This might be one of those ships that will probably make people go, "What?", but I think they would mold together perfectly. I've spent two nights writing this, so excited just to get my thoughts into words. This story was inspired by me watching too many Klaus videos and Your Song, and bam!
I thought, What if Klaus and Hermione...?
And so I did.
I had great joy writing this.
And I hope you all do as well.
If anyone wants to know which version of Your Song that inspired me, it was the Ellie Goulding cover.
UPDATE: This is a revised version, which was beta-ed by the lovely PlainSimpleGarak. Thank you very much, PSG!
Disclaimer: I do not own either series, Harry Potter or Vampire Diaries. I also do not own the song, Your Song, either.
.:The Sweetest Eyes:.
He was charmed by the way she sang so delicately. Her voice was soft and filled with unadulterated adoration towards the lucky man that captured this sweet songbird's heart. Even Klaus couldn't help but to feel a little jealous of the bloke, whoever he was.
He sat alone in the middle of a karaoke bar in downtown London, feeling every bit of that loneliness. He didn't know what compelled him to enter this karaoke bar; that was usually beneath him.
Perhaps today was just one of those days.
Klaus had been traveling alone for several months now, a bit frustrated with everyone at the moment, mostly his at his absent brother, Elijah. Soon –but not soon enough- he would depart to America, and he felt excitement for the trip and the prospect of the ritual being so near.
But that it was still a long wait, he thought, sipping on his beer.
He continued to admire the songstress, along with every other bloke in this crowd. She was petite with wild curls that coiled a sweet-looking face, and bright honey eyes that mesmerized them all.
Even him.
"How wonderful life is-," she sang the last line so lovingly and those pretty eyes landed on him, "-now you're in the world." If his heart wasn't already dead, it would have skipped a beat from the way she tenderly looked at him.
And for a moment, he and this shared an irreplaceable moment with this mysterious songbird.
A spark, if you will.
A round of cheering and clapping flared up, ending the song sp quickly it rendered it as their moment as only a memory.
Klaus know why he felt a pang of loss that echoed throughout every fiber of his being, and he didn't know why.
"That was bloody brilliant, Hermione!"
A small redheaded woman threw her arms around her, this woman named Hermione, as she gracefully descended the steps. He watched them all, her and her friends, and the way they joked and chattered among themselves.
They were all pretty, but not as interesting to look at like their curly-haired friend.
"I see a hot bloke looking at you, Hermione," the redhead-Ginny- pointed out.
Bless the Heavens for his absolutely greathearing.
He didn't look away when she shyly peeked over her shoulder to steal a glance. He was amused by the way she quickly turned away, to avoid looking him in the eyes. Klaus watched her head shake, denying friend's words.
"You are being ridiculous, Ginny! You've had your fun, now pay for my drinks like you promised," she said, referring to their little bet from earlier, "I'm going to the loo, and I'm expecting my drink when I return, Ginny."
He watched the vivacious brunette strut towards the back of the bar, admiring the way her little black dress hugged her curves. He felt himself smile watching the swing of those hips, especially since he could tell she was uncomfortable in the dress.
"Ahem."
Eyes that were neither blue nor green looked up, only to see 'Ginny' standing in front of him with a small smile on her glossy pink lips. He returned the smile with his own, matching the level of mischief as the redhead was displaying.
What a bold girl she is, he thought amusingly.
"Can I help you?" he asked, raising a curious brow.
"I saw the way you were looking at my friend," she stated in an amused tone.
"Well," Klaus gave her a charming smile, "I wasn't the only one admiring her in this room."
"No, that little staring contest you both were sharing."
"She looked first."
"And you looked back."
He didn't know whether or not to be annoyed with this girl. Or to be insulted as a whole. Usually strangers were wary of him, deeming him as an unapproachable person in general, and yet this fiery redhead was standing here wearing an amused expression. This girl did not know she was playing with dangerous fire, especially with the way she was talking to him.
Did her mother fail to mention to not to talk to stranger?
Very interesting, indeed.
"Come back next week, but wait in the restaurant portion."
Ginny's words surprised Klaus, and if he wasn't in such a good mood tonight, he would have severed this girl's head for ordering him around so presumptuously as if he was some kind of common dog. He gave her a thoughtful look, debating the girl's demands, but his curiosity won him over.
He found himself nodding in agreement before actually thinking things through.
A smirk appeared on her lips.
"Great. Just stop by and tell them you are with Hermione Granger, they'll show you the way. Well, I have to go before Hermione comes back, and oh, before I forget to ask, what's your name?"
"Niklaus Mikaelson," he replied before sipping on his beer. He didn't have to use a fake name with a bunch of regular humans. They had no knowledge of his identity or his history so he didn't have any worries, not with the way this girl just openly invited him to a possible date with her friend.
"Well, I'm sure I will hear about you after next week."
With a meaningless and flirtatious wink, she left him alone to his own thoughts.
How strange.
~X~
Klaus didn't really know why he gave into that redhead's demands last week, but he was a man of his word, so here he was walking into the karaoke bar. He never stood up a young lady before, and he wasn't going to start now.
"I'm with Hermione Granger," he told the blushing hostess. He glanced down to her name tag –Alexandra- and offered her one of his charming smiles, enjoying the way she fumbled around. He could practically smell her nervousness along with a small hint of fear radiating off of her.
Perhaps he could have her as a snack later on.
"A-ah, yes, I was told to expect you. Right this way please," she gave him a slight bow before leading him to the directly towards the wall of the restaurant.
How odd, he thought, wondering if this woman was confused on which direction she was going. Before he could even voice his thoughts, the wall rippled as she walked through. She gave him a questioning look as if it was normal to be able to walk through walls.
"Are you coming, sir?"
"Ah…yes," he said, snapping out of his gaze, interested on seeing truly who this Hermione Granger was.
He prepared himself to slam into cold hard stone, but instead he felt a strange sensation as he walked through the wall. It felt as if water washed over him, except it was so soft and light that it couldn't have been water. Plus, his clothes were still dry.
He looked up to only see a truly magnificent sight. This portion of this bar was filled with dim romantic light, and the dark marbled floors seemed to ripple with every step. Klaus glanced up; surprised to see that there was no ceiling.
That or there was projector somewhere displaying the clear night sky and its glorious moon and stars. But he could not hear the soft hum of machinery anywhere, which only led him to believe that magic was at work.
He was on a blind date with a witch.
"Ms. Granger, here is your date," the blonde stated as she stopped at private booth in the back.
A very important and wealthy witch.
Those pretty eyes that he had been thinking about for days were finally on him, and so, he reached for her dainty hand and bestowed a small polite kiss upon it. She looked beautiful tonight, curls softer and tamer than last time and little make up was used, which pleased him.
He never liked the smell of such beauty products.
"Hello, Hermione," he purred, noticing the way her cheeks colored.
"You must be Niklaus." She gave him a smile, and he couldn't help but feel somewhat elated.
He took his seat across from her, clearly enjoying the atmosphere as well as the magic in this place. He even enjoyed the way her silky dark blue dress gave focus to her long elegant neck. He found that he had the urge to kiss his way down to the small amount of cleavage and perhaps even lower.
Klaus was eternally young, and besides, admiring the fairer sex could never get old no matter what the time period was.
An awkward cough brought him back to reality.
"This is awkward, especially since this is a blind date and you are man that is just not only a mere stranger to me but to my friend as well." She shifted in her place, uncomfortable in his presence.
It wasn't like Hermione was stupid.
The moment she heard the man's name from Ginny, she knew that he was a vampire, and an Original vampire at that. She was surprised to hear that Ginny had snagged her a date with a man who was perhaps thousand years old. Hermione kept this information to herself. No way would any of her friends, especially Harry, let her go anywhere near this vampire, much less on a blind date with him.
But she needed to see him in order to fulfill her bookworm curiosity, even though it was a very dangerous thing to do. She had read several books about the Originals despite the fact that many waved these stories off as legends and myths. Now, here she was sitting across from one on a blind date.
A hilarious situation, really.
"Especially when this said stranger is an Original," Hermione whispered lowly, knowing he heard her words. She should have been running the other direction, screaming bloody murder, especially with the way his face transformed into an angry mask.
Good thing she had been ingesting vervain for the past week.
"And I know you can see all of this. Oh, and before you attempt mass murder, half of these people here are Aurors. We are all quick with our wands, and none of us will hesitate to do a binding spell on you." Her words seemed to place a thoughtful expression on his face.
"So you are wand-wielders, figures. I've only dealt with your kind only a handful of times over the years. Your kind is usually tight-knitted and secretive when it comes to the outside world. Not even the sorcerers and priestesses in the East are this secretive." He gave her an amused smirk, even as he tensed as if she had something up her sleeves.
Hermione gave him a look filled with delight.
"This place is charmed to be unnoticed by muggles." She paused, waving to the scenery and enchantment of the place, "who are brought on dates with a witch or wizard. And yes, we are a very secretive society. Our kind really doesn't mess with yours."
And it was his turn to give her an amused grin.
"So why are you out here with me?"
"My friend didn't know who you are, and I was surprised you didn't react to her violently, especially since she is so demanding. I've read about you and your family from various texts, rare texts, mind you, and I was curious on what an Original would look like," she explained, her cheeks heating up again when she mentioned the books.
She sounded like a fangirl, which wasn't the case at all.
"Well, sweetheart, your friend was just lucky to catch me in the right mood," he flashed Hermione a charming smile, revealing his fangs, "and that's very dangerous you know, coming out here to see me."
"Which is why I have been binge eating on vervain the past week," she replied, giving the vampire a very smug look.
Klaus released a small chuckle. This girl came prepared, and he didn't know whether she was brave or completely stupid. Perhaps she just wanted him to give her immortality. That's what everyone wanted from him and his kind.
"So what do you want with me?" He asked, suddenly becoming suspicious.
Hermione tilted her head in confusion.
"Not to sound like a complete nerd or anything, but I came here to simply study you. You are a very interesting character who has seen history pass and all these events that shaped the world today. The Great Schism, the Reformation, the French Revolution, and the makings of the great world wars! Why wouldn't I want to come and see you? You are a very reliable source on everything that has happened in history," she rambled, becoming breathless with each word and intriguing him with the way her eyes became brighter.
He wondered if she would look the same after a round of passionate sex.
"Religion back then was useless to me as it is now, especially with the whole latter incident in 1618 with those Catholics," he said boringly, "And the French will be never satisfied with anything."
Hermione huffed.
"Plus, I want to learn about you and your family history. Your views on the world, believe it or not, they are valuable."
Again he gave her a look of boredom.
"Look, Niklaus-" "Please call me Klaus, darling, especially since we are out here on a date." "Klaus," she gave him an exasperated look, "-I'm sorry if you came here with other expectations…I'm only here to fulfill a bookworm curiosity, if you will."
He gave her an insulted look that reminded her of Draco whenever he was peeved.
"If you are so curious, witch, then leave with me. We can have this discussion somewhere else, somewhere more," he glanced down to her lips, "private."
Hermione gave him a softhearted glare.
"Oh no, mister! We will have this discussion in a very secure place without all that-" she gave him a hard pointed look "-seductive air around you. You are charming, I'm sure but believe me, Klaus, this is just a bookworm curiosity. This translates to business only."
Klaus gave her a disbelieving look, not totally buying into her words, especially with the way she kept glancing down to his own mouth. Especially since she avoided his touch whenever he tried to casually brush his fingers across hers. He found her amusing, refreshing even.
"Fine, we will have it your way, but mark my words," he leaned in, his voice still pleasant, "if you try anything, and I mean anything remotely dirty, I will kill you."
Hermione didn't even quiver in fear nor did she even blink twice at his words.
Maybe this girl was just ridiculously brave to even the point of stupidity.
"I know that you cannot be easily killed, only with something very special that is beyond and will always be way beyond my reach. So do not expect any foul play, Klaus. However, I must have your word that you won't try anything dirty or kill me." She gave him a fierce look, making him chuckle.
She knew that he was bound by the old ways of the world.
"I give you my word so long as you give me yours."
"And I will abide to that as long as you do the same."
He felt something crawl and tighten around his chest, the sensation took him by surprise. Only a small hand on his stopped him from reacting violently. He looked at the witch, seeing slivers of gold light coiling itself around her as well as him. He finally understood what was happening.
An oath.
So now he truly was bound to his word, but for some odd reason, that didn't bother him so much. It worried him simply because he wasn't upset over the fact he walked right into an oath that he had to keep.
Warm honey met the cold, blue sea.
And once more, they shared another moment together, only this time with a challenging glare from both sides. It did not cover the small, ignited spark from the casual and quick brush of their fingers, though.
"Of course, Hermione."
Damn him and those luscious lips.
~X~
When they had finished their dinner, Hermione had offered him her mode of transportation: Apparition. She briefly explained to him how it worked and even its possible consequences, sounding like every bit of a walking textbook.
He declined her offer since he wasn't keen on the idea of losing any parts, but after a few 'pleases' and a final and almost childish 'I dare you,' he relented and gave in. He didn't know why, but the way she looked at him this look made him go a little soft on her.
He didn't know why he was giving into her. He kept telling himself it was because he was bored and curious. If the witch overstepped any boundaries then he could simply find a loophole around the oath and get her killed.
That's what he keeps telling himself.
When they did arrive to their destination, he was clutching his stomach as if that would help the nauseous feeling coiling inside him. He was waiting for Hermione to mock him for his weakness, but the mocking never came. Not even a little joke. All she did was wait beside him until he felt better. When he did, he started to take notice of where they were.
He didn't hear any cars passing by, only the occasional owl hooting into the night.
They were standing in front of a large house that stood at the top of a hill. It looked like it was going to topple over any minute now with the way it leaned to the right. It didn't seem to fit Hermione's style, not the way she looked and dressed. Then again, what did he really know about this woman?
She unlocked the door, rattling the door knob until it opened. She stepped inside, obviously waiting for him to come in as well. When he continued to stay outside her door she gave him a questioning look.
"I have to be invited in front, love. I may be an Original, but I am still a vampire."
"Oh, didn't think it would apply to you. You and your family are truly…mysterious and legendary," she whispered, "Come in."
And he did, feeling something very light wash over him, similar to the wall incident back in the restaurant. Klaus gave her an inquisitive look as he passed; taking the liberty to study the home, surprised to see it wasn't as homely as he thought it would be.
"That's just my wards. If anyone comes with the intent to harm me, they usually don't get it."
"How convenient."
"I'm very surprised that you've only met a handful of us 'wand-wielders' before," she glanced over her shoulder in a way that amused him.
His eyes gazed over every enchanted picture of, ranging from the awkward age of eleven to now. Most of them with friends, usually a dark-haired boy and redheaded man were with her, all smiles and laughter. There other framed pictures, mostly newspaper clippings that spoke of a war.
A war he was unaware of. Odd.
He noted that there wasn't any pictures of family but found himself refraining from asking her.
"The first ones I've met were a long time ago. Centuries, really. There were four of them, two wizards and two witches, all equally ambitious and even thoughtful, and they were all fools for not fearing me. Does your kind not fear vampires, much less someone as old as me?"
"We fear like everybody else does, we are humans, just of another branch. Like you are human, yet not really. Like an extension to humanity and perhaps a bridge between life and death. A broken bridge, but it could always be fixed."
He regarded her words with a tilt of his head.
"They were trying to start a school," he snorted, remembering them fondly, "together with four different divided houses underneath their respectable names. The school name was even ridiculous. It was-" "Hogwarts," she finished, pouring him a cup of tea.
If he was surprised, he didn't give any indication of being so.
"So they've done it without completely obliterating each other?" He gave a small laugh, and Hermione decided that she liked the sound of it.
However, he was right, she should be afraid of him. He was one of the oldest vampires known to walk this earth. Perhaps after all the years she spent with Harry and Ron in Hogwarts, and all the danger they had faced time to time again, she just stopped fearing anything.
Or she just didn't really care what happened to her.
She was tired of waking every morning to the empty space next to her, missing her lover's warmth. With a soft sight, Hermione drove the thoughts away in favor of
"What were they like?" she asked, taking a seat next to him on her couch.
Klaus hummed, taking in the whole appearance of the room. It was bigger than one would assume, very spacious and perhaps even a bit more…sophisticated than what he thought this house could offer. He kicked off his shoes, ignoring the disapproving look the young witch gave him.
Like he had anything to worry about.
"They didn't fear me, like I said, and I was curious. They were different than any witches I have encountered, but they showed enough respect towards me, which was enough for me not to kill them. Both Godric and Salazar were arrogant men, always had this complex, competitive air around them," he began, hearing small chuckle at his words.
He looked at her.
Even though she wasn't traditionally beautiful, she was beautiful nonetheless. Perhaps she stupid for not fearing him, but she was a pretty thing to look at, with the way that one particular curl made her neck even more enticing to look at. As if she knew what he was thinking, Hermione moved the lock of hair away, her brow raised in curiosity.
"Our houses have the same competitive nature."
"Really? Hmmm, not surprised. They all placed too much value on one set of principles, however, I liked Salazar's the most, coupled with Rowena's, of course. Those two sets of principles have always helped me throughout the years," he gave her a toothy grin, "As for your question, Rowena was a very intelligent woman, sometimes a bit too much for her own good. Nosy, too."
Hermione tilted her head to the side as she tugged the couch blanket closer to her, knowing that she had a long night ahead of her. She considered herself lucky that he was in a good mood, fully aware of how much of a coldblooded killer he could be.
"Helga," he looked so far away, untouchable, as he said her name with fondness, "She was a sweetheart, a very lovely creature. We were very fond of each other." He gave her a lascivious grin, knowing that she understood his words.
A smile tugged on her lips.
So this Original thought he was Casanova.
"Oh really?"
Her words sounded like a bit of a challenge to him.
~X~
And so that was how their tentative companionship started. It wasn't friendship, Klaus had once told her fiercely, as if he was trying to convince himself more so than her. So she just settled for what he could give her.
Stories of the past, his past, along with his damn companionship and mood swings.
After a few weeks or so, she had adjusted to his almost bi-polar personality, especially to his violent mood swings that could change from every ten minutes. It reminded her of an angry toddler. A very angry and dangerous toddler. It was a good thing that she had developed patience when she and Draco became friends.
Thank Merlin for her patience.
Klaus was snarky, pessimistic, jaded, violent, cranky, and probably every other negative trait that she could think of. Perhaps that's why she found his lighter moods so appealing. It was a dangerous game to play, but she didn't care. Don't get her wrong, she was careful around him but not so compliant.
She treated him as if he was the child.
When he figured this out, it offended him and angered him so greatly that he left her alone for a few days on the wake of a minor heated argument. Hermione didn't mind so much for she did have a lot of work and research to do, but she did miss his company and his wistful voice when he spoke of the past.
Today it seemed that he decided to come back for when she arrived he was sitting on her couch with an expectant look.
"Nice to see you are back, Klaus," she clicked her tongue, sighing at his childish ways before sitting down next to him. He was silent and uncomfortable. He knew he was wrong for lashing out on her, practically destroying her whole dining room. And then fact he had taken off without even saying a word to her.
Hermione was becoming more of a friend to him now.
It scared him.
"So what do I owe the pleasure?"
His eyes shifted, showing his discomfort with the way she looked so coldly at him.
"I apologize-" she quieted his lips with one simple finger, giving a small smile.
"It's fine, really. I have something to show you," she said, leaving him alone on the couch and disappearing into her little library.
His brows furrowed, not liking the way he had become so fond of Hermione so quickly. She was intelligent and witty, well-equipped with a sharp tongue that matched his own. The witch didn't fear him, which was so foolish on her part, and yet without that fear, she became so close to him.
Too quickly for his liking.
"You have a timeless face, Klaus," Hermione's melodic voice brought him back to this moment, another fleeting one, "It's unfair that you are beautiful and so unforgivably charming. Women don't even have a chance."
Not to mention a very, very timeless body.
She said it so teasingly when she sauntered towards him with a very large, very old book in her hand. That damn smile would be the end of him, end of life as he knows it, and he couldn't do anything about it. He didn't want to do anything about it.
And before he could even utter a single word, Hermione placed the opened book in front of him on her low coffee table. He gave her a questioning glance before looking at the aged pages, and what he saw surprised him. A charcoal drawing of him from long ago when he had kept his hair long.
It captured a moment that he thought he had forgotten. It was him shirtless, sprawled across the bed with only a sheet to make him decent to the public eye. He wore his usual trademark smirk, obviously looking at the artist who drew him in this position.
It was very personal, very intimate.
The name Helga was neatly written in a delicate, almost flowery cursive at the bottom of the drawing.
"She seemed to have loved you very much, Klaus," Hermione whispered as she stared at him, knowing that he was lost once more in his own memories. She was curious about him and probably always will be. He was such an interesting person to know.
Honey eyes watched his expression slip into anguish, wondering what had truly went wrong between the witch and Original so long ago. She wanted nothing more than to touch his cheek, but she knew that it was too affectionate for them.
For him.
"She was a wonderful woman," Klaus said sadly.
They both fell asleep together on that couch that night.
~X~
Klaus had walked into her house, hearing the harsh and shouted words that were being said. Obviously her best friend, -Harry- he disliked the man despite the fact he never really met him, found about him. He could hear his songbird's stress and anger as she tried to explain herself to the wizard.
He simply stood his in place by the front door, waiting.
Just waiting.
"You don't understand, Harry. He isn't going to hurt me."
"He is a vampire, Hermione. One of the oldest ones at that, are you crazy? Have you become so blind? So reckless? What would Ron think? Or have you forgotten about him already?"
Klaus didn't need his enhanced abilities to figure out that Hermione was probably in tears by now. Even though she didn't fear him –still such a foolish thing to do- she seemed to fear the opinions of her friends, especially this Harry that she seemed to be so fond of. She feared this man's opinion more than what he could to her.
And that irked him to no end.
Though he was curious on whom this Ron fellow was.
"Well, Ron isn't here, Harry. Ron's dead so his opinion wouldn't really matter, right?" she replied sharply, the obvious hurt lacing itself into her voice.
It seemed that her friend couldn't say the words; perhaps he knew that he had just crossed an unspoken line between them. But Klaus stayed by the door, still listening to their angry breathing and their fast beating hearts. He could even smell the salty tears that were probably rolling down his friend's cheeks.
"Hermione, I'm sor-" "Out. Get out, Harry James Potter! Get out, get out, get out, you miserable horrible wanker!" she screeched, her voice becoming louder with every venomous word that spilled from her lips.
"Hermione…"
It was a soft but pleading whisper.
He listened to her stomping footsteps and the back door slam open, shaking the pictures on the walls with her sheer force that even impressed Klaus. Slightly. He smirked, amused at the thought of the petite brunette using any kind of force in order to get what she want.
Though, he did felt horrible when he knew that his witch was crying.
"Harry, just please…please leave."
She sound so tired, so defeated.
His ears picked up the sounds of hesitant footsteps leaving and her quiet cries. Human sadness shouldn't affect him so much, but for some reason hers did. Klaus found himself disliking her sadness. He preferred her usual irritatingly cheerful self than this sad woman sitting alone in the kitchen.
He strolled into the kitchen, adopting a stoic expression.
Puffy red eyes looked up, not surprised to see the Original standing in the middle of her kitchen.
"Why are you here, Klaus?" She sounded so pathetic, and she looked the part as well.
"I'm your friend, love, why wouldn't I be here?" His mask of indifference broke into a small comforting smile. Oh how she just wanted to blast that stupid smile off his pretty face.
He stepped closer towards her, and she could smell his clean and spicy scent. It was different from Ron's, who always smelled a bit like roasted almonds and food. Hermione felt Klaus's fingers caress her cheek, and she felt herself leaning into his touch, craving it.
"I thought I was just a companion," she said, trying to sound sarcastic but ended up sounding like a kicked puppy.
Klaus felt his lips twitch into an amused smile.
"No, Hermione," he sighed, picking her up into her arms as if she were just a small child, "You are more than just a companion to me."
She didn't protest nor did she reply to his words, shrugging it off as him being annoyingly charming rather than sincere. Though, she couldn't help but to feel so small and insignificant to this legendary creature-no- man holding her.
Hermione sighed.
All she wanted to do was curl up in her bed and sleep away her troubles, and it seemed that he could sense her needs. He carried her upstairs in a very slow, human pace, as if he was relishing the witch's warmth, but he would never admit that. Not even to himself.
"Here you are, sweetheart," he whispered, a bit disappointed that he had to let her go so quickly.
"Thank you," she gave him a weak smile, patting the empty space next to her.
"You don't want me near you, Hermione," he smiled at the small pout that appeared on her lips, "I will make you feel too uncomfortable."
"Nonsense. Come lay with me, it's hard to sleep alone when I am upset."
Damn her and those puppy-dog eyes.
Again, he was giving into her. With the roll of his eyes and an exasperated sigh, he kicked off his boots and lied next to her. She could tell he was uncomfortable by the way his body tensed up. Crazy though it might be, she turned and started to rub his back.
"What are you doing?"
His alarmed voice made her smile because it reminded her of a jumpy toddler caught doing something terribly wrong.
"Relax, Klaus, I'm just rubbing your back."
"And you do this to everyone who decides to have a sleepover in your room?"
He smiled at the thought of the possible exasperated look on her face right now.
"No, I only really did this for Ron, who was my boyfriend."
"I heard his name in your little spat."
"Face me when you talk."
Klaus felt a surge of annoyance, not anger¸ but annoyance nonetheless, at her demanding tone. Who was she to order him around? Him, Niklaus Mikaelson, an Original who was destined to become the strongest creature to ever have roamed the earth, and here this little woman, a witch, had the nerve to order him around.
Did she want him to hurt her?
He gave huffed, quickly turning around to show the nastier side of him, trying to invoke some sort of sensible fear into this girl, and when he did, the harsh words that were on the tip of his tongue died. Hermione was giving him a look of complete and utter trust, trust that he didn't deserve.
"He died."
And Klaus knew who she was talking about now. It was that silly little redheaded boy that she grew up with, and it never occurred to him why there were only pictures that were clearly taken years ago. Hermione looked so young in those pictures, a bit too innocent to have been involved in a war, and yet here she was, six years older and a lot more jaded.
"He was killed in the last battle of the war. It was quick, really, how he bled out. He was hit with a cutting curse." She blinked away her tears. "So much for athletic reflexes."
He didn't say anything.
Hermione was glad.
She just wanted him to just listen to her.
That was the first time Klaus had learned anything about her.
~X~
Klaus felt bit ridiculous with the way he watched over this girl. He should have been out and about, hunting on a few unsuspecting virgins or grieving windows last night, but instead he stayed by her side.
Like he promised.
Sometimes he hated being a man of his word.
And so, here he was in the corner of the room, sitting in her reading chair with a rather large and dusty book, Hogwarts: A History. It was newer edition, up to date and filled with answer that he longed to know about her had spent the whole night reading, occasionally re-tucking the witch into bed, and absorbing the knowledge the book had to offer.
He learned everything he could from that book, from the beginnings of Hogwarts and of his old companions to the very end. Klaus had learned that for more than half of Hermione Granger's very short life, she had fought tooth and nail through every struggle and battle along with this Harry Potter and Ron Weasley.
He understood why she was so fearless.
She had been living dangerously for more than half of her life.
And she continued doing those foolishly dangerous things.
The soft rustle of paper caught his attention, and he took notice of a piece of loose paper that rested in between pages. Curious, he took it out to see what would be hidden in so deep in a large book such as this. It was another enchanted picture, but the moment that it immortalized surprised him.
That seems to be happening to him a lot.
Surprises.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here," he whispered, his glassy blue-green eyes taking in every detail. It was a ripped out article, a picture with no words, but the message was clear. It showed him what she had truly lost in this war.
He could see that she was sobbing uncontrollably as she applied more pressure onto the boy's wounds, dying right in front of her. This boy, Ron, was badly injured with open wounds across his body and blood escaping from his veins. Hermione looked so desperate to save him. It was a bit masochistic of her to keep something horrific as this as a memento of someone she loved so much.
Klaus wondered if this was the reason why she was calm when she faced the prospect of death every single moment she spent with him.
He glanced up; knowing that she was beginning to stir, but he didn't leave his seat. It would be another hour or so until she was fully awake, no doubt reverting back to the fiery brunette he had come to know.
When she woke up an hour and a half later, he didn't expect her to curse everything that lived and existed. He watched her in amusement as she struggled to stay asleep, especially when her usual wild curls became bushier, making some sort of makeshift afro on her head.
"Had a nice nap, didn't you, darling?" He teased.
For some odd reason she looked so cute with the way she glared at him over her shoulder. It was like a poodle trying to intimidate a pit-bull, all bark and no bite. Though, he reminded himself that she did know a vast number of nasty hexes.
"It's too early in the morning for your sense of humor," she grumbled, burying her head into her pillow.
Klaus simply chuckled.
There was his little spit-fire.
~X~
His departure to America was coming near.
Though, he didn't quite know why he didn't feel as excited as he should be. He had waited so long to track down another Petrova doppelganger, and his chance to have the world at his finger tips was so close that he could almost taste it. Yet, here he was sitting in Hermione's study, only half-listening to her explanation on what a hippogriff was, with an explainable sadness in his heart.
"Klaus," her sweet voice lured him out of his heavy thoughts.
Concern was painted across her pretty features, and he wanted nothing more than to smooth her brow with his thumb. He wanted to simply kiss her worries away in order to see that face of hers happy and always with a smile.
He tensed.
Kiss…?
What happened to him?
The person he had come to terms with over the centuries, the type of person who was repulsed by the very idea of love and affection. Where was the man that loathed any kind of weaknesses? The man that enjoyed seeing the tear-stained faces of brokenhearted women before he devoured them, where was that man?
What had she done to him?
She completely ruined him!
"Klaus?" Again, her sweet voice was calling out to him.
Klaus looked at her once more with an increasingly intense expression Hermione saw how quickly his anger filled those eyes. His pretty eyes that she had come to adore over the past months they had spent together as friends. Before she could even whip out her wand and cast a body-bind spell, he had her up against the wall, holding her up with one hand, gripping her neck.
She gasped for air.
"What are you doing to me, witch," he spat, his eyes darkening as he felt his rage taking over
. He felt her heartbeat thrum beneath his fingers, and yet he didn't smell an ounce of fear on this girl. He snarled, displeased at this fact on how truly idiotic this woman was. Here Klaus was moments away from snapping her neck, and she still didn't fear him.
Where did this girl's self-perseveration go?
It must have died with that blasted redhead that day.
"It's o-okay," she winced as his grip tightened around her neck, and with her last few breaths, she whispered, "I, Hermione Granger, release thee from thy oath."
She kept surprising him.
Damn her.
What was she doing to him?
Then he felt it, the feeling of something coiling and uncoiling around his chest. He saw ribbons of silvery light wrap around her like a snake, and he saw the pain that flashed across her lovely face. He released her from his hold, like she did with him, and yet he felt so empty when he felt the magic take away a piece of him.
He should have been relieved, but he wasn't.
He snapped.
"Are you mad?" he shouted, glaring down at her as she tried to catch her breath.
She shot him an annoyed look.
No, it wasn't from rage or even the quick temper she had shown him in the past. It was just simple annoyance towards him, towards the fact that he had her in a choke hold, preparing to snap her neck like a twig. He was expecting her to be seething with fury, not some childish emotion towards him such as annoyance.
Why was she so infuriating?
"Just because you are leaving soon doesn't mean you have to be such a bastard about it, Klaus," she reprimanded him as if he was some child.
He was the outraged one, and yet he didn't fully understand why.
And she did something else that threw him off guard again, which shouldn't really have shocked him. It seemed like her whole entire existence was meant to surprise him in every way possible, even to the point of him doubting himself. Yet here she was, wrapping her arms around him as if he was a giant fluffy bear rather than a heartless murderer.
What a very stupid girl.
He didn't like to doubt himself at all. He wanted, no, needed to be in control.
But she took that composure away, leaving him helpless to her charms.
He wasn't the one who was so unforgivably charming, it was her! Those damn innocent, doe eyes looking at him as if he wasn't a monster. An abomination. He was the one who didn't have a chance with her because she was just so damn charming.
The way she battled with him in their witty conversations, having the ability to keep up and appreciate his humor. The way she took his mood swings in stride, never scared, never second guessing her own actions. She always welcomed him back after their little fights, and she never demanded an apology from him.
That's why he couldn't win with her.
Because he was so damn in love with her that he didn't even realize it.
"I know you have to go soon so don't ruin these last few days, okay? I want to remember you, Klaus, even the bratty, cranky, borderline psychotic you," Hermione whispered into his chest, knowing that she shouldn't be disappointed to find that he didn't have a heartbeat.
He was dead after all.
His hard expression melted away into a much softer, perhaps even loving one when he heard her words. Hermione shouldn't be so accepting of him, she shouldn't be so foolish when it came to him. Klaus sighed into her hair, enjoying the sweet scent of jasmine rolling off of her.
"Don't you understand, Hermione? I am psychotic, I am a killer. I enjoy killing people, compelling to do my biding. I'm not just some tragic hero from a romantic novel, Hermione. I am truly this tragic," he said sadly, holding her tightly against him.
"I've killed, too, Klaus," Hermione defended.
"You were in a war, it was out of necessity," he replied, knowing that would be her excuse.
"When I found Bellatrix," she whispered, feeling all the hatred and memories resurfacing again, "I had shot her down when she was wounded with her back towards me. I crushed every finger with my foot when she tried to get her wand, and eventually I broke that, too."
Hermione looked up.
"And I repaid her the damage and pain she had caused me, ten times fold, and I enjoyed every scream, every cry that escaped her. I enjoyed seeing her suffer, seeing her bleed underneath my hand. I relished in the fact that she begged me to just kill her quickly," she paused, releasing a shaky breath.
He smelled the overbearing spicy scent of anger rolling off of her, surprised that her hatred for this woman ran so deep. So shocked that it made him rethink of his image of her, and he finally understood why she insisted covering that scar on her arm.
It was that woman that made her cry in her dreams.
"I killed her, Klaus," she licked her lips, enticing him, "And I enjoyed it. You aren't the only monster here."
He gave her a look that was between sweet sadness and affection.
"She deserved it, love," he assured her, stroking her hair lovingly, "she deserved it."
Hermione pulled away from his touch, trying to ignore the hurt that appeared on his face.
Since when did Klaus care and show his feelings so openly?
"You aren't a monster, Hermione. You sought to have justice, and you did."
"Then why does it feel so wrong?" she asked in a small voice.
He gave her an almost heartbreaking smile.
"Because you are so human, so loving, and so forgiving, Hermione."
And so she simply stared at him.
And he stared back.
He suddenly felt nervous underneath her gaze.
"It's a little bit funny," she said in amusement, confounding him even more. His brows furrowed at her words, not amused with her knowing smile. He did not understand her, and he would probably never would.
She closed the distance between them, and suddenly he noticed how much shorter she was than him. Hermione had to look straight up to look into his eyes, and he found himself not minding how her eyes were filled with laughter. She carefully placed her hands on his face, carefully as if he was a dangerous animal that could snap at her anytime.
Which he was.
And yet that didn't stop him from leaning into her loving touch.
"Yours are the sweetest eyes," she lilted softly, enchanting him with her words, "I have ever seen."
There she went again, charming him to the point where he was speechless.
She dove in straight for the kill, not caring if she was being reckless and impulsive, and so she brought herself to the tips of her toes to reach his lips. He froze suddenly when he felt her lips tentatively touched his.
Her kiss was soft as a feather, questioning him if she should go further.
And he answered her with a fierce reply of his own lips.
Klaus quickly took over, cradling her sweet, sweet face in between his hands, and he kissed her back with such force, such emotion that he couldn't even tell where he ended and where she began. His senses were quickly filled with her and only her. He enjoyed the way she kept up with him, in this heated kiss.
He nibbled on her bottom lip, indulging himself in her pleasured sighs and whimpers when he does so. Her heart pummeled against his chest, and he basked in the feeling of having her so close to him. So, so unbearably close.
"Have me tonight," she whispered into his lips, begging for him to do so.
Needing him to claim her.
At least for tonight.
Before he's gone out of her life.
And without a second, rational thought, he picked her up and headed towards her bedroom. He groaned every step of the way, taking pleasure of every kiss and nibble that Hermione bestowed upon his neck.
They both needed this.
When they stepped through the threshold, they both knew that there was no going back after tonight. He asked her softly if she was sure only to have her lips to be his answer. Klaus sighed, knowing that he could not deny the witch of anything.
And so he threw her onto her bed.
He caressed every bit of her that night, kissing and marking her as his own.
And she worshipped every bit of his skin that night, encouraging him to have her completely.
Wholeheartedly.
And they both fell a little more in love with each other that night until the sun peeked over the land, reminding them of the cold, harsh reality of their lives. The break of a new dawn reminded them that their time wasn't enough.
It was never enough nor will it ever be enough.
Not when it came to each other.
~X~
Hermione didn't plead or cry when he left her.
And Klaus didn't beg for her to come with him, to leave with him.
He had simply given her one last heated kiss and a few more pecks on the lips before whispering goodbye. She didn't even open her eyes until his scent disappeared, and when she did, she didn't hopelessly hope that he stayed for her. No, Klaus had other things in life to focus on and so did she.
So why did it feel like she was left alone to pick up pieces of her heart that she didn't even know broke?
~X~
There were times where he thought about her, Hermione. And there were times when he would get a letter from her, sometimes telling him of her days, other times telling him of a fond memory they shared together. He always received odd looks from his brother whenever the same owl dropped off a letter, but Elijah never questioned him.
Whatever happened to him in England didn't matter now.
Or so that's what he keeps telling himself.
"Brother, you never told me of what happened back there," Elijah spoke to him rather boldly one day, "why do you seem so disheartened whenever you get a letter from that owl?"
Klaus gave his brother a withering smile.
"Because I left something very important to me back there."
And he left it at that.
Elijah never spoke of the matter ever again, though; he still gave Klaus odd looks whenever the owl stopped by and he sang the words of Elton John's Your Song to it, obviously lost in a very fond memory.
He wondered who this person was.
~X~
And so life went on for Hermione.
The only thing that proved Klaus's existence in her life was these letters they exchanged, these words that they had sent to each other. Harry told her to give up on him, but she always asked him, 'What's there to give up when you never had it at all?'
It always shuts him up effectively.
It had been months since his last letter, and she was still waiting for his reply.
School was about to start again, and Harry was getting married soon.
Hermione still thought of him today.
She can't really remember his face, and when that happened, she would always look at Helga's picture of him with fondness. Perhaps this was how the founding Hufflepuff felt when he left her. This emptiness that was bearable, but it was emptiness nonetheless.
It was as if she was waiting for something that will never come.
It reminded her of Ron's death.
And she always placed the book back in its place, hoping that she would never need to see that picture again.
~X~
Klaus enjoyed Mystic Falls despite its small size.
The weather was very different, even in the chillier months. He still thought of Hermione when he wasn't busy fighting off pesky baby vampires and witches, the kind that he knew so well over the centuries. They weren't anything special, not when compared to her.
He had been so busy with reuniting his family and creating his army of hybrids that he never replied to her latest letter.
Though, he still remembers her lovely face as if it was clear as day.
Klaus missed her and her fiery-temper.
~X~
Her birthday just passed, making her officially twenty-five years old, though, she didn't feel any different. Then again, what was she expecting? To sprout a set of feathery wings? Hermione laughed at herself at the ridiculous thought.
She still hadn't heard from Klaus.
He had probably forgotten about her by now.
A soft tapping against her window brought her back from her thoughts. She glanced outside the window, surprised to see it was her owl, Herema. She worried that another bird had preyed upon her poor owl when Herma never returned to her since she had sent her last letter to Klaus.
Hermione felt her heart skipped a beat.
"Herema," she cooed at the owl softly as it landed on her arm.
Her foot touched something soft, something of velvet and she knew that it wasn't there before. She glanced down to see a small little bag, and with furrowed brows, she picked it up, inspecting it in case of any nasty jinxes.
It could be just one of Seamus's practical jokes, but just in case.
And when she deemed that the bag was safe to open, she found a little piece of paper inside.
To my birthday girl. Wait for me.
-Klaus-
She smiled sadly.
So he had remembered her.
She peeked inside the bag, and felt her jaw drop. It was an exquisite silver necklace that shone happily beneath the light, with its large pear-shaped sapphire and outline of small, glittering diamonds. She didn't even know where she would be able to wear this.
She didn't even have anything remotely sophisticated enough to wear piece such as this. It was as if he was simply trying to buy her off with expensive gifts! As if diamonds would ever erase the lonely mornings and the empty nights, and Hermione felt anger swell within her.
What was Klaus thinking?
That she will be bought?
Oh no, she wouldn't let him off that easy.
No, if that idiotic Original thought that this could make up for the past few months, then he had another thing coming! Now, Hermione wasn't the one to make outrageous demands, especially when it came to the men in her life, but sometimes, it simply be done in order to obtain something she wanted.
And she wanted something more than just glittering jewels for her birthday.
Hermione knew that she deserved more than that.
~X~
When the owl returned with only one page that served as a letter, Klaus worried. He hoped that she could forgive him in his delay, especially in regards to her birthday. He had also hoped that she liked his gift, but he knew that if he had given it to her personally, she would have flat-out rejected it.
Hermione was never the one for fancy jewelry.
No, she was a woman who preferred books and expensive lingerie.
He smirked at the thought.
"You got a letter from your mystery woman?" Rebekah asked, obviously interested in who caught her brother's affection.
"You could say that," he replied a bit too happily.
His little sister rolled her eyes at his obvious mood. Klaus saw his baby sister's childish behaivor, but he didn't let her ruin this moment. He took the letter from the owl gingerly, feeling the smoothness of the parchment and the lingering smell of Hermione on it. Klaus wanted to relish every moment of every letter she had sent to him.
"Just open it," Rebekah said impatiently.
Again, he wouldn't let her ruin this moment.
With a few more moments of touching the neatly written name, his name, on the letter, he opened it, taking more of Hermione's lingering scent. Rebekah watched him with curious eyes of a child, knowing that her brother missed this woman.
He felt himself grin as he read the flowery script.
Come back for me, you wanker.
-Hermione-
"Where are you going?" His little sister asked as he suddenly got up to walk out of the library, obviously in a hurry. But it seemed that her words made him stop in his steps.
He glanced over his shoulder.
"I foolishly forgot something very important back in England."
"Which is…?"
Klaus gave his sister a thoughtful look.
"The sweetest eyes I've ever seen."
'I was nauseous and tingly all over. I was either in love or I had smallpox.'
-Woody Allen-
UPDATE:
I do not know if you all have heard, but I am doing a second piece to this story. I do not know when it will be up, but it will be here! Keep your eyes open, and if any of you would like to see any sneak peeks for the upcoming piece (as well as any other stories/chapters), you can go on my profile to see my tumblr page.
See you next time!
Phew! Well, that's that. This oneshot was getting a bit too long, though, I had a spectacular time writing this story. I don't know if I'd do a continuation. Klaus is a very interesting character, indeed, even more so than Damon Salvatore. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed reading this, I had the pleasure of writing it.
Any thoughts you'd like to share?
Please feel free to leave a review.
-The Red Strings-