2:00pm, March 8th, Forks High School

Edward was suffering.

It had been over a month since he realized what Hermione meant to him. He'd tried to say something, but she'd seemed to brush it off without a second thought.

Now he was stuck, when he wasn't talking about her, he was thinking about her, and when he wasn't thinking about her, he was with her.

Spanish class had become the bane of his existence.

He had to sit next to her whilst they made polite conversation, every day she astounded him with her intelligence and wit. He would go out of his way to make their arms brush, or their eyes connect. But she was still an enigma, he still had no idea how she felt.

All he knew was that she was perfect.

She had her flaws, of course she did.

She was somewhat haughty and proud, she didn't always tell the truth, she could be irritable and sarcastic at times.

But she was perfect for him; these flaws endeared him to her, because she had passion and intelligence behind her eyes. He loved the knowledge that he could be completely himself around her, he didn't have to be careful about breaking her because there is no way Hermione would let that happen and on the off chance that she was little slow with her wand waving, she could fix herself in a heartbeat. There was no treading on eggshells around her.

The worst part about Spanish class was when it ended, he would sit through an hour of torment, not being able to say what he wanted to say to her, do what he wanted to do to her. But by the end of the hour and she said, 'goodbye Edward,' like she did every day, he felt as though something had been ripped from him. Something warm and natural. It was like she was meant to be with him.

He never went to see Hermione without ringing her front doorbell, he knew she would send him catapulting into the forest with just a flick of her wand, whether she realized it was him or not.

When he did go, she would smile, invite him in but he would always leave by eleven and never go two days in a row.

He knew how Hermione liked her space, she liked to be alone with her books and learn. She liked to spend hours on the phone with her friends in England and she like to be independent.

He thought that if he could show her that he knew what she liked, that she would like him too.

She had welcomed many other guests to her home in the last month, many of them male. Edward would never go and visit her then, he didn't trust his jealous instincts.

The only solace he took was that none of them were Charlie Weasley, in fact he hadn't heard about him from anyone's lips in a while. He was still in Romania with the dragons. His little sister Ginny visited often, he quite liked Ginny. He didn't mind visiting when Ginny was with Hermione, he was offered an insight into Hermione with her. Because they weren't afraid to gossip in his presence and the last time Ginny had been in town she had asked her which of the Forks boys had caught her eye.

She wouldn't have asked that if the witch was involved with her brother.

Alice kept telling him to try again.

To ask her to go to the theatre or out for dinner. Or anything.

He was irritating the rest of his family by being so indecisive. Only Esme seemed happy by his deliberating, saying it was sweet how he wanted to get it right.

So today, exactly one month after his previous rejection he ran after her when she left Spanish.

"Hermione," he called as he closed the gap between them.

"Yes," she said, pulling up the hood of her coat to shield her hair from the wind.

"Will you go to the May Day dance with me?" he asked, looking at her imploringly.

"I didn't know there was a May Day dance," she said.

"They're putting the posters up tomorrow, I wanted to ask you before anyone else did," he said. "It's on Friday the 2nd of May."

"But the 1st of May is May Day," Hermione said, narrowing her eyes in confusion.

"They didn't want to hold it on a Thursday or something," he said with a shrug.

"I'm sorry, I'm not going to go to the dance at all," Hermione said apologetically.

"Go on, it's just a dance," he begged, he knew Bella had a phobia of school dances, like they carried the plague or something.

"No, it's not the dance, I enjoy dances," she said, thinking fondly of the Yule Ball. "It's the date. I'm seeing my godson. Harry, Bill, Fleur and I have decided that we're going to spend that evening with Teddy. The 2nd is the anniversary of Remus and Tonks' deaths. We're going to their graves and the memoriam. I'm going back to England that day."

"Oh…" Edward said slowly. "Well okay then, that's fine."

"Sorry again," she said, she really did seem sorry to say it. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Hermione didn't notice that Edward did not walk to his car, but back to the school building.

1:00pm, March 9th, Forks High School

Hermione walked into the Lunch Hall and put her usual sandwich and fruit on her tray before seating herself in her usual position, in between Ben and Austin. Sparing only a second's glance at Bella, who sat whilst with a table of freshmen, gave her a scathing look. She may not be able to remember why she hated Hermione so much, but it didn't stop her from letting her know her loathing was still present.

It was only intensified when Hermione was asked to skip ahead into the advanced class in English- Bella's favourite subject. She only really said she would to get rid of her moody neighbour in that class. Instead of a sulking and downright unpleasant Bella, she had English with Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett, who passed her notes and made jokes for the hour.

"So does anyone have a date for the dance yet?" Jessica asked, smiling round at the table expectantly. "It's not that far away now."

"It is ages away," Hermione said, taking a bite out of her apple.

"Less than a month is not ages," she denied.

"A month?"

"Excuse me," said the deep velvety voice Edward Cullen. Hermione noticed Jessica sit up straighter and flick her hair over her shoulder.

"Hello Edward," she said, a fake smile plastered to her face. Angela shook her head disappointedly. "What can we do for you?"

"I was actually coming over here to ask if Hermione would do me the honour of allowing me to be her date for dance," he said, looking at her hopefully. "The one on April the 2nd." Jessica took a deep intake of breath and she turned to Hermione.

"Say yes, say yes, say yes," she hissed her breath. "Do it."

"That would be lovely," Hermione said, forcing a smile. "But can I talk to you for just as second… over there."

"Of course," he said, and Hermione excused herself from the table, taking her apple with her.

"I thought you said the dance was in May?" she accused, eyes narrowed.

"Did I?" he said innocently. "Well it's in April." Hermione crossed her arms.

"Edward," she said warningly.

"Okay so the dance organization board decided that they would rather hold the dance in April, no big deal," he said with a shrug.

"With no persuasion on your part," she said. He smirked.

"So I really wanted to go to the dance with you, is that really such a crime?" he said. She didn't speak. "Hermione I like you."

"You really do?" she asked, raising her chin.

"I really do," he said honestly, his face open and truthful. A small smile appeared on Hermione's face. Edward took his chance, without giving her a chance to pull away. But a chance to slap him afterward he leaned forward and planted a single, chaste kiss on her lips.

To his great relief however, she did not recoil, slap him or anything else infinitely more painful involving that pointed piece of wood she was so adept at using. She just continued to smirk.

"Are you going to say something?" he asked after a long pause from them both, his insides felt as though they were snakes.

"Sorry Edward I was giving you the chance to rectify that huge mistake and actually kiss me properly," she said a business-like tone, before giving him a grin. He chuckled and shook his head, winding his arms around her waist, before he crashed his lips to hers, to 'kiss her properly.'

There was no bigger satisfaction for him, than feeling her arms snake around his neck, still holding her half eaten apple.

The "YES EDDIEKINS. GET IN THERE!" from Emmett, he could have done without however.

11:00am, March 18th, En Route to Seattle Shopping Centre

Hermione and Edward had been an 'item' for a grand total of ten days.

They spent most evenings together which Hermione thought she would have hated, but Edward was content to just let her read sometimes, for hours on end, as long as he was permitted to read one of her books about magic of course.

He found it fascinating.

Alice was so happy when they finally got together and now the two of them were going with Rose to buy dresses for upcoming dance. Earlier that day Hermione had shown them all the dresses which were being worn by the bridal party at Fleur's wedding, Alice had almost melted when she saw the wedding dress.

She had rattled on about how witches are so much more daring and elaborate with their dresses and the non-magical world should take a leaf out of their book. Fleur's really was a beautiful dress and very her.

It had a full skirt, which was a trademark in wizarding bridal fashion and a long train. She wasn't going to wear a veil because of this elaborate bottom of the dress, but she was going to wear the goblin made tiara which belonged to Bill's Aunt Muriel.

Hermione had told them that every Weasley bride, or bride of a Weasley had worn this tiara, for over three hundred years, it was family tradition.

Then she had shown them what she herself was wearing, as maid of honour. She had told Alice how thankful she was that Fleur was having a maid and matron of honour, and that Fleur's married friend had been dying to do all the organizing for things like hen parties, which would have been terrible for Hermione to try and organize in America.

"I'm so glad you and Edward are together," Alice said with a smile as they turned into the parking lot for the shopping centre.

"Me too," Hermione replied with a smile. "Not for him, but because you two are thrown in to the deal."

Alice laughed musically as she parked the car and they stepped out.

"Come on, Hermione," she said, linking their arms together. "Let's go and pick something nice out."

4:00pm, March 18th, Swan Residence

"I've got to say Charlie," Billy Black said as he opened his first beer of the evening. "I'm mighty glad your niece came to the area."

"As I am," Charlie replied, holding his glass up in a toasting fashion. "She introduced your boy to a girl didn't she, one of her old schoolmates?"

"That she did," Billy said, nodding slowly, a smile on his face. "Fine girl that, they'll go the distance, you mark my words."

"What's her name again?" Charlie asked.

"Luna," he replied. "Jake is mad for her, they spend every available second together. It's awful nice to see him so happy."

"I can imagine," Charlie sighed. "Bella's single again. Broke up with the Cullen lad and now he is dating said niece."

"She can handle herself well; she'll be fine with him. How did Bella take the breakup?" he asked.

"She initiated it," Charlie said. "I know, I was gobsmacked. She regrets it now though and she took Hermione accepting him as a deep betrayal, but what can you do."

"Hermione's a good girl, Bella will realize what a good friend she is eventually," Billy said.

"I hope so," Charlie sighed. "Having the family at odds is difficult."

"I can imagine," Billy said with a smile. "Rachel finishes college this summer; she's coming home to the reservation."

2:00am, March 28th, Cullen Residence, Forks

Beneath the backdrop of a huge, imposing castle, illuminated in the darkness by the candlelight flickering from the windows a huge crowd stood, all before a large, marble column, with names engraved in a swirling script.

Someone was making a solemn speech but nobody who was watching this scene from afar was listening. They were looking.

Hermione was stood stoically, as tall as she could muster as tears stung at her eyes, she tried to blink them away but they were persistent. She was dressed in long, black robes as were the rest of the crowd, suitable for mourners.

A little boy was stood at about knee height next to her, he had purple hair, a button nose and he was holding the hand of Hermione and the man she had shown them in a photograph, whose was name was Harry.

The little boy was not recognizable, but Hermione said her godson could change his looks at will, he was probably Teddy. He looked sad, though he must have been too young to really understand. He dropped Harry's hand and tugged on the robes of Hermione.

She bent down and picked him up, holding him close to her chest.

"Her-my-oh-nee," he said in a typical, sweet youngster's voice, having trouble with her long name, so sounding it out. "Don't be sad." He ran his hand along the curtain of hair which was nearest to him.

"It's okay to be sad sometimes, Teddy," she said softly.

"Are you sad for Mummy and Daddy?" he asked, his eyes wide with wonder and innocence. "Don't be sad for them, they were good people. They made the world a better place for me and for you."

Even at so young an age he spoke with such conviction and pride, the tears did spill from Hermione's eyes at this, and she clutched the little boy as if he was her lifeline. His head tucked into her shoulder. Her face was contorted with emotion and her chest started to wrack with sobs.

Harry put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her and Teddy into an embrace waiting for her to cry out her tears.

Teddy tried to smooth away the moisture on her cheeks with the pad of his tiny thumb.

The scene changed and suddenly the crowd was gone and all there was, was Hermione and Teddy in a small bedroom, painted with stars and rocket ships.

"Her-my-oh-nee," the little boy said as she tucked him in underneath his thick duvet.

"Yes Teddy," she replied affectionately, sitting beside him on the bed.

"Have I upset you?" he asked, his voice wavering with worry.

"Oh Teddy, no," Hermione said, bending down and kissing the top of his forehead. "You could never upset me. Why would you think that?"

"You don't visit me very much anymore," he said sadly. "I've missed you. Nah-na says it's because you're busy and you live far away now."

"I do live far away now," Hermione said, smoothing his hair as they spoke.

"Why can't you live closer?" he asked innocently. Hermione didn't reply, she couldn't look at him, so she gazed at the foot of the bed.

"Do you want to hear a bedtime story?" she asked eventually. He nodded excitedly, or as excitedly as he could for a little boy who was very tired.

"Hah-ree tells me stories about a brave werewolf and a beautiful lady who can change her face," Teddy told her, his face lighting up. "Do you know any of those stories?"

Hermione closed her eyes, and tears, unseen by the infant slid slowly down her cheeks.

"Yes," she said, her voice unwavering, surprisingly. "I know many."

Alice opened her eyes to the living room.

If she could cry, she would be sobbing at the heart breaking scene.

One look at Edward and she knew he saw the whole thing.