CHAPTER SEVENTEEN:

Monday morning I was awake before dawn and utterly exhausted, with bags under my eyes that rivaled a vampire's. Two of my housemates had been confirmed dead on Potterwatch over the weekend, and I felt like a wreck. I couldn't sleep, I couldn't eat– it was like there was this vice in my chest that was getting tighter and tighter, making it harder and harder to breathe.

Charlize asked me at breakfast how I was, concern painted clearly on her face. I shrugged and answered her honestly. "I can't eat and I can't sleep, mom. I'm not doing well in terms of being a functional human, you know."

This, of course, didn't help matters at all, and I was barely able to convince her to let me go to school. I wouldn't have even fought it so hard if I didn't want to see Edythe so desperately. 

I ended up as one of the last people to arrive, just in time for class. Waste of time that turned out to be, though, as I couldn't concentrate on my teachers at all, all I could do was fight off the alternating bouts of drowsiness and anxiety.

Lunchtime couldn't have come quick enough, and I escaped to the library, curling up amongst the book stacks. It was there Edythe found me, like I knew she would.

As she walked around the corner my whole body jolted slightly, and I felt my cheeks warm in response to her presence. She looked beautiful, her hair coiled up in a messy twist with a few strands loose around her face. "Hello Beau," she greeted me, gracefully sliding down so she was sitting cross-legged beside me.

"Hey Edythe." I greeted her back. She hesitated for a few seconds, before speaking.

"I'm sorry I left so abruptly on Friday night after kissing you." She said, apologetically. "I needed to go..." her lovely pink mouth pursed slightly as she tried to figure out wording that wouldn't send me running and screaming in terror.

"Hunt." I supplied for her, with a small but real smile. My first real smile since Friday night. Edythe smiled ruefully.

"Yes, I didn't want to..." she hesitated again and I couldn't help myself.

"Play with fire."

Edythe rolled her eyes. "I didn't want to hurt you, Beau." She said, reaching out to trail her fingertips along the line of my jaw and I felt my cheeks heat up.

It was she who initiated the kiss again, leaning forwards slowly and pressing her lips to mine. "Edythe," I breathed, my mouth moving against hers.

"Beau," she mumbled back, "Beau..." the way she said my name, the reverence she said it with, the tone of wonder, did funny things to my chest and Beau Jr was starting to take interest in what was going on. Eventually, oxygen became an issue and I had to pull back, taking big, deep breaths.

"So... I guess that means Friday wasn't a one off thing." I said. I meant it as a joke but Edythe's mouth immediately turned down unhappily.

"And that's the problem, is it not?" She said, quietly.

"Only if you let it be a problem."

"I'm not human, Beau. I'm not good for you." She said, and her voice was agonized again.

"That makes two of us." I replied, reaching out to hold her hand in my own. "I'm not good for you either, Edythe. But life is precious. I," I paused and swallowed, "I learned this weekend that some old classmates of mine passed away." I said, grief twisting my voice as I admitted it out loud. "And it hurts, god it hurts, but it really made me realise that I have a choice here– I can accept that a relationship between us is dangerous and that the safest thing for us both is to just forget we ever kissed. Or I can choose to be happy, and you make me happy, Edythe. You make me feel alive. And I'm going to fight for that. I'm going to fight for you. I don't care that it's a risk, a dangerous one. I just care about you."

Edythe was staring at me as I finished my speech. It hadn't been something I'd prepared, just something that had come tumbling out when I realised she was withdrawing from me, ready to run from our burgeoning relationship like we both should be. But I didn't want to run anymore.

Life was fragile and it was precious. I knew seeing Edythe, having a relationship with her, would be dangerous for both of us. But I was pretty sure I loved her, and I was starting to realise that whatever the cost of this relationship might be, it would be worth it. She was worth it.

"Alright," Edythe said, soft and sudden. Her eyes met mine and I could see acceptance in them, as well as something else, something warm. "Alright." She repeated. "Let's try this."

And then she leaned forwards and kissed me. This kiss was much gentler then before, softer, but the fire it lit in me was just as fiercely burning. When we pulled apart her eyes were very soft, though she gave me a considering look.

"Why aren't you at the cafeteria?"

I blinked. "Um, what?"

"The cafeteria. I tried finding you there but you never showed up. Why?" Edythe asked.

"Really?" I asked, with a slight wince, "we just kissed and that's the first thing you say?" Edythe's expression turned apologetic. I forgave her instantly.

"I'm sorry, Beau," she said, ever so earnestly. "It's just... I have so many questions and I'm so used to being able to just hear the answers." I frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"Well... you see... I can hear people's thoughts." She admitted, slightly sheepish.

"What?" I gasped, my eyes widening, panic racing through me. Merlin's hairy arse! What had she been hearing in my mind? I wondered, frantically.

"Relax, Beau!" Edythe quickly intervened in my panic, lifting up both her hands in an 'I surrender' position, like she couldn't just lean forwards and break my neck with them in the space of a heartbeat, before I even realised she was moving. "I can read people's thoughts, all people's," Edythe said, "except for yours."

"Oh thank Morgana," I said, relief flooding me as I relaxed by slumping back slightly. Edythe's mouth twisted into a wry smile.

"It's infuriating. I've run across people with foggy minds before– your mother is one of them– but never a mind that is completely blank, not even just flashes. It's unbelievably frustrating."

That made me pause and wonder. Was it a natural defense Wizarding kind have against vampires? I'd never read anything about it, though I had read about how when a vampire was Turned, some of them gained certain special abilities, or 'Gifts'. Or super powers, I supposed you could call them.

Actually, it was interesting to hear that Charlize was the same– or at least similar– to me. It made me think that I'd found out which parent my magic came from (though I really shouldn't be surprised it wasn't Reese)– one of Charlize's ancestors must have been a witch or wizard, or a squib maybe, if she possessed enough latent magic for her to protect her mind.

"So am I going to get my answer?" Edythe's amused voice broke me from my thoughts and I jolted slightly.

"Sorry, what?"

"Why aren't you eating in the cafeteria?"

"Oh. Well I'm hiding from McKayla and Erica." I admitted. Edythe immediately laughed.

"They are very–" she paused, searching for a word, "keen to learn all about Friday night."

"Apparently my gayness is irrelevant if you are the female in question I'm spending time with." I agreed, with an irritated sigh. "They're both convinced we're dating."

"Are we?" Edythe asked, something unfathomable in her eyes.

"Oh." I said, in a somewhat stunned realisation. It felt like it had really only just hit me. "They're right, aren't they? We are dating. Blessed Rowena, I'm dating a vampire." Oh bugger, Gordy was going to kill me.

"You're going to have to face McKayla in Biology," Edythe pointed out. "You may as well go eat. You don't eat enough anyway." I fought the urge to fidget. So Edythe had noticed my less then stellar health, and rather lacking appetite. I wasn't exactly surprised.

"Fattening me up?" I tried to deflect. "I think you need to revisit Vampire 101 about just what part you're supposed to eat." Edythe gave me a particularly unimpressed look.

"More jokes?" She said, archly. I just shrugged because I honestly couldn't tackle food right now and she sighed. "Fine. It's a good thing I don't actually need to eat. Now only one of us has to starve." She said, darkly. I rolled my eyes at her and turned my attention back to what I'd been doing before she'd found me. She looked curiously over at what I was reading. "Studying for Biology?" She asked.

"I have to study ahead for, like, two hours before every lesson if I want to understand what the professor is talking about." I admitted.

"'Professor'?" Edythe asked, amused. I winced slightly at the slip of the tongue, but she didn't seem to be pay any attention to it outside of the light mocking. Instead she was looking over my Biology work, a considering look on her face. "You know, I must have done this Biology course at least a dozen times now," she mused. "I could teach it if I really wanted. And my students would do fantastically."

"Are you offering to tutor me?" I asked, surprised. She flashed me a smile.

"Depends. Prepared to learn from a girl?"

"Don't get caught up in antiquated gender roles, Edythe," I said, mock-sternly, remembering her words from the night before. She laughed, visibly delighted.

"Very well." She said, before grinning. "Feel free to call me Professor."

Professor Cullen... now that– that brought a lot of images to mind that made me very glad she couldn't read my mind. Of course, by the glint in her gold eyes I had the feeling she knew very well what I was thinking anyway.

"McKayla plans on asking you if I've asked you to the dance," Edythe commented, a few minutes before the bell that signalled the end of lunch was due to ring. "I thought I'd give you some advanced warning." She added, smiling at me like butter wouldn't melt in her mouth and she wasn't unfairly amused by all this.

"But why?" I asked, surprised and frustrated. "I've already told her that it doesn't matter who asks or if I have a partner or not; dances are not my thing and I'm not going."

Edythe's face stayed amused for a few moments, before turning a mixture of serious and curious. "If I'd asked you, would you have turned me down?" She asked, curiously.

I thought about it for a few seconds, before answering honestly. "Yes, probably. Sorry."

"Don't apologise," she said, amused. "You really don't like dances, do you?" I pulled a face.

"I used to be the world's biggest klutz when I was younger," I told her. "I couldn't walk across a flat surface without finding something to trip over." I half smiled, half grimaced at the memories, "I grew out of it, to an extent, but when it comes to dancing I've got two left feet." The Slug Club could attest to this. As could Harri, the one who'd taught me duelling basics in the DA, the movements of which could be painfully similar to dance steps– and yes, I meant painfully.

"Hence telling the student body you're gay." Edythe said. "And when that didn't work, the whole going to Seattle story."

"Exactly." I nodded.

"What about we actually do it?" Edythe suggested. "Not the dance," she quickly clarified, likely due to the expression on my face, "Seattle. Why don't we actually drive in?"

"Huh," I said, surprised by her suggestion. "Um... I suppose that could be fun?" Edythe looked amused.

"I feel like I should be insulted by how insincere you sound." My cheeks went splotchy as I flushed in embarrassment.

"It's not the spending time with you part that I'm... less then enthusiastic about," I told her, "it's the actual driving up to Seattle part. I'm really not a fan of long drives." I was far too used to the instantaneous transportation the Wizarding world favoured. Edythe gave me a considering look.

"How about we do something different then?" She asked.

"Are you... are you asking me out, Edythe?" I asked, once my brain started working again. "Like, on a date?"

"Yes." She said breezily, not having any trouble admitting it. "Will you?"

I took less then a second to think it over– obviously my answer was yes– then narrowed my eyes at her.

"I have one condition." She obligingly arranged her face in a pretend-serious expression.

"Name your terms."

"I drive." Her perfect eyebrows drew together in confusion.

"Why?" She asked, sounding genuinely surprised by my demand.

"Your driving frightens me." I admitted, and she sighed loudly.

"Of all the things about me that could frighten you, you worry about my driving." She shook her head in disbelief.

"What? You don't just break the speed limits, you obliterate them! I don't care how good your reflexes are– if your stupid shiny car wraps itself around a tree, you'll just walk away. Me on the other hand– well, that's not exactly how I plan to die."

Edythe groaned. "Fine. You can drive, but I refuse to go in your truck so I hope you can drive a Volvo."

"I can." I said, hoping that was true. "Where do you want to go then?"

"Well, the weather will be nice, so I'll be staying out of the public eye... and you can stay with me, if you'd like to."

"I think I can manage to force myself to suffer through the horror of your presence." I told her, keeping my face as straight as possible. She laughed, golden eyes light and dancing with mirth.

"I'm glad."

The bell went off then and I stood quickly, gathering up my textbooks.

"Let's go test the success of my tutoring." Edythe said.

"Uh, in a moment," I said, checking my watch. "I don't want to be early." Edythe arched a questioning eyebrow and I smiled sheepishly. "I'm still avoiding McKayla." I admitted.

She just laughed.