Disclaimer: Twilight does not belong to me. It belongs to Stephanie Meyer and possibly others. Harry Potter does not belong to me. It belongs to J.K. Rowling and others. No copyright infringement is intended.

Important: Believe it or not, Elisabeth Edgerton is not an original character. Any constructive criticisms on any other topic but POVs will be more than welcome. Oh, and Esme's too nice for me to be able to write her. I'm just not nice enough myself to pull it off.

Summary: Elisabeth Edgerton is hiding from her past and a family that won't leave her alone. Luckily, she runs into Alice Cullen. Literally so. Who is this girl, really, that Edward can only read her mind sometimes?

Never Dawn

***

Never Dawn consists of three chapters and is the first story in the Light Trilogy, which is as yet unfinished. It is the first Twilight story I have ever written, and I've only seen the movie (and that once - I wish that I could afford to see it again), so please excuse me if anyone is out of character. Feel free to correct me on what they would do, though; I'll probably change it to match.

The main mystery is the real identity of the main character, who is not an OC. I have made their past AU though, so if you can guess this early then good for you! If not, keep waiting; it'll come - and yes, there are parts in here to throw you off. You may think you know, but you don't. Let me just say that I made the character very adaptable.

Prologue

I'd never given much thought to how I would die – though I'd had reason enough in the last few years – but even if I had, I would not have imagined it like this.

He had given me a reason. Forks had made me happy in ways that I can never describe, but he's the one who gave my life purpose. Ironically, he seemed more human than I could ever hope to be. Then she came and I faded back of my own free will. I didn't want to scare her, and I didn't dare to hope. He was her everything as much as he was mine. It was beautiful, and if the brightness of their light hurt my eyes that didn't make it any less so. When I ran into his sister, I had never expected something like this.

I stared without breathing across the long room, into the dark eyes of the hunter, and he looked pleasantly back at me.

I was doing this for them. Surely it was a good way to die, in the place of someone else, someone I loved. Noble, even. That ought to count for something.

I knew that if I'd never gone to Forks, I wouldn't be facing death right now. But, terrified as I was, as I always was whenever I thought about it, I couldn't bring myself to regret the decision. When life offers you a dream so far beyond any of your expectations, it is unreasonable to grieve when it comes to an end.

The hunter smiled in a friendly way as he sauntered forward to kill me.

*

"This is the lesson: never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never – in nothing, great or small, large or petty – never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy."– Winston Churchill, Harrow School, 29 October 1941.

Chapter One:

Starting With Secrets

Edward, previously amused by the new girl's pure inner thoughts, was more than surprised when he could no longer hear any of them. To him, everyone was broadcasting; always. A strong form of meditation, maybe? But the least he'd ever gotten was static, a radio set between two stations and fading in and out almost. He had been cut off at the gates, as it were, only allowed to hear shouting from the castle fortress.

"Edgerton," she answered with a grateful sigh, stepping away from the table. Edward had to smirk, and Alice shared it, (well, a grin) obviously getting something off the girl. "Yes Mum. Yes, I'll pick up the groceries and make dinner. Yeah, it's in the envelope on the counter, and I've got my bills done. No, I don't need you to help balance my check book; math is my best subject!"

She paused to sit at an empty table; one of the ones left open around their table. It was beyond odd that she didn't react to the subconscious predator vibes at all.

"How are you enjoying your classes?" the woman asked.

"Hmm. They're good! I've already taken Biology II and Chemistry, though, so they've agreed to bump me up to Physics."

The woman chuckled. "Yes, I schooled you too well. I know that you've finished with History, too; what are you taking in place of that?"

"First semester Art History, second semester History Through Film and Music."

"Well, enjoy that one. History Through Film I remember sleeping through. I've got to go now; I have a class. See you tonight?"

"Of course."

The phone clicked shut without so much as a by-your-leave, and simultaneously so did her mind. Edward could hear nothing. If it hadn't startled him so much, he would have been relieved for the quiet.

*

She was reading Macbeth. They were discussing A Farewell to Arms. Alice was amused; Jasper had to grasp her hand to keep her from bouncing.

"And what, Ms. Edgerton, is your opinion?"

"A Farewell to Arms is one of Hemmingway's most suicide-inducing novels," she said with a small, genuinely sweet smile, eyes tilted downward. "How his works could be classed with such classics as The Prince and The Scarlet Letter is beyond my reasoning, sir. Fredrick Henry is apathetic and selfish from the beginning and Cathy is weak-willed and in denial. The war doesn't desensitize them; they're already indifferent. In that sense the meaning of the book was completely lost, proving that rumors of Hemmingway's drunkenness were true."

Mr. Zwill's lips twitched, fighting a returning smile.

"Thank you, Ms. Edgerton, for your fascinating insight. Go back to your reading."

She smiled brightly, doing so. Alice stifled a grin and even Jasper's lips turned up a bit; she was absolutely right about the book. And Hemmingway.

"She's going to be my best friend!" Alice announced below human hearing levels.

Jasper wasn't sure if that was a vision or enthusiasm talking.

*

"Edward, you need to feed before Math tomorrow. They'll be switching the new girl to Honors soon, but her scent will send you into a frenzy if you don't hunt first."

"Got it. Suddenly sick?"

"Good enough reason," Alice nodded. "The fish sticks made Lily Hornwall sick today. I can have Carlisle cover for you. Now go. You'll want to feed before school tomorrow, too; she's going to be sitting with us at lunch."

*

She had a light, airy feeling to her that even Rosalie liked. She was… sweet, shy sort of… maybe the word he was looking for was hopeful. The girl radiated hope for the future and a loving nature; a sweet scent – like sunlight. She smelled like sunlight, and it was no wonder that she would have set Edward off. He could smell her wispy scent from halfway across the cafeteria. He'd be able to keep himself in check, but wasn't surprised that her sunrise and campfire with hints of cinnamon would drive Edward mad with thirst. This girl was… an otherworldly joy. She had a strong backbone too, though.

"He will hurt me," Jasper caught the murmur. "Not deliberately, but the fact remains."

The others apparently caught his intense focus on the girl, because they to began listening in. Rosalie gave him a concerned look over the pretty little human, leaning back into Emmett. She looked like she was in a trance.

"The Tower… great ruin, pain to the beloved, struggle, running for Beauty, overreaching myself… possible death; ambiguous even for tarot, but I'll know when the time comes. A betrayal… a falseness… and force, physical force; lack of strength… I will try something that might bring about my death, for another," she continued in a whisper that even they barely heard, "At least such a death would be honorable."

She shook herself and went back to talking to Mike with a bright smile.

"Oh God, I am so, so sorry!" the girl exclaimed, looking genuinely distressed. "Here, let me get those. I can't believe what a klutz I am. I'm so sorry."

"No problem!" Alice chirped. She'd been too busy talking to Jasper to pay any attention to where she was walking. "Don't worry about it! I should have been watching where I was going anyway."

They were crouched down picking up her books and papers. People gave them a wide berth and Alice wasn't sure if it was predator vibes or wanting to avoid the mess.

"I'm Alice Cullen, but the way."

The girl gave her a shy smile, whispering, "Elisabeth. Elisabeth Edgerton."

"Hi! It's nice to meet you!"

Her cheeks flushed bright with blood.

"Maybe if I hadn't made you drop your books and tray, it would be."

Alice laughed.

"I told you not to worry about it. Oh, I know we're going to be such great friends!"

Alice bounced up, grabbing the girl's hand, exclaiming, "Food!"

"Alice. Who's this?" Rosalie asked flatly. The girl flinched as if hit.

"Rosalie, this is Elisabeth Edgerton. Lizzy, Rosalie Hale, my adoptive sister, her twin Jasper – who's my boyfriend – Emmett Cullen, Rose's boyfriend, and Edward Cullen, who's also our brother."

"Nice to meet you," she smiled timidly, particularly at Rosalie.

Below normal human hearing, Alice whispered, "She's going to be my best friend. I've seen it, Rose, so be nice to her. She's had a… difficult time, lately."

Alice kept Elisabeth talking while Emmett and Edward discretely got up to throw away things from their plates. Edward was trying not to breathe too much. Alice had been right about her blood scent, and he was glad he'd fed. Rosalie had to admit she was cute, for a human, but was still relieved when the bell rang for the end of lunch.

"Hi. Edward Cullen, if you don't remember for all of Alice's babble," he reintroduced himself later that day. Her blood was a maddening thing, and he thought again that his gladness that he'd taken Alice's advice to feed before school started.

"Elisabeth Edgerton," she smiled. They were whispering all through Latin class.

However her blood pounded in his mind, she was too nice to kill. He couldn't be angry with her for her delicious smell; not when she smiled like that.

Slowly, a relationship started up. If Elisabeth noticed anything different about them beyond what the humans normally did, she never said. In fact, if Alice didn't know better she'd say that Lizzy was discretely trying to help them seem more human. She had pointed out that they all had very similar tastes in food, and ate the same thing every day, "like props for a bad movie". She'd been surprised that she'd never seen them at the grocery store, wondering if they usually ate in Port Angeles or bought food elsewhere. It had really surprised Jasper when she'd corrected his tight grip on the table once, telling him "you'll break it if you do that too long". The tone was joking, but Alice though she'd sensed something a bit more in it. Still, this was a normal human girl. She couldn't know.

Seeing her with Edward… it had started out with just friendliness but had warmed up to a real friendship and then something more. They hadn't gone anywhere with it, Liz hadn't even met Esme yet, but you could see the beginnings. Elisabeth smiled, leaning up against her parked motorcycle, arms crossed, waiting for him to come out.

She was a half an hour early, Elisabeth knew, but they would've heard the bike and Alice would pop up to talk shopping and shoes – maybe Jasper too, only less of the shopping and shoes. Oh, she amused herself with the though of that.

Elisabeth was wearing a black leotard over dark washed jeans, with comfortable black sneakers and a dark garnet leather jacket, chestnut-blonde mixed hair up in a bun. That wasn't what interested them, though. Rosalie and Emmett had to come over when they saw the motorcycle. They hadn't thought that it was even on the market yet.

"Is that a Yamaha TW200?"

"Great for on-road or off-road," she agreed. "The white/blue just didn't suit, though. Had to have it painted red. That's my color." Rosalie had to concur, and the three talked about engines for a while; mostly Elisabeth and Emmett, actually, while Rose just watched her husband with a small smile. They ended up walking into the kitchen together, lost in their talk on her bike and the modifications she'd done for it.

"Well I wanted something good for the woods – wouldn't be the first time I'd had to veer off the road, and there's a lot of trees in the area – but I also wanted something fast for a bit of street racing," she admitted. "That I bought, but most of my cars and motorcycles I won through races; pink slips, you know?"

"How'd you get into that?" Emmett asked, amused. She was a tiny little thing, but with a lot of guts and a bright disposition that was comforting

"My uncle always thought that mechanics would end up gypping him, or do something to the car so he'd have to go back, so I learned to work an engine really young. As for street racing, one of the neighbors' uncles was a stunt driver for movies. I learned to hotwire a car before I was legally old enough to drive one," she whispered sheepishly.

Emmett shot her an amused look and Rosalie smirked, not looking at them. Rose heard something beneath what she was saying, though; a dark undertone. Admittedly she was curious, but she ignored it for the time being.

"Edward," she smiled.

"Elisabeth."

Seeing her with Edward, how much freer he was, was a miracle. Alice couldn't bring herself to regret it, bring this bright little sun into their life. She couldn't regret the vision that had brought her to them, but lately Elisabeth had been more distant and she couldn't see why. It was like she knew that something was coming.

Then it happened.

She'd called in sick. Alice was worried; she'd been trying to have a vision all day, but it wasn't working. She'd have to go over after school, maybe with soup. Esme would love making soup. Honestly, though, Alice was worried about that it might be more than sickness; that she was blind to Elisabeth when she hadn't been yesterday was frightening. Edward had said that he couldn't read her mind at times, but Alice could always see her. Always. No exceptions.

Elisabeth gasped in pain. It's getting worse.

And then she was blank to Alice's sight again. Oh yes, Alice worried.

*

"Elisabeth…? Liz…?" Alice called with a worried tone. Jasper stood outside the door waiting for her. He was the only one she'd told. There was a moan of pain from upstairs.

Elisabeth was curled up in a ball on the floor, almost to the stairs. Her arms were wrapped around her stomach, and she was frozen like in rigor mortis; Alice couldn't move her at all she was so tense.

"Jasper!" she called out. The girl moaned as they lifted her back into her bed. Jasper was wincing, petting her hair as Alice fluttered around worriedly. After a few minutes Lizzy's body began to relax, thankfully, but she was still in enough pain to have Jasper cringe. It tinged all her emotions; the dominate one being guilt that they'd had to see her like this.

"I – sorry – have –"

"Don't talk," Jasper said, hands shaking. Elisabeth shook her head as much as she was able to, groaning at the throbbing headache. Alice took her hand; she clenched it tightly.

"Disease – unknown – surprise… lived to seventeen. Doctors said…. Seizures, since kid, but not ep…ilepsy. Not… live long – hurt Edward… if knew. Beauty… Bell of the ball, with him. Good for him. Not tell… can't – fade away, like wind…. Pain, oh God la Bella pain. Too pretty, eyes to see – oh God."

"Shhh," Alice hushed gently, stroking the stiff hand. "We won't tell. It's something you need to say on your own. He loves you, though, you know."

"That's why… hurt him. Fade… dream. He – forever. With beauty less hurt, be by side, forget me. He – forever. Me – months, year most – by – how… bad. Can't… enchant… a thing like… away. The Tower…. Gods," she gasped. "Get Jasper out, hurt him feel. Too – much. Be – by – later… only you two."

"Carlisle," Jasper grunted in pain.

"And Doctor…" she gasped. "Pain… go – run. Stub…born… va…"

She fell unconscious, gratefully, as the two talked worriedly over her.

"Elisabeth… Elisabeth, can you hear me?"

She groaned at the painful light, but knew better than to move yet. The light toned down, thankfully. Her head was pounding, throbbing hot against her skull.

"Elisabeth, this is Carlisle Cullen. Can you tell me what's wrong?"

"Gen… gen-e-tic dis-ease. Recesitive… came in wrong – can't change… doc-torsss could – n't help. Biologist… studied… Genome Project… stunned. Can't – thanks, no help."

"And you have seizures because of it?" Doctor Cullen asked worriedly.

She nodded faintly as the world spun in slow motion.

"Not… full human," she admitted anxiously.

"What are you, then?" he asked softly, kindly. Maybe I can help….

"Can't… help. Enchant – t –"

"Enchantress?" Carlisle asked. He was worried. They were rare and virtually unstudied.

She nodded, some strength seeping back.

"Can't – tell – Edward. He – forever without me, but grieve if knew. Find o-ther. Be… for him. Silly… vamp. Forever pain never ends. Can't make him… anyway. Too hard on – poor soul. Fix… fade away, not get close – not hurt then…."

"It will hurt him not to know. He loves you, Elisabeth," Carlisle said sympathetically.

She was already falling asleep on him though, shaking her head.

"Yes, you're aware that Miss Edgerton has an odd genetic disease? Good; I wasn't sure she'd told you. Oh, her mother called in? Well, apparently she had a seizure and couldn't move to reach the phone. We can't move her to the hospital, so I'll be staying here with her until she's better. Yes, thank you. I'll call her mother myself."

Blackness.

"Carlisle, what about one of those emergency buttons? To notify us. I see that things will go a lot more smoothly if she has that."

"Thank you, Alice. That's a wonderful idea."

Red fading to smoke – no, evaporating, corrosive, eaten up like acid.

"How is she?"

"Better than she was," he smiled encouragingly. "She'll be better soon."

"Good. I've been worried. Are the pain pills helping?"

The blue spiraled up transparent around them. Her eyes blinked closed.

"You need to get home to Esme. I'll watch her."

"Are you sure?" Carlisle asked, concerned for his boy's health.

"I'll be fine. She smells pretty, but the scent's too wispy to set me off."

"All right…" Alice said reluctantly.

Clear, sweet clarity.

"Jasper?" she rasped. He helped her into a sitting position, letting the water flow into her mouth little by little. Elisabeth was grateful; she was nauseous already. "Just us?"

"That's right," he said gently. He'd treat her like he would Alice if she could get sick.

"Didn't tell Edward?" she croaked. He gave her more water.

"No, we didn't. I think you should tell him, though." They sat in silence for a bit. "You know, I've met an Enchantress before. Andranessa Delaine."

"Depressing," she coughed.

"I know," Jasper chuckled, "That's why I never guessed. You show all the signs." There was a small pause before Jasper asked, "She said you all have one ability, like us. Dare I ask what yours is?"

"Impressions," she said softly, seriously, looking down at her lap. "It's an advanced form of psychometry. I don't have to be touching anything physical; simply the aura."

"That's how you knew," he stated more than asked.

"I would've figured it out anyway," she shrugged. "Only I could come to the most boring town on earth, purposely, and run into vampires. Granted, I knew about the pack of skin-walkers nearby, but…." He growled at the dog comment, but she didn't take offense. "I – you know the British Wizarding World was at war, recently?"

"Grindelwald, then Voldemort," he nodded.

"Well, I was living there, and when Dumbledore found out about my powers… he was kind enough, but a lot of his people thought it was my "duty" to stop the war before it got started – well, really started. Alastor Moody was about the only one in my corner."

"And he's a paranoid loon," Jasper agreed, having met the man in the 60's.

"Exactly. So when they forgot about me in the post-war celebrations…."

"You took off."

"I took off," she nodded. "I could start a new life here free of magic. So what if there was a nest of vampires and a pack of wolves near at hand? You didn't have the burgundy eyes of those who feed on humans, and you weren't going to call me out anymore than I was you. I mean, Cullen? Everyone knows your names."

Jasper nodded slowly.

"Edward's power is telepathy. We'll need to tell him something if you want to hide the rest – but Elisabeth, you should tell him. At least the wizarding part."

"I'll think about it," she said softly, then shook herself. "Tell him I had a run-in with the Volturi once, and I knew who you were right away. Tell him that I have epilepsy, that I told you while I was out of it. Hell, tell him my period was bad!"

He winced. Even as a vampire, that was too much information.

"I think I'll go with the epilepsy excuse, no offense."

She laughed at him.

"If I do not smile, I will have given in. Whether it is of true happiness or to spite another, my smile shows the world that my victories are stronger in my mind than my defeats."– Elisabeth Edgerton, in a letter to a friend

***