A/N: Character death in this chapter. Just one. Sorry....
~* Looking In *~
Part Four - Dark Destiny
~* I'm on the outside
I'm looking in
I can see through you
I see your true colors
Cause inside you're ugly
Ugly like me
I can see through you
I see to the real you *~
"Wow. So - you've - wow."
Buffy smiled. "To say the very least. But your life hasn't been any picnic in the park either."
"That it hasn't. But it's gotten better, or at least better then it was."
Buffy sighed softly. "I wish mine had."
"What was that?"
Buffy shook her head. "Nothing. Nothing, never mind." Harry - well, she could identify with him. He was the boy with the destiny, the one whose purpose in life was to do something great. And great he was - known for defeating the darkest wizard in wizardville, or something like that. He was the Boy Who Lived, and she was the Girl Who Died. Twice.
They were exactly the same and completely different all at the same time. Who knew?
"Buffy?"
Buffy's attention was pulled out of her thoughts and towards the doorway. "Yeah. Angel, what is it?"
"We have a - " Angel was cut off by a sudden swooshing noise in the room as an owl flew in the door, along with Hermione and a very relaxed Draco. It flew onto Harry's shoulder and nipped his shoulder lightly.
"What is up with the owls?"
Harry chuckled. "It's how we deliver mail. This is my owl, Hedwig." Hedwig nipped his ear, a little harder this time.
"Okay, okay. I'll open it. Give me a minute." Harry couldn't open the letter fast enough. Whatever this was about, it was important, considering Hedwig was now flying around the room, not much unlike Pigwidgeon used to.
"Potter, what's with your owl?" Draco said, annoyed, ducking as Hedwig flew over his head.
Harry's face went slightly pale. "It might have something to do with this." Harry handed the letter to Buffy, who eyed him suspiciously before reading it aloud. Hermione went over to Harry's side and he just shook his head.
Harry,
I just arrived in Sunnydale to a welcoming committee. Get down to the high school NOW. There's been an attack, but there's something you have to see to believe. I would suggest bringing the slayer with you. There's something she needs to know about as well.
- Ron
Buffy didn't have to think twice. She grabbed a stake from the coffee table, and looked around. "Am I the only one going, or is someone going to have my back?"
"Buffy, its still daylight." Angel said.
"Then come when it's dark." She was about to step out the door, and Angel grabbed her arm.
"Don't try to stop me! I'm going!"
"Wait a minute! There's something you should know."
"What?" Buffy saw the worry in his face. "Angel..."
"It's Kennedy. She's been called."
"What?" Buffy shook her head. "That's impossible, the only way she could have been called is if - "
"Exactly."
Buffy just looked at him, the contents of the letter finally making sense.
I would suggest bringing the slayer with you. There's something she needs to know about as well.
"Oh my god - Faith."
"Exactly. If Faith's dead, the last thing you should be doing is going in, guns blazing."
"Could we discuss this later people?" Draco said, impatiently. If the other slayer was dead, he didn't even want to start thinking about what happened to Willow. "Are you coming or not?"
Buffy looked at Angel, and shrugged. "I'm going."
"Good. We can apparate - "
"What?" Angel and Buffy asked together.
"Apparate - it's a way to get from one place to another by merely thinking about it. It's pretty simple."
Buffy just looked at him, blinking. "Simple he says."
Draco glared and grabbed Buffy's arm. "Hold on."
The world shifted, and the last thing Buffy saw in her house was Angel's worried face.
~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Weasly!"
Ron spun around. Only one person would call him that and be able to express that much annoyance with him in just one word. "Where the bloody hell have you been Malfoy?"
"Trying to get the slayer here to choose whether she wanted to stay or go. A little indecisive she is."
"Oh, fuck off Draco."
"And what a mouth. I suddenly have a newfound respect for you Summers."
Buffy ignored him. "Where's Willow?"
"She's a little shaken up right now. She said she wanted to be alone. I wasn't quite in any position to argue."
"Where is she?" Draco asked.
Ron made a gesture with his hand. "Over around the back of the school."
Hermione saw the stricken look in Draco's face, and knew exactly what he planned on doing. And she was going to help.
"Ron, what happened?" She asked quickly, trying to distract him. "What did you mean by welcoming committee?" As she spoke, Draco slipped behind them and around the school to where Willow was.
"What happened? That's a story to be told. The abridged version? Someone must have put a Honing Charm on me and Lavender and followed us here. We got here, and saw Willow, and two other people - Xander and - "
"Xander! Where is he? Is he okay?"
"Xander is fine. He's sitting with - erm - with Faith." He said, slowly. "Buffy, I'm so - "
"Where is he?" She asked sternly, feeling the tears well up in her throat.
"Over there. By the main entrance." Buffy nodded and walked over to him.
"Xander?" Buffy asked tentatively.
Xander looked up at her. "She was just fighting these - and then - there was a bunch of green light - she was - Willow - oh God, Buffy." Buffy went over and hugged him, eyes closed.
"I can't do this anymore."
"I know Xand. I know."
Willow was watching her friends out of the corner of her eye, holding back tears. She felt Draco approaching her. "I thought I told Ron I wanted to be alone."
"Willow, this wasn't your fault."
Willow spun around to face him. Her eyes were a deeper green then usual, as if they were fading from a darker color. He could feel the magic rolling off of her in waves, not dangerously, but enough to tell him that she had used it recently.
"What happened?" He approached her cautiously. "Whatever it was - "
"How can you say it wasn't my fault? You weren't there - you don't know! We were just talking, and then these two people showed up. They said their names were Ron and Lavender, and they said they were with you. And then there were these guys in hoods. Dozens of them surrounding us, and I could just feel the darkness, and I knew they were bad. Ron seemed to panic, and then - they just attacked. Faith was holding them off but then one of them - the leader - said something. And there was all this green light. Xander was thrown back, and I saw he was hurt. And she was just dead."
"Willow -"
The tears were steadily rolling down her cheeks. "And he said that would happen to all of us if I didn't go with him. And then - I lost it. Completely. I felt the magic in me and I just let it take over, and he was pleased. The rest of them panicked and backed off, some of them disappeared. And all I wanted to do was hurt them. All of them. But him - God, I wanted to kill him. And - Goddess, I did. I killed him, and I didn't care."
She was so wrapped up in her story that she didn't feel Draco come up behind her until he felt his arms go around her waist. "Willow, please - "
"No!" She pulled out of his grasp. "Don't you understand? I just want to be alone!" Draco fell to the floor as if he was pushed - but she hadn't even touched him.
"Oh God. Oh God." Willow knelt by him. "I - oh - are you okay?"
He groaned as he sat up. "I'm alright."
"I'm - oh my God - I didn't mean to - I just - see? I lose control and I end up hurting the people I love and then I - "
"You what?"
Willow blinked. "And then I - "
"No, before that. What did you say?"
"I lose control?"
Draco stepped over to her. "After that."
"I - I hurt people I love." She looked up at him.
"People you love." He brushed a piece of hair out of her face. "Does that include me?"
Willow nodded up at him. "Yes. It does. I love you. But - you probably think I'm crazy."
"Why would I think you were crazy?"
"Besides the out of control, black magic thing?"
"Like I haven't seen that before. You forget who you're talking to." Draco pulled his left arm from around her waist and rolled up the sleeve of his shirt, revealing the Dark Mark. "See? You're not the only one who's given in one time or another."
Willow traced the scar with a fingertip, not much unlike she had seen Hermione do in her dream, his shared memory. "No. I guess I'm not. Maybe that's why we connect. Why I'm reaching out to you. Why you can see right through me." She cupped his cheek with her hand. "Why I love you."
"I'm pretty sure that's why I love you, Willow Rosenberg."
Willow looked into his eyes. "You do?"
Draco nodded. "Yeah." He leaned down and crushed her lips against his.
"Those two seem to have hit it off quite well." Ron mused wryly, watching the two from afar.
"They're alike. In more ways then you know." Hermione said, watching them with a small smile.
"Oh, and you do?" Lavender asked, crossing her arms.
Hermione looked at her. "More then anyone will ever understand." She shrugged. "I'll never tell. So don't even ask."
Harry squeezed Hermione's hand. "So, what do we do now?"
"The Aurors are going to take care of the damages, clean it up, make it look like nothing happened. We should get Willow and her friends home." Lavender said, glancing over at Buffy and Xander.
"Well, one thing's for sure." Ron said grimly.
"What's that?" Hermione asked.
"From what I just saw - we certainly don't need to protect her from anything anymore."
Harry just nodded and Hermione sighed, running a hand through her hair.
~* Looking In *~
Part Four - Dark Destiny
~* I'm on the outside
I'm looking in
I can see through you
I see your true colors
Cause inside you're ugly
Ugly like me
I can see through you
I see to the real you *~
"Wow. So - you've - wow."
Buffy smiled. "To say the very least. But your life hasn't been any picnic in the park either."
"That it hasn't. But it's gotten better, or at least better then it was."
Buffy sighed softly. "I wish mine had."
"What was that?"
Buffy shook her head. "Nothing. Nothing, never mind." Harry - well, she could identify with him. He was the boy with the destiny, the one whose purpose in life was to do something great. And great he was - known for defeating the darkest wizard in wizardville, or something like that. He was the Boy Who Lived, and she was the Girl Who Died. Twice.
They were exactly the same and completely different all at the same time. Who knew?
"Buffy?"
Buffy's attention was pulled out of her thoughts and towards the doorway. "Yeah. Angel, what is it?"
"We have a - " Angel was cut off by a sudden swooshing noise in the room as an owl flew in the door, along with Hermione and a very relaxed Draco. It flew onto Harry's shoulder and nipped his shoulder lightly.
"What is up with the owls?"
Harry chuckled. "It's how we deliver mail. This is my owl, Hedwig." Hedwig nipped his ear, a little harder this time.
"Okay, okay. I'll open it. Give me a minute." Harry couldn't open the letter fast enough. Whatever this was about, it was important, considering Hedwig was now flying around the room, not much unlike Pigwidgeon used to.
"Potter, what's with your owl?" Draco said, annoyed, ducking as Hedwig flew over his head.
Harry's face went slightly pale. "It might have something to do with this." Harry handed the letter to Buffy, who eyed him suspiciously before reading it aloud. Hermione went over to Harry's side and he just shook his head.
Harry,
I just arrived in Sunnydale to a welcoming committee. Get down to the high school NOW. There's been an attack, but there's something you have to see to believe. I would suggest bringing the slayer with you. There's something she needs to know about as well.
- Ron
Buffy didn't have to think twice. She grabbed a stake from the coffee table, and looked around. "Am I the only one going, or is someone going to have my back?"
"Buffy, its still daylight." Angel said.
"Then come when it's dark." She was about to step out the door, and Angel grabbed her arm.
"Don't try to stop me! I'm going!"
"Wait a minute! There's something you should know."
"What?" Buffy saw the worry in his face. "Angel..."
"It's Kennedy. She's been called."
"What?" Buffy shook her head. "That's impossible, the only way she could have been called is if - "
"Exactly."
Buffy just looked at him, the contents of the letter finally making sense.
I would suggest bringing the slayer with you. There's something she needs to know about as well.
"Oh my god - Faith."
"Exactly. If Faith's dead, the last thing you should be doing is going in, guns blazing."
"Could we discuss this later people?" Draco said, impatiently. If the other slayer was dead, he didn't even want to start thinking about what happened to Willow. "Are you coming or not?"
Buffy looked at Angel, and shrugged. "I'm going."
"Good. We can apparate - "
"What?" Angel and Buffy asked together.
"Apparate - it's a way to get from one place to another by merely thinking about it. It's pretty simple."
Buffy just looked at him, blinking. "Simple he says."
Draco glared and grabbed Buffy's arm. "Hold on."
The world shifted, and the last thing Buffy saw in her house was Angel's worried face.
~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Weasly!"
Ron spun around. Only one person would call him that and be able to express that much annoyance with him in just one word. "Where the bloody hell have you been Malfoy?"
"Trying to get the slayer here to choose whether she wanted to stay or go. A little indecisive she is."
"Oh, fuck off Draco."
"And what a mouth. I suddenly have a newfound respect for you Summers."
Buffy ignored him. "Where's Willow?"
"She's a little shaken up right now. She said she wanted to be alone. I wasn't quite in any position to argue."
"Where is she?" Draco asked.
Ron made a gesture with his hand. "Over around the back of the school."
Hermione saw the stricken look in Draco's face, and knew exactly what he planned on doing. And she was going to help.
"Ron, what happened?" She asked quickly, trying to distract him. "What did you mean by welcoming committee?" As she spoke, Draco slipped behind them and around the school to where Willow was.
"What happened? That's a story to be told. The abridged version? Someone must have put a Honing Charm on me and Lavender and followed us here. We got here, and saw Willow, and two other people - Xander and - "
"Xander! Where is he? Is he okay?"
"Xander is fine. He's sitting with - erm - with Faith." He said, slowly. "Buffy, I'm so - "
"Where is he?" She asked sternly, feeling the tears well up in her throat.
"Over there. By the main entrance." Buffy nodded and walked over to him.
"Xander?" Buffy asked tentatively.
Xander looked up at her. "She was just fighting these - and then - there was a bunch of green light - she was - Willow - oh God, Buffy." Buffy went over and hugged him, eyes closed.
"I can't do this anymore."
"I know Xand. I know."
Willow was watching her friends out of the corner of her eye, holding back tears. She felt Draco approaching her. "I thought I told Ron I wanted to be alone."
"Willow, this wasn't your fault."
Willow spun around to face him. Her eyes were a deeper green then usual, as if they were fading from a darker color. He could feel the magic rolling off of her in waves, not dangerously, but enough to tell him that she had used it recently.
"What happened?" He approached her cautiously. "Whatever it was - "
"How can you say it wasn't my fault? You weren't there - you don't know! We were just talking, and then these two people showed up. They said their names were Ron and Lavender, and they said they were with you. And then there were these guys in hoods. Dozens of them surrounding us, and I could just feel the darkness, and I knew they were bad. Ron seemed to panic, and then - they just attacked. Faith was holding them off but then one of them - the leader - said something. And there was all this green light. Xander was thrown back, and I saw he was hurt. And she was just dead."
"Willow -"
The tears were steadily rolling down her cheeks. "And he said that would happen to all of us if I didn't go with him. And then - I lost it. Completely. I felt the magic in me and I just let it take over, and he was pleased. The rest of them panicked and backed off, some of them disappeared. And all I wanted to do was hurt them. All of them. But him - God, I wanted to kill him. And - Goddess, I did. I killed him, and I didn't care."
She was so wrapped up in her story that she didn't feel Draco come up behind her until he felt his arms go around her waist. "Willow, please - "
"No!" She pulled out of his grasp. "Don't you understand? I just want to be alone!" Draco fell to the floor as if he was pushed - but she hadn't even touched him.
"Oh God. Oh God." Willow knelt by him. "I - oh - are you okay?"
He groaned as he sat up. "I'm alright."
"I'm - oh my God - I didn't mean to - I just - see? I lose control and I end up hurting the people I love and then I - "
"You what?"
Willow blinked. "And then I - "
"No, before that. What did you say?"
"I lose control?"
Draco stepped over to her. "After that."
"I - I hurt people I love." She looked up at him.
"People you love." He brushed a piece of hair out of her face. "Does that include me?"
Willow nodded up at him. "Yes. It does. I love you. But - you probably think I'm crazy."
"Why would I think you were crazy?"
"Besides the out of control, black magic thing?"
"Like I haven't seen that before. You forget who you're talking to." Draco pulled his left arm from around her waist and rolled up the sleeve of his shirt, revealing the Dark Mark. "See? You're not the only one who's given in one time or another."
Willow traced the scar with a fingertip, not much unlike she had seen Hermione do in her dream, his shared memory. "No. I guess I'm not. Maybe that's why we connect. Why I'm reaching out to you. Why you can see right through me." She cupped his cheek with her hand. "Why I love you."
"I'm pretty sure that's why I love you, Willow Rosenberg."
Willow looked into his eyes. "You do?"
Draco nodded. "Yeah." He leaned down and crushed her lips against his.
"Those two seem to have hit it off quite well." Ron mused wryly, watching the two from afar.
"They're alike. In more ways then you know." Hermione said, watching them with a small smile.
"Oh, and you do?" Lavender asked, crossing her arms.
Hermione looked at her. "More then anyone will ever understand." She shrugged. "I'll never tell. So don't even ask."
Harry squeezed Hermione's hand. "So, what do we do now?"
"The Aurors are going to take care of the damages, clean it up, make it look like nothing happened. We should get Willow and her friends home." Lavender said, glancing over at Buffy and Xander.
"Well, one thing's for sure." Ron said grimly.
"What's that?" Hermione asked.
"From what I just saw - we certainly don't need to protect her from anything anymore."
Harry just nodded and Hermione sighed, running a hand through her hair.