Moonspell (Harry Potter/Twilight Crossover)

Chapter Twenty-One:

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE:

"Well, what do you want to do?" Edward countered, and I shot him a droll look. He smiled. "Okay, how about we start with a tour?"

"A tour sounds good." I nod. He held out his hand, and I accepted it, and he led me up the massive staircase. I let my fingers trail along the satin-smooth handrail, enjoying the feel of my other hand in his. The long hall at the top of the stairs was paneled with a honey-colored wood, the same as the floorboards. It was lovely, there were really no other words to describe it.

"Rosalie and Emmett's room... Carlisle's office... Alice and Jasper's room..." he gestured as he lead me past the doors. He would have continued, but I stopped dead at the end of the hall, a burst of laughter escaping me as I catch sight of the ornament hanging on the wall above my head. Edward's lips curved into a grin. "I suppose it is kind of funny," he said, "it is ironic."

"Just a tad," I agree, eyeing the large wooden cross. "How old is it?"

"Early sixteen-thirties." Edward shrugs. "More or less."

"Let me guess- a keepsake from the past?" I mused. Edward nodded.

"It belonged to Carlisle's father."

"Which makes Carlisle over three hundred and fifty years old," I ponder, out loud, "assuming that his father wasn't a collector of antiques, that is." I add, smiling slightly at the thought. Wow, that would be embarrassing. Edward eyes me thoughtfully.

"You're right- Carlisle just celebrated his three hundred and sixty-second birthday." The Ravenclaw in me pushed to the front, then, and I could basically feel my face light up.

"The things he must have seen! That was during Cromwell's rule, right?"

"No, just before." Edward said, a curious sort of smile on his face.

"What?" I ask, crossing my arms, somewhat defensively, "why are you looking at me like that?"

"You never cease to surprise me, Bella." He admits, "the way you've accepted all of this... the way you just take it all in your stride, like it's such an everyday occurrence... I thought that your first reaction to learning Carlisle's age would be shock, but no," he pauses and chuckles, "no, you're, well, curious. And not even about immortality, you just want to know everything he's seen, experienced."

I shift slightly, biting my lip, fully aware of his scrutiny. Okay, maybe I should have reacted with a bit more surprise. Or a lot more. It was just hard, when I knew that for a vampire, Carlisle really wasn't that old. There were vampires out there that were thousands of years old. "What can I say? I'm just unpredictable like that." I say, finally, smiling at him.

"You are," Edward muses, "you really, truly are."

"You should be glad. Predictable is boring." I inform him. "So, is Carlisle the oldest in your family?"

"Yes," Edward nods, before flashing me a grin, "and I'm third oldest."

"Did Carlisle turn you?" Is my next question, and he hesitates for a moment before answering.

"Yes. He... it was during the influenza epidemic. He was working nights in a hospital in Chicago and I was left in a ward with the dying. He had nursed my parents, and knew I was alone. So... he decided to try." His voice trailed off, and he stared ahead, unseeingly. I gently touched his shoulder, bringing him back to the present.

"You know, you can tell me to butt out." I tell him.

"After my inquisition of you? It's only fair that you have a few questions of your own." He smiles.