Good Intentions

4: 23 And Me Test

KLAUS' POV

I held Hope's hand tightly as we walked into the restaurant. I saw Damon at the bar, where he had been every day this week. Azalea had been serving me every day. I've been coming in to see her, check-in make sure the compulsion actually worked. I didn't know the extent of her abilities. Marcel said it had worked... I should take his word for it but I didn't want my daughter to be scared of me. 

Damon shoots me a questioning look. Hayley couldn't watch Hope today she went to view the Salvatore boarding school for Hope. She needed a place that was safe for her to be herself. The reason why I invested in the school so she had that place. 

We were taken to the table I booked this morning. And we waited. I spoke with Hope about her day. She had been with Freya and Bex walking around Bex was showing her all the places she used to go. "And Aunty Freya brought me my very own spellbook from the gift shop!" She said her big blue eyes shining. "It's called a grimoire." Azalea corrected her younger sister without knowing it, educating her on the ways of magic. 

"A Grimore." Azalea nodded. "My names Azalea, I'll be your waitress for the evening." Her smile was bright always meeting her eyes no matter who she smiled at. She was looking at Hope as she spoke. "I'm Hope... This is my dad." She points. "He's not really a people person." Azalea chuckled. "How do you know it's called a grimoire?" Hope asked the older girl. Azalea looked around and whispered. "Because I have magic too." Hope gasped. "How did you know?" She said shocked. "I had a bracelet just like that one when I was younger... keeps it all under control doesn't it." Hope nodded. "Do you still wear yours now?" She showed her the silver bracelet that wrapped around her wrist twice the exact same bracelet Hope wore made by Davina Claire. 

"Sometimes you need that little extra help to keep it under control." She said sweetly. "But it gets easier." "I turned my hamster into a frog last night," Hope said. "You turn him back yet?" Hope shook her head. "Aunt Freya said she's working on it." "Well tell your aunt Freya to try this." She wrote something on her little notepad before ripping it off and giving it Hope. "I turned my rabbit into a one-eared pig when I was your age." They giggled together. It was odd seeing them interact. I knew they were sisters but they didn't. And the way they get on so easily was crazy almost like they were meant to be together. 

"What would you like to drink?" She asked Hope. Hope looked at me. "Whatever you want, love," I tell her. "Can I have a chocolate milkshake please?" She asked. "You sure can... And The usual for you Nik?" I nodded. Red on tap with a splash of bourbon. That's what I've hand every night with week. 

"I'll get that right away." She smiled as she left, as usual, she seemed so happy in this little world of hers. She worked, she did cheer, she had normal drama about boys and gossiping girls. She wasn't in any danger here. It made me feel justified in making my decision to send her away to have a better life. And then I look at my youngest. She's happy, she's loved, she's safe... Maybe I could have given Azalea that too. If I had just tried a little harder. If I had gotten rid of her mother instead of just taking Azalea away from Aurora. 

"She's nice," Hope says fiddling with the piece of paper with the spell on it. I admired her handwriting, I had never got to see her advance in these mundane things. With Hope, I've seen her progress in everything she had done. Her reading, her handwriting. Her artwork. Everything. But I had never seen Azalea's Journey of getting to this beautiful cursive font she wrote in. It's a weird thing to be hooked on but I missed it. I missed out on teaching her silly little things.

"She's extremely nice," I tell Hope. "Do you come here often?" "Since we moved here yeah." "Why?" Hope said looking around. "It's boring." I chuckled. "You don't like the live music." "No." She said turning her nose up at the band. I chuckled at my daughter's reaction. She was used to the lively streets of New Orleans, not the calm Mystic falls.