Moonrise || Harry Potter Twilight Crossover || FanFiction

Chapter Thirty-One: Hermione's POV

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE:

Hermione's POV:

The week leading up to the battle was strained and the stress levels were running high. Even Charlie noticed it, and on Wednesday confronted Bella and I at dinnertime.

"Things have been real tense lately. You two been fightin'?" he asked over fish and chips. Bella jolted in her seat, surprised.

"What? No! Why would you think that?" she babbled, eyes wide. Charlie raised an eyebrow.

"Could you sound any less convincing if you tried?" He asked, and Bella gave a nervous laugh, and looked down at her plate, a blush rising up on her cheeks. "Didn't think so." Charlie said, with a frown. "Want to tell me what's going on?"

Bella looked at me, clearly without any ideas. I honestly didn't have any either. "Bella and I are having some differences of opinion." I told Charlie.

"About?"

"Girl stuff." Charlie scoffed at my answer.

"Trying to get out of answering the question by using the 'girl stuff' excuse?" he asked.

"Yes." I admitted.

"Okay, I'll let it slide." Charlie said, "for now. But I want you both to know you can talk to me about anything, right?"

Bella immediately looked guilty, but I smiled at him. "We know, Charlie." I told him, and the rest of dinner passed in light conversation.

-

"Darn, I hate needles." Bella muttered, wincing and glaring at the sharp needle piercing her vein.

"I'm sorry Bella." Carlisle apologized. Beside her, Edward was standing calmly.

"Are you sure this isn't bothering you?" Bella asked him, concern shining on her features, "I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

"I'm beyond that now. It doesn't bother that anymore." He said, calmly, and Bella frowned, watching him closely, as if looking for some sign of distress.

"How does it not bother you anymore?" she asks, finding no signs of what she was looking for. I agreed- Edward was breathing evenly, and didn't seem tense, despite the bead of blood that was welling around the place where the needle had pierced the vein in Bella's arm.

"I got over it." He shrugged. I eyed him incredulously, and Bella voiced the disbelief I was feeling.

"You- you got over it? How?" Edward pursed his lips, shooting me a quick glance, as he tried to find the right words to explain, and feeling uncomfortable about doing it in front of me.

"I lived through an entire twenty-four hours thinking you were dead," he said, finally, "that changed the way I look at a lot of things."

"It... changed the way I smell to you?" Bella asked, looking confused. I didn't blame her for her confusion- I was confused too.

"Not at all," Edward admitted, "but... having experienced the way it feels to think I've lost you... my reactions have changed. My entire being shies away from any course that could inspire that kind of pain again."

"Huh." Bella said, a somewhat shy smile on her face as she looked up at Edward. I looked the other way, resisting the urge to roll my eyes, letting them have their moment. I was just as lovesick about Alice, I reminded myself. I had to stop judging them when I acted the same way.

... well, I had to stop judging them where they could see it.

"Done." Carlisle announced, easing the needle out of Bella's arm, and pressing a cotton bud against the tiny pinprick. "Don't lift anything heavy or use it for any strenuous activity for a few hours." He advised Bella, as he taped the cotton bud into place.