The Third Salvatore (TVD Season 1)

Chapter 20

Flashback, Mystic Falls, 1851

Four year old Hardin stealthily enters his father's chamber and giggles. He just saw his father going out. He sprints to his father's writing table and fishes out a brooch. Father always kept it here.

"Gawt." He grins and grips it in his small fist. A beautiful statue on a cabinet catches his eyes and steps up to it. The statue is placed on a higher level and Hardin tries to reach up.

He laughs and stands up on his toes, his arm stretching up. His fingers grab at the statue and he smiles widely.

"Hardin!"

Suddenly he's pulled away, barely missing the falling statue. It falls and shatters on the ground before him.

"Noa!" Hardin gasps and covers his mouth with him tiny palm. He turns to look at Damon who's still holding him in his arms.

"Are you hurt, little one?" Damon asks turning his brother to himself.

"Noa." Hardin shakes his head and turns to point at the remains of the statue. "Daymen, that..." He mutters panicking. "Father."

Damon stares at the shattered remains of his father's beloved statue on the ground. Then he looked back at Hardin.

"It is lunch time, mother is looking for you. Let us go." He smiles and stands up taking his brother's tiny hand. "What were you doing here, anyway?"

Hardin shows him the brooch. Damon raises his brows. "You shouldn't steal, little brother."

"For Stafan." Hardin replies. "Stafan like this."

Damon smiles slowly leading his brother out of the chamber.

"And what did you get for me?" He asks crouching down to get in level of his brother's small face. Hardin thinks for a while then fishes out a scone out of his pant pocket.

"Scone?" Damon takes the scone and grins. "Thank you, little gentleman." He pats Hardin's head who giggles and runs away.

"Don't you run out of the house!" Damon says and walks after him.

-------

"Who." Guiseppe Salvatore enters the sitting room angrily. His sons bow their heads in curtsy.

"Which one of you..." He glares at Stefan and Hardin.

"...destroyed the statue in my chamber?" He demands.

Hardin looks down instantly shivering a little. Father was harsh on him. Father hit him.

"We don't know anything, father." Stefan replies trying to keep his face straight. Mr Salvatore looks at his youngest son suspiciously. "Hardin."

Hardin ignores the chill running down his spine and continues to look at the picture book in his hands.

"Look up, boy! You did it. You're the culprit." Mr Salvatore snaps at him. Hardin looks up at his father scared out of his mind.

"Father." Damon speaks up from the corner of the room. "It fell from my hands. I was having a look. I apologize for the loss."

Damon stays deadpanned, his gaze at his father's face. Hardin bites his lip staring at his brother and starts crying. Damon throws him a look and shakes his head slowly.

"No, no, no. Damon, what do you think you're doing? Protecting this rogue? This maladroite, unmanly, foolish creature?" Mr Salvatore says angrily pointing at Hardin.