Moonspell (Harry Potter/Twilight Crossover)

Chapter Twenty-Eight:

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT:

It was Jasper, this time, who was standing near me, gently touching my shoulder, coaxing me into the waking world. A wave of calm washed over me, calm that shouldn't exist, and I gave him a shaky smile. "Th-thanks." I mumbled, and he nodded, gently.

"Do you want something to eat?" he asked, but I shook my head. I picked up the phone, checking the time on it, to see that it was just past two in the morning.

Jasper walked back into the living room, and I followed him to the kitchen table where Alice was sketching again. I crossed over to look at what she was drawing, and a wave of nausea washed through me, the phone I was holding dropping from my suddenly limp fingers.

The small crash it made as it hit the floor was enough to get me the attention of the two vampires, but I didn't look at them, barely noticed it as their eyes snapped over to me, instead I stared at Alice's drawing, my face pale. "What is it Bella?" Alice asked. She had to repeat the question twice before I could answer.

"That's Renee's house." Alice was already off the couch, scooping up the phone I'd dropped, dialing. I stared at the precise rendering of my mother's family room, barely noticing as Jasper's hand hesitantly brushed against the small of my back, the physical contact strengthening the effect of his gift.

I wasn't close to Renee anymore. Renee hadn't been able to cope with what I was, hadn't even wanted me close to home anymore- instead of enrolling me in Salem Witch's Institute, a magic day school in America, she'd basically shipped me off to Hogwarts so she only had to deal with me over the holidays.
In all honesty, though, I'd stopped going over to her house over the holidays long ago, staying instead with Luna or, on the odd occasion, Charlie (who had accepted the whole his daughter being a witch thing so much better then she had).

Hell, I hadn't seen Renée for over a year now. But I did still love her. I'd always love her, because for better or worse, she was still my mother. And the idea of James killing her... I shuddered, hugging myself.

"Bella, Edward is coming to get you. He and Emmett and Carlisle are going to take you somewhere, to hide you for a while." Alice told me, suddenly appearing in my field of vision. I realized that her small hand was cupping my chin, turning my head so I was looking at her. I latched onto her words.

"Edward is coming?"

"Yes, he's catching the first flight out of Seattle. We'll meet him at the airport, and you'll leave with him."

"But my mother... he came here for my mother, Alice!" My voice was thick with fear.

"Jasper and I will stay till she's safe."

"I can't win, Alice. You can't guard everyone I know forever. Don't you see what he's doing? He's not tracking me at all. He'll find someone, he'll hurt someone I love... sweet Rowena, why can't-" I just be seventeen already?

"We'll catch him, Bella," Alice assures me when my voice trails off.

"And what if you get hurt, Alice?" I demand sharply, turning to her. "Do you think that's okay with me? Do you think it's only my human family he can hurt me with?"

I almost didn't catch Alice's meaningful glance to Jasper, and was startled slightly as a deep, heavy fog of nostalgia washed over me, and my eyes closed without my permission. My mind struggled against the fog, realizing what was happening, and I forced my eyes back open, yanking away from Jasper's hand.

"For Circe's sake, I don't want to go back to sleep!" I snapped, before grabbing the stupid shiny silver phone off the kitchen table, and storming back into the bedroom, shoving the door closed behind me. I let my wand slide out of my sleeve, so I was holding it in my clenched fist, and somehow that made me feel a bit better, like I wasn't entirely helpless.