"I always needed time on my own

I never thought I'd need you there when I cry,

And the days feel like years when I'm alone

And the bed where you lie is made up on your side

When you walk away I count the steps that you take

Do you see how much I need you right now?

When you're gone

The pieces of my heart are missing you

When you're go-"

Hermione groaned slamming her hand down on the alarm clock, cutting the muggle song off with a huff not wanting it to be that time yet. It was still way too early for it to even be that time. She wanted so badly to just fling the covers up over her head and rot away underneath them for the rest of forever...she was just too tired to get up and get ready for the most likely horrendous awaiting day that was ahead of her.

Hermione was so close to falling back into a blank sleep too, when Uncle Charlie, who most likely knew that she wouldn't want to get out of bed...just from pure exhaustion, starting banging on her door asking if she was up and why he couldn't hear her moving around getting ready for the day. She groaned again and slowly dragged herself out of her warm toasty bed knowing that she had to get a move on, or else she'd be late for her first day of a brand new school..., which was something Hermione really didn't want happening, no matter how badly she didn't feel like going yet.

She slugged her feet over to the closet staring at her cloths in a daze like state, moving her hands up to rub the sleep out of her eyes as she hoping to get her brain function and moving properly as she decided on what to wear. Finally, she picked out some regular blue jeans that were faded out slightly from being worn so many times, but yet fit perfectly like a glove; and a plain long navy blue shirt that happened to show just how petite and tiny her frame really was from the lack of nourishment and running around over the last year. She pulled on her old green converse and then made her way to her dresser where her mirror was waiting.

Hermione cringed at the appearance that was reflected back at her. She never was one to worry over looks, but that didn't mean that she didn't want to not look nice or okay... Hermione bite her lip quickly ran her brush through her light brown almost blonde when the sun hit it just right curly locks. Her hair now wasn't as crazy and wild as it once was like in her younger years. Her hair was still curly, but thank goodness it was now tamed and tumbled down to about her mid-back in soft lose curls.

She sighed placing the brush back down turning to walk out of the room and make her way down the hall to the bathroom to brush and rinse her teeth quickly before making her way back to her bedroom ending up in the same place that she had just left...; looking in the mirror at her reflection and cringing at the appearance. There were big dark round circles around her eyes, briefly reminded her of an raccoon. Her eyes moved to the side of the dresser and stared at the bag that was placed off to the side that she knew held loads of untouched and unopened makeup that her mother had purchased and gather for her over the last few years, hoping that one day that she might show interest in letting her more girly side out. After another minute of debating with herself, Hermione finally decided that she might as well try to look a little less horrendous than normal, and grabbed the make-up bag that her mother had spent loads of time putting together for her.

She heaved a breath dumping all the bag's materials out looking at all the different types of make-up that her mother had collected for her months before her death…Hermione grabbed the eyeliner and applied a good amount to her upper lid before moving down to her lower lid reading the directions as she went, and then moved onto her eyelashes trying to figure out how to use the eyelash curler properly before putting on a two swaps of mascara, just enough to thicken the lashes and make them a bit longer. Then Hermione grabbed the liquid cover up that was 'dual tone' read the directions to use before opening it and applying just a little to below and around her eyes that were the most from her the dark circles. After it looked blended in enough to her she grabbed what looked to be a 'powder brush', and grabbed the powder cover up to apply on the rest of her face and over the liquid foundation like she had seen her mom and former dormitory mates do so many times before.

When she had finished with that she looked back in the mirror and almost had to do a double take at what she saw. She looked a lot more alive and up-beat than she had in the longest time and was astonished at how little make-up she had to use to change that so drastically. It was like she had gone back in time to a year prior, to when she hadn't endure any real hardships or trails yet... It was almost like magic really!

Hermione after staring at her new refreshed appearance for a few more moments then grabbed her black button up jacket and messager bag and slowly descended her way down the hall and down the stairs out to the kitchen in an absentminded like manner anxious and nervous about the day ahead of her.

Breakfast with Charlie was an awkward and quiet event. The only noise's that could be heard were the clicking and clunking of their spoons hitting their bowls that were filled with cereal. She could tell he didn't know what to say because he never had to do anything like this before, and really what was there to say to a sixteen year old girl who was starting her first day of muggle high school...? Not much, that's what.

When Hermione was getting close to being done with her food Charlie cleared his throat and nodded his head at her getting ready to say something. "So umm…I found a car for you." He said nervously not really knowing what his niece's respond would be.

"What kind of car?" she asked curious.

"Well it's a pick-up-truck actually, a Chevy."

"Where did you find it?"

"Remember Billy Black down at La Push? We use to go fishing with him a lot during the summers while you were here."

"Um, a yes some, I think..."

"Well, he's in a wheelchair now," Charlie paused, but then continued on when she didn't respond, "So he can't drive anymore and offered me the truck for a really good price."

"How much was it?" Hermione asked, hoping that it wasn't a ton that he was planning on spending on her. He had already done more than enough for her as it was!

"Well for the condition and quietly it's in, I got it for a really low price, plus Billy wanted to give me a deal as well seeing as I was getting it for you." He replied, trying to beat around the bush.

"Uncle Charlie, how much are you thinking about spending?" Hermione frowned, knowing that this was just too much for him to do for her now.

"Hermione, it's really not that much," He said, sending her a look that told her that he didn't mind spending money on her even though she did mind that he was. It wasn't his job, or his responsibility to do this, and she wished that he would put his money towards something more important like his retirement fund for later on when he would need it.

"Okay." She sighed planning to just go along with this for only a couple minutes, "So ahh…what year is it then?"

"Well, it's a little older, but it's in great shape and Billy and his son Jacob have done a lot of work on it over the years and it runs great, he brought it in 1993."

"Did he buy it new?" She was now wondering how old it really was hoping that it wasn't ancient and difficult to drive. She was going to have a hard enough time getting use to driving on the opposite side of the road as it…, let's not add on learning how to drive an older piece of metal that was probably more different then all the other vehicles she's ever been in on top of that!

"Well no, but it's not too old, I believe it's an 77 or 79, somewhere around there" he admitted sheepishly knowing that for her that was probably ancient, but really if her Uncle was persistent on buying this truck for her she was just glad that it wasn't made in the fifties or sixties, that would be a disaster in the making for her. (So I know in the books and in the movie the truck is in the early 60's or late 50's, or something like that, but I just felt like making it a newer version for Hermione…)

"Oh, well thank you Uncle Charlie. But you really don't need to go buying me anything else. You've already brought enough for me with getting the new items you have for my room, and then there's you letting me move in and not letting me pay rent for it! And besides I was thinking about buying a car for myself with my own money that I've been saving up over the last few years anyways." She told him not wanting to put an even bigger dent in his wallet then what she already most likely had with him buying her a new laptop and a new bedspread that must have been around a grand or so put together in the least!

"Well, ahh, I kind of already bought it for you, as a 'homecoming gift' you could say." He smiled sheepishly looking at her nervously. "And more to the point, I just want you to be happy here 'Mione. And a car would do you some good, so that way you can get around easier. Plus you could use all that money that you've been saving up to go out and get yourself something..., or get yourself something that you've really been wanting, I know they've got a pretty decent bookstore out in Port Angelus that reminded me of something you would love to snoop through to find a good book or two to buy."

"That's real kind of you Uncle Charlie, in fact it's too kind if you ask me." Hermione mumbled really wishing that he wouldn't spend all this money on her so willingly.

"Well how about we go have a look at it then, and then you can tell me if you like it or not." He suggested standing up from his seat at the kitchen table ignoring the fact that she was trying to tell him that she didn't want him to purchase things for her and that she was just beyond grateful that he was even letting her stay with him, and that was more than enough that he could do for her, "Come on, its out front. Billy and his son dropped it off early this morning so that you could drive it to school. They were going to come in and welcome you home, but you were still sleeping. So they told me they'll just have to come back this weekend then…" Hermione grimaced and followed behind him to and out the front door to the driveway were next to his police cruiser now stood an old pick-up truck that stood in perfect condition.

Hermione felt her mouth drop open, for a car that was made in the late 70's / early 80's it was sure in tip-top condition. It was a light shiny baby blue color with no dents or tints on it whatsoever. She was betting there wasn't even a scratch or sod-mark on it! So it obviously had a great remodeling job done to it. And the tires looked like they've only been driven two or three times if that, and the front windshield and wipers looked brand-new as well. The body of the truck remodeled old truck, looked like any other kind of truck but a little smaller and aged looking.

But it was perfect and she loved it already!

"Thank you so much Uncle Charlie!" She managed to garble out with wide eyes running towards it throwing the door open hastily while jumping in, taking in the feeling of actually having a vehicle of her, a vehicle to call her's! Hermione couldn't help but let a wide grin spread across her face as she ran her hands over the steering wheel already imagining driving it and squealed in excitement. After sitting there for another minute or so in her newly brought truck, she snapped out of her daze and decided that now was as good as time as ever to get a move on and to start the day. So Hermione quickly ran back inside to grab her bag and then ran back out the door yelling a quick bye and another thank you to Charlie who was pulling on his police belt with his gun hook to it.

She heard a fait 'Good luck!' as the door slammed shut behind , but was already too excited and nervous to turn back around to say thank you. Getting back up into the truck Hermione threw her messager bag down beside her on the long 'three seater' seat, then adjusted the mirrors to fit her measures. Then finally Hermione yanked her seatbelt on and started up the engine surprised at how easy it purred to life. 'Wow Billy Black and his son must have put quite some time into this vehicle,' Hermione thought to herself as she made her way out of the driveway slowly, trying to get use to the feel of driving on the wrong side of the road; and also opposite side of the car, which was a really weird feeling to get used to, mind you. But she could already tell that she'd adjust easily to it, and would be good with the change.

Finding the high school wasn't a very difficult thing to do. All Hermione had to do was go through the main road in town and down a side street and there it was..., standing in all its two story glory, with what she assumed was the gymnasium off to the far side of the building where the football and soccer field where stationed near by. The parking lot in that area was slightly wider then what it was in the front area of the school, which was most likely for when they were to host games, being held for more visitor parking and such.

The school was actually only about two miles from Charlie's, and about a five minute drive in total, that's if she got stuck at one of the two only stop-lights located in Forks. Hermione felt the butterflies flutter wildly in her stomach as she pulled into the visitor's parking lot briefly wondering if she was possibly going to be sick as she parked her truck and turned it off. The sixteen year old tried to gather her nerves together taking a few deep calming breaths, before nodding her head hoping out of the truck and heading into the building going straight to the main office where a sectary was sitting typing away on a computer.

"Hello, can I help you miss?" The lady asked, with a small polite smile on her face looking up at Hermione through her round-rimmed glasses that framed her pale face.

"Hi, I'm Hermione Granger, and I-" Hermione was beginning to say, only to be cut off by the sectary who she now knew was named 'Anne' by the metal name plate placed on counter to her desk.

Anne held up her hand like she didn't need any more information than that, and turned around immediately in her swivel chair to open a filing cabinet that was filled with folders labeled from A through I. Anne went straight to the 'G's' and flickered through a few green thick folders before she found the one she wanted, and pulled it out turning back to the now waiting Hermione setting the folder down that she could see read 'Granger, Hermione'. Well, of course Anne didn't need anymore information as to why she was here then to just needing her name…, everyone probably knew that the police chief's niece was back in town now living with him, who was the daughter of the 'long lost' Elizabeth Swan Granger whom they hadn't seen since she moved away to Europe when she was only nineteen after meeting and marrying a British man that she had met in Seattle.

"Of course," Anne said with a nod of her head and began to dig through a small amount of papers that were stack together neatly inside the folder. "I have your transcript right here, along with your schedule for the rest of the reminding part of the semester. And here's your parking pass that you need to hang up in your review-mirror if you decide on driving to school everyday, and a map of the school just in case you get lost. Even though I'm doubt you will, this school certainly isn't a place where you could easily get lost in, but you never know! But it does have the room numbers place above the classrooms, which is pretty helpful for when you're looking for a certain class."

Anne then highlighted the best route's to help Hermione's get to her classes the easiest and fastest ways for the first couple days and then handed her a slip of green paper that she needed to get signed by each of her teachers to hand back into her at the end of the school day. Hermione nodding curtly before picking up the schedule; parking pass; and green paper, glad that there wasn't anything more that she had to do or know for getting around for her first day as Anne nodded her own head telling her just like Charlie had, 'Good luck' and hoped that she would like it here in Forks.

Hermione thanked her and quickly walked back out to her truck hopping in and right away went to placing the parking pass in its place on her review-mirror before starting the old (but piratically new truck) back up following the now small line of cars that were pulling into the other side of the parking lot where the student parking was located at. She parked towards the back of the lot and was pleasantly surprised when she saw that most of the other cars or trucks were pretty old as well. Most, from what she could collect of her little bit of knowledge of automobiles where all either 90's cars or early 2000's cars, but they didn't seem to be kept in the up-best condition as her truck had been kept, all but one shiny black Volvo that stuck out like a sore thumb in the mess of the lot. I

Hermione stared at the Volvo in curiosity, wondering who on earth would have such an expensive and sporty car when you lived in the small little town of Forks that needed heavy-duty vehicles and 4-wheel-drive to get you through all year long.

She sighed shaking her head dragging her eyes away from the Volvo, reaching over her seat to grabbed her map of the school quickly memorizing it and then made her way into the building, once again feeling the nerves and butterflies erupt in her stomach as Hermione clutched her messenger bag in a tighter grip. She was staring down at her feet quickly making her way towards the side doors of school not paying attention to her surroundings when the next thing she knew was BAM!

Hermione had banged into something, and she banged into it hard, and felt her footing go completely off balance. Hermione closed her eyes preparing for the hard impact on the cold pavement to come. But it never did. Instead, Hermione landed on something much more softer than what she had anticipated.

When she opened her eyes she was staring into the most adorable baby-blue eyes of a boy who looked about her own age now currently laying underneath her in a state of shock. Hermione re-shut her eyes in total humiliation! She couldn't believe this was happening, this was one of the worse possible things that could have happened on her first day...!

"Well hello, you must be Hermione Granger, right?" She felt her whole face heat up in embarrassment as the cute boy who she was still laying on top of said with an upbeat tone. Hermione inwardly groaned and opened her eyes once again to see him now giving her an adorable smile which matched his adorable baby-blue eyes.

"Uh…um…yes, uh…ah yes that's me, Hermione Granger…" Hermione told him sitting up as he did as well resting his hands on her hips to help keep her balanced. But that only put the two of them in a even more awkward position and Hermione could feel her face heat up more so as she looked down to see her now straddling his narrow hips. "Oh...um, I'm so sorry! I-I wasn't um…I wasn't watching were I was going, and um…sorry!" She rambled on quickly jumping off him and standing up about ready to extend her hand to the boy to help him up as well, but before she could even move her hand he was already up and standing, brushing his pants off.

"No harm done, well as long as you're all good, there's no harm done?" He said looking her over as if to make sure that there wasn't any harm done and that she was okay.

"Oh, no! I'm perfectly fine, no harm done whatsoever…I mean, you kind of blocked any kind of injury I could have gotten…" Hermione gushed out in a rush feeling the blush creeping deeper into my cheeks yet again.

"Well that's what I was aiming for. Can't have you getting hurt on your first day when school hasn't even started for the day, now can we?" He said with a wide smile nodding his head in the direction of the doors. She nodded her head at him and they both began to make their way into the building as the other students now began to stop and stare at her as she walked by with the boy close by her side.

"Uh…no that wouldn't be too good I suppose..." She mumbled back readjusting her side-bag straps self-consciously as they made their way through the halls and the crowd as everyone still stared at the boy and her, which sent chills flying down her back.

He snorted and looked at me sideways and smiled slightly before speaking, "I'm Mike Newton by the way, and let me say that it's a pleasure to meet ya Granger!"

"And it's a pleasure to meet you as well Mike Newton, and thank you again for saving me from a few scrapes and bruises back there…"

"No problem," He said waving his hand acting like it was no big deal at all, "It actually saves me from coming up with some lame excuse to introduce myself to you, so it was well worth it." He said with another laugh that Hermione found herself liking the sound of it the more she heard it. He had such a young innocence and happiness about him that she hadn't seen in so long, it was refreshing! "So anyways, what's your first class?"

"Uhh, English Eleven with Mrs. Smith."

"Well then, I'll show you the way seeing as we seem to have the same first class together!" He said with a smile showing her the way to the English class.

After English Mike had walked her to her next class and told her 'Break a leg' before taking his lead to go to his own second hour class..., and she would be lying if she said that she wasn't a little disappointed that they didn't share the same second hour as they has first hour. He made her feel almost normal, unlike all the other kids who were openly gaping at her with wide eyes which nerved Hermione to her very core. It was making her really uncomfortable.

The next two classes were really awkward and embarrassing, well it wasn't as different from her first hour in any way really, but she did have Mike who kept talking and talking to distract her from all the stares and whispers…these hours she had no one, and everyone just kept staring and she could hear whisperings of her name wherever she went.

By the end of her third hour a boy who looked about slightly older then her came up to her with a smile on his face. "You're Hermione Granger, right?" He looked at her, seeming overly hopeful.

"Um, yes!" I rushed out in uneven breath hoping that he would just go away, but to her luck he didn't, and as soon as she answered his question that sounded more like a statement in the first place, it seemed like ten or so more heads turned at the same exact moment to look at her.

"Hi, I'm Eric, welcome to Forks!" He said while grabbing her hand and shaking it hastily.

"Thank you, I think?" She murmured out trying to yank her hand back before he ripped it off.

"So Hermione, what's your next class?" He said wasting no time as she closed her locker and began to walk down the hall slowly as he followed.

"Government," She said having to look at her schedule to make sure that it really was Government and not some other class. "With Mr. Bebe."

"Hey, we got the same class, I'll walk you there!" He said as he motioned for Hermione to follow him. Hermione sighed and reluctantly followed him. It's not that she didn't appreciate the help it's just that it was really unnecessary. She was more than capable enough to find the class all on her own, but she knew that he was just being nice and welcoming to her, and she didn't have the heart in her to tell him so. When they made it to the class Hermione went up to the teacher and handed him my slip to sign and then he introduced her to the class and asked her all sorts of question about England and how it was like to move halfway across the world from her home that she's known all her life.

Hermione simply replied to him and the class that was listing with an intense curiosity that Forks is where her uncle lives, and where her mother and her family grew up so this was where she wanted to be, and this was where she wanted to spend the next year or two at. She didn't mention anything about her parents dying...no one needed to know that detail of her life besides Charlie and her. And she planned on keeping it that way too. The teacher at the mention of her family went on into how he went to school with her mother and asked her to send his well-beings to her mother. Hermione didn't know what to say to that, so she just simply nodded her head and took her seat in the only available seat left hoping that the teacher wouldn't ask about her mum again. He obviously didn't know, which meant he must have not been that close to her, and she wasn't going to be the one to spill the beans to him.

Review please and if you haven't realized some of things in my story are going to be a little different than in the book, but hopefully you'll still like it!