Chapter Text
Halloween always gave the brunette teen chills, and not for good reasons. She doesn't understand why people would go out of their way to scare others, or to get scared. The whole concept doesn't make sense to her, and usually she would just lock herself in her room while her sister's out at some party, but not this year. This year, they're on a mission.
The October air is cold, and the teenager is glad she chose to wear a light jacket over her dress. That doesn't stop her toes from freezing though, and she just really wishes they could walk inside now. She lets her eyes wander to the mansion the party is held in. The decorations reflect the time of the year they're in, but in a very fancy way. It almost looks like a haunted manor. The lights inside the mansion are all sorts of colors : green, red, purple… She can see them from the windows, and it makes her wonder what's waiting for them inside.
"Josie? Are you even listening?!" The girl next to her asks, visibly angry.
"Sorry." The brunette blurts out.
The woman accompanying the two teens smiles as she places a gentle hand on Josie's shoulder.
"This is important, Josie." The blonde woman turns her attention to the other girl. "Lizzie, go inside and start blending in. I'll make sure Josie knows what to look for."
The blonde teen rolls her eyes. "Sure."
Josie's eyes don't leave the blonde teen as she disappears into the mansion. The tall doors close behind her, and the woman gently squeezes Josie's shoulder to get her attention again.
"Your sister will be fine, sweetie."
Josie nods. "I know, mom."
"Now, tell me why you're so distracted. You know how important this mission is."
The brunette crosses her arms, suddenly feeling defensive. She gives her mother a look before her eyes flicker back to the mansion. The lights in one of the rooms changed color, and for some reason it makes a shiver run through Josie's whole body.
"I hate this. Can't we come and find her at another time? Why does it have to be on Halloween?"
The woman's laugh fills the air, and Josie can't help but glare at her mother.
"Stop it! You know I don't like Halloween, Caroline ."
Josie uses her mother's name knowing full well it would piss her mother off. It gets the effect she wanted because the woman stops laughing immediately and gives the brunette a look that could kill.
"I'm your mother, young lady, so don't you dare call me by my name."
Josie chuckles and shakes her head. "Sure, mom."
Caroline's smile is back. "Good. Do you need me to go over the mission with you?"
Josie bites her lip as she tries to think back to what she heard earlier, but it's all a little foggy. She gives her mother a sheepish look and nods, letting her know she has no idea what they're looking for.
"Okay, so the girl we're looking for is named Hope Mikaelson. She's the daughter of Klaus Mikaelson, and Hayley Marshall. It makes her the first Tribrid in existence. She's been a witch since her birth, activated her wolf curse at 15, and died at 18, activating her vampire gene in the process. Since her parents died, she's been out of control. Klaus was… an old friend of mine. I think I owe it to him to make sure his daughter is safe, and knows how to control herself. We're here to help her, Josie, okay?"
"Yeah." Josie says with a nod. "We don't have any information about her appearance, right?"
Caroline sighs. "Not really, the Mikaelsons have been really secretive about her."
"So, it could literally be any girl in there."
"Yes. So, you need to blend in and subtly ask around. Hope Mikaelson is in there, and we need to find her. It might be our only chance, because the second she learns we're looking for her, she'll disappear. Or worse… she could become dangerous."
"Got it." Josie says.
"I'll let you know during the night if I get any information. You do the same, and Lizzie will too." Caroline leans down and leaves a soft kiss on Josie's forehead. "Be careful."
"I will. I love you, mom."
"I love you too."
With that being said, Josie finally makes her way to the doors of the mansion as she places her mask over her eyes. When she's standing right in front of them, they seem even bigger than when she was watching them from afar. They're made of carefully sculpted wood, and the brunette can't stop herself from touching them. She lets her fingers touch the surface of the wood for a couple of seconds, and just as she's about to knock, the door opens. A tall man looks down at her with suspicious eyes, so she quickly blurts out the password. He doesn't seem convinced, but since she said the right words, he lets her in.
Once she's inside, the man leads her to what he calls "the ballroom". He doesn't talk much, and if the teenager is honest with herself, he gives off really creepy vibes. As soon as they enter the ballroom, Josie's relieved to see that it just looks like a totally normal party. Except that it's a masquerade ball, so everyone has a mask on. Nothing to help them find Hope Mikaelson.
The man quickly leaves her there taking her jacket with him, but Josie keeps her purse with her. She walks further inside the room as soon as he's gone. Josie does just as she was told, she blends in. She goes around the room, makes small chat with the guests surrounding her. It doesn't take her long to notice that the guests are mostly a mix of humans and vampires. She met a handful of witches, but she's almost sure there's no werewolf here. She wonders if it was done on purpose, and why are there so many humans around.
After an hour or so, Josie understands that she'll learn nothing about the Mikaelsons here. The guests are clearly unwilling to help, or already very drunk. She walks out of the room, looking everywhere in the process to make sure no one is paying attention to her. The brunette finds herself in a hallway, and when she sees the man from earlier walking around, she quickly hides behind a curtain. She's suddenly very grateful that the mansion has windows so big that the curtains go all the way to the floor. When she doesn't hear any footsteps anymore, she quickly takes a look around the hallway. When she's sure it's empty, she gets out of her hiding spot. She looks in the direction she was going before, noticing she either has to go upstairs, or in a room on the right side of the hallway. As she hesitates, Josie bites her lip.
"Were you not having fun in the ballroom?" A soft feminine voice calls out behind Josie.
The brunette quickly turns around, and the sight that awaits her takes her breath away. A small girl that has to be around Josie's age is standing there, smirking at her. Half of the girl's face is hidden behind a black mask, but Josie can tell she might be the most beautiful girl she's ever seen. The back and red dress she's wearing compliments her auburn hair perfectly. However, what makes Josie's knees go weak are the piercing blue eyes staring right into her brown ones.
The girl takes two steps closer to Josie, her smirk still firmly in place.
"Has the cat got your tongue, love?"
"I… No, I'm sorry. I'm Josie." The brunette extends her hand and offers it to the girl.
The auburn haired girl looks down at the offered hand, and the smirk disappears from her face. She takes it slowly, and it only feels like their hands brush together before she takes it back. The brush is enough to make Josie aware of the fact that the girl in front of her is a supernatural being. Magic is flowing through those veins… powerful magic.
"And you are…" Josie says when the girl doesn't provide her name.
Just like that, the girl's face lightens up and her smirk is back.
"Oh darling, it would kill the magic if I told you my name." The girl steps closer, but she makes sure to never touch the brunette. "It's a masquerade ball, the whole point is that no one knows who we are here."
Josie decides to play along. "I gave you mine though, so it would only be fair for you to tell me yours."
The girl looks at Josie for a couple of seconds. The look is so intense that the brunette feels like she's being studied, or like the shorter girl is looking for something. Josie looks away from the girl's intense gaze, deciding to look down at her feet. Her eyes only go back up when the girl speaks again.
"I'll make a deal with you. Spend the night with me, and I'll tell you my name when the party's over."
Josie knows she shouldn't. She's on a mission, and her mother and sister would be pissed if they knew she's getting distracted by some pretty girl. But there's something about this girl that makes her want to know more. Maybe she'll even know something about Hope Mikaelson.
"Is that a promise?" The brunette finds herself saying.
The girl's smirk turns into what seems to be a genuine smile.
"You have my word."
"Then, we have a deal."
"Good. Follow me." The girl says before she turns around in the direction of the ballroom.
Josie does as she's told. She's a little surprised when instead of going straight back to the ballroom, they take another hallway. They walk down that hallway, and at the end of it, the auburn haired girl opens a door that leads them outside. They silently walk side by side in a beautiful garden. The flowers and plants around them catch Josie's attention, and she almost forgets she's in the company of a beautiful girl.
"Do you like flowers, love?" The other teen asks.
The brunette quickly looks at the shorter girl, a blush covering her cheeks. She's been ignoring the auburn haired girl for a couple of minutes now.
"I really love them actually."
The girl hums. "I could tell, your eyes got a spark in them as soon as we walked out."
"I just love that they have a meaning, and that they smell good, and like, the colors, you know?"
Josie's excited rambling puts a soft smile on the girl's face. The brunette sees it and tries to smile back, but when the girl notices that she's smiling she quickly stops and clears her throat. Josie frowns at her companion's obvious change of demeanor. This girl confuses her, and she can't really figure out why.
"Come on, I wanna show you something."
The girl doesn't wait for Josie before walking away quickly. The brunette watches her go for a couple of seconds, and she only starts to follow when the girl looks over her shoulder. The smile from earlier is now a smirk, and there's mischief dancing in her eyes. There's a voice in Josie's head that's screaming at her to go back inside, but her body seems to have a whole other idea, because before she knows it she's following the girl.
They walk for a little less than a minute before they reach their destination. Josie's eyes go wide when she sees the gazebo in the middle of the garden. The gazebo is lit up by little orange lights, and there's Halloween decorations scattered around.
The girl walks until she's standing in the middle of the gazebo. Josie walks there too, only stopping when she's standing a step or two away from the girl. The girl moves her hand and whispers something, and suddenly there's faint music coming out of seemingly nowhere.
"I thought we could use some intimacy." The girl says, her voice suddenly lower than before. "What do you think, love? May I have this dance?"
Josie's a little surprised when the girl offers her her hand. She thinks of the reaction the girl had earlier when their hands touched. She had looked cautious. So, Josie places her hand in the other girl's offered one gently and slowly, she wouldn't want to scare her off. Then, Josie places her other hand on the girl's waist, while the shorter one places her hand on her shoulder. They start to gently sway to the rhythm of the music.
"Are you gonna tell me your name now?" Josie softly asks.
The girl shakes her head with a playful smile.
"The night isn't over yet. I think it's my turn to ask a question. What are you doing here tonight, Josie?"
It's the first time the girl uses her name, and Josie can feel her heartbeat going crazy.
"I'm just… here to have a good time." Josie takes a deep breath, and quickly speaks again. "It's my turn again. Do you know Hope Mikaelson?"
The girl's smirk reappears, and there's a subtle change in her eyes. Those blue eyes are full of something Josie has a hard time to explain, but for some reason, she feels like a prey being observed by its predator.
"Do I know Hope Mikaelson? That's a good question. I guess I do, in some way. Why are you asking?"
"Well… She's the one hosting this ball, and I've heard her name in the ballroom, but it seems like no one knows where she is tonight. I was just curious."
"Maybe she doesn't wanna be seen tonight." The girl says, her eyes holding some kind of sadness all of a sudden. "Like I said earlier, this is a masquerade ball. The whole point of it is that no one knows who we are. It's a different kind of magic, love."
Josie frowns as she wonders why this girl wants to keep her identity a secret so bad.
"I, uh…" Josie clears her throat. "I think it's your turn to ask a question."
"How old are you?"
"I'm seventeen." Josie answers easily. "Is that your natural hair color?"
The girl giggles. "It is. Why are you asking?"
"It looks so pretty on you. Actually, I think you might be the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."
The girl's smile is playful again. "Charmer."
Josie shrugs. "Your turn."
The girl's question comes immediately. "Are you some kind of supernatural?"
When Josie's eyes go comically wide, the girl's laugh fills the air.
"Don't look so surprised." Hope cocks her head to the side, studying Josie one more time. "Who invited you to this party, Josie? Because I have a feeling it wasn't Hope."
"I came with a friend." The brunette quickly lies. "I'm a witch."
The girl frowns. "A witch? Really?" Josie nods. "Prove it."
The Saltzman girl is taken aback by the girl's request. She takes two steps back, making sure they're not touching anymore. The girl's face hardens, and Josie suddenly feels a little uncomfortable.
"Are you lying to me, Josie?"
"I'm not!" Josie says, her tone of voice a little angrier than before. "Why are you being so weird suddenly?"
The girl shakes her head. "This was a mistake. You should go back to the party."
She walks out of the gazebo, but quickly stops and turns back to look at Josie. When their eyes meet, Josie sees something she doesn't expect. There's worry in the girl's blue eyes.
"Actually… Just go home, Josie. It would be best for you."
"Wait!" The brunette quickly catches up with the other girl. "You were supposed to give me your name."
The girl gives her a sad smile. "The thing is… we didn't complete the deal, darling."
"But-" Josie's interrupted by the sound of two notifications on her phone. "Give me a second."
From : Mom
I got some info. Hope is short and has auburn hair.
From : Lizzie
Hope is wearing a black and red dress tonight!
It takes a couple of seconds before Josie understands that her mom and sister basically just described the girl she's been with for the past hour. She places her phone back into her little purse and looks back at the auburn haired girl. With that comes another realisation, she can't let Hope leave.
"Is something wrong, love?"
"Stay with me." Josie quickly says. "I'll prove to you that I'm a witch."
Hope lifts a brow, and Josie can barely see it because of her mask.
"Give me your hands." The brunette commands.
The Mikaelson girl looks as cautious as the first time their hands touched when she does offer her hands to Josie. The brunette slowly places her hands in Hope's. Josie gives them a little squeeze, and takes a deep breath before she starts siphoning. Their joined hands glow red, and Josie feels a very powerful magic invading her. It takes her a couple of seconds to feel like she's had enough, and when she does Josie roughly takes her hands back.
Hope's eyes are wide with surprise.
"What did you just do?"
"I siphoned your magic." Josie says after a moment of hesitation.
"Interesting…"
An alarm goes off, startling Josie. Hope takes her phone out, and a frown quickly takes over her beautiful face. She looks up at Josie, and the Saltzman girl can tell Hope is hesitating about something.
"You need to leave, and take your friend with you." Hope turns around and walks back to the mansion.
"What? No, I want-"
In the blink of an eye, Hope is standing right in front of Josie again.
"This is not a party, Josie! This is a feast! This alarm is going off to tell me it's time to let everyone know they can attack!"
"W-what?"
"The human and witch guests are here to be fed on." Hope explains. "I brought you out here tonight because I wanted to feed on you ."
Fear invades Josie when she hears Hope's words. She understands now that the girl she's been with all night only wanted one thing, to drink her blood. She takes a step back, putting some distance between herself and Hope.
"You don't have to do this. Hope, I know-"
"Wait. How do you know I'm Hope?"
Josie stops everything. She stops talking, stops moving, and even stops breathing for a second or two. It's clear to see she messed up because Hope looks pissed.
"Why are you looking for me? Who the fuck are you?!"
Josie holds her hands up, trying to show Hope she means her no harm.
"Calm down, I promise I don't wanna hurt you."
Hope's laugh is cold, loud and cutting. She sends a mean glare in Josie's way.
"I'd like to see you try." Hope takes a threatening step closer. "Now, answer my questions."
"My name is Josie Saltzman, my parents run the Salvatore school. My mom's name is Caroline Forbes, she says she was your father's friend."
Hope's face betrays her, and Josie can tell the Tribrid is affected by her words. She also remembers how Hope seems to be affected by touch. So, she quickly places both hands on Hope's neck, gently forcing the auburn haired girl to look at her. Then, she very slowly takes the black mask off of Hope's face.
"We want to help you. I know losing your parents must have been hard, but you don't have to live like this." Josie softly says, her eyes looking right into Hope's. "We can show you another way of life, and help you be the person your parents would have wanted you to be."
Hope's face hardens again. "How would you know what my parents would have wanted?"
"I'm sure they wanted what's best for you."
Hope looks down for a long moment after that, but when she looks up, there's dark veins around them. She grips Josie's dress and pushes her until her back hits one of the gazebo's pillars, trapping her there. Hope roughly takes Josie's mask off to reveal her face. The brunette knows she should probably defend herself now. Use one of the defensive spells she learned at school. But for some reason, she doesn't move.
"I should kill you." Hope growls.
"You're not a killer, Hope. I think you're overwhelmed by pain and grief, so you decided to try and not feel anything. Right now, you're mad because you've been feeling things tonight and it scares you."
Hope's grip gets tighter. "Shut. Up."
"Happiness is not always followed by pain."
Before Hope can open her mouth to say something back, Josie quickly leans in and presses her lips to hers. She immediately feels Hope stiffen, like the touch of their lips froze her into place. Josie decides to not move her lips, and the touch only lasts for a handful of seconds. When she breaks the contact and moves back, she's surprised to see Hope with her eyes closed, still unmoving.
"Listen to me." Josie softly says. "I'm gonna leave with my mom and my sister. We are staying at a motel down the road, I don't remember the name, but it's painted yellow and-"
"I know which one you're talking about." Hope cuts her off, her tone way gentler than before.
Josie gives her a little smile. "Good. If you want to come to the school, meet us there tomorrow morning. But, the 'feast' can't happen if you decide to take our offer, do you understand me?"
Hope nods, and she moves back letting go of Josie's dress. The brunette smoothes the wrinkles the Mikaelson girl created by gripping it, and offers a soft smile to Hope. She puts her mask on, and walks back towards the mansion. Before walking inside, the brunette looks over her shoulder.
"I really hope to see you tomorrow morning."
With that being said, Josie turns her head again and walks inside, leaving behind a very confused Hope.