Disclaimer: I in no way or fashion own Harry Potter, Twilight, or anything you recognize.
Summary: Hermione escapes to her mother's hometown of Forks, Washington, but as fast as she runs she can't escape her memories. Will her presence destroy a family.
Edward/Hermione or Jasper/Hermione leaning more toward Edward/Hermione because I love Alice/Jasper too much.
IN NEED OF A BETA!
I plopped down in one of the uncomfortable waiting chairs of the JFK airport; after the seven hour flight from London to New York. Now I was waiting for my next flight which also would be seven hours to Port Angeles, Washington; followed by the hour long drive to my mum's home town of Forks. My mum on many occasions told me it was the best place to go, if you just wanted solitude from the world.
'Mum,' I thought bitterly, but knew I had no right to be bitter. Sounds of laughter hit my ears interrupting my thoughts. A girl no more than the age of 10 possibly laughed as her parents entertained her, with joy in their eyes at their daughter's amusement. Another family; a mother and daughter gushed over the picture of her boyfriend, while her dad looked less than impressed with his teenage daughter's choice in companion.
Although different ages I envied both girls. I longed for what was with the younger girl and what could have been with the latter. On the other hand I feel a happy for them and for everyone in the vicinity; for they will never know what horrors could have happened to them had she and others failed. It was almost three and a half months ago that the wizard Tom Riddle who fashioned himself into the Dark Lord Voldemort fell to the will of a determined young man Harry Potter. We rejoiced that we pulled out a victory over the darkest wizard of all time and his followers, but part me wonders what did we really win. So many of us fell in battle, over an idea. An idea formed over one-thousand years ago, based on one man's thoughts that he taught to his students and others. This idea withstood time and caused wars to breakout throughout history. The mind is truly the most powerful weapon a person has.
It seems like a lifetime ago I was a normal eleven year old girl with a passion for books. I was the girl, the other kids teased, and bullied. Sure it was hurtful, but nothing compared to the pain I feel now. Let's face if I had chosen live as a muggle, I would have been rid of those who teased and taunted me within eight years. Yet when Professor Minerva McGonagall came to my home one evening speaking of a world you only find in fiction literature; I wanted in. Too bad no one informed me it came with a price tag. The price of becoming part of the wizarding world was a steep one. I paid it with a pound of flesh; and with the blood of innocence.
My first three years at Hogwarts were constantly accompanied by danger. While Harry and Ron always went galloping off, trying to save the day like American cowboys; I took the more logical approach and pulled them back from being seriously injured or hurt. Sure we had our fun during that time, but everything changed in our fourth year. At the World Cup I knew the year would be different with the appearance of the Death Eaters, and the Dark Mark. My concern grew when Harry's name was pulled and forced to participate in the Tri-Wizard Tournament. I tried to act if nothing was wrong by keeping the guys distracted with my mystery date for the Yule Ball, but nothing could have prepared me for what happened next. When Harry reappeared in the arena and screams of anguish reached my ears I knew my fears were realized. Voldemort had been resurrected and Cedric Diggory had been murdered. I knew from here on out things would never be the same. First blood was drawn, and everything was for keeps.
Our fifth years, was a mess with dimwitted ministry officials refusing to believe Voldemort was back, because of Pureblood aristocrats, and their own fear. Then there was the pink abomination Umbridge, the DA, and Harry's visions, which led him into a trap despite my warnings. Even after we contacted Kreacher, I still felt it was a trap, but Harry was determined to go to The Ministry in search of his father figure. Several things went wrong that night. One it was a trap in order for Harry to retrieve a prophesy sphere, Order member and Death Eaters exchanged fire, which led to Sirius's death, and I almost died myself. The only good things I can say happened that night was; Lucius Malfoy was exposed, and Professor Dumbledore kept Voldemort busy long enough for him to be seen by Ministry officials. Our following year was perhaps the most freighting. Even with all the disappearances and the unexplained mass deaths of the muggle world, we still tried to be teenagers but we knew; everyone knew the war was coming. We tried to keep on the rose tinted glasses, but the night our beloved Headmaster, and leader was murdered; by someone he trusted. It was someone who I always defended, even with his ill treatment; Severus Snape.
In that moment, all I wanted to do was turn tail in run. I was ready to go home and tell my parents everything, but when Harry mentioned the path Dumbledore put him on; I knew I couldn't leave Harry. He needed someone to think logically for him, who could separate themselves from their emotions. It became even more clear to me I was to stick with Harry with the reading of Dumbledore's will.
After the ambush on Bill and Fleur's wedding, the three of us pushed forward and persevered on finding Voldemort's horcruxes. It wasn't easy by any means. At times we didn't know what we were doing, but the clues Dumbledore left us were meant for me to put them together and make sense of it. I almost felt like I was failing people because I couldn't put the clues together fast enough. People continued to die each day because I couldn't see what was in front of me. I admit we got lucky on the information Kreacher told us about the locket; also luck was on our side within the bowels of Malfoy Manor when Bellatrix LeStrange thought I had been in her vault. I don't think a lot of people would have picked up on Bellatrix's uneasiness while being brutally tortured, and threated to be eaten and raped by a werewolf. After retrieving the Hufflepuff's chalice, in the most ridiculous manner, we proceeded into Hogwarts under the control of Snape. We found the other horcruxes also while participating in a fight to the death as Voldemort laid siege to the school. It almost seem surreal that students as young as 15, a hand full of adults, and magical beings held off a dark army of fully trained witches and wizards; alongside other darker creatures. When it was all over you expected the gray rain curtain to rollback, but gray remained for some of us; and an entirely new war begin.
Some purebloods sympathizers tried to downplay the war as small scrimmage. They tried to downplay the students as being rebellious. However, when most of them came under scrutiny they backpedalled. The 'adults' who let teenagers fight a war that should have been theirs, went back trying to reconstruct the ministry; with Kingsley Shackbolt at the helm.
The fall of Voldemort had been met by the majority of the wizarding world with joy; but not for everyone. For people like Andromeda Tonks, who was stripped of her family nearly let depression consume her. Her sole reason for living was for her grandson now. Narcissa Malfoy even tried to make amends with her older sister. Andromeda venomously told her "that she was no hero in the war as so many others would like to believe, and she was only trying to save her own hid." This was all done at the Order of Merlin Ceremony were Narcissa received praise for her part in bringing down Voldemort. Dora, Remus, and Ted received Order of Merlin awards which she let Teddy hold and throw around them showing they meant nothing to her. Harry, Ron, and I received Order of Merlin First Class Award along with the deceased Headmaster Snape which Harry graciously accepted on his behalf.
Celebrations, soirées, galas, all went on and we couldn't go anywhere without being hassled by press, admirers, and opportunist seeking to make allies, dates, and even marriages. Even Ron who had always wanted the limelight never wanted it at the cost of so many lives and his brother. Harry felt young for the first time in his life. He felt free. He took in what the world had to offer without death hovering over him, and without the weight of the world on his shoulders. As for me I wished I was capable of sharing in the joy, but I couldn't. A void sat where relief and happiness should have been. I felt like I could never be happy again. I instead was angry of what I and others endured; but more importantly it was what my parents endured. For all my logic and planning I never expected that Voldemort to find them. The Australian authorities told me, my parents were dead and they didn't have any leads as to why. Oh but I did; it was because of me they died. Of course everyone told me different.
I came back to London and had my parents legally declared dead, and waited for their barrister to contact me. They left me everything, not that I deserved it. My mum also left me her family home in Forks, Washington. I was also left with specific instructions on where they wanted to be buried.
Upon learning that they wanted to be buried in America, I came to realize I had no real understanding of how the muggle world worked. I had to ask the lawyer to arrange everything including how to exhume their bodies and for them flown from Australia to London to New York to Washington.
My life was a disoriented mess, which was something I wasn't use to. I needed and wanted to sort out my feelings for myself. Actually if I was honest with myself; I'd call it running away. They say war changes people well I'm getting a firsthand view of that.
I'm sad because I can't look at the world in the same way I did before; with arms wide open. I was frightened because after months it didn't look like my feeling were changing. My life seemed meaningless, devoid of the joy I once had.
What did you do when innocence was stripped away so fast? It seems as if I was fighting against an undertow that threatens to pull me under if I thought about things too long. I knew I wasn't the only one who felt like this, but everyone was reacting to it differently. It seems if I am stuck, like I have lost my right arm. I sit waiting for someone to tell me what happens next.
I let out a frustrated breath. I was still intelligent enough to recognize the signs of depression within. I just had no idea what to do about it, other than go about life as though nothing had changed, but that annoying voice inside me told me different. My life would never be the same.
Edward was heading back home from Esme's weekly shopping trip to the grocery store with Emmett, and Alice. The Cullen family lived in solitude away from everyone due to the nature of their condition. There was only one other house that was located close to which was approximately fifteen miles away from them. Esme attempted to buy the vast property, the owner refused to sell it. If frustrated her to no end because this once magnificent house was rotting away. Sure maintenance was done to the yard every month, but the house was falling apart. However today was different the maintenance crew was there except in greater number.
Edward pulled to the side of the road without his surrogate mother saying a thing. She smiled at him, before stepping out of his silver Volvo.
"Excuse me sir," she smiled at who she assumed was the boss.
Edward cringed from the car at the man's lustful thoughts when he saw Esme, while Alice hummed to herself, and Emmett played a handheld game.
"What can I do for you." he asked.
"Is this property up for sale?"
"No, ma'am we got a call from some lawyer way out yonder, telling us that the owner is coming to stay for a while. It'll be a real surprise when they find out the house isn't livable. There is rotten wood and planks all over, the roof has leaks from what I can tell, and I'm pretty sure the plumbing is screwed up."
Esme nodded surveying the damage with her superior eyesight.
"From what I understand is nobody has lived here for 25 years give or take a year, nothing a couple of thousand dollars can't fix though. "
"You don't have a contact number for the lawyer do you?" she asked smiling.
"That would be a breach of privacy wouldn't?" he said smirking letting his eyes drift over her.
Edward pulled his hands through his unruly hair, as if that would stop the man's thoughts from floating in his mind. Alice continued to hum and Emmett cursed as he played his game.
Esme put on a big smile. "That wouldn't stop a man like you would it?"
Esme trotted back to the car with number in hand. Edward pulled off. They rode in silence with the exception of Alice who kept humming and the beeps of the video game. Unexpectedly Emmett spoke.
"I'm telling Carlisle you were flirting."
Esme roled her eyes, at her son's comment, while Alice giggled inturpting her made up song.
Edward let a small smile grace his face, even with his gift to read minds. Emmett could surprise him sometimes.
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