Aug 1 thru Aug 10

Reese woke to sunlight shining in on her. She lay there staring out over the balcony to the forest beyond. The sun was diffused through the thick trees. Peace lay like a heavy, comfortable comforter over the house and Reese. She soaked in the unique feeling. There was no Dursley yelling at her to get up and cook for them. No Molly Weasley shrieking to get up and eat. No babbling roommates hogging the shower and being annoying.

After a few minutes, she climbed from the bed taking the quilt with her as the morning was slightly chilly. She settled in a lounge chair on the balcony and contentedly watched the sun continue to rise.

Eventually her stomach rumbled and she padded downstairs in her pajamas to the kitchen. She looked in the refrigerator and cupboards. They were well stocked.

Pouring herself a glass of orange juice, she pulled eggs, bacon and butter out and set them by the stove. Soon she was sitting at the window counter watching the world wake up around her as she slowly ate breakfast.

Birds flew through the trees their song welcoming the day cheerfully. Reese propped her chin in her hand and soaked up the silence. She inhaled excitedly when a deer stepped cautiously out of the forest and began grazing. The doe lifted her head between bites to gaze watchfully around.

Finally, Reese rose, washed her dishes and moved to the library. She pulled out Voldemort's letter and read it again. Taking a deep breath and hoping it wasn't a mistake she began to pen a response.

Tom,

Not sure how you feel about me using your first name, but I refuse to call you Lord Voldemort, the Dark Lord or use hyphens.

I appreciate you not chasing me down and letting me visit Gringotts. I doubt I will need to visit very often most of my business can be handled remotely.

If I tell you what I know about your returning sanity and the prophecy will you still honor the agreement not to hunt me down or send a hit squad after me?

A snake? Maybe. I still want a dog or three.

Corresponding with you is weird.

What else have I never done? I feel silly telling you because most of its muggle things and you'll most likely sneer at the thought that these are the things I've missed doing growing up.

I've never been to the movies; never had a slumber party. I've never had new clothes until now; never been to a circus or a faire or amusement park. I never lazed on the couch on a Saturday morning watching cartoons.

Plead for my friends? Won't that just give you a list of people to target?

So...enjoy your takeover. I am going to go enjoy my swimming pool and perhaps take a long, pointless walk this afternoon.

HJP

P.S. I have no idea what your goals are. Care to share?

She sealed the letter, addressed it to Tom M. Riddle and slid it into the chest on the left side. She tapped it with her wand and said, "Hizel".

She then ran upstairs and opened her suitcases. She flicked her wand at them and murmured, "unpack". Clothes flew into the walk-in closet and wardrobe. Dresser drawers sprang open and underclothes and socks folded themselves in.

When the whirlwind of activity ended, she found a swimsuit and changed before heading down to the inviting pool.

She slipped into the sun warmed water and lazily swam a few laps before flipping over to float. She idly drifted through the water unable to remember the last time she had been able to just exist.

Eventually, she moved from doing nothing in the pool to doing nothing in the lounge chair soaking up the silence and feeling the tension and stress flow out of her.

She stretched and grinned. No chores. No lessons. No fake friends to mislead. No missions for Dumbledore. No tests. No challenges. No Dark Lords trying to kill her.

Not that she wasn't going to Do Something eventually. She'd brought plenty of books and potion ingredients.

Just not today. Maybe not this week.

Two days later her wards alerted her to a vehicle coming up her drive. She put the healing potion in stasis and headed upstairs.

She made sure the basement door was shut before heading toward the front door. A middle aged man, whipcord thin with dark hair and a mustache was standing outside dressed in a uniform. The sheriff.

She opened the door. "May I help you, sheriff?"

"Just dropping by to welcome you to the neighborhood. Charlie Swan." He held out his hand to shake.

She paused then smiled and shook his hand. "Reese Sirion. Please come in." She stepped back and let him enter.

He swept the room with a swift glance as he moved into the living area.

Reese shut the door and turned to face him. "Would you like something to drink?"

"No, thank you."

Reese watched him silently. Finally, she sighed, "My solicitor did say you'd drop by. I doubt many people just move to Forks especially from overseas. I won't be offended by questions," she grinned slightly as she indicated for him to sit.

He grinned in relief as he sat down. "I didn't want to come off as too unfriendly or suspicious. People will be curious about you. Forks is a small town. Your attorney says you're rich and here to do private self-studies."

"Filthy," Reese huffed. "The cost though...My parents died when I was little," she explained at his unspoken question.

"I'm sorry."

Reese waved his apology away. "I don't even remember them. I more miss the idea of parents than the reality."

"So why Forks?"

"People in England know I'm loaded and single. I was feeling rather...hunted. Social obligations were keeping me from learning the things I wished to learn. I asked my solicitors to find me a small community where I could have a home surrounded by wilderness instead of a smog-laden city. This is where he bought. Honestly, I just followed the map in my vehicle."

Charlie frowned. "Yeah, I can understand that." He stood up. "I won't waste anymore of your time, Ms. Sirion."

Reese stood. "Reese, please. I don't care much for formality."

Charlie nodded slightly. "Reese then." He held out his card after writing on the back. "Call me if you need anything."

"Thank you."

Aug 10

Dumbledore glared at the trinkets in his office. Useless! He whipped his wand in a sharp arc and they exploded then disappeared.

Where was the girl? He had searched the homes of her House mates. He had searched the magical districts and even made forays into muggle London.

Nothing.

Not even Black and Lupin knew where she was.

He scowled before going over to the tall glass cabinet and dismantling the wards over a small drawer. He drew out an envelope and a small vial of dark red liquid. Pocketing them he closed the drawer and moved to the hidden tunnel entrance in his private quarters.

Soon he was in a small antechamber. A small stone altar resided in the exact center of the room. He uncorked the vial and dripped two drops of blood onto the alter. He capped the vial before carefully pulling a few strands of dark hair from the envelope and running them through the blood before laying them on the altar in the smeared blood. With one fingernail he gently separated them until they radiated out in an eight-point compass.

Drawing his wand he began to chant in Latin. Soon a few strands of hair glowed.

Dumbledore frowned at them and thought of the continents. South south-west. Most likely somewhere in America or Canada. She really had fled Britain.

Now to find out where in North America she was.

Aug 12

Reese looked up when her wards alerted her to someone coming – a couple of someones. She hurried downstairs and stepped out onto the porch. She watched silently, wand at her side, as two completely opposite men walked up her drive.

One was pale with blonde hair swept back from a high forehead. A strong straight nose and chiseled jaw gave the impression of aristocracy and confidence. Even from this distance Reese could feel his piercing gaze raking over her. She could practically feel the weight of immense age and power radiating from him. She knew immediately he was one of the vampires. The only thing that kept her from breaking and fleeing into the house and charging her defensive wards was the overwhelming sense of kindness that emanated from him.

The second man seemed to be a young boy at first. He looked no older than seventeen or eighteen. He topped the blonde by several inches making him at least 6'6". He was as dark as the first was pale. Tanned skin, dark brown hair, brown eyes and ripped muscles made for an impressive physical male specimen. He radiated aggression and distrust.

Reese gripped her wand tighter. The leaders of the local vampire and shape-shifting clans had finally decided to come check her out – together.

The two men stopped at the steps. The blonde smiled up at her. "Reese Sirion?"

"Yes."

"I'm Carlisle Cullen and this is Jacob Black. We're assuming your solicitor told you about us."

Reese gave a jerky nod and swallowed against a suddenly dry throat. These were two top predators. At this range either one could kill her before she realized they had moved. She should have activated her Defensive wards.

Carlisle smiled gently. "We mean you no harm, Miss Sirion. We simply want to verify for ourselves what your solicitor told us."

Reese gaze flicked to the glowering shape-shifter who had yet to speak. "I will allow you into my home to talk. Know this, if either of you attempt violence on me the wards will shove you out."

"Don't threaten us, witch." Jacob growled, hands fisting at his side.

Reese's hand clenched on her wand as a spiral of fear and anger slid through her. She had just left her home country to get away from these suffocating emotions and this young shifter was not going to come into her peaceful home and drag those feelings in with him. A spell hovered in her mind as she said, "I wasn't threatening you so back off, shifter."

Jacob snarled and shifted into a horse sized wolf. He placed a giant paw on the porch steps.

"Petrificus Totalus" Reese snapped putting her full power behind the spell when Jacob took a step toward her.

The wolf stiffened. He forced a paw forward. A growl rumbled deep in his chest as he forced another massive paw forward slowly.

"Jacob, stop it." Carlisle snapped with an authority that was used to being obeyed. The wolf stopped moving. "Jacob is a hot tempered one. He is wary of all strangers more so since he imprinted on my young granddaughter. Witches are usually enemies, but so are shifters and vampires so I am withholding judgment."

Reese shifted her gaze to him and back to the wolf whose eyes were blazing in fury. "I came here looking for peace and solitude. I didn't even know about your two clans until I was half way here from the airport and listening to my solicitor's taped message. I will release you. Attack me again and my spell won't be so harmless."

The fury dimmed slightly in the wolf's eyes and Reese took a deep breath. "Finite," she murmured and the wolf snarled as he shook his fur out.

A moment later Jacob Black was standing there, buck naked, glaring at Reese. "I don't trust you witch."

Reese huffed. "I trust no one, shifter. I just ran from one war. I am not looking for a new one." She backed toward the door. It opened behind her. "Please come in," she glanced at Jacob. "And put some clothes on."

Carlisle laughed softly and handed Jacob a spare pair of jeans that Alice had seen him needing. "Alice has said she is not a threat, Jacob."

"She's a witch."

"Nothing is black and white. You know that. If you cannot settle down then I will talk to her alone and you will return to Renesmee."

"You don't..." Jacob whined when Carlisle applied pressure to his shoulder.

"Your animosity is more a threat to your Imprinted one than the witch is. Do not make an enemy where one does not exist."

Jacob paled and averted his gaze. He huffed and slowly the tension faded from his body. "I'll listen to her."

Carlisle smiled. "Thank you."

Carlisle walked gracefully up the steps and into the house. He took in his surroundings with one swift glance. The young woman was in the kitchen area.

"My solicitor had the kitchen stocked. He said someone from each clan would drop so there is," she peered at a container in the fridge, "deer blood?" She wrinkled her nose. "If you'd like some."

Carlisle smiled.

He did that a lot Reese noticed.

"Thank you, but I made sure to feed well before coming to see you. A glass of wine though if you have it, would be appreciated."

Reese looked relieved. "Sure," she pulled out a red wine from the wine rack next to the fridge. "It isn't chilled..."

Carlisle waved off her concern. "That's fine. We did drop by unannounced."

Reese glanced over at Jacob as she opened the wine bottle. "I have wine, orange juice, a few sodas..."

"A soda is fine."

Reese grabbed two sodas, a wine glass and the bottle of wine and waved the men over toward the sofas near the fireplace. She followed behind them placing the sodas on the low table and poured a glass of wine before setting it down as well.

Carlisle smiled and waited for her to settle before reaching for his wine. "Mr. Willoby said he would inform you that we are vegans so you would not worry about us attacking you or the town. He said this was necessary as you have a 'saving people' thing and may react strongly if you felt we were a threat."

Reese frowned. "I left the 'saving people' thing behind in England with the rest of my past. Leave me alone and I'll leave you alone."

"So you would let innocent people die and do nothing?" Jacob sneered.

Reese looked at Jacob meeting his heated gaze. "There are no innocent adults and few innocent children over the age of ten." She replied scathingly. "I had an entire society looking to me to do all their saving for them. I'm done looking out for anyone except myself."

"Perhaps a bit of background would help us understand you better." Carlisle murmured.

Reese sighed. "A brief summation. A very dark wizard and a wizard professing to be Light are at war in England. My parents were on the Light side. A fraud gave a prophecy that sent the Dark Lord after my family. My parents were killed. I survived. The Dark Lord was...disembodied for twelve years. The wizarding world has it in their collective brain that I am their Savior because I survived that night." Reese snorted. "The Light leader promoted this idea my entire life sending the Dark Lord after me over and over again these past five years. He also put me into the custody of my mother's non-magical sister's care. Her family hates magic and viciously abused me. I found out this past year that the Light leader is convinced that I have to die in order for the Dark Lord to die and stay dead. I refuse to sacrifice myself for a society that would allow a child to fight their war for them so I told everyone some cold, hard truths, changed my name and left England."

"You expect us to believe that story?" Jacob huffed.

Reese shrugged. "I don't care what you believe. If I can't find peace here then I'll have Mr. Willoby find me another remote place to live."

Good," Jacob stood up. "It's settled then."

A knock on the door startled them all.

"Nessie," Jacob murmured and darted to the door.

Reese stood and stared at the young girl about twelve at her door.

"Don't move," Carlisle murmured softly. "He is still settling into the Imprint because she ages quickly causing the nature of the bond to change often."

Reese frowned at the explanation, but remained still.

"You need to leave, Nessie." Jacob hissed barring the entrance.

"Aunt Alice said you were being an ass, Jacob. I came over to be sure you didn't run off our new friend."

Carlisle laughed softly as Jacob flushed beneath her reprimanding gaze.

"She's a witch. She kills our kind." Jacob snapped. "I won't have you near her."

A small finger poked the older teen in the chest hard. "You are not my parent. You do not control me, Jacob. And she is not a threat."

"Told you," Reese couldn't help but mutter.

Jacob glared at her over his shoulder.

Nessie reached out and touched Jacob's arm. Alice says she will be a wonderful friend. You were wrong about my father and wrong about me before I was born and you are wrong about her.

The young girl ducked quicker than the eye could follow and darted over to stand by Carlisle. She looked up at Reese. "I'm Renesmee. I would warn you before you shake my hand that I am a touch telepath, but I can usually control it."

"It's nice to meet you, Renesmee. I'm Reese Sirion." Reese held out her hand.

Renesmee grinned and shook her hand. Hello, Hari Potter. Don't worry Alice and I won't tell anyone.

Reese blinked at her and nodded.

Jacob came up to stand behind the girl protectively.

"Alice sees the future unless a shifter is around. Since Jacob imprinted on me she can somehow see around him too even though it is still fuzzy," the girl glanced at Jacob. "She says we end up as really good friends so just ignore Jacob."

Reese laughed. "I was going to anyway. Would you like a soda or...?"

"She doesn't drink blood." Jacob snarled.

"Back off, wolf!" Reese snapped, losing her temper with the young man. Her magic crackled around her in visibly.

Renesmee whirled on him. "Out!" She pointed her finger at the door.

"I'm not leaving you with her."

The young girl shoved her finger into his chest. "Out," she hissed. "I won't have you snapping and snarling at my future best friend now go away Jacob Black or I won't talk to you for a month!"

Reese raised an eyebrow as the young man paled at the threat.

Jacob gave Carlisle an imploring look.

"You did it yourself."

Jacob growled, but turned and stormed out of the house.

"Nessie, come sit beside me."

The young girl huffed but did as Carlisle requested while Reese retrieved a soda for her.

Once Reese was seated Carlisle continued. "Except for Jasper we all have excellent control of our blood lust. Jasper's control is good, but if he is hungry and someone bleeds near him, it is likely he'll lose control so be careful around him."

"Just how good is your control, Mr. Cullen?"

"I'm a surgeon, Ms. Sirion."

Reese gaped. A vampire, even a vegan vamp, being a surgeon would be unheard of in Britain. Realizing her mouth was open, she snapped it shut. "Okay. Wow."

"We should leave. You must have things to do." Carlisle stood.

"Oh," Reese stood. "One question that...ah...may be forward and rude, but..."

Carlisle smiled gently. "I promise I won't take offense."

"None of you, um, hunt birds...owls in particular, do you?"

"Not usually. Why?"

"My familiar, Hedwig, is a snowy owl."

"Could you call her in?"

Reese nodded. "Let's go out back."

She led them out back. Hedwig, I want to introduce you to someone.

"It will be a few minutes."

"You have a pool! Why don't we have a pool, Carlisle?"

"Because we are too heavy to swim. We sink." Carlisle murmured. (Ummm bish I don't remember seeing Edwerido sinking do you? 👁👄👁   Like tf?😂 ok bye)

"But I'm different, right? Maybe I could swim."

Carlisle ran a hand over her hair. "Maybe."

"Could I come try one day, Reese?"

"Even if she sinks, she won't