Author's Note

Hello readers, I just wanted to inform you guys beforehand that English isn't my native tongue so I must have a lot of grammatical errors. I'm sorry in advance. And also, I have a limited vocabulary so I might go into too much detail sometimes trying to explain a certain scenario. But I do still hope you would enjoy my story, it's my precious baby. Thank you.

Disclaimer

The only thing I own is my laptop and my brain. All the characters, places, etc. are owned by J.K. Rowling and Stephenie Meyer respectively.

Pairing

Bella/Hermione/? (The ? is added for unnecessary mystery. But actually, I'm just still debating who to choose. *cries in gay* There are several possible pairing that could go well, that's why I can't figure out who is going to be endgame.

Summary (*linesfromthetrailer*)

There's a truth. Generally acknowledged, that we are all meant to escape. I escape, always, to my favorite book. I've read it so many times now the words just say themselves in my head. It's like a window opening, it's like I'm actually there. It's become a place I know so intimately. I can see that world. I can... touch it...

The Beginning - Chapter 1 - Escaping Reality..?

Hermione's P.O.V

I've had more than my fair share of near-death experiences, there were many days that I was just exhausted being the smart one. The go-to person who would have all the answers. Oh, how I wish I could spend even a day away from all the stress of this magical life. A vacation maybe, even just for a little while would be enough. But it's inevitable, pretending I didn't know magic or that I was not born a witch was just a dream. I never really confided in anyone before on my true feelings about my muggle side. I know they would never understand.

I once thought that I was a normal little girl, picturing my future was easy. Growing up, going to school, graduating, probably meeting the love of my life and getting married on a spring day. However now, I mean I could still do those, but in a completely different environment. My parents never dreamed that magic existed, so they were thrilled when they found out their child possessed such a gift. I do admit that when I first found out, I was ecstatic. It intrigued me that I could do things others couldn't. It made me feel special. Powerful. I never thought that one day I would be terrified of what I could do…

After the few years of being a witch, I started missing the other side of me that was simpler. For a while now, I kept feeling that there was something missing in my life. It confused me. I didn't know what else I was destined to do. What else is there other than magic? other than being who I am now.

Whatever it was, I always longed for that missing part of me. I wasn't sure if it was my human side or something else but I craved for it. Sometimes I fantasized what it would be like if I wasn't a witch, I used to think it was a tiresome way of living but after all that I have been through; the battles, the lost, oh how I wish I could've just been a normal girl fighting through high school. But I guess that's just the story of my life; I'm a witch that used to be human... I long for a simple life; while others probably wish they could have mine. Guess that's how it normally works, like when you're really pale, you want to be tanned, when you're blond you want to have dark hair, and when you're life is extraordinary, you just want simplicity.

Maybe I'm kidding myself. It's not like everyone feels that way but it's just how I feel. I want to be able to escape this reality and be another person. But you know, it would still be me.

If only…

*thud*

Suprised by the sudden sound, Hermione's thoughts were cut off when a glossy book had decided to fall off her bedside shelf. She sighed.

"What time was it?" she wondered as she caught a glimpse of the moon already shining through her open window

It was already 11:09 PM. Nearly midnight. Hermione slowly stood up from her bed to pick up the fallen book that might have been blown by the wind. As she was about to pick up the book she realized it was her Twilight book. She had read it so many times now, to a point where she could repeat the lines from it in her head. She really loved reading, but this was her favorite. It allowed her to be lost in her own fantasy world more times than she could count.

She smiled lightly as she returned the book to its rightful place. She proceeds back to her bed after she closed her window so that her books wouldn't be bothered anymore.

As she lightly laid back down to not wake her roommates, she took notice of the small but marking weight on her chest. Reaching inside her shirt, she tugs on the chain of her old time-turner. Its sparkling gold thread shining brightly, as she pulled out the pendant revealing a clear hourglass in a starry gold plate with its rotating inner rings. She carefully examined its features, silently reading the inscription on it.

"I mark the hours every one nor have I yet outrun the sun. My use and value unto you are gauged by what you have to do."

It was magnificent; an incredibly beautiful item. The phrase "my use and value are gauged by what you have to do." stuck to her.

Thinking back on the last time her fingers had plucked on the dials of the object, She hadn't used it for a long time. She secretly wondered if it could do things other than bring you back in time which of course alone was already a remarkable thing but still... With nothing more to do, she only continued to stare at it, she was already battling her drowsy eyes as she suddenly felt sleep taking over. Her vision was already going blurry when the writing on the outer ring of the pendant started to glow, and its inner rings were starting to rotate.

Too tired to acknowledge what was happening, disregarding it as a daydream; She finally closes her eyes as she fell into a deep sleep.

What's the worst that could happen?

In the center of a misted forest, someone was laying on the ground. Everything was silent, nothing can be heard for miles except for the soft breathing of the single person sleeping there. There were no birds or even strong wind. Just clouds, and mist, and trees.

After for what seemed like hours, Hermione finally stirred lightly, she was getting cold and uncomfortable. Her neck had a strain, thinking it was purely from her deep sleep not realizing she had been sleeping on a rock for the past hour. Groaning as she decided she wasn't sleepy anymore. She slowly sat up, eyes still closed and still oblivious to what was going on around her.

She stretched her back groggily and rubbed on the sore spot on her neck to get rid of the stiffness.

'What an annoying thing to have in the morning."

*cough*

"Why is it so cold? Did someone open the window again?"

*cough cough*

Slowly reaching for her non-existing blanket, Hermione instantly froze as she felt a coarse-y rock feeling on the tips of her fingers.

Quickly standing up; eyes also peeling open in the process. She finally takes in her surroundings.

She glances from left to right scanning the area like a mad woman but seeing no evident danger around she calmed herself.

"How did I end up here..? This place looks nothing like the forbidden forest..."

She realizes that she had been laying on the forest ground, so she brushes off the mud and leaves from her school uniform though still a bit confused.

Suddenly searching the ground around her, for anything she might have brought along with her. Seeing nothing, in particular, she decides to examine the forest instead.

After walking through the forest which seemed like it could go on forever, she finally comes across a small stream. Shortly washing her hands and face to wake herself up. As she wiped her hands on the front of her skirt, she studied how the water flowed and where it ended, she saw what looked like a road on the other side only a mile away, so decides to cross the stream. Skipping on top of the rocks that formed a small path, Hermione suddenly yelped as she almost slipped when one of the rocks suddenly sunk into the mud. Quickly collecting herself, she hopped and finally reached the other side of the stream.

A few more minutes of exploring the area, Hermione discovers a clearing and an empty road.

"Thank goodness. If I just follow this road I might come across someone."

"I wonder where I am… How did I get here... Apparating is impossible in school grounds…" she looks around. "Am I even on school grounds..?" these thoughts circled around Hermione's head as she walked the long silent road.

After a few moments of trying to recall the events of last night, Hermione sat on a boulder she saw on the side of the road to help her focus.

"Let's see, first I remember eating dinner with Harry, then going to the library reading a book about unicorn hair, finishing up my homework, then of course taking time to help Ron with his potions essay, going into the prefects bathroom to freshen up, and lastly going to bed, deciding not to change into my pajamas, which was probably a good decision since I am now in this situation… then falling asleep. That's all…"

"wait…" she suddenly said out loud, when the memory hit her.

She quickly searched in her robes for her time turner. Relief flooding her face as she discovers the chain of the necklace still around her neck and so she gradually pulled until the pendant popped out, which had the opposite effect as the blood drained from Hermione's face with what she discovered.

"Where're the sand?" eyes wide open as she gaped at the object before her.

She was shocked to find the sands of time had been drained a great amount. She learned about time-turners even before Professor McGonagall had offered her one. It was mentioned that even in the past it had NEVER been manipulated into turning back time for more than 2 days.

"Merlin's beard, what have I done. Had I clicked away on the knob last night? Why don't I remember anything… is this even possible…? I never encounter losing this much sand when I used it before."

And she was right, not only did it lose sand from the past vial which indicated it restarted the day before, but it was also missing just as much sand from the future vial as well.

"Which is impossible since this obviously does not seem to be my present."

"What does this mean? Think Hermione think… I only experienced seeing sand missing from the past side, slipping into the future making it my present, and then it would lock up so it wouldn't be overused. But it would fill up after a few minutes, which would generate a loud click sound and I would know immediately that it was unlocked & was usable again. But I had never experienced it lose from both sides before. Where did the sand go!? There's only like a couple of pinches left in here." she thought bewildered, as she shook the object.

"Oh, please don't tell me it's BROKEN…" starting to panic at the thought. But as she quickly examined it again, there were no cracks or holes. It was perfect like it was before. Except, this time the knobs seemed to be locked too tightly around its edges. Instead of losing hope, Hermione tried to calm her beating heart and massaged her temple. Still pondering on what might have caused this. She couldn't remember a history of anything like this happening.

Getting up from the boulder, she looked at her surroundings again looking from left to right for the correct way out. Then it hit her. She could apparate out of there, why not try that.

So she tried a couple of times, only to fail miserably. Sulking as she thought, "what's wrong with me? I never failed to apparate before. Maybe this place is just apparate-free. I guess I'll just have to find a way out. my own way. the normal way..."

Hermione suddenly halted in her footsteps, realization occurring to her. "I'm probably in the 'In-Between' somewhere, both from past and future, it's impossible to be in my actual present. If my calculations are correct maybe I'm somehow in a different time length. Some sort of different Present-Plain-Like frequency... Hmm, that would explain quite a lot if it definitely was that situation. Even on why the time turner had lost sand from both the past and future."

"So... I'm still in the present... just in a different plain... I wonder how long the others would notice I'm gone until they look for me. I hope they don't take too long. Or I hope I find my way back sooner… But let's see where adventure takes me. I'll just have to think positive."

She's was lost in thought when suddenly some type of insect stung her. She was quick to kill it and watched as her hand healed almost instantly. She was both still shocked but calmed with the thought that she didn't have to worry about her health or even getting an infection. She had previously cast a permanent spell on herself which enabled her to heal quickly without any side-effects. She shared this spell with Harry and the others, which helped them a bit during their little escapades.

"Luckily the protection charm stayed intact."

Finally reaching the road she stops to admire the beautiful scene before her, the trees around the area were tall and the shade of dark green the sun was finally shining down on them unlike before and it was like a painting. Feeling a lot better, she closes her eyes and basked at the comfortable feeling. 'Somehow I feel… really free here.' inhaling a lungful of fresh air as she happily twirled once. 'Okay, enough nature loving.' she told herself as she studied the area, location still unknown...

She did not think much about walking in the center of the road like she owned it. No one was around anyway. Remembering to check her pockets, she was pleased to find she had her wand with her the whole time & luckily her wallet was in there too.

Gaining a bounce in her step, staring at her wand as she skillfully waved it around casting non-verbal spells as she also remembered she was already allowed since she was already seventeen.

She was in complete seventh heaven and still a bit distracted by her magic and the beautiful scene before her when she almost didn't hear the car that was heading towards her.

Having gained great reflexes from her past experiences with dodging spells she was quick to react when she heard the sound of screeching wheels on the asphalt road and realized it coming but a little too late when the car was already closing in on her. So she picked the best choice she had in avoiding the disaster.

Quickly casting a shielding charm as the car was just about to hit her. But the spell had barely been completed, so the impact the vehicle delivered still reached her powerfully sending her flying back a few feet and hitting her head rather hard on the asphalt. She instantly felt herself fainting, weakly stroking the left side of her temple where she was hit hard when she fell; her world was already spinning when she felt a large gash from under her fingertips, blood was severely flowing out of it dripping down her face. She could already taste the blood in her mouth. It was so painful, she couldn't handle it anymore as she looks down at the blood on her hand, she collapsed with a soft thud.

She was only aware of the throbbing pain, tears filled her eyes as she passed out. Merely aware of someone's arms firmly picking her up into a bridal position, and carrying her towards their car.