Note: Since it's been a while between postings, if you want to get caught up, go to Archive Of Our Own and search for this story, In a Corner of My Soul. The Notes at the top of chapter 4, Teacher's Pet, will bring you back up to speed.

As Rupert poured tea from the pot, catching the loose leaves in a strainer, he heard a knock at the back entrance of the library. "Buffy's early," he muttered to himself although, in fact, she wasn't. She was scheduled to arrive an hour before homeroom started. She never did. When he opened the door, he found it wasn't Buffy at all but Willow waiting to be let in. "Hi, Giles."

This was unexpected. Rupert wondered if his alter ego had arranged this. The lout did seem to delight in tripping him up. "You're here early."

"Buffy wanted me to look some stuff up and I know she's been having trouble with the meditating thing so I thought I'd come here and help her out. I mean, not help her meditate because that's something you have to do all on your own but I thought if I was here it'd sort of help her get into the meditativey mood since I'm meditating now too. Is there more tea?"

Ah, good. He, or his other self, hadn't known Willow would come to the library before school. "Tea? Certainly. I'll pour you a cup. Milk or sugar?" He hated sharing his Harrod's stash with the barbarian children but at least Willow, unlike his Slayer, had the maturity to appreciate a cup of tea.

"Oh, I can get it."

As he followed her, more sedately than her mad-dash pace, into the office, Rupert compared Buffy's morning grogginess to Willow's vitality. The two girls were friends and presumably kept similar hours but Willow was far more lively in the morning. Perhaps Buffy's Slayer duties were keeping her from getting enough sleep? Well, she'd just have to forgo socializing with her friends. Her duties as a Slayer were far more important.

Rupert found Willow standing before the tea service and staring down into her cup. She looked up as he joined her in the office. "Um, there's a bunch of floaty stuff, like loose leaves or something. Don't you use teabags?"

"Heaven forfend." He poured the tea and loose leaves back into the pot and then, with a strainer firmly in place, poured the liquid back into her cup.

"But wouldn't teabags be easier?"

"Everything should be made a simple as possible, but no simpler." He didn't bother trying to explain tea to the girl. He wasn't quite sure Americans could understand. It seemed to be one of those cultural gaps that neither time nor tide could diminish.

"Oh." Willow didn't seem fazed. She merely took him at his word and reached for the milk.

Back in the reading room, Giles stood by the staircase as Willow sat down at the computer. Given that Buffy would probably start banging at the door the moment he got comfortable, he didn't bother to take a seat. "I take it your own meditative practice is going well?"

"So so," she shrugged. "It's sort of hard to clear my mind."

"Yes, it generally is," he replied. "That will take a bit of time."

"You think there'd be a shortcut, some type of spell or something to make it easier."

"That would defeat the purpose I'm afraid. Meditation builds discipline."

"I'm disciplined," the girl muttered. "I've got the best grades in school. You don't do that without discipline."

"Yes, well, those who desire a shortcut tend to lack discipline."

Before Willow could reply, Buffy swung through the library doors. She held a paper cup with the words Espresso Pump in one hand and a doughnut in the other. "Buffy, please tell me that's at least a decaffeinated."

"Why would I drink decaff?"

"Because you still haven't succeeded at your meditation practice, and neither sugar nor coffee will be of any help whatsoever?"

Buffy shook her head. "There you're wrong, Giles. Sugar and coffee will keep me awake."

"Awake and too hyper to meditate properly."

"And you say I'm undisciplined," Willow muttered but, happily, too quietly for Buffy to catch.

"So, Willow." Buffy slipped into a seat on the far side of the table. "Find anything yet?"

When Willow gave him a guilty glance, Rupert realized he'd been keeping her from whatever it was she'd come in to do. "No, I'm just getting started."

"What is it you're researching?" Rupert asked.

"Buffy wants to know more about Miss Mansfield."

Rupert was certain he was blushing. The secretary had flirted with him when he'd first arrived at the school. He'd been flustered by the attention and it seemed he'd dithered too long. She'd shown little interest since then. He rather regretted having missed the mark there. "What on earth for?"

"She was too interested in the witchcraft," Buffy replied.

"Interested?" He hadn't noticed that she'd been paying any attention.

Buffy stared at him as if he were the imbecile. "She interviewed all the students at each of the incidents? She was the first school official on the scenes?"

"And you don't think her position as Principal Flutie's assistant had anything to do with it?"

"That's what I said," Willow told him. "But Buffy's still suspicious."

"I just want to know more about her."

"I see." Gods, look at the time. "Up onto the table. Lotus position. You've only thirty-five minutes until homeroom starts. You should have been meditating for the past fifteen."

"Can't blame me for trying," Buffy said as she hopped onto the table.

Rupert didn't tell her that he bloody well could blame her for delaying her meditation. Starting another conversation would be counterproductive.

Less than two minutes in, she started squirming. "Buffy, settle down. Clear your mind."

She opened her eyes. Even worse, she drank more of the coffee. "I can't. It's too loud in here." Loud. In the library. She must have seen something on his face because she added, "Willow's keyboard, the clattering, it's distracting."

Willow stopped whatever it was she'd been doing. "Oh, I'm sorry." Wonderful, give the insecure girl yet another complex. "I'll get out of your way."

"Huh? No, I didn't mean …"

Ah, Buffy thought she'd found another way out of meditation. This he could handle. "Willow, why don't you meditate as well?"

"What?" Ah, apparently Buffy hadn't expected that tactic.

"She did come here to help you after all. If she's meditating then she can't distract you. Perhaps you could make a contest of it. See who can keep still the longest."

"Oh, yeah, I can do that." As Willow made herself more comfortable in her chair, Buffy glared at Rupert. Apparently she'd picked up on what he was doing.

"Hey, how come Willow gets to sit in a chair and I'm stuck in this lotusy position?"

"Once you make it into trance, then we'll see about allowing you a chair."

Gods and it actually worked. Buffy lasted a whole five minutes before squinting open one eye and peering over at Willow who was sitting still, taking deep and even breaths. Buffy closed her eyes again. Perhaps competition was the key. He'd have to think on it.

When the bell rang, Willow leaped up from her seat with a shout of "Homeroom. I'm late!" and Buffy didn't settle again. Hmph, and perhaps competition wasn't the answer.