The Pensive

The next couple of weeks went by and Giles and Hermione were learning more and more about each other. Giles was slowly opening up to Hermione about himself and his past. Giles trained Hermione, pushing her as much as he could, determined to make sure she would live no matter what. He taught her spells to help her with her slaying and took her outside the castle grounds to patrol.

Hermione woke one morning in Giles bed and smiled when she saw a note on his pillow. Hermione had been staying with Giles more and more recently and she had gotten to the stage where she could only sleep properly if she was in his arms. Giles loved having her there.

Hermione read the note with a smile on her face. Giles could be so sweet and caring it made her heart melt.

'Sweetheart, I had to go and see Albus about some Slytherin students, not mentioning names (Malfoy). I will be back soon, I have breakfast out for you warming on the stove, I love you x

Hermione grinned and put the note on the side. She kept all the notes from Giles. She got up and dressed before going to look round Giles quarters. She had seen most of the rooms but there were still a few she hadn't checked out. She made her way to the study and peeked inside. She frowned when she saw a pensive by the desk. She didn't think Giles would have a pensive. It was a lovely stone basin.

She walked forward and glanced into it. Her mouth opened wide when she was sucked in. She looked up and saw a young Giles. He was standing in an ally way, smoking. Another boy was with him.

"Come on Ripper, we can go and have a quick shag with a couple of gals at once if you like" said the boy.

"Ethan, I'll go and av a bloody shag when I want one, at the moment I just wanna get high. Get the gang and lets get started then you can go and av ya shag" said Ripper to the boy.

Ethan left and brought back 3 other people. Ripper smirked and licked his lips as they all formed a circle. It seemed Ripper was in charge of the group. He grinned as he muttered a few words in Latin and green smoke appeared. Randal went rigid and suddenly his eyes went bright green.

At first everyone was impressed but then the demon spoke. 'Now I shall return" it said in a horrifying voice. Everyone ran out but Ripper stayed. "Randal mate, ya need to fight this, come on" he said panicked as he grabbed a long blade. Randal advance on him. "Serve me" screeched the terrifying voice. "Don't make me do this Randal, please" begged Ripper. The demon continued to advance and Ripper swung the blade decapitating his friend. Ripper fell to his knees and howled with grief.

Hermione had tears falling down her cheeks. She wanted to run and wrap her eyes around Ripper but when she tried to touch him she went right through him. She held back a sob and the scene before her changed.

She was in a library and a young blond woman was there with the Giles who looked more familiar than Ripper.

"Read me the signs" screamed the blond throwing books at Giles who tried to doge them. "Tell me my fortune" the blond screamed louder. She crumbled and sobbed. Giles stepped closer. "Giles, I'm 16 years old, I don't want to die" said the blond in a weak voice before walking out. Giles was left there.

Hermione clicked as to who the blond was. 'Buffy' she whispered then looked back at Giles who looked crestfallen. Another woman entered. She didn't hear most of the conversation but she caught the last few lines.

"Buffy wont be facing the master, I am" said Giles firmly.

Hermione watched as Buffy came back and knocked Giles out in order to stop him going in her place. Hermione admired how much Buffy cared for Giles and she was extremely pleased she had stopped her lover from marching to his death.

The scene changed again. She was in a small dark room. She turned and saw Giles strapped to a chair, beaten and bloody. "Giles" she cried running to him. Giles was unresponsive to her. A man stepped out from the shadows. "Tell me how to get to Acatha and this will all be over Giles, the pain will stop" said the man.

"The way to Acatha is…"started Giles and Angelus leaned forward. "is to say the spell….in a tutu" breathed Giles. Angelus growled angrily and began torturing Giles. Hermione screamed at the vampire and sobbed as she watched. She never wanted to witness this. She never knew about this, she had seen the scars but she never dared to ask.

The scene switched to the library again. Buffy was crying curled up on a chair and Giles was standing by the table. "You…drugged me?" Buffy asked in a shaky voice. Giles looked at Buffy then at the ground. "Buffy.." he started and stepped towards her. "Touch me and I'll kill you" Buffy said in a dangerously low voice.

Hermione frowned at this, what had Giles done? The scene shifted again. They were still in the library only Travers was there. Hermione had the urge to punch him.

"No, she passed, you didn't" said Travers and Giles looked up at the man. "Your fired" said Travers, smirking.

"On what grounds?" asked Giles removing his glasses. "You have acquired a fathers love for the girl, that is useless to the cause" said Travers.

Hermione hated Travers even more hearing this. Giles, her Giles, was fired for loving his slayer, for caring about whether she lived or died.

The scene moved again and she was outside. She frowned and looked as Buffy fought a blond woman who turned into a guy at the end. Buffy told him to leave and left him alive. Giles stepped out of the shadows and crouched by the man.

"She could of killed me" said the man trying to breath as he lay on the ground. Giles shook his head. "No she couldn't. Buffy is a true hero, she could never take a human life. She's not like us" said Giles watching the man with cold eyes.

Hermione shivered at the empty look Giles had and she shook her head.

"Us?" asked the man on the ground. "Buffy spared your life and Glory's, if I let you go Glory will grow strong again and she will make Buffy pay for her mistake" said Giles. He covered up the mans mouth with his hand and squeezed his nose closed with his finger and thumb. He watched the man suffocate and die before standing.

Hermione let out a sob and stepped away from Giles form. She couldn't believe he had just killed a defenceless man in cold blood. Granted she didn't understand the situation but it seemed so evil.

She witnessed Buffy's death and watched her friends and Giles crumble over her dead body. She had enough, she couldn't watch anymore, his memories were too painful for even her. She shivered and found herself being pulled out of the pensive.

She looked up and saw her Giles standing next to her, over the stone basin, his face as white as the marble floor. Hermione walked away from him and practically fled from his quarters and to the Gryffindor common room.

Giles couldn't cry, he couldn't move. His eyes remained on the spot where Hermione was and he felt himself drowning. He was in a state of shock. He had knew what Hermione had seen last and he was terrified at what else she may have seen.

Hermione raced to her room and jumped in her bed pulling the covers over her head as she sobbed. She couldn't believe the man she loved, the man she trusted with her life was indeed a murderer. She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep that night. She missed her classes and for once she didn't care.

Miles away Quentin Travers was going to see the dark lord. He stepped into Malfoy manner and looked around. He shivered slightly in fear more than anything else.

"It is rude to hesitate Mr Travers" said Voldemort. Travers walked up to the chair Voldemort was sitting on and bowed. He took in the appearance of Voldemort and gulped. Voldemort was pale, red eyes and slits on his nose like a snake. His voice was like ice as he spoke and it sent shivers of fear down Travers's spine.

"I am here to offer my services my lord, I am here to give you what you need to know about the slayer" said Travers. He also wanted to make sure Rupert Giles suffered as much as possible.

"You have such hatred in your heart, for one man alone. Are you willing to betray what you serve in order to have your revenge?" asked Voldemort curiously.

"I am" said Travers determined to see this through. Voldemort nodded and smiled a deadly smile. "Good" said Voldemort with a cruel laugh. "I will see to it that you have your revenge as long as you follow my orders and do as your told" said Voldemort sneering down at the muggle. He had no use for him other than his information, he would keep him alive for now.