Chapter 1: Welcome to Mystic Falls
Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC.
Having Netflix is probably one of the best things ever as it has allowed me to discover what the big deal The Vampire Diaries is, and after a few days, I've already got my inspiration for this story. So I do hope you all enjoy. Rate and review!
Dear Diary
Well, it's my first day in the small quiet town of Mystic Falls. Apparently my family lived here back in 1871 and we have an old manor here that's been abandoned ever since they left. My mother's had one hell of a headache organising renovations and then moving all of our stuff over to America from Britain, but luckily we had the help of a relative and she's willing to do anything so we can have a fresh start ever since father disappeared that night… I guess I am too. I suppose this diary serves as the metaphor of a new chapter in my life, and it is rather fitting. We shall see how this works out.
James Cecil glances over the words written in the calligraphy that has been a constant in his family since the 11th century, waiting for the ink of his favourite fountain pen to dry. His mother, Violet, was sat next to him as she drove along the smooth and quiet suburban streets of Mystic Falls, a comfortable silence settled over them. It had been the most tranquil either of them had been since his mother had declared moving day.
"You know we get the fun of putting everything away" James quipped when it dawned on him.
"I know. Needless to say, that feeling of dread has settled" she said with a small smile.
"It's all in the excitement of moving" he said and she raised a brow.
"You are rather calm about us just packing up and moving not only to a new house but a new country. Most children I know would complain that they had friends where they lived" she said and he shrugged.
"I guess I've just wanted a fresh start as much as you did" he said softly.
"Well our ancestors picked the right place. Mystic Falls looks beautiful" Violet said, looking at the calm scene in front of them.
"That they did. At least the house is finished. We get the honour of putting all the books back in the library and finding a place for the family history" he said and she grimaced at that. "Curse them for writing everything down?" he asked and she nodded.
"Lord knows I do. It's been a tradition for us since the 11th century, and as much as I loathe lugging all of these books around, I suppose they are interesting. Our diaries will add to this when you have your children" she said and he grimaced.
"Children… yeah, not what I want to be thinking about at the tender age of sixteen" he said.
"Just wait until a crazy girlfriend brings it up, along with marriage, moving in…" she trailed off then.
"At the age of sixteen? What girl thinks of that?"
"It can happen. I had a friend back in England who had a girlfriend at your age and she just started spouting off about children and marriage. Within an hour, he was single and grateful for that fact" she said and he grimaced.
"Well I am relying on you to get me out of a relationship like that if you hear talk like that"
"I'll send her flying out the door so fast she won't know what hit her. At least there's only a fifty percent chance of that happening, what with you been a saloon door and swinging both ways" she said and he smirked at that.
"You can probably get boys that are just as insane, mum" he pointed out.
"Don't remind me" she muttered.
"I am not going into any more detail regarding past loves or boyfriends with you" he said with a smile before they settled back into their silence.
Violet was 36, having had her son at the age of twenty exactly, a time in her life where responsibility was still not a full prospect in her life. Having a child had done wonders for that, however, and she put her son before her social life and friends, building an unbreakable bond with her beloved son. She still retained her youthful looks, having aged nicely. She had a heart shaped face light brown hair that she kept tied up in a ponytail and almond shaped eyes that were warm honey in colour. She wore a blue button up shirt with the first three buttons undone revealing a white t-shirt beneath and the blue shirt was tucked into some grey skinny jeans, and she wore a pair of brown knee-high boots. Around her neck was a silver chain with the Celtic triquetra pendant.
James on the other hand, looked more like his father. He had angular features with high cheekbones a strong jawline and a straight nose, but whereas his mother had warm honey eyes, he had his father's bright cerulean blues. He also differed from his father's build of strong and stocky, been more slim, but still muscular. He dressed similarly to his mother, with a brown button-up shirt and a black t-shirt beneath, only he left his short untucked and his jeans were more baggy and blue and he wore walking shoes rather than boots. Around his neck was a leather necklace with the Celtic symbol most associated with his family; the Open Triad and it was also on a ring that he wore on his right index finger, family heirlooms, Violet had told him.
"James" his mother called and he looked to see her looking out of the window. "We're here" she said and he looked out in amazement.
The manor was built with Tudor architecture with a high roof. Above the oak double doors was a large glass window with the Open Triad symbol painted on in black with two Triquetra symbols, one above and one below. The garden was well kept and a large fountain dominated the main lawn and the property was surrounded by trees and bushes. The manor itself was rather large and some areas were built with stone and concrete instead of pure concrete. It was needless to say that their ancestors were wealthy.
"Lara Croft, eat your heart out" James said when he recovered his voice.
"We'll leave our stuff in the mail hall and then you can pick your room" Violet said as they pulled up in front of the doors.
The two walked through the doors and marvelled at the main hall. The floor was polished red wood and was so shiny that the two removed their footwear the instant they got in. The staircase went up the centre and split into left and right, with two doors on each side leading to various rooms in the house. To their right, through a set of double doors was a grand dining room and was also the area where the kitchen was and to their left was the living room. The ceiling in the main hall was a high hammerbeam roof, and the walls were wood panelled and decorated with paintings of people that were in the family before.
"My good God" Violet muttered as they went into the living room. Three walls were concrete and the other was made up of pieces of stone, resembling crazy paving and was decorated with modern furniture. The ceiling was lower in this room, no floor obstructing it as it went to its peak and the windows were wide, allowing the sun to stream in, casting a warm glow.
"I am going to pick a room and get lost in the process" he said and his mother nodded dumbly.
James went to the left and through the first door, finding that it led to a corridor that went down a bit and then right. There he found two more doors spaced evenly along the long corridor on the right. His inner child came out. It was like exploring all over again, exactly what he used to do with his friends back in England.
He opened the first door and found himself in the library. A desk was at the end of the room, a large window behind it, allowing light in. Books lined the shelves, all looking fresh and new. There were a few white leather chairs behind the desk with a few small tables next to them with coasters, and another desk was placed next to a set of stairs which led to the second floor, only it was vertical, with one chair at each end. Knowing he would have another opportunity to come back, he headed out and jumped when his mother tapped him on the shoulder.
"Bloody hell! Don't do that!" he admonished and she grinned.
"Your face!" she said before laughing.
"Well I found the library. I'm going to check out the room next to it" he said, glaring when she stopped laughing to nod, and then carried on giggling as she left the corridor.
James opened the second door, finding that this one was one of four bedrooms. The walls were wood panelled, except for one that had the crazy paving-styled wall and another which was a wall of empty book shelves. A large bed was in the middle of one of the walls and facing the door, made up with black that had a floral pattern on them and a bedside table either side with a lamp on them. A desk was in front of the 'book wall,' a fair distance away to allow room for movement behind. Two leather chairs were by one of the tall windows, a small table with a vase of fake but realistic white roses. There was a set of drawers flanked either side by a wardrobe. Lastly there was a window seat made up with cushions that looked comfortable.
"Got my room" he said with a smile. He then looked at the bookshelves as an idea hit him. He also had a space for the family history.
He came back into the main hall to see his mother moving in boxes of the renewed family journals and he went out to help her, taking a box of them from her. They were labelled chronologically, so sorting them wouldn't be an issue. All in all, there were about eleven big boxes of old journals that made up the family history.
"I have a place to put them" he told his mother.
"Oh?"
"I chose my room. An entire wall at the back of the room is nothing but bookshelves so there should be enough room to put them all" he said and she beamed.
"Great! You can peruse them instead of having to dig them out then" Violet said. There was a knock on the door. "This had better not be our first door-to-door salesman" she said, turning around and answering with a small smile.
"Violet Cecil?" a man in a suit asked, he was with two others, a teenager and a woman. The man's family, most likely.
"Yes?" she answered politely.
"I am Richard Lockwood, the mayor of Mystic Falls" he said and James raised a brow. "This is my son Tyler, and my wife Carol. We were just calling to welcome your family back to Mystic Falls. It's been many years since the Cecil's have lived amongst the community" he said and Violet kept up her soft smile.
"Thank you, Mayor. It's a pleasure to meet you and your family. I'm Violet and this is my son, James" she introduced and he stepped forward, shaking all of their hands and offering a winning smile.
"A pleasure to meet you Mr. Lockwood, and your family" he said politely. Tyler smirked, knowing that it was false.
"Would you like to come in?" Violet offered and the mayor nodded. The two Cecil's stepped aside and the three walked in. "We've just started moving our things in, but I'm sure there is a kettle set up. Can I offer you some tea?" she asked politely.
"That would be lovely" Carol answered with a smile of her own.
"I'll help" James said, following his mother into the kitchen and putting the kettle on.
"The son and the wife I don't mind, but the mayor screams arrogance" Violet whispered as she gathered five mugs.
"You got that from a polite introduction?"
"All politicians, no matter how small or how polite they may seem, always flaunt their title to the new families when they just move to town" she said and he nodded. "And your politeness was hardly genuine" she retorted.
"Enough to pacify him"
They spent time making idle chatter, but it got to a point where James was about ready to tear his hair out so he subtly looked around for an excuse to leave the room. He saw them. The boxes of journals. Better to kill two birds in one stone. He can get the journals put away so it's done and out of the way, and he can abandon the idle chit chat.
"I'm sorry to leave you all, but there are some books that I need to have put away in my room so that they are out of the way" he said and his mother sent him a pleading look. The kind that screamed 'don't leave me!' He flashed her a rather apologetic look.
"You have an interest in literature?" Carol asked one last question.
"Yes, one of my favourite subjects. I'll be taking it in school" he said with a small smile. "These books are the family history, rather than actual works, however" he said and she smiled.
"Well don't let us keep you from putting them away" Carol said and he nodded.
"I'll help" Tyler offered and he turned with a small smile.
"It's fine, really" he protested.
"You have nearly a dozen boxes to move and this house is huge. By the time you're done, you'll be ready to drop" he said, before casting a similar pleading look.
"Thank you" he said politely and gestured for him to follow him back into the main hall.
"Thanks for getting me out of there, man" Tyler said and the other chuckled.
"Idle talk doing your bloody head in?"
"Yeah. Sorry about them. Dad always likes to flaunt his title to new families in town" Tyler said and the other shook his head, picking up a box.
"It's fine, really. Better to learn it now rather than later. Allows us to learn about the town" he said. "Room's this way" he said, heading to the left and through the first door with a little effort.
"Obviously it bothered you. That smile was totally fake" Tyler said and he went to protest as they walked to his room. "And don't even bother trying to lie, dude. I'm the mayor's son, I've been to everyone's house to welcome them to Mystic Falls and I've seen plenty of fake smiles" he said as James opened the door to his room.
"Sorry" he said guiltily.
"Hey, I don't blame you" Tyler said with a grin, before looking around the room. "Nice" was all he said.
"I'm still amazed by it all. I'd never have guessed that our ancestors were this wealthy. I mean they left a lot of it behind for us but it still amazes us" he said, placing the one box down.
"Reckon you could convince your mom to hold a party?" Tyler asked and the other grinned.
"Ha! I'd have an easier time getting a dog to speak English"
It was another half an hour before the Lockwoods left the house and Tyler was quick to flash the two a wry smirk to which his mother rolled his eyes and James merely grinned. She closed the door and sighed in relief, sliding down the door and sitting. He simply chuckled and sat next to her by the door whilst she glared at him.
"You abandoned me!" she exclaimed.
"If I had sat through more of that man's drivel, I would have shot someone or myself. I think it was better for all parties involved if I made myself scarce" he said and she narrowed her eyes at him. "So what did you talk about?"
"Small talk, except for an invitation to the Founder's Party and Heritage Display" she said and he sighed.
"How formal?" he asked and she grimaced.
"Very formal. And I said that we would go to represent our family. Apparently our ancestors contributed greatly to the establishment of Mystic Falls as an idealistic community. We really need to skip to this part of our family story because as of right now, we are a Founding Family" she said and he grimaced. "Looks like mandatory attendance to every single party that is to be thrown" she said.
"I suppose it can't be all that bad. Free champagne, a chance to get to know people and I suppose we have an excuse to wear formal clothes" he said and she nodded.
"Well we had best get started on getting ready. We have to sift through all of our boxes, find the right outfit, get cleaned up and make sure we make ourselves look the part of the important family, as much as I don't want to seem like an insufferable snob" she said and he laughed.
"Stop been negative. Now come on, time to pick out all of our clothes" he said, sounding chipper.
"You find this rubbish too don't you?" she asked, seeing through his chipper demeanour.
"With my entire being" he said, dropping the smile. "Let's just rip off the proverbial plaster and get this over with. We'll have some champagne or fine wine, eat a few finger sandwiches, then we'll come back, gorge ourselves on pizza and guzzle Pepsi" he said and she grinned.
"What better way to spend the rest of the night" she said, getting up.
After some digging around, he had managed to find a black blazer with a white button-up t-shirt, a black waist-coat and his dress trousers along with a tie. He even wore a white scarf draped over his shoulders and a pair of leather shoes that had a leather sole, which had provided his mother with a laugh as he tried not to slip on the well-polished floor. Violet was wearing a long red dress with a red wrap and her hair was now straight and flowing over her shoulder. She wore her family pendant along with a silver ring that was studded with Tanzanite.
"Time to blend in with the elite of Mystic Falls" she said as James placed his ring back on his index finger. "You look so handsome" she said with a smile.
"You look beautiful, mum. Haven't seen you in a dress for years" he said, her arm looped through his as he took the car keys off of her. No way was she messing around with shoes so she could drive, he was doing this for the preservation of time.
"I think the last time I wore a dress it was when your father took me out to a really fancy restaurant"
"I remember. First time without a babysitter for me" he said with a grin.
"Yes. Take no offence, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that you hadn't wrecked the house" she said and he set a low glare. "Well then, let's go"
The Lockwood mansion was the largest house in the whole of Mystic Falls and from the looks of things, a large portion of the town was attending. People were dressed smartly in suits and tuxedos for the men, and women dressed in beautiful dresses, all of them with a smile on their face. The music was loud enough to be heard through the house, but quiet enough for people to talk in civil tones with one another.
"The Lockwoods know how to throw a formal party" Violet said as they into the foyer of the house.
"Violet, James" Carol said, approaching them with a smile. "So glad you could make it" she said and they returned the smile. They liked Carol more than Richard, she seemed more genuine, compared to his more arrogant demeanour.
"Well we saw it as a wonderful opportunity to meet the people of Mystic Falls" Violet said, accepting a glass of champagne, just as her son did. "And acquaint ourselves with the other Founding Families" she added on.
"I think they are all here. I shall leave the introductions up to you" she said, before heading off.
"Who are the Founding Families?" James asked.
"There's the Lockwoods, the Gilberts', the Forbes', the Fells, and the Salvatores'. And then there's the Cecil's apparently" she said and he nodded, sipping lightly on the champagne. "Two glasses" she reminded.
"I know" he said. "I am going to look around and mingle" he said and she nodded.
In every party, formal or informal, there is always one occasion when someone bumps into someone else, and in James' case, this happened as well. However, as soon as he made contact with the stranger, he felt a chill run up his spine, which was disconcerting. Nevertheless, he looks up to see that he had bumped into a young man, probably his age, who was the epitome of beautiful with his brown hair spiked, his skin pale and flawless and his features masculine and broad.
"Pardon me. I should have been paying attention to where I was going" the youngest remaining Cecil said and the stranger smiled warmly.
"It's fine, really" he said. "I don't think I've seen you around Mystic Falls" he said, making conversation.
"My mother and I recently moved here. James Cecil" he said, extending his hand.
"Stefan Salvatore" the other introduced, shaking his hand. His skin was slightly colder than his and the shake once more gave him that chill. How was it possible? Considering the warm smile and the polite greeting.
"One of the Founding Families" he pointed out.
"The same could be said for yours"
"Well I don't really know my family history all that well, considering they documented it in a literal wall of journals that I haven't read" he said with a small smile. "I should probably start reading them, though" he added on as an afterthought. A beautiful girl approached them, looking at Stefan with a small smile. She had long brown hair that was elegantly styled for the event and she had an oval face with almond shaped eyes.
"I brought us something to drink" she said, and then she looked at him. "You must be the new guy everyone is talking about" she said and he raised a brow.
"News travels in this town?" he asked.
"It's a small town. I'm Elena Gilbert" she said and he introduced himself before chuckling.
"Here I was telling my mum to be making the introductions with the Founding Families and I've met members of two already, not counting the Lockwoods" he said and they both smiled.
"How do you think most of us found out? Mayor Lockwood always keeps us updated on whose new and teenagers still gossip outside of school" Elena said and he smiled at that. "So I'm guessing that we'll be seeing you around school?" she asked and he nodded.
"Of course. I'll have some catching up to do though" he said ruefully.
"Well you could always ask me, Stefan or my best friend Bonnie. We'd be happy to help"
"Thank you. I was wondering if you could help me understand my ancestor's part in the town. Mum and I only came here when our grandmother told us about our family manor here" he said and Stefan took up that part of the conversation.
"Apparently your family played a large part in beautifying the town. Things such as flowers and trees always seemed to grow well when your family was involved and they preserved nature for years before they left. I think that was your great grandparents" Stefan said and the other looked impressed.
"You know a lot about the local history"
"Bit difficult not to when it's constantly drummed into us" Stefan quipped and the other chuckled.
"I swear to God, the snobbiness is driving me up the proverbial wall!" his mother exclaimed as she approached, before catching her tongue. "Wow, I'm interrupting and I'm been rude at the same time" she said and James rolled his eyes.
"Elena, Stefan, I'd like you to meet my mother, Violet" he said and they all shook hands. "Elena and Stefan are part of the Gilbert and Salvatore families respectively" he explained and she blushed a little.
"Sorry for the little outburst. It's lovely to meet you" she said and they both smiled.
"Which family?" was all Elena asked.
"Not a particular family, just some of the elitist's here" she said and Elena nodded.
"You get used to it. Most of the town are working class, it's just the ones who hold a place on the Founder's Council and have a high end job" she said and they both nodded. "Sherriff Forbes is one of the decent ones and Carol doesn't flaunt her status, at least not in public" she said.
"Is this a class in Mystic Falls 101?" Violet asked.
"And there's plenty more where that came from" Elena said with a small smile.
"I see. Well on that note, we really must be going. I look forward to seeing you both around" the eldest Cecil said earnestly. "That is if James invites you both over" she said.
"You'll have to forgive her. She looks for every opportunity to embarrass me in front of any friends and I think she may be a few cups shy of a tea service" she said and the other two chuckled. "But it is nice to meet you. I was hoping that one of you could show me around tomorrow. I've received my enrolment instructions but no map" he said and Elena nodded.
"Meet me in the school parking lot and we'll go from there" she said and he gave a grateful smile, before heading off.
"I suppose it wasn't all that bad"
"No it wasn't"
The two of them had changed into their pyjamas the moment they got in and were sat with a lit fireplace, a pizza box on the coffee table in front of them and two glasses. It was warm and comfortable as mother and son made idle chatter with one another, before James chose to bring up the issue about the feeling he got when he made physical contact with Stefan.
"Something's been bothering me" he said and she rose a brow.
"The whole 'life change' just hit you?" she asked and he shook his head.
"It's when I shook Stefan's hand. I felt something, it was cold and it ran up my spine" he said and she looked interested. "I saw something to. I can't describe it, but it wasn't pleasant" he added on and she sat up.
"What could you compare it to?" she asked and he thought.
"I suppose it would be my interpretation of death" he said grimly and she sighed.
"You're manifesting" she said quietly, but he picked it up.
"I'm what?"
"Time you learned the family history in a nutshell" Violet said and he sat up. "Our family history begins in the 11th century and has ties to witchcraft. Have you ever heard of the Morrigan?" she asked and he shook his head.
"Not really"
"Well there are many interpretations of the legend of the Morrigan, ranging from one witch to three with the latter been the truth. Our family is descended from one of the Morrigan"
"So we're witches?" he asked and she nodded. "Not possible" he said in an instant and she grinned.
"Is it?" she asked, before the fire went out and then reignited. "No breeze to blow it out and the fire is not a gas one" she said and he shakily nodded for her to continue. "And we're actually Celtic Druids, hence the necklaces. The necklaces that we wear allow us to channel their power. The third one has been missing for nearly a century, but we are capable of using magic without them. The reason that this town was so beautiful was because our ancestors used their magic for the benefit of nature, for we are servants of nature" she said.
"And dad, was he…?" James asked and she nodded.
"It was by chance that two druids would marry. The plan was for the both of us to teach you our ways, but he disappeared" she said sadly and he frowned.
"So how did the Morrigan become legend?" he asked.
"Whenever the Morrigan entered a battle, the enemies of King Arthur soon began dropping dead, their souls just drained of life, killed not by the touch of a sword or spear, but by magic. Not their most benevolent of moments, but the founder of our family resorted to making sure that we would only protect the balance of nature and use magic only as a tool in self-defence rather than use it to inflict pain deliberately and for personal gain"
"So what I felt at the party…?"
"Was you manifesting the power of divination through psychometry" she finished and he sighed.
"New town, new school, new friends, and I'm also a Druid. I think it's fair to say that my life has completely and utterly changed" he said and she reached over to hold his hand.
"Changed? Yes, but I am here to help you every single step of the way with it. Seeing as you've started manifesting, I can start teaching you magic in its many forms and we can decipher the feeling you received when you shook Stefan's hand"
Dear Diary
Well I can honestly say I wasn't expecting some of the news that I heard tonight. My family are descended from one of three Druidess' from the 11th century who served King Arthur and now it's been revealed that I am one. My whole life has changed now, not just because of the move, but because of this. I can only hope that no one outside of my family knows about this because society has taught me that using spells and the like often gets you into trouble, be it through misuse or because of a scared populace.
Okay, I want some ideas for pairings, which is why I've made my character bisexual. I want you guys to have a say in this so either PM me with suggestions or leave them a review. My character will meet every character from the series, so even though he hasn't met everyone in this opening chapter, I will adapt the story to fit the winning choice. Thanks in advance!