I hope you guys enjoy this!

It was weird, all of this.

Weird that there was someone he could trust, someone he could talk to about nearly anything. Weird that he had actually been looking forward to the full moon just so he could spend some time alone with her. Weird that he felt so… happy.

But it was hard to mind the pain and the bruises when Caroline Forbes was sitting by his side, a huge smile on her face as she talked enthusiastically about this muggle TV show she loved — and yes, he knew what those were. Did she think he hadn't paid attention to his Muggle Studies classes?

"... so Joffrey—"

"The biggest asshole on the planet who deserves to suffer for a million years before he dies the most painful death anyone has ever experienced?" Klaus teased, repeating her exact words from only moments ago.

It earned him an eye-roll from her, and he smirked as he got the reaction he had been hoping for. Her exasperation — even if half-hearted — was incredibly delightful.

"At least I know you are paying attention," she said, looking concerned for a moment as she sighed. "Sorry, I know I haven't shut up since I got here."

He shook his head. "Don't apologize. I do appreciate the company… Even if you are one of those insufferable people who are cheerful before 7am."

Caroline shoved him playfully, but it still made him wince, his body still sore from transforming into a werewolf then back into human form. Her eyes widened as she remembered that. "Shit! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to-"

"It's fine, sweetheart. Don't worry about it," he assured her.

She offered him an apologetic smile anyway. "Okay. But I'll have you know that I'm not usually a morning person. Well, I am fine after coffee. Still, I believe that if you're going to do something, you have to do it right. So I was not about to offer you my company only to show up here all grumpy and stuff."

He smirked. "Of course. I figured you would be a perfectionist."

"Do keep that in mind tomorrow."

Klaus frowned, feeling a bit confused. "What's tomorrow?"

"Quidditch tryouts? Slytherin needs a seeker, right?" she asked, and he could tell that she was a bit nervous about bringing it up to him, though he couldn't quite figure out why.

He broke into a smile. He could not be so lucky, could he? "You want to join the team?"

She nodded. "I played back in Ilvermorny, and I was really good at it," she said determinedly, and he heard the pride in her voice, saw the way she straightened her spine.

Yes, he could see that. And it would be good to have her on the team… Having a few excuses to spend time with her without anyone saying anything, or worse, telling Mikael. The past few weeks had been full of rushed moments between them, and he tried his best to make them all seem random and not at all planned…

But he didn't want to be able to talk to her only when they happened to sit close to each other during a meal or in the common room. The sunshine smiles she offered him when they passed by each other were not enough, he wanted more. And yet, he knew he was already rousing suspicion. At least Kol seemed to always be looking at them as if he knew their polite exchanges had more meaning beneath the surface.

So, yes, having the excuse to spend hours with her every week? That seemed almost too good to be true.

Plus, it would make things easier for her as well. If she helped them win the Quidditch Cup, he doubted anyone would care about whether she was muggle born or pure-blooded.

Slytherin cared about results, after all.

"I guess we'll see about that," he challenged, eyebrows raised at her.

She scoffed, rising to the bait if the sparks in her eyes were any indication. And he realized, not really surprised by the discovery, that he could easily spend the day here with her. Teasing her, memorising her reactions, her smiles…

It pained him a bit that she chose that moment to stand up, heading to the door. He knew the school nurse would soon be here to see him and that it would be best if she wasn't around, but it was still disappointing.

And yet, his heart skipped a beat when she turned around once her hand touched the doorknob, the fire in her eyes making something stir inside of him. She had a wicked smile on her lips.

"Yes, we will."

It had been months since she had last flown.

It had been months since she had felt so… free.

Up here, she could forget about all of her problems. She didn't have to remember anything about the past couple of months, none of it could reach her. She flew too fast for her memories or problems to catch up with her. Up here, it was just her and that tiny, golden, flying ball.

It was the only moment she ever truly let go. The only moment where she didn't have to worry about or plan for… She just had to focus on the tell-tale faint sound of beating wings, the fast, golden blur that she would see with the corner of her eyes.

Nothing else mattered. Just her and the golden snitch.

Caroline didn't care if this way a tryout, didn't care the some of her housemates had sneered at her or whispered about her when they saw her carrying her broomstick to the Quidditch pitch. She didn't care if they thought she wasn't going to be good enough.

She would prove them all wrong, anyway.

And the way Klaus had secretly smiled at her before they took flight… Well, that was enough to drive the thoughts about small minded people far, far away from her mind.

Now, driving Klaus out of her mind proved to be much more difficult, but it was nothing she couldn't accomplish. Not when so much was at stake.

There was no way she would not be a part of this Quidditch team. She needed the freedom, the distraction. The sweet taste of winning a match. She needed to train for hours, no matter the weather, until her fingers were numb and her eyes tired… She needed to go back to her dorm room and pass out from exhaustion.

And, damn her, she needed to make every single one of those stupid pure-blooded elitists swallow their words as they were forced to cheer for her when she drove them to victory.

And, well, she could do with spending some extra time with Klaus as well. Away from all the gossip… And his meddling siblings.

Rebekah — who barely ever spoke to her — had now mentioned twice how well they seemed to get along after she saw them talking during dinner. And Kol was not discreet at all about watching them avidly whenever they were anywhere near each other… He had also made it a habit to point out girls in the corridor who had apparently been his brother's past flings.

Caroline ignored them both. She didn't want to date Klaus. There was nothing romantic going on, not really. They were just friends. Confidents, if you will. There was a special connection that came with holding each other's secrets, but, even if she did have a very tiny crush on him, nothing would ever happen.

She didn't allow herself any time to wonder why that felt like a lie, because Klaus gave the sign and the golden snitch was released.

There were four people trying out for the seeker position, and Klaus had decided that they would all fly together, and whoever caught the snitch first would secure their place in the Slytherin quidditch team.

She ignored her competition, knowing that she had the advantage. After all, while they could've been playing for a long while, none of them had ever been a part of a real team. And she had spent the past five years being in one, training hours and hours and playing under bright sun and heavy rain.

Her firebolt — her father did enjoy making up for his bad parenting by giving her expensive gifts, even if he didn't quite understand them — flew as if it could read her mind. She got up to a higher position, examining the air beneath her with careful eyes.

Until a hint of movement caught her attention.

Caroline didn't hesitate, diving hard and fast as her eyes locked onto the snitch. She knew one of the girls trying out for the team caught on to what she was doing and began chasing her, but it hardly mattered. She was better, faster. And, most of all, she needed this as much as she needed oxygen.

No one wanted this like she did. No one would fight harder for it.

A smile spread across her face as she stretched out her arm, leaning in just a bit to go a little faster and — her fingers touched the cold metal. She didn't hesitate to close her hand around the small ball.

She had to fight down the urge to burst out laughing as pure bliss washed over her. She could cry right now, but she would never let any of these people see her shed a single tear.

She made her way back to the ground, and lost her inner battle against her petty side as she couldn't help to offer a saccharine smile to the people in the bleachers who had come to watch the tryouts. She wondered how many of them had hoped she would've fallen from her broomstick… Truly, she was surprised no one had cursed her.

"Yes!" Kol yelled, running to her so that he could lift her up in his arms as he spun her around. He was on the team, too. A beater. "I always knew you had it in you, darling! Congratulations."

Caroline was grinning widely when he let her go, though she still rolled her eyes when he ruffled her hair.

"Thanks," she said, her voice showing all of her excitement.

Her eyes lit up as Klaus made their way to them. He was smiling at her, too, but he only offered her his hand to shook as he said, "Congratulations, sweetheart. You flew beautifully… You'll be a wonderful addition to our team."

She could tell that he meant it. And even if she already knew all that… Somehow it still made her blush.

"You cannot be serious!" a loud, high-pitched voice echoed from behind her. Aurora. She was in Klaus's year and Caroline was pretty sure she had only come here today to try and get his attention. "You cannot possibly want this mudblood in our team!"

Caroline blinked a few times, feeling completely surprised by the other girl's words before she turned to face her.

No matter how unpleasant people had been towards her so far… They had whispered and laughed and mocked… But no one had called her a mudblood up until that moment.

Her voice grew cold. "What did you say?"

She was very aware of her wand in her inner pocket. Her hand was itching to grab it and hex Aurora with the worst spell she could think of… But she also felt a bit paralyzed. She couldn't believe that she had actually used the magical world equivalent of a racial slur.

"You heard me. Klaus will never let a dirty mudblood like you play for Slytherin. You don't deserve the honour to-"

"I suggest you shut up right now," Klaus interrupted her, walking past Caroline and towards Aurora. The rage in his voice made her wince. "I will not tolerate anyone from my team being mistreated. I thought you all wanted to win the Cup?" he asked, turning towards the small audience they had, who began to mumble affirmatively. "Very well, then. Harassing my players will not help us achieve that goal. And I will be most upset if I lose a qualified seeker because of any of you… You'll do well in remember that."

He said the last part looking at Aurora, who swallowed, looking a bit petrified. But she nodded before she stormed away.

What he had said… Had he just threatened the entire Slytherin house so that they would back off? And did people actually take it seriously enough to do as he said?

Caroline was stuck between grateful and annoyed when he turned back to her. Kol was looking at them again, seeming very interested in what had happened. They both ignored him.

"I can defend myself," she told him quietly, so that only he would hear. "But thank you."

There was something in his eyes that she couldn't quite read, and she wasn't sure she wanted to look further into it. "Tell me if anyone bothers you," was all he said.

Then he requested the rest of team joined them, simply telling them when their first training session would take place.

Caroline was surprised to see some faces smiling at her.

"Is everything alright, love?"

Her eyes snapped up from her scrambled eggs to meet his. She look a bit startled, but offered him a small smile. "Yeah. I'm just a little anxious."

His gaze didn't leave her face, though she immediately avoided it. He was quite certain she was lying to him. After all, he was sure she was his most enthusiastic player and he had yet to see her feel nervous when it came to quidditch. Her confidence rivaled his own.

Granted, it would be their first match of the season, and the Ravenclaw team was pretty good, but… He had gotten good at reading her these past few weeks, and he didn't think that today's game had anything to do with the distracted look on her face.

And he had the impression he had seen a hint of sadness in her eyes before she'd looked away.

She hadn't told him of anything afflicting her when they met a couple of days ago after another full moon, and she had seemed fine by then.

He exchanged a worried look with Kol, who seemed to have noticed something was off as well, but his brother shook his head to say that he also didn't know what was going on.

"Come now, darling, we can't have that today. Weren't you the one who was looking particularly delighted by the thought of kicking some serious Ravenclaw ass? Where is that mean, competitive streak of yours?" Kol asked, nudging her with his elbow playfully.

Klaus watched her reaction closely, feeling a bit relieved when she retaliated, unable to keep from grinning because he knew that Kol wasn't completely faking his reaction when he complained loudly about the pain on his ribs.

"If you think for a moment that I will not catch that snitch, then maybe—"

"No one thinks you won't catch the snitch, Caroline," Klaus assured her quickly. "We know we will win. And we know that you will secure us that victory."

He was glad she didn't look away as he said that. He needed her to know that he fully believed in his words… That he fully believed in her. She was an amazing player, after all. Definitely the best seeker he had ever worked with.

She worked harder than anyone else, never complained about practice, even if it went late and she had to plan her studying for her o.w.l.'s around it. She worked well with the team, and she was now well respected by all of the other players, and soon by all of Slytherin if they won this game. She was, of course, a little stubborn, and sometimes he felt like she was half-tempted to steal his place as the captain just so that she order everyone around — and she did sometimes order everyone around no matter what —, but he had been right. She had been an amazing addition to the team.

"Damn right she will catch the snitch," Katherine said as she sat beside Caroline, who looked surprised at the encouraging words. "Have you eaten enough? Kol could ask for something in the kitchen if the options are not to your tastes this morning."

Everyone looked at her as if she were crazy, and Caroline couldn't help stuttering a confused "W-What?"

Klaus raised his brows at her, and she just shrugged. "I bet good money that we would win, so you better capture that ridiculous flying ball. Do you understand me?"

That made Caroline smile. "Oh, thank God. If you were actually being nice to me, that probably meant I was in a parallel universe. What if it was one where we actually had a chance of losing this game?"

Katherine rolled her eyes while the others laughed. "Cute."

"Oh, look! Mail!" Kol said excitedly, and Klaus made a mental note to keep an eye out for his brother during the next few days. The only reason he would get excited about the owls coming into the Great Hall was if he thought he would be getting a special delivery… Probably dungbombs.

Paying attention to his brother, he almost missed how Caroline froze in her seat, and he was sure he heard her mutter, "Oh, no."

Intrigued by her reaction, he was surprised when she received, well, a lot of mail. There were many letters and a few packages covered in festive wrapping paper. Gifts. She was receiving gifts. Which meant…

"It's your Birthday," he said quietly, his eyes locked on a Birthday card. "Why didn't you say anything?"

She looked around, wincing as she realized that everyone seemed to be staring at her. "Because it's not a big deal!"

Katherine scoffed. "Yeah, because you totally look like the kind of girl who doesn't care about her Birthday and doesn't want to be spoiled for the entire week."

"You don't know me!" she snapped.

Everyone fell silent, including Katherine, which was most impressive.

Klaus tried to meet her eyes again, hoping he could get a clue as to why she had been so bothered about the fact that it was her Birthday, and why she was angry now that everyone knew. He wondered if it had to with the letter she wouldn't receive this year, the gift that wouldn't arrive.

"Excuse me," she said, quickly standing up and pointing her wand at the things she had received, making them disappear.

Her steps echoed loudly as she made her way to the door. It took everything in him not to follow her.

XXX

They had won. 170 to 10.

And the feeling of capturing the snitch accompanied by the roaring of the crowds… She had felt so, so happy. And when they made their way to the ground, the way Klaus beamed at her had made her feel warm.

Every player in the team came to congratulate her on the catch, some hugging her in celebration, others just smiling proudly. But it had felt perfect to know that, in that moment, it didn't matter who her parents were. She was one of them.

And that sentiment towards her extended to her other housemates. No one looked at her as if she didn't matter or was beneath them, everyone seemed happy to see her. They'd smile and congratulate and thank her for the victory.

And it felt so good.

Even if she would never fully trust them, even if she would never want them as friends… The fact that for that one night she could rest from the exhausting task of being constantly watching her back. That she could feel like she belonged there.

It was a good Birthday gift, she figured.

The party going on in their common room was nice, and she did appreciate that Kol had turned it into half a victory party and half a Birthday party for her, going as far as carrying her in his shoulders yelling, "Make way for the Birthday girl who just destroyed Ravenclaw for us!"

And she had laughed, genuinely surprised at how many people cheered at that.

But still… It felt weird. Celebrating anything didn't quite feel right, leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. She knew it was silly, that today was a happy day and she didn't have a reason to feel sad, but she couldn't help it.

She would still try her best to wear her bubbly persona armour. She had always been good at it, after all, and she didn't want Klaus and Kol looking her way with the worried eyes again.

So she smiled a lot, ate the food someone had sneaked into the common room, and acted like this was a perfect day. Because it had been, even if she wasn't in the right mood to enjoy it.

"Thank you for winning the game, Forbes," Katherine said, shaking a small purse that was probably filled with money, judging by the chinking sound it made. The smile she offered her was genuine, and Caroline found herself returning it.

"Well, I couldn't make you lose a bet, could I? How would your reputation stand that?" she teased.

"Indeed," Katherine said, raising her glass at her. She was about to turn away when she paused, looking at Caroline for a few seconds before she added, "Happy Birthday."

"Thanks."

She watched her roommate walk away, and she couldn't help but feel rather satisfied at their progress. Acquaintances with a small grasp at politeness? She could deal with that. And it was much better than ignoring each other's existence, wasn't it?

"Now that you've fallen on everyone's graces, do try not to forget about your old friends," Klaus said from behind her, and she knew he would be smirking before she turned around to look at him.

She sighed dramatically. "I'll try to, but I make no promises."

He grinned at her in that way that made her heart stop for a second. "You played really well today."

"So did you," she said honestly. Ravenclaw had only been able to score once, and only because he had been too busy avoiding a bludger.

It was weird how the rest of the room seemed to quiet down now that he was near. The rest of the world, really. They weren't even deep into one of their conversations… It was just him, his presence. She had come to find it comforting these past few weeks.

"How unhappy are you with everyone celebrating your Birthday?" he asked.

He had also come to known her better than anyone else in Hogwarts. She shouldn't be surprised that he had noticed she wasn't enjoying herself as much as she was pretending to.

"I'm not unhappy… Not really. It's just… I think I wanted a quiet one this year."

Klaus nodded, as if he understood. She wondered if he too had felt this way after what happened to his brother.

"Why don't we go somewhere quiet?" he suggested. "I don't think anyone will notice."

Kol had just come back from the kitchen with more snacks and the attention of the room was, indeed, elsewhere. It would the perfect opportunity to just slip away without anyone thinking anything of it.

So she nodded, letting him lead her towards the stairwell that led to the boys dorm rooms. They sat on the same step, the sides of their bodies touching. And after all the excitement of today, that was what made her heart truly race.

Still, he was looking at her expectantly, waiting for her to start speaking, so she did.

"It's hard being happy after she died. It's hard wanting to be happy… It feels wrong, you know? Like I'm betraying her or something. And I know it's stupid, and I know she wouldn't want me to feel this way, but I just do. And I… I miss her. So much. We weren't even that close. I mean, after my father left us, she decided to marry her job. She was never home, and then I went to Hogwarts and we would only see each other on holidays and during the summer… And… And it's so easy to pretend that she's still alive. That this is just me being at school and I will see her when I get home. But today I can't do that. Today I know. I can't not be reminded that she's gone, because she didn't send me a Birthday card or— or the box full of muggle stuff that I love. Chocolate and candy and this delicious cake that this woman makes back in my hometown… And it sucks."

He listened patiently to her rambling, and she was so, so grateful for him. For having someone to talk to today… Someone to hold her hand, as he did seconds after she was done talking, squeezing it tightly.

"I don't think there is anything I can say that will make you feel better, Caroline. And I don't think there is anything wrong with feeling the way that you are. You are supposed to be sad, and you are supposed to miss her, and it is supposed to be hard to move on. And time is also supposed to heal all wounds, isn't it? It'll get better."

She had a feeling he saying it to himself as much as he was saying it to her.

"I hope so."

Klaus reached out to cup her cheek with his free hand, and he leaned in slightly. "In the meantime, you try to be happy for her, because that's what she would want you to do. No matter how hard it is, you try."

Caroline closed her eyes, leaning in to his touch. Her voice broke as she said, "I know."

Then he pulled her into a tight hug, and she held him close. She knew him for a little over a month, and he already had the power to calm her just like this. She felt safe like this, in his arms. Like things would indeed be okay.

They stood like there for many moments, but, eventually, he pulled back, though he still stayed close, his face only a few inches away from hers.

"Happy Birthday, Caroline," he said softly.

And then he leaned in, pressing his lips against her cheek.

Before she could react, before she could even think… Hell, before he even had the chance to pull back, they heard someone gasping and quickly jumped apart.

Rebekah was on the bottom of the stairs, staring at them with wide eyes.

"They are looking for you," she said, looking at Caroline. "Kol brought cake and he insists you blow the candles."

She stood up quickly, trying and failing not to blush. "I- Uh, okay. Thanks."

Rebekah didn't take her eyes off her as she walked down the stairs and past her, making her way back to the party. She didn't dare look back to see the look on Klaus's face.

Shit.

It was way past midnight when the prefects finally called the party off and she made her way back into her dorm room.

Katherine seemed to be on the group of people who decided to continue their little reunion regardless, because she wasn't there when Caroline closed the door behind her… But Rebekah was. And by the look on her face, she didn't seem about to ignore what had happened.

"So, are you going to tell me what is going on with you and my brother?" she asked, her voice cold… But not colder than usual. Caroline took it as a good sign.

"There is nothing going on. I mean, we are friends, I guess. But that's it."

Rebekah raised her brows at her, clearly unconvinced. Her snort was rather unlady-like and Caroline fought down the urge to point it out. "Really? It didn't seem like it."

She rolled her eyes. "Look, I don't owe you any explanation about my life and who I befriend, okay? But if you must know, I was upset about something and Klaus noticed it and came to talk to me about it. What you saw was just him comforting me."

Instead of being disinterested, Rebekah frowned. "Nik doesn't do that. He doesn't go around making friends and comforting them."

"Is it really that hard for you to believe that someone in your family might like me?" she asked exasperatedly.

"I have an issue with Nik doing so, yes!" Rebekah replied in an equal tone. "Because he doesn't do that, ever! Why are you the exception? I mean, I've seen the way he looks at you, but I never thought that he would act on it."

It was Caroline's time to be confused. The way he looked at her?

"What on Earth are you talking about?"

"Please," she said, crossing her arm in front of her body. "I know you're not stupid. He likes you."

Caroline didn't understand a thing. Wasn't that the point she was trying to make and that Rebekah had been trying so desperately to refute? She shook her head. "Of course he does. We're friends!"

"I mean he likes you."

Oh.

"I don't— It's not like that!" she protested, though she wished her heart wasn't racing and her stomach fluttering. "We are just friends, okay?"

Rebekah smiled at her. And, for the first time, that smile wasn't meant to anger her or taunt her or belittle her. She was simply amused, and she shook her head as if she couldn't believe this was happening.

"If you say so," she granted, though she didn't seem to have been convinced at all.

"I'm serious!" Caroline insisted, knowing that she probably shouldn't react at all to what Rebekah was insinuating, and that the way she was vehemently trying to deny it only made the whole thing more suspicious, but she couldn't help it.

But the other girl said, though she was still grinning like a fool, "Oh, I know you are."

Caroline didn't reply to that, choosing to simply lie down and wait until Rebekah was done getting ready for bed before they turned off the lights.

Her head wouldn't stop spinning, though. The day had been exhausting… With the match, and the party, and talking to Klaus and now this discussion with his sister. And as tired as she was, she simply couldn't turn off her mind.

And, apparently, neither could Rebekah, because much silent time had passed between them before she broke it, her voice soft as she called, "Caroline?"

"Yeah?"

"Happy Birthday."

Caroline felt strangely touched by that. Enough that she didn't bother pointing out that technically it wasn't her Birthday anymore — even if she felt like Rebekah kind of deserved her pettiness after everything.

Instead, she found herself saying, "Thank you. Uh, good night."

"Good night."

It still took her a long while to fall asleep after that, her brain still too caught up on what Rebekah had said about Klaus. That he liked her. Which just wasn't true. She was his friend. They kept each other secrets. No romance there. None whatsoever. Rebekah had just misread the situation entirely, and Caroline couldn't very well explain to her about the nature of her relationship with her brother.

All of those thoughts felt once more like the biggest lie when she woke up, and found a drawing lying on top of her blanket.

A drawing of her catching the snitch during yesterday's game. A magical drawing, because it moved, showing the exact moment her finger wrapped around the golden ball. Showing the triumph and happiness in her eyes… The amount of detail in it… She wasn't sure she was breathing.

She knew who had made it before she turned to see the other side, where it simply said, "Happy Birthday" and Klaus's name was signed on the right bottom corner.

She smiled, knowing that he must have spent a good few hours last night doing it.

Knowing that maybe Rebekah wasn't so wrong, after all.

So, how do you feel about this chapter? Did you enjoy Klaus and Caroline's banter + how they are getting closer to each other and coming to care more and more for one another? Did you like Caroline being in the quidditch team? I do promise you that I will never make you read an actual match (they will always be the most boring parts of the books, in my opinion haha). Also, we are getting some development on Katherine/Caroline and Rebekah/Caroline, did you guys enjoy that? This chapter was so sweet to write because it was pretty much only fluff, but I must warn you... Dark things lie ahead. And I'm so excited to reach those parts. Anyway, please let me know your thoughts!

You can find me on tumblr as itsnotacrimetoloveyou.