From last chapter: She smiled, eyes free of any trace of remorse, and lunged at me with the knife.

Chapter Thirty-Three

When Panic Sets In

It was a lucky thing that most witches were not adept in the field of wielding anything other than magical wooden sticks.

"Stupefy!"

It was a luckier thing that Lily had underestimated my ability to pull out my wand and strike her with it before she could jam that pretty little knife into my neck. Her green eyes were wide as saucers as she flew backwards from me, moving in what seemed to be slow motion, like a long, drawn out, painful crack.

When she collapsed to the ground in a heap of limbs, I shut my eyes tightly and took several consecutive deep breaths. She's fine, she's fine, I recited in my head as I scurried to her unconscious body and retrieved her weapons. I felt nearly guilty pocketing the knife, and inconceivably one hundred percent guilty taking her wand, but what was I supposed to do, wait till she woke up to attack me again? She'd just have to attack me with her fingernails if that was the case.

Besides, I told myself as I rushed to the other girl and ignored that awful throbbing pang in my chest, she attacked me first. And hers hurt a hell of a lot more... In all actuality, I was trying desperately to focus on something other than myself, because I was afraid that if I took a moment to assess my physical pain, I might not be able to continue. And that route was a definite no-go.

I leaned down next to the girl—Sadie, her name tag said—and gasped aloud in relief when I found a pulse. For a very brief moment, my head was clear and my racing heart took a breather, leaving me in quiet momentary bliss. Sadie looked like she'd just fallen asleep, a peaceful expression for a peaceful atmosphere.

But, the feeling soon came to an end as all good things did eventually, and soon enough the sound of distant screaming, crashing and general calamity brought me back to the real world. I would have to figure out what to do, on my own, courtesy of Lily, and soon. I got to my feet in a rush, pushing back the hair from my face and pointedly ignoring the blood I felt on my temple.

If only wizards had something equivalent to a telephone. Really, you'd think they'd have thought that through already...

I thought of the Patronus Dumbledore had sent only weeks earlier, the brilliant Phoenix carrying the message that the battle had been fought and was over. Surely it couldn't be that difficult.

I took another deep breath, because I quite honestly could not get enough oxygen in my lungs, and closed my eyes.

In my mind, I was six years old, five years before I'd burned our house in Cheshire down, a long five years before where nothing magical existed at all. I was a year older than all of the other children in my class on my first day of school. We'd read, colored, sang, and it was okay, really, this school thing, but I hadn't known how much I missed my mother until I was running out of the school's doors at the end of the day and had leapt into her arms. She held me tight, my face buried in her shirt where I couldn't see a thing and could scarcely breathe, but it was okay because I could listen to the sound of her heartbeat and I knew for certain she was there.

She was stroking my hair, an airy laugh on her lips. "Well, I'll have you know I missed you quite a lot today. And to celebrate your first day of school, I think we should go out and get ice cream, just you and me. How's that sound, love?"

When I readily agreed, she kissed the top of my head and took my hand as we walked to the car. I skipped, singing a song I'd learned at school that morning, feeling whole and wonderful and bright.

"Expecto Patronum!"

The warmth rushed outwards from my fingertips, materializing itself before me in the shape of a silver cat. I stared after it longingly, like I'd just expelled all the happiness I had in my life, dwelling in a cold, desolate feeling. I watched it bounce and spin about happily for a moment and smiled fondly before focusing on James and Sirius, because even though I knew they'd panic, I trusted their insane, irrational compulsions to get Lily and me out of this safely.

I thought about the train station, where the two were assigned. Just for good measure, I said the address aloud as well before delivering the message, "The coffee shop's under attack and we need you. Please come as quickly as possible."

I watched the glimmering figure disappear into the distance and forced myself to continue on and not dwell in the sudden feeling of loneliness that overwhelmed me. Locked in a room with two unconscious girls. It could get drearier, but not by much.

It was official. I was in panic mode.

Trying to calm my hyperventilating, I felt for Lily's knife and wand in my sweater pocket, just to remind myself that they were there with me and not with Miss Sleeping Psychopathic Woman on the floor. They were. I checked to see that both girls were still out like lights, and upon confirming, I approached the forebodingly magically locked door.

It was an unfortunate fact that Lily was the brilliant witch of the two of us.

I briefly closed my eyes, summoning all the spells I could think of. "Alohomora." I tried the handle. No luck. "Finite Incantem." When I tried again, the lock released and the door eased open.

"Well, that was easier than I thought it'd be," I announced aloud to myself, frowning in confusion. I supposed the spell had just been meant to keep muggles out, which didn't make sense. I took a breath and rushed back over to Sadie before I could dwell in the oddities that were this entire morning.

With Sadie's unconscious body over my shoulder (I internally thanked First Year Charms class for what had once been a tiresome week lecture on the feather-weight charm), I crawled back into the coffee shop, avoiding the catastrophe that had enveloped the place. Behind the counter were three employees, huddled and hushed for safety in front of a door that must have been locked. Two were clutching an unconscious boy, the boy from earlier that had collapsed for no obvious reason. (Though, I knew better. When you lived in a world of magic, there was no such thing as no reason.)

I put a finger to my lips as I slowly approached them.

"What happened to Sadie?" one of them whispered despite my warning to be quiet. Muggles.

"She'll be okay," I said, placing her down and brushing the hair out of her eyes. I tapped her shoulder with my wand, ignoring the raised murmurs. When I moved and did the same to the boy the other two were holding, they said nothing, only watched in silent wonder. I read that his name was Brandon before I moved back to Sadie. She stirred, blonde hair obstinately falling back into her face.

"Is she hurt?"

She groaned in response and I only shook my head. Her eyes flickered open, searching the ceiling and then gradually lowering to the ground, meeting my gaze. She flinched backwards and then paused, as if she was afraid but didn't know if she should be.

I bit my lip and then smiled. "Sadie, I know you're probably very confused right now. But I need you to do me a favor, okay?"

She didn't give me a response at first, only pulled herself up from the ground and briefly glanced to the others, particularly the boy that was still coming to, looking wary. The others were whispering to Brandon, what I assumed to be words of assurance. Then Sadie finally asked, "What is it?"

"I'm going to open this door for you." I gestured to it, right above the other three's heads. "And then all four of you are going to run and get as far away from here as you can." They all met eyes again, looking between each other and then back to me. "Okay?" I asked.

"Okay," Sadie answered softly.

"Okay." I nodded, mostly for my own sake, and rose to my feet. When I drew my wand this time, the other three immediately scurried away from the door because by this point they most definitely knew what these silly little wooden sticks were capable of. I blasted the door open, shards of glass scattering away into the open air with a trembling crash. I waved them through the door, mouthing, "Go."

They got the message quickly and they were gone before I knew it, grabbing each other's hands and disappearing down an alleyway. For a moment I allowed myself to be hopeful. If I could just get everyone out of here, then this wouldn't be a big deal at all—

"And where did you come from, girlie?"

A warm rush flooded my veins as I turned, meeting a pair of deep-set yellow eyes. A startled breath involuntarily escaped my lips and I shuffled backwards, clutching my wand with a white-knuckle grip.

"Please don't go after them," I begged at once, thinking of their wide, scared eyes, their instant, almost child-like trust.

His reply was short. "Not interested in them."

For some reason, the answer did not put me at ease, but for an entirely different reason. He inched his foot forward, grinning like he was about to do something terrible, a row of pointed teeth visible. I raised my wand higher so he remembered it was there, but he didn't seem to care a thing about it. His hand curled mid-air as if he were caressing something, his long, yellowing nails curling into his rough palm. He swept in behind me and I could feel his ragged breath rebounding off of my skin as he dragged his fingers down my hair.

In an instant I slapped him away, and for a moment he was caught in surprise, allowing me to put a foot of distance between us. I was panting for breath, panicked and irrational. "Touch me again and you'll regret it," I warned, unexpectedly furious.

He whistled, shaking his head in disbelief. "Don't even know who I am, do ya, girlie? How rude. Your parents never teach you manners?"

"They taught me plenty," I spat.

"I suppose I haven't been too tactful, either. I'll let it slide. Let's start over, shall we?" He was grinning again, a grin that turned my insides and made me want to squeeze my eyes shut so tightly it hurt. There was something animalistic about him that made me subconsciously shrink away. He stuck his hand out and bowed his head slightly, feigning refinement. "Fenrir Greyback."

I restrained myself from outwardly scowling or shuddering and lied curtly, "Bertha Jorkins." I glanced quickly behind him, attempting to search for a sign of Sirius or James. "Now, Mr. Greyback, if you'd kindly excuse me…"

"'Scuse me. It's only polite to shake."

"I don't think you—" His eyes were glued on mine, lips curling devilishly, and suddenly his outstretched hand was too threatening of a gesture that I had to retaliate. I breathed in quickly, like all the air was leaving the room too quickly, and pointed my wand in a fluster, shouting, "Reducto!"

Sound erupted from my wand and a giant blast of light flew towards Greyback. His posture crumpled as if he'd been struck and he groaned loudly, like a dog whining in pain. I stared without comprehension, knowing full and well that I should bolt, make way for the others as fast as I could. I'd just begun to shift my weight into a sprint when he raised his head, smirking with repulsive pride. I noticed him grazing his fingers across a hole in his robes by his calf, where my spell had hit him.

His voice was a vicious purr. "You missed, girlie."

When he launched himself towards me, this time I was completely caught off guard and I hadn't known he had hit me at all until the world flashed white beneath my eyelids and the pain of claws, or teeth, I didn't know, ripping into my skin blacked out the rest of it. My wand was pressed awkwardly beneath the weight of his body on mine, and no scream I produced could free me of the searing pain that lapped down my spine like fire.

In a moment it was all gone and I grabbed desperately for my wand, gasping out of control. James was there and Greyback was on the ground in front of him. Things were beginning to blur together. There was a slight pressure on my shoulder, and I turned to see Sirius before he gathered me into his arms, rocking me back and forth gently. He smelled like ash and debris, like a true man of war. I didn't really like the smell.

"Oh, Merlin, Gracie," he murmured into my hair, "Oh, Merlin, you're bleeding... What happened? He didn't... did he? He didn't..."

I suspected that I was disoriented because he either wasn't making sense or I just wasn't understanding him. I blinked, pushing against his chest. "We have to go get Lily," I told him with force.

His eyes widened slightly. "Where is she? What happened?"

I didn't provide him with a verbal response and instead grasped his hand, scurrying to the door I'd opened only minutes earlier, and pulled him through it, where the unconscious body of Lily lay. I felt a twinge of guilt leaving James behind with Greyback, but I didn't know what would happen if I left Lily alone, and who knew what James would do if he saw her like this?...

In a moment I was breathing hard again, trying to recollect my thoughts and, more importantly, my control. It all came crashing back suddenly and violently, and I briefly closed my eyes as images flooded my mind.

"What happened to her?"

I told him. I told him about the train, the behavior when we got into the coffee shop, the comment about You-Know-Who, the attacks. He stared blankly as I unleashed it on him, looking at Lily in utter disbelief.

"Do you think it was Polyjuice or something?"

I shook my head. "I don't know. I don't know how to tell. The only thing I can think of it being otherwise is the Imperius curse, unless it's a milder bewitching hex. But since when are Death Eaters ever mild?"

"Yeah. I guess it doesn't matter, until whatever it is wears off." He scratched the back of his neck. "Did you take her wand?"

"Yep." I drew the knife Lily had lunged at me with and held it in the air, regarding it with estranged reproach. "And this."

Sirius's eyes went wide. "No..." He stepped closer, marveling it. "Can I see that?"

"Um, sure. Go ahead."

"It's just…" His gaze drifted back to Lily, shoulders slouching. He groaned. "Got a good idea of who it is. Which makes me highly doubtful it's Polyjuice. What kind of Death Eater would pass up the chance to have someone else do their dirty work, right?"

"Uh, not following," I said, as I watched him summon a chair from the back corner and walk over to Lily.

"Doesn't matter. Don't worry about it." Pointing his wand towards her limp body, he slowly lifted her into the chair. Her head was awkwardly bent over the side of the chair, a crushed, painful expression overcoming her face.

I felt that guilty pang in my chest again as I watched her. Desperate to rid of it, I asked, "So, if it's the Imperius Curse then, when does it wear off?"

He was observing Lily just as I was, looking indecisive, and answered without breaking his gaze from her. "When the wizard or witch lifts the spell, I guess. And I can't imagine a Death Eater just letting her run free when they've got a wonderful insight into the Order, can you?"

"No," I said as he cast another spell. My eyes widened in alarm as ropes sprang out of his wand, curling around Lily without repent. "What are you doing?"

"Tying her up," he replied nonchalantly. At first he seemed not to notice my concern, but after a moment he glanced towards me, brow furrowed. "What?"

"Why? It's Lily!"

He sighed, briefly pulling at one of the ropes around Lily's torso and then walking back towards me, looking me deep in the eyes. "Could we please remember that she just tried to kill you?"

"I know, but Sirius..."

"She'll be fine. But if we don't know when the curse will be lifted then there's no way in hell we can trust her until it is." He paused, gauging my expression, waiting for my acceptance. "Okay?"

I nodded, albeit grudgingly.

"We'll leave her here until we can figure out what to do with her. An hour, tops. Stop looking so worried. She's an evil sorceress right now, remember?" He grinned slightly, poking me in the side, desperate to cheer me up. In a second his expression changed entirely however, and he grazed a hand down my jacket, eyes focusing on an area I hadn't even had the strength to think about yet. "That looks really bad. What... do you know what happened exactly?"

I still hadn't taken a moment to look down. "No. I'm fine. It doesn't hurt. It's dry, mostly, probably."

The look he gave me told me that I was a downright liar. Perhaps I was, but he grasped my hand anyway, leading me out of the room. I squeezed his fingers and nodded, giving him a smile to let him know that I had faith that everything would turn out all right.

The last part was a lie, too, but he didn't have to know that. That was out of his control.

And then, as it turned out, things only proceeded to get worse.

As we turned, jets of light sprang toward us and our wands came flying out of our hands. My eyes fell first to the woman standing at the door, standing in silence with a dark-haired boy under her arm, wand held firmly against his neck. Her hair spilled over her shoulders in black, distressed curls, and when she smiled, her dark, blood-red lips curled back from her teeth, making her look not only frightening but ravenous.

"Hello, Siri, dear."

Behind her were three men, all taller than her with dark features and grey shadows tracing their jaw lines. Sirius visibly winced as the woman dug the wand deeper into James's skin. "Hello, cousin," he responded, voice unnaturally cool.

I braced myself. Yes, leaving James behind had definitely been a bad idea.

"What are you doing with James there?" Sirius asked, tapping his wand against his fingers in a nonchalant attempt.

She grinned, tilting her head to the side. "Delivering."

My gaze drifted to the floor and I grumbled under my breath, "This is a very inconvenient situation..."

"And why does that require you holding your wand to his throat?" Sirius asked patiently.

"Leverage," she answered simply. "If you willingly come with us, there'll be no harm done to the boy."

"And what about Lily?" He gestured to her. "Care to stop playing games with her head, Bellatrix?"

I internally gasped at the sudden connection; the infamous name now had a face.

The woman laughed wildly in response. "I wouldn't hesitate to snap her neck. Or hers." She glanced at me. "But it's not my choice, is it? You've been called to a meeting, cousin dearest. I've been told to keep you safe and..." She brushed James's cheek with her fingers. "Whole. Unless of course you have other ideas on how to spend our afternoon together."

"We'll go with you," I said suddenly. Sirius's head snapped towards me in alarm, but my gaze was unwavering. After a moment he turned away, looking torn, but nodded his head anyway.

"Good." She lowered her wand from James's neck and thrust him towards one of the tall men, who grabbed hold of him within an instant. "I'll take the girl. She and I have to have a little talk. Get the other two."

Before I could even flinch at the force I was being pulled at, the world was spinning beneath me and I started falling hands first towards the ground.

I was falling, my feet sliding against marble and launching me down the slope at full speed. The air was loud in my ears as the adrenaline coursed through my body and I let out the most delightful laugh, enjoying this strange rush of energy, where my body was crying out at the never-ending dangers I was taking and my head was too consumed in the moment of it all to care. My dress flit around me in purple streaks as I cascaded down and downwards until two arms caught me and brought me to a stop.

When I glanced up, it was Remus, beaming. And I'd never been happier to see him. "The entrance you were hoping for?"

I was breathless and my skin was buzzing from the thrill, so I met his eyes with one hundred percent confidence and answered, "Precisely."

A cloud of dirt surrounded me as I shuffled to my feet, cursing the rocks as they imbedded deep into the newly formed gashes on my hands. I groaned, feeling immeasurably dizzy, thinking that there was too much blood everywhere today. The dirt crunched beneath the soles of several pairs of feet and I watched from the ground as they faded off farther away, leaving me alone.

"Quite an entrance, Gracie," a voice muttered in my ear, and an arm accompanied it, hoisting me up from the ground.

I found Remus's blue eyes and gasped with relief, hugging him around the neck like I'd never been so happy to see anyone in my life. And then things began to register once more and I broke away from him, looking about wildly. "Where are—" And then I found Bellatrix with a very conscious Lily, whispering in her ear with a smile on her face. I made a move to lunge towards them before Bellatrix shoved Lily away and I quickly managed to catch her and keep her upright with my bodyweight.

"She's all yours," Bellatrix drawled wickedly. And then she was gone, joining the other pairs of feet that had drifted away.

I glanced at Lily, who looked at me with wide eyes. "I'm so sorry, Gracie. I'm so sorry for trying to hurt you. She—she cursed me. I didn't do it. I didn't want to. I would never..."

"I know," I said softly, holding her to me. "I know. It's okay. What did she do to you? What did she say?"

"She lifted it," she whispered. "The curse."

I nodded, slowing releasing her, beyond mystified. "That's good."

"Lily!" James's shout came from behind me and he sprinted towards us, meeting her with such energy I started feeling dizzy again. She hugged him, near the point of tears, and the entire situation became overwhelming all at once. I wondered where Sirius had gone, but when I looked for him, I couldn't make out any faces hardly at all.

The sky looked so uncharacteristically dark for so early in the day, and everything around me moved in a haze, like I was looking at everything through a fogged window. The sounds of the world burnt my ears and lights were bursting before my eyes, hot against my skin...

"Gracie," Remus's voice called, bringing me back to the surface. "Are you all right?"

"Not entirely," I groaned, though I didn't know exactly what part of me wasn't all right, only that something wasn't. "Do you know where Sirius is? I was with him, but I lost him on the way here..."

"He was helping carrying Emmeline Vance away."

"Carry her away? Oh no. She's not dead, is she—?"

"No, no. She's just hurt. He's helping her out of the way so she doesn't die." He hesitated, eyes travelling to my shoulder like Sirius's had. "He was in an awful rush, but he told me to make sure you were okay. He told me he thought you were bitten by a werewolf..."

The world was shaking before me and I wondered if I'd heard Remus correctly. His voice had gotten dimmer and his face was covered in a foggy mist. "What? A werewolf? Really? Funny. I mean, I know I look bad, but I can't look that bad—"

Before I'd gotten the chance to even consider the nonsense (I thought) Remus was spilling, a scream rang out through the air and only moments later did the screams reach me, filling up my skull and scratching down every nerve. It was like I was suddenly being consumed by a great, massive fire, and a voice drifted its way into my thoughts, so smoothly playing over the sound of the still very present screams.

"Welcome, Order of the Phoenix."

It took everything I had to stand up straight and I suddenly became painfully aware of the source of the voice, a face of alabaster standing amidst a sea of black hoods. In my head, I knew who it was, but my mind didn't dare to confirm it, and I felt nothing, staring blankly and buzzing with numbing energy.

"I have been eagerly anticipating the day that we could all be gathered as one, on such a joyous occasion..." A long, white hand gestured outwards, lighting up the faces of Order members all around me I hadn't even realized were here. And that meant, surely, that Dumbledore must have been here...

The voice continued on, a voice so near a whisper and a hiss it was torturous. "I acknowledge the side that you have taken on this issue. I acknowledge that, and I acknowledge your bravery. But this is not a time for war, not a war where magical blood should be shed. But, sacrifices must be made in order to attain what is necessary. This is a time for revolution. This is a time for taking back our respectful places in society. And I am inviting you to join me. The choice is yours.

"It has been brought to my attention that you are all without your wands. I do not believe in an unfair duel. I would rather we fought each other as individuals, as equals... So that you may prove to me that you, if you so desire, are worthy to join our likeness and fight our battle with us."

For what must have been the longest and loudest heartbeat to ever have been, the world was silent. And then when my wand came clattering to the earth before me, the world came crashing back in an overpowering rush of sound.

The sound that shook through the train was a mixture of elation and irritation as brilliant jets of light ricocheted off the walls and fell around the invigorated student like ribbons. I watched almost wistfully as the last splash of light left my hands, sprinting down the aisle, dividing into mini bursts, refusing to die out.

It had nearly disappeared behind the mass of bodies when Sirius grabbed my hand, twirling me to him with the warmest laugh I'd ever seen on his face. The lights danced around us as we danced beneath them, throwing dashes of bright color in his eyes and sparks along our skin. He spun me under his arm and for a moment I closed my eyes, blocking out all sounds and chaos of the world, and let the exhilaration and sweet, peaceful adrenaline consume me.

And that was the moment I realized that was, in fact, Sirius. Sweet, peaceful adrenaline.

I'd always heard that adrenaline was your body's natural defense for when you were in terrible, imminent danger and your mind stopped working and your body threw out a bout of common sense so you wouldn't end up killing yourself. But at that moment, all the adrenaline was doing to me was making me sick.

I looked around quickly for Remus, but the moment our wands had been returned, the whole world seemed to have turned over onto itself. Everything was this blinding, colorful light. I stumbled forward and then promptly smacked the ground with my face. I groaned and rolled over onto my back, wondering if there was ever really an appropriate time to just give up.

"Klutz," a voice muttered over me, and I was back on my feet before I could even process that I'd been helped up. The fact that people were just materializing before me and then not was really not helping my disoriented mind. I squinted my eyes painfully at the face to decipher who it was.

"Gideon?" I rubbed my forehead. "What are you doing here?"

He raised a brow. "Saving the damsel in distress, I suppose. What are you doing?"

"I have no idea."

"Holding up all right? You look like you've got a little... er... blood on you."

"Apparently I was bitten by a werewolf," I told him calmly.

"What?"

"Well, I certainly don't come up with this stuff." My gaze drifted away from him for a moment. "Say, maybe now's the time to show me that dragon Patronus of yours, you know. In case we die or something and I never get a chance to see it—"

My existence was a curse. It must have been. That was the only explanation for the face that appeared in the cloud of ash, the only explanation for the jet of light that came bounding towards me. And it wasn't until it was too late that I realized the green light wasn't intended for me at all.

And after that, I didn't remember much of anything at all.

. . . .

The man that looked quite like a boy in that moment opened a blue eye, testing the light. Then he opened both, taking in the glorious sight of the ceiling. "Am I dead?" he asked the ceiling.

"No," I replied shortly, leaning my head against the wall as I watched his expression. "Though I don't really understand how you're not."

He blinked slowly, eyes slowly falling to me. "What happened? I can't quite recall..."

"Me either." I shrugged. "But as it seems, and as Remus told me, though I don't know where he was when it happened... I kind of attacked you to the ground."

"And why am I in the hospital then?"

I winced. "You can't hold this against me, because it didn't happen, only almost—you only almost cracked your head open."

"You mean you almost cracked my head open?"

"Something like that," I murmured uncomfortably. "I'm sorry. But you're okay. The nurse said you're free to go home this afternoon. I came to find you when I woke up. Been here for an hour or two."

"Thanks for that. What about your friends? How are they?"

"Good." I nodded, rubbing my palms against my knees. "Saw them all this morning for a bit. Lily was the only one that had to spend the night. Fabian's fine, also, by the way."

He looked relieved, though he didn't say so. "How are you feeling?"

"I'll be all right." I paused, not wanting to think of what the nurses had told me when I woke up. Desperate to get away from the topic, I said, "You know, you drool when you sleep."

He wiped at his face in panic. "Oh, that's—" He stopped, then glared.

I smiled slyly. "Just kidding."

It was then that it occurred to me that none of this, not any of this, would ever get better from here.

The two little italicized parts in this chapter are somewhat rewritten excerpts from Chapter Two, A Pretty Sort of Chaos, and Chapter Fourteen, Falling with Grace. Anyways, I know you guys pretty much begged me to give you this update quickly... sorry. You know how life is. Doesn't ever let you do what you want. :( *shakes fist at the sky*

Hopefully I'll start getting through this a bit quicker, but I'm not going to make any promises in the case that I can't keep them.. Thanks for those of you who've stuck around this whole time. You're all the best, though, really, all of you. x

Also, random note- do any of you watch TVD? I am currently so obsessed and that's part of the reason that I haven't been updating so quickly.. eek. (But I'm totally team Delena forever..! xD)

(Please ignore this random outburst. An Ed Sheeran song in one of my favorite TVD episodes is playing and I just was very much reminded of my fan-girlish obsession.)

Sorry if this is a bit confusing for anyone. It will be totally cleared up (as much as possible) next chapter.