Aventurine | Finn Mikaelson

The Witching Hour

Finn stood in front of the small, quaint shop that was called The Witching Hour after using the address on the business card to find the place in the Garden District. On the entrance door, there was also a sign that caught his eye, it said 'Need a Mind Healer? Set up a meeting with Dr. Peregrine.'

The shop was open so he went inside. He found a shop filled with potions, herbs, and other witch artifacts. There were no other customers in sight. But he saw an old woman with her grey hair pulled back in a bun at the nap of her neck standing behind the counter and she greeted him, warmly, "Hello stranger. How can I help you?"

"Hello," Finn echoed. "I'm just looking."

She eyed him critically and said, "I think I know exactly what you're looking for."

He raised an eyebrow and asked, "You do?"

"Yes," she smiled, mysteriously. "Follow me to the back, will you?"

His eyes narrowed. He made no move to follow her. Finn was no fool. One must never follow a witch further into her territory when one does not know the witch. The woman only looked amused by his decision to stay where he was. She only replied, "Well at least wait there for a moment, hmm?"

Finn did so, curious despite himself. The woman came back with a small vial that was labeled with the name, Facing the Dark. She held it out to him but he made no move to accept it.

"What is it?" he asked, suspicious.

"A glimpse at what has been, what could be, and what needs to be," she replied, vaguely.

"No thank you," Finn says, firmly. He was not drinking a random potion from a strange witch.

"It'd do wonders for improving your aura," she informed him with a click of her tongue, "But if you're not ready, you're not ready. Is there anything else I can do for you, Finn?" He frowned. How did she know his name? She eyed him with an amused glint in her eyes. She walked over to a seating area and sat down in a plush black chair.

"How...?" he asked, following her and sitting himself across from her.

"Aina told me that a vampire may come to see me," she replied, "You are Finn, yes?"

"What did she tell you?" he wondered, his brows furrowing. She chuckled, waving a hand. "Do not worry, she didn't tell me much. I only know that you are a vampire, an old one, who is adjusting to modern times. It's very curious that you seem to have lost some time. I'm sure it's quite the story. Do you want to share it with me?" He stared at her with guarded eyes. She tilted her head, sensing his unease and she smiled apologetically and said, "How about a simpler inquiry, how do you find New Orleans so far?"

Finn hesitated before he began to speak haltingly about his experiences in New Orleans. Unimportant, insignificant things spilled from his lips, and Dr. Peregrine listened attentively. She started to steer the conversation with guided questions, which ended up leading to a deeper conversation about what had been up, exploring Marcel's compound. He talked about the rooms that he had found, skirting around the room that he had found that had been the catalyst that sent him to her. Two hours passed, and eventually, the conversation petered out.

Dr. Peregrine smiled at him, and stated, "We had an enlightening talk, didn't we?"

He agreed even though they didn't talk about anything truly substantial. It had been nice to just talk and have someone listen. Her smile brightened and she said, "You could come back anytime." And Finn did. He returned the next day and the next. Before he knew it three weeks had flown by and he decided to finally agree to take the Facing the Dark potion. "I've thought about it," Finn said, eyeing the vial warily. "I'll try it."