The Promised One (Klaus Mikaelson/The Vampire Diaries)

Chapter Thirty Five

Madeline let herself into the Salvatore Boarding House very early that next morning, and made her way up the stairs and towards Damon's bedroom.

"Good morning, bestie!" She threw open his curtains, "Rise and shine!"

"Maddie!" He groaned, burying his head back under his pillow. "What the hell are you doing in here? It's six thirty in the morning!"

"Oh, I know." She replied, bouncing onto the bed beside him. "But I've been up all night thinking."

"That's bad for those few brain cells you have."

She thumped his arm, "How could you not tell me you've been putting the moves on the teenage witch, huh?"

"Who told you that?"

"Who do you think?"

"Damn it, Elena!" He surfaced from under the pillow, and rolled onto his back. "And I haven't been 'putting the moves on her'. We just came to the mutual understanding that we, maybe, you know, don't hate each other."

"She's stopped giving you those brain aneurism's then?"

"Yeah."

Damon explained that he had realised he came to understand and respect the Bennett witch, since they'd started working together when their job was to take down Klaus before the ritual-thing. Although they didn't see eye-to-eye on either one another's plans with anything, they worked well with what they had, especially when they had to put both their heads together and come up with something spontaneous.

"We're not dating." He said then, "We're just friends, Elena doesn't get that. She's trying to play matchmaker."

"Well, only you and Bonnie can decide if you want to take this anywhere." Madeline stated, "I think you'd make a cute couple."

Damon grimaced, "I don't do 'cute', Maddie."

"We'll see about that." She grinned, "So, you're not dating?"

"No."

"Do you want to date?"

"No. And stop talking to Elena about this. All Bonnie said - because she told me what she said - was that we like each other."

"Meaning as friends and not the crush term?"

"Exactly." Damon replied, "See, this is why we're friends. You understand me. Now, as much as I love you, bestie, can you please leave? I have to get my beauty sleep."

Madeline shuffled her way off of the bed, "If that's the case, then I think you need to sleep for at least a month, Damon." She stumbled as the vampire launched a pillow at her head.

"Mother Sucker."

"Blood-bag."

As Madeline arrived back at her apartment, she was met with a pretty white box with a green ribbon attached to the top. At first, she assumed it was another clothing gift from Katherine, but that was before she saw the beautiful calligraphy invitation on the top of the box.

You are cordially invited to The Mikaelson Ball, to join us in celebrating our family's reunion.

Frowning, she picked up the box and took it inside to open the package.

She almost fell over at the exquisite gown that she found inside. Her hands were shaking as she picked up the beautiful dress - she would have never been brave enough to pick it out for herself, and it was one of those: 'I could only ever dream of wearing that'.