Hermione's POV:

"I'm leaving. I'm heading to the US to be with my uncle and cousin." I announced to Harry and the Weasley family.

"Why?" Harry wondered.

"I can't stay in England anymore. I feel stuck here because everything that has happened to us haunts me." I replied.

"Where in the US will you be?" Ron asked.

"Forks, Washington." I answered.

"I'm going to miss having you around. Do you really have to go?" Ginny murmured.

"I'm going to miss you too Gin, I'm going to miss everyone, but I really do have to leave." I sniffed.

"When do you go?" Molly questioned.

"Tomorrow, my flight is booked, and I just need to finish packing." I answered.

"So soon?" George inquired.

"I made up my mind a few days ago and everything is set. So, please don't try to talk me out of it." I responded.

"If it's what you need, we wouldn't try to talk you out of it." Arthur said.

"What time to do you leave?" Fleur wondered.

"I have to be at the airport by 5 to board at 6." I told them.

"Well, that gives us a full day to say goodbye." Ron stated.

"No, it doesn't... I meant 5AM not PM. I won't be here when you wake up, that's why I'm telling you all now." I mumbled.

Everyone sat in complete silence that could be sliced open by a knife.

"I know this is a shock that I'm leaving so suddenly, but every time I have tried to tell you someone else has shared such happy news and I couldn't bear to make you sad by the news of my departure. I couldn't do that." I whispered.

"We understand, but you didn't have to do that." George commented.

"I know, but you all have been getting better and I didn't want to take away the happy moments." I stated.

"So, if you're leaving before sunrise, that means we have to throw an amazing goodbye dinner for you tonight." Ginny said.

"No, it doesn't." I argued.

"Come on, please?" She pleaded.

One look at her sad puppy dog eyes had me caving to her wish with an exasperated sigh.


For my going away dinner, Ginny insisted on dressing me up by doing my hair, makeup and making me wear one of the fancier dresses in my closet with a matching pair of heals. Dinner was taking place outside with the stars shining down on us and consisted of all my favorite foods, desserts and drinks. I went to bed before the others considering I had to be up very early the following day. When I reached the room Ginny and I had been sharing, I quickly finished packing and had a shower before I was finally able to get some sleep.

I woke up around 4:30, got changed, grabbed my stuff and headed out of the room while trying not to wake my sleeping friend. When I was far enough away from the Burrow, I turned around and looked at it one last time because I didn't know when I would see it next. After passing the boundaries and anti-apparition wards, I visualised in my mind an empty street next to the airport and apparated away. When I arrived, I made my way through customs and security which took forty-five minutes and by the time I arrived at the gate, I could board my plane heading to my family and new home.

When I landed at the airport in Seattle after a long flight spent reading and watching in-flight movies, I managed to get off the plane and find my luggage very quickly. After grabbing a coffee from the nearest café, I began searching for Charlie and Bella, my uncle and cousin. It had been so long since I had last seen them, and I haven't been able to write to them since the end of sixth year. They both know that I am a witch, but they don't know about any of the horror I have faced, especially not the war.

"Hermione!" I heard a voice shout out before that same person crashed into me and pulled me into a tight hug.

"It's nice to see you too Bella." I laughed, returning the hug.

"It's been forever." She stated.

"Yeah, it has." I agreed.

"Hey Hermione." Charlie greeted me.

"Charlie." I said. I extracted myself from Bella's hug, to give my uncle one.

"How have you been?" He asked.

"Been a rough few years since I last saw you guys but I'm doing better now." I answered.

"We have so much to catch up on." Bella declared.

"Yeah, we do." I said.

"You ready to head to the house?" Charlie wondered.

"Yes, but please tell me we can stop for food on the way I am absolutely starving." I responded.

"Why didn't you eat on the plane?" Bella asked.

"I tried, the food was absolutely awful." I answered.

"Pass me your luggage, we'll head to the car and then grab something from one of the places near here." Charlie said.

"What's near here?" I wondered.

"McDonalds, In N Out, a salad place and I'm not sure what else." He replied, as we headed towards the car.

"McDonalds." I decided. "It's been a while since I've had a double cheeseburger with bacon and a frozen coke."

"If that's what you want, that's what you'll get." Bella stated.


After a stop at McDonalds and a two-hour drive later, we finally arrived at Charlie's house in Forks.

"Home sweet home." Charlie announced.

"It certainly does feel like home." I said.

"I'll show you your room while Dad gets your bags and brings them up." Bella told me.

"If it's the same room I'm always in when I stay here then I know exactly where it is." I replied.

"You are in the same room as usual, I think she just wants to talk to you alone." Charlie informed me.

"My dad is correct. Now come on, you and I are going to go to your room and have a much needed catch up." Bella stated.

I gave Charlie a quick kiss on the cheek before following my cousin inside the house and up to my room. Once I've shut the door Bella grabs my wrist and pulls me down onto my bed so that I'm sitting next to her.

"I have so much to tell you!" Bella exclaims.

"Spill, if you're this excited then I need to know." I responded.

"So, I have a boyfriend, his name is Edward and I love him so much." She announced.

"Hold on, tomboy Bella has a boyfriend that she loves so much?" I questioned.

"Yeah, I do." She confirmed.

"Tell me absolutely everything." I told her.

"He's tall, has dark hair, beautiful eyes and is a gentleman." Bella gushed, a light blush coating her cheeks.

"He sounds lovely, when can I meet him?" I replied.

"He'll be here soon, I knew that once I told you about him you would want to meet him." She said.

"You know me so well." I responded.

We spent the next half hour chatting about what had happened in our lives since we last saw each other. I didn't tell her about the war because I wasn't ready to speak about it. That and if I was going to tell her, I would rather tell her and Charlie together.

"Bella, you have a visitor!" Charlie shouts from the bottom of the stairs.

"I'm guessing that your visitor is Edward." I stated.

"You are correct." Bella confirmed.

"Well, I want to meet him so let's go." I said, jumping from the bed and holding my hand out to my cousin.

Once she grabbed hold of my hand, I pulled her up from her spot on the bed and we left my bedroom giggling like when we were fourteen.

"What are you pair giggling about?" Charlie asked when we reached the last landing of the ground floor.

"Nothing you need to be concerned about." I answered.

"You know when you answer like that it makes me more worried right." He responded as we made our way into the kitchen where he was seated with a man, I'm guessing it's Edward.

"I am aware, that's why I answer you like that." I returned.

"Moving on, Hermione I would like you to meet my boyfriend, Edward Cullen." Bella announced. "Edward, this is my cousin Hermione Granger."

"Lovely to meet you Hermione." Edward said, standing up.

"It's lovely to meet you as well. You must be special if my cousin is dating you since she doesn't really like people." I replied.

"I must be." He laughed, he held his hand out to me for a handshake.

His hand felt cold when I grabbed it to shake it. Something seemed strange about him. He felt cold as ice and hard as stone, had extremely pale skin and his eyes were gold.

"Are you alright?" Edward asked, I realised then that I had been staring at him with my head tilted.

"Sorry, yeah, I'm fine." I apologised.

"It's all good." He responded

"Where are you from?" I questioned.

"Chicago. I moved here a few years ago with my adoptive family." Edward answered.

When his eyes flashed from gold to black and back to gold after answering my question, I felt like the answer to what seemed so strange about him was in the back of my mind. I just couldn't figure out what that answer was.

"And how did you meet my cousin?" I wondered.

"We met at school in biology class." He said.

"God, I haven't done bio in years." I muttered.

"How did you get out of bio, Hermione?" Charlie asked.

"I choose not to do the subject." I replied.

"Right, your fancy boarding school has different classes to a normal school." He spoke out loud.

"Where did you go to school?" Edward questioned.

"I went to a boarding school for gifted people in Scotland." I answered.

"It must have been lonely being away from your family for most of the year." He said.

"It was at first, but then I met some amazing people that became my second/chosen family." I replied.

"So, how long are you in Forks for?" He wondered.

"I'm actually moving here permanently." I answered.

"Which I am extremely happy about." Bella stated, while throwing her arms around my shoulders to bring me into a weird half hug thing.

"I know, you wouldn't shut up about it in the car on the way here." I said, trying to wiggle out of her hold.

"Yeah, it got to the point where only dogs could hear you sweetie." Charlie added.

"Sorry, I'm just excited." Bella whispered.

"We're just messing with you." I responded.

"This reminds me of my family." Edward said.

"All the banter and ribbing on each other?" I questioned.

"Yeah, Emmett is the one that starts it most of the time." He replied.

"It was normally the twins starting it back in England." I said.

"Was?" Bella wondered.

"One of them passed away a bit over a year ago. The other kind of lost his spark, but he's slowly getting it back." I answered.

"Mione, why didn't you tell us?" Charlie wondered.

"There is a lot I haven't told you guys." I confessed.

"How about you tell us over dinner tonight." He said.

"I can do that." I agreed.

"I'm going to head out, Carlise has called a family meeting." Edward announced.

"Do you need me to come?" Bella asked.

"No, you should stay here and catch up with your cousin. I'll fill you in later." He answered.

"I'll walk you out." She stated, before turning to face Charlie and I. "I'll be right back, then we can decide what to do for dinner."

"It was lovely meeting you Edward." I said, holding my hand out for him to shake.

"It was nice meeting you as well Hermione." He agreed, placing his hand in mine.

His hand still felt like ice and solid as stone. That feeling is back, niggling at the back of my mind. I released his hand and said bye one more time before he and Bella walked out of the kitchen.

"There is something about him, but I just don't know what it is." I mumbled to myself.