The next day the redhead made her way back home with Elena, the Salvatore brothers drove them out to the bridge and pulled the car out of the river. Azalea repaired it, and Elena cautiously drove back to her home.

"You good?" Azalea asked, closing the car door.

"You mean about how I am driving a car, that I crashed over another bridge," she said laughing sarcastically.

"Yeah,"

"I'm fine," she said. "Getting more and more used to all the magic, and supernatural stuff," she said, gesturing to Mystic Falls in general.

"I'm here if you need me," the redhead said, Elena smiled.

"I know, thank you."

The two went to their separate porches. Once Azalea closed the door behind her, she called out for her uncle. After receiving no response, she grabbed from floo powder and threw it into the flames.

She tumbled through the flames and into Draco Malfoy's town house.

"Draco!" she yelled out. "Draco!" she kept calling, walking out of his sitting room and towards the stairs.

"Draco! I need to –"

"What Potter. What do you –" his forehead was creased, but then he saw her face. "What is it?"

Azalea launched into what had happened and what she had been told by Hermione and the others. Draco sat in silence as spoke at the speed of a projectile.

"There must be something to undo it. Or something to show it isn't the case."

"I'll look into it," he promised. "But honestly Azalea the whole thing was believed to be a myth until you discovered it all. It was a children's tale,"

"Maybe that is where we started. If anywhere is going to have the first step, I reckon it will be wizarding myths and legends."

"I'll work on it today, let you know how far I get," he promised.

"I can make you lunch," she offered. "Apology for barging in."

"No Miss, I is be doing that," squeaked an unfamiliar house elf. She was in a silk uniform.

"Thank you Doxra," Draco said, she disappeared. "Sit," he gestured for her to sit.

The week leading up to Founder's Day was pretty dull at school, as most of the subjects were focusing on the founding of the town. Which suited Azalea perfectly. She spent most of her time, going over what Draco had found about her new predicament. When she wasn't working on the discovery of her own immortality, she was at the Salvatore house planning a timeline, and schedule for Stefan's blood amounts, and overall progress. She spent hours at the house with the two brothers. Damon had told her some of what was going on with Pearl and the other vampires. He had mentioned a device that Johnathan Gilbert had made and what their plans were to resolve the issue.

The morning of the Miss Mystic competition, the redhead woke to her muscles aching and her mind lethargic. Her nose was blocked, and it felt as though she had unconsciously drunk an entire bottle of fire whiskey in her sleep given how sore her throat felt. She prodded her jaw. Wincing as she felt the swollen glands protest.

Great, she thought. She stood up, feeling the pressure in her head as she did so, and made her way to her potion's drawer.

Skelogro… Wound cleaning… Dittany… a lot of Blood Replenish… Murlap… she kept sifting through the bottles and came up empty on PepperUp.

She rubbed her eyes in frustration, she was tempted to go back to bed and to try and sleep it off when she heard voices downstairs. Listening hard, she could tell her Uncle was talking to Damon.

Damon? What was he doing here at this – the Miss Mystic. She grabbed her dressing gown, blew her nose. Trying to look as healthy as she could she made her way downstairs.

"Morning," she said, cursing that her voice sounded hoarse. This immediately made the two men turn to her and judging by their expressions she hadn't done a good job in looking 'normal'.

"What time are we leaving?" she asked, ignoring their looks and making her way over to the kitchen, she could feel a cough forming in her lungs she tried to keep it locked in. Damon stopped her, standing directly in front of her.

"We going to pretend you don't look like you got hit by a bus today?" he said. She glared at him, in doing so releasing the cough, she covered her mouth with the crease of her elbow. Alaric came closer and put his hand on her forehead.

"You are burning up," Alaric said, his eyes widening in alarm. "Don't you have a draught or potion for this? PepperUp or something?" Alaric asked her in concern.

"I forgot to –"

"You forgot…" Damon said exasperated, forcing her to sit down.

"I'll cancel the –"

"No, no. You go," Damon said. "I'll take care of Lightning," he said, putting his own hand on her forehead.

"Quit it, both of you I'm." the rest of her sentence was cut off, and she began to cough, the sound echoing in her lungs.

"Pinnacle of health," Damon said dryly.

"Can anyone you know get you some?" Alaric asked her.

"I'll ask Draco when he finishes work."

Alaric nodded.

"You good to stay with her,"

"This isn't the first time, I'll have kept her prisoner. Go get ready for the pageant. I'll let Stefan know we're not coming." Damon said as Azalea began to write her note to Draco. When she was done, she went to the fireplace throwing the floo powder in and putting the note in Draco's living room.

"Ok back to bed," Damon said watching the green flames die down; stirring the redhead up the stairs, and into her room.

"It's just a cold, Damon." She protested.

"It's flu. You're staying in bed." He said pushing down her shoulders, forcing her to sit on the bed. "So how many times have you fantasied about this?" he smirked, trying to distract her.

She tried to shove him off, but he was glad that she did look amused at his antics.

"In your dreams moron."

"Every night," he said dramatically. "Although normally there are less clothes –"

"Damon!" she said struggling harder, swotting the vampire's arm. She began to cough violently, he sat beside her offering her water, and rubbing her back. Once she was done she whipped the tears that had escaped during her coughing fit from her face.

"Now," he said putting the water on the bedside table. "I know you love to be as self-destructive as possible, but… if I let go, will you promise to stay in bed?"

She shot him a dirty look, but begrudgingly nodded, maybe going back to sleep would help. With some suspicion he slowly moved his arms from her. She shot him another glare before sticking her tongue out.

"Now, go to sleep so I can snoop."

"Very funny," she said dryly.

"Shhh, sleep." He said in a dramatic whisper.

"Humans aren't that vulnerable you know," she muttered as she felt him hovering. "You are really overreacting. I'm fine."

"Well then, enjoy the day of relaxing and pampering. I'm going to go make food for when you wake up."

Over the next half an hour, as much as Azalea tried, she could not seem to fall asleep. As soon as she got close her lungs betrayed her by trying to escape her body again. She could hear the vampire frying something downstairs. She turned again, her eyes focusing on the glass of water he had left.

She realised she needed to pee. Coughing. She pulled the duvet off and swung her legs over the side. Covering her mouth as she went; she made her way into her ensuite…

"Are you alright? I heard a thum – Lea!" she heard Damon's voice, she felt pain in her back, opening her eyes she saw she was on the bathroom floor, she had landed on her nail varnish box and she could see her paper bin had been knocked over. She recalled looking in the mirror, her pupils had shrunk, and her vision darkened…

She felt Damon scoop her up into his arms, carrying her down the stairs.

"What are you doing?" she hissed feeling embarrassed.

"You can't be trusted in the room by yourself. So, you're going on the couch," he said matter-of-factly.

"No,"

"It wasn't a negotiation." he said, placing her down gently, returning to the kitchen watching her in the open plan area. "Oh, and if you try to get up, I'll knock out with some sleeping tablets."

Damon was surprised that this threat worked on his friend. She immediately stopped grumbling and attempted to sleep. He wasn't sure if he should be relieved or more concerned…

It wasn't til the early evening that Alaric returned with Elena, who was still in her Miss Mystic dress frowned at the redhead on the sofa.

"She couldn't be trusted on her own," Damon said smirking at her.

Who won?" she asked hoarsely.

"Caroline,"

"How are you feeling about –" she stopped mid-sentence and began to cough violently.

"Ok enough excitement for the patient." Damon said, suddenly in front of her looking anxious.

"Maybe we should take her to the doctor?" Elena said looking anxious.

"I am not paying that much money for a cold," she scowled.

"You really think this is just a cold," Elena said, sitting on the sofa, putting her hand on the witch's forehead. "You're burning up. Damon, we have to do something." She said turning to the vampire.

"I am not going to the hospital, it's a bloody joke."

The fire turned green and a pointed faced blonder appeared.

"Draco Malfoy," Elena gasped.

"Elena Gilbert, I assume." He said before looking at the redhead on the sofa. "You look awful,"

"Thanks," she said dryly.

"Here," he said walking up to her and handing her the potion. She frowned.

"This isn't PepperUp?"
"No, when Doxra came and handed me the note I assumed you would have more than what it was designed for. The fact you actually asked for help. I almost left work to take you to a hospital." He added dryly.

She stuck her tongue out.

"Are you going to stay for dinner?" Elena asked him, watching her friend interact with her old nemesis the books playing in her mind. Azalea drank the draught pulling a face at the taste.

"If for no other reason than to stop Potter from delaying her recovery." He said in a bored tone.

"Shut it Ferret," she hissed, before finishing it off.

"Or what Scarhead? You'll splutter at me?" He smirked arrogantly, Elena laughed having a feeling is she in for an serial evening.

Hope you all liked this chapter, I wanted a few more cute/fun moments with her and Damon, and this gave her an excuse to not go to the ball. Stefan got to dance with Elena and everything was a lot more chill this time around. Thanks to her helping with the blood addiction, and Bonnie not being mad.

Sorry it has been a bit of a wait.

Hope you enjoy, see you next time. Xx