Disclaimer: I do not own TVD.

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"I am afraid that our eyes are bigger than our stomachs, and that we have more curiosity than understanding. We grasp at everything, but catch nothing except wind."
—Michael de Montaigne

─── · 。ﾟ : *. .* : ﾟ.───

By the time the bell rings after Spanish, I'm starving. Caroline is in that class as well and practically drags me to the cafeteria afterwards. We grab our food and make our way to one of the large circular tables, where two boys and a girl are already sitting.

"Guys, this is Bonnie Bennett. Bonnie, this is Elena Gilbert, Matt Donovan, and Tyler Lockwood."

Tyler, an all too familiar face, is the first to speak up. "Yeah, Bonnie and I go way back," he says with a knowing wink.

Matt—the boy with dirty-blonde hair that reminds me vaguely of a golden retriever—rolls his blue eyes. "Back to three hours ago, maybe."

Elena, a girl with olive skin tone, big brown eyes, and pin-straight deep-chocolate hair, speaks up next. "We were talking earlier about how it's been awhile since anyone new moved to town. The Salvatore brothers were the last ones."

Immediately, the mood changes. Matt rolls his eyes, Caroline sits up a bit more attentively. Clearly these Salvatores are important—or, at the very least, interesting. I glance to Elena, silently asking for an explanation. She glances to her left, and I follow her gaze.

At a table on the other side of the cafeteria sits a boy. He's devastatingly handsome. Most witches are attractive due to glamours, or even residual magic that alters our genes, but this is on an entirely different level. It almost hurts to look at his face, which would seem more at home on a magazine cover or in artwork.

"Who is he?" I ask, genuinely curious.

Caroline is only too willing to give me the information I seek. "Stefan Salvatore. He and his older brother, Damon, moved here last spring."

My glance shifts over to him, again. He's lean, tall (but not towering), and muscled, with classic high cheek bones and perfectly styled brown hair. He's sitting alone with an untouched lunch tray before him; he's otherwise preoccupied by the book that he has in his hands.

I feel something inside me stir as I stare at him. I'm not sure what it is, but as I study him, I know what my Grams said days ago is true: I'm exactly where I need to be. I also feel like something is about to happen... I don't put much thought into it, however. It's a familiar feeling to what I felt around my mother's boyfriend, Jeraud, and nothing ever happened with him. The air feels different, though, almost...electric. I can't tell if it's a good thing or bad thing.

I notice Caroline is still speaking and I tear my eyes away from him.

"Stefan is the loner type. So, if you're interested, don't even bother. He doesn't date."

I start to laugh, immediately assuming that she's asked him out and he's turned her down. I peer back over to him, only to find a pair of the deepest green eyes looking into mine.

And, suddenly, my world goes fuzzy.

I hear a ringing in my ears. It's quiet, at first, but grows louder and sharper until, suddenly, my head explodes with voices—hundreds of voices talking over each other. It's excruciating. I can't hear my own thoughts. I can't think. I can't even move.

The only thing I see is green. The edges of my vision begins to darken as I finally manage to cover my ears with my hands and rip my eyes away from Stefan.

"Bonnie! Are you all right?"

"What's going on?"

"Help her!"

I feel a hand on my shoulder and peer up at Elena next to me.

The voices slowly subside. "I—I'm fine. Don't worry." Everyone is staring at me skeptically. I have no explanation for myself, let alone for them, but I have to come up with something. "I, uh... I get acute headaches a lot. They don't normally last long, though. I promise I'm all right."

Caroline nods. "I totally get it. My mom gets those, too. I just hope I didn't inherit it..."

The conversation resumes around me without further questions. Slowly, I steal a glance back over to Stefan.

His brown hair glows under the fluorescent lighting as he moves. His facial expression is pinched, his dark, thick brows furrowed, as he stuffs his book into his messenger bag, grabs his lunch tray, and vacates his table. I have a sinking feeling that his abrupt departure has something to with what just happened, but sure he doesn't know that I can hear hundreds of forces in my head. That's something normal (kind of, anyways) for a witch. It's absolutely not normal for a human.

I turn my attention back to my table.

I haven't been listening to the conversation, but Elena is going on about someone named Jeremy and drugs. I try to listen to what she is saying, but I can't stop thinking about what just happened.

"Stefan is looking at you," Caroline whispers to me conspiratorially.

I know this all ready—I can sense his eyes still on me. "The perks of being a new girl, I guess."

Caroline playfully elbows me in the side. "C'mon, Bonnie! He never gives anyone any sort of attention unless he has to. Maybe you've piqued his interest." She seems excited, but I'm wondering if I'm imagining the tinge of envy in her voice.

He's certainly piqued mine, but not for the reasons Caroline may think. And I definitely am not going to tell her that. "Didn't you say he doesn't really give anyone his attention?"

Caroline raises her brows, clearly not expecting that response. "I guess. Probably for the best," she shrugs.

And something inside me tells me that she's probably right.

─── · 。ﾟ : *. .* : ﾟ.───

My first class after lunch is Biology with Mr. Varner. Elena and Tyler are in the same class, and they offer to walk me there so I'll know where to go.

When we arrive to the classroom, the two leave me to sit down in their own assigned seats. We're one of the last groups of students to arrive, and when I peer around there are only two empty seats. I hand my slip to Mr. Varner. As he is signing it, a student rushes in as the bell rings, leaving only one seat open. Mr. Varner hands me the paper back and gestures absently for me to sit.

I take a deep breath and go to sit beside Stefan Salvatore.

I don't know why I'm so nervous. I try telling myself that he's just a boy and that there's nothing to be worried about, but the situation in the cafeteria has me rattled. It could be just a coincidence that I heard voices in my head after looking him in the eyes, but instincts says it isn't. My instincts have never been wrong before.

I take my seat and pull out my notebook, trying to remain as normal as possible. Normal people do not stare at their lab partners, I remind myself. I don't really want to admit it, but I'm curious about Stefan.

Once again, I know all of the information that Mr. Varner begins lecturing about. My diligent notes quickly become anything else. I wish I had the artistic ability to sketch the pair of eyes that I can't stop thinking about—the eyes of the boy sitting next to me.

"Hello." His voice is smooth and cool. Like velvet. "I'm Stefan Salvatore. You must be Bonnie Bennett."

I honestly haven't expected him to talk to me. I can't deny that I'm glad he does. However, I don't want to look into his eyes, again. I'm afraid the same thing that happened at lunch will happen here.

But I also don't want to be rude. I manage a small glance his way and a smile. I start writing real notes once more, instead of random words and doodles as an excuse not to meet his eyes.

"That's me. How'd you know?"

He chuckles in a way that sounds like music. "Word gets around."

"Well, what else does the word say?" I hope there will be little to no word.

"You moved here from Salem to live with your grandmother. You like history. And you're well-versed in the works by the Bronte sisters."

I glance at him again, this time with an eyebrow raised. "You've seemed to collect quite the dossier on me, Mr. Salvatore."

"To the contrary, Miss Bennett, I think it's hardly any information at all." His words are playful and inviting.

The banter is so natural it surprises me. I'm usually awkward meeting new people—I tend to keep to myself. In Stefan's presence, however, I feel like myself. Judging from the gossip that Caroline shared with me at lunch, Stefan keeps to himself. He doesn't really talk to anyone here at school. So, why is he talking to me? Is he really curious about the new girl? Does he know that I'm just as curious about him?

I decide to take a chance. It's hard to figure out if he's being genuine or not without reading his facial expressions. And, if the same thing happens as before, then I'll know for sure that Stefan is the trigger.

Slowly, my eyes meets his dark green ones.

I'm not frozen this time, but my head explodes with the sound of unfamiliar voices. There aren't as many voices as last time, but there are definitely enough that I get an instant headache. My vision blurs around the edges again, but I hold Stefan's gaze. When I first looked at him, his expression was as playful as he sounded. But now, however, it's filled with concern and laced with questions.

I fight the urge to push the voices down and back out of my mind, one-by-one, never breaking Stefan's stare. Finally, there's only one voice left.

'This could be a huge mistake.'

I tear my eyes away from him and let the voice—his voice—drift away. I know it's his voice, yet his mouth doesn't move at all. I've listened in on his thoughts.

Witches have the power of telepathy, but those powers don't normally manifest until the witch is ready for it. It's exceedingly rare for a witch of my inexperience to read others' minds. Usually, powers start with clairvoyance. I've had all sorts of feelings about things that would warn me if I was forgetting something or about to walk into a situation I shouldn't be in. Potion brewing and healing are fairly beginning level, too; all you have to do is follow directions from a grimoire. Almost any witch can use those skills.

In hearing voices, I've unlocked an upper level power without even having to think about it. And it absolutely has something to do with Stefan Salvatore.

I'll definitely need to talk with Grams about this after school.

I turn my attention back to my notes. Stefan is right, after all. This could be a huge mistake.

He makes no effort to speak with me again. I can tell that he knows something has happened. I only hope he doesn't know what.

When the bell rings, Stefan is out of his seat and through the door before anyone else has even shut their notebooks or grabbed their bags. I stare after him, almost mystified that someone can move that fast, let alone be graceful about it.

"So, what did Salvatore say to piss you off?"

I stand up to face Tyler, attentively at my side. He seems almost jovial that Stefan and I don't seem to get along. "He didn't piss me off. I just needed to focus on my notes."

He rolls his dark-brown eyes. "Sure. Salvatore doesn't talk to anyone. I'm sure most girls would have died if he struck up a conversation with them."

So, I'm right. He talked to me for a reason, and the information only confuses me more. He doesn't know I have magic—he couldn't have. So, why me?

─── · 。ﾟ : *. .* : ﾟ.───

Grams is waiting on the porch as I walk up the driveway.

"Letting your emotions get the better of you, I see," Grams says with a smirk.

I must give her a look of confusion, because she rolls her eyes before explaining herself.

"You honestly don't think I can tell the difference between a normal storm and a conjured one?"

I groan, taking in the nickel and copper sunlight overhead, making my eyes hurt. Clouds like decomposing gray fists rumble angrily. "It's been a day."

Grams shoves a mug into my free hand. "Drink this. It'll make you feel better."

I look into the cup wearily. It looks like hot cocoa, but I know it isn't. Hesitantly, I take a sip. It immediately warms me up. I even feel slightly more energized than before. It tastes almost like a vanilla latte, but not quite as bitter. "What is this and how do you make it? Asking for a friend."

She snorts. "I call it the Pepper Up potion after reading Harry Potter. It essentially does the same thing—it restores a witch's health and stamina so long as they don't need healing first. Now, go inside and put your things away. Then you can tell me what happened at school and we can get started on your lesson for the day."

I run up to my room and dump my school bag unceremoniously in the doorway before running back downstairs to the library. I want answers about what happened so I can finally stop worrying and calm down. I haven't realized how anxious I've been until Grams told me my emotions conjured the storm brewing outside.

The library is a medium-sized room with shelves lining all four walls. There are two windows, each with a cushioned sill for lounging. They're draped in heavy, maroon curtains that are currently drawn. There's a fireplace that's lit, and in front of it is a plush red-and-gold rug. There's a desk at the far end of the room, but Grams sits in an overstuffed leather chair in front of the hearth. I sit down on the rug alongside her.

"So, what happened, sweet pea?" Grams asks.

"It started out normally enough. Side note: I'm way ahead in my schooling so now I can focus mostly on magic instead of homework."

"Small miracles," Grams murmurs, smiling faintly.

I chuckle. "So, I was at lunch today when I saw this boy... I asked one of my classmates who he was, and she told me he was Stefan Salvatore. Have you heard of him?"

"Only in passing. I know that the Salvatores are one of the founding families of Mystic Falls," Grams answers.

"Well, when we looked at each other, my head—well, it sort of exploded with voices. As soon as I looked away from him, it stopped. I thought it was a coincidence, at first, but it happened again in a class we have together. I managed to push most of the voices back this time—I think because we were in a smaller room—and ended up hearing just one...his. It stopped again when we broke eye contact."

Grams is silent for a moment as she mulls over what I've just told her.

"It seems as if this Salvatore boy has awakened your telepathy abilities," she muses. "Telepathy is upper level magic, but you have the ability to practice it. You would have gotten this ability sooner than later. The Salvatore boy is probably magic sensitive, or even potentially a user himself. Do you have any negative feelings about him?"

I shake my head. "I don't think he's dangerous, if that's what you're asking. I'm more curious than anything. I want to learn more about him." I haven't even admitted that to myself yet, but the moment I say it, I know it to be true. Stefan Salvatore is a fascinating mystery, and I'm Nancy Drew. I feel pulled to him, and I want to know why.

Grams smiles softly. "Trust your instincts, Bonnie. They won't lead you astray."

Before I can think of anything further, Grams continues. "Now, time for your first formal lesson, dear. Ready?"

I sit up a bit straighter. Am I ready? I've only been wanting to learn to use my magic ever since I figured out I had it. Sure, bursts of it slips out of me every now and then, but I want to control it. I want to harness it into something useful instead of something harmful.

"Where do we start?"

"Where most kindergartners start," Grams laughs playfully. "By learning to count. And then the days of the week."

"What do you mean?" I ask skeptically.

"Well," Grams begins, "you know the seven levels of witchcraft, correct? What are they?"

I answer immediately, glad I'm not totally ignorant. "Forma, Opher, Thridde, Feor, Fyte, Syxta, and Septe."

Grams nods before continuing. "If you are magic sensitive, you don't rank at all. But if you master one of the Affinities, you level up. Everyone in the Bennett bloodline since Lorna Bennett arrived in America has eventually gone on to become a Septe. It's why so many of us were part of the High Council. Average witches and warlocks will only ever rank as a Thridde or Feor, which is perfectly acceptable."

I nod. I can feel the magic in my blood—I'm not worried at all. "So, what are the days of the week?"

"Witches and warlocks can use magic on any day of the week. However, each day of the week means something specific, something special. The days will correlate with an Affinity, a planet, a plant, and certain traits. For example, today is Tuesday. Tuesday falls under the house of Mars. Its Affinity is spell casting, which is such broad magic that no one really knows how much you can cast. Spell casting is changing and controlling events with magic. You can change the weather, the elements. You can change people's realities. You can conjure—we'll go over that in a moment."

I feel like I should be taking notes.

"Don't worry, sweet pea; it's all in our grimoire," Grams assures me, as if she can read my thoughts. She probably can. "Now, most witches can do minor casting. It's an upper level magic, but some of it is easier than others. We'll be going over the most known spell casting abilities this evening."

The lecture continues for another hour-and-a-half—and it's all just the basics.

Spell casting has to be the most complicated thing I've ever heard of, simply because there's so much to it, and because of that you have to demonstrate the ability to cast at least three different types of spells before you can level up. There are eight different types of spells: reality warping, elemental control, channeling, physical strength, levitation, glamouring, transmutation, and conjuring. The plant that is most potent on a Tuesday is cedar, which explains why the whole wand rumors about witches got started. Minor level witches and warlocks can use cedar to give their spells an extra bit of "oomph." Upper levels don't have to use anything at all. War spells and protection enchantments are also the most powerful on a Tuesday.

I quickly decide that I hate Tuesdays.

"So, what I did today with the storm... It was spell casting?" I wonder aloud.

"Just so," Grams clarifies. "Casting is always easier to do when you use your emotions. That doesn't make it more powerful, however. Perhaps the most important lesson of the evening is knowing that magic is all around us. Magic is life. And, in order for you to harness it, it will first harness you. Every spell you cast, every potion you use, it takes a little bit of life out of you. It's why you needed that potion when you got home today. Your body isn't used to it yet. Your stamina will increase with practice, just like an athlete. But, if you over exert yourself before you're ready? Well, there are some things that even magic can't do."

Great. Of course there's a downside. That doesn't turn me off to the idea of learning what my abilities are, however. Instead, I want to test myself to see what I can do.

"As much as I love the spark, Bonnie, that's enough for one day," Grams advises.

I furrow my brow, running my hand through my hair. "You mean I don't even get to try it out?"

"We must learn to walk before we fly."

I scrunch my nose. "I thought the saying was 'walk before we can run?'"

She smirks. "Whoever said that couldn't fly."

─── · 。ﾟ : *. .* : ﾟ.───

A/N: Well...? Thoughts? I'm pretty pleased with this chapter, honestly! Also, I've taken some creative liberties with the witchcraft in this story. I wanted to put my own spin to it. If anything confuses you, please don't hesitate to ask! :)