Chapter 8
When Carlisle walked into his house that evening he couldn't help but smile at the peaceful scene his family portrayed. He could hear Edward playing the piano further in the house Alice probably lay next to it reading as she usually does, the rest of his family were scattered around the living room. Emmett and Jasper playing a video game while Harry was curled up in Jaspers lap fast asleep. When he walked in Esme got up from where she sat next to Rosalie and kissed him on the cheek, happy to see her husband. "I take it the days gone well?
"Of course, Carlisle the only problem it seems we have is Rosalie and Jasper fighting over Harry, speaking of which he seems to be settling in with us very well. He's accepted all this so well… I can't help but think it hasn't really set in yet." Esme's soft voice easily reached everyone in the house. As if feeling everyone's focus on him Harry shifted in his sleep almost squirming himself right off Jaspers lap. "Why do you think he's being so open with us? He just met us do you think wizards feel the mate bond just like we do?"
Pursing his lips Carlisle thought on Emmett's question, "Well Emmett I do think that because of the magic they have wizards would be able to experience at least some of the pull we feel to our mates. Also, there are many different creatures as well as magical vampires who breed with wizards, from what I remember when this happens the children they have could experience some kind of inheritance once they reach a certain age depending on which type of creature they are in line to inherit. I think though that after everything that's happened he just needs someone to talk to and we came along at the right time."
"Honestly, I don't care why he's here with us, all that matters is that he is and I will never let him go." The combination of Jaspers soft voice and possessive fingers stroking over his braided hair and down his neck had Harry instinctively nuzzling against his mate's cold hand. Soft snuffling noises escaped him as he slowly woke up from his after-dinner nap. With a yawn and a stretch, Harry was rudely woken when his stretch dumped his butt off Jaspers lap and onto the pile of games and the Xbox controller piled next to Jasper. The pout on Harry's face while he inspected what he fell on for any damage was too cute for Jasper to contain his laughter and Rosalie's soft coos of adoration. "How was your nap Harry, don't men make the best pillows?" Alice's excited voice broke Harry out of his pouty post-sleep attitude and he just spent a few seconds blinking his big green eyes as he looked around the room.
With a teasing smirk shared between them, Harry responded, "Alice is right, you must be a good pillow because I don't remember falling asleep and seeing as Carlisle is here I must've slept for a while." Feeling the blush creeping up his neck Harry self-consciously patted his hair checking the braid Rosalie did for him, "Did, I make you uncomfortable Jaz?"
"A wet kitten weighs more than you precious." Jasper barely had time to get out the words before Harry aimed a kick to his groin which he quickly stood to escape, it wouldn't do for him to hurt his mate even if it was just by his mate hitting his too hard skin. Holding his hands up in a placating manner and ignoring everyone's smirks Jasper tried to think of something to say that wouldn't piss off his mate while trying to ignore the completely kissable and scowling Harry Potter standing before him. Before he could say anything, his little mate snapped out "Quit comparing me to a kitten like I'm some helpless fluffy little thing you need to shelter and protect." Even though Jasper could feel how annoyed Harry was he couldn't let his submissive talk to him like that.
"Harry,' seeing the normally playful look on Jaspers face gone made Harry nervous. "I'm not trying to be insulting and if you really don't like it I'll stop but I am your dominate mate and unused to it as you may be, I will be both sheltering AND protecting you." Edward decided that someone needed to derail this conversation before shit hit the fan so he came up behind Harry placing his arm over his shoulder, "How about we all sit down again and continue this conversation as well as the one we were having last night alright?" Everyone quickly goes to seat themselves and Harry managed to quickly squeeze in next to Rosalie leaving Emmett uncomfortably glancing at Jasper fuming on the otherwise empty couch and his smirking wife and the new little troublemaker sharing the loveseat he usually sits in. Sighing in defeat he dramatically threw himself on the far end of the couch ignoring his wife's giggle. 'at least she's happy, we're gonna have to keep this kid Jasper or no Jasper.'
The serious mood made the air feel thick and heavy to Harry as he tried to think of how to start-up this conversation again. "Well you told us everything up to your third year in Hogwarts and how Dumbledore stopped Sirius and Remus from gaining custody of you so I'm assuming you went back to the relatives you had been living with. Knowing you had a magical family who wanted you how did they treat you that summer?"
"That… sounds like a reasonable place to start Rose thanks. Well when I returned to Private Drive Dumbledore had already told them that even though my godfather wanted me it was my fault that I had to stay with them, that because of how important I was to the wizarding world and all the trouble I get myself in throughout my school years the Ministry to decide that keeping me in their home was the best choice and that my would-be guardian wouldn't have visitation rights because he was a formerly escaped convict with serious mental issues so they wouldn't have to worry about seeing any of "our kind" for the summer. By the time for me to get my school supplies and leave I collapsed as soon as I walked through the doors to Gringotts, I honestly couldn't remember the last time I had eaten. I don't know what panicked Siri more, me collapsing or the swarm of goblins that came and carried me to the medical wing. Remus had to stun him, no matter how much money the Black family has you can't try and fight a group of goblins without getting killed. Izalyz Groundgrinder, the female medi- goblin who had been treating me since my first visit there, looked like she was going to kill every other goblin in the room. She spent some time with me during that trip, we became really close she always got upset over my injuries but after earning the goblin nations respect and being a Goblin Friend Izalyz kind of adopted me as her own. She is the only person on this earth who really knows what happened in that house, and even though she couldn't fix my everything like my height she actually went out of her way to talk with Professor Snape and come up with a potion regime that helped my eyes and strengthen my bones. I think Groundgrinder and Mrs. Weasley would get along really well, I've never seen anyone protect and cherish children like the goblins do." Snuggling up to Rosalie he couldn't help but sigh, "This might be wrong of me but someone who can take in someone else's child is just that much more of an amazing mother. One of the best things the wizarding world has ever taught me is that while blood is important you really do choose your family, but you guys know that already with the family you have here."
Both Esme and Rosalie froze at this. All the Cullen's knew just how much those words meant to them even if Harry himself didn't. Even though the warm happy feeling building in everyone's chest was something that no one ever gets enough of, but now was time to learn what all is hidden in Harry's past so they can help Jasper get his mate. "What happened when you got to school?" Looking at Jasper from where he was twirling Rosalie's hair Harry grimaced. "Well, the rest of the summer was nice too yaknow, got to see a professional Quidditch game which ended up attacked by Death Eaters and everything but okayyy. 4th year somebody somewhere decided that bringing back the Triwizard Tournament was a great idea. I'm sure Lucius Malfoy brought up the idea but the fact that it actually got approved and that other schools actually agreed to take part in it still baffles me. The tournament had restrictions placed on it to hopefully stop the high amounts of deaths that caused it to be shut down in the first place, so no one younger than 17 could participate. Durmstrang and Buexbatons were to other two schools that decided to participate and were set to arrive the day before Halloween, which was when the Goblet of Fire was set to select the names of the competitors. I should have known really, something always happens on Halloween but up until then I was kind of happy and just focused on learning new spells and my duties as a lord, healing from the summer and getting to know Sirius and Remus. Everyone was super excited to meet the other school's students. Rumor had it that Viktor Krum was coming, he's a professional seeker he played for Bulgaria at the World Cup I got to go to. Well he did come and it was awesome and the French brought a few Veela which let me tell you caused quite a ruckus among the female population because of the effect they had on the males. That was also when I figured out I liked guys because their allure didn't work on me. The naming ceremony was both dramatic and mysterious and no one could really focus on the Halloween feast. Finally, the Goblet selected the champions. Viktor Krum for Durmstrang, Fluer Delacour for Beauxbatons and the Hogwarts Cedric Diggory from Hufflepuff. Then the Goblet announced a fourth champion, me. It was like time stopped and I was frozen, everyone was looking at me like I was something disgusting found on the bottom of a shoe. The screaming began and I was dragged along with the other champions. No one believed me, no one cared that I said I didn't do it and no one thought to question how a fourth year who they all thought was a mediocre student at best could trick an ancient and powerful artifact. The only one who believed me from the beginning was Viktor. I could see it in his eyes and he stepped forward and created an opportunity to escape. I ran to the infirmary and fire-called Sirius asked him what I should do. He and Remus both came through and we went back to the great hall apparently Fudge declared me a traitor and they were about to start a man hunt for me, ridiculous, right?"
Rosalie stood up and started yelling, "Are you telling me that out of all those people, teachers and friends and people who've known you for years and some random foreign guy believes you? Why?"
"Ya'know I asked him that too, he said I was too little and pure to do something like that" Jasper growled at the small sweet smile on his mate's face, he was supposed to make his mate smile like that, not some other man. He couldn't even call his mate his little kitten without getting yelled at, somethings wrong with this fucking picture. "As charming as that is," Harry looked up from where he was smiling at his lap as soon as he heard that dangerous southern drawl, "What did your godfather and his mate do to help rectify this situation. Seeing as you're so pure and all I'm sure everyone realized you were innocent after you batted those pretty green eyes at them a few times, right?"
Harry beat Rosalie before she could defend him, "Oh HHEEELLLLL NO, listen here you angsty little shit I don't know who the fuck you think you are but I don't have to fucking tell you anything ok, I'm here of my own free will trying to be helpful and make the fact that you're not getting a mate as painless as possible." Emmett threw himself on Jaspers lap before he could get up and Harry continued. "I fought a fucking dragon. I fought mermaids and other dangerous water creatures trying to save my friend from what I thought would be a slow painful death. I got stabbed saving a little girl I didn't even know after what I used to be able to breathe under water ran out and I was pretty much sure I was going to drown. And then to top it all off, the CHERRY ON TOP OF THE PILE OF SHIT SUNDAY THAT IS THIS YEAR I WENT INTO SOME GODFORSAKEN MAZE FULL OF EVERY DANGEROUS FUCKED UP THING THE JUDGES COULD COME UP WITH I WAS KIDNAPPED TORTURED HAD MY FRIEND CEDRIC KILLED IN FRONT OF ME AND WATCHED VOLDEMORT THE MAN WHO KILLED MY PARENTS AND RUINED MY LIFE USE MY BLOOD TO COME BACK TO LIFE SO YEAH I JUST BATTED MY PRETTY FUCKING GREEN EYES AND EVERYONE FELL TO MY FEET SO YOU CAN FUCK OFF."
When Harry stopped screaming all that could be heard was his heavy breathing and muffled sobs, no one paid any attention to the cracked walls and broken furniture, everyone just stared in shock at the little boy before them unsure what to say or do. Jasper raised his hand, going to comfort his mate and Harry flinched back. Running toward the window that once took up the whole far wall, glass shards crunching underfoot stabbing into his feet Harry leaped through the opening quickly shifting into his Animagus form, a young clouded leopard leaving a group of stunned vampires behind.
"Edward…"
"Jasper all you need to know is that you just fucked up in the worst way possible and that you need to give him his space."
Leaning against his side Alice thought toward her husband {I can't see his future.}
"I'm sure he will be fine." Edwards words did nothing to calm anyone down and Edward couldn't help but send a worried look to Jasper, he just stood there practically choking on his own self-hatred and the murderous rage he felt coming from Rosalie. If Harry wasn't found soon someone was going to get hurt.