So here's the dealio-yo. If you don't know anything about Harry Potter, this chapter's gonna be slightly difficult. But I think it's still understandable. If not, whatever, get over it, it's hardly anything you need to dwell on and it'll all be explained later anyways.

Next point. This story is dedicated to mah fellow EB's because I *heart* them something fierce and they are the bestest friends in the whole wide world. (RJC, the second half of this chapter should be enjoyable for you. At least a little bit.) I love you guys!!!

Disclaimer: I'm gonna leave it up to you to use your common sense and figure out what I do and do not own. 'Cause I think it's pretty obvious.

Cedward

Chapter One

A Clash Of Worlds

I woke up on what appeared to be the side of a highway. Everything around me was shrouded in darkness except for the still-lit wand clutched tightly in my right hand. I turned my head slowly to each side, but it was too dark to see anything other than the outline of tree trunks and the broad expanse of the road next to me.

Where the hell am I?

Oddly enough, I didn't feel panicked. Simply confused. Was this part of the Third Task? Another maze maybe? It seemed plausible. But then…where was Harry? We'd taken a hold of the Cup at the same time so shouldn't he be here as well? And where was the Cup, for that matter?

I sat up gingerly. My back ached; I suspected I must have landed directly on it. The rest of my body was still covered in dirt and blood, an aftermath of the maze's dangers. (Not to mention, anything involving Harry Potter seems to end up bloody so it came as no surprise.) I stretched my arms and my legs out, testing them for breaks or sprains, but I was in rather good condition, all things considered. Only a few scrapes and bruises with which to contend, but those weren't likely to slow me down.

Not that I had any idea where I was headed.

I got to my feet and stumbled dizzily. Traveling by Portkey had never quite agreed with me. Too much spinning. When I'd cleared my head I lifted my wand and turned towards the road. There was absolutely no one in sight. No cars, no houses, no people, no nothing. I looked to my left. Nothing. To my right. Nothing. And I knew there were only trees behind me. So what next?

Apparition was my first idea, but I had little hope that it would actually work if this was, in fact, part of the Third Task. I concentrated hard on Hogsmeade and turned sharply…and found myself simply facing the opposite direction. I sighed. I supposed that ruled out the Knight Bus option as well.

So I decided to walk—or rather, I was forced to walk, given the circumstances—a little ways down the road to see if there was anything in this deserted landscape that might possibly point me in the right direction. I'd only been walking for a bout ten minutes when I came across a large, wooden sign on the side of the road. I lifted my wand up. The sign was green with white lettering that read:

The City of Forks Welcomes You

I stared.

The city of Forks? Where in Merlin's name was that? And why was I in it?

I leaned forward and ran my fingers over the rough wood of the sign, hoping that it was enchanted and would give me some sort of clue as to what was going on. But I was sorely disappointed when all I received was a rather painful splinter. My wand slipped from my fingers as I jerked my hand back. My middle finger stung where the splinter had gone in and I sucked on it, looking around me once more.

It was then that I noticed a light dancing on the sign. It must have been coming from behind me. Was it Harry? I couldn't be sure. I spun around and crouched down, reaching behind me for my wand. My hand closed around it just as I found the source of the oncoming light.

Headlights.

It was a car.

Wizards weren't commonly known to drive cars so I was quite sure this had nothing to do with the Task. Then again, the Triwizard Tournament wasn't known for staying within the bounds of the expected so I remained low, just to be safe.

I watched from my position on the ground as the car slowly moved closer and closer. It seemed to be traveling rather slowly even though there was no one else for miles. And it was exceptionally loud, I realized, as it got closer. Not that I was very informed about the loudness of motor vehicles, but I was quite sure most of them weren't quite so rumblingly obnoxious.

Snap!

I twisted violently towards the woods. What was that? It sounded like a twig breaking, but magnified. More like a branch or a…bone.

Snap snap!

This time the sounds were followed by a low kind of growl. I pointed my wand in the direction of the sound—but all I got was a glimpse of dark brown fur and a glitter of eyes, before I lost my balance and tumbled into the road.

The next few seconds were a blur of screeching tires and a blasting horn. The lights of the car passed over me and then spun radically towards the woods as whoever was driving slapped on the brakes and jerked it to the side so as to avoid running me over. When finally all was still again, I lifted my head. The car—which I now discovered to be a very large, very sturdy red truck—had come to a stop mere feet from my sprawled out form. I couldn't help breathing a sigh of relief. That thing, even ancient as it was, would have crushed me in no time.

I had just gotten to my feet when a door slammed and someone came stomping around the front of the car, looking absolutely furious. I was admittedly surprised to see that it was a girl—a young girl in fact, no older than myself.

"Excuse me, but what the hell did you think you were doing, throwing yourself in front of me like that?!" she raged, walking straight up to me and glaring into my face.

I was quite taken aback by her forwardness and somewhat irritated by it. After all, she had almost hit me with her car. Even if it was my own fault.

"Pardon me, miss, but I don't believe I 'threw myself' in front of anyone."

"Don't call me miss," the girl said warningly. I noticed her accent this time. American. "And what in God's name are you doing out here in the middle of the night?"

"I'm quite sure that's none of your business," I said coolly. Not that I could tell you even if I wanted to, I thought with a slight frown.

Her face was covered in shadows, but I could see it well enough to notice when her scowl deepened.

"You made it my business when you jumped in front of my truck."

"I didn't jump in front of your truck," I said, annoyed. "I—well, I fell."

Her eyebrows rose.

"You fell?"

"I believe that's what I said."

She sighed. Odd reaction.

"Well, I suppose I'd be a filthy hypocrite if I faulted you for falling over," she said. "So I guess…I'm sorry I almost ran you over."

She appeared to dislike the sound of her own words, but it was still an apology and it would be rude not to accept.

"And I'm sorry for nearly causing you to run me over," I said with a stiff nod.

"Right, well…" she was uncomfortable now. "Still not gonna tell me what you're doing out here?"

I chewed on the inside of my lip, thinking it over. She was a Muggle, she wouldn't believe me if I told her so it was best not to answer. After a minute or two of silence on my end, she sighed again.

"I guess that's a no," she said. Her eyebrows pulled together. "What's that you're holding?"

Now that she'd pointed it out, I was rather surprised she hadn't noticed my wand before since it was still brightly lit. I considered dousing it and stowing it away quickly, but that would just make her more suspicious. So instead I held it up for her inspection. Let her make her own assumptions about what it was meant for.

But the minute our faces were thrown into the wandlight, her eyes, big and brown, widened in shock and she stumbled back a step. I was somewhat surprised to see that her gaze wasn't focused on the mysterious glowing object, but rather on my face. Her mouth opened and closed twice before she managed to get a single word out.

"Edward?"

Edward? Who the hell is Edward?

"Um…I'm sorry?"

She stared for another minute and then shook her head sharply.

"I'm sorry, I just—you look almost exactly like…him."

"Like Edward?"

"Yes. Do you know him?"

"I'm afraid I don't," I said, a little bit uncomfortable with the way she was staring at me, open-mouthed and in awe. "Er…who is he?"

She snapped her mouth shut and shook her head again as if to clear it.

"He's my boyfriend," she said. Her voice was oddly firm as though I had already argued against this statement.

"Ah," I said. "Well, um…good for you, then."

I nodded, glad that she'd stopped ogling me.

Not that I usually minded being ogled by pretty girls. Because she was pretty, there was certainly no denying that. It just felt slightly wrong to have her doing so because she thought I looked like her boyfriend. Not quite what you'd call a self-esteem booster. Unless her boyfriend was extremely attractive.

"So…so you don't know him? You're not related?" she asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Sorry, never heard of any Edward."

"What's your name?"

I hesitated for a fraction of a second before answering.

"Cedric. Yours?"

"Bella."

We both fell silent then. I felt a bit awkward standing there with my wand still raised in front of her, but I didn't want to shift position and recall her attention to it now that she'd conveniently forgotten all about it.

"So…I suppose you live around here then?" I asked.

"Yeah, in Forks," she said, nodding towards the sign I'd seen before. "You?"

"Um…not exactly," I said. "Just, er, visiting."

She pursed her lips.

"You're visiting the middle of the woods at 11:30 at night?" she asked skeptically.

"Is that so hard to believe?"

"Yes," she said bluntly. "But I'm not sure I really want to know what you're doing out here anyways so I'll let it go."

Excellent.

"So you're headed home?"

She nodded.

"Are you headed to Forks?" she asked.

"Are you offering me a ride?"

"What?" she asked, clearly alarmed.

"I guess that's a no."

"No, I just…you surprised me is all. And I don't really know you so if I was smart I wouldn't let you into my car," she said. Her eyes were still round.

"Well then, I guess the question is: Are you smart?" I asked.

She immediately glared again, and I held back a smile with difficulty.

"I'm a genius," she said coolly, and she turned her back on me and stalked towards her car.

I sighed; I shouldn't have baited her like that.

She slid into the drivers seat, turned on the blasting engine, and backed up so that she was once more facing the correct direction on the road. I expected her to immediately hit the gas, but she surprised me; the truck sat there idling for about a minute. I tried to make out the expression on her face, but the headlights were too bright so instead I walked to the passenger seat window, which was already open, and looked in. She was glaring at the windshield.

"Something the matter with the truck?" I asked.

She let out an exasperated huff.

"No, I'm waiting for you to get in the damn car so we can leave already," she snapped.

I raised my eyebrows. Maybe she wasn't a genius after all.

I glanced sideways at the strange boy I'd just invited into my car and felt a twist of anxiety in the pit of my stomach.

Edward's going to kill me for this.

As well he should. What the hell was I doing letting random guys into my car in the middle of the night? Especially in a place that was overrun by the supernatural and things that shouldn't exist. And since everything mythical seemed to be attracted to me, for all I knew, I'd just welcomed a zombie or a ghost into my truck.

I sighed.

Well…too late now.

"Um…Bella?"

I shuddered a little. He even sounded like Edward.

"Yes?"

"What is that?" he pointed ahead of us where there appeared to be a very tall boy on the side of the road, watching us approach. I grimaced.

Shit.

"That would be Jacob," I answered, reluctantly putting my foot on the breaks. It would be pointless to speed on by, I knew he'd probably jump in front of the truck and count on his super-healing ways to save him. I'd really rather not have to deal with that.

"Jacob?" Cedric questioned.

"A friend of mine," I said.

"Does he normally stand on the side of the road with no shirt on?"

"You'd be surprised."

I pulled over on the side of the road and stopped the engine.

"You stay in here please," I said as I unbuckled my seatbelt and climbed out of the truck.

Jacob stood in front of the car, arms folded across his bare chest and his narrowed eyes on Cedric. I stepped in front of him, and his gaze found mine.

"Who the hell is that?" he asked immediately.

"He just needed a ride. What are you doing out here anyways?" I asked, trying to distract him. His eyes moved over my head towards my car again.

"Getting rid of some filth. Why did you let him in your car? You have no idea who he is."

"What kind of filth?"

He glared down at me. Clearly he wasn't in the mood for my games.

"Look, he just needed a ride," I said again. "He's perfectly harmless."

"Bella, you found him on the side of the road in the middle of the woods."

"So? I just found you on the side of the road in the middle of the woods," I countered quickly. "And you're not even fully dressed. Ergo, you're more likely to be a sexual predator than he is."

Jacob scowled.

"You left out that tiny little detail about you actually knowing me," he said.

"Yes, and you turn into a giant wolf," I pointed out. "If that isn't a sign of danger, I dunno what is."

"Bella," Jacob growled menacingly, and I sighed.

"Look, I know letting random guys into my car isn't such a hot idea—"

"Oh, you think?" he scoffed. I ignored this.

"—but I'm just giving him a ride to Forks and that's that."

"Fine, but I'm coming with you," he said, moving to step around me. I grabbed his arm. The heat of his skin never ceased to surprise me.

"You don't have to do that, Jake. Go home, Billy's probably wondering where you—"

"Billy's a big boy, he can take care of himself," Jacob said, shrugging out of my grasp and turning back towards the car.

"Well, what about Leah, then?" I asked desperately, following him and stepping in front of him before he could open the driver-side door. "Isn't she waiting for you? I thought you guys usually took a run together this time at night?"

Jacob's eyes narrowed as he took in my harried expression.

"What's the deal, Bella? Why are you so sure this guy is safe, and why are you trying to keep me from him?"

"I'm not, I just…it's not necessary, is all. And if Leah's waiting for you—"

"Leah's out of town, remember? She and Seth went to visit their aunt for the weekend."

"Oh. Right," I said. Well, there goes that distraction.

"Bella?"

I looked up at him.

"Get out of the way before I'm forced to make you get out of the way," he said.

I considered standing my ground, but he could pick me up as easily as if he was King Kong and I was Ann Darrow so it was best to just obey. I stepped sideways with a sigh and pulled the door open so that Jacob could see into the truck.

"Cedric, this is my best friend, Jacob. Jake, this is Cedric."

"Um…nice to meet you, Jacob," I heard Cedric say. I leaned back against the front of the truck, waiting.

Sure enough, Jacob had no sooner taken one step forward and peered into the doorway than he had already jerked back, eyes wide and staring.

"What the—?"

"Yeah, I know," I said before he could finish. "Eerie, isn't it?"

Jacob's gaze traveled slowly from Cedric to me, and I was amused to find that the disbelief in his expression was steadily turning to irritation.

"You have got to be kidding me."

A/N: So I wrote this in a hurry so if it ain't all it's cracked up to be, I apologize. And also, if you don't review, I'm going to have to tear your spleen out and have it for breakfast. [kiss]

*~Curtain~*