"and he trusted Lexi, so he trusts you."

—

THE house was empty when Eden managed to walk her way back home. Her heart raced the entire way and she kept glancing around, feeling like she'd lose it on the first person that came across her.

She was entirely too on edge, but that was her fault.

She'd let her guard down. She thought it would be safe here. But there was a vampire, a dangerous one at that. What if he tracked her down? Snuck into the window at night and tried to kill her?

She knew vampires needed permission to be invited into a home, but she couldn't recall which type required permission. The creepy ones from the Wizarding World or the seemingly-normal, far more scary one that was shacking up in the same town as her?

She wanted to text Hermione and ask, but Hermione wasn't like Harry. She'd ask questions, she'd want to see why Eden was suddenly curious about the difference between two highly powerful and incredibly dangerous creatures.

She spotted Jenna's text halfway on the walk back, a quick message with the location of the spare key. Eden had to stop to ask for directions to the street the house resided on multiple times and when she arrived, there was no one else there.

Quickly shutting and locking the door behind her, Eden dashed up to Jenna's room and went straight for her nightstand.

She'd sent the letter to MACUSA that morning, asking permission to wield her wand, but had yet to hear a response. It was funny, how little they were affected by the war she'd grown up in. If she'd asked the Ministry for a favor, they'd bend over backwards. She was the tortured muggleborn best friend of Harry Potter, second only to Hermione Granger in terms of "priority."

But here, she was no one. And normally, she liked that. She liked walking home from the Grill without having to worry about the Daily Prophet snapping photographs of her drinking the day away.

But that normalcy was incredibly inconvenient right now.

Eden looked down at her wand, heart sinking into her stomach. She'd prepped herself the entire walk home. She could do it. She would do it. She had to protect herself. Her fingers twitched to grab it, to have that familiar pulsing in her veins, the hum of her magic securely tied into the wand.

She was frozen to the spot, staring at the wand next to her broken holster.

Yew wood, dragon heartstring core, thirteen inches.

It was the same wand she'd always had. It performed her first spell and guided her through the war. It healed her loved ones and took lives.

It was a piece of her.

She needed to reconcile with it.

So why couldn't she move?

Tears filled her eyes and she bit her lip, trying to convince herself to actually pick it up. It sat with her the entire plane ride the day before, it hadn't left her side at all until last night.

She'd grown accustomed to carrying it around, to thinking with her wand rather than her mind. Eden was one of the few, according to Remus, who let her magic guide her. Many, like Hermione, used their mind first, their instinct second. They thought logically and fought fiercely.

But not Eden.

She'd always been instinctual. She'd hexed Lucius Malfoy in the arm when he tried to attack Harry, resulting in her being thrown back against a wall and breaking three bones in her spine. Madam Pomfrey said that if she wasn't magical, Eden would probably be paralyzed.

Eden jumped in front of Harry and Hermione when Lupin's werewolf attacked the in third year, and she'd been scratched down her stomach. Again, Madam Pomfrey said luck was on her side. She was lucky the moon wasn't at its peak, she'd said. Eden was almost a werewolf.

Like Bill Weasley, though, Eden was touched by the wolf. She had an affliction for more raw meats and her reflexes were quicker than the average person. Mostly.

In fifth year, she pushed Hermione out of the way when Dolohov sent her a nasty curse, one they still didn't have a name for, and she'd gotten a scar from her left collarbone across her stomach to her right hip. It contrasted wonderfully against her three long scratches from Lupin's wolf.

She hated them growing up, thought they made her less human, less pretty. But Fred used to kiss her scars, and tell her they were beautiful. They made her story real, important, necessary. Who knows what would've happened to Harry and Hermione if she hadn't been there, he'd asked.

Her heart tugged. She hated thinking about Fred. It made her body heavy and tired and her brain fuzzy with pain. She wanted to remember him the way he told her to, the night before the battle. He said if anything happened to remember him happy and warm and light —

She shook her head, brushing the thoughts away. She didn't want to think about Fred. Not today. Not after the vampire.

Straightening herself, she breathed in sharply and reached her hand down, grabbing the wand and holding it tightly in her palm.

Instant relief.

Like resting her hand in a bowl of ice after burning it, like a warm shower in the early morning, like walking through a forest with the dewy grass and leaves trembling lightly against the bitter cold wind.

Instant relief.

Eden could hear the wand buzzing in excitement, ready to be used, to be paired with her magic again. A fond smile tugged at her lips. She missed her magic, connecting with it. She hadn't used magic since the battle, so many months ago.

Then she felt it.

That familiar inkling, that darkness trudging through the wand, starting with the tip, through the core and up her arm. A snake coiling around its prey, biting venomously and exploiting the victim's weakness.

She dropped the wand quickly, stumbling back and taking quick breaths.

That's exactly why she put it back, why she didn't use it, why she tucked it away.

It had darkened, like her. Her magic was dark, hollow, evil.

Shaking her head, Eden slammed the drawer shut and rushed from the room, needing to distance herself with the pull of the magic. She could almost hear it calling to her, begging her to pick it up again. Just one more time, something dark inside her whispered seductively. For protection.

But she didn't want to kill Damon, of course not. She wanted to protect herself, that was it.

Magic was out of the question, she couldn't — she couldn't let herself become that person again.

—

Eden was reading when Elena rushed into the house, a worried look on her face. It flooded with relief when she spotted Eden on the sofa.

"Eden!"

Eden looked up expectantly. "That's my name."

"You're okay."

Her eyes narrowed. "Yes," she said, folding the ear of the page down and closing the book. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Damon said he met a new girl in a bar and described you and—"

"—You know Damon?" Eden interrupted, putting the book down on the table and giving Elena her full attention. "How do you know him?"

"He's Stefan's brother."

Eden's eyes went wide. "Oh my god, Elena, you need to stay away from them. I can't explain it to you, but you need to keep your distance. They're not good people. Well, Stefan seems nice, but Damon is not a good person. He's dangerous."

Elena walked closer, sitting on the other end of the couch. "How do you know about them?" Elena asked cautiously, like Eden was a wild animal. "You barely talked to him."

Eden hesitated, wishing Jenna were here to help her explain, but decided it would be fine. She wasn't hiding who she was from Elena and Jeremy, she'd been there less than twenty-four hours and wanted to gently inform them.

Not tell her niece that she was dating a vampire and should break up with immediately and she knew it all because she was a witch.

"This is going to sound crazy," Eden smiled softly. "And I can show you, but I'd really rather not. It's complicated," she didn't want to touch her wand again, let alone use a spell to show Elena she could. "But I'm a witch. I went to a boarding school for witches and wizards like me, it's called Hogwarts, and I can do magic."

Elena didn't seem surprised, just confused. "A boarding school? Bonnie doesn't go to a special school."

Eden's head tilted a fraction. "Come again? Bonnie?"

"Bonnie's my best friend," Elena explained. "She's a witch too. But she doesn't go to a special school. She has grimoires that teach her magic."

Eden's eyebrows raised in shock. "Grimoires? You're sure?"

At Elena's nod, curiosity ran through Eden's mind. That was incredibly rare. It was practiced more in the old ages, before any of the schools, before Hogwarts. Before Merlin. It was ancestral magic, and it was tamed differently than with wands.

It's what pureblood supremacists believed themselves to be.

"Interesting," Eden mulled over Elena's confirmation. "Well, that makes things easier. But my magic is really different from Bonnie's." Eden still had no idea who this Bonnie was, but she'd very much like to meet her. "I use a wand to handle my magic. I can do some nonverbally, and on really rare occasions I can do without my wand, but it's easier to use it. It's a form of control, of security with a wand. It keeps my magic potent and direct. I can wield it easier than just trying to use it unpracticed.

"Bonnie's magic is more...temperamental. Her magic can't be controlled, or wielded. It's very ancient magic, it's not bad or good — though there are bits of that with every kind of magic — but it's based on her family, her blood, rather than her core. She can burn out much quicker than I can. But she could channel me, use my magic. I can't use hers. There's a give and take to both of our magic, but they're very different. When did Bonnie find out she was a witch?"

Elena shrugged. "Not long ago. She still doesn't really believe it, but Sheila thinks so, and Stefan too."

Eden's gaze narrowed. "Stefan knows about Bonnie?"

Elena nodded. "Yeah, he's," she glanced around. "He's not human."

Eden blinked. "He's a vampire."

Elena's eyes widened a fraction and she nodded. "Yeah," she said softly. "But he fights against it. He hates that side of himself. He accidentally lost it today and Damon's got him locked in a basement in and—"

"—Okay, I have a ton of questions. He lost it? Is someone dead? Did Damon tell you both about me?"

Elena nodded. "Yeah, he said he didn't know what you were. You seemed like a witch, but you smelled like something else. He doesn't like you. He said not to get you, but Stefan wanted to. He said he could trust you."

Eden frowned. "Why?" She didn't know Stefan. They had a brief, awkward conversation before he gave her a ride.

"He had a best friend, Lexi, and she apparently knew people like you. When Damon explained the way you acted, how you immediately knew what he was — I guess she trusted someone like you. And he trusts Lexi, so he trusts you."

Lexi. Eden didn't know a Lexi. If she were a vampire, it was possible her soulmate was a witch or wizard. It could have been before her time.

"Oh." Eden nodded. "Okay. You still shouldn't see them."

Elena rolled her eyes. "I thought because you were a different witch, you'd think differently. Stefan is a good person, and Damon too, he just doesn't know it."

"He tried to compel me to sleep with him. That's like a vampire date rape."

Elena winced. "Okay, I'll talk to him about that."

"Why are you here?" Eden asked, leaning back against the couch. "Stefan's locked in a basement for killing someone and you're here convincing me that he's a good person?"

Elena flushed. "How do you even know he's killed anyone?"

Eden's eyes narrowed. "Well, for one, he's a vampire. It's kind of what they do. And second, you said he made a mistake and is locked in a basement. It's not complicated maths, one plus one equals two."

"You don't know anything about him!"

"And you shouldn't!" Eden raised her voice. "He should've never gotten involved with you. You're a child, Elena. Technically, you're an adult in my world but you're not — you haven't — you're a baby, Elena. He's preying on your innocence, whether you both know it or not."

"It's not like that," Elena frowned. "I love him."

"I'm sure you do," Eden replied quietly. "How old is he?"

Elena shifted, uncomfortable by the questions. "It doesn't matter."

"It does," Eden said softly. "If you had the life experience to give you maturity, maybe it would be different but he shouldn't be chasing after a girl in high school."

"I love Stefan and Stefan loves me," Elena defended. "You don't know either of us. I have gone through things, I've lost—"

"—You've lost your parents," Eden cut in gently. Elena's face flickered with sadness and she looked away. "And my sister. I loved her so much, and I loved Gray too. But you haven't grown yet. You've known him as long as you've been grieving, right? Tell me you didn't just take your grief and put it into him."

"That's not what happened."

"Then why do you love him?"

Elena was quiet for a long time. "I love Stefan," she said firmly. "I came by because he wanted to see you, but I don't think it's a good idea."

Eden watched her carefully, noticing her avoiding eye contact and fiddling with her shirt. Had she been too harsh? Maybe. Maybe Stefan was a good guy. Remus was one of the best men she'd ever known and he was a werewolf.

Despite his monstrous side — and him literally scarring her — she trusted him more than any man except Harry. Guilt swelled inside her.

"I'll go," she spoke up after a moment. Elena's face flooded with relief and she turned to Eden in surprise.

"I knew a guy who was...judged for what he was," Eden explained, thoughts of her friend filling her face. "And he shouldn't have been. I'm sorry I overreacted, I don't know Stefan. But Damon is...I don't trust him, Elena. I've got a good gut, it's never steered me wrong and there's something about him I don't like. They're the first vampires I've met that aren't...creepily disfigured, so I'll give them a shot. Okay?"

Elena nodded and she leaned over, pulling Eden into a tight hug. Eden was surprised by the gesture, they weren't exactly close. Aside from this conversation, they'd had an awkward exchange that morning and small waves in passing.

"That means so much," she pulled away a moment later, a smile on her face. "Mom really loved you," Elena explained, eyes filling with tears. "She and Jenna talked about you all the time. Mom said you were always really busy with your own life, but she always wanted you to see us. I'm happy you're here now, and she would be too."

Tears blocked Eden's vision and pulled Elena into another hug, a love for her niece overwhelming her suddenly. This was Miranda's daughter. Her niece. Family.

"Me too," she said quietly into Elena's ear. "Me too."

—

Eden was floored by the size of the Salvatore Boarding House. In theory, when Elena explained it, she didn't think it would be the size of Malfoy Manor.

Shivers slipped down her spine at the thought of her friend's home. She never wanted to return there again. Never again.

Damon had driven them, but didn't even acknowledge Eden getting into the car or out.

"This is the house," Elena wrapped her arm around Eden's and tugged her inside. "Stefan's downstairs," she sad when they entered.

Eden felt like she stepped into another time. Rich velvet sofas sat across from each other with a tall fireplace against the furthest wall. Rugs scattered across the floor, and chandeliers hung from multiple points on the ceiling.

"Damn," Eden remarked, glancing at Damon. "This is fucking huge."

A smirk played at his lips and he finally moved his eyes to her. "That's what she said."

Eden snorted at the joke, shaking her head. Elena rolled her eyes and pulled Eden through the living room and down the hall, then downstairs to a creepy, dungeon-like basement.

Flashbacks played in the back of Eden's mind and she fought to keep them there. The last thing she needed was to have a panic attack in a house with two vampires.

"Such a good pet."

Eden jumped, glancing around, heart pounding in her throat. Elena gave her a worried glance, stopping in front o a door with a small barred window.

"He's in here," Elena nodded inside, trying not to look. "Please help him."

Eden looked into the door, seeing Stefan sat against a wall, a hopeless, guilty look on his face.

Eden didn't know what Stefan or Elena expected her to say to convince him that he wasn't a murderer. A monster. But she'd do her best.

Opening the door, she moved past Elena and shut it closed behind her.

"Hey," she greeted quietly, leaning against the door.

She didn't want to sit down. It was too close to being trapped, being chained up. Bound and stuck by her tormentor. She didn't want to make this about her, she wanted to try and help Stefan.

He nodded in response to her greeting, but didn't say anything.

"I heard Lexi knew about our kind," she started. "Was her soulmate one of us?"

This grabbed his attention. He glanced up, a small smile at his lips.

"Lexi was the best person I've ever known. Marlene was hilarious," Stefan responded. "She was killed, a long time ago. It crushed Lexi. It took forever for her to move on. Lexi was there for me for...everything. Every time I lost control, she was there. I was...not myself when she lost Marlene. It took a few years for her to find me, to get me under control. But I hadn't helped her grieve and I'll always hate myself for that."

Eden didn't say anything for a long time, contemplating Stefan's words.

"McKinnon?" She asked finally. "Marlene McKinnon?"

Stefan nodded, looking at her again. "Yeah. Did you know her?"

Eden shook her head. "Not personally. She died before I was born. She was...a friend of a friend though. He thought fondly of her."

And he did. Sirius and Remus drunkenly told Harry and Eden stories of Marlene and Dorcas, reflecting on Harry's parents and the adventures they'd have together. Marlene and Dorcas dated for three years but broke up because Marlene found her soulmate. They never said her name, but they got quiet after that.

She wondered if they liked Lexi.

"Lexi said there was a war," Stefan was watching her now. Eden tensed, staring at the ground. She didn't want to talk about the war. That's exactly why she came here. "Before she died, she said it was still going on. I guess she made some friends in your world when she had Marlene." A small laugh left his throat. "Lexi knew everyone."

"She sounds amazing," Eden smiled gently. "I wish I could've met her."

Stefan nodded. "I think she'd like you. I don't know you that well yet, but you remind me of her. Something about the way you carry yourself. It's like having her with me."

Eden's heart nearly broke at his words. It was so similar to what George had told her the first few weeks after Fred's death. He just held her close and told her quietly that having her there was the closest he'd ever get to Fred again. She loved him as much as he did.

Poor Stefan.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I know what it's like to lose people — I'm sorry you lost her. I couldn't imagine losing my best friend."

And she couldn't. When she thought Harry was killed in the forest, during the final battle, she wanted to run in front of Voldemort's Avada herself.

"Thanks," Stefan said quietly, his eyes glossy, like he was somewhere else entirely. "Do you think there's hope for us?" He asked after a long pause.

Eden didn't have to ask what he meant. He didn't know what Eden had done, how many lives she'd taken, the pain she'd inflicted — but he could see it.

Survivor to survivor.

Monster to monster.

Perhaps a thirst for blood wasn't the only thing she didn't like about Stefan and his brother. It seemed they were more similar to her than she cared to admit.

"There has to be," Eden said, crossing her arms over her chest. "But I don't think anyone holds our own mistakes against us more than we do. I've done bad things too," she confessed, knowing Damon could hear wherever he was in the house, but hoping he wouldn't say anything about it.

"But the world isn't separated between good people and bad people," she recited, thinking of Sirius' words to Harry back in fifth year. Not just Death Eaters and good people. "It's our choices who make up who we really are.

"And you can keep fighting your instinct and be better than it and be proud of yourself for controlling it. And you can make mistakes and apologize and feel badly for those mistakes. That's okay too. Vampire or not, at your core — you're a human being. Mistakes are the backbone of humanity."

He sighed heavily, closing his eyes after her small speech. Neither of them said anything else, but it wasn't uncomfortable, not like she expected it to be.

Eden could understand what Elena meant, now. Stefan was a good person. In a way, he reminded her very much of Remus. Both lost souls trapped in a monster's body, forced to abide to cravings and slaved to something they couldn't control. But they were both just men. Good men who didn't deserve the cards they were dealt.

"Do you have a soulmate?" He asked suddenly, and Eden frowned at the question. "I just — I've never had one. I didn't know about them until Lexi told me. I know they're only between magical and supernatural creatures but—"

"—I don't have one," Eden shook her head. "At least, I don't think I do. It's a big world, you know? And we lost...a lot of people. Odds are...you won't find yours. And I won't find mine. If they exist."

"If they exist," Stefan repeated. "Right."

—

okayyyy second chapter up! Eden knows about vampires :) ik it's kinda fast but she's not dumb and the Scooby gang isn't good at keeping secrets soooo yeah. also I love her and stef they're going to have such a good relationship <3 hope you enjoyed!!