Okay, so to begin I've previously posted this on Wattpad under a different username, but it's the same story. It got a big response on that site so I figured I'd post it here as well.

Oh, and I own no part of Harry Potter or The Vampire Diaries because if I did then Hermione would have ended up with Harry and Klaroline would have been canon.

***

The war was over.

It was all over.

No more looming threats of Death Eaters or Lord Voldemort. Wizards were finally free; free of fear of falling victim to the Dark Lord and his followers. There was celebration in the masses, similar to the ones that took place almost seventeen years prior. Wizards were reveling in the demise of Voldemort, praising the Chosen One, Harry Potter, for being the one to defeat him.

Adelaide Renner was not one of those people. No, she was grieving the loss of her parents. They had been gravely injured during the Battle of Hogwarts only to be sentenced to Azkaban shortly after. Followers, they were. Would willingly die for the cause they so firmly believed. A cause that the majority deemed wrong.

Though she was a Slytherin and born into a pure-blood family, Adelaide didn't believe in the cause as deeply as the rest. She had little problems with half-bloods or Muggle-borns. Not as if she would voice it aloud. Her family, close to the Malfoys, another Pureblood Muggle-hating family, were avid believers. Her best friend, Draco Malfoy, constantly belittled them and spoke about blood superiority.

Her best friend who had involuntarily become a Death Eater. He couldn't hide it from her. He couldn't hide anything from her. She had noticed the bags under his eyes, the fatigue, the jitters. She had followed him one day to the Room of Requirement. He had been attempting to repair a Vanishing Cabinet. One with a twin in Borgin and Burkes.

Yet she had stood by him.

He was her friend and she wasn't going to leave him.

Even if she had fought on the Light Side in the War. She was there.

And when her seventeenth birthday had arrived, she took the Mark herself, if only to help Draco and her parents in their struggles.

And when, after weeks, the trials had ended, she had been there when his fate hung in the balance. Every day at the trials, she had provided her silent support. Draco had never had someone there for him in all his life so she took it upon herself. And she tried.

She had stayed at his house all throughout the months that followed, watching out for both him and his mother. He hadn't complained once.

It was then she told him.

She had been wanting to do so for awhile. Everything was set. The house had been bought and furnished. The supplies she needed to brew any potions were bought. All that was needed for a witch to live in the Muggle world was in order. The one thing missing was her.

Adelaide had been prepared to tell him as soon as the trials were over to see if he would be sentenced to Azkaban or not. And when it was declared that he wouldn't, she hesitated still. How could she leave her best friend in the midst of all that? Few months had passed when she finally did.

And it didn't go as she expected.

Draco was upset, yes. That was a given, but he was understanding. It scared her, no doubt, yet she knew they both did some growing up over the last year alone. She had promised to visit and made him offers to visit her as well. That was it.

Which brought her to the small, idyllic town of Mystic Falls, Virginia. It held the certain picture perfect sense of the peaceful, nothing ever happens town. So far, the only restaurant, and only actual place worth going to, was the Mystic Grill. It reminded her of The Three Broomsticks in a way. Warm atmosphere and friendly people. However, she doubted she could order a butterbeer there.

All around town there were flyers for an event, Founders Day, in a couple of days held in the town square. There was supposed to be the works, but she didn't bother. She had more than enough excitement in her life to last a few more years. Instead, she chose to study those around her. Living in the spotlight for the better part of seven years taught her more about behavior than anyone else. The little mannerisms that told more than words. And she learned a lot as she sat at a near obscure table in the corner.

At the bar, there was a raven-haired man, handsome and arrogant from the way he carried himself. He seemed to do a lot of drinking, usually with another man a few years older than him. The other man was mainly annoyed with his drinking partner. They weren't exactly friends, but they didn't hate each other either. There was a mutual understanding between them. Drink together, talk from time to time, but they weren't chummy. Not uncommon.

There was a billiards table near the back. A young boy, tall for his age, was playing. He was cute enough with his shaggy hair, but a sea of sadness surrounded him. He recently lost somebody close to him, she guessed, but he was moving on. That much was obvious by the way he smiled at the pretty girl who joined him. Yes, he was moving on.

A couple would either join the boy or the men at the bar. Friends, most likely. Sometimes two other girls joined them, but they mostly sat separately. From what Adelaide saw, they were friends on the rocks. Similar to what she'd seen so many times at Hogwarts.

"Oh, I'm gonna have fun here," she whispered under her breath, which caught the attention of the dark haired man at the bar. Surely he couldn't have heard her, but he was staring right at her. She arched a brow in a silent challenge and he stood. The man beside him looked at him questioningly, but then followed his friend's gaze to her.

"What do we have here?" The raven-haired man sent her a tantalizing smirk as he sat down across from her. "You're new."

She tilted her head just so. "And the day is Friday." At his unmoved expression, she smiled mockingly. He wasn't amused. "Oh, I'm sorry. I thought we were stating the obvious."

"Let me try again. What are you doing in town?" All traces of humor were gone.

"Currently, or in general?" she asked. He didn't waver. Sighing, she answered, "Fresh start. That's all. And I'm guessing from your sunny disposition that you're the welcome wagon."

"In a way."

Adelaide smiled. "Well, it was a pleasure meeting you, but I'm afraid I must go." She opened her purse and pulled out a twenty, dropping the bill on the table, more than enough to cover her three drinks. "We most certainly should not do this again. Goodbye." She felt his eyes on her as she walked away.

The man, Alaric, joined Damon, who was more or less glaring at the girl as she exited the Grill. "Who was that? Another tomb vampire?"

"No. I don't recognize her. But I'll find out who she is," he promised. "We can't exactly have a new interest with the tomb vamps and John Gilbert running around."

"And if she's nobody?"

"She has to be someone."

-

"Timsy!" Adelaide stood in the dilapidated greenhouse behind the home she had bought. And the place was just that - a complete mess. A loud crack went off right beside her. She turned and saw the house-elf wringing its left ear. "I want you to clean this place up. It had better be spotless by tonight. Understood?"

"Yes, Mistress," said the house-elf. "Timsy clean for Mistress."

"Good. Now, get on with it." She left the house-elf there while she went back inside the house. It was a hard habit to break. All her life, she saw her family be rude to house-elves as they ordered them about. It was the way of the high society. She, too, took part in it, unable to help herself. Though, there were times when she was polite to the ghastly creatures. Not many, but they were there.

The house itself was vastly different from her family home in London. Aside from the smaller size, it possessed a certain charm that wasn't present in her old home. The respectable two-story, four bedroom house was right on the border to the woods. It was a fading yet still bright white color. The wraparound porch was coated in dark paint, jet black. Some of the paint was chipped, but it still held character.

Surrounding the property was a magical barrier. She had wasted no time in placing protective spells around her house. An impenetrable shield covered the property as a whole. None could enter the without her knowing nor who meant her harm. No spells or hexes could penetrate, bouncing off the barrier. She was well protected.

Adelaide went to the den on the first floor that she had converted into a library. There were shelves full of books that she had brought from her family's home, ranging from legal to illegal, varying from history books to spell books. She had to continue her studies somehow. Her last year had been a flop. She may have been third in class, glumly sitting below Granger and Draco, but she had rarely attended class throughout the seven - well, six and a half years. Therefore, books were all she needed.

She grabbed the last book she was reading from the back shelf. Marauding with Monsters. It was an embarrassment, she knew. The man was a fraud; nothing more than a pretty face and an empty mind. But the books, the men who had really executed the travels, were at least somewhat interesting. Opening the book to the page she marked, she began reading.

Her golden speckled Kneazle, Royalty, padded in, humming in content. She nuzzled against Adelaide's leg, purring for her attention, but she was met with light nudge to go away. Insulted, Royalty hissed and stalked off.

"Stupid animal," muttered Adelaide with a smirk, tucking her legs under one another.

-

Jenna, Elena, and Jeremy entered the Lockwood Mansion. There were people everywhere, all there to pay their respects. Jenna looked over at Jeremy, worried that he'd build his walls back up at any given moment. But he was looking around the place, seemingly normal.

"Looks like the whole town has turned out," said Jenna.

"Yeah, well, he is - was the mayor," Elena corrected.

Jeremy somewhat frowned mixed with a grimace. "Why don't they save it for the funeral?"

"That's what people do. The Lockwoods were here for us when we went through this." Jenna gently placed a hand on his arm, offering him a soft smile. "It'll be quick. We'll drop off the food, pay our respects, and go."

He nodded. "In and out? Sounds like a plan."

Elena saw Damon off to the side, walking up to an unfamiliar girl. She waited before going up to him, but close enough to overhear. He called out to her, reaching a hand out. The girl turned gracefully, wavy hair whipping in the air.

"I didn't expect to see you here," he said, tone full of suspicion.

She smiled innocently. "I heard he was the mayor and thought it wise to pay my respects. It's awful losing a man you look up to. Isn't it?"

"Wouldn't know," he said bitterly. "We didn't get a chance to properly introduce ourselves the other day. I'm Damon Salvatore."

"Pleasure to meet you, Salvatore," she said politely. "I trust you understand me not wanting to tell you my name. Yes? However, I believe you will learn it in time."

"I take it you're used to people knowing who you are," he commented with a smirk.

Adelaide laughed. It was such a beautiful sound. "Well, if you knew where I came from, you'd understand." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Elena eavesdropping. "I must be going. It seems you have company. Good day, Salvatore."

Elena walked up as soon as she left. "Who was that you were talking to?"

"I have no idea."

Adelaide glanced back at Salvatore. He was currently talking to a brunette, seemingly upset but playing it off. He was something else. In a way, he reminded her of Draco with that arrogance and swagger that he so proudly displayed to all. But there was also a deep sense of living in the moral gray.

As she turned back around, she collided into a hard body. A pair of strong arms caught her, her hands immediately gripping his biceps. She blinked up at the man. A very handsome man. The scruff he had only added to that. He set her right on her feet, hesitating a few seconds before letting go, fingers lingering on her bare arms longer than necessary.

"I am so sorry," she said, blushing. "I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."

The man chuckled. "It's no problem. It happens." He held out his hand with a charming smile. "I'm Mason Lockwood."

"Adelaide Renner." She paused, small hand engulfed in his large one. "Lockwood? Oh, Merlin! Your brother was the mayor? I am terribly sorry for your loss."

Mason studied her. The expression she used was strange, one he'd never heard before. Granted, she was something he'd never seen before. The genuineness in her tone as she expressed her condolences startled him. All who knew Richard Lockwood knew that he wasn't a kind man. Polite and kind in front of the people, but everyone knew he was a dick. Except for her.

"Uh, thank you," he said. "We weren't exactly close, but..."

"Well, that's no excuse. He was your brother. You have a right to feel sad whether you were close or not." Adelaide placed her hand on his arm, gripping it lightly. "I don't have any siblings, myself, but I think if I did, I'd mourn them whether we were close or not."

He nodded, taking all she said in. Then he saw Tyler slip into his father's office. "I appreciate it, Adelaide. Really."

"You're welcome, Lockwood." She sent him a sorrowful smile before leaving. She was done socializing for the day. In and out was what she had promised herself.

-

Adelaide poked at her salad, frowning at the cherry tomatoes. She usually gave the scraps to Royalty, but the Grill seemed like a place that frowned upon Kneazles. So she pushed them to the side of her bowl. The Grill was surprisingly busy considering it was nearing night. Though, that was probably why it was busy.

She didn't seen any familiar faces, not that she was expecting to. The two people she knew in town were Salvatore and Lockwood. One was a complete wanker, and the other lost a brother, respectively. But when she saw Lockwood enter the restaurant and head straight to the bar, she rethought it. He should've been with family, not drinking alone at the bar.

He ordered a drink and scoured the place, landing on her table. She offered a wave. He picked up his drink and walked over to her. Adelaide smiled brightly as he sat down across from her. "Hey, Adelaide."

"Lockwood," she greeted. The smile grew when he didn't waver at her using his surname. That was good. In her world, first names were for those who were trusted.

"So, I feel like an idiot for barely noticing," he began, leaning forward on his elbows. "But you're British. Definitely not from around here."

Adelaide laughed, the room seemingly lighting up at the sound. "I'm Welsh, actually. I moved here about a week ago from Abergele. It's in Northern Wales," she added when he appeared confused.

"How do you go from a place like that to Mystic Falls?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"I wanted a fresh start, and this seemed as picturesque as home." And it was, if not smaller. But her family had tended to stay within the confines of their manor and rarely interacted with the surrounding Muggles that lived in the countryside village, preferring the magical community of Cardiff.

Mason bit his tongue. He knew it was anything but. "Well, I hope you like it here," he offered instead.

"So do I."

"There's a carnival tomorrow night at the school. You interested?"

Adelaide smirked. "Are you asking me out, or are you just being a good friend?"

He chuckled, bringing his head down. "Being a good friend. No worries."

"Good." She took out a pen from her purse and used the napkin on the table. It took her a second as she struggled to remember the number to the mobile she had acquired. She had never used one before, let alone owned one. Electronics had no use in the Wizarding world. But she learned a way to keep the magic and technology from cancelling each other out. She slid over the napkin to him with a smile. "I must be going, but give me a call, I just might answer."

"Somewhere to be?" he asked, tucking the napkin in the pocket of his jeans.

"I run in the mornings," she answered, dropping a twenty on the table. "If I don't get enough sleep, I'm absolutely dead in the morning."

Lockwood met her as she stood, not quite prepared to say bye. "You know, me and my nephew are going running tomorrow. You should join us. It'll be perfect."

"I doubt you two could keep up with me," she teased.

He grinned wolfishly. "You'd be surprised."

"Hmm. Challenge accepted."