Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Twilight, nor do make any monetary gain.

A/N: Thanks again for the reviews, follows, and favorites! I have a feeling everyone is going to enjoy this chapter...

Happy reading,

Onyx Feloric

Esme watched Edward from the kitchen, her worried countenance and thoughts speaking more than any word could. Since his arrival home, Edward had declared that they needed to speak as a family and had refused to elaborate, moving to sit on the edge of his piano bench. Since that moment, the vampire had been the very portrait of tension and silence. He faced away from the lovely ivory keys, dark gold eyes staring in to the empty space before him.

Normally, her children chided Edward for his human habits. Since Bella, and it still brought sadness that she had left them, her 'youngest' had taken the idea of humanity to heart. Instead of their natural stillness, Edward had learned to be filled with movement. He breathed more often, ran a hand through his hair in a habitual gesture, blinked, and rarely held a moment of true stillness. It made her smile how much he had chosen to embrace life.

When Bella left, Esme had seen the sorrow that had taken hold of her son. There was a dimness and lifelessness about him that had been absent in Bella's presence. Edward spent more time in seclusion, choosing to avoid his siblings' activities in favor of his music. It was heartbreaking for her to see. The stillness, however, had remained a thing of the past.

Alice took particular pleasure in trying to rile her brother out of his apathy, even at the cost of his irritation or anger. Now, though, he sat as still as any statue. She wondered if Edward even took note of their thoughts. With a soft sigh, she tucked her thoughts away, letting her love and support filter through.

She turned back to the floral arrangement she was creating for her kitchen counter. Each flower was delicate and her strength could crush them if her attention wandered too far. She smiled as she noted that the flower remained whole and almost untouched in her cold hands. It had taken many years for control of her strength to return, but she treasured each moment she could handle the fragile flowers and hold a paint brush in her hand.

Her gold eyes looked out into the forest, bringing a gentle smile to her beautiful face. Out of the many places they had been, she perhaps loved Forks the most. The thick forest provided many inspirations for her work, the colors vibrant and alive in her eyes. Despite the occasional sunny day, the overcast skies gave them the chance to walk amongst humans and take part in their day-to-day lives. While Alaska held a special place in her heart, being amongst people was a joy, allowing her to retain some small bit of her humanity, even in simple grocery store conversation.

The sound of a familiar car engine pulled her from her the trail of her thoughts. In but a moment, the front door closed and Carlisle slid his arms around her waist, setting a kiss on her cold cheek. "Welcome home, Carlisle."

The handsome blonde vampire smiled, adoring the feel of his wife in his arms. When he had turned her, so many years ago, he couldn't have imagined how much he would come to love his dear Esme. "Hello, my love. Your flower arrangement is lovely."

Esme smiled, her heart-shaped face seeming to brighten at the compliment. She leaned up to kiss her husband's cheek. "Thank you, dear."

"I don't want to interrupt." Alice's light, musical voice spoke brightly into the kitchen, drawing the attention of her parents. "But, Edward wanted to speak with everyone in the den." She spun and almost danced out the door.

Carlisle frowned. "Has something happened?" He grabbed his deposited briefcase off the countertop.

Esme shook her head, ruffling her wavy brown locks. "I do not know, dear. Edward hasn't said a thing." She nodded to the den, lowering her voice to the merest of whispers, turning on the water to give them a bit more privacy. "He's been silent since he arrived home. He hasn't left that spot."

The older vampire nodded, pulling the frown off his face and smiling for his wife. He gave her another quick kiss on the cheek. "Don't worry. I'm sure Edward will explain everything." With a soft touch to the arm, Carlisle left the kitchen, walking to the den human slow. For but a moment in passing, he observed his son. It was easy to see why Esme worried so.

Edward sat facing away from the keys of his beloved piano. He appeared as a statue, his hands resting completely still in his lap. His dark gold eyes were dim, seeing something past the open room in their home. Carlisle had seen that uncomprehending look far too often in the past. No doubt the vampire was lost in the vast space of his mind. Though Edward could not completely tune out the voices of the minds around him, when ensconced in the privacy of his own head, he claimed it was easier to ignore those voiced and concentrate on his own thoughts.

With incredible speed, Carlisle was up the stairs and leaving his briefcase on his desk. When he returned down to the den, relieved of his doctor's attire and in comfortable clothing, the entire family was concentrated in the den. Joining Esme on the loveseat, he smiled in greeting to Rosalie and Emmett, the breathtaking blonde vampire sitting on her burly husband's lap. Emmett grinned, spinning a lock of Rosalie's hair in one finger. Jasper sat on the floor in front of the sofa, Alice sitting behind him with one dainty leg hung over his shoulder. She had a bright smile on her face and sent amused glances in Edward's direction.

It was those glances that put his own mind at ease. Alice's foresight had aided them greatly on more occasions than he could count. If she was amused at Edward, he wouldn't worry so much. "Edward."

The bronze-haired vampire blinked, breaking the absolute stillness he had taken up since his arrival home. Edward was surprised he hadn't noticed his family settling in for the meeting he had called. He brushed a hand through his hair, drawing a chuckle from Alice and Emmett. He must have submerged himself farther into his mind than he had intended. "I apologize." Esme's worried thoughts crossed his mind. He gave her a brief smile. "I did not mean to worry you."

Esme, the caring woman that she was, smiled brightly. "It's alright, dear. You must have something on your mind."

"Oh, he does." Alice spoke with laugh.

Edward gave her a dark glare, before turning to his sire. "You are aware of the two British transfer students we've spoken of before?" Carlisle nodded. "I…I think there is something…different about them."

Carlisle frowned at the haltingly spoken words. "What do you mean, Edward? Have they done something to cause such suspicion?"

The vampire shook his head slightly. "Nothing overt. It's-I just noticed something earlier today that I found…odd." Edward glanced at his hand, the very hand that Onyx had lightly touched during the mishap with the football team. "Well, a few things, really, I suppose."

Esme watched the vampire she considered a son, looking at his hand as if trying to see through it. "Edward?"

His mother's concerned words shook him from his reverie. "When I touched his hand, Onyx Feloric, that is, I noticed that it was cooler than a normal human's. It was very strange. He didn't seem bothered by my cold hands either. Neither did Jadys Chorniy."

Emmett gave a sly grin. "You touched their hands? What were you doing?"

Edward scoffed and gave a heated glare to his brother. "You know very well what happened."

Carlisle gave an amused grin. "What happened?"

Alice smiled. "The football team has a game tonight and they were particularly wound up. One of them stumbled and tripped Edward. Onyx caught him before he could fall."

"Really." Carlisle raised an eyebrow. "That's never happened before."

If Edward could blush, he knew his face would be bright by now. He carried on in any case. "I was distracted."

"Yeah. Thinking of what Onyx and Jadys were doing in the front seat of their car before class, eh?" Emmett grunted as Rosalie elbowed him in the stomach.

Esme gave a confused smile. "What?"

Alice turned to her mother figure happily. "Onyx and Jadys are openly homosexual." The small vampire didn't elaborate.

"Oh, my." Esme brought a hand to her lips.

"That's not what I was distracted by!" Edward declared hotly. "Game days are always difficult for my concentration." He ignored his sister's chortling. "Anyway. Jadys came up to Onyx and I noticed something on his neck."

"A hickey most likely…"

Edward ignored Emmett. "It was a bite mark." He said it slowly. "Two holes pierced right over his jugular vein." He looked pleadingly at his father. "There was no discoloration. There were no other teeth marks. Just two."

The entire family descended into silence at Edward's declaration.

"What are you suggesting, Edward?" Carlisle asked the question slowly, mind whirling through the possibilities.

Edward looked back through what he had seen, the observations his family had made before…but it didn't make sense! There was no way that they could be anything other than human! He spoke slowly, piecing his thoughts together as he let the words out. "They have slower heartbeats, steadier. Their skin is far cooler than a normal human and their beauty is comparable to our own. The other students and teachers often seem wary of them." He looked up from where he stared at the floor in his contemplation. "A fanged bite mark on the neck."

"Dude, you're not thinking…" Emmett trailed off.

"I did feel something while we were in the locker room today." Jasper's soft, but firm baritone drew his family's attention. "Feloric was angry at Newton during hockey. He caused a collision with Edward. In the locker room I felt this-this weight. It was as if something heavy was in the room, a presence." Jasper rubbed his hand on his wife's leg lightly. "When he calmed, the pressure disappeared." He looked up. "I've only ever felt that kind of effect with…others of our kind. Those with gifts."

Carlisle leaned forward, folding his hands under his chin, thinking for moment. It was certainly possible, but…"What color are their eyes?"

"Green and grey, silver really." Edward answer the question distractedly. "I do not believe they are contacts. Our poison would dissolve them far too quickly for them to be worth anything."

Rosalie turned her nose up. "I don't see why we should bother. They keep to themselves. Before today, they never seemed to take notice of us."

"Which is an interesting thing in itself," Carlisle said. "Humans have no choice but to notice us. We are designed that way, to catch the attention and keep the attention of our prey. Even now, attending Forks High for a few years, eyes always follow you. The same occurs at the hospital and stores. That they were not drawn to us, nor frightened of us is a fact in itself."

The entire family remained silent for a long while, each vampire rifled through moments in their mind, running through the options at hand. All the while, Alice smiled and seemed unconcerned with the predicament. Behind the veil of her outward thoughts on fashion and design, she had seen fragments of the outcome. She had seen what Jadys and Onyx would come to mean to her family. There was still much that remained hidden, but each moment in their presence would revel all the more.

When an hour had passed, Carlisle sat up. "It's possible," he said lowly into the room. "Evolution has taught us that creatures change and evolve to fit their environment." The vampire stood and crossed to the window. "Cheetah's are built for the speed needed to take down a fleeing gazelle, yet the lion is larger and built heavier for larger prey. The mountain goat with hooves designed for clinging to sheer cliff faces, while a sheep has no such adaptations for the gentle rolling hills. The concept is the same for each species on this planet." Carlisle stared hard into the trees, a look of intense concentration on his features. "While related to each other in a fundamental way, they are also different." He turned slowly and looked at his family. "Why could it not be the same with us?"

Edward stared into the floor, hearing one word echo through his own mind, in the thoughts of his family...

Vampire.

A/N: If you like, please review!