✧

It has been said that companionable silence is the best kind. There's mutual understanding and solace offered between both parties that speaking doesn't need to happen in order to know what the other is thinking. This silence could last for minutes, hours even, and not a single trace of awkwardness could become present.

Mia used to believe this, but sitting here in Edward's Volvo with Bella in the backseat has proven her wrong. They've been quiet for what seems to be an eternity and their minds can't stop running a million thoughts (all of them are about the unexpected visitors). She knew using her magic would lead them to her, but she never thought it would happen this soon and involve one of her closest friends.

All of her mother's attempts at keeping her safe had been in vain. Obliviating Bella turned out to have been useless since now the poor girl has gotten involved in this chaotic mess. Two dark wizards know about her and now a vampire as well. Making her forget won't solve anything this time. If anything, it would be signing her death sentence. Keeping her in the dark would be more dangerous than knowing and she'd be damned if she allows anything to happen to her.

"I get it now," Bella finally speaks up while bobbing her foot vigorously. "It's no wonder you guys are good friends. You have a lot in common and have been keeping each other's secrets all this time. It all makes sense now."

Mia internally winces from not wanting their secrets to be the only thing that brought them together. She would like to believe that it was more than that and getting to know about their hopes, dreams, and overall, spending time together is what brought them closer.

"I- I promise I will never tell anyone," Bella stutters all too nervously. Her words are slow and shaky, almost as if she's afraid of not being believed. "You guys saved my life, so it's the least I can do."

She hums in response despite knowing words are what's needed, but flashes of the battle keep coming back to her. The feeling of the curse still lingers in her system, causing her to shutter at the memory and the fact that it happened at the hands of the other person she despises most.

"When did you guys learn about each other's secrets?"

Sensing Mia's reluctance in speaking, Edward decides to take the lead, "Halloween. The attack Jessica went through, it wasn't an animal that did it, but a vampire."

Mia exhales sharply and runs her hands through her hair before turning around, "And yes, vampires were the ones that attacked Waylon as well."

Bella remains strangely calm and it surprises Mia considering she expected a much greater reaction. If anything, she expected her to be hysteric and doing more than just asking a few questions. Everything is being taken with a grain of salt, which makes her grateful, but also leaves a sour taste behind.

"Maybe Forks isn't as boring as I thought," the Swan girl says in a low voice.

She laughs, more out of sarcasm than humor, "That's another way to describe it."

Both of them are taken off guard when Bella moves forward, "You don't have to worry about me saying anything, so know that you can trust me with this."

"You figured it out before, but I made you forget," Mia blurts out, deciding to be honest about everything now. "Well, my mother actually did. She erased your memory of having seen Edward use his strength to push the van away, and also seeing me use my magic."

"What?"

Quickly looking away, Mia sinks into her seat as she starts regretting having said anything, "It seemed like the right thing at the time, but since those assholes found me, you need to know what's happening to be much safer."

"Safer?" Bella incredulously asks.

"I'll explain everything later but right now, I think it's best we head home," Mia tries dismissing the situation, refusing to speak about her long list of issues in this damn car. She glances over at Edward and even with the dim lighting, his golden eyes are still as resplendent as ever. Her face starts displaying a light pink, making her avert her gaze ahead and hope her traitorous heart won't give away her fluster.

Edward shifts his car into gear and starts driving. His grip on the steering wheel becomes tighter as he struggles in not looking her way, but tonight out of all nights, everything is harder than the prior days. Usually, he's been able to control his emotions, but after nearly losing her to the hands of those monsters, his feelings have become heightened and unable to restrain themselves.

He makes a sharp turn that causes the mask in her hand to topple over onto the cup holders. She reaches for it at the same time he does and for a quarter of a second, their hands brush against the other. Her warmth bounces onto him and resembles the breeze of a warm spring day. It holds him into a gentle and comforting embrace that fills him with such a euphoric sensation.

Sensing the curious eyes behind them, Mia moves her hand away with haste. She rests her mask onto her lap and looks out the window, urging him to drive faster to avoid this sudden rise in tension. With everything that's transcurred over the past few hours, she can't afford to be plagued with these feelings. So for now, she settles on focusing on what's important – surviving.

__________________

Slowly and quietly, Mia tiptoes past the living room and walks up the stairs. Her posture resembles that of a burglar sneaking their way through as her hand holds onto the railing. Just as she's halfway up, the lamp from the living room turns on, leaving her frozen like a deer caught in headlights.

"Get your ass down here, young lady," Isobel finishes the last of her wine and places the glass on the end table. She's been waiting for hours after a letter arrived and when recognizing the familiar stamp, she couldn't resist opening it. "You want to tell me what happened tonight?"

Mia swallows hard as her expression becomes adorned with concern and a tinge of fear. She knows telling her mum about death eaters finding her would be the right thing to do, but she's afraid this would lead them to moving away again.

Shaking her head slightly, she pretends nothing is wrong and puts on a nonchalant expression. "I danced with my friends, listened to awful music, and-"

"You used your magic again and they found you," Isobel cuts her off, her voice getting louder and more intense. "This letter came and you won't believe who it's from."

She nervously glances down at the tan envelope and immediately recognizes the familiar red stamp and writing. It's the same one she received back in third year for using her magic at their flat – the one that indicated she needed to attend a hearing at the Ministry to discuss whether or not she'd be expelled from Hogwarts.

"Umm... dad?"

Isobel flails her hands upward in frustration, "Be serious! Death eaters found you for using your magic again! Why aren't you concerned?!"

Of course Mia's worried. How can't she be? This entire mess could've been avoided if she didn't put others above herself. If she hadn't obliviated Jessica, petrified those guys from Port Angeles, or attempted moving the van away, she wouldn't have been found this quick. Sure, she did it to protect herself and help the Cullens, but it doesn't change the fact that these are the consequences of her actions and she should face it head on.

"I am, but I'm not going to stand here and get all paranoid," she tries her best in masking her concern by pretending not to care. Being open in her panic is useless as it won't remedy anything, so instead of wallowing in her troubles, she figures dealing with them with humor and sarcasm is the way to go.

Isobel raises a brow at her, "So you think I'm being paranoid?"

Mia lazily shrugs and pinches her fingers, "Just a little."

She scoffs, her mouth hanging slightly agape as her eyes widen in disbelief, "This isn't paranoia. It's called being a mother and you'll get it when you become one."

Mia laughs at such a thought. She's always been told this whenever she and her mother get into arguments, and it always leaves a comical taste on her tongue. Being a mother is not something she envisions herself ever being, especially since she can barely take care of herself, so how in the world will she take care of another human? Besides, birthing a child sounds more terrifying than anything.

"I don't have to be a mother to understand. I just happen to think you might be exaggerating a little," Mia plops herself onto the couch, praying her mum doesn't start one of her arguments or suggests running away again.

"They're after you because of your name," Isobel stands in front of her with her hands on her hips. "I'm not being paranoid by worrying that those pricks will take you and force you into becoming a monster. My concern is completely justified, so no. You don't understand anything."

"Ugh," Mia groans and grabs one of the pillows to bury her head in. She sharply exhales and glares up at her, "You moved me across the country away from everything I know, away from my friends, away from my home, just because you were paranoid Hogwarts wasn't safe anymore."

Isobel rolls her eyes, "That school is dangerous and Cedric dying proved it."

"Don't bring him into this," Mia's unsure as to why she's suddenly taking offense to this. She's never been explicit in expressing the grief she felt when he died, and showing this side of her to her mum will prove to be the greatest mistake since Isobel always thought there was something more when there wasn't.

"He died at Hogwarts, the place that's supposed to be safe and well guarded," Isobel used to have faith in her old school, but after one of their students died during a tournament that was claimed to be monitored, losing trust in them became easier than breathing. If they couldn't keep one student safe, how would they be able to protect the rest?

"You're forgetting Moody had been impersonated," Mia's well aware Hogwarts isn't safe anymore. Anyone with eyes can see that, especially now that Voldemort is back and is gathering followers by the second. But if she agrees with Isobel, then the hope of ever returning would cease to exist as apparently, running away appears to be the only solution in her eyes. "I get why you're worried, but no one could've suspected an Auror had been kidnapped and was a death eater in disguise."

"Either way, it's still not safe," Isobel argues. "I brought you here for your safety and if I have to, I will drag you away if it means you're protected."

"No," she turns on her heels and reaches for the letter, refusing to comply with her mother's wishes when it's the last thing she wants. Leaving Forks won't solve anything and sooner or later, they have to stop running away and face their problems.

"What do you mean 'no'?" Isobel presses her hand against the wooden frame to block her attempt in leaving the room.

"I mean no or do you want to hear it in another language?" Mia ducks her arm, nearly running up the stairs when her mother pulls her back by her forearm. "I'm not moving away again. I like it here, but if you want to leave, then go. I'm staying right here."

She scoffs in disbelief at her bold tone, "Are you forgetting that I'm your mother and you're still underage? Wherever I go, you're going as well."

"I still have a year left until the Trace disappears," Mia detests her age being used against her. It always sets her back on many things and thanks to this charm, she will never be able to roam freely without the fear of getting caught.

"And until then, you're doing what I say," Isobel glares at her with a smug smirk while folding her arms across her chest in a sassy way. "We're leaving by sunrise, so go upstairs and pack your bags."

"I'm not leaving," Mia mirrors her mother's stance, both of them now standing in front of the other in more of a challenging way. "I'll just use my magic again and get us caught."

"I'll break your wand," Isobel challenges with a frown.

"I'll take yours," she retorts and glances down at the wand peeking from her cardigan's pocket.

The stubborn mother scoffs, "Then I will break it."

Mia's expression is competitive and adorned with irritation, "Then I'll just buy myself a ticket back home and head to Ollivander's for a new wand. I'll stay there and join the fight while you remain in Forks and can continue dating your lover."

"And what about yours?" she teases and places her hands on her hips while striding a couple steps forward. "Or are you about to leave that Cullen boy behind when I can see he's the reason you don't want to move in the first place?"

Mia clenches her jaw, "How about you? Are you willing to leave Charlie again when you finally reunited with him after so long?"

"Don't try to change the subject," Isobel waves her finger to her face and cuts her sly attempt in speaking back. "But if you must know, I don't want to move. Of course I don't. I've spent years missing him and wanting to be by his side, but you're my daughter and I have to put you first."

"You have to?" she repeats, her striking voice becoming a few octaves higher.

Isobel leans her head back and sighs in frustration, "You know that's not what I meant."

Mia rests her back against the fireplace and folds her arms across her chest, "No, please. Keep going cause you're doing great."

"Wow, you're being so immature right now," she complains and takes another sip from the wine bottle. A few droplets drizzle down her chin that she wipes in an instant and sensing the emptiness of the bottle, she groans in irritation. "I don't know what more you want from me. I've done everything to keep you protected and even dragged you to the other side of the world just so you wouldn't have to worry of being forcefully recruited."

The younger Grey scoffs and shakes her head in disbelief, "How about you give me some credit? Don't you think I'm capable of defending myself? I'd rather die than become one of them, and you should know that."

"You don't know them like I do," the Grey mother argues, refusing to agree with her daughter knowing she's right in every aspect. "They'll take what you love most and use it against you. If we were to have stayed in London, who knows what could've happened?"

"Exactly!" Mia exclaims and slams her hands into the fireplace's mantel for emphasis. "No one knows what's bound to happen and instead of being brave and staying home, you chose to move us here just because you're scared."

"I have every right to be!" Isobel bellows and her loud voice makes Mia flinch at how unexpected it was. "I lost a lot of people to the First War and Merlin forbid I lose you too."

Mia straightens her back and swallows any harsh feelings lingering in her system. Her mum has had it rough and even if she might not know what truly happened, she knows better than to push her buttons.

From only being aware of her friendship with Remus, Marlene, and Lily, it doesn't take a genius to put the puzzle pieces together on why she's adamant on refusing to speak of the past. Losing her friends and being forced to abandon the love of her life certainly leaves a mark on someone despite many years having gone by.

"Nothing is going to happen to me," Mia feels like an idiot for assuring her of something that's beyond her reach. At the rate she's in, her future is uncertain and remaining optimistic is for fools. What's the point of expecting something good when it's bound to go the complete opposite?

"And I'll make sure of that," Isobel crosses her arms, continuing to pace all around their small living room. "We can probably go somewhere far. How about New Orleans? I hear there's tons of witches so it could probably help if there's more of us."

Mia rolls her eyes for what seems the millionth time, "We can't run away again. War is happening whether we like it or not and they're going to find us. I don't want to spend the rest of my life running. Not anymore."

Trying to escape fate might seem like a solution and it might be for a while, but it's nothing other than temporary. She's tired of looking over her shoulder and trying to escape the inevitable, but she would much rather fight and face her demons. One way or the other, she has to go home and if getting caught is the first step, she's not willing to hide like a coward.

"I'm not risking it," Isobel refuses to consider her daughter's words as it would mean admitting she's been way more reasonable in dealing with this than her. "They're coming back and when they do, you're just bound to become like your-"

Her sentence fades into an uneasy silence and it leaves Mia distraught on what had been intended to be said. Her doubts had been the product of her overzealous mind, always meant to remain as nothing but speculation and never once a reality. Only now as she's seeing dismay in her mum's expression, it's obvious she sees her father's reflection in her eyes.

"So that's what this is about?" Her voice is barely a whisper and her breath becomes caught in her throat. "You moved me away from home because you're afraid I'll become just like him?"

"I don't believe that," Isobel answers with haste and it does nothing but only reveal her dishonesty.

Mia's transient consternation transforms into nothing but defense. Her nails start digging into her forearm as the reject cuts her like hot knives while the aching in her heart intensifies. She's astounded her mother could believe the worst of her and as much as she tries giving her the benefit of the doubt, the solemnity in her expression makes her childhood memories modify into childhood tragedies.

"I know you see him every time you look at me," Mia doesn't spare her a glance as she's certain whatever she'd face will only make her feel worse. "You're afraid if I continue using my magic, I'll lose control and you'd be forced into dealing with another version of him."

"That's not true," Isobel continues avoiding looking at her and it only worsens the already tense atmosphere. "We came here so you'd be safe. Not because I think you would become like him."

Mia frowns at her, "Can you stop lying? If you're bound to move me away again, the least you can do is tell me the actual reason."

"We came here to keep you safe and that's it!" Isobel raises her voice again and tosses the empty bottle to the floor, shattering it into millions of pieces that makes Mia take a few steps back in startlement. "Stop suggesting otherwise!"

She knows letting this go is probably the wisest thing. Her mum is already worked up and it'd be foolish to continue this in the state she's in, but Mia's just had about enough with this. From experience, dishonesty is proven to be the most dangerous thing and she'd be damned to let this carry on. "Fine. Keep telling yourself that, but we both know this move happened just so I wouldn't follow in his footsteps."

"Don't you dare suggest I don't care for you!" the Grey mother exclaims.

She folds her arms across her chest and puts on a deadpan look, "I'm not suggesting it. I'm very much stating it."

"You're so wrong for this," Isobel paces around the room and never once stares directly at her.

"Am I? Because you had no problem with me using my magic back in London despite it being prohibited." She vividly remembers how encouraging her mum had been when she insisted on practicing spells, but after this summer, everything changed and Mia would be an idiot not to realize it's linked to her dad. "The second you-know-who returned, you started giving me all these rules and every time I tried casting a spell, you would look at me like you were afraid."

Isobel chuckles sarcastically and such a small action frustrates Mia to a greater extent. "I chose to move away because I'm afraid they'll hurt you," she seethes, her voice getting higher than ever. "Not because I'm afraid you'll become like him!"

Listening to her try to deny everything makes matters worse and as much as she wants to brush this aside, she can't bring herself to. "As if my safety had been the only reason, or wasn't Charlie also one of them?"

Isobel clenches jaw as her gaze hardens in a split second, "I can't believe you're now suggesting I care more about my love life!"

"Let's just move on and forget it please," she tells her on her way out of the living room.

"No, because you're being extremely ungrateful by believing the worst of me!" Isobel strides in her direction, her brows knitting together in fury and eyes burning a hole into her forehead. "I did everything to keep you safe and this is how you're acting?!"

"You're the one that believes the worst of me," Mia mumbles, not bothering to look at her.

"For Merlin's sake, I don't believe the worst of you!"

Mia can only nod as her refusal to believe her becomes more prominent than ever. She ignores the lump forming in her throat and focuses on what's important – not leaving Forks and dealing with the aftermath of her mistakes by herself.

"I just- I just don't understand why you would risk yourself?!" Isobel rubs her neck anxiously, continuing to pace around the room at a quicker speed. "You had one simple job: to not use your magic for anything and you couldn't even do that!"

"I did it to help Edward!"

Isobel sarcastically laughs, "And you called me selfish for thinking about Charlie." She turns around and walks closer, her gaze becoming harsher and smile transforming into a frown, "But unlike you, I actually put my family first and not some stranger."

"Edward is not a stranger," Mia interjects, detesting Isobel's grating tone considering he's become her person and one of the most important people in her life.

"Oh really?" she questions and raises a curious brow at her. "I hope he's more than that since after months of being careful, it took meeting him to ruin everything."

"He didn't ruin anything! I did!" Mia understands where she's coming from, but it doesn't change the fact that she's going to defend him against anything. He didn't force her into using her magic and once he found out the truth, he refused to let her continue helping them. It was her choice to endanger herself and she's not about to let him receive the blame for her errors. "You want to blame someone?! Blame me!"

Isobel's last thread of patience officially wears off and she becomes consumed by all her anger and disappointment. "I do blame you! Because of you, they found you and now you'll become a monster like your father!"

Mia's breath gets caught on her throat as her eyes start watering with haste. She tries to say something, anything, to get rid of this agonizing silence. She's been waiting to hear those words, and now that she has, she's anything but alleviated.

Having your mother believe the worst of you is enough to break you. It shatters your soul into a million pieces as she's supposed to be the person to make you whole, to comfort you when you go through a heartbreak, and to give you advice when you most need it. Not become one of the reasons for the aching in your heart to become bigger and probably would never fully heal.

She's been reproaching herself for using her magic knowing it wouldn't just wreck havoc into her life, but her mother's as well. She had been selfish, completely self-centered, and now hearing her mum blame her and believe the worst of her is enough to break her.

"Mia, I-" Isobel tries fixing her mistake, but before being able to finish her sentence, Mia harshly takes the letter and storms out the door.

Everything about this day has gone to shambles and she can't help but to blame herself. None of this would've happened if she had followed the rules. If she resisted using her magic, her mother wouldn't be thinking the worst of her.

She hates how much her world has tilted on its axis, on how everything is turning upside down, and threatening to destroy everything she knows. She loathes herself for being a Grey, for being her father's daughter, and most of all, she hates him for making her mother afraid of her.

A shaky breath escapes her trembling lips as her hands press against her ears. The tightness in her chest gets worse through every breath and everything around her starts spinning uncontrollably. She shuts her eyes and counts to ten all in attempts to rid herself of this terrible feeling.

The cold breeze surrounds her and sends shivers down her spine as everything in her body tenses and creates a jolt of trepidation to shock her. She can hear the door opening and her mother calling out to her, but she couldn't care less on hearing her apologies.

Clenching her hands into tight fists, her focus shifts on the stinging sensation of her nails digging into her skin. Staying near her house will only make matters worse and it's not like she can afford looking at her mum any time soon – not when all she sees is pure anguish in her expression.

"Please come back inside. It's freezing out here," Isobel begs, the warmth from inside hitting Mia like a hot iron.

She wants to yell and demand to be left alone, but her temples are pounding like drums and the sound of her heart strikes her nerves. Her sight starts getting blurry and a terrible sense of doom submerges her like a wave. The air around her feels like blazing knives and if she continues standing in this driveway, she's bound to crumble into pieces and the last thing she needs is to allow anyone to see her this way.

Without thinking twice, Mia exerts her legs with force and starts running in the opposite direction. The fog is still as dense as ever, but not even with the lack of visibility does she stop. She holds her breath and ignores her trembling hands and numbing breeze. She's not sure where to go or where she's heading as she's only aware of needing some time away from her house.

With the faint illumination coming from the street lights, she rests her hand against the pole. She slouches for the briefest seconds and wipes the few tears that escaped before taking notice of the crumbled envelope in her hands.

Slowly, her trembling hands begin peeling off the red stamp. She knows where this is headed and with her terrible luck, it's obvious this is another repercussion for using her magic.

Dear Ms. Grey,

It has come to our attention that you performed the Stupefy, Oppugno, and Proteggo charm at fifteen minutes past ten this night in the presence of a non-maj.

Due to the circumstances of your actions, you have been summoned to a disciplinary hearing at the Magical Congress of the United States of America at 8 am on the twenty-second of December.

Crumbling the letter and ripping it to pieces, she curses to herself and grasps onto her hair while pacing around. She's frustrated and enraged at having to attend this hearing when this only happened out of her need to protect herself and those around her. If Aurors were doing their job properly, maybe then, she wouldn't be forced into practicing underage sorcery.

Traveling to New York sounds terrible and she's already dreading having to spend time with her mum and being forced to explain herself to the entire congress. Knowing how strict they are, they're bound to force her into obliviating Bella and getting her back to square one with her.

Well, maybe she can get away with it and plead her case that it's safer if she's on the lookout. Perhaps they might give her a chance, but who is she kidding? Having hope is rendered useless, especially under these circumstances.