A/N: Re posting due to FFN publishing issues...

The Witch Slayer

Chapter 13: The First

Literally right after the last chapter ended

And then the Dark Lord rose again.

The grey clouds darkened in the sky and the vampires renewed their attack. The slayers continued to do their best to hold the line – now with the elder Malfoys and some of the order members at their side. Draco – recognizing what had happened, ran towards Harry and Voldemort.

"Oh my lord I knew you couldn't be dead!" Draco exclaimed with false bravado, stepping directly in front of Harry Potter and shocking/confusing the remaining crowd who had remained still, "your eminent superiority and –" he paused and broke into laughter, "I'm sorry I just – couldn't keep that up." Malfoy sneered. "What am I supposed to call you? Mr. The First? Voldefirst? Firstemort?"

Harry's eyes went wide with recognition and he backed away. Malfoy used his eyes to direct Harry to take over with the slayers. Voldefirst's chilling laughter echoed through the field. "I recognize you – you're that boy – my dear Buffy's brother and the Witch Slayer's watcher."

Draco furrowed his eyebrows in apparent pain, carefully placing his thumb and index finger on his sinuses, "she's not a witch slayer! That implies she slays witches! She is a witch who happens to be a vampire slayer – or if you prefer, a vampire slaying witch."

"Regardless, your Witch Slayer isn't here, is she? Last I saw she and big sis were stuck in the hellmouth and it was about to go bye bye. Too bad." Voldefirst smirked.

The order of the phoenix, still not quite sure what was going on, snapped into action, sending spell after spell towards the risen Voldemort. Draco hit the floor with gusto and waited about 3 minutes for the bombardment to stop. Sharply rolling his eyes he bemoaned, "Your spells won't do lasting damage he's already dead."

Draco yelled louder, "It's not Voldemort – it's some primordial evil possessing him." This didn't help but the order members backed away regardless. A few seemed to get their wits about them and started incapacitating the last of the death eaters, taking advantage of the strange, if confusing, turn of events.

"You know, I'm still a little unhappy with big sister and your witch slayer for derailing plan A. But I've been working on this for too long to see it fail." Voldefirst gave Draco a look which made him realize he was screwed.

"Oh you want me – give me your best shot!" Draco shouted bravely and then ran. In spite of what Voldefirst said, he still had faith that she would show up and he just needed to give her whatever time he could. He had gotten maybe 5 meters when he felt the first punch hit him and was thrown back an embarrassing distance. The crowd audibly winced hearing the tell tale crack of limbs breaking.

Voldefirst stepped over Draco, head tilted to the right, "I've been waiting an eon to get a foot hold in this world – constantly thwarted by the Powers," he paused for dramatic effect, smiling as he saw the new slayers struggling to battle the forces of darkness, witches and wizards bodies strewn across the battlefield, "You thought this man was evil? You thought he was a threat? Oh, I can see your thoughts – and you're wrong. Your witch slayer isn't coming."

Before Draco could respond, an image of Buffy appeared to his left, "Oh poor baby Drakey – do you really think she ever really cared for you?" the first taunted him. Draco closed his eyes and reminded himself this was not Buffy. Voldefirst grabbed Draco's shirt and looked about ready to break him in half when a sharp gust of wind grabbed the attention of the entire field.

Draco let out a sigh of relief and laughed. "How?" Voldefirst asked him.

"Did you really think we didn't plan for this? That we didn't know?" Draco smirked.

~1 month ago

"Hermione – why am I having slayer dreams?" Harry asked

"You're not," Hermione suddenly realized, "You-know-who is. And they're not slayer dreams. It's the First."

"What?" Harry and Ron asked in unison.

"Don't you see? We've been viewing them as two separate threats but they're not. The First uses death to interact on our plane of existence. It's able to use the specters of those who have died." Hermione started, finally putting the pieces together.

"You-know-who is some sort of anomaly – not wholly alive but not wholly dead because some of his soul exists. I'm not sure how – but I think the first is using him for something." Hermione furrowed her eyebrows in frustration – trying to put the pieces together.

"Firenze!" She exclaimed, causing the boys to jump, "He said to me – the first time I went hunting in the forest – the prophecy is not the end. I didn't know what he was talking about at the time but now – with this – I think the prophecy is the end of you-know-who but – I think we need to be prepared for the First to come here once you-know-who is defeated."

"But how are we supposed to stop the First?" Harry looked genuinely panicked now, "We're barely finding the Horcruxes and dealing with the corporeal villain as it is!"

"I don't know Harry – but I think I need to go to Sunnydale. Before it's too late." Hermione started texting Draco, hoping he would be able to help them.

Malfoy Manor – 2 days later

Malfoy and Hermione looked at one another as they stood in front of the fireplace, knowing they had only moments before all hell would break loose. Malfoy mumbled while throwing some herbs on the ground and the world around them froze.

Without preamble he grabbed her face and kissed her – it was soft at first but quickly grew urgent. Hermione sighed into his mouth and then gently pushed against him, breaking the kiss.

"I think the First is using Voldemort." Hermione whispered quickly to Malfoy, "I'm not sure exactly how but – it all fits. Harry's strange Bringer dream, Firenze's cryptic message. I need to go to Sunnydale."

Malfoy looked thoughtful and nodded, "I'll do everything I can on our end."

"I'll be there." Hermione promised and gave him a final kiss before flooing to Sunnydale.

Before Draco's very eyes, Hermione and Buffy appeared on the battlefield, each holding onto the mythical scythe and covered in dirt, blood and guts from their battle in the hellmouth.

Not allowing Voldefirst the opportunity to further explain his evilness, Hermione physically separated him from Draco, kicking the First in the chest and knocking him 10 feet away.

"Nice of you to show up." Draco commented.

"Soooorrrrryyyy." Hermione responded, offering him a hand, "Just saving the world, destroying small towns."

"'Mione – catch!" Buffy called to her – throwing her the Scythe before racing to the forest to help the new slayers. Draco could feel it the second the weapon was back in Hermione's hands, as could pretty much every person on the battlefield. Pure magic and goodness flowed through the scythe as Hermione wielded the weapon. She began stalking Voldefirst -

"Oh – and Hermione?" Draco interrupted her, causing her to pause and look back at him, "He called you a Witch Slayer."

"That son of a –" Hermione took a deep breath and continued forward, Voldefirst only just getting to his feet, his face a mask of fear for the first time. Looking to her right, Hermione noticed Buffy helping the new slayers hold back the mass of vampires. But she knew – this was her battle – this was why she was called. "I am not a witch slayer!" She spun and attempted to hit her target but he moved out of the way at the last second.

"I don't understand why this is such a sticking point – you're a slayer and a witch." Voldefirst attempted to banter.

"It's a grammar issue." She attempted again, this time using the ax to effectively slice through a chunk of its torso.

Voldefirst cackled again and finally spoke, "that's enough." He started and pushed his hands towards her. Whatever she had been expected didn't happen, instead she found her mind filled with her worst nightmares. She stood, her hands on her head, trying to keep from screaming.

"Hermione!" she vaguely heard Draco's yells from her right. She was still stuck in her head, seeing images of Draco dead, seeing Harry and Ron gone, seeing a dystopic future filled with the most horrible creatures she imagined, "Hermione – it's in your head!"

She started to get a hold of herself and looked at the creature, feeling a bit more confident as she saw the strain Voldefirst seemed to go through to keep up the deluge. Hermione held onto the scythe and focused, feeling the air around her swirl and the nightmares begin to peter out. Before the First could figure out Hermione had regained her composure, she struck the being while simultaneously casting a spell with the scythe, causing Voldefirst to light on fire from the inside and giving her the moment she needed.

She mumbled a few words with her eyes closed, holding the scythe and then, when she felt the power build up, she lifted it above her head yelling "solarum!"

Everyone covered their eyes as a flash of artificial sunlight encompassed the field. Instantaneously, the vampires turned to dust and Voldefirst let out an enraged yell, causing the very ground beneath them to quake.

Voldefirst and Hermione continued to duel, the First using brute force and elemental control while Hermione continued to use the scythe to amplify her powers. Meanwhile, the vampires no longer a threat, Buffy and Harry brought the other slayers around.

"Hey little brother." Buffy said, patting Draco on his bad shoulder. She sat next to Harry as the new slayers began to circle Hermione and Voldefirst.

"Is someone going to explain what's going on?" Ron joined the three, inadvertently checking Buffy out, earning himself a glare from Draco.

"We found the scythe in Sunnydale." Buffy explained, pointing to the weapon Hermione was expertly wielding. "When I used it, suddenly the uber vamps were like regular vamps. But when Hermione touched it, it was something else entirely.

"We realized, by accident really, that the scythe seems to be some sort of conduit for magic – kind of like your wands only a lot more powerful." She paused and they watched as she indeed used basic spells with explosive power.

"How did you get here?" Harry asked now, "you can't apparate onto Hogwarts."

Buffy smiled at Draco whose eyes went wide in sudden understanding, "There's a hellmouth out there!" He exclaimed.

"Got it kid. Since we were in a hellmouth, we didn't have to apparate through the wards. We just came right here." Buffy confirmed.

"What's happening now?" Harry asked, watching as Hermione gave instructions to the other slayers as they slowly approached her, wands at the ready.

"Dementors." Draco said unhelpfully, "You may remember, Potter, Hermione was a bit obsessed with them in fifth year." They watched now as apparitions floated on the field. Dead loved ones of the slayers infected them as Hermione made every effort to keep the girls focused.

Draco continued, "she was always a bit bothered by dementors. Where did they come from? Why did they exist at all? So that's when we started digging into the origins of magic and demons and what not. The watchers usually start their spiel with 'The world is older than you know' but for someone like Hermione – who has profound respect for science and facts and figures – she found the statement dubious.

"Because we don't just think the universe is as old is it is – or that the earth is for that matter. We have empirical data. Whereas mythology just has that – stories passed down over time. So what makes more sense? The world is magically older than science tells us? Or maybe the stories, likely past down through word of mouth generation after generation, became skewed over time." Draco paused – watching Hermione continue to fight spell for spell with the entity, waiting for her moment.

"Should we help her?" Potter finally thought to ask.

"She needs to do this part herself," Buffy confirmed, watching Hermione surrounded by the newly chosen slayers and nodding at Draco to continue.

"One thing we do know – through first-hand accounts – is that other dimensions do in fact exist. And there are portals between our world and theirs. So, Hermione hypothesized that at one point our dimension and another somehow collided – allowing demons to enter ours."

"What does this have to do with Dementors?" Ron asked, his eyes anxiously darting between Hermione and Ginny.

Draco explained, "many of the demons who came to this world were merely specters – not corporeal. One of these would infect a human to become a vampire. The demon would subvert the human soul but the person's nature would remain – meaning that the vampire would retain characteristics of their hosts. We came to believe that vampires evicted the human soul because it was inherently incompatible with the existence of the vampire and need to feed.

"We believe another of these specters is the Dementor. Hermione theorized that in its native dimension, it likely held a symbiotic relationship with other demons but here on earth, they are constantly in pain and unable to be fully sated.

"So then the next logical question is why a Patronus? What does the charm do exactly? And why does it work? A Patronus is a specter of good for lack of a better term. A charm so light that one must recall a moment of perfect happiness to achieve it. Hermione realized – when a Dementor is attacked by a Patronus, it is as if the wind pushes it away. Our initial assumption was that it was simply deterred but upon further research we determined that the Patronus effectively returns the Dementor to its native dimension." He finished and watched with satisfaction as Harry and Ron's eyes lit up.

Draco gave a knowing smile and turned back to watch the new slayers begin to speak together behind Hermione, "How did you test it?" Harry asked.

"Vampires." Draco confirmed, "During one of our hunts in the forest during 5th year, she used the Patronus charm against a vampire, after putting a tracker on it. Once the charm was issued, the vampire immediately vanished never to return." He paused and looked at Harry, "didn't you ever wonder why Hermione was so insistent you all learn the Patronus Charm 5th year?" Draco smirked and looked at Buffy who picked up the story.

"Hermione believed that the first was similarly a vestige of that world. Of course, it was much more powerful than a vampire and Hermione's attempts at using a Patronus failed comically. Even with the scythe, she wasn't powerful enough. What we needed was more power.

"So we activated the potentials."

"But how did you know some of the witches would be activated? That seems like a huge risk." Ron pointed out.

Buffy smiled now, "You're a Weasley, right?" When Ron nodded, she continued, "when Willow was at your place last summer, she recognized something in Ginny, conducted a teeny test and discovered your sister was a potential." She finished and they all looked on as Hermione and the other witch slayers began chanting Expecto Patronum, "Now you all may want to help." Buffy confirmed, "she needed to weaken it first, but now it's time."

Ron and Harry walked towards the group, uttering the chant. Buffy helped Draco stumble forward and all around them witches and wizards seemed to get the hint and started chanting.

The first's final specters were fading and it was beginning to panic as it felt its foothold on the earth leaving.

Hermione held the scythe out and paused her chanting for a moment, "I should thank you – it was only after being told so many times that I realized what I needed to do to beat you," she paused and looked at the monster with determination, "I am the witch slayer. Now get out of my dimension!" She smiled and pushed the weapon into the earth, shouting "EXPECTO PATRONUM" once more. The ground rumbled, as magic from the earth itself exploded from the scythe. Suddenly, hundreds of specters attacked the first. It took her a moment but Hermione finally realized how she recognized them.

"It's all of the slayers who came before us." Hermione smiled softly as she recognized Faith, Kendra and Ariana. Suddenly, the first was pulled out of Voldemort's body and vanished into thin air. Voldemort's body, no longer animated, unceremoniously collapsed to the ground.

Draco started limping towards Hermione, holding his broken left arm. Hermione rushed and helped him, "Did you see that? I did it!" She exclaimed proudly.

"I mean, yeah, technically…" Draco started getting ready to critique.

"No! You had to hear that – it was an effective quip. A primordial being's last moments before it left our dimension forever was a quip by me." Hermione was now beaming in (self) pride.

"I mean – yes – it was a quip. And it wasn't terrible – but that doesn't mean you should just stop working on it." Hermione pouted.

"Are you two really talking about this?" Ron asked incredulously. "I mean – Voldemort's finally dead! And that creepy first thing."

"As a watcher, I take my duties very seriously." Draco explained with utter seriousness.

"Shut up." Hermione smiled and, scythe still dangled from her right hand, grabbed Draco's neck with her left pulling him in for a very public and very long kiss. They heard a combination of catcalls and ews (presumably from Ron).

"Draco Malfoy!" The group heard and turned around – in time to see a bazillion wands aimed at the blonde, "We need to bring you in for questioning…"

"Seriously?!" Draco asked. "Did you all miss – all of this?!"

"I told you that tattoo was a bad idea." Hermione remarked lightly, shaking her head in disappointment. Meanwhile, the pair caught another set of order members taking custody of his parents.

"Mom! Dad!" Buffy yelled. At first Draco was worried she was going to do something stupid but alas, "Smile!" She said and started taking pictures of her parents, who were now rolling their eyes and doing their best to look embarrassed by her antics. "Hermione – can you get in this picture?" She motioned using her hand and Hermione (with the Scythe) posed for a picture with Draco along with the (getting more confused by the second) aurors.

"You came here to destroy the first evil and you brought a camera?!" Draco asked incredulously.

"Yes." Buffy responded, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Then, without preamble, she reached into Draco's pocket and grabbed his cell phone. He gave her a quizzical look to which she responded, "I have to call Dawn and Giles! They probably think we're dead."

"You brought a camera but left your phone…" Draco rolled his eyes and turned back to his captors, "Are you seriously arresting me?"

"Well – we're not sure what's going on but until you can explain it we're going to need you to come with us." Some nondescript order member shrugged.

"Maybe this will teach you not to use my likeness the next time you fake being dead." Was the last thing Draco heard as he was unceremoniously apparated to the ministry.

"And then you brought me to this prison cell!" Draco exclaimed, his fist hitting the table.

Kingsley Shacklebolt held a hand to his forehead, bracing himself, "this is not a prison cell, it is an empty office in the defense ministry."

"But what is a prison cell anyways?" Draco waxed philosophically, "by putting me here you removed my freedom of movement, thus imprisoning me." Draco crossed his arms over his chest.

"What is he still doing here?" Hermione asked, walking through the door (which Draco now realized was probably unlocked the whole time).

"Telling me a very long and very boring story." Kingsley explained.

Draco scoffed, "Boring?! This story has everything! Action, romance, adventure, mystery! Boring?! I'm leaving."

"Please do." Kingsley held the door open for the pair.

Hermione and Draco were five feet from the non-descript office when, unable to stop herself, Hermione pulled Draco into a closet. "Really?! After leaving me to possible imprisonment or death you now pull me in for – what – a quickie in a supply closet!?" He asked her in mock horror.

"Oh please," Hermione rolled her eyes smiling at him, "You were never in danger. While you were boring Kingsley to death, Harry and Ron explained everything to the rest of the order. Between that and Buffy threatening to bring hundreds of slayers wrath onto the wizarding world if they didn't release your parents, you've been free for a while now."

"So what now? Oh! We can go to Sunnydale! I can do whatever I want!" Draco brightened.

"Yeah, about that…" Draco face fell, "Sunnydale's kind of a sinkhole."

"Really?!"

"Yeah – but good news! Giles says there's a hellmouth in Cleveland so we can go there!" Hermione told him happily.

"Yeah well, as long as I'm still your watcher, I'll be happy wherever I am." Draco said sappily, holding Hermione's gaze and gently brushing his fingers through her hair.

"You'll always be my watcher." She whispered, leaning in to kiss him-

"WHY DOES THIS ALWAYS HAPPEN TO ME?" Harry shouted covering his eyes in mock horror.

"Seriously Potter, you walked into a supply closet – what did you think was going to happen?" And without ceremony, Malfoy kicked him out and locked the closet door.

"Will you ever end that spell causing Harry to walk in on us?" Hermione admonished.

"Eh", Draco responded, looking nostalgic, "Now where were we?"

A/N: We've reached the end! I have a short/goofy epilogue I plan to post tomorrow but this is the end of the substance of the story. I hope you all enjoyed this plot bunny/personal need for a Dramione BTVS/HP crossover.