A/N Sorry about the wait, guys! I hate not being able to update more for you, and I hate being at the mercy of my muses and only being able to write when they let me. Please forgive me and review anyways? Pretty please, with sugar on top?

Chapter 12

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Ron gazed out the window to the beautifully lighted city of Los Angeles. The landscape was completely covered in buildings, but in the darkness, all that was visible were the lights that fought off the dark.

The redhead tried to take it all on, tried to seal it in his mind so he would be able to describe it later, but there was too much going on. There were too many things running through his mind to commit the sight to memory. He hoped his father wouldn't be too disappointed that he wouldn't be able to describe the first true wonderful look at muggle electricity.

Yes, electricity. Arthur Weasley may have been fascinated with the stuff, but he had never been able to pronounce the work that described it correctly. Kind of like telephone.

Ron mentally cringed at that thought. Harry must have explained the concept to him more than half a dozen times, but he had still managed to pronounce the word wrong at the mall. It was like it was a mental block with him.

But electricity, that he could pronounce. Of course, Hermione had talked about it for more than an hour on the plane. She had even used the reading lights over their seats to demonstrate how lights worked. For some reason, her explanation had allowed him to at least learn enough to be able to pronounce the word, even if he still didn't quite get how it worked. But maybe that was because when he thought of electricity now, he could hear Hermione saying the word.

Maybe he should get her to explain to him about the telephone.

Thinking of Hermione made Ron turn his head from the window to look at her, sprawled on the couch where she had been laid when they had arrived. The vampire had been very careful with her. Vampire.

Ron was still having a hard time adjusting to that. They had been brought to this building by a vampire. The vampire who rand the business that was in this big fancy building. A building with lots of big windows, oddly enough, and a fantastic view, and expensive furniture. Like the leather couch that Hermione was lying on.

His gaze drifted over to the girl again. He'd gone a whole thirty seconds there where he hadn't looked at her. He was getting better.

Ron was worried. That justified the constant looks, didn't it?

Her collapse in the parking lot of the mall had reminded him eerily of second year, when Hermione had been petrified. The helplessness he had felt then had returned. Ron had just wanted his best friend to wake up. But he had had no idea how to make her do it.

Of course, he was sure that there was some charm that would have worked, something that Hermione would have known. But she was the one that was unconscious. Plus, they had all been more than a little shocked. A real live vampire had been standing in front of them.

Well, maybe not live.

Ron guessed that he couldn't blame her for being shocked into unconsciousness by the events, but he had expected her to be awake by now. It had been almost twenty minutes ago, after all. And Hermione was a tough witch. She'd already been through so much more than a witch twice her age. Finding the Philosopher's Stone in first year, brewing the Polyjuice potion in second. Not to mention being petrified that year. She'd helped them confront Peter Pettigrew and Sirius Black. She had been kidnapped for one of the task of the Tri-Wizard tournament in fourth year. "Because of Vicky, stupid git," thought Ron. Then there had been the end of fifth year and the battle at the Ministry of Magic.

So why, after twenty minutes had passed, was Hermione still out?

And, moreover, what had shocked her so much that she had fainted in the first place?

Ron might not have been the brains of their group, (he cringed at the thought of brains, the image bringing up bad memories) but even he knew that this was hardly the most shocking thing they'd seen. In fact, it was one of the least. Something more than just meeting a mere vampire was going on.

After all, you-know-who had basically been a vampire back in their first year, when Harry had caught a glimpse of him feeding in the Forbidden Forrest.

The youngest Weasley male knew that something else had to have shocked Hermione. He tried to remember back to the parking lot, trying to recall what Hermione had been yelling at Dawn about, and what she had asked the vampire before she collapsed.

She'd been very angry with Dawn, berating her about Angelus. About something called the scourge of Europe. Ron didn't know what that was, but the way his friend had said it, he didn't think it was a good thing. And the way that she had spat out the name Angelus. Well, it had reminded him of the way that she would say the names Lucius Malfoy or Peter Pettigrew. Hermione rarely judged people without giving them a chance first, but she had spoke Angelus's ("No, Angel," Ron mentally corrected. His name was Angel now, Dawn had said) name was full of venom. He wondered how she would feel when she discovered that it was the vampire who had carried her up here.

Ron hadn't liked the way that the vampire had held her at all.

The young man had been moving to carry her himself, but the vampire had been faster. And the look in his eyes hadn't allowed for any argument.

Ron glanced at Hermione again, and moved to the couch to sit at her feet. He wished she'd wake up. He had all the puzzle pieces, but she was the brain that he needed to fit them together. He needed her mind. He needed her to explain.

He just needed her . . .

Ron's train of thought was interrupted by the touch of Harry's hand on his shoulder, and the redhead was glad. His thoughts had been about to enter territory he tried to stay away from. Thoughts that he'd started to think back in fourth year when Hermione had met Victor Krum. Thought that he'd had more often since the events at the end of fifth year, since the Ministry. Thoughts that he wasn't sure he should be having. Thoughts that he didn't want Hermione to know he was having. Thought that he wasn't even ready to tell Harry about.

"Hey Ron," Harry said with a slight shake of his best friend to draw his attention away from the girl beside him. "She's going to be okay, you know."

Ron looked up at Harry, and saw the knowing understanding in his friend's green eyes. It made him realize that Harry might have known exactly what Ron had been about to think about, and he had a quick second to wonder when he'd let his thoughts show on his face before Harry sat down beside him and continued to speak.

"It's been less than half an hour. I'm sure she'll be up and lecturing us all about the scourge of Europe in no time, whatever it may be," Harry whispered.

"But shouldn't she be awake by now?" Ron questioned, keeping his voice low as well. They weren't alone in the room. The people who worked for the vampire were watching them. And, although Dawn seemed to trust them, the boys hadn't even known Dawn long enough to be comfortable with her, never mind people she told them could be trusted.

Ginny was in the corner, speaking to the woman of the group. Fred, Ron remembered, thinking it strange that a girl would have the same name as one of his brothers. She had known that they were witches and wizards, and had asked about potions. Someone named Willow, the girl who they were supposed to be related to, Ron thought, had told her that potions was kind of like Kemastree, whatever that was. It had interested Ginny, and the two had been chatting ever since.

The other two occupants of the room were men, Wesley and Gunn. The teens had been told that these people were there to protect them for the time being, in place of Draco and Dawn.

The pair had been ushered by Angel into a different office after Hermione had been deposited on the couch of Wesley's office, the vampire leaving his staff to guard them.

Wesley had explained, in soothing British tones that had reminded the teens of home, that Angel had need to talk to the two, and that they were there to watch over them.

Gunn had rolled his eyes at Wesley's use of the word talk, and had perched himself on the corner of the other man's desk. It had given him a view of both the door and the windows, as well as a large portion of the room. It also left very little of the room hidden from his eyes, and very little room at his back.

The young black man reminded the boys of Kingsley Shacklebolt, one of the members of the Order of the Phoenix, and an Auror. It was not only his look, but something about his demeanor as well, and it made the boys feel protected by these people.

But just because the boys felt protected from outside danger didn't mean that they would trust them enough to talk freely about their situation in front of them.

"I don't know," Harry quietly replied. "But I'm not really worried about her yet. I'm so tired that if I fell asleep right now, I'd probably stay that way for a whole day, never mind just half an your."

Ron shot another look at Hermione. "Has it really only been half an hour since the parking lot? It feels a lot longer."

"A lot has happened."

Ron glanced at the others in the room. His sister was still wrapped up in her conversation with Fred, Gunn was still watching the room in a guard-like fashion, and Wesley was seated behind his desk. He was looking into a box perched on it, and tapping his fingers on something flat on its surface.

Harry saw where his friend was looking and explained. "It's a computer. Dudley has one. I'm not even going to attempt to explain what it's for or what it does. . I'll leave that up to Hermione."

The tips of Ron's ears turned Red at the mention of her name. "I'd rather she explained about the scourge of Europe first, whatever that is," Ron whispered. He felt a small touch against his leg, and looked down. Hermione's foot had brushed against his leg, and when it did it again, he looked up to her face.

Her eyes were fluttering, as if she were trying to open them. When she got them to open and stay that way, they caught Ron's, and both teens just stopped to stare. Harry peered around the larger boy to see what had captured his attention, and realized that Hermione was finally awake.

"Well hello there. Finally awake?" Harry teased. "We've been hoping you could tell us what is going on, because we have no clue, really."

She sat up and looked ready to launch into a long explanation when she seemed to realize that they weren't alone in the room. Not only that, but that she had never even seen the three other people before.

And though they have been out of earshot, the teens had at all times remained in plain sight of Gunn, and he was now walking towards them.

"I think it'll have to wait," she whispered to her best friends, looking up at the man who had come to stand at the end of the couch.

"Welcome back to the land of the living, Sleeping Beauty. How're you feeling?"

Hermione gulped, seemingly at a loss as to how she should answer the question.

"Hey English!" Gunn nearly shouted. All of the teens and Wesley looked towards him in answer, and Fred because of his volume. Gunn looked around him, realizing that the nickname could apply to everyone except Fred. "I meant Wes." He turned his head to look at the other man. "Little miss knowledge is awake, and by the looks of it, these kids want some answers."

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A/N 2: Okay, so I asked for your input on pairings. The only ones I'm cemented on are Draco/Ginny and Dawn/? (someone yet to appear). I'm also pretty sure on Ron/Hermione.

I want to know what you think on pairings for Harry, Buffy, Xander, Faith and Willow. Be inventive! It can be someone in the story, someone in either universe, someone who hasn't appeared in the story yet. I also am very very open minded, so take a chance.

Can you also let me know who you want to see in the story that you haven't seen yet? I have some ideas for people I want to have parts, but I want to know your thoughts as well.

Thanks very much!

Arie