Hermione landed in front of the Cullen house, which was a nice change from having to walk all over with the Point Me Charm. It was dusk out and the lights in the house were on, almost as if it was welcoming her home. This did feel like home, it didn't actually matter the location but she knew her family was in there. She walked up to the door and turned the door nob. It was locked. How strange, normally the door wasn't locked as it was assumed that the vampires could hear anyone trying to get in anyway. So she knocked and was shocked when a woman opened the door.

"Hello, may I help you?" The strikingly gorgeous woman asked.

"Sorry, do the Cullens live here?" Hermione asked, double-checking the door number.

"Oh yes. We do. What do you need? Carlisle is out for the moment at the hospital." She replied with a sweet-sounding voice.

Hermione had a chance to study the woman as she was listening to the answer, thanks to the organized mind being able to compartmentalize. She was definitely a vampire as the near-perfection was a giveaway from spending so much time with them. Hermione then heard the word "we" as in this new woman was now a Cullen too. She was mildly surprised as the potion typically let her meet the new additions to the family much earlier, but she did suppose that she wasn't sure when the woman was turned.

Hermione gave a warm smile and said to the woman blocking the doorway, "May I come in?"

Esme hesitated, unsure if this human should come into the house. So she turned her away and said that the Cullens were not expecting anyone so she should come back later.

Hermione nodded as she wasn't going to argue with her and left the door. She was going to go to the hospital.

Edward and Rosalie came home from the library when the sent of Hermione filled their senses. But when they got closer to the house they did not hear the heartbeat they had come accustom to hearing. Shrugging at each other they went in. Inside they were greeted by Esme, who welcomed them home. She mothered them, asking their day, hanging their coats, making sure they were truly home. It got on Rosalie and Edward's nerves a bit because they felt that she was still trying to woo them into the idea that she was going to be their mother, but they were not impolite.

Edward inquired if anyone had been at the house recently. And Esme was about to dismiss the random human that had knocked on the door when Edward had looked into her thoughts. He jumped up and said Hermione was here. Rosalie smiled widely allowing her beautiful smile to show. Esme was surprised that that was Hermione. Her thoughts drew more to the idea that that was who everyone in the family loved and adored. Jealousy burned inside of her as she recalled the conversation they had. Esme wanted to shout that it was her that Carlisle was supposed to love, she had fallen in love with him since she was 16. Not this average human, that looked quite plain and was so mediocre. Her thoughts were overtaken with the idea that she would just steal Carlisle away and they would be one big happy Cullen family that lived someplace that this mere human would never find. Edward was concerned, to say the least when he finally caught on to her thoughts after the adrenalin of having Hermione back wore off. Rosalie could practically see the envy coming off of Esme, she knew that look well. But suddenly Esme altered her mindset to be the best mom possible to the two vampires. She would prove that she is worthy of the domestic title of Mother.

Hermione, on the other hand, had gone to the hospital, evidently, she had to use the Point Me charm to find Carlisle anyway. She smiled at the irony and set off, her mind went back to the new woman living in the house. She wondered inf Carlisle had accepted a new daughter. The man she was looking for was in his office when she got there. He looked up and had her familiar, loving scent fill his nose. He stood up and went to hug her, she hugged just as strongly back. While it seemed like a lifetime for him and a few seconds for her, it was way too long for either of them to remain so apart.

Hermione smiled up at him, she was petite to the point where she only came up to his chest. So when he engulfed her in another hug she felt so secure in his arms. She whispered how much she missed him and that she loved him. His deep rich voice echoed her sentiments.

"I went by the house today before I came here." Hermione paused. "A woman answered, did we adopt another daughter?"

"I'm not sure my dear, I'd like her to be in our family but I am not sure how she fits in our dynamic yet," Carlisle answered truthfully.

"How so?" Hermione asked, still snuggled in his chest.

"Well, to be frank, Edward told me some of her thoughts. We did talk about how he needs to control that better." Carlisle said before Hermione had the chance to scold them both.

Hermione bit her lip, "What thoughts did she have that Edward thought was necessary for the family to know?"

"Esme and I have history," Carlisle said.

Hermione was frowning and pulling away to look up into Carlisle's face. "What do you mean history?"

"I saved her at 16 apparently when she broke her leg, and she has developed this idea that she is in love with me. I saved her without remembering her or her leg, so it was quite a while ago. But she was dying Hermione, there was such a faint heartbeat. And I haven't really been able to figure out what to do next."

"I see," Hermione said, her thoughts rushing to process what she had just learned.

"I swear I haven't acted upon it. Ever, you are my soulmate my love, only you." Carlisle said with such earnest and sincerity that Hermione believed him, not like she didn't in the first place.

Hermione thought out loud, "She did say "we" that makes more sense." Seeing Carlisle's confusion she recalled the conversation with Esme to him.

"Well darling, let's just go home and figure it all out later." Carlisle practically pleaded. Hermione consented and waited as he clocked out, lost in her own thoughts about what the best approach to the situation would be. She just knew that she would be welcoming to anyone who wanted to be a Cullen but she would not give up her soulmate for anyone, vampire or not.

Esme was busy cleaning and trying to be the best potential mother she could be when the sound of Carlisle came through the door. But this time it wasn't alone, there was a heartbeat next to him. Once the door opened the voice that she had turned away entered the room. She saw Hermione for the first time without a door in between them. Her safety of being the Mother of the house and being able to turn the stranger away had diminished. She heard Hermione call for Edward and Rosalie, she saw them rush to greet her, full of hugs and kisses, the warmth she wanted when the kids came home. She pretended to be a gracious hostess to Hermione, greeting her with a smile and welcoming her to their home. She stressed the "their" in the sentence. Even if the home was actually Carlisle's, Hermione was able to glide through the halls like she was a vampire with elegance and familiarity, it made Esme sick looking at the plain human having everything she wanted. Hermione genuinely wanted Esme to work out her ideas of dominance and being the maternal role in the house so that they could get along. But when she touched Carlisle's hand and saw the flash on anger, she knew that it would be either a long journey for Esme to make mentally or she wouldn't be a Cullen for very long.