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Hermione got out of the Uber and stared at The Lodge, a small diner in the town of Forks, Washington. This was perhaps one of the furthest places away she could get from London and the heartache she'd left behind. No one would know her here, and no one would come looking for her here either. Losing Ron had been horrible, but having to live every day where they'd fallen in love and begun to grow their life was impossible. Achingly so.
The Uber driver leaned out the car window and asked, "Are you sure you didn't have any luggage at the airport?"
Hermione glanced down at her little pink purse and smiled. "No, I sent everything ahead beforehand," she lied, not intending to tell the stranger she was a witch.
"Okay… Good luck."
"Thank you."
After the driver had driven away, Hermione stared at the diner again and sighed. She was meeting her real estate agent here, and they would take her to her new home. It was time to move on from her former life and create something new. Perhaps Hermione would learn to live and love again in this new place, but for now, all she wanted to do was get a fresh start.
Squaring her shoulders, Hermione opened the door to the diner and went inside to meet her real estate agent…
Charlie finished off his burger and pushed away his plate. He wasn't in the mood for his fries tonight for some reason. He wasn't really in the mood for anything, but Bella insisted he continue to care for himself even though she was gone. She, Edward, Renesme, and the rest of the Cullens had left a few weeks ago and probably wouldn't be back for more than a visit here and there.
He understood why, but that didn't make it any easier.
Sighing, Charlie sat back and watched the other diner-goers enjoying their meals, chatting and laughing with their family, friends, and partners. Charlie was alone again, and it was more difficult than he had imagined. While waiting for his server to come over with his check, Charlie noticed Bella's old friend Jessica Stanley come inside and sit at the bar. She was wearing her real estate agent jacket and carrying a folder full of papers.
It'd been a while since Charlie talked to her or Bella's other friends, but it was nice to see them doing well. Jessica had made quite the name for herself as a real estate agent in Forks and the surrounding area. Then, the door opened, and a woman walked in, drawing Charlie's attention away from Jessica. He watched as she walked over to Jessica and shook her hand, joining her at the bar. She had curly hair and a vibrant smile, but her eyes seemed sad.
When his server came over to clear away his plate, he said, "Hey, who is Jessica Stanley talking to?"
The server shrugged. "No idea. Just someone new to town, it seems. I overheard her talking about renting a place to own."
"Huh, thanks," Charlie said, taking his wallet out of his pocket.
"You're welcome, Officer Swan," the server said with a smile. "See you on Thursday?"
"You bet," he said, putting cash down on the table to cover the bill and a tip.
With one last glance at Jessica and the new woman, Charlie got up and left the diner.
As it turned out, Jessica Stanley moved the new woman into the house across the street from Charlie. As he got into his squad car, he saw her sweeping off the front porch the following day. She'd lifted a hand and waved at him, and he'd waved back, thankful to have someone nice across the way. For the rest of the day, Charlie wondered her name and whether or not she'd be home when he was done with his shift.
Hermione sighed as she watched the man across the street left for work. She was still getting to know the neighbourhood, but it made her feel better knowing there was a police officer across the street. Unfortunately, he was also the same man she'd seen watching her and Ms Stanley at the diner the night before. She would have to introduce herself when he got home later.
Hermione was sitting on the front porch reading a book when she saw the man pull into the driveway later that evening. She tucked her bookmark into the pages and got up to cross the street and meet him, but he was already headed her way. Smiling, Hermione set aside the book and hurried to greet him too. He was a handsome, older man but seemed pleasant enough.
Arriving home, Charlie was glad to see the new woman sitting on her porch reading. Closing the door to his squad car, he cleared his throat and dried his psalm on his pants before starting to walk toward her. She was smiling, and something in his chest fluttered when she met his gaze. Somehow he knew that this interaction was going to be interesting.
"Hi, there!" he called as they met in the middle of the road. "I'm Charlie Swan. It's nice to meet you." he held his hand for her to take.
"Hermione Granger," she told him, taking his hand and giving it a shake.
As their hands met, a warmth spread from their palms to the tips of their fingers. Both dropped their hold as their palms seemed to burn for the tiniest of seconds. Their eyes met briefly before they chose to examine the skin that was now altered.
"What the?" Charlie asked, staring at the faded heart imprinted on his palm.
"Bugger…" Hermione trailed off, knowing full well what had just happened. She looked at Charlie's stunned face from her palm, where a matching heart was. "Charlie? Any chance we can go inside your house and talk? I need to explain some things."
Sighing heavily and running his other hand through his hair, Charlie said, "Yup. I think that would be for the best."
He led the way inside, showing Hermione where to sit while he got them drinks from the kitchen. When Charlie returned to the living room, he sat on the couch and handed her a soda. "Okay," he began, "I think I'm ready to know more about our new tattoos."
"I don't know how else to say this, but the marks on our palms indicate that we're meant to be soulmates," Hermione told Charlie, accepting his drink. She took a sip and then set it down on the coffee table. "I promise I'm not insane, but do you think you can accept what I am saying?"
Despite the suddenness of the situation, Charlie could understand what she was saying. When Hermione came to town, he knew something was special about her. Now, he was sitting with her in his living room with a bit of heart on his palm that matched hers. After everything he experienced with Bella, Edward, and his friends in La Push, Charlie knew there were weird things in the world. He might as well accept that his life wasn't meant to be as straightforward as he always thought it would be.
Moving closer to Hermione, he smiled and nodded. "We have just met, and yet it feels like I have known you for a lifetime," Charlie said, unsure where the words were coming from. Nevertheless, they were out there now. "Is that weird?"
Hermione giggled, her cheeks pink. "Not at all," she said softly. "I think perhaps we were destined to meet. I thought I picked Forks randomly when I left London, but I was meant to come here all along."
"Like fate?" Charlie seemed a bit sceptical, but since Hermione came to town, nothing had been the same. She was all he'd been able to think about, and even now, he couldn't imagine being apart from her. But something wasn't normal here.
"I think it's safe to say that and maybe even something more," Hermione explained. "I'm rather glad I've come to Forks."
"Me too," Charlie agreed. "I'd love to see where this goes," he said, gesturing between them.
"Before we get into anything serious," Hermione began, a slight smile on her lips. "I should tell you… I'm not what you would call normal. I'm actually a witch." Hermione wanted him to know everything about her if they were to be spending time together.
Charlie just laughed. "A witch, you say?" Shaking his head, he could only smile. "Honestly, you being a witch is the most normal oddity I've encountered in my life. Wait until I tell you more about my daughter, granddaughter, and the rest of their family… Not to mention my friends from La Push…."
"It appears we have quite the discussion ahead of us," Hermione said, unable to bite back a grin. "Do you perhaps have something stronger than soda in your kitchen?"
"Whiskey on the rocks?" Charlie asked, standing.
"Sounds perfect."
Chuckling, Charlie headed back to the kitchen to get them fresh drinks. Somehow he knew that this witch, one Hermione Granger, would keep him on his toes for a lifetime and more. After the loneliness he'd been feeling, Charlie could honestly say he was okay with that.