Bill was at a complete and utter loss.

He was not equipped to handle the current situation, not in his present state of mind. And yet here he was, with his arms full of his ex-wife while Buffy looked on, her face showing the shock and dismay he felt inside.

Coming to his senses, Bill gently pushed Fleur away.

"I'm sorry, Fleur," he began. "But this isn't a good time for me-"

"Not a good time?" Fleur exclaimed, cutting him off. She shot a look over at Buffy. "What do you mean? What is going on? Who is this?"

Bill was taken aback and if her were honest, slightly annoyed. Even if there were something concrete between him and Buffy, it was none of Fleur's business. But then he realized that he might have had a similar reaction if he had come across his ex with another man. With that in mind, he felt his ire deflate. He decided to take the middle road, neither putting a label on his relationship with Buffy - because Merlin, what would he say? - nor being completely rude to Fleur.

"This is Buffy. Buffy, this is Fleur, my ex-wife."

Buffy extended her hand with a brilliant smile. "Hi, it's so nice to meet you," she gushed, apparently deciding to her adopt her bubbly blonde persona.

Fleur seemed surprised for a moment before graciously taking the proffered hand. "You as well. How do you and Bill know each other?" she asked. Before Buffy could answer, however, she turned to him. "And what happened to you, Bill? After we met in the Ministry, I thought it would be nice to talk, so I Flooed the Burrow and they told me you were here, of all places! I was worried something terrible had happened!"

Bill hesitated, unsure what to tell Fleur. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Charlie walking toward them, presumably coming to visit Buffy and him as he had for the past few days. Bill felt a wave of relief. Surely his brother would recognize the awkwardness of the situation and rescue him.

"Charlie!" he called out, all the while sending significant eye signals to his brother.

Charlie broke out into a smile when he spotted Bill - and it grew even wider when he saw who was with him.

"Fleur! How lovely to see you again," he said, taking her hand and giving the back of it a small kiss. Then his gaze shifted over to Buffy as he enveloped her in a big hug. "And look at you! Should you really be-"

"Charlie!" Buffy cut in. "I want to pay Greg Goyle a visit before we leave. Would you mind showing me the way?"

Before he could answer, she looped his arm through his and dragged him halfway to the entrance, which was quite the considerable feat considering how weak she was. For his part, Charlie merely looked at Bill in apology and shrugged before merrily continuing on his way with her, completely unaware of Kingsley's directive to leave St. Mungo's as quickly and quietly as possible.

Bill stared at their retreating figures for a moment. He knew why she had done it. Charlie was about to reveal too much information to Fleur. Still, he had a suspicion that wasn't the only reason. She got to sneak away from this awkwardness and sneak in to see Goyle, all the while taking away his means of escape. The slight smirk on her face as she turned to give him one last look confirmed it.

"Bugger," Bill whispered under his breath.

"Excuse me?"

Bill snapped his head around to look at Fleur. "Nothing. Sorry, I was just talking to myself."

Fleur studied him for a moment before turning her attention to where Buffy and Charlie once stood. "Is that Charlie's girlfriend? I've never seen him so smitten with a girl before!" she giggled, obviously very taken with the idea.

Bill, on the other hand, was not as amused. "No, that's not his girlfriend," he tersely replied, eliciting a look from Fleur. He took a deep breath. "Look, I'm sorry, Fleur, but now's really not a good time. Perhaps we can catch up later?"

It was a rote response, one he would give to anyone. Judging by the way Fleur's face lit up, however, her reaction was anything but.

"Can we?" she asked, the hope shining in her eyes.

His instinct was to refuse. He didn't want to mislead her. That chapter in his life was over, and he was finally at peace with that. As he thought about it, however, he realized that he and Fleur never had a chance for closure. Perhaps it was something they both needed before they could truly move on, hopefully as friends.

"Yes, perhaps over coffee or something," he said firmly. "But I really must go."

Without waiting for her response, he hurried back into St. Mungo's.

Buffy and Charlie must've sprinted through the hospital, for they were nowhere to be seen. Bill quickened his footsteps toward the first floor where they treated creature-related injuries, hoping that he did not cross paths with anyone from the Ministry. The one saving grace was that most wizards avoiding this section of the hospital if they could, the prejudice against werewolves and other creatures extending even here.

As he neared the ward, he could hear Buffy's voice filtering down the hallway.

"...know you don't really know me, but I'd like to help if I can."

As Bill stepped into view, he saw Buffy and Charlie standing next to Goyle, who was lying in bed, still a mess of cuts and bruises. Both Goyle and Charlie looked up when he entered, but Buffy kept her eyes trained on Goyle.

"Please just consider it. No pressure. Okay?"

Goyle didn't respond, his eyes flickering up to Buffy's before looking away. Buffy bit her lip, obviously wanting to say more but not sure what to say.

Though there was a chance his intervention would have the opposite effect, Bill decided to step in and try to help. Clearing his throat, he stepped more fully into the room.

"I know our families are not exactly on friendly terms, but you can trust Buffy," Bill said. "She and her team have a different way of looking at werewolves than we do. She helped me with my own issues, before I even knew I needed it."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the smile blossom on Buffy's face at his words. He kept his gaze on Goyle, though, to see what his response would be.

After a long moment, Goyle grunted.

"I… don't know."

"That's okay, you don't have to," Buffy quickly jumped in. She pulled a quill and piece a parchment out of her backpack and scribbled on it. "Here's my address in the US, along with my phone number… um, if you know how to use a phone. Just send an owl if you don't. I'm going back to my people tomorrow, so you just say when, and we'll be there."

This time, it was Buffy who ignored Bill and Charlie's stare at the bomb she had just dropped regarding her departure. She simply waited with her hand outstretched with the piece of parchment.

Goyle slowly reached out for it. As he took the parchment from Buffy, he made sure not to come in contact with her hand.

Frowning, Buffy clasped his hand in hers before he could completely withdraw.

"Everything will be okay. This is not the end of the world."

She let his hand go a moment later, but the look on Goyle's face was unmistakable. He clearly could not believe she would willingly touch him. Overwhelmed, he closed his eyes and turned his head away.

Buffy, Bill, and Charlie silently took this as their cue to leave - only to run smack into Kingsley just outside the ward.

The Minister did not look happy.

"Miss Summers, what a surprise," he intoned. "Particularly since we agreed that you would leave St. Mungo's as quickly and quietly as possible."

Buffy didn't try and defend herself. "My bad," she said, though she didn't look all that sorry in Bill's opinion. "I promise I'll go now, though. I couldn't in good conscious leave without checking on Greg first, though."

Kingsley studied her for a moment before shaking his head. "Your cooperation is appreciated," he replied. Then he looked Bill squarely in the eye. "You certainly have your hands full, don't you?"

"Hey!" Buffy objected, putting her hands on her hips indignantly.

Before she could say anything else, Bill practically picked her up and hauled her out of the hospital with Charlie trailing behind, a shit-eating grin pasted on his face. As soon as they reached a secluded area on a side street, Bill stopped.

"Charlie, why don't you go on ahead to the Burrow? We'll be there in a minute."

His brother nodded. "I'll let Mum know to expect you two."

With that, Charlie left, though not before sending Buffy a wink before he went on his merry way.

Bill shot his brother a dirty look before turning toward Buffy, who had her arms crossed over her chest in annoyance. He wasn't as concerned about her current mood as he was about the bombshell she had dropped just a few minutes ago.

"So you're planning to leave? Tomorrow?" he asked, trying to sound as casual as he could.

Buffy let out her breath in a loud whoosh, her arms falling to her side, her defensiveness falling away with that gesture.

"It's time. Now that Greyback has been dealt with, there's no reason for me to stay, and there's some much needed closure waiting for me back home," she said slowly. "Besides, it's not like I belong here. For one thing, all my pop culture references would be completely wasted."

"I'm a quick study," he jested.

As soon as the words were out, he realized it made him sound a tad bit desperate. He didn't care, though. He really did want her to stay, something he only truly realized when she said she was leaving - even if he knew she ihad/i to go, just as much as he needed to stay.

Buffy seemed to understand the conundrum, too. Instead of responding with another joke, she gently shook her head.

"We both know you have a lot to think about and some big decisions to make," she said. "And I have to go home to my family, not to mention have some words with a certain Wicca friend of mine about keeping life-altering secrets."

"Willow!" Bill exclaimed, smacking his hand to his forehead.

In all the excitement, he had forgotten to tell Buffy about what had happened in Devon. At Buffy's look of panic at the mention of Willow's name, Bill rushed to explain.

"She's okay," he reassured her. "At least, she is now. It was touch and go for awhile there, but the coven managed to stabilize both Willow and the Activation Spell, according to the last owl Maris sent."

Buffy bit her lip, and Bill could see that her mind was a thousand miles away. A full minute passed before she spoke again.

"I need to see her. Now."

Bill nodded. "I thought as much," he admitted, though in truth he hadn't expected it quite so soon after she awoke. "Apparently the head of coven did as well. Nora has authorized the Floo between our fireplace and Maris' for you. She said something about her having better chances at stopping the tide than keeping you away with far less destruction. I think she knows you rather well."

Buffy stuck her tongue out at him. "It's called tenacity and it's a positive character trait," she shot back. Then, putting all joking aside, she reached for his hand. "Thank you, Bill. For everything."

They stared at one another for a moment before Bill looked away. "Well, let's get to the Burrow, shall we? My mum will kill me if I don't bring you by to say farewell."

When Bill and Buffy stepped into the Burrow, they were surprised to see the whole family there. As soon as they were spotted, they were met with a chorus of greetings - or at least one of them was.

"Buffy!"

Bill's siblings quickly gathered around her, giving her hugs of welcome.

"Okay, everyone," Bill said loudly. "She did just leave the hospital, against all Healer advice. She might need a little room to breathe."

Just like that, a ring of space opened up around Buffy.

"What are you doing here? Not that I'm not delighted to see you," Bill's mum said hastily. "Shouldn't you be resting?"

Buffy fidgeted uncomfortably for a moment before she cleared her throat. "Actually, I've come to say goodbye."

A silence instantly fell over the room.

"I can't thank you enough for your hospitality, Molly," Buffy continued, blithely ignoring the looks both she and Bill were receiving. "Especially since I'm sure I didn't make a great first impression."

"Nonsense! You're welcome here any time! But… are you certain you don't want to stay just a bit longer?" Bill's mother wheedled, having grown extremely fond of Buffy in such a short time. "Perhaps at least until the next full moon so we can see if…"

Her voice trailed off as she gestured toward the bite Buffy had received from Bromley.

When Buffy started to shake her head, Molly jumped in with another suggestion. "How about just one more day then? You still look awfully peaked to me, and you still don't have your strength back. I can make that stew you liked so much that last time."

Buffy teared up a little as she embraced Bill's mother. "That is so sweet and so incredibly tempting, but I really have to go. My sister's waiting for me," she revealed, knowing exactly what buttons to press to get Mrs. Weasley to concede.

"Well, I guess I can't argue with that," Molly sniffled, though she shot Bill a furtive look, silently imploring him to do something.

To her and his entire family's chagrin, however, he did nothing, not even when for a split second he could've sworn he caught Buffy giving him a lingering look. Deep in his heart, he knew it was the right thing to do. They had helped each other through a difficult time, but this was where their paths diverged. They both had some loose ends to take care of, ones that needed to be put to rest before they could move forward, whether that was together or separately.

As Buffy began to coo over Rose and tell Hermione of her plans to reignite slayer-wizard relations - which released an avalanche of excitement from his sister-in-law - Bill went up to his room to retrieve Buffy's sword. To his surprise, Charlie was close behind him.

As soon as they were out of earshot in the bedroom, his brother let loose.

"Bill, you're my older brother, and I've always looked up to you, but you are being a complete and utter arse," Charlie declared. "If I were in your shoes, I would go after her in a heartbeat."

Bill gave his brother a tight smile. "You're more than free to do so. After all, she's single and available."

"She may be single, but she's definitely not available, not for me," Charlie scoffed. "That much has been obvious for quite some time. Merlin, when did you get to be so daft?"

Bill ignored the last remark. "Then why all the flirting, if you thought that? Not to mention the endless innuendo," he pointed out.

Charlie had the decency to look ashamed. "Well, you see, a certain sister-in-law of ours was concerned that you'd be too thick to realize certain things on your own, and she asked - more like threatened - me to help you open your eyes with a little healthy competition."

Bill groaned. "I should've known," he muttered as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I wouldn't have done it if I thought for one second that Buffy took it for anything but harmless flirting, even if I do think she's bloody fantastic. But it was clear right from the very beginning that there something between the two of you," Charlie revealed. Then a look of horror crossed his face. "Please tell me this isn't because of Fleur."

Bill looked up, surprised. "What? No, of course not! Why would you think that?"

Before Charlie could answer, there was a swell of voices downstairs.

Curious to see what the ruckus was all about, Bill grabbed her sword and headed for the stairs, though he made sure to throw his brother a dirty look before he left the room. "I'll deal with you and Hermione later."

Then he rejoined the group, only to see Buffy saying her goodbyes to everyone. When he was the only one left, he stepped toward her, her sword outstretched. He waited as she stored it in her rucksack before speaking.

"The last time we parted, you just up and went without so much as a by your leave," he pointed out.

Buffy grinned at him. "I'm impetuous like that. It's part of my charm. Besides, I'm doing it the right way this time. That's got to count for something, right?"

"It does," he replied. Then he grew serious. "Thank you, for everything."

She held his gaze for a moment before wrapping him in a big hug. "I'm glad I met you, Bill Weasley."

"Likewise," Bill murmured. "More than you know."

Buffy pulled back and looked him straight in the eye. "Well, you know where to find me."

A small smile lifted the corners of Bill's mouth at the implied invitation. "I do indeed," he replied. His good mood vanished, however, as her words brought something else to mind. "The moonstone."

In the flurry of activity since Buffy had awoken, he had forgotten all about it.

Buffy clearly had no idea what he was talking about, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "The what now?"

Bill felt a flush of nervousness, knowing how she felt about magic, specifically when it involved her. "Well, you see, we were a bit stumped when we were trying to find you. Moonstone seemed like the best chance, but it only worked after we completed a spell using your blood and mine," he explained. When she didn't say anything, he rushed on, hoping to smooth this over. "Let me give it to you before you go. It's only right that you have it, after all. The only reason I haven't destroyed it outright is because I'm not sure whether it would have any negative impact on you. Magic can be finnicky that way."

He fished the moonstone out of his pocket and held it out to Buffy.

From the moment he started talking, Buffy's face had gone completely blank as she absorbed what he was saying. It stayed that way once he was done, too. Bill felt himself begin to panic, thinking that maybe she would rescind her offer for him to look her up. After a few moments, however, she relaxed and reached out to close his hand around the moonstone.

"It's… okay. You did what you had to. Why don't you keep it until you find a safe way to destroy it?"

"But-" Bill began to protest.

Buffy shook her head. "I trust you."

She pulled him into a hug once again. Then, before he could glimpse her face one last time, she strode over the fireplace and grabbed some Floo powder. The next instant she was gone.

Bill stared at the spot where she had stood not a moment ago.

From the beginning of the whole ordeal with Greyback, he had been angry, angry at himself for not being able to stop him, angry at the Ministry for refusing to take action, angry at the lot life had given him. Now, however, he was grateful, for it allowed him to meet Buffy, and he was a better man for it.

He turned back to his family, ready to tackle things head on and, for the first time in a long time, he felt like he was finally home again.

THE END

(except for the epilogue)