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XI

I sat next to Paul in his truck, the only sound between us being his heavy breaths and my own cracking knuckles, something I did quite often when I was anxious.
"I'm sorry." I whispered, after I cleared my throat from the bile that was climbing it and his eyes snapped to me.
"This is not your fault." Paul promised reassuringly. "I promise. I'm not in any way mad at you. I'm gunna tear that fucker limb from limb," he growled and a tear fell from my face. I was scared. Paul may be a werewolf, but Draco was a wizard. And as much as I hate to say it, Draco was pretty powerful. His lessons about Dark Arts first had from his father were definitely not going to play in my favor here.
Yet a part of me was infuriated. I just fought in a war. I saw my best friends die... I can't even be with my imprint without someone from my past popping up and ruining this.
"We'll get through it, Mere. I promise you."
Paul spoke and parked his truck. I opened my eyes, closing them from trying not to cry, and saw we were parked at a small wooden house. I guess I must have been in my own world for more than a few seconds.
I smiled at it. It was something I could see myself in one day. It wasn't super big, but I could just feel the memories. It had house plants galore, which I loved, and it...
He looked at me. "Come on. There's someone I want you to meet."
I stood from the car, hopping slightly to the soft ground.
The purity was strong here and I loved it. I could feel the connection of every string of nature. Every spirit warrior, every leaf, every bird... it was purifying. I could feel the energy crawling up to me from the earth by my shoes.
I smiled to myself as Paul outstretched his hand towards me, urging for me to catch up, and I took it. I smiled as we walked inside the small house.
"Emily? Sam?"
"Paul?" A woman's voice called.
"Meredith?" That voice was distinguishable as Sam. That was a voice I'd know from anywhere.
"Meredith," Sam smiled when he saw me. "Emily, meet Meredith. Meredith, this is my imprint, Emily. This is Paul's imprint."
I smiled at the woman. I knew not to stare at her scars, though she was still a beautiful woman even with them. When you've gone through all that I've gone through, scars to the face aren't a big deal.
"Hi," I smiled at her and she pulled me into a hug.
"So you're the girl Paul can't shut up about," she laughed as we released.
"Sam I need to talk to you outside. It's about..." he trailed off and Sam nodded.
"Meredith can help me with some baking. You boys need more muffins. They'd last longer if you'd all stop inhaling them," Emily smirked as the boys walked outside. Emily turned to me with an excited and happy smile. "Well, Meredith. Would you like to help me make muffins?"
I nodded and let out a slightly relieved smile. "Yeah. I'd love to."
I need to learn to cook, at least for Paul. He doesn't need pizza and takeout Chinese food to clog his arteries.
God, I sound like Bella when she first started to get Dad to eat normal food. I came back from school after Dumbledore's death before I left my family to see Bella cooking. I mean from what I heard, Mom was shit at cooking, so I guess Bella needed to learn some survival skills.
We stood in a comfortable silence as I stirred the liquids in one bowl and Emily happily stirred the dry ones in another bowl. "So Paul and the other boys all told me that you had all been friends as kids?"
I smiled at the memories. "When our parents got divorced when Bella and I were babies, my mom couldn't afford to take both of us so when Dad would get Bella for three weeks in the summer, I went to Phoenix to spend time with my mom. Since Charlie is friends with a lot of the tribe, I spent a lot of weekends down here. The boys taught me how to skateboard. Paul was my first kiss."
Emily stopped. "Wait. What?"
I laughed with a small smile. That wasn't a memory I had thought of in a long time. "I had come back from Hogwarts after my fourth year. I was fourteen, to turn fifteen that coming October. Bella hadn't come to see Dad and Dad went on a hunting and fishing trip with Henry Clearwater. So, I crashed on Billy's couch for the weekend. We all snuck out at like two in the morning to go to this secret spot we all had as a kid and we all played truth or dare. My dare was to kiss Paul."
"From what I know about Paul and form what I'm getting to know about you, you aren't the kind of people to give up on dares, are you?"
I laughed a little and shook my head. "A part of me was mad at Embry for telling us to kiss. It was a little awkward, until the two of us had forgotten about it. But now I'm glad. Paul is my imprint. I just wish I didn't have to drag him into all this bullshit with my psychopathic ex-boyfriend."
Emily shrugged. "You tried, Meredith. You did your best to separate the two. I can tell you already love Paul and that's what's keeping him from going and killing that psychopath. He knows that even though you hate him, that weird albino kid means something to you. Even if you'd never admit it."
I was silent. Was it wrong that I hated how right she was? I hope not.
Her tan hand settled on my pale shaking one, stilling it from mixing the batter of the muffins. "You have my blessing."
I was shocked at Emily's kindness. She had known me for all of, what, seven, eight minutes and she had already given her blessing. I took her into a hug. This hug had a lot more meaning than the last one did. Emily is an amazing person. I can feel the kindness and gentleness through her soul and aura. I believe we will be friends in the future.