A/N: I don't own Harry Potter/Vampire Diaries
Chapter 3
The air was crisp, the scent of mulch and pine hung heavy in the air. Wind danced in the trees as light filtered through the thick foliage and glittered on the calm water of the lake.
Water lapped softly upon the dock and the wooden grooves dug gently into her hands as Harry dipped her toes in the water below.
Harry sat on the edge of the dock by the lake house, her head tilted back as she breathed deeply in meditation. Her dark hair had grown to her ears, soft like downy feathers. Opening her eyes, she lazily watched the clouds float by.
Three months had gone since her arrival in the new world with no one ever coming to her little house in the wood.
She had survived at first by eating the non-perishables in the pantry and fishing from the lake once the food ran out. In that time she had practiced meditating every day to immerse herself in her magic.
Knowing her changed magic and how it affected her was important.
She found her magic to be eager to answer to her will but that if she wasn't specific enough in her wants it would have unexpected results.
Through a lot of trial and error, she has gotten it to the point where she doesn't over power things anymore.
She had also practiced fire travel, finding it a lot safer than aparation. She could go places she had never been, she just had to desire it enough like how she found the lake house.
She also took to running the length of the lake every morning, finding that she was extremely fast on her feet and discovered that she inherited a Phoenix's strength.
Though that had been entirely by accident when she ripped a door clean off its hinges.
Overall it had been a productive and educational three months. Hissing in irritation as sharp pain shot through her shoulder blades, she dug her fingers into her back. That was the fourth time that morning.
The back pain was becoming more frequent. Clenching her teeth, Harry stood up, the wind tousling her short hair.
Breathing out and closing her eyes in frustration when another wave of pain crashed into her, Harry fell to her knees.
Harry willed her magic to make the pain stop, but it kept growing. The pressure increasing until finally Harry screamed as something burst from her back. Panting, Harry opened her eyes as something heavy pressed on her shoulders.
Looking over her shoulder to see what it was, she gasped in surprise at what she saw. Wings. They were bloody and covered in fluid, but there was no denying what they were. Leaning back on her knees, Harry tried to flex her back muscles.
The wings twitched. Giving a disbelieving laugh, Harry jumped into the lake to clean them off. Flexing her back muscles she willed the wings to flutter in the water.
Surprisingly they did. Swimming up for air, Harry extended her new appendages out as far as she could. From what she could see, they stretched out about 6 feet each and were a dark mulled wine color. Laughing softly, Harry climbed up the ladder on the dock.
She panted out of breath, not quite used to the weight of the new limbs.
Laying out to dry out in the sun, she grinned and fell into a light doze. Thoughts of soaring through the stars following her into sleep.
Harry's return to awareness was jarring. Going from sleep to alert in moments. Blinking dazedly, she took in the setting sun and the gentle sounds of the water lapping at the dock.
Tilting her head in confusion, she tried to figure out what caused her sudden wakefulness.
Hefting herself to her feet, her hands pushing against the grooves in the wood of the dock as she stood, she felt her magic spark beneath her skin. Her new appendages were a heavy weight against her back as she turned, the limbs twitching as wind tussled her feathers.
Looking around her, Harry tried to find something amiss. Taking in the house and the wood around her. Her magic pulsed against her skin, as if in anticipation.
Harry suddenly realized that the her surroundings were still, quiet, as if holding its breath. There was no rustling of leaves, no scurrying of small critters and no bird song. The kind of stillness that only comes in the wild when a predator was in the vicinity.
A sense of wariness filled her, pursing her lips in annoyance at something interrupting her peace, Harry cast a glamour on herself. She didn't know why she felt the need to, she couldn't sense anyone near enough to discover her.
However, the feeling of something predatory lingered in the air. Closing her eyes, Harry cast her magic outwards. Asking it to spread far and wide. Too find that which caused the disturbance she felt. Harry had never done this before, but it was instinct.
As she did so, she felt the wildlife taking shelter in the trees and ground.
She felt the presence of what must be people, dotted throughout the forest miles from where she was. Campers, most likely. Most of them felt happy, relaxed and ignorant of the predator that stalked the trees around them.
Then finally she felt something. There on the edge of her consciousness, fear and an unquenchable hunger.
A group of life forms scurried around in desperate fear as something powerful and hungry stalked them. One by one, the life forms Harry felt were snuffed out. Until all that remained was the one who hunted.
Surprisingly, Harry felt only curiousity at this new development and a desire to see what stalked the wood. Opening her eyes on an inhale, Harry felt flames carress her skin as she fire traveled unexpectedly.
Harry quickly hid behind the first tree she saw, once she realized what she had done. Cursing her lack of self preservation, she peeked around the trunk of the pine she hid behind.
Harry gasped as she took in the carnage.
A campsite was before her, a yellow tent was collapsed on itself. A body thrown at an awkward angle lay on top of it. Smoke rose into the sky from a body that lay upon the campfire. Blood soaked the floor around three more bodies that lay in a heap a few feet from the tent and fire.
Harry breathed through her mouth as the smell of burning flesh caused her to gag. Backing up, Harry realized something. She didn't see the predator. Alarmed, she turned, hit something warm and solid. Blinking, hands grasped her arms steadying her.
Harry looked up into scorching blue eyes that were tinged in red with veins spreading like bloody roots around eyelids and cheeks.
Harry only had a moment to register the striking beauty of the dark haired man that held her with sharp fangs protruding from his smirking mouth before his head was suddenly buried in her neck.
Pain exploded across her senses as what she knew must be a vampire's fangs pierced her throat. A scream tore from her mouth that quickly turned into a strangled moan that the man echoed as the pain turned into heated pleasure along her nerves.
Blinking in a daze, she panted as her hands pushed weakly against a firm chest. Harry could hear the vampire drinking her life blood away. With each pull he took, fire scorched her veins.
She didn't know if she wanted to push the man away or pull him closer. Logically, she knew if she didn't do something, she'd be the next body thrown carelessly around the campsite.
Panting dazedly, Harry tried to think past the pleasure she was feeling. Calling her magic to her, she pushed with all her strength against the vampire.
The man went flying, crashing through a number of trees as Harry fell back against the trunk and slid down to rest at its base. Her hand pressing against her wounded neck.
Breathless, she could feel the bleeding begin to slow as her neck began to heal. Her body was shaky as aftershocks of the attack skated along her nerve endings, causing her to shiver.
Just as suddenly as the vampire had flown through the forest, knocking down trees, he was suddenly crouched in front of her. His blue eyes smoldering as he licked his lips and fangs.
His pupils were blown wide in his blood induced haze or lust, Harry couldn't tell. But he too was panting, and he was staring at her in curiosity now.
The veins spider webbing his eyes had faded, leaving only his stunning ocean blue behind. Harry counted that as a win at least.
Now that she had time to observe him, since they were locked in some sort of staring contest now, she took him in.
He was truly a beautiful creature. Dark black hair curled like a halo round his head, high cheek bones framed his face, and he had full lips that seemed to have a permanent smile tucked into the corners of his mouth.
He was lithe, a quiet strength stretched the length of his body, sinewy corded muscles rippled along his arms and thighs as he crouched before her.
His eyes flicked to her hand that held her neck, breathing through his nose, his eyes fluttered.
The vampire moaned, snatching her hand, he licked her palm. Gasping in surprise, Harry squeaked, feeling her face heat in embarrassment as the man gave her a heated stare with half lidded eyes as he continued to trail his tongue along her hand.
"Stop that." Harry demanded, voice strangled and throat dry. Harry tugged her hand, but her body was betraying her. The man's ministrations were making her body feel like a limp noodle.
Her super strength has seemed to go out the window in the face of pleasure she should not be feeling, damn it.
Harry shivered as she pressed her back against the tree trunk, she could feel the wood pressing into her wings. The feeling was decidedly uncomfortable.
A smile stretched the man's mouth as instead of stopping he stuck her bloody finger into his mouth.
Harry's eyes grew wide in shock and she sucked in her breath between her teeth in a strangled gasp.
Harry tore her hand from the vampires hold as she called her magic to push the man away from her, instead her flames answered her call and she found herself in the trees above the camp.
Panting now, Harry's eyes found the vampire as amused laughter filled the air. The man was right where she left him, a beautiful smile stretched across his face as his eyes locked with her own.
"Well, well, now whatever could you be? Your blood is the best I've ever tasted. I've never had such a reaction from my victims before nor have I ever come across someone that travels through fire and can toss me around that was not a vampire." The man queried as he licked his lips.
His eyes fluttered closed as a sinful moan sounded through the trees.
"Merlin, will you stop that. Freaking pervert." Harry growled out, cheeks on fire. Her wings twitched in agitation. Luckily, the glamour held.
The creature laughed again, breathless. His eyes glittering in amusement as he stared up at her.
"Did you say Merlin?" He laughed and jumped up to land on her tree branch. Harry held her hand that wasn't bloody in front of her to ward him off.
"Stay back, you. I'll set you on fire if you come any closer." Instead of getting angry, the man's smile stretched wider in amusement.
"Oh? Hmm." The vampire hummed and tilted his head in consideration. "Damon." He said.
"What?" Harry asked in surprise. The sun had long since set. Night had fallen and the crisp evening air brushed against Harry's bloodied face.
"My name. It's Damon, Damon Salvatore. What's yours, miss fire traveler?" The vampire questioned. Blinking in surprise, Harry stared at the man in disbelief.
"Weren't you just trying to eat me? Do you always ask for the names of your victims or something? Is that like a thing?" Harry asked, her voice incredulous. The man, Damon, chuckled amused. His blue eyes sparkling.
"I've decided I like you. Your interesting, I won't bite you again unless you want me to. Sounded like you enjoyed it just as much as I did." He said wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.
A smile stretched his mouth that was all teeth as his eyes pointedly flicked to her healed neck. Harry blushed, coughing in embarrassment Harry flicked Damon off, startling another laugh out of him.
Pursing her lips, Harry regarded the creature before her. While it was true, he had pretty much just tried to have her for dinner, she didn't hold it against him.
He was a vampire after all and drinking blood was in their nature. Though, she was a little worried about both of their reactions to his drinking of her blood.
Harry had been in this world for three months without any social interaction. She needed someone to guide her in this world. Who better than someone she didn't have to hide herself from.
He also owed her as far as she was concerned for trying to eat her.
Taking in his face, Harry decided. Nodding to herself, she spoke.
"My name is Harry Potter. I'd day nice to meet you, but you did just try to eat me." And Damon laughed.