Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and The Vampire Diaries. They belong to J.K. Rowling and L.J. Smith. I am writing this just for fun and no money is being made.

AN: I would like to apologize to everyone because I was unable to reply due to personal reasons, but rest assured, they were the only thing that prompted me to finish this chapter. I loved them and every one of you, who took out some of their precious time to review or message me. I will definitely reply to all now. Without further ado, let's get started.

Salvatore Boarding House

Mystic Falls

Stefan, Athena, Klaus and Elena were sitting in Damon's room, waiting for him to wake; while Bonnie, Jeremy and Alaric were in the parlor with Caroline. He fell asleep once his fever went down after drinking Klaus's blood, but his condition only worsened despite of everything and Stefan and Athena had categorically refused to leave Damon alone. They had no clue what to do to save the one they both loved, but they weren't going to leave him alone and this was the thing gyrating on Klaus's nerves.

Even though he knew that his daughter was close to the Salvatore's, but what he couldn't understand was why was it affecting her so much? How long had she known the brothers? Not long, if he was correct. But seeing her right now, sitting on a chair beside Damon's bed, upset and distraught over the elder Salvatore, troubled him to no end. She was way too young to worry about anything like this, especially his enemy. Then there were her words which were constantly ringing in his head like an endless loop – 'I don't want another name to add to the list of people who've died because of me.' Why would a 17-year-old think that people have died because of her? She was younger than everyone present in the house and to carry such a burden on her shoulders? He couldn't even begin to imagine! At 17, he and all his siblings were clueless and naïve, without the knowledge about the monsters that lived in the world; but looking at her made him realize that she had seen more than he or any parent would've wanted for their child. He only had the knowledge of how Dursley's had treated her and he had never been more satisfied about murdering someone. There was no doubt that Athena was smart, perspective, acutely alert of her surroundings and more mature than anyone he had met of her age, and from experience he knew that being through a war would do that to anyone. He just wanted to know who did this to her and kill every single one of those who wanted to harm her in any way.

He was brought out of his musings, when he heard the doppelgänger ask, "Caroline is fully healed. Why isn't the cure working for him?"

Ah! He shook his head at her before he replied sarcastically, "That's what I would love to know, darling." It didn't settle well with him that there was a species of werewolves out there which he had no idea about and moreover, a werewolf bite that his blood didn't work on. This could be dangerous even for him and his family. He wanted nothing more than to find a wolf like the one who had bitten them and interrogate them until he got the answers he needed. But alas, it would have to wait, he thought wistfully.

On the other hand, Athena and Stefan were focused solely on Damon, looking more tormented than anyone else. Athena had been in situations where she wasn't able to anything for her loved ones as they were killed in front of her. This situation wasn't any different. She once again felt helpless, not knowing how to help Damon. She had thought that she hated him for killing Lavender so brutally and she knew she couldn't forgive him for that, but seeing him in the state – moaning in pain, delirious and on his death bed because of her, she couldn't stop the ripple of torment that spread throughout her body. She had been wrong to even think that by running away from this place and 'him', she would be able to bury the love she had for Damon. Everything she had worked on in the past days vanished as soon as her eyes landed on him. Suddenly, everything seemed inconsequential in front of Damon's pain – the fact that he loved someone else, that he hated her with a passion because she was the daughter of his enemy or the fact that he was a murderer. All that disappeared in the wake of his pain and the knowledge that this was possibly the worst way to die for a vampire. She also knew that Stefan loved his brother and would go off the rails if something happened to Damon. And once again it was all her fault, but she just didn't know what to do! She had floo'd Hermione and had begged her to find a way to search something… anything to save Damon, but Hermione hadn't been sure about it. In fact, she had told Athena very clearly, that there was no record of a vampire surviving a werewolf bite. Klaus's blood and its healing properties were their only chance, but it didn't work. They didn't know how long Damon had and she wasn't leaving him, no matter what.

She blinked and was brought back when she heard a pained moan, alerting the occupants of the room. Stefan flew to his brother's side in an instant; while Elena was already sitting by his side, wiping the sweat from his face with a towel.

"Damon?" Stefan said, hovering over him.

Damon groaned with pain as he moved slowly and tried to talk, but Elena stopped him and whispered, "Shh… You're gonna be alright, Damon." Choosing to ignore the fact that he had tried to kill her not days ago. She was in love with him and wasn't going leave now, when he needed someone the most.

He opened his eyes blearily, blinking against the harsh lights, before turning his head slowly. Disregarding Elena, he looked at his brother who looked ready to cry. He would have said something sarcastic or made fun of his brother, but couldn't because he felt depleted. He heard two heartbeats in the room other than Stefan and Elena's which felt like were hammering inside his head. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw a blurry figure standing near the foot of his bed and squinted his eyes to see more clearly. Ignoring the sounds and somewhat alert, now that he knew who was in front of him, he whispered croakily, "Athena?"

She walked towards his side of the bed, distinctively noticing how Elena had tensed, but dismissed her for the moment. She didn't know what the girl's problem was and fully intended to talk to her once everything went back to normal, but right now she focused on Damon. She plastered a fake smile on her face or at least tried to, but couldn't after taking a look at him. He wasn't looking good and she was doing nothing, but watching him as he withered away right in front of their eyes. She stopped beside Stefan and said, "Hey."

Damon blinked a couple of times and asked, "Are you really here?"

"I'm here. How are you feeling?" she questioned.

He chuckled involuntarily at that, but it turned into a coughing fit. Stefan held a towel as he coughed blood, while Elena rubbed his back. Damon's hand went to the bite on his shoulder and he moaned painfully. Just like her, Stefan was looking at his brother miserably, not knowing how to help him.

Once he settled back, breathing harshly, he looked back at Athena and murmured, "You should leave. I could hurt you."

Athena swallowed at that, sharing a look with Stefan which wasn't missed by Elena. "You're not gonna hurt me." She told him softly.

"I've already hurt you, haven't I?" Damon asked with what seemed like a snort.

She sat on the bed in front of him, so she could into his eyes; took one of his hand in hers and said, "Don't worry about it. Yeah?"

Damon rested his head on the pillow as he closed his eyes and gripped her hand in his own tightly. Klaus meanwhile was staring at the close contact with narrow eyes and his arms crossed across his chest. Being close to the Salvatore's was one thing, but this? He was seething, not caring about the fact that someone was dying. Even Stefan would've been a better choice, but Damon – the fool? She was just a child and shouldn't be holding hands with anyone. Period! He was all but ready to rip Damon's heart out in his anger, when the door opened and Elijah stepped in.

Elijah observed the scene in front of him with an arched eyebrow, but thankfully didn't say anything. Everyone was so tense, that it looked like someone's funeral. Not that he cared, but given the circumstances… Anyway, he cleared his throat unnecessarily, addressing his brother, "Niklaus. I would like to have a word. In private. There's something you need to see."

Klaus didn't look away from his daughter, where the elder Salvatore was holding onto her like a lifeline. Eyes narrowed and jaw clenched. Elijah didn't miss this and added for his brothers benefit, "Kol is right down the stairs, if the need arises."

The three occupants of the room were frowning at them, but he gave a terse nod and the brothers left.

Elena looked at the door perplexed and asked Stefan, "What was that about?"

Stefan was still staring at the door with his brows knitted together as he answered offhandedly, "I… don't know."

"You don't think they know something about the cure, do you?" Elena whispered to Stefan, forgetting Athena for a second; who glared at the girl and snapped despite herself, "They wouldn't do that! Let me remind you that they came here to help."

"That doesn't mean that he willingly wants to help us. Klaus is a monster who doesn't care about anyone but himself." Elena said hotly.

Athena stared at Elena flummoxed. The girl was willing to argue right now about something which could easily be sorted out later? She didn't know what, but there was definitely something wrong with her. No matter what, she wasn't going to let an immature girl who thought of herself as someone 'remarkable', bad mouth about her father or her family for the matter. She knew the Mikaelson's weren't exactly angels, but they had spared these people after they killed Finn and even now, they were here to help. "Why would someone willingly help the murderer of their brother or the people who tried to end their whole family? He could've let your friend and Damon die, but my dad saved Caroline. It would be good for you to remember it." Athena glowered, her eyes glowed brightly as she stared at Elena, who flinched back not only by her tone, but petrified at the way her eyes glowed otherworldly.

Even Stefan took a step back, afraid. In the month he had spent with her in London, he had read loads of books in the Black Library, but he hadn't read anything about this. Her eyes weren't yellow like a werewolf's, but had glowed bright verdant despite them already being green. "Athena?" he called tentatively when he saw the terror still etched in Elena's eyes. He just wasn't sure where did the girl that he had fallen in love with, go?

Startled, Athena looked up at him blinking rapidly and flushed red at her outburst. She shot Stefan an apologetic look, but refused to even glance at the brunette.

"Elena? Can I talk to you for a second?" Stefan almost glared at Elena as he asked and then added as an afterthought. "Outside!"

Elena nodded hesitantly before casting an uncertain glance from Athena to Damon, but followed Stefan out without a word.

Athena sighed tiredly and focused her attention back on Damon, who was now awake and staring at the door. "I thought she would never leave. Gave me a headache." He mumbled to her now and she looked at him confused, unable to understand the meaning behind his words, but nodded nonetheless.

He was still holding her hand in his sweaty one, but unwilling to let it go. After a short while he muttered so quietly that she almost missed it. "I didn't think I'd get this chance. I thought that you would've removed me from your memories."

Athena swallowed painfully at the reminder of the dreadful day, which at this moment seemed a lifetime ago and flexed her fingers before saying, "I could never do that, Damon. No matter what."

"It's a good thing too or I would've missed the chance to say goodbye." He croaked out, eyes closed and breathing softly.

"This isn't goodbye. I'm not gonna letting you die today." She said it with such certainty, that for a second even he believed her lie easily, but then his shoulder throbbed with pain, bringing him back to back to reality.

"This is even more pitiful than the last time." He grounded through clenched teeth. "I've done a lot of things in life that I regret, but killing the girl isn't one of them." Athena tensed, her body went rigid but he didn't give her a chance to reply and continued, "She was hurting you. I couldn't do anything before, but when I saw you bleeding and screaming on the ground as she tortured you, all I wanted was to kill her, even if she was under some curse. Two words and you would've been dead… and I couldn't live in a world where you don't exist."

Athena stared at him, jaw slackened. There were many things she wanted to ask, but somehow, she wasn't able to process his words.

Unknown and unbothered by her inner struggle, he continued blabbering, "The best decision of my undead life was to help you all those years ago. What a skinny thing you were! Even afraid, hungry and with a broken hand, you were ready to fight. Even then I couldn't leave you. I should've known that you would turn out to be the most important person in my life."

"Damon…" she breathed.

"I know that I won't get the chance to say this now and probably I'm too late. You've always saved our asses and I was nothing, but awful to you. I hope that you'll be able to forgive me someday." He whispered pathetically and she closed her eyes to cease the tears that were filling her eyes rapidly.

She shook her head even though he couldn't see her and uttered quietly, "Don't think about it. Just rest."

He shook his head adamantly and chocked out, "No. I know I don't have time. You should know that I am in love with you. You made me happy like no one else had. You didn't look at me like the lowest form on earth. You cared for me. Me and not because you wanted something in return, but because you loved me as well. And I ruined it all. I destroyed your trust and the love you had for me."

Tear fell from both their eyes, but they didn't notice it. Athena was in a whirlwind of emotions. Everything was happening too fast and she didn't have the time to process it all.

"I know that I don't deserve your forgiveness, but I crave for it anyway. It's like someone up there knows that I deserve this for hurting you." He joked. "I just wished I would've listened to you rather than being an ass. Knowing you and being loved by you had been a blessing, Athena Lily Potter Mikaelson." He mumbled sleepily.

She wasn't sure what to say, but the hand which wasn't holding his went to his head and she streaked his hair softly.

"I don't wanna hurt you anymore. I think I should sleep now." He muffled before falling asleep, looking almost peaceful as she stared at him as more tears fell.

Everyone sat in the living room somberly. Klaus and Elijah had yet to return from wherever they've vanished to, while Kol was sipping bourbon from Damon's stack keeping an eye on everyone. Caroline was still shaken from her ordeal and was sitting with Bonnie, who was trying in vain to search for a cure in Emily's grimoire. Alaric was distressed knowing that there wasn't anything they could do to save his friend. Stefan and Elena almost had a fight when he had clearly informed her to stay away from Damon. She was a grown woman and should know where she wasn't wanted. Elena had looked at him with eyes filled with so much hurt, that he had to turn away from her, but he didn't regret anything.

His brother was dying and wasn't sure that he could deal with Elena's tantrums right now. But despite his warning, Elena had refused to leave Damon and was now sitting with Alaric.

Stefan closed his eyes and for the first time since he was turned, prayed to any deity who would bring back his brother. He hated Damon with a passion, but he loved his brother even more and wasn't sure if he would be able to come out unscathed if anything happened to Damon. If there was anything constant in his life, it was Damon. People came and went, but they've always been there for each-other.

Obviously, he had heard every word Damon told Athena and his eyes misted as realization dawned on him that his brother had given-up.

Stefan though, wasn't ready to give up on his brother. He didn't know how! Wasn't sure how to say goodbye to his only family. That's when he heard Damon's heart rate slowing down and coughing; without another thought, he blurred upstairs with Alaric, Elena and Kol on toe.

Athena was thinking about everything Damon had said, when suddenly Damon coughed blood all over himself and started dry-heaving. His skin was paler than before, almost chalky and he was clammy. Eyes red-rimmed and he groaned with agony when he fell back on his shoulder. It was easy to see that he was having trouble breathing and she did the only thing she thought of – started muttering healing spells that she knew, but to no avail as they did nothing for him. Not even easing his suffering.

Stefan slammed the door open and blurred by Damon's side. "Damon…" he whispered tearfully, reminding Athena of a small child and she had to look away. Again, she couldn't help herself and cursed her existence. This was her fault, just like always. Again, someone was dying because of her. She stood up from the bed shakily, stumbled towards the bathroom and puked until there was nothing left. She felt someone rubbing her back in soothing motions and saw Kol kneeling beside her, looking at her worriedly.

She shook her head – to tell him that he shouldn't be worried about her. That she was cursed and everyone dies because of her. There was no count of how many people lost their lives – merely in her 17 years. How many more were going to suffer because of her? They should leave her and run as far away as possible before they suffered as well. Or better yet, they should kill her because she was too coward to do it herself.

But she just sat there until they heard Stefan screaming at Damon and she pushed herself up before running out. Caroline and Bonnie were standing by the window, staring at Damon sadly. Alaric looked grief-stricken and he rushed outside, his shoulders shaking. Elena was standing beside Damon's bed, wailing as tears after tears fell down her eyes. The door opened and she turned her head to see her dad and Elijah standing there, but if anything, they looked sorry if not anything else.

Athena… she just couldn't pluck the courage to look at Damon yet. Instead, her eyes landed on Stefan, who was sobbing and shaking Damon, begging him to wake him up. This scene was too eerily familiar and she was pulled back to Hogwarts when Fred was killed and George was crying over his body just like this. She felt like history was repeating itself and she was in a never-ending cycle. The man she loved lying dead, while his brother was left mourning. It always came back to bite her.

Finally, she looked at Damon. Her knees felt weak and stumbled even in Kol's grip. She felt like crying, wailing or expressing her anger at the world and fate in any way, but she couldn't. She was so tired of grieving for someone or the other. She had cried so much that she had no tears left and she stood there statically, staring at the greying body of the vampire she had fallen in love with. The first man who showed her any form of kindness by taking her to the doctor and by buying her a week's worth of food, when he could've easily left her.

She wasn't ready for this. Wasn't ready to say goodbye. So, she shrugged Kol's arms from around her and walked towards Damon in a haze, ignoring the worried glance cast her way by her family. She sat beside him and shivered as she felt a cold wind surrounding her suddenly. She cast one look at Stefan, who was still staring at Damon, like he would wake up any second now, before turning back towards the man lying dead in the bed.

She put one hand on his chest, where his heart was and breathed deeply. Stefan looked at her confused and Klaus came towards her, frowning. Athena closed her eyes and focused. It wasn't until few seconds later, that Bonnie felt the shift in air around them and her head snapped towards Athena. "What're you doing?" she asked panicked, shivering by the blackness that had surrounded her suddenly. She had never felt anything like this, nor has she read about it before.

If her panic wasn't enough to startle everyone, then the next thing was. The lights around them started flickering, the house started shaking and they felt like they were hit by a sudden storm. All their eyes went to Athena, who was solely focused on Damon and they knew that she was doing it somehow. The alarm and horror that creeped inside them was mutual as they stared at the witch in barely hidden terror. Klaus was ready to stop her, when suddenly the lights went off and the sky outside turned dark, which was enough to scare everyone, because daytime and sun was at its peak.

"Stefan!" Elena screamed terrified.

"What's happening?" Alaric asked at the same time.

Stefan was too much in shock to speak. It wasn't merely dark, it was almost black and if he hadn't been a vampire, he knew he wouldn't be able to see anything.

"I don't know, but it's her. She's doing it. There's someone here. I can feel its presence." Bonnie gasped alarming everyone.

Klaus blurred and held the witch by her shoulders and gritted out, "Who is it?"

Bonnie shrunk back into the wall behind her as she tried to make herself invisible from the unknown entity and shouted, "I don't know! Its something I've never felt before. More powerful than I thought someone could possibly be."

Klaus cursed and shared a look with his brother and blurred towards his daughter, but flew back before he could reach her. Elijah and Stefan, who were trying to reach Athena flew as well, breaking the table as Elijah crashed on it; while Stefan flew out of the window.

"Athena…!" Klaus screamed when he wasn't able to reach her, no matter how much he tried, but got no response.

What happened next, chilled even him to the bones. He was sure that if it hadn't been for his heightened senses, he wouldn't be able to see it and sharp intakes of breaths and startled gasps from the vampires around him, told him that he wasn't the only one or he wasn't crazy.

"No, no, no. no, no, no…." there was a constant chant from the Bennett witch and he resisted the urge to snap at her or maybe kill her, because she wasn't any use to him.

He tried to move towards whatever it was when he saw 'it' moving or more like floating towards Athena, but he was frozen, just like others. Whatever it was made him shiver with the power it was radiating. He couldn't see what or who it was as 'it' was wearing a black cloak covering him or her from head to toe. Terror seized him when 'it' moved to stand swiftly over Athena and Damon's dead body, and touched both their foreheads simultaneously. As soon as the hand touched her, Athena screamed so loudly, that he doubled his efforts to free himself from whatever barrier was holding him. Stefan, Elijah and Kol were struggling similarly; while the Bennett Witch was still hiding with Elena and Caroline and their hunter friend was trying to figure out what was happening.

Klaus had never felt so helpless in all his thousand years. He was someone that everyone covered away from, but here he was afraid and ready to beg for his daughter's life from whatever entity it was. But there was no need to beg, because whatever it was 'vanished' and in the next second, everything became normal like it had never happened. The darkness receded just as abruptly as it started, all the lights turned on and the house stopped shaking. The air around them cleared and they were free to move again.

Too shaken and stunned to comprehend what had happened, everyone watched in a stunned daze as Damon's eyes snapped open and he woke up with a loud gasp, precisely at the moment Athena's eyes rolled and she fell, just as Kol caught her, sighing with relief when he felt her breathing normally.

Athena's eyes snapped open, only to blink again and again to adjust against the blackness surrounding her. She stood up from where she was lying on the ground and looked around, trying to find something or someone.

"Hello?" she called and her sound reverberated much to her surprise.

She felt the air around her changing and someone breathing down her neck. She whirled around and cried out when she saw who or more accurately what it was. The man, if it could be called that was gaunt, almost skeletal. He was wearing a black cloak which covered all of him. The only thing visible were his eyes. The only thing that had scared her in the first place – his eyes were burning pits of fire as he smirked at her creepily and she gulped, backing away from him unconsciously.

"Wh-who…?" she stuttered, heart beating wildly in her chest.

The man's smirked widened and asked curiously, but in an ominous voice, "A human playing with death?"

"What?" she whispered confused, frowning.

Instead of replying, he stated almost gleefully, "There are consequences which you'll have to face."

Before Athena could open her mouth to question him, he touched her with one of his fingers. She screamed as pain racked her body and she felt like she was burning. The laughter that she heard through her own screams was nothing but evil as she fell.

Somewhere beyond the wall, two red eyes snapped open. Staring curiously, he moved towards the barrier and frowned before pushing it with all his might. It didn't break, but by some miracle, the 16-year-old fell out of the burning fire and a vicious smile touched his lips.

AN: Sorry for the late update guys. I know this one is a bit short, but it was necessary to end it here as you might know that the story and all its chapters are already planned.

I was shocked to see that most of you had the same theory that Athena's blood would be the cure. It could've been, if she was a werewolf, which she isn't. Maybe I'll use it in the future.

Also, I have an exam in August because of which I'm unable to concentrate on writing stories. I'll try to work as often as I can, but I'm not sure when the next updates will be. None of my stories are abandoned and I will be finishing them soon.

Lastly, I hope you liked it and would love to hear from you, even if is just to give me some ideas or if you think that I've missed something. Positive criticism is always welcome.

Have a nice day everyone.

March 24th, 2019