I do not own Harry Potter or the Vampire Diaries
"Who are you and how on earth did you get in here?" Elena asked shocked.
"Do you know where Stefan Salvatore is?" Lysandra asked immediately.
"How do you know Stefan?" Elena asked confused.
"Just answer the question would you...wait, you're...you're Damon aren't you?" Lysandra asked when she saw his face, he fit Stefan's description perfectly and he was in the Salvatore Boarding so, connecting the dots, that had to be Damon.
"You're Lyra?" Damon asked curiously as he looked her over, her clothes were ripped in places, her hair was matted, and some of her skin was covered in soot. She looked like she just came out of a warzone then he remembered Stefan's words last night about a war but it wasn't possible, the girl looked like a teenager, why would she be involved in war?
"It's Lysandra, but Stefan calls me Lyra. That means I'm right about you being his brother, doesn't it?" Lysandra continued, her tone insistent as Damon nodded. "Do you know where Stefan is? I need to see him."
"We're going to find him now. Just come with," Damon said, his gaze inadvertently wandering over her. Despite the dirt and disarray, she was undeniably beautiful, with an innocent charm that made it difficult for him to look away.
"Hey! Eyes up, dumbass!" Lysandra snapped, irritation lacing her voice, while Elena observed their exchange, bewildered. How did Stefan know this girl? The closeness implied by the nickname ignited a surge of jealousy within her.
"Can't help it, beautiful," Damon smirked, flirtation slipping effortlessly from his lips as he turned to leave, chastising himself for his distraction. What was he doing, flirting with her when he was supposed to focus on getting Katherine back?
They all arrive at a party in the woods and see over a dozen students drinking and chatting.
"The Duke party. I forgot. I hope they stay clear of the church." Elena commented as Lysandra looked around unaware of the attention she was attracting as she walked by.
"Your hope, not mine," Damon replied just as a drunken guy stumbled in front of Lysandra, grabbing her waist. "Now, I've never seen you here before. Wanna have some fun, beautiful?"
Damon prepared to intervene, but before he could, Lysandra deftly twisted out of his grasp, maneuvered behind him, and wrenched his wrist, twisting it behind his back before kicking his legs out from under him. Leaning close to his ear, she hissed, "Don't ever touch me again." She shoved him away with disgust, ready to walk off when he staggered to his feet, intent on trying again.
The guy then managed to pick himself up before going towards her again and said, "Oh come on. I was only trying to have some fun."At this point, the people at the party began to gather around to watch the spectacle before them.
"Look I'm not in a great mood right now and you really don't want to piss me off," Lysandra said glaring at him angrily, her emerald eyes lighting up in her rage before she tried to calm herself down.
"Feisty? I like it," he taunted, stepping closer. That was the last straw. Lysandra turned around and punched him squarely in the face, sending him crashing back to the ground, clutching his broken nose.
"You're disgusting. When a girl says no, she means no! You touch a girl again without her permission and I will personally be responsible for castrating you, do you understand?" Lysandra asked threateningly and at his hurried nod, she walked off to the church where the girl Elena had told her they were going.
Matt and Caroline walk up to Damon and Elena after what happened.
"Elena, hey!" Matt greeted her.
"Elena! Oh my God, where have you been? And who was that? She took the idiot down like it was nothing." Caroline said as she intertwines her fingers with Matt's which does not miss Elena's gaze.
"Long story, no time to explain," Damon replied, shaking off the shock of what he had just witnessed. He had found her fighting the guy oddly hot and thought he saw her eyes glow briefly before returning to their usual hue. What was she? He recalled her sudden appearance in his living room and the glowing reindeer message. She must be some kind of witch.
"I wasn't talking to you," Caroline snapped, irritation flaring.
"Sure you were," Damon countered with a smirk.
"We haven't met. I'm Matt," he introduced, extending his hand for a shake.
"Matt, there's a reason we haven't met. You and I are going that way," Damon said, ignoring the gesture as he grabbed Elena's arm and started dragging her away.
Elena glanced back at Matt and Caroline, apologizing as she was pulled along. "Ah, I'm sorry, guys."
Lysandra approached the church just as Stefan emerged from the tomb, a shovel in hand. Using a cleaning spell, she tidied herself up, knowing Stefan was already aware of her true nature. The two Wiccan witches nearby were powerful, and she could sense their energy even if she couldn't see one of them. The visible witch abruptly turned her head toward the trees where Lysandra was hidden after she used her magic but quickly shook it off and returned her focus to Stefan.
"Cleared the debris and set the torches like you asked. We can go down now," Stefan reported, leaning the shovel against a rock.
Bonnie noticed the gasoline cans nearby and asked, "What's that?"
"It's everything I need to destroy them," Stefan replied, handing Sheila a flashlight. Just then, he heard a heartbeat nearby and looked up, expecting to see Elena. Instead, his breath hitched as he whispered, "Lyra."
"Hey, Steffie," Lysandra said softly, stepping closer, but he instinctively recoiled.
"No! You're dead. You're dead. She said you were dead." Stefan said breathlessly as he stepped back from her, not noticing Damon and Elena coming towards as they heard what was going on.
"I'm not dead Steffie," Lysandra said, she was about to carry on but again, he cut her off.
"Don't call me that. You're supposed to be dead, this isn't real, this isn't real. I'm hallucinating. Great. Wonderful. Absolutely bloody perfect." Stefan said holding his head in his hands as he tried to control the tears. The others watched on not even knowing what to say they were running out of time but they couldn't disrupt what was happening before them.
"Steffie please just hear me out," Lysandra said pleadingly with tears in her eyes at seeing him like this, before coming closer to him. She raised her hands to hug him but he moved back from her.
"No. You'redead.Lyra isdead. Mybest friendis dead and now I'm hallucinating. You're not real. You're not. You can't be. She said you were never coming back, not this time." Stefan said with absolute pain in his voice as tears glistened in his eyes, he couldn't control it no matter how much he wanted to, what does it matter what the others think? Nothing mattered anymore, he thought as he shut his eyes.
"No! Don't you dare! It's me Steffie, it's me, please don't turn it off." Lysandra cupped his face in her hands softly and he froze at her touch. "See. I'm real. You're not hallucinating. I'm alive. I survived. I'm not dead. I'm right here." She wiped the tears from his eyes as he looked down at her desperately.
Stefan felt her touch, he felt it, if she was a hallucination, he wouldn't be able to and yet he did. He then reached out his hands to hold her wrists stroking the back of them as he looked down at her without blinking, fearing that if he closed them for even a second she might disappear. "You're here? You're really here?"
"Yeah, I'm here. I'm alive Steffie." Lysandra said before she was pulled into a bone-crushing hug as Stefan buried his face into her neck, his arms wrapped around her.
"How?" He whispered into her neck, he missed this, the comfort only she could bring to him.
"The curse only killed the Horcrux, not me," Lysandra explained. He sighed in relief, pulling back to look at her, a bright smile illuminating his face—one none of them had ever seen before. He hugged her again, spinning her around in his joy. She laughed, and when he set her down, he cupped her face in his hands, leaning in to kiss her forehead.
"I've missed you, Lyra," Stefan said, his smile warm and genuine.
"I've missed you too," Lysandra replied, her heart full. After everything that had happened, she desperately needed her best friend.
"You're hurt," Stefan remarked, concern flashing across his features. It was a statement, not a question; he could smell her blood.
"I'm fine, Steffie," she dismissed, but he wasn't convinced.
"You just came back from a war. Like hell I'd believe you're fine," he retorted firmly.
"Drop it, Steffie, please? Not now," Lysandra urged, not wanting to delve into the past.
"Fine, but you'll come to me if you need anything, right? Even if it's just to talk, I'm always here," he said softly, his sincerity evident.
"I know," she smiled up at him, feeling a warmth in her heart. But their moment was interrupted by a clearing throat behind them. They turned to face the others.
"Well, I'll be. You're Lysandra Potter, aren't you?" Sheila remarked, her voice laced with recognition. She had felt the surge of power the moment she approached them, and with Stefan referring to her as Lyra and mentioning her involvement in a war, it was the only logical conclusion.
Lysandra narrowed her eyes, suspicion etched on her face. "How do you know my name?"
"Witches talk," Sheila replied with a knowing smile. "So, I'm assuming with you here that You-Know-Who is finally dead."
Lysandra's eyes widened, a mix of surprise and apprehension washing over her. "Yes, he's gone," she confirmed, curiosity piqued by how Sheila seemed to know so much about her world.
"Well done," Sheila said appreciatively. Lysandra simply nodded, the weight of her losses overshadowing any sense of triumph.
Damon then strides past them with the grimoire, Elena trudging along behind him as he descends the stairs into the tomb. Elena walks over to Stefan and Lysandra and asks, "How do you both know each other?"
"Steffie's my best friend," Lysandra answered smiling at Stefan.
"I thought Lexi was your best friend?" Elena asked Stefan confused.
"Both Lex and I are his best friends, you can have more than one," Lysandra replied.
"Lex?" Elena questioned.
"Lex is one of my best friends too." Lysandra answered smiling at the thought of her before she looked at Stefan and asked, "Would you mind explaining what exactly is going on here?"
"It's a long story, I'll tell you later, we should get inside," Stefan replied and Lysandra nodded her head understandingly before making her way inside the tomb.
"Everything okay?" Elena asked Stefan as soon as she left, she had honestly never felt so jealous before, seeing him so affectionate with someone else. He had hugged her, kissed her forehead, smiled, and laughed with her like he's never had before, not even with her. It wasn't fair, just who was this girl? She knew they had to be really close for him to want to turn it off after he thought she was dead, the story behind which she had no idea about, he hadn't come close to doing so when Lexi had died so clearly this girl meant a lot more to him.
"I just want to get this over with. Are we ready?" Stefan asked wanting to go inside after Lyra, he didn't want to let her out of his sight after finding out she was alive.
"I guess so," Elena responded.
Inside the tomb, Sheila lit the torches, with Bonnie standing beside her while Stefan, Lysandra, Damon, and Elena watched from the entrance.
"Air. Earth. Fire." Sheila says as she prepared the ritual to enter the tomb. "Water." Bonnie finished as she handed her Grams a water bottle which she took and sprinkled across the floor.
"That's it? Just water from the tap?" Elena questioned.
"As opposed to what?" Sheila asked the girl.
"I just figured maybe it would have to be blessed or mystical or something." Elena said shrugging her shoulders, Sheila just smirked at her.
Damon pulls out a blood bag and unravels it, which Stefan notices for he asks, "What's that?"
"It's for Katherine. Gotta have something to get her going. Unless your girl's offering a vein to tap," Damon said, glancing at Elena. She shot him an unamused look, while Damon's gaze shifted to Lysandra. "...or even your friend over there."
Stefan's expression darkened at that remark, and Elena noticed, her stomach twisting in jealousy. He had sighed when Damon mentioned using her as a blood bag for Katherine, but the glare he shot Damon when looking at Lysandra was filled with something more protective. Why did he care more for her? It wasn't fair.
"Admit it - you can't wait to get rid of me," Damon said to Stefan as they both leant against the tomb wall.
"I can't wait to get rid of you." Stefan agrees chuckling slightly as he instinctively held Lysandra to him who was looking at what the witches were doing curiously.
"Hmm," Damon said before he noticed how Stefan was holding the girl, it looked like it happened often because neither of them seemed to notice, but it was clear that Elena did. She was going a shade of green he never thought possible and he held in a chuckle at the sight.
Bonnie looks up at them from the ground as she said, "We're ready."