The atmosphere in Forks High School buzzed with an unspoken energy. Hermione could feel it as she walked down the hall, side by side with Draco. Her heightened Veela senses picked up on every subtle shift in emotion, from admiration to jealousy. Her skin prickled with awareness, but she brushed it off. This was supposed to be their fresh start, an escape from the chaos they had left behind in the wizarding world.

But it didn't feel like a fresh start. Not with this strange pull she'd been feeling ever since they arrived.

The students' gazes followed them, no longer a novelty after spending a few days at the school. Draco, of course, ate up the attention, his smirk firmly in place as they passed yet another group of gaping girls. But Hermione was on edge, distracted by the growing tension in her chest. Something had shifted the moment they walked onto school grounds, and she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"Is something wrong, Granger?" Draco asked, noticing her silence.

Hermione shook her head, though her heart wasn't in it. "I don't know. I've been feeling… off. Like there's something I should be paying attention to, but I don't know what."

Draco glanced at her, raising a skeptical brow. "You're probably just still adjusting to being around so many… what's the word? Muggles?"

She shot him a look. "We're surrounded by Muggles all the time, Draco."

"Yes, but this place is particularly dull. If you're bored, I can suggest a few ways to pass the time." He waggled his eyebrows mischievously.

Hermione rolled her eyes but didn't respond. The pull she felt wasn't boredom, and Draco's lightheartedness wasn't helping her figure it out. It was deeper than that. Stronger. Like an invisible tether pulling her toward something—or someone.

As they rounded a corner, Hermione felt the pull intensify. Her steps faltered, and she had to stop for a moment, steadying herself. Her breath hitched, and her heart began to race. There was someone nearby, someone who made her magic hum just beneath the surface of her skin. She couldn't see who it was, but the sensation was undeniable.

Draco noticed her hesitation. "What's going on?" he asked, concern creeping into his voice.

Hermione shook her head, frowning as she tried to pinpoint the source of the feeling. "I don't know. I just feel… something. It's hard to explain."

"Feel what, exactly?" Draco's tone was more serious now.

Hermione clenched her fists, trying to center herself. "There's someone nearby. It's like my magic is reacting to them. I can't explain it, but it's been happening ever since we got here."

Draco's expression darkened slightly. He knew enough about Veela magic to understand what she meant. "Do you think it's… your mate?"

Hermione's eyes widened slightly at the suggestion, but she quickly shook her head. "No. That's impossible. We've only just arrived here."

"Is it?" Draco mused, his gaze flicking down the hall. "You know Veela magic doesn't care about geography. If your mate is here… well, it would make sense for you to feel it."

Hermione chewed on her bottom lip, considering his words. She had always known that one day she would find her mate, but she hadn't expected it to happen so soon, or in such a mundane place. Forks, Washington, was the last place she would have expected to encounter such a powerful connection.

Her thoughts were interrupted as a tall, golden-haired boy stepped into view, walking down the hall with a petite brunette clinging to his arm. Hermione's breath caught in her throat the moment her eyes landed on him. There it was again—that pull. The air around him practically crackled with energy, and her heart thudded loudly in her chest.

It's him, she thought, her stomach doing a somersault. It has to be.

Draco noticed her reaction immediately, his eyes narrowing as he followed her gaze to the boy. "Is that him?" he asked, his voice low.

Hermione nodded, her throat suddenly dry. She couldn't tear her eyes away from him. There was something about him that felt… right. And yet, there was a strange sense of discomfort too. Like she was on the verge of discovering something monumental, but the answers were just out of reach.

The boy, oblivious to Hermione's internal struggle, continued walking, his arm protectively wrapped around the girl next to him. Hermione's eyes flicked to the brunette—her dark eyes, possessive stance, the way she clung to him as if her life depended on it. The girl's gaze briefly met Hermione's, and for a second, there was an almost imperceptible flicker of suspicion.

But then the boy's gaze found hers. Hermione's world tilted on its axis. His eyes—golden, intense—locked onto hers, and she felt it. The unmistakable connection that sent a shiver down her spine. It was like her magic recognized him, even if she didn't.

The boy's expression was unreadable, though his steps faltered for just a moment. He stared at her for a long second before tearing his gaze away, as if something inside him had just shifted, too.

"Who is that?" Hermione whispered, more to herself than to Draco.

Draco, however, had an answer. "Edward Cullen, I believe. The shiny, goody-goody type who's clearly devoted to his clingy human girlfriend."

Hermione frowned. "Edward Cullen…"

The name didn't spark any immediate recognition, but the pull between them was undeniable. Her magic was reacting to him, and she didn't understand why. Could he really be the one?

Draco studied her closely. "Are you sure it's him, Granger?"

Hermione swallowed hard. "I… don't know."

But even as she said it, a small voice in the back of her mind whispered, Yes, it's him. You've found him.

Her heart sank slightly. This wasn't supposed to happen like this. She had wanted a quiet life—a normal one. She hadn't expected her mate to be someone already tied up in a complicated relationship. And certainly not with a human girl who clearly adored him.

But none of that changed what she felt. Whether she liked it or not, the connection was there.

And now she had to figure out what to do about it.

Later that day, as Hermione and Draco sat in the cafeteria, she couldn't shake the feeling that her world was teetering on the edge of something huge. The Cullens were seated at their usual table, but Edward wasn't paying attention to his family. He kept sneaking glances in her direction, his brow furrowed, as if trying to figure out why he couldn't stop looking at her.

Bella, on the other hand, seemed completely unaware of the silent tension between them. She leaned into Edward, her voice a low murmur as she talked to him, but he barely responded.

"Are you going to talk to him?" Draco asked, nudging her with his elbow.

Hermione glanced at Edward again, her stomach twisting. "I don't know what I'd even say. 'Hello, I think you might be my mate, but I'm not sure yet. Could we possibly figure this out?'"

Draco snorted. "Sounds like a solid plan to me."

She shot him a look. "This isn't funny, Draco. This is my life."

"Precisely why you should act. If he's your mate, he'll figure it out soon enough, too."

Hermione wasn't sure about that. Edward seemed completely wrapped up in his human life, and she didn't know how to break through it without causing chaos.

But chaos seemed inevitable now.

Hermione sighed, her fingers drumming nervously on the table. Edward Cullen. She had a feeling that her life had just become a whole lot more complicated.

Author's Note: Hullo, my lovely daffodils! I'm baaaaaaaaaaack!! For real this time! It's been what? Two years or a year only? LMFAO. Anyways, i missed you all so much. Actually, I've been away for quite some time because I was quite busy managing my personal life and other stuffs (being a 3rd year college stud sucks fr) but anyways another factor is actually because I had a hard time retrieving this acc.