Chapter fifteen

We were sitting in Edward's car on our way back to Charlie's. We didn't talk but Edward was humming quietly, completely at ease. I smiled at him and turned to look out of the window. It was late afternoon now and the sun was low. It had been shining for the last hour but was often hidden behind the clouds. Now it created a beautiful sunset.

I replayed the last several hours in my head. Edward had showed me the rest of his house, including his room. There was no bed, only a big, comfortable-looking couch, but there were long shelves filled with books and discs with music and movies. There was also a big flat screen TV, which was hung on the wall opposite the couch, and a very expensive-looking sound system was placed in the corner.

We'd spent most of the afternoon in his room, listening to his favourite music. He told me more about his family, mostly about Carlisle and his life with his despotic father before he was Turned. At one point Edward had taken me back downstairs and played the piano for me. It was a beautiful song I'd never heard before and later he admitted that he'd composed it himself. It was the melody of his song he was humming now.

Edward pulled over, we were already in front of Charlie's house. Charlie was already home, I could see his cruiser but there was another car parked next to it. I knew the car, it belonged to Billy Black. I smiled, hoping he'd brought Jacob with him. When I turned to Edward I could see his good mood was gone. He was staring at the house, frowning.

"What's wrong?"

"Do you know these people?" he asked, gesturing toward the Black's car.

"Yeah, it's Billy Black," I said, then I realised he'd said people and added, "and probably his son Jacob. Billy is friends with Charlie."

"Hm," was all he said. His lips were pressed into a thin line and he was still staring at the house.

"Do you want to go in with me?" I suggested but he shook his head.

"That wouldn't be a good idea," he said and then glanced at me. "But I won't be far."

"Are you going to be listening again?" I asked, not liking his expression.

"Yes, if you don't mind." He turned to me, his face softening a little.

"Okay," I said quietly and got out of the car with a sigh.

The moment I entered the house, I could hear angry voices coming from the kitchen.

"You don't understand, Charlie," said the voice of Billy Black, barely able to keep from shouting.

"But you won't explain anything!" argued Charlie in an uncharacteristically furious tone.

I walked to the kitchen doorway, confused. Charlie was standing by the kitchen counter with arms across his chest and his face was red. Billy, sitting in his wheelchair as usual, was parked opposite him, so I couldn't see his face, only his clenched fists on the arms of his wheelchair. Jacob was sitting at the table looking completely helpless, his eyes flitting between Billy and Charlie.

"What's going on?" I asked slowly and took a few steps into the kitchen so I could see Billy's face. He was looking at Charlie through narrowed eyes, his face livid.

When Charlie noticed my presence, he composed his face a little but didn't relax his position.

"Bella." Billy nodded toward me. I nodded back, still waiting for an explanation. Billy turned his wheelchair slightly toward me and said, "Charlie told me about your new friends and I was only expressing my concern about your safety."

I lifted my eyebrows, surprised, and then looked at Charlie. He was glaring at Billy, still in the same position with crossed arms. He didn't say anything.

"I'm not sure I know what you mean," I said slowly, turning back to Billy. I thought I knew the answer but I wanted to be sure.

"The Cullens," specified Billy, confirming my suspicion.

"Oh," I pretented to be surprised. Then I took a deep breath and fixed my eyes firmly at Billy's. "I appreciate your concern, Billy. But there's absolutely nothing to worry about."

"You don't understand, Bella." He spoke with urgency, trying to send me a message about the danger the Cullens represented, I supposed.

"Believe me, I do."

We stared at each other for a few moments and then Billy cleared his throat and looked at Jacob. "We're leaving," he murmured and turned his wheelchair toward the door and wheeled himself out into the hall. Jacob stood up, his face confused, and followed Billy. It seemed to me he'd grown up a bit since the last time I'd seen him only two weeks ago. Charlie didn't move so I went out of the kitchen to see them out.

Jacob went to their car but Billy stopped on the porch, turning to me. "We will be watching, Bella," he said quietly. It didn't sound like a threat, more like a promise. I didn't answer. I made a mental note to ask Edward to tell me everything about the treaty between the Cullens and the Quileutes.

I watched Jacob helping Billy into the car and after they drove off, I went back inside. Charlie had finally moved and was now sitting at the table, staring at his hands, apparently thinking about what had happened.

"Um," I started, not knowing what to say. "What do you want for dinner?"

"The Blacks brought a fish fry," mumbled Charlie, waving his hand in the direction of the kitchen counter. I only just noticed a bag lying on it. I took out the fish fry, placed it on a plate and put it into the microwave. I worked in silence, waiting for Charlie to start asking questions I didn't doubt he had.

He waited until I placed the meal on the table and sat down.

"So," he began slowly, "what was that about?" He was trying to sound casual but I could feel the curiousity and remains of anger in his voice.

"The Quileutes apparently don't like the Cullens." I shrugged, mirroring his casual tone.

"And you know why?"

"I think so," I said, picking at the fish.

"Care to explain?" Charlie hadn't touched the food yet, instead he folded his hands under the chin, his eyes fixed on me.

"I – I don't know if I can," I stammered. "It's complicated."

"Let's keep it simple, then." He paused for a few seconds and then asked, „"Are the Cullens dangerous?"

I thought about it for a moment. "They wouldn't harm anyone."

"That's not the same."

I sighed. "They – they could be, if they wanted to," I said carefully, looking Charlie in the eyes. "But they don't." I could see his face going from red to pale and I added quickly, "I think they can protect me if someone comes looking for me."

"They can?" He sounded sceptical. "You said they weren't magical. And I thought you were safe here."

"They have some kind of magic in them, but they're not like me," I said, carefully avoiding the word "vampire". Before he could say anything I quickly told him about Umbridge's threat.

Charlie stared at me for what seemed like a very long time before he finally spoke again. "I will do everything to keep you safe, Bella." He sounded determined and his voice was surprisingly steady. He looked more like a cop than I'd ever seen him before.

"Thank you, Dad," I said sincerely. I was quite touched.

We finished the dinner without speaking, both of us lost in our own thoughts. I could tell Charlie had lost his appetite for he stood up after several minutes, his plate only half empty. He went to the living room to watch a baseball game on TV and I cleaned the table and went to my room.

After a good long shower I entered my room, ready to go to bed. It had been quite a long day and I felt exhausted, both physically and emotionally. My legs were a bit sore from yestarday's hiking, since I wasn't used to such long walks even though I hadn't had to walk on our way back.

The moment I switched on my bedside lamp, I heard a soft knock on the window. I frowned. It wasn't usual for Agnes to check on me at this time, she usually hunted at night. I hesitated for a moment but then I grabbed my wand and slowly walked to the window.

"Lumos," I whispered and my wand lit up. I opened the window and leaned out, stretching my hand with the wand into the darkness. A sudden movement in the branches of the tree in front of my window startled me and I jumped back with a gasp.

"I'm sorry," said a familiar velvet voice and Edward materialized out of the darkness. He was sitting on the thickest branch, covered by twigs.

"What are you doing here?" I hissed at him, pointing my lit wand at his face. "You nearly gave me a heart attack."

"I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." His face was sincere and apologetic. "I didn't have the chance to say a proper good night before."

"Is that all?" I asked sceptically.

"May I come in?" he asked instead of answering me. I sighed and then I extinguished my wand and let him jump into my room. He landed surprisingly quietly.

He looked around my room and his eyes fell on the big cage, that was standing on my desk.

"You have a bird?"

"An owl."

He spun around to face me, his eyes raised. "An owl? That's not a usual pet."

"She's a magical owl. They carry mail," I explained, closing the window. He just nodded, still looking around. I waited for him to tell me the real reason why he was here.

"I was listening to your conversation with Billy Black," he said after a minute. He'd said he would so it didn't surprise me. "And with Charlie." A strange expression crossed his face.

I lifted my hand to stop him and turned to the door, as something had occured to me. Then I pointed my wand at the door and murmured, "Muffliato." When I turned back to Edward and saw his confused expression, I explained, "Charlie doesn't have to know I have a male visitor in my room."

"I would hear him coming in time to hide myself in the wardrobe." He smiled and I shrugged.

"So, did I say something I shouldn't have to Charlie?" I asked, feeling a bit anxious.

"Well, you didn't reveal our secret," he said slowly. "But I didn't like the way you downplayed our potential dangerousness."

"You wanted him to ban me from seeing you or what?" I frowned. "And you did say you would protect me, didn't you?"

He sighed and slowly walked to my bed where he sat on the edge of the mattress. "Yes, I can protect you from those Death Eaters," he said, staring at his hands. "But I don't know if I can protect you from myself."

I stood there motionless for a few seconds and then went to sit next to him. "It's still hard for you? Being close to me?"

He turned his head to look at me, his eyes searching for understanding. "It's always easier while I'm with you for a longer period of time. But when I'm away from you, I have to start over again," he admitted. "Not quite from scratch but it still takes some time to ease the – " He didn't finish the sentence but I knew what word he was thinking.

"Don't go away, then," I blurted out before I could stop myself. We both froze and I could feel my cheeks going red. I looked away quickly, embarrassed, biting my lip.

"You want me to stay over?" he said quietly. I didn't see his face but his voice was gentle. I was still feeling too embarrassed to look at him so I just nodded.

"Only if it makes it easier for you," I mumbled.

He reached out his hand and gently touched my chin, turning my head so I would look at him. A very deep emotion stirred in his eyes, so intense that it almost scared me. He leaned closer and stopped only a few inches from my face. I could feel my heart beating as fast as I was just finishing a marathon. I couldn't look away even if I wanted to, which I most definitely didn't. He hesitated and, cautioning me with his eyes so I wouldn't move, he slowly closed the remaining distance between our faces and gently pressed his cold lips on my mouth. It was a very short kiss, taking only for about two seconds, but it was very sweet.

"Thank you," he whispered and for a moment I wondered what he was thanking me for. Then I remembered what we'd been talking about before the kiss and I just nodded. He pulled away slightly and I could see his face was smug.

"What?" My voice was a bit hoarse so I cleared my throat.

"I'm stronger than I thought," he said, visibly pleased with himself. "I wanted to do this for some time but I was afraid that I'd lose control."

I didn't know what to say to that so I just smiled. He put his arm around my shoulders and I leaned against his chest. We sat like that without speaking for several minutes. Then his cold skin made me shiver and he pulled away slightly.

"Sorry," he murmured, looking embarrassed.

"It's okay," I said, looking around for my wand. I took it and waved it over me, murmuring, "Thermus". A wave of warmth spread over me and I smiled.

"I never get tired of watching you doing magic," he said, sounding amazed.

"I never get tired of showing off." I grinned at him and he laughed. I leaned against his shoulder and his arms embraced me more tightly than before. I didn't feel the cold now which was quite pleasant.

"I wanted to ask you something," I remembered suddenly.

"What?"

"When Billy and Jacob were leaving, Billy said the Quileutes would be watching me," I said. "I wonder what he meant? And what exactly does the treaty between your family and the tribe say?"

Edward sighed, apparently not happy with the turn our conversation had taken. "We are not allowed on their land and they on ours," he finally said. "Also we're not allowed to harm any human."

I was quiet for a while, thinking about what he'd said. I didn't really believe any of the Cullens would harm me or anyone else, on the other hand I didn't know any of them, except Edward, that well, but I was sure that at least Carlisle was safe.

"What are you thinking about?" Edward interrupted my musing, sounding a bit impatient. My silent mind must have been driving him crazy.

"About what the chances are that any of you would harm anyone," I said truthfully. "I suppose Carlisle is safe and you too, since you can control yourself even around me. But what about the others? I think Rosalie is not as good as the rest of you."

"You're wrong." He chuckled. "Rosalie has never tasted human blood. She has much better self-control than me or even Esme."

I lifted my head to look at his face. "Really?"

"Yes." He smiled. "She's very proud of herself. It's Jasper you should worry about. He's the newest to participate in our lifestyle and he's always had trouble resisting human blood." I remembered how Jasper had kept his distance when I was at their home today and shuddered. "He wouldn't dare harm you," Edward assured me. "He knows I would kill him. But try not to cut yourself or something around him, please."

"Okay," I piped in a small voice. I decided not to spend too much time around Jasper, just to be sure. I could feel Edward's lips touching my head and I knew he didn't want me to be scared. I tried to change the subject, though not completely. "So how do the Quileutes know about you?"

To my surprise, Edward laughed. "That's actually part of the treaty too. We can't reveal their secret and they can't reveal ours."

I scowled but wasn't about to give up. "Jacob said something about it, last time he was here."

"What did he say?"

"He told me some of their legends," I said slowly, wondering if I didn't get Jacob in trouble. "One of them said that they came from wolves and that their ancestors could turn into them at will. He thought it was just a legend, as well as the one about "the cold ones" as he called vampires, but since I know that magic and vampires exist, I wonder if that could be true as well."

He was quiet and I was suddenly worried about poor Jacob. Just when I was about to defend him though, Edward spoke. "Sorry Bella, I can't tell you." His tone was definitive and I knew he wouldn't talk about the Quileutes with me anymore.

"Did Jacob violate the treaty?" I asked in a small voice.

"Technically, yes," he said shortly.

"Is he in trouble?"

"You had known about us before you talked to Jacob, so he's lucky." His tone was reserved and I mentally cursed myself for bringing up this subject. Then I yawned involuntarily and he pushed me gently away. "You should go to sleep."

I sighed but didn't argue. I did feel tired. I moved to the upper side of the bed and covered myself with the quilt. "What are you going to do while I sleep?" I asked with curiosity after checking my enchanted Galleon.

"Well, I was thinking…" He hesitated, his eyes on the Galleon. I waited for him to go on. "… that maybe I could look at some of your school books?" I frowned, confused. "I mean from Hogwarts. If you have them here," he clarified.

"Oh," I said and pointed at my school trunk that laid in the corner, in which I had stored all my Hogwarts stuff. "They're in the trunk. You can pick whatever you like."

"Thank you." he smiled and I was glad to see his mood had improved a bit. He went to sit next to me as I was trying to make myself comfortable. "Good night, Bella," he whispered and kissed my forehead.

"Night," I murmured and closed my eyes. The last thing I remembered was his hand holding mine.

Something cold touched my face. A snowflake? But I felt very warm, wrapped in something soft and heavy. Yet another snowflake landed on my forehead. I raised my hands to cover my face but my wrists were suddenly clasped in something cold and hard.

"Wake up, Bella," a soft velvet voice murmured in my ear.

I opened my eyes and gasped. Edward was lying next to me, an amused expression on his face. I blinked several times before I remembered that I had asked him to stay last night. "What's the time?" I asked, barely managing to suppress a yawn.

"Nearly half past seven," he informed me and finally let go of my wrists. "Charlie's just left."

"What?" I yelped and hurriedly scrambled out of bed. "Why didn't you wake me up sooner?" I located a pair of jeans and a t-shirt that wasn't particularly creased and summoned it with a wave of my wand.

"You were very restless most of the night," he said, watching me trying to smooth out the t-shirt. "I thought you'd need some more sleep."

"Thanks," I said, hurrying to the bathroom to get dressed. I washed my face quickly and ran my fingers through my hair, which I pulled back into a ponytail, not bothering to comb it properly. When I stepped outside the bathroom, fully dressed, I could see Edward waiting for me on the top of the stairs.

"You left," I said, noticing him wearing different clothes than yesterday.

"Of course." He shrugged. „I went home to change my clothes just after Charlie had woken up. Alice would have thrown a tantrum if I wore the same clothes as yesterday." He grinned when he said that and I realised how little I knew his siblings even after yesterday's visit at their house.

We went to the kitchen and I decided to have a bowl of cereal for breakfast, since it took no time to prepare. He looked out of the window while I ate, apparently lost in thoughts. I gulped down the cereals and washed it down with a glass of milk and sent the bowl and the glass over to the kitchen counter. Then I stood up, ready to leave for school. Edward was on his feet in one fluid movement and, taking my hand, led the way out of the kitchen. He handed me my jacket and my school bag which he must have taken downstairs without me noticing.

I didn't bother looking for a key, instead I locked the door with a simple Locking spell. Showing off was quite fun, I had to admit to myself.

"Do you plan your career as a house robber?" He grinned at me, when we were in his car. "I suppose there is a spell which unlocks the door."

"Maybe." I grinned back, fastening the seatbelt. "But it only works on locks not magically protected. But I might think about it if I'm forced to spend the rest of my life in the muggle world. I might practise my thieving skills on your house. I bet there are a few safes full of money somewhere in your basement."

"A few, yeah." He laughed. "I'll ask Emmett to strengthen the security, just in case."

We joked about my possible criminal career for the rest of our journey to school. No one paid us any attention when we crossed the parking lot hand in hand and I was glad that I wasn't in the spotlight anymore. He walked me to my English class and after another light kiss he went to his Spanish.

The morning dragged, partly because I had to pay attention in classes but mostly because I missed Edward. I'd gotten used to being with him almost all the time during the weekend and now I felt anxious when I didn't have the chance to see him at all until lunch. I thought that at least Jessica would provide some distraction in Math due to her chatty nature, but she was uncharacteristically quiet. When I asked her something about homework, her reply was short and she sounded annoyed.

"Is everything okay, Jess?" I asked quietly because the teacher had just arrived.

"Sure." She didn't even look up. After a few minutes though, she turned to me with an angry look on her face. "Actually, no, it's not. We went to the theatre on Saturday, Mike, Lauren, Tyler and I. And you know what? Mike kept whining all the time that it was too bad you weren't there and that Cullen was all wrong for you." She hissed like an angry goose and I looked warily at Mr. Verner who, fortunatelly, was writing something on the blackboard.

"Oh," I whispered, turning back to Jessica. "I'm sorry. I told him to leave me alone. I'm seriously not interested in him."

"I know." She sighed, slightly less angry. "I'm not really mad at you."

"I'll talk to him again," I promised. "And if it doesn't help, I bet Edward will be willing to explain it to him."

"Okay, thanks." Jess smiled for the first time. "But don't tell him I complained."

"Okay."

We spent the rest of Math talking about my weekend with Edward. I didn't have to lie, I only left out the few details about magic. By the end of the hour Jessica's mood improved considerably. She even promised to help me with Math, since, unlike me, she was good at it.

At lunch I went to sit with Edward again. He'd been waiting for me outside the Art classroom again and now he moved the tray full of food in front of me, as usual. At the moment, Angela approached us, this time with a slight smile on her face.

"Hello you two," she greeted us, looking more cheerful than ever before. "My mom wanted me to tell you that she'd talked to her brother and he agreed to teach you," she told me and then turned to Edward. "And she would like to meet with your family today at six, if it's alright."

"That's great, thanks." I beamed at her already looking forward to the lessons.

"Yes, that suits us," said Edward. "We thought today would be best, too."

She said she would come with her mother and then she walked back to her usual table where she sat with Jess, Tyler, Mike, and a girl called Lauren, who I never really talked to but I always felt she didn't like me much.

"So, you want me to talk to Newton?" Edward asked with an excited expression.

I rolled my eyes. "Only if I fail convincing him that I'm not interested in him." I should have known he would be listening.

"I sort of wish you failed." He grinned. I shook my head and took a sandwich from the tray.

Before I had the chance to think of a way to approach Mike about my relationship with Edward, he came to me just after I'd said goodbye to Edward after Biology.

"Hi, Bella," he said, trying to sound nonchalantly. "How was your weekend?" Before I had the chance to say anything he went on. "Listen, I was wondering if you didn't want to have dinner with me?"

I stared at him in disbelief. "What?"

"You heard me," he said with a cocky smile. "We can go to the movies later."

"Mike," I began and then took a deep breath. "I don't want to have dinner with you." He wanted to say something but I put up my hand to stop him. "Sorry, but I'm not interested in you and if you don't stop bothering me, I'll let Edward explain it to you another way. He would be only too happy to do it." I waited to see if the threat sank into him and when I saw his face going pale, I smiled with satisfaction and walked away.