Part III

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 don't have a beta, so I would like to apologize for my mistakes in advance. Please do not copy this story. Unedited.

Burrow

Dinner was a rowdy affair; the likes of which Damon had never seen in all his life. More than half of them ate like it was their last meal while talking through their mouthfuls. He had been introduced to everyone, obviously and he could easily point the ones he disliked. With the food floating, Fleur whining throughout the meal, Mrs. Weasley shooting him dirty looks whenever she could, Hermione scolding Ronnikins because he was stuffing himself more than anyone could, it was utter chaos. 'What kind of nickname was Ronnikins anyway?'

But this wasn't the reason behind his foul mood. No, the reason was the newcomer – Charles 'Charlie' Weasley, second of seven children born to Arthur and Molly Weasley, dragon tamer who worked in Romania flirting with his girl, right in front of him… calling her babycakes, sweetheart, sugar… and every belch worthy name in history, making her blush like he never could.

By the time everyone retired for the day, Damon was planning a murder. It was sufficing to say that he really hated the dragon tamer.

Next Day

"How much farther?" asked Ron for the millionth time.

Damon and Hermione rolled their eyes simultaneously, while Athena whirled and snapped, "It hasn't even been five minutes!"

"You didn't let me have breakfast and I'm hungry!" he whined pathetically.

"You're always hungry!" muttered Hermione and Ron shot her a look full of betrayal.

"You whine one more time, and I'll hex you to the next century, Ronald Weasley!" Athena glared and hissed, making the three people wince.

Thankfully, Ron didn't say anything after that, despite the occasional mumblings of 'how mad the witches can be?' and 'how was he supposed to get married without food in his stomach?', which was ignored by everyone.

They stopped in front of a two-story building, Hermione and Ron frowned, when Athena pulled a key out of her pocket and gave it to them.

"What?" asked Ron obliviously, even though Hermione's eyes widened with shock as she realized what it was!

She stared from the house to the key and then to Athena with narrow eyes and hissed angrily, "ATHENA LILY POTTER! You didn't!"

Ron stared between the two and asked urgently, "What? What is it?"

Damon had to roll his eyes at the egghead wondering how clueless can someone be?

"She's giving the house to us, Ronald," Hermione informed to her fiancée, glaring at her friend.

"You bought this for us? But mate, – THIS MUST'VE COST A FORTUNE!" yelled Ron, staring at his friend incredulously, like she had really lost her marbles.

Athena shrugged. "All that money – it was just sitting there, its no use to me. And my best friends won't get married every day. I know you've always wanted your own place, but you wanted to stay with your family as well. This place is right next to the Burrow! You can always add more rooms if you want! And well… the paperwork is already done, so you better make good use of it!"

By the time she was done, Hermione had given up, but still, she said slowly, "Athena… It's too much…"

"Its really not," Athena replied, knowing how stubborn her friend could be at times. "You should know… it is empty. I thought you would like to decorate it as you want."

"Blimey!" Ron whispered aghast, staring at her with wonder and disbelief.

"Why don't you take a look inside?" Athena suggested, pushing her two friends towards the house, a small smile adorning their faces.

Burrow

Ron was still yammering something about the house as they entered the Burrow. Breakfast was again a very loud affair, but each and everyone was busy discussing the wedding, the next day.

Out of the corner of his eyes, Damon noticed that Mrs. Weasley, Percy, George, and Ginny were having a heated argument.

George flicked his wand and his eyes went to Athena, but before he could've said anything, Ginny asked suddenly, "Alright everyone, who's ready for a game of Quidditch?"

Damon watched the atmosphere of the room change as if by magic and almost everyone brightened. Molly, Mr. and Mrs. Granger – who had arrived not minutes ago, Hermione and Fleur, weren't playing. Arthur agreed to become the referee, while everyone was divided into two teams – Bill's and Charlie's. He had been excited to see the game until Charlie chose Athena, much to his annoyance, but there was nothing he could do despite watching. Apart from the fact that Athena and Ginny were the seekers, while George and Ron were beaters, Damon didn't pay attention to anyone else.

Soon enough, everyone was on their brooms, floating in the air. Arthur stood in the middle and said, "On my whistle." He held out a golden ball, known as snitch releasing it along with another ball which went flying in the air. "Three… two… Go!" He brought a whistle to his mouth and blew. The golden ball shot into the sky and was gone before he could blink.

He was standing next to Fleur's chair, who was telling him the basics of the game. The two teams circled around; Athena and Ginny stayed where they were, higher than the rest, but on the opposite ends. Damon caught the sight of the snitch at the same time Ginny did because she took a sharp turn and followed after it quickly. Athena was still circling in the sky, staring around idly.

"Why isn't she doing anything? The snitch is right there!" he muttered frustrated, earning a frown from Hermione, while Fleur's lips quirked and she replied. "She knows what she 'ez doin'."

The others were busy tossing a ball between their teammates while batting the flying one - a Bludger away from them. His eyes went to Athena, who still hadn't moved and was scanning the area before she dived. His eyes widened when he saw how fast she was, unable to understand how a human could fly at such speed on a broom? Ginny was still chasing the snitch, but she looked back towards Athena, who was approaching her steadily. Suddenly, the snitch changed direction and flew upwards. Neither of the girls was deterred because they turned swiftly and followed it in the sky, barely dodging a hit by the Bludger. The snitch changed the direction again and flew towards the ground. Damon noticed that Athena's eyes were focused solely on the snitch as she increased her speed, rocketing towards the ground. Ginny wasn't far behind, but it was clear that she was a bit slow, until she stopped a few feet from the ground. Athena though didn't stop, speeding straight for the ground.

Damon had no idea if she caught the snitch or not and he stared wide-eyed as Athena slowed minutely before she hit the ground with a thud.

"Dear Merlin!" He heard a horrified whisper, but before anyone could say anything, he blurred where she was lying on the ground, kneeled next to her and called frantically, "Athena?"

She opened an eye and grinned, eyes shining brightly as she showed him the snitch and said, "We won!" Much to his chagrin.

"What were you thinking?" He suddenly raged, thinking about the moment how she had plummeted to the ground and making him believe that she was hurt or worse… even if it was for a second.

Her eyes widened at his anger as she sat up, but he still looked tense, glaring at her, even though he was holding her shoulders. "I'm alright, Damon." She told him softly.

He slumped tiredly and pulled her in a hug, unwilling to let go, even though all her family was surrounding them. So, he closed his eyes and asked quietly, "What am I going to do with you?"

Someone cleared their throat and she pulled back, but she squeezed his fingers to let him know that everything was fine before she was swarmed by the redheads.

Damon stayed outside on the porch while everyone celebrated inside – whether it was for the Quidditch or the wedding, he wasn't certain. Feeling like an outsider between these people, this was the best he could do. He heard voices and focused on Athena's while he stared at the sky. The door opened and steps approached him cautiously, making him smirk.

"Meeting a vampire alone just before your wedding? What would everyone say?" He mocked sardonically.

Hermione rolled her eyes but gave him a mug filled with butterbeer without a word.

He took it with a nod of his head, waiting for her to say whatever she was here for! He didn't have to wait long as she fuddled with her sweater before squaring her shoulders and asked, "What are you doing out here?"

He raised his eyebrows and looked at her incredulously. "And here I thought you were the smart one." He tusked. "In case you didn't notice, everyone including you hates me."

"That's not true. Arthur, Fleur, Bill, and George seems to like you just fine!" ejaculated Hermione, eyeing him as if he was a book and would reveal everything she wanted to know.

"Hmm…" Damon shrugged noncommittally turning back and took a sip.

After some time, she cleared her throat and asked, "You like Athena?"

He glanced at her, his posture relaxed and he took another sip. He was smirking, but there was something hidden behind those eyes which she couldn't read. "What is this? Spanish inquisition?" he replied instead.

Her lips turned down, she crossed her arms across her chest, raised her chin defiantly and stared at him nonplussed.

He threw his arms up in mock-outrage and said feigning hurt, "Don't look at me with those judgy eyes."

"Shouldn't I?" said Hermione daringly. "You did kill Lavender."

He sobered up suddenly, all traces of humour gone and he said seriously, "Listen to me and listen good… because I'm not gonna tell you again. I killed someone who was hurting my brother and the girl I love. They could've been dead if I hadn't killed her. I don't care if she was under a curse – I don't care what you or your family or anyone else thinks about me. I did what I had to do to keep the two most important people in my life alive. I'll do it again if I had to! So, if you're here to make me feel guilty, then you can leave!"

Hermione was left speechless by the time he was done, staring at him aghast. She knew that he was telling the truth and suddenly she realized the extent of his feelings for Athena. He might not be the person she had envisioned as her best friend's other half, but the fierce protectiveness in his voice sent chills down her spine.

"The way in which you're staring … I'd say you're falling for me. Is the wedding with ginger still in cards?"

He smiled when she turned pink with embarrassment, but she still wasn't done and continued, "And you kill innocent people just like that?"

"Well…" he pretended to think for a second and she scowled. "I can't go hungry you know? And it's not wrong to hustle hustlers. It's like killing murderers – think of it as public service."

"And what about the fact that you tried to kill me the first time we met?" Hermione asked stonily.

Damon sighed. She was annoying as hell. "Yeah – well, get over it. – I already apologised for it!"

She shouted outraged, "No, you didn't!"

"Yes, I did!" He added adamantly.

"Uhh…!" Hermione threw her hands in the air frustrated and snapped, "You're so infuriating! I don't know what Athena sees in you?!"

"I'm really not the one to brag, but she…" Damon added conceitedly, a smile on his face. "couldn't resist my good looks, my style, and my charm and my unflinching ability to converse with people I don't like."

She kept muttering under her breath when he decided to ask casually, "So… does Athena know that you're pregnant?"

Hermione's eyes widened to the size of saucers as she whirled around and stared at him. "Wh-What? How do you know?" she stuttered.

He snorted at such a dumb question. "Hello! Vampire hearing!" Her frown deepened so he explained, pointing towards her stomach, "There are two heartbeats instead of one."

Hermione's eyes filled with tears and she asked breathlessly, "You can hear him?"

"No. I can hear the heartbeat."

She snorted at such a foolish answer but flung herself at him. Damon went still, patting her back awkwardly when she snuffled on his jacket. What startled him the most was the kiss she planted on his cheek before rushing in to find Ronald.

Mrs. Weasley was serving evening tea when George stepped in front of her, halting her mid-process. All eyes went to them as the two glared at each other, everyone went quiet as they stared at each other, exchanging glances, having a silent conversation.

Athena raised a questioning eyebrow at Ron, who shook his head and asked concerned, "Mum, what is it?"

"Oh, it's nothing, dear!" chirped Mrs. Weasley. "Why don't you all sit down? Tea is ready."

"Molly…" Arthur chided disapprovingly, at the same time Bill said, "Mum… she should know."

She whirled towards her family, hands and her hips and stated firmly, "No! She has enough on her plate! She doesn't need this! Not now!"

"Sit down, dear," said Mrs. Weasley, sounding exasperated, before snatching the paper from Bill and stuffing it into Charlie's hand, but not before Athena caught a glimpse of herself in the Prophet.

"What is it, Mrs. Weasley?" Athena asked dreadfully.

"Nothing you have to worry about, dear." Said Mrs. Weasley with a forged smile, ushering her into the nearest chair, leaving everyone flummoxed by her behaviour.

George looked at her and said warningly, "Mum! She had a right to know."

Damon clenched his jaw when George was ignored, having had enough of the woman pushing everyone, even if she had good intention. He strode towards her purposely, making everyone tense as they pulled their wands out not so discreetly. Athena, on the other hand, pushed away from Molly and stepped in between the two.

"Damon." her voice was tense as she looked him, pleading with her eyes to not make a scene and he snorted.

"I'm not gonna hurt her!" he announced for Athena's benefit before looking at Mrs. Weasley and said calmly, "I haven't known Athena for long, less than anyone of you, but I can tell you that she can handle whatever it is, more than anyone else I've known. Stop mollycoddling her. She's been through a lot –"

"No one's denying what she's been through!" said Mrs. Weasley, her voice rising, her hand tightened on her wand. "She's —"

He replied impatiently, "She's not a child! She can make her own decisions!"

"I exactly know who she is!" said Mrs. Weasley, the colour rising in her cheeks. "But maybe you don't!"

"I'm perfectly clear who she is!" Damon snapped angrily.

"Are you really?" Mrs. Weasley said coldly. "THEN PERHAPS YOU SHOULD LET HER BE AND GO FIND SOMEONE LIKE YOURSELF! YOU'RE NOT A PART OF THIS FAMILY – NEVER WILL BE! SHE'S TOO GOOD TO BE WITH THE LIKES OF YOU!"

"STOP!" Athena yelled suddenly, startling them all. She turned towards Charlie and demanded, "The paper, Charlie!"

Charlie passed the Prophet without a fuss. Athena didn't have to search because on the front page, she found what they had been talking about. Damon leaned in closer. A colour photograph of Damon sitting close to her, taken yesterday at Three Broomsticks and Hagrid was nowhere in the frame. In the second one, Damon was holding her close before she apparated out of there. Along with a short piece entitled:

.

Athena Potter – Back to Her Old Ways?

By

Rita Skeeter

We are all aware of Athena Potter's love life, which had always been stellar – from Krum to our own Cedric Diggory and lastly Fredrick Weasley. Whereabouts of our Golden Girl weren't disclosed until yesterday, where she was seen getting cosy with a handsome young man.

Who could blame the girl who had lost everyone at such a young age, especially after her boyfriend, unfortunately, lost his life in the war?

However, it's not sure if there's a wedding in the cards for the girl-who-conquered or the young man will leave with a broken heart?

Our Miss Potter is undoubtfully powerful and charming that has captured the interest of many till date.

Witnesses say that the two looked inevitably in love, but only time will tell if its another fling or more than that!

.

Athena gritted her teeth and threw the paper in the fireplace angrily. Damon felt his fangs receding as he vibrated with anger and blurred out of the house before he could snap anyone's neck, closing the door behind him with a loud bang!

Athena stared after him sadly and rubbed her forehead with her fingers tiredly. It wasn't exactly the article that worried her. It was the behaviour towards Damon. At least Ron accepted him even if he ignored Damon's existence entirely, but this thing with Molly… was getting out of hand.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Weasley," said Athena as she sat on the nearest chair, feeling knackered. "I shouldn't have bought him here. I thought – well, it doesn't matter now. I-I'll ask him to leave when he comes back and we'll leave after the wedding."

"It's not you…" Molly started but was cut off as Athena said, "It is, Mrs. Weasley. I know what you think about him and I'm not denying that he has flaws… but he is not a monster! He has been through a lot in his years on earth, his life hasn't been easy. He makes bad decisions, he isn't perfect, but beneath it all… he is a man who does what is best for his brother and the people he cares about. He takes actions which no one else can, even if it puts him in a bad light. I wanted him to meet you because you're my family – and I like him."

She finished as everyone gawked at her, but she knew that they needed to know it… and more than that… she needed to accept it. Saying it out loud made it real… not something she had been circling around for the past months. Athena wasn't sure, but she was desperately hoping that Mrs. Weasley at least would let her stay till the wedding tomorrow, even if she decided to kick her out.

Molly took the opposite seat and her lips quivered. "I always imagined you as my daughter," she said quietly, at last, playing with her fingers.

Athena felt her throat clogging up and she nodded as understanding dawned on her. Molly was upset about Fred. They had been together since she was 14 and they were going to get married after the war. It couldn't be easy for her, seeing her happy with someone else and here she was, rubbing salt in her wounds.

"Molly…" Athena blinked back her tears and murmured softly, "I'll always love Fred – just like you'll always be my mother."

"Of course. I always thought of you as my own child… from the first time I saw you on the platform." whispered Mrs. Weasley before she began to sob. She then bent forward and put her arms around Athena. Her own face was tear-stained by the time she pulled back, but she was smiling, feeling like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

Somewhere in London

Later that night, Bill, Charlie, George, Percy, and Ron found Damon getting drunk in a muggle bar in London.

"Hey mate, what've you got there?" Ron asked, taking the stool next to Damon, startling him.

Damon eyed him warily. The ginger hadn't even looked into his direction since yesterday. Why was he being friendly now? Ron took his glass of bourbon and took a tentative sip. He wrinkled his nose and said, "Nothing's better than fire whiskey, but today we're having muggle drinks. It's on Charlie and Bill."

Damon was still confused and he looked at the Weasley's suspiciously. "What are you doing here?"

"It's Ronnikin's bachelor's and you are invited," George told him with a small smile which seemed forced. From his time here, Damon had noticed that the loss of his twin affected his brother more than anyone… even more than Athena. There hadn't been a single moment where George had smiled or participated in any conversation voluntarily. He couldn't blame the guy because Damon couldn't imagine his life without Stefan, even if they hated each other.

Charlie had booked a private table and they had cast a privacy charm around them. The conversation flowed easily and though Percy which he had named egghead, kept his distance; others were pleasant. Bill told him about his work as the curse-breaker in Gringotts, Charlie explained how he loved dragons, Percy had joined the ministry, George was working on his shop and Ron would be joining auror training soon. Their childhood stories fascinated him and listen about Athena even more so. He felt a pleasant warmth filling him as he drank more and shrugged the fog mentally. They discussed their girls and Charlie moaned that he was still searching for that special someone, which Damon filed for later.

He rested his head on the table as the fog inside his head increased steadily. How much had he drunk?

"So, Damon, tell us something about yourself," Charlie asked, pushing another drink towards the vampire while Bill shook his head at his brother's childishness. Damon would kill them in the morning if he remembered anything.

Damon shrugged, eyes dropping heavily when someone asked, "When did you first realize that you were in love with Athena?"

"The day I met ginger here." He nodded towards Ron who flushed. "She was hurt and… I… couldn't…" he stopped, frowning harder like he had forgotten something.

"Do you really think it's a good match? You and Athena? You are immortal and she will grow old. Shouldn't you find someone like you? Someone you can spend eternity with?" spoke George for the first time.

Damon stood up angrily, a glass toppled over by sheer force. His head wasn't clear, but he had enough sense to snap.

"No one tells me how to live my life. No one tells me who to love! Definitely not someone who doesn't know a thing about me. And I'm not going to let someone else's idea of what's good for the girl I love deter me. I know I'm not good enough for her, but no way in hell I'm gonna give up on her."

He sneered at the redheads before blurring out of there. He had a girl to see.

The brothers stared at the vacant spot and then towards each other.

"Wasn't it a little too much?" Bill asked disapprovingly.

"Maybe. But now we know." Ron shrugged.

"Hopefully he'll use the potion sensibly. The effects won't wear off until a couple of hours." Charlie smirked and Ron threw his glass at him, which turned into a feather before it could hit its mark.

"Oi!" he shouted making Bill sigh.

'Thank god for privacy charms!'

Burrow

Athena woke up because of insistent knocking on the door and frowned. She had been waiting for Damon when she fell asleep in his room. Who could be at his door at this hour? She switched on the light before opening the door, staring at the vampire confused.

Damon's eyes zoomed in on her face and he blinked. "Athena?'

"Damon? Why are you knocking at the door of your own room?" she asked perplexed.

He looked around with wonder before stumbling inside, closing the door behind him.

"Are you drunk?" she questioned somewhat baffled. The man was a tank, but right now, he was stinking and that was coming for her! She had never seen him this drunk and asked amused, "How much have you had to drink?"

He brought his thumb and finger together with effort, indicating how much and she rolled her eyes. "This much, huh?"

He took a step towards her, only to stumble and would have fallen if Athena wouldn't have caught him.

"You're heavy." She mumbled, carrying him towards his bed as his arm slid around her waist. She gripped the back of his shirt while he leaned on her and, was he – sniffling her? Her senses have increased since her transformation, but thankfully, she hadn't had the urge to sniff people.

She extracted her hand, intending to push him on the bed, but squeaked when he pulled her with him. She landed on top of him, eyes wide staring at him, but instead of releasing her, he tightened his arm around her waist. His other hand came up and rubbed his finger on her cheek.

Her pulse quickened, when he touched her lower lip with his thumb, heart hammering inside her chest where it was pressed against his and she whispered anxiously, "Damon…"

"Shhh…" he hissed softly. "You speak too much."

The next thing she knew, his lips were moving all over her face – eyes, nose, cheeks, venturing down the throat and playing with the hem of her neckline.

"Did I tell you that I am in love you?" he asked suddenly, making her gasp, even though she nodded. She looked into his eyes which were devoid of his normal spark. The only thing she saw in them was genuine curiosity and vulnerability. Athena had never seen him like this. What exactly did he drink?

"Oh." His face fell but then he held her chin in his fingers, turned her face towards him and said with a glum smile, "You never say it back. Is it because I don't deserve it?"

Her eyes widened further when he said it. Miserable was the only word that could describe him at the moment. His eyes held years of pain and suffering as he looked at her for answers. Looking at him right now, she couldn't see the man she had fallen for. This version of Damon was broken and she wasn't sure she could glue back all the pieces together.

"If you give me a chance, I won't let you regret it. I can awaken things inside you that have been sleeping all your life. You will never want to leave after that." He whispered in her ear huskily, making her shiver involuntarily, while his hand roamed downwards and palmed her ass, caressing it.

That was enough to bring her out of her reverie. "Damon, stop." She pleaded, trying to pull back in order to look at him.

His wandering hands stopped, but he tightened his hold on her and shook his head. "Don't leave."

The hitch in his voice broke her heart, making her more determined to talk to him before he fell asleep with everything buried inside. "Damon, look at me, please." Then added hastily, "I won't leave."

He released his hold painstakingly, but she took a deep breath she had been holding before she looked at him. His eyes flickered over her face and the other hand started moving up and down her back slowly, again.

"I need to tell you something." She said and immediately noticed how his expressions tightened along with his hand on her night-dress.

"I know that you probably won't remember this in the morning, but I want you to know that… well… bollocks…" she snapped frustrated, making him frown up at her. "Okay. Here goes! You need to know that I like you. Well – its more than like actually. It's love." She rushed out and closed her eyes wanting to hit herself on the head.

She took a breath before looking at him. His seemed were a bit foggy and filled with confusion as he stared at her. "Damon, I love you. I am in love with you." She added softly.

He stared hopefully, blue eyes piercing into hers and he asked uncertainly, "You do?"

She nodded, "Yeah. I really do."

In an expeditious move, he flipped them over; so, he was on top of her, hands by her head, fingers stroking her hair. Caught off guard by the sudden move, her hand tightened on the back of his shirt. She wasn't sure what the rules were, he was drunk, but she leaned upward and pressed a feather-light kiss on his irresistibly soft ones before pulling back. He chased her lips, but she shook her head. "Tomorrow, if you remember." She murmured softly and Damon grumbled.

She didn't know it was possible, but he pressed himself closer to her, nipping at her collarbone. Pressed as close as he was, she could now feel his erection on her stomach and felt herself growing hot, sure that she was blushing.

"Stay?" he mumbled incoherently, before pulling her to the side and draped an arm over her.

"Always." She whispered back.

He rested his head on her chest as she scratched his hair, plotting the murder of the Weasley's, she was positive were involved.

EN: Next chapter is the one you all have been waiting for – Athena and Damon get together. No more misunderstandings and Hermione and Ron get married.

I want to thank you if you're still with me on this story and I hope you're liking it. Positive criticism is always welcome. Thank You for all your reviews and sorry in case I haven't replied. Also, I would like to request you to tell me how you felt about this one. I have literally zero experience when it comes to writing romance. Not sure how things would come out in romantic situations.

Have a nice day everyone. 😊

Aug 2nd, 2019