A/N: It's been a while, I know. Thank you again to everyone who follows this story!
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, I'm borrowing.
"Come on, honey. You can do it." Hermione's mum's voice rang from the other side of the swimming pool as Hermione tried her hardest to remember what the instructor said about pedaling with your hands and feet. She was the last one of the girls in her swimming class who couldn't figure it out. Hermione was VERY frustrated. So much that she went home yesterday and looked up synonyms of the word "annoyed" in the big dictionary her Dad had given her as a sixth birthday present. She had found the most beautiful word: frustrated.
Hermione didn't like being last. She never had and she didn't think she ever will. So she asked her mum to take her down to the swimming pool for extra practice. "Just five more feet little Minny," her mum's voice rang again.
She tried pedaling harder but this time, she ended up moving backwards. Now she was extremely frustrated. This was never going to work! She raised her hands and brought them down next to her, splashing water on her already wet self.
"I'm done, Mum. Get me out of here." Hermione told her mum. She just wanted to go home, curl up against the fireplace and read Matilda again.
Her mum only smiled. "Get yourself out, sweety. I'll be right here and I won't let anything happen to you."
Hermione sighed. Her mum would be no help. But her mum believed in her, which must mean Hermione could swim to the end. Her mum was the smartest person in the world. Hermione stared at the water. And then she put her hands forward and did the butterfly gesture her swimming instructor taught them. She wasn't doing anything different from before except concentrating on the water but she felt herself moving! Fast!
Her mum smiled at her huge as she reached out into the pool and pulled her up. "See, honey? I knew you'd come to me."
Hermione woke with a start and immediately wanted to go back to the pleasantness of reliving the dream, not the hollowness of the memory years afterwards. She wondered if something went wrong with her Dreamless potion, maybe she should have made it stronger. She had almost forgotten about the swimming incident. That was her first time using accidental magic though at the time, she was certain it was a side-effect of reading Matilda.
Thoughts of her mum brought shadows of tears to her eyes. She would give up the world for the chance to give her mother a hug. "I will come to you, Mum," Hermione said out loud to the air and the silhouette of a sleeping Pigwidgeon.
Hermione went through the motions of getting ready for school. She fell into a monotonous routine, doing everything by hand to distract herself.
Charlie had already left for work, but he had left her microwavable pancakes and some cold syrup. Hermione's lips twitched upwards into a small smile at his sentimentality. That was very sweet of him. She was reminded oddly of Molly whom she missed almost as dearly as her mum.
In school, her classes went by in a blur with her giving just the amount of concentration that was needed to avoid extra attention. Her thoughts kept wandering to her dream. Could it have meant something? She was skeptical; she never believed in Divination. She would have to purchase more Valerian sprigs to make her Dreamless Potion stronger. Maybe she could ask McGonagall to send her some? But that would only garner unnecessary questions and worries from her. Maybe she would ask Ginny to bring her some. And then she remembered Edward's offer to drive her to Seattle. She knew she would have to say no because she didn't know how she would sway him off once they got there so she could meet with Ginny. Maybe some other time, she would say.
At lunch, Hermione sat beside Jessica and Angela who were chatting about what dresses they would buy for the dance. Hermione had never been good at girl talk; she found it trying and inessential. Nevertheless, she tried to pitch in whenever relevant in case the girls started to wonder whether something was off.
Before long, while Hermione was off in her head somewhere, Jessica brought to her attention that Edward was staring at her. When Hermione turned around to get a look, he caught her eye and motioned for her to join him. He was sitting alone. She wondered where his clan was. Or family, she corrected herself. The Cullens seemed like they were very fond of one another. With an encouraging smile from Angela, Hermione excused herself from the table and slowly walked over.
"Are we friends again today?" Hermione asked with a small smile.
Edward returned her smile, "One more day couldn't cause any more damage, I figured."
Hermione let out a breath of laughter, "Admirable decision," she said.
Edward quietly stared at her for a few moments and Hermione didn't offer any conversation either. She wondered what he was thinking. Would now be a good time to tell him about her? She was determined to tell the Cullens about wizardry but now she wondered if that would only put them in unnecessary danger. Especially now that she knows Greyback is on the loose.
"Can I ask you something?" He broke the silence.
"Sure?" Hermione said though it sounded more like a question.
"You look sad. Will you tell me why?" Hermione was surprised by his comment. Maybe he didn't always rely on his power to read people.
Instead of answering, Hermione said, "Can I ask you something?"
"Sure?" He replied the same way she had.
"You also look sad. Will you tell me why?"
Edward smiled and so did she. "Truce, then?"
Hermione nodded. "Truce."
He changed the subject, "Aren't you hungry?" He looked to her tray which only consisted of chocolate milk and an apple.
"No, I'm not," she replied. She wasn't accustomed to eating Forks High's food yet; she always compared it to Hogwarts' luxurious meals. She pointed at the empty table in front of him and asked, "Aren't you?" She really just wanted to hear what his answer would be.
"No, I'm not hungry either," he said with humor. Hermione controlled her expression as to not give away her amusement.
The bell to transit to the next class rung then. Hermione stood up and frowned when Edward didn't. "Aren't you coming to Biology?"
"It's healthy to ditch class now and then," he said.
Hermione scowled but moved on on her own. It was only when she reached Biology did she understand what he meant. As she sat down on her table, Mr. Banner started handing out blood indicator kits so the students could find out what their blood type was. Hermione began to panic a little. She couldn't give her blood sample to Mr. Banner. The death eaters had a way of tracking muggle-born blood once out of a witch or wizard's body. Giving a sample of her blood would make her location known to any wizard who wants to track her.
Hermione went through scenarios in her head until she landed on one that would be most efficient. Sometimes, playing a damsel in distress might be the best way to go. Hermione started heavily breathing through her mouth so it seemed like she was struggling. Mr. Banner looked to her, concerned, "Bella, are you alright?" Hermione closed her eyes for emphasis. "Are you feeling faint?"
Mr. Banner called for someone to take her to the nurse's office and Mike immediately offered. Hermione leaned against him as they walked out of the classroom. As soon as they were out of Mr. Banner's sight, in case he was watching, she asked Mike to stop. They were on the sidewalk in front of building two. She sat down and closed her eyes again while Mike hovered around her, not knowing what to do with himself.
How would she get rid of him now? Hermione didn't want to go to the nursing office in case the nurse wanted to check her medical records. She had never asked McGonagall if they created fake medical records for her and she didn't want to risk it without knowing for certain. She mentally cursed herself for not knowing about the blood drive beforehand.
Almost like an answer to her prayer, Edward suddenly appeared out of nowhere, "Is she okay? Bella?" Hermione sighed a breath of relief when Edward convinced Mike he would take her to the nursing office. Mike reluctantly stormed off muttering curses in between his breath.
Hermione looked to him, "You're right. It is healthy to ditch sometimes," she said. A sentence she didn't think she would ever say.
"I usually am," he said cockily. "So you faint at the sight of blood?" He asked. He seemed entertained.
Instead of answering, Hermione stood up and started walking towards the parking lot.
"Where do you think you're going?" he asked. "What about the nurse?"
"I'm good. I just need to go home."
"I'll drop you off then. You shouldn't drive in your condition."
"I'm okay, really," she said. "And what about my truck?"
"I'll have Alice drop your truck off after school."
Hermione hesitated.
"Please?" He added when she wasn't answering.
Hermione took a deep breath, "Sure."
Music started playing as soon as she got in the Volvo and Hermione was immediately reminded of her mother for the second time that day. "Four Seasons?"
Edward looked surprised she recognized it, "You like Vivaldi?"
Hermione nodded. Hermione's mum always played music when she cooked. During the summer, Hermione always sat with her at the countertop reading a book while listening to her mum hum with the music that played. "My mother always played classical music around the house. Vivaldi is probably my favorite."
Edward stared out the window, "He's one of my favorites too."
They sat in silence for a while. Hermione noted that it was a comforting silence, not an awkward one. "What is your mother like?" Edward asked.
Hermione thought about it. "My mother… she's my role model. She is wonderful and determined and she has always believed in me. She's one of my best friends."
"You miss her a lot, don't you?"
More than you can imagine, she thought but didn't say. "Yes," she replied, "though I hope she's happy where she is."
"How old are you, Bella?" He asked.
Strange question. "Seventeen," she said.
"You don't seem seventeen." Hermione couldn't agree more. She hadn't felt young in a long time.
"Neither do you."
If that answer surprised him, he didn't let it show. Soon, he was pulling up his car into Charlie's driveway.