Chapter 19:

The week after Edward's confession to his family had been crazy at best. Almost as if she saw it coming, Bella started clinging more to him and Hermione was avoiding him like the plague.

Bella made it a point to kiss him lingeringly every morning when they picked her up, however much he tried to avoid that particular ritual, and Hermione was staying as away from him as she possibly could, given their extremely overlapping lives. So much so, that the few times that their eyes ever connected in the rear-view mirror she was always the first one to look away. It had taken all of his control to keep driving instead of stopping the car right then, all those times and knocking some sense into her, preferably the lip-on-lip kind that would answer all her questions and assuage all her doubts in one go. But he always soothed his un-beating heart and drove on.

Bella on the other hand was all over him, hinting at their own happily ever after, that she saw coming right after the year's graduation party since she didn't want to look too old for him all through their immortal lives!

And Edward was ready to take a bullet through his head if that were possible! And in the middle of it all had fallen her birthday!

Her entire gang of friends had descended on her at the bewitching hour and whisked her and Teddy away for the day. They had of course invited the Cullens, Luna and Jacob to join in and Edward had spent the day seeing her laughing and dancing with every other guy in the gathering but him.

When she had danced with Harry, her happiness was completely unbridled and he couldn't for his own sake, ever begrudge her that sheer bliss.

Then she'd danced with Ron. It was the first time he had seen them together after their showdown back on the day they'd all gotten together to help her set her house but he instinctively knew his presence was adding more than a bit of joy to her day. "You came," she had whispered to Ron with a soft smile.

"Thousand raging Hippogriff's couldn't have kept me away today, Mione. I told you I love you, didn't I?" and he'd pecked her, on her lips no less, making Edward growl and tighten his fists. Which had been the wrong move, because he was dancing with Bella and his growl had been totally misinterpreted by the wrong brunette in his arms and his fisting had only brought her closer to him, making her moan, thankfully, it was soft though.

"Ron..."

"Don't start Mione. I'll hold my peace if you do. I don't understand your reasons completely, I still don't know why you feel I'd want children more than I want you in my life, but... I'm trying. It's hard to move on from you, but I'm getting there. Just.. stay my best friend, okay? I want that dance you offered me at my wedding. And if, for whatever reason, you change your mind about us and want to come back, just know that I'll be happy for you to be dressed as the bride when we are dancing at my wedding, okay?" That said, Ron had kissed her forehead and walked out, leaving her content and confused all at once.

And that had left more questions in his mind than before. And not just his too, he had seen Rosalie eyeing Hermione differently after that small talk of hers with her best friend. Could it really be that she can't have kids? Edward had heard Rosalie mirroring his own thoughts.

The only upside of his entire week was that when he'd finally plucked up the courage to ask the birthday girl for a dance, she had carefully taken his hand, probably not wanting to seem rude towards him, he had later thought.

And the dance had given him two things – one, the chance to hold Hermione so close to him for the very first time and when he had her there, in his arms, he'd promised himself that he would do everything in his power to make that dance just their first of many that they'd share through eternity.

That thought alone had given him the courage to speak about the thing that had upset their already fragile friendship. And if he had to be a little sly to achieve his ends, well, that was neither here nor there, now, was it? "I meant what I said that day, Hermione, about you being more than a clown to me, but probably not in the same way you interpreted it."

Well, that wasn't a lie, not really. When he'd told her that, he'd still been confused about her, at least at the conscious level.

"Edward, I don't want to come between Bella and you. I won't be a boyfriend thief." Hermione had given him the honest answer for her uncharacteristic behavior.

"What if I promise you you'll never come between us? Just like I will never come between you and your friends? Will that do?"

"It's not the same and you know it."

"It's more similar than you think, sweetheart. Somethings are just meant to happen, why not let them?"

"See.. there.. it's talks like these that make me uncomfortable with you."

He had chuckled. "Then, how about I promise you that I'll be more careful with my words for now. And I'll continue to get you one chocolate bar every day to bribe you for good measure. Is that better?"

Hermione had thrown her head back and laughed. "Well, now that Lindt's in the equation..."

The beats on the enchanted radio had changed and Edward twisted her around before bringing her back to himself. "Are we okay now?"

Hermione had nodded, "We're alright." Smiling, she'd removed her hands from his as Bella came to cut in and moved away from them over to George, both engaging in some outrageous moves of the limbs and were soon joined by Ginny, Harry, Neville and Luna, Jacob hanging back, enjoying seeing his imprint laughing with her friends, just like he was happy seeing Hermione so carefree and cheerful.

Maybe all magical being were similar that way, just like Luna had explained not so long ago.

"Edward is everything alright?" Bella asked looking at Edward then following his eyes to see what had him transfixed to the spot.

"Hmm.."

"I thought there was something wrong when you were looking between Jacob and Luna and smiling, but now.. Edward, you've changed and I don't think I'm much liking this new you."

Figuring he'd never get a better opening, Edward started, "Maybe you're right, I have changed or maybe it's just been me like this all along and I only acted differently for a bit there."

"It's her, isn't it? You think you're in love with Hermione?"

He shook his head, "I know I am in love with her."

Bella stayed quiet for few long minutes. "The Volturi will be on your case if you don't change me."

"They aren't that difficult to shake off. We'll lie low for a century or so and.."

"Edward Cullen, if you think you can get away with not changing me, think again. You may think you love her now, but she will never love you the way I do; she won't change for you, I will. She'll die some day but I'll be there by your side then. What's a few decades worth of wait in the face of all of eternity? But I'll be damned if I spend the rest of eternity with you as an old maid. So you will change me this year after graduation, as planned. I'll share you with her, for now, if I have to but you will be mine in a few short years. You better understand that, Edward, before all this causes more problems."

And with that, Bella left with an unperturbed smile on her face, walking towards Jacob.

It was then that Edward realized he'd created a monster, without ever biting the human...