Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Thank you all for your continued support of my story!
Yes, when Bella does make an appearance it'll definitely be interesting how she turns out in the story.
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Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of the Harry Potter or Twilight franchises.
PS The stupid formatting almost happened again like last week but this time I caught it! Enjoy the chapter!
When we made it to the Weasley's hotel room I ignored everyone who tried to speak to me and barricaded myself in the restroom.
Edward's call of my name almost had me turn to him, but I couldn't face anyone right now. I just needed a few moments alone.
The door slammed and I slumped against it, sliding until my body hit the floor and curled in on myself, trying to just take deep breaths and not become a mess. My head was spinning from the interview to Ironclads warning with my prosthetic.
The limb needs time to heal and the prosthetic needs rest as well
"Bill what the hell happened?" Ginny's voice called from behind the door.
You may find the prosthetic will not work with you anymore.
"She just needs a little space right now. The goblins told her some troubling things about her prosthetic that she wasn't prepared to hear. Then one of the damn Aurors pissed her off." Bill explained. The walls were so thin, I was able to hear them easily. I was also able to hear the low growl from Edward.
"What did they say to her?" he said.
"Auror Briggs was fine. It was Auror Daniels. Kept interrupting her and patronizing her. Didn't like it when she talked back to him. Briggs forced him out of the room after Dahlia told him to 'mind his fucking mouth'." Bill told them.
I heard Emmett let out a big laugh and what sounded like Rosalie smacking his chest.
"Dahlia has to testify." Bill said, and that broke out further argument from those in the room.
"Bill no!" "We promised her she wouldn't-" "She's not doing it" "Those cretins don't need her testimony to solidify their guilt-"
"Everyone please." Bill said, quieting them down.
"None of us like it. But she's the reason they came to America in the first place. They don't think they can convict two war heroes without her." Bill explained.
I felt a tightening in my chest and heard the growl coming from Edward. Was that tightness him? It couldn't be.
"Then I will be there next time. She is my mate and I don't give a damn what it takes, she needs me." he said, leaving no room for argument. Bill nearly started but not before Ginny cut him off.
"Ok boys. Just stop arguing. Dahlia can probably hear us all losing our minds and it's certainly not going to help her any." she scolded. The room went quiet.
I breathed deep in my chest, trying to give myself any sense of calm.
The sudden knock on the door surprised me and I banged my elbow into it.
"Sorry Dahlia. Just me. I picked out some clothes for you. Get changed and then we can show these vampires what they're missing ok." Ginny said. It made me smile. Slowly I got up from the floor and opened the door a crack.
The way she angled herself only allowed me to see her and probably for only her to see me.
"Ok." I whispered, taking the bag from her outstretched hand before closing the door.
I recognized the clothes as Ginny's. No doubt because they weren't able to get back into my place yet. It was a pair of blue jeans, black converse, and a cream colored sweater. The jeans were a tad tall for me so I cuffed the bottoms. In a split decision, I decided to pack the gloves I was wearing away. I would be in a magical community, and I didn't want the barrier of the gloves around Edward if I could help it. I let my hair down so it was a wild mess on my head. Finally feeling comfortable with myself again, I left the bathroom.
Before I could even say anything, Edward's arms were around me, the force so sudden it lifted me in the air. I wrapped my arms around his neck as his face buried into my hair. He took deep breaths, inhaling my scent as I felt us both lose the tension unknowingly in our bodies.
"Much better" Fleur's voice said, understanding clearly in her tone.
Slowly Edward put me down until we were just holding each other's hands. He gently rubbed his thumb against my right hand, the soothing action doing what was intended.
"Are you ok?" he asked, concern clear in his voice and facial expression. I gave him the best smile I could at this time.
"Day by day I will be. Right now I just want to take you around Needlepoint and show you more of me. Ok?" I asked. I could tell he didn't want to agree all the way, he wanted to talk more about what happened, but he finally nodded and pressed a kiss to my forehead.
"I am dying to see magic fashion. Oh, can clothes change color, texture?" Alice asked.
"Witches and wizards can change features of clothes with their wands, it's much too complex for clothes to be charmed that way to happen whenever. I'm sure if you buy anything, Dahlia won't mind doing it for you." Ginny explained, giving me another few moments to collect myself.
"Can we get more of that candy you gave us last time?" Emmett asked, excited and I saw Jasper perk up.
"Candy? Oh Dahlia, you introduced them to blood pops!" Fleur said with a laugh.
"I believe the sweets shop in Needlepoint is called Candy Dish. We can definitely make a stop there." Bill said.
"You ready to go Dahlia?" Rosalie asked. I nodded, smiling a little more this time and taking the kiss Edward offered to me.
Needlepoint was truly unlike most hidden wizard settlements. Much like it's Muggle Seattle counterpart, it had come a long way in terms of its look and its modernization. The buildings were colorful, but the roofs were all slanted one way and pointed down towards the streets below. Windows didn't have things like shutters, a lot even had bars across them. Perfectly trimmed plants were everywhere you could see. It was much neater and more organized and modern compared to places like Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley. At the entrance you could see all the popular shops perfectly. Quidditch shop, book shop, sweets shop, apothecary; it was all sleek and shining, waiting for eager customers to come inside their stores. Funnily enough there was even a magical version of Starbucks in the alley! It wasn't too busy but there were enough witches and wizards going about their day.
It gave the desired effect for the Cullen's first time seeing a magical settlement. Their eyes were wide and in some cases, jaws dropped. I saw Jasper tense at the sudden influx of people, smells, and emotions so wordlessly I threw a spell around the vampires to diminish the scents around them. At the very least I could do that for them. I saw his body's tension ease and knew it helped him.
"Ok everyone! Here we are!" Fleur announced, turning to all of us with a grand wave of her arm. I am guessing she gave herself the title of tour guide. Bill had a smile on his face at his wife's antics.
"Needlepoint is our magical settlement in Seattle. It used to be named Pioneer Gardens, but in 1970 it underwent not only a refurbishment but a name change as well into Needlepoint, in honor of the muggle's Space Needle.`` She summarized it as a history lesson for the vampires.
"Now I know the ladies are anxious to go to the robes boutique here and it is important we look at finding something for Dahlia as I am sure she doesn't have any wizarding robes in her house. We will definitely make a stop at Candy Dish as I have such the craving for pumpkin pastries right now and I know you are all eager to see the variety of blood pops. Otherwise the day is ours to enjoy!" she exclaimed. My eye caught on the Quidditch shop and eager to see a broom that was in the window, I pulled Edward by the hand to see.
I heard him laugh as he followed me to the window. Everyone followed, but Emmett was the one to get close to the window like us to see the brooms. The shop itself was a nice forest green with black accents and a black roof. In the window they had displays of a broom aftercare kit, pads for quidditch gear, and three racing brooms. On the bottom was the Nimbus 2001. On the top was the Firebolt. But in the middle was the newest broom. The Thunderstrike.
"That's your broom." Edward said, pointing to the Firebolt. "That's your broom!" Emmett repeated wide-eyed and it made us laugh.
"Yeah. The Firebolt I got when I was 13 from Sirius. The one on the bottom is called the Nimbus 2001. Before the Firebolt I had the Nimbus 2000. The Firebolt was supposed to come out when I was 12, but it got delayed so they made the Nimbus 2001. Then the Firebolt came and it's been long enough now that they have seemed to premiere the Thunderstrike. There was a Thunderbolt broom that was almost just as fast as the Firebolt, but it wasn't the safest broom. I think Thunderstrike is supposed to rectify the issues that the Thunderbolt series had." I explained.
And she was a beauty. The broom handle was made of black cherry wood and was carved perfectly straight up until you got to the handle. It dipped down and shot back up at the handle, mimicking a lightning strike. The serial number was on the side in silver. The birch twigs were absolutely perfect in the broom and the goblin silver finishings on the metals made it a sight to behold. The foot grips were closer into the broom but looked very streamline and easy to work with on the racing broom.
"Are you going to get it?" Alice asked with a smile.
"No. My Firebolt is in perfect condition and I take very good care of it. I do need to get more products to take care of it though so if anyone wants to come inside you can."
The answer was yes. The vampires were eager to look around and see what was in the shop. Edward, after I insisted he followed his brothers to look at more of the brooms, followed after them. I found myself next to Rosalie in the broom care section.
"Do you think this only works on brooms?" Rosalie asked, holding up a broom polish. I looked over to her and the bottle.
"Hmm...to be honest I have no clue if it could be used on something other than a broom. But if you are wanting to experiment on a car I would suggest this other brand, it's more equipped for different kinds of brooms and unlike that brand, it can go on the metal parts of a broom. So maybe it would work on a car?" I explained.
Rosalie gave it a thoughtful look before putting it back.
"You know I think I'll stick with the products I know," she said, making me laugh.
After the quidditch shop Fleur insisted we go into the robes beautique. Bill and the boys decided to branch off and go to the bookstore while us ladies shopped. Edward gave me a quick kiss before he left with them.
"Merlin Dahlia, he is absolutely smitten with you!" Ginny teased. I stuck my tongue out at her and the others as they joined in the teasing.
When we entered, Alice and Fleur quickly tag teamed to scour the store for options for everyone.
"When are you going to actually need witches robes Alice?" I teased.
"When we come with you to the trial of course." she answered. My breath caught in my throat. Everyone turned to me and my wide-eyed expression.
"Like Edward said. We are not leaving you to face this alone and I am not going to show up in the wrong outfit" Alice teased lightheartedly, but the affection and determination was still there. I could only nod.
Ginny and Rosalie were having casual conversation with each other, quickly forming a kinship. It made me smile how my wizarding life was integrating so well into the new life I had with the Cullens.
It only took about ten minutes before Alice and Fleur had options for everyone. Only Fleur and
Ginny did not try on the clothes. Fleur didn't, seeing as she was still pregnant, and had more clothes than she knew what to do with back home. Ginny also had robes back home that she already decided on wearing.
Alice decided to go first, quickly coming out in a beautiful lavender witch's robes set. It was a beautiful simple silk dress that went down to her knees and the robes went down to just past her ankles. You could still see the silver shoe she chose to go with the look. The robes collar was high and very flattering on her. And with its name it had a beautiful lavender embroidering going down the sides. She looked so happy in it.
"Oh it is absolutely so gorgeous. I've been trying not to think about what I could find so a vision wouldn't trigger! It's so pretty" she gushed, running her hands down the side. We all smiled at her.
"Rosalie next! Rosalie is next!" Alice said, jumping up and down.
Rosalie had one red choice and one green choice. While both looked amazing on her, the green choice was obvious when she stepped out of it. The forest green dress went to her ankles and while it had a deep v-cut opening in the chest, there was a nude and forest green lace illusion so you didn't really see anything. The outer robe was almost more like a shawl that wrapped around her in an even deeper green if that was possible. There was also a matching hat and gloves that she accessorized it with along with a simple pair of black shoes.
"Emmett is going to die!" Ginny said and we all absolutely agreed.
And then it was my turn. Alice put in the dressing room a set that was a deep navy blue. As I walked in, the girls started conversing.
"Thank you so much for bringing us here! Do you think Dahlia would bring us back whenever? Alice asked.
"Absolutely! You know, Dahlia talks about you all so much. Mostly Edward and you, Alice, and it's been so nice that she has found so many friends, both human and non, because she really needs that. She deserves that." Ginny said. I smiled as I looked through the clothes.
"And I know she'll be absolutely thrilled that we chose her-" "Pants!" I exclaimed, interrupting the girls. It caused peals of laughter to erupt but I couldn't help but be excited.
I liked dresses and I liked dressing up, but I didn't like how stuffy wizarding clothing felt on me a lot of the time. And it wasn't just pants, it was a whole jumpsuit. It had a straight neckline so it didn't show any skin and it was long sleeved. It was a very flowy material on top and tighter in the legs but it was so comfortable! The waist was cinched closer to my body as well and it highlighted my silhouette quite nicely. The robe on top was a heavier robe, but it would be in the winter when the trial happened so I knew I would appreciate the comfort. Heating charms felt so artificial on my body. It was a gorgeous navy blue to match the jumpsuit and had gold embroidery on the edges. It also had a matching gold cloak fastener on it and looked very good on me. Alice had paired a blue hat that fit close to my head and black dragonhide boots with a 3 inch heel.
As I stepped out to the girls they all gasped before squealing, even Rosalie.
"You look so grown up." Fleur approved, walking over to me to get a closer look.
"Nevermind Emmett about me. Edward is going to die twice when he sees her." Rosalie teased, making us all laugh. My face hurt from how much we laughed in the shop. After we made our purchases we met the boys outside.
Alice was quick to run to her mate and show him part of the outfit, even insisting on him to feel the fabric. "It's the softest I have ever felt Jazz." Alice cooed. Jasper smiled at her indulgently, and quickly agreed when he felt the fabric.
Edward came over and wrapped his arms around me. I hugged him back just as tight, inhaling his scent. He smelt like cedar, citrus, and mint and it felt like it cleared my head and made me relax so much more when I was around him. He stiffened in my arms though, most likely from one of the girls broadcasting the outfits we were wearing, more particularly mine.
"See something you like?" I teased. He gave me a warm smile before pressing his lips to mine. It was deep but it wasn't rushed. I could have gotten lost in it had it not been for Bill clearing his throat. I blushed as I pulled away. I never was one for PDA like I had seen other's done in Hogwarts, but it was like I could never get enough of Edward.
"Did you find any books you were interested in?" I asked him.
"Me and Emmett found a couple. Jasper found about twenty. Bill shrunk them down into a single bag though. Emmett lost his mind when he did." Edward explained, making me laugh.
"Dahlia? I found this book in the store and I was wondering if it could actually be a valid source of spells?" Jasper asked, holding a book out in his hand. He must not have kept it with the others.
I took it from him and looked down to it's title.
Astrid Grimsbane's Magical Guide for the Aid of Creature Kind
I skimmed some of the pages of the book to see it was mostly a spell book. But all the spells were to help creatures. I saw an advanced version of the sense blocking spell, a blood lust diminisher, and even potion recipes that creatures are safe to take. I looked up to Jasper and saw the hope in his eyes.
"It looks legitimate to me. I can take it home with me and do my research ok?" I said with a smile. He looked so happy, probably the happiest I had seen him when Alice wasn't involved. I took the book and slid it into my bag with my clothes.
"I need some sweets as soon as possible! Can we go to Candy Dish Bill?" Fleur asked.
"Of course. I think we all could use a little sugar right now." he said, leading us up the shop. It was the brightest building in the alley. It was a bright sunshine yellow with red stripes across the building and a red roof. The smells coming out of the shop were heavenly. We walked in and it was surprisingly not as packed as Honeydukes would usually be. But it was in the middle of the school year so most kids would be at places like Ilvermorny right now. Fleur dragged Bill to the pumpkin pastries while it looked like Ginny was going for some licorice wands. I led the coven to the blood pops and it looked like they even had a selection of different types. We quickly decided on just buying their entire stock. The others decided to explore different parts of the store and left me and Edward alone. We were in the sugar quills sections.
"How are you feeling?" Edward asked, tucking me close to him.
"To be honest...I don't know. These past few days have been such a whirlwind. And there have been some amazing points" I said to him with a smile, my hand coming up and stroking his cheek. He took mine in his own hand and held it to his chest with a similar smile.
"But it's like everything is coming so fast for me. I'm glad it will hopefully just be boring and calm up until the trial now. I would like to enjoy some 'us time' without worrying about anything going on along with it." I said. He nodded and kissed the top of my head.
"I promise I will protect you from whatever comes our way. And the rest of the year will be normal and positively boring I promise" he said with a smile. I couldn't hold in the giggle if I tried.
Edward leaned back down and pressed a kiss against my lips again. Suddenly I felt arms wrap around us both and lift us in the air. I squealed as I heard Edward go "Emmett!"
And it was Emmett because he had come and lifted us both in the air.
"I just love love!" he teased, setting us down with a laugh.
"Let's get the last of what we want and get out of here everybody. Us humans need to get something besides sugar in our system." Bill said. We agreed and went to checkout.
I bought the supply of blood pops for everyone and I also got some sugar quills, rock candy, and chocolate frogs.
After a quick bite to eat in a restaurant in the alley, Bill brought us back to the hotel to get ready to go back to Forks. We got to the front of the building when I stopped.
"Hey Edward." I called my boyfriend. He turned to me.
"Can I talk to you outside for a second?" I asked.
"Of course Dahlia." He said as the rest went inside.
"So...today with the goblins. We had a conversation about my prosthetic. And… it turns out I haven't been wearing it and taking care of it as well as I should. For starters I shouldn't be sleeping in it. And apparently prolonged exposure of the Freezing charm can make it malfunction potentially." I explained. I watched his expression stay as neutral as it could but I knew it affected him.
"I need to look into physical therapy. I need to start not wearing the prosthetic as much. Particularly, I need to not wear it when I'm asleep. I've always kept it on because I felt like I would be unprepared if anything were to happen. Do you think...maybe you can stay with me more when I'm asleep. Now and...after I get back into my house. It doesn't have to be every night, I don't want to be much trouble it's just I feel practically-"
He pressed his lips against mine to stop my rambling words. His hands pressed against my face and mine found their way back into his hair. It wasn't hot and heavy, but I felt the comfort and affection it was supposed to give me.
"You aren't any kind of trouble to me. I never want to leave your side regardless, of course I'll stay with you so you can feel safe without the prosthetic." he murmured against my lips after we pulled away.
"I don't know what I did to deserve you." I whispered back. He only smiled at me.
And it made me feel like I could take on the world.
