A/N: A little bonding, maybe? ;3

Would you lot be terribly upset if I told you I was writing other stories than just this one? Oh, don't worry, I'm still ~4 chapters ahead of published chapters in this story, and I've still got plenttttty of ideas, but there's just some that don't fit in and need their own stories! O: [besides, I have become infatuated with creature!Harrys]

DISCLAIMER: I dun own anything you recognize. x)

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The New Dawning

Chapter Eight: The Pink Elephant

"Do not tell secrets to those whose faith and silence you have not already tested." ~Elizabeth I

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January 20, 2000

The keys were located quickly, as was the wand sheath. Harry's panic subsided as quickly and silently as it had come. The men all thought that the sheath was empty, and that it had held a knife or something because they couldn't see Harry's wand – it had a Notice-Me-Not on it. Harry handed the keys to Seth, who then departed to go get Teddy.

Harry was introduced to the other men – Dr. Carlisle Cullen, Edward Cullen, and Sam Uley. Harry shied away from the doctor, because doctors were Healers and Healers worked for the Ministry, mostly. He reminded himself that Dr. Cullen was a muggle, and he didn't know if Doctors worked for the government or not.

Sam sat the rest of the stuff that had been in Harry's pocket on the table. A wrinkled photograph, a Galleon, and his wallet. Harry fingered the photo a bit sadly. It was water-stained now, likely from falling in the snow, but you could still see what it was.

It was Fifth Year. He was huddled up next to Sirius and Remus, and Tonks was behind Remus. Her hair was bubblegum pink. On the other side of Sirius was Hermione and Ron, and behind them Fred and George. Sitting on the floor in front of the group was Ginny, playing with Crookshanks, and in the background was Molly and Arthur.

Now half the people were dead. He touched Ginny's face lightly, and then Remus'.

"Who are they?" Paul wondered, watching his reaction.

Harry shrugged, and told the truth. "My family."

"You don't look like them," Sam stated bluntly, not meaning it in a mean way, just stating the truth. Harry bit his lip.

"Not all family is based on blood," he finally murmured. He explained to them who each person was. Hermione, his best friend. She would have been his sister-in-law if Ginny had survived, because Harry had no doubt he'd have married the redhead. Ron, his best mate, his brother in everything except blood, and Ginny's older brother. Fred and George, the infamous trickster twins who finished each others' every statements. Molly and Arthur, the duo who took him in when he was just twelve and had been practically caged in his Uncle's house (not that he told them that). Remus and Tonks, his godson's parents. Sirius, his godfather, his father's best friend.

It was nice to think of all of these people in a way that didn't relate them to the war. It was nice to talk about them to muggles, people who didn't know what he'd gone through or who he was, who didn't know about magic and just thought the people in the photograph were normal, happy, everyday people.

The didn't know that half the people in the photograph were killed by Bellatrix Lestrange, or that his godfather had been wrongfully imprisoned for twelve years before breaking out. They didn't know his parents had been murdered by the same man who'd tried to kill Harry for nearly eight years before Harry was able to kill him. They didn't know he was famous, or that Remus was a werewolf and Tonks had been a Metamorphmagi, or that Fred and George owned a world-famous joke shop.

His heart panged with these thoughts, and he chastised himself for always ruining good things. Right as he was thinking that, the door popped open and Seth came through, carrying his godson.

At some point, the man named Edward had left, and Sam's wife Emily had come down the stairs in her nightgown and offered them some food. The other boys all said yes, and Harry carefully murmured their statements (he wasn't hungry but Teddy might be), while Dr. Cullen came to stand in front of Harry.

"I need you to be very careful for the next few weeks. The stitches I put in will dissolve on their own when they're no longer needed, but it is possible for you to accidentally pop them – and that will be painful and bloody," the blond man explained. "We didn't want you to leave earlier because we were waiting to see how you were, but now I think it's unfair of us to keep you from leaving. Do you have someone who can come bring you home?"

Harry, looking at the sleepy toddler on his lap, shrugged. Maybe he could pretend that Hermione and Ron were visiting and would be in a hotel for the next few days and they could come get him? But in reality they'd just be apparating from England, and would apparate back once he was home?

And he definitely wasn't keeping those muggle stitches in. As soon as he was out of their sight, he'd call someone to come heal him – he was not healing the muggle way, even if it meant avoiding everyone here for the next several weeks.

Harry rolled his shoulders, wincing a little, and then mumbled, "Can I just – can I just borrow your phone?" to Sam.

Hermione wouldn't be happy to be woken so late at night, and Ron even less so, but he knew that he could count on them to pick him up. He eyed the people around him with wariness as the phone rang, and rang, and then finally Hermione picked up.

"Mmmhello?" she asked sleepily.

"Hermione?"

"Harry?"

"Yeah, Hermione, listen, can you or Ron or someone come get me? I kind of – I kind of got into an accident and need someone to take me home."

Behind his eyes, memories of a giant wolf flashed, and he knew he'd have to tell her what really happened, but not right now.

"What?" she asked, immediately more awake. "Harry, are you okay? Tell me where you are, Ron and I will come get you – what was it? Did they–"

"Hermione," Harry murmured calmly. "I'm fine. I think. A doctor stitched me up. I just need you to come get me. I'm in La Push, like a mile or two away from my house."

"Alright. Give me a second. You let a doctor stitch you up? That's not like you, Harry, you don't like doctors.." there was a rustling sound that meant Hermione was getting dressed, and in the background she was telling Ron she needed to pick me up.

"I know. I was kind of unconscious, otherwise I would have made sure you were there or something – but if you could please just pick me up, I'd be really grateful."

There's a crack and Harry knows she's Disapparated with her cell phone. "I'm on my way. Where is it?"

Sam took the phone and gave her directions, and soon she was knocking on the door. As she stepped in, Sam bid Dr. Cullen a good night and the man went to leave. But her eyes fell on him and widened slightly.

"Dr. Cullen!" she exclaimed, mouth popping open slightly.

"Ms. Granger?"

"Mrs. Weasley, now," she corrected smartly, and smiled. "It's so nice to see you!"

"You two know each other?" Harry and Sam wondered at the same time.

"Yes," Dr. Cullen murmured slowly. "Mrs. Weasley and I worked together for a time when she was an intern. I presume you're a full ... doctor now?" the man's eyes were looking back and forth between Harry and Hermione.

"Yes, doctor," Hermione nodded. Harry could tell something was going on between the two of them, because Hermione didn't generally emphasize her words so much.

"Does he know–" Harry blurted, and both Hermione and Dr. Cullen nodded.

So the good doctor knew about magic, then. But he was a muggle, so that was against the law.

"But you're a–" Harry protested, confused. Hermione shook her head, warning him against talking so close to prying ears. He closed his mouth, lost.

"I'll explain when we get you home. Come along, Harry James," she said, a little bit exasperated. "How you get yourself into these situations is beyond me, if Molly were here she'd be having a cow."

"...okay," Harry gave in, not resisting, because he knew that when they got to his house she'd heal him and perhaps make him some tea because she was the best tea-maker in the world.

– – –

After the trio left – Harry toting Teddy along – Dr. Cullen smiled serenely at Paul.

"I believe I know how it is you imprinted on a male, Mr. Walker," he stated gently.

Paul looked at him, mind still whirring from the conversation Harry, Mrs. Weasley, and Dr. Cullen had just had. It was mostly lost on him, but he somehow felt that there had been a pink elephant in the room that everyone but he (and perhaps Seth and Sam) had seen.

"How?" he demanded.

Dr. Cullen just continued smiling and shook his head. "You will see in time, I know. Confide your secret in him and he'll confide his in you, I'm sure. He may be more hesitant, however, because of the laws in his world. That's all I'll say on the matter. Goodnight."

And then the vampire was gone, and Paul was more confused than ever. Sam bid himself and Seth a good night and then the trio parted ways, each lost in their own thoughts.

All Paul could think about was the wolf who had imprinted on a creature whose male sex could bear children. But that was impossible, so why couldn't Paul shake it out of his head that his imprint might be one of those creatures?

Little did he know, the pink elephant in the room had been magic, and magic is capable of many, many feats.

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REVIEW! C:

Last Chapter: Hrrmm... I'd have to say Pokemon. I know! But really, it's the only game that I find myself drawn back to time and time again. I could play it for hours on end.

NEW QUESTION: Send me your favorite non-crossover fics, por favor! And... what is your favorite crossover pairing and your favorite Harry Potter pairing? C: