My Crow (Vampire Diaries Fan Fiction)

Chapter 12

Bonnie hadn't had much sleep and therefore had trouble making it through the next school day, but she had been more cheerful than she had been in weeks. The letter her Grams had written her, had encouraged her to continue her training by herself and, being the college professor she had been, Sheila had created a study route for her through her own grimoire with references to Emily's cookbook. It had felt as if, from the grave, Bonnie finally had received the sign she'd craved from her grandmother. A new clearance had been brought now into the pool of blackness drowning her, giving her a new direction as she determinedly started to practice the first spell Grams had pointed out for her to learn.

She even forgot about her strange encounter with Damon Salvatore.

In the afternoon she quickly left for the carpark, telling an astonished Elena to thank Stefan from her and sped home.

Ignoring her ordinary homework she quickly grabbed a quilt from her bedroom and sat down on the front lawn to repeat the spell she had learned previous night, then started on the next one. Healing broken objects and controlling her ability to create fire.

She was so engrossed in the grimoire, she didn't notice the soundless footsteps approaching her from the woods.

"How was school today?"

Bonnie's head jerked up when she heard the familiar voice and her eyes widened in shock. Damon Salvatore hovered over her as he looked down on her with a pleasant smile. She gasped.

"What are you doing here?" There was only astonishment in her voice, as she looked up at him in honest surprise. But then the memory of their encounter the day before came rushing back. A deep blush spread across her cheeks when she remembered the kiss on her cheek, following the intimate moment they'd shared together.

"Surprised?" He amusedly countered her question, seeming to guess her thoughts and cocked his head as he studied her. "I thought I would bring a visit to my favorite witch."

This pulled Bonnie from her embarrassment and a displeased frown appeared on her features. She'd never liked being toyed with. "I think you can better leave, Damon, or..."

He squatted on his haunches before her, his hand touching the ground beneath him as he looked her sharply in the eye. "Or what, Bonnie? What does the Wicked witch of the West have in mind? Are you planning on changing me into a frog?"

She froze, as once again she felt as though he was hiding something from her. Blinking furiously, she tried to hide her confusion as he patiently waited for her answer. "Well?"

Her eyes narrowed. "No, I won't do that," she said finally, "I can't have a frog trying to protect me."

An initial expression of pleasant surprise passed over his face before it was replaced by mock hurt and he raised his eyebrows at her. Then his gaze travelled toward the grimoire lying opened on the grass. He glanced at Bonnie from the corner of his eye. "What have you been studying?" He changed the subject.

She followed his gaze and answered before she thought about it. Somehow it felt right to talk to him, as if his presence filled the void the crow had left upon his disappearance. "To control my ability to set things on fire every time I'm upset." She fidgeted with her hands. "It's difficult, though. There's not much at home that could make me upset, so I guess I'm just learning the theory."

"Hmm," Damon nodded in agreement, then caught her gaze. "You know, I do have a knack for upsetting people. Maybe you could practice on me."

Bonnie's eyes widened. "What? No! I mean... If I would accidentally set you on fire, you might not recover."

But Damon merely shrugged and energetically took position in front of her.

"My problem, my loss," he responded lightly. "Come on. What are you waiting for? It's not like we're going to talk heavy things today, anyway."

His gaze lingered on the scar marring her hand, then he nodded encouragingly at her. After a moment of hesitation, Bonnie frowned and ducked for her book. "Fine," she grumbled.

"See? I've already upset you," Damon commented smilingly. "You make it too easy."

Bonnie rolled her eyes and scrambled up from the grass, cursing the way he scrutinized the inelegant movement. With an inaudible sigh, she shook her curls, not noticing his appreciative expression.

"Ok. So basically, you must try to upset me and I have to control my anger, my sadness, or whatever nasty emotion it is that I'm feeling."

Damon smiled a teasing half-smile. "Easy enough. You're just as righteous as your precious friend Elena, so whatever I'm about to say to you it will work like a red rag to a bull."

Bonnie's eyebrows slightly furrowed under his slightly challenging, ice blue stare.

"You've just compared me to a bull," she established evenly, trying to hide her irritation. She wasn't planning on letting him get to her so quickly. "It's not true, though. I'm not as righteous as you think. In the end we all only protect our own."

The lighthearted tease disappeared from his eyes as his gaze bore into hers. "This is Sheila speaking," he remarked and Bonnie nodded, remembering the moment in the tomb when her Grams had said something similar to Stefan, then she suddenly realized something as Damon didn't react the way she expected him to.

"Stefan didn't tell you," she said hesitantly.

"Stefan tends to do that," he responded without averting his eyes. "What did he not tell me?"

"The door to the tomb was opened, but that didn't lift the seal to keep the vampires in. You would have been trapped inside the tomb. Stefan and Elena saved you that night." Her voice trailed off and she lowered her eyes, not being able to escape his penetrating gaze.

For a long, painful moment they silently stood across from each other, then Damon said: "So, this conversation has turned into heavy stuff talk, after all." He took a few steps closer and as Bonnie's breath caught, he lifted his hand and took a black curl between his fingers. "And the worst thing is... You're not anywhere near being upset to the point where you want to set me on fire."