* * * Luck of the Draw * * *

All along, Edward's solid arms have been subtly glittering in the firelight, and over the course of the last bit of surprisingly lighthearted conversation, Harry has come to notice (when Bella made a conversational gesture that brought it to his attention) that a mark on her hand is, too. A scar that is oddly double crescent shaped, such as might come from human-like teeth. A bite mark! And one that sparkles just like his skin. His fear surges. Does he drink from her!? What else could this possibly mean? I really don't know anything about this type of vampire, except that they're lethal. What is it that all the classic myths say is possible? Could she be half-way turned into one already, and we don't even know it? Or somehow made immune, leaving us to be the ones in greater danger? Does something in his saliva make humans be so happy with it, that she lets him? She certainly hasn't been offering any degree of resistance. Maybe capture is really what we should be worried about. Has Professor Dumbledore noticed this? This vampire's not going to try that with us, is he? What in the world could we do about it if he did? There's no way I could be happy with that. Have we been getting hoodwinked all along? Maybe lulled into complacency? What does the professor think of all this? I'm really nervous now.

In response to Harry's mental alarm, and the elevated heart rate that goes along with it, Edward steers the conversation enough to offer him somewhat of an explanation. "Speaking of uncommonly bad luck," he muses to Bella, "did you know that when it comes to being a danger magnet, it seems that Harry could give even you a run for your money?"

For a moment Bella is stunned by this comment, mouth slightly ajar… before turning toward Harry, and clearly noting his nervousness, to gently say "I'm sorry" in all seriousness.

Edward sighs with a chuckle. Of course she would apologize first thing, he admires. I should have known. "Aside from the current predicament," he continues, "which has the hopes of two very different worlds teetering in an incredibly dangerous place… merely because he is the one prophesied to defeat the greatest tyrant the wizarding world has ever seen, and you came along with me…"

"Harry has also most uniquely survived the worst curse members of his world know how to inflict upon each other – the death spell, apparently – and carries the scar to prove it." His voice has gentled now. "The main difference being that yours happened nearly a year ago, and his when he was only a year old."

Bella glances at the scar on her hand glinting in the light, and then back to Harry… concernedly speculating on the likelihood that the scar on his forehead is the one Edward is talking about. That had to have been difficult.

The focus of her glance catches Dumbledore's notice, and the headmaster wonders what brought this unexpected topic up… even as he marvels at the scar she's looking at. Had Harry noticed the scar on Bella's hand? There's no question what it is, which evidence on a living being strikes me as unfathomably unlikely, and yet – without a deeper knowledge of the species, how is such a thing to be interpreted? I wonder what Harry thought about it. Clearly her glance has confirmed Edward's remarkable explanation.

"As a result, he's earned a place on the hit list of the most dangerous organization of his community: Death Eaters, as they call themselves, who in name alone sound remarkably similar to the Volturi…"

"…and is likewise guaranteed to maintain the personal attention – for the rest of the foreseeable future, or his life as the case may be – of the single most dangerous-to-him member of his world." Both arms still extended in support of her, Edward's thumbs stroke Bella's sides thoughtfully. Her eyes are wide.

"Hence, the boy who lived:" which thought brings Bella's attention back to Harry again, "meet the girl who lived." At this, her head snaps back to look at Edward.

"The girl who lived?" she challenges doubtfully, and a little self-consciously. Lots of girls live through meeting you. All of them do! Maybe the singer who lived, I guess, but that's not what he said. He's not giving himself enough credit.

Edward regards her patiently. "Well it's true. Not too many humans can claim to have been in the presence of 27 different vampires, and lived to tell the tale." I could probably count them on one finger.

While both Albus' and Harry's eyes widen in shocked awe, Bella grumblingly acknowledges the truth of his words. "Has it really been that many?" she asks uncomfortably for confirmation.

Edward nods affirmatively. "There were 17 in Volterra, alone… not including us. Shall I list them for you?" he offers.

She was in Volterra?! Albus recognizes with fascination and a surge of excitement, recalling a recent and most surprising report that had been brought to his attention… of a human who had safely reemerged from the vampire stronghold of the world… unlike anyone before or since. One and then two vampires had accompanied her, but he had not been able to learn their names. These were the ones in Volterra, he reaffirms with a pleased sense of satisfaction. He had wanted to learn how they were different, if it was truly possible that they were. But he'd never expected fate to offer him a front row seat.

"What about Gianna?" she wonders, hoping to divert the spotlight back away from her person.

Edward shrugs lightly, though his tone turns ominous. "It's possible she could claim a similar distinction… if she's lasted this long. The Volturi have no long-term interest in her."

Unlike Edward has in Bella, Albus notes. I wonder what kind of long-term interest he has?

Bella grimaces in understanding. "So they're just going to walk in one day and think: 'time for dinner' then?"

"Possibly," Edward admits, and Harry's eyes bug wide, "though they're old enough to have a bit more control than that. In her case, it's more likely she'll be given as a willing victim to Felix's fetish," he grimaces. The ultimate one-night stand.

"Felix has a fetish?"

"Many people do, Bella. Trust me," Edward assures with a shake of his head, "you don't want to know."

"Is that why he winked at her?" Bella speculates.

"Yes," his tone darkens. "And at you." Clearly, this latter fact really bothered him.

Bella's nose scrunches up. "Ew." Edward smiles slightly at this. "I'm sorry you had to listen to that."

Edward shrugs it off. "Occupational hazard. Incidentally not nearly so problematic as being the cause of your bad luck." His tone had darkened with the thought.

"That's ridiculous," she scoffs, frowning. "You've saved me from it so many times, you can hardly be the cause. You're my good luck! And you can't tell me that your presence here isn't a boon to every human present."

"I wouldn't go that far."

"Oh?" she challenges. "So someone else would have let them live, without issue?"

He sighs. "You know I can't say that."

"Which makes them exceptionally lucky that the vampire called in to meet them was one of the few that wouldn't attack…. Honestly, what are the chances?"

"You wouldn't have gone to Volterra if it weren't for me," he reminds her.

"There would have been no need," she counters, "because Tyler's fender would have beat you to it."

He winces at the thought.

She continues more softly now. "The chances?" she prods.

Edward sighs heavily, pursing his lips. "Even if these two hadn't been inclined to shout their awareness through defensive body language anyone could recognize, most wouldn't have known they are as bound to keep the secret as I am – and so would have pursued to eliminate the threat. In addition to that, Albus carries the scent of vampire around with him – which is impossible to ignore. It's pretty unnerving, actually. At first I thought someone must have been stalking him, but it's really just his wand that emits the stranger's fresh scent every time he uses it." This unexpected piece of information has both wizards momentarily stunned beside them. Even Bella is surprised. "Add to that the most basic fact that they're human in a secluded place… and, unless they could come up with something so magically unexpected that it's effective at overriding thirst, there's really nothing to act as deterrent."

"Exactly!" Bella reinforces.

"But that makes them only as lucky as you are," Edward concludes darkly.

Bella considers for a moment, before arguing: "If Harry really is key for getting rid of their biggest, baddest tyrant, like you said they hope for, wouldn't he be prone to fortunate circumstance if anyone else in his world happened to be feeling magically 'lucky' in the moment? I'm sure there's a pretty high chance of that going on somewhere… making it proof positive that you're good luck, and not bad, being that the one they got was you."

Silently, Harry recalls having given the rest of his lucky potion to Ginny just prior to their departure, and marvels at the point Bella is making. Being so newly introduced, she seems amazingly comfortable with the reality of magic. Could it be true? Chances are Ginny will have taken it by now, and he hopes it could have extended to protect every one of their friends.

Hearing this unlikely confirmation of Bella's argument, suddenly Edward cannot refute it. Of course Harry's girlfriend's luck would have to include his safety, in the desperate battle he suspects she and many of their friends are in the middle of. "What are the chances?" he quietly marvels to himself.

Seeing that whatever counter-argument he was going to offer has been cut short by a thought he must have heard, Bella expounds upon his comment. "Probably the same as there being any vampire on the face of the planet – at any given moment in time – who just happens to be in the presence of his singer?"

Edward chuckles grimly, "True."

"Let alone who can be so gracious about it." This fact still awes her, and they all can hear this in her voice… though the wizards have no idea what this means. It must be something profound.

Edward rolls his eyes. "That's no less than you deserve."

"You're proving my point," she insists.

Edward sighs.

"Okay, how about the chances that any vampire on the face of the planet would excel as a surgeon in the human medical profession?" The wizards jaws drop at this one; this is a reference they can understand, though it's unfathomable to believe. "Or that of all the people he'd run across in nearly three centuries, it was you he chose as his first companion… destined to wake up from your deathbed – at your mother's request, no less – with the most remarkably unexpected talent that would allow you to recognize how sincere he was?"

With the slight shake of his head, it's clear to her that he would downplay the significance of what she's been pointing out. She's not going to allow that.

"Shall I continue? Because it's not as if that's all that's unique about your family. Face it, Edward: You just can't get any lower on the scales of statistical probability than that. Give yourself some credit!"

Edward purses his lips shrewdly. "Alright," he concedes, "you win this one."

Bella juts her chin out stubbornly. "Of course I do."

Smiling amazedly, he shakes his head in fond amusement.

After a moment, as they finally reach the lake edge, Edward concludes the conversation by teasing her lightly. "It's a good thing not too many people know your story," he muses. "In his world," indicating Harry, "that distinction garners him quite a lot of attention. We both know how much you'd like that."

Bella scowls at the idea. Edward chuckles.

"Probably about as much as you would," she counters.

He nods, accepting that.