Arriving at Forks

I still can't believe it, even after I'm on the plane to America. Somehow my parents had been informed of the trouble brewing with Voldemort returning (I suspected it was Headmaster Dumbledore) and had not allowed me to go to my sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was so not fair. I bet Malfoy would be one of the few who were enjoying that fact that I would be missing this year. I do hope my boys will try to get as many house points as they can in my absence.

Ron and Ginny were the ones with the famous Weasley tempers and so they were the ones to rage about this and tried to persuade Headmaster Dumbledore to let me stay but he said I could only have my parents' permission and they denied it. Harry was the one to express his views sadly and quietly. He was still agonising over Sirius's death the year before in the Department of Ministries and so I didn't add all of my complaints onto him. He was already feeling the pressure rise with Lord Voldemort once again alive and becoming more active by killing some wizards and Muggles alike.

What they would all say they would do was they would use Hedwig to mail me when they could and allow me to mail them back, Harry also said if I liked he would email some assignments so I didn't get bored. That's one of the reasons why I like my friends so much as they understand me so well, it helps that we've been best friends and part of what is called the Golden Trio for five years now.

That was why my parents had decided to get me out of the country of England to Forks, Washington that was situated in the northern edge of the Olympic Peninsula to visit my Uncle Charlie Swann who I haven't visited since I was fourteen since I was tired of the constant rain, though it was really no better in England. He came to us instead: two weeks every summer.

Uncle Charlie used to be married to my loving, hare-brained Aunt Renesmee Higgenbottom but they divorced while I was still young. My Uncle Charlie, who was my mother's brother, is living alone as the Chief of Police while my aunt later married a young man called Phil who liked playing Baseball. My aunt used to live in Phoenix, Arizona but she and Phil want to head out on the road so the only place for me to stay is with Uncle Charlie.

My parents had agreed to allow me to get a car as they know I'm responsible and I really don't want to drive to the Forks High School in Uncle Charlie's Police car every day.

I as look out of the windows of the plane, stoking my ginger cat Crookshanks all I can see is nothing but deep, dark, green forests for miles and the eerily dramatic Lake Crescent. It's all covered in mist and the cloudy grey skies are ever present.

As it almost always rained in Forks with only the very few sunny days I was wearing a black off the shoulder top with jeans and a thick anorak, though I wasn't wearing it at the moment.

My Uncle Charlie picked me up from the airport in Port Angeles. He looked the same as ever: with his dark brown hair, a small beard, brown eyes and a tall body.

He helped me load my trunk that I used for Hogwarts into his Police cruiser and we set off to where I used to live every summer for whoever knows how long now.

I never had the same comfortable relationship with my Uncle as I had with my Aunt so we sat in awkward silence till he said, "Your hair is longer and thinner."

I looked down at my hair. "I cut it since the last time I saw you."

"Must have grown again." I just nodded in reply. "How are your mom and dad?"

"They're good," I nod. I couldn't bring myself to smile. I still loved them but they did make me move here with no free will of my own.

"What's his name?" he asked, referring to my cat.

"Crookshanks, I brought him just before I went to my third year at Hogwarts. We're allowed to have our own pets there. Go on, he won't bight," he was wanting to pet him but I think he was a bit unnereved my Crookshank's stare. "He likes you." It was true. HE didn't hiss, spit or claw at him. I think he might of also realised he was family to me.

He slowly reached out and pet him for a few seconds. During that time Crookshanks purred. If he didn't like him before then he did now.

We passed a sign that read, 'the city of Forks welcomes you- population 3246.' Meaning that it will be now 3247.

On the way to the house we pass by the small Police station that was across the city hall.

When we got to the small house that looked like a cottage it looked the same as it's always done. White painted walls, a huge tee out in the yard that I never checked what it was, a shed full of firewood and a small boat, fishing gear and an old buoy in the garage. Inside would find a kitchen and dining table for two on the right and a lounge on the left with a decent sized flat screen TV as I remember that he liked to watch Baseball matches.

There were two bedrooms with one bathroom upstairs.

"I put Grandpa's old desk in your room," Uncle Charlie informed me as we carried our bags into the lounge. "I've also cleared some shelves in the bathroom."

Great, I remember now. Just one bathroom. I'm not one of those girls who fuses about with makeup all the time like a girl in my dorm called Lavender Brown did but I do like my early showers each morning.

"I'll just put these in your room," he picks up my trunk with ease and I follow him upstairs to the room I always used as I child when I visited this place. I might as well start calling it home since it seems my parents aren't going to change their mind any time soon.

"It's a pretty good working lamp," he referred to the lamp that was on my desk. "The sales lady picked out the bed stuff. You like gold right? I think your mother told me you must have red and gold bed stuff."

The pillows were red and the comforter at the end of the bed was gold.

"It's my favourite colour," I reassured him. It has been ever since I became a Gryffindor whose primary colours are red and gold.

"Okay." One of the best things about Uncle Charlie... he doesn't hover.

I unpack my trunk and sit on the edge of my bedroom. I look around to see the same wooden floor, light blue walls, the peaked ceiling and the yellowed lace curtains. There was a desk with a second hand computer with the phone line for the modem stapled along the floor to the nearest phone jack. This was so I could keep in touch with my parents and my aunt even though she isn't one for technology. The rocking chair from when I was younger was still in the corner. I had a very small wardrobe and chest of draws where I would pack all my clothes. The only thing I was allowed to bring with me was my wand which I kept in my long winter boots.

Loneliness was threatening to overwhelm me. I would surely miss Harry and Ron's company in the coming days. They were the first friends I ever had. I hope Ginny keeps them in line while I'm gone.

Before I had the chance to cry a honk sounded out front. I ran to my window and looked out to see a faded red truck, a Circa 1960 with rounded fenders and a bulbous cab pulling up the drive way.

I ran down stairs and met Uncle Charlie outside who was joined by an old man in a wheel chair with black hair and dark skin along with a boy of maybe fifteen or sixteen standing next to him with the same dark long hair, brown eyes and dark skin. They look faintly familiar but I couldn't bring their names to my mind though it seems they definitely remember me as the young boy was smiling happily at me.

"Hermione you remember Billy Black?"

Ah, so that was the old man's name. "Yeah I remember you. You're looking good." He and Uncle Charlie always either watched Baseball or went out fishing together. Next to him was his son Jacob Black. He sure has grown tall since I last saw him.

"Well, I'm still dancing. Glad you're finally here," Billy smiled at me. "Charlie hasn't shut up about it since your parents told him you were coming."

"Keep exaggerating. I'll wheel you down the hill."

"Right after I ran you in the ankles." Billy takes a few rolls at Uncle Charlie who doges playfully.

"Bring it on."

Jacob then approached me looking shy. What's he got to be shy about me? I may have changed a bit since we were friends, like in confidence and strength of my magic (though he didn't know that, Uncle Charlie didn't either) but apart from that I've hardly changed.

"I'm Jacob; we made mud pies when we were little kids."

"I remember," I smiled at him before looking back at our family. "Are they always like this?" It's been a long time since I've been to Forks.

"It gets worse with old age." Ah, I should have known.

"So, how do you like your home coming gift Mione?" Charlie asked me as he leaned and patted the truck.

Wait, wicked. "Are you serious?" I asked him.

"Yeah, just bought it of Billy here."

"I totally rebuilded the engine..." Jacob start saying but I just had to cut him off.

"I love it! It's perfect." I beamed at them causing them all to smile happily back at me. I like old fashioned cars just like my father does.

I opened the driver's door and Jacob got in the passenger seat. "Okay, so you have to double pump the clutch when you shift but..."

"Got it." He handed me the keys. "Do you want me to give you a lift to school?" I asked him. It's only fair.

He gave me a rueful grin. "I go to school on the Reservation." Ah, the Reservation meaning the school at La Push where he lives. It was quite near Forks, it was near the beaches.

"That's too bad. It would have been nice to no one person there. Well, I guess I better get ready for school tomorrow. I'll see you around."

"See you, Mione." He gave me a one armed hugged before we got out of the car and I went back into the house. It was already getting late so I decided to get tea ready so I could go to bed early. My mom made me learn how to cook when I was just thirteen so I would have like to have said I was good by now but since eating the delicious meals at Hogwarts that were made by the House Elves that should have been freed from servitude long ago, I pale in comparison.

I looked around the cupboard and the fridge and make a mental note that I should go to the grocery store on my way home from school tomorrow as Uncle Charlie seemed to have hardly anything in the kitchen except lots of fish which I knew he liked, cans of beans, bread but no vegetables or other meats. I no he doesn't like spicy foods which I don't like either so that's definitely off my list. I made the rest of the list as I cooked some fish, baked some beams and cooked some toast.

He had come in a while ago and was watching something on the TV and so I called him into the kitchen to tell him that dinner was ready.

He tucked himself right in. "You didn't have to cook for me Mione."

"I wanted to, Uncle," I smiled to reassure him. We ate in silence till we finished. He sat at the table while I washed the dishes.

"Are you looking forward to the first day of school tomorrow?"

"Sort of," I shrugged as I leaned against the counter next to the sink. "In terms of learning something I am."

He grinned and chuckled at that. "Yes, you always did want to know everything."

"Well, there is so much that the world has to offer that I can hardly do it in one lifetime so I compensate by learning as much as I can now."

"What, um, caused your parents to send you here? Was there something wrong with the boarding school?"

"No, no, it was nothing to do with the school. It was just a bit of trouble around parts of England that my parents worried about." I hated lying to Uncle Charlie but it had to be done. I couldn't expose the world of magic to him. It would cause him to be in danger and it would be breaking my kind's own laws in that no Muggle must ever see us or hear us.

"They'll be safe though?"

"Yeah, don't worry about that." I know that the member of the Order of the Phoenix (Tonks, Shacklebolt, Mad-Eye Moody and Mr Weasley among others) will keep an eye on them for me. Keeping them protected from Lord Voldemort. Though saying that he will probably worry about them anyway as he always will. My mother is his sister after all. "I'm gonna have an early night Uncle."

"Goodnight," I kissed his cheek in reply and went straight to my room. I got out all my toiletries, shampoo and conditioner. The flavour that I liked to have was vanilla and cinnamon. I went into the bathroom: I had my shower and brushed my teeth.

I went back into my bedroom, changed into some light blue long sleeved pyjamas and went straight to sleep after setting my alarm clock with Crookshanks curled up around my feet to keep them warm.