the pain went from nonexistent to excruciating so fast that damon wasn’t sure how to process it. he felt everything, and yet he was paralyzed, unable to aid himself in staying ALIVE. part of him wondered if this is how it would end, if he would die hear in some foreign place with a mudblood girl looming over him, if this was what he truly deserved. his parents would think so.
he was powerless to stop anything she wished to do with him, TO him, and his mind was far too disrupted with haze to try and distinguish between the two. her words were faint, muffled as though he’d been submerged in icy water. he felt like it too. perhaps it was when his shirt came off or when his skin was lathered in some thick substance under slender fingers. he couldn’t be sure of which, but he couldn’t truly care when conscious thought was beginning to fade. she was killing him, wasn’t she? and he deserved it.
however, when he finally awoke, it didn’t look much like anywhere fiery and dismal. sure, it was quite dim lit, and there was indeed a mudblood girl sitting before him, but he had expected a bit more on hades’ part. unless this was persephone’s charming and deceptive greeting. and then she disrupted that belief with the truth, and he blinked several times before groaning.
“that’s the good news? really?” grunting, he glanced down at his body as if to check that he was in one piece before narrowing his gaze at the patchwork upon his bare abdomen. “what the hell did you do to me, gilbert? what is that?” he could feel the dried paste rubbing against skin and cloth as he moved just slightly. “and where am i? where-” patting himself gently, he then shot his head up to look at her. his throat was dry, and he felt horribly ill. “where’s my wand?”
her shoulders relaxed now that they were finally safe and he seemed stable enough. she thanked her mom for her knowledge about the poultice (and lucky that they still kept the lakehouse stocked), and after she had watched him for a few minutes, the girl went back outside. surely, no one would be able to find them there, but she would feel safer if she made sure they were protected. so, she used every protection spell she knew (which stopped right around four). it might not be much, but it made her feel better.
satisfied with her work, she went back inside the lakehouse to check on damon again. she kneeled down on the floor beside him and checked her handiwork before she found herself watching him sleep. he looked peaceful and sweet to her now now that he wasn’t awake and insulting her. it made him seem…vulnerable to her, like he was a completely different damon and not the damon she knew from Hogwarts. the brunette couldn’t resist the temptation to push some loose strands of his hair out of his face, while a gentle smile spread across her lips. what was she doing? the thought brought her back down to reality. this was still the same damon, and with the reality check, she got up and left the living room.
she went back into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water, trying to clear her mind of any conflicting thoughts about him. as she took a sip of water, elena focused her thoughts back on her lost aunt. she needed to get in touch with her, and find out if she was okay, but she had no way of reaching her aunt. she couldn’t handle the thought of her aunt being dead, so she busied herself by getting a glass of water for damon before heading back into the living room. the girl set the glass on the table beside him and looked over his wound again.
since he was out of it still, she decided that she should get some rest herself. so, she laid down on the carpet beside the couch in case he needed her. there was no telling how long she had slept after the silent tears rolled down her cheeks. the sun was shining when she woke up and she didn’t know how much longer it had been when she watched him open his eyes.
“yes, really, and a ‘thank you’ wouldn’t hurt.” scoffing, she watched him carefully and simple waited for the millions of questions she would be asked. she had been waiting for him to wake up for hours, but now she instantly regretted her wish. it was lot better when he was silent. “it’s a simple remedy to heal you. i’m trying to help you, so you should be a bit nicer to me.” those doe orbs assessed his gauze, trying to determine if it needed changed or if it was even working. “it’s a lake house my family owns. we used to come here during the weekends in the summer, and while you were passed out, i placed enchantments over it, so we should be safe here.” she explained to him before her gaze met his icy one with wariness. “it’s safe behind my ear and the answer is no. you have to heal first before i’ll give it back. so, i advise that you don’t strain yourself. how are you feeling by the way? would you like some water? food?”