Chapter 10- You Raise Me Up

"You raise me up

So I can stand on mountains

You raise me up

To walk on stormy seas

I am strong

When I am on your shoulders

You raise me up

To more than I can be"

'You Raise Me Up' Josh Groban

Angel landed in front of Hogwarts and managed to keep his balance. A smile crossed his face. He was home; Hogwarts had always been his favorite place growing up. He grabbed his trunk and walked up to the school. He walked to the where the headmasters office was and the statue moved as if it were expecting him. He walked up the steps and went in. "Hello Headmaster," he said and Dumbledore smiled.

"Mr. O'Connor, welcome to Hogwarts," he said and Angel nodded.

"Pleasure to be here Professor," he said meaning it. It was nice to be home. He'd forgotten how much he loved Hogwarts.

"First we'll sort you into your house," Dumbledore said and Angel nodded. Dumbledore placed the sorting hat on his head and Angel tensed as he heard the voice. Well, well, well, this is something I've never had before. A person being sorted twice doesn't happen, ever. Angel mentally cursed as the hat said this to him. Don't worry my boy I won't tell anyone. I never do. You were in Slytherin last time but I don't believe that suits you. You shouldn't have even gone there last time but alas can't change the past. Hmm… where to put you, you're loyal especially to Miss Summers but you have bravery great than most. I think I'll put you in… GRYFFINDOR! Angel took the hat off and saw Dumbledore smiling.

"It seems Gryffindor has two new students this year," the headmaster said and Angel frowned.

"You mean, Buffy's a Gryffindor?" he asked and the headmaster nodded. Angel then smiled. He knew Buffy would probably be a Gryffindor. He didn't know anyone braver than her.

"Brilliant," Angel replied.

"I'm sure you will want to go find Miss Summers now. If you get lost please just ask a painting and they'll point you in the right direction," Dumbledore said and Angel nodded standing up.

"Thank you for letting both of us study here Professor," Angel said politely.

"No need to thank me Mr. O'Connor, I'm always glad to have new students," he said and Angel nodded and left the room. "This is going to be one interesting year," Dumbledore said after Angel left to Fawkes and the Phoenix trilled in agreement.

BUFFY and the trio were in the library doing their DADA homework. "I swear Snape is trying to kill us," Ron said frustrated at the amount of homework they had.

"What are you having problems with Ron?" Buffy asked. Buffy had already finished hers. She was THE expert in this after all.

"I'm having trouble finding a famous vampire to write about. Who did you guys do?" Ron asked.

"Darla," Harry said.

"Drusilla," Hermione said, shocking the others.

"Mione, I thought you said divination was 'fake and nonessential'," Harry said quoting Hermione and she nodded.

"It is, but Drusilla overall is a fascinating vampire as is all of the Aurelius clan. Buffy who did you do?" Hermione explained.

"Angelus," she said and they all noticed the edge to her voice.

"Buffy?" Harry said and she gave him a sad smile.

"Let's just put it this way, I know Angelus pretty well," Buffy said. "Hey Ron, since the rest of us did the Aurelius clan, why don't you do William the bloody aka Spike."

"Good idea, Buffy, I can't believe I didn't remember him," Ron said.

"Well, he is pretty forgettable compared with his sire, grand sire, and great grand sire," Buffy said with a smile. "Need help on anything else?"

ANGEL left the headmaster's office with a smile on his face. Who would've thought he'd be a Gryffindor? Definitely not him. Buffy might have, he thought with a laugh. He quickly thought of where she might be. Where did she hang out in high school? Then it hit him. Of course the library, he thought heading off in that direction. He entered and swaw her immediately. She looked just like the day he'd met her except she was wearing robes instead of the stylish clothing she had been wearing that day. He made his way over slowly taking her in. He reached the table and cleared his throat. The four looked up at him. "I'm looking for Buffy Summers," he said and Buffy narrowed her eyes at him.

"Who wants to know?" she asked and he smirked at her.

"I do, Liam O'Connor, beloved you don't recognize me?" he said and Buffy's eyes got really big.

"Angel?" she said and he smirked again. She looked into his eyes and saw the man that she loved. She quickly stood and launched herself at him. She could feel his heartbeat under her head. "I cannot believe you are really here," she said and he smiled the smile that only she could bring out of him.

"Me either," he said as she looked at him.

"You were still cute when you were a teenager," she said quietly.

"This is after a haircut," he said and she giggled.

"Guess that's what threw me off," she said louder so that the others wouldn't ask too many questions.

"Mmm… maybe," he said with a half smile, knowing what she was doing.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Willow asked me to come out here to keep an eye on you. She thought you might get into trouble," he replied.

"Me? Never," Buffy said with a laugh.

"Umm… Buffy?" Buffy heard behind her and turned to find the trio looking at her with confused look on their faces.

"Oh sorry guys, guys this is Angel my boyfriend. Angel this is the golden trio, Harry, Ron and Hermione," Buffy said and Ron scrunched up his nose.

"Angel? Isn't that kind of girly?" he asked and Buffy glared at him.

"Angel is my nickname, names actually Liam but apparently I've got angelic like features thus Angel," Angel replied and Ron nodded.

"When did you get here?" Buffy asked sitting at the table again.

"Like twenty minutes ago, had to get sorted first," Angel said Buffy grinned.

"Let me guess Gryffindor?" she said and Angel couldn't help but laugh because of his earlier thoughts.

"Yeah actually I was kind of surprised, I kind of figured I was cunning enough to make it into Slytherin but apparently my bravery overcomes anything else," he said and Buffy smiled.

"You're not evil enough to be in Slytherin, and I always knew you were brave, a little stupid sometimes but always brave," she said and he glared at her. She just smiled sweetly in response. The other three couldn't help but laugh at the two, they were hilarious. Buffy looked at the others and stuck her tongue out. "Jerks," she said and again they laughed. "Ron shouldn't you be finishing that paper on Spike," she said and he turned red and went back to his work.

"Spike?" Angel asked and Buffy nodded.

"We have to write a paper on a famous vampire," she said and he nodded.

"Who did you do yours on?" he asked already pretty sure of the answer.

"Angelus," she said and he smiled sadly.

"Kind of figured," he said and she touched his hand and looked into his eyes trying to tell him that she didn't blame him for what Angelus did.

"We all did the Aurelius clan," Harry said unknowingly breaking up the moment.

"Oh really," Angel said tearing his eyes from Buffy.

"Yeah, I did Darla, Hermione did Drusilla, Buffy's got Angelus and Ron's doing Spike," Harry said and Angel nodded.

"All worthy Vampires, with the exception to Spike," Angel said and Buffy glared at him.

"Be nice to Spike," she told him and he shrugged.

"I'm just telling the truth," he replied.

"You know Spike?" Ron asked.

"We've met," Angel said as Buffy glared at him trying to get him to stop talking. "You do realize that I know slayers with Buffy's guardian being the one to activate them and Spike's got a soul as he likes to tell everyone all the time."

"Not all the time," Buffy commented and Angel threw her a look. "Ok, he does do that a lot," Buffy conceded and Angel grinned triumphantly.

"It's so weird that you know the vampire that I'm writing about," Ron said and Harry and Hermione nodded. "Know any of the others?"

"I've met Angelus, not a nice guy trust me and Drusilla I met through Spike and she's crazy," Angel said and the others nodded.

"Well I'm done so I'm going to go show Angel up to the tower. We'll see you guys later," Buffy said standing up and the others waved as the two left the library hand in hand. They made their way up to Gryffindor tower. Buffy said the password and they went in. "Welcome to Gryffindor Tower," Buffy said as she watched Angel look around in wonder.

"Way different than Slytherin," he said softly and Buffy smiled.

"So even your house has reformed over the years," she said and he gave her a weird look.

"Well evil house to the house of good," she said and he nodded.

"Guess that's how life wants it," Angel replied and she nodded.

"Yep, now how are we going to save the world," she said then paused. "Again, I mean," she finished and Angel chuckled.

"Well I say we get Harry as ready as possible to face Voldemort and then just help him out in battle. We can't do much more than that. We'll just teach him all we know and hope that does the trick," he said and Buffy nodded.

"Works for me, now you up for some cuddling?" she asked and Angel grinned.

"Always."

There ya go new chapter… I know it's kinda short but I'm so busy with school I don't have time to write… but I'll try and get another one out soon…