Part IV

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: This chapter is probably the longest one yet. I'm sure it will make you all happy and almost every concern you had might be solved here.

I do not have a beta, so I would like to apologize for any mistakes in advance. Please do not copy this story.

Just to let you know, the wedding wasn't my main focus, so it's written from Damon's Pov.

Morning of The Wedding

Bright light burned through his eyelids, piercing through his dream and pulled him back in the land of the living. His head was pounding and the sun shining through the window wasn't doing him any favour. With a moan, Damon buried his face in the pillow, trying to block everything. Why was his head throbbing anyway? The effects of liquor never lasted on vampires for such a long time. Maybe it was because of the dream he had, where Athena confessed that she was in love with him. It had to be a dream, a fragment of his imagination because even though she cared about him, there was no way she could actually be in love with him.

Mother Weasley had been right – 'Athena was too good to be with the likes of him, but that didn't stop him from hoping that someday she would return his affections.'

For now, though he had to get out of this bed and attend a wedding which he was least interested in.

Damon heard hushed voices, recognising one as Athena's and he stopped outside the kitchen. It was a wonder she had forgotten the silencing charm as the discussion seemed heated it wasn't like her, but he was thankful nevertheless.

"How could you do this?" Athena was saying, to which Charlie replied, "It wasn't exactly easy, you see…"

"Wasn't exactly easy…?" she gasped outraged. "It was illegal – enough to land you in Azkaban!"

Damon frowned. Was she threatening Charlie, but why?

"But you wouldn't. Would you?" Charlie sounded less sure now.

"Athena…" Came George's voice, pleading.

"NO!" she shook her head and whispered disappointed, "I can't believe you could do this! I thought I meant more than this."

"How can you even say that?" this came from Ron, sounding hurt more than anything.

"Are you aware of its side effects?" She asked suddenly and her voice rose.

When no one spoke, Athena said stonily, "Even your mother wouldn't approve of this."

Now here, Damon heard their hearts as they accelerated, indicating that they were afraid. What exactly happened to make her this angry?

Athena said humourlessly, "Don't worry. I won't spoil the day, but I'm not going to forgive you for this."

This was going nowhere, so he decided to make his presence known. He walked into the kitchen casually and was surprised to see their eyes filled with fear and guilt as soon as they landed on him. Now, what was this about?

"Damon!" Athena looked perturbed to see him and there was no doubt left in his mind that he wouldn't approve of whatever these redheads had done, but when he raised a questioning eyebrow at her, she turned away from him.

Frowning, he went to the counter and poured a cup of tea, making himself as relaxed as he could. There was no sound behind him and it was obvious that either they were waiting for him to leave or for some kind of response. Athena's reaction left him even more confused, but he turned around, sipping the tea, his eyes gazing at the brothers steadily and asked casually, "I'm sorry. Am I interrupting something?"

"No. We were just leaving. Loads to do." Ron mumbled before he practically ran out with his brothers on his toe.

Everyone was outside apart from the women, who were at Shell Cottage, while the men were checking the final preparations in the garden. There was no one it the house apart from Damon and Athena, so he looked at her and asked, "What was that about?"

She squirmed, fingers flexing inside the pocket of her jumper before looking at him and stumbled across her words. "Um… Wh –" she cleared her throat unnecessarily. "Do you remember anything after… uh… after you met the Weasley's last night?"

He pursued his lips, trying to remember anything out of ordinary, but came out with nothing. "We had a few drinks and then I came back. Why? Is there something I should know?" he asked with a raised brow.

Her shoulders slumped dramatically, with relief or frustration, he had no idea because her face was blank. She shook her head with a glum smile and said, "It's not important right now."

She turned to leave, only to collide with Damon.

His palm came up and touched her cheek, fairly surprised when she leaned into his touch with a soft sigh. There was something definitely wrong and he couldn't wait any longer, and he asked softly, "You'll tell me if it's something important, won't you?"

She opened her eyes, looked at him with some unfathomable emotion he couldn't name, squared herself and said quietly, "Actually… there is something you should know, but I think it can wait till the wedding is over? Yeah?"

With that, she was out of the door even before he could reply.

Damon looked around impressed. It was a chilly day, leaves waving lazily, giving an attractive rippling effect. The yard had been swept, and the nearby garden was cleaner than it had been yesterday. The entrance to the marquee revealed rows and rows of fragile golden chairs set on either side of a long purple carpet. The supporting poles were entwined with white and gold flowers. Someone had fastened an enormous bunch of red coloured balloons over the exact point where Ron and Hermione would shortly become husband and wife. Outside, butterflies and bees were hovering lazily over the grass and hedgerow.

A host of white-robed waiters had arrived an hour earlier, along with a golden-jacketed band, and all of these wizards were currently sitting a short distance away under a tree; he could see a blue haze of pipe smoke issuing from the spot.

Arthur was discussing something with Bill, who was clutching seating plans so that he could help show people to the right seats. George and Charlie were finishing the final touches, there were gifts stacked on the corner table, Hagrid was here and talking to Athena about some newborn unicorns when they heard a crack of apparition and they all turned around to see an old woman holding a blue-haired child.

Athena's face lit up as it landed on the baby and without a thought, she rushed towards the lady. On first look, Damon thought that she looked far similar to Bellatrix Lestrange, but as she moved closer, he realised that the resemblance was much less pronounced. Her hair was a light soft brown and her eyes were wider and kinder.

"Dromeda! How have you been?" Athena asked as she hugged the lady before taking the child from her.

"We are fine, thank you. Just getting a little old to run after him now." Andromeda told her good-naturedly, smiling at her grandson. "How are you? I heard about your new development."

Much to Damon's surprise, Athena shrugged while tickling the baby, who now was supporting black hair. "I am adjusting. My dad helped me." She said with a bright grin.

"I am happy for you, Athena." The lady said genuinely before Arthur came and started a conversation.

Athena's eyes flickered around, searched for someone until they landed on him and her smile grew. She almost rushed towards him, bouncing the baby, who was blabbering something, stopped in front of him and introduced, "Damon, this is Teddy. Remus and Dora's son – my godson."

Ah! She had told him about Teddy. That explained the hair and Athena's affection towards him. He wasn't even two months old when his parents were killed in the war and the lady was Sirius's cousin, who was thrown out of her house for marrying a muggle.

"Oh my God!" Athena gaped at Ron, who was drinking straight from the bottle, looking pale and ready to faint. "That idiot!" she muttered before she thrust the baby in his direction, holding him mid-air and pleaded hurriedly, "Would you hold him for a moment please?"

Damon's wide eyes went to the baby and then back to her. "Wh-what?" he stuttered, looking at her incredulously.

Before he had a chance to deny, she bundled the baby in his arms and rushed off towards the ginger. "I'll be right back!" she called.

Damon looked at the kid, who blinked up at him before his eyes turned from hazel to ice-blue, just like his.

"Huh! What to do with you?" he asked with a smile and the kid grinned back toothily.

Then he did the most unexpected thing – he held the kid tightly and whirled around, mindful to be slow, but still faster than a human. It earned a shriek of laughter from the child as he grabbed Damon's shirt with his small fists. Seeing the kid smile up at him, made him feel warm inside, something he had never felt before, so he did it again and again and again.

"Hello?" someone called and he stopped. There were tear tracks running down Teddy's cheeks as he giggled, slapping Damon on his pecks with the tiny hands, clearly urging him to do it again. He looked up to see the lady standing in front of him. She arched an eyebrow delicately and said, "Andromeda Tonks, Teddy's grandmother."

She raised her hands and he passed the kid without a word.

"Uh… Damon Salvatore." He greeted after remembering that the woman had already introduced herself.

"Ahh..." Andromeda nodded knowingly.

"You've heard about me. Nothing good, I suppose." He summarised with a nod.

"You couldn't even imagine some of the things my family members did, dear boy." She laughed and patted his cheek like he was a small boy before leaving.

He was still gaping like a fish, staring at the empty stop when he heard Athena's voice, cursing the ginger, all the while dragging him inside or at least she was trying. He shook his head and hurried towards her, held ginger by the scuff and took his weight. Ron was drunk to the point where he wasn't even able to walk himself.

"Thanks." Athena mumbled, at the same time ginger shouted, "OI!"

They took him to his room and dropped him unceremoniously on the bed.

"Hermione is going to kill you." Athena hissed.

Ron's eyes snapped open and he sat up hastily, fumbling with the sheets. He looked at Athena and asked, his voice full of awe. "Blimey! I am getting married today, aren't I? Wow!" He added as an afterthought, "Can we shift it to some other day… when I'm not feeling sick?"

Athena covered her face with her hands, frustrated and Damon bit his lips to stop the laugh that was about to burst out. He could sympathize with the ginger on this one. He couldn't imagine spending even a day with witchypedia, and here he was, getting married to her. Poor lad!

"RONALD?" the door burst open with a shout. Bill glared at his brother aghast and asked, "Are you pissed?"

"He looks just like he did before his first quidditch game in our fifth year." Athena winced as she remembered how bad the situation had been, just like it seemed right now.

"Mum's already here and she is going to kill him." He mumbled before turning to Athena and Damon and sighed. "I'll deal with him. You two should get ready. The guests are already here and the girls will be here at any moment now."

Athena nodded. "I just have to check on Hermione, yea? I'll see you soon."

She stepped out of the fireplace and saw Ginny rushing to collect something, wearing the same dress which was lying on her bed, looking fiery and beautiful as ever. Fleur was sitting on the sofa, and she too was glowing.

"Is she ready?" asked Athena, rushing towards the guest room where she knew Hermione was.

"Please talk to her. She's not coming out!" Ginny called exasperatedly.

Her father was pacing outside the door but stopped when he saw her.

"Hello, Mr. Granger."

He looked worried, but said, "Would you please check on her? She won't let me in."

Athena nodded and entered inside with a swift wave of her hand, unlocking the door.

"GO AWAY!" came Hermione's choked voice.

"I'm coming in," she warned before entering inside, closing the door behind her.

"Oh!" Athena stopped short, her eyes widening when they fell on her friend.

The dress she was wearing was traditional, but with a bit of modern twist – all-lace gown which revealed an illusioned back, with a trail of covered buttons and a relaxed fit-and-flare silhouette. Her hair was tied in an elegant bun, held up by a crystal hair brooch and a delicate veil.

Before Athena could stop herself, she felt her eyes watering. A year ago, she was sure she would lose her friends in the war or at least she wouldn't be there if Hermione and Ron ever stopped being cowards and told each other how they felt. But here they were, getting married.

"I look ghastly, don't I?" cried Hermione, bringing Athena out of her gawking.

Athena replied, truly shocked. "You must be kidding? You look magnificent!"

Hermione wailed, looking at herself in the mirror. "There's no need to lie! I know I look fat!"

"You don't. Believe me when I say this that you've never looked more beautiful." She stepped in front of Hermione and said sincerely. "Ron wouldn't be able to keep his hands off you. I know it."

"This happened because he couldn't keep his hands to himself in the first place," muttered Hermione angrily.

Athena looked confused and asked, "What?"

Hermione looked nervous as she looked at Athena and said, "I've been meaning to tell you, but I wanted to wait till the wedding. Well… I'm pregnant!"

"WHAT?" Athena gasped.

"Shhh…" Hermione hissed. "Keep it down! No one knows!"

"Oh my God! You're going to have a baby!" gushed Athena, her voice full of wonder.

Hermione nodded, feeling too chocked up to say anything. Athena felt the same because she threw her arms around her friend with a loud shriek and hugged her. Both laughed when they pulled back, eyes filled with tears until Hermione looked at her and frowned. Both her hands went to her waist and she glared, "And why aren't you dressed yet?"

"Uh… There was a complication…" Athena started nervously.

"What?" Hermione almost shouted.

She hastened to explain, "It's nothing! We've handled it!"

Hermione studied her for a moment before asking, "What did Ronald do?"

"Oh! Would you look at that? We're getting late and I'm not even dressed yet! Your dad's waiting outside! Don't worry – you look great! Hurry!" Athena fired before rushing out and towards the fireplace.

Damon was officially bored as he watched the Weasley's, who were standing outside the great white marquee in the orchard, greeting the wedding guests. He felt rather uncomfortable without Athena by his side, which was why he was he gulped his fourth drink as he saw countless figures appearing, one by one, out of nowhere at the distant boundary of the yard, snaking their way up through the garden toward the marquee. Exotic flowers and bewitched birds were fluttering around and the hum of excited chatter grew louder and louder by the minute, drowning the sound of the bees.

He couldn't remember the last wedding he had been to and this was something he wasn't going to experience again, but he was still on edge, no matter what. With his decision made, he downed the rest of his drink and made his way to the house.

She gawked at the young woman staring back at her, amazed. Her strapless, cerulean coloured floor-length gown of semi embroidered fabric accentuated her thin waist, hugged her hips, and flared out a bit. A V-slit on the side revealing a less embroidered under the fabric. It was simply stunning, and dare she say, she looked nice. Her curly hair fell around her face, spilling over her shoulders, down to her back. She tucked one side behind her ear, revealing the emerald earrings, gifted by Sirius on her fourteenth birthday. Being her, she kept her makeup to a minimum – eyeliner, mascara, a little blush, and pink lipstick which almost matched her natural lip colour.

But the thing that she was more focussed on was the dark red mark on her collarbone, clear as a day in the strapless dress. She touched it involuntarily and shivered at the memory of how it got there. How close Damon had been to her when his mouth moved on her skin and how hot it made her feel, not that he remembered it – thanks to the stupidity of Charlie. It wasn't as if she hadn't been kissed before or she hadn't had hickeys before… Fred had been enthusiastic, but it was just that… he had been with Alicia once before they started dating… they hadn't gone beyond the make-out sessions. Fred wanted to wait until they got married. But Damon was a different story and she could bet that he had been with at least a hundred women, if not more.

Sure, he said he loved her, but with her inexperience, she wasn't sure if she would be able to make him happy.

She had just finished casting a concealing charm on it, when she heard the door being opened and turned around to see Damon entering unannounced. Her breath caught in her throat when she looked at him. Stunning… that was the first word that popped into her head. He was truly a piece of art in the black coat, white shirt, and black suit pants; top three buttons of his shirt were open and his hair as perfect as ever.

'Maybe it's a vampire thing.' she thought.

Damon stood at the door immobilized, staring at her, blue eyes glimmering, looking at her somewhat hungrily and she couldn't stop the blush that spread throughout her body. His expressions full of awe as he gazed at her, while she fidgeted anxiously, waiting for his reaction, which for some stupid reason suddenly felt important.

"Damon?" she said when he failed to say anything. "Is there something you need?" 'Other than the mindless ogling!' She added mentally.

He strolls toward her, stepping in her personal space, his eyes piercing into hers before he leaned closer and murmured huskily in her ear, "You look breathtakingly beautiful if it isn't obvious."

Her heart rate increased when the fingers of his hand softly traced her face, thumb brushing her lower lip as he stared into her eyes which such an intensity… which she now knew to be love and she quavered. His other hand went around her, clasping her to him as she held his burning gaze for what seemed like forever. Eventually, her eyes lowered as they were drawn to his mouth and her tongue darted out, licking his thumb in the process unintentionally.

They were so close, that she felt when his breath hitched and how he smelled of some expensive perfume. Their lips were inches apart and she was able to smell the whiskey on his breath, suddenly realizing that she wanted him to kiss her. It was something she wasn't able to ignore, so she looked at him beseechingly and shouted in her mind,

'Kiss me, you complete pillock!'

She wanted to hex him. She also wanted to hit her head somewhere, possibly on the wall, but she didn't move, paralyzed with fear that it would break the moment.

Both of them were breathing harder than usual, eyes blown with lust when finally, Damon moved and his lips touched hers ever so softly, waiting for her to push him, but instead, she closed her eyes and pressed herself closer to him. Her gesture was enough for him to ensure that she wanted this. As the knowledge cursed through him, he realized that simple touch wasn't enough and his brain shouted for more. No matter how insensitive it sounded, he wanted her to forget every touch apart from his. His hand tightened ever so slightly on her back, his lips still on hers as he marvelled the fact that she wanted him – when –

The door banged open behind them and they jumped apart.

"Oh," said Charlie pointedly, looking between them, not sounding sorry at all. "Sorry. Everyone's looking for you. Hermione's here and the ceremony is about to begin."

"What?" her eyes widened even though she flushed deep-red and bolted out of the room without looking at either of the men.

Damon listened without attention when Molly gave instructions to everyone about one thing or the other. He was even less interested when the band was signalled to play some kind of music which made him want to rip their throats out. For once in his life, he was going to kiss the girl he was in love with, hope swelling in his heart that maybe… just maybe she felt the same way, but no! No! The carrot-head had to interfere and ruin the moment. He had never wanted to kill someone as much as he wanted to kill Charlie right now. It wasn't hard to guess that the man liked Athena – her being the most perfect girl ever, who wouldn't and it would no doubt, make 'mummy dragon' happy.

The ceremony was every bit stunning as Damon expected it to be, but here he was, sitting in the seat assigned to him, glaring at everyone who even dared to look in his direction.

He noticed with mild amusement that Ron looked drunk and ready to puke when the music started. Charlie was the first one to walk down the aisle with a girl Damon didn't know, followed by Ginny and a dark-skinned guy. Athena, being the made-of-honor was the last one to walk with George, the best man.

He was sure the bride looked pretty as she was escorted by her father and somewhere in between, he even heard her threatening Ronald because he was drunk, which was hilarious, but his sole focus was only on one girl. Athena looked even better and Damon felt his mouth going dry when she gazed right at him and winked.

"She looks nice, doesn't she?" someone said and he turned to look at the girl sitting next to him. She had straggly, waist-length, dirty blonde hair, very pale eyebrows, and protuberant eyes that were looking around dreamily. She was wearing bright orange robes, which she had accessorized with a large orange flower in her hair. Once he got over the brightness of it all, he summarized that she wasn't unpleasant to look at. He didn't need anyone to tell him who she was. He had seen her in Athena's memories – Luna Lovegood.

"Uh… Yeah, she does." He answered without bite. "I am Damon Salvatore."

"The vampire who is in love with Athena." She told him brightly and his head snapped towards her.

They've been very careful to hide the small fact; how did she know?

He lowered his voice and asked flummoxed, "How did you know — ?"

"Oh, just your expression," she said offhandedly. "And the Wrackspurts… they're floating through your ears."

He stared at her like she was crazy and asked aghast "The WHAT?"

"A Wrackspurt..." she answered like he should've known. "They're invisible and float in through your ears, making your brain go fuzzy."

Damon chose to stay quiet for the rest of the ceremony, not knowing what to say and sighed with relief when it was over.

Half an hour later, Damon found himself face-to-face with a most eccentric-looking man. Slightly cross-eyed, with shoulder-length white hair the texture of candyfloss, he wore a cap whose tassel dangled in front of his nose and robes of an eye-watering shade of egg-yolk yellow.

"Daddy, this is Damon – Athena's boyfriend." Luna introduced casually.

Two heads snapped towards her, thunderstruck and too stunned to speak.

"Oh. I didn't know – " he said, extending a hand to Damon. "Xenophilius Lovegood."

Thankfully, Athena chose that moment, looked at them and said, "Hello, Luna. Mr. Lovegood."

"Hello, Athena. You look beautiful. Damon thinks so too." she said, making Athena flush and Damon felt himself turning uncomfortable for what seemed like the first time in his undead life.

Athena cleared her throat, ignoring her words and asked, "Luna, how are you?"

"I can feel the Wrackspurts surrounding both of you. Daddy, look – isn't it wonderful?" was the reply.

The two of them were too busy being flustered when Luna announced just as brightly, "They don't want out company, Daddy. Let's go somewhere else."

As she drifted off after her father, George appeared with an elderly witch clutching his arm. Her beaky nose, red-rimmed eyes, and feathery pink hat gave her the look of a bad-tempered flamingo.

"Oh, no!" Athena moaned, Damon looked at her confused until seconds later, he realized why?

". . . and Ronald's hair is much too long, for a moment, I couldn't identify who the bride was! A muggle-born! Bad posture and skinny ankles. Soon she'll be popping out more Weasley's as if they aren't enough already! Merlin's beard, Athena Potter!" she barked as her eyes landed on her.

"Athena, you, of course, remember, Auntie Muriel?" George said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"That woman is a nightmare," Athena told Damon after George led his aunt away.

By the time everyone was called for the cake cutting ceremony, he had met half the people he remembered from her memories – Neville, who was dating Hannah; Seamus – a friend from Gryffindor; the Minister of Magic – Kingsley; Minerva McGonagall – her professor, who was now the headmistress of Hogwarts; Filius Flitwick – another one of her professor and many of their friends from Hogwarts including Draco Malfoy– who looked rather uncomfortable, and Victor Krum – who the newlyweds were still fighting about discreetly.

One thing he truly enjoyed was the cake because it was topped with two model phoenixes that took flight when the cake was cut or bottles of champagne that floated unsupported through the crowd. And to top it off all, he enjoyed the unstoppable fireworks that violently explode in the sky. They included a man and a woman dancing, a huge cake before it exploded and lastly, two people with a baby, which earned George a hex from Hermione.

As evening drew in, and moths began to swoop under the canopy, now lit with floating golden lanterns, the revelry became more and more uncontained.

The band had begun to play. Ron and Hermione took to the dance floor first, to great applause; after a while, Mr. Weasley led Mrs. Granger onto the floor, followed by Percy and Audrey. Bill was sitting beside Fleur, who was wolfing down a sandwich.

They weren't talking, but the silence between them was pleasant as they enjoyed good food and drinks together. there were people that came to talk here and there, but mostly, it was just two of them. Damon tried, he really did, but all he could remember was how soft Athena's lips were, how they felt against his own and when would he be able to do it again. He just wanted the wedding to be over, so they could go back and finish what they started… without interruption this time.

"Vud you like to dance?" came a voice and startled, they looked up to see Victor standing in front of Athena, who frowned as she looked into his direction before nodding.

"Est-ce que tous les hommes sont des imbéciles?" Fleur asked as she took the seat Athena had just vacated, shaking her head at him.

Damon looked at Bill questioningly, who just shrugged, making sure Fleur was comfortable and went back to whoever he had been talking to. Damon too went back to his staring at Athena, who was now dancing with Charlie. She was laughing at something he said and his frown deepened.

He was hit at the back of his head abruptly and he turned to glare at the witch beside him. "What was that for?" he hissed furiously.

"Faire quelque chose! Charlie aime Athéna! Tu ne sais pas ce qui s'est passé hier soir?" she hissed back.

His head snapped towards her so fast, that she flinched inwardly, but kept her eyes on him. "What happened? Did he do something to her?" he asked urgently, remembering the discussion they were having this morning.

"Oh, Damon." She looked at him with a pity filled glance and he felt a sickening feeling in his stomach.

When he saw the hand lightly resting at the small of her back, Damon found himself contemplating homicide. He finished his remaining drink, stood up from his seat and strode towards Athena purposefully, entirely missing the devious smile that graced the veela's lips.

"Sorry to be rude, but may I cut in?" He asked with a smile, even though his eyes were full of ill-concealed temper.

Charlie looked at him through narrow eyes, but he nodded before leaving. There were no words as Damon placed a hand on her waist and took her right hand in his left. Once again, they were pressed close together, his chest touching hers and they move slowly as she placed her hand higher on his shoulder. She was a horrible dancer, but Damon moves flawlessly, moving her along effortlessly.

Athena noticed something dark in his eyes, very different from how he had looked at her before as he stared at her with a stony expression, causing her to look at him alarmed.

"Enjoying yourself?" Damon asked with a smile which didn't reach his eyes.

"Damon, is everything alright?" she asked concerned at the sudden change in his demeanour.

He demanded darkly, "Why don't you tell me? By starting with what happened last night?"

Her eyes widened as they stopped, ignoring the looks they were getting from other couples. They both stood still, staring at each other until Athena stuttered, "Wh-what?"

His face fell, looking hurt and hopeless, and she wasn't sure what had happened. He was fine minutes ago! And why was he angry at her even if he remembered what happened last night? It wasn't her fault and hadn't she promised him that she would tell him after the wedding?

When he looked back at her, his face hard, but there was a twisted smile on his face and he laughed coldly. "I see." He said, turned around and left, Athena was left staring at him more confused than ever.

…

Until she gritted her teeth and took off after him.

…

"You did that on purpose, didn't you?" Bill shook his head at his wife and brother. "What am I going to do with you?"

She saw him at the end of the boundary of the yard and ran towards him, forgetting in her anger that she could've apparated easily.

"Damon!" she called, but he ignored her and kept on walking.

"DAMON FUCKING SALVATORE!" she yelled at the top of her lungs.

He stopped and turned around, crossing his arms across his chest. She stopped in front of him, hands on her knees and took a lungful of air.

"What – the – fuck – Damon?" she gasped between breaths.

He looked at her indifferently and said, "I am done with this… whatever this was. I understand now – and I've decided to let go."

She felt her heart breaking with those words. He couldn't do this. Not now. Not when she had decided to come clean with her feelings. Why was he doing this to her? "What the hell is wrong with you? You promised you won't do it again! But you're doing exactly that!" she yelled, unable to understand what had happened suddenly.

"I am not doing anything, Athena." He shrugged but added as an afterthought. "I will never be good enough for you."

Her voice hitched, but she added quickly, "Is it about Molly? You know I don't care what she has to say!"

"I thought… today… It's now important now, is it?" he stopped, suddenly feeling drained – or overwhelmed by the situation.

She blinked furiously, getting frustrated by the second, but still said pleadingly, "Then what is it? Damon, please! Don't do this."

Something snapped inside him and his anger returned full force. How dare she? How dare she behave like an innocent? Like… like he was the one breaking her heart!

He advanced towards her angrily and she stumbled back, wary because of his anger. "You want to know what it is? IT'S YOU! You make me CRAZY and you don't even know it! I tried, but I'm just not enough! I WILL NEVER BE ENOUGH!" He yelled, grabbing her by the upper arms and hauling her against his chest. "Is that why you were with Charlie? You could've told me! Why bring me here?"

"Charlie?" she asked dumbly.

'No. No, no, no, no, no, he was not doing this.', he thought miserably. 'Was she playing a game with him?'

He touched her collarbone with his thumb, right over the dark red mark which was turning purple as if the touch would erase the evidence, making it abundantly clear what he was talking about. She was surprised to see that her glamour was gone and she had forgotten to charm it again in all the chaos. Was this the reason behind his anger?

She looked at him and asked incredulously like he was dense. "You're jealous of Charlie?"

Damon clenched his jaw but didn't say anything. Was there a point in denying it? He didn't think so. Which was why he stared bemused when she started laughing. He clenched his fists to stop himself from shaking her, ready to leave when her next words stopped him.

"He's more inclined to like you than me." She said pointedly between her bouts of laughter.

He looked at her like she had gone mental and pressed, "What are you talking about?"

Abruptly, she sobered up and replied, "Haven't you figured it out? He likes men."

He stared at her dumbfounded and whispered again, "What?" If she was telling the truth, then why had the guy been flirting with her?

She spoke as if answering his thoughts. "You know how Molly can be. She won't accept it. At least he doesn't think so."

His mind was whirling as he thought about it and then Fleur's words came rushing back. What was that about?

"You were leaving without talking to me. Again." her breath hitched as she stared at him and said accusingly, "You did exactly what you did before."

Damon though had other things to worry about. He would apologise… beg her forgiveness, but now, he needed to know something.

"Where did it come from?" he nodded towards the mark.

She raised her chin defiantly and asked, "Why don't you trust me?"

"Answer the damn question!" he said in a voice that had made many men bend to his will, fearing for their lives, but her body tightened and she didn't answer. And of course, he should've expected it.

"Do you remember what happened last night?" she asked instead.

"Why can't you just tell me?!" he shouted frustrated, bristling at both himself and her.

"Damon, what do you remember?" she asked softly.

Something in her eyes made him stop and think. It couldn't be true. It had been a dream! "B-but it was a dream… It has to be. I would've remembered." He said, searching for answers.

He looked so lost that she told him everything. Though she wasn't sure she could've hidden anything from him even if she tried. She stated reverently, "It wasn't. It happened because of the potion – It lowers any inhibition a person has, settling around like a pleasant haze. It's different than veritaserum, not illegal, but it could do irreplaceable damage to a muggle. Thankfully, it didn't harm you, but they shouldn't have given it to you in the first place! That's what about we were talking this morning when you walked in."

Then she added softly, imploring him to believe her. "I wasn't going to hide it, Damon. I would've told you after the wedding."

Damon froze as the implication of her words hit him. Everything happened because the fucking family gave him a potion because they didn't believe him. The fog he felt in his head had been real. Everything he thought was his dream, had been real. The vice around his heart squeezing painfully became more pronounced as he stared at her, unable to look away. Every word she had told him started running on a constant loop. Not for the first time in his life, he was grateful that he didn't actually have to breathe to function. Hope warred inside him like a bright star in a hopelessly dark universe.

"You told me that you are in love with me." He breathed.

"Yes," she admitted without hesitation, drinking in the blue of his eyes.

Of course, he remembered it, when she had told him. She had felt so damn good in his arms, beneath his hands and lips. They fit, like she'd been made for him and maybe this was why nothing ever made sense. Not Katherine and not Elena. Because this right here was what he wanted… needed as he had never needed anyone else. When he had seen the red mark on her collarbone and especially after Fleur's words… he had thought he would lose himself. Pain like he had never known hit him and he had been a step away from turning it off… but now that he knew – he just needed to hear the words himself. Not while his mind was hazy, but when his head was clear.

"Tell me?" he demanded.

The weight of his gaze bearing her down. His expression as he looked at her was so lost, so helpless that she couldn't believe he was the same cocky and egoistical vampire she had first met.

Athena swallowed thickly and admitted, "You need to know that Fred was my first love and I will always love him – but what I feel for you… is so much more. You are an egotistical asshole; you've made me cry more than anyone else ever has; I wanted to hex your ass off when you refused to listen to me and it broke my heart when I saw you making out with Elena before you left that night of the ball…" Damon winced. He hadn't known she had seen him, but she continued, "…that was when I realized that I was in love with you – but that didn't stop me from falling for you. You found me when I lost myself. I don't know how or when, but…" She took a deep breath. "You know I went into that forest wishing… hoping really, that Voldemort would kill me. After Fred, I had nothing left to live for… never saw the point, until now. Meeting my dad made me realize that maybe the future won't be so bad. He might not say it, but he cares about me, you know?" she said with a soft smile.

"…but the other reason is you. You make me want to live; you make me feel alive even when you're biting my head off. With you… I want to live as long as you're there with me, even if it's forever."

He stepped closer to her unconsciously, like being pulled by an immeasurable force. The love that he saw into her eyes shook him to his core. Happiness like he had never experienced swirled inside him.

"What I am trying to say is," she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then looked at him and said, "I am in love you, Damon."

She loved him…

She wasn't lying…

He could see it in her eyes…

She really did love him…

Him… after knowing exactly who he was…

He didn't know he had moved until he had grabbed Athena by the shoulders and pinned her to the nearest tree.

He deserved her anger – he'd inadvertently been an asshole again and again – but the euphoric feeling that filled him at the knowledge that he was getting a second chance was too much. The temptation to kiss her was nearly irresistible as her fingers threaded through his hair tentatively and her nails lightly scraped the skin at the nape of his neck.

He looked down at her and whispered, "You know I am not a nice guy – not like Stefan. I'll do things that you'll hate me for. I'm a terrible person, I make all the wrong choices… I…"

She knew what he was trying to do. Even now he was trying to give her an out. Did he not know? She didn't want an out… she wanted to face everything with him. So, she put her fingers on his lips, stopping him mid-sentence.

"I know myself, Damon, and I know what I feel for you is real. It won't change no matter what." Her voice shook with intensity. "So, when I tell you that I love you, it means forever."

He stared at her wondering if whether it was a dream or not. He'd never imagined this time would come, that the girl he was in love with, would love him back. What does one do when their desires come true? Her words soaked into his soul, slowly turning the parched desert there into a verdant garden.

In a sudden movement, without a warning, he surged forward and claimed her mouth with his before she could draw a breath. Damon kissed her, pouring every ounce of pent up desire and longing into it. His right hand tightened on her waist, holding her in place, while he framed her face with his other hand and took her mouth with a bruising force that conveyed all his pent-up frustration.

Parting her lips, she eagerly returned the kiss and gasped when he scraped his teeth over her bottom lip. The depth of his need for her poured from him until she felt practically drunk from it. His hand slid up and down the small of her back, urging her closer. He shuddered a little when her hand found the skin under his shirt and her fingers left fiery trails wherever she touched him. The feeling was almost indescribable as she indulged in the kiss for what felt like an eternity, accepting everything he had to offer. In that moment, the only thing she felt was her need to keep him close.

But, the need to breathe forced Athena to tear her mouth away with a loud gasp.

"Da-mon." She breathed, biting back a moan as his lips moved all over her skin, peppering her in feather-like kisses,

"You love me," he said wonderingly, against the skin of her collarbone.

Her chest was heaving, brushing against his, eliciting sparks that coursed throughout her body, but she nodded. "Yes. Yes, I love you." She panted, stroking his jaw with her thumbs, making him weak in the knees in a way he thought he had outgrown.

They were such simple words, yet they changed his life and he knew that after tonight, he'd never be the same again.

"I love you too." He spoke as if there was any doubt about his feelings towards her.

His tongue slid out, tracing the path of her jugular, unable to believe that he was not only touching her, but she wanted him just as much. His hands, which had been cradling her face, drifted lower, skirting the sides of her body and she melted against him.

"This doesn't change the fact that you ran again, without giving me a chance to explain." She mumbled, and then she tipped his head up and lowered her lips to his, not giving him a chance to explain, and Damon kissed back.

It was glorious, blissful oblivion; and right now, Athena was the only real thing in his world, the feel of her lips against his, her intoxicating scent and the electric touch.

"Sei il mio amore." He said before laughing astonishingly.

EN: FYI: I stole the wedding idea from Bill and Fleur's.

French used: "Est-ce que tous les hommes sont des imbéciles?" – "Are all men fools?"

"Faire quelque chose! Charlie aime Athéna! Tu ne sais pas ce qui s'est passé hier soir?" – "Charlie likes Athena! You do not know what happened last night?"

Italian used: Sei il mio amore – You are my love.

The next update will be after I finish my other story Lost and Found, which has 3 or 4 chapters to go.

Have a nice day everyone. 😊

Aug 5th, 2019