Title: Nightfall
Pairing: HP/DS, EG/SS, others from canons
Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries nor do I own Harry Potter.
Note: This came to me after I was watching Vampire Diaries for the umpteenth time. While I was doing that, I was on deviantart and I came across a picture that intrigued me to the point that I just had to get something out.
Anyway, this starts at Season 1 Episode 3 because I need canon to be shot to hell as soon as possible. Well…sort of shot to hell.
And in this chapter, I've…changed canon a bit for Harry Potter, as well. I wasn't going to except for the whole EWE thing but I definitely am now. Anyway, we'll just be getting on with the story.
Nightfall
By: Sistersgrimmlover
Part IV:
"Got balls of steel
Got an automobile for a minimum wage
Got real estate, I'm buying it all up in outer space
Now that the truth is just a rule that you can bend
You crack the whip
Shape-shift and trick
The past again"
-Black Sheep, Metric
Harry jerked when he heard the phone ringing. He was sitting on Elena's bed as her and Bonnie did their make-up and hair. He had been contemplating why they needed to take so long but he knew better than to ask. Hermione always got pissed when he asked. He blinked when he realized that she'd be here soon with his beloved car.
"I'll get it," Elena said as she walked over to the phone and picked it up, bringing it to her ear slowly.
"Hello? Hi, Mrs. Lockwood. What do you mean? It is? Are you sure? 'Cause I saw it. Let me check. Mm-Hmm. I will find it and bring it. Ok. Bye," Elena said and by the end of the entire conversation she sounded less than impressed with this Mrs. Lockwood character.
She stood up and stormed out of the room.
"What's wrong?" Bonnie asked as she left the room but Elena didn't answer.
Harry stood, reluctantly and made a gesture so that Bonnie knew to follow him. They walked nearly silently to the confrontation that Harry knew would take place. He looked into Jeremy's room just behind Elena, Bonnie just about level with him. She was slightly taller by about .5 inches.
Elena stormed in and knocked the headphones right off of Jeremy's head. Harry resisted the urge to burst into a loud round of laughter.
"Ahh! God, what now?" Jeremy snapped, grumpily.
"The pocket watch. Where is it?" Elena demanded, angrily and she glared down at him with a very 'Mrs. Weasley'-ish look on her face.
Harry didn't like her so much when he compared her to that harpy.
"What watch?" Jeremy stammered.
"The one you stole from mom's box. Look, Mrs Lockwood just called me, freaking out. It was on the list, Jeremy. And she can't find it, and she thinks she's the one who lost it," Elena said, sharply and her tone full of disappointment that Harry honestly didn't think Jeremy deserved.
"Maybe she did. Maybe Tyler took it," Jeremy said, nonchalantly.
"Don't even play that card. Jeremy, you took it. If I go online, am I going to find it on ebay? Is that how you pay for your pot?" Elena accused and Harry's eyes widened and he felt himself stepping forward and his hero complex working quickly.
"Whoa…enough with the accusations, Elena. You're going to upset him. That's not how you get an answer from someone," Harry chastised and Elena's eyes flashed at the shorter teenager attempted to tell her what to do.
"I'm his sister. I'll deal with him. Now, tell me, Jeremy. Will I find it online like you said this morning?" Elena snarled and Jeremy glared at her with fury etched into every little line upon his face.
"Screw you. I would never sell this, ok?" Jeremy hissed and he pushed past Elena and knelt down next to drawer, fiddling with it before he pulled out the 'missing' pocket watch and nearly threw it into Elena's hands.
"Then why did you take it?" Elena demanded.
Harry knew that Elena wouldn't ever understand why the pocket watch meant so much to Jeremy but he could. He could definitely imagine in it and he slid his hand into his pocket, brushing his fingers over the Black Pocket Watch.
"Because it's supposed to be mine. Dad said it goes to the firstborn son. His father gave it to him, and now what?" Jeremy demanded and Elena looked at him with sadness in her eyes and Harry shook his head in slight disgust.
She acted as if she understood but she didn't.
"And he was going to give it to you," she said this gently.
"Yeah."
" Look, Jeremy, it's still yours, ok? Mom promised Mrs. Lockwood. What do you want me to do?" Elena asked and Harry knew what she could do.
She could say 'no'.
"Just take it and get out," Jeremy said, resigned when he found that Elena wasn't going to do what he wanted her to do.
Elena turned to look at Bonnie and Harry as Jeremy put his headphones back on. Harry cleared his throat and bit his lip. He touched Elena's arm and she looked at him, imploringly.
"Let me talk to him, Elena. I think…I think I get it. More than you at least. He wants…needs to feel connected to his dad. And that…you're taking it away and giving it to the mother of the guy he hates most right now," Harry whispered and Elena looked shocked at his words.
Bonnie, on the other hand, could easily maneuver Elena out of the room so that Harry and Jeremy could talk. Harry sat down next to Jeremy on the bed, finding the entire situation awkward. But, he couldn't let this go. No matter how awkward it was.
"Um…Jeremy?"
Jeremy looked over at Harry and raised an eyebrow before pulling the headphones off.
"Yeah?"
"I get what you're saying. Your sister's being…a bitch. I know. She's controlling and too…motherly. I get it. Hermione's like that too. Well…she was. I went through a bit of a…rough patch too," Harry said and Jeremy turned to look at Harry more fully, obvious curious as Harry was such a straight guy.
Yeah, right.
"Did you?"
"Yeah. After the terrorist that killed my parents was…killed. I…I went a little crazy. I partied until the crack of dawn. Got so drunk that I had to go to the hospital once. I had alcohol poisoning. I never went as far as drugs but…I realized later that I wasn't having fun. I was trying to be normal and I thought that was what normal was," Harry explained.
As an after thought he added, "It isn't."
Harry stood and began to walk away before Jeremy could even come up with a counterargument. Harry stopped in the doorway and looked over his shoulder with a slight smile on his face.
"Hermione is going to be my date to the party. I'd be much obliged if you came and kept her occupied. She seems to think you're in dire need of a friend. I'm inclined to agree."
0o0
Harry watched as Elena frowned at the pocket watch that sat on the sink in her loo. He crossed his arms, acknowledging that he'd have to get back to the house soon so that he'd be able to be ready at a decent time.
"Elena…" Harry murmured.
The girl looked up at him, wide-eyed.
"I think…I…" Elena muttered before she snatched up the pocket watch and marched out of the room, heading not towards the stairs but Jeremy's room.
Harry smiled.
0o0
"Caroline! You look smashing."
Caroline tiptoed forward and leaned in to kiss Mrs. Lockwood's cheek. Damon rolled his eyes at the prissy attitude. But, it wasn't much worst than the whole curtsey/bow thing that he used to have to deal with. He supposed he could deal with this…
"Thank you, Mrs. Lockwood. This is my boyfriend Damon," Caroline said, sounding so damn proud of her self.
Mrs. Lockwood gave him a 'come hither' look and a slight smile. She stepped aside, putting on her best hostess face, however. She gestured, holding the flute of champagne in her hand.
"Oh, well, come on in," she said.
Damon stepped inside, a slight smirk upon his face as he was allowed entrance to another house full of blood bags. Oh, he could eat well if he truly wanted to but he deemed this wasn't the best time for a massacre. There would be plenty more time once he freed his Katherine.
"Lovely to meet you. I've been looking forward to this party for quite a while," Damon said, hoping to lay it on thick and Mrs. Lockwood took the bait with a smile and she nodded in understanding.
"Well, enjoy," Mrs. Lockwood said, gesturing for them to enter and Damon led Caroline inside.
Caroline stopped, suddenly. Damon followed her line of sight and he raised an eyebrow as he saw a thicker woman that looked a bit like Caroline. She was dressed in a uniform, that led Damon to believe that this was Caroline's mother…Sherriff Forbes.
"Wait here."
Caroline sauntered away and Damon rolled his eyes as he watched her walk away. He wasn't going to wait here like a loser. Then…he spotted his calling.
Ah…a bar.
0o0
Damon's eyes scanned the crowd as it became darker and darker. He knew that Elena and Stefan had arrived. Elena was being a little social butterfly in her sunset dress that really did compliment her eyes. It was nothing like what Katherine would have worn but…she did look exceptional.
Caroline was clinging to his side as he took another sip of beer. She was chattering on and on about something or the other. Damon almost smirked when he realized that she thought he was actually listening. His little blood bank couldn't be any cuter…
And then…he saw him…
He stood in the doorway, all eyes on him and his sister.
Hair the color of a raven was artfully tousled, like he had just rolled out of his bed. Green eyes sparkled without glasses and his eyes seemed to be lined with eyeliner, giving his eyes a cat-like appearance. His legs were clad in leather pants, making them look slimmer and longer. He wore a mesh black top underneath his black French army jacket. A silver cross hung from around his neck.
His sister looked good as well, of course. It was obvious that they had dressed to match.
Her dark green elbow-length shirt over-lapped a black tank top. Over baggy leather pants she wore a crazy print skirt that was actually pulled off. Her eye make-up was darker and she looked almost uncomfortable.
So…Harry had dressed them, eh?
Damon noticed that all eyes were on the newcomers and Mrs. Lockwood actually looked stunned. Harry tilted his head as he looked at Mrs. Lockwood. She approached the duo, slowly with confusion on her face.
"Hello, and you are?"
"Harry Noir. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Lockwood," Harry murmured in his delicious accent and he bowed, brushing a kiss on Mrs. Lockwood's hand. Mrs. Lockwood blushed as Harry stood again with the tilt of head. He gave a charming smile and Damon couldn't help but be amused.
He was shorter than Mrs. Lockwood by at least four inches.
"And this is my delightful sister, Hermione Noir," Harry said, sending a smirk at his sister and Hermione extended her hand.
Mrs. Lockwood took it and she seemed surprised. It seemed that Miss Mione had a firm grip.
"Pleasure to meet you, ma'am. This is a delightful home you have. We just moved here about a week or two ago," Hermione said.
Mrs. Lockwood nodded, stunned.
"Well…it's nice to meet you too."
Harry nodded and he pulled his sister from the door and into the whispering masses. Caroline finally noticed that Damon was not listening to her and she followed his line of sight. Her eyes narrowed as she watched Harry Noir walked with his sister towards Elena and Stefan. Damon frowned and he leaned in, brushing his lips against Caroline's neck. Caroline stiffened at the threat.
"Caroline, darling, you think you can distract Harry's sister, my brother, and Elena, for me?" Damon murmured against the column of her neck.
"What about…Harry?" Caroline asked, the anger in her voice just below the surface.
Damon ignored it.
"I'll take care of the Lolita."
0o0
"Elena, hi!" Harry said, a smile of relief on his face when he finally came up to the only two people he recognized at the party.
Both Stefan and Elena turned to look at him. Harry could feel his sister stiffen behind him and he knew that she had her wand strapped to her thigh…she was a little insane like that, unfortunately. But, he had his own wand in his pocket, as well, so he couldn't quite judge.
"Harry, hi. Hermione, this is Stefan…but I'm sure you remember him from earlier, yeah?" Elena asked and Hermione nodded, stiffly as she eyed Stefan suspiciously.
"Yes…I do. Hey, Elena, is your brother here, by chance?" Hermione asked and Elena looked honestly surprised by the question and she looked around, briefly, attempting to find an answer to Hermione's question.
"Um…no…I don't think he's coming," Elena said, apologetically and Harry grinned.
"I do. I…perhaps…told him that, maybe, Hermione'll need a dance partner."
Hermione flushed and she punched her brother in the arm. Stefan was shocked to see that Harry didn't even sway despite the fact that Hermione was much taller than him, thus heavier and stronger. He tilted his head as he looked down at the strange boy.
"Harry," Hermione hissed at him and Harry smiled.
"Why don't you go look for him? I'm sure I'll be fine without a bodyguard. I did just as you told me. I think I can take care of myself. We're not in England anymore," Harry said, softly and Hermione gave him a look that Stefan couldn't easily decipher but it seemed to be a warning of sorts.
"Harry…"
"Don't 'Harry' me. Go get a drink, Hermione. You need one," Harry advised and Hermione gave a slight smile before giving him a more serious look of warning.
"You'll be careful, right?"
"Hermione, I don't think I'm going to find any danger from terrorists in Mystic Falls and I can take care of myself. I'm old enough," Harry said, coolly and Hermione nodded before walking away.
She glanced over her shoulder but Harry had already turned back to Elena and Stefan. Elena looked confused by the whole mini-argument and Harry smiled, shaking his head. He was attempting to placate her. He didn't need her asking too many questions.
"Are you and your…sister fighting?" Stefan asked, almost sounding concerned and Harry was honestly surprised.
"Er…no. She's just very protective. But, enough about 'Mione. What is it that you're looking at over here?" Harry asked with blatant curiosity and Elena pointed at what looked like a very old piece of parchment with scribbles on it.
" 'Founding Families of Mystic Falls welcomes you to the inaugural Founders Council celebration'," Harry read, dutifully and Elena's eyes widened and she gave a slight smile to her almost detached sort-of boyfriend.
Harry couldn't quite understand how she had fallen so hard for the brooding vampire. He was attractive, yes, but Harry just couldn't see the appeal. He was so superhero-ish and his hair just pissed Harry off for some reason.
"Wow, look. It's the original guest registry," Elena said though she awarded Stefan with a shy smile.
"Look at all these familiar names," she said and Stefan tensed, his lips parting as her eyes began to scan the list.
Harry knew what she would find and he wondered how she was react. Would she think it was a coincidence or would she be suspicious? Harry didn't know Elena very well but she didn't seem the kind of girl that let things go away so easily, especially with the shifty way that Stefan was currently acting.
"Sheriff William Forbes. Mayor Benjamin Lockwood…is that Damon Salvatore?" Elena questioned, looking up with a frown and wide eyes, a strange smile upon her face and Harry looked at her, solemnly.
Stefan moved forward, as if he was surprised that it was there.
"And Stefan Salvatore?" Elena asked, looking more than a little confused now and she looked ready to confront Stefan when a shadow emerged over Harry's slight frame.
"The original Salvatore brothers," said a sly and velvety voice that made the hair on the back of Harry's neck stand straight up.
Stefan and Elena spun around and stared at Damon. Harry turned, slowly and looked up at the man whom seemed to only have eyes for him. Emerald eyes met sapphire and Harry was frozen as he watched the man stare him down. Lust clouded his eyes but as he shifted to look at Elena, it was quickly hidden by a strange glimmer.
"Our ancestors," Damon explained and Harry fought to hide a smirk.
They were good at hiding their secrets…but Harry was better.
"Were they? I thought you and your brother were new in town. Funny how you're…not," Harry said, his tongue caressing the words and brushing across his white teeth.
Damon's eyes narrowed on him before he glanced back up to Stefan and Elena.
"Yes, well. It seems our family's cursed…it's a tragic story, really," Damon said, off-handedly and Harry just wanted to applaud the man because he was such a skilled liar, almost better than himself.
"We don't need to bore them with stories of the past," Stefan said, carefully.
In kind, both Elena and Harry answered at the same time with, "I don't find it boring."
They exchanged smiles before looking back at both Salvatores. Damon looked pleased but Stefan's brooding face went from cloudy to stormy with a chance of lightening, thunder, and hail. Obviously, there was something there that he didn't want known and Harry thought that it might be a bit more than what Bonnie was saying…
"Stefan…I'd love to hear more about your family," Elena said and Stefan looked at her, reluctantly.
Damon nodded, enthusiastically.
"Yes, why don't you go tell her more over dinner, yes? That's an idea," Damon said, smoothly and Elena nodded in agreement though Harry's eyes widened as he quickly worked out what Damon's real plan was.
He wanted to get him alone…
"Yes, I'd love to hear more too," Harry interjected and Elena didn't look deterred by the fact that Harry was going to join them.
Damon frowned.
"I'll give you a private tour of the artifacts. The two lovebirds look like they haven't had a private moment in forever with the way Stefan is frowning. We'll leave you two at it. If dinner's not an option, perhaps a whirl around the dance floor will loosen Stefan up," Damon said, firmly and Elena's eyes widened as she turned to look at Stefan.
"You dance?" she asked, as if it were inconceivable and there was no possible way that she could imagine it.
To be honest, Harry was surprised to.
"No."
Harry snorted at the blunt answer.
Elena looked crestfallen and she looked away before sighing, shaking her head.
"I'm hungry, I suppose. I'll go get something to eat…" Elena said and she looked over to Stefan, debating whether she should stay with him or leave.
She walked away, not letting Stefan stop her from getting what she wanted. Stefan's eyes widened and he glanced between Harry and Elena before giving Harry a sympathetic and apologetic look. He followed after her and Harry turned to Damon, eyes narrowed.
"So…you got me alone. What do you want, Damon?" Harry asked, coldly and Damon's eyes widened and he put his hands up in a mock surrender.
"Lolita, you're so cold…I just wanted to apologize for being such a…world-class jerk. The other night when I kissed you…I'm really sorry," Damon apologized and he looked up through his thick eyelashes and giving him a sincere look that Harry almost melted under.
"My therapist said I'm acting out, trying to punish Stefan."
Harry raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, well, I don't believe you. You're a fake and a liar and you tried to force yourself on me. I got enough of that back home, thank you very much. So you can take your false apology and your gorgeous arse out of here because I don't want to talk to you," Harry snarled, not quite noticing what he was saying but it seemed that Damon did for he was now towering over Harry.
Harry pressed his back against the wall and looked around. He cursed under his breath when he noticed that they were in a dark and secluded corner. He always got into this situations with Damon in dark, secluded corners. The man was smirking down at him, bright eyes boring into his own.
"You think my…arse is gorgeous?" Damon asked, his low voice sending shivers down Harry's spine.
The boy sneered.
"Did I say 'gorgeous'? My mistake," Harry said, flatly and Damon leaned forward until they were only a breath apart.
"So you did feel something? I wasn't making assumptions."
"Oh, you made assumptions alright. You made an arse out of yourself," Harry countered and Damon frowned.
"Isn't it 'make an ass out of you and me'?" Damon asked with a raised eyebrow and Harry leaned forward, a smug look upon his face and he pursed his lips, sultry.
"No…just out of you. Look, Damon, what is it that you really want from me?" Harry demanded and Damon blinked before tilting his head.
"Do you want me to be honest?"
"Sure. Honesty would be a nice change," Harry retorted and Damon's lips quirked into a quick smile befor he looked down at Harry, an uncharacteristically serious look upon his handsome face.
Damon leaned down, pressing his lips to Harry's ear.
"I want you underneath me, writhing in pleasure and screaming my name…over and over and…over," he whispered and Harry flushed, pink spreading across his face as Damon caressed the lobe of his ear with his tongue, nipping at it and he trailed his lips down the side of Harry's face before pulling away completely to stare down at him.
Harry swallowed, trying to gather his wits. He tried to ignore the fact that the places where Damon's lips had been burned, fiercely with a strange heat.
"Why…why is it that you're trying so hard to…why are you doing this?" Harry asked, stammering over his words and Damon seemed pleased that he could cause such a reaction out of the cool and sarcastic boy.
"What do you expect out of me? I'm a man with a very healthy libido. What am I supposed to do when you walk in here in tight leather pants—" Damon ran his hand over Harry's leather covered thigh and squeezed—"And a sheer top…you look good enough to…eat."
Harry's eyes narrowed at the verb and he pushed away from Damon with narrowed and suspicious eyes. He shifted in his boots, feeling his wand against his foot. The magic in his wand thrummed, reassuring him and giving him courage. Harry swallowed and he glared up at Damon. The man's eyes were dilated and he seemed to be almost lost in some kind of fantasy of sorts.
"Damon…get away from me. Stay away from me. Leave me alone. Just…leave me alone. Leave me and my friends alone! I don't want to deal with your bull."
And with that, Harry fled.
0o0
"Well, well, well. Look who showed up?" Hermione said with a slight smile upon her face as she looked up at the vaguely uncomfortable Jeremy Gilbert.
He tugged at the tie around his neck and he crossed his arms, staring down at her with an expressionless dace. Hermione stood up and transformed her teasing smile into a reassuring one. He relaxed a tiny bit and that was good and all for her. This would be easier if he were comfortable with her.
"Yeah…Harry said you'd need…a dance partner…"
Hermione nodded, encouragingly.
"Yes, that's an accurate assessment. I'm not sure where he is at the moment. He abandoned me to go find Elena but now that Elena is here with Stefan…" Hermione said and he gestured to the dining couple before giving a shrug.
She gestured to seat next to her at the bar and Jeremy took the seat. He reached into his pocket, fiddling with a gorgeous old-time pocket watch that looked reminiscent to the old pocket watch that Harry had gotten from his Potter vault. Hermione leaned forward, intrigued and her eyes widened at the simplistic beauty of it.
"Oh, that's beautiful. Where did you get that?" she asked and Jeremy jolted before looking up, shyly at her.
"I got it from my dad. The firstborn son inherits it every generation," Jeremy explained and Hermione nodded, emphatically.
"Yes. Harry has one as well. He got it from his father. Apparently, it has a very important story to it. It's been in his family for a really long time," Hermione said, her enthusiasm showing brightly on her face and Jermey frowned, suddenly.
"I thought he was an orphan."
Hermione blinked and she refused to let the enthusiasm fade from her face. It would inspire even more confusion and questions and she couldn't have that. Not now that Harry had made friends. Hermione didn't mind not having friends as she had gotten along well enough with most students in Hogwarts, mostly Gryffindors and some Ravenclaws, but Harry…Harry had never had any friends beyond her and sometimes-Ron. This was good for him…
"Oh, well, when he was given to his family, it was part of the trust fund that his parents left—"
"I need a drink! Now!" announced a very familiar voice and Hermione gave a quiet sigh of relief and she glanced at Jeremy whom now seemed properly distracted by the production Harry was making.
Hermione looked at her charge-slash-brother-slash-best friend and he seemed frazzled and almost little flushed. Which meant only one thing…
Harry had either been angry or turned on by something.
Or someone.
"What would like? Martini?" the bartender asked, not even questioning Harry's age or small stature.
"No. Whisky."
The bartender did a double take before hesitantly setting a shot in front of Harry. Harry downed the shot in seconds. Both the bartender and Jeremy's eyes widened in shock. Jeremy glanced at Hermione.
"I hear smaller people get drunk faster…"
"Boy, I can hold my liquor, thank you very much," Harry said, snippy and Hermione frowned before turning to him, giving Jeremy a pleading look that he returned with an understanding one.
"Harry…what is it?" Hermione murmured.
Harry's eyes narrowed at the question.
"Later. I'll tell you later because I swear if I start talking about it now, I'll be ranting for hours and we can't have that, now can we?" Harry asked, his tone snarky and Hermione gave him a considerate look before rubbing his shoulder in a comforting move that he took rather well.
"All right…may I have two beers?" Hermione asked and the bartender placed both in front of Hermione in seconds.
The bushy-haired woman pushed one to Jeremy who grinned.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Harry blinked when he realized that Jeremy was sitting there and he turned to him with a grin upon his face.
"So, you decided to show up?"
Jeremy took a looked swig of beer before nodding.
"Yeah. I decided to come."
"That's good…that's good. Why don't you take her for a whirl on the dance floor before she's too drunk to walk straight?" Harry suggested and Hermione flushed in embarrassment, giving Harry a venomous look.
"Harry…" she hissed.
Jeremy grinned.
"She can't hold her drink?"
"Absolutely not."
"Then, come on. Lets dance," Jeremy said, walking towards the dance floor and beckoning Hermione to come towards him.
The woman was still pink and she gave Harry a dangerous look. Harry grinned.
"You're welcome."
Hermione huffed before giving Jeremy a gracious smile and following him onto the dance floor. Harry sighed and relaxed into the bar, resting his head on the palm of his hand.
"Another shot of whisky, please."
"Harry?"
Harry looked up at the young woman and he smiled at her.
"You look beautiful, Bonnie. If I were straight, I'd ravish you."
Bonnie's mouth fell open and she laughed, quietly as she walked towards him and sat down. Harry grinned at her before he fell back into his distressed state. Bonnie's eyes widened and she frowned at her friend.
"Harry, what's wrong?"
"Damon Salvatore is what's wrong."
Bonnie frowned.
"Damon? What did he do?" Bonnie asked in confusion and Harry pressed his cheek into the hard marble of the bar before he looked up and shook his head.
"He was being…Damon. And I'm quickly not liking it."
0o0
"He's a great dancer, you know. And he's such a gentleman. He bowed to me and everything after it was finished. He almost seemed surprised that he had even done so, which is kind of strange but…" Elena said, cheerfully as she talked about Stefan and Caroline dutifully nodded as she looked at herself in the mirror.
"It looked like it. Damon is an excellent dancer too. We danced before you two came," Caroline said, her tone strange and Elena frowned in slight confusion as she looked at the girl.
She simply stared at the girl, trying to understand what was going through Caroline's head at that moment. She was always going strange lately, saying things that weren't very Caroline. And it was beginning to bother Elena.
Elena watched as Caroline re-applied her lip-gloss.
And then she saw it.
Elena frowned and she leaned forward.
"What is that?" Elena asked, leaning forward to get a better look at Caroline's shoulder underneath her crocheted shrug.
She moved to pull it down.
"Don't," Caroline said, shrugging away from Elena and Elena's eyes widened when she saw something else higher up and just underneath Caroline's scarf.
Elena pulled at the powder blue strip of cloth, moving upwards. She gasped in horror at the grotesque sight that she saw. There, imprinted deeply into Caroline's skin was the perfect cast of teeth marks, marring her porcelain skin. It was angry and surrounded by purple, almost like a bruise but so much worst.
"Caroline! What happened?" Elena asked, frantically and Caroline flinched away.
"Nothing, okay!" she said, defensively but Elena pushed on, beyond worried over her friend's safety.
"That is not nothing! Did someone hurt you?" Elena demanded, angry on her friend's behalf.
Her friend, her best friend, had been bitten by someone. And it had been hard enough to leave a permanent mark. It wasn't bleeding but it was still there and it was deeply disturbing the girl. She had been hurt by someone.
"No! Nothing. It's just…my mom would kill me," Caroline finished with a mutter, turning away from Elena and looking back into the mirror as if nothing had just happened.
Elena's eyes widened as something dawned on her. She pulled away Caroline's shrug and stared at a nearly identical bite and bruise mark.
"Did Damon hurt you?" Elena gasped and Caroline turned ashen.
"No! Of course not! Just leave me alone, ok, Elena?" Caroline shouted and Elena took a step back, shocked at Caroline's behavior as the blonde woman ran from the room.
Elena walked from the bathroom, in utter shock. She frowned when she realized that it was Damon. She stormed past the bar, alerting Harry whom was currently nursing a whiskey. Harry stood, quickly as he felt how distressed Elena was and he grabbed her arm, eyes wide. Elena whipped towards him, brunette hair flying. Her eyes were wild.
"Elena! Elena…calm down. What's wrong?" Harry asked, his own eyes wide and Elena shook her head, frantically.
"Damon…Damon's hurting Caroline. There are bruises and…and bite marks all over her body. I…oh my God," Elena whispered, almost going into panic attack as Harry turned pale with fury and his hands clenched.
Harry didn't like Caroline but to take advantage of a human like that was...unforgivable.
"Come on, Elena. We're going to have a…chat with Damon," Harry said and at the mention of Damon from another person, Elena felt fury once more.
She nodded, firmly and the two stalked outside and towards Damon whom was standing there as if he didn't have a care in the world. Harry felt fury push him on as his hero complex kicked in and he stormed up to Damon, giving him a powerful shove that actually knocked Damon back a few steps. The man looked suitably shocked, not only by Harry's violence but the fact that Harry could actually move him.
"God, Damon! What the fuck is wrong with you? I told you leave me alone! I told you leave my friends alone! You're careless to let me find out. You stay away from Caroline and if you bite her one more time…I will end you. Stay away from her," Harry hissed, angrily and Damon stared at him, wide-eyed and shocked by all the things that Harry had revealed with that one angry proclamation.
Elena turned away, filled with disgust. She blinked when she was met with Stefan's chest. He slowly guided Elena away from Harry and Damon to the fountain. She went willingly.
"What did he do now?" Stefan murmured.
"There are bruises all over Caroline's body. Bite marks, and he has her all confused and messed up in the head…" Elena trailed off as she looked at Stefan, clearly before continuing with, "you don't look surprised."
Stefan looked at her with a slightly guilty expression before he looked away, as if trying to find anything but her to look at. Elena crossed her arms, giving him an expectant look. He sighed and looked down at her, resigned.
"Um... I'm handling it."
Elena's face flushed in anger.
"Handling it? Stefan, you should be having him arrested," Elena said, with tears in her eyes and Stefan looked even more reluctant with a frown.
"Elena, please. I... I don't expect you to understand."
"I don't understand anything, Stefan. So why don't you just clear it up for me?" Elena challenged, her eyes watery and one hand on her hip as she waited for Stefan to answer.
He gave a long winded sigh instead.
"Look, there are things that you don't know, ok? Things that I want to tell you, but I can't. And I may never be able to. And I just need you to trust me," Stefan said, his gloomy eyes wide with a plea that he couldn't quite say aloud though Elena ignored it easily enough, unknowing that she was about to enter something detrimental to her life.
"Trust is earned. I can't just magically hand it over," she said, almost reluctant.
Stefan frowned before shaking his head. He looked over Elena's shoulder for just a moment though the distraught woman didn't notice.
"I'm so sorry. I have to go," Stefan murmured, walking past her and leaving Elena there.
0o0
She couldn't understand Hermione Noir.
"Jeremy! I'm getting kind of dizzy…"
Vicki watched with solemn eyes as Jeremy grinned as he spun the British woman. The American woman watched in slight jealous and she looked away, almost humiliated by the fact that she had been replaced by. Vicki couldn't understand it at all.
Hermione Noir was a mystery to everyone in their senior class and she wasn't afraid to be called out on associating with younger kids. She came to the Mystic Grill every night with a book and had one beer before being picked up by younger brother in a gorgeous car. Vicki couldn't understand how anyone found that hot but a lot of the guys, including Tyler found it to be so.
Vicki knew that the girl was tough from the way she broke up Tyler and Jeremy's fight but still…she couldn't understand.
She couldn't understand how a smart girl like Hermione Noir would want some little sixteen-year-old drug addict that was going nowhere.
0o0
"Don't!" Caroline cried out in protest as Damon yanked her roughly across the grounds, pure fury in his eyes.
"She took it off and I got flustered, ok? I didn't know what to say. But I swear, ok, I did not tell her. I just told her that you didn't mean to hurt me. I didn't know…I didn't know he was going to get involved," Caroline pleaded, as Damon towered over her, his eyes wide and his body absolutely motionless.
His rage flowed off of him in waves and he seemed like he was barely able to restrain himself from destroying her where she stood. She was ruining everything…she was too…faulty. He circled around her, ever the predator. Hands wrapped around her waist and pulled her back into his chest.
"You make me crazy, you know that? I gave you one job…he's angry at me now. It's not okay. But, I forgive you…" Damon murmured, masking his anger under soft tones and Caroline squirmed.
"I swear I didn't say—" she whispered.
"Shh, shh, shh. Unfortunately... I am so over you now…" Damon said, his hostility slipping out and Caroline froze in terror as Damon reared back before sinking his sharp teeth in her soft and flushed neck.
As he gave a suck and his mouth was washed with blood, something inside him felt paralyzed. His knees buckled as something…something burst through his veins. He could feel it going through him. He fell gracefully to the ground, Caroline still his arms like a doll and he jerked away as he felt it course through him…
Vervain.
"What the hell?" he choked out.
He watched as he emerged from the shadows like and overdone Edward Cullen. Damon sneered in disgust despite the fact that he was one the ground.
"I knew, I couldn't spike your drink...so I spiked hers."
And then, Damon's world became darkness.
And from the shadows, emerald green eyes watched with all the patience and vindictiveness in the world.
:::
A/N: Sorry this took so long. I'm just...this takes a lot to do. I have to re-watch every episode. But, I think things are heating up. Elena is very ignorant about some things but she knows a lot about Caroline so a lot of things are about change. Harry knows a lot more than Elena and with the way things are going. Vicki is revealed to be not as bitchy as she seems. It's not that she doesn't see how Jeremy sort of has a crush on Hermione. She can't understand why Hermione is humoring him. Yeah, she's a calloused bitch but not a slutty bitch...well she sort of is but that's besides the point.
And another Harry and Damon confrontation. Just as sexual as the one before but with a hint of aggressiveness that will be rather dominant.