I'm so so sorry! I never intended to take more than a month to upload this chapter but in between my mid-term exams (this is my last semester of university so the workload is insane) and some personal issues, I didn't have time to finish writing this chapter. But, better late than never, right? On that note, thank you so much for all your reviews, favorites and follows. All of them cheered me up these last few weeks and motivated me to finish writing this chapter.
Oh, right, before you read this new chapter, for those of you that remember very well how the events of TVD played in canon, you should take into consideration how Aria's actions have affected the timeline in the present: She saved Stefan and Caroline from Mason and explained that the attack wasn't personal, so Damon didn't have any reason to go against Mason, especially because he and Stefan were focused on gaining Aria's help. And because that didn't happen, none of the events of the picnic happen, i.e., Mason didn't tell the sheriff that Damon and Stefan were vampires, so Caroline wasn't forced to reveal herself to her mom or spend time with the rest of the gang.
Anyway, I hope that was clear and that you'll like this new chapter.
P.S. Stay safe! Stay positive! Stay strong!
CHAPTER IV
NOTHING IS LIKE IT SEEMS AT FIRST GLANCE
England, 1492 A.D.
"No. No! You can't add ashwinder eggs, brother!" Ingrid protested, trying – and failing – to take said eggs out of her brother's hands. "It's going to ruin the potion!"
"It's going to be just fine, sister." Kol insisted, smirking in her direction when she was forced to jump in an effort to reach his raised arm. "Who is the expert here?"
"Me" she declared confidently, smirking right back at him "Or do you not remember that some magical communities believe I'm the greatest witch in existence?"
"Please, sister, that's nothing" he scoffed, brown eyes glistening with amusement "Those same communities believe I'm the greatest potion master in the history of the world…. And, considering we're debating adding an ingredient to a potion we're inventing, I'm clearly the superior expert here."
"Perhaps." she conceded, shrugging. Because she wasn't going to deny that, out the two of them, he was the one with the superior potion-making abilities. "But I'm better at the arithmancy behind the potions and we both have been working together on this for the last decade. So, I believe I've enough credibility to argue your decision to add ashwinder eggs…. Because, I'm telling you, brother, that it's going to mess up the careful balance we've created so far."
"Or is going to be the breakthrough we've been looking for." Kol argued, his dark brown eyes shining with the same kind of fierce determination and passion she distinctly remembered from their childhood days, when they practiced magic together. And, at that moment, it was almost palpable how much he loved this, having the ability to practice a branch of magic that he could do on his own.
Finding she was actually a wand-wielding witch – never mind that she hadn't known there were different kinds of witches before they'd met the founders of Hogwarts – had brought a lot of consequences for them all. But, if there was one thing she would always be grateful for, it was the joy and wonder that revelation had brought on Kol.
After learning about the existence of another kind of witches and wizards – and all the other magical creatures – her brother had thrown himself to learn everything that there was to know about wand-wielding magic alongside with her. Together, just like when they were children, they'd learned spells, curses, and the history of her – their – people. Together, they'd gone over all the differences between wiccan and wand-wielding magic, marveling over the fact that, when you were a wand-wielder, your only true limit was your imagination. And, together, they'd learned that, while he would never be able to actively use his magic again, Kol could still be a part of the magical community.
He could still belong to the world of magic.
First, it'd been because he was a magical creature – an original vampire – and that carried a lot of weight on the magical circles, especially after the vampire race started to grow. Then, it'd been because, as the years passed by and she kept sharing daily the feeling of her magic with him, Kol had slowly developed the ability to feel all the magic around him. His ability had developed to the point that it didn't matter if the source of the magic came from someone – like her – or a specific place – like their warded homes; Kol was able to constantly feel the thrumming and humming of all the magic around him, almost like when he was a warlock. And finally, it'd been because they'd learned that potion making didn't require active use of magic so Kol was perfectly capable of creating magical potions. And, like everything else related to magic, her brother had proved himself to be quite the prodigy on that particular subject, creating and perfecting potions with ability and creativity that had amazed everyone, including old and experienced potion masters from all around the world.
And, as the decades passed by and her brother found a place of his own in the magical community, his old and deep wounds, caused by his sudden and unwanted loss of wiccan magic, had started to heal, allowing Kol to accept himself again. To love himself again. To be happy with himself again.
And this, the fierceness in his eyes and the passion in his words, were proof of that.
"Fine" Ingrid caved, seeing how serious he was about this. "Let's hope it doesn't blow up in our faces." But, just in case, she took out her wand.
"That's the spirit" Kol agreed, delighted, as he dropped the eggs in the potion.
As if they were one, both of them got their faces closer to the smoking cauldron, not wanting to miss anything.
For a moment, it seemed like nothing had happened. The potion kept brewing on, gurgling the same dark blue it'd been before, the same color they had been trying to change for the last year. But then, abruptly, the color started to change, going lighter and lighter at an incredible pace. Until, finally, it settled into the translucent color they'd been trying to achieve all this time.
"Dear Merlin-"
"I told you-"
Their voices trailed off when the potion started to bubble up as its texture, light and almost indistinguishable from water, quickly turned thick and dense. What was worse, it started to emit a very rancid odor, which was never a good sign and was the only warning they got before the whole potion – cauldron included – exploded.
They moved in synchrony just as the blast started. She lifted her arm and shouted "Protego!" while Kol flashed towards her in an effort to protect her with his body just in case, putting her safety above his like always. Luckily, the magical shield closed up around them a second before the first blast reached them, keeping them perfectly safe. Sadly, the same could not have been said for the rest of the room. The explosion was so powerful it sent boiling potion mixed with pieces of cauldron everywhere, from the floor to the ceiling and to the walls. And, when the moment passed, the whole room was a mess of big proportions. Not to mention that their ten years' worth of study and research were now painting the walls of their private laboratory.
However, none of that mattered. Not really. Because, for a second there, the eggs had achieved their purpose. For a second, they'd got the perfect balance they'd been looking for. For a second, it'd been perfect. And, if it'd happened for a second, then it could be replicated and improved until perfect lasted forever. And the beaming smiles in both of their faces reflected that.
"Did you see-?"
"-It was working, so we need a stabilizer-"
"-Perhaps changing the dose of-?"
"-And maybe adding a bit-"
"-That's perfect. We'll need-"
"-But we already have all the extra ingredients except-"
"-That's okay, we can ask for it in an owl-service-"
They kept tossing ideas back and forth, understanding the other's line of reasoning in a way that most people outside their family found eerie. It was in the way they knew what exactly the other wanted to say before they finished speaking, and sometimes even before the thought was fully formed in the other's head. It was uncanny and freakishly accurate, to the point that some wizards and witches had thought, more than once, that they were actually reading each other's mind.
But magic wasn't involved in any way on this.
For them, it was a part of who they were, as easy and natural as breathing. They knew each other so well – sometimes better than they themselves and had been that way for so long now – that talking wasn't even necessary. Most of the time, a long look and a few subtle gestures were enough to understand what was going in the other's mind.
That was why Ingrid instantly knew something was up when Kol's voice abruptly dropped as his brow furrowed. And, judging by the way he cocked his head slightly to the side, she knew he was listening to something that was making him increasingly furious.
"I don't care if I upset Finn and Elijah's sensibilities, I'm going to chop off her legs." he said, body tensed with barely contained fury "I'm going to enjoy torturing her to the brink of death…. Nik can't get mad at me if I don't kill her for real."
Ingrid raised her eyebrows, very surprised at the heat in his words. Since the doppelgänger had moved in with them three days before, forcing them to play the role of a perfectly normal – and no magical in any way – human family, Kol had wasted no time to complain or say some variation of the same threats when the girl wasn't in close proximity. But this was the first time that her brother actually meant what he was saying.
Kol was truly furious.
"What has she done?"
"She's here, sister." Kol hissed, glaring towards the door, his body all but vibrating with his wrath "That insignificant human wench has dared to come here."
Oh.
Oh, Merlin.
"I'll handle it" Ingrid said firmly, putting a hand on his arm in an effort to anchor him, soothing his explosive temper before it blew off and he could go to kill the essential ingredient for breaking Nik's curse. "You stay here and keep working on the potion. I'll deal with the girl."
His jaw clenched as he forced himself to ponder the pros and cons of dealing himself with the doppelgänger. Because she knew he knew that if he went out there at that moment – when he was so furious – there was almost zero possibility that the human girl would survive. A moment later, he nodded with a scowl, turning his back on the door and re-focusing his attention on their potion.
Ingrid wasted no time in exiting their lab and seek for Tatia's look-alike. As she walked, she could feel her magic building inside of her, ready to snap at any minute, and she was forced to stop and take a few calming breaths, reminding herself why it was a bad idea to let loose her magic on Katerina.
She'd tried to temper down her ire for Kol's benefit, knowing she needed to calm him down before his temper exploded but, truthfully, she was just as furious as he was. The family wing was off-limits for all but their house-elves, Rose-Marie – as her personal maid – and Trevor – as the captain of their vampire guard – and even the last two were forbidden to go to some parts of it. After all, this part of their castle was their sanctuary, the place where their bedrooms were, as well as the family study and their respective personals offices. This part of their home was private. And nobody but family should be free to roam these halls.
Katerina Petrova had no right to be there.
"What are you doing here?" she demanded when she rounded the corner and found Katerina standing in front of one of her favorite paintings. Her voice sounding sharp and irked even by her own ears. "This is the family wing."
The girl turned towards her, her face breaking into a surprised and demure smile that was the perfect representation of charming innocence. But Ingrid wasn't fooled for a second. She'd lived long enough to recognize when someone was using a mask. And Katerina most certainly was.
"Milady" she curtsied, still smiling demurely "Forgive my intrusion. I was exploring the castle alone and I got lost… I didn't know this was the family wing."
Ingrid didn't need to enter into the girl's head to know it was a lie. A good lie, delivered with the perfect expression, but a lie nonetheless. And, under normal circumstances, Katerina would have paid for not only trespassing into their private space but also for daring to lie to her face about it. However, this wasn't a normal circumstance and Ingrid was curious enough about the girl's intentions to play along on her games. "Oh? I thought you were supposed to be spending the afternoon with Trevor?" she asked innocently, even as she raised an eyebrow in silent challenge. 'Go on' her emerald eyes said 'Try to keep up with your lie'.
Nothing but a quick flash of surprise and uneasiness in Katerina's eyes betrayed her, and Ingrid could admit to being slightly impressed by it. It was rare to find a normal human with such good control over their emotions. Especially because it was only her centuries of experience playing this kind of games that allowed Ingrid to see through the pretty and almost perfect mask of the doppelgänger.
"Trevor was called off to finish some of his duties, milady" Katerina answered smoothly after a long second "So I ended up touring the castle by myself"
"Dear Lord, that's completely unacceptable." she said, feigning indignation on the girl's behalf. "As your host, please let me give you a proper tour… We shall start with the gardens."
"Oh, I couldn't possibly impose you, milady." Katerina denied, her voice was courteous and her smile was demure but there was no mistaking the defiance in her eyes to submit at her wishes.
"Please. I insist." she said pointedly, her smile and words were friendly but her voice carried the weight of the authority she wielded as the Lady of the house.
Katerina's defiance lasted a few seconds longer than she expected but, like most people did when she used that tone, her shoulders finally dropped and her gaze went to the ground. "In that case, I would be honored, milady." She said sounding meek and yet, her feet remained firmly rooted on their spot. "But… before we go to the gardens, I would like to ask you about this painting…"
Ingrid didn't need to turn around to know what painting she was talking about. She knew their castle, and especially this wing, like it was the back of her hand, to the point that she could probably name everything that was on it with her eyes closed. So she simply titled her head to the side as she examined the girl's expression, trying to find any kind of maliciousness but she couldn't see anything besides open curiosity. So, she nodded her head in consent, lifting an expectant eyebrow in a silent demand for the girl to finish her question.
"Who painted it?" Katerina asked in a hushed whisper, her eyes wide and expectant "Don't get me wrong, milady. It's so beautiful and awe-inspiring that it took my breath away… but it's also very improper. Was Lord Niklaus upset with you when they painted you that way?"
She couldn't stop the loud laughter that bubbled up from her throat, deeply amused by the question. Maybe it was because that specific painting wasn't even the most scandalous piece of art in which she featured in; not when Nik had gone through an artistic nude phase and she'd been his favorite muse. Or maybe it was because she couldn't phantom the idea of that specific painting being improper in any way; not after seeing how the conception of art had changed through the ages. Or it was simply ridiculous to think that Nik would ever be upset with her if someone else painted her in any sort of scandalous way; because, if anything, her husband would focus his wrath on the artist.
But there was something even funnier about Katerina's question.
"Nik was the painter" she revealed, enjoying Katerina's astonishment "This piece was a gift for our first anniversary."
It was close enough from the truth. The painting had actually been a gift for their one-hundredth anniversary of marriage and it'd been inspired on a real moment that had happened in their early years after the immortality spell had been cast.
It'd happened after their family left Scotland and started touring through the Roman Empire. One night, Ingrid and Niklaus had decided to go on a walk through the beach in front of their villa. Back then, the open ocean had been still a wonder and novelty, so she'd chosen to go barefoot wearing a flimsy white nightgown, so she could enjoy the feel of the sea breeze on her skin and the soft sand on her feet. Then, out of nowhere, stars had started to fall, illuminating the night sky in a way that, even centuries later, it was impossible to forget. She remembered how she'd laughed out loud in delight and, without a second thought, she'd run into the ocean, ignoring the cold of the water as she closed her eyes and sent a wish for their eternal happiness to whoever was willing to listen. 'Make a wish, Nik!' she'd called with a big smile, half-turning towards him as she extended a hand to him in an open invitation for him to join her in the water. But her husband had stood still on the seashore, hands tucked on his pockets as he smiled at her in adoration. 'I already got my wish' he'd said, winking at her.
On the painting, she was submerged in the ocean from her waist down and the semi-wet upper side of her nightgown let little to the imagination about her figure. She was half-turned towards the painter, hand extended and inviting, as she laughed in a way that made her look almost divine. And, in the background, the night sky was filled with falling stars.
It was a truly breathtaking picture.
But that wasn't the reason why she always put that painting on display in one of the hallways of the family wings of the different homes they'd had over the decades. The real reason why it was the meaning – the promise – it held for Niklaus and her.
"That's a wonderful gift, milady" Katerina praised, even if her expression betrayed her surprise "I didn't know Lord Niklaus was such a talented artist."
Ingrid nodded with a smile, proud. "Nik has always been a gifted artist, even when he was very young."
"Oh, of course…. I almost forgot you've known the Mikaelson family since infancy, milady. Lord Elijah has told me all about it."
"Elijah has told you about our childhood days?" Ingrid asked, the curious tone of her voice not betraying how unsettled she felt with the idea of her older brother spending time with the doppelgänger.
Of course, she knew it made sense given how the rest of them had gone out of their way to avoid spending time with the girl. In the short time since Katerina had moved in with them, Finn had found a ridiculous amount of reasons to spend all his time in the villages around their castle. Rebekah had actually fled to London under the absurd excuse of getting them all a new wardrobe for the night of the full moon. Nik had fully immersed himself in the search of a werewolf for the sacrifice, even when there were dozens of vampires under his command that could have done it. And Kol and Ingrid had all but locked themselves in their laboratory, trying to complete the creation of a potion that, up until a few days before, they'd not been in any rush to finish. So, it made perfect sense that Elijah, always the noblest by nature, had decided to take upon himself the task of spending time with the girl. But she still felt uneasy with the idea of her big brother forcing himself to spend time with the girl who shared the same face, voice, and body of his first love, especially because Katerina's presence was a living reminder of the tragic end of said love.
"Yes, Lord Elijah has shared with me about your lives." Katerina confirmed, looking entirely too pleased with herself "And I've to confess to being invidious of you, milady. Lord Elijah has told me how Lord Niklaus and you fell in love with each other when you were young… To be lucky enough to find love so easy… I wish I'd shared the same luck."
Ingrid snorted, shaking her head at the absurd notion of love that the girl had on her head. She wasn't sure why, but Katerina's words rattled her more than she cared to admit.
"No true love is easy. Because if it was, it wouldn't be worthy." Ingrid declared fiercely, holding the girl's gaze with her own as she tried to impart her this truth. "True love, the one that lasts forever, it's always complicated…. Love is war. Because it is filled with endless battles that will force you to sacrifice things you held dear and make compromise about things you didn't think mattered. And to win those battles you'll need to fight with everything in you but also learn when to retreat or surrender… But, even more importantly, Love is a war you can never win on your own. Because if the person you love doesn't fight for you with the same intensity that you do for them, if the other person isn't willing to sacrifice and compromise, if they don't give their all for you… then you'll never truly win the war."
She paused, taking a deep breath as she forced the memories of everything she and Nik had gone through – especially before the immortality spell – to the back of her mind.
"Love is also peace" Ingrid admitted softly "Because in between battles there will always be moments of silence that are charged with meaning. Peace is the feeling of home, security, and comfort that is inspired by the mere presence of the person you love… Love is peace because a love story isn't only composed of moments that are exciting and action-packed; it's also composed of moments that are ordinary and common… And those moments are just as wonderful as any other because what truly matters is that you're spending time with the person you love by your side."
Ingrid turned her head towards the painting, analyzing every detail of it as she remembered the promise her husband had made her the day he'd gifted her that painting. The promise that made this painting so special for her. 'Beatitudo aeterna sunt vos' – You are eternal happiness – A promise Niklaus had made to her and she had returned. A promise that symbolized the love they shared and what it meant for them.
"Love is happiness." She said at last "It's a feeling of warmth, contentment, and elation that's impossible to explain but it's all-consuming and everlasting…. However, love is only happiness as long as the person you love is happy. Because, as long as they are happy, it won't matter if they're romantically involved with someone else or if they're far away from you. As long as they exist in this world with you, safe and happy, you'll find the way to be happy too." Ingrid smiled, turning towards the human girl "Love is a complicated mess, Katerina… But that's the beauty of it."
The doppelgänger was pale, staring at her wide-eyed and visibly stunned. And even if Ingrid found her confounded expression funny, she wasn't about to stop long enough to let her recover, passing up this perfect opportunity to finally accomplish what she wanted.
"Now, I think we've been loitering around here long enough." Ingrid said firmly, linking her arm through the girl's "Let me show you the gardens. They're truly splendid this time of the year…" And, without giving her any time to react, she all but forced Katerina to start walking out of the family wing.
&&&/04/&&&
Aria took a look at Ron's face and sighed, already knowing what he was going to say. "You didn't find anything either."
Through the mirror, it was all too easy to see the tension lines on his face as well as the disappointed glint on his eyes. "I couldn't find anything either." Ron concurred, sounding a little self-deprecating "I went through every bloody legal and illegal channel in this side of the pond and I couldn't find anything."
"It's not your fault" she reassured him.
"Maybe" He conceded with a sigh after a long moment "But this was our last option and I failed… And that means we still don't know anything about her."
"Then we'll another way" she declared, firmly "Like we always do."
"Exactly" Neville agreed immediately, his face set on an all too familiar determinate expression "We'd beaten worse odds… We'll find something."
"Of course, we'll do... But, to be honest, I still find it a little insulting that the ministry's archive doesn't have any information on Katherine Pierce." Hermione chimed in, almost pouting. Her reflection in the mirror shaking a little as she moved her hands in clear aggravation. "Its first records on known-vampires are dated centuries before Statute and she isn't mentioned anywhere!"
Neville, Ron, and Aria couldn't help but exchanged amused smirks at that. Because of course, out of everything, Hermione would take personal the lack of information on the Ministry's archive. After all, Hermione had searched those records from top to bottom, at least twice, after Aria had asked her best friends for their help in finding any relevant information on Katherine Pierce.
Almost two weeks before, following her conversation with Caroline about the blonde's encounter with Katherine, Aria had conceded defeat and mirror-called her best friends to tell them everything that had happened to her in the last weeks, and also to asked them for their help. Before that, she'd carefully avoided mentioning too much of what was going on the loony muggle town before then because she didn't want them to worry, especially when she was perfectly capable of handling on her own the threat of vampires, wiccans and werewolves. And her connection with Caroline – even if it was unique and unexpected – was a family matter that needed to be addressed as such… But, dealing with the unknown agenda of an old vampire who seemed to know her – at least at some level – had proof of her immortality and could expose her secret to the magical world at whim was another matter altogether.
To deal appropriately with Katherine Pierce, Aria needed more information about her. She needed to know all her weaknesses and strengths, as well as what made her thick. More importantly, she needed to know why she was so interested in her before she confronted her.
And her best friends – as some of the most important figures in the magical community of Britain – were in the perfect position to dig up everything there was to know about the vampire.
Neville – besides having a seat on the Wizengamot – was Britain's Delegate on the International Confederation of Wizards and, therefore, had easy access to the International Archive of Magical Creatures, which recorded every single magical creature that had been a part of the magical world, before and after the Statute. And Hermione, as the Senior Deputy Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, had open access to all the ministry's records about magical creatures since the time of the Wizard's Council of Britain, which included every bit of information – like commercial deals and legal offenses – that the ministry had managed to get on from every known magical creature. On the other hand, Ron, as Head Auror, knew every known legal – and illegal – wizarding network on Europe, so he'd tried to track any helpful information on the vampire that was available for sale. And Aria, not wanting to be idle, had combed through all the Peverell, Potter, and Black family diaries, looking for any mention of Katherine.
But, after almost two weeks of research, none of them had been able to find anything useful. And it was more than a little aggravating.
It just wasn't possible. If Katherine knew about the magical world, then she needed to have made contact with it at some point in time, which needed to be recorded somewhere. But there wasn't anything anywhere.
It was almost like she didn't exist.
"I think we need to tackle this from a different perspective." Neville said after a moment, thoughtfully "If we assume our research is right and a vampire named Katherine Pierce has never interacted in any way with the wizarding world when we know she had then the logical conclusion is…"
Aria's eyes widened in comprehension at the same as Hermione's. "…That's not her real name!"
"Makes sense." Ron agreed, frowning in thought "She must be feature somewhere in our records but we can't find her because we don't have the name she used when she was in contact with the magical community. It's clever.…. But that means we need to find her real name and, sadly, I only see one viable option that can guarantee a truthful answer. "
It didn't take a genius to understand of what option he was talking about. And it wasn't something she wanted to do but, by this point, it was obvious she needed to do it. "I need to confront Katherine"
"Which defeats the purpose of all the research we've done!" Hermione protested immediately "You can't go looking for her without knowing for sure how powerful she really is."
"No matter how powerful she is, I can take her." Aria argued, fiercely. "Just like I did with the Salvatore brothers."
"But it's not the same, Aria! They're young, cocky and ignorant of our world... Not to mention that they made the grave mistake of confronting you in your house, where the wards would never allow them to touch you." Her best friend argued back, glaring at her. "For what you've told us, Katherine Pierce is an older vampire with an unknown prior experience with our world and magic… She won't give you any kind of advantage! And, depending on how old she truly is, she could have developed a certain level of immunity over our magic!"
"I know that!" she protested, a little offended that Hermione was assuming she hadn't thought-out this through. "But I'm not the Master of Death for anything… Regardless of how old and experienced she is, I know I can face her on and walk away alive."
Hermione opened her mouth, no doubt to keep arguing with her about it, but Neville cut her off before she could say anything else. "And what if we've been wrong about that too?" he said, sounding contemplative "We've been operating under the assumption that she has some nefarious plan for the Girl-Who-Conquered, but why if she doesn't know you're Aria Potter."
She frowned, confused. "But that's ridiculous! She knows I'm-"
"No" Neville cut her off, shaking his head "For what you've told us, Katherine knows your face and about your magic, so we're sure she knows you… but maybe it's not this version of you she knows."
From the corner of her eye, she saw how Ron's jaw dropped and Hermione's eyes widened as they understood what Neville was saying, but Aria refused to break her eye contact with Neville. His blue eyes were a little apologetic but mostly determinate as they stared back at her through the mirror, forcing her to confront something she'd mostly refused to talk about in the last eight years.
All the topics related to her past-lives were something of an unspoken taboo between them, as her best friends knew how much she preferred to go on living her life without acknowledging the fact that her soul had reborn at least once before. Mostly because she didn't see the point of it, not when she didn't remember her dreams. So, a long time ago, she'd decided to not dwell on the knowledge that, once upon a time, she'd lived through different times, surrounded by loved ones that were now long gone from this world. Because the absolute truth was that this life – and the people on it – was all she really needed. After all, Aria knew herself. She knew how deeply and unconditionally she loved. And she was sure that if she remembered the loved ones she had on her past lives then she would become attached, and missed them… and grief for them, even if they'd died long before she was even born in this life. And she didn't need that. She mourned enough people already, adding more names to that list would do nothing but made her miserable.
And the idea of someone alive knowing her because they knew one of her past-lives unsettled her more than she cared to admit out loud.
"Well, it would fit with what we know." Ron intervened carefully, breaking Neville's and Aria's eye contest. "Maybe she took your picture because she wanted to make sure."
"Or maybe she wanted to show it to someone else." Hermione added, forehead creasing in thought "Maybe there are other vampires out there who had interacted with your past-lives."
"That's crazy." Aria denied quickly, feeling how something heavy and uncomfortable settled on her stomach at the idea. "What are the odds of that happening?"
"With your Potter-Luck?" Neville dared, lifting an eyebrow in a silent challenge "It's almost a certainty." He must have seen her conflicted emotions about the possibility because his face softened when he added. "But you won't know for sure if you don't confront her about it."
There was a long silence after that.
"Are you going to do it?" Hermione asked hesitatingly, biting her lip. Her previous argument all but forgotten in light of this new theory.
Aria sighed, feeling vulnerable. "I don't know" she admitted, staring helplessly at her best friends, the three people on the world who knew her better than anyone. "I really don't."
&&&/04/&&&
"What's going on in your life?"
Her mom's voice caught her by surprise, stopping Caroline as she made her silent escape out of their house. Mentally cursing for not paying more attention to her super hearing, she turned around to see her mom standing under the threshold of the hallway with her arms crossed. After the long, long shift her mom had taken on the station, it was a miracle she was awake so early in the morning after only a couple of hours of sleep. Especially because she didn't need her new super sight to see the heavy bags under her mom's bloodshot eyes or the general tiredness that seemed to ooze from her.
"What do you mean?" she asked confused, and then, not being able to contain herself, she added "Are you sure you should be up? You look like you're about to pass out from sheer exhaustion."
"I'm fine, Caroline." Her mom assured her "It's you I'm worried about."
Her stomach fluttered with the bad kind of nerves as her heart started to beat rapidly – and loudly – on her chest. It was an instinctive reaction, born by the knowledge that Liz Forbes – sheriff of the town and her mom – was part of a secret council that was focused on eliminating all vampires – like her – of Mystic Falls. But, after taking a better look at her mom's face, she forced herself to calm down. Her mom couldn't possibly know about her. Because if Liz knew her daughter was the thing she hated the most in the world, then the last thing on her mind would be to ask about her well-being.
With that certainty on her mind, Caroline adopted a totally unaffected look as she crossed her arms and sent her mom an incredulous look. "Why are you talking about? I'm perfectly fine."
"Are you sure?" her mom pressed, taking a step in her direction.
"This is ridiculous! Of course, I'm sure, mom." she exclaimed, rolling her eyes "Why are you even asking me about this?"
"You've been acting differently for the last few weeks… I know you don't think I pay attention to you but I do, and you… You've been acting differently lately. You barely sleep here anymore. And, honestly, I feel like I barely see you. And I just…. I'm worried about you, sweetheart."
There was a moment frozen in time – as she stared into her mom's earnest and caring expression – in which Caroline considered to tell her the truth.
For a moment, Caroline thought about taking this one chance and just let it all out. She considered the idea of looking straight into her mother's eyes and tell her she was a vampire. Tell her that everything in her life had changed in the last few weeks and the world she thought she knew had turned upside-down. Tell her that Aria had saved her in ways that it was impossible to explain. Tell her that all her old friendships had collapsed around her after she'd been turned. Tell her that she was spending most of her free time in Aria's house, where she felt safe, secure, and accepted. And, most importantly, she thought about telling her mom that, despite everything that had changed in her life, for the first time in forever, she was starting to like herself again, to value herself as a person.
For a moment, Caroline looked at her mom – at the person she'd been the closest when she was a kid – and considered the idea of letting all pretenses go and tell the truth.
But then the moment passed and she remembered her mother hated vampires since she was young. Hated creatures like her because she'd been raised in the belief that they were soulless monsters. And if she told her the truth then her mom would look at her with nothing but hate and disgust in her eyes.
Caroline could survive a lot of things, but she didn't think she could survive the idea of living in a world where her mom hated her very existence.
So she forced a condescending smile on her face, the kind that went perfectly well with the selfish and self-absorbed image her mom had of her. "Of course you never see me, you're barely here…. I mean, most days, it's like I don't have a mother."
Liz flinched as if she'd struck her. "Caroline…" she said, pleadingly.
"Props for your attempt to be a mother though. I almost felt like we were having an actual mother-daughter chat. We should definitely try it again sometime… Although, judging by your crazy-ass schedule and your general inability to act like a mother, that's probably going to take a long, long while… Anyway, some of us have to go to school so… bye-bye." And, without giving her any time to respond, Caroline quickly walked out of her house, fully intended on not thinking about their conversation ever again.
But, as she crossed their front yard, she heard something that froze her completely. Something that she wouldn't have been able to hear if not for her super hearing. Something that almost made her cry.
"I love you, sweetheart."
Caroline closed her eyes, feeling like someone had kicked her on the stomach. Even at their worst, she'd always known, in a sort of abstract way, that her mom loved her. But it'd been so long since she'd actually hear those words that it felt like she'd been knocked in the head and heart with a bunch of different emotions too complicated to analyze without breaking down crying. Because she'd just said awful things to her mom and yet, Liz had still said aloud that she loved her, despite not knowing that Caroline could hear her.
And, at that moment, it was impossible not to think back and thought about all her memories of her mom. She thought about her childhood and how she'd hero-worshiped her mom. Thought about her parents' endless fights and how she'd chosen to blame her mom when she'd taken refuge in her work. Thought about how she and her mom had become two strangers living under the same roof as the years went by and the distance between them grew. Thought about her mom and how, despite everything, she was the person she loved most above everyone else in the world.
But then, Caroline thought about how much her mom would hate her if she knew the truth and knew she was making the right decision. No matter what, she couldn't tell her mom the truth.
It was better for everyone involved that way.
So she took a big breath, got her emotions under control and opened her eyes, getting inside her car, and driving in the direction of the school. She'd a long day ahead of her, she couldn't afford to be emotionally compromised. Not when, nowadays, going to school was like walking inside her very own and personal minefield.
She was proved right almost straight away.
Because the first thing she saw after she crossed the doors of the school was Matt, who was hanging by his locker with Tyler and a couple of girls from their year, laughing and teasing as they remember the great time they'd had the night before. Matt's smile was real and easy, maybe even a little flirty, the kind of smile someone like him should have. The smile of a normal human teenage boy who was enjoying his high school days and wasn't feeling trapped in any kind of supernatural drama. It was the kind of smile Matt deserved to have.
But, if she was truly honest, there was a tiny little part of her that was hurt by how fast he seemed to have moved on from her. Matt didn't look like someone who was bothered by his fairly recent break-up. Then again, she'd compelled him to move on with his life when she'd broken up with him, so maybe his new attitude was just a consequence of that and not a reflection on how little he'd really cared for her.
Huffing about the fact that her insecurities were rearing their ugly heads again, she turned around and took the long way towards her locker, not willing to stand there and stare at them like a total creep.
Breaking-up with Matt had been the right choice.
Even now, feeling slightly hurt by how quickly he'd gotten over her, Caroline was sure of that. Matt was one of the good guys, he was one of those people who remained good at heart even after all the shitty and unfair things they were forced to deal in their lives. After all, that was one of the reasons why - long before Elena had decided she liked him - she'd had an embarrassingly huge crush on him. Back then, she'd daydreamed on marrying him, having two cute kids, and live a perfect life. But that dream had not been meant to be. At first, it'd been because he'd fallen hard for Elena, and pined over the boyfriend of one of her oldest friends was simply something she'd refused to do. Then, after they'd gotten together, it'd been because her many, many insecurities had stopped her from truly believing he wasn't in love with Elena anymore. But now it was simply because everything had changed when she'd been turned into a vampire. Caroline was an immortal who would never live a normal life and, to be honest, that was exactly what Matt deserved, a good life far, far away from all the danger and drama that came with the supernatural – magical – world. Besides, a relationship between a vampire and a human was doomed from the start. So really, she'd make the right choice.
But, even knowing all that, it was still difficult to see him in the hallways of their school and be forced to acknowledge that the boy she'd like since they were fourteen would never end up with her.
And it didn't help her mood that – excluding the few hours every other day when Aria taught her self-defense class – she'd no one in the school to talk to. Not when her relationship with Bonnie and Elena was in shitty place too.
Like summoned by her thoughts, her supposed best friends walked into their classroom. Bonnie politely pretended she didn't see her sitting alone in the back, like she'd been doing for almost a month now, and took her seat without looking in her direction. Elena, on the other hand, sent her a familiar reproachful look – one that Caroline perfectly ignored – and sat down far away from her.
Caroline sighed, hurt not surprised by their attitude. After all, Bonnie had been ignoring her since she'd been turned, refusing to talk to her and generally treating her like it was her fault that she was now a blood-sucking creature of the night. And, after Salvatore's brothers had babbled to Elena about Aria's magic and her little prank on Damon – and even thinking about it caused her to snort in silent laughter because those pictures that Kreacher had taken were extremely hilarious and completely unflattering towards Damon – Elena had decided that Aria was dangerous and everyone should avoid any kind of interactions with her. And when Caroline had refused to comply with her wishes, the brunette had started to give her the silent treatment as well.
Not willingly to keep moping over things she couldn't change, Caroline averted her eyes from the two girls she'd been friends with since birth and decided to simply focus on her class. She wanted to get accepted in good colleges on her merits alone and that meant not letting her grades drop. So she paid extra attention to all her professors and, without realizing, the hours went by until the school day was over.
"Caroline! Wait!"
For a second, she contemplated the option of keep walking like she didn't hear anything but, well, with her super hearing it would be too obvious and she wasn't that childish. Sighing, she turned around. "What do you want, Elena?"
The brunette was standing a few feet from her, face set on a determinate and stubborn expression that Caroline knew too well from their most memorable fights. She could almost feel the headache coming. "I know we're at odds right now but I'm one of your best friends, Caroline. And I'm duty-bound to warn you about Aria Black."
She groaned, loudly. "Not this again" she murmured, exasperated, starting to turn away.
"This is serious, Caroline!" Elena insisted, planting herself in front of her. "She's a threat! She could be working with Katherine!"
"That's ridiculous!" she snorted, torn between feeling amusement and offense in Aria's name "She's not working with Katherine… Why in the world do you think that?"
"Because it makes sense!" Elena argued, brown eyes flashing with conviction "Think about it! She revealed her powers to help you after Katherine turned you, when you were vulnerable and alone. And then she turned against us! Not to mention that she attacked Stefan and Damon when they asked for her help! She's clearly working with Katherine and is using you for something."
It was only because Elena had tried some variations of the same argument at least ten different times before – only the bit about Katherine was new – that Caroline didn't explode in an angry tirade in defense of Aria and their friendship. Even still, she felt her temper flare at the insinuation behind the brunette's words. "I know this is difficult for you to understand – because God's forbid someone doesn't bend over themselves for you – but just because Aria doesn't want to help you doesn't mean she's a threat or that she's working with Katherine." Caroline said, trying to keep her annoyance to the minimum "And I'm tired of hearing the same things over and over again. You don't have any proof. So… please, stop talking about my friend like that."
"But you don't understand, Caroline. Aria has to be working with Ka-!"
"Oh my God, Elena!" she groaned, fed up with the discussion. "Why do you keep insisting on this?"
"Because it makes sense given the circumstances! What happened with Jenna and Mason proves how much control Katherine has over everyone around me!"
She frowned, too confused by the reference to focus on how self-centered Elena was being. "What happened with Jenna and Mason?"
It was clearly the opening that Elena had been waiting for because she didn't waste any second on telling her all about how Bonnie had discovered that Mason was working with Katherine and how, after they'd questioned him, they'd been able to obtain the moonstone from the Sun and Moon Curse. Elena also told her about how, after finding out that Mason had been killed by Damon, Jenna had stabbed herself – thank the Heavens she was fine – on Katherine's orders. "So you see?" Elena finished, smiling like she'd won their argument "Katherine is clearly planning to do something with the moonstone, so she'll need a witch and who better than Aria-"
"Damon killed Mason?" Caroline interrupted her, horrified.
Elena paused, confused. "Yeah. I've just told you…"
"And you're okay with that?" she insisted, incredulous.
"He was a werewolf who was working for Katherine!" Elena said, defensively "He was the enemy!"
"He was Tyler's uncle! His family!" Caroline shot back, more furious than she could explain. There was something hot burning on her chest at the idea of Damon killing Tyler's only remaining family besides his mom. "My God, Elena! How are you okay with this? He was your aunt's best friend! Not to mention that we've known Mason our whole lives. He used to babysit us for fuck sake!"
Something like discomfort – or regret – crossed Elena's face for a moment but it was gone so fast she could have imagined it, replaced by stubborn defiance. "He was a threat that needed to be deal with."
Caroline shook her head, feeling livid and mournful at the same time. "And that's it? He was working with Katherine and therefore he needed to die? Just like that? Who gave you the right to be judge, jury, and executioner?"
"I didn't kill him!" Elena protested immediately, indignant.
"No" she agreed, sadly "You just looked to the other side while Damon did it. Just like you always do." Because Elena knew everything that the Salvatore brothers had done to the people of their town – To Mason. To Vicky. To Caroline – and yet, she still chose to stand beside them.
"That's not fair"
"No, you know what's not fair?" Caroline demanded "That you're here, trying to convince me that my friend is dangerous and working for Katherine just because you think she's a threat…. And you know what, Elena? You don't get to judge her. Not after everything that had happened this past year with the Salvatore brothers. Because you don't have any moral ground to do so."
Elena opened her mouth, eyes flashing with anger and looking ready to go on a rant of her own, but Caroline didn't bother to wait for her response. Shaking her head, she turned around and left her standing outside of their school.
In her opinion, there wasn't anything else to say.
&&&/04/&&&
"Careful with your footwork." Aria instructed, as she easily avoided an incoming kick from Caroline "In a regular fight, you'll probably be using your super-speed and, if you're not careful, you could end up tripping over your own foot."
"Yeah, I know" Caroline huffed, aiming a punch in her direction "That happened when… when Mason was chasing us through the forest…. I felt flat on the ground."
"Well, in your defense, you were only a couple of days old." She told her gently, knowing how touchy it was the subject of Mason, even three days later after Caroline had found out about it. However, her compassion didn't stop her from using the next opportunity to flip the blond and throw her on the ground. "Ready to give up?"
From her position on the ground, Caroline blinked slowly at her, like she was confused on how she'd ended up there. "Yeah. I give up." The blonde sighed "I lost. Again."
"Don't worry, you're getting better." She assured her, taking a sit by her side on the floor of the training room of her house.
After Aria had offered to teach Caroline self-defense, they'd started to train almost daily. They'd were still firmly in the basics but she'd got to admit that, for someone with no prior experience on any kind of physical activity besides cheerleading, the blonde was doing remarkable well, especially after taking into consideration that she was forbidden from using her super strength and speed. In no time at all, Caroline would be fighting like a pro and Aria would need to step up the training, teaching her how to protect herself when she was fighting against magic-users and also how to build a certain level of immunity to magic.
Funnily enough, it was Caroline herself who was most insecure about the progress she was making, something that was proved by the impressive deadpanned expression on her face. "Since when? Last time a checked, you've won every single one of our matches."
Aria shrugged. "That's to be expected. You've been doing this for only a couple of weeks and I've years of experience. But for someone so new at this, you're doing great." She said, honestly "So quit doing that long face. In no time at all, you'll be fighting like a pro…. Just remember: Never give up-"
"-not even if you think you've no chance at winning." Caroline completed obediently.
"Good girl" she grinned.
"Can I ask you a question?"
"Go ahead."
"How do I stop being afraid?" Caroline asked, hesitantly "I mean… If I'm facing someone who wants to hurt me and I know I can't beat them… what do I do to not be afraid?"
"Nothing you do is going to stop the fear." Aria said, holding Caroline's eyes with her own "It's part of our nature to be afraid of the unknown, especially when we're facing danger. But that doesn't mean that you've to let the fear define you…. If you ever are in a situation like that, you tell yourself you're strong enough. You should look into your enemy's eyes and tell them – and yourself – that you're going to fight till the end…. And maybe luck will be on your side and you'll survive, or maybe you won't…. But, whatever happens, you'll know that you were you till the end. And nobody could take that away from you….. Okay?"
"Okay" Caroline nodded, blue eyes shining with determination.
Kreacher choose that moment to pop in, holding a tray with tea – for her – blood – for Caroline – and a large variety of traditional wizarding desserts, as the elf's not-so-discreet way of indoctrinating Caroline on the magical world. "Mistress and Mistress's bloodsucking friend need to eat something" Kreacher announced, snapping his fingers and making appear a low table in front of them, a second later everything on the elf's tray was arraigning itself in the table. "Kreacher won't come back until everything is eaten." The elf said, sending a pointed look in her direction.
Aria grinned. "I promise I'll be good and eat a little bit of everything…. Thank you, Kreacher"
At her side, Caroline echoed her words of gratitude towards the elf and even if Kreacher pretended to not hear the blonde and popped out of the room without looking at her direction, Aria was pretty sure the elf was growing fond of the blond vampire. Slowly. And defining fond by Kreacher's standards.
For the next minutes, the two of them calmly ate everything Kreacher had cook for them while discussing their plans for Easter vacations – Aria wanted to take all of them to the most popular magical district in New York and Caroline was very excited about it – and the slow progress Teddy was making in his reluctant pursuit of friendships at Hogwarts.
Caroline was fully immersed in the conversation, so very obviously interested in everything related to Teddy.
Since she'd found out her true relationship with Teddy, the blonde had been asking about him in every opportunity she'd got, trying to know everything there was to know about him before they met in person when her son came to Mystic Falls. Because, for some reason, Caroline refused to have her first conversation with Teddy through the mirror. And her little wolf was too excited about meeting his new little vampire sister to argue with the idea.
Their comfortable and easy conversation was interrupted when Caroline received a text message that made her glare to her cellphone like she was hoping to set it on fire with her eyes alone. "I can't believe them…. They're so… Argh."
"I suppose you're talking about your annoying little friends"
The blonde huffed, nodding. "The text is from Stefan" she clarified, still scowling at her phone "He says they plan to kill Katherine at the Masquerade Ball and he wants me to help them."
Aria raised her eyebrows, a little surprised by the sudden turn of events. From what she knew, Katherine had been terrorizing the people of the town for more than a month and the Salvatore brothers had failed to do anything about it, excluding demanding her help to kill the vampire in their name. "Well… at least they're finally doing something about Katherine."
If the Salvatore brothers managed to kill Katherine then all her chances of discovering what the older vampire knew about her would be gone. And Aria wasn't certain if that would be a truly bad thing or not.
"Yeah, they're going to kill her…. Because that's what we do now, we kill everyone who we think is a threat." Caroline murmured, her voice carrying a surprising amount of bitterness.
"Do you really care about Katherine?"
"God's no. I fucking hate the bitch." She said, still scowling "But I don't want to kill her. I don't want to kill anyone… And maybe it makes me a hypocrite because the first thing I did after turning was killing someone but…. But I want to believe I'm not a monster. That I still can differentiate when something is right or wrong…. And killing her for revenge doesn't seem like the right thing."
Aria considered her words very carefully before speaking. "I don't think that way of thinking makes you a hypocrite. It just means you've got a pure heart… You're innocent, Caroline."
And a little naïve too. Because the real world was painted on different shades of grey that were tainted with blood. And, sooner or later, Caroline would learn that sometimes you've to do unthinkable things to protect the people you cared about, in the same way Aria had learned it after the war began. But that lesson wasn't hers to teach and for now, she would do everything in her power to preserve what was left of the blonde's innocence.
Caroline smiled, it was a little bobbly and weak but real none the less. "I just wish there was a way to stop Katherine from keeping hurting people without actually killing her."
She hummed, considering what to do in her head. There were a million and one options on how to deal with Katherine but she'd to take into consideration the tiny little fact that she wanted to talk with the vampire and figure it out what she knew about her. Because, for all that she still wasn't sure what she felt about the possibility of someone alive knowing a past life of hers, she was certain that if she didn't confront her then she would always wonder about the truth. And that was unacceptable.
Just like that, an idea formed in her mind.
"Well, maybe there's a way for both of us to get what we want."
The blonde lifted an eyebrow in a silent question.
"I want to talk with Katherine" she admitted, shrugging "You know, about the whole-"
"-knowing about you" Caroline completed, nodding in interest "Yeah that makes sense…. So, what's your idea?"
Aria grinned and proceeded to tell her exactly what she'd in mind. By the end, Caroline was grinning alongside with her.
&&&/04/&&&
Bonnie hurried to enter the Boarding House, feeling the pressing weight of everything that was about to come. It was the burden of being a witch, she knew, to work on Mother Nature's name and keep the balance of the world. Not to mention that, as the only witch alive in Mystic Falls, she'd a duty to her town, to protect it from vampires like Katherine Pierce. But sometimes, in the dead of the night, when she was at her weakest, she wished that things were different and she hadn't been born a witch. Because in that hypothetical world, she would be free of the chains that tied her to the supernatural and she would be able to go on adventures and travel the world as she'd always dreamed on. But then she thought about losing her magic and she regretted even thinking about it. Being a witch was a part of her and she loved it.
And there was no universe in which she would freely give up her powers.
Bonnie was so focused on carrying her grimoire into the safety of the old house that she barely paid attention to Stefan's greeting. However, she stopped dead in her tracks when she noticed who else had gathered in the living room of the house. She'd sort-of-expected to see Jeremy and Alaric, and Damon's presence – no matter how unwanted – was a given, so she wasn't surprised to see them around a table filled with weapons to kill vampires. But she hadn't been expecting to see Caroline standing alone by the windows, looking almost bored.
"What's she doing here?"
Stefan sighed. "She's here to help us kill Katherine."
"You didn't say she would be here."
"She can hear you loud and clear." Caroline interjected, turning towards them with a sardonic smile on her face "So why don't you complain about my presence to my face, Bonnie?"
She pursed her lips, refusing to take the bait. Instead, she walked towards the table and put her grimoire there. "In what do you need my help?" she asked, deliberately not looking into Caroline's direction.
"To kill the bitch, of course" Damon said, smirking "We need you to do your voodoo and abracadabra and make it possible for us to finish her off."
Exasperated, Bonnie turned to Stefan, hoping he could tell her plainly what they needed. "We're thinking on trapping Katherine in a room." the younger Salvatore helpfully explained "Using a spell like the one in the tomb."
"That's a very difficult spell." She frowned.
Damon groaned loudly. "This is why it sucks to depend on a newbie witch. Can't even do a basic spell."
"Yeah, well, I'm the only witch you got, so be a little grateful for my help, Damon."
"No, you're not actually." He smiled mockingly at her before turning to glare in Caroline's direction "But because Blondie refuses to be useful for once and talk sense into Morgana Le Fay, we're stuck with you, Sabrina."
Caroline glared right back at Damon. "I know this is difficult for you to understand, but just because you want her help doesn't mean she's obligated to do it… Especially after the way you tried to attack in her own home."
"Me?" Damon demanded, quickly advancing in the blonde's direction like a hunter ready to attack it pray "What about what that bitch did?"
Surprisingly, Caroline didn't back down, if anything, she seemed to lift her chin in defiance "Please" she scoffed "After everything you've done, you deserved that."
"Stop." Stefan ordered, putting himself in between the two of them "We're not here to fight…. We're supposed to be working together."
"Yeah, about that, why don't you guys explain first what was that all about?" Alaric asked, frowning.
"There's another witch in town?" Bonnie demanded, feeling her heart pounding in her chest as she contemplated the idea of not being alone anymore.
"Elena didn't tell you?" Stefan asked in return, sounding confused "Aria Black is a witch. A very powerful one."
"She's what?!"
"Miss Black?! Really?!"
Bonnie ignored Alaric and Jeremy's reactions, more focused on the idea that Aria Black – someone she already respected – was a witch. A powerful one, according to Stefan. Aria was only a couple years older than her but if she was so powerful then she probably had been trained her whole life. And that was so incredible. Because it meant that there was someone like her who could teach her more about magic and their history. Someone who would understand their connection to magic and carry the burden of it with her.
But her thoughts screeched to a halt when she noticed Caroline's expression. She was heavily frowning at Stefan but didn't look surprised in the least by the news. "You knew?" she demanded, feeling almost betrayed that nobody had bothered to tell her something so vitally important for her. "Is that how you're able to walk on the sun? Because she made you a daylight bracelet? Why didn't you tell me?"
"Seriously? Are you talking to me now?" Caroline asked, crossing her arms. And for all that she looked annoyed, Bonnie knew her well enough to see the hurt in her blue eyes. "You've been ignoring me for weeks. Treating me like a pariah because I was turned into a vampire without my consent. And the first time you talk to me is to demand why I didn't tell you something?"
For a moment, as she stared into Caroline's eyes, it was like nothing had happened. There was only Caroline, her neurotic, insecure, loyal and cheerful best friend who drove her crazy but without whom she couldn't live. Caroline, who had stood by her side through all the loss, grief, and pain she'd experienced in her life. Caroline, who understood what was to live in the shadow of Elena's perfection. Caroline, whom she'd loved since she could remember.
Caroline, who was a vampire now.
Vampires were the reason her grams was dead and the cause of everything that had gone to hell in their town. Vampires were blood-sucking monsters and abominations of nature. And Caroline had proved to be no different when she'd killed that cute boy on the carnival.
Caroline was one of her best friends. But she was also the very creature she hated the most. And Bonnie didn't how to deal with that contradiction, how to deal with the war that was raging between her heart and her mind.
So she chose to stay silent. Like she'd been doing for the last few weeks.
And, after a moment, Caroline shook her head, sending her a look that was a combination of hurt and resignation. "Unbelievable." She said, turning away. "But you know what? I don't have time for this… We're here to plan what to do with Katherine. That's the only reason I'm here in the first place."
Stefan cleared his throat, looking faintly uncomfortable with their whole exchange. "As I was saying before, we need to trap Katherine so we can kill her and-"
"Why do we've to take the easy way and kill her?" Caroline demanded, interrupting him. "The bitch sentenced me to an eternity as a bloodsucker monster, I think a quick death is too merciful for her."
"Oh? Have any other ideas, Blondie?" Damon said, suddenly looking interested in the conversation.
"What if we trap her in the tomb? I say we should let her rot there for the rest of her immortal life…. Serves that bitch right."
The stunned silence that followed Caroline's proposition was broken by Damon's cackle. "Who knew you had it in you, Blondie?" he asked, smirking appreciatively "I love that idea."
The others were quick to jump into the idea and Bonnie couldn't help but accept it easily enough, as the new plan involved that she would need to perform less draining magic. But, for all that the new plan was better and had more chances of success, she couldn't help but feel like there was something she was missing.
Because, for a second there, when they all agreed to execute the new plan, Bonnie had seen the hidden gleam of triumph in Caroline's eyes.
&&&/04/&&&
'Part one of the plan was a success! The bitch is trapped in the tomb and unable to escape. You're up! Btw, I'm going to stay and enjoy the rest of the party. I deserve a couple of drinks!'
Aria grinned as she read Caroline's message, she could all but feel the blonde's smugness through her texts. Then again, out of the two of them, she was pretty sure it was Caroline who had drawn the shortest straw with this. Because carrying out a very detailed plan – that involved knocking out a vampire with a sleeping potion – while also dealing with an unfriendly team that included your annoying ex and your strangled best friend required the kind of patience for which saints were known of.
But now that Katherine was trapped, it was time for the next part of the plan.
With that mind, Aria closed her eyes and focused on the entrance of the old tomb that was hidden deep in the forest. A moment later, she disappeared from the safety of her home and appeared in that same place, feeling the magic that surrounded the area like it was ecstatic in the air. She'd to hand it to the wiccan who warded this place, their magic might be more rudimentary and restrictive than the one her kind used, but the amount of magic they'd poured into this place was really impressive.
Knowing there was no reason to loiter outside the tomb, she descended the steps and found herself face to face with a big rock, selling the way for anyone who wanted to get in. She took out the Elder Wand and lifted it in the direction of the rock. "Locomotor" she chanted and then watched in satisfaction as the rock levitate from the ground and moved towards the other side of the cave.
"Well, now, this is unexpected" announced a voice that sounded exactly like Elena's.
She turned around and was confronted by Elena's look-alike, wearing a tight and short black dress stained with blood and mud. She was standing on the edge of the ward that kept her trapped inside the tomb, staring at her in blatant interest. "Katherine, I presume."
"The very same." the vampire grinned, tilting her head to the side as she stared at her. "What are you doing here, Aria Black?"
She grinned at her words. There it was, the confirmation she'd been waiting for. Katherine had called her for her fake name, not her real one. She knew her – she was looking at her with way too much knowledge for that to not be true – but she didn't know Aria Potter. So the question was, what version of her did she know?
"Looking for you, actually" she commented, walking until she was in the limit of the ward "Heard there was a vampire who seemed to know about me and my kind of my magic, so I needed to investigate a little more."
Katherine nodded with the perfect expression of cordial understanding but even though her face was open and friendly, her eyes were ruthless and shrewd and they reminded her that this vampire excelled at deception. "So you're here because you're curious… Not so surprising as you always allowed your curiosity to get the better of your common sense." She commented with false casualness, brown eyes carefully analyzing every single one of her movements.
And it was only because she refused to give the vampire the satisfaction of knowing she'd caught her by surprise that she kept her expression mild and amiable.
"And prideful too" Katherine added with all too knowing eyes and a big smirk "You always hated to show when you were feeling vulnerable."
Aria hummed, nodding. "You know me… but not this version of me."
If anything, the vampire seemed more interested now. "And you don't seem surprised by this. Most people balk at the idea of reincarnation…. Then again, you never were like the majority."
She couldn't help but huff in exasperation, already feeling a little tired of all this talk in circles. "Even though you keep hinting and hinting how much you about know me... You cannot have been very close to me in my past life, otherwise, you would have come to me before this."
"Maybe" Katherine shrugged "Or maybe I stayed away for your benefit. To protect you from the truth of your past."
"Oh? What truth could this be?" she asked, playing along.
"The truth about why you were sentenced to be reborn again." The vampire declared, her voice low and ominous. "You're here, Aria Black, as a punishment for the alliances you kept in your past life."
Aria scoffed, loudly. "That's just a load of crap." After all, the only thing she knew for certain about her reincarnation was that Death had done it to test her, not to punish her. "And I would love to stay here chatting with you, so I can see what else you can come up with but I'm a little more interested in knowing the real truth." And then, without giving her any warning, she lifted her wand and intoned two words she knew by heart. "Petrificus Totalus!"
The full body-bind curse froze Katherine in the exact moment that her expression had changed to surprised, and she got a second to enjoy it before gravity made itself know and the frozen body of the vampire fell to the ground with a loud thump.
"Now" she said, smiling sunnily as she crossed the ward and entered the tomb "Stay still for a moment, okay? Oh, right, you can't move. My bad." Even in the dim light of the tomb, it was easy to see the fury shining in the vampire's eyes as she heard her words. It was glorious.
She kneeled by Katherine's side, putting her wand in her forehead as she made eye contact. "Legilimens"
It was like being punch in the head with a massive mountain of information that flashed too quickly through her mind for her to understand anything. The truth was that, even ten years after she started learning legimency, she still needed to have contact and say the incantation because she didn't have many opportunities – or people really – to practice. So her experience with this brand of magic was limited and, before this, the most complex mind in which she'd been was Hermione's. But Katherine's mind was on another level altogether. It wasn't only well-organized and very, very complex but so vast that it was possible to lose herself in it. It was like submerging herself in a huge labyrinth that held centuries of information and memories.
But she refused to be beaten. So she forced herself to focus and navigate Katherine's mind in search of her memories of her. And then, somehow, she got sucked into flashes and pieces of memories.
She saw Katherine, wearing long curly hair and an old dress, beaming in happiness at another version of her in the middle of a great hall. Around her past-self were other people but their faces were clouded in darkness and she couldn't distinguish them. 'Welcome to our home' Her old-self greeted, smiling with apparent warm even if she knew herself well enough to read the hesitation of her movements and the faint lines of tension on her face.
The memory changed quickly and she saw herself walking through a very beautiful and gigantic garden, her arm linked with Katherine's. 'I hear from a little bird that you and my dear older brother are growing closer.' Her old-self chanted with a teasing smile that hid the wariness in her emerald green eyes.
The Katherine of the past blushed, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. 'He invited me to a ride with him tomorrow, milady.'
'That's wonderful.' But it wasn't. Something deep, deep inside of her told her that those were very alarming news.
And then the memory changed again and she found herself in a forest at night. Abode her, the almost full moon shined, illuminating the two figures arguing by a tree. One of them was definitely Katherine, but she wasn't the beaming and blushing girl from the past two memories. At that moment, she looked very, very afraid and her eyes were shining with a mix of fierce determination and grim resolution. At her side stood a very pale boy with long brown hair and soft features. And for all that he also looked afraid, there was no mistaking the adoration with which he looked at the past version of Katherine.
'If we run…' she was saying.
The pale boy shook his head. 'They would catch us before we make it through the forest.'
'But if we hide…' Katherine insisted.
'It won't matter. Her magical powers are so strong that she could find us anywhere.'
Something cold settled on Katherine's eyes. 'Then we need to make sure she's unable to use her powers.'
For the first time, the boy's expression turned uneasy. 'What are you thinking?'
'Do you love me, Trevor?'
'Of course I do' Trevor swore fiercely.
Katherine's smile was sweet and enchanting but her eyes were flashing with satisfaction. 'Then this is what I need you to do...'
The memory ended so abruptly that it took her a second or two to realize that her control over Katherine's mind was fading too fast to be normal. And, without warning, she was pushed out of the vampire's head and into the real world.
Aria stumbled to sit as a name rang, loud and clear, in her head, like some part of her, hidden deep down, was saying it to her. And, suddenly, she was certain of something. "Katerina" she murmured, blinking at the vampire who was standing in front of her. "Katerina Petrova…. That's your real name."
"That's really impressive." Katherine commented, apparently not restricted by her magic anymore "And I've got to say that getting into my head using legilimency was a very nice touch… But, sadly for you, I learned a couple of tricks through the centuries." And then she used her super-strength to send her flying to the opposite side of the tomb.
Her head was the first thing that impacted on the wall, making her cry out in pain as her vision blurred and her wand fell from her hand. A moment later, she was lying on the ground, feeling her whole body ached with a kind of pain she hadn't experience in years.
"You know, I was actually trying to be nice… but now you're here and I'm kind of hungry… and I also need you to get me out of this damn place so…" The vampire flashed towards her, lifting her from the ground with one hand and then biting her neck. Hard.
It was impossible for her to not cry out as she felt how the vampire drained her life force as she sucked her blood. It was awfully painful. And the arms of steel that kept her restricted didn't help matters. But for all that she was still dizzy, of-balance and in general pain, this wasn't the worse situation in which she'd been. Not by a long shot. So Aria forced herself to ignore the bloody pain and the growing grogginess on her mind to focus on her magic, calling it all out.
She wanted the pain to stop.
She wanted the vampire far away from her.
She wanted to be free.
Now.
As always, her magic bowed at her command, sending Katherine flying away from her with an explosion of power that broke at least a couple of her bones. But that wasn't enough punishment for the pain she'd caused her. And Aria was moving before the thought was fully formed on her mind, lifting her hand in the direction of the vampire and whispering one single word. "Sectumsempra"
On the ground, Katherine – Katerina – trashed out in pain as her body was torn open by dozen of lacerations, causing severe hemorrhaging from all her main arteries. As a vampire, she was unable to die from blood loss but this way Aria's blood wouldn't be on her system anymore and she would end up desiccating much more quickly. And, just to be safe, she froze her whole body again. She knew the spell would fall but without blood to regenerate her body, it would take a long while.
That done, she turned away from the vampire to summon her wand and pointed it to her throbbing neck. "Episkey" She almost sighed in relief when the pain in her neck stopped immediately. A couple of healing spells later and she almost felt like herself again. She would still need to drink a blood-replenishing potion and probably pour some essence of dittany on the wound on her neck to erase any scar but, excluding her blood-soaked clothes, she was as good as new.
"Well, I think it's time for me to leave." She announced cheerfully, looking into the direction of the vampire and noting that the lacerations kept getting bigger and bigger. Uh, Snape was an even bigger sadistic bastard than she'd first thought. "I hope that you rot in here for all the eternity, Katerina Petrova."
Without saying anything else, Aria left the tomb and made her way to the surface. She was about to appear to her bathroom to take a long and relaxing bath when her phone, safely tucked in the pocket of her jeans, started to vibrate. It was a message from Caroline.
'SOS. Lockwood mansion. Inside the study.'
She almost groaned, instinctively knowing she would need to wait for a while to get that relaxing bath. But Caroline was asking for her help so she didn't waste time and appeared right in the middle of the study in the Lockwood mansion.
The first thing she saw was Caroline, who stopped pacing and sighed in relief as soon as she saw her. Then she noticed that Tyler lying unconscious on the sofa and, a couple of feet from there, on the floor, was the body of another girl she'd seen in passing on the hallways of the school.
She couldn't help but gape at the scene, confused.
"Caroline?" she said, that one word carrying a question – What the hell happened? – and a demand – Start explaining now – all at once.
"Well, you see, Tyler activated his curse by killing Sarah. It was an accident! And… Is that blood?!" The blonde flashed to her side, checking her over with worried eyes. "Are you okay?! What happened?"
"I'm fine. This is nothing." She assured her "I'm more interested in what happened here. If that's Sarah on the floor… Why is Tyler unconscious? He's alive, right?"
"Yeah, he's alive. He was freaking out so I knocked him out… But then I realized that everything needed to be covered up in order for Elena and the Salvatores to not suspect Tyler is a werewolf now, and I started to freak out because I don't have a clue on how to disappear a body and yeah… that's why I asked for help."
It was a mess, Aria decided. Not only they needed to sort out how they were going to cover this up without blaming the death on anyone, but there was also the tiny little fact that now there was an untrained, inexperienced, and teenager werewolf without a pack on the town. And he was going to need someone with some sort of experience in the area to teach him the basics.
Aria sighed, already knowing what she would end up doing. "Bloody hell"
&&&/04/&&&
The pencil moved expertly over the sketchbook, drawing the familiar face of the love of his life with gentle strokes. He added the details with special care, never stopping or pausing his movements even though he was listening to the report one of the vampires on his service was giving him.
"…Finally, there are rumors that a vampire under the orders of Katerina Petrova is looking for you."
His hand stopped in the middle of the final stroke. Slowly, he lifted his gaze from his sketch to the vampire in front of him. "Katerina?" Niklaus repeated carefully, an old fury raising inside of him at the mere name of the backstabbing doppelgänger whore.
The vampire was smart enough to sense the danger because he hurried to say. "Yes, milord. The reports say that Katerina sent this vampire looking for you in order to make a trade for her life."
Niklaus almost snarled. Katerina's betrayal had been unforgivable then and it was still unforgivable five centuries later. There was nothing she could possibly give him to make him even consider the possibility of granting her freedom. Except… "Do you know what she's offering in exchange for her life?"
"No. The reports say the vampire working for her is being very secretive about the whole thing."
"And this vampire's name is…?"
"Isobel"
Niklaus nodded, the name didn't sound familiar so it'd to be a relatively new vampire. "Find her and bring her to me." He ordered, returning his attention to his drawing.
"Of course." His vampire said, flashing out of the room as soon as he finished speaking.
Alone at last, he stared at his drawing. In it, Ingrid was smiling brilliantly, as beautiful and radiant as she'd been the last time he'd seen her alive.
Once upon a time, he used to drew and paint her because she was his favorite muse. The source of love, light, and hope on his life. His reason for happiness. But that wasn't the case anymore. Not since she'd been killed and forcibly taken away from his side.
Now, he drew and painted her as a permanent reminder.
'I love you… And I'll see you soon.' She'd said smiling the last time he'd seen her.
But the next time he'd seen her, she'd been nearly unrecognizable, her corpse had been a burned and broken shadow of the love of his life. And as he'd held her dead body on his arms, he'd almost go mad with grief, pain, and fury. Because how could he go on living when the person he loved the most – his source of happiness – was no longer a part of the world.
The only thing that had kept him sane ever since was the knowledge that, one day, he would see her again.
'We need to do the spell now' Kol had said that fateful day 'Do you understand me, Niklaus? If we want this to work, we need to do it now!'
'And are you sure she'll be back?' he'd demanded, staring into his brother's eyes.
'I'm sure… If we do this, Ingrid will reborn again someday' Kol had declared, the grief and pain in his eyes also carrying the unwavering security that had convinced all of them. 'It may take decades or centuries… but someday, she'll be back with us again.'
And so, Niklaus kept drawing and painting the love of his life, as a permanent reminder that, one day, he would see her again. As beautiful, radiant, and alive as he kept her in his memories.
So, a penny for your thoughts? I really want to know what you think.
P.S.1. Elijah appears – front and center in the present – in the next chapter! I'm so excited to write about that!
P.S.2. I'll try to post the new chapter by July 18th, but I make no promises. If I don't post it by that date, then it's probably going to happen after I finish my finals in the last week of July. Wish me luck!
