PROLOGUE-

CLICK

"Cedric!"

It was dark outside. The sky was an inky black that lent itself to the scene of a horror movie. It was disturbed only by the flash of green.

CLICK

"Crucio!" Riddle shouted, voice filled with rage.

My body convulsed and I felt needles and knives and pins being pushed into every surface of my skin. Suddenly it stopped and I was left trembling, tears running silently down my face as I pushed myself back up.

CLICK

Golden light danced above my head and beautiful music filled my ears as I faced off against Riddle. Beads of energy pushed their way up the link to his yew wand and I could see a starburst of magic as they met the tip.

CLICK

Cedric stood before me, pale and translucent. My heart ached. He had stepped in front of the curse meant for me. I was supposed to be dead right now.

"Take my body back, Hazel. Please," Cedric pleaded. "Tell my father that I love him."

Tears streamed my face and I nodded.

His pale hand reached to me before dropping back to his side. "This was my choice. Don't blame yourself."

CLICK

There was a sensation of spinning, then a thud. I clutched Cedric's body close.

"He's back," I choked out before I fell to the depths of unconsciousness.

CLICK

CHAPTER 1-

Hazel POV-

I breathed deeply in and out for a few moments, hoping to somehow gather myself before entering the building before me. I hiked my backpack on my shoulder and stepped into the office. It was mostly empty save a computer and a secretary or some such person behind it. A single poster adorned the wall with the bell schedule printed across it.

"Hello?" the desk lady called. "How can I help you, dear?"

She was dressed in a simple workaday outfit, slacks and a blue button up shirt, with a pair of horn-rimmed glasses perched atop her nose.

"My name is H-Azalea Black. I'm new," I trailed off.

"Oh, yes. Here you go," she held out a pink slip of paper. My schedule. "and here are your books."

I glanced over my schedule and saw a locker number and combination written at the top. Below that was the list of my classes.

Period 1 (8:50-9:40) College Algebra

Period 2 (9:46-10:41) World History AP

Period 3 (10:47-11:37) English Lit.

Period 4 (11:43-12:33) Lunch

Period 5 (12:39-1:29) Creative Writing

Period 6 (1:35-2:25) French IV AP

Period 7 (2:31-3:20) Biology II AP

After attending Hogwarts for years, getting around this tiny school in six minutes would be breezier than a tornado. Once I figured out exactly where I was supposed to be going, that is. I glanced down at my watch and saw that it was half an hour into third period.

I ducked into the classroom as soon as I found it and calmly handed the teacher the pass the desk lady had given me before I left. After stating my name and origins I was able to retreat to a desk in the back of the room. The rest of that class passed by quickly with the bell ringing to signal my lunch period. I stopped by at the assigned locker and dropped off my books before heading into the cafeteria.

Lunch was an easy choice of an apple and a cheeseburger. Granted I would be chucking the burger in the nearest bin, but I took a brown pop to go with my apple. I seated myself at the base of a tree on the lawn and began to eat. I had felt a slight stirring against my Occlumency shields and was mentally strengthening them when a group of five people walked towards the cafeteria doors.

I looked up and gasped. My shields dropped and the graveyard scene flashed before my eyes.

"Cedric," I breathed.

Tears gathered as I gazed with wide eyes at the guy staring back at me. He had the same messy brown hair, the same chiseled features, and the same golden brown eyes. I shook my head as my tears finally started leaking from my eyes.

"No," I gasped. "No."

I stood, completely abandoning my lunch, and picked up my book bag. Without glancing back I raced for the nearest restroom, slamming shut the stall and slumping against the door. I sobbed and sobbed, finally getting control of myself a few minutes before the next class.

The rest of my classes that day were a blur. A short pixie of a girl, Alyssa or Alice or something along those lines, attempted to draw me out during French, but gave up after I just stared at her.

I breathed a sigh of relief as I was about to enter Biology. This was it. Just this class and I was free to go home and cry my eyes out. That thought firmly in my head, I stepped over the threshold and walked to the teacher's desk with my head held high.

"Class, please welcome Miss Azalea Black. She is joining us from an exclusive boarding school in the Scottish Highlands. Miss Black," he addressed me, "if you will have a seat with Mr. Cullen in the back. I'm afraid that's our only empty space." With that, he nodded to an empty seat in the back and resumed his position behind his desk, taking roll as he sat.

Not paying attention, I just turned down the aisle and sat automatically. I glanced up to see who my lab partner would be and promptly froze. My shields slipped as I thought the name Cedric, but then I slammed them back up as forcefully as I could. I completely missed the guy wince. I did happen to catch him tense as a breeze ruffled my hair and his eyes darkened to a deep ebony black, almost as dark as my own tresses. I felt my concentration slip for a moment and my eyes flashed gold before fading back to their original, vibrant green.

The rest of that class was torture and as soon as the bell rang I was out of there like a missile.

Edward POV-

I was walking into the cafeteria with Rose, Emmett, Alice, and Jasper. Alice had been worked up all morning, stating simply, "She's coming. Today." I tried to read the information from her, but she kept thinking of annoying music every time. I resigned myself to finding out later. And boy did I find out.

As I said, I was walking into, or rather towards, the cafeteria when it happened. I sensed another mind nearby, but this was new. A new student perhaps. I couldn't quite get a read. Twisting around to find the offending person, I caught sight of a pretty brunette beneath the old oak on the front lawn. She was just finishing up her lunch, a burger sitting neglected off to the side. She had pale skin, creamy and smooth, and wild black curls falling past her slim waist. Her lips were full and red and her neck was gracefully long. She was simply breathtaking.

She looked up at that moment, as though she sensed me watching her, and her eyes met mine. They were such an intense green, like the richest of emeralds. Then her thoughts crashed into mine, carried on the breath of a single word.

"Cedric," she breathed.

There were scenes flashing in my mind of a graveyard and a boy of perhaps 17. The similarities between my self and this stranger hit me in the gut. Her intense emotions roiled through me like a storm as she fled. From me? No. She was fleeing the memories, this Cedric. I felt that suppression again as I was pulled from her mind.

"Way to go, Ed," Emmett sneered, bringing my attention back to them. "That was a nice way to make the new girl feel welcome."

Alice was beside Jasper as he breathed in and out. "Such grief," he gasped.

I remained silent. My thoughts were plagued with the new girl, Hazel, the rest of that day. I mentally breathed a sigh of relief as I sat in the back of my last class. Finally this day would soon be over.

Just as I was beginning to relax, the bell dinged and the door opened to let in one more student. I paid this no heed and tuned out Mr. Sales as I retreated into solitude. I heard footsteps coming my way, but only glanced up when I heard a soft gasp. It was the new girl. Her eyes were wide and red-rimmed and she had this haunted look about her. I prepared for the mental assault I had received earlier. I was surprised when only that name, Cedric, filtered in before a sharp pain shot behind my eyes and I was cut off from her mind once more.

My gaze locked onto hers as a slight breeze ruffled her wild curls and I tensed. She smelled…wonderful. I'm pretty sure I looked crazed and my eyes had darkened, but I simply couldn't look away. Her eyes widened and the green darkened. Shockingly, her emerald eyes flashed a golden topaz before once more settling into that green, green color. My eyes were playing tricks on me because for the slightest second I could swear her hair was a deep auburn, but it was gone before I could be sure.

The rest of that class was torture and as soon as the bell rang I was out of there like a missile.