red light flashed from his wand.
I shoved Harry away from the line of the spell. Two ice-cold hands flashed out, pulling me away as well.
"Please let go of me," I said flatly, refusing to look at him.
Immediately the hands dropped.
I glared harshly at Malfoy. "Big mistake," I hissed.
"Audra," Harry murmured warningly, eyeing the Cullens.
I ignored his warning. Levicorpus. I thought, flicking my wand in an up-wards motion. Malfoy was wrenched off the ground by his ankles, dangling up side down in mid air. Cedric Diggory and his friends guffawed, clutching their stomachs as they laughed. George slapped my back, laughing merrily. Fred swung me up and began tossing me up into the air. George caught me then tossed me back over to Fred.
"Alright, we've all had our fun but this is a class," Carlisle's grin didn't quite fit under the hand he tried to hide it under. "Bell… Ms. Potter please put him down."
I sighed. "George put me down," I said. I flicked my wand again. Liberacorpus.
Malfoy fell in a crumpled heap to the ground. He immediately righted himself, smoothing his messy blonde hair. That only made us laugh harder.
"Please pay attention, lessons start now," Carlisle ordered. The smile had vanished from his face and his black eyes had hardened, giving him a vampiric appearance. The class fell silent at once. "We, my sons and I, will test each of you individually to see how complex of spells that you can perform before starting each of you at a different level. Youngest first."
I froze. They had done this on purpose, allow us to have our fun, hoping to soften me enough to like them, trust them again. Not again. Never again.
"Audra," Hermione whispered. "It's all right. Ginny is right behind you." Ginny squeezed my hand comfortingly and the two of us stepped forward.
"Audra, Jasper will test you," Carlisle murmured. "Ms. Weasley please come with me. Edward stay here and watch the class."
I turned down the corridor, feeling Edward's gaze boring into my back. Jasper ghosted silently along behind me.
"I'm sorry Bella," he said softly. "I didn't mean for this to happen."
"Didn't mean for what to happen?" I questioned emotionlessly.
"I didn't mean to attack you," he breathed. His gold eyes were closed. "He didn't want it to happen again."
I shook my head. "Do you expect me to believe that? Am I supposed to trust you?"
He opened his eyes, looking at me serenly. "I don't expect anything. I just wanted to tell you that I am truly sorry for what happened. Edward did everything with your best interest in mind."
"My best interest," I snorted derisively. "Do you possibly have any idea how many times I've almost been killed in the past four years?"
"What?" he demanded.
"Seems Victoria doesn't forget me as fast as you all did," I said with something akin to boredom.
"What do you mean Victoria?" Jasper asked, leaning back against the wall of the classroom he was supposed to be testing me in.
I pulled the note from my back pocket, throwing it onto the table between us.
Bella darling
Run. Run far. Run fast. I will find you. You will die. I will kill you.
V
Jasper snarled furiously. His fist closed over the letter, crushing it to powder.
I started at the noise.
"Sorry," He apologized, sensing my fear. "Really I am."
"Can we just get this over with?" I inquired.
He nodded. "Start with the basics. Make something fly."
"Windgardium Leviosa," I said waving my wand at a chair. It soared across the room.
"Light your wand."
"Lumos." My wand tip glowed with a bright white light.
"Fire."
"Really, Jasper?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. I couldn't stop the grin spreading on my face. "You want me to start a fire in an enclosed area, even though you are highly flammable?"
He chuckled. "Hilarious Bella," he said rolling his eyes. "Yes. Carlisle said test every aspect of your powers."
"Stand back, I don't need Alice chewing my head off for accidentally burning your clothes," I sighed. I made sure he was clear out of the way before waving my wand and calling out, "Incedio." The desk in between us exploded in a wild burst of golden yellow flames. I noted with satisfaction that Jasper drew away with a dark look.
"Now put it out," he said still as calm as ever.
I shook my head. "You'll like this better," I chuckled. I waved my wand over the fire, muttering a quick flame-freezing charm. The fire danced. I smiled darkly at him before leaping forward into the fire.
In a flash, he launched himself over the flames, grabbing me by the shoulders and pulling me from the flames. We landed on the hard stone floor.
"What the hell were you thinking?" he demanded, glaring. There was no trace of humor in his eyes.
"I used a flame freezing spell," I said simply. "I would have thought you heard me."
"I heard you do a spell I didn't know what the spell does," he countered, smiling slightly.
"It won't burn you," I said quietly. I sat back and picked up a handful of the fire, toying with it lazily. I stared at it. How ironic. I thought to myself. Fire that can't burn my hand but can burn my heart.
"Bell… Audra, can we get back to work?" he said, still uneasy by the dancing flame.
"Aguamenti," I yelled. Water shot from the tip of my wand, extinguishing the fire with a puff of smoke.
The testing continued in a monotonous manor. I transformed a desk into a pig, the pig into a water goblet, filled the goblet with wine, then made them both disappear.
"The staff has been saying you, even though you just got a wand, know how to produce a corporial pratronus."
I snorted. "That's just too easy." I conjured up a mental picture of Harry and I. We were at home. Real home. With Mum and Dad. I felt light and floating as if nothing in the world could ever go wrong. Mum was rocking me back and forth in a rocking chair. Dad was standing behind the two of us. He gazed at me with loving eyes. Harry was sleeping in his arms. Everything was okay. Everything was better than okay. It was perfect. "Expecto Patronum!"
A silver tigress erupted from my wand. She roared with a wild grace then bounded around the classroom before disintegrating into the air.
Jasper was staring at the place my patronus had vanished. He was radiating his awe at the feline display.
"I think that's everything," he said finally. "Tomorrow training begins."
I nodded, trying to squash my need to escape this enclosed room. I felt my heart ripping into pieces. Hurt, betrayal, anger, fear, confusion. I wanted it to end. I wanted it to be over. I wanted to breathe.
"Goodbye Jasper," I murmured before I fled the room. I hurried back up the to the top of the tower, shoving the door open. I pushed through the crowd of people, stumbling blindly over to Harry. He pulled me into his arms, the Weasley's and Hermione forming a wall around us.
Finally the testing ended.
"Next class is out in the grounds. The quidditch pitch. Class dismissed," Carlisle ordered.
I buried myself deep within the body of students flowing through the door, knowing it was useless.
"Bella, please," Edward called softly. "Please can we talk?"
I bit my lip, glancing at Harry's stony expression. I stepped away from the throng, to the opposite side of the doorway. I held onto Harry's hand for just one more second before allowing him to be swept down the spiral staircase.
"What is there left to say?" I asked dully, trying not to let them see the tears in my eyes. I stared out unseeingly over the Forbidden Forest.
"I'm sorry," he sighed. "I never meant to hurt you. I thought you would be better off with us gone. What happened on your birthday, I couldn't stand to let that happen again. You don't know how much it killed me to have to say the things I did."
"I was so naïve," I murmured. I turned back to look at them. "I was so stupid. I believed you. I believed all of you. I trusted you. I can't believe I was so stupid!"
"The only lie you ever believed was when I said I didn't want you," Edward argued gently.
"I can't believe that," I said shaking my head. "I can't. You don't know how much I wanted to hear that. But it doesn't change anything. The least you could have done was played with someone your own age. I was a god damned four year old! I'm only ten and I've been through more than most people will in their entire life!" My voice grew louder and louder until I was yelling at them. Tears ran down my cheeks as I glared at them. "I don't want this! I've never wanted this! I thought you all were trying to help me and Harry but you're only making my life worse! Please, please, please, just leave me alone."
"Bella…" Edward began. He reached out with one hand, his eyes glittering with pain.
"Bella was a toy. She was stupid. She was naïve. Bella doesn't really exist. She never did and she never will," I whispered. I pulled the door open and flew down the stairs. I stumbled once, catching myself on the metal railing. The front doors to the castle were open. A few students idled around the grounds, talking and laughing.
There lives are so simple. I thought enviously. They don't have prophecies made about them. They don't have my life.
Finally I made it to the lake. I tripped over a root. This time I didn't bother to pick myself up again. I curled into a ball, pressing my face into the sand. My shoulders shook with sobs that racked my body. I screamed again and again, the sound muffled by the sand. I turned my dirt-smeared face up to the sky, leaning back on my hands.
"Why do you do this to me?" I screamed at the sky. The sun shined blindingly down on me. "Why? What did I do for this? Why do always do this to me? Why? Why?"
So how is it? The chapters are getting long again. I know. They'll have to shorten up after school starts again. Sorry. But until then I have a dress to make for my teacher for the auction, I have a project, and a science test to study for. But that's never stopped me from updating and trust me it won't stop me now. I love writing and will keep writing until my parents take my computer away(again).
The song is When It Rains by Paramore.
Review away.
Sea of Topaz