Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Failure to Communicate	By : Eskimita Category: Harry Potter Crossovers > Slash - Male/Male Views: 11406 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 5
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Twilight nor do I make any money off this work of fanfiction.

Chapter List
- 1-Failure to Communicate
- 1
Author's Note: I am also posting this on AO3, and every three chapters I post there will be one chapter here. In this story, Edward Cullen and Cedric Diggory are the same person.

Denali National Park, Alaska, January 1995

Alice Cullen froze, ceasing her pursuit of the grizzly bear she intended to have for lunch, a smile slowly creeping across her face. A vision started unfolding in her mind, just one of several she’d had lately. But this one, this vision was clearer, not as clouded as the other visions had been. As her vision played in her mind, Alice sniffed the air, tracking down her father, Carlisle, where he was feeding on a moose a few hundred yards away. When the vision ended, Alice took off towards Carlisle, dancing through the snow covered trees. She jumped to a stop, landing in front of Carlisle and giggling.

“Alice, I thought you and Emmett were chasing a bear.” Carlisle straightened from his kill, dropping the moose’s head and wiping the small smear of blood from the corner of his mouth. He allowed his concern for his daughter to bleed through his eyes even as they swept over her, taking note of the lack of injuries.

“Oh we were, but I have something more important to tell you.” Alice giggled again, dancing around the small clearing that Carlisle had chosen to take his kill down in.

“Oh? And what is that?” Whatever vision she had had must have been important if she had stopped the chase to come find him. Carlisle was immediately alert.

“We’re going to England. Before June.”

“And why is that? We just settled down here last year, we have a few more years left before we have to leave.” Carlisle quirked an eyebrow, looking at Alice with curiosity clearly written in his eyes. Alice hadn’t told him that they needed to leave a place early in the forty years since she and Jasper had joined the coven, so it must be something serious.

“Yes, but Jasper’s mate isn’t here. He’s in England. And Jasper is going to need to be there in June.” Alice allowed a smile to dance across her face. “This is very important, Carlisle. I’ve seen it. His mate is amazing. He’ll be a great brother for me. Better than Jasper and Emmett could ever be.”

“Very well. Finish hunting and we’ll tell your siblings. I suppose we’re going to England.” Carlisle smiled indulgently and straightened his clothing, setting off to find his wife and tell her about this unexpected development.

Alice giggled and took off to find another bear, ready to sate her thirst. The next few months would be very interesting, very interesting indeed. Maybe, once Jasper and his mate met each other, her visions would be clearer. Every vision she’d had lately had been hazy, blocked because of something she didn’t understand. But Jasper would turn his mate, and then everything would start making sense again. Alice was sure of it.

She attacked the bear she had found, breaking its neck and savoring the taste of fresh blood as it poured down her throat. Soon, she would have a new brother to dress, a new brother to tease. She couldn’t wait. Whatever happened, this new brother was sure to be one of her favorite people. Even if her visions were cloudy, she knew that without a doubt.

Little Hangleton, England, June, 24, 1995

Jasper had gone where Alice said he needed to, to a graveyard in the middle of this godforsaken town in England. Alice had said that if he wasn’t here, if he wasn’t prepared to turn his mate, then his mate would die, and an evil that she couldn’t even bear to tell him about would come to England, endangering everyone here. Jasper didn’t want to turn a human, but he had no choice. He wouldn’t throw away the chance of having his mate, of knowing the happiness that Rosalie and Emmett and Carlisle and Esme knew.

There was a flash of light and suddenly two boys were in the previously empty graveyard, a goblet of some kind in between them. Jasper took in an unnecessary breath, staring at the two boys. They belonged to him. Alice had told him that his mate was going to be here, but she had only mentioned one. Yet, staring at these two boys, one obviously older than the other, Jasper knew that they were both his. They both belonged to him. He watched them as they talked, discussing where they were and what had happened. They were captivating, his mates. Beautiful.

Someone else entered the graveyard, startling him out of his observations of his mates, and Jasper slipped behind a tombstone near his mates, watching as the sad-looking man carried a bundle into the center of the graveyard. The sad-looking man placed the bundle down in a cauldron and Jasper could see the form of what seemed to be a baby, with the face of a monster. One of his mates let out a gasp, and Jasper assumed that his mate recognized whatever this monster was, that he knew more about it than Jasper did. He would have to ask his mate, once they were away from this graveyard and the gloom he could feel in the air.

When Jasper heard the rasped, “Kill the spare.” he growled, surging forward before slipping behind another tombstone. A sickly looking green light shot out at his mate and struck him to the ground. The younger of his mates screamed and stood, rushing forward to confront the stranger, brandishing a stick bravely. Latin words streamed from his mouth and his stick shot colors out towards the man across the graveyard.

Jasper crept forward, pulling the older of his two mates to him, listening for the faint heartbeat. When he found it, he allowed a small smile to break out on his face. He brushed his mate’s hair out of his face before leaning down near his ear. “This is going to hurt. And I apologize. But I will not lose you.” His mate’s grey eyes were full of pain and he nodded slightly, his breath rasping in his throat.

Jasper licked at his mate’s neck before opening his mouth, sinking his fangs in and infecting his mate with his venom. He pulled away before too much of his mate’s blood could enter his mouth, carefully spitting the little that had out and wiping his mouth. He looked over to find his other mate, growling when he saw him chained to a tombstone and struggling to escape.

The pathetic human from earlier was brandishing a knife, muttering something. Jasper looked over at his mate, sending calming feelings to him as he went through the change, before turning back and slipping behind the tombstone that his younger mate was chained to. Jasper broke the chains with his hands, reaching around to slowly ease his mate to the ground.

The other human was cutting off his arm, and Jasper snapped. He surged forward and grabbed the human’s arm, sinking his teeth into it and draining the pathetic man of his blood. Jasper could hear his younger mate gasping before he pulled out his stick again and pointed it at the monster in the cauldron.

Jasper barely registered hearing his mate stammer out “Avada Kedavra” before he dropped the dead body in his arms, wiping the blood off his face and turning to look at his mate once more. The boy was shaking, like he was exhausted, and he probably was. He raised his eyes to meet Jasper’s, viridian eyes boring into the red-ringed amber of Jasper’s own. Jasper stepped forward just as the boy collapsed, unable to stand any longer. He caught the boy in his arms and carried him over to his other mate, setting him down next to the shaking body enduring the change from human to vampire.

Looking in between his two mates, Jasper sighed and sat back on the ground between them, one hand resting on each of their shoulders. Hopefully, Carlisle would be here soon to help him figure out what was going on, and who his mates were. Jasper didn’t believe that either of them would be in a position to tell him anytime soon. Whoever they were, they were his now, and Jasper refused to let them out of his sight.

Quidditch Pitch, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, June 24, 1995

Albus Dumbledore squirmed in his seat, adjusting his robes once more. The competition should have ended by now, the Triwizard Tournament should be over. Yet the two Hogwarts champions had not emerged from the maze. Perhaps something had happened to the dear boys, something that had delayed both of them from reaching the Triwizard Cup at the center of the maze. He frowned as he popped a lemon drop into his mouth, humming at the taste.

A shout from his left broke his thoughts and he turned, looking over at his Potions Master. Severus Snape had pulled the sleeve of his severe black robes back and was staring at his left forearm in shock. Albus rose from his seat and strode over to Severus, concern written on his face.

“Severus? What has happened?”

“Headmaster,” Severus raised his eyes to meet the Headmaster’s, staring up at him, surprise written all over his face. “Headmaster, its gone.”

Albus looked down at Severus’s arm and couldn’t help the small whistle of air that escaped his throat. Severus’s arm, the arm that had been marred with the Dark Mark for almost fifteen years, was bare, no dark tattoo burned onto it any longer.

Albus looked over at the maze and frowned. “Harry, my boy, what have you done?”

Little Hangleton, England, June 24, 1994

“Jasper?” The vampire in question looked up into the eyes of his sister and dearest friend, smiling at her. Alice crouched down next to the form of his younger mate and laid a hand on his arm gently, smiling at her brother. “There are two of them. I didn’t see it before. But I can see it now.”

Jasper looked at his mates again, his hands brushing their shoulders. “What did you see? What can you see now?”

“It changes, but I can see the three of you, happy and together. This one,” her hand brushed the hair back from his sleeping mate’s face, “His name is Harry. I cannot tell if he’s going to come with us or not. It keeps changing. His future depends on the choices of other people. It isn’t in his control. And that one, he’s Cedric, but he’s going to change his name. Because there’s a stigma about vampires.” She smiled again. “All I can tell you for certain is that I see you changing Harry on his seventeenth birthday. That doesn’t change.”

Jasper looked over at her, eyes blazing. “He won’t be leaving me. Wherever he goes, I go. I’m not letting either of my mates out of my sight.”

Alice frowned and looked down at the ground. “You may not have a choice. Jasper, he’s not going to be here, in this graveyard, much longer. But I think I know where he’s going. I saw it in a vision, but it wasn’t very easy to place a location. I’ll try though. Now, you need to let go of him. And put that cup on his chest.”

Jasper frowned but did as Alice said, trusting her to know what she was talking about. As soon as the cup touched his mate’s chest, the boy vanished, leaving behind nothing but his memory. Jasper growled, but calmed down as soon as Alice touched his arm.

“Don’t worry, Jasper. We’ll be with him again soon.”

Quidditch Pitch, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, June 24, 1995

Harry Potter appeared on the Quidditch pitch, causing a roar of celebration to erupt from the Gryffindor stands. When Harry didn’t move, murmurs travelled through the crowds, people theorizing on the reasons for the boy’s stillness. A hastily cast Enervate from Professor Moody had Harry groaning and sitting up slowly, looking around him. When he realized he wasn’t in the graveyard anymore, Harry stood, rushing to where the Headmaster was still speaking to Professor Snape.

“Headmaster! Something happened! We were taken to a graveyard. And Cedric!” Harry sobbed, tears running down his face. “Cedric is dead!”

London Hilton, England, June 30, 1995

“Alice,” Jasper pulled his mate into his sister’s room, gently pushing the other man onto the bed. Although his mate was only a few days old, as a vampire, Jasper had already discovered that the man had great self control, and a refusal to eat anything with human blood. He hadn’t said it out loud, but he was proud of his mate. More proud than he could say.

Alice looked up from the book she was reading and grinned at the two, putting the book away. “What is it Jasper? Has something happened?”

“Yes. He’s picked a name!” Since his mate had emerged from the change, they had been waiting for him to pick a name, trying to distance this new vampire from the boy who had been killed in that graveyard six days ago. Alice had had several visions of people looking for the body of Cedric Diggory, something that made it impossible for the fledgling vampire to keep his human name. Jasper squeezed his mate’s shoulder, indicating that the boy should speak.

“Edward,” came the musical voice. “Edward Anthony Mason Cullen.”

Alice squealed and launched herself at her new brother, wrapping her arms around his neck. She hugged him as hard as she could, unconcerned about hurting him. When she had calmed, she pulled away and smiled. “I knew it! I knew you would choose that name! I had a vision of it! Now all that’s left to do is to get your other mate away from wherever he is and we’ll be complete at last!”

Edward’s head shot up, staring over at Jasper. He hadn’t heard anything about another mate. When Jasper had told him the story of his death, he had found it quite confusing. He could remember a tournament, something he had wanted to compete in badly. And he could remember green eyes, shedding tears, laughing, looking up at him with adoration. But he didn’t know who they belonged to. It frustrated him.

Jasper sighed and looked over at Edward, taking in his mate’s mood. The younger vampire was confused and frustrated. Jasper knew that he would be until he was no longer a newborn, until he could remember his human mind. But it didn’t make anything easier for the boy.

“That night, in the graveyard, you weren’t the only person there. You and one other boy both appeared, with a trophy cup of some sort in both of your hands. I recognized both of you as my mates. The green light that shot at you should have killed you, I think. But I am not sure. When I reached you, you barely had a heartbeat. I had just enough time to infect you, to turn you. After I was sure that my venom was working, I went to help the other boy.

“I killed a man who had chained him to a tombstone. I lost myself to bloodlust and killed him. After that, I saw the boy wave a stick and a green light flashed out of it, killing the monster that the man had carried into the graveyard. The boy passed out. Alice came to help me move you and told me that the boy had to go back, somewhere. I don’t know where. I put the trophy cup on the boy’s chest and he disappeared.

“After that, Alice and I brought you back here. Alice has seen the boy in a few visions. She hasn’t been able to learn much, but his name is Harry.”

Edward gasped, and memories flashed through his mind. A game of some sort, played on brooms. A name being pulled out of a goblet of fire. An egg. A suggestion to take a bath. All of the memories centered around this boy, Harry. The vision of green eyes behind rounded glasses danced in his head.

“Harry Potter. I remember. A few things. I knew him. I don’t know how, but I think I knew him. I have a few memories, just images. But that name fits with them. He’s just a boy.” Edward looked up at Jasper, his eyes still red, although a small ring of amber was slowly growing around them. “He’s fourteen. I remember, he got into a bit of trouble. I think- He entered a competition he wasn’t old enough for. But he didn’t want to. Someone put his name in.”

Jasper listened intently, nodding. When Edward had finished talking, he squeezed his mate’s shoulder. “That’s good. That’s quite a bit to remember. But it will help us. We have to find him. Alice, have you had any more visions of him?” Jasper looked over at his sister, hoping that she had. Since the final vision in the graveyard, she hadn’t seen Harry at all. It was starting to worry him.

“No, she hasn’t.” Edward answered, looking up in surprise. “I just- I heard that, but Alice didn’t say anything. I heard it in your mind, Alice. Am I supposed to do that? Do all vampires hear other people’s thoughts?”

“No. But some vampires do get gifts. Telepathy must be yours. Just like Alice can have some visions of the future and I can feel emotions. Its something that is unique to you, as far as I know.” Jasper smiled at his mate and pulled him off the bed, his arms wrapping around Edward’s shoulders. “It is a very good gift to have, very useful. I’ll be sure to tell Carlisle about it. He might be able to help you with it.”

Edward nodded and leaned back against his mate, closing his eyes as he explored his new gift.

Platform 9 ¾, Kings Cross Station, London, June 30, 1995

Harry Potter pulled his trunk off the Hogwarts Express, not meeting Ron or Hermione’s eyes as they tried to talk to him. He didn’t want to talk to them, didn’t want to tell them about his hazy memories of what happened in the graveyard. Only one thing that had happened was clear. He could see a person, with dark blonde curly hair and amber eyes. He dreamed about him every night since the tournament, him and watching Cedric die.

Harry muttered a half-hearted goodbye to Ron before following Hermione through the barrier of the platform, sighing as he was once again left in the Muggle world for the summer. He looked up to find his aunt and uncle and gasped. Standing, not even a full meter in front of him, was Cedric Diggory. But his eyes were different. Harry frowned as he took in the red and amber eyes, wondering what the colors ment. As Cedric smiled at him, he found that he didn’t care, and he rushed forward, stopping once he was at eye-level with Cedric’s chest.

“Cedric! But I saw you die. How are you alive? How are you here? What happened?” Harry stopped talking as Cedric reached out to him, wrapping his arms around the smaller boy. He couldn’t help but shiver, Cedric was freezing.

“Harry, we need to talk, but we can’t do it here. Come with me. I’m taking you somewhere safe, where you and I can talk.” Cedric pulled away gently and took Harry’s hand, leading him out of Kings Cross Station and into a waiting cab. Harry couldn’t help but fidget as Cedric gave the cab driver an address to go to. The entire ride to the hotel, Harry was silent. Finally, as they were climbing out of the cab, he spoke up.

“I’m supposed to be going back to my relatives, you know. My uncle was probably here waiting for me. What’s going on Cedric? I saw you die. I saw Wormtail throw the Killing Curse at you, and you fell.”

Cedric just smiled and grabbed Harry’s trunk, carrying it in the hand that wasn’t holding Harry’s. “We’ll talk once we get up to the room, Harry. Someone else wants to meet you too. I can’t really tell you anything until he’s with us. But I promise, I will tell you everything I can. And he’ll help. Just wait a few more minutes.”

Harry nodded and silently followed Cedric up to the top floor of the hotel, gaping at the decorations in the hallway. When Cedric unlocked the room that he was staying in, Harry turned and stared at him. “This isn’t a hotel room! This could fit the Gryffindor and Slytherin common rooms in it comfortably!”

Cedric chuckled and led Harry to a couch, gently pushing the boy onto it. “I’ll be right back. I have to go get Jasper.” He disappeared through another door, returning with his hand locked in another boy’s, whispering something to him. The other boy nodded before looking up at Harry.

“You! I saw you in the graveyard! Y-you killed Wormtail.” Harry stared up at the stranger, shaking slightly in fear. He could remember watching this man bite Wormtail’s arm, and watching as Wormtail’s dead body fell to the ground, devoid of blood. When he felt a calm rush over him, he just stared harder. “What are you?”

Headmaster’s Office, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, June 30, 1995

Albus Dumbledore was an orderly man. Everything had its own time, and everything had its own place. He prided himself on his organization skills. He knew where anyone was in his school at all times. He also knew where Harry Potter was at most times, as long as the boy was in the school, on the train, or at the home of Vernon and Petunia Dursley. So when Harry Potter did not arrive at the Dursley residence by eight that evening, Albus Dumbledore was concerned.

He had sent Vernon Dursley, nasty man that one, a letter two weeks ago, stating that the man was to pick his nephew up from Kings Cross Station at approximately four in the afternoon. Most years, Dursley would pick the boy up and return straight to his residence, barely an hour of the Potter boy’s life missing from Dumbledore’s knowledge. But it had been four hours. Even if Dursley had taken the boy out shopping, or to get food, the boy should be back by now.

Albus popped a lemon drop in his mouth, sucking on it as he thought. Perhaps the boy had gone to a friend’s house? No. He had never done that before. As far as he knew, Potter only had the friends he had made at Hogwarts, no others. No. Something must be very wrong, very wrong indeed. Albus frowned as he set about to find Harry Potter. He would find out where the boy had gone and bring him back to Hogwarts, so he could guarantee that he knew where the boy was at all times. Even with Voldemort gone, he could not afford to lose the boy. His plans had not yet succeeded, after all.

London Hilton, England, July 1, 1995

“So, you’re both vampires? And Cedric changed his name to Edward? And I’m your mate- both of your mate?” Harry looked up at Jasper for confirmation of everything he had just said. When the vampire nodded, he sighed. “Well, it doesn’t look like my life was done getting complicated. If you’re both vampires, why aren’t you trying to drink my blood?”

“We’re vegetarian vampires. That’s what Carlisle calls it. And Edward here has shown better self control than I’ve ever seen in a newborn. He hasn’t shown any interest in human blood. Its quite admirable, really. I still haven’t gotten the bloodlust under control, even though I’ve been drinking animal blood for forty years. Your blood, since you are our mate, calls to us, but not to drink, not to kill you. You call to us to protect you. To keep you close.”

Harry bit his lip at that, confused. “You don’t want to harm me because I’m your mate? So my blood wouldn’t have appeal as food if I got injured or something?”

“Your blood would have appeal, yes, but most likely, if you even got a papercut, one of us would try to turn you, to keep you with us.”

“Oh.” Harry looked up at Edward, staring into his eyes for a minute before looking over at Jasper. “So why aren’t you turning me now? I mean, if I’m your mate too, wouldn’t it just make sense to turn me now, while I’m with you?”

“Um,” if he could blush, Jasper would. Instead, he cleared his throat awkwardly. “A vampire relationship is a bit more complicated than just turning our mates. If I turned you now, you would be forever fourteen. And that would complicate the sexual aspect of a mateship.” He stopped as he felt the embarrassment pouring off of Harry, smiling in sympathy. “In the interest of remaining, um, legal, in our actions, we cannot turn you until you’re seventeen, at least. Then you and Edward would be the same age and I would be a year older, as far as the humans would know. It is less complicated that way.”

Harry nodded, his cheeks flaming red in embarrassment. “Yeah, I guess that makes sense. Right. So, just over two years before you change me, then. What happens when you change me? Where do we go? Are we going to stay here until then so that I can finish Hogwarts? Or are we leaving now?”

“Whoa there, Harry. Slow down.” Edward moved from where he had been standing against the wall and joined Harry on the couch, putting a hand on the boy’s knee. “Give Jasper a few minutes to explain. I’m sure he’ll tell you everything, but he can’t tell it all at once.”

Before Jasper could explain, a small black-haired vampire ran into the room and grabbed Jasper’s arm. “Jasper, you need to get out of here now. Take Harry and run. Go to France. Someone is looking for him and they’re almost here. Go!”

In the next instant, Harry was being picked up in Jasper’s arms as Edward grabbed his trunk. Harry closed his eyes so he didn’t have to see the stairs going by at the speed Jasper was running, only opening them again once Jasper slowed down a little. Jasper opened the door to his rental car in the hotel garage, putting Harry in the backseat before gunning it, pealing out of the garage the moment Edward managed to get into the car.

“What did she see, Edward?” Jasper looked over at his mate, concern written all over his face.

“Dumbledore. He’s in charge of Hogwarts. He was about to come into the hotel and take Harry back to his aunt and uncle’s house. She saw Harry being taken, and then there was a giant man beating him.” Edward looked into the backseat, growling when he saw the scared look on Harry’s face. He climbed into the backseat and gathered his frightened mate in his arms, rubbing his back. “Don’t worry, Harry. We won’t let anything happen to you. We’re going to keep you safe, I promise.”

Harry nodded against Edward’s chest and curled up closer, allowing the larger boy to ease his fear. When Jasper looked back in the mirror and saw his mates curled up together, he smiled. Soon, they would be in France, and Alice would meet them. Then, they could take Harry back with them to America and protect him.

Headmaster’s Office, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, July 30, 1995

“Albus, there’s been no sign of the boy for almost a month. He isn’t in England anymore. Perhaps it is time to cut our losses. Its obvious that the boy won’t be returning. He already killed the Dark Lord, Albus, it is time to let him go.”

“No, Minerva. I’m afraid I cannot do that. Harry Potter is still needed. There are Death Eaters to round up still. The threat is not gone. No, far from it. Without Harry Potter, the Wizarding World will give up, they will not continue to fight the Death Eaters. He’s their symbol of hope, after all.” Albus popped a lemon drop in his mouth and looked at the silver sphere that represented Harry Potter’s life force. The boy was still alive. He could tell that much. Beyond that, he had no idea where the boy was, who he was with.

When he’d arrived at that Muggle hotel a month ago, he’d expected to find young Harry trying to rent a room for himself. It was no secret that Harry did not get along with his Muggle relatives, he was constantly trying to convince Albus to allow him to remain at Hogwarts. Albus simply thought that Harry had decided not to go back to his relatives’ house, and, not knowing much about the Muggle world, tried to rent a hotel room despite his age. Instead, he found the hotel room completely empty, not a single person in sight. When he’d scanned the room for magical signatures, he’d found Harry and three strangers.

Now, he was convinced that the boy had been kidnapped. Somehow, he’d managed to keep it out of the Daily Prophet, but the boy’s fifteenth birthday was the next day, and when his friends didn’t hear from him, there would be questions. Questions Albus didn’t have the answer to. He needed to find Harry and bring him back. The boy was a symbol of hope and peace, the Wizarding World needed him. Nothing beyond the needs of the public should matter.

He would find Harry Potter. Somehow.

Mesabi Range, Minnesota, July 31, 1995

Harry groaned as he rolled over in his bed, staring at the ceiling. It had taken them almost a month to find a place cloudy enough that they could stay there without the vampires being discovered, yet far enough away from any form of magical government that Harry would remain undiscovered by those searching for him. But finally, they had found a small town near Duluth, a town with barely five hundred people in it. Since it was a logging town, Carlisle, Jasper’s father, had been able to come in under the guise of being the new doctor for the loggers.

Harry stared up at the white ceiling of his room, thinking about how much his life had changed in just a month. Before Edward had showed up at Kings Cross, he’d been depressed, mourning his lost friend, and he hadn’t seen a point in continuing anything. He still couldn’t live with Sirius because he was a wanted criminal, his relatives still hated him, and the one boy he had ever had a crush on was dead. Now, he didn’t see it that way at all, not anymore.

Now, he had Jasper and Edward, both of them his mates, and both of them his friends. Now he had the rest of the Cullen family too. Carlisle and Esme had immediately took him in when they first arrived, showering him with the affection he had been craving for so long. Alice was always trying to use him as her dress up toy, buying him more clothes than he could possibly need in one lifetime. Emmett liked having someone younger around the house, someone who was interested in doing things other than just studying. Quite often, the two of them could be found planning a prank of some sort or other. Even Rosalie liked him, in her way. She wasn’t completely rude to him, which was all Harry really expected.

Overall, Harry was happy. He had a family, for the first time in his life. And it was everything a family should be. A knock on his door interrupted his thoughts, and before he could sit up fully, Alice and Edward were in his room, pulling him out of bed.

“Happy Birthday Harry!” Alice chimed, pulling him towards his closet and flinging the doors open, looking for something for him to wear. As she pushed through the outfits she had bought him in the last month, Harry smiled, laughing.

“Happy Birthday.” Harry looked up at Edward, taking in the eyes that were mostly amber now, just a small ring of red remaining. He leaned against his mate, coaxing Edward into hugging him. “Jasper had to go hunt this morning, but he’ll be back soon, and we’re taking you out. Just the three of us.”

“It’ll be cloudy all day, even in Minneapolis. You should take him there. You’ll have great fun.” Alice pulled Harry out of Edward’s arms, thrusting a bundle of clothes into his hands. “Go shower and put these on. And brush your hair. Rosalie and I will do something with it so it isn’t a complete mess before you leave. Now go. You have twenty minutes before I send Emmett in after you, and you don’t want to be caught unaware by him.”

Harry laughed and headed into his bathroom to start his morning ablutions.

Mall of America, Minneapolis, Minnesota, July 31, 1995

“Jasper, can we ride any of the rides? Please? I’ve never been on a roller coaster before.” Jasper looked down at his younger mate, taking in the pleading eyes before he nodded. Harry grinned and ran over to the ticket booth, standing in the line impatiently.

“I’m glad we took him instead of allowing him to go back to his family,” Edward looked over at Harry, smiling at the boy. “I remember, from when I was human, I always thought that he seemed sad around the end of the year, like he didn’t want to leave Hogwarts. And he was always so tiny, so skinny. I just didn’t realize what it meant, the way he looked.”

“No one did, Edward. Or, if they did, they didn’t think it was important enough to tell someone, to help him. But he’s with us now, and he won’t be going back to England until long after everyone who remembers him is gone. I won’t let anyone take him from us.”

Edward nodded and watched Harry weave through the crowd to get back to them. The boy would never be tall, his formative years had lacked the nutrition that he needed to grow. But Harry was healthy now. Healthier than he’d looked at Hogwarts, and Edward could almost guarantee he was healthier than he’d been since his parents had died. His green eyes gleamed with happiness, darting around like he couldn’t wait to take everything in. His hair, which had been long during the year anyhow, fell just past his shoulders, framing his face. Harry was losing a bit of James Potter’s looks as he aged, growing into his own body until he looked like a fair mixture of both of his parents, rather than a clone of just one. All in all, Harry Potter was one gorgeous fifteen year old, and everyone noticed.

All around them, Muggles were staring at Harry, the girls wanting to be him, the guys wondering what boy would want to come to a mall with his guy friends. Every single one of them envied him though, it was obvious from their thoughts. Edward growled as the thoughts of one girl slipped into a more lewd thought process, mentally undressing Harry as he skidded to a stop in front of Jasper. No one was allowed to think about his mate that way. No one. He pulled Harry close to his side, kissing the boy’s forehead before glaring at the girl. She squeaked and ran off, her thoughts running wild. Some people should not be gifted with an imagination.

“Did you scare off the big bad teenage girl for me, Edward?” Harry looked up at him and chuckled, his eyes twinkling. “My hero, always scaring off the evil girls before they can have their way with me.”

“You’re mine.” Edward was growling and he knew it, but he couldn’t help it. He hated when people were thinking about Harry like that. Harry belonged to him and Jasper. Before he could continue, a wave of calm ran over him, and he looked over at Jasper gratefully, releasing Harry. “I just don’t like the things that they think about you. You’re only fifteen and half of them think the most disgusting things in the world, things they want to do to you. I can’t let that happen.”

“And it won’t.” Edward looked up at Jasper, leaning in to the hand that was placed on his shoulder. “No one is going to take Harry from us. Now, let’s go have a fun day. It is his birthday, after all. He deserves some fun.”

Three hours later, Jasper would regret letting Harry ride the roller coasters. He and Edward had gone to one of the kiosks to buy Harry some food, leaving Harry in line for another roller coaster. Edward was keeping an eye on Harry as best he could, but the crowds of adults taller than his mate made it a challenge. One minute, he’d have a glimpse of messy black hair, the next it would be gone. When they heard a blood-curdling scream, Jasper dropped the money and pretzel he had just bought, and they took off, heading for their mate.

When they found Harry, he was surrounded by a group of tall boys, one of whom had Harry’s shirt bundled in his fist, lifting their mate off the ground and shaking him. Harry’s lip was split and the bully’s knuckles held a trace of his blood on them. Jasper slipped behind the boy, tapping him on the shoulder.

“What do you think you’re doing with him?” His eyes darkened slightly as he glared at the boy. He pushed a feeling of dread into the group of boys, smiling darkly when each of them started to shake slightly. “Put him down.”

As soon as Harry was lowered to the ground, Edward grabbed him, checking to make sure that his lip wasn’t hurt too badly. Jasper looked at the group of boys, malice shining in his gaze. “Now, what is it my boyfriend has done to make you feel that manhandling him was warranted?”

The bully backed away from Jasper instinctively, gathering his group of friends around him. When it became apparent that Jasper was waiting for an answer, he swallowed. “Misunderstanding. We thought he was someone else. Honest mistake.”

“He’s lying,” Edward spoke up, Harry huddled against his side. “They ganged up on Harry because he was next in line and they were sick of waiting. They wanted him to give up his spot so they could all get on the ride together.”

The bullies swallowed again as Jasper turned his furious gaze on them. A small hand reached out, touching his back, and Jasper calmed. Rather than reacting to the boys, Jasper turned to his mates, throwing a cold “Leave” over his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around both Edward and Harry, pulling them out of the mall to the parking lot.

After they were ensconced in the car, Jasper looked at Harry, smiling a bit. “We shouldn’t have left you alone. I apologize. We’ll make it up to you. Does your lip hurt?”

Harry shook his head even as he pressed a finger to the cut, wiping the blood away. “Does the blood distract you? I mean- is it a temptation?”

“Your blood does not make us hungry, Harry. It makes us more protective of you, if anything. Our only concern is for your safety.” Edward reached over and wiped the cut, smiling. “When we see you injured, we want nothing more than to protect you, to keep you safe. Right now, our instincts are screaming at us to get you back home, where we know that you won’t be hurt any further.”

Harry nodded in understanding and closed his eyes, leaning against the back of his seat. “So we’re going home, where Alice and Esme will see my cut and freak out, then Carlisle will fuss over me, and once everyone is sure that I’m okay, we’ll finally have that cake that I know Esme was making this morning. Well, I’ll have the cake. I don’t suppose any of you are actually interested in cake. But it smelled good.”

Edward and Jasper both chuckled at their mate. “No, we aren’t interested in the cake. But we’ll enjoy watching you eat it. And don’t forget, Alice was in charge of your party. I’m sure she’s decorated the entire house by now. And she probably has something extravagant planned, just for you.”

They chuckled again at Harry’s groan before Jasper turned his attention to weaving in and out of traffic, avoiding the other cars as he headed back to the safety of their home.
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Failure to Communicate