(1) Just Magic (D. Salvatore)

Chapter Sixteen

Elena and Stefan approach Cassandra who stands close to the cheerleaders, watching them warm-up. She quit. She actually did it. Walked up to Caroline. And quit. She's never really quit anything before. Never had the guts or the confidence. But Damon was right. She went into cheerleading because Elena did. The thing she loved about it, was doing it with her sister. That was it. She never actually liked the activity. It didn't matter to her. And it never will. Elena frowns at Cassandra who is not wearing her cheerleading uniform.

"Why aren't you wearing your uniform?" Elena asks.

"I quit" Cassandra answers. "I'm a quitter."

"You're not a quitter. You suffered a great loss. You're not the same person. You should be looking ahead. You should be starting over." Stefan offers, Cassandra raises an eyebrow at him, not sure what to do with that. She's made it clear that she doesn't particularly like him. Now he's given out advice and reassuring words.

"Okay," She draws out and looks at Elena who gives her a look back. They talked about this. "Thanks" Cassandra then adds. "And...about inviting Damon to dinner...."

"You don't have to explain" Stefan stops her. He assumes that Cassandra was compelled into giving the invitation and therefore it is not her fault.

"No, I should..." Cassandra continues. "I don't understand what it's like to not get along with my siblings, so when Damon told me you weren't close, maybe a part of me thought I could fix that" Stefan smiles at her softly, can understand that she was just trying to be nice. "Force you together...."

"It's a nice thought, but me and Damon..." Stefan shakes his head. "That's never going to be fixed...." She shrugs and then glances around.

"Okay, so I need to go get my jacket and scarf...I'm freezing" She offers and then walks away. Elena and Stefan share a look, she shrugs a little.

..........

Cassandra stands at the trunk of her jeep, rummaging for her scarf. She knows it is in here somewhere. She remembers putting in here with her gloves and her basic winter supplies. She lets out a breath when she finally gets her fingers on the scarf and then turns around to find that Damon is stood behind her, right behind her, almost touching her. She jumps a little and shoots him a look.

"Don't do that" She scolds. "You scared me. What are you doing here?"

"Wouldn't miss Stef's first game" He answers. "What about you?" He cocks his head. "Not cheerleading?"

"Urm. No" She answers. "I quit" She admits. He smirks a little. "You were...right about it, so..." She shrugs and looks away from him.

"Are you uncomfortable?" He asks with a small smirk.

"No" She answers. Yes. Her dream, that whole kiss thing, it's making her look at him differently. She doesn't like it. Because she sees that look in his eyes now too. Predatory. She hadn't noticed it before that dream, now she does.

"I'm sorry if I make you uncomfortable. That's not my intention" He offers, she gives him a look.

"Yes, it is" She counters, he raises an eyebrow. They share a look and he nods slightly.

"You're right. I do have other intentions, but so do you." He points out.

"Oh?" She asks and folds her arms over her chest. "Really?"

"Mm-hmm. I see 'em. You want me." He states, Cassandra frowns at him.

"Excuse me?" Cassandra asks him.

"I get to you. You find yourself drawn to me. You think about me even when you don't want to think about me. I bet you even dreamed about me. And right now...You want to kiss me." She stares at him a moment before she smirks at him.

"Funny" She offers and then pulls her scarf on. "Does that ever work?" She turns and closes the trunk of her jeep before turning back. "See you at the game," She tells him and then heads back towards the school. Damon's frown following her.

........

In the parking lot outside of the sport's hall, following Tyler's attack on Jeremy, and Stefan's subsequence stepping in. Literally a real knight in shining armour. Matt and Stefan make their way to the locker room. Matt glances at Stefan, concern on his face. Worry. Mostly about the game.

"You gonna be able to play?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm good" Stefan assures him.

"Uh, what you did back there...you had Jeremy's back" Matt offers.

"Ah, he's a messed-up kid. Somebody's gotta look out for him" Stefan points out with a small shrug.

"I know. This week at practice I was a dick." Matt starts.

"Had your reasons"

"No excuse" Matt holds out his hand, Stefan shakes it, seeing the sentiment behind it. "Good luck tonight. We're lucky to have you" Matt tells him before he walks away, heading back into the building. Damon is lurking in the corner. He slow claps for Stefan and steps out of the shadows.

"Isn't that nice? Stefan joins a team, makes a friend. It's all so, 'rah, rah, go team, yeah!'" Damon mocks.

"Not tonight. I'm done with you." Stefan warns him.

"Nice trick with Cassandra. Let me guess...vervain?" Stefan frowns at him. "I admit, I was a bit surprised. It's been a while since anyone could resist my compulsion. Where'd you get it?"

"I...I didn't give her any vervain yet" He admits, Damon raises a surprised eyebrow.

"Interesting" Damon comments. "Not that it matters. I could just seduce her the old-fashioned way. Or I could just...eat her"

"No. You're not gonna hurt her, Damon"

"No?"

"Because deep down inside, there is a part of you that feels for her. I was worried that you had no humanity left inside of you, that you may have actually become the monster that you pretend to be"

"Who's pretending?" Damon asks him.

"Then kill me."

"Well, I'm...I'm tempted."

"No, you're not. You've had lifetimes to do it, and yet, here I am. I'm still alive. And there you are. You're still haunting me. After 145 years. Katherine is dead. And you hate me because you loved her, and you torture me because you still do. And that, my brother, is your humanity" Stefan points out as Tanner leaves the sport's building and moves towards where Stefan and Damon are stood.

"Salvatore! What the hell? We've got a game to play!" Tanner scolds, Damon glances back at Tanner before looking at Stefan.

"If that's my humanity...then what's this?" Damon asks, and then at vamp-speed moves to attack Tanner.

"No!" Stefan snaps as Tanner screams in pain, then he stops. Dead. Damon lifts his fangs from Tanner's neck and looks straight at Stefan.

"Anyone, anytime, any place" Damon warns him.