And here it is, folks! After ages (again), enjoy!

The poll is still up, feel free to vote for the story to be updated :D


Chapter 16: Magic


"I'm not sure I understand this game, after all." Simone commented in a small voice, rising to her feet along with the rest of the crowd so that she could see the action on the field better. One of the players, number eleven, had been knocked to the ground by another one of the boys, number 37, also in red.

"That's…. not exactly how it's supposed to be played…" Commented Rory, also on her feet and squinting at the field, as the crowd cheered for the point.

"Perhaps it was an accident?" Asked Harley, rising onto her tiptoes because she was the shortest in the group as she attempted to see the field over the standing spectators, as well.

"As if." Rory huffed. "Jackson did that on purpose." She dropped back down to her seat, crossing her legs. "Assface wants to play the whole game on his own." She hissed, rolling her eyes. Simone waited for a moment, watching as the commotion on the field cleared, before she, too, sat down. The point was called, and the game continued.

"So, you're supposed to tackle the other team's player?" She asked, following the ball with interest as it flew from player to player once again.

"Only if he has the ball." Piped up Harley, before she jumped on her feet once again to cheer rather loudly.

"And only from the front or from the side." Rory leaned over, yelling to be heard despite the cheering. "Also, you can't hit the head or the legs." She motioned to them on her body. "Though, Jackson is just a douche."

"And, you're supposed to pass to all of the team members, no?" Simone asked as the ball once again went completely around number 11 of the red team, despite the fact that he was free.

"What the hell are they doing?!" Yelled Harley, obviously frustrated with the situation. "Pass McCall the goddamned ball!" She screamed, hands flying around in anger and disbelief. Rory gave Simone a meaningful look, rolling her eyes pointedly.

"This is what it's like here at Beacon Hills." She commented in a dull tone. "The popular get more popular and the uncool clean up after them." She pulled out her cellphone, as if she'd lost interest in the game.

"What the heck are you checking your phone for?" Harley complained when she sat back down, frustrated. She peered over to see the screen. "Are those wrestling results?"

But, Simone didn't hear the biting response of their skateboarding friend.

It had happened in a second, like a rush of adrenaline settling her whole body on fire and she wasn't in control anymore. She'd left the lacrosse field behind. The feeling reminded her of the time her father had insisted they go to a nearby State Fair as a family. He'd taken her onto a ride which was like a double axe, people sitting in the blade, which swung back and forth before making it a full circle. Simone could still remember that feeling to the day.

The breathless feeling of weightlessness.

It was as you stared down at the ground, from such a height, that made your heart race and your hands grip the holding bars on their own, on pure instinct. And now, sitting in the chattering crowd as the point was called in the Beacon High lacrosse game, Simone watched the players, feeling like she was flipped upside down, staring at Death straight into the eyes.

The thrum of her magic in the back of her head got stronger and she felt the power at her fingertips. This, of course, made her grip the edges of her jacket with even more force. If any stray magic, no matter how small, got out of her now, she would be completely exposed. But, despite the fact that she was trying to calm down, she could feel the bead of sweat slowly running down the side of her face.

Her blood was like fire.

Tonight's the Esbat ritual, don't forget. Dan's voice rang through her mind and Simone felt like she should slap herself. She'd always felt more at peace at night, but, during the full moon, where everything was whole and when every kind of magic was welcome, her own power would react to everything. For a time after the Esbat, she'd normally felt like her magical senses were in overdrive, even back at home, where she hadn't been allowed to participate in the ritual.

That brought her to another dilemma.

What was her magic reacting to almost a week after the full moon?

Simone took yet another deep breath and tried to focus on the field. Slowly, the chattering and cheering of the crowd returned in full volume. The thrumming of her blood and magic through her body became a dull hum in the back of her head and she blinked. Rory's and Harley's bickering was right next to her once more, and not miles away. She could see the players on the field once again, not just the fast movements of the stray magic in the air.

A whistle sounded and the players were running once more.

Simone followed them with her eyes, but she wasn't processing what was happening or focusing on them. No, she was using the rawest application of her magic – the one that she was the most skilled at. She was attempting to feel out who exactly, on or off the field, had made her react in such a way.

A scream tore through the crowd and everyone was on their feet.

Well, mostly everyone. Rory was sitting with a frown on her face, her phone sitting in her hand uselessly. Simone bent over, evading the overly excited Harley.

"What happened?" She asked, her voice a bit tight.

"McCall just scored." Rory replied.

"That's a good thing, right?" Simone frowned now, confused once again.

"Yeah." Rory agreed. "Our point." And she didn't elaborate, causing the young witch to feel like she was prodding. Simone chose to, instead stand up and attempt to see what was going on.

"A point!" Harley squealed as soon as the other girl was in her earshot. "We got a point!" The black teen grabbed her new friend, squeezing her and jumping up and down. "Go Scotty!" She was yelling. And it was not moments later, just after Simone had managed to get Harley to sit, that everyone was jumping once more, screaming McCall's name.

Simone felt it again.

The surge of magic through her blood, like her veins were live wires. Harley was pulling both her and Rory up, ignoring the protests of the other girl, screaming and jumping in joy. She didn't allow them to sit down, but forced them to climb onto the bench and cheer 'Go Scott!' with her. The pressure in Simone's body was rising to unimaginable levels and she could practically feel the magic on her fingertips. She begged herself to hold out just a tad longer and not let it loose right then and there. Especially not with Harley waving their hands in the air, yelling.

Another whistle sounded, signaling the end of the match.

They had won.

A couple of things happened in that very same moment. Harley screamed out even louder, if that was possible, pulling the girls with her towards the field. The crowd rushed to greet the players. The coach was yelling out in joy. Their team was celebrating and jumping about in the field. Simone's control slipped. One of the tall, broad floodlights burst, every single light bulb on the pole going out.

The crowd screamed, running to avoid the small shards of glass and Simone was pulled away from it, as well. However, the celebration didn't stop. The joy of winning the game was more important than a little bit of malfunction with the lights. But, the young witch couldn't make herself relax.

She could still feel the rage of magic in her blood.

"I'm going to the bathroom!" She yelled to an unimpressed-looking Rory over the cheer of the crowd that was singing the school song with the players. The skater girl only rolled her eyes, but Simone knew that she'd been heard. As soon as she cleared the edge of the crowd, the young witch tightened the grip on her jacket sleeves, and closed her eyes for a second.

The field vanished, taking the sounds of the cheering with it.

There were only particles of magic around her, raw and untouchable, as they floated about. Simone could feel the familiar hum of the Lighthouse Inn, where it was thick with Eve's protection spells. She could hear a buzz of a nearby coven, their magic thick during a meeting, as they cast their chants. But, they were miles away. However, there was something much closer which she could feel.

Something wild, raging and bloodthirsty was in the school.

Simone opened her eyes, a new kind of determination inside of them now. She headed for the building, fully intending on finding out what that magic was. While she had familiarized herself with the ways of the Forrester witches and warlocks, who were neutral, she had found a loophole in their rules. Thou shalt not harmeth oth'rs, unless harmed themselves. She had the right to be curious, and she could defend herself as long as she wasn't the first to attack, or at risk of exposing her nature.

The school was almost pitch black, but Simone didn't need lights.

She didn't close her eyes this time, which made her searching much weaker, but, she managed to locate the direction of the magic. It was a yellow, violent and almost feral kind of thing, which swirled and warned you not to come close. Simone took the first left down the corridor, careful to be as silent as possible.

A roar came from the direction she was heading in, making her freeze in her steps.

She took a small breath, trying to calm both herself and the magic in her veins. It was pulsing so hard now, right in the front of her head, like it was warning her not to do anything rash. She would most definitely be having a headache later on. Her legs shaking a bit, Simone began walking towards the source of the yellow magic once again. The empty, dark hallways seemed to do nothing to ease her fears. And she was plenty afraid.

As she closed in on the boys' locker rooms, she finally managed to pinpoint the magic. Then, it slowly began fading, like it was almost calming down. Simone didn't think this time. Later on, she actually wondered what she would've done if she had come upon the source of that wild magic. But, in her curiosity, she ran forwards, only to collide with another body and fall right on her butt.

"Ow." The other person, clearly a boy, groaned. "Would you watch where you're go- Oh my God! Are you alright?" And then, her heart still racing, Simone was being pulled up to her feet fairly gently by a pair of clammy hands. "Are you alright? I didn't hurt you, did I?" The boy was rattling off a mile in a minute. "I'm really sorry, I didn't see you. I'm in a hurry. I should've watched where I was going. A-are you ok?" He finally settled on, checking her over.

"I-I'm fine." Simone managed to squeak out through her embarrassment and red cheeks. She had slammed full force right into Stiles Stilinski, the Sheriff's son. Even in the dark, she had immediately known it was him, as soon as he'd started rambling in that, quite unique, way of his. "I should've watched where I was going…" She whispered to him.

"Oh, no. No." He waved his arms. "No. It was my fault entirely. Not yours. You know, watching, hand-eye coordination, lacrosse… Well, you know." She really didn't. "Fancy meeting you here…What are you doing here?" He finally said, as if realizing that he was rambling.

"Looking for the bathroom?" That wasn't meant to sound like a question, Simone berated herself. She felt her cheeks further color at the obvious lie. Though, something seemed to shift in an instant and mild panic returned to Stiles' face.

"That way." He pointed, turning her around by the shoulders and pushing her the way she'd come from. "The bathroom is definitely that way." He repeated. "Not here. There aren't any bathrooms near the lockers rooms. Why would there be?" He shrugged, and she could see him squint at the sheer stupidity of that sentence, but Simone decided to spare them both the further embarrassment.

"Thank you." She said, walking away.

"Yeah, yeah, that way! Definitely!" And then, the boy was gone from the corridor. Simone stood still for a moment, contemplating if she should ignore his advice and continue with her own agenda. She closed her eyes, letting her magic flow freely. However, there was nothing wild there, close by, causing her blood to burn. Clicking her tongue in disappointment, the girl opened her eyes and continued back towards the field and her friends.

Next time, she would be quicker.


Simone gathered the gardening supplies and placed them into the large water bucket she'd brought with her. She stood, brushing off her overalls and wiping the sweat from her brow with a smile. It was a wonderful Sunday morning and she'd spent it working in the garden. Most of the herbs which she'd wanted to plant were available, either at the local flower shop or at Eve's garden. All in all, she mostly had all of them placed where she wanted them. Now, it was only the wait until spring, when some of the herbs should bloom and summer, when others needed to be sown. She didn't doubt that she would soon have her own, perfect witch's garden.

"C'mon, Minuit." The girl called to her cat. The white feline turned its head to her, gazing at her with interest. However, as Simone left for the old, creaky gate, it returned to one last round of chasing the critter it had been playing with. The witch stopped in the doorway, watching her familiar play. If she didn't know what he was, she would've thought him a regular cat, playing with the local insects.

But, Simone knew better.

She took a small breath, calling to the dull thrum of magic in the back of her head. It came to her almost easily, like speaking or moving a limb. In a sense, her magic was a part of her – almost a limb. The daily spells Eve had had her doing were obviously helping with her control. For the first time in a few weeks, Simone remembered her mother and the adamant way the woman would forbid the use of magic in the house. She grit her teeth, her blood burning just a bit hotter with her power.

Minuit instantly reacted.

He dropped the critter, head whipping to look at his mistress, before he hurriedly headed over to her. It was only after he started rubbing his body around her legs that Simone unclenched her fist, suddenly aware of her rage. She took yet another breath, trying to tune out the drum in her head.

"Let's go get some breakfast." Simone entered the Lighthouse through the back gardens. That part of the inn was off-limits to the guests, which meant that she was free to roam as she wished. Also, they could all make little shows of their magic, as long as none of them were seen. Simone was a bit too anxious to do that.

She'd seen Dan twirling around small firecrackers and fireworks from the tips of his fingertips as if he was simply juggling tennis balls. He looked so relaxed while doing that, as if it was something that came completely naturally. Perhaps that was what was wrong with her. Her mother had always made her hide her gift, like some form of freakish ability, while she could've allowed her to embrace the magic instead. Then, perhaps, Simone would've been like Dan, too. She wouldn't tell you, but she went green with envy every time she saw him using a spell.

The teen witch took off her gardening shoes and put away her supplies before walking onto the wooden patio barefoot. Minuit was following her, matching her pace easily. He seemed eager to get some food, as well. Simone entered the Lighthouse and headed for her room first. After a quick change of clothing, she was ready to make some breakfast.

"Morning." Dan greeted her when she re-entered the kitchen from his spot on the couch. He was lounging, flipping through channels on the TV without using the remote.

"Should you be doing that?" Simone asked with a raised eyebrow before she could stop herself. Thinking of her mother and the numerous restrictions the woman had forced into her life had her a bit too livid to think. Instantly, she felt her cheeks color.

"Feisty." Dan almost hissed, looking at her upside down by putting his head over the edge of the couch. "The Meyers left yesterday, we have no guests." He snapped his fingers at the TV, shutting it off. "We can freely enchant whatever we wish." He jumped to his feet and walked over to where Simone was getting her breakfast. "Speaking of magic, shall we play a bit of scrabble?"

"Mhm." The girl agreed, bringing her sandwich with her to the table. Now, we all know how to play scrabble. But, this was a different kind of game. It was a thing passed down the generations of the Forresters, and Eve was pretty sure that her great-grandmother had started the game while teaching at the local Wizarding school. The whole scrabble set, with both words and the board, were enchanted to welcome young magic users.

No words other than real enchantments could be used, and making a mistake in the spelling would backfire on you with a nasty spell. Simone had seen Dan sporting donkey ears for a couple of hours the last time he and Eve had played it. She hadn't participated back then, though, she felt that she could try it now. She simply needed to be careful.

Magically changing the letters you had at hand was allowed, though, that would also change the leftover letters automatically. Sometimes, the spells on the board would also switch themselves, making the game much more difficult. Altogether, it was a perfect way to both practice magic and learn new spells. Minuit finished his meal rather quickly, and settled himself on the table next to the scrabble, watching the game with mild interest.

It was a few hours, and ridiculous spells, later, that the doorbell rang out loudly. Simone jumped to her feet, before turning to Dan and motioning with her hands to her throat in silence.

"What?" He asked. "Oh, right." He got up and grabbed a piece of paper. A murmured spell and a burnt paper later, she wasn't squawking like a duck every time she spoke anymore. The witch rushed to the door. She opened it, a little worried that the person in front may have left already. Though, when she did pull the door open, there was a man standing on the doorstep, waiting.

He was fairly tall, much taller than her, and dressed in dark clothing. There was something familiar about him, but Simone couldn't quite place it. His eyes were sharp, green in color, and staring her down. The look in his eyes made her stand a bit taller, adopting an almost glare on her own face.

"How may I help you?" Simone asked in a clipped tone, surprised by how much animosity she was feeling. The man blinked, the moment of tension between them broken. His stance relaxed.

"Is Eve home?" His voice was deep, almost like a growl.

"No, she isn't." Dan had arrived to the door, too, towering over the young witch. He leaned onto the doorframe casually, but Simone wasn't fooled. Every single part of his being was alert, trained on the man on the stairs. "What do you want?" The warlock asked.

"To talk to Eve." The man retorted with equal bite to his tone. "When will she be back?" He wanted to know, not giving up.

"Don't know." Replied Dan with an easy grin. He seemed smug about something. "Why don't you take a walk until she does, hmm?" Smirked the warlock. The man on the stairs walked away with not as much as a goodbye, getting into his dark Camaro and driving away. Dan grumbled something about fixing a protection spell under his breath. "C'mon, let's get back to our game." He dragged the witch back inside.


Simone hadn't planned on snooping.

She'd woken up in the middle of the night with a gasp, like she usually did during a dreamwalk. It had been the same old story. She'd walked in the woods, barefoot, pure, beautiful. Then, she would meet that same doe, the one with the wise, caramel eyes, which knew everything about her. And then, then she would meet her end and undoing at the bright beacon of light.

She'd woken when Minuit had jumped onto her chest, purring and nudging his head against her cheek. The familiar feel of his soft fur had instantly calmed her and the young witch had decided to get a glass of water. Barefoot, still in only her nightwear, she'd slipped out of her room, slowly closing the doors so that they wouldn't creak. And then, her little white cat in tow, she'd descended the stairs and headed for the kitchen. After getting a glass of water and calming her heart even more, the teen had decided to head back upstairs, hoping to get enough sleep before school.

That's when she'd heard them.

"He was here?" Eve's voice came from her study, through the thick, wooden doors left ajar. Simone had never entered there. It hadn't been her place. The teen witch slowly walked over to it, crouching as close to the gap as she dared. Her heart was beating quickly once more, afraid of being disovered.

"Yes." Dan's voice replied, completely serious. "He caught me by surprise. The kid opened the door for him. I didn't think-" Something slammed onto a surface.

"Exactly!" Eve hissed. Simone could hear her bangles jingling. She was probably waving her arms about. "You don't think! Don't you remember what happened the last time you were careless? How heavy was the price you paid? Are you ready to pay another one like that?"

A surge of magic came from the gap in the door, along with a blistering heat. Simone felt like she was standing a bit too close to the sun. There was silence for a few moments before something clattered to the floor.

"Don't you dare speak of that again." Dan's voice was even, but the teen could tell that he was positively livid.

"I'm sorry, Danny boy." Eve whispered to him and Simone moved closer to the gap of the door, heart beating wildly at the prospect of possibly getting caught. She held her breath. "I didn't mean that. I didn't mean any of it. I know how heavy that weight is. My precious Danny boy." The bangles jingled. "I'm so sorry. Do you forgive me?"

"Of course I do." Dan replied in a small voice, suddenly sounding less like a powerful and handsome warlock that Simone had come accustomed to seeing around the Inn. He seemed like a young boy, terrified for some reason, and simply seeking comfort of a parent. "It was my fault he came so close."

"What's done is done." Replied Eve in a decisive tone. "Gather the supplies and we will straighten the protection spells around the house. Tomorrow, I will pay him a visit."

"Yes, Eve." Simone scrambled up as quickly and as silently as she could, rushing towards the stairs. For once, she was glad that she'd gone barefoot. Footsteps sounded in the hallway just as she managed to reach the middle of the stairs and the young witch crouched, huddling in the shadows as hidden as she could be. Her heart was in her throat now.

"Absconde." She whispered as quietly as she could, hoping that the spell worked.

Dan's tall form appeared in the hallway and he gathered his bag and shoes. Then, more light spilled into the space as Eve had obviously opened the tall doors of the study.

"Daniel." The warlock turned and Simone sucked in a frightened breath, thinking that he'd seen her in the middle of the shadows of the staircase. "Whatever happens, I do not want the girl mixed up in this werewolf mess. Do you understand me?"

"I've got it." Dan nodded. "I'll be sure to keep her away from Derek Hale."

And Simone knew, despite the frantic beating of her heart, that she had a starting point to her mystery.

Werewolves and Derek Hale.


That's all for today, folks!

Some facts, if you're curious:

- Simone knows a lot about law, because of her father's job
- Rory enjoys watching all sorts of martial arts
- Zack's worst subject is PE


Onto the reviews!

FriendlyNeighborhoodHufflepuff: Definitely watch at least something Frankenstein related.. It is an amazing story :) Hope that you've enjoyed the chapter!

Tarerin: Hi! Hi… Hi…. Woah. I love you dude. xD Thank you so much for the very long review! I enjoyed reading it tremendously!
I'm happy to have had you guessing about the directions that the fic could take, because I do so every time I type the next chapter xD I actually have three possible paths at all times xD

Love your analogy about Simone and her inner bunny xD Hopefully, her character development will live up to the hype :) I was hoping to stand out a tad in the sea of overpowered and all-knowing OCs of the TW fandom xD

I'm so happy that Rory is on your good side :D She's a bit of a bitch, but, I think that Simone really needs someone like that – in order to push her. On the other hand, the witch is a perfect friend for Rory, as the girl really needs to get a moral compass xD We'll see how their friendship develops, especially if Rory learns that Simone is a witch. (Love the Aladdin idea, though!)

Eve and Dan… I'm not getting into that xD I promise that it will be more fun to read about them later on! :D Glad that you're doubting them, though. Since, Simone obviously is :D

Ah, I feel you about the magic… That was definitely an issue when I began writing… Though, I think I've worked out the kinks of limiting it :D Stay tuned :P

I know what you mean about my ANs, as they do tend to be a bit long.. Though, all of my chapters are 4k words.. I'm not sure if I noted that anywhere? I suppose that the long ANs are a bad habit.. I just want for everyone to be able to see the reply to any review at any given time (as the reviews can be seen). Though, maybe that's just what I want to be able to see when looking at other stories?
Sorry for disappointing you with the smaller amount of writing than showed :(

Hopefully, you enjoyed the new chapter! I'm looking forward to hearing from you again :D


Thank you everyone for reading!