Black Hole Sun [Harry Potter/Twilight]

XXIII : The Toad

EDWARD

With the persisting of this Alex, the three of them made their way to one of the newer pubs in the area called, The Goblin's Cocktails and Mixes. Gwen had explained to him that it was the first pub in the area run solely by Goblin's, and they had discovered 'wicked' drinks for most magical creatures.

Meeting Gwen was unlike anything he had ever encountered. Every hour he was with her, his mind was perplexed with the wonders of magic. The scientific methods and theories he knew had all blown out the window. Even being with the rest of the wizards she had introduced him to, was like nothing he had ever encountered.

Edward frowned as he tried to listen harder to the minds around him, but nothing worked. He still heard nothing but silence.

Gwen must have noticed his frustrated face, as she placed a warm hand on his shoulder. A very human gesture. A gesture that heated his once cold arm. Edward tried to calm his face for her, as he deeply wanted to hear her thoughts. If he could in that moment, pick someone out of this entire village, it would be her.

He remembered the hesitation and questioning on her face, as he had began to try to explain the conflicted emotions he had been feeling. But as fate would have it, he was interrupted.

At first, he had been weary about the blond man named Alex. He felt frustrated not being able to read his mind either, as he watched the way the man casually touched Gwen as though she were a doll. Edward watched with annoyance as Alex would flick her playfully or mess up her hair. There was a point Edward wanted to reach over and break Alex's hand for touching her, but the look on Gwen's face was nothing short of playful.

It took him some time to understand, that this was the type of bond they had. But that didn't stop the uncomfortable feeling of watching someone touch the raven-haired girl in such a casual way.

As they joined Neville Longbottom for Happy Witch Hour, Edward continued to think back on his conversation with Gwen that had been interrupted. What was he truly going to say to her? He knew she was not one to drop such a conversation. He had seen the annoyance on her face as Alex had walked in and interrupted them, but then he saw her face soften when she had begun to speak to the blond man.

Were they together perhaps? Maybe he was one of the many he mentioned had proposed to her...

As the rest of them ordered their drinks and chatted, with Gwen including him as much as possible. He couldn't help but think how unfair he was being, in dragging another human down into hell with him. And in thinking of humans...The guilt overwhelmed him once more as he thought of Bella.

The love of his existence...She was probably going to wake up soon and notice he was gone. In fact, it had not even been seconds since she had fallen asleep that he left her once more. Was this fair to Bella? That he was sitting in an entirely new country, an entirely different continent that she was on...And enjoying himself?

Even with his conflicting emotions...He turned to Gwen, seeing her smiling and looking pleased while talking away with her friends. It was a new side of her that he had seen and witnessed all in just a few hours.

Edward continued to stare at her, examining her soft brown skin and the light pink cheeks she had, that lifted up as she smiled and spoke...She was nothing but beautiful. And yet...Could he damn another human? And even then, was he being too presumptuous?

Did she love someone else?

Was she merely being kind to him and he took it the wrong way?

Did he misinterpret her kindness? Her warm touches?