Chapter 25:

I'm such a dick-head! Sitting on Hermione's couch Edward was thoroughly chastising himself. His siblings not ones to shut up either.

They were there to welcome Hermione back after her week-long holiday with Harry. He was happy he'd be seeing her soon, but he was annoyed about the mess he'd made of the already stressed situation that was his not-quite-a-relationship-yet with Hermione. God grant me strength, for he was sure only the ultimate powers could now save him from his little witch's wrath.

'You're so stupid!' Alice said straight in his head.

'You heartless moron!' That was Rosalie.

"I know what I did was wrong, okay? There's no need to broadcast your thoughts at me, too!"

"We aren't trying to!" Jasper snickered.

"You just refuse to mind your own business!" Emmett sniggered.

"Not that I can complaint. The one time he did mind his own business, he landed up in this!" Jasper said again.

"Tell me again how you let Bella convince you to take her to the ball. It keeps getting funnier every time you repeat the story." Emmett stood up to high-five Jasper.

Edward had been really angry with Hermione after their fight and as luck would have it, a Christmas Ball had been announced at school. And of course, Hermione had left just that day to spend an entire f*ing week with Harry!

In his utter madness, when Bella had approached him and asked him out for the ball, he'd agreed. Of course, when he'd read the notice about the ball, he'd only thought of Hermione but then she wasn't there and he wasn't sure of anything between them and during all his confusion, Bella had come to him asking him to accompany her to the ball. 'For old times' sake,' she'd tried but when he'd looked at her unsurely, she'd blackmailed him with their friendship. And that had been the sore point! She was out for a full week with her friend, wasn't she? So why couldn't he just attend a dance with his? Fair's fair after all…

Plus, this had an added advantage, he reasoned in his mind, (which he later agreed wasn't the best place to go for advice next time!) going with Bella would undoubtedly get Hermione jealous and may be that would be the push she needed to realize what they truly had?

Edward distinctly remembered the time Hermione had told him about her patented hex and her jealous episode with Ron, and if it was a hex that he had to take to help her realize what was in front of her all this while, well he'd take it. He was indestructible after all, how long would it take to put his pieces back together after Hermione was through with him? Carlisle was a good doctor, he sure could make him as good as new in a jiff. And then Hermione would know what he was sure was in her heart anyway and they could finally be together.

So, he did the unthinkable. Without any thought of anything else, Edward immediately thought of his mate who was right then out gallivanting God knew where with her own best friend, Edward agreed. 'As friends' he'd stressed to Bella but she'd skipped out so happily, he wasn't sure if she'd heard him at all!

'Hermione's gonna rip your limbs apart and set you on fire when she finds out!' Alice again spoke straight in his head.

"She's only gone for a week and you're back with Bella! That's just fickle, Eddie! And exactly why she won't go out with you in the first place." Rosalie did nothing to disguise her ill feelings.

The truth of that last statement finally snapped Edward's cool. "ENOUGH!" Edward roared angrily. "I'm not cheating on Hermione! Not to mention, there's nothing to cheat there, because the stubborn woman just won't go out with me! And it's not for my lack of trying either. Also, Bella only asked me out as a friend because all her other friends are coupled up and she thought she'll be left alone. It's only a favor that I'm doing for an old friend! There's nothing more to it."

"Of course!" Rosalie rolled her eyes. "Why would we even think otherwise? I mean the stupid girl only wanted to give up her humanity for you and when you found your true mate she threatened you about the change and then said she'd simply wait for your mate to die to be with you again, for all of eternity, mind you. Of course, she doesn't want to be only friends, you idiot! Anyone can tell you that!"

"Shit! I fucked up so bad!" Edward hung his head in his hands. "She'll kill me when she gets back and she wouldn't be wrong in wanting me dead."

"Who wants you dead?" Hermione asked, smiling pleasantly from the doorway.

Harry was standing beside her, Teddy wrapped cozily in his arms.

"Hermione!" Emmett was the first one greet her, answering her question with that one word too…

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"How was your holiday, sweetie?" Rosalie asked the trio and almost tore Teddy off Harry's arms.

"Where did you go?" asked Alice curiously. Edward had kept her very busy to check on Hermione even once.

"You don't know?" Hermione asked teasingly.

"To my place in Godric's Hollow. We stayed there for a few days, cleaning it up, sorting through stuff and all, then a day at the Burrow."

"We capped it with a couple of days in Paris. It was really nice," Hermione finished.

"Ooh! Paris!" Alice clapped her hands excitedly. "I love that place."

"Me too," Hermione agreed. "But going there with a guy you aren't dating while towing a baby between you two is bad. The Parisians just didn't let up! They're so… boisterous."

"Then why did you go to the most romantic place on earth with him?" Edward asked, furious to have learned her holiday destination. With a guy no less!

Harry stared at Edward for a brief second, then said smiling fondly at Hermione, "Once, while we were on the run, she was so dejected, she looked around the forest we were camped at and asked me to just stay back there, said we should both grow old there together. I promised her then that if she moved on with me, I'd take her to Paris after it was all over. I just kept my promise."

"What were you guys on about when we came?" Hermione asked, making herself comfortable and summoning bags of tea, sugar and her tea set from the kitchen as she plopped down on the sofa.

Harry sat down beside her and accioed the sweets Hermione had picked out for their friends. A few boxes of blood pops flew out of his rucksack. He sorted through them all and found the one he was looking for, handing it to Emmett.

"Before I forget, these are for you guys. Blood pops. Try and let me know if like these. These are from the magical district of Paris, but we have chocolatiers closer home that sell these too."

And with that the tea party began. Hermione quickly losing her color and appetite when she'd heard all that had conspired since her absence. She awarded Edward with just one look after it all, but quickly looked away. "I… I'm glad you're catching up with your friend," she tried wanly to smile at him, failed miserably and then excused herself to unpack her bag.

Edward barely heard her speak, the hurt in her eyes before she looked away was enough to rake him with guilt, painfully twisting a knife embedded deep in his diamond-hard heart when he saw her quickly shuffling away from the room, away from them all.

Away from him…