A/N: Here's the next installment!

DISCLAIMER: I dun own anyfink you recognize.

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The New Dawning

Chapter Twelve: I Really Like You

"Being loved makes a teenager feel secure and safe in an unsafe world." ~Tim Smith.

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January 23, 2000

It was late, the sky turning darker and darker. The moon seemed to be hiding, because you couldn't see anything five feet from your face. The humans – wizards – began stringing up conjured lights. Harry called them 'conjured', anyways, and even helped at little.

"Come here, we'll heal you," Harry said, smiling tightly. "Vampire venom can be very tough to dispel, but we've got a way to get it out."

When nobody moved forward, Paul decided to. He held out his leg, and Harry 'conjured' something beneath it to hold it up. He was very gentle, waving his stick – a wand, maybe? – over the bites. There was an immense relief in Paul's chest as the venom practically dripped out. Immediately, the wounds on his legs healed, and Harry looked at it in wonder.

"I didn't do that," he said, mouth opening in a small 'o'.

"No, I did," Paul responded, smiling. "Shapeshifters heal at an amazing rate, but the vampire venom stalls it."

Harry blinked, and then smiled. "Interesting."

"If you could do that," Sam butted in, amazed. "Why couldn't you heal yourself? From your accident."

"You mean from when the wolf bit me," Harry corrected him, as if he were chiding a small child. "I know the truth and so do you, so let's not deny it. And I didn't do it because I didn't know at the time you were magical. Er, that is, that you were magical creatures. When I went home, Hermione healed me."

"So that's what she was muttering about that night," Weasley laughed. "Only you would call your best mate in the middle of the night to have his wife come fix you up."

A blush spread across Harry face and he wrinkled his nose. "Don't say it like that, Ron!" he cried. "It makes it sound like I like Hermione or something."

"I do hope you like me, Harry dear, as we've been friends for years now," a voice behind them said, and a familiar girl trooped in. She was the one who had picked up Harry, which made her Hermione. "Now, what is going on here? I knew I should never let you two go off on your own. Was there a battle here or something? Every single time," she tutted, shaking her head, but her eyes were somewhat bright.

Harry smiled tightly. "You love us, Hermione. Admit it."

"You're my boys, of course I love you," she tutted. "Now let's fix up this lot, they look to be in quite a bit of pain."

So the wolves were passed from hand to hand, Hermione dispelling the venom and then Harry making the blood disappear and finally Ron was stitching their clothing back together with simple words and waves of the wand.

Hermione seemed a bit shocked that none of the vampires stepped forward, and she put her hands on her hips. It was eerily reminiscent of Harry, and Paul realized he must have picked it up from his long-time friend.

"Come along, don't be children," she sighed. "Vampires feel pain, too."

"I wouldn't argue, mate," Ron said wisely, and both he and Harry winced at the glare he got. So the vampires shuffled over, most of them feeling a little self-conscious – why, Paul hadn't a clue, but it must be because they'd never had someone guess what they were and have it right in one shot, and then still demand they come over and let her heal them up.

Harry was cleaning them up, too, though there wasn't any blood. Hermione wrinkled her nose at him.

"Harry James, you stop moving just this second before you reopen that cut on your arm."

Harry raised his eyebrows at her. "What cut?"

He seemed to have noticed it now, and winced as he shifted slightly away from the vampires. "Sorry," he said, apologetically. "I didn't know, or I wouldn't have stayed around – I know how blood affects you –"

"No need," Carlisle said, waving his hand. "We're all very good with blood, Mr. Potter. We drink animal blood, not human."

Harry nodded, but still began trying to heal himself. Paul watched curiously as the smaller boy jammed his wand into the dirt irritably.

"Calm down, Harry," Hermione laughed. "Honestly, when are you going to learn to heal a simple cut?"

Paul didn't think it was simple – it spanned from the boy's armpit to his elbow and was deep. There was blood down Harry's clothes, though you could hardly tell because of their dark color.

"When I chop my finger off and you're not around," Harry said cheekily, and she cuffed him gently around the head, laughing.

The vampires began to slip off, and Harry called a promise to them: "The Volturi won't know about this, you lot, don't worry!"

When they were gone, and the rest of the wolves were milling around with the rest of the wizards, Paul asked Harry quietly:

"You know the Volturi?"

"Hmm? Yeah, I met them a few times – they owe me a lot."

Paul repeated his sentiment from earlier: "You're amazing."

– – –

Harry invited them all to his house to feed them. All of the wizards left, because they were apparently Aurors, which Harry told them were like policemen, and had to file reports at the office in England. Stupidly, Paul asked:

"How'd they get here so fast?"

"Apparition," Harry responded, pulling pots and pans out of the cupboard. "Disappearing from one place and reappearing in another, only it's not really that simple but it's confusing so I won't go into it."

Seth was bouncing on his toes by the counter. "Harry! Harry, so this house is really magical? Is that why nobody could get into it?"

Harry rolled his eyes irritably. "Yep, the idiotic Black family put Muggle Repellants on it – that's this ward that repels non-magical people. I took them down, though."

Jacob looked a bit interested. "Black family?"

"Yeah," Harry nodded. "You're probably a distant part of it, I suppose. Long-disowned. This house actually belonged to my Godfather's line, whereas your line is probably my godfather's cousin's great-grandfather's line."

The wolves felt inexplicably confused, and Harry burst out into giggles.

"I'm kidding, I have absolutely no idea. I'll dig out the family tree later, yeah?" Harry smiled. "Watch that for me, will you?" he pointed to the eggs in the pan and then slipped off toward the fireplace, where he threw something in and the fire turned green.

Then, somehow, he stuck his head in, and just as Paul was running to him, Harry pulled out unharmed, laughing. Something came through, a foot, and then an arm. Then a whole body, a tall woman who looked just like Bellatrix – Paul growled – Harry chastised him with a single look.

"Hey, don't be growling at my godson's grandmother!"

Harry explained lowly. "Bellatrix and Andromeda are sisters," he told them. "Part of the huge Black Family. My godfather was their cousin, and his best friend married Andromeda's daughter and now I have Teddy."

"That's confusing," whined Seth, and it was.

The whole big group gathered round the kitchen table, eating and chatting.

Harry dropped his spoon into his bowl of soup, scooping up Teddy – who'd fallen asleep – and heading toward the stairs.

Paul slipped away unnoticed, following Harry.

He watched the man put his godson to bed, tucking him in with a tender look on his face and whispering, "Goodnight, Teddy Remus. I love you."

As Harry came out and shut the door, Paul pulled him into a bone-crushing hug.

Harry was surprised, but nearly melted into the bigger man, sighing.

"I really like you, Harry," Paul told his imprint, tilting the boy's head up. Without putting too much thought into it, he leaned down and pressed his lips tightly to Harry's.

When he pulled away, Harry had his eyes closed, but that was soon remedied. Harry gave this shy little smile and cooed, "I think I really like you, too, Paul."

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Last Chapter: My kitty, Ash, thinks he's a people. He doesn't curl up like most cats, he stretches out next to you and sleeps on his back like a person. He will also bite your hand and pick it up to put it where he wants you to scratch.

New Question: Paul, Emmett, Fred, and George are all standing in front of you asking you to be their Valentines. You have to choose one. Who do you choose? (If there are any males or girls who prefer women: Leah, Rosalie, Lily Evans, and Alice)