A Little Wicked

24. Inquisition

Harry knew that if he spoke to his friends, they would insist that they accompany him, but the wizard knew better than anyone that Hermione and Ron wouldn't remain silent and tolerate the Cullens' behavior towards him, just as they would make things even more complicated than that already was: if Harry came accompanied, it would appear that he was preparing for an offensive against the vampires, when in fact it was the other way around.

He needed to go alone.

Putting the note on the bed, Harry stood for a few seconds when he saw the photo Jasper had taken of him and Edward on the beach, as well as other photos Edward and he had taken together over the months since they started dating.

Feeling the pangs of pain in his chest again, he closed his eyes as he suppressed the crying, feeling even more determined by the decision he had made.

He would talk to the Cullens, he would tell everything.

They would know who he really was, without masks, without artifice.

...

...

...

"So...? How... How is he doing?" Carlisle murmured when he saw Esme returning in the living room, just minutes after she went upstairs to an attempt at dialogue with Edward.

She shook her head, letting out her breath as she looked at her husband with a sad and frustrated expression.

"Suffering in silence, as I imagined" Esme whispered "Breaks my heart to see him like that."

"I say the same..." Carlisle sighed.

Esme frowned slightly as she stared into the void, remembering hours before she had seen Edward appear in that same room with an expression on his face that overflowed with happiness, his golden eyes sparkling passionately and full of life... In the past few months, she watched discreetly as Edward and Harry became close, seeing her son, once so disillusioned with his own existence, gaining a breath of life when he found his true mate and being in love.

Of all the immortal children she had, Edward was the closest to her, both because he was the first and because she felt that maternal concern when she saw him depressed by his loneliness over the decades. She testified how much he was filled with hope with the possibility that Isabella Swan was his chosen one, only to soon see that feeling being shattered and he suffered because of the guilt he felt for her having tragically died.

But the situation was worse now, as Edward loved Harry. Her maternal instinct felt that this would have serious consequences, but she didn't knew to point out exactly what or how that would entail.

"I have the impression..." she said and finally, looking back at them "... that we made a mistake in telling him those things."

"We talked about it, mom. He needed to know!" Jasper murmured, shrugging his shoulders as he glanced at the others.

"Not that way." Esme said seriously "I told all of you that it would be better if we talked to Harry first instead of throwing this bomb in Edward's face. I told you! When it comes to matters of the heart, you can't be acting as irresponsibly as we did."

"I understand your point, my love, I really understand..." Carlisle said calmly "But as Jasper said, he needed to know the truth. Edward was letting himself be carried away by someone who hid too many things about him, serious and dangerous things. He was going to leave us for Harry and God knows where all this was going to end."

"But the question is, what if we got it wrong?" she said looking at her husband and then at each one "All we had was a lot of superstitions from a diary written by a... Forgive me for what I'm going to say, a diary written by a sadistic fanatic with obvious mental problems."