Chapter 21: Emotions

Harry had been impressed to see Jasper come to, to discover how much in control he could be of his vampire despite the confusion he felt and which was legible on his face. He'd been hot to see him straighten up after drinking the bull's blood, straight, proud and sexy despite that white shirt floating around him. And, he'd been jealous to see him fall into the arms of his loved ones, to realize that he would no longer be the only person to be able to approach him, to share moments with him.

"Harry, you have no reason to be angry or jealous," Hermione whispered.

"What do you know?" snapped the young man.

"That's what Jasper sent you, he needs to take that emotion back so you can think straight."

"Don't tell me what…"

"Go! Now!" ordered an exasperated Hermione as she pushed him through the magical barrier.

Harry saw Jasper freeze as he entered his cell and turned to face him slowly, his heart racing. He found it hard to believe that this man, so handsome, so mysterious, was meant for him, but at the same time, he reminded himself that he didn't just want to fall in love with a physique and that he didn't know this man, a reflection that rekindled his anger at those close to him who knew him better than he did. His reflection was stupid, he knew, but he couldn't contain himself.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your reunion, but it will end in farewell if Jasper doesn't come and undo what he's done, very soon." he declared bitterly.

The empath felt as if he'd been struck by Harry's resentment, which he didn't understand. He couldn't see what the young man wanted to talk about and worse, couldn't understand his change of attitude from the kisses and caresses they'd exchanged moments before.

"You attacked Harry and one of his friends during the fire, the emotions are trapped inside them." whispered Edward to help him, so low that only the vampires heard him.

The memory replayed in the mind of the man concerned, who saw again Harry's hand on the other man's thigh, the look full of the unspoken that they had exchanged, the love that emanated from the redhead and his own jealousy. He remembered that the Major had seen red and had wanted to make his mate understand his way of thinking. He had sent wave after wave of feeling to them, anger to Harry, despair to the other.

Harry saw emotion of anger after emotion of guilt flash across Jasper's face.

"I'm sorry, Harry, for attacking you."

The young man shivered as the deep voice with its Texan accent spoke more words to him than ever before. Yet they weren't nice words, just sincere apologies, but this voice made him feel all at once every time he heard it, and even more so when it spoke his first name.

Jasper barely held back a smirk at the emotional reaction he'd provoked. He understood that he had to make amends before he had a chance to converse with Harry.

"May I?" he asked, bringing his hand close to his racing heart.

If he could pick up or send an emotion from a distance, he didn't always choose to implant it in the person; he had to be in contact with it to suppress it. He put all his concentration into analyzing Harry's emotions to find the one that didn't belong to him, without letting himself be drawn in by the craving he created in him. The contact had indeed made Harry want to be in those strong arms again, held against that muscular body and kissed as if nothing else existed, but he was also angry with himself for reacting in this way. The empath spotted this anger and sucked it out of him before evacuating it to the ground, leaving only desire between them. They had forgotten everything around them. He slid his hand over the back of the wizard's neck, but a noise startled him and he pulled away.

"He's not ready." whispered Edward in a low voice and Jasper looked at him surprised and curious to know what he had heard.

However, he turned his gaze to the four new arrivals, Hermione, Kingsley and two aurors.

"We need to hurry ourselves to go to the Burrow," Hermione declared worriedly.

Jasper recoiled and stood on guard as one of the aurors pulled out a pair of magic handcuffs. Memories of the chains that had so tortured him flashed before his eyes. The vampire in him stirred; he wasn't going to let them send him back to a prison without defending himself.

"That won't be necessary," Carlisle interjected. "We'll answer for him."

"I can't let a vampire who seriously injured four people walk free," Kingsley replied.

"You saw for yourself that they used chains to torture him!" belched Edward, who could no longer bear the images of what his brother had suffered.

"George doesn't have time for this!" snapped Hermione.

She took the handcuffs from the auror's hands and slipped them around her wrists herself.

"Look," she ordered Jasper, advancing towards him. These handcuffs won't hurt you, they'll stop you using your powers, nothing more."

Jasper looked at the object defiantly, his whole being screaming at him to refuse.

"If George dies," said Harry in a sad voice, "the magical community will demand your head. Nobody wants that. Let them handcuff you so we can leave this cell."

The vampire glanced at his family, who showed him that they stood by him and would be ready to intervene if anything happened, then held his trembling arms out in front of him.

Harry felt his heart clench at seeing him like this and couldn't resist supporting him by slipping his hand into his own once the handcuffs were closed around his wrists. Jasper closed his fingers around his and calmly followed the group. The whole group passed through the magic barrier, then the door, and finally grabbed a portkey that took them to the front of the Burrow.

Jasper was struck by the negative emotions he sensed as they waited to enter. Arthur came to meet them, his face tired and looking as if he'd aged a decade in a few hours. He glanced warily at Jasper, then at the handcuffs, before ushering them all into the living room.

"Are you here to help my son?" the tired man asked, looking the empath in the eye.

The latter was surprised to feel no fear coming from him as he looked at him, only immense sadness.

"Yes, sir. I'm sorry for what I've caused."

"Nothing would have happened if my daughter hadn't come to provoke you. Anyway, I'll show you the way."

Jasper, Harry and the aurors went up to George's room, where they freed the empath. He entered the room, followed by Harry. The scene they discovered was heartbreaking. George was sobbing, tied to his bed, begging his mother to let him join his twin. Molly sat by his bedside, weeping silently as she wiped her child's cheeks. Percy left the room when they arrived, and Madame Pomfresh moved into a corner. The despair in the room almost brought the empath to his knees, but he managed to sit down on the bed, opposite to Molly and, without a word, placed his hand on the inventor's heart. He paused regularly to vent the emotions he was taking in, but he couldn't get rid of his guilt, which kept increasing. To send him so many negative emotions, he must have wanted his death at all costs.

At some point, George fell asleep, exhausted by the last few hours. Jasper paused for the nurse to check on his condition, but she immediately reassured Molly.

"I can alleviate some of his grief from the bereavement, if you'd like," he offered once George had regained the emotional balance he'd had before the attack. "I can't make it go away, but I can help him a little."

Molly nodded and Jasper spent a few more minutes examining his patient's emotions, before declaring that he'd done what he could. The mother of the family thanked him, but didn't see them out, remaining at her son's bedside with Madam Pomfresh.

The vampire reluctantly agreed to let the aurors handcuff him, and they joined the rest of the Cullen family in the living room.

Arthur came out as soon as they arrived, but a strong sense of tension pervaded the room.

"What's going on?" asked Harry as they entered.

Jasper was being held back by the aurors as he tried to join his family, which made the occupants of the room even more tense.

"With the destruction of Grimmauld place, Mr. Hale must return to prison," Kingsley explained.