Wake up, a voice said in the back of the redheaded witches mind. You need to leave, get out of the bed! Why would she leave? It was comfortable, she had to wait for Damon. You need to escape before he comes back! The voice said, but why should she listen… the voice broke through to her as she shot up in the bed.

She checked to make sure the vampire was out of the room. Did she risk going downstairs… He would catch her immediately. Her gaze fell to the window. If she broke anything she would heal it and she knew he didn't have his daylight ring. She saw her bag on the side, she needed that too. Careful to not make a sound, she tiptoed from the bed, slowly shuffling towards the desk, then the window. It wasn't locked. That was something at least, she thought. Grimacing as the window squeaked in protest to opening, she gently climbed out, her feet swinging as the ground loomed. She took a deep breath. You can do this, Potter, she gave her self a little nod before siding off the window. Covering her mouth to prevent the scream, she knew wold come as she hit the hard earth.

She felt the pain in her joints as she handed on her feet. Wincing as her legs gave up and her face hit the earth.

Wincing she checked her bag for damage, she had cushioned it's fall. Her phone screen was cracked, but it still worked, it was easily fixed. She felt a painful tug on her throat. She touched it to see blood on her hands.

Perfect.

She limped to the tree and called Stefan.

After the second ring he answered.

"Lea! Lea are you all right?"

"I'm fine, I got out of the house. I, er, kind of jumped out of Damon's window."

"What! He – "

"Damon, he took me last night. He tried to compel me, but it didn't work."

"Are you drinking vervain?" Stefan asked her.

"No, I just seem to have an immunity to it."

"Lea, he will be dealt with." Stefan said darkly. "Did he hurt you? Feed on you?"

"Yeah, he fed. I can't find another other aches or pains, but I'm still a little woozy, I am on your estate I can't get home."

"Elena and I will come and get you." he said. "Heal you – "

"No Stef, I will heal myself, just come and get me please," she gasped as her vision darkened, she grabbed onto a bark for support until it passed.

Elena scanned the estate anxiously for the redhead.

"Lea," she gasped, as she saw the redhead covered in blood and clutching a tree. She opened the door and began to run to her. "Lea!" she called again. As she spoke the redhead's vison darkened, with a swoosh Stefan caught her.

Without hesitation Stefan bite his wrist and placed it in the redhead's mouth.

"What –"

"It will heal her Elena," Stefan said pacifying the anxious brunette.

"Her neck it's healing," Elena said in relief as Azalea took a big gulp of air. The vampire cradled her, rocking them gently making soothing noises.

"I got you," he said gently as Azalea took in her surroundings.

"Hey guys," she said softly resting her head against Stefan's shoulder.

"Come on, let's get you home. Can I pick you up?"

"No, it's fine,"

"I wasn't actually asking," he said, swooping her off the ground.

"Oi!" she said. He chuckled and started walking back towards the car. It wasn't till then she realised the pain in her neck was gone, she went to touch the wound only to find it was gone.

"You healed me?" she said.

"I did. Now let's get you home where Damon can't get to you. Elena can you call someone to keep an eye on her."

The brunette nodded pulling out her phone. Whoever the brunette had called answered as they made it to the car. Elena held the door for Stefan, as he slid the redhead into the back seat.

"I'm not an invalid," she scowled.

"Lea, just let us take care of you – yeah exactly," she said to the person on the other end of the phone as Stefan shut the door. The two of them got into the front and Stefan began to drive away from the Salvadore Manor.

As Azalea saw her home she saw Bonnie and her Grams getting out of the car.

"Really? I don't need a babysitter."

"Now Lea, it's not that we don't trust you to stay here to rest and recover." Stefan said.

"It's just we don't trust you to rest and recover." Elena said smirking. The redhead stuck her tongue out making them both chuckle at her.

"Hello again Azalea," the older witch smiled. As Bonnie rushed to her side.

"Are you ok?" she said, her eyes on the dried blood.

"I'm fine,"

"Well, lets go inside and talk about it more," Grams said, gesturing her into the house.

"I'll deal with him, Lea. I promise," Stefan watched the redhead enter the home before he and Elena drove off.

Azalea walked into her home with the two witches, Grams bolted the door behind her.

"Now you go shower then come and sit and relax with Bonnie, I'll get us some coffee." The older woman said sternly. Azalea sighed, but did as instructed, Bonnie came up the stairs with her.

"So Stefan said that Damon attacked you last night." She said.

"He apologised this morning, but yeah he feed on me."

"I hate him, I hate what he's been doing to Caroline."

"Me too, but we have to be smart about it," the redhead argued as she walked into her bedroom, making towards her draws to put an outfit ready for when she got out of the shower.

"Your room is really relaxing, calm," Bonnie said.

"Thanks, I was going to go full Gryffindor on it, but red's not exactly the calmest colour, and you know blood. So I thought 'hey why not go the ocean and astronomy route' on a night I have the same charms as the Hogwarts ceiling."

"Wow, So you get the stars and everything in your room?"

"Yeah, hence the lack of tech in here," Azalea laughed. "Look around I don't have anything too scary up here. I'm going to get this dried blood out of my hair."

It took her about 5 minutes of scrubbing and conditioner to get the matted blood from her hair, resulting in a niffler sized loss of hair. Scrubbing her neck and shoulder till it was pink rather than the reddy brown. She hopped out of the shower, dried herself with a spell, and slipped on the clothes she had place on the sink.

Bonnie was looking at the moving pictures on the drawers, before whirling around to see the fully cleaned and fully dressed Azalea.

"Grams will have made something to go with that coffee." She said.

"I'm fine,"

"Then you can enjoy our delightful company rather than us having to take care of you then."

Azalea stuck her tongue out at the American girl making her laugh.

"Come on," Bonnie grabbed her hand, and the two made their way downstairs.

The witches stayed until the sun went down, after making Azalea promise she wouldn't leave the house tonight. Deciding she had earned an easy night, she grabbed some leftovers from the fridge, popping the pasta dish into the microwave. As it began to whirl she could see her phone vibrating.

Stefan.

"Hey, what's happening?"

"Lea it's bad," he said.

"What's happened?"

"Damon he… Vicki was in the house, downstairs on the couch. He healed her, then –"

"Stefan are you trying to tell me that he turned her?"

"Yeah,"

"So where is she? She can't be around Matt or Jeremy or –"

"She's here at the boarding house, I'm trying to teach her, but she's an addict and –"

"It doesn't look good." The redhead summarised pinching her nose. The microwave beeped aggressively.

"And Damon?"

Stefan sighed.

"Thought so. Ok Stefan, let me know if you need anything, food, an ear, a connection so Vicki doesn't just start attacking people."

He half laughed.

"Any other fun news – oh wait! How did it go with Elena?"

"She… she says she will keep my secret –"

"But she won't date you anymore. Stefan, I'm sorry. You want me to come over with some hot chocolate?"

"More a pause to think then a break up, but thanks Lea. As much as I want you to come, it isn't safe here right now. Vicki –"

"Maybe the jolt of someone she likes, but doesn't have a strong emotional connection with will make her realise that she can't just go round drinking from everyone." She pointed out.

"It's too dangerous all right. Even if you smelt normal."

Azalea sighed she hadn't thought of her extra appealing witch smell.

"Call whenever, and let me know if you need anything. Ok, physical or emotional."

"Thanks," he said. The two said goodbye and rubbing her face, processing the information the younger brother had told her.

The redhead spent the whole weekend trying to find a way to help Vicki, they girl was sweet, just needed a little help. Azalea knew more than most that help could only happen when the person was ready. She didn't know if Vicki would ever be ready…

When the redhead woke on the Monday she was filled with dread. Today was Halloween. If the day wasn't awful enough on it's own, she had everything in this town to deal with too. Wishing she could just spend the day curled up in bed and distracting herself, she regrettably began to get ready for school.

"Argh, I hate Halloween," she muttered as she walked into see the elaborately decorated school. There wasn't a section untouched by the 'festive' period. Trying to ignore it, she made her way to her locker, a mental Alohamora at the ready, just in case she couldn't open it. She was just about to cast it when Bonnie walked beside her.

"Hey," she said, still struggling to open her locker.

"Here," Bonnie smiled helping the redhead.

"I have got your costume it's all here," Caroline appeared out of nowhere, carrying bags in each hand.

"Seriously," Bonnie said when she saw the witch costume.

"Oh, come on. Can someone please be excited its Halloween. It's supposed to be fun. You know silly fluffy Damon free fun."

"Hey, isn't this the one you got from Damon?"

"Yep. Wear it toss it I don't care. I just want it gone." Caroline said. "Have you seen Elena? Do we know what she's wearing?"

"I've been with Grams all weekend, maybe she's with Stefan." Bonnie said.

"Sorry nope," Azalea said.

"Riding to his castle on his white horse," Caroline muttered.

"Don't be bitter. It provokes wrinkles." Bonnie said. Caroline just looked at her.

"On that note, I'm going to pop to the toilet," the redhead dashed off before they arguing could continue.

The redhead zoned out to most of the day, her mind reliving many Halloween traumas that took turns invading her mind. Finally the last bell rang, and she made a beeline back to her home, planning to hide out until this blasted day was over. The plan was going well until her phone burst to life. She could see that Elena was calling her.

"Hi –"

"Lea. Vicki's here." Elena said.

"Crap ok, I'll help," Azalea said, hanging up, quickly changing into Caroline's sexy mummy costume. She grabbed her wand and twirled in the air with a loud crack. From the woods nearby the school she ran toward the grounds, knowing she would be leaving without another Halloween nightmare to add to the pile.

She decided to search outside. As she turned to where the school busses were kept she saw Vicki attack Elena, throwing the brunette away. Azalea ran to the rubbish where Elena was lying, the brunette lifted her hand, but Azalea wasn't there to help her up. She grabbed a nail and sliced the inside of her arm, over a part of the graveyard scar. Vicki stopped immediately staring at her for half a second before she blurred. Before Azalea knew it she could feel fangs piercing her neck. She felt Vicki being pulled away and saw Stefan.

"Go, get inside." He yelled. Elena grabbed Jeremy and ran at the door, Azalea followed blood flowing from her neck. Suddenly she was spun and fangs were latched to her once again. Azalea tried to pull her off and was surprised when it worked until she saw that she had a stake through her heart.

"Vicki! Vicki!" Jeremy screamed as Stefan held him back.

"Get him out of here," Elena yelled at Stefan. Then they were gone, Azalea looked from where Stefan had blurred to Vicki's body, to Elena crying. She repeated this several times until Damon spoke.

"You should go, I got this," he said.

"You did this, this is your fault." Elena said, standing up.

"Elena go," she said before this could get more heated. "I'll help Damon, plus my necks been ripped up it would need to be investigated." Azalea said, gently touching the wound. "Go," she said again. Elena nodded and jogged around the corner.

"Thanks," Damon said.

"Yeah, well I didn't do it for you." She bit back, leaning by the body closing the troubled teens eyes. "Bury her with some respect will you. Actually I am going to watch you come on." She muttered at the end, standing up again. Damon took the body in his arms, and offered the redhead his back to climb. She did, and he blurred away…

After they were done, regrettably she allowed Damon to carry her back to Elena's house.

"I can do it," Damon said, as we came to a stop. She frowned what had she missed?

"Do what?" Azalea asked.

"If this is what you want…" he walked closer to Elena and Stefan with me still in his arms. "I'll do it."

"It's what I want," Elena said.

"What do you want him to know,"

The redhead clicked to what was going on.

"No, you can't do that too him. You can't Elena, he'll find out and hate you for it,"

"What am I supposed to do," she said, looking at the redhead desperately.

"Let me help him."

"How?"

"Trust me Elena, I've started helping him already, I know more about this stuff that you do. Let me try." she said.

"Put me down Damon,"

He did as she asked, and the redhead made her way upstairs and gently knocked on Jeremy's door.

"Jere, it's me, can I come in?"

She was met with silence.

"I'm going to take silence as a yes, three… two… one…" she gently opened the door and made her way to the teen on the bed. She put her hand on his and give it a squeeze.

"Come with me," she said softly.

"Why?"

"I need to show you some things, explain what happened tonight," she said holding her hand out for him to take. Carefully and slowly she walked with him through the front garden and sat him down on her sofa. As he sat, she went into a cupboard and got a calming draught.

"Here take this, it will help calm you down."

He took it, and gave it a little sniff. He looked at her again and then drank it.

"Ok Jere, your world is going to change, I'll start with me and work up to what happened today. You know the Harry Potter books..."

Azalea proceeded to tell him about how her life was based on those books. How her school years he had not yet read had gone. Then she moved onto Mystic Falls and about the vampires. Until finally, she landed on Vicki… the younger teen had cried as she explained what happened to her. She soothed him before giving him a dreamless sleep. With a wave of her wand she levitated him up to the spare room. Wishing she could take the potions herself, she closed her eyes and hoped that sleep would find her quickly.

Hope you guys enjoyed that! I am happy to be writing more again, and finding a little more time to do so! See you guys next month