Disclaimer: Yet again, everything that you recognize as belonging to Harry Potter and The Vampire Diaries/The Originals belongs to their respective owners! I only claim my OCs and their own adventures!

AN: Sorry for the late update! Here's another chapter for you! Thank you so much to everyone who is still reading, has recently followed, and favorited! An especially big thanks to Dragon Rider 2416 for reviewing! Please let me know what you guys liked and what you want to see in the future! (Reviews could help me write faster!)

Twelve

When the Levee Breaks

"Don't be ridiculous," I tried to protest, but my voice was weak even to my own eyes.

"Rowena, I think I've found something-" Hermione Granger hurried around the corner. "Malfoy," her tone of voice changed immediately, "what are you doing in the library?" Hermione's eyes narrowed in suspicion as she regarded the Slytherin prince. With the attention focused on Draco, I gathered my wits and stopped staring blankly at her.

"I can read, you know," Draco snapped at her. "I just don't need to read to survive." He added, before looking towards me. "I'll see you around, Princess," he sneered, "or maybe not, once I tell my father about this." He left, and I looked over at Hermione with a growing suspicion.

"I thought you could use the help." Hermione offered, and I nodded once, swallowing back dread.

"Thank you," I told her, before biting my lip as I wondered how it was best to ask her how much she had overheard.

"About the magic thing, even if I was to ask, you wouldn't tell me anything, would you?" She asked, and I felt my stomach plummet.

"I," the words died in my mouth.

"I didn't think so." Hermione cut off my lame excuse. "Well, you're busy, and I've got to get back to my own work too." She had already turned to leave when a thought popped into my head.

"Can I help you?" I called after her, getting up from my desk to close the distance between us so that Madam Pince would not descend. Hermione looked back around at me, obviously surprised.

"It's not interesting, not like studying another kind of magic." She said bluntly, and I winced at her wording. Knowing Hermione, since she knew about my other magic, I suspected that she would not drop the subject, and the only solution that I could think of was to work with her in the hope that a friendship would protect my secret. I also realized as I looked at the bushy-haired girl in front of me that if Nik ever thought for a moment that she was a danger to me then he would not hesitate to kill her.

"I owe you for helping to get rid of Malfoy." I pointed out after a longer than normal pause that caused Hermione to frown at me.

"I'm actually here because of Malfoy. The hippogriff that attacked him?" She checked that I was following, and I gave her a nod. "His father is pressing charges, so I'm trying to create a case for Hagrid to present. The boys have already given me loads of excuses, so I've given up on their help." Hermione debriefed me, and I soaked up the challenge.

"Well, it certainly sounds like you could use the help then. Count me in." I told her, and after another moment she nodded once.

"I can't just forget what that was earlier." She warned me turning around, "but if you need, then I can be pretty good at keeping my mouth shut." We locked eyes for a moment, understanding and agreeing that, since I was helping her, she was to remain quiet about what she had learned.

"I can't explain it to you, I'm not allowed to." I gave her.

"I'm not asking." She replied. "I'm quite capable on my own." We exchanged a knowing smile, and then I turned back to my table.

"Do you want to bring your stuff over here? It's a pretty comfortable spot." I offered, and she nodded.

The next few weeks passed in a haze. I continued to practically live in the library, but I was no longer alone. Hermione and I took turns going to meals and bringing back food. We had to sneak the food past Madam Pince, and a fresh-air-charm was a high priority to keep the librarian from, quite literally, sniffing us out. The company, however, was wonderful. I still left to train with Gwyn, and although she would routinely ask, Hermione never pushed me for answers when it came to where I disappeared to. I would shrug or change the subject, and Hermione would nod and let me go. When I was done, I would return to the library and Hermione simply welcomed me back, and we would continue on.

The first few times that I was there and Hermione went to see Hagrid I managed to avoid joining her. It was not that I did not like Hagrid. Rather, the Games Keeper regarded me with suspicion, as though he knew the secret of my parentage. Both my father and Remus had previously commented on how much I looked like my mother, but they, unlike Hagrid, would not blurt that out.

"But you found the case, you deserve to tell him." Hermione's comment returned me to the present. I looked back down at the page of handwritten notes and rubbed my eyes. It was the day before the start of the Christmas holidays and I had found a perfect case example, it was true. We both knew that, normally, I would have been the first in line to go and tell Hagrid. At the same time, however, all my life I had been taught to keep the truth of my parentage a secret so, going to Hagrid was counterintuitive.

"Fine," I said recklessly.

"Good, he'll be glad to see you, he's always asking after you." Hermione said, standing up.

"We're going now?" I blurted stupidly.

"Well, the holidays do start tomorrow, there's no reason to wait." Hermione replied, and I shook my head in embarrassment as we gathered our things and headed back to Gryffindor tower.

Quickly, we retrieved our cloaks and headed down through the Great Hall and across the snowy grounds to Hagrid's cabin. As we walked, Hermione chattered about all the research time that she would have during the break. I half-listened and half-focused on the cold chill that skittered up my spine as I exited the castle. It was the dementors, I was sure of it from their auras, but I did my best not to let them affect me.

"Rowena?" I blinked back to reality to find that Hermione and I were standing on Hagrid's front doorstep. "Are you alright?" She asked.

"I'm fine, why?" I snapped. I forced myself away from their tantalizingly dark aura, realizing that Hermione did not deserve such a sharp reply.

"You've seemed a bit off." She said quietly, though she obviously seemed a bit hurt by my sharp retort. Before I could apologize, however, the door before us swung open.

"Hermione! And yer friend must be the famous Rowena!" The Games Keeper beamed down at us. "Come in, come in, I'll set the kettle on." We found ourselves propelled inside of the tiny hut which I found startlingly homely. Hagrid bumbled around his abode, putting on tea and rambling about how grateful he was for all our hard work. Inwardly, I felt an ever-growing curl of shame in my own belly as I tried to remember why I had always avoided him.

We sat down to tea and rock cakes, the latter of which nearly broke my teeth and caused Hermione to shoot me a sympathetic glance. Still, I thought as I sipped on my tea, it was the thought that counted. We made it through tea before Hagrid, who trembled with anxious excitement, asked us about what we had found. At Hermione's encouragement, I told him what I had found. When I finished he looked at me with sparkling black eyes, and then promptly burst into tears. I shot a panicked glance at Hermione who got up and wrapped Hagrid in a hug, motioning for me to do the same. After only the briefest of pauses, I did.

"Thank you, Hermione." Hagrid finally straightened, looking first to Hermione and then to me. "And you, Lily, yer always there when I need help." He mumbled, rising to his feet and staggering out of the suddenly silent hut.

"Lily?" Hermione looked at me, her eyes suddenly widening with realization. Struck with a dumb panic, I turned on my heel and raced out of the cottage.

I crashed into a figure crossing the Great Hall, and luckily Remus Lupin caught me with preternatural reflexes.

"Rowena, what's wrong?" He asked, taking one look at my panicked expression.

"I was a-at Hagrid's and he c-called me L-Lily in front of Hermione." I felt tears in my eyes as I trembled, and Remus immediately spirited me away towards his office. He sat me in one of the armchairs that adorned the space, and immediately threw a handful of floo powder into the fireplace. A matter of moments later my father stepped through.

"What happened?" He asked, and I burst out in real tears. My father's frown deepened, and he came over to me.

"I went to see Hagrid." I confessed, "and he called me Lily in front of Hermione, and now I'm sure that she knows." My father tensed but did not say anything.

"Remus, will you go and visit Miss Granger?" My father was all business, though he stayed at my side.

"What do you want me to do?" Remus asked.

"You were Lily's best friend, weren't you?" My father replied.

"And Rowena?" Remus paused in the doorway.

"It's nearly dinner time anyways, and you are always skipping meals." He fixed me with a stern glance. "I will take care of your things and the permissions, but perhaps it would be better if you left for the Cottage now." I nodded once, knowing that I could not argue, and a moment later Remus slipped out of the room.

"Will I get to see you?" I asked, feeling as though I was still a small child.

"Of course." He replied at once, standing and guiding me over to the fire. He made a quick floo call, and shortly thereafter I was ushered into the green flames, and found myself spinning away. Elijah was, of course, waiting for me in the front hall, and I moved forward and hugged him impulsively. Over the course of the weeks since Nik had attacked my father I had been gradually accepting Elijah's presence again. Elijah guided me into the kitchen, where Gwyn was obviously whipping together a quick last minute dinner. At our entrance, she turned around to smile at me.

"I hope you'll be hungry." She said, and I forced myself to smile back at her. I was not hungry, and in fact, I was starting to feel rather ill, but I could tell that she was trying hard so I played along. I sat at the table, talking to her about magic while Elijah disappeared back to whatever he had been doing. He did, however, promise to join us for dinner, and apologized for having to leave in the first place. Gwyn's dinner was simple, but the food did make me feel almost hungry.

Elijah reappeared when I was setting the table, helping in the last minute preparations. We had only just sat down when the front door opened, and as one we all tensed. I recognized the aura, as did Gwyn I was sure, and Elijah's senses no doubt told him who it was.

"Elijah!" Nik marched into the kitchen, and my stomach churned as my magic fought to surface and throw him from the room. "Ah, my Little Witch." Nik noticed me immediately and the annoyance that had initially tinged his voice vanished.

"I'm not hungry anymore, may I be excused." I forced out politely, my rising magic causing my stomach to churn even worse than before.

"Of course." Elijah replied with scarcely any pause, and I stood and brushed past Nik. He did not move from his place in the doorway to the kitchen, and for a fraction of a second we touched.

"Bloody hell!" I heard him exclaim after I had passed him, and a small amount of my tension eased. As I passed him, I had given Nik a shock of pure power that both hurt him and was a mild release of my own building magical. I did not linger long enough to hear Elijah's reply, hurrying instead up to the room that was designated as my own.

I had never slept in the grand bed before, but as inviting as it looked I went instead to the ensuite bathroom. I ran a hot shower, enjoying the privacy and letting my magic slowly uncoil from its state of readiness. I reveled in my ability to spend as long as I wanted under the hot spray without any of my roommates forcing me out.

When I was done, I exited the bathroom to find my trunk sitting in the center of the room and Reeba asleep on my bed. I rummaged through the neatly packed contents until I found a pair of comfy pajama pants and a tank top to sleep in. I paused, looking at the half-unpacked contents of the trunk, and then I released the magic. I watched my clothes fly into the closet while my grimoires and school books added themselves to the full floor to ceiling bookshelves. When my trunk was empty, I pushed it under my bed, and then curled up under the blankets beside Reeba. Without intentionally searching, my senses told me that Nik was still downstairs with Elijah and Gwyn was in her own room. As I lay in bed, my stomach churned once more, and I wondered if it had anything to do with my hyper-sensitive magic.

The next morning, I woke up and did not want to move from my bed. My stomach hurt far worse than it had the night before, and I was covered in a cold sweat. I had only just begun to take in my surroundings when Elijah materialized at my bedside.

"How are you feeling?" He asked gently.

"Not so good." I replied. Blinking sleepily up at my guardian, I felt like I spent too much time in bed recovering.

"I'll fetch Gwyn, she may have something to help." Elijah brushed back a few sweat-dampened tendrils of hair before he disappeared from the room. A few minutes later, Gwyn slipped inside, alone. She sat down on the edge of the bed and gave me an overly reassuring smile.

"Your stomach hurts right? And over the past few days, you were probably a bit moody and emotional?" Gwen asked softly.

"Yes." I replied after a moment of startling reflection. I realized that for the whole semester I had been living in proximity to the dementors. Although I thought that they had caused my behavior yesterday, that made little sense. Why then had I lashed out at Hermione about going to Hagrid's? Why had I been so upset over Hagrid's slip up? I was not usually one to feel so helpless and emotional. I looked evenly at Gwyn, asking her silently to explain further.

"Here, this will help." Gwyn offered me a pink colored potion. I swallowed it, noting that it tasted rather minty, and not nearly as bad as I had been expecting. "What do you know about getting your period?" She asked when I had swallowed, and I blinked stupidly back at her.

I woke to a tingling sensation. For a moment I lay still in the bed, feeling the sensation run through my body, and then slowly it began to fade. In the meanwhile, however, I reflected on the recent education that Gwyn had given me. I did not feel physically different, but magically something was definitely happening. The door opened and with it a wave of cold magic. I fought a shiver as I looked over to see Elijah standing in the doorway.

"How are you feeling?" It was the same question as earlier, but instead of evoking comfort, Elijah's presence made me feel a cold sense of dread. I had felt it before, a distinct discomfort on a magical level. Now, my senses were telling me to flee or to fight him, but he had done nothing; not even moved from the doorway. It's just Elijah, he'd never hurt you, I told myself repeatedly, but it did not seem to help.

"Elijah, leave." There was suddenly a warmth, and Gwyn appeared in the doorway. Elijah glanced at Gwyn, obviously reluctant to leave me, but then Nik appeared. I reacted without thinking. My magic told me that my body danger and Nik was flung back through a wall with a crash. At the same time, the entire house began to shake. I could hear the crash of delicate objects, and Elijah dropped to one knee as my glance caught him. With almost no effort, I was giving Elijah multiple magically-induced aneurysms, even though I did not intend to. It was a defense that I had been taught in self-defense against vampires. The cold began to ebb, and I stared in horror at where Elijah was still bowed on the ground, but I could not stop myself.

"Rowena, look at me." Gwyn appeared, clutching my shoulders, and making me look at her. "You have to get this under control. You have to stop your magic." I stared at Gwyn's bright blue eyes and had no idea how to. She seemed to sense the panic within me, and behind her Nik rose to his feet.

"Gwynaëlle!" Nik roared, his eyes blazing gold as he stumbled forward. In the doorway Elijah also turned, as Gwyn tugged on my arms.

"Rowena, focus!" She demanded, but as much as I wanted to, I found myself unable to stop the torrent of magic that streamed from me. Behind Gwyn, Nik and Elijah both collapsed again as the magic rippled out of me.

At the same time I became aware of a fast rushing cold. As though I had summoned them, I knew that the dementors were flocking to my magic. I felt a wave of fear, and Gwyn tensed, also sensing the incoming.

"Get Severus!" She screamed, not that either Elijah nor Nik appeared able to move. Slowly, Nik straightened with a truly ferocious look on his face.

"Stop her or I will!" He roared and I flinched, but in a flash there was a sickening crack and he fell, his head at the wrong angle from his body. Elijah stood over him for a second and then another shudder of magic rocked me and I sent him once more to his knees.

"I can't stop it!" I cried, unable to stop myself from looking at where Elijah writhed. I did not want to hurt him and, I knew that the more the magic that left me the more the dementors would come; but I was out of control. Instead, my magic continued to demand its toll on my vampiric guardian, latching on to his essence.

"Gwyn." There was a strange note, almost of regret in Elijah's voice as he looked at Gwyn. Then, she turned to me whispering something, and I felt myself falling like a puppet with cut strings. Elijah caught my body and with an abrupt jerk I found myself looking down at my own unconscious body. It took me a minute to realize, but I had somehow gotten into Elijah's head.

"I rendered her unconscious, but it won't last, and if I had to make a guess then this will only get worse." Gwyn said, her eyes serious, her voice low, and somewhat worried I thought. "The dementors have stopped coming. Something is preventing them from coming, and I suspect that Severus will be here imminently." Gwyn added, looking out of the window though she still appeared worried.

"Can she control it?" Elijah did not look at the window, instead he stared resolutely at my inert form, his expression sad and worried. "Will she be able to overcome it?"

"She's a quick learner, and devoted, but this is more power than I have ever seen a child display. Most witches are never this powerful." Gwyn shrugged, though her tone said that she too was concerned. Elijah let out a long low sigh and then tensed as a mouth-watering scent assaulted his senses.

"Her menses." He said tightly, ignoring the sudden burning hunger. Through our strange connection I could feel the warmth of my own body, and I realized in horror that I must be bleeding as Gwyn had told me I would. Not only was that very concept nerve wracking, what was more horrifying was just how evident my condition was to my guardian and any other vampire in my proximity.

"She's reached her full maturity." Gwyn said, meeting Elijah's gaze.

"And what exactly does that mean?" Nik approached from the side, rubbing his neck, though there was true concern in his eyes.

"Essentially overnight Rowena has come into more power than most witches have in their entire lifetimes. The power surges that she was feeling before were signs that we should have read more carefully. Rowena has incredible control over her power, but this is just too much for anyone to handle, even for an experienced grown up witch." Gwyn met Nik and Elijah's gazes evenly.

"What exactly are you suggesting?" Elijah asked calmly, though his grip on my unconscious body tightened ever so slightly.

"I honestly believe that, with time, Rowena will be able to overcome this." Gwyn said softly, her blue gaze reassuring in her honesty.

"And if she can't," Nik began, and I felt a shiver run down my spine at the look in his gaze.

"You will not lay a hand on her, not so long as I am alive." Elijah growled lowly, meeting his brother's gaze unflinchingly.

"Think Elijah!" Nik said, marching into the room and laying a hand on Elijah's shoulder. "If we cannot control her, then she will be a constant danger to herself, to us, and likely to everyone in the vicinity. She will draw our enemies to us, and even we cannot fight them all constantly." Nik growled back at his brother, and in the flare from his gaze I could see that, if I could not control myself then Nik would not hesitate to eliminate me as a threat to his family.

"Rowena is not a danger to your family." Gwyn stepped in, causing both heads to turn to her. "She loves you as her own family." She turned her gaze on Nik. "If you threaten her, then you will only succeed in isolating her. Rowena will fight for your family if you fight for her. Show her how much she means to you, remind her of that love, and it will mean all the difference in the world."

"Brother, please." Elijah's voice was soft, almost hoarse, and I had never before heard such desperation.

"Why are you so certain?" Nik turned cautiously to Gwyn.

"Because why else would the Witches be after her?" I felt myself recoil in horror.

"Has someone seen something?" Elijah demanded.

"The only One with the Power to break the Curse comes." Gwyn began, and I found myself riveted as I realized that she was reciting the Prophecy. I knew that Nik had come after me because of a prophecy, but neither my father nor Elijah had never let me hear it.

"Rowena is the child in the prophecy, we all know that. And, if there was any doubt then we know that Rowena was 'Born in Secrecy to the Mother and the Traitor.' Furthermore, the prophecy states that 'she will be the Key to the Family'. That family, it's your family." Gwyn paused to ensure that her audience were following. Rowena is foretold to 'unite or destroy the Original Witch,' who is your mother. The unification or destruction, however, will be that of your family, and will depend on you. As the prophecy says, Rowena 'will have Powers that no other Witch has before been Granted'." Gwyn paused again, looking down at my figure. "These are the powers right now. Rowena is a twelve-year-old with more magic than any other witch will ever have in their lifetime. If I channeled one hundred witches then, even untrained as she is, Rowena would overpower me. That power, it's what you will need Niklaus to break your curse. What is more, Rowena loves you and she will fight to protect you. Her power will be your power so long as you-"

"Stop!" Nik interrupted, and Gwyn actually flinched.

"Brother, you have told me on multiple occasions that love is a vampire's greatest weakness. I believed you, but perhaps we were wrong to say that." Elijah began softly, carefully, looking down at where I appeared to be asleep cradled in his arms. He brushed a tendril of red hair from my brow, his gaze softening. "I gave up on having a family many years ago. Brother, we all accepted what it meant to be immortal, to have this existence thrust upon us, and we did our best. Rowena is our chance, we both saw to that, and she's special. She is a daughter to me, and correct me if I am wrong, but she is special to you as well. After all, why else would you go to such lengths to befriend and to protect her?" For a moment Nik's carefully maintained facade slipped and I saw a flash of hurt in his gaze, but then it was gone.

"Love always makes you weak. Here you fail to see the threat that she could pose to everything that we hold dear. If Rowena cannot manage her power then, daughter or not," he met Elijah's gaze unflinchingly, "I will eliminate the threat." Nik spun on his heel and disappeared from the room while Elijah held my body tighter. From downstairs, there was a crash and then my father appeared in the doorway.

"What happened? Where is Rowena? Is she alright?" The terror in my father's gaze was something that I had never seen before.

"She's here," Elijah's voice was mildly hoarse, as my father's gaze landed on me.

"Rowena!" My father's voice was desperate, as he rushed over.

"She is fine, asleep. Her menses has come, and she has come into her full powers. It is a lot for her to handle." Elijah explained calmly.

"What do you mean?" My father had taken me from Elijah's grasp, cradling me against him.

"She's still only twelve years old. Rowena has more power than any other witch alive that I know of will ever have, and she's come into most of it essentially overnight. It will take time and patience for her to master her magic." Gwyn explained, and my father turned on the witch.

"What are you suggesting?" My father ground out suspiciously.

"Can you suppress her powers? Is there a way?" Elijah looked evenly at Gwyn, who calmly returned his gaze. "If her magic is too much now," he carried on before my father could protest, "suppress what she cannot handle, give her time to adjust."

"You mean to drug her?" My father demanded coldly. "I will not permit that."

"Think of Rowena, Severus." Elijah stepped closer to my father, looking tenderly down at my unconscious figure. "If binding Rowena's magic will help her keep from losing control and becoming a danger to herself and everyone around her then, are you not prepared to do whatever it takes?" Elijah demanded, and my father hesitated.

"You know I will do anything for her." He said coldly, before pushing around Elijah to carry me back to the bed and tuck me gently under the blankets.

"Is it possible?" Elijah pressed, looking to Gwyn.

"Perhaps, I can look into it, but firstly we will also need to move." Gwyn said, moving to leave the room, but pausing at the doorway. "The magical shock that she sent out will be traceable, and there are many witches searching for her. She is powerful and a vampire sympathizer. To many witches she would be ideal to use as revenge against your family. She will not be safe here. In the school, perhaps, but the Cottage is not well protected enough." The door shut softly after her and my father and Elijah exchanged a glance. My father sank onto the bed, taking my hand in his before he leaned forward and kissed my forehead.

"I don't know what is best." He whispered, sounding utterly defeated.

"None of us do." Elijah replied, moving to the other side of the bed. "But," he amended, "we will do our best, and we will love her no matter what, and she will know it." He declared, and then everything faded to black.

I woke and, for a moment I could not breathe, my chest felt tight, my head spun, and I felt entirely wrong.

"Rowena," Elijah was sitting by my bedside. His eyes were dark with concern as I gaped and gasped for breath.

"Everything feels wrong." I met his gaze and felt a flood of panic that was horrifyingly devoid of magic. "The magic, it's not there," I could see the flash of relief in his gaze before he hid it.

"I know." He said carefully, "Rowena, what do you remember from before?" Elijah was careful in his wording.

"I lost control." I whispered, and felt an immediate pang of guilt. "I'm sorry." I felt tears filling my eyes, as I looked carefully at Elijah.

"Rowena look at me, don't be sorry." Elijah said, but I shook my head stubbornly.

"I hurt you, I couldn't control my magic, I-" my voice died. Elijah moved swiftly. He engulfed me in a hug, and I wrapped my arms around him, pressing my face into his suit jacket. Elijah held me, and for the first time in months I did not experience the cold panic that my magic triggered when in the presence of vampires. Instead, I simply let Elijah comfort me.

"Little Witch." I jerked up out of Elijah's grasp to see Nik standing in the doorway. Immediately, unbidden, my heart jumped in my chest.

"You're afraid of me." Nik spoke, but he was not looking at me. Instead, he gazed over the top of my head to Elijah.

"Rowena, Niklaus has sworn to protect you, and he is here to say something." Elijah said pointedly.

"My brother here insists that I offer you my sincere apologies for having attacked your father." Nik clasped his hands arrogantly behind his back. "You see, I was rather taken aback when you brought up the subject of our brother, Kol." Nik's eyes flashed, and Elijah tensed, but did not stop his brother.

"You want to know how I know that Kol and your other siblings are alive." I stated flatly, meeting Nik's gaze. I felt only the smallest shiver of fear run down my spine while Nik remained silent, waiting for me to continue.

"What do you mean, alive?" Elijah demanded coldly, though his touch never changed as he glared at Nik. "You told me they were gone, that you had buried them at sea."

"Let the Little Witch explain." Nik ground out, and I felt uncomfortably aware of both of them staring at me.

"I could feel their auras." I turned in Elijah's arms to look at him, and I saw a great sadness in his gaze that he did not bother to hide. "After you gave me your blood, its magic was inside of me, I could trace it back to you, like a tether right to where you were. Then, I began to realize it wasn't just you, it was Nik as well, and there were others. I saw them in visions, from the past, and then I saw the coffins." I turned back to Nik. "They aren't buried at sea, I know because I saw you with them. You protect them, you take them with you so that no harm can come to them." Elijah let out a ragged breath, and I turned back to my guardian, surprised to see tears in his eyes.

"You mean you've had them all this time?" Elijah moved from my side, and I was alarmed to see that he was almost shaking.

"Yes." Nik replied, and for a moment I thought that they would come to blows.

"You lied to me." Elijah stated and his voice was horribly emotionless.

"I did." Nik was utterly unapologetic.

"Why?" My head swung between them from Elijah to Nik and back again.

"Rowena, you're awake, good." Gwyn entered the room, took in the tension and ignored it. "If you're going to fight do it elsewhere." She told the two Mikaelsons without flinching as she came over to me. "Your father was here earlier, but he has to oversee the departure of the students. He will come with us though. We'll be moving again, do you feel strong enough to clean up and help me pack up?" Gwyn pointedly ignored the two vampires who were locked in a glaring match. Gwyn's words reminded me of my new state. I reached out and took her hand, realizing with a flush of embarrassment that, in addition to experiencing a magical surge, I was also bleeding.

"My magic, Gwyn, what happened?" I stared wide-eyed at the witch before me. She scowled before glancing back at the two vampires still locked in a glaring match.

"You have your menses, your period, you're a woman now, Rowena." Gwyn began softly, gently. "It means that you also have come into a great deal more of your power, but before you could not control it. We never expected you to control it, but to make sure that you don't hurt yourself we bound your magic."

"You mean so that I don't hurt you again." I met Gwyn's gaze, and I saw the sad truth in her gaze.

"Am I strong enough?" I asked softly, and Gwyn immediately reached forward to clasp my hands in hers.

"I know that you are." She said, and meeting her clear gaze I could see her honesty.

"You'll help me?" I asked.

"Of course." She smiled.

We were packed a matter of hours later. Then, I was whisked out of the village and to Heathrow where a private jet waited on the tarmac for us. Elijah, Nik, Gwyn and I boarded, and a matter of minutes later my father arrived. I blinked in surprise having gotten used to his wearing black teaching robes. Now, however, he wore dark slacks and a turtleneck sweater with a black overcoat. When he saw me my father immediately came over, and I jumped up and hugged him tight. The whole experience of moving felt strange to me in spite of none of it being actually new. What threw me off, however, was the disconnect that I felt between myself and my world.

"How are you?" My father asked immediately. I managed a nod, while Elijah stood silently and made his way forward to speak to the pilot. I spent the duration of the flight meditating with Gwyn. Elijah and Nik sat, drinking separately, and my father watched on in silence.

When we landed some hours later my jaw dropped at the sight of Manhattan sprawling before me. I was ushered into a limo and then directly into an expensive luxury home that overlooked the park. Unable to help my excitement, I explored the multi-level apartment and its breath-taking view.

"Why are we here?" I asked once my explorations were done.

"To hide you." Nik replied with an annoying smirk as he had another drink.

"We're hiding here? Why?" I demanded. I had overheard some reasons during my connection with Elijah, but I wanted to hear it for myself.

"Yes, because there is a high volume of people, and we don't want anyone looking for you looking too much in Europe." Nik replied smartly.

"Anyone? Like who?" I pressed.

"No need to worry about that, you're safe here." Nik skirted.

"So I'm stuck in here?" I asked, not that it was a terrible place to be locked up, but what was the point of being in New York City if I could not enjoy it.

"Not necessarily." Elijah cut in. "In fact," he glanced over at Nik, "I have made a reservation for dinner at a particular favourite of ours." Nik raised his brows at his brother, who turned. "We should refresh ourselves, and then leave." Elijah declared.

Over the next days, I spent half of my time meditating and the other half enjoying life in New York City. Each morning Gwyn had me drink a horrid potion, but each morning the dosage was gradually less. I managed my magic well, and by Christmas Eve Gwyn had told me that she had reduced the potion as far as she felt comfortable at present. My excitement at the prospect of seeing the Nutcracker that evening overtook my concern. Elijah and Nik had both insisted on seeing the ballet on Christmas Eve. In fact, they were both determined it seemed to show me all the luxuries and joys of New York City. We dined at fine restaurants, visited museums, and frequented as many tourist sites as the brothers could stand. My father accompanied us, a quietly comforting presence, while Gwyn was the only one other than me who seemed to be honestly thrilled by our visit.

"All ready?" The witch in question peered into my room, her makeup already done, and I nodded. "Good, you're going to love this." She beamed at me and we descended to the living room where three tuxedoed men turned to us. I blinked at the three. While I was used to seeing Elijah in a suit, I was not so accustomed to seeing Nik or my father dressed so formally. I felt a small smile creep up on my features while my father moved closer.

The conversation that had begun when I first woke up was still, as far as I knew, unresolved. Elijah and Nik had put their disagreement aside during the holidays, and although they were not quite friendly, they tolerated each other's presence.

The ballet was breath-taking, and the dinner afterward was happily lively. I lay sleepily in the back of the hired limo, my head in my father's lap, my feet in Elijah's while Gwyn and Nik sat across from us. Inwardly, I wished that the moment could last forever. I knew, however, that we were close to the apartment and, in a matter of a few days, this wonderful trip would all be over and I would be back to school. I knew that I still had a lot of work ahead of me because, in the few days that my magic had been repressed, I had also begun to realize how much power I must have come into. Although I never said it out loud, the notion scared me.

The limo slowed down, pulling to a smooth stop, and Gwyn pushed the door open and then disappeared. Although the events that followed seemed too fast for my sleep-addled mind to follow, I would never forget them. I saw through the tinted window as a vampire held Gwyn by her delicate throat.

"Give us the girl witch, or she dies!" He growled, and Nik let out a growl that sounded almost anguished while Gwyn gasped for air and struggled in the grasp.

"Run!" She managed, and for a moment I could have sworn that her gaze met mine through the tinted glass. I felt a warmth rush over me, a protection spell my magic told me even as that sensation increased.

"Stop her, she's casting a protection ward!" It was another warlock, one that I did not recognize. Gwyn was suddenly yanked backwards, out of my view. I saw only partially as her body arched forward, and the magic snapped like a rubber band. I jerked, feeling as a shock ran through me, and outside of the car, Gwyn's heart landed on the sidewalk with a sickeningly wet splat.