A/N: This is a T chappie. Nothing too intense.

Azneejit- I know it was very un-Edward-like to completely resist Bella at their reunion. It's the 'shut down' reflex, a 'I don't want to deal with these emotions, so I'm going to shut them out' thing. There's going to be more drama with who-loves-who in the next few chappies, even if it seems obvious at the end of this one who is with who. Hopefully that's not too confusing.

Since Imprinting is a often mentioned, but little discussed subject I've made my own conclusions on it. Hope it's not too confusing, I'll be willing to explain if it's not clear.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed. As always, enjoy and please leave a review. I changed a good portion of this chapter based on what Azneejit pointed out, so I really do use the reviews to help write the story.

He excused himself to his old room as Hermione transformed Carlisle's old study into a potions room. He sat in the middle of the bare floor, and stared at the empty shelves all around him.

Seeing Bella had brought on a flood of emotions. No matter how hard he put on his act he couldn't deny that he still loved her. He loved two women, each in separate and unique ways. Hermione was what Bella wasn't. She was strong, independent, intelligent, a genuine mystery at times. But on the other hand Bella was what Hermione wasn't. Completely interested in him, willing to give her emotional self completely to him, and without the baggage of a previous love. Hermione's also immortal, his brain told him. But should that matter? That was a hurdle easily cleared if he truly wanted.

Which would it be? Hermione or Bella?

"Maybe Bella for her lifetime, then Hermione," he sneered to himself. Like that would ever happen. Hermione wouldn't wait for Bella's lifetime, and Bella would never stop hounding him to let her become a vampire. Having Bella would mean losing Hermione, and it obviously went both ways. He thought the choice would be easy, he was completely convinced that he was Hermione's when they entered Forks, now he wasn't as sure.

He stood slowly and walked into Hermione's new room. It was now almost a carbon copy of her room at their UK home. She was putting the final touches on the mantle.

"Looks good," he muttered.

"Thanks," she said, waving her wand one more time. A roaring fire started in the fireplace.

"Look at me, Hermione," he commanded, grabbing her wrist and twirling her around to face him.

"What's wrong?" she asked, looking concerned.

He placed a shaky hand on her face, tracing the contours lightly, slowly moving over every feature. His hands then ran through her long hair, eyes following slowly. His fingers then moved back to traced down her neck from her ear to her collarbone. They roamed down her arms, and ran over every inch of her hands. He moved back up to her back, and his fingers ran slowly down, causing her to sigh. They traced back up her sides, then moved back down her front, running over her breasts, down over her stomach, flirting with her area. He dropped to his knees, running his hands over her rear and down each leg. He nudged her shirt up slightly with his nose and inhaled deeply. The faint scent was still there, growing stronger as his hands continued to explore her body.

"Do you love me, Hermione?" he asked.

"Yes," she whispered, hands cupping his head, fingers running absentmindedly through his hair.

"Why?" he breathed.

She didn't answer. She stood there, breathing slowly, taking in his scent. Her hands traced his face the way his had traced hers minutes before. The feeling was spreading throughout his body without having to press himself to her skin. He was getting drunk on her scent. He resisted the urge to push her onto the table and take her.

She sunk to the floor and took his hands in hers. She gazed into his eyes, and answered lowly, "because of who you are. I won't say you are my life and my everything, because that's not true. That doesn't mean I want to lose you, that means I want to be with you even more. I have connected with you in ways I didn't think it would be possible for me to connect with someone. I feel like every day I find another reason to love you even more, and I'm not sure if I spend eternity with you that I'd be able to find all the reasons."

"And if I were to leave?" he looked intently into her eyes.

"I'd be upset," she responded, staring back at him.

"Would you be devastated?" he whispered.

She stared at him, looking slightly confused. "I'd be upset," she repeated. "But it's not like I haven't loved and lost before."

"Is that it? Am I Ron's replacement to you?"

She looked slightly angry. "Of course not. I'd think you would know better than anyone that my feelings for you are much different than my feelings for Ron."

"Would you take him back if you could?"

She stood and crossed her arms angrily. "Are you trying to find justification for leaving me for Bella?"

"No!" he protested, standing to face her.

"I know you have a decision to make, so go think it over and come back when you've made a decision. I have been second-choice before, I have no desire to be again," she sounded close to breaking down. She angrily crossed the room, opened the door, and motioned for him to leave.

"Hermione," he pleaded.

"I'm trying to not be insensitive. I see the way you look at her. No matter how much you hold my hand or hold me to you, that look is still there. I want to be with you, Edward, but not if you don't want to be with me." She looked dejectedly at the floor.

He walked to the door, but didn't leave. He turned, cupped her face in one of his hands, and pulled it up so she was looking at him. "Do you truly want me to go?" he whispered.

She gulped hard. "No," she whispered. "I just don't want to be hurt again."

He bent down and found her lips lightly with his. They stood, foreheads touching, each taking in the others scent. "Do you trust me when I tell you that I love you?"

"Yes," she whispered.

"That I don't want to see you hurt?"

"Yes."

He sighed, his choice becoming more and more clear. Temptation would come, every time Bella was around, but he could resist temptation. He had so many times in the past. He couldn't resist Hermione, he couldn't lose her scent, he couldn't lose that feeling. He couldn't lose Hermione. His hand was on the back of her head, pulling her to him, kissing her furiously.

She pressed herself to him, kissing him back, but moments later pulled away from him. "I want you to be sure," she whispered. "The further we get into this, the more connected I feel to you."

"I am sure of this, 'Mione," he whispered, leaning forward to kiss her again.

"You're sure of this now," she muttered. "But what about the next time you see Bella?"

His head dropped. "It will be hard, but hopefully she'll start to see things differently."

"Until you can be totally sure, I think it would best to tone this down," she pulled away even further, hugging herself, staring into the fire.

He sighed in frustration, but nodded his head. Her guards were back up, she was afraid of losing someone else she loved, and that sealed his decision for her. She loved him enough to fear losing him, and he realized he felt the same about her.

The Volkswagen pulled up outside the school as it had every day for weeks before Edward had reappeared. Several of Bella's friends were shepherding her outside to meet Jacob. Her mood since running to La Push the day before had gone from being on the mend to back into her deep, depressed hole. She refused to tell them what was going on, and they were worried she might be looking to end it.

Jacob got out of the car to help her in, still looking furious at Edward's re-appearance. Without a word to anyone he helped Bella into his car, strapped her in, slammed the door, and drove off.

They were halfway to La Push before either one spoke. "Do you want me to drop you off with him?" Jacob scowled.

"No," she mumbled. "I don't want to be anywhere near him."

"But you don't want to be anywhere near me," he snapped.

"That's not fair!" she sobbed. "You imprint on me, and it's supposed to be some sort of fairy tale? I'm supposed to fall head over heels for you and sit back to enjoy my happily ever after? It's too much, Jacob! It's not guy meets girl, they date, they kiss and slowly they fall in love. You love me, I'm not sure I'm ready for it."

"You fell into love pretty damn quick when it was Edward," he hissed.

"You wouldn't understand."

"I would because it's how I feel about you!" he retorted, fingers white on the steering wheel.

They entered the reservation in silence.

"It doesn't matter now," she sobbed. "He's got her."

"Hermione? She's nothing like you."

"And he's made his choice," she said bitterly.

He opened his mouth to say 'don't be so sure', but closed it immediately. If she thought things were truly over with Edward it might work out better for him.

"Romeo didn't choose Juliet," she muttered.

"Are you so sure Edward was Romeo?" he whispered.

She looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"Edward came, you fell head over heels in love with him, he left you because his brother attacked you. Not because he attacked you, it was his brother. He had shown remarkable restraint with you, he could let his family go and stay with you, but he didn't. He left at the slightest provocation without a feeling of responsibility towards you and your feelings. He just assumed that the pain would be over quickly and you'd get past it. Did he honestly think that love just went away like that? Doesn't sound like a Romeo."

She closed her eyes in thought as they pulled into his driveway. He put the car in park and stared forward into the woods ahead. "I love you, Bella. If you don't return that love I'll just have to do without. I'll never be able to rid myself of my feelings for you. That's how imprinting works. It can't magically bind you to me, and it certainly can't make you return my feelings. So far the rest of the pack has been lucky, their partners have reciprocated, but I guess that doesn't mean it happens in all cases."

He got out of the car and muttered, "tell me when you want me to take you home." He closed the door and started towards his house.

"Wait," came her feeble voice as his hand touched the doorknob. He turned to see her slowly walking towards him. She dropped her backpack on the wet ground, sending drops of mud flying. She walked until she was right in front of him, staring up into his eyes. Slowly she reached up and touched his long hair. Wordlessly she pulled him down to her and pressed her lips hesitantly to his. She wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him to her, pressing herself into the kiss a little more forcefully. Then, slowly, she started letting go, her lips parting from his, her arms sliding from his shoulders, eyes still locked to his.

"That wasn't that bad, was it?" he smiled at her.

One side of her mouth upturned as she said, "no."

"What is this, Bella?" he asked hesitantly.

"A trial. To see if I found my true Romeo," she whispered. "You were right. If he understood my love for him, if his feelings were the same as mine he wouldn't have run off. And I've been unfair to you. I'm not saying I love you, I'm saying I want to give it a chance."

He smiled as he bent over to give her another quick kiss. "To biology?" he smiled.

She smiled at him, feeling more comfortable than she had in a while. "For something that is two creatures in one you certainly have problems grasping the subject," she smirked.

"Luckily I have the best tutor Forks has to offer," he held the door for her.

"Oh, that's saying something," she rolled her eyes.

He hurried to his bedroom to get his textbook and she sat on the couch in thought. She had kissed Jacob. A warm, loving kiss. Much different than kissing Edward. And she started to realize that she thought of Jacob as more than her best friend.

"Are you coming with on Saturday?" he asked, tossing his book on the couch and dropping after it, causing her to bounce. He and Sam had decided that they would be the ones to follow the vampires into Seattle looking for her magical supplies. He wasn't thrilled at the idea, but keeping an eye on the blood-suckers was much more important than his desire not to spend time around them.

"You'd be willing to let me in the same car as Edward?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Not next to him," he admitted with a smile. "You can't tell me you aren't the least bit curious about the wand-waver."

"I am, but I'm not sure I want to spend the time locked in the car with you bickering at each other."

"If I promise not to bicker?" he pleaded.

"Then I won't believe you. But I'll go," she smiled. While she thought it would be best to avoid Edward as much as possible at the moment, how many times would she be able to go see what the magical world had to offer?