A/N: This is the Klaroline Gives Back incentive for candicemorgan (tumblr). It's pretty long (around 10k words), and the end is NSFW.
It's technically a Harry Potter fusion, but it takes place in America, so keep in mind some of the terminology is different. Non-Mag is the American term for Muggle and dragots is their currency according to Pottermore. I've taken some liberties with the American Magical Government to make it a bit easier on myself. The President of the Magical Congress is the equivalent of the President rather than the Speaker of the House (or a Prime Minister).
"...American Magical News Headquarters in New York City brings you this breaking news: three more attacks by lycanthropes occurred during last night's full moon. One attack was fatal, but the other two resulted in bitten survivors, one of whom was the son of Senator Mikael Mikaelson. This trend of lycanthrope attacks continues to grow, and many prominent members of the magical community have come forward to say that something must be done about this crisis. The National Lycanthrope Association has commented that it has nothing to do with the latest attacks, and urges the general public not to panic..."
XXX
Klaus walked to his sister in the common room, his heart pounding nervously. It was the first day of his final year at school, and he'd been staying at an inn for two weeks before term started after his Mother had shoved a bag of dragots into his hand, pulled him into a fierce hug, and told him to run, tears streaming down her face.
Apparently the man he had thought was his father was not at all happy that his bastard son had been bitten by a lycanthrope, and now that he was 17 he wasn't obligated to take him in. Elijah had written a short letter to him, the tone curt and polite, stating that Mikael had forbidden Rebekah, Henrik, and Kol from speaking to him at school, and he needed to respect that or there would be consequences.
He'd initially arrived with the attitude of 'fuck the consequences', but after seeing Henrik's terrified, wide eyes when Klaus approached, and Kol studiously ignoring him, he'd felt his heart drop to the bottom of his stomach.
Rebekah was staring down at a blank piece of parchment, a textbook open beside her as she nibbled on the end of her quill. She stiffened when he approached, ignoring him, and he ran a hand through his hair frustratedly.
"Bekah," he said, and she looked up, her eyes wide.
"Nik, you know I can't talk to you," she hissed, and Klaus winced.
"Bekah, please..."
"If father finds out he'll go mental. I want to talk to you Nik, I really do, but I can't."
"What's he going to do? Ground you? Take away your pocket money?"
"It's not what he'll do to me, you idiot, it's what he'll do to you. He's put in a restraining order with the school. You could get expelled."
"Oh," he said softly, the reality of the situation hitting him.
He was all alone now.
Ever since the increase in attacks by lycanthropes over the last few years, public opinion towards them had been shifting quickly from general acceptance to wide-spread suspicion. There was a small cult of werewolves that had been campaigning for rights, and when their demands had not been met they strategically bit civilians, usually targeting the children of prominent members of wizarding society in the hopes of promoting change (which, of course, just brewed suspicion and hatred).
And now he was a victim of it, it seemed.
He felt a hand curl around his arm and turned to see Caroline Forbes looking at him with sympathy in her eyes. He'd always been fond of her, and he knew that she had considered him the scum of the earth for the vast majority of their time at school. They'd had a potions project together where they'd formed an easy friendship, and he'd asked her on a date about halfway through sixth year, but she'd let him down gently but firmly.
When he'd asked her for a reason, she'd cited his being a dick to her friends (which was a fair enough accusation, really).
Even at sixteen he hadn't been used to rejection, and he'd taken it as an invitation to pursue her, which just ended with her going back to loathing him. One step forward, two steps back.
Although, he supposed it was possible that what he'd interpreted as loathing was just his hurt ego trying to make him feel better.
Still, he was almost tempted to wrench his arm away and say that he didn't want her pity, but she spoke before he could.
"Sit with me?" she asked, and he found that he couldn't deny her. He had nothing to lose, after all.
He nodded and she tugged him over to the couch, practically pushing him onto the cushions and sitting down next to him. "I'm sorry about what happened," she said, her tone earnest. "It probably sucked."
"That's an understatement," he muttered, and she gave him a small smile.
"Yeah. So, I was just wondering if you were taking Potions again this year?"
"Yes," he said slowly, and she gave him a bright smile.
"Great! I feel like we worked really well together on the last project, and I was wondering if you'd be willing-"
"Caroline, you don't have to give me pity friendship," he said, knowing he was bitter and angry and taking it out on her, but not particularly caring, and she crossed her arms and glared at him.
"First of all," she started, glaring at him. "I am not giving you pity friendship. Unfortunately, partners are required for the year-long project again, and as you know I don't play well with others when they get in the way of my grade. You're probably the only one in class that could survive it."
He realized that she was being honest, and it kind of made him feel better, in a way. She didn't pity him, and she wasn't giving him special treatment. "All right, love."
"Great," she said happily, her eyes lighting up. "But rule number one, no pet names."
"Got it."
XXX
"...American Magical News Headquarters in New York City brings you the following story: Small groups of werewolves continue to attack innocent magical citizens in major cities across the United States. Though the perpetrators appear to be a small minority of the lycanthrope population, the President is becoming increasingly concerned by the frequency of the attacks. Many have theorized that if the President does not act soon, his campaign for a second term in office may be in trouble..."
XXX
"Guess what?" Caroline shouted, plopping down next to him in the common room.
"What?" he asked, and Caroline frowned at his posture.
He was hunched over his sketchbook, his pencil flying across the page, a scowl marring his handsome features.
"What's got you all sulky?" Caroline asked. "Other than the usual, obviously."
"I don't know where I'm going to live after graduation," he said simply, and she froze.
"Oh," she said weakly, having almost forgotten that he wasn't welcome back at home. God, she was a terrible friend.
"It's all right, love. I'm sure I'll manage. What's your good news?"
"Oh, I got in," she said, a lot less excited now that he'd told her the problem, and he seemed to sense it, closing the sketchbook and looking at her, a genuine smile spreading across his face.
"That's amazing, sweetheart. I'm so happy for you."
"Thanks," she said, a plan building in her mind. "Actually, if you're up for it, I'm looking for a roommate. Healer school isn't exactly cheap, and I need someone that won't drive me nuts."
"I don't need your charity, Caroline."
"It's not charity," she said, though she privately admitted to herself that yeah, it kind of was, although Elena was the one who backed out at the last minute to live with her Salvatore of the week (or maybe both of them?), so it wasn't her fault.
"What about my...condition?"
"Brew Wolfsbane every month and I don't see it being a problem," she said honestly.
"What if it goes badly?"
"It'll be fine," she said, brushing it off.
"What if I can't pay rent?"
"I doubt you'll have any trouble getting a job."
"What if you can't handle seeing me without a shirt all the time?" he asked, a wicked grin blooming on his face, and she smacked him in the chest, rolling her eyes at his flirting.
"I think I'll manage," she said dryly.
A week after graduation, they moved into their apartment. Klaus did, indeed, wander around without a shirt all the time, and okay it might have been a little distracting (especially when he watched her with equally greedy eyes when he thought she wasn't looking).
He hadn't expressed any interest in her after she turned him down for a date in sixth year, and despite her feelings growing for him over time, she hadn't seen any evidence of him still having feelings for her, though he obviously found her attractive.
They'd been reasonably close at school, especially in their last year, and he quickly became one of her closest friends, if not the closest, once they started living together. He got a job doing research for a Potions Master, and she went through Healer school, working part-time at an apothecary to afford rent.
Healer school was intense, the classes taking up an immense amount of her time, and she tended to recruit Klaus for late night study sessions. It was during one of those that she realized how much her feelings had changed.
"How do you treat a bite from a Norwegian Ridgeback as opposed to a Swedish Shortsnout?" Klaus asked boredly, flipping the flashcard over as he stretched out on the couch. Caroline was curled in the recliner, nibbling on the end of her quill, trying not to get distracted by the new tattoo Klaus had gotten.
She was failing spectacularly.
"Um, Norwegian Ridgeback bites make the hand swell and turn green, becoming infected when left alone too long, whereas the venom of Swedish Shortsnouts make the skin around the area slowly dissolve, requiring quick action."
"Well, that's correct, but it wasn't the question," Klaus said, twisting to face her. "You all right, love?"
"Yeah. I'm fine," she said, smiling slightly at his concerned eyes.
"Are you sure? We've been quizzing you for hours. You might just want to get some sleep."
"No, I have to keep studying," she insisted. "Not until I get every single one right on the first try."
She waited impatiently as Klaus glanced at the clock, frowning. "It's two in the morning, Caroline. You're probably exhausted. What time is your test?"
"Ten o'clock," she said, and he smiled slightly.
"Well, go to bed now and get six hours of sleep, and then you can study a bit tomorrow before you leave. That way you'll get some rest."
"No, I have to learn this stuff."
"All right," he said, shuffling the index cards again.
"Great. Thanks!" she said, taking a deep breath and another swig of her energizing elixir before turning to him, ignoring his judgmental stare. "Again?"
"Anything for you, sweetheart," he said long-sufferingly. She thought she saw a flash of longing in his eyes, but was sure that she'd missed it...
By the time she was out of Healer school, she couldn't imagine her life without him.
XXX
"...Due to the rising tension regarding the increase in lycanthrope attacks over the last decade, a bill has been proposed that would require lycanthropes to carry identification cards at all times, and to disclose their status as a lycanthrope to any magical families within a five mile radius of their home. The National Lycanthrope Association strongly opposes this bill and urges all magical citizens to write to their state representatives..."
XXX
Caroline sipped her coffee, watching her roommate out of the corner of her eye as he flipped through channels on their modified television with his wand, trying to find something to watch. The full moon had been the night before, and she doubted that he'd gotten any sleep.
"I'm going to leave in a few minutes," she said.
"I know, Caroline. You do have work every morning," he drawled, and she fought off the momentary hurt that stabbed in her chest. He was just upset because he'd been let go from his job at the bookstore just two days before, especially since it wasn't his fault.
He'd been struggling to support himself and unwilling to take charity from Caroline, who now made enough to support both of them. She knew that he'd noticed that she restocked the potion ingredients and hid some of the grocery receipts, but he never said anything (though she suspected that he wanted to).
She didn't answer, and his shoulder slumped slightly. "Sorry, love. You know I didn't mean it like that. I'm just..."
"Exhausted?" she supplied with a small smile, and he nodded.
"Yes."
"You should probably take a nap, then," she suggested, and he shrugged, getting up at stretching, revealing a nasty scratch across his abs.
"It's not as though I have anything else to do anyways," he said, and she looked away, not wanting to see his miserable expression. "I might as well pass out for twelve hours."
"I hope you feel better," she said quietly, and he nodded.
"Have a good day at work, sweetheart."
"Thanks," she said, draining the last of her coffee and throwing it out, walking to apparate to the hospital.
She knew it would probably get worse before it got better, and currently there were a few different possible laws up for debate the could greatly affect Klaus's quality of life even more.
They hadn't talked about it, but they were both very aware that things could go south very quickly. Caroline thought it would be a while though, since Magical Congress was notoriously slow at getting anything done, and she'd decided to attempt to put it out of her mind.
Later, she would come to regret that decision.
XXX
"...AMN Headquarters in New York City brings you this story directly from the U.S. President of Magical Congress's office. Anyone affected by lycanthropy must report to their local Department of Magical Law Enforcement as soon as possible. Effective immediately, one thousand dragots will be awarded to any individual aiding in escorting a lycanthrope alive who does not go of their own volition to their local Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Stunning spells and minor jinxes permitted in self-defense, but use of lethal force is prohibited. Rewards may be collected at the Magical Treasury with proof of delivery..."
XXX
Caroline glanced down at her clipboard again as she walked into the hospital room. Stefan Salvatore, Keeper for the Boston Billywigs, had an unfortunate bludger accident and was unresponsive, but she was confident that she could help him recover within a week or two, though he'd have to take it easy in games for the next month.
To be honest, she'd been a bit distracted for her entire shift, worry pounding in her veins for the man who had gone from an obnoxious classmate to a reluctant roommate to her best friend. She'd meant to catch up on the wireless throughout the day, but it had been so busy. It seemed like everyone was getting injured all at once, and she hadn't even had time to eat lunch.
She sighed, telling the nurse to fetch a few different potions and waving her wand over the Keeper's body, trying to see if there were any additional injuries that hadn't been reported. She had just written down her findings when her cell phone rang (the technology had been adapted by wizards to work around magic). It was Klaus, who usually knew better than to call her when she was working. After a moment of indecision (what if it was an emergency?), she resisted answering, figuring she'd call him back on her next break between patients. He could wait fifteen minutes, right?
Caroline tried to complete her task as quickly as possible, a bad feeling building in her gut, and after what felt like hours but was only minutes, she walked quickly to the break room and listened to the message.
Klaus's voice was breathless and rushed, and she heard shouting in the background and what sounded like someone banging on the door. She closed her eyes struggling to make out his words.
"Caroline, there's been an executive order to round up all the werewolves. Civilians get a bounty for bringing us in; it was just announced on the wireless. Someone's put anti-apparition wards up and they're about to break the door down and I don't know where they're going to take me, but I've been meaning to say this for ages, and I know that if I don't tell you now I might never get the chance. I lo-"
There was a loud bang and the sound cut off abruptly. Caroline stared at her phone, hoping something had just gone wrong, but the message was over.
She replayed it three times, her body getting progressively more shaky, and she felt the world close in on her, her breath leaving her lungs as she stumbled to lean against the wall, sagging down to sit on the floor, his words seeming to fade in and out as her mind was preoccupied with racing thoughts before she managed to take a deep breath and try to make a plan.
Step one: Find Klaus.
Step two: Rescue Klaus.
Step three: Run away to Australia (or something).
Caroline told her boss Jo that she felt sick, and the older woman let her go home early without much of a fight, giving her a sympathetic, knowing look.
After changing into her street clothes, Caroline went through the lobby of the hospital to the front doors and apparated outside of the apartment building she and Klaus lived in, running up the stairs to find that their door had, indeed, been knocked down. The room was in ruins, the coffee table upended, scorchmarks on the walls, the television screen cracked...His phone was on the floor, the glass completely shattered.
It seemed that Klaus had put up a fight, at least, but they seemed to have gotten him anyway.
She was tempted to run to the nearest law enforcement station as quickly as she could, to break down the doors and the wards, grab Klaus and go. However, the buildings all had protections, and there was no way of knowing whether he was even there anymore, or whether he'd been transferred somewhere else. She had to figure out how she was going to get that information (and how she was going to get him out of wherever he was, whether by legal or illegal means).
Cleaning tended to help her think, help her clear her mind, and she tentatively waved her wand to set the door back on its hinges before she began to clean up the room. She repaired the furniture piece by piece and attempted to scrub the walls free of soot as she thought about her next options, and that's when she saw it.
His wand was cracked, split into two pieces on the floor, the single phoenix feather faintly sparking. It wasn't like she expected them to let him keep it, but the relationship of a wizard to their wand was intimate, almost sacred really, and the fact that he was defenseless in an auror station, all alone...
She could almost hear her mother's wary voice in her head, asking her if she was sure that she wanted to rescue her friend from prison. What was she going to do? Run away with him? She had a job where she lived, friends, a life, and she didn't want to be wanted for aiding and abetting a criminal.
Was he even considered a criminal? Were they going to hurt him? What was going to happen to them once all the werewolves were rounded up?
She didn't want to find out.
Is he worth it, Caroline? she heard her mother's gentle voice in her head. Is he really worth the risk?
Of course.
XXX
"...We have just been informed that a list of all known individuals infected by lycanthropy has been posted on the website of the National Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Citizens are highly encouraged to assist in the peaceful transportation of these individuals to their local Department of Magical Law Enforcement..."
XXX
Klaus opened his eyes slowly, trying not to move too much. His head was pounding and his mouth was dry. He was in a chair, clearly having just been revived from unconsciousness with a spell. He saw two men in the slate blue auror uniforms who were looking at him expectantly, both their faces stern.
"Hello. I'd like you to confirm your name and date of birth," one of them said, and all Klaus could hear echoing in his head was the words his step-father had drilled into all of the Mikaelson children practically since they could talk.
Never agree to talk to the aurors no matter what the situation. Cite your right to remain silent and keep your mouth shut until I send a lawyer.
"I'd like to exercise my right to an attorney," he said calmly, and the two aurors scoffed in tandem.
"You're not under arrest. We just need to separate you from society for awhile. You know, for everyone's safety, including your own."
Now, Klaus had taken a history class or two over the course of his life, and he knew that that 'separation of society' was practically synonymous with 'step one to genocide', and he shook his head. "I'm not going."
"You don't have a choice," one of them said, his face clouding over with annoyance, and Klaus pressed his lips together.
"I want a lawyer."
"That's unfortunate for you. This isn't an interrogation, and therefore you're not entitled to one. Now, name and date of birth?"
"Klaus Mikaelson," he growled after a moment of consideration, his heart sinking when recognition passed through both their eyes at the surname, pressing on before they could say anything. "January 5th, 1991."
"Address?"
Resisting the urge to point out that the vigilantes that captured him had done so from his home and therefore they should know it already, he rattled it off, hoping Caroline was all right.
The phone call to tell her he loved her, despite his confession getting cut off, had been the most impulsive thing he'd ever done, but also somehow the thing he least regretted.
"Please confirm your status as a lycanthrope."
He remained silent, and the auror that seemed to be playing the bad cop steepled his fingers. "As you're required, you were carrying an identification card in your wallet that states that you are, so let's not pretend that we don't know. It's a waste of both of our time. Now, are you a werewolf? Yes or no?"
Klaus bristled. The word 'werewolf' was generally accepted to be a slur at this point, and the more politically correct term of 'lycanthrope' was preferred by any decent human being. Still, he wasn't enough of an idiot to argue with an auror. "Yes."
"Now, you can either let us take you away nice and easy to the temporary housing, or you can resist and we'll take you by force and charge you."
"For what? Resisting arrest? I thought i wasn't being arrested."
"Well, you won't be unless you resist," the auror said as though it was the most logical thing in the world.
Normally Klaus wasn't one to comply with rules he didn't agree with, and this was no exception. He had to get out somehow. He didn't have his wand, but he could try to fight. There was no way he was going to let them drag him away to some prison in the middle of nowhere.
"I won't resist," he said quietly, lying through his teeth, and the auror stood, his wand out in a pointed gesture to indicate that he would use force if needed before they led him out.
He stood up and took his chance as soon as the guard's back was turned. He hooked his foot around one of the guard's ankles and brought him down, tackling him to the ground and wrestling the guy's wand out of his hand, managing to use the auror's body as a shield to block his partner's spells.
All he could think about was Caroline. He knew it was sort of ridiculous to hope that she was all right, since she wasn't a lycanthrope and therefore not in any danger, but he couldn't help but feel like she might do something reckless, and he'd never forgive himself if she got hurt trying to save him.
He continued to fire spells at the auror, but the stolen wand wasn't responding well to him, and despite his few good hits, it wasn't long before the auror managed to take him down, and the world went black.
XXX
"...AMN Headquarters in New York City has now received confirmation from the Office of the Magical President that all lycanthropes will be transported to an undisclosed location for their safety and the safety of their fellow citizens once they have been processed by the Department. Everyone is to remain calm while this transition is implemented..."
XXX
"I need your help."
Matthew Donovan looked up from his desk, his head auror's badge glinting from the florescent light. His face softened, probably because her eyes were red and raw, and he stood up, walking to lay a hand on her shoulder. "Care, you know I can't..."
"Please, Matt."
"I can't, Caroline. I have orders."
She felt her eyes fill with tears again, and she made no effort to hold them back. "Look, I...Klaus...I've been a total idiot. I've been putting off telling Klaus how I felt about him because I was worried that he wouldn't want to be with me. I thought it would ruin our friendship, but now he's gone, Matt. He called me while they were shooting at him to take him away. I think he was about to say he loved me when they got him. I need to find him, and not just because of that obviously. I just..."
Matt watched her with a grim expression as she trailed off, and he shot a glance at the office door before moving to close it. "Look, I can't help you, but I know someone who can."
"Who?"
"His name is Tyler Lockwood. He's a black market dealer who mostly sells dark magical artifacts or rare potion ingredients. We pretend not to know about him because he occasionally feeds the department information about his buyers. He's a lycanthrope too, but obviously he never got an ID card, so technically we're not supposed to know. He might know something about where they're going or how to break in."
"Put me in contact with him," Caroline ordered immediately, the name ringing a bell (though she wasn't sure why) and Matt gave her a small smile.
"Look, Caroline, it'll be dangerous to break into government property."
"I don't care."
"Are you sure? Is he really worth it?"
Caroline bristled. Her friends had never liked Klaus much, it was true. Elena and Jeremy didn't like him because they were bigoted idiots, but the rest of her friends just thought he was kind of an ass.
"I'm sure," she said, her mouth set in a thin line, and Matt nodded.
"I'll call him. Promise me you'll be careful, all right?"
"Of course," she said quietly, nodding.
Less than two hours later, she was waiting in a park for Tyler. She knew it was him before he'd even greeted her. She recognized him as one of Kol's friends, though Caroline hadn't known him well since he was a year younger. His large frame and confident walk was intimidating enough without the instinctive knowledge that there was something wild about him. Something dark.
"Caroline," he greeted, holding out his hand, and she reached to shake it.
"Hi," she said softly, and he gestured for her to sit down on the bench , sinking down beside her and giving her a sympathetic smile. "Thanks for coming."
Tyler shrugged. "Kol was pretty fucked up after he and Klaus weren't allowed to talk anymore. Kind of still is, actually. He asked me to help when he heard."
"Oh," she said weakly. "Well, thanks."
"Yeah. Anyway, I know where they're being held," he said quietly. "I have a guy who was working for the aurors undercover but ended up getting sent there to be a guard. I can get in contact with him to let you in."
"Really? That would be great," Caroline said, her heart pounding.
"Well, that's the thing though. He can let you in, but he can't blow his cover. He'll leave a door slightly open and he'll tell me which one it is, but after you're inside you're on your own. If anyone sees you, you're screwed."
"Got it," Caroline said. "Do you know what they're doing to them?" she asked hesitantly, and Tyler looked at her for a few seconds before nodding.
"Yeah, I mean, I have a general idea."
"What?"
"Are you sure you want to know?"
"Yes."
"They're essentially all in solitary confinement," he said slowly. "They'll be fed enough to keep them alive, but the plan seems to be to weaken them over time. I'm almost positive that they're trying to develop a cure, but I don't know how serious they are about it. There are a lot of people who...Well, who would rather see all of us wiped out instead of cured. I'm not sure which way they're going to go yet."
Caroline felt her heart sink, nausea filling her chest and throat as she imagined Klaus, starving and alone, feeling helpless and angry...What if they did experiments on him? Were the guards bigoted enough to beat him up because they wouldn't be held accountable for it? What if they were hurting him even as she sat at the park doing nothing.
She gritted her teeth, deciding that she'd get him out of there, no matter what it took. "What do you have that can help me?"
"I have Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder, which you can use if you get in trouble," Tyler said, pulling out a small velvet bag and pressing it into her hand. "This jar has some stabilized erumpet horn. It's incredibly dangerous, but if you get in serious danger, you can throw it at your attacker and the jar will break, creating an explosion. I wouldn't recommend using it unless it's an emergency, obviously."
"Okay. Thank you."
He nodded before pulling out a small vial of potion, the liquid silver and sparkling. "This is an invisibility elixir. They're very rare because of the ingredients, but I managed to get some off of a contact I have in Boston. Take it and it'll give you invisibility for about five minutes. It's only enough for one person though."
"Thank you."
"Do you know where you're running?"
"Running?" Caroline asked, frowning.
"Well you're not going to stay here, are you?"
Caroline hesitated. "I don't know."
"Well, I can set you up with new identities if you want."
"Really? You'd do that?"
"Yeah," he said uncomfortably, the conversation clearly getting too mushy for him.
"How much for all of this?" she asked, reaching into her purse, and Tyler grabbed her wrist, shaking his head.
"You couldn't afford this unless you had a trust fund. A big one," he said bluntly. "I need a favor and it's all yours."
"Anything," she said immediately. "What do you need?"
He grinned. "It's a favor in the bank. That's how this business works, Caroline. Someday I'm going to give you a call, and you'll owe me. Do you think you can handle that?"
She nodded. For Klaus, she would do pretty much anything.
XXX
"...AMN has just been informed that, effective immediately, one thousand dragots will be awarded to any individual bringing a lycanthrope to their local Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Remember, lycanthropes are dangerous, so approach at your own risk. Stunning spells and minor jinxes to subdue the lycanthrope are permitted, but use of lethal force is strongly discouraged. Rewards may be collected at the Magical Treasury with proof of delivery..."
XXX
Klaus, again, felt disoriented when he woke, his body laid on a thin mattress. Was he in prison? Or had they sent him where all the other werewolves were going?
"These are your government-funded living quarters," a voice drawled, and Klaus looked up to see what was clearly a guard leaning against the doorway, twirling his wand in his hand, though he pushed off the wall once he saw Klaus was listening. "Your meals will be brought to you. If you hadn't tried to escape back there you could have been able to go outside during the day with an escort, but you did, so you can't."
Klaus fought back a growl.
"As you can see, this room has an empty bookshelf, and you're welcome to rent from the small library if you wish. There's a room there that's fit to hold you during your transformations, and it locks from the outside. You'll be required to comply with being put there during full moons or face legal consequences. You're already on thin ice for the escape attempt, so I wouldn't bother pushing it."
Klaus felt anger and a sick feeling of helplessness hit him like a punch to the gut as he processed what was going on. It wasn't as though he'd expected five-star accommodations (or even mediocre ones), but he hadn't thought that they'd be locking them up in what were essentially glorified prison cells.
Apparently, though, they were.
"And how long will I have to be here?" he asked, trying not to let his anger bleed through his voice (though he suspected he wasn't doing a very good job).
"All of you will be staying here until it's decided by the authorities that your kind are fit to return to civilized society."
His kind? Civilized society?
"I searched you and saw you didn't have a phone, but just so you know in case you get any ideas, for your safety and the safety of the other...tenants...you cannot contact anyone. Your family will be informed that you're safe in a government-controlled facility."
He fought down a bitter laugh. His family...As though they cared. His adoptive father was probably celebrating.
The only one he cared about knowing was Caroline, and he had no doubt that she had already figured out exactly what was going on.
"Fine."
The guard nodded, his jaw setting as though expected Klaus to react aggressively, and he growled something about making himself comfortable before he got up to leave. Klaus lunged at him, despite his muscles aching, but the guard just laughed, waving his wand and shooting a stinging spell, making Klaus stumble as the man left, his keys jingling as he took them off his belt, the lock clicking audibly behind him when he shut the door.
Klaus slumped down on the bed, exhausted by the events of the day, a large red welt blooming on his arm where the stinging spell had hit.
He'd never felt so helpless. Not when his father was insulting him in front of the family, not when he'd been kicked out of the house...
His mind was racing as he considered how he could get out of there, but he decided he wouldn't be any good when he was too tired to think. He rolled over and fell asleep, hoping that he could think of some way to escape when he woke.
XXX
"...AMN Exclusive: A large group of peaceful student protesters that opposes the detainment and exile of lycanthropes has been arrested, though most were released after only a few hours. The President of Magical Congress strongly discourages protests due to the possibility of escalation into violence..."
XXX
He had no idea how long he'd been in the facility.
There was no clock and no windows, and the only marker of time he had was when the food was delivered by a guard who refused to talk to him. He'd had eight meals so far, so he assumed he was on day three.
He sometimes heard the murmur of voices, and had gathered that, though he was clearly considered dangerous and in solitary confinement other people were not. He knew that the guards probably now considered him dangerous, and he wished he hadn't been so aggressive, if only because it would have given him a better chance to escape.
He wondered where Caroline was, how she was doing. Was she all right? Was she upset? Did she miss him? He hoped she wasn't coming to find him, hoped she wouldn't do something reckless...
All the more reason to get out as soon as possible. The faster he saved himself, the less time Caroline would have to make some no-doubt overly complicated plan, complete with laminated diagrams, to free him, regardless of the danger she'd put herself in.
He'd been trying to figure out the best way to escape, and he figured that if he could somehow steal a guard's wand while keeping him silent, he'd be able to stun him and get out. The problem was that he had no idea how to execute it, and he'd spent quite a bit of time thinking about it.
He got his opportunity when the guard came to collect the dirty dishes from his last meal. The man came in and Klaus jumped to tackle him to the ground, pressing a palm over the man's mouth to muffle his yells and wrestling with him to find his wand. Once he had it, he tried to shoot a stunning spell but the guard punched him in the nose, Klaus was too tired and starved to move fast enough to dodge.
He was momentarily blinded by pain, and the guard put him in a full body bind spell, levitating him.
"You shouldn't have done that," the guard said darkly, and Klaus could only move his eyes, his entire body frozen, but as they descended down a large set of stone steps, he knew he should dread whatever was at the bottom.
XXX
"...Effective immediately, a bounty of one thousand five-hundred dragots is placed on the following list of non-apprehended werewolves. These individuals are extremely dangerous. Be cautious when approaching. Monetary compensation is halved if the werewolf is dead. Rewards may be collected at the Magical Treasury with proof of delivery..."
XXX
Caroline took a deep breath and let it out slowly, lingering on the edge of the property that supposedly held all of the werewolves. She held the vial of invisibility elixir tightly in her fist, the pouch of powder attached to her belt, the jar containing the preserved erumpet horn in her other. She'd been given a specific set of instructions by Tyler, and she checked her watch, determined to follow them exactly.
She waited until the clock changed to indicate it was two in the morning before she crossed the border, moving quickly across the grass to one of the back doors of the large concrete building. It was slightly ajar, as Tyler had promised it would be, and she slipped inside, swallowing the invisibility elixir and sticking it back in her pocket. Once it wore off she could disillusion herself, but for now, this was the best option to find Klaus.
Caroline walked to the main room, and she overheard some guards talking in the next room. She paused to listen, hoping they would give her a bit of insight into where Klaus might be, and her instincts paid off.
"The politician's bastard son tried to escape again today," one of them said, and Caroline felt her blood boil at their description of Klaus. "He's in the basement, but someone will need to check on him soon. You know, to make sure he's alive."
Caroline choked back a sob, running down the stairs as fast as she could while still being quiet. She saw a few doors, all wooden with a small window to look through, bars filling them to prevent escape.
The first two were empty, but she saw Klaus in the third one, and her breath caught when she saw his injuries. His shirt was torn into shreds, blood-crusted wounds across his abdomen prominent against his pale skin. She wouldn't be surprised if he had a cracked rib or two. He had a black eye and a bloody nose (possibly broken), one of his fingers clearly twisted the wrong way, and he was unconscious, though one of his wrists was shackled to the wall.
"Alohamora," she whispered, tapping the doorknob and pulling the door open once the lock clicked, rushing to Klaus's side. "Klaus, can you hear me?"
"Caroline?" he asked blearily, moving slightly, and she put a hand on his shoulder.
"Shh, it's me. Don't move. You're hurt."
"I hadn't noticed," he ground out, and she almost laughed.
Almost.
"How did you get here?" he asked as she tapped the manacle holding his wrist. It clicked open, and he pulled his hand away gingerly, shaking it out and wincing.
"No time," she said quietly as she ran the tip of her wand over his abdomen to try to set his ribs back into place, Klaus stuffing his fist in his mouth to prevent him from crying out in pain. She healed his minor wounds, his finger clicking back into place with a sharp crack, making them both wince, and his nose healing as well. She would have to wait until later to heal the black eye. It wasn't a serious injury, and it would take too much time to take care of right then.
"Come on, we have to go," she said, helping him to his feet and disillusioning both of them, grabbing wildly to hold onto his arm as he stumbled, handing him the velvet bag of Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder, briefly explaining what it was. "Hold it, and you can pour it out of the bag if we need a distraction. Can you walk?"
"Yes," he said quietly.
She dragged her hand down his arm to grasp his hand as soon as she felt like he was stable enough to walk by himself, and he laced his fingers through hers, squeezing her hand reassuringly as they walked up the stairs.
"Ready?" she whispered as they arrived to the main room, four guards standing in a corner talking while another leaned against the wall next to the entrance reading a book.
"Yes, love."
They began to move to the door, but as Caroline suspected they would, one of the guards noticed something moving and shot a spell at them.
"Protego," Caroline shouted, waving her wand, and the spells bounced away to hit the walls, chunks of plaster exploding away.
She heard Klaus fumbling one-handed with the drawstrings on the pouch as Caroline shot stunners at the guards, only managing to take one down before she had to pull them both to the ground to avoid getting hit.
Klaus managed to release the powder, and they both ran in the direction they thought the door was. They stumbled through it into the night, fingers still linked together, and as they ran down the field, Caroline heard shouts behind them. She looked around to see at least twenty people in auror robes running behind them, and she urged Klaus to run faster, fumbling in her purse for the jar containing the erumpet horn just in case.
The guards started throwing spells, and that's when Caroline knew she had to act. She threw the jar as hard as she could at the ground, far enough away from them that they wouldn't be affected, but hopefully not close enough to the guards to kill them.
They continued to run as the ground exploded behind them, and once they were out of the gate, and past the border of the apparition wards, Caroline turned to him and grabbed his face in her palms, pulling him down to press her lips to his. Their kisses were rough and biting, both of them having been waiting so long for this moment, the adrenaline of the escape pounding inside of them, and Caroline gasped as Klaus sank his teeth into her bottom lip, his hands moving to cup her ass as he pulled her flush against him.
There were more yells as the dust from the explosion began to settle, and Caroline pulled away from him, her breathing ragged. She wound her hands in the ripped remains of Klaus's shirt, and they disappeared with a sharp crack, the guard's spells hitting the air they left behind.
XXX
"...Breaking News! The AMN has been told to announce that a werewolf has escaped from the holding community in northern Idaho. Witnesses say that they saw a blonde woman in her early to mid twenties lurking around the edge of the town before the incident. The identity of the werewolf has not been made public. Nonetheless, if you live in the area, please be aware that this dangerous individual has escaped, and be on your guard. If you have any information you would like to volunteer about these criminals, you may call this anonymous tipline at..."
XXX
They reappeared at their apartment, where Caroline had packed up all of their things (or at least the ones that counted) into a purse that she'd enchanted with an Undetectable Extension Charm. She'd apparently gathered herself after what he considered the most mind-blowing kiss he'd ever had and was pulling out some potions from the cabinet, shoving a blood replenishing potion and a pepper-up potion into his hand.
She gave him the evil eye until he downed them, and he scowled at the taste. She explained to him that they needed to leave, and he nodded. "Yes, I suppose that we can't stay here. Where are we going?"
"I bought airplane tickets to Toronto. We'll have to live as Non-Mags for a while, but I managed to get us citizenship. Don't ask how, because it was super illegal."
"They'll find us if they can look in the records."
"I changed our names," she said. "We're now Candice and Joseph Morgan. We're married, by the way. Sorry about that, but it made it easier."
"Don't apologize, love."
She smiled a bit shyly before clearing her throat and pressing on. "I converted all of my money to Canadian currency from the Gringotts branch here, and you know the Goblins, they won't say anything. You could probably do your account once we get there. I haven't found an apartment or a job yet, but-"
"Caroline, relax, all right?" he said quietly, grabbing her shoulder. "Everything's going to be fine."
She gave him a brilliant smile and grabbed his hand. "Okay."
"And thank you," he said seriously, looking her in the eye. "You didn't have to come for me."
"Of course I did," she said immediately, her eyes shining with honesty, standing on her toes to kiss him again. He almost got lost in it, almost let it consume him, but she broke away, smiling. "So, ready?"
"As I'll ever be."
They apparated away with a sharp crack, appearing in the parking garage of the airport. Getting through security was easy, despite Caroline's clear anxiety, and when they were finally seated on the plane she took a deep breath, looking out the window, her hands twisting nervously. He grabbed her palm, twisting his fingers through hers.
"Everything is going to be fine," he said quietly, and she nodded, laying her head on his shoulder.
It was such an intimate gesture, and he felt warmth bloom in his chest, the feeling of her hair against his skin oddly comforting, and he savored the scent of her.
Caroline slept for most of the flight, most likely worn out from the rescue mission. He knew that he was tired as well, but the pepper-up potion would keep him awake for awhile. He could sleep when they got there, he decided, and he sketched with one hand, trying not to wake her.
When they landed a little less than two hours later, Caroline stirred against him, her eyes opening blearily. "Hey," she said, her voice dry from sleep.
"Good morning, love."
They got off the plane, and Caroline shivered as they walked outside. He reached in his pocket for his wand to put a warming charm on her before realizing that he didn't have it, and he put an arm around her instead. She seemed to follow his thought process and pressed herself against him. "We'll get you a new one."
He nodded jerkily, and she pulled him into a hug. "Come on, let's get away from here so we can apparate."
They were soon checked into a small hotel, and Caroline had immediately changed into her pajamas and curled up on the bed. Klaus followed, pulling her against him and burying his nose in her hair. It had been so little time since he'd last saw her, but he'd missed her voice, her laugh, the way she looked at him, and he was probably holding her too tightly, but she didn't comment, simply curling into him, her breathing soon turning even as she slept.
He drifted off as well, and he woke in the late afternoon, stretching and turning back to bury his face in the pillow when he heard the shower running. Caroline came out a few minutes later, a towel wrapped tightly around her body, her blonde hair dripping on her shoulders, and he wasn't sure he'd ever seen anything more beautiful. She watched him with knowing eyes, a small smile on her face, and he pulled himself out of bed, kissing her on the cheek, smiling as she blushed at the unexpected gesture. "Good morning."
"Afternoon," she corrected with a small smile. "You should take a shower and then we'll talk about what we're doing."
"All right," he said agreeably. He left the door slightly open, needing to be able to hear that she was still there while he showered, and he listened to her hum to herself as the keyboard of her magical laptop clicked, most likely looking up apartments or job offerings.
He showered as quickly as he could, coming out to see Caroline curled in bed with the computer on her lap, only in one of his shirts and some boy shorts. The grey fabric of his henley was stained with water from her hair, and she was biting her lip, her brows furrowed in concentration.
There was something unbearably tempting about seeing her in his clothes. He'd craved her for so long, had watched as she went through a few boyfriends, held her while she cried, spent hours upon hours thinking about how she'd look if she wanted him as much as he did her.
Now he knew that she did.
How long had she wanted him? How much time had they wasted?
She looked up when he walked in, smiling and closing her laptop, setting it on the side table. She seemed to notice the way he was looking at her, because she hugged herself, fiddling with the fabric of his shirt between her fingers.
"Sorry, they're just really comfortable."
"May I ask when you made that discovery?"
"Nope," she said firmly.
He grinned, and she scowled back, though he could tell that she was fighting down a smile.
"So, I have a few ideas about where to go from here," she started, abruptly trailing off when he let the towel drop, swallowing audibly. "What are you doing?"
"I was going to get dressed," he said slowly, enjoying how she blushed, though she hadn't looked away, eyeing his body hungrily.
She seemed to shake herself. "Sure," she said, gesturing vaguely to the bag on the floor. "Anyway, I was thinking that we could go to Gringotts today to get the money transferred to a Non-Mag bank and to get you a wand. Hopefully they haven't managed to circulate our pictures yet. Then we can look at apartments and stuff."
"Sounds good, love," he said, pulling on jeans and a shirt before walking to sit next to her on the bed.
"Great."
He slung an arm around her shoulders, pulling her to him, unable to get enough of touching her, of feeling her warmth next to him.
"So, I also wanted to talk about something else," she said slowly, and he felt a bad feeling build in the pit of his stomach at her hesitant tone.
"What's that?"
"When you called...Like, before you got captured. What were you about to say?"
"I think you know very well what I was about to say, sweetheart."
"Klaus..."
"I was saying that I loved you," he said uncomfortably, looking at her out of the corner of his eye.
"Okay, good. I love you too," Caroline said happily, moving to kiss his cheek. "I just wanted to make sure."
"And here I thought that I was being unbearably obvious," he said grumpily, though he felt like his entire body was light, his head spinning from Caroline's casual declaration.
I love you too...
"No. I thought you were over me, actually," she admitted, shrugging. "I was like, 100% sure I missed my chance."
Well, he couldn't have that.
"I've wanted you for ages," he said quietly, and she gave him a brilliant smile.
"Yeah?"
"Of course."
They stared at each other for what felt like the longest seconds of his life, and her eyes flicked down to his lips and back to look at him, her breath hitching just the slightest bit. He had no idea who moved first, but her soft lips were suddenly touching his, her kisses slow and drugging.
The adrenaline-fueled kiss they'd shared when they were running from his prison had been frenzied and rough, their mouths clashing in a tangle of tongue, lips, and teeth, but this was different.
She let her mouth fall open with a soft moan, and he ran his tongue along the seam of her lips, tasting her, and she drew him in, sucking lightly on his tongue. He groaned, his cock twitching, and she hooked a leg over his hip, pressing herself against him.
He ran his hands down her sides, his fingers dipping under the waistband of her shorts before moving down to grip her hips, rolling on his back and pulling her on top of him. She molded to him perfectly, every curve of her pressed against his body, and she ground her core against the growing bulge in his jeans with a moan, the sound muffled by his lips.
She pulled away, her breathing ragged, and he reached up to tuck her hair over her shoulder, just wanting to see her face. Her pupils were dilated with lust, her cheeks flushed red, lips swollen from his kisses, and he flipped them over and bent to kiss her again before pulling away, moving down to settle between her legs.
He fingered the hem of the henley she was wearing before looking up. "Take it off," he said, his voice quiet but firm, and she did as he asked, the cloth falling to the floor. He bent to kiss her stomach, right above the waistband of her shorts, his tongue darting out to flick against her bellybutton. She squirmed, and he smiled against her skin as he saw her tangle her fingers in the sheets, a soft moan escaping her lips.
He brushed his fingertips against her abdomen before bending to scrape his teeth along her skin, and she watched him as he soothed the bites with hot, open-mouthed kisses.
He took his time, his mouth savoring every inch of her, and she was practically quivering with need when he finally reached her breasts, dragging his tongue along the underside of one of them, and her hips jerked as she gasped, making him smile.
Every soft moan and pant of his name that he coaxed from her made him want her more, and he closed his lips around one of her nipples, sucking lightly before tugging at it with his teeth, watching her back arch as she moaned his name.
"I want you so bad," she said, her voice strained, and he smirked, moving to kiss her again, cupping her breasts in his hands and rolling her nipples between his fingers until she was moaning into his mouth, her legs locked around his waist as she rolled her hips to find friction.
He groaned as she ground her center against the bulge in his jeans, his cock aching for her touch, and she broke away from him, reaching between them to unfasten his jeans, impatiently pushing them down.
He kicked them off, the rest of his clothes following, but he grabbed her wrists as she reached to touch him, pinning them to the mattress on either side of her body as he kissed his way back down her stomach. "I want to taste you first," he mumbled against her skin.
"Klaus..."
He smiled as he cupped her arse, lifting her hips slightly to press open-mouthed kisses to her inner thighs, nipping the sensitive skin as he moved closer to her center. She moaned, and he looked up at her to see her eyes scrunched tight, lips slightly parted with pleasure as he rubbed her clit through the lace of her knickers.
"You're so beautiful like this, love. I love how you look spread open for me, the way that you shake under my touch."
He tugged the lace down her legs, tossing it away, and she swore as he pushed her thighs back and bent to drag his tongue along her opening, his cock aching with the need for friction, but needing to taste her more. He pressed his tongue inside of her, groaning as her hips jerked against his mouth, and watched as her eyes glazed from the pleasure of it, her back arching as she tried to rub against his face. He moved to swirl his tongue around her clit in fast, rhythmic strokes, and she sobbed out his name as he pressed two fingers inside of her, curling them against her walls, moving them until he found her g-spot. She clenched around him when he pressed against it, sobbing out his name as he fingerfucked her, his tongue still tracing circles against her clit.
"God, Klaus...I need...Right there," she panted, and he felt the sheets grow taut beneath him as she tugged at them, needing to hold onto something. "I'm so close."
He sucked lightly on her clit, and she shattered against him, clenching around his fingers. He watched as she came apart, her eyes rolling to the back of her head, gasping out his name over and over as she writhed against his tongue.
She slumped against the mattress, moaning softly as he kissed his way back up her body, pressing his tongue into her mouth to let her taste herself.
"That was amazing," she gasped out with glazed eyes, and he smiled at her, bending to kiss her again.
She reached between them to wrap her hand around his cock, and he groaned into her mouth, pulling away to bury his face in her neck. "Fuck, Caroline..."
She laughed quietly, stroking him firmly, her thumb brushing over the tip of him, and he couldn't help but buck against her palm.
He felt her shift underneath him, and he groaned as his cock brushed against her wet entrance, Caroline's breath hitching. "I need you inside of me," she panted, positioning him at her entrance, and they both moaned as he filled her.
She was so fucking wet, so hot and tight, and god he'd never felt anything like this, anything like her.
He began to move, watching her as she twisted underneath him, panting for him to fuck her harder, and when she lifted her hips slightly, he took the hint, cupping her arse to find a better angle. She panted his name as she clawed at the sheets, her pussy clenching around his cock as she writhed beneath him.
He squeezed her arse, his fingernails digging into her skin, and she moaned loudly, her back arching. "Do you like that, love?" he asked with a smug grin, bending to nip and suck at her neck.
"Yeah. Do it again," she said, moaning as he obeyed, clenching around him.
"I love the way you moan for me, sweetheart," he said, his voice low and husky, and she shivered, making him smile. "I've been imagining you like this for ages, Caroline, all wet and desperate for me, writhing beneath me as I fuck you..."
"Klaus," she moaned, her fingers unwinding from the sheets to dig into his back, the pleasurable pain of the scraping against his skin making him shudder.
"Do you like the way I fuck you, Caroline? Have you been imagining the way I'd feel inside of you?"
She nodded, her eyes closed, small moans escaping her as she lifted her hips to match his thrusts, her entire body shaking with the pleasure of it.
"I'm so close," she panted, and Klaus moved faster, hitting her g-spot with every thrust, his fingernails digging into the flesh of her arse as he pulled her against him.
"Come for me, sweetheart," he panted, close to his release but needing to see her fall apart for him again. "I want to watch your face as you come around my cock."
She came moments later, writhing beneath him as he fucked her through her release, and it wasn't long before he came inside of her, their breathing ragged, bodies spent and sated.
XXX
"American Magical News Headquarters has just been informed that the werewolf that escaped is named Klaus Mikaelson, and is considered to be extremely dangerous. He is accompanied by a young blonde woman, suspected to be Caroline Forbes, previously a trauma healer at the Baltimore Wizarding Hospital. Any individual who captures the criminals and delivers either or both of them to their local law enforcement will receive ten thousand dragots for each. Wanted dead or alive..."
Please let me know what you guys thought! This was really difficult to write, and I'd love some feedback :)
Thank you!
-Angie