Chapter Two - I Think I Know You

"Hermione, are you ready yet?"

"Oh, honestly, will you wait a minute Ron?"

Ron sighed and shot a look at Harry which clearly said, 'she's your girlfriend.'

Harry smirked, clearly saying, 'yes, she is.'

At the beginning of the summer, Hermione invited Harry and Ron to stay with her family during August. Harry spent a confusing July at the Burrow, where Ron and Ginny incessantly told him that he should tell Hermione how he felt about her because it would all work out for the best. Harry finally worked up the courage to ask her out on his birthday. And Hermione said yes.

So, August was interesting as everyone was trying to get used to the two of them as a couple, although Ron had to know that they were definitely in a relationship beyond friendship because he had walked in on them making out in almost every room of the Grangers' house.

At least twice.

He was so glad the Head Boy and Head Girl got their own rooms. Hermione, to no one's surprise, got her Head Girl badge with her letter, although of all people, she was disappointed to announce that Draco Malfoy landed himself the title of Head Boy. The Gryffindor Quidditch team couldn't decide who they wanted as a captain, Ron or Harry, so they opted to have both - they were co-captains.

Hermione came down the stairs, a lightening charm on her trunk so that she could carry it without help.

"Okay, I'm ready. Let's go."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"The last car. We always end up in the last car."

"Stop whining, Ron. Just sit down and relax. It's our last year!"

"That's easy for you to say - you're Head Girl."

"And you're co-captain of the Quidditch team and a school prefect, so sit down and shut up."

Harry laughed and sat down with his back against the window, legs up on the seat. Hermione sat with her back against his chest. Ron sat down across from them.

And there was a knock on the door.

Ron shrugged. "Come in."

Dawn slipped the door open. "Hi, um, there's no room anywhere else on the train, so - would you mind if we stayed in here?"

Ron glanced at Harry who shrugged and let Hermione answer. "Not at all."

Dawn smiled and turned around. "Kennie, it's okay."

"Don't call me that." Kennedy grumbled. The two of them walked in and shut the door. Kennedy sat down next to Ron and Dawn settled down on the floor.

"I'm Dawn. This is Kennedy."

"Hi. I'm Hermione, and this is Ron and Harry."

"Her boyfriend." Ron said sarcastically.

"Ron!" Hermione blushed as Harry bit back a laugh. Hermione rolled her eyes. "So, what year are you? I've never seen you before - are you exchange students?"

"Not exactly. Dawn's sister is the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, well, one of them, and I was staying with her, so when she accepted the offer, Dawn and I got to tag along."

"So, Dawn's sister is the new Dark Arts teacher? Who is she?" Harry asked.

"Buffy Summers." Dawn answered.

Hermione's eyes widened and she sat up. "Buffy Summers? As in slayer Buffy Summers?"

"Yes - I mean, no- I mean - how do you know about that?" Dawn asked, eyeing Kennedy.

"Tara. My cousin was Tara McClay."

"Oh, YOU'RE Hermione. Tara talked about you all the time. I'm - I'm sorry. I was the one who wrote the letter, with Buffy's help. I'm just - I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. So, who's here with Buffy? Xander?" "Willow." Kennedy said quietly.

That was the end of THAT conversation.

The rest of the ride was relatively quiet. Hermione, Harry, and Dawn fell asleep, leaving Kennedy and Ron to talk.

"So, what house are you staying in?" Ron asked, turning towards her.

"We're staying in - Gryffindor, I think."

"Oh, that's where the three of us are."

"Great." Kennedy was quiet for a moment, before she glanced at Ron. "Do you have a girlfriend?"

"No. Why?"

"Just curious."

Ron looked at her. "Why? Do you have a boyfriend?"

"Nope. Dawn and I have been too busy with slayer training - "

"Slayer training? You two are training to be slayers?" Ron asked, surprised.

"Yup. We both found out in June. We were supposed to train with Buffy's watcher, but since Willow went to stay with him, Buffy's been training us. So, between that and - other stuff - I haven't had a chance to go out and find a guy. I'm pretty single."

"That makes two of us."

Kennedy looked at him and smiled. 'He is pretty cute. Sorry Dawnie, he's mine.'

Ron grinned back. 'She's staying in Gryffindor? Oh, this is going to be one hell of an interesting year.'

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The Great Hall was buzzing with activity after the sorting. It took Professor Dumbledore quite a few tries to get the students to quiet down.

Dumbledore chuckled. "Welcome back students, welcome to another year. As usual, I have a few announcements to make. The Forbidden Forest is, as the name suggests, forbidden. The third floor corridor is no longer out of bounds; however I ask that you not go wandering. It is being reserved for a special class beginning around Halloween. There are also a few new professors I'd like to introduce - Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers, Professor Buffy Summers and Professor Willow Rosenberg. I would highly suggest not trying to underestimate them." He glanced at Buffy, who nodded. "Professor Summers is the Chosen One; some you know her better as the slayer, and Professor Rosenberg is a wandless witch."

The room burst into whispers. "Quiet please! Also, we have two new students who will be staying in Gryffindor, both slayers in training - Dawn Summers and Kennedy Price."

Dawn and Kennedy stood up from their place at the Gryffindor table. Draco looked up and caught Dawn's eye. 'She's cute,' he thought, 'for a Mudblood.'

'Who is the hot Spike look alike?' Dawn thought, looking at him and smiling. 'Now THAT'S a guy I could go for.'

Dumbledore looked at Dawn and Draco, eyes gleaming. "I believe that is all. Let the feast begin!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Gryffindors, follow me please!"

Dawn walked through the door and bumped right into Draco. "Sorry." She said.

Draco played it cool. "Watch where you're going Summers."

"Don't get all pissy," Kennedy said coming up to them. "She said she was sorry."

"And who are you? Her bloody bodyguard?"

"I'm what you call the girl who is going to help her kick your ass in about five seconds if you don't clear out."

"Malfoy! Come help with the First Years!"

Draco looked at them and smirked. "You're lucky. See you around Summers."

Dawn and Kennedy watched him as he walked towards the Slytherin group of First Years. Kennedy glared. "Who the hell was that prick?"

"Draco Malfoy, Head Boy, and the one person who has been causing trouble for us since day one." Ron answered, coming up to them.

"Sounds like fun." Dawn said aloud, while she was thinking, 'but that doesn't mean there's no hope for him at all.' She smirked.

"C'mon, let me show you guys the Common Room."

Ron walked them to the portrait, who asked the password ("Pixie dust"). They walked into the Common Room, and Dawn's eyes widened. "Wow. This is - amazing."

"I'll say. It's just - different." Kennedy said, looking at Ron.

Ron smiled. "Your room is the last door in the Girl's Dormitory. You're probably really tired. I'll see you in the morning?"

Kennedy smiled. "Sure."

Dawn watched the two of them and couldn't help but grin. "Kennie, come on." She grabbed Kennedy's arm and mumbled, "You can flirt later." She looked up. "Night Ron!"

As they went up the stairs, Ron yelled "Night!"

The two of them found the room in record time and Dawn shut the door.

"How many times do I have to tell you NOT to call me Kennie? And what the hell was the flirting comment about?"

"Oh, please, you should have seen yourself at dinner. You were flirting like nobody was looking. Believe me, Hermione and I noticed. A lot. He likes you, Ken. Go for it."

"Oh, like you didn't notice him too?" Kennedy asked, pulling her pajamas out of her bag.

"I noticed someone else actually. And he's going to be a challenge. I love a challenge."

"Since when?" Kennedy asked, looking over her shoulder.

Dawn threw her pillow at Kennedy, and started to change into her own pajamas.

Kennedy turned around and Dawn flopped down on her bed. "So, who are you going after? Harry? - and get off my bed."

"Harry's taken. I'm not THAT evil. Besides, he's obviously hopelessly devoted to Hermione."

"Should I break out into song now or later?" Kennedy asked smiling.

Dawn cringed. "Later. MUCH later. Like, when the castle is cleared out."

"Shut up!" Kennedy said, throwing Dawn's pillow back at her. Dawn giggled. "But seriously, who do you have your eyes set on?"

Dawn grinned evilly. "Draco Malfoy."

"Ah - now I get the hard to get comment. He hates Muggles AND he's in the opposing house."

"Yeah. But I'm determined to get him to notice me, and in a way he'd never expect."

"Screw it - you ARE evil."

Dawn jumped onto her own bed. "Yeah. I always liked the bad boys."

"You just like him because he's a dead ringer for Spike."

"That is SO not true!" Dawn said getting up.

Kennedy arched an eyebrow, and Dawn sat back down. "Well, maybe just a little. So, he's hot. I don't know, there's - there's something else about him, something that I can just - sense, you know? Out of the whole crowd, I picked him out while we were standing. And he was looking right back." Dawn sighed and lay down. "He can't be THAT bad."

Kennedy just bit her lip.

"Can he?" Dawn asked, rolling over onto her stomach.

"From what Ron told me before - yeah. He can be."

Dawn blew air through her teeth and sighed. "Oh well. There's no harm in trying, right?"

Kennedy shrugged. "Right."

But she was thinking something else. 'From what Ron told me, there may be more harm in it then you know.'

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Willow?"

Willow was staring out the window of her room. There were doors on either side of the large office they shared - one leading to Willow's room, one leading to Buffy's. The door in the center led to a bathroom.

"Will, hey." Buffy put her hand on Willow's shoulder and she jumped. "Sorry." Buffy perched herself on the windowsill. "So - are you alright? You seemed a little distant at dinner."

Willow sighed. "You saw that girl that Dawn was speaking to?"

"Yeah, the one whose boyfriend was that kid Dumbledore was telling us about."

"Harry. And yes, her."

"What about her?"

Willow sighed. "That's Hermione Granger." She said, as if that explained it all.

"Her - oh. Oh! Wait - Hermione? Tara's Hermione?"

"One and the same. I recognized her from some pictures Tara had shown me. I think she recognized me too. She gave me an awkward little smile as she was walking out of the Hall, like she felt sort of bad. Goddess, you know, when the name 'Hogwarts' came up in conversation with Giles, it never clicked that it was the same Hogwarts Tara's cousin was attending. And now I have to see this girl, every single day, and teach her, and hope to God that I don't keep seeing that look of pity in her eyes? I know she knows about the magic, Buffy. I just - " Willow sighed and looked back out the window. "This was a situation I didn't see coming."

Buffy put a comforting hand on Willow's shoulder. "You'll get through this Willow. I promise. I'll be here, okay? I'll be here."

Willow smiled. "Thanks."

"Now, c'mon, get some rest." Buffy rubbed her hands together. "We have a class to teach tomorrow."

"Yay! So - what are we teaching? Werewolves? Boggarts? Those funny looking gremlin things we saw in that book?"

"Vampires."

Willow's face fell. "You just can't give up that job can you?"

Buffy shrugged. "It's my life, Will. I can't escape it. No matter where I go, it follows me. I just wish I knew what fate was going to throw at me next." She shrugged and went off to her own room. "Goodnight!" She yelled back.

Willow shook her head. "No you don't, Buffy. No you don't."