He spent a few more days watching her from afar, still debating with himself if he should actually introduce himself to the new Bella or not. But one day after looking at her read in the library for a few hours, he finally decided to make a move.

So, getting closer to her, he gently tapped her on the shoulder and smiled when she turned around.

"Hi, Abby. Haven't seen you in a while. How are you?"

"I'm sorry?" the black-haired girl said with a perfect British accent. "You must have me mistaken for someone else."

"Oh, my apologies, miss. It's just that you look a lot like a close friend of mine, I thought you were her for a moment." He smiled sweetly and apologetically.

"Well, it's happened to all of us." She smiled back, the piercing glistening in the left corner of her bottom lip.

"Well, I'll leave you to your book now. Sorry to bother you." He smiled again, waved and retreated to the fantasy section of the library.

He wasn't going to give up, of course. Even though she had an accent, and a perfect one by that, her voice still sounded the same. Her scent was the same. Her heart beat the same melody as always. So, when later he saw her returning the book she was reading on the shelf, he approached her again, determined to get her to talk with him and reveal herself.

"Hello again." He said sweetly.

"Hi."

"I just want to apologize for earlier, it was rude of me to just go up to you like that."

"It's fine, don't worry." She turned around and started to leave. For a second he saw her the way she used to be, long and fiery red hair swaying down her back. He shook his head.

"Hey, listen," he called out and she turned back to him. "I was thinking… maybe I could treat you to a coffee or something. You know, to make up for my… behavior."

"That sounds nice, but I doubt my husband would be too happy about it." She waved her left hand, showing him the wedding ring on her finger.

"No, no, you misunderstood." He corrected himself quickly, while mentally cursing himself, when the Hell did she get married? And to whom? "I meant just as friends. That's not out of the ordinary, is it? Two friends, grabbing a coffee, chatting. How does that sound?"

"Well, when you put it that way…" she smiled at him, and he told himself that his heart didn't just skip a beat, no sir, not at all. "I know the perfect little coffee shop, it's just around the corner. I'm Hermione, by the way. Nice to meet you."

"Damon." He shook her hand. "And the pleasure is all mine."

After that, they kept meeting. It lasted maybe a month. He got to know Hermione, she got to know a part of Damon's human side. It was nice being with him like this, without the burden of their past, despite pretending to be someone she wasn't. She could feel her anger slowly fade away, and her feelings for him blazed anew, stronger than before. So when he asked her to go to a club one night, and get a few drinks, she agreed a bit too eagerly.

They had more than a few drinks, her mind started to blur and she was close to spilling her secret when he cornered her in the small corridor leading to the bathrooms, and despite their best efforts, they somehow ended up kissing. Hotly, and passionately, and when they realized what they were doing it was too late. He was pushing her against the wall, his hands roaming up and down her back, under her shirt. That's when she finally found the strength to protest.

"No, Damon!" she slapped away his hands and her back hit the wall again, as she fought to keep her balance. "We shouldn't have done this! How will I tell my husband? Oh God…"

"Hey, Hermione, relax. Just look me in the eyes, okay?" she did. "Nothing happened. You just had one too many drinks, felt ill and now I'm about to take you home. That's all, nothing more."

"Nothing more." She blinked, her right hand going to her left arm, pushing up her vervain bracelet, then it went to her forehead. "Oh, I don't feel so good…"

"It's okay, I'll take you home. Just tell me where that is, and I'll take you there in no time."

She mumbled the address, then he lifted her up and cradled her in his arms. They left the club, and he started walking to the address she had given him, which, thankfully, wasn't too far away.

He walked up to the porch, set her down on her feet, still keeping one arm around her waist for support, and with the other he gently knocked on the door three times.

"Ron, open the door!" her slurred voice came from outside. "I don't care that it's 3am, open it!"

"You sure about this? You were supposed to stay away from me, you know." Damon said, holding her so she wouldn't fall.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I just met you a month ago, remember?"

"Sure you did…" at that moment the door opened, and a very sleepy Ronald appeared, trying to fix his messy hair. "I believe this is yours." Damon said and gestured towards Bella.

"What? Hermione? Are you insane?" he asked, still half-asleep.

"Oohh no, I'm not insane. They had me tested." She laughed inadequately.

"Are you drunk?"

"Oh, well spotted, Sherlock! Oh, I think I'm gonna be sick…" she released herself from Damon's grip, bent over the hedge, and vomited.

"I didn't want to bring her home like this, but the other alternative was leaving her in the bar… I swear, it's not my fault."

"Oh, don't worry, I don't blame you. I blame Hermione." He said simply.

"I blame Hermione too." Bella said, slowly lifting herself from over the hedge, gripping Ron's arm to steady herself. "Bad Hermione." And she laughed again. Then she wrapped her arms around Ron's neck. "Carry me."

"Whatever you say, princess." He slipped his arm behind her knees, and lifted her up, cradling her. "Thank you for bringing her home."

"Sure, no problem. Well, have a nice night." He waved, and left.

"You were supposed to stay away from him." Ron said firmly after he had kicked the door shut. "What happened?"

"I did stay away from him!" she said and climbed down from his arms, carefully steadying herself on her feet. "He didn't stay away from me, though. What was I supposed to do?"

"So it's him you've been meeting this past month?"

"Mmmmhmmm."

"Are you sure you didn't tell him the truth? Anything can happen when you're drunk."

"I don't actually recall ever being that drunk." She said, and headed for the stairs, carefully.

"Then what was all that outside?"

"Hermione can't hold her liquor. Bella, on the other hand, is a pretty good actress. Woops." She bumped into the railing, moved to the side and climbed up the stairs. "And they both need sleep, or they'll have a major hangover in the morn-… let's say afternoon, shall we?" she entered her room and closed the door. After she kicked off her shoes, she plopped on the bed, and as soon as her head hit the pillow, she was asleep.