On The Vampire Diaries, Bonnie and Damon started as enemies but became best friends. In the novel series, they dated but not on the show. Here's why.

Bonnie Bennett (Kat Graham) and Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder) were never a couple in The Vampire Diaries, unlike in the series of novels created by L.J. Smith. The TV show used content from the source material, but Julie Plec and co-creator Kevin Williamson chose to make significant changes regarding everything from the main characters' appearances, names, and personalities to their friendships and love lives. The epic love triangle between Elena Gilbert, Damon, and Stefan Salvatore remained intact (Elena chose Stefan in the book), but the romantic connection between Bonnie and Damon was severed.

Throughout the first five seasons of The Vampire Diaries, Bonnie and Damon were adversaries. Their shared affection for Elena forced the twosome to co-exist and work together when facing a common threat. During season 6, Bonnie and Damon became friends while trapped together in the 1994 Prison World. Bonnie even sacrificed her freedom to send Damon back to Elena. They forged such a deep connection during their four months in the alternate dimension that for the remainder of the series, each considered the other to be their best friend. Many fans hoped this relationship would blossom into something more, especially after Nina Dobrev exited The Vampire Diaries following season 6, and her character remained in a comatose state.

There was a time when Plec was open to the possibility of "Bamon." During the 2014 Comic-Con, Plec discussed the future of the Bennett witch and the roguish vampire entering into The Vampire Diaries season 6 with E!. Plec acknowledged the romance between the two characters in the books, but she felt for it to carry over into the series, Graham and Somerhalder had to have "chemistry" and an "on-screen connection."  Plec stated the actors were "super close" offscreen and excited to work together, and she was willing to see if sparks flew between the actors:

" ... what we did want to do is we wanted to service the Bamon relationship from the books and at least give those two characters an opportunity—that we never thought we'd have frankly cause they never liked each other, and for good reason—to bond and get close and to be comrades. So it will start there, and it may never go any further—that's not the plan, but you never know."

After Damon returned from the Prison World, fans may have held out hope for Damon and Bonnie as a couple, especially since Alaric Saltzman (whose storyline on the series was altered by the absence of Meredith from the books) compelled Elena to forget her love for Damon. It was a brief setback, but Damon and Elena still wound up together. Graham and Somerhalder also spoke with E!, offering up very different perspectives regarding the on-screen fireworks Plec spoke about. Somerhalder revealed that he and Graham both worked with the same acting coach both together and separately, which helped them build a rapport that, according to Somerhalder, was "so cool" and "so dynamic." He also said he and Graham hadn't shared much screen time because there was "so much chemistry" and "so much going on there." While Graham admitted she and Somerhalder were great friends, she believed they had zero sexual chemistry.

At the start of season 7, Elena and Damon's future was uncertain. The spell that linked Elena's life to Bonnie's put Bonnie and Damon's friendship to the test. Somerhalder told Just Jared, "He does love her [Bonnie], and it’s an unfortunate situation that they find themselves in ... It’s this volley between ‘I love this woman as a friend, but if something happens to her, I get my girl back.’” Damon becomes incredibly protective of Bonnie, which is an aspect of their relationship that carried over from the book, although for a different reason. Elena played a pivotal role in Damon's redemption, so it only made sense for Damon and Elena to end up together on The Vampire Diaries.

NEXT: Vampire Diaries: What Happened To Bonnie In Originals & Legacies