Winter Roses

-Friday, November 24th 2011-

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New York was a picture of beauty, the Original decided as he stood before the massive tree sparkling through the darkness.

The massive Rockefeller Center Christmas tree was glittering among the November night, a cold breeze that meant winter was well and truly here, December just around the corner, Christmas a stones throw away with the snow falling softly.

His eyes scanned the fiber optic cream colored angels that were situated before the tree, ignoring the people that were bustling by. He felt slightly amused by the fact that these people didn't know just what they were walking by-

One of those creatures, those beings that most of them wished they were, just to make their lives more interesting.

If only they knew about the other world that right under their noses, hidden in plain sight.

Klaus let out a light sigh, watching for a second as his breath turned into a cloud that faded away in a second. He rubbed his light grey gloved hands together, warming his palms as he finally shifted his sky colored eyes from the tree and fixed them upon a woman stood a little to his right. He wondered why he was intrigued by this woman... maybe it was what she looked like-

She was tall, supple in deep brown jeans and matching knee high boots. Her shirt beared the peace sign on white and a black leather jacket to her waist. It also looked like there was a black wolf fang hanging from her right ear, and a black stud on the left side of her nose.

But maybe it was her hair that intrigued him so much. It was fake, anyone could see that; it was to just about her shoulders, immensely spiky at the ends, a full spiky fringe hanging in her eyes and a mixture of streaks that were yellow, amber, orange and red. Like it had been done in the imitation of a fire.

She was holding up a camera to the Rockefeller Tree, taking a few photos, then looking down to adjust the picture and contrast, and Klaus spied the screen show the tree in a sepia tone, then in black and white.

The Original didn't react as she suddenly looked around, meeting his eyes with deep bronze ones, then a smile as she walked over and said, stopping before him and holding the camera out.

"Could you please take a photo for me?"

Klaus was silent for a moment, almost expecting her vibrant colored hair to exude heat, but it didn't. "Of course." He nodded, making the girl smile her thanks and stand back, watching the young man in dark jeans, some really great leather knitted collar boots and a black bomber jacket that was zipped up to nearly his neck where a light grey knitted scarf was visable. She spotted a trapper hat in his pocket, half falling out as he stepped back a little, then just said. "Left a bit more," raising a hand to brush the snow that was still lightly falling into his hair.

The girl obeyed and Klaus raised the camera, lining up the tree and girl in the frame, pressing the button and nodding. "Here you are."

She grinned, walking back over and looked down at the picture, pulling the one up he had just taken up and smiled, looking back up to the man, wiping the snow from the screen. "Thank you, it's lovely."

The Original nodded, wondering with an internal smirk what this woman would think if she knew what he was. Would any of them passing by be still doing the same? Or would they be running as fast as they could in the opposite direction until they could run no more?

The latter, not the former.

Humans were too easy to terrify. Movies and superstitions didn't help these days either with their fears and nightmares.

Klaus stared at her hair once more, then chuckled. "Why is your hair on fire?"

She glanced up, then chuckled once more, brushing it from her eyes. "Oh, I just like to shock people. Why go through life unnoticed and overlooked? Stand out a bit!"

He couldn't agree more with that, then just said in an amused voice. "I'm going to hazard a guess that you are an artist? Or just some crazy girl with a liking for eccentric hairstyles and clothing?"

The girl froze at that, then her fingers that ended with Union Jack flag decorated nails slipped off the button, making her stood hastily to grab the camera before it fell, nodding. "Umm... yeah actually."

Klaus noticed her voice was a, he laughed internally, a hybrid of the American and English accents, then just folded his arms, as she spoke.

"I like doing abstract." She raised a hand to the tree. "Vincent van Gogh style you could say."

The Original nodded, noticing she was talking to him like he was some normal human being, not some thousand year old vampire-werewolf hybrid hellbent on creating his own race.

If only she knew that they were species apart.

He looked to the tree and nodded. "So why are you taking photos of the tree?"

She chuckled, then just said, tucking her camera safely away from the harsh bitterness of the snow. "I was interested in painting it. You know the origins?"

Klaus shook his head a fraction, watching her grin grow as she spoke.

"It began in 1933 because that was the year 30 Rockefeller Plaza opened. It was a tradition that began during the Depression-era construction of Rockefeller Center, when workers decorated a smaller 20 ft balsam fir tree with 'strings of cranberries, garlands of paper, and even a few tin cans' on Christmas Eve."

The Original hid a sly smirk at that, then glanced to the tree. "Did you get all that from Wikipedia?"

A silence.

"Guilty." She admitted, then nodded to the sidewalk. "Would you like to get a coffee or something? I don't think we should stand here chatting for much longer. We'll turn into snowmen from all this."

Klaus chuckled at that, glancing up at the snow filled sky and nodded, having nothing to do but just wait until he thought of a way to exact vengeance on Stefan Salvatore for stealing his family away.

He was alone, truly, for the first time in too many hundred years.

It was the season of goodwill and cheer, and he desperately needed some after the events that had come to pass these few months. He needed a break.

Maybe he could try and get in touch with his human side until after Christmas?

"I'd love to my dear." He nodded, actually managing a true smile as the girl did up her top button, walking towards a Starbucks on the corner of the next road, the Original walking beside her.

-WINTERROSES-

Inside Starbucks, Klaus watched the unique looking girl ask for a caramel Frappuccino and triple chocolate muffin, then turn to him as he took off his gloves, shoving them into his pocket and ask. "What would you like?"

He looked up at the menu, then just asked for a Mocha, amusing the girl when he asked for extra chocolate sprinkles on top, then for a cheese toastie.

"So what can I call you?" She smiled, getting up on the stool, facing him and sipping her drink. He set his own down, then told her, glancing to the man at the till- he was stealing some petty cash.

Humans (!)

"Klaus." He told her, and she scowled. "Are you German?"

"No, why do you think so?" Klaus frowned, but she chuckled. "It's a German name."

"It's short for Niklaus."

"Nicolas?"

"Ni-Klaus." He explained, watching her cheeks flush red for a moment, then groan, closing her bronze eyes for a second. "I'm dumb, sorry."

Klaus snorted as he sipped his Mocha, then asked. "Yourself?"

"Hollie." The girl smiled, biting into her chocolate muffin, mouth full as she added. "Hollie Sparrow."

"Sparrow?" Klaus mused, then looked to the window, spying the softly falling snow through the glass. Hollie nodded. "Yep."

He didn't know why he found that amusing, but he did, listening to the Christmas song playing on the radio behind the counter where the man was stealing petty cash once more.

Humans sometimes. They could be worse than vampires.

"So, Sparrow." Klaus grinned, finishing off his Mocha and starting on the lovely warm cheese toastie, biting into a corner, imagining for a start that it was some pretty little womans neck.

She scoffed at that, licking her lips from the chocolate muffin. "Nik." Hollie smirked and the Original just said. "Are you selling any artwork soon?"

Hollie was silent, then smiled a little. "Actually, an auction at the Swann Galleries on 104 East 25th Street is being held tomorrow." She flushed a little. "I have a few pieces in for it."

Klaus looked impressed, then nodded, making Hollie add. "It's a charity auction."

He was silent, then chuckled lightly. "That's kind of you."

"I like to think myself as a kind person." Hollie just said, crumpling up her now empty muffin wrapper and tossed it into the bin accurately.

Klaus stared at the eccentrically dressed girl and just said. "I'll make an appearance. 25th Street you say?"

She nodded, then glanced to the time and sighed, going in regret. "I must be heading back to my apartment. It's getting late."

The Original watched her get to her feet, heels clacking lightly against the floor as she pulled her fake fur and brown leather bag onto her shoulder, reaching into it and pulled out a small card, scribbling something down onto the back of it in black biro, handing it to him with a smile.

"If you do come, hand that in to the guy at the door. He'll let you in. Come about 8pm"

Klaus took it, seeing a line of writing ending in her signature to let him in. Now this girl was more than intriguing. He nodded. "I'll attend."

Hollie smiled, then zipped up her coat, letting out a sigh. "I'll see you tomorrow nigh then." She flashed him a smile, turning away and the Original watched the girl walk out the place, the wind catching her flame colored hair and making it blow wildly like a true flame.

Klaus finished off his toastie now, rubbing his hand on a serviette, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his grey gloves and yanked them on, getting to his feet and left himself, staring once more at the beautifully lit Christmas tree before he turned around and walked into the crowd.

This might just be a Christmas to remember.

-And! Thought I'd start something completely different:) A Klaus/OC with a difference! Who knows? We might just see a more human side of Klaus during this fic? It'll lead up to Christmas this story, an update everyday hopefully! Hope people are interested and reviews very much loved for inspiration and motivation. MWAH! x Nic