Demons in the DADA

by Adele Elisabeth

By Insane1 and Adele Elisabeth, an AtS/BtVS/HP crossover of titanic proportions. Trouble is brewing. Trouble with a capital V.

"Demons in the DADA"

By Insane1 & Adele Elisabeth

AtS/BtVS/HP crossover of titanic proportions.

Trouble is brewing. Trouble with a capital V.

[Disclaimers: Angel the Series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Harry Potter do not belong to either of us. We'll put 'em back when we're done.]

No slayers were harmed in the making of this fic (damn).

~*~

Author's Note/s:

Adele Elisabeth:

Not much to say here, folks. Just that I'm stunned that what I had figured a one-off role-play, just something fun to amuse ourselves with one boring evening turned into this big-ass fic. Also, it is a big-ass fic. Doubt anyone could read it in one sitting, unless they're prepared to neglect the rest of their life for a couple of days…okay, so I'm exaggerating, but still. Hope you enjoy this, and hope even more that you can spare a review for us.

Insane1:

Hey this is Insane1. Having heaps of fun RPing with Adele. Don't wanna spoil it, but I loved the way we managed to get a simple idea so hectic....Hope u guys love it as much as I loved writing it. Ooh, Adele, can we do a sequel? *Gets clubbed over the head*

~*~

Anya looked up as the first of the seventh years began to file in. She smiled brightly at them. Gryffindors. Right, these were the stupidly noble ones. She made a note of that. "Please, find a seat quickly -- but you'll be sitting there until I learn everybody's names." Unlike other people, she didn't want to start calling somebody 'Weatherby'.

She watched each one as they carefully chose a position and grinned when she recognised three of them. One of them was the Potter boy, the other the smart girl and the third....their sidekick. Okay, so she had to learn their names....

Draco Malfoy was the first of the Slytherins to arrive, walking in with what was undeniably a swagger. He took a seat at the back of the class. Anya looked at him. "Oookay, Mr SpikeAlike, you must be Draco Malfoy." He smirked. "Why don't you come up here and sit at the front where I can keep an eye on you -- here's a spot next to Miss Granger..."

The aforementioned girl blushed and groaned at her teacher. It was bad enough that she had actually PONDERED on the woman's words when they had collided in Diagon alley. Now she had to sit with him and, she hated herself for this, she was beginning to think he was extremely attractive.

Draco scowled, which Anya ignored. "All right, so...you're all here. I already know a few of you -- Mr Potter, Miss Granger and Mr Weasley, and I recognize some of you -- you, you must be a Longbottom. Give my love to your grandmother, there's a good boy. Okay," Anya straightened and clapped her hands together. "I'm Professor Emerson. Rule number one, and I cannot stress this enough, never, ever say the words 'I wish' around me. Nothing good will come of it. Rule number two, nothing short of a life or death situation gets you out of homework, or the physical aspect of my class. Rule number three, you sit where you are currently sitting until I've learned all your names. That's about it for now, but I'm sure I'll think of more soon enough."

She looked around at the students. "So...any questions?"

Hermione, who was currently trying very hard to ignore the Slytherin seated next to her, had one. "Er, Professor Emerson, what are we going to be learning about first...?"

Anya beamed. "I was hoping someone would ask that. We are going to learn about the Hellmouth, located in sunny California, and the related subjects. I understand you've been learning about things like, grindylows, and boggarts, but I'll be teaching you about things that want nothing more than to rip you to pieces and decorate their lair with your guts." Several students blanched. Anya continued as if she hadn't noticed. "So, can anyone tell me anything about the Hellmouth? Anything at all?"

Again Hermione's hand flew up. Anya regarded her thinking about Albus' words. He had been correct. She ALWAYS knew the answers. "Hermione?"

"The Hellmouth was called Boca del Inferno in...in Spanish, and is a sort of gateway to demonic dimensions, which could be referred to as 'hell' dimensions. It is located in Sunnydale, California."

The professor smiled and nodded, "Yes, that sounds about right....:"

"How about everyday aspects of Sunnydale life? In a place just packed with demons and vampires and bumpy-nighty folk...?" Hermione tried to remember what she'd read in the Watcher diaries she got a hold of (the Internet is a beautiful thing). "A-attacks are rare--"

Anya nearly laughed. "I'm sorry, I'm going to have to interrupt you there, Miss Granger..."

The girl frowned. She wasn't wrong. She was never wrong.

"Attacks are -not- rare, students. Attacks are all too common. Priests, rabbis, anyone religious don't last long in Sunnydale. Vampires are prolific and well, they breed like evil bunnies." Not that there's any other kind. "There's always demonic activity there. It is a dangerous place to be. Sunnydale citizens are -blind-. They turn a blind eye, come up with stories to cover the facts. Things that go bump in the night don't just go bump, they go bump-splat-bang-kapow-poof-owch in the night. The death toll is high. You don't invite people in, because you never know. Staying out past dark is to take your life into your hands. And yet, there are still a stupid few who stupidly -- or bravely, if you want to look at it that way -- sally forth into the night and kick some demon ass." Anya gave a wry smile. "I've brought into class today a demon just to show you a little slice of 'paradise'." She smiled, and then went vein-y to show her demonic visage. "A Vengeance Demon, the Patron of Scorned Women. Several years ago, I created a new dimension, where the Slayer never went to Sunnydale. It was about as close to hell on Sunnydale as you can get without opening the Hellmouth."

A few of the Griffy girls gasped in horror. Vain whispers about learning to take care of her skin flew across from Lavendar and Parvati. Hermione rolled her eyes, REALLY not taking to this teacher, while Draco snickered beside her.

Anya's features smoothed out. "Be careful what you wish for." She said, with a faint sigh. "It's never what you expected." Then, "I'm not evil, and I don't eviscerate sleazy men anymore. Years ago, mere mention of the name, Anyanka, had men cowering behind tables, or whimpering pitifully at my feet. But you see, that all changed when Rupert Giles, a Watcher born right here in England, smashed my pendant. I was trapped in an adolescent body and forced to go through torture worse than anything I could ever create." Anya made a face. "Math. Highschool. At first, our lessons are going to be...a sort of history class. You'll hear the stories of Sunnydale's finest, and that's how you'll learn about the demons to begin with. I figure, droning on with facts and figures, you'll fall asleep. So I'm going to give you real live people to think about. Buffy Summers isn't just the Slayer, she's a person, just like any one of you, and like me. The Key isn't a mystical ball of green energy, she's a pretty young teenager with a life ahead of her. I'm not just another demon."

There was a brief silence before Lavendar's hand flew up. "Umm...Proffessor, can you tell us a bit more about your past as a demon? Like, were you always a demon?"

"Sure...Miss Brown, is it?" Anya beamed at her. "No, for starters, I wasn't always a demon. I was originally a human, actually. Just like you all are. And a witch. When I was betrayed by the man that I loved, I wrought vengeance upon him, even without demonic powers. D'Hoffryn -- that's my demon boss -- was very impressed. He offered me immortality, powers, a new life. I took it, and Anyanka was born."

A series of ooohs and ahhs swept through the room, a group of Slytherins enjoying the idea of having a teacher that enjoyed killing and maiming. "So you tortured men for a living?" Blaise asked, a cool smirk playing on his lips. "That's a little cruel, no?"

Anya gave him an even look. "Have you ever been left standing at the altar? Has the love of your life ever up and decided, hey, y'know, I don't love you anymore, and guess what, I've been screwing your sister? Have you ever had your heart ripped out and trampled on carelessly?"

"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. I was the embodiment of that. I only ever saw the dark side of men. I never got to see the ones who loved, and cared, and nurtured. I saw only the hurt and pain and suffering. All I ever saw of humanity was the dark side. So I tortured. I maimed. I killed. I was merciless, because I wrought justice."

"Which is COMPLETELY understandable." Another vain little Gryffindor added, sending a look towards a boy that must have wronged her at one point or another. Anya's skin twitched. The demon in her yearned to punish the heartless male for whatever it was he had done, however, the money lover in her knew that she'd be out of a job if she followed the urge.

Anya gave the girl a pleasant look. "I was turned human," she continued, "As I mentioned earlier, I believe." She gave them all a wicked grin. "Shall I tell you about the time I accidently brought a vampiric double of one of the good guys into this dimension? That was funny."

"But Proffessor," Draco yawned defiantly, "If you were turned human, what's with the skin condition?"

Anya sighed, and ran a hand through her hair. "Should've guessed it'd be the SpikeAlike to hit on that. Okay. You really wanna know?"

Everyone, bar Hermione, nodded furiously. Anya inwardly rolled her eyes. The girl couldn't take being corrected could she?

Anya's voice was soft, and slightly sad. "Human emotion is very difficult for you to deal with once you've been a demon for like, eleven thousand years. I was overwhelmed by it. I didn't, and still don't, understand a lot of things about human culture. It makes no sense to me. So I made mistakes. But my biggest mistake to date was falling in love.

"Xander Harris. I adored him. I loved him so much, he was my world. He got money to buy me things and gave me orgasms. I was happy. Everything was perfect.

"He asked me to marry him. I said yes, I was over-joyed. It was like a dream come true! I started planning like mad. I was so happy. My life was finally going the way I wanted it to go. So I ignored the little things, like the embarrassment he got when I said the wrong thing, or the way he'd tell me to be quiet and hated to talk about my past.

"He left me standing at the altar. He said he loved me but he left me at the altar. He left me standing there, in my beautiful dress with all our guests and I didn't understand. He loved me, didn't he? So why did he leave me?"

All the girls in the room, including Hermione and the Slytherins, felt their hearts go out to her as she explained.

"D'Hoffryn approached me and offered to give me back my old job, and I took it. I lost a lot then. After...after everything...the near-apocalypse when Willow tried and nearly succeeded to end the world -- Xander can save the world but he can't marry Anya, the bastard -- I got a letter from a very old friend of mine, Albus. He trusts me. He cares. I can rely on Albus. He's given me a second chance here, to prove that I'm not just stupid old Anya. I never had any friends of my own there, not really. They were Xander's friends. I'm a demon now, but I've got a new life. I'm your professor now, of DADA. I hope that none of you will hold my demonic nature against me." She gave them a faint smile. "So...after that depressing tale, anyone want to hear about Vampy Willow, Dominatrix Girl from another dimension? Anybody?"

All the boys' hands flew up. Draco's eye's gleamed in excitement. "Dominatrix?" He asked. Hermione groaned and mumbled 'boys' as her head fell into her hands.

"Well, I was newly human. I wanted my pendant back, dammit. I didn't want to be stuck in this stupid human body. I wanted to get back to cursing evil men, naturally. So, I tried to do a spell. I enlisted Willow's help, but in the end it went wrong. My pendant didn't come back, but somebody else did." Anya was a brilliant storyteller, that was for sure.

"She was Willow, but she wasn't the Willow we new. She was a vampire. Now, our Willow back then wore pink fluffy tops and was a stuttery little geek. So all were shocked by the somewhat gay Vampy Willow, who was all in figure-hugging leather, and kept licking people. She had this phrase, too. 'Bored now'. It was generally what she said before committing acts of random violence or sex. Apparently, she offered our Willow vamp smoochies and snuggles. She was a little gay, y'know. Now, I, Vampy Willow and a couple of other vampires were holding the Bronze -- that's the nightclub in Sunnydale -- hostage. I forget what we were doing. They -- that is, the Scoobies, the good guys -- caught Vampy Willow, locked her up, and put their Willow in Vampy Willow's outfit, and sent her in to trick us all.

In the end, they didn't kill Vampy Willow, they sent her back to her own dimension, the one Cordelia Chase inadvertently created when she wished that Buffy Summers -- the Slayer -- had never come to Sunnydale, after she caught Xander and Willow kissing, and fell down some stairs and got a rebar through her stomach.'

She looked around, noticing the girl's listening intently, while they guys' attention spans had dwindled on the subject. There was no real gore, action or sex in that story. Hermione's hand was in the air again.

"That was the time when Spike, this vampire that looks kind of like Malfoy over there kidnapped Willow to cast a lovespell on Drusilla, because she'd left him again." Anya added about the Cordelia part. "Yes, Miss Granger?"

The girl was too busy thinking about this Spike character to remember what she had intended to ask. "Oh...Uh....I was wondering.....Umm....How did they send the Vampire Willow back?" She stammered, earning the arched eyebrow from Malfoy.

"I'm actually going to ask Giles about that when he comes to visit. I don't know. Remember, I was the one who brought her there, I was the one that held innocent people captive. It's not like they were all, Oookay Anyanka, come watch us send your freaky friend back to Leatherland." She paused. "I'm also seeing about bringing Spike to Hogwarts for a while, too. For the physical aspect. You all rely too much on wands and magic. What happens when you lose your wand, or snap it? Vampires don't give you a second chance, they'll drain you in a heartbeat. So I intend to teach you how to fight like a Slayer, but purely for defense."

Hermione felt herself grinning. A DracoAlike? To STUDY? Oh this was too good to be true! SHe paused in her thoughts and inwardly cringed. There HAD to be something wrong with her. Meanwhile, many of the other girls had apparently thought along the same lines. Anya smirked, looking around at their faces. They all looked as if they desperately needed orgasm friends right then and there. She couldn't blame them really.

"Yes, that's right. Spike. He goes in for the Big Bad of the '80s look. Tight black jeans, tight black teeshirt, leather duster, bleached blonde hair. Basically, wrap little Malfoy up in black, wait until he's about 25, give him a cute little scar in his eyebrow, black nailpolish, and turn him into a vampire, and you've got Spike in a nutshell." She smiled fondly. Spike was the only one she'd really consider a friend, apart from Giles. "He'll be teaching you how to fight, hopefully. He's amazing." And he gives great orgasms, but you don't need to know that. "And he gives great drunken comfort sex." She added, then said, "Oops...did I say that out loud?"

Lavendar almost fainted. This teacher was SOOO her favourite now. Move over Proffessor Trelawney! Hermione licked her lips, and pictured Draco just as Anya had described Spike. She could feel the boy in question's eye's drilling a hole into the side of her head and blushed. "What Malfoy?" She snapped, avoiding eye contact.

Anya smiled faintly at her class. "So, I guess you've already worked out I'm a little -- okay, more than a little -- unorthodox. Spike'll be something of a shock, too, I'm betting. But we'll get there. I've never taught anybody before -- in fact, this is my first ever lesson. So we'll learn together. I'll end up telling you inappropriate stories about demonic sexual encounters, and you're all welcome to talk to me about anything. I'm a Vengeance Demon. Sometimes we double as therapists -- all those miserable women, you learn a thing or two. My door is -always- open." She beamed at them. Class was almost over.

A few members from each house nodded to her statement, smiling. Even Hermione was starting to like the woman again. Besides, it was extremely exciting to have a teacher that had REALLY experienced all that she said she had.

"Okay, I only have one thing for all of you to do for homework, and it's not that hard. I want you to write a list of everything you know, or think you know, about vampires. Oh, and Dracula? He's real. I think Buffy dealt with him, but you never know with Dracula. He was always...well, unpredictable." Anya gave a fond smile. "I loved that about him." Then she shook her head as if to clear it, and finished, "Okay, so, at least five things about vampires. That's all. Due by the next lesson, whenever that is."

Class finished on that note and all the students rushed to gather their books, parchment and quills. Hermione caught up with Ron and Harry. "Well, that was definitely interesting." She commented, waiting their reactions.

Harry and Ron both nodded, then Harry thought of something. "Dracula's real? I mean, wouldn't you have read about that?" Ah, such innocent faith in Hermione's abilities.

~*~

Anya smiled to herself. Her class had been the last of the day, and dinner would be in a few hours. She had met Snape and spent some time irritating him earlier. Perhaps she could irritate him some more. It was fun, and apparently might endear her to the students.

Besides, Sevvykins -as she had taken to calling him- was quite sexy in his own way....

He reminded her of one of her ex-boyfriends, Dracula. But he wasn't quite so sexual in nature, which was vaguely irritating.

However, she was mostly woman. And in her experience, a woman could manipulate a man into whatever she wanted....ESPECIALLY a woman with magickal abilities....

And he was definitely a man. She hadn't 'accidentally' fallen into his lap for nothing.

~*~

Dinnertime, later. Anya had managed it so she was sitting between Severus and Dumbledore, and was carrying on an animated discussion with Minerva about vampires over Severus. Apparently, the Transfigurations professor had a little history with William the Bloody. Discovering this led to Anya modestly recounting her 'encounter' with Mr T. Bloody, and comparing him to Dracula, who Spike insisted was just a great poof, but Anya knew otherwise. She and Minerva giggled. Actually giggled. Severus's expression grew darker with each word.

Oooh, so the man was jealous? She could have fun with that. Turning to grin at him wickedly, she nudged his arm in jest. "Sevvykins," She began.

He rolled his eyes and glared at her.

"Don't be like that," Anya pouted, turning slightly so that her leg ran right along his and her chest was resting ever so slightly against his arm. Had he noticed? Oh yeah, he'd noticed all right. "Sevvykins," she purred, noticing Minerva mouthing 'That man needs to get -laid-' behind him, and tried not to giggle as she continued, "Don't you want to hear all about Drac? He was just the best--" She paused, looking wide-eyed at where he'd nearly crushed his goblet. "Why, Sevvy, is something the matter?"

"No...." He responded through gritted teeth. "I can assure you that everything is just fine."

"Are you sure?" she took his hand in her own, looking concerned. "Didn't that hurt? Should I get Madam Pomfrey? Whyever would you want to damage innocent tableware? Honestly, Sevvy, you're terrible sometimes. Reminds me of that time Drac and I had a spat and he set fire to my wardrobe." Jaw tightened, fists clenched. Anya noted these with pride. Yep, she still got it. "Of course, he apologised afterwards and got me a new one. He just loved to shower me with gifts all the time. I forget why it didn't work out. Hmmm....I wonder..."

Minerva was trying not to burst into fits of hysterics, which resulted in her eyes brimming over with tears of laughter and her face going red with the holding in of hr breath. At the look of indignation on Snape's face, she finally lost it.

Anya grinned at her newfound friend. Anya, One, Sevvykins, Zero. He would be hers by the end of the term, that was for sure. No man could resist her charms if she put her mind to it. A few of the students were watching, and looks of horror on some girls' faces as they recognized what Anya was doing as -flirting-. (And the boys upon realising that they only young, attractive professor was after -Snape-)

Oh well, it really wasn't of their concern. They could go and flirt with people their own age....Then again, Anya knew she was old enough to be Sevvy's great (times like infinity) grandmother. It wasn't stopping her.

"Sevvy, something -must- be bothering you," Anya had her most innocent expression on, wide-eyed and naive seeming. The girl got talent. Severus growled. He -actually- growled.

"Right now that something is very much YOU."

"Me? But Sevvy, why on earth would you be upset with -me-?" Artfully contrived confusion stared innocently back at him. "I was just talking to Minnie here about Drac, and then I guess I was talking to you, too...have I offended you?" Anya went with what had never failed her before. Her lower lip quivered. Her eyes filled with tears. A stammered, "I-I-I'm sorry..."

"Oh for the love of.....Professor Emerson I realise that you are new, and you will soon discover that I have a general lack of a sense of humour...."

He stopped. Was he GROVELLING Snape style?

Oh God. He was.

Anya bit her lip. "I didn't mean to offend you, I didn't," she turned slightly, as if to hide her tears. "I'm always getting things wrong, you know. I don't understand all this human stuff. You people are so confusing!" Minerva was grinning, very amused. She thought Anya understood a bit more than she let on sometimes. Dumbledore was watching, a familiar twinkle in his eye.

Snape sighed, hoping that this wouldn't be a trend with him. "It's alright. I can....understand somewhat."

Anya sniffled adorably, looking up at him with wide eyes. "R-r-really?"

Minerva restrained a small chuckle. Poor Severus didn't stand a chance.

He cleared his throat, looking down at his meal. "Really. Now, If you'll excuse me I have some fairly urgent business to attend to..."

Hey! He wasn't supposed to -go- anywhere! Anya scrambled for a way to keep him near. "Aren't you going to finish dinner? I was going to ask you about a potion I heard about from Willow." Well, that was more or less true. She had heard about a potion from Willow. She hadn't been curious about it until...oh, right about then.

He stopped and regarded her. "I see....I suppose my plans can wait a while...." He sat back down. "What sort of potion?"

Oh, -crap-. What was it again? Oh, oh right. "Well...you see...we know this vampire, Angel, you may have heard of him, he used to be the Scourge of Europe? Well, he's got a soul now, but it's not permanent. Willow said she heard about a potion that might bind it permanently, and since you know, you're the Potions Master...maybe you'd have heard of it, could tell us a bit about it."

Finally, he was back in his element. "I suppose there are a couple that could do the job....Although the ingredients aren't always easy to find...."

"Well, we did assume that. Cordelia said something along those lines -- these sort of potions always need the squicky things, like dragon testicles cut at a full moon in June or something." Anya shrugged. "Cordelia says Angel wants to get his soul so he can get happies with Buffy, but everybody knows he really wants to get happies from Cordy. Not that that's important to the potion. Er...I tend to babble..." Anya gave a slightly sheepish look.

"So I've noticed." Snape responded, with an eerily uncharacteristic gleam in his eyes.

"Drac said it was cute." She replied defensively, before regretting it. Eurgh. She was so in control before, it wasn't fair.

"Anyhow," Severus began, dragging the ball back into his side of the court. He liked control and now he had it. "This potion your friends are after, it's also extremely complicated to make-"

"Of course it's complicated." Anya stated. "It's to bind a soul, those things are always complicated. Stupid gypsies had to go making their stupid perfect moment clause. Bastards. And not telling him about it! There would have been a lot less bloodshed if Buffy and Angel had known -beforehand- that sex equals scary creepy guy in leather pants. Have you ever worn leather pants? I'm sure you'd look good. Though wizards don't generally wear muggle clothes, and I guess leather pants are muggle clothes, huh? Faith liked leather. A lot. Leather can be very comfortable. I used to have this--oh, I'm babbling again..."

This time something resembling a snort of laughter escaped the Potion's Master's lips. He regretted it instantly, because suddenly she looked all confident again.

A wicked gleam had come into her eye. "Well, I had this -gorgeous- dress, and the bodice was a leather corset, with black silk sleeves and skirt. Drac picked it out especially for Valentines Day. It was -so- romantic. The corset was very flattering, too, so I kept it. It's in my wardrobe, actually. I showed it to Spike once. He said it looked -great- on me. I haven't really had much opportunity to ear it, though. Spike's probably going to come here to help me with my classes. I hope he does. He likes leather, too, you know. He has a leather duster. He looks sort of like a young Billy Idol. And that Malfoy boy, Whatshisname. He's much younger than me, but isn't everybody these days?"

Snape nodded, already disliking the conversation again. "Age doesn't matter as I'm sure you're aware." He sighed and moved to get up again, "But, as I mentioned before, I have urgent business to attend to and-"

Damnit. The jealousy ploy didn't work again, and neither did the sexy visuals. Was this man a eunuch? "I should probably get started on my first physical lesson. I wonder if the students will have any appropriate clothing. Probably not. Robes aren't really the best for sparring. I should know. I got Spike to start training me and I'm doing -great- especially since I have demonic strength."

He nodded absently, "Yes, well I hope it goes well for you."

"Me too." Anya said brightly. "Albus has set up a training room for me so I can practice, and for teaching." When she stood up, the front of her robe was open, revealing what appeared to be a sports bra and sweat pants. "Have a nice evening," she chirped.

Severus swallowed and was glad for his robes at that moment. Cursing everything above for the flirtatious woman's audacity, he headed for his chambers.

If Severus had stayed, he might have seen Anya and Minerva's high five, and Anya danced the Dance of Capitalist Superiority.

Anya got a few weird looks for that, but most of the male population of Hogwarts was admiring the little professor's...ahem, assets.

She glanced around, noticing without any embarrassment, the reactions.

If only Sevvy had been there,

Anya sighed. Maybe she'd dance for him one day...oooh...Anya had a lascivious smirk on her face.

~*~

Severus muttered something about paranoia to himself as he skirted through the hallways. He'd been avoiding the new DADA teacher for two weeks straight now. After the strange way she had made him feel he wanted nothing to do with her. Okay, that was a lie. She was thoroughly attractive and there were A LOT of things he wanted to do with her....but as two respectable members of the staff of Hogwarts, he had to maintain a platonic relationship with her. Meaning he was going to avoid any contact what so ever.

Anya's robes were abandoned in a corner, and she was wearing the sports bra and sweat-pants outfit she'd showcased to the school at dinner some time ago. Currently, she was beating the crap out of a punching bag. The door was slightly open.

She continued her assault on the bag, taking out all her frustrations -Sevvy had avoided her advances and she needed orgasms NOW!- as she cussed and cursed about the unfairness of males. Little did she realise that an equally frustrated Snape was gawking at her from the doorway.

"Right...what was that Cordelia showed me...okay, I can do this..." Anya stretched, carefully, then launched into her favourite form of exercise. Old cheerleading routines, though minus the rest of them. When she had finished, she was landed in the splits in front of Severus, the object of her frustrated affections. "Sev...erus. I didn't know you were there," she said, not bothering to get up.

He swallowed after watching the display -once more thankful for the long robes- and tried to respond. However all that came from his lips was a strangled sounding, "uh huh" and he nodded, trying in vain to clear his throat.

"A friend of mine was a cheerleader," she explained, bouncing into a standing position. "She taught me some routines. Spike thinks it's silly, but the flips are fun."

Severus responded, again with the nodding and a muffled, "I see....it looks it." And now he was inwardly cursing himself for acting like a pre-pubescent schoolboy.

"It's easier to train when you have someone to spar with, but Spike won't get here for about a month." Mmmm...if Severus was a lost cause (which she was beginning to think he might be), then Spike was definitely a possible casual orgasm friend. And she knew for a fact Giles was available. He was cute, in a repressed Englishman kind of a way.

She batted her eyes at the Potions Master in a last ditched effort to claim him as her own and was surprised with the way he came out of his trance-like state to advance on her. "Well, until this vampire of yours turns up, I believe I can be of some assistance....Although, I'm a little rusty with one on one combat of any kind...." He smirked and Anya swallowed.

"Okay...." She began, "Who are you and what have you done with the strangely repressed Professor that does NOT talk with double meanings?" She looked him over with a wink. "Not that I mind you sharing his body of course....Could be fun...."

Anya was backing up ever so slightly as she spoke. This wasn't right. -He- did not talk like that. -She- was the one who had double-meanings and flirted and smirked a lot. Severus got uncomfortable and stood behind tables.

He grinned, moving closer. Liking the power rush this was giving him. It had been so long since he had flirted....but judging by the demon's reaction, he still had it!

Anya backed up a little more. "Why do I get the feeling you just slipped around behind my back and changed the rules?"

"Because, my dear, I did just that." He responded, his voice as smooth as silk. Another wink in her direction, "Don't you just love it?"

Anya pondered that. "Will I get orgasms out of this? Because if not, then you're just teasing and it's not fair. It's not nice to tease a demon." She paused, and then moved forward. "-I- bite, Professor Snape," she purred.

He moved closer, the tension beside them growing with each second, a wry smile on his lips. "But biting can be quite erotic Professor Emerson...." He whispered back, the answer to her question now blatantly obvious.

Anya bit back her automatic response ("Oh, I know, because Drac--"), and replied instead, "So, the repressed Englishman is more worldly than he lets on? And how the plot thickens..."

He leant forward, his lips now inches from her, "And how-"

"AHEM!"

Both teachers spun, caught off guard by the visitor that had just ruined ANY possibility of immediate orgasms. Hermione Granger stood in the doorway, trying to ignore what she was seeing.

Anya glared frustratedly at the teen. "Miss Granger! Can't you see we were about to be in the middle of something? Why is the entire universe conspiring against my orgasms?" Anya wailed unhappily.

Severus sighed, equally frustrated but containing it much better, "Yes, Miss Granger?" he said in a level tone that suggested death by Snape if she wasn't careful.

She looked at the floor, blushing profusely. "I....I've been sent by Professor McGonagall to ask you," she looked up at Anya, "To meet her in her chambers. She said to tell you it concerned one Rupert Giles…"

"Rupert?" Anya's exclaimed, sounding pleased. "I do hope he hasn't gone and gotten hurt again. He seems to have this thing about getting knocked out by demons. Poor fellow. I'd best go, then. I wonder how he is. I haven't seen him since the day in Diagon Alley." Anya said brightly to Hermione, almost forgetting Severus. "Speaking of which, have you found yourself an orgasm friend yet, dear?

The girl went redder -if it was even possible- and looked down again. "Snape is right THERE." She hissed.

"So? Severus was about to give -me- orgasms, if you hadn't burst in like that." Anya sounded unperturbed. "Besides, you need one. Trust me on this. And that Malfoy boy? Believe me, he'll be willing. Books aren't everything, you know. I taught that to Rupert. -That- was a memorable few nights."

Snape yelped at this, causing Hermione to forget her own embarrassment for a moment and look over at him, a tiny smirk on her lips. He glared at her, then at Anya. "Not helpful Professor."

"It's true, isn't it? Otherwise you were teasing, and I already told you I bite." Anya stated calmly. "Don't be such a prude. Both of you. Even Rupert's not this bad, but that might because I loosened him up some." She gave a wicked look to Severus. "I wager I could loosen you up, too."

"Okay, on that note, I'm leaving." Hermione grimaced, nodding at each of them. "Professors."

"You just keep in mind what I told you, Miss Granger." Anya said sternly. "Think of it as a new challenge, just a more...stimulating one." She gave her an impish grin, before turning to Severus. "Come with me to Minnie's?"

He nodded, and followed her, "Anya....Do you think it WISE to advise a 7th year student to....complicate her life further?" He asked her in all seriousness.

"Her boyfriends won't turn into evil creepy soulless men who wear leather pants and be evil, so I don't see a problem." Anya shrugged. "Well...I suspect the SpikeAlike might wear leather, but not in an evil way. Well, not much. Wicked, yes. Malfoys are always very wicked. And there was Severin Snape..." She trailed off with a fond smile. "Never you mind about that, anyhow."

The Potions Master clenched his eyes shut, not wanting to imagine how his great grandfather and this young vixen had come to know each other.

"Did I say something wrong again?" Anya asked anxiously.

Severus looked at her, realising that beneath that extremely tantalising exterior that oozed confidence and grace, hid a confused and hurt woman, obviously not treated properly by the world of men. Not that this hadn't been obvious with her prior occupation, but he'd heard of that idiotic muggle....he couldn't bear to tell her that she had, in fact, made him uncomfortable. Instead he managed a mile and shook his head. "No....I was just.....pondering."

Anya was visibly relieved. "Oh. That's okay, then. I was kind of worried. If I upset you, you might not want to interlock your parts with me." ((Anya's got some interesting phrases, huh?)) "Do you ever wear anything other than black? Angel wears a lot of black, but Cordelia claims she caught him with a dark blue. I don't believe her. Black is a good colour for brooding. Brooding causes wrinkles."

Snape found himself chuckling. She had a knack for saying the unexpected, and it was growing on him. "I hate to inform you, but the robes of all teachers here are black...."

"Hogwarts is sartorially challenged." Anya stated, with a sigh. "Spike would fit in great here. He wears black all the time. But a different kind of black. I borrowed his duster once, because I was cold. He has some interesting things in his pockets. Black nail polish, cigarettes, a lighter, hand cuffs. I think I borrowed those once."

"Did you now?" Severus replied, an eyebrow arching suggestively. "Don't suppose you could do it again?"

"Actually, I bought some of my own after that." She informed him with a wicked grin. "Spike said he didn't want 'the whelp' anywhere near -his- cuffs."

"The whelp being the idiot muggle that took you for granted...." He mused.

"That'd be him. Xander Harris." Anya shrugged it off, attempting to make light of it. "Spike offered to gut him for me when I spoke to him. He's sweet like that."

"If I wasn't intent on remaining a good wizard I'd do it myself." Snape mumbled.

"I wanted to eviscerate him, but I can't. Apparently, he felt very betrayed when he found out Spike and I had orgasms on the table in the Magic Box. Betrayed. Him." She snorted, confused hurt evident as much as she attempted to hide it. "The Vengeance Demon can't get any vengeance for herself."

Severus wasn't sure how to respond to this. He could be reserved. He could be moody. He could even flirt....But he had never understood how to comfort an upset woman. Cautiously slipping his arm around her, he tried a gentle, "There there?"

Anya leaned against him, and sighed. "I'm okay, really I am. I got out of Sunnydale and I've got a new life now and stupid Xander Harris can't ruin my life -again-, because I have a new one and it's good. I'm a professor now. I influence young minds. I make them laugh, too. And smile. And occasionally blush. And I have friends. Minnie and Albus and Spike. And I have you, or I intend to have you, anyhow. I'm very good at getting what I want, too. Albus will back me up on that one. Of course, he was a lot younger, then." Anya had learned not to discuss past Vengeance thingies. So the focus had shifted to past...conquests.

Deciding he didn't need to hear about her adventures with the headmaster, Snape did the only thing he could think of. He kissed her. And GOD did it feel good.

~*~

After the kiss Severus hadn't said anything to her. He'd just taken her hand and walked beside her to Minerva's chambers. She wanted to ask him about it, but they were already outside the portrait. Sev said the password and they were allowed inside.

Giles was standing by Minerva's fireplace, and Anya gave a delighted cry. "Rupert!" Without further ado, she launched herself at the former Watcher, hugging him to within an inch of his life.

Severus did not look amused.

He was even less impressed when Anya pecked the old man on the cheek, who responded with a kiss to her forehead. He cleared his throat, trying to stop the floorshow.

"Oh! Rupert, this is Severus Snape. He's a kind of friend of mine. Sevvykins, this is Rupert Giles." She introduced them, beaming. Then she added to Giles, "Have you seen Spike yet? He should be here any day now."

"Not yet, Anya," Giles shook his head, glancing warily at Severus...well, if looks could kill...

He extended his hand in a friendly gesture. Severus arched an eyebrow as if questioning the man's motif. He looked at Anya, who was bouncing on her feet, and sighed. He shook Giles' hand. "Pleasure, I'm sure." He said, although his tone was deliberately counter-acting the sentiment.

Anya frowned at him. Why was Severus being so unpleasant, and on purpose? Shrugging, she decided she would work it out later.

"So...why are we here, and why is Rupert here?" she prompted Minerva. "Minnie?"

Minerva was trying not to laugh at the head Slytherin's reaction to the watcher. She was sensing a new vibe between Severus and Anya and she was dying to find out what had happened. Anya's voice jolted her from her contemplation. Forcing her eyes away from the potions master, she cleared her throat. "Pardon?"

"I was just asking why you called us here," Anya prompted again.

"Ah, yes....Well, Mr Giles arrived and I thought that the best person to show him around the grounds and classrooms would be you." She smiled, ignoring Severus' glare. "Considering you've known him a long time and he'll be assisting you a fair bit. Besides, he asked for you."

"Really?" Anya looked quickly at Giles, beaming. "It would be my pleasure, Rupes."

He beamed right back at her, choosing to ignore the deathglare that threatened to burn a hole in his skull.

"I suppose our library staff could use the extra hand as well." Snape added, trying not to sound sulky. "You ARE a librarian, aren't you?"

"I was, for a time, yes," Giles responded coolly. "However, my occupation is and always will be, a Watcher. I am sure I will enjoy Hogwarts' vast range of reading material, but I'm afraid I mayn't have much time. Anya tends to keep one on one's toes."

"Damn straight."

Snape glowered. Forcing a false smile onto his lips, he said, "I see, well then, it was nice meeting you. If you'll excuse me I have work to attend to."

As he left, he could hear Anya's slightly confused voice:

"He was in a much pleasant mood before, I really don't know what got into him, Rupes. But don't take it personally, he's a git to -everybody- at first."

Giles hid a smile. Jealousy. He saw it, even if Anya hadn't.

"So, Anya, care to show me around?"

"Certainly. I'll show you my classroom first. I've got my very own classroom! And students! And they talk to me and I teach them things and they actually listen and nobody tells me to be quiet or anything and I'm doing really well and it's such fun..."

~*~

Rupert was sufficiently caught up with Hogwarts, and was still working on what he'd be doing to help. Anya was in the middle of teaching her class when there came a knock on the door.

"--twenty points to Gryffindor for that brilliant essay on vampires...oh, who's that?" Anya blinked, and slid off the desk to answer the door.

There stood Spike, in all his '80s Idolwannabe glory.

He looked at her, and grinned. "I was in the neighbourhood, thought I might get paid to stop by...." Anya laughed and the girls in the classroom swooned. He stepped away from the doorframe and enveloped the DADA teacher in a hug. "How's our money-loving demon been then?" He asked.

"Spike!" Anya squealed, hugging him back enthusiastically. "I'm doing brilliantly! Teaching is harder than I thought it would be, but I bet you as many kittens as you like the Scoobies would crash and burn here." After a pause she thwacked him upside the head. "You're late, mister! You told me you'd be here -last- week!" With these words, she dragged him properly into the classroom.

Still rubbing the back of his head, he gazed up at the 7th years. "These your adoring fans then? The little rugrats you kept tellin' me about?" She nodded and he winked at a couple of the young ladies that had been less than subtly checking him out. They sighed and blushed.

"Bloody hell. Another Lockhart." One boy hissed. He spun to look at him. The kid was pale and blonde and actually resembled him quite a bit. And he had an attitude. Also like him. He grinned. "And what might your name be?" he asked. The boy blinked at him and squared his shoulders.

"*I* am Draco Malfoy." He snapped back, completely full of himself. "Not that it's of any concern to you."

Spike chuckled and looked at Anya. "I like that one. Reminds me of someone....." He winked at another girl. "Wouldn't have a clue who though." He added, pointing at himself and nodding.

This caused the girls to burst into a fit of giggles.

"I keep forgetting his name. Probably because I keep thinking of him as the SpikeAlike." Anya confided.

Draco glared at her.

Anya turned to the class. "This is William 'Spike' Malfoy--"

"MALFOY???"

I'm sure you can work out who -that- came from.

"MALFOY???" Draco and Hermione exclaimed in unison, both in complete disbelief. Draco turned to glare at her. "What the hell is your problem Mudblood?" He sneered, "Actually, save it. I don't care. Right now I want to know....he's a MALFOY????"

Hermione rolled her eyes at the boy seated beside her. She hadn't meant to actually respond out loud....it had just happened. Damn it wasn't fair! BOTH men were utterly attractive and BOTH men were Malfoys. Her natural enemy. And, unfortunately, she was crushing on the youngest one horribly. She tried to shake the thoughts from her head and turned her attention to the DADA teacher and her assistants.

"Spike, why don't you take it from here?" Anya suggested.

"With pleasure, pet. All right. Yes, I am a Malfoy. William Malfoy. Turned in...1888, I believe. Yes, I was a wizard. Was a poet, too, but I was bloody awful at it."

Anya coughed. It sounded like 'effulgent'. Spike ignored her.

"I was part of the quartet led by Angelus, the Scourge of Europe. I am the childe of Drusilla, grandchilde of Angelus, great-grandchilde of Darla and great-great-grandchilde of the Master, the late leader of the Order of Aurelius, my line." Spike cleared his throat. "Now ol' Spikey comes complete with soul, and I'm here to help Anya here with you lot."

"That STILL doesn't explain the whole Malfoy deal...." Draco mumbled. Okay, so it kinda did, but he didn't tend to believe vampires too much. What would this Spike guy be to him now, anyway?

Great great grand uncle?

Did that even exist?

"Oh, and Draco? Give my love to your mother, there's a good lad," Spike added with a wink. He knew exactly who Draco was the instant he walked through the door.

Draco was *hoping* to whatever was above, below and around him that he had imagined that innuendo.

There was NO WAY in hell his mother would....Ack.

No chance. Not even gonna consider it.

The look in Spike's eyes suggested he hadn't.

Anya elbowed her 'assistant'. "Spike! No traumatising my students with tales of your sexual encounters with their parents!"

"Oh god...." The younger Malfoy mumbled, clutching at his head. Hermione couldn't help but pat him on the back.

This earnt her a few glares from the other girls.

Anya's eyes gleamed as she saw the contact. "Yes, that's right, befriend him and THEN make him your orgasm slave!" She told her.

Hermione went scarlet. Draco looked thoughtful.

Giles gasped and leapt to clasp his hand over the teacher's mouth while Spike was trying not to piss himself laughing.

Anya looked smug. "Anyhow, Spike will be the one we look to for most of your physical training. Rupert -- Mr Giles to you -- is book man, but he's got some interesting techniques in fighting we'll look at."

She seemed confident the prospect of Spike gettin' sweaty would bring the girls to class in droves.

Meanwhile, upon the phrase 'physical training' Spike noticed the looks the female students were giving him. He took a step or ten backwards. It was all well and good to toy with them, but he knew women and they were bloody dangerous when in packs.

And this was one big, hormone fuelled pack.

Anya gave him a knowing smirk, before turning back to the class. "And, of course, I'll be doing my bit in the physical classes, can't let Spike handle it all on his lonesome."

And that took care of the male section.

"So, I'll take the lads and Professor Emerson here will take the lassies." He finished hastily. And weren't the students pissed off at that?

Anya shook her head. "Spike, I'm not as good at it as you are. You'll be the main one, starting, and I'll just be your assistant for those lessons. We can split up into groups though, at times."

Spike groaned and glared at Giles for his laughter. "Well, i guess it could be worse. I mean, look at ol' Rupert....he gets the books."

"Rest assured I'll make Rupes strip down and beat up students with us." Anya promised.

Giles paled.

This time it was Spike that laughed.

The students watched the banter and sat back. This year would be enjoyable if this kept up.

Draco, meanwhile, was still contemplating Spike's earlier....enlightening phrases.

Anya grinned at her class. "Tweedy Dumb over there is really not that bad looking when you pry him out of his tweed. And he's a brilliant kisser." She added as an after thought. "Not that that should in any way influence your attendance of the class, of course."

Spike was sing-songing taunts at Giles, and Anya was pretending not to notice. Giles, however, was reciting some 'bloody awful' poetry.

Class carried on like this, keeping the students -bar Malfoy- highly entertained.

When class ended, Anya dismissed them with a grin. She held Draco back, though. "You and Spike can argue about genealogy later. Just lets all get to dinner without anyone shouting at anyone else, all right?" and with that, she swept out of the classroom, met at the doors by Spike and Giles.

~*~

That evening at dinner, she made her entrance in between two handsome men (though, admittedly, in vastly different ways).

The female population swooned over her escorts while the males just ogled her. Severus just about had a coronary when he saw who she was with. The irritating old fool from before and some young punk.....one that had every female in the school drooling. INCLUDING Filch's cat! This was not good.

Spike jerked his head towards Snape. "So, that your new 'friend'? Looks jealous as hell. Want I should give him some food for thought?"

Anya pondered that. Severus hadn't spoken to her since Rupert arrived, and certainly not about their kiss. "Go ahead," she suggested.

Spike didn't say another word, merely swooping down to give Anya a kiss for the history books. (The ones you don't let the little 'uns see).

Giles rolled his eyes at their antics.

Severus fell off his seat.

"Did it work?" Anya asked breathlessly.

Spike looked up. "Oh yeah, pet, it worked." He grinned. "I think your friend is going to stake me, but it worked. Come on. Let's go sit next to him!"

Snape tried to act nonchalant as he straightened himself back up, but almost lost his resolve when the bleached guy sat beside him, Anya now separated completely from him. A hand jutted out in front of him. "Name's Spike. Saw you had a nasty fall. You alright old man?"

Okay, NOW he wanted to Arvada Kedavra the guy.

"Spike," Anya scolded, though not sounding particularly upset. "Play nice. Besides, you're much older than Severus here."

"Nearer to your age, eh gorgeous?" Spike leered at her. This was fun!

"Well, you could still be my grandson several times over," Anya replied, but grinned and patted his hand.

"Then what would that make junior here?" He shot back, gesturing towards a pissed off Snape. God this was more fun than tormenting Giles.

Like a lifetime's supply of repressed gits.

Anya tilted her head. "A passing fancy. After all, there is a word for men who leave you wondering indefinitely." That last part had some bite in it.

Spike looped an arm around her shoulders. "Well, you know me, love. Over a hundred years with my Dru, and I wasn't the one to betray."

"You want a wish?" Anya asked flippantly, but with an element of seriousness. He'd been wronged. She was a Vengeance Demon.

Spike looked taken aback. He'd never considered that. He recovered quickly, "Nah, ducks. Your beautiful face is all better than all the wishes in the world."

After that he mouthed 'We'll talk later'.

Meanwhile, Severus was unaware of this. He was still stuck on 'just a passing fancy'.

Spike prodded Severus. "That's what you get, don't you? Can't just play with a girl's fancy like that. Especially when said girl is a Vengeance Demon."

His expression said very clearly, she may not be able to hurt you, but I can.

Snape nodded, although it wasn't him that was playing with anyone's fancy!

The blonde pest in front of him was testament to that.

Well, Spike didn't see it quite like that. After all, it was Severus who hadn't said a word to Anya since kissing her, which left the poor dear rather confused and flustered (not to mention frustrated), and now he wasn't even getting much of a reaction out of him. So Spike decided to take a risk. Lowering his voice so Anya, who was chatting excitedly with Rupert and Minerva, couldn't hear, he muttered, "She and I, there's nothing going on. We were trying to make you jealous, she wanted to see if you were actually still interested in her, or had changed your mind." He grinned then, "Reckon it worked, don't you?

The wizard glared. "Quite."

"Just so you know, and don't blame demon girl, it was my idea." Spike added after a moment. He didn't mind if he was hated by Severus, just so long as Anya wasn't.

Severus sighed. "I doubt that even if Anya had concocted the idea it would have affected my view of her." He managed a half smile. "She's quite an intriguing young thing." He looked at the vampire, "And I do realise her age....so don't correct me."

"Wouldn't dream of it, mate. And I gotta agree with you on that one. She's definitely intriguing." Spike agreed easily, leaning back in his chair. "Reckon the whelp didn't know a good thing when it asked to be spanked." He leered.

Severus laughed at that, his eyes drifting to watch Anya. "What kind of fool would let her go?"

"Well, I reckon Harris always was a bit slow. Had a right gorgeous little thing, the cheerleader, and he ruined that, and couldn't even keep the witch, the one he cheated on her with." Spike rolled his eyes. "How he ever got any of them to look twice at him is beyond me."

Snape nodded, although how he had gotten Anya to look twice at him was often at the forefront of his thoughts.

"Anya deserves nothin' but the best, and that's the god's own truth." Spike said firmly. "Should've done something about the whelp when I had the chance." He gave Severus an even look. "Expect you've heard about that by now."

'That' being the fiasco that was The Wedding That Wasn't.

"To an extent...." The potions master nodded again, glancing at the DADA teacher, who was STILL talking animatedly with the librarian. "She doesn't like to dwell on negative things. But then, nobody really does."

"Reminds me, gotta apologise about gettin' her in trouble with the Scoobies." He snorted. "Fucking prick that the little jerkoff is. Oh, he can leave her at the altar, but she's got to be celibate for the rest of her life? Bloody screwy shit." Spike was not exactly the well-mannered type, as Severus had already noticed.

Draco was glaring at him.

Looking back at the blond, he cocked his head to the side. "Her friends were angry with her for sleeping with you?"

"Wouldn't call it sleeping, as it was on a table in the Magic Box, but yeah, more or less. Not that they were ever really her friends. She was 'Xander's Girlfriend' and that was about it." Spike snorted again. "She was on the outside, just like me."

"Ah....And due to the fact that you were both somewhat demonic and they, as I understand it, were an organisation that try to rid the world of demons...." He trailed off.

"Anya didn't fit in with their view of what people should be like -- understandable, in my opinion -- and I am, after all, an evil, soulless, thing. Anya didn't have that excuse -- becoming a demon doesn't necessarily involve losing your soul -- though she never pointed that out to them. Glad she didn't, they might've 'done something about her'. Hypocritical bunch of yahoos."

"Quite. The slayer, from what I've picked up, is quite vain....and, wait a second, evil and soulless? I was under the impression-" Spike cut him off with a wave of his hand.

"I was just pointin' out what they think of me. The ponce gets the benefit of the doubt for what he did minus a soul, but I'll tell you now, I won't get the same. Anya and me, we're lucky to be rid of that bunch."

"And we're lucky to have her here." Severus said, absentmindedly. He shook his thoughts back into order. "And, from what I hear, the female population is lucky to have you here...."

Spike made a face. "I reckon Anya's encouraging them. Then again, I got me the famous Malfoy good looks."

He looked at Severus then. Did the Potions Master know of his interesting heritage?

"Malfoy you say?" Came the reply.

No. Apparently he did not.

"Yep. William Malfoy, turned in 1888, I think." Spike nodded.

"Related to Lucius?" Severus asked. "And our Draco?"

"Yes, unfortunately to the first, and indeed to the second. Ever met Lucius's lil' wife? One hell of a woman there, I'm tellin' you now. Got to know her...intimately, as it were almost eighteen years ago, now."

Seventeen years and nine months, actually.

Snape's eyes grew wider with realisation. "You're joking."

"I'm not." Spike shook his head. "Believe me, no one was more stunned than me. Apparently, Cissi's fertility potion was a lot more potent than any of us thought."

Severus swallowed and looked at the Slytherin, then back at his....father? "Lucius has no idea I take it."

"Damn straight he doesn't. Son of a bitch would probably do something about it if he did find out." Spike stated. "I was going to talk to the boy myself, sooner, but it hasn't exactly been easy lately. I think I'm going to have to say something soon, though."

Severus nodded, "That would be wise. After all his NEWTs are coming up soon and it would be best if all his issues were dealt with beforehand."

Spike let out a burst of laughter at that. "It's as good a reason as any. Wonder how he'll react to knowing the man he thinks is his father is actually more of a cousin..."

"If his scowls are any indication, I'd say not too well."

"Christ." Spike rested his chin in his hands. "I've already managed to royally fuck the only family I've got left."

Snape furrowed his brow. He definitely did not know how to react to the grieving vampire. Especially seeing as said vampire -soul or no- was one of the most feared around the globe.

"Still, from what Dru tells me of Cissi now, anybody'd be better than Lucius," Spike observed after a moment. "Poor wee love. Wonder if I could plead justifiable thing slaughter..."

"With the way the wizarding world is right now, I'm almost certain you could." Snape mused.

"Kill the poncy, abusive git, win the girl, try and convince my son not to stake me." Spike ticked them off on his fingers. "I've got a hell of a lot of work ahead of me, don't I?"

"Yes, I believe you do."

Spike took a deep, unneeded breath. "No time like the present." He stood up and moved towards the Slytherin table. He always was an impulsive sort.

Snape watched as he tapped the young Malfoy on the shoulder and gestured towards the door. He shook his head and sighed. That would be an interesting conversation.

Draco gave Spike an incredulous look. "You honestly think I'm just going to wander off alone with a vampire?"

Spike thought about that. "Do you honestly think I'm giving you a choice here? Look, I've got some things need to be told, you need to hear 'em."

Draco snorted, but curiosity won out over stubbornness.

He followed the *way* older Malfoy out of the great hall and into an old classroom. Folding his arms over his muscled chest, he stared at the vampire. "Okay. Talk."

"Seventeen years and nine months ago, I met a young woman. Narcissa Malfoy, newly married. She was taking a fertility potion her mother recommended, but Lucius was already bored with his trophy wife and hadn't bothered her with his attentions since their wedding night." Spike shifted uncomfortably. "Dru and I were on the outs, so I decided to get back at her by finding myself a new playmate. So bored housewife Cissi and murderer of innocents me somehow ended up in bed together. She liked my poetry. The only person other than Dru who ever did. Only, the potion was a hell of a lot more potent than we thought..." There. Let the kid come to his own conclusions.

Draco did put two and two together and he scanned the man up and down with his eyes. "No....that's not.....It can't be...."

"Ever noticed you're stronger, or faster than you should be?" Spike probed lightly, "Unnatural reflexes that you just shrugged off? Trust me, nobody was more stunned than I was when I found out. Dru used to make a habit of checking in on Narcissa, I found out from her by accident." He thrust his hands into his pockets. "I know it's hard to believe. Turns out the poncy git's not your father, he's your cousin. Or something. But it's true. You -know- I'm telling the truth. Hell, you seriously think I'd make up crap like that? I would've said something sooner, but it's been...well, I'd say hell, but the poof'd probably disagree. He's been there personally."

"The poof?"

"Angelus. Scourge of Europe. Sort of your great-great-granddad." Spike waved a hand dismissively. "He sired Dru, Dru sired me, I went and knocked up a witch."

"Charming." The boy was clearly disgusted and not one for the long sentences either.

"Runs himself a little investigations thing in LA, now. Calls himself Angel. I know...I know I'm not exactly the kind of father you -- or anyone else, for that matter -- would be proud of having, but...but if you'll 'ave me, I'll at least try. I mean, the bit's never complained. Though I've been more of a slightly strange older brother than a father. She's already got herself a father figure. You met him. Rupes."

"Oh...Mr Giles....Wait...The bit?" Jeez this vamp was confusing.

"The lil' bit. The nibblet. Dawn. Dawn Summers. Slayer's lil' sister." Spike clarified. "I'd introduce you -- she's gonna laugh so hard when I tell her about this -- but I know me, and you -definitely- take after your ol' man, so I'm not about to trust you around her."

"She's muggleborn." He spat. "No thanks.....Besides, there's plenty of girls around here that I've got my....er....eye on anyway."

"Muggleborn? Actually, no, she's not. She's really a ball of whirling green energy. The Key. Interdimensional lockpick. But that's beside the point." Spike shrugged it off, even though his eyes had flashed yellow at the insult towards his nibblet.

Draco, meanwhile, had heard stories of the Slayer and her band of losers and was NOT going to accept that this Dawn creature was worth the time of day.

"I'm not certain what the point -is- anymore, though." Spike added, reflectively.

"You screwed my mother. I exist."

"Wasn't just that..." Spike's eyes misted with pleasant memories. He and Narcissa had indulged in an actual affair, complete with little gifts and tokens and whispers of adoration. He'd composed poetry for her. He'd cared about her. Loved her, maybe. "Should never've left her alone with that twat she married."

"That TWAT is my father!" Draco boomed. "I don't care if the genes are different, he raised me!"

"Yeah, and he ruined Cissa's life." Spike shot back. "Evil's one thing, but beating your wife is a whole 'nother story." He growled.

Draco bit his tongue. He knew his father had a knack for punishing him....but even he should have limits about hitting women, right? "You're lying." He hissed.

"I wish I was, mate, I really do." Spike replied, and anyone could see the genuine sincerity in his eyes, and hear it in his voice. "I was going to take her away, you know. Take her away and keep her safe from him, but I never could. Drusilla...well...just...Cissa deserved better. Deserves better. I'm going to make that bastard pay if it is the last thing I do!" Angry vehemence was gathered around him like a cloak.

Draco was still scowling. How was he supposed to believe anything the vampire was telling him? "My mother has never complained about-"

Spike cut him off.

"Oh, yeah, she's really going to say something to -you-." Spike put on a simpering female tone, "Oh, Draco, darling, I don't want to go out tonight because your father beats me black and blue," then shook his head and growled. "You believe what you want. You can stay with that wanker, that's fine by me if that's where you want to be. But I'm getting her out of there, as soon as I possibly can. It's already arranged, actually. She was tickled pink to hear from me." He had a slightly boyish look on his face then, but it didn't last long. "You do what you want, kid. I can see nothing I say or do is going to convince you. You just talk to your mother when she gets here."

Draco moved to say something -anything- to the older blonde, but couldn't find the words. Spike nodded at him and then turned on his heel, swiftly making his way back to the door. "Wait." The boy called after him

Spike turned back around.

Draco looked away. "When....when you found out about me...." God this was so hard for him to accept. So hard to say.

"Yeah...?" Spike prompted him, leaning against the doorframe. "When I found out about you...?"

Draco bit his tongue and frowned, "Never mind."

But Spike was curious now, and wasn't going to be put off. "Never mind my lily-white arse. What is it?"

The Slytherin's frown deepened. "It doesn't matter. Now if you'll excuse me-" He tried to move past and back out towards the hall, but Spike's arm stopped him.

"Look, I can see quite clearly any hope I had of a family is screwed already, but if you've got a question, just ask me. I don't bite." He made a face. "That came out wrong. No pun intended."

Draco sighed. This guy was just as stubborn as him, if not more so. "I wanted to know what the first thing you thought was....After all, you would have been soulless and quite evil and-"

Spike cut in before he could finish. "I found out about you fairly recently, actually. Soulless, yes. Evil, no. Wicked? yeah. Not evil. Big difference. I didn't believe it, at first. Figured it had to be one of Dru's crazy jokes. She ended up having to produce a birth certificate. The -real- one."

"How recently?" Draco narrowed his eyes. It was common knowledge now that the vampire had acquired a soul over 6 months ago. That, to him at least, was a bit more than 'recent'.

"Okay, not -that- recently," Spike allowed. "About a year ago. I went out and got drunk to celebrate, okay? I always wanted to have a wee one of my own. Vampire, sterile, bit of a problem there. I got piss drunk. The 'bit came by with some pain relief for the resulting hangover."

Draco's lip curled. He was mentioning the muggle brat again. Only this time it wasn't a dislike of muggles that was getting to him....it was something different. The fact that his 'father' -the one had been raised by- never showed him any compassion or spent any time with him nagged in his mind. Oh god, this wasn't jealousy was it? No. Couldn't be. He was NOT jealous of a muggle brat.

"You didn't come back though." He accused.

"Well...as far as I knew you were doin' okay without me. You already had a father. Why would you want a...a...me?" Spike swallowed, hard. "I figured if Narcissa wanted me to know, she would've told me, and I didn't want to go blundering in where I wasn't welcome. Don't think I didn't want to, because I did."

Draco didn't know what to say there. A voice inside screamed for him to tell the vampire that his father wasn't there for him. He -hadn't- been doing 'okay'. Why else had he been such a brat than to get attention from the death eater? And ACK! Where did he get this conscience and how could he get rid of it?

"And it's not as though you've made me feel any more welcome now," Spike pointed out reasonably. "You don't want me now, why would it've been any different then?"

The young man tried his hardest to suppress the feelings of guilt that just washed over him and fixed a glare back onto his face, inwardly cursing this new conscience thing. "I'm sorry," He sneered, "I should have set aside MY shock and MY feelings because the big, bad vampire might get offended."

Spike looked unruffled. "I was just pointing out the facts. I'm not offended. After all, this is exactly what I expected. By the by, you've got all term to decide what you're doing. Staying with the ponce or coming with me and your mum." He looked a bit abashed. "We're goin' house hunting this weekend, if you wanted to come,"

Good grief. He actually looked nervous.

"House hunting?" He repeated in astonishment. "Y-you mean you're not just going to rescue her and be on your way? You're a permanent fixture?"

"Er...yeah." Spike shifted nervously from foot to foot. "I'm a permanent fixture for as long as she wants me."

"Fa....Lucius isn't going to let her go without a fight."

"He's not always there, now, is he?" Spike pointed out. "I happen to know for a fact he's going to be away for the next three days. Narcissa's bags are packed already, with enough left out so he doesn't get suspicious. I swoop in, I take her out, we go live happily ever after, and if the ponce tries to interfere, I rip out his throat."

Okay, so the vampire's plan worked in theory.....Draco nodded. He couldn't believe what he was about to say. "Could you owl my mother? Ask her to pack some of my belongings as well?"

Spike's face split into the most ecstatically happy grin possible, before he smothered it quickly and responded in a tone worthy of Oz, "Yeah, I can do that."

The Slytherin almost laughed at the older Malfoy's reaction. ALMOST. He was still a bit frazzled by everything. "So....Spike.....what do I call you?" While he was nervous as hell on the inside, he *still* managed to sound collected, calm and arrogant with his questioning. God he was good.

"Er. Well." Spike hesitated. "Whatever you want, I guess." So he'd always wanted to hear somebody call him 'Dad'. He wasn't about to admit that to this...this practically-a-man-now.

Draco grinned evilly. "WHATEVER I want?"

He was shot down with a look.

"Call me anything poofy and I'll rip out all your organs, frame 'em, and hang 'em on my wall." Spike threatened, before adding in a pleasant tone, "So, what've I missed these last...seventeen years?"

"Uh...*Everything*." Draco shot back, a glint of mischief still in his eyes. Spike assumed he had inherited it from him.

"Cissa's sent me a bunch of photo-albums, and I've got all your reports from Hogwarts from the other teachers." Spike informed him. "Demon girl calls you the SpikeAlike, I hear. Apparently she's trying to set you up with the Head Girl." He paused to snicker. "Actually, overhearing -that- conversation was really funny...poor wee chit. She's attending the Anya Academy of Seducing Slytherins."

"Granger and I?" Draco mused, laughing a little. "A mudblood and me? Sure she's attractive and all, but my fa....Lucius would AK me the second he found out. Besides, the bint hates my guts."

"She doesn't have to like you to do you. I speak from experience here." Spike replied wistfully, before adding, "I'm going to teach that git a lesson about hurting my loved ones. Trust me when I say he won't even look at you wrong when I'm done with him. You gallivant with whoever you feel like. And by the by, ever say that word again and by god you will feel the back of my fang."

Draco blinked innocently, "Which word? Mudblood? Bint? *Besides*???"

"The first one."

"Ah," Draco smirked. Granger had actually accepted it as a nickname not too long ago. It was his way of greeting her. Like Spike called Professor Emerson 'Demon Girl'. "But she doesn't mind it anymore."

Spike thought about that. "Okay. You can call -her- mudblood because she doesn't mind. But you call anybody else by it..." He left the threat hanging in the air. "No son of mine is going to end up some prejudiced arsehole."

"Too late."

The boy's grin widened at the look on his father's face.

Spike growled. "Let me put it this way. Your father is a vampire. How many people are going to think of -you- as a halfblood?"

"My 'father', as everyone knows, is a death eater. They won't have to know about the truth of my heritage." Oh why did he feel so awful at the vampire's crestfallen expression? He sighed. "And, even so, you said you were a wizard before you were turned. That *still* makes me pure-blooded."

"And there are a lot of people who're going to think of you the same way as they think of that Lupin chap if you do decide I'm worthy of being acknowledged." Spike said, a little bite (pun intended) in his tone at the last.

Draco scowled again. "That's not fair. Emotionally blackmailing me, I mean."

"Well, I'm not exactly the happiest bloke in the world to know that my son would rather have everyone think his father's that death eater sod than admit he's related to me." Spike grumbled. "Not fair. You like -him- better than me." Okay, now he sounded like a sulky child.

"I have -never- liked that man and I barely -know- you." The other Malfoy shot back

"Fair enough."

They stood in silence for a while, neither knowing what to say to the other, which was a first for both of them. After a few minutes, Draco was the first to move. "Well, I'm going to finish my dinner and think about all this...."

"Er...yeah. Good idea. I should probably go tell demon girl I told you. She's been on at me to do something for a while. Between her and your mother, I'm bloody henpecked."

Then he frowned and spun on the vampire again. "If you're with my mother, why were you kissing the DADA professor before?"

Spike coughed. "Oh, that. We were makin' Snape jealous."

"Snape? She fancies SNAPE?" Draco groaned. "Is the woman insane?"

"You should've seen the whelp," Spike confided with a grimace. "She's got a knack for pickin' 'em, that's all I'm saying. According to her, he kissed her, and then didn't say a word to her for over a week. Not a good idea when the chit's a Vengeance Demon. We were making sure he's still interested." He grinned. "Poor bastard fell off his chair."

Draco let the laugh escape this time. "And here we were thinking he wasn't interested in women full stop...."

"I said something along those lines myself. She said for someone who could pass for a eunuch, he certainly knows what he's doing." Spike made a face. "Too much information for my liking."

Draco's expression mirrored the vampire's. "Here here."

"Well, we better get back before demon girl gives the Granger girl too much of an edge. Trust me when I say the little professor knows exactly what she's doing." Spike grinned, before heading back into the Great Hall.

Draco shuddered again, not really wanting to understand the implication of his new found father's words, and followed the man out.

Anya, tactless as ever, hurried down from her seat, managing to nearly barrel into Severus in her haste.

"You told him, then? What'd he say? How'd he take it? Is he going to stake you? You're not injured are you? He looks like he takes after you -far- too much and you're a violent person."

Spike grinned down at her. "I told him. He took it...better than expected. He's coming with me and Cissa."

The DADA professor squealed and hugged him, stating her congratulations and so forth. Sitting at the end of the Gryffindor table, closest to the teachers', Hermione felt her jaw drop. Not only was this Spike an old Malfoy, he was Draco's father.

And she had been attracted to them both! Ick!

Spike slung his arm around her shoulders and led her back up to the table, this time letting Anya sit next to Severus. Well, 'let' might be too mild a word. He didn't give her much choice.

She didn't seem to mind, though.

Draco, mindful of his father's earlier words, decided to test the theory. He caught Hermione's eye, and gave her his most lasciviously suggestive smirk, with a dash of ye olde Malfoy charm. And a pinch or two of 'I know what you're thinking' thrown in for good measure.

The Head Girl felt herself turn crimson and swallowed, before trying to glare at him. All she managed, however, was a wistful look, for which she was ashamed of. He winked at her and she almost fainted from shock.

Anya caught sight of this, and gave Hermione an encouraging nod.

Hermione blushed furiously. Good god, as if this weren't hard enough, without her -professor- cheering on the sidelines.

Draco caught the exchange from the corner of his eye and made a small motion with his head. The message was clear. 'Leave the Hall. Meet you outside.'

He stood up, excusing himself from the Slytherin table, and left confidently, gaining a knowing wink from his father.

Hermione thought about it for about half a second. She could see Anya making furious 'Get out there, girl!' motions, and decided, hey, what the hell.

With that in mind, she stood up and left the hall, ignoring the shocked looks and gasps behind her.

(And not a few jealous glares)

Her heart was pounding inside her chest when she reached the door and she knew she was now a bright red colour.

Draco was leaning against the wall, all predatory grace. [Must get it from his father,] she thought irrationally. He greeted her with a lazy smirk.

"Malfoy," She breathed, trying to sound confident and failing once more.

"Awww...seven years and you still can't say my first name? Go on, it's not -that- hard," he drawled lightly, straightening up.

She frowned. "Draco, what do you want?" Okay *now* she sounded confident and borderline threatening.

He pondered that. There were about a dozen different things he could say. He went with the simplest, as they tended to get the best reaction. So, allowing his lips to curl into yet another lazy smirk, he drawled, "You."

Her mouth opened and shut, making her resemble a goldfish. She had NOT been expecting that. "Ah....are you feeling okay? I mean, HELLO Mudblood here."

"As my delightful father pointed out, I'm not one to be throwing stones. After all, he's a vampire. I wonder what that makes me..." He moved closer, grinning broadly at her reaction.

'Incredibly desirable?' She thought, choosing instead to murmur incoherently when he brushed away a few strands of her hair ever so gently.

"N.....wha....you...." She tried her hardest to focus. "A self-confident Slytherin?" She finally offered meekly.

Draco was enjoying this, and it was -very- obvious. "Hmmmm...maybe..."

She swallowed again. No! DON'T come closer!

He did, though.

"Why?" She asked him quietly, as his lips got dangerously closer. "Why do you want me?"

Okay, now -that- had him stumped. He could make something up, but he doubted she'd believe it. So he settled for the truth, and gave her a slightly puzzled look. "I don't rightly know. Perhaps you've cast some sort of spell on me?"

At her look, he sighed. "Apparently not."

She smirked at him, starting to gain control of her hormones once more.

But then, he turned the tables on her. "Why do you want me?"

She smacked her lips together, and contemplated this. "Who says I do?"

"Hermione, It's a bit obvious...." He snarked in response.

Hermione decided to see if she could steal back the upper hand. It seemed unlikely, but it was worth a shot. Besides, deep (very deep) down, she admitted to herself she was enjoying this almost as much as he was.

Not that she would say that out loud.

"Because you're a challenge," she told him. "A new challenge. Possibly a more...stimulating challenge...?"

So, behind her maidenly blushes, she really had been listening to Anya...

Draco grinned and moved closer. "I see....I can be quite *stimulating* I assure you...."

There went her 'gain the upper hand' idea.

Damn. Oh well.

"Oh, really?" she arched a brow. "Prove it."

Wherethehelldidthatcomefrom? a small part of her shrieked. You're insane!

Shut up, she told it.

Draco, meanwhile, was delighted with the two words. "Yes ma'am." He moved closer, backing her up against the wall and kissed her with everything he had in him.

She hadn't expected him to -actually-...well, prove it...but she wasn't complaining now that he was!

Although, when he pulled away she wanted to.

"Where are you going?" She asked, hoping that she hadn't just heard herself sounding mildly upset at his departing figure. He walked straight past the great hall and she scampered after him. Wait. She scampered?

"Draco!" she put a hand on his arm and pulled him around to face her. "Where are you -going-?"

"You'll see." He gave her a cheeky smile that made her have second thoughts about following him further.

But she quashed them and followed anyway.

She let him lead the way down the catacomb of stairways and halls until he stopped outside the Slytherin common room's entrance, he tapped on the wall beside the portrait and a secret panel appeared. She knew this would happen as he was Head Boy and the system was the same for her, only she was situated near the Gryffindor entrance. He was about to whisper the password, when the portrait beside them swung open. She groaned. That was all they needed. To be caught sneaking into his room.

By SLYTHERINS no less.

Just as she thought it could get no worse, it did.

Pansy Parkinson.

Staring at them.

With horror, and shock, and then (worst of all), tears in her eyes. "Drakie! How -could- you! With a -mudblood-!" she shrieked, before turning, sniffling pathetically, and fleeing into the common room.

Hermione couldn't help it. She had to stifle a snicker.

"Yes *Drakie*, how could you?" She mimicked, only to be shut up with a roll of gorgeous blue eyes and the feel of his lips against hers again.

The portrait swung open again. Draco pulled away. Served him right, Hermione thought.

She had been enjoying the brief chance to pick on him. Although it HAD only been a joke.

Blaise Zabini was eyeing them with amusement in his eyes.

Hermione sighed, cutting in before either of the Slytherins could say anything. "Yes. He's here. With a Gryffindor. A -mudblood-, no less. But we're not going to be able to do -anything- if you insufferable, untimely Slytherins don't stop interrupting! Shoo!"

Draco stood, a little stunned. "You really HAVE been spending too much time with that Professor, you know." He winked, "But I like it...."

She turned red again and batted at him playfully.

"I learn fast," she replied.

Blaise smirked. "I'll let you get back to your games. If anyone asks, I saw you armed with books working on Draco's failing Herbology grade."

"Hey! I'm not failing!" Draco protested.

"They don't know that." Blaise shrugged, stepping back through the portrait.

"Well, he's fairly decent. For a Slytherin." Hermione remarked.

"He's one of the better ones, yes." Draco agreed, the door to his room FINALLY opening.

He allowed Hermione to enter first and then followed suit, enjoying her reaction.

She gasped as she stared around the room. It was so....nice.

"Hard to believe the Slytherin King doesn't have a nice little den of torture and evil?" Draco drawled at her.

"Hard to believe the Slytherin King has decorating sense....." She threw back good-naturedly.

"You wound me, Miss Granger." He said sadly, his hand on his chest, the other outflung melodramatically.

She laughed and sat down on the plush green couch. "You get that Mr Malfoy...."

"Make yourself at home," he drawled. "Do sit down."

After a pause, "Oh. Right. You already have."

She rolled her eyes and found herself pouting at him, "Aren't you going to join me?" She heard herself ask. Where had THAT come from?

She really HAD listened to Professor Emerson a bit too much.

Draco tried not to gawk. He hadn't expected any of this from her. Perhaps from an Anya clone, but Hermione...?

He did, however, join her on the sofa.

She fidgeted, not knowing where to go from here. She wasn't even sure if she WANTED it to go anywhere. But then, if she didn't, why had she followed him into his bedroom?

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Gryffindor's pure princess having second thoughts?"

Her eyes met his as a flush crept over her face. "Something like that...."

Draco snapped his fingers. "Damn. I -knew- it was too good to be true."

She frowned. "Why should a girl just jump into bed with you? Or anyone? Whatever happened to getting to know each other first? Feeling something OTHER than lust?" There it was, the real Hermione, creeping to the surface.

"Not that lust is bad....." She trailed off a bit.

Draco didn't want to say what first came to mind ('Yes, but if you got to know me, you -really- wouldn't want to jump into bed with me'). He wasn't quite sure what to say at all.

She sighed, and continued to voice her trail of thoughts. "I mean, If kissing you was any indication.....But I want to know you....I mean, what with that Spike fellow being your father and your sudden lack of 'i hate mudblood' syndrome....and your unfortunately stunning good looks......" She went red again. "Sorry...."

He pouted at her. "-Unfortunately-?"

What a thing to latch onto, of all the things she'd said.

She rolled her eyes, "How is a girl supposed to continue to ignore you if you strut around looking like you do? It's not fair. I was SUPPOSED to be your enemy.....and....well....lets just say that's NOT the way I've been thinking of you...." She grimaced. Who was letting her say these things?

"I'm starting to think I got it from my father." He replied with a roguish grin.

She batted at him, stopping herself from agreeing. THAT would be a turn off, she was sure of it. 'yes Draco, I find him incredibly sexy as well.' Yeah, right.

As she pondered how inappropriate it would be to agree with Draco about his father's innate sexiness, interesting notions flashed through the bushy-haired head. Hmmmm...

Slightly demented notions, granted. But interesting, none the less.

"Hermione?" His voice brought her out of her reverie. He tilted his head to the side and looked at her. "Do I want to know what you were just thinking?"

She shook her head. "Not particularly...."

Draco eyed her for a moment longer, then shrugged. Best not to chase that train of thought, he decided.

She nibbled her bottom lip, nervous and feeling out of place yet again. "Draco?" She inquired quietly.

Draco looked up, quizzically. "Mmmm?"

"I....Can I...." The blush was creeping over her face again. "Oh bugger it." She leant forward and kissed him, raking her hand through his blonde locks.

Now this was more like it. Draco responded enthusiastically, pulling her closer.

She savoured the feeling of his lips on hers, his tongue toying with hers, his hands moving up her back to unclip her bra....wait! "No...." She managed as she pulled away, "I....I can't....Not....Not straight away...."

Damn, damn, damn, damn--oooh. Double damn.

For who had walked in but...

Anya!

"Professor!" Draco yelped, positioning himself so that Hermione was on his lap. He glared. "How did you....I mean, It's a SECRET password, meaning YOU shouldn't know it!"

"It only took a few tries before I got it right." Anya shrugged. "And have you been looking in muggle things? What kind of password is, 'Quidditch Needs Cheerleaders', anyway?"

Draco shifted uncomfortably. Hermione smirked and filed that away for future reference.

He frowned, "yes, well, it *does* and *why* are you in here?" He was not pleased at all, well, not by her entrance anyway. Before that, though, one could have argued.......Anyway, Anya had yet to answer.

"I need the head students -- lucky guess about you both being here, huh? Saved me a trip -- to come with me. Like, now." Anya told them. "Up, up, up. Take your hands -away- from Miss Granger's bra and follow me."

Hermione started to stand up, and Draco pulled her back down. "Okay, fine, We'll be out in just a minute."

Anya's smile had a hint of steel, as did her tone. "You'll come -now-, thank you, Mr Malfoy. Because the next person asking will be your father, if needs must."

And then Severus.

He closed his eyes and hoped he wasn't blushing, "Yes, well, can you both....er....go out first?"

Anya's expression softened. "I'll be outside the door. You have two minutes." Once outside, she called, "I'm countin'!"

Hermione quirked an eyebrow at him as she moved to stand. "What-" She started.

He waved his hand at her. "Don't even." He said. "Just.....give me a minute to....think of something old and non-sexual."

She couldn't help but laugh.

After the appointed two minutes had passed, Anya poked her head back in. "Okay, times officially up. Hup, hup, hup two, three, four!"

Draco sighed and stood up, praying to everything he could think of that his lower region was back to normal. To his relief, all was fine. He frowned at the professor again. "What do you want us for?"

"You'll see." She smiled mysteriously. "Okay, Spike, Sev, Rupes! I got 'em! You got your lot?"

There was a muffled groan followed by Spike yelling, "I reckon one of 'em had a go at Sev. Hope they didn't damage anything down there, for your sake, demon girl."

"Spike!"

"Spike!"

Draco looked back at the Professor. "Why did I need to hear THAT?"

~*~

Anya beamed. Ten vampires were chained to the far wall. There were seats, enough to contain an entire House at once, if need be. Weapons covered the wall opposite the vampires.

"Albus put it together specially. This isn't our training room, it's the exhibition hall. Where we do our demonstrations. You guys get a preview because you're Head Boy and Girl, and we wanted to see some reactions."

Spike, Severus and Rupert were seated in a row along one of the walls, Severus still wincing. Spike grinned.

Hermione took a seat, deliberately saving one for Draco between herself and Spike. He sighed and sat down reluctantly. This was definitely NOT how he had planned to spend the evening. The Head Girl eyed the vampires wearily. "Are you sure about this?" She asked. "I mean, an incident with Gilderoy Lockhart and Cornish pixies springs to mind...."

Anya looked indignant. "We've been protecting the -world- from bigger, scarier things than -them-." She shot the vampires a withering look. "-I'm- more dangerous than a bunch of fledglings. Trust us."

"Don't make light of them too much, Anya," Giles cautioned.

Spike sauntered over. "What Mr Stake Up His Arse means is that while there is no danger to you all -here-, because we have it fully under control, this is a controlled area and situation. Out there, a fledgling could take you out. As embarrassing a way to die as it is, it's a real one."

Draco yawned. "Been there. Heard that." He eyed his father, an evil grin taking over his face, "Although if all the *really* evil ones keep getting souls, we'll all be safe."

Hermione hit him in the arm.

"You watch your tongue, lad, or I'll be gettin' good ol Grandma Dru down to sort you out." Spike threatened half-heartedly. "Actually, crazy bint wants to meet you. Something about stars and dollies. I dunno. DruSpeak is bloody hard to interpret, and I'm a little out of practice."

Hermione tried to suppress her laughter at the look on Draco's face.

"Yeah, innt that nice? Your 'grandmother' -- and she quite fancies herself as a Grandmummy -- is a crazy, centuries old vampiress with a penchant for talking to things that aren't there."

When Draco actually made a yelping sound, Hermione's snickers escaped her lips.

He turned and frowned at her.

Spike laughed. "Don't worry, she isn't going to hurt anybody. One thing I -am- good at, and that's gettin' around Dru. If you do meet her -- and you will, if I know Dru, and I do -- you'll be safe as houses."

"Riiight...." Draco drawled, looking around for some kind of excuse to change the topic. Luckily, Anya saved him.

"Spike, you're stealing my precious limelight!" She huffed, arms crossed over her chest.

Spike grinned and ruffled her hair. "Go on, then, pet."

Anya beamed. "Okay, Draco, Hermione, go sit on the seats. You'll be safe there, the evil uglies can't get past the barriers, but you guys can. We spelled it so it's like a little home. Sevvykins, you should probably sit there too," she added in a concerned tone. Giles nodded and helped the pained professor to a seat.

"All right. Let's get started!" Anya beamed. She dropped her robes, causing Severus to go red and look away. She was wearing her usual training gear beneath them. Spike took off his duster, and lay it reverently on a chair. He looked thoughtfully at the vampires, and took of his shirt, as well. No point letting one of them rip a good shirt.

Hermione tried really hard not to react. Really she did. She closed her eyes and muttered her new mantra:

DracoNotSpikeDracoNotSpikeDracoNotSpike...

Draco looked at his father and then his....er....whatever she was and groaned. "Please tell me that your eyes are closed because he repulses you." He pleaded.

"Ummm...yeah?" Hermione offered weakly.

He made a weak whimpering noise. "My life just went to hell." Said with crumpled face and all.

"It's not my fault your father's sexy." Hermione retorted without thinking. "Half the female population is in love with him!"

Spike spun to look at her, while Draco clasped his hand over his mouth. "I'm going to be sick...." He said melodramatically.

"Don't be such a drama queen," Hermione muttered, burying her face in her hands.

"Ah, pet....." Spike started, trying not to laugh at the mess the Head Girl had just gotten herself into.

Anya grinned. "Okay. We can debate Spike's sexiness later. I wanna kick some vampy ass!" she complained.

"Awww, you can kick this vampy ass anytime you like, babe." Spike grinned impishly.

"MALFOY!" This came from a very possessive Severus.

Anya grinned.

"Yeah," Draco seconded, "You keep your mind on my mother and my mother only!" He frowned. "I don't want that either really...." He shuddered as mental images attacked him. "REALLY don't want that."

Spike grinned. "Guess we'll be investing in soundproof walls."

"Spike..." Anya whined.

"Okay, okay, pet, don't get your knickers in a knot." Spike laughed. Then he looked at the assembled vampires. "So...who wants to die first?"

It was really funny how they all pointed at each other.

"Right then, gonna do this the, well, it's another easy way...." Spike mused.

"Get on with it." Draco demanded.

Severus nodded in agreement and pointed at one of them. "Make THAT one die....PAINFULLY!"

Anya bounced on her feet. "Can I go first? Can I, can I, can I, can I? I've been practising! I'm really good now Spike pretty please I'll love you forever!"

"No you bloody well won't," Severus muttered darkly.

Hermione tried to pretend she hadn't heard that.

Spike grinned. "Go ahead, love."

Anya squealed with delight and unlocked the first vampire. "I'll give you a head start, okay? Weapons are over there. You've got a fighting chance, at least." She offered.

The vampire, a female, eyed her warily. She clearly hadn't been around long, as when she chose her weapon it was just a dagger, and she looked a little uncertain with it.

Anya let her make the first move.

However, there weren't many moves after that. She'd been practising, as she said. Demon strength helped. She -literally- kicked the vampire's head off. Dust!

"Anya one, evil vampires, none!" She grinned.

"I'm impressed," Spike nodded.

"I'm...." Severus began, then glared at the blonde vampire. The one he wasn't ALLOWED to stake. "Hey!"

Anya beamed at Severus. "Wasn't that cool! I usually was the one like Xander -- standing in the background trying not to get killed. But look! I kick ass! It's fun! Ass-kicking, I mean. Not getting my own ass kicked. Sometimes I came back from patrolling like, one big bruise. And hurting in places I didn't know existed. Mortals suck."

He had the grace to look understanding and would have happily hugged her and promised to kiss ALL her bruises better.....but he was still in pain and forced to sit and smile. "It was quite amazing, yes."

Now Giles frowned. "He's just taken MY meaningful sentiments."

Snape glared back, "Only because the peroxided creep took MINE."

Anya grinned at them, and then looked at Hermione. "This is called having a bunch of guys fight over you. Or argue over who gets to tell you how pretty you look kicking ass. It's a brilliant thing to achieve. Gives you the warm-n-fluffies."

Hermione couldn't help but grin back, considering the childish expressions on all -three- of the men.

Seeing Snape looking childish wigged her out a little, but *damn* it was amusing.

Spike grinned. "Come on, then. -My- turn. Let's make it fun." He let out two of the vampires. Anya went and sat down next to Severus, one hand resting absently on his thigh. She didn't seem to realise she was doing it. Severus certainly did.

"Okay kiddies," Spike jested, allowing the vampires to choose their weaponry, "Let's get this little party goin', shall we?"

One, a tall male, reached for a battleaxe. The other, a shorter male, grabbed a broadsword.

They came at Spike together, as if working in a synchronised fashion. The blonde rolled his eyes and took on the tallest first.

Anya watched with fascination. Spike was much better at this than she was, no matter how much she'd practised.

Hermione looked equally fascinated, though, for Draco's sake, she was rather more discreet.

"This is horrible! Completely gruesome!" Hermione groaned, nuzzling her head into Draco's shoulder, shielding her eyes from the scene in front of her.

Draco looked down at her and grinned, "Hmm....I'm starting to like it..."

Once Spike had finished with his vampires, he turned, and took a bow. "Thank you, thank you, thank you very much."

Anya applauded. Severus and Giles glared at her. And Spike.

Albus knocked on the door, just as Anya was getting up to take another vampire.

"Albie?" Anya looked curiously at him, then at who he was standing with.

A still slightly tearful Cordelia Chase.

"Cordy!" she shouted, and hurried over to her stricken friend. "Wes sent me the wrong time, did he? We'll get you settled, okay? It'll all be -fine-. I -promise-. And those pesky nightmares? Well, my Sevvykins--"

[She said -my-!] Severus thought jubilantly.

"--has the bestest potions for that sort of thing." Anya continued, putting an arm around Cordelia's shoulders and heading out of the room with her.

Spike looked over, curious. "What's the cheerleader doing here?"

Draco looked curious, but for different reasons. "Cheerleader?"

Hermione glared at him. "Don't even."

"What?" He looked all innocent and wide-eyed.

"Cute isn't going to cut it." She huffed.

He grinned, "I could same thing considering your thoughts about my father."

She turned bright red.

Spike coughed.

Severus was looking curiously after them, as was Rupert, though he looked concerned rather than curious.

~*~

Anya's quarters had been expanded to include a second bed, wardrobe and dressing table, so Cordelia could stay with her. She and Cordelia were sitting on her bed, talking quietly. A troubled Albus was walking back to his office.

"Professor Dumbledore," Giles said, moving to stride along the old wizard, "Can I enquire as to why Miss Chase has arrived?"

Dumbledore sighed as Giles fell in step next to him. "I am afraid, Mr Giles, that that is her story to tell. She has had a...traumatic experience and is here to recover. Any further details, you will have to ask her. Though I would prefer if you did not."

Rupert furrowed his brow. He had once thought of Cordelia as a child from his own flock. He'd often regretted not keeping in contact with her and even allowing his Slayer to judge the brunette the way she had. So, to find out that she had suffered a traumatic experience of some kind upset him. He longed to talk to her and be a system of support, as he had once offered -reluctantly as it had been- when she had attended Sunnydale High. He knew the girl, although she was a young woman now, had been through a rough patch in her teens, and to find that things were getting worse....well, he was troubled. Not meaning any disrespect to the headmaster, he nodded, but decided to counteract the sentiment. "I understand....But I used to know Miss Chase rather well and-"

He was cut off.

"She will tell you if she wishes. In her own time." Albus said firmly, and it was clear this was his final word on the matter. His eyes did soften, after a moment, and he added gently, "It's not my place to decide who may know and who may not, Rupert."

"It is her own, I know." He subsided, still longing to know what had gone on in LA. He wasn't exactly with Wesley either, so contacting him might pose a problem. And Angel? Well, there wasn't much trust with him either.

"Here. She's staying with Professor Emerson at the moment. Perhaps she would like a second shoulder to lean on." Albus suggested.

"Perhaps." Giles mused. "I haven't spoken to her in years, though. It would be awkward to say the least."

"What's awkward, Rupes?" Spike asked, bounding over to join the two 'older' men.

"Approaching Cordelia about why she's here." Giles replied.

"I was headed that way meself," Spike replied with a shrug. "After the bit introduced me to the wonderful world of the web, I got the poof and his merry band's emails. Been talking to demon girl and the cheerleader on there ever since."

Actually, Spike already knew what had happened. But they didn't need to know that.

Giles frowned. How was it fair that SPIKE was consulted and not he?

Spike gave Giles a searching look. "Cheerleader needs a place to recover for a while. That's all you lot need to know." He said it firmly. He'd seen Sunnydale's version of 'help', and he wasn't about to let anyone inflict -that- on one of his girls.

The former Ripper nodded, understanding that this was more than serious. "Thank you Spike."

"She's gonna be right as rain, long as the great poof doesn't try sticking his nose where it don't belong." Spike shrugged after a pause. "She's stronger than anyone gives her credit for."

"The poof?" Giles' gaze hardened. "What has Angel done?" He knew Spike way too well. He could read between the lines.

"Not so much what -he- did," Spike said evasively. Angel and Angelus were sort of two different folks. And it wasn't as though Angel was the -only- one in that bed.

"What on.....Oh." Rupert's eyes widened with realisation. In Spike terminology that sentence could have meant one of two things. a) that Angelus was involved. b) that sex was involved. Strangely enough, Giles assumed that both were on the cards. "Shit."

"Damn right." Spike nodded with a throaty growl. "Here. Albus may have his code of silence, but you may as well know. As long as you swear you won't tell her I told. I can kiss my balls goodbye if you do."

"And as amusing as that would be...." Giles deadpanned, "You have my word."

"Right. Okay. Cheerleader and the poof did the deed, which resulted in one naked cheerleader trying to evade one demented, soulless son of a bitch. Next comes the week of Angelus's mind games, before she's -finally- rescued and they get the soul back where it belongs." Spike made a face. "A case of wham, bang, attempted homicide."

Giles was horrified. He'd known Buffy was that reckless, but Cordelia? Especially after knowing about the curse? He stood there, jaw dropped, staring at Spike. "That's terrible. I can only imagine how this is affecting her...."

"Wasn't her fault, eh. She didn't mean for it to get out of hand like that. I personally reckon it was the poof's fault and the poof's alone. I'm biased, but hell. He -knows- better. So does she, but he..." Spike shook his head. "I'll stake him myself if he sets foot around here."

"And I won't stand in your way." Giles muttered. He glanced at Dumbledore, than back at the blonde vampire. "Anyhow, I had best be off. There are a few lessons I promised Anya I'd prepare...."

"Right, then." Spike nodded, lighting a cigarette as he walked. "I'm off to find demon girl and the cheerleader. Probably in demon girl's rooms. If you see Draco around anywhere, could you tell him his mother'll be here tomorrow? Thanks." Without waiting for an answer, Spike was off.

Giles sighed and left in the opposite direction, towards his chambers. He didn't know how he was going to concentrate on lesson plans considering recent revelations, but it had to be done.

~*~

Anya and Cordelia entered the Great Hall, Cordelia looking hesitantly around. She'd tidied up more, and Anya had loaned her dark blue robes that suited the former cheerleader and now seer down to the ground.

Cordelia's eyes were downcast once she'd seen a little, and Anya was murmuring encouraging comments and reassurances as they walked up to the teacher's table.

The students that were actually awake enough to take any notice, looked up and studied the new woman. She was extremely pretty, a little shaky and they couldn't help thinking that she was a muggle. This, of course, sent whispers throughout the Great Hall, which did nothing for Cordelia's esteem level.

Albus stood up, and clapped his hands together as Anya and Cordelia sat, between Severus and Spike.

"As you may have noticed, we have a new guest, Ms Cordelia Chase, Seer for the Powers That Be."

And if that didn't get their attention, nothing would.

"Ms Chase is our -guest- here, and I trust you will all make her feel welcome. She is welcome to sit in on any classes that should tickle her fancy and I do hope that she will enjoy her time at Hogwarts."

There was polite clapping as he sat down. Cordelia looked as though she hadn't heard a word.

Trelawney sulked, mimicking the Headmaster. "Seer for The Powers That Be." She sneered. "Well whoopdeedoo." She attacked her meal with her cutlery. Minerva watched with interest and tried to stifle a laugh.

Anya looked innocently over at her. "Jealous, Sybil? Cordelia saves lives and you just predict deaths that never happen, after -all-."

The Divinations professor looked indignantly at the blunt-as-always DADA professor. "How -dare---"

Cordelia cried out and clutched her head, then, falling out of her chair with a cry. Spike and Anya were on their knees next to her in an instant, Spike cradling her in his lap, while Anya tried her hardest to soothe the seer.

Rupert looked, mystified, at Anya. "What...?"

"A vision." Anya said shortly.

"Vision? They cause her pain?" He felt even worse. Not only was the poor woman suffering emotionally, but physically as well. And, if the visions were as gruesome as he had been led to believe, that would scar her mentally as well.

"Is there anything that I can do?"

"Unfortunately, no." Anya sighed. "Severus, go get whatever you people have for painkillers. Powerful ones." She ordered. "Spike...just...hold onto her, okay? Rupert, there isn't anything we can do but wait."

This was decidedly worse. He watched as she writhed in Spike's arms, obviously in a hell of a lot of pain. There had to be SOMETHING he could do for her. Anything.

It was a few minutes later that Cordelia finally came out of it, panting hard. She buried her face in Spike's chest.

"Cordy..." Anya coaxed softly. "Tell me what you saw."

"V-vampires...outside a...a...candy store? Near here...really close...one girl, two boys. T-the vampires aren't killing them, they're...kidnapping them." Cordelia replied at length.

"Can you describe them for us?"

"Bushy-haired brunette girl, dark-haired and red-head boy. Late teens."

Snape groaned. "Does Potter ever NOT get into trouble?"

Spike, meanwhile, looked over at Draco. That was all he needed. To Let one of his kind take his son's girlfriend.

The teachers all looked rather shaken by the...the violence of Cordelia's vision, and students were craning to see.

Even Sybil Trelawney had paled.

But when the descriptions sunk in...

Draco was the first to react. He glanced around, realising that it was indeed Saturday and already 10am and Hermione was nowhere to be seen. He met his father's eyes and spun, veering out of the Great Hall and out of the castle, towards Hogsmeade.

His hearing was better than the average student's and he had indeed heard.

None of the others had.

Only the teachers.

Spike swore, and handed Cordelia to Giles. "Here. Hold her. Anya, here's your chance to shine. We're going on a rescue mission. Hopefully, we get there -before- my idiot son. Weapons?"

"Stake in my pocket, Eau de Holy." Anya replied, patting her pockets.

Spike nodded, pulling a stake out of his duster. "Let's go."

"Spike, wait!" She cried. He spun. "It's 10am. Sunlight and all. You WANT to be a pile of dust?"

"On the contrary, my dear Anya," Spike replied, pulling the amulet Dumbledore had sent him out from under his shirt, where he wore it on a silver chain. "Ultimate sunscreen. No Gem of Amarra super-vamp effects, damnit. But I'll be fine in the sun. Let's -go- and let's go -now-."

She grinned and followed him. It had been a while since she'd patrolled or gone on a heroic mission with one of the Scoobies. This would be just like old times. Perhaps better, considering she could defend herself and the person she was with did not misjudge her.

When they reached Hogsmeade, they were just behind Draco, and the vampires (hiding in the deep darkness of the alleyway, had dragged the trio into the alley.

"Draco, get -back-," Spike ordered, striding forward. Anya followed, pulling out her stake and tossing Draco the 'Eau de Holy'.

"Holy water." She explained without looking back.

He studied the bottle and tried to recall the points that Anya had been teaching the class in theory. He had to be careful with it, as he did not want to turn his father into a pile of dust.

Spike took care of the first vampire, but there were more than Cordelia had seen. Ten, in fact. Two held a struggling Hermione, but Harry and Ron looked to be doing fairly well on their own, despite not having stakes.

Anya moved in, kicking one in the back, forcing it to face her. She traded blows with it, before getting fed up and whipping out her stake. She grabbed his arm and broke it with a neat twist of her wrist (demonic strength did help) and then used the distraction to drive the wood into his heart. He exploded and she whooped with joy. "Take that!" She cried, before moving to fight another one.

Spike rescued Hermione, sending her over to Draco with a shove, and moved on to get Harry and Ron out of the way. After that, he and Anya took care of the rest of the vampires.

Anya grinned. "Just like old times, but better, eh Spike?"

"That's the stuff, demon girl," he grinned back, slinging an arm around her shoulder as they strode back to the four teens.

Hermione was frazzled and nuzzled up against Draco, who was trying his best to comfort her. Harry and Ron were quite taken by surprise by that. They'd heard rumours but.....Hermione and Draco? Together? It just seemed....wrong.

"You alright, Pet?" Spike asked the Head Girl.

She nodded, still feeling a little shaken. "Yeah....We've been through worse....well, Harry has, but it was still a little upsetting." She admitted.

Spike patted her on the arm. "It'll be okay. Just...you three aren't leaving the school grounds. And you aren't even going to think about going outside after dark." He ordered firmly.

After a pause he looked at Draco. "That goes for you, too. I've offended enough people in my time they might want to take pot shots at my boy."

Ron and Harry exchanged glances. Again, they'd been left out of the loop.

Draco was Spike's son? But Lucius......that was more realistic. More believable. In fact, it was hard picturing this Spike as a Malfoy. He was too....nice. In a patronising, arrogant sort of way.

Draco thought twice before arguing. "All right, all right. But I protest firmly at being lumped in with the Dream Team."

"Noted and ignored." Spike responded easily. "Right, let's get back. Wanna make sure the cheerleader's all right. Visions take a lot out of her."

"Cheerleader?" Ron asked, finally finding his voice. "We have a cheerleader?" His eyes lit up.

"Former cheerleader." Anya corrected. "-William- just doesn't like using people's names. She's really a seer for the PTB. Powers That Be, that is. She's a guest here."

Spike glared at her for use of his first name.

"Seer?" Harry groaned. "Tell me she's not another Trelawney. That woman is-"

"No. She's quite different to Sybil. Believe me." Anya reassured him. He heaved a sigh of relief.

"Good. Because if my death gets predicted by anyone else I think I might just go insane and start killing THEM!"

Draco snickered. "Who knew Potter had a dark side?" He grinned. There was nothing malicious about it.

"She's the one who had the vision that got us here in time to rescue you three," Anya informed him. "It's like a TV in her head that hurts like hell and she can't control it."

"Oh...." Harry said, furrowing his brow. "That means she kinda DID predict my death." He was not impressed.

Draco rolled his eyes, half seriously. "You weren't the only one involved Potter."

"Yeah. In a way that hurts like a bitch and she didn't want to. If it weren't for her, we wouldn't've gotten here in time." Spike practically growled it. "Ungrateful little sod--"

"Spike!" Anya cut him off. "It's not his fault. Cordy'll--"

"Those visions aren't meant for humans." He said darkly. He'd been doing some researching of his own. "And now some ungrateful little prick acts like it's all her fault he can't stay out of trouble, all her fault her head's gonna go kablooie because she has to save lives. Well, fuck him." Spike snarled, turning on his heel and storming back up to the castle.

Anya sighed, but didn't look particularly warm to Harry. "Come on then."

The boy looked a little shaken and he looked at Hermione, "What did I just do?"

Draco groaned. "Again, everything's about you. Potter, intentional or not, you DO sound a bit self-centered. Think before you speak."

Harry's jaw dropped. DRACO MALFOY was calling *HIM* self-centered? That was not right! He looked to Hermione for support, but found none. Ack! His world was falling apart.

When they got back to the castle, Cordelia was waiting with Spike. Despite her own...problems, she was attempting to calm the bleached-blonde vampire. "Spike, he's just some stupid kid. It doesn't matter, please. I'm fine now, headache all gone--"

"Yeah, until the next time, and the next time, and then it's gonna be the last time." Spike's glare softened. "You're doin' a good thing, pet, right up there with all the self-sacrifice, and I just didn't like some git acting like it was a personal insult."

"He didn't mean it like that....." Anya offered, although she too was pissed off with Harry's comment. "I guess he doesn't know any better....." She thought for a second and then looked at Cordelia, "What does Spike mean when he says your visions will make your head go kablooie?" Her gaze narrowed. "What are you not telling me?"

The four students watched as Cordelia shifted uncomfortably.

"Well...humans -really- aren't supposed to get visions. They'll kill me, eventually. In a really icky, painful way. Like, the back of my head'll explode or something."

Anya practically exploded herself. "Are you insane! Get rid of them! I will -not- lose another friend!"

"I can't...Anya, please...they're mine and I can't let go of them. We'll find a way." Cordelia set her jaw. "See? Resolve face. Willow had some ideas right."

"Can't argue with the resolve face," Spike agreed.

"But....You can't.....I *refuse* to let you suffer like that. I mean, it's bad enough that your champion....." She stopped herself and decided to take the other path. "Well.....it's bad enough that they're painful, but killing you? Cordy that's INSANE! What if we talk to Rupert? I'm sure he'll be able to help us look for a cure or something."

She looked at Spike, "Right?"

"Or something. But I can't lose the visions. There'll be a way." Cordelia said firmly. "And if there isn't...then I'm keeping them anyway. And I won't hear another word on this, Anya. Or you, Spike. I know what you're thinking, and I won't let you. An--he already tried to convince me, and I didn't let him either." She said sternly.

Spike shuffled his feet, looking remarkably like a schoolboy being scolded by his mother. "I just..." He trailed off helplessly. "You don't deserve this."

Cordelia gave him a weak smile. "It's nice that you feel that way."

"Did the poof know they're killing you?" He asked after a moment. "'Cos somehow I don't see you tellin him and we both know he's not smart enough to work it out for himself."

"Wes found out and tattled." Cordelia admitted at length. "He's the one who covered up for me so An--he can't follow me. He fudged facts about where and when I was going."

"He must've changed a lot since Wesley Wimpy-Spice of Sunnydale." Anya commented.

Cordelia allowed the other woman a small smile, "Yeah, Wes is....he's a completely different person now. It's kinda disturbing, but really good at the same time...."

Spike ran a hand through his hair, but before he could say anything, Cordelia noticed the four students that had been waiting, uncomfortably, to be noticed.

Startling all, she completely ignored Harry, focusing on Draco. "You must be Spike's son, Draco. Cordelia Chase," she introduced herself. "I'm a friend of your father's."

Spike grinned as Draco shook Cordy's hand. He had the urge to tell her that the red headed kid was Draco, just to see her reaction. He was still tempted, but decided that Cordelia deserved a break for a while.

Then she looked at Hermione, Ron and Harry. Harry now looked -really- guilty, so it wasn't hard to figure out who was who.

She blinked at Ron's hair. "Jesus. Think you might have any distant American relations, Mr Weasley?"

Ron looked blank.

"Ah...nevermind."

He still looked blank. Hermione rolled her eyes and smiled, extending her hand politely. "Hermione Granger."

"Ooooh...the brains." Cordelia nodded knowingly. "I've never been in that position myself," she gave a self-deprecating laugh, "but I've been around enough of them to recognize it when I see it. Besides, unless you're a very strange looking guy, you -can't- be Potter." Cordelia looked a lot more relaxed than she had while talking to Anya and Spike, and Hermione inwardly marvelled at the fact she could go from this to that in seconds flat.

She laughed at the woman's joke. "Yes, well, i seriously doubt I could be a guy. I suppose that would upset Draco a little." She stopped, completely shocked with herself. This was all the DADA professor's doing. It had to be. Under normal circumstances she would NEVER say such a thing. Let alone THINK it. She felt herself blush. "I….I mean…."

Cordelia laughed. "It's okay, don't worry about it."

Hermione's cheeks were flaming, and she avoided Harry and Ron's shocked expressions. Draco, however, looked -very- amused.

"Anya says Draco takes after his father too much, in which case, I can totally sympathise."

"Oi! Pet that was uncalled for!" He looked at her, "Sides, the boy is listenin'. At least TRY to make me sound good."

Cordelia sighed. "Does idiocy go with vampirehood?" she asked rhetorically, before pointing out, "Spike, I meant I could sympathise with Hermione in that she's getting all hot and bothered over Draco and can't quite keep her mouth shut, because I was all, oooh, evil vampire, oooh, evil vampire has nice ass back in the day."

Spike brightened. "Well, that's okay then..."

Then he paused, "what do you mean 'back in the day'????"

"Back when I was a teen and you were evil." Cordelia replied patiently.

"My ass is just as nice now as it was 147 years ago thank you very much." He huffed.

Anya patted him on the aforementioned posterior. "We know, Spike. Believe me, we know."

Cordelia gave the vampire her best Cheshire cat grin. "Trust the demon."

Spike grinned, satisfied that he was still considered extremely sexy by all.

"Well then, now that that's settled...."

"We better go reassure the teachers the dream team aren't dead," Cordelia said after a moment. "You should've seen Minnie. She was practically hyperventilating. I've also one-upped Trelawney. Half-assed hack that she is. Of course, she just -had- to start going on about melodrama, so I just -had- to let loose with some choice Queen C magic..." Cordelia looked innocent. Spike and Anya weren't buyin' it.

"What did you do?" Spike asked, his eyes gleaming. He was sure it was good.

"Well...I -might- have just unleashed my almighty powers of bitchness." Cordelia said mildly, buffing her nails on her shirt. "She didn't stand a chance."

The vampire and the demon started laughing, Spike patting her on the back, "Sounds about right."

"Have you -seen- her? There was so much material for me to work with." Cordelia shrugged. "I -had- to take advantage."

They all chuckled before realising that they STILL hadn't moved towards Albus'.

Cordelia led the way inside, chattering to Anya, the four students trailing their adult companions.

Albus twinkled at them. "All in one piece, I see."

"Nothing we couldn't handle, Albie," Anya assured him with a jaunty grin.

"Good good." He replied.

"But we have to find out why they were being kidnapped and not snacked on." Anya added.

Severus had approached. "I believe I can guess that one. Aren't we about due for another absurd adventure involving You-Know-Who?"

This got him some glares, but Cordelia just looked curiously at him. "You're right, Anya, he -does- remind me of A--er, that guy. Y'know. Only, more sarcastic and less socially-impaired. Well..."

Severus looked at her, "I beg your pardon?"

"What my lovely friend is trying to say is that you remind her of the poof. The great poof, formerly the Scourge of Europe." Spike clarified with a smirk. "Y'know. Broody, wears black, anti-social..."

"Angelus? *I* remind you of Angelus?" He asked in disbelief. "How?"

Spike just blinked and counted the previous reasons off on his fingers, "Broody, wear a lot of black, anti-social...."

"Are you quite done?" Severus asked, then turned to Anya, "I'm not THAT anti-social."

He frowned. "And I do not BROOD."

"I plead the fifth," Anya said after a pause.

Snape rolled his eyes. "Thank you." He deadpanned.

"You're welcome," Anya, Cordelia and Spike chorused.

He was getting the urge to strangle someone. "Yes, well, back to the task at hand...." He looked at the headmaster, "Assuming it is You-Know-Who, do you suppose I should try to contact some of my old circle?" He hated the idea.

"No!" This came from Anya

But if it would help.....he supposed he should agree to it. Or at least suggest it and accept someone else's offer against it.

Like hers.

He glanced at her, "I don't want to either....."

"I won't let you," Anya said, pouting.

He longed to clasp and hands together and say, 'oh well, that's settled, I won't go now', but knew it wasn't that easy. "Anya, believe me, if there were any other way…" he trailed off, looking at Dumbledore.

"There -has- to be," she said frantically.

"Albus?" she practically begged.

"I'm sorry Anya," Albus sighed, looking away.

Anya wailed and threw her arms around Severus's neck, startling -everyone-.

Except Cordelia and Spike, of course.

She sniffled and buried her head in Snape's robes. "No....There's got to be someone else....There HAS to be....." She waited a beat, "Spike?"

~*~

"Hey! No!" Draco found himself disagreeing. All eyes were on him in a second, Spike's glistening with hope and pride. His son wanted him around! The young blonde shuffled his feet, "I mean he has a soul....it's common knowledge he's playing for the side of good."

Anya sighed. "I hate it when people have points."

Draco offered her a sympathetic smile, something which shocked even himself. Spike looked back at the distressed vengeance demon and the wizard currently trying to comfort her. "Pet, Albus wont let him go if it's too dangerous....."

This only set her crying off again.

The students in the room felt awkward. They weren't supposed to see this side of their teachers. ESPECIALLY Snape.

Harry sighed. "It's me Voldemort wants.....Why don't you just send me?"

"God, he's worse than Buffy," Cordelia muttered. "Self-centered much?"

Spike snickered.

Snape shook his head and went back to comforting Anya.

Dumbledore decided it was up to him to be nice to Harry.

"As....noble....as your intentions are..." He began.

Spike, Cordelia and Draco snorted.

Cordelia cut in. "Look. Larry, whatever. It's not like you're really all that special. Your mother was just really fond of you. Voldemort doesn't -just- want you, you know. Sevvykins over here is right up there on his shit list, whether Sev knows it or not. And Hermione, and Ron, and he probably wants Willow after her Darth Rosenberg stunt..." She shook her head and continued. "Simply put, the world does not revolve around you. It revolves around me. Okay? Now run along and play while us adults get down to business. Albus? Office handy?"

Harry doubled back again. This was all new.

Cordelia turned her back on him, choosing from then to ignore him. Then, after a moment, she said, "But the kid may have a point. We could use him as bait!"

He turned white, while Spike laughed out loud. Draco chuckled a bit as well and then caught sight of the look on Harry's face. He rolled his eyes again. "Potter, lighten up."

Anya yawned. "Let's discuss this in Albie's office." And with that, she led the way. Spike gestured for Draco and Hermione to tag along -- as Head Students, of course.

"Well that was....er.... rude actually." Ron said as they watched the group head off.

*~*~*~*~*

Severus took a seat in front of the headmaster's desk, Anya sitting on his lap, refusing to let go of him.

"If I let go, you guys might send him off while my back is turned," she explained huffily.

Snape couldn't help but smile at that. He wasn't going to complain about having her attached to him night and day, that was certain.

Especially at night.

Cordelia sat next to Spike, and Albus was behind his desk. Giles had joined them, too. Draco and Hermione were standing behind the seated people, and Cordelia was looking thoughtful.

"Are you sure there's nothing we can do OTHER than ship Sevvy off?" Anya asked. She looked around, pleading with everyone and anyone. "Call in for help? Blow up the world?" She teared up again. "Anything?"

"We're not blowing up the world," Dumbledore told her firmly.

Cordelia, however, had focused on the first query. "Anya...you might have something with the 'call in for help'. I mean...there's us in LA...well, not -us- anymore...and the Scoobies...and then everyone here...and Albus mentioned some people we could use..."

The demon brightened, and then her face fell. "The Scoobies?" She asked, "Do they *have* to come? I mean, nobody here likes Buffy and-"

"Anya, it doesn't matter if we don't *like* them...." Giles said gently, "If this is to prevent Professor Snape from leaving....." he let the sentence hang, knowing that he had made his point.

"I'll call them." Cordelia said decisively. "First the Scoobies, then the Fang Gang."

"Cordy, are you sure about that? Calling Angel?" Anya asked, concerned for her friend.

"I'm a big girl now, An." Cordelia told her, with a weak smile. "I can do this."

"Okay..."

"I'll call them. Then when they get here, we can start planning in earnest. In the meantime, while I'm doing that, you might want to start working on what we're going to do with the students. They need to be kept safe."

"I believe we should stick with the usual tactics." Snape offered, "Curfews. Less Hogsmeade trips. Increased hall monitoring. Slightly more severe punishments when students are caught breaking the rules."

"The weird guy in black has good ideas." Cordelia said, grinning, as she hurried out to take care of getting the Americans to England.

Severus scowled at her retreating back, before turning back to the front.

Dumbledore was nodding slowly.

"If the incident earlier is any indication," Giles began, "This Voldemort of yours has undoubtedly begun recruiting vampires. A lot of the older ones will likely ignore him simply because they are too proud to be anyone's minion, but there are dozens of thousands of fledglings and younger vampires around. If he can get enough of them...keeping holy water, stakes, and crosses around would be a -very- good idea."

"And we might just have to take up the calibre of the training in DADA, ducks." Spike added, obviously talking to Anya. "Maybe change timetables a little so that we get more time making sure *all* the students are equipped." He glanced at Dumbledore. "It's a tedious thing, but I suggest we make it happen."

"So...rather than subtly encouraging Christianity, we just start handing out crosses as part of the...er...DADA requirements?" Anya hazarded, and Spike nodded.

"That's exactly the sort of thing I mean. And do a lesson specifically on staking, and discuss the ideas behind why crosses and holy water affect vampires the way they do, ending with giving them examples."

She nodded and started preparing it all in her head. Albus looked at Hermione, "You'll inform the prefects as to why these changes are being put into place, but under no circumstance explain the severity of the situation. We aren't even sure of it ourselves."

"So we tell them we're upping security 'just in case'?" Draco rephrased. He scoffed. "Most of 'em will see through it and word'll spread like wildfire."

"Boy's got a point," Spike agreed. "Kids aren't as stupid as you lot seem to think they are. Why don't you just tell them the truth to begin with and make damn sure they don't go starting a riot?"

"That's just creating an unnecessary panic and if the journalists ever get hold of it-" Severus argued, only to get cut off.

"You know, I'm damn sure there are spells you can cast that stop a person from talking about things they're not supposed to," Spike commented.

Everyone stared at him. They hadn't thought of that.

He grinned smugly. "'S'what I thought."

Cordelia came back. "Okay. Buffy bitched at me about how we can't deal with our own problems, but I got Xander on the phone and talked some sense into him. He'll get the Scoobies here. Willow's recovered from her Darth Rosenberg thing, Xander says if he can convince her, Buffy'll come. Dawnie says hi, Spike." She added. "Wesley answered in LA. They leave tomorrow."

Draco scowled. "They're not going to bring the muggle kid are they?" He couldn't help it. Spike was HIS father figure now. NOT some pest in the muggle world.

Cordelia gave him a stern glare. "She's got no place else to go, and Buffy's not about to trust her sister and the interdimensional lockpick with someone she doesn't know."

Spike brightened. "The bit's coming? I didn't think I'd get to see 'er again."

"Joy." Draco mumbled. He looked at the headmaster for support. "You really don't think it's wise do you? I mean, she's a muggle. A liability. A-"

Spike cut him off.

"She's my nibblet and she's coming. That's final, and I won't hear another word on it." His expression softened slightly, then. "There's people out there who'd like to use her blood to open portals. We can't leave her unprotected."

And he wanted to see her again, because she was his nibblet. But that was beside the point.

"Great. Hogwarts is now just a place where you can drop your kids when they need baby-sitting." The younger Malfoy hissed.

Hermione placed her hand on his shoulder, gently.

~*~

Cordelia stood up, as they were all getting seated. "Okay. I get to be all in charge-y girl here, because I know everybody. More or less. Introductions!" she beamed, trying to ignore Angel. "These are the Head Students, Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger. Draco is Spike's son. Further detail, ask Spike. Headmaster Dumbledore, Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall also represent Hogwarts here, and Professor Emerson, of course." She flashed Anya a smile. "Now, my lovely assistant here, for those of you who don't know her, is Dawn Summers." Cordelia was on DawnDuty. Dawn beamed at everyone, looking curiously at Draco when Cordelia introduced him. "The little blonde over there is Buffy Summers, Slayer. We've also got Willow Rosenberg, and Xander Harris of Sunnydale. In the Fang Gang we have Charles Gunn, Fred Burkle, Wesley Wyndam-Pryce and Angel." Her voice wavered slightly on Angel's name, but she fought it down and continued. "All right. Now that you all know each other more or less, I'll let Spike take it from here."

The vampire in question stood up, ruffling Dawn's hair as he passed and earning him a low growl from Draco. Hermione patted the boy's hand and tried not to laugh at the fact that he was indeed growling in jealousy.

"Okay, well, you know who I am, some of you....more so than others." Spike sent a look towards the slayer at that. "And we've got a situation at hand and this feels bloody stupid 'cos I'm no professor and you're all adults…." He looked at Dumbledore. "Why aren't the prefects and co in here? They could deal with this."

Spike shrugged. "All right, then. Okay. Let's do this." He cleared his throat, and began. "There's this bloody great galloping git called Voldemort, who is, apparently, terrorising everyone in the hopes of one day ruling the world. Rather more long-term than the usual Big Bad. This'll be year seven of his attempts. We're here to deal with him, once and for all."

"How come it hasn't been done before? I mean, if he keeps losing-" Xander asked. Spike, not happy with the whelp, interrupted.

"They've never had the firepower to take him down properly. Besides, the people in authority who -should- be dealing with it don't believe he's back. So it's up to us. Now, my son over here, his mother's ex-husband as of tomorrow, he's right up there in the Death Eater hierarchy. Lucius, not Draco." Spike quickly clarified, as he saw Buffy looking menacingly at the young man. "This isn't what you're used to dealing with. These people aren't demons. They're humans--"

Buffy stood up. "I don't kill humans, Spike, that's -wrong-. You -know- that. I knew you--"

Spike cut her off. "Dark wizards. Who torture and hunt non-magical people and halfbloods, who maim and kill for -sport-. Who wouldn't bother fighting you, they'd just cast the killing curse from far away. So sit down, shut up, and pay attention." He growled.

Buffy blinked, as she found herself obeying. Spike never took that tone with -her-.

Draco had decided. He didn't like the slayer. She seemed so.....full of herself. Worse than anyone else he had ever met. INCLUDING himself and Lucius on a bad day.

Hermione glared at the blonde woman as well. She was just so....annoying. And if that sister of hers didn't stop drooling over HER Draco she would mutter a couple of curses of her own.

Dawn, however, had duly noted Hermione and in any case, was far more interested in sticking close to Spike. 'Sides, Draco was Spike's son, and Spike was like, her big brother, so that would make it all incest-y and that was just -wrong-.

The Slytherin King watched the way the little brunette muggle thing got closer to Spike. He leaned in towards Hermione. "Can't I just, i don't know, Crucio her from here to next Thursday?" He whispered.

Hermione gave him a reproving look.

Spike idly swung one arm around Dawn's shoulders, giving the girl a lopsided grin. It was good to see the lil' bit again, even if it was only because Buffy was here to kill things.

As the others branched off into discussions, Spike, Dawn and Cordelia sat down on the edge of the mini-stage that had been erected.

"So...I guess this all means you're living here now," Dawn sighed. "Not coming back, specifically, I mean."

Spike put an arm around her shoulders. "Hey, I'm sure I'll visit every now and again, and I can still keep in touch. You can't get rid of me that easy, Nibblet."

Cordelia rolled her eyes. "As much as we wish we could," she said, in jest.

"Yes, well, can we get back to the whole Dark Lord Gonna Attack The School thing?" Draco asked, "And, I know, maybe we can send....what was you're name?....Dusk or whatever to go play with some of the first years? Or even Potter?"

He grinned at the look of fury on Spike's face.

Spike composed himself quickly, but Dawn was the one who answered.

"Spike's the kicky-the-assy dude, aint ya?"

"Got that right, nibblet."

"So...let the other peoples do the plannin', and my Spike'll kicky some assy later." With that, she turned her back on Draco and gave Spike the puppy dog eyes. "And you won't send me away, right? I can stay? I mean, I'm in the loop now! I train with Buffy!"

"Yeah, I ain't sending you anywhere," he assured her.

"Yes, all's well and good there. Very cute." Draco drawled. "But the kicky-assy-dude, as you so ELOQUENTLY (sp?) put it, needs to listen to the planning other wise he'll be a pile of dust."

"I believe young Malfoy has a point." Snape remarked. Anya grinned with triumph (as did Draco). She was still sore about the shoplifting.

With that, Dawn did a complete turn around. "Well, what are we waiting for, then?" she jabbed Spike in the ribs. "You gotta listen to the plans." She ordered.

"You do realise, don't you," Cordelia observed to Draco, "That the pair of you have -already- got a little sibling rivalry thing going on here?"

"Considering she's not even remotely related and all he did was bang her big sister a few times, I have no idea why." He shot back angrily. This comment did not go down well at all.

"You're still acting like it. Two silly siblings, competing for Daddy's attention. Guess you like your father more than you let on." Cordelia laughed at Draco's expression. "Don't worry about it, I'm just kidding around. But don't take her so personally. Dawn thinks of Spike as more family-like than Buffy. She missed him. She's catching up. She'll be gone after this is all done. Relax."

He frowned and opted to take on a similar demeanour to that of the one known as Angel.

Speak of the devil and he shall appear...

"Cordy--" Angel began, but Spike stood up, cutting him off.

"Back off, poof." He ordered, getting between Cordelia and Angel. "You know better."

This caused the tall, dark vampire to stand to his full, menacing height. "Was I addressing you?" He asked, his voice low and threatening.

Spike looked undaunted. "Leave. Her. Alone."

"Butt. The. Hell. Out."

"No." Spike refused. "You know why she came here. To get away from -this-. Don't torment her with it now."

Cordelia didn't argue with this.

Angel had the grace to look ashamed, but his emotionless facade was back up in no time. He peered over the blonde and at his seer. "I'll talk to you later." He stated.

Cordelia said in a small, tired voice, "No, Angel, you won't."

Spike glared at his grandsire, putting his arm comfortingly around Cordelia and leading her away.

Anya glared at him as well, for good measure. So maybe it was his soulless counterpart that did the terrorising. But Angel should know better than to harrass her now.

Not that his plans were to harass the woman.

He sighed and closed his eyes, wishing the earth would open and swallow him whole.

Spike would've agreed with that, at least.

Draco eyed the vampire who Spike had explained was probably more or less his...great-great-grandfather, warily.

He didn't understand what had just gone on, but in a way he sympathised with the man....pire.

Whatever it was that had happened between Cordelia and him....it must have been awful. And you could tell it was tearing the guy up inside.

Cordelia needed to be away, now. Away from Angel. Away from the crowded room. Away from the reminders of Sunnydale. Just...away. So she let Spike lead her back to Anya's rooms.

"You gonna be okay, pet? You want I should stay?" he asked, concerned.

"No, no...I'll be fine. You, go." She assured him, with a weak smile.

Reluctantly, Spike went back.

Anya and Giles eyed him, silently pressing him for answers about the woman's wellbeing. He sighed. "She's taking a breather back in your chambers...." He regarded the demon. "Y'know what she's like. Head-strong. She reckons she's fine...." He trailed off. Everyone knew that was one of those 'but' statements. He didn't say any more though. Just got back to the task at hand. "Right. Voldemort. Need to take the sod down once and for all."

Anya sighed, and nodded. Giles looked like he might press for more detail, but didn't.

Dawn wanted to know what was up with Cordelia, but decided it would be wise not to ask. "Voldemort. What a stupid name. Why do all the big uglies have weird-ass names, anyway?"

Buffy glared. "Watch your mouth, Dawn."

"My nose is in the way," she snarked back, turning her back haughtily on her sister. Buffy came back -wrong- she was sure of it. That wasn't really her sister. Spike was family.

Buffy was...something else.

Then again, in the grand scheme of things, so was she.

"Voldemort isn't his real name." Hermione decided to tell the younger girl. She was still a little protective of her territory too, not really trusting the other girl around Draco. It was an instinct based on the fact that the kid *was* highly annoying. "It was actually Tom Marvolo Riddle."

"No wonder he's screwed up." Dawn replied. "What a name. What were his parents -thinking-? Marvolo? Even as a middle name...heh. No worse than Buffy, though."

"Marvolo wasn't that uncommon when he was born. Not in the wizarding world anyway." Hermione shrugged. She was disliking the girl even more, due to the fact that she knew all too well what it was like to have one's name picked on.

"Not that it matters."

Draco nodded, slipping his arm around the Head Girl's shoulders. It was good to see SOMEONE else taking a jab at the muggle girl.

Dawn shrugged. "I guess so...what was your name again? Hermione? That's a cool name, like...like Cordelia, or Willow. Those are cool names. It would've been cool if the weird-ass monks that made me could've given me a better name than 'Dawn' when they made me. I mean, all fake memories and everything, why'd they have to go with a stupid name? I could've gotten a cool name like you guys."

Oh blatant sucking up. That got on Draco's nerves as well. He looked around, waiting for SOMEONE to get this back on track, because otherwise he really *would* Crucio the brat. He caught Snape's eye and sent him a 'save us all' look. The potions master looked vaguely amused.

Dawn sighed. Great. This was the Scoobies all over again. Was she destined to -always- be the annoying kid sister?

Without another word to either Hermione or Draco, she went and stood quietly next to Spike. It was kind of cold in the exhibition hall, and Dawn hadn't dressed for the weather. Spike absently put his duster around her shoulders, without ceasing the conversation he was in.

That was it, Draco needed some kind of distraction. He was bored and didn't really want to take up the sibling rivalry thing again. He looked around and realised that the only person not talking to anyone was the vampire from before. The dark, kinda broody one. He strode over and stood in front of him.

Angel raised his eyebrow at the SpikeAlike in front of him.

Well, of course he was a SpikeAlike, he was the blonde pest's son. How it was possible, he had no idea.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" Angel inquired sardonically.

"Boredom and curiosity." The boy replied, taking a seat beside him, much to his annoyance. "And don't even think about some comment about curiosity killing the cat, because I am definitely NOT a cat and it would be a wasted comment."

Angel couldn't help it. He chuckled. "-Definitely- Spike's son."

Draco grinned, but then furrowed his brow. "Everyone says that....but I don't even know the guy....." He shrugged. "It's just strange."

"You take after him rather obviously. The hair you must get from your mother, though." Angel replied, shrugging. "Spike's...well...Spike's Spike. He's changed a lot, though."

"How so?" Draco leaned forward, clearly interested. After all, who would know his father better than the vampire that had trained him?

"Well...when he was human...Spike was..." Angel grinned slightly. "Take Giles -- no, Wesley. Definitely Wesley. Take Wesley. Give him earlobe-length light brown hair. A stutter. A love for poetry, despite being terrible at it. The self-esteem of a doorknob. An ugly doorknob. You've pretty much got the original Spike."

Draco's jaw dropped as he looked over at the vampire. "That's impossible. He was a Malfoy....."

"Malfoys weren't always the way your...stepfather likes to portray them. To be perfectly honest, he would be accused of shaming the family name by some of William Malfoy's contemporaries and family of then. William was...he was a William."

"Care to enlighten me?"

"He was a young man, a very awkward, uncertain young man. You're a lot like he is now, but you're nothing like he was when he was around your age. He was in his twenties or so when he was turned, and he'd never really gotten over the awkward phase of adolescence."

The teen was confused. "Then why is he.....like he is now?"

"He's changed a lot in the last hundred or so years. More than that. He took to the '80s like a duck to water, that's for damn sure. He...he revelled in his demonic nature. He threw himself into it. He was never -truly- evil, but he tried. He wanted to be everything Drusilla craved. He managed it more or less. He's buried William down beneath a century of repression."

Angel sighed. "But the old Spike, William, he's re-emerging. It's obvious. In the way that he cares and talks....." He shook his head, as if to put his thoughts back into order. "I know that it's partially due to his soul.....but I've heard things from the past couple of years or so.....before the soul....."

Draco listened, avidly attentive. This was what he wanted to know. About his father.

Angel continued, glancing at the child currently rapt in his description. "I wasn't there. In Sunnydale, I mean. But from what I've heard, he 'fell in love' with Buffy." They both scowled at this, neither liking the idea, but for separate reasons. "And he had a yearning to be good. To prove he wasn't just 'evil and soulless'....And after Buffy jumped off that tower....he stayed around and helped to pretty much raise Dawn.....Strange, but true. William was making his way back."

"Yeah..." Draco trailed off. "Eurgh. How could he fall in love with -Buffy- though? Just look at her..."

This earned him a look from tall, dark and broody. "Uh, kid, he wasn't the first vampire to....."

Draco scrunched up his face. "What? You're joking. Does insanity run in your line or something?"

Angel laughed. "You haven't met Dru yet, have you?"

The Head Boy just looked back at him, "No....why?"

"Oh, no reason," Angel managed airily. "You'll see."

"Oi....What the hell do you think you're doin'?" Spike cried, stomping over to where they were seated. He glared at Angel. "Leave my boy alone."

"Hey, he came over to me." The other vampire protested. Spike rounded on his son.

"That true?"

Draco shifted uncomfortably, not liking being caught between the two of them. "Er...yeah..."

Spike's eyes widened, and his frown deepened. "Why? What business do you have with the great poof? Or is this just to get on my nerves 'cos I'm bein' friendly with the 'bit?" He demanded.

"I wanted to know about you," Draco muttered. "Who better to ask?"

"Ah...me?!"

"Spike, lay off him-" Angel began.

"You're biased. You're you. I figured, get an objective opinion." Draco shrugged. He had chosen to ignore the comment about Dawn, as he was still regarding her as an annoying younger sister. Though he'd kill himself before admitting that.

"The poof aint objective!" His father tossed back. "I know 'im and he'll try anythin' to ruin-"

"Spike," Angel cut in. "I'm not going to try and ruin your relationship with your son. I was just telling him about you as I knew you, and I -was- being objective."

"From *your* point of view, which last I checked, didn't exactly mean shit." Spike snarled.

"Spike...." Draco started, but was ignored.

"Honestly Angelus, the only reason your here is 'cos we need all the help we can get." The older Malfoy continued.

"Spike...." Draco tried again, but to no avail. His father was still ranting, "Oh for Christ sakes dad!" He yelled. Spike froze.

Had he just imagined that?

Spike stared at his son, Angel forgotten. "Y-you just..." he trailed off, not wanting to say it in case he had imagined it.

The teen looked away. "I know...."

"Y-you..." He didn't seem able to comprehend this, but was rescued from it by the entrance of a woman who had -definitely- aged well.

"William!" Narcissa cried, dropping all pretence of being the haughty Malfoy wife to launch herself across the room at the vampire.

"Cissa!" He exclaimed, accepting her into his arms. "You're early!"

He shrugged, "Not that it bothers...."

He gave her the wink and kiss to boot.

"I got Albus to bring me so I could surprise you," she told him breathlessly. "I couldn't wait to see you again! I missed you -so- much Spike, you are -never- leaving me ever, ever, ever again," she punctuated this sentence with feather-light kisses all over his face.

He grinned, "Don't intend to, luv. And you know I wouldn't have....." He trailed off. They'd already had this discussion, no need to dwell on it.

Although, telling her in person WAS different to via owl post.

Narcissa disentangled herself from Spike to pull her son into a hug. "I see you've met your father. I always wondered what it'd be like when you two met," note she didn't say 'if', "so I'm understandably put out I couldn't witness it. But still."

Spike beamed. "I've got so many people to introduce you to, Cissa,"

She looked back at him, noticing the tall, dark and handsome standing on the other side. She smiled and extended her hand and Spike pulled it away. "Everyone 'cept him."

Narcissa looked, confused, from Spike to Angel. Then something clicked. "Ohhhh. You must be Angelus, Dru's sire," she said knowingly to Angel, before allowing Spike to steer her away to introduce her (slightly triumphantly, 'tis true), to the Sunnydale crowd. Starting, of course, with his very own lil' bit, who Narcissa took to immediately.

Much to Draco's dislike.

Buffy eyed Narcissa, who was standing comfortably in the circle of Spike's arm (Dawn was under the other one). "This is my Cissa," he said proudly.

"-Your- Cissa?" she teased.

"Damn straight."

At least one good thing had come of this, Draco mused, that Buffy bitch seemed awfully jealous....

Narcissa smiled at Buffy, and it seemed genuine. "You must be Fluffy."

Spike turned his laugh into a cough. "That's -Buffy-, love."

"Oh, my, dear, I'm so sorry," she apologised.

The slayer narrowed her gaze and nodded, "Yep. I'm *B*uffy. That's me." She said, smiling a little *too* falsely. Even *Dawn* rolled her eyes.

"Jeez, Buff, lighten up...." She urged. Her big sister glared at her.

Dawn glared right back. "You're so mean, Buffy. It's, ooooh, I don't love Spike, he's evil, he's soulless, oooh, I'm all dirty because I sleep with the vampire who loves me, can't do that again, stupid vampire has to move on -- and then when he -does- move on, you get all bitchy and jealous. Jesus, Buffy, -grow up-."

Dawn had her moments.

Draco wondered whether the father-stealing girl was as bad as he first thought, although that was another thing he'd never admit without hexing himself.

Spike looked down at Dawn, somewhat startled by her outburst. "Lil' bit..."

"I just don't like how she treats you, Spike." Dawn replied defensively. "It's not right." For not the first time, Dawn wished she could live with -him- instead of her stupid sister, who didn't want anything to do with her, and then acted all surprised when Dawn reacted.

"Nibs, I'm a big vampire. I *can* defend myself....." He told her, gently giving her shoulder a squeeze, "But thanks for your concern. Makes me feel all alive inside." The look on the kid's face was priceless, he noted. She looked so....happy. And it was HIM that made her like that!

"You're the best ever, Spike," Dawn told him, and that wasn't sucking up. That was just Dawn stating facts. She hugged him.

Spike looked a little startled -- she didn't do that terribly often -- but didn't seem to mind.

Buffy glared. Great. Now her sister loved -Spike- more than she loved her.

(Not that it wasn't perfectly understandable)

"Okay....well, not to sound rude and....oh who am I kidding, I'm Draco Malfoy, of course I'm going to sound rude...." The boy began, "But I'm going to skip all this mushy, lovey, family bonding and find my girlfriend." He pecked his mother on the cheek, "I'll catch up with you later." And, for the extra blow -couldn't let that Dawn character show him up- he hugged his father. "Bye mum, *dad*."

And with that, he was off.

He and Hermione had some unfinished business to attend to.

"Y'know, he's not so bad." Dawn observed after a moment. "In a weird, miniSpike kind of a way."

Spike laughed.

~*~

Hermione, meanwhile, was talking animatedly with Wesley, of all people.

"So there is this MASSIVE range of reading materials here that you can't find anywhere else in the wizarding or muggle world." She told him. "Our library is amazing....I really recommend that you-"

"Mione?" Draco interrupted lightly. "Care to introduce me to your new friend?"

Wesley did a double take as he saw Draco. Sure, he'd heard the introduction but...Christ. He really was Spike's son, wasn't he?

She grinned, "Mr Wyndam-Pryce, this is Draco Malfoy. Drake, this is Mr Wyndam-Pryce. We were just discussing some of the great books and I told him that there wasn't a better selection than here at Hogwarts."

"Nobody knows the library better than Hermione Granger," Draco rolled his eyes, but it was a friendly manoeuvre.

"I work for Angel Investigations," Wesley informed Draco. "Cordelia, Angel and I are the original Scoobie outcasts."

"Followed closely by our DADA professor and my father." The Slytherin added. "If you ask me you're all better off without that lot. Although, the redhead doesn't seem too bad."

"Willow, no, she's not as...bad as the others." Wesley agreed. "She's currently recovering from her own foray into the darkness."

The American witch that tried to end the world had made front page on the 'Prophet. Wesley was surprised no one here had put two and two together yet.

Hermione had, of course, but was too polite to say anything. Draco, on the other hand, just worked it out, and with his father's lack of subtlety exclaimed, "She's THAT Willow Rosenberg? The one in the Daily Prophet? There's no way...."

"Yes, actually, she is." Wesley replied with a faint sigh at Draco's lack of tact. He was rather a lot like his father, wasn't he though?

"That's incredible.....I mean, that she was able to do a complete turn around in such a small amount of time....." Inwardly, he wondered whether other dark wizards and witches were able to accomplish such a task.

He doubted it.

"She wasn't trying to destroy the world out of hate or spite, it was, in her view, a mercy killing." Wesley responded. "She felt all the pain of the entire world and wanted to end it."

"Oh....wow...." The Head Boy responded, not quite sure of what else he could say to that.

Admittedly Warren's death had been anything -but- a mercy killing, but Willow's motives and anything that happened before her attempted apocalypse had not been mentioned.

Thank the PTBs for that.

Wesley shrugged. "Well, I'd best go and speak to Cordelia. I promised her I would as soon as we got here, but I haven't had a chance yet." He said, excusing himself.

This left Draco and Hermione alone. The Slytherin grinned, he liked this situation. And he'd like it even more so if they could only sneak out and down to his bedroom.....

To talk. And, okay, maybe kiss a little.

Or a lot.

Hermione caught onto the expression he was wearing with ease. "Draco...." She hissed, "We're supposed to be here, discussing an important situation and all you can think of is-"

"Miss Granger." Snape said from behind her, trying not to look amused when she jumped and blushed furiously.

Severus gave the young girl in front of him his best Snape Sardonicness Look.

Draco, after seeing how whipped his head of house was, couldn't help but laugh. Hermione stammered and stuttered, "P-professor S...S...S...S"

"Snape, Granger." The teacher aided her, fighting the urge to laugh along side Draco.

Hermione blushed rosily.

"Torturing the students again, Severus?" Giles asked, coming over to join them. Snape scowled. He was still a *tiny* bit iffy with the old librarian.

Giles looked as though he were aware of this, and didn't really give a damn.

"Mr Giles," Hermione grinned, glad that he had lightened the mood.

Snape frowned, "Oh, fine, remember HIS name...." He stopped and considered just how out of character that was for him. Being with Anya was really starting to affect him,....

Hermione stared at her professor. That was...rather unnerving, actually. "Professor Snape...?"

"Yes, Miss Granger?"

"Could you please not ever do that again? Please?"

He nodded, trying not to smile with glee that he had found a new way to disturb his students. He paused half way through nodding, "Why should I take orders from you, Miss Granger?"

Hermione was about to stammer something when a grin spread across her face. "Because I'll tell Professor Emerson on you."

Draco lost it at that. He started to laugh as the usually uptight potions master furrowed his brow and murmured, "You wouldn't...."

"I would." Hermione said, still grinning. "I most certainly would."

"Would not." Came the reply.

"Would too." Hermione said, and poked her tongue out, a bit shocked at her own audacity.

"Would no.....Oh this is ridiculous. Can't you mature a little Granger?" He sneered. "I'm the teacher, you're the student. And I say you would not. End of discussion."

Hermione gave him an innocent look, before calling, "Professor Emerson! Professor Emerson!"

Snape, horrified, clamped his hand over the Head Girl's mouth. "No no no no n-" He stopped himself and realised just how stupid this all was. Removing his hand and straightening up, he tried to glare. "Miss Granger, I'm warning you...."

Hermione put on her very best innocent little girl look for Anya, who had trotted over upon hearing her name.

"Yes?" Anya replied, looking quizzically at them.

Hermione sniffled, convincingly tearful. "Professor Snape's being -mean- to me!" she wailed, throwing her arms around the demon's neck.

Anya took this in her stride, patting Hermione gently on the back and talking quietly. She also glared at Severus.

He frowned and pointed at the girl, "She's lying....She started it!" Wait, wasn't this the behaviour he was trying to avoid? Clearing his throat, he looked at Anya. "Honestly.....This is so childish. I didn't say a thing to the girl."

"He did!" Hermione wailed again. "He came over and just started harassing us and it's not -fair-!"

Anya gave Severus a reproving look. "-You're- the one being childish, Severus." Well, it wasn't as though his behaviour was particularly mature either.

Draco was just a little amazed Hermione pulled it off.

Perhaps she was a bit more Slytherin than she'd care to admit after all.....

The thought was quite....appealing to the boy.

Anya led Hermione away to talk to somebody else, as she 'composed herself'. Draco stood, staring after them, as did Severus.

"Didn't think she'd actually do it," Draco commented.

Severus nodded, "You and me both....."

"And very well done, too." Draco added. "Convincing. Strangely so. Even -I- was almost convinced."

"Women, Malfoy, can never be underestimated."

Draco said impishly, "Guess you'll have to remember that, eh Professor?" and then he scarpered before Snape could say a word.

Running almost smack-bang into Dawn.

"Hey, Draco right?" The girl said, extending her hand at him.

Draco nodded, slowly, shaking her hand. "-Dusk-, wasn't it?" he said, deliberately getting her name wrong.

Dawn rolled her eyes. "-Dawn-. D, A, W, N. Dawn. Surely it's not -that- hard to remember. But it'd be cool if my name were Dusk."

He laughed. "Just shit-stirring.....and Dusk isn't really any better than Dawn." He paused and decided his father might have objections with what he had just said. He sighed. "Not that there's anything wrong with 'Dawn' anyway."

"You don't have to be nice to me just because Spike's your dad." Dawn told him. "Trust me, I get enough being patronised and tolerated with the Scoobs. And you really are lots like him, only you don't tell weird stories about locking little girls in coal buckets."

Draco grinned mischievously, "Ah, but I doubt the stories I *could* tell you about girls in strange places would go down well with said vampire."

Dawn wrinkled her nose. "Eurgh. Hearing about Buffy and Spike is bad enough -- I don't need SpikeAlike visuals...eck."

"I would prefer it if there was no more mentions of my father and your sister as well, thank you very much." The Slytherin voiced, monotonously. He was not impressed.

"Gladly. That was just -wrong-." Dawn agreed. "Besides, I think Buffy came back wrong, and she's not even really my sister anyway, because I'm not really real." Oddly, this seemed to comfort her.

"Not really real?" The Head Boy repeated. "You look and act real enough to me...."

"Would you believe I was only created a couple of years ago?" Dawn queried. "I was a ball of green glowing energy, the Key to open portals to other dimensions. Now they've got to use my blood, and the portal only closes when my blood stops flowing. All the memories are fakes, made by monks so that Buffy would love and protect me."

"I hate to say it, but I didn't see a hell of a lot of love there....." He muttered.

Wait. Was he BONDING with the father stealer?

It seemed that he was.

Oh, this was rich.

"I think she came back wrong," Dawn shrugged. "I mean, she died -- evidently her blood worked as good as mine because I was made from her -- but then Wills brought her back and she hasn't been the same since. Spike's family. Buffy's just a weird replacement. The BuffyBot was better."

"Buffy...BOT?"

"Spike...ah...well, let's not go into -that-." Dawn said hastily. "There was a robot Buffy, and she was even better than the real Buffy sometimes, even if she did have this weird fixation with Spike." Which was understandable, given her original purpose. "I miss her sometimes."

Draco nodded, not quite sure how to respond. He was only just getting used to this being nice thing.

"Sunnydale sucks." Dawn made a face. "I have no life because Buffy won't let me go out, like, ever because of 'oooh, demons' and then doesn't spend any time with me, and now Spike's gone too..." She trailed off and shook her head. "Whoa. Major pity-fest."

"There they are, two of my favourite young adults...." Spike said, walking over and throwing his arms around the two.

Dawn beamed up at Spike. "We were just getting to know each other. He's not so bad, in a weird, younger Spike way."

"I'm so glad you approve," Draco drawled sarcastically, then looked up at his father. "Where'd mum go?"

"She's getting to know Anya." Spike replied with a shrug. "I think I should be worried."

Draco laughed, "I don't know. The professor has worked wonders on the mudblood." He laughed. Like his father had done with Buffy, he was using the insult as a pet name.

"So I saw," Spike grinned. "Very dramatically inclined young woman."

"That she is.....I almost felt sorry for Snape." He paused and grinned, "The operative word being *almost*."

Spike laughed. "Bloke's gonna have his hands full for a while. Anya's a terror when she's roused."

Draco snickered. "Yes, well, I've gotta go find Hermione and congratulate her on pulling it off...."

"I think she's with Anya and your mum." Spike offered. "They're having one of those women-only chats about us men."

Dawn snickered.

Draco paled a little. "Right, well, must be off. Gotta stop her from saying something incriminating."

He grinned, "Not that she has anything on me....but you saw that display."

Spike grinned back. "So I did. Well, I'm gonna go introduce the Nibblet here to Minnie," he replied. He knew Minerva from many years ago, when she was a younger woman. Luckily, he hadn't gone and gotten -her- pregnant. "Come on, lil' bit."

Draco watched them walk off and then headed in the general direction of the group of giggling women. Inwardly he wondered if he was walking himself into a man's version of hell.

None of them saw him, at least at first. Anya was regaling them with tales of her Vengeance days, and Dracula stories, while Narcissa and Hermione listened avidly.

It was when his mother had started talking about a few of her *ahem* conquests that he decided to jump into the conversation, decidedly scarred for life.

"Mum? Mione? Professor?" he interrupted quickly, before his mother could give any further detail.

"Draco," They looked at him, his mother grinned like a Cheshire cat. "I'm sorry I didn't see you there...."

"Obviously," he muttered darkly. "I was just coming to find Hermione," he explained after that.

She smiled sweetly, but her eyes glinted with mischief. "Oh?" She asked.

"Just wanted to ah...talk to you," he mumbled, trying to avoid the knowing eyes of Anya and Narcissa.

His mother furrowed her brow, "That had better be all you two do." Ah, said with the true intent of a meddling mother.

"Don't worry Mrs Malfoy, we'll behave," Hermione assured her with a bright grin.

Narcissa relaxed a little. She trusted Hermione a little more than she trusted the hormonal time-bomb that was her son.

Draco nodded and led his girlfriend away.

Hermione allowed herself to be led away, watching the various little groups as she did so. Anya and Narcissa had separated (Severus was trying to convince Anya to stop glaring at him), Angel was now talking to Spike and Dawn (well, arguing with might be a better word for it), and the like.

"So...." She turned back to the Slytherin, "You wanted to talk?"

"Among other things," he agreed mischievously.

"Oh really?" She moved closer, tilting her head to the side, her eyes gleaming. "Such as?"

She couldn't believe herself. Since when did Hermione Granger, the Head Girl, act this way?

Since now, evidently.

Unfortunately, they were interrupted. Yet again.

Only this time it was for a more understandable reason. Cordelia was standing on the little stage, leaning on Wesley a little. Dumbledore stood next to her, and everyone was moving back to their seats in order to listen again.

Draco groaned. All this because Harry Pothead couldn't defeat a measly dark lord. Why did he get the feeling it would be a while before he and Hermione would get some 'alone time'?

Cordelia cleared her throat. "We had thought that Voldemort would be dealing with mostly fledglings and younger vampires, but he seems to have convinced Darla of the Order of Aurelius to join him."

There were gasps around the room -- even the wizarding world knew about -her-, and the Order of Aurelius. It was handy how Angel and Spike were effectively collared by their respective souls.

"We can also expect a...guest of sorts, rather soon. Drusilla, childe of Angelus and sire of Spike."

"Bloody brilliant." Spike moaned, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "You realise the last time I saw her was back when she-" He stopped and looked over at Buffy. She knew EXACTLY what he was talking about. It was when she'd first found out about his 'crush'. "-Came to Sunnydale, caused a bit of trouble and left." He finished hastily.

Cordelia snorted. She'd heard about that time. "-Anyway-. Drusilla doesn't seem to be to keen on this Voldemort dude -- okay, actually she called him a variety of names before leaving in a huff. We -may- be able to convince her to play nice with us for once. Ummm...in my vision she was...er...well...okay..." Cordelia blushed bright red and said, "Well, that doesn't really matter."

Spike was intrigued, "She was *what* exactly, pet?" He leant forward, eyes glued to the squirming seer.

"She was dancing naked in the rain, okay?" Cordelia glared. "And it was like she knew I could see her. Because she actually said something to me. It was uber freaky."

The blonde vampire laughed. "Sounds like Dru, alright."

"What did she say?" Everyone spun to look at the other vampire. He looked intently at Cordelia, not caring about the attention he had attracted.

"-Really- not important," Cordelia assured him hastily.

This made everyone even more interested. "Awww, come on luv.....don't keep us all out in the cold on this...." Spike pressed light-heartedly.

Cordelia shifted uncomfortably. "Y'know how vampires are all...sexually ambiguous..."

"You've GOT to be kiddin' me....." The blonde vampire gasped, putting two and two together. He burst into laughter. "Well, you're better than a chaos demon...." He laughed even harder at this.

Cordelia glared at him. For those that hadn't put two and two together, she clarified, "Drusilla said something about wanting to play naughty games with me, okay? Said I'd make a -great- childe and all that. Though she did promise to wait until after we'd dealt with Voldemort..." Because of the look on Angel's face, Cordelia pretended to consider it.

"You know, I'm actually thinking it's not a bad idea....."

Spike was trying his hardest not to laugh even more, but she was giving the great poof a run for his money and by god it was entertaining.

Severus cleared his throat, "Yes, well....back to the task at hand, yes?"

Cordelia coughed delicately and nodded. "Right. So, anyway, Drusilla should be arriving any day now."

"Oh joy oh bliss." Xander muttered from where he was seated. "More fanged pains in my ass."

This earned him a ton of glares from Anya and her supporters, plus those that quite liked the vampires, including said creatures as well.

"Smooth one...." Dawn mumbled, also glaring at him.

Spike snickered. "Sounds like she's more interested in the cheerleader's arse to me, whelp."

The glorified bricklayer frowned and moved to argue, but found a certain red-head's hand on his arm. "Xander....No." Willow instructed him. "We're here to help, not stake."

"-Nobody- is staking my father." Draco growled.

Narcissa was glaring at Xander, too.

"Ahem.....Voldemort isn't going to wait for you to finish quarrelling...." Dumbledore told them patiently.

Spike muttered darkly about what Voldemort could do, and Narcissa, being the one closest to him and therefore the one who could hear it, blushed bright red and smacked his arm.

Albus stood by and observed this, that irritating twinkle in his eyes. "Perhaps we should attempt to discuss diversion tactics and the like?"

"Good idea," Cordelia enthused. Anything to distract them from the Cordelia/Drusilla thoughts.

"Okay, well as I'm sure we mentioned before, Voldemort is incredibly evil and all that. Will curse you from a mile away, yada yada yada....." Anya started again.

A very pale looking prefect came rushing in. "H-Headmaster," he stuttered. "T-there's a lady at the doors...s-s-she..."

Spike and Cordelia groaned in unison.

"Quick, luv, lets go hide in a broom cupboard and entertain ourselves while everyone else deals with her." The blonde vampire joked. Narcissa hit his arm again. He frowned, "Was just a joke, pet....." He looked back at Cordy, "What if we send Peaches out there? She used to listen to him...."

Angel did not look terribly keen on this idea.

Dawn piped up with, "Well...if Drusilla likes Cordelia...maybe Cordelia and Angel or Cordelia and somebody could go...?"

This was followed by an incredibly strained silence. Most of the adults had knowledge of the seer and the champion's current issues, but Dawn was completely oblivious. Spike winced with the suggestion and glanced over at the ex-cheerleader to see how she was going to react. Knowing her, she'd pretend it didn't bother her. He knew better, though.

Dawn shifted uncomfortably, realising she'd just hit on something she probably shouldn't've. "Or Cordelia and Spike could go," she thrust into the silence. "I mean...Spike and Drusilla were all...huggy and stuff...for like...a century..."

"Yeah, bit, I think you've got a valid point there." He smiled at her, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. He stood and walked over to Cordelia, extending his arm and pretending to bow, "M'lady." He said, "Care to accompany me?" He was concerned for her, she could see it in his eyes. She knew that if she agreed, it would mean a deep and meaningful conversation with him, and he wouldn't take 'I'm fine, Spike' as an answer.

She sighed and smiled back at him, linking her arm with his, "Of course, Mr Malfoy."

Cordelia and Spike left the room quietly to see Drusilla. She wished this could all be a nice, -simple- apocalypse for once.

~*~

Spike stopped at the entrance of the school and gave Cordelia's hand a squeeze. "Here goes nothin', luv."

Cordelia gave him a weak smile, before opening the doors.

A very damp, very naked Drusilla stood, smiling, in front of them. No wonder she'd unnerved the poor prefect.

Cordy clamped her eyes shut. Spike rolled his. "Dru, pet, what's with the birthday suit?"

Drusilla pouted. "Aren't you pleased to see me, Spikey?" she inquired in a hurt tone, putting subtle emphasis on the word 'see'.

"Of course I am, luv....." He forced himself to reply, using the knowledge that they could use her help and pissing her off was very, very bad at the best of times. "It's just that, I don't like to share.....You know that."

"Don't fib to your mummy, Spike," Drusilla chided. "You've found yourself a new princess." Her lower lip quivered, then she brightened. "But so have I!" she beamed.

Cordelia whimpered.

Spike couldn't help the smirk of amusement. "I don't think your daddy likes to share either." He told the insane vampire, trying to sound joking. Truth of the matter was, he would rather see Cordelia with Dru than with the poof any day. Especially now.

"Daddy can't have her. She's -mine-." Drusilla insisted, glaring. She folded her arms over her chest. "I want to come and help kill the bad thing. I'm going dance on it's grave. Grandmummy is a wicked, wicked grandmummy."

"Fine." Cordelia sighed. "Come on in, Dru."

Drusilla clapped her hands together delightedly, skipping inside. As they made their way back, Spike attempted to give her his duster (retrieved from Dawn when Buffy glared and gave her her coat instead) several times, but Drusilla was adamant, and so they stepped into the exhibition hall and Dru er...exhibited herself.

"Tell me that's not the woman that would be my grandmother!" Draco cried, "Because this situation is wrong enough already!"

Drusilla clapped her hands again. "Ooooh, 'tis the little Spikey! He's so handsome, just like his big, strong daddy." She sighed.

Cordelia made a face. "Everybody, Drusilla. Drusilla, everybody."

'Everybody' could easily see Drusilla edging closer to the seer.

"Ah, Drusilla, welcome to Hogwarts." The headmaster greeted her, not at all perturbed by her nudity.

Drusilla curtseyed dutifully. "Miss Edith likes your castle, she told me so." She confided, then looked to be on the verge of tears. "I wish she could've seen it properly -- but the bad man killed her, he did. He ripped her head off!" Drusilla's voice rose, getting a little shrill. "He's going to hurt my princess, too," she said, clinging to Cordelia's arm. "I won't let him."

Spike and Angel shared a look. Voldemort had 'killed' Miss Edith. They both knew it was a bad move, and were actually looking forward to hearing what kind of vengeance the insane vampiress had wreaked on the dark lord.

"I..." Drusilla leaned forward, not relaxing her grip on Cordelia, "I unmanned him."

All the males in the room winced. Yowchies! The women snickered. Served the bastard right.

Though...one had to wonder. If Drusilla did that because of a -doll-, what would happen if Voldemort got to -Cordelia-?

Cordelia had given up trying to reclaim her arm and was standing there, with a resigned expression on her face.

At least, she figured, she was safe from harm if all the vampires were looking out for her. Although she really wasn't happy about one of the brunettes. She had Dru now. Why should Angel still be around. Wait....I didn't just think that She mentally cringed. I have Dru now? My God, my internal monologue and I need to have a severe talking to....

Drusilla looked as though she knew what Cordelia was thinking which was, when one thought about it, entirely possible. Drusilla was always a little...unpredictable. She gave Cordelia her Cheshire cat grin, and rested her head on the seer's shoulder.

The seer sighed, did she have to do this? Of course she did. Nothing ever came easy for her. This was just another hurdle in her path. Besides, she was an actress. She could pretend to like Dru in order to keep everyone else safe. "Dru, sweetie, can we get you some clothes?" She asked, realising that Spike's kid was trying to look everywhere else but at his whacked out grandmother.

She couldn't blame him either. Although, it would have been more disturbing if his grandmother actually RESEMBLED the role.

She shuddered.

Don't even wanna GO there.

Drusilla sighed. "I suppose I have to..."

"Yeah, come on, I'm sure we can find a spare set of robes somewhere...."

Drusilla followed Cordelia out obediently, smiling brightly.

Spike rolled his eyes. "Christ."

"Precisely." Wes and Giles responded at the same time, sending each other childish glares.

After a time, Cordelia and Drusilla came back in. Drusilla was wearing borrowed clothes of Cordelia's, rather than robes. She'd sulked and pouted until she got her own way. She liked the smell, apparently. Cordelia had decided not to touch that comment with a ten-foot pole.

"Okay....what'd I....er...*we* miss?" Cordy chirped, taking a seat. Dru sat beside her, her fingers toying with the seer's hair.

Spike shrugged. "The Watcher and Giles Jnr glared at each other and people bickered. That's about it.

"The usual then."

She shared a grin with him. Grabbing Dru's wandering hands before they could travel any further than her shoulders.

Drusilla pouted and sat back, resting her head on Cordelia's shoulder.

Angel glared at his childe, who ignored him.

As did his seer.

Spike snickered at Angel, which led to more glaring.

Somewhere along the lines the group finally managed to get some business done. Even if was only basic trivia for the wizards and witches. The finer details of the past seven years were laid out for the newcomers, explaining the dark lord's obsessions, abilities and failed battles. The hopes were that they might be able to work out what his less obvious weaknesses were and create a strategy to counteract him and take him down without too many injuries and deaths. Theoretically, this seemed perfect. Practically....well, it was far from it.

Cordelia sighed. "We're getting -nowhere-." She said after a while.

"I could take you places, my sweet." Drusilla babbled beside her, only she didn't sound quite as insane as she had before. For this the seer was grateful.

"That's not quite what I meant, Dru," she replied gently.

Drusilla pouted.

Spike watched on, amazed that Cordelia knew exactly how to treat the woman that was once his dark princess, even though it had been something he found hard to learn.

Angel watched too, though for different reasons. He was rather jealous. Drusilla seemed to notice this -- she poked her tongue out at him and took Cordelia's hand in her own.

He'd never meant for things to go as far as they had with Cordelia. It was why he'd refused to admit to loving her. Because it led to kissing. And kissing led to happies. And happies led to.....He shuddered. They led to losing him his best friend in the entire world.

Only now, it seemed he'd lost her anyway.

Again.

Spike noticed the way his once-mentor was watching the woman and snarled. Eyes off the prize, peaches. He mentally hissed. He studied the way the broody one....well, *brooded*. The old ponce was probably wallowing in self-pity. Well, good. The bastard should suffer for what he had done.

Dumbledore had noted the interaction, but decided against comment.

They had more important things to discuss.

~*~

Cordelia and Drusilla were a little late for dinner. Drusilla had been...ahem...a little frisky, and it had been all Cordelia could do to remind herself of why exactly she didn't want to...with Dru.

So, the slightly dishevelled pair entered the hall. Angel's eyes widened with disbelief, and Drusilla looked like the cat got the cream.

Spike just about choked on his butterbeer when he caught sight of Cordelia. "Well then....look who finally decided to turn up and grace us with their presence." He drawled, although the effect had been lost on his coughing and spluttering.

Cordelia blushed rosily as they sat down. "Shut up, Spike."

Anya chuckled, "See, I told you that moving me into Sev's chambers was a good idea....."

"Ooooh! Sounds like somebody got some," Spike leered, elbowing Severus in the ribs.

The potions master just smirked, much to Minerva's shock. This time it was she that coughed and spluttered on her drink. She looked at Anya, wondering why she had been left out of the girl talk.

Anya gave Minerva her best 'I'll Give You All The Details Later' look, before looking over at Cordelia, slyly. "Soooooo..."

Cordelia blushed.

"Just drop it, okay?" She demanded. There was no arguing with her. Drusilla sat beside her, trailing her long nails down her new love's face delicately.

Angel hadn't managed to say a word yet, and was glad he hadn't. It probably wouldn't've been a very nice word.

"Aawww...Daddy doesn't look very happy." Drusilla stated.

After a moment, Drusilla began to sing-song, "Some-body's jea-lous..."

Angel's scowl deepened and he fought the urge to stake his childe.

Spike patted his sire on the hand. "I'm glad you're happy, Dru," he said, meaning it. "And better you than him!"

Drusilla smirked at Angel.

He growled and excused himself from the table, swooping out of the great hall and to his chambers down near the dungeons.

Cordelia sighed. She hated causing any sort of fuss.

Drusilla gave her a concerned look. "Is princess upset?" she asked solicitously.

"No, no, Dru, I'm fine," Cordelia assured her.

"Fibber."

Cordelia sighed again. It looked like Drusilla was even less likely to take 'I'm fine' than Spike. "We'll talk later," she promised, though that hardly seemed wise. After all, Drusilla might actually stake Angel.

Cordelia decided to deal with that when it arose.

"Well then, suppose you should warn the students about the newest members here?" Spike asked the headmaster. "Especially the tall, dark and poofy fanged one with an attitude problem."

Albus chuckled, before standing up. "Ah...students. We have some interesting new guests of late." The students had been eyeing the group with curiosity, and of course all fell silent to listen to the introductions. "Buffy Summers, the Slayer -- Mr Giles is her Watcher. Dawn Summers, her younger sister, next to Mr Malfoy. Angel of Angel Investigations just exited. The young woman next to Ms Chase is actually Drusilla, Mr Malfoy's sire and childe of Angelus. Wesley Wyndam-Pryce is there by Mr Giles. Willow Rosenberg and Alexander Harris are either side of Ms Summers. Charles Gunn and Winifred Burkle are the charming pair next to Mr Wyndam-Pryce."

He grinned around at the students. "Any questions?"

They all sat in stunned silence, not being able to remember a single name from that entire spiel. Then a few stray whispers started, followed by more and soon enough everyone was chatting again, gossiping about the reason behind the sudden influx of adults. Especially *these* adults. 'Heroes' of the muggle world.

Except for Dru, who was a terror of the muggle world...

But she seemed harmless enough. Although she was apparently trying to straddle Ms Chase....

"Dru!" Cordelia said, a little scandalised. "Not in the middle of dinner."

Drusilla pouted. "Later...?"

Cordelia whispered something in her ear.

Drusilla smiled happily to herself.

The people from Cordelia's past almost fainted in shock.

Willow, however, was sitting there with a 'I knew it, damn I wasn't quick enough' expression on her face.

Wesley was feeling a little awkward, but at least Cordelia was looking happier again. Perhaps this twisted situation wasn't that bad after all. Although the thought that she was with Drusilla, her former lover's childe, got to him a little. It was just a bit too strange for him. But, if needed, he knew he could learn to accept it.

Anya grinned impishly. "Dru's just like hormonal teenager," she commented.

"Speakin' of," Spike broke in, his eyes scanning the Slytherin table and then the Gryffindor's, "Where'd the head boy and girl get to?"

This led to many eyes scanning the room. Nobody seemed to know...

Hermione and Draco had snuck up to a tower, and were currently watching as the sun set properly.

"Well this is definitely not where I'd have imagined being this year." Hermione stated, leaning against the Slytherin with a sigh. "But it's nice."

"Aside from the added loonies we've got to hang out with, yeah. I agree." He said lazily.

Hermione rested her head on his shoulder. "Some of those loonies are your relations. Blood relations."

Ewww. What a thought.

He shuddered, half playfully. "Hate to admit to that."

"Drusilla seems nice," Hermione said, with a faint giggle.

"I don't know....I was kinda trying to not notice her....." The boy responded.

"I'm sure she'll introduce herself properly soon." Hermione told him, with a little smirk on her face.

Draco grimaced. "Please.....don't make it any worse than it already is." His eyes shined with laughter, though, so she wasn't exactly worried about the response.

"Your grandmother is a several hundred year old vampiress who likes to wander around naked and is in love with Cordelia Chase. How much worse could it get?" she teased.

"You're tempting fate, you know." He pretended to act serious, resembling his father even more. He grinned and moved closer, "Doesn't bother me though....."

Hermione giggled, then felt a little scandalised. She -never- giggled.

Draco moved closer still, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her towards him even more until she was practically in his lap.

So she moved a little, so that she was in his lap.

He smirked at her and leant in, his lips brushing hers, teasing her.

Hermione glared at him. "Don't tease," she ordered.

"Don't be so impatient...." He whispered back, his kisses a little more defined now, but still leaving her wanting more.

Just as she was taking the initiative (want, take, have), they were interrupted.

By none other than Xander Harris. "Looks like the monkey doesn't fall far from the tree," he said snidely to Draco.

They'd all been dispatched to find the Head Students.

Draco just looked up at the intruder, his hands on their way to places no adult should believe he knew about. He blinked, "The whelp, right?" He asked innocently, infuriating the annoying son of a bitch even further.

Hermione, now a bright red, moved and hit at him. "Draco..." She hissed

"Surprised you don't fancy that Potter, given your father's history and your grandmother's preferences," Xander sneered, then straightened.

Hermione decided to help her furious boyfriend out before he physically attacked the older man. She stood up and glared at him. "From the way I hear it, at least he'll never leave someone he loves at the altar, no matter what his sexual preference is."

Draco looked at her, shocked that she had the audacity to say that.

Ouch. That stung and you could see it. But he had no come back, so stomped off, throwing back, "We were all sent to look for you. Be glad it wasn't Drusilla that found you."

"Why? She might have been fun." Draco tossed, one last jab at making the guy feel ill. He seemed to have issues with the incesty-vampy thing (which, yes, he could understand, but didn't admit to it) and it was fun to toy with him.

Xander shuddered. "I rather think she's getting her happies with Cordy--Cordelia." He corrected himself after a moment. Yeah. Yet -another- relationship he'd screwed up.

"Pity." Draco drawled. Eliciting another shudder from the man. Damn he was good.

Xander muttered darkly to himself as he stomped up to the Great Hall. "I found them," he announced loudly. "Head Boy had his hands down the Head Girl's pants. Just a little student hanky-panky."

Harry and Ron looked shell-shocked.

Cordelia snickered. "That's the tactless moron I know and...know."

Luckily Draco and Hermione were still on their way towards the great hall, taking breaks every now and again, just making sure that their lips didn't forget one another.

When they did get back, looking dishevelled, whispers broke out among the student body. Xander looked rather pleased with himself as he sat down.

Hermione took her seat next to Ron, who snubbed her immediately. Draco, on the other side of the hall, got the exact same reaction from his friends. The students glared up at the teachers' table. What had he gone and told EVERYONE?

Xander looked innocent.

It was Harry who broke the silence, in a scandalised tone, "Hands down your pants, Hermione?"

She gasped, going red again and fought to find the words.

"Listen, Potter, Can't believe EVERYTHING that muggles say...." Draco growled, making his way over to the table. The hall was silent, everyone intent on seeing where this was going.

"Y-yeah," Hermione stammered after a moment, too shocked herself to argue with the implied slight.

"Then what CAN I believe Malfoy?" The Boy That Lived sneered. "Because judging by Hermione's response, i'm not doubting Mr Harris for a second."

"You trust the man that left the woman he loved at the altar?" Hermione challenged, regaining her composure. "You'd trust someone so -obviously- untrustworthy over -me-? Your best friend?" she radiated hurt.

"You still haven't denied it, Mione!"

"Maybe I don't want to deny it!" Hermione shouted, shocking everyone. "It's none of your damn business whose hands go down my pants or not," she snapped huffily. "You're supposed to be my -friends-."

She glared, "And if you *must* know, they weren't down my pants, but if Mr Harris hadn't found us I don't know WHERE they would have ended up." She added and then stormed out, Draco opting to follow her.

Harry and Ron, shocked, confused and oddly hurt, could only stare after the pair.

Applause began.

All heads swivelled towards Cordelia and Drusilla, who were clapping.

Spike, who was torn between rage and a sick sort of pride towards his son's behaviour, looked at the pair. He expected this behaviour from Dru....but Cordelia?

"Good for her," Cordelia said firmly. "They had -no- right to harass her like that over who she chooses to be with." Firm looks were given to any who she thought might question her relationship with Drusilla.

"Princess knows best," Drusilla cooed.

Ah....now Spike understood. He grinned at her and shook his head. "Still....and i realise that this goes against everythin' else I've said and done in my unlifetime.....Draco shouldn't be considering things like that. ESPECIALLY not at school.....when he's head boy."

"Spike, he's seventeen." Cordelia reminded him. "What the hell else do you think he thinks about?"

There was a certain amount of sniggering around the teacher's table.

"Fine, thinkin' I can tolerate. And snoggin'. He takes it any further and he's dust......" The vampire conceded.

"You know, not that we'd ever test the theory, you've gotta wonder -- would staking work on him? I mean, he's like, half vampire. Can he do the bumpies?" Cordelia looked curious.

"I doubt it....He needs the demon in him to be able to." Giles responded lazily.

"Well...what -did- he get from the vampy genes?" Cordelia pressed. "I mean, he's got Spike's blood flowing in his veins, which means he's got Dru's and Angel's too, because of the whole vampy family thing...so...he couldn't've just got -nothing-."

"I suppose, judging from his seeker abilities, he's got fast reflexes and sharp eyesight. Perhaps even a great sense of hearing too, considering he was the only student to hear you describing your vision...." Giles noted.

"Y'reckon he's got the strength?" Cordelia looked speculative.

"I don't doubt it." The watcher replied, "It's as if he's inherited all the beneficial traits."

Cordelia hmmmed and hahhhed over this for a time.

Then, "So....he'd be kind of like a guy version of Buffy, only more fun?"

This earned her a scowl from the vampire, "I won't have you sayin' my son is anythin' like the slayer." he snapped.

"Don't be a dork, Spike," Cordelia rolled her eyes. "I mean he could go all slay-y on your ass. Well, not on -your- ass, because you're a good guy and you're his dad, but like, he could be all...slay-y. And cool. And you could train with him and it'd be like a father-son thing." She beamed.

He considered this, "Yeah....Actually I quite like that."

Cordelia grinned at him. "What'd I tell you? God Spike, you're such a dork sometimes. But in a cute, lovable way."

Drusilla growled.

"Not -that- kind of loveable, Dru," Cordelia hastily assured her. Drusilla was a little possessive. "In a brotherly kind of way."

Spike got a speculative gleam in his eye. "Does this make you my stepmum, cheerleader?"

She thought about this and laughed, "Uh.....I guess so.....OOH I have a grandkid!"

She grinned. "Think I can get him to call me Grandma?"

Drusilla had laughed too, seemingly -much- more comfortable with this idea.

"You know, between us, we're really going to screw the poor kid up," Spike mused. "Lesbian grandmothers. Vampire fathers. Soulled poofter great-grandfather. Demented hellbitch for a great-great-grandmother."

"Demented...?"

"Darla."

"Oh."

Cordy shrugged, "At least he's got a family that love him." The thought about it, "Okay, a family that wont eat or kill him. "She thought again. "Okay.....most of his family will be there for him without the knives and forks...."

"Wonder how long it'll take Peaches' bitch queen to work out she's related to him. By blood, as it were." Spike made a face. "Can't see that going down well."

Drusilla made a face, too. "Grandmummy is a wicked, wicked woman. She's sleeping--"

"Whoa, Dru, honey, too much information," Cordelia grimaced.

"No, wait," Giles put in, "We might be able to use this."

"God, I so didn't need to hear that."

Drusilla gave Cordelia an uncertain look when Giles gestured for her to go on.

Cordelia sighed and nodded. "Go ahead, Dru."

Biting her lip, Drusilla confided, "Grandmummy is sleeping with the little Spikey's other father. She wants to turn him."

The teachers at the table's eyes widened. "Lucius?" Snape asked in wonder, "Lucius Malfoy?" He looked at Dumbledore, "This is incredibly dangerous Albus. If he-"

"I am well aware of the severity, Severus." The head master cut him off, looking amused with himself. "Severity, Severus. Heh. I have to remember that one...."

Severus rolled his eyes, but still looked troubled.

"Lucius a vampire?" Narcissa interjected. "That would be a very, very bad thing."

"I'll stake him, vampire or not," Spike growled, putting one arm around Narcissa.

Buffy rolled her eyes at this.

"Problem, *Slayer*?" He hissed.

Dawn nodded as well, "Yeah, Buff. What's up?" She asked with venom. "Having trouble growing up?"

Buffy glared at Dawn, who glared right on back. "No -problem-, Spike," she sneered. "Just stunned she willingly lets you touch her."

Narcissa gasped, as did several others around the table.

Buffy's head jerked to the side as she was slapped, harshly and quickly.

By none other than Cordelia.

Drusilla cheered.

"Now, Buffy, Need I remind you who was, is and always will be the reigning bitch queen of SunnyDale?" The ex-cheerleader sneered, "No. I didn't think so. And you've let Spike do more than touch you so I'd take a long hard look in a mirror before I said something else if I were you."

Buffy stared at her, shocked speechless.

Drusilla growled at the Slayer, before regarding Cordelia with pride. "Princess bites." She confided to the rest of them in a pleased tone.

"Dru, honey, that stays IN the bedroom, remember?" She said, pleased with the shocked responses she got.

Drusilla gave her a wicked look. "I don't need to turn you, princess. You've already got your fangs. Grrr, snap, snap!"

Cordelia laughed, sitting down and resting her head on the other brunette's shoulder. "That's right, Dru."

"Is anyone else incredibly wigged out here?" Xander asked, raising his hand.

Spike glared at him.

Willow frowned at him. "I don't see what's to wig over. I mean, you never got wigged over me and Tara..."

Xander hastily back-pedalled. "I mean...in a strictly non-homophobic way...Cordy and -Drusilla-?"

"Okay, I'll admit it's a little weird...." The red-head replied, and looked over at the couple and sighed, "But look how happy they are....." She could feel herself getting teary.

"Happy is good. Happy -without- Angel is even better. So this is...of the good...?" Xander pieced his strange logic together.

"Yes, whelp, I think you've actually gotten something right for once." Spike smirked.

"I have my moments," Xander shrugged, too busy thinking of Cordelia and Drusilla to note the insult.

Cordelia and Drusilla.

-Cordelia- and -Drusilla-.

Wow.

Cordelia and Drusilla...oooooh...Xander's eyes lit up. He was a simple boy.

"ANYWAY," Cordy interrupted, not liking the look Xander was giving her and Dru. She'd liked it better when he was wigged out. "What are we gonna do about Lucius and Darla?"

"Nip it in the bud. Kill the bastard." Spike said flatly. "Kill him six ways from Sunday. Slowly. Painfully."

"Spike..." Cordelia warned.

Drusilla disagreed with Cordelia for the first time. "Spikey's right. Kill, kill, kill! All the little bizzy-bees...bzzzt! Bzzt!"

Well...she was a little strange.

"We can't just go out and kill a mortal person...." Cordelia reasoned.

"Cordelia, you don't know what he's -done-," Spike said grimly. "The lowest of the low. Voldemort's right-hand man. Dirty, rotten wife-beater."

She paled, "But it's still not our way...."

"Cordelia, you know what this involves. The evils we're facing aren't demonic. They're mortal. Dark and evil, but mortal." Spike told her softly, gently. "Nobody but us can deal with this. We -can't- let the 'authorities' deal with these people. We -are- the authorities."

She nodded, understanding but not really wanting to agree. In a way she knew he was right. But she couldn't bring herself to kill a human. Vampires were easy....demons too.....but humans?

"He -wants- the change," Drusilla sing-songed softly. "Blood so pretty...sings fire in his veins, it does...wants it...wants her..."

Cordy frowned. Okay, that was close enough to vampire for her.

"Fine." She said, after a pause. "Kill the son of a bitch."

Spike grinned, "'Atta girl."

Drusilla put her arms protectively around Cordelia. "Mustn't bother princess anymore, Spikey." She ordered firmly. "Mustn't. Do as your mummy says, there's a good boy."

Spike coughed a bit, glad his son wasn't around to see how whipped he was. Actually, he wasn't glad his son wasn't around 'cos the head girl wasn't around.....

This thought worried him.

Drusilla patted him on the arm. "They aren't playing naughty games, Spikey. Hush up. Listen to mummy."

Narcissa turned a giggle into a cough.

"Hey, if my *mummy* is wrong, you might be becoming a grandmother as we speak." He informed the woman. She frowned a little at that, then realised he was only saying it to get that exact reaction. She brightened immediately. "Oh, wouldn't that be wonderful?" She asked, "I've always wanted another baby around the house...."

Spike's eyes widened in a mix of terror and astonishment.

Then she added brightly, "You know Will, I've still got that potion around..."

He froze like a deer in the headlights of an oncoming car. "Ciss....I....Draco....you....."

Dawn was laughing beside him. She had tears streaming down her face. All the men at the table were finding this incredibly amusing and a few of the women were formulating ideas of their own.....

Narcissa laughed and kissed his cheek. "I'm only toying with you, William."

He frowned, "That was below the belt, Ciss. In a not quite enjoyable way." He paused, "And what if I'd said 'yeah Ciss I want to make 10 more Dracos'?"

She smiled at him. "I wouldn't say no."

"Oi....stop with the mind games, alright. They're MY territory...." He grinned back.

Drusilla patted Narcissa on the hand. "I like you," she decided aloud.

"I'm ever so glad." Ciss deadpanned with a smirk.

"Yes, I -definitely- like you." Drusilla went on, as if she hadn't said a word. "'Twas very disappointing when my special boy went and...well...with the -Slayer-," she spat it as though it were a curse, "but you...you're a perfect princess. Snow queen," she added, running a hand through Narcissa's hair. Then she smiled. "My Spikey's got a new princess."

Narcissa gave the vampiress a slightly uncertain half-smile then. It was a bit unnerving, as much confident as she truly was. Drusilla had been the one to take Spike away from her the first time around. And even though Drusilla was with Cordelia now...well...she was a -vampire-. A soulless, crazy, vampire.

Spike hugged the mother of his child closer to him and grinned. Everything was falling back into place.

In a strangely twisted sort of way.

Angel stomped back into the Great Hall just in time to see Drusilla and Cordelia laughing. And kissing.

He stared.

He forced himself to continue up to the table as if it didn't bother him.

"Ooh Mr Grumpy-Butt is back." Anya noted.

No. That wouldn't get to him either.

"Poof." Spike greeted curtly.

Cordelia hadn't noticed him yet.

That was probably what (didn't) get to him most.

"Spike." He said calmly.

"Daddy can't play anymore and he's jealous," Drusilla whispered in a tone that only the other vampires could hear. "-Mine- now."

He grit his teeth. No, that wasn't going to get to him either.

Drusilla smirked at Angel one last time, before turning away to talk to Cordelia. Dinner was almost over, and then it would be time for patrolling. They had to make sure there were no students out of their beds at night, had to patrol the grounds...

Spike seemed determined to go on patrol, and Narcissa was equally determined that he wouldn't.

"So.....we get into small groups and patrol the hallways and grounds?" Xander asked, checking he was on the same page as the others.

Drusilla gave Xander a look that could only be described as contemptuous. "-We-?"

She and Cordelia really did have a lot in common, evidently.

"Yes *we*" He snapped, "As in one big, demented version of the scoobies."

"Princess isn't a...a -Scooby-," Drusilla sneered. "Shan't be associated with such filth."

"Dru, honey," Cordelia rested a hand on Drusilla's. "Relax. Xander's a dork. You get used to it, eventually. Don't let him get to you."

"-Me- get to -her-?" Xander spluttered.

Cordelia and Drusilla gave him identical long, cool looks.

He backed down.

"Right, well, small groups patrolling?" He voiced after a while, looking to Giles for an answer.

Giles sighed at their behaviour, and nodded. "Yes." After a pause, he added, "Workable groups."

Such as, not putting Cordelia and Angel together, or Spike and Angel, or Cordelia or Spike with Buffy.

And, for that matter, not Drusilla and Xander.

"In that case, I think Peaches will be workin' alone again...." Spike voiced happily. The other vampire bit his tongue again.

"I want to patrol." Dawn put in. "I've been training!" she added, before anyone could argue. "And Buffy lets me patrol with her."

Spike thought about that. "You can patrol with my group, ducks."

Dawn looked a little shocked. She hadn't expected them to actually -let- her. "Cool!"

"Why don't we start working out groups?" Cordelia suggested. "Like...me, Dru, Spike and Dawnie, then we've got Buffy, who would make sense to go with Wills and Xander, and Gunn, Wesley and Fred can go with Angel, and..." She trailed off when she realised everyone was staring at her. "I was just thinking some workable groups," she said defensively.

"No, Princess was delegating....." Dru said airily.

Cordy looked stunned. How did Dru even know the word Delegate?

Drusilla beamed at her. "Go on, Princess. Stars are singing brightly about you, they do, they do."

Giles was looking speculatively at the seer (the sane one, that is). "You sound like you're on to something, Cordelia."

She grinned, "Of course I am."

Some time later, after dinner, groups had been worked out -- by, of course, Cordelia -- and were written up on a board in the exhibition hall, which had become their 'base of operations'. The lists were as follows (Dawn got to write them, and gave them names):

'Scooby Dumb':

Buffy

Willow

Xander

Fangs A-Plenty:

Drusilla

Spike

Me!!! Dawn

Cordelia

City of Angel:

Angel

Gunn

Fred

Wesley

Capitalists of Doom:

Anya

Severus

Dawn stood back to admire her handiwork. Anya had insisted on her and Severus having their very own group, and Cordelia hadn't minded. Dawn had pointed out Anya would probably be best in Fangs A-Plenty and Severus wouldn't fit -anyplace-, so Anya won.

Of course, when the lists were up, and the group had gravitated back, there came from Draco:

"Why does the muggle girl get to patrol and -I- don't?"

Hermione had nudged him. "Because maybe there are other things u can be doing tonight...." She hissed in his ear. Spike caught it and sent her a look that said 'no bloody way'.

Dawn couldn't help but smirk at Draco. It was kind of funny, how he seemed to be jealous of her. "Because -I've- been training for ages and I already patrol with Buffy on the -Hellmouth-, whereas you're just all mystical vampy boy with no experience yet."

"Mystical vampy boy?" Spike -almost- forgot the hormonal teenagers in his amusement at Dawn's wording.

"Mystical vampy boy." She confirmed.

"Better than a mudbl-" Draco started, only to be stopped by Hermione's hand clamped over his lips.

"-I'm- a magical ball of energy with lots of power who opens portals." Dawn informed him, a little smugly, truth be told. "No mud in my blood. Just green swirly stuff. Cool, huh? Anya's teaching me magic. She says if other people can tap into my Keyness and power and stuff, I should be able to, too. It's cool. Fun, too, because Anya's like, the coolest teacher, because she talks and Xander doesn't tell her to shut up anymore, which means she's even cooler."

Spike patted Dawn on the head. "Quit while you're ahead, Nibblet."

"Okay," she agreed cheerfully, wandering off to find Anya.

Draco glared after her. "Hey at least I've always been a REAL person! Not tossed into a human form, given false memories and a sister that hates me!" He shrugged, "Get your own friends, deary. 'Cos you're trying to crack into a circle of 20 somethings....you know, maybe the fact that you CAN'T make friends 'cos your not likeable enough-"

He was interrupted.

Dawn stopped. Just...stopped. She didn't turn around. She stood there, stock-still, as if she couldn't quite believe someone had -actually- said that. Sure, it was true, but it was -cruel- and nasty and unnecessary.

Spike's reaction was automatic. He cuffed Draco around the back of the head, hard. "Do -not- talk to her like that," he said quietly. "Ever."

Dawn turned, and ran straight into Spike's arms. The bleached-blonde vampire pulled her close and muttered comforting nothings to her, choosing to ignore his son for the moment.

Draco, meanwhile, spun to glare at the blonde vampire. "You know what? This is touching. Really it is." He sneered, "Perhaps you can write her some of that god awful poetry? Or go and humiliate yourself in the whipped way I hear you always fall into?"

"Drake..." Hermione tried to calm him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Spike looked up, and met Draco's eyes, not looking angry anymore...just sad. "I'm sorry I didn't come back earlier and I'm sorry I've got more of a familiar relationship with the Nibblet instead of my son and I'm sorry you had to be raised by a goddamn monster." He told him quietly, before leading Dawn away to calm -her- down.

Everybody needed time to calm down.

"He may be a monster but he's the only father I've ever known, and ever will know." Draco shot back, turning on his heel and leaving the hall.

"I know." Spike whispered in a small, somewhat broken voice, that only Dawn heard.

Angel, sitting on his lonesome as usual, watched the enraged boy storm out. He sighed. That looked painfully familiar to him. Quite similar to when he had stormed out of his father's house, in fact. Giving one last look towards Spike's direction, where one incredibly bratty girl was being comforted, he stood and slipped out of the hall himself.

He wasn't going to let Spike's kid make the same stupid mistakes.

Although by this time it was a toss up as to who was being comforted -- Spike or Dawn.

Draco had stormed off, and ended up in a more or less abandoned, dead-end corridor off one of the others, leaning against a wall and fuming, brooding, and all sorts of other things ending in -ing.

He raised his head and looked at the wall, "What do you want?" He snapped. For some reason he could feel the vampire approaching. He couldn't hear or see him....just sense him.

"To make sure you don't repeat history." Angel murmured, well aware Draco would be able to hear him.

He'd had a crappy relationship with his father (if that wasn't an understatement, he didn't know what was), and Spike simply walked out whenever the subject of fathers was brought up.

But Spike could be a good father. Angel knew that. So he wasn't going to let either of them give up. Not this time.

The kid still refused to turn around and look at him, "I'm not entirely sure what you mean, but why the hell would you care?" He said, still glaring at the dead-end.

"Spike is family, regardless of what he thinks of me." Angel said calmly. "So you're family. And I'm not about to watch yet another family get screwed up because you're both too damn proud. He's guilty as hell about the way things have turned out, but as far as he can see now, you don't care. You've got a father. You don't need him. Hell, you just said as much. So I'm going to make the both of you see sense before he gets it into his head that he should just leave before he screws things up even more, because it looks to me like that would be the biggest mistake he could possibly make." Not least because Spike's idea of coping involved copious amounts of alcohol, and this was the sort of thing he'd be 'coping' with for a long time.

"No, I'm thinking his biggest mistake was me. He seems happy enough with that bitchy little mudblood, why need me in the equation?" Draco spun around, facing Angel. "His second biggest mistake was coming here and turning my life upside down. His third would be to stay."

"Dawn's already given up on the Scoobies, she has nobody to talk to about what she sees every day and every night except for Spike, and he cares about her, and probably likes that he can make her smile when her sister can only make her bitch." Angel shrugged. After a moment he sighed. "If you -genuinely- don't want him here, you want him to leave, then you march back in there and tell him so. Tell him -exactly- what you think of him. In great detail. He'll leave, I guarantee you. And you know why he'll do it? For -you-. He'll leave because it's what -you- want, not because it's what he wants. Narcissa will probably go with him. You hate him so much; you go tell him that. Then you'll be rid of him for good. Isn't that what you want?"

Draco's lip curled and he frowned in defiance. "What if it is?" He sneered, although the voice in his head (that annoying conscience thingie) was screaming at him to drop the macho-act.

"Then go on in there and do it." Angel dared him. "Go on. I won't stop you. Wouldn't it feel -good- to have that kind of power of somebody? To know that you're ripping out their soul with your words and that even though one day, you'll die, they have to bear that pain for-ever-? Isn't that the kind of thing you...-Slytherins- go in for?" Angel sneered right back at him.

Hey! That was below the belt! Although, the tall, broody one had a point. "It is." Draco replied, his entire demeanour now void of emotion, including his tone. "And at one point I got off on that feeling. But ever since *he* turned up there's this bloody voice in my head that keeps telling me it's wrong and I just want to go back to the way it was BEFORE this stupid conscience kicked in."

He shrugged, "And seeing as it all happened when *he* turned up, logic says-"

Angel cut him off.

"Logic says that you're a spoiled little brat who can't take the fact that you've got a real father here who loves you and that you'd rather inflict upon him an eternity of pain rather than face up to the fact that maybe you might care about him to." Angel snapped harshly, aware that he was probably pushing it, but almost beyond caring. After...after -everything-, Spike deserved this. Draco was the son Spike had always secretly wanted, and Angel knew that. He knew that Spike had always resented the fact that Drusilla took away from him that option, even if Spike wouldn't admit it.

"Me? *I'm* the spoilt brat? Shouldn't you be giving THAT lecture to the mudblood kid? The one that has memories of a happy childhood? The one that *has*, at one point or another, known what it feels like to have a proper family of sorts? The one that keeps on intruding into MINE?" Okay, so he knew he sounded remotely bratty and selfish, but he couldn't help it. That Dawn thing had REALLY pushed him to the limit.

"Been there, done that." Angel shrugged. "Spike did that lecture, actually. About how she couldn't get into the Scoobies and why waste her life trying? Anyway." After a moment though, he feigned shock. "-Your- family? You mean the one you don't want? Y'know, the one you were prepared just a few seconds ago to tell to piss off back to America, because you don't want parents who love you?"

"Oh shut up." The Head Boy said, trying to remain in his element of anger. That didn't last and he ended up grinning a little and rolling his eyes, "You really are bloody annoying, you know."

"I know," Angel said with a mock-sigh. Then, "Surely you can share your father just for the few days, weeks, whatever, that the Scoobies and my gang are going to be here? Dawn's not that demanding, she just likes to trail around after Spike because he's the one, save Cordy, who she can rely on to actually listen when she's talking. Her nice, loving mother is dead, her sister really doesn't care anymore -- you hit upon that point rather expertly, Mr Malfoy -- so she's just taking advantage of the big brotherly love while she still has it. Then they'll be gone and you'll have your family all to yourself. Surely it's not that big a deal." Angel raised an eyebrow.

Draco felt himself pouting like the brat of his nightmares had done earlier and felt disgusted with himself. "Can I at least practice a few hexes on her?" He asked hopefully.

"I don't think Spike would appreciate that, and Buffy -might- wake up long enough to kick your ass. She's the only one with license to make Dawn feel two inches high." Angel said mock-seriously, though it was a toss up as to whether or not he was joking on the last part.

Probably not.

"I don't like her either." The Slytherin King said, voicing his thoughts, "In fact, not many people here seem to." His eyes lit up, "Can I practice hexing her then?"

"If you don't mind the fact Dawn will probably adore you forever for it." Angel said, only half-joking. "Spike she loves because he's, well, Spike. Humiliate her sister and you'll be right up there on that pedestal."

Draco's grin widened. "Does that mean she'd listen if I told her to bugger off?"

The look Angel sent him dashed his hopes. "Was worth a shot." He mumbled.

The aforementioned teen had just come running out of the hall, and, ignoring Draco because she hadn't noticed him, practically pounced on Angel. "Angel! You gotta come, like, -now-! Spike's all...y'know...like how he was after he got the soul, all depress-y and stuff and we can't find him and Drusilla's trying but she's like, totally whacked and Cordy can't find him and Cissa's frantic and you gotta come -now-! Pleasepleaseplease! We had to make him not like, sunbathe after Buffy did the d-word and this is -way- worse." All this came out in a rush, and she was attempting to drag the vampire back with her. "Come, -now-! Spike's gonna do something stupid!"

"Great, now she's pouncing on my great-grandfather when I try to spend time with him." Draco mumbled to himself. "What's next? She'll try sleeping with my girlfriend too?"

Angel tried not to laugh.

Dawn fixed Draco with a glare. In that glare was more concentrated hatred than one would think a teenage girl could come up with. "Spike is going to like, -stake- himself because of -you-." She hissed angrily. "Just because you hate him so much he figures we all should too, so he's going to 'do us all a favour' now and all you can do is complain about -me-? Fuck you're a jerk."

"Maybe the fact that I 'hate' him so much comes from you monopolising him when I've only just found out about him and I can't get to know him 'cos you're all 'ooh Spikey, come over here' 'ooh, Spikey, look at my finger painting...' Grow up you obnoxious, mentally screwed shit!"

Dawn glared. "Whatever. You can have him for the rest of your life! I've just until this Voldemort dude is dust and then he'll go and live with you and your super cool mom and forget all about me." She said, before tugging on Angel's arm. "Come -on-, we have to find him! Everybody deserves a dad, even stupid wankers like him." She jerked her thumb at Draco. "So let's -go- and get him and make lock him and aforementioned wanker in a room so they can either sort it out or kill each other. Spike's gonna die and...and now it's all -my- fault!"

"You got that right."

"Hey, mini-Spike, that's enough." Angel turned back to him. "Let it go...."

He looked back at Dawn, "And stop powerplaying him. You're stirring him for this reaction. Quit it."

Dawn glared at Angel then. "Screw you, you great poof. Haven't you heard? I'm the almighty screwer-upper of families. Besides, it's not like I can make him hate me anymore than he already does."

Angel stared down at Dawn for a moment. "Jesus, you really have spent too much time with Spike," he muttered, before heading off to find the aforementioned vampire.

After a moment Dawn muttered to herself, "What the fuck is power playing, anyway?"

Draco just rolled his eyes and took off after his great-grandfather. He turned and decided to offer one final comment, "Sit. Stay. Don't Speak."

"Screw that," Dawn said incredulously. "If it -is- my fault, then I -have- to help. And if it isn't, you were just being nasty because you're a bitter shit and I don't have to do what you say, anyway." After a moment she grinned. "You know, if it weren't for the fact you hate me and everyone has to go find Spike before he does something stupid, this would almost be cool. Nobody's ever paid me this much attention without trying to kill me or use me against Buffy. Admittedly it's because I'm annoying, but I'll take what I can get, thanks." With that, she followed.

"Hey I *am* trying to kill you." He griped, "You're just that bloody valuable, energy that opens hellholes wise, that I'm not going to go through with it. You're lucky for that. And, maybe for two seconds, you can get it through your thick head that this is NOT about you and doesn't revolve around you and *I* am going to speak to my father. NOT you. Go back and mend things with your slutty sister if you REALLY want something to do. Just leave me have time with my family."

"Duh, I get it's not about me." Dawn rolled her eyes. "It's about you guys. Spike's all angsty because guys are too stupid and macho to be feeling-y around each other. Okay, fine, I won't come." She shrugged after a moment. "And sure, 'mending' things with the bitch sounds like -fun-." She drew the word out. As she walked away, intent on 'exploring', she muttered, "About as fun as getting a tooth pulled."

"You know, if you actually TRY to talk to her, you might get that attention you keep seeking from MY people!" He shouted back, before getting back on task and breaking into a run.

Dawn rolled her eyes inwardly. Like anyone would want to talk to -Buffy-. She was a self-absorbed bitch and Dawn personally couldn't wait until she was old enough to get the hell away from her.

"Screw that," she muttered to herself.

~*~

Spike, meanwhile, had been cornered by Drusilla and Angel, and they were currently trying to get the stake off of him. So far, this involved a three-way fight that meant a whole lot of bruises for all involved, and looked -very- painful. Angel had narrowly avoided dusting several times.

Draco caught up with them and froze, watching each member of his family in their demonic visages. He grinned, "THAT would be a good way to earn attention." He mused.

Spike hadn't seemed to notice Draco, which was odd. After a while of fighting, he seemed to give up, which resulted in his being cradled by a very protective Drusilla, and crying into her shoulder.

Angel never would've acted like that, but Spike always was more...not emotionally-stunted.

The Slytherin King watched the scene in front of him and felt guilty. Which annoyed the hell out of him. He was *really* hating this conscience thing now. But to see the grown man....pire weeping, well, it was too much for him to take in.

"Shhhh, shhhhh," Drusilla murmured, rocking him. "Love is cruel," she whispered, resting her cheek on the back of his head. "Cruel. Burns you, it does. You're all ice and fire, my boy. Fire wrapped up in ice that never melts..."

The boy arched his eyebrow. Riiight. The lady was crazy, that was for sure. He heard himself clearing his throat.

Drusilla's eyes flashed gold when she saw Draco and she growled low.

"Dru," Angel cautioned, though he did gesture to Draco to stay back.

"No...." Draco said, walking past the oldest vampire in the trio. "She's right to want to eat me, although I'd prefer it if she went after the ball of annoying energy. She's to blame as much as I am." Did he just say that? Oh god, he hoped not. He smirked at Dru, "I bet she'd taste REALLY nice..."

"Draco...." Angel warned, seeing as Spike didn't look like he would.

Drusilla's eyes narrowed as her face morphed into her demonic visage. She wouldn't move, wouldn't let go of Spike, but if Draco got within arm's reach...

He took another step forward, "Please? I want to talk to him while I have the chance. You know, no pests clinging off him?"

"Draco." Angel was firmer this time, waiting for Spike to yell at him for taking authority.

Drusilla waited until Draco got even closer, and when he had, she settled Spike down next to her and stood up, lifting Draco by the throat until he was a few inches off the ground. "-Why-? Why should I give -you- the chance you didn't give my boy?" she asked, shaking him a bit. His vampire blood would see it didn't hurt him -too- badly.

"Why grandma what a strong grip you have," He hissed, "It wasn't all my fault but I'm sorry and I think I could learn to love him when there aren't annoying little muggles around to ruin our bonding time...."

"He -loves- you and it hurts him so...you hated him because he didn't understand what the matter was? He'd not known...you never -bothered- to explain...just assumed...stupid, stupid little boy," She glared at him.

"Hey, Angelus, can u call your kid off for a second? I would like to be able to breathe while I explain...."

Angel coughed. "She doesn't listen to me anymore, I'm afraid." [Or she wouldn't've stolen Cordelia] "I suggest you ask nicely."

Drusilla's gaze flickered briefly to Angel. "Not Angelus, little one, not Angelus. Daddy went away and left us with the Angelbeast. The Angelbeast doesn't like to play like Daddy did."

"Yeah yeah yeah," Draco coughed. "I didn't HATE my father....at all." An idea struck him, "Okay, Drusilla, look. Angelus was fun for you right? You liked hanging with him?"

She nodded. He grinned.

"Well, that's how I felt about Dad....er...Spike. And then he changed. Like Angelus did into the AngelBeast.....You know how horrible that feels."

She looked at him, and realised that he was kinda right. Okay, a lot right.

"Changed..." She echoed uncertainly. She put Draco down, but didn't release her grip on him. "How?"

"He turned all mushy on the Dawn brat and ignored me while she continued to tie him around her little finger. It annoyed me.....And she kept on making it worse and he couldn't see it." He looked her in the eye. "Like I'm guessing having Angelus turn into Angel did to you...."

"That's where you and I are different, little one," Drusilla told him softly, patting his cheek. "I made -sure- the Angelbeast knew exactly what I thought of him when I found him. You kept quiet as a little mouse, and then you made my poor boy turn into a little Angelbeast. Silly little boys, the both of you."

"Yes, well, I won't deny that right now." Draco shifted his feet. He hated this emotional thing. "So, can I talk to him?"

Drusilla looked thoughtfully at Spike, then at Draco. "All right...but Grandmummy will be right outside." She warned.

Draco grinned, happy that he had talked his way out of that one and then glanced at Angel, "Can you....head out there as well?"

"Grandmummy will take care of the Angelbeast," Drusilla said innocently, dragging Angel by the arm out of the door.

Spike groaned, burying his face in his hands as they left.

An awkward silence floated over them.

Spike glanced up. Oh, -great-.

"So....." Draco said, taking a seat next to him.

"So." Spike said flatly.

His son looked at him, "Okay, I expect childish behaviour from myself and the pest you call Dawn and even Professor Emerson...but from you?"

"My son doesn't want me and doesn't even bother telling me why." Spike said, in a slightly numb voice. "You try acting fucking mature."

"You didn't hear a word I just said?" Draco asked, slightly amused. "Talk about going deaf with old age...."

"Wasn't listening." Spike replied listlessly.

Draco sighed. "In a nutshell you were compared to Angelus turning into the Angelbeast in Dru's eyes."

"Great. First you hate me, now I'm the poof." Spike snorted. "Could it get -any- worse?"

"It was only to get her to stop strangling me...." Draco shrugged, "Besides, I like Angel." This earned him a 'stake me' look and he groaned. "But, as I pointed out, I lo…lo…could love you. Only when Dawn is around you change."

"She's my bit and I thought I'd never get to see her again." Spike shrugged, looking vaguely confused. "I was just catchin' up with her. I mean, I've got you for the rest of my--your life, but the Nibblet's gonna be back in America soon, so we were just making the most of our time...'sides, it was only a matter of time before the Slayer decided I was no good for her precious sister."

"Oh come on, little miss whiny isn't going to let the slayer stop her." Draco snorted, "And I understood that you wanted to see her and all that shit, but how did you expect me to fall into a father/son thing straight after being told who you are and then being ignored so she could be annoying."

"I never expected you to fall right into that," Spike said, then sighed. "Tell you the truth, Draco, I counted myself lucky you were even speaking to me, all right?"

"Oh no. The guilt will not work. Not on me." The boy frowned, folding his arms over his chest.

"Draco Malfoy, I am not trying to guilt-trip you." Spike said seriously. "I mean every word."

The head boy sighed and rolled his eyes. "Yeah yeah yeah...." He said with a smirk.

"If you aren't even going to have the decency to believe what I say, what's the point of this discussion?" Spike growled.

"I believe you....." Draco smiled, "And, look, we're talking. Civilly. With no annoying pest like creatures...."

"A great leap forward." Spike drawled, leaning back against the wall. Blood from the headwound accidentally inflicted by Angel had mixed with his tears and tracked down his cheek. "Eh. Must've given Dru a right turn."

Draco looked quizzically at his father, but remained silent as the blonde vampire sighed.

~*~

Cordelia sighed, running a hand through her hair. She was sitting in a corner of the exhibition hall, waiting for Dru to come back from where they'd found Spike.

Anya bounced over to her side and sat down.

"Hey, Anya," Cordelia glanced at her friend.

"Hey Cordy." She grinned.

Cordelia smiled faintly back.

"So...Drusilla, huh?"

"Yup. Dru." She confirmed.

"Yeah...why is that?" Xander asked, feeling himself get drawn into the conversation.

"Well..." Cordelia hesitated. This explanation would involve some secrets she'd never told -anyone-. (Except, of course, for Dru, earlier on)

"Come on....don't leave me in suspense..." Anya prodded.

"Well...okay." Cordelia took a deep breath. "Okay. I know I'm like, Cordelia Chase, and I was Queen C for...well, ever, and I dated all the popular guys and was a complete bitch...but I kind of had a crush on somebody totally inappropriate. No, not you, Xander. Willow. Weird, huh? So, I dated Xander, because you were cute, and you kissed nicely, and then you went and kissed Willow and I hated the both of you, because well...-you- got what -I- wanted and couldn't have because, hell, I was Queen C and you can't be popular and gay. I mean, I like guys just fine, but I ah...swing both ways. So...when I saw Drusilla -- I never told anybody about this, I'm not even sure -when- exactly it happened, I was all hating of the Willow and hating of the Xander, so I...I got a crush on her. I didn't know -what- she was right then. And it's stuck." Cordelia finished.

Xander's jaw dropped, "Wait.... you mean that while you and I were dating, and Will and I were flirting, I coulda had you both?"

Both girls glared at him.

"No way, Xander. I would've dropped you like a hot potato if she showed even the -slightest- interest in me." Cordelia said with a faint sigh.

Unbeknownst to them, Willow was actually listening...

Her breath caught in her throat and she started to cough. Cordelia had just....argh! It was not fair!

"So...you hated us because I kissed Willow and you couldn't...and then you got a crush on -Drusilla-." Xander pieced things together. "Oookay."

"And what, pray tell, is wrong with that?" Queen C huffed.

"Nothing, nothing," he assured her quickly. "Not a thing."

Anya rolled her eyes. "So...you had a crush on Willow."

"Yeah. Why do you think I picked on her so much?" Cordelia shrugged. "Had to get her attention -somehow-. Any attention from Willow was good attention."

Willow again, gasped. Okay, so eavesdropping was bad....but Cordy had a crush on HER.

"But, all in the past now." Cordelia said firmly. "Dru's my snuggle-buddy now, and a very good snuggle-buddy is she."

Xander went into happy-land with mental images.

Anya and Cordelia thwacked him.

"Anyway....moving on...." The ex-queen c said, turning to Anya. "You and Severus are officially an item now, huh?"

Anya beamed. "Yup. I'm trying to convince him to do couple-y things, if only to frighten the students." And Xander. "I have my very own half of the bed," she added proudly.

Xander made a face. "Too much information."

She shot her ex a glare. "Were you consulted at all in this conversation?" She snapped icily.

Xander gulped. "Ah...no?"

"Then would you refrain from making dumb-assed comments while I'm talking to *my* friends?" She huffed, inwardly glad that the tables had FINALLY turned and it was HIM that was getting that message.

Xander nodded glumly, and trailed off to find Buffy. They could bond in their mutual misery.

*~*~*~

Wesley and Giles were standing in another part of the exhibition hall, discussing the various demons they'd gone up against, and comparing notes on their experiences. Buffy died? Cordelia got non-stop visions from a Vocah demon. Willow tried to end the world? Angelus came out to play. Xander and Anya? Cordelia and Angel.

Hermione and Fred tagged along, listening in awe as the men recalled every fascinating detail of their most trying situations.

"Cordy insists she's quite all right, of course," Wesley said reflectively. "But...god...you didn't -see- her after that...-nobody- could touch her then. It was a little frightening for all of us, though; Cordelia's the strong one. The real heart of Angel Investigations."

Hermione tried not to listen. She shouldn't know about this sort of stuff. It felt....wrong.

Fred was much the same. She'd been there and she was trying to repress the memory of seeing her idol fall to pieces.

Giles's expression was more than a little grim. "We've all had more than our fair share of strife, but this take's the cake..."

"It wasn't really anyone's fault." Wes added quietly, "Angel....he wasn't fairing well after the ordeal either. And then being here and seeing her....not to mention Spike's continual meddling in affairs he has no comprehension of....." He sighed, "It hasn't been helping matters. For *either* of them."

"Spike's a very odd vampire, even without the soul. Very overprotective. Cordelia seems to be on his 'List Of People I Care About'. -We- know he shouldn't meddle, but we could talk until we were blue in the face and it wouldn't make a blind bit of difference. He'll back off when Cordelia tells him to." Giles shrugged. You spend enough time with a vampire; you learn a thing or two about them.

"Somehow I doubt that he would back off, even if she demanded that he did and threatened him with a dusting." Wes huffed. "Simply because he enjoys seeing his grand-sire suffer."

"Oh, I don't know," Giles said, speculatively. "Certainly he does, but it's Cordelia's battle to fight and he understands that, as much as he would like to shield her from it. If she puts her foot down hard enough, he'll simply stand behind her and growl."

"Quite." Wes responded, still not entirely convinced.

Giles shrugged. "Spike, despite the bravado, is a good man. Vampire. He'll see reason. He may not like it, but he'll behave."

"I suppose you're entirely correct." Wesley mused, "But the next time he attempts to use Cordelia as a way to annoy Angel, Gunn and I will most certainly stake him ourselves. It's bad enough that they're both suffering from their actions....."

"I think Cordelia is definitely on the road to recovery, though." Giles pointed out. "Drusilla does seem to be very good for her." Then Giles added thoughtfully, "Though irritating Angel is a bonus -- to Spike, that is -- I don't think the intent is to use Cordelia to irritate him. He does genuinely care, you know."

"Yes, I understand that," Wes responded, "But he needs to understand what raising the topic does to the both of them, whether Drusilla is bringing her back to her usual stature or not."

"He hasn't actually raised the topic himself, as such. He's made it abundantly clear Angel should stay away from Cordelia, on pain of pain, but that's about all. True, you'd have to be stupid not to know why, but thankfully he's steered clear of details. But I do see where you are coming from."

Wes nodded, "Yes, well....on other matters...." He trailed off about a demon that Gunn and he had fought barely a week before hand. Hermione and Fred were listening in awe again.

Giles listened attentively, pointing out things and nodding with approval when Wesley had finished. Then he launched into a description of the demon cult Buffy had been dealing with before he left for Hogwarts.

To any one else, this would be an incredibly boring conversation, yet the four adults involved were thoroughly interested in what was said, each one interrupting to add their two cents worth when they felt it was needed.

Such as Hermione's -- "Demon's have cults?"

And Fred's lengthy explanation of the many different forms of such things.

All in all, it was a very instructive conversation for Hermione, and a nice way to catch up for the others.

"I think I'd like to visit Sunnydale one day.....sometime after graduation." She mused, "It sounds like the most fascinating place...."

Wesley and Giles choked on that.

She looked at them, puzzled. "What?"

"You just expressed a wish to -willingly- take a trip to the -Hellmouth-." Wesley said slowly, as though speaking to a particularly stupid child. "One of the most dangerous places on god's earth, where crossing the street could end in a violent, demonically-induced death."

"And I have spent my childhood with Harry Potter, The Boy That Lives To Be Attacked And Put Everyone Else In Danger." She shrugged, "Besides, you make it sound so.....interesting."

"Interesting that is best observed from far, far away." Giles and Wesley chorused, then stared at each other and shrugged it off.

"In short," Giles coughed, "It's only fascinating until you get there. Then it's a life-or-death situation. Possibly a life or dinner situation, depending on the demon. You've faced dangers, yes. But have you faced demons with powers beyond you, much, much larger than you, who view you as either a potential snack, or an irritating bug? It's not -interesting-, young lady, close up it is terrifying. Graduation...well...I would say those that graduated from Sunnydale High should be grateful they survived that long. Even those who are aware of...'things that go bump in the night'...there is no safety net. For every innocent Cordelia's visions save in LA, ten more die."

The girl frowned. "Point taken."

Giles nodded. "Good. Sunnydale is not a place you go to if you can help it. Never for a second think otherwise."

"Yes Mr Giles." She couldn't keep the patronism out of her tone.

He frowned at her, but half-heartedly. "Pray that you never understand, Miss Granger." He said firmly after a time, then turned back to Wesley.

She frowned again and glanced around, praying that Draco would return sometime soon.

Her prayers were answered, for a pair of seemingly reunited properly Malfoys came striding cockily back into the room, accompanied by Drusilla and followed, some time after, by Angel.

"Hey...." She said, walking over and kissing her boyfriend on the cheek. "Everything settled?"

He nodded, but before he had a chance to speak, Cordelia cried out, clutching her head. She fell backwards, and was caught expertly by Drusilla, who cradled her in her arms. "What does princess see?" she whispered.

After coming out of the vision and recovering enough, she managed, "Dawnie...she went off on her own...got coaxed outside...Darla and Lucius...they got her...kidnapped... she's really scared...bleeding too..."

Spike went rigid with anger. "I'm going to kill the bastard...." He hissed. "Not to mention the bit herself....She knows better than to go off on her own."

"It was a spell." Cordelia said tightly. "She thought it was Buffy, not Darla. I don't know why she went off on her own -- she went to get Angel and then she was going to go with him to find you. I -told- her to stay with Angel, damnit..."

"That would be my fault...." Draco sighed, looking at his feet. Spike rounded on him, eyes flashing.

"I beg your pardon?"

The younger Malfoy shuffled his feet, refusing to look into his father's eyes. "I told her not to come...." He looked up and into Spike's eyes, "I told her to go patch things up with her sister instead and to leave my family alone."

Spike's eyes flashed gold. "Keeping the bit -away- from Buffy as much as possible would be a far better idea than that. You and I are going to have a long talk about encouraging young girls to wander the halls alone." He growled.

"Spike--" Cordelia put in. "Let's just go. They're at Malfoy Manor. Lucius has already been turned. I don't want anything to happen to Dawnie."

Buffy hadn't really been listening, so didn't know what was going on.

The blonde in question looked over, slightly panicked. "What's happening to Dawn?" She glared. "What the hell has she done now?"

Spike glared murderously at her. "Oh, only been coaxed out and kidnapped by a couple of psycho vampires working for the Dark Lord because a spell tricked her into thinking it was you. Nothing big." He said sarcastically.

Not impressed with the tone used against her, Buffy frowned. It was just like Dawn to get herself into these situations. Always getting in the way. God, why had those stupid monks done this to HER? She'd been through enough, she didn't need an irritating little brat making things more complicated.

As if reading her thoughts, Spike snapped. "S'not the bit's fault." He snarled.

Buffy glared. "If you think she's so wonderful, -you- go get her. I've got better things to do."

Cordelia snorted. "I knew you were a self-absorbed bitch, but clearly I overestimated you."

Even Draco looked shocked.

Hell, no wonder she wanted to be a Malfoy. Clearly she wasn't wanted as a Summers.

Angel, who had disappeared after Cordelia's re-telling of her vision, walked back towards them, his arms full of weapons. He stared at his slayer ex grimly, having caught the last part of their conversation.

He couldn't believe she was really that callous.

But, sadly, she was.

Buffy stared after them as they began clustering around Spike, making plans for Dawn's rescue. Spike, meanwhile, was making plans of his own for a second rescue -- from Buffy. He couldn't just leave her with Buffy! It was clear she wouldn't be -safe-.

"Okay, Peaches, can you handle your psycho sire while we go after Lucius?" Spike asked.

Angel nodded grimly. "I'll take care of Darla. You and Drusilla take Lucius. Cordelia and Anya -- you're on Dawn duty."

"Ahem!" Another voice joined the group, swooping in to stand beside the broody one.

"See, what'd I tell ya? Could be twins." Cordelia grinned, motioning between Severus and Angel.

Both men frowned further, folding their black-clad arms defensively in unison.

They went from scowling at her to scowling at each other, neither liking the comparison.

Cordelia calmly ignored it, looking at Severus. "You want to help us save Dawnie? But..." she lowered her voice so Buffy couldn't hear, "We really have to work something out for the kid. I mean, she -can't- stay with Buffy. Not like that..."

"I was thinking along those lines myself, actually," Spike coughed.

The potions master sighed, "Perhaps you should take the girl in." He suggested to Spike as if it were the most obvious thing in the entire world. Actually, it kinda was. "After all, she's quite attached to you and-"

"No offence Professor," Draco cut in, not entirely loving the idea, "But I don't really agree...."

"Draco," Spike turned near-desperate eyes to his son. "Please. I don't want to leave her with the Scoobies and she's practically my family anyway, and she's not so bad once you get to know her -- I know I sure as hell didn't like her to start off with -- and...please. Angel has his gig. This is my innocent. Let me save her."

Awww, how melodramatic. But Spike really wanted his son on his side here.

The boy glared at his father. "I was *enjoying* being an only child. Both times." He sulked, and then rolled his eyes at the older blonde man's expression. "But I would have had to share you with her anyway...." He pretended to grumble. He'd started to accept this a few hours ago, but he was still the Slytherin King and he'd be damned if he didn't try to make the situation a little more complex by making his dad squirm with guilt. "So I guess I have no say in the matter...." He trailed on. "Unless mum says no."

Narcissa shook her head, she'd been standing there for some time. "I have no problem with it. We could adopt her...she'd be much better with us than with that -awful- sister of hers."

Spike brightened, then said with a faint sigh, "Look. We'll discuss it -- all of us -- when we've got her here. If we don't get a move on there might not be a Dawn for us to adopt."

If only I could hold onto the hope of that.... Draco inwardly mused, although nodding to his parents' decision. There'd be no arguing with them. And, who knew, maybe the girl wouldn't be *that* bad.....Oh, who was he kidding. She was a teenage girl. With both his mother and her in the house, he was sure he'd be in hiding more than once a month.

"Dawn Marie Malfoy," Spike whispered to himself, with a faint smile.

Angel rolled his eyes indulgently. Spike was family. Now, it seemed, Dawn would be too.

But first they had to get her.

"Okay, Severus, you wanted to help?" The blonde vampire was even more determined now. Snape nodded and Spike looked into his eyes, "Good. You can help me and Dru take on Lucius. We can use your wizarding skills. S'been a while since I've had to use mine."

"Right," Severus agreed with a nod.

"We should leave soon. We know what we're doing -- we can adjust accordingly to the situation." Spike said. "We know where we're going. Let's -go-."

*~*~*~*~*~

"Come on....you can do better than that!" Spike taunted one pissed off Lucius, waiting for the vamp-wizard to toss another Unforgivable at him. It wasn't going to kill him, obviously, because he was already dead. And, so far, the guy hadn't hit him once. And he called himself a Malfoy? Pfft.

Dawn was being retrieved by Cordelia and Anya, who had taken out a couple of minions to get to her. She was literally crying in relief, with Cordelia's arm around her shoulder. They kept out of the fighting, but Anya was determined to do her part.

Darla and Angel were doing the usual taunting pre-battle.

Severus and Drusilla watched on as the Malfoy men battled, though. They hadn't needed to bother turning up, really. Spike seemed to have it all under control.

Spike succeeded in staking Lucius fairly early on -- but, much to their dismay, Darla escaped. Nursing injuries that would be mortal on a...mortal, but not fatal to her.

Satisfied that they had won, the group gathered together and prepared to Floo back to Hogwarts. Albus was taking down the wards of protection while they did this, and would put them back up after they were all back.

Once back, and in the exhibition hall with the others, Spike asked Dawn quietly, with a faint stammer, "Uh...Dawnie...would you mind if me and Cissa adopted you?"

She stared up at him. She pinched her arm. "-Mind-? Are you insane? That's like, a dream come true, ya big moron."

She turned to see Draco in quiet conversation with Hermione a few meters away. "He's not going to be happy with that...."

"I've spoken to him," Spike reassured her, "An' he's okay with it. Sure it'll take him a bit of adaptin' but...." He grinned, "He'll learn to love you like I do...."

Dawn looked uncertainly up at Spike. "But he was all saying about how he wanted me to stop trying to move in on his family and now I'm like, gonna be adopted -- and what does Buffy say about that, huh? -- and I seriously don't get that he would change his tune so fast."

Spike coughed at her reference to Buffy.

Dawn narrowed her eyes at him. "You haven't spoken to her yet, have you?"

"Well, luv, I was thinkin' more along the lines of a simple intervention...." The vampire twiddled his thumbs, "I mean, she wasn't concerned when you got nibblet-napped and there're enough people that can be witness to that fact...."

Dawn looked uncertainly up at him. "She...she didn't care...?"

Spike winced and hit himself on the forehead. He hadn't meant to be so blunt. "In a sense that she did but wasn't convinced that you weren't running away on purpose?" He offered, trying to soften the blow.

Dawn gave him her patented 'Cut The Crap, Spike, I'm Not Buyin' It' stare.

He sighed and thrust his hands into his pockets. "Nah, 'bit. She didn't."

Cordelia had refrained from adding her two cents, which would've gone along the lines of 'Cold-assed bitch said she had better things to do, and I'm gonna make sure she -stays- dead this time', which wouldn't have helped.

The vampire looked back into the girl's eyes. "But I did. A lot. And even Peaches and his bunch of misfits were upset over the notion of losin' you. And Draco over there?" He pointed in the direction of his son, "He was feelin' a bit guilty 'bout it too.....not that I'd ever be able to get him to admit that again....." He offered Dawn a smile and pulled her into his arms for a hug. "Buffy's always been a cold, heartless bint, pet. With everyone. S'not your fault. Doubt anyone deserves her.... Even this Voldemort fellow."

Dawn looked up at him, eyes shining with tears. "She's supposed to be my -sister-..." She sounded more than a little betrayed. Then she straightened. "Well...I'm gonna get adopted and I'm gonna be a Malfoy and Buffy can go screw Voldemort for all I care."

Spike smirked, "Bet she would, luv."

The girl rolled her eyes and then snuggled into his hug, before pulling away again, "Hey, if you're adopting me do I have to call you dad?" She made a face, "No offence....but that'd be weird...."

Spike chuckled. "You don't have to call me Dad. Hey, even my own son didn't call me dad to start with, no reason you -have- to. I wouldn't mind it if you did, but it's up to you, Nibblet."

Dawn thought about that. "It'd be kinda cool, in a weird way, though. I mean, I've technically never had a dad. Just like, fake memories. Weird."

The vampire nodded. "Not that your false memories were even happy ones with him." He snarled. "Someone oughta teach the bastard a lesson....Your mum and you deserved better." He sighed, "In a way, so did Buffy. She mighta turned out different..."

"Maybe," Dawn said, in a highly unconvinced tone. "D'ya think I should like, talk to Draco or something? 'Cause he's kinda going to be like, my big brother, and I wanna make sure he's not gonna hate me."

"He won't hate you, Pet." Spike chuckled, "But, yeah, you might want to talk to him....."

He nudged her forward, towards the boy, "After all, when Dawn Malfoy gets transferred to Hogwarts, it might help if you work out a system before the questions start."

Dawn nodded, took a deep breath, and walked over to Draco. She arranged in her mind a little speech, and when she got over there, simply blurted it out. "Hi. I'm Dawn Marie Malfoy-to-be, your soon-to-be sister. Please don't hate me."

There. Simple and to the point.

He hid his smirk of amusement and nodded as Hermione excused herself. Tilting his head to the side, he glanced up at the girl. "Now, where's the fun in that?" He deadpanned, trying not to laugh at the way she hesitated, obviously trying to work out whether he'd been sarcastic or not.

He stretched out in his seat and waited for her to speak again. What was the fun of having a sister if he couldn't pick on her a bit first? Besides, he was only playing.

After a moment, Dawn glowered half-heartedly at him. "Don't tease. At least, wait a while, and -then- tease."

Right now she was still coping with the fact her sister honestly didn't care when she was kidnapped by -vampires-, as much as she would like to convince Spike (and everyone else, but mainly Spike) that she was fine.

Teasing could wait. Teasing was always there. She just didn't want to lose her cool right here and right now. She would wait, and have her mini-breakdown in private, thank you -very- much.

The blonde boy rolled his eyes, "I was playing.....Honestly, you're no fun, are you?" He smirked and then broke into a proper smile, extending his hand as he stood up. "Welcome to our new life."

She hesitated, then took his hand and shook it firmly. "Thanks." After a pause, she said, "I reckon you'll make a better sibling than -Buffy-. And hey, England's cool, and Anya's here with her snugglebuddy, and Spike...it'll be like home, but better." She brightened. "Spike said I get to go to Hogwarts, too, and we should work out a...something, for when questions start."

Draco observed her for a second, "Unless you're going to go bleach blonde....." He laughed at the way she was adamantly shaking her head and frowning, "I was considering the truth. Well, an edited version. Such as adopted by my new-found father and mother. Obviously magical....sent specially to my...er....our family due to my father and your obvious bond......" He shrugged. "It's a start....Not really false either."

Dawn nodded, slowly. "It works. And I mean -- what House am I gonna be in? I figure there's no way I'm going in Hufflepuff, and I'm not like, studious and stuff enough to be in Ravenclaw, so it's either Gryffindor or Slytherin." She paused, looking a little worried. It might be embarrassing to have a Gryffindor Malfoy, but she was pretty sure she wouldn't be in Slytherin...or maybe she would. She didn't know.

Draco shrugged. "The hat will choose properly. And I think it's pretty obvious that Slytherins aren't ALL evil....and you'd have potential there. What with your insults and your knack at annoying people and, oh yeah, your sneaky power-play attempts and-"

"Okay, I get it." She rolled her eyes and laughed.

Draco grinned at her. Maybe this sibling thing wouldn't be -too- bad. And, of course, he'd have to make it clear to all that while -he- could tease her mercilessly, he was the -only- one who was allowed to do such. Nobody else got to. She was a Malfoy now, or would be, in any case.

It looked as if the tables were turning on the entire situation. Spike was no longer content to sit back in the role of big brother. He had paternal instincts that were fighting their way to the surface. Which meant that Draco was going to have to step up and take over as the cool big bro. And, after getting past the jealousy, Draco knew that he'd be able to get along with her. She had a sense of humour and daring about her. Sneaky and snarky. Someone to talk to that *wouldn't* spread everything around the school.

Dawn, meanwhile, was still in the little sister role, but this time she felt welcome and wanted.

Dumbledore approached the pair of new siblings, eyes twinkling. "Miss Sum--I'm sorry, Miss Malfoy," he smiled at Dawn, "I understand you are to be transferred to Hogwarts now?"

Silent for once -- cherish this, it won't come often -- Dawn nodded.

"Well, Anya has been catching you up with the basics I understand, and I expect your parents shall take you to Diagon Alley for your new things. I wondered if you might like to be sorted soon, in order to have at least that over and done with, and you may join classes once you are ready."

"Uh....yeah....that sounds good....." Dawn fidgeted. She was a little anxious. Would she be accepted by the other students? What about her house group?

Dumbledore gave her a reassuring look. "Mr Malfoy and Mrs Malfoy," though admittedly not yet -his- Mrs Malfoy, "have expressed wishes to have your adoption as soon as possible. I believe they are speaking to your sister about that as we speak."

Yep, there was Buffy, shrieking away...

"Would you like to come with me and be sorted?"

Dawn hesitated, and glanced from Draco to Dumbledore.

"I can come if you want." The boy found himself offering. Groaning at just how much he sounded like a Gryffindor.

She looked at him and smiled gratefully, "If you don't mind..."

Thank God she didn't have to go on her own.

Though...anything would be better than staying in here, she could see Buffy marching towards them in her peripheral vision. She grabbed Draco's arm and hurried after Dumbledore before Buffy could get to them.

Once in the principal's office, Dawn paced. Draco was reclining in a seat, watching her with amusement. "Dawn....the hat doesn't bite....." He offered, mocking her playfully, "....Much."

Dawn gestured expansively. "But there are like...students and stuff. And I've never been Little Miss Popularity -- don't get me started -- and what if nobody -likes- me?" she sat down, looking more than a little worried. "I mean...I got you, because you're like, my brother and all now, but come on, you're not gonna want your annoying little sister tagging along, I gotta have friends and stuff... what if everybody hates me?"

"And as much as I want to agree that you are annoying...." Draco joked, rolling his eyes at her frown. He sighed, "They won't hate you. Most of these people are sickeningly welcoming...." He shuddered a little for emphasis, although smiling. "And the popularity thing? Would I be correct in assuming it was due to your....er....unique-ness in the mystical way?" He didn't wait for her to answer, "Because, if that's the case, you'll be just like everyone else here. Not abnormal at all.....Muggles can't understand what wizards can."

"So...now I'm a ball of green energy and a witch, too. Cool. I got Slayer blood, as well. And the adopted daughter of a vampire. Jesus Christ. Muggle or wizard I'm a goddamn freakshow." She paused, then shrugged. "Well, either way, I'm gonna be a freak with style. Cordy's the -best-."

After a moment, she finally put the hat on.

[Hmmmm...hello there, aren't you a curious one? Former mystical ball of energy, made of the Slayer, adopted by...oh my, I haven't seen -him- in a long time...now, where to put you...]

Please let it be Slytherin, -please-...

[I'm sorry, my dear, but it shall have to be--]

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Draco closed his eyes and felt his face fall. He'd been almost certain she'd be a Slytherin....or at least a Ravenclaw.....but a Gryffindor? He opened his eyes. Hermione, his *girlfriend*, was a Gryffindor, so really it wasn't that big a deal.

Besides, he could ask her to keep an eye on his new sister when he wasn't around.

That was even better.

Dawn removed the hat and looked into Draco's eyes, expecting to see disgust or rejection.

He gave her a genuine smile. "Not the place I would've chosen for you, but...congratulations."

She smiled and heaved a sigh of relief, flinging her arms around his neck without even thinking. "Thanks."

A little startled, he hugged back, after a moment. "No problem." After a moment, he added one of his -- their? -- father's favourite nicknames for her, "Lil' bit."

She laughed, "Helps when you have the cockney accent....." She teased.

He frowned. "You realise that it's not his real accent."

"I know, I know," she nodded, pulling away after a moment or three. "But still. It sounds so cool the way he says it."

After a moment, Draco added, "Ground rules. Stay away from Potter. Ignore -anything- my girlfriend says about him, listen to me. Stay -away-. And that goes for the Weasley, too. Listen to Hermione on any other subject but them."

He stopped and thought about that, "Unless it involves humiliating or manipulating me in any shape or form." He squared his shoulders confidently, "Malfoys do NOT get humiliated or manipulated."

Dawn grinned at him. "I -really- gotta tell you some of my Spike-stories, don't I?" After a pause, she shrugged. "Okay, that's a no on the humiliating or manipulating older brother. Gotcha." There was a wicked glint that was pure Malfoy (guess Spike rubbed off) in her eyes that suggested she might be fibbing...

Suddenly Draco was thinking leaving Hermione with his 'sister' wasn't a good idea after all....

But she was already heading out of the room.

Through the course of events of that day, lunch had been and gone. Dinner would be any moment.

Dawn got to sit with her housemates. She was rather looking forward to it.

Before he could exit the office, Dumbledore held him back. "Mr Malfoy, I was wondering if you would be so kind as to introduce your sister to the school at dinner as part of your duties as Head Boy?" Although phrased as a question, Draco knew it was an instruction.

"Yes sir." He replied, "And Hermione?"

The headmaster nodded, his eyes twinkling, "Of course. She'll also welcome the youngest Malfoy into Gryffindor."

Draco nodded, and escaped the office to catch up with his sister. "Come on, 'bit," he said, grinning. "Me and 'Mione get to introduce Dawn Malfoy to Hogwarts. Let's go find her, okay? Dinner's any minute now."

"Ha ha...." Dawn replied, a smirk creeping onto her face. "You realise I may be younger than you and all, but I'm not a little kid....."

"Yeah, yeah," he waved a hand airily. "But you gotta let me enjoy this for a while. Besides...we can play merry hell with your--with Buffy's head." He corrected himself. "And I can't be bothered thinking up any new nicknames for you. Be glad I'm not going to call you Nibblet in front of the whole school."

Dawn did what any little sister should do.

She thwapped him.

He frowned and realised he couldn't hit her back, for the reason that his morals wouldn't allow it. "Hey!" He exclaimed. "I can still take points!"

"I'm exercising my sisterly rights." She said pretentiously.

He grinned and pointed at himself. "Head Boy. Slytherin." He pointed at her. "New, little girl....Gryffindor."

"Head Boy. Big older brother. New little Head Boy's sister. It is my sisterly right -- nay, -duty- to thwap you when you deserve a good thwapping. Like now." She poked her tongue out at him.

He rolled his eyes and then smirked wickedly, muttering a small charm on her. Her hair went blonde, and REALLY didn't suit her. He tried not to laugh, especially at her obliviousness. Forcing himself to appear defeated, he looked at her and shrugged. "Okay, right then, shall we continue to find Hermione? She needs to be informed of her duties....."

They were about to walk into the exhibition hall, when Spike came out. And stopped. And stared.

Then, "DRACO MALFOY YOU TURN YOUR SISTER'S HAIR BACK RIGHT NOW!"

Dawn put a hand on her hair protectively. "What did you -do-?"

He looked back at her innocently. "Absolutely nothing." He looked at his father, "Maybe it's.....umm....her yearning to be changed into a Malfoy manifesting?"

Dawn's eyes widened. "I'm not am I? Blonde I mean?"

She pulled her hair out from its ponytail and caught glimpse of a few locks. "ACK! TURN IT BACK YOU SNIVELLING IDIOT!"

Spike glared, muttering to himself, and pulled out his own wand. "Finite Incantatem," he said, almost lazily.

She spun and glared at Draco. "That was soo not nice."

He grinned. "I'm a Slytherin. Sue me."

Meanwhile, Spike was still fuming.

"I'm American. I just might." She shot back.

"Draco, care to explain?" Came the vampire's voice.

The boy sighed and pointed at Dawn, "She hit me...."

"I -thwapped- him, like I thwap you, Spike," she told him, looking every inch the innocent, indignant little lady. "Besides, he threatened to introduce me as the Nibblet."

This made the vampire laugh. He turned back to Draco. "From my own flesh and blood...." He chuckled.

"I'm gonna start calling you Daddy, just for that," Dawn muttered mutinously.

Spike didn't look like he'd mind that too much, and Dawn was privately a little pleased she had somebody she could call that without it being -majorly- weird.

Not that it wasn't, but still. Father figure!

"Okay, so in that case you can start tonight at dinner when I introduce you." Draco drawled, his eyes glinting with mischief. "Can you imagine it? 'Okay students, we have a new student transferring from America. You know her as Dawn Summers from last night. Well now she's Dawn Malfoy. Also known as Nibblet from her new Daddy and-'" He was cut off.

Dawn glared at him. "My name is Dawn Malfoy and that's the -only- thing you're going to introduce me as." She said in a tone that reminded him of the Slayer blood...

...there were two Slayers, you know, and she was made of both of them.

Heh. She coulda been -Faith's- sister. That would've been cool.

But, sadly, she was given to the whiny, self obsessed bitch called Buffy.

Who had just exited the exhibition hall, and was now glaring at them.

Dawn chose to ignore her. She wasn't, after all, -really- her sister. Hell, if Buffy was her sister, then Faith was too.

Dawn had thought, after the truth came out, that wouldn't Buffy be more like a mom since she was made from her...whoa. She had like, three moms and no dad.

Dawn chose to ignore Buffy, instead rolling her eyes at her new father and brother, and groaning. "I'm -hungry-. Let's grab Hermione and go to dinner already!"

"Good idea...." Her new protectors replied in unison.

So Dawn Marie Malfoy swept past her (former) sister, actually jostling her in the process to the surprise of all watching, and went to find Hermione, Draco and Spike trailing after the latest addition to the Malfoy family.

Draco looked up at his father, "You think mum might lose any notions at another mini-you now she's got Dawn?" He asked hopefully. He'd heard about the 'potion' conversation from earlier and the thought of the possibility alone scared him.

"Cissa always did want a little girl..." Spike said thoughtfully. "It's a thought, Draco. It's a thought."

"Better be what it stays as...." The boy warned, although smiling.

"If your mother decides she wants another baby, -I'm- not gonna be the one telling her no." Spike said firmly. He'd never been able to say no to Narcissa.

Dawn had, by this time, found her way over to Hermione and was excitedly filling her in on absolutely everything about the new...ah, situation. And the Gryffindor stuff. And how Draco told her not to listen to Hermione about Ron and Harry.

She conveniently 'forgot' to add the talking about Draco part.

Hermione looked over at her boyfriend with a raised eyebrow. "This should be interesting," she said, and linked arms with Dawn. They treated Draco to the very best of the mysterious smiles only those of the female persuasion can -really- pull off, and went in the direction of the Great Hall.

"That's all I need....for those two to pair up and become conspirators...." The boy grumbled, before rushing off after them.

Spike chuckled as he followed. Most of the others were already at dinner -- Dawn Malfoy's first entrance was guaranteed to be a doozy.

Of course when she had been Dawn Summers they hadn't given her a second thought.

But Dawn Malfoy, Gryffindor's very first Malfoy? That was worth paying attention for. Besides, she got the Head students to introduce her. Always helpful. The three stopped in the doorway.

A thousand eyes looked up and at them.

Draco pushed forward and led the way to the front of the room, up on stage with the teachers.

Dawn trailed uncertainly after him, but Hermione gave her new friend an encouraging smile.

Draco cleared his throat, and slung one arm around his sister's shoulder. "This, people, is my sister. Dawn Malfoy."

There was instant chatter.

Draco groaned. "Shut -up-!"

Okay, that worked.

"Right. This is Dawn Malfoy, our newest addition to Hogwarts sixth year Gryffindors--"

Another bout of excited chatter.

"Will you people be -quiet-!" This time it came from Hermione.

Draco grinned at her. "We hope you'll welcome Dawn properly, and make her feel right at home here in Hogwarts. She's transferred here from Sunnydale, America." He treated them to a stare that made it blindingly obvious what would happen to anyone who dared cross her.

Him.

Everyone was pretty sure they didn't want him to happen to them.

"So, on behalf of Hogwarts' student body, *and* Gryffindor house, I'd like to welcome Dawn." Hermione added, giving the girl a squeeze on the shoulder. "Now lets eat."

"Eating is of the good," Dawn agreed, following to sit next to Hermione at the Gryffindor table.

Everybody heard that, and there were a few scattered giggles, which Dawn decided to simply ignore. Draco kissed Hermione briefly, ruffled Dawn's hair, and headed over to the Slytherin table, at which time he and Dawn began making faces at each other across the hall.

He considered standing up and calling out 'hey Nibblet!' but one look at Spike's face up at the teachers' table and he decided against it.

A little shocked, the majority of the Gryffindors' eyes were on the latest addition to their House, who was daintily eating her meal, between pulling faces at her older brother and cracking bad demon jokes at Hermione.

Really bad demon jokes.

Some of which probably came from Spike, considering they were a little on the risqué side.

A few of the 6th years moved closer to her, and she noticed the way both Draco and Spike studied each one over and over again, memorising each detail. One girl, a redhead, stuck out her hand. "I'm Ginny." She said. "Malfoy, huh?" Oh and there was a lot of tact with this one....

Dawn nodded, and shook Ginny's hand. "Dawn. Yep...Malfoy. Adopted, but I like to think I'm a Malfoy at heart."

The girl's eyes widened and she pulled her hand away. Dawn scowled, mirroring Draco's expression, "Is there a problem with that?"

Ginny wasn't sure quite what to say. "You're a -Malfoy-." She said at last.

Dawn stared at her. "...and? Look, I get that my brother can be a real git -- he turned my hair -blonde- before? Do you know what blonde looks like on me? It's like...it's like...it's bad. Very bad. Evil, even. Anyway. I get he's a pain in the ass. I had to thwap him into submission before, and he still did a number on my hair. But anyway. My dad--" and that sounded -so- cool, "--is Spike Malfoy and he saves the goddamn world. I've got the blood of two Slayers flowing in these veins -- you sulk if you want about me being a Malfoy, but -I- am damn proud of it." And with that, she coolly gave Ginny the finger and settled back into her meal. Hah.

Draco, meanwhile, was pissing himself at the Slytherin table, noting the way Dawn had shut down the Weasel kid. And the finger? Priceless. He caught Hermione's stare on him and tried to lose the laughter and smile.

Ginny was staring, incredulously, at the girl...that...crazy, demented--

Oh god. She was looking at her again.

With -that- Look. The Malfoy look. The one that made you feel about two inches tall.

"Is there a -reason- you are staring at me?" she asked. "Because, y'know, that's really rude. I mean, first you be all friendly, and then snatch off because of my -name- and now you're -staring- at me?"

The redhead's eyes widened further and her mouth opened and shut.

Dawn rolled her eyes, "And stop the goldfish impression."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You know, you are -far- too much like Draco. Are you -sure- you're not just adopted?"

Dawn grinned impishly at her. "Wouldn't it be cool? But no, just adopted. Dontcha know, mystical balls of energy don't have real parents. Makes for some weird parent-teachers."

The Head Girl chuckled, being muggleborn she was able to understand the comment, but the wizard-borns didn't get it. "I don't know....you could probably pass as his biological kid. You have the eyes. The smirk. The attitude...."

She frowned, "Just not the hair or complexion...."

"We could always say I was the illegitimate child of Daddy's tryst with a German stripper?" Dawn suggested with a wicked grin.

Spike could lip read. He choked on his blood.

Dawn looked up and waved as he glowered.

"One day, you will push it too far." Hermione predicted.

"He loves me anyway." Dawn shrugged. "Make the most of it, I say. Anyhow. This is...nice. I like Hogwarts. I could get used to this. I will, I bet. I get to give Draco hell for his last year at Hogwarts. It's gonna be -fun-."

Hermione snickered, while Ron and Harry's ears seemed to perk up at her sentiments. They slipped into the group as well and Dawn watched as Draco leapt to his feet.

Dawn nudged Hermione. "Crazy Malfoy at one o'clock. I reckon he's gonna come over here and make sure I'm not…ah, mixing with the wrong sort. Or just pound them for the hell of it. Y'never can tell."

The blonde boy approached the table and tapped Harry on the shoulder. "Oi....move." He demanded, before 'helping' the other boy to slide down and sitting down beside his girlfriend. He smiled at the Gryffindors. "So.....How's everything going?" He asked, snaking his arm around Hermione's waist.

"Well...Dawn met Ginny--"

Dawn snickered.

"--and we were just talking about you, actually," Hermione finished brightly.

"Oh really?" The Head Boy asked, pecking Hermione on the cheek, eliciting a growl from Ron and a grunt from Harry. Bloody animals those two...

"Really." Dawn supplied helpfully. "And we were talking about how I'm really the illegitimate love-child of Daddy and a German stripper."

Again Spike started spluttering at his place at the teachers' table and Draco laughed. "Scary thing is it's incredibly believable...." He leant forward, "Now what were you saying about me knowing that I have already given you the spiel about NOT saying or plotting things about your big brother behind his back?"

Dawn looked innocent. "We weren't plotting, Draco. Would I do that to you?"

Hermione coughed. It sounded remarkably like 'Yes you would'.

"Actually wasn't there something mentioned about making his final year at Hogwarts hell?" Ron offered, attempting to sound helpful and failing miserably.

Dawn looked offended, and would've said something, if Draco hadn't cut in.

"Did anyone ask -you-, Weasel? I believe this was a discussion between my sister and myself."

Ron, whose face now matched his hair, moved to reply but Harry gripped his shoulder. Shaking his head, The Boy That Lived sighed. "Let it go, Ron."

Ron muttered darkly to himself.

Dawn smirked. "Gotta love that macho older brother thing you got going on." She grinned. "You're the big bad dragon but I bet me and 'Mione are the only ones who know you're really just a big ol' teddy--"

Draco cut her off by clamping his hand over her mouth. She bit him.

"Hey!" He exclaimed, pulling his hand away and nursing it. "You bit me!" He looked over at the teachers' table. "She bit me!" He proclaimed to his father, pointing at his sister. "You're the vampire. Not her!"

Said vampire was trying to control his laughter.

Dawn smirked. "You bet your ass I bit you, Teddy." Right. From this day forth, Dawn had christened her new big brother 'Teddy Bear', or Teddy, or Ted for short.

And if he didn't like it, well, that was just an added bonus.

And it would remind him that when Dawn bit, she bit -hard-.

"Listen Nibblet-" Draco started, earning himself a scowl from the girl.

Well...she guessed she could start with a less embarrassing nickname. But only if he stopped calling her Nibblet in public. "Tell you what, Draco. You just stick with Dawn or the bit, and I'll think up a less stupid nickname for you, okay?"

He glared at her, ignoring the snickers from the other Gryffindors, and nodded slowly. "Fine....but all the other ground rules stay." He gestured at Ron and Harry. "Is that clear?"

"Crystal," she replied. Then she smiled faintly, looking oddly pleased.

This was how it was -supposed- to be.

Ron and Harry just looked confused. Draco had ground rules about them?

"Good," Draco grinned, standing up, "So as long as you don't scheme about me and all the other stuff you're not allowed to do, we'll have no problems." He kissed Hermione on the cheek again and nodded at the table, "So if you'll excuse me, I'll be getting back to my own House...."

Hermione beamed at her boyfriend, and Dawn grinned at him. "Aye, aye, Cap'n."

He rolled his eyes. "I'll use the nickname...." He warned over his shoulder.

Her grin was wolfish. "So will I."

As he sat back down at the Slytherin table, Draco watched as she got back into a discussion with the Gryffindorks and his girlfriend.

Harry, in particular, seemed fascinated by the youngest Malfoy. Ron, too, but to a lesser degree -- or at least, he was more tactful about it.

Draco growled unintentionally.

"Hey, Draco, what's up with you?" Pansy demanded, gaining the boy's attention. "You're far less....Slytherin than you should be." She frowned and folded her arms over her chest. "It's disgusting."

"Pansy," he growled, "If you don't shut up, I'll shut you up."

She grinned and leant forward over the table. "Is that a promise Drakie?"

"I think you misunderstand me, Parkinson," he said in a cool, clipped tone. "Believe me when I say I wouldn't touch you with a ten foot pole. However, I found the most -fascinating- spell -- seals the lips shut for a specified length of time. I've been just -dying- to try it out."

"You know you've been spending too much time with that Mudblood bitch." The girl snapped.

This time it was Dawn interrupting Draco's conversation. She'd sauntered over and sat down next to her brother. To Pansy, and Millicent Bulstrode who sat next to her? "Hey Skanky, Skanky's little friend." Then she turned to Draco. "Draco...that Potter dude is seriously weirding me out."

Draco frowned and turned to look at her. "Why? What's Potter doing?" His eyes flashed. "Do you want me to take care of him?"

She wrinkled her nose. "He's all...like, flirty only in a majorly uncool way. Total try-hard. It's getting pathetic and more than a little annoying. That and he's just a weird bastard." She frowned.

Draco's scowl deepened and he stood up. Dawn's eyes widened and she pulled him back down. "Leave it, Draco. For now anyway. I'll just stay here for a while."

The blonde boy wasn't impressed. "Fine. But if he does ANTHING that I deem out of line, I'm not going to sit back and do nothing."

"I wouldn't ask you to. I figured it was smarter to talk to you rather than to D--Sp--whatever." Dawn shrugged. "He'd just go in there, guns blazing, and kick the crap out of him. Which I'm not complaining about really, but he's all know-y better-y now. I'll be cool here." She glanced at Pansy. "Whoa. Check the school bicycle."

Draco couldn't help it. The look on Parkinson's face was priceless. He started to laugh.

"WHAT did you just call me you stupid little Gryffindor?" Pansy demanded. Draco stopped laughing.

Ignoring Draco, Dawn said sweetly. "The. School. Bicycle." She enunciated each word carefully, as if speaking to a particularly slow child.

"You know.....everyone's had a ride?" She offered after a pause without reaction.

Pansy was fuming. Draco was amused by the Slytherin qualities Dawn was portraying, but also cranky with Parkinson's prior comment.

"God." Dawn sighed. "You can't even get insulted properly. Then again, it's more a statement of fact than an insult."

"Draco, are you going to make her stop or do I have to hex her?" The Slytherin 7th year asked the Head Boy.

Dawn smirked, and held up Pansy's wand. "Looks like you'll have to take it up with big brother." She'd picked up some interesting talents after hanging around Spike too long.

Draco laughed and tilted his head to the side. "How did you...." He started, then stopped himself. "Actually, I don't want to know...."

Dawn grinned impishly. "So...gonna make me stop teasing Skanky?"

Pansy fumed. She went to lunge for her wand, but Dawn darted out of the way, and behind Draco. She knew she could take Pansy if she needed to -- she patrolled, for Christ's sake, in -Sunnydale-, some skanky witch was -not- a problem -- but she'd really rather not.

Her brother stood up and pulled Pansy's wand from her hands. He was Head Boy after all. It was his job to help prevent fights, not sit back and enjoy them. He looked at Dawn apologetically. "Sorry, Dawn. I have to stop you....." He turned back to Pansy, "But if you even THINK about saying something stupid against my sister or myself you'll be pleading for the Dementor's kiss."

Dawn pouted, but then grinned. "Oh well. There's still that Weasley girl. She keeps staring at me. It's really annoying."

"Oh...you want me to curse her?" Draco grinned, liking the thought. "And while I'm at it, I can take out the older Weasel as well and-"

Dawn looked thoughtful. "You know, he's not so bad..."

"Ground rules, Dawn." Draco snapped.

She rolled her eyes and poked her tongue out at him. "I'm almost sixteen, Draco. You can't tell me what to do for the rest of my life."

"Oh, I think you'll find that while I can't tell you what to do, I can certainly find ways to prevent you from doing them." He grinned wickedly. "Between Dad and me, you're not going to be able to take a single step without one of us finding out."

Dawn poked her tongue out. "Yeah, but your girlfriend's got my back."

Draco lost his grin and inwardly decided that he needed to talk to Hermione.

"And you can bet your ass if I decided to date -Longbottom- she'd back me up all the way. So there." Dawn wasn't -really- that interested in Ron, but it suited her to let Draco think she was, for now at least.

The Head Boy froze. "Yes, but you're a Malfoy. You could never be that desperate."

"Well, duh, I couldn't." Dawn rolled her eyes. "I was just using him as an example. You can't dictate who I can and can't associate with." She paused. "But I'm all for being forbidden to speak to that Potter dude."

Draco laughed. "Well, then, I forbid you to talk to Potter." His face went serious again, "In fact, I can march over there and put him in a full body bind for the rest of the year if you like."

Dawn looked intrigued. "Really? You'd do that? Just for lil' ol' me?"

"No. I'd do it for myself really. But I'd use you as my excuse...."

"Well, that works too." Dawn shrugged.

Draco laughed and then looked over at the Gryffindor table. Hermione seemed to be arguing with Harry and Ron over something. He looked back at his sister. "I say we go over there and save my girlfriend from Potter and the Weasel. You?"

"You are so not leaving me alone with Skanky the Wonder-Ho." She announced, standing up.

He grinned and sauntered off, pretending to ignore the girls yelling after him and his sister. Well, it was either that or go back and hex the lot of them.

Dawn turned briefly, smirked, gave Pansy the finger, before catching up with Draco.

"You seem to love doing that, don't you?" Her brother mused. "I mean, first Jenny Weasel then Parkinson....."

"No more Buffy to tell me not to. I'm taking advantage." Dawn shrugged it off.

"I'm thinking Dad might start harbouring a few objections....."

She shrugged again. "He's got himself to blame. Where do you think I got it from?" she wasn't going to mention any of the other interesting little habits she picked up from Spike.

"Fair enough...." Draco responded. "And the pickpocketing?" She nodded. "What else have you learnt from him?"

"Couple of his little weird English phrases -- bloody hell etc -- and some stuff." She shrugged.

"Some stuff?" Draco prodded, pushing Harry out of the way and sitting down at the Gryffindor table again.

"Nicked a packet of cigarettes a couple of times. Waited until he was drunk so he'd just think he lost them." Dawn gave her brother an innocent look. "Don't even think of telling him that."

"I won't. You do it again though....." He left the threat hanging, not really liking the idea of the 15 year old smoking.

"All right, all right." She rolled her eyes. "I'll behave."

He smirked, and turned to look at Hermione. "Hey, saw Weasel and Potter giving you a hard time and thought you could use a real man to talk to."

Dawn rolled her eyes, even as Hermione blushed.

Ron scowled with the insult.

Dawn patted Ron on the hand. "Don't worry about Draco. He may seem like a pretentious, cocky, irritating git, but deep down he's...well, a pretentious, cocky, irritating git."

"Oh....funny." Draco drawled, then caught sight of his sister's hand on Ron's. He frowned. "Ground. Rules." He enunciated.

Dawn pouted. "You are -so- mean," she groaned, but she obediently removed her hand.

"And don't I know it." The blonde grinned back, slipping his arm around Hermione's waist once more.

Hermione sighed. "Draco...it's hardly fair to--"

"Nah," Dawn interrupted. "I can fight my own battles, 'Mione. I'll take care of that when I need to. 'Kay?"

"All right..."

"You will not." Draco added.

"Whatever you say," Dawn said condescendingly.

"So...." Hermione started, cutting their soon-to-be argument short before it could begin.

Draco allowed himself to be steered away from that line of thinking. "Tell us about -your- family," he prompted Hermione suddenly. "I mean, you know all about mine -- kind of hard not to, these days -- but I know nothing about yours."

"You know that they're muggles...." She shot back, not intending to sound as miffed as she had.

"Yeah," he responded. "And that's -all- I know."

She sighed, "Sorry Drake....Um....Well my parents are dentists in Muggle London....Uh, I'm their only child. My mum has an older brother, though. He has about 4 kids. I don't see them very often though."

Draco nodded, looking genuinely interested.

Harry and Ron, however, looked embarrassed. They'd never bothered to ask Hermione about her family.

"And, umm, my dad has a younger sister. She's just turned 26. Last I heard she didn't ever want kids....." Hermione blushed, "My life is kinda boring...."

Draco nodded, looking to be fascinated with Hermione. It didn't really matter -what- she was saying. He'd always be listening intently.

Then he paused for a second. "No....not boring. Not to me...."

Dawn gagged. "And you call yourself a Slytherin...." She mocked him, laughing as a few of the other Gryffindors did.

"Dawn..." He said warningly.

"Why don't you and 'Mione just do us all a favour and get a goddamn room already?" Dawn asked plaintively. "It's getting positively sickening."

He frowned. "Because every time we've TRIED that we've been rudely interrupted." Hermione went red and hit at him.

Harry and Ron scowled. They hadn't needed the reminder.

"Tell ya what. You guys get a room and I'll guard the door myself." Dawn offered. "-Anything- to get you out of sight."

Yeah, and while he was busy with Hermione, Dawn could amuse herself...

"I don't think I'd appreciate the idea of having you outside the door....Why am I having this discussion?" Hermione spluttered, blushing even more.

Dawn smirked.

"I don't know, Mione." Ron sneered, "Why *are* you having this discussion?"

Dawn frowned, looking at Ron. "I was wrong. You -are- a jerkoff." She looked over at Draco. "I'm sorry I doubted and I will heed your advice next time."

"Wait....what?" Ron was a bit puzzled.

Draco just rolled his eyes and grinned at Dawn. "Of course I was right. Now, remember everything else I've told you and all will be just fine."

Dawn nodded, still glaring at Ron. "And you call yourself her friend...pfft." She looked at Hermione. "You so need better friends. They're no better than Skanky the Wonder-Ho."

"Skanky the Wonder-Ho?" The Head Girl repeated, an eyebrow arched.

"The Park-y-something chick." Dawn shrugged. "Y'know, the school bicycle. Skanky the Wonder-Ho."

"Pansy Parkinson?" Hermione asked. When Dawn nodded, all the Gryffindors started laughing hard.

Dawn grinned. "I stole her wand, too, so she couldn't hex me, but Draco took it off me and gave it back because he's all Head Boy and he's supposed to break up fights." She snorted. "But you should've heard him, he was all macho big brother on me about how she'd be wishing for the Dementor's Kiss if she ever called me names again. It was uber cool."

As they laughed even more, she furrowed her brow. "Hey, Draco, what's a Dementor and what's wrong with it's kiss? Is it like a really ugly guy or something? 'Cos then....ewww...."

"I'll explain later," he shrugged. "Or you could just ask Dad."

"Like I wanna ask Daddy about -anything- remotely involved with kissing, even if it is demented kisses. He gets all paranoid."

There was even more laughing around them and then Harry decided to fill her in on the information. After all, it would explain why all the Gryffindors were finding it so amusing.

"A Dementor is a kind of creature...they feed on human emotion, and eventually they drive you insane. A Dementor's Kiss sucks out your soul." He explained.

Dawn wrinkled her nose. "Double uber ick." She paused, thoughtfully. "Could we like, get a Dementor pet and just make it kiss all the people like Skanky the Wonder-Ho and the weird dude?"

Probably only Draco worked out who she meant by the weird dude.

Harry smiled, and she had to admit he was kinda cute (only kinda). "The....er...weird dude?" He asked.

"Yeah," she said casually. "There's this weird dude who's all hero-y only a total loser and made these awful comments about Cordy's seerness."

Harry was still a bit confused. Draco was trying to control his laughter.

Dawn looked innocently over at her brother. "What? Was it something I said?"

Draco was still laughing and Hermione had just realised who the 'weird guy' was. She gasped and glared at Draco for teaching his sister to hate her friend like that.

"Well, he shouldn't have made those comments. Cordy's gonna--might--she's...yeah, and he's all..." Dawn shrugged. "I got no time for heroes that can't even see good when it gets jolted painfully in the head."

"Hey....wait....me? What did I do?" Harry *finally* cottoned on, and scowled.

Dawn gave him an expression that made abundantly clear her opinion of him. "If you don't even know, I'm not gonna tell you." Then she turned to Draco, and began chattering brightly as if nothing had happened. "I wish I was in Slytherin," she said with a faint groan. "I mean...Hermione's like, the only one who's talking to me that's -not- a complete and utter loser, and all the decent people hate me 'cause of my name."

"Hey.....look, I never meant to insult your friend....She seemed quite nice when she wasn't being pissed off at me. And, okay, yeah what I said was stupid and all that.....but I don't think before I speak....." Harry rambled. "And so what if you're a Malfoy? That's not a bad thing. I mean, it can't be if our Mione is head over heels for one....."

Draco observed Harry and frowned. He didn't like the boy's new attitude and acceptance.

"You're only saying that because I'm a girl and I'm pretty." Dawn said matter-of-factly. "When there was no pretty girl Malfoys, you were quite happy to rip into Hermione about dating my brother. So pardon me if I don't entirely believe you now." She rolled her eyes, and looked at Draco. "Is he -always- like this?"

"I resent that jab at no pretty Malfoys." He sneered playfully. "I mean there's mum....and, hello, I'm quite good looking thank you very much...." He trailed off. "And, yes, Potter is unfortunately *always* like this."

"Like *what*?" Harry asked in exasperation. "And I meant that. I don't mean to sound cruel...."

"Yes, Draco, you are good looking, and so is Mom---I can call her that, right?" Without waiting for an answer she went on, "But I'd be seriously disturbed if Potter was after Mom and I'm thinking we'd all be disturbed if he was after -you-..."

Draco didn't seem to enjoy the mental images he was just ambushed with and grimaced. '

Dawn smirked. "Dawn, one, Draco, none."

"Well so long as he keeps well away from you, I'll be able to live with that." Draco replied lazily, sending a pointed glare at Harry.

Spike added his glare to this, as he'd been following the conversation, much to the other adults' amusement.

Harry gulped at the combined force of the Malfoy men.

Dawn laughed, "Can you guys lay off him?" She asked her brother cheerfully, also catching Spike's eye. "I mean, it's kinda obvious that I'm *not* interested in him....you've got nothing to worry about."

Harry looked indignant, but Draco looked very, very pleased. "Good." He said firmly.

"And you have my permission to slap me upside the head if I -ever- even consider for a -second- changing my mind on that." She added.

"Am I *really* that bad?" Harry mused aloud.

"YES!" Draco and Dawn chorused. Hermione just rolled her eyes and smiled apologetically at Harry.

Lavender and Parvati, who'd been eavesdropping, shook their heads vigorously. "No....Of course not Harry...." The latter told him, the former nodding to her sentiments. Even Ginny sent him a smile that said she agreed with the two girls, which caused Ron to glare.

Dawn rolled her eyes. "God. It's like Buffy all over again. Only a guy. Which makes Ginny Xander...and Mione'd be like, Willow, or maybe Giles...and stuff..."

"Who's lost here?" Ron asked, now extremely puzzled.

"You guys are like a demented version of the Scoobies, not that the real Scoobies aren't demented to begin with," Dawn mused. "Anyhow. That's what I mean. Harry's like a boy Buffy -- ewww, bad mental place -- and Ginny'd be the dorky Xander with a crush on Buffy only she's crushin' on Harry, only Ron's Xander too because well, you're a dork, and I mean that in the nicest possible way. And Mione's the brains, so she's like, Wills, or Giles. And then there's Anya...but you guys don't have an Anya, and she wasn't a Scooby anyway, lucky her."

At the blank stares she rolled her eyes. "Never mind, okay?"

Draco rolled his eyes at her. "You're a bit too much for their piddly Gryffindork brains, 'bit."

"Hey!"

"'Cept for my Mione," he amended.

"Better...." Came her reply.

Dawn laughed, "God....you sounded just like Spike then....Only, y'know, without the cockney....."

Draco smiled to himself. This was better than it had been in ages.

Sure, his stepfather had just been staked by his real father, Voldemort was on the rise, Professor Snape had finally got laid, Buffy was being her usual callous bitch self, and Cordelia was probably going to die of her visions...

He had a gorgeous, wonderful girlfriend, a little sister he cared about, a -real- father who acted like one, a new family that was basically the perfect family, if a little...left of centre. It was his family.

Dawn looked at him. "Are you doped up or something? 'Cause you've got this real dopey grin on..."

He straightened out his face and fixed her with a glare. "I never appear *dopey*." He snarled, feeling a little sheepish that he had been caught out during his reverie.

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, Tinky-Winky."

Hermione caught the reference, whereas most of them didn't. She choked back giggles.

"Do I need to pull out the nickname again, Dawn?" He warned, not entirely loving the innuendo of his new name. There was nothing 'tinky' about his winky, thank you very much.

Hermione, meanwhile, had cracked and was practically hysterical with laughter at the image of Draco in a Tinky-Winky suit...complete with the purse...oh god...she giggled uncontrollably anew.

Dawn grinned. "Thought you'd catch that," she said to Hermione, ignoring Draco.

The non-muggle borns looked to each other, questioning exactly what was so funny. Sure Draco didn't seem impressed by the new nickname, but his reaction wasn't *that* amusing.

"Tinky-Winky is a children's television show character...they talk like...Dawn, do Tinky-Winky, go on, I -know- you can..." Hermione nudged her.

Dawn stood up, and held her arms out to mime a big, fact stomach. "Imagine I'm purple, chubby, with a big circle on a stick on my head, and a glittery square on my belly." Then she said perkily, "Eh-oh LaLa, eh-oh Po," and giggled stupidly.

Draco gasped and leant forward, pulling his sister down with embarrassment, while all the students in the hall whose attentions the youngest Malfoy had grabbed rolled around in hysterics.

Hermione and Dawn grinned at him. "And we can just see you looking -so- cute in the Tinky-Winky suit..."

He blanched and frowned. "It's not even a possibility..."

Hermione and Dawn exchanged the look of conspirators, and then looked innocently back at him.

"Of course not," they chorused.

The Slytherin King frowned sceptically and found himself on the receiving end of a look of pity from Weasel.

Dawn grinned. "Don't worry, I won't do anything that might get me in trouble." But I'll push as far as the limits will allow...

"I know that look. I *invented* that look." Draco hissed. "So don't even consider it."

Dawn tossed her hair. She just shrugged.

"I mean it....." The Head Boy warned.

Harry laughed, enjoying the way that Dawn could manipulate and infuriate his enemy with a simple shrug and a wicked smirk.

Dawn gave Draco an innocent look, before leaning over and whispering something in Ron's ear that made his cheeks match his hair.

The blonde boy's jaw dropped and he scowled at the blushing redhead. "Think about it, Weasel, and you die. Painfully." He turned attention back to Dawn. "And I thought the ground rules were clear. *That*" He gestured between the redhead and his sister, "Was *not* acceptable."

She grinned at him. "Spoil all my fun, why don't you?" Had he never even thought about strategy? It took art to make a guy look like an idiot, and she'd been practising. She could humiliate Harry and Ron with just a smile, she was pretty sure. And he was spoiling it! "You and me need to talk," she said firmly.

"Yes, I believe we do." He snapped back.

Dawn treated him to a fondly exasperated look. "You and me wage war differently, Draco. I'll explain everything later, but you -gotta- relax for now."

He didn't like the idea, but decided to go along with it anyway. Folding his arms over his chest, he sighed. "Fine. But if you do, say or THINK anything out of line-"

Hermione had caught onto what Dawn was trying to do. "Dawnie, that's probably a bad idea...and are you sure you can pull it off anyway?"

Glad to see -somebody- understood, Dawn tossed her hair again and nodded. "You doubt my abilities? I'll have you know, I was taught well by Anya and Cordy. Besides, look at them."

The Head Girl glanced to her side, to see Ron still blushing furiously and Harry attempting to keep his eyes away from Dawn. He was also blushing slightly and Hermione rolled her eyes. She didn't need, nor particularly want, to know what he was thinking about.

Dawn smirked triumphantly. "Told you so. Reckon you can convince Draco for me? I -know- he listens to you."

Hermione hesitated. Draco looked a little pissed to tell the truth. "I'll try. No promises."

"That's all I ask."

She turned back to Harry and Ron, ready for a new round of 'torture the Gryffindorks'.

Hermione put a hand on her arm. "Wait until after I've talked to Draco," she said firmly.

Draco did not appreciate being spoken of as if he wasn't there, so Hermione patted his thigh. "Don't worry, Draco. I'll explain."

Dawn sighed, but merely treated the pair to mysterious smiles that they couldn't tell who they were directed at.

*~*~*~*~*~

Draco led Hermione out of the Great Hall by hand, pulling her to him the second they were alone and kissing her soundly.

She pulled away after a few seconds and he frowned. "What? What have I missed now?"

"I'm supposed to be explaining," she said firmly. "So you don't keep ruining Dawn's plans, which are really quite clever. She was telling me about them while you were busy glaring at Harry and Ron before."

This wasn't what he'd wanted to hear from his girlfriend. In fact, right now he preferred it if she didn't mention his sister, Potter and the Weasel. "Can we have this talk later?" He asked softly, trailing his hand down her neck lazily.

"You'll distract me and then I'll forget." Hermione said, a little distracted already. "So we talk -now-. And -then- you can...distract me."

He grinned, satisfied with her answer, and decided to get this talk over. Fast. "Okay, talk."

"As you may have noticed, it doesn't take a veela to get Harry or Ron to humiliate themselves." Hermione said, with a grimace for her friends. "Dawn's noticed it too. She doesn't like Harry at -all-, or Ron. You can make them look like idiots, or get them really angry at you. She could probably wind them around her little finger, until their following her around with dopey little grins -- and then drop them like a hot potato as soon as she finds a better offer, without even a glance back. -That's- humiliation with staying power." And as much as she hated to admit this, she wasn't entirely sure they didn't deserve it.

The Head Boy considered this and a grin spread over his face. "Why weren't the two of you put in Slytherin?" He asked, pulling her back against him again.

"Manipulative tart she may be--" and she is "-- but she's not without her Gryffindor qualities. Bravery, helping save the world a lot...that sort of thing." Hermione informed him, trying very hard to stay in control. Which was always hard when he was determined to distract her.

"Yeah yeah yeah....." Draco replied, kissing Hermione's collarbone, "Doesn't explain what *you* are doing in Gryffindor though...."

"Hello, helped Harry beat Voldemort a bunch of times? Any of this ringing any bells? Got past Snape's logic puzzle, set -fire- to Snape once, slapped you -- you deserved that, you know -- did a bunch of things I probably shouldn't mention..."

"Those can all be counted as Slytherin qualities...." He murmured against her cheek, "Rule breaker, Slytherin logic taught by the head of Slytherin himself, you *slapped* me...."

"Yes, but I was doing it because I was doing what was right, not because I wanted to get ahead," she pointed out.

Draco bit back the very male, very Slytherin response about wanting to get, ahem, a head....and had to stifle the laughter from his own sick minded joke. Instead he mumbled his agreement and trailed more kisses over his girlfriend, lingering at her lips.

"Oh. My. God." Dawn groaned, covering her eyes. She'd been heading to the Gryffindor Tower. "Get a -room-!"

Draco groaned and pulled away from Hermione, banging his head against the wall. "Why?" He muttered, glaring to some unseen power above, "Every Bloody time!"

"Maybe if you guys were actually like, in a room, and not in the hallway outside the Great Hall, you might have a little more privacy." Dawn drawled.

Hermione blushed.

"We were heading that way, thank you very much." The boy huffed, "Besides, even when we *were* in a private room that demon friend of yours STILL burst in....."

Dawn snickered. "Typical. Don't worry, it's a Sunnydale tradition. Nobody gets to kiss in private for long. I mean, I'd tell you about this one time, but it's kind of embarrassing and was -really- stupid."

"And I, as your new brother, *really* don't want to know." Draco glared, taking his girlfriend's hand. "Now, If you'll excuse us...."

She made shooing motions. "Dad's coming. Scoot."

He grinned and took off down the hall, Hermione hot on his heels. Spike emerged seconds later.

"Where's Draco?" Spike asked Dawn, eyes narrowing.

"Studying." She replied promptly. "He's all paranoid about the potions test coming up. It's kind of cute, Hermione thinks, but you know how they are, and she's all, 'He's so sweet' and I'm all, 'Like, he's my -brother-, Mione...'," To Dawn's satisfaction, Spike's eyes had begun to glaze over, and he went back in the Great Hall.

She rolled her eyes. How sickening to fall back into annoying babble mode just to cover for her brother.

He'd never do it for her, that was certain.

In fact, he'd be the one she'd need to be worried about.

She sighed. Stupid big brother. The overprotective thing was nice, but it was going to get really old, really fast...

In fact, it was already starting to irk her and she'd been his sister for, oh, 2 hours?

From around the corner there came some chatter, and two very red heads. They were discussing something. God knew what. Dawn looked curiously as two young men she readily identified as Weasleys, though she didn't know which ones.

But they couldn't be students. They seemed far too old for that now. Perhaps past students of a few years back? But still, that didn't explain who they were and what they were doing in the school.

"Excuse me," she called to them, catching their attention. "Can I ask what you're doing here?"

They looked at her, a little startled, truth be told. "And who might you be?" Fred asked, charmingly.

"Dawn Malfoy."

The young men froze and looked at each other. Before bursting into laughter. "That's a good one, that is." The first one managed.

"Yeah....Malfoy? Who're you tryin' to kid?" The second one added. "I mean, you're wearin' a Gryffindor badge-"

"-And you're clearly brunette and not evil." The first finished again.

"My name," she said slowly and coolly, "Is Dawn Marie Malfoy."

Realising that the girl was serious, the two Weasleys stopped laughing. "But that's impossible." George gasped, "We would have been there at your sorting ceremony...."

"Not to mention the fact that you don't really look like a Malfoy…" Fred added once more. He seemed obsessed with that.

"I'm a transfer from America." Dawn shrugged. "I only got sorted today. And you still haven't told me what you're doing here."

"We will....After you explain how someone like you is a Malfoy...." George grinned, pleased when she blushed and smiled back.

She would've said more, but Spike had come rushing out. "Nibblet, go find Anya. She was staying down with ol' batwings for dinner. The cheerleader's had another vision. I gotta find Peaches."

"Cordy? Is she okay?" Dawn asked quickly, looking worried and forgetting all about Fred and George.

"She's...Dru's taking care of her." Spike settled for. "Just go and get Anya and Severus, all right?"

The two Weasleys blinked a few times. "Batwings?" George asked.

"Peaches?" Fred seconded.

They both paused and grinned, "Cheerleaders?"

Dawn rolled her eyes as Spike took off down the hallway. "Batwings is Snape. Peaches is Angel -- formerly Angelus, Scourge of Europe, and now a real poof -- and the cheerleader is Cordelia. She's an -ex- cheerleader. God. Men. All the same." She rolled her eyes again and headed off down the hallway without another word. They could follow if they wanted, she didn't care.

She reached Professor Snape's chambers and knocked on the door. She had to cover her smirk at the cursing she heard. It wasn't very becoming of the potions master, after all.

"Professor, Dad sent me to get Anya." She called through the door. "Cordy had another vision. I'll just...ah, let you guys come along..." After a pause, she headed back towards the Great Hall to see for herself that Cordelia was okay, pausing briefly to wonder about Fred and George.

On the inside of Severus' chambers, Anya groaned and stood up, pulling away from Snape's arms and lips and.....Cordelia had a vision. Right. Best not to get distracted by Sevvy's charms....

As much as she would like to.

Anyway...

In the Great Hall, Fred and George were standing in the doorway, looking very confused as most of the teachers fussed over an unfamiliar dark-haired woman, not to mention all the unfamiliar faces, and that Malfoy girl jostled them in her haste, going between them, and hurrying over to ask Draco what was going on. Draco didn't know, so Dawn continued on her way up to the top table, where she continued the theme of elbowing people out of the way -- Buffy included, that was funny -- and looked worriedly from Cordelia to Drusilla.

"What's up?" She asked the swarm of people. *Someone* had to have answers. "What was the vision? What's happening?" She looked around at everyone else, but found that no one was replying. Angel burst through the doors, Spike hot on his heels, asking the same questions.

"Princess saw the fire..." Drusilla said, looking frightened. Truly afraid.

That stopped Angel in his tracks. In all the time he'd known Drusilla...she'd never been truly afraid. Nothing had ever gotten far enough through her insanity to really frighten her.

Ever.

"Fire?" Dawn questioned, looking confused.

Cordelia groaned, one hand on her temple as she pushed herself up into a sitting position. "Fire," she confirmed. "And lots of it. Trapped...a village, little place...Little something...Hangles? Little Hangles? I don't know...the entire village...all of them..."

A swarm of Professors entered the room now, catching Cordelia's interpretation.

"Little Hangleton," Narcissa breathed.

All heads swivelled to look at her.

"Little Hangleton," she said impatiently. "The Dark Lord's birthplace. It's where he was born, his father lived there...the Riddles. He based himself in the Riddle House for a while. He was always so bitter about it all..."

Severus, the last to enter, stepped forward and cleared his throat. "I'm afraid it's started. The mark...." He clutched at his arm, where the Dark Lord's symbol resided and winced, "It burns.....He's calling all death eaters.....It's starting."

Dawn spoke up softly. "You can't go, Professor Snape."

He looked at her sharply.

"You can't. Darla saw you." She continued to speak in that quiet, subdued tone, utterly unlike her usual self. "She saw you in the rescue."

"She's right," Angel said grimly. "Voldemort might possibly give you benefit of the doubt -- say, you had to in order to keep your cover -- Darla won't. She'll kill you on sight."

Anya, meanwhile, was panicking at the thought of losing her Sevvykins again. "What they said. You can't go. I won't let you go." She ran from Cordelia's side back to the potions master, her arms flying around his neck. "You're not going. Tell me that you're not going."

He held her tightly, burying his face in her hair. "I'm not going, Anya. I promise."

Relieved, but still sceptical, Anya sighed, and nuzzled against him. "Good."

Dawn coughed. "I hate to interrupt the Hallmark moment, okay, but...shouldn't we be planning how to rescue the village, because according to Cordy, they're all gonna burn to death...and I'm thinking that's -not- of the good..."

"It's not. Not at all....But unless we can get a few hundred Aurors there, and pronto, we've got no chance." Draco said, inwardly cranky that once *again* he and Hermione had been unfairly interrupted.

Dawn looked at him, looking a little panicked herself. "But we...we can't just let them die...somebody has to do -something- and we're," she waved an arm to encompass them all, "all there is. We can't just let them die...I mean, Buffy's faced worse odds..."

"Y'ever hear about Graduation?" Cordelia groaned.

"See? Bad odds...we have to -try-..." Dawn looked pleadingly around.

"Unfortunately, bit, Draco has a point...." Spike cut in, gesturing at his son, then looking at Angel. "Even Peaches here can tell you that there's a difference between an army of vampires and an army of death eaters." Angel nodded, and Spike looked back at his newly adopted daughter, "Luv, the odds aren't as favourable as Graduation....And they were bad...."

"So, then, what are you saying?" The girl cried back at him. "That we just let all those innocent people die?!"

Silence met her outburst.

Dawn began to cry, quietly, soft whimpering tears for people she'd never met.

People who were going to die because nobody who -could- do something was prepared to believe. And because the people who did believe were powerless.

"Dawnie...." Buffy started gently, realising that she had lost her little sister and angry at herself for being the reason she had left. It was time to make things better between them, even if she wasn't going to be Dawn Summers anymore. "We're going to try. We just can't go in all fighty like we usually do...."

"But what else -can- we do?" Dawn wailed, even as Draco stepped forward to put his arms around her. "I mean...I mean...there's nothing...there's just...we can't -talk- them out of it."

"No.....we can't. But we can prepare for battle." Dumbledore said solemnly. "Those of us with any magical ability will have to learn some lifesaving wandless magic and fast." He looked around the room, "Muggles will have to do other things, as I will not allow you to face off with death eaters."

He looked at Draco. "The Head Boy will tell the Prefects to start enforcing the stricter rules, then bring Mr Potter back with him."

"Nobody leaves the school. Not even to go out on the grounds." Cordelia said flatly. "Not any one of them. This is for real, we give them rules and they obey. It's too dangerous to try and make things sound reasonable to keep them in the dark. We need them to be able to think enough to at least run when the unthinkable does happen -- and believe me, it will. It always does."

The headmaster nodded at her sentiments and turned to his potions professor, "Severus, are there any potions you can prepare that might aid us in any form against Voldemort?"

Severus took a deep breath, thinking hard. "There are a few..." He nodded, moving to go to his lab.

"It won't work..." Dawn whispered hopelessly. "They'll still -die-, we can't save them, we don't have enough..."

"Bit, we're tryin' our hardest. Try not to think of the negatives....They never help." Spike hushed, moving to give her a hug.

Draco handed her over to their father, moving to Hermione's side again. Narcissa allowed herself to be pulled into the hug with Spike and Dawn.

Dumbledore turned to the Head students, "If you could please go inform the prefects and see how Harry is.....Perhaps bring him back with you." He instructed. "I imagine his scar will be causing him problems....."

Dawn snorted to herself. Stupid Harry stupid Potter and his stupid scar. She had scars! Big fucking long scars. Evil dudes who wanted to bleed her and succeeded did that. Hah.

Draco and Hermione complied, however, and returned 20 minutes later with one bedraggled looking Harry Potter.

It was Dawn who noticed they were standing in the middle of the Great Hall. "Umm..."

"Professors, care to take over with Pot....er....I mean, Harry?" Draco said, finally gaining attention.

Dumbledore nodded and went forward, ushering Harry from the Great Hall, and most of the others followed.

He turned around and asked Minerva to take over for a while. He preferred to talk to Harry alone.

She nodded, leading them to the exhibition hall, their current base of operations.

"Okay, well, We're going to need to work out who has some magical ability and who does not...." The transfigurations Professor began.

"How do we do that?" Cordelia asked, more out of necessity than actual interest.

"Well....those of you that have some sort of link to the PTBs.....like the slayer, or yourself.....the Key.....You're all magically inclined." Came the response. "Then there's the vampires and the witch, of course...."

"Slayers? We got magical ability?" Buffy looked curious.

Xander groaned. He was willing to bet carpenters didn't.

"Yes, Ms Summers, Slayers are considered supernatural beings in the Muggle world, no?"

"Slayers aren't considered anything in the muggle world, things like vampires and demons don't exist," Cordelia informed her dryly. "We're the muggle underworld above the under-underworld."

"Besides, I don't think seers, vampires, slayers and witches count as muggles." She added.

"Yes, well to those that know and believe, Ms Chase, you're not ordinary muggles. You have, er, super-powers, yes?"

"A muggle is a non-magical person. Therefore, we are not muggles." Cordelia said simply. "We're just us."

"Yes, but you have help from ancient magicks....the likes of which you need to learn to tap into...." Wes said, finally cottoning on.

"Still." Cordelia shrugged. "By definition, we are not muggles. Except Xander, Fred, and Gunn. Wes has done magic, though, so he's not a muggle either." She seemed to be intent on sticking with that line of thought for a while. If she thought about that, she didn't have to think about...other things.

"I believe Mr Wyndam-Pryce was correct before.....Those of you that have some sort of experience with powers of some kind can tap into Magic...." The head of Gryffindor insisted.

"I'm not arguing with you, Professor," Cordelia pointed out. "I'm agreeing. All I'm saying is that the term muggle would be a misnomer in our case."

"Which I stopped using a while back Ms Chase..." The old woman smiled back kindly.

Cordelia gave her a tired smile. "I knew that."

"It's perfectly alright, Ms Chase. You've suffered a bit tonight."

Cordelia just nodded.

"Anyhow, I think it's best if we start focusing on tapping into that energy...." Minerva continued.

"Anya's taught me how to do that," Dawn told her. "I'm not -great- at it, but I can do it."

The Transfiguration Professor sighed sadly, "As much as we appreciate your help....we'd prefer it if you didn't put yourself into danger.....however you will be training along side us...."

"That Harry dude gets to go into danger and I go into danger like, every night. Patrolling, hello, big ass demons that wanna whup my ass..." She muttered mutinously, just barely audible.

"Bit, for once I'm not going to agree.....This is different and you know it." Spike responded sternly, coming up beside her.

"I know." She sighed and leaned against him. "But I don't gotta like it."

"No...." He responded, a wry smile on his lips, "But I expect you to comply...."

"I know that, too."

"Good, 'Bit." He ruffled her hair and kissed her forehead.

She gave him an uncertain look as the others began their training and she merely watched for now. "We are going to win, right?"

He couldn't look her in the eye.

"That's what I thought." She whispered hopelessly, absently levitating her pencil for practise.

"Dawn....there's always hope...." The blonde vampire offered.

"Gotta have hope, gotta have faith -- otherwise, what's the point?" she suggested, then shrugged.

He frowned. "I know this is dire right now, but an attitude like that doesn't help."

"I know...I just..." She trailed off. "I don't know. By the way, there were these two redhead dudes in the corridor."

From a few meters away, Draco turned around.

"They said I was too nice and brunette to be a Malfoy," she said plaintively. "It was annoying. But then you came running out and made me go get Anya and I forgot about them."

Her brother strutted over. "Were these red-heads twins?" He frowned.

Dawn nodded. "Yup. Seemed like nice guys." She said wistfully.

"Fred and George WEASLEY." The blonde growled. "And the ground rules apply to anything remotely Weasel. Including the furry, chicken stealing variety commonly known as Ron...."

Dawn poked her tongue out at him and looked pleadingly at Spike. "You won't let him be all stupid blonde dictator boy, will you? I mean, they were -nice- and all funny and nothing like the other ones and Draco's being -mean- and going on about who I can and can't talk to..."

The vampire arched his eyebrow. "Actually, I like the boy's thinkin'. Keepin' my nibblet away from the evils of man....."

"You can't -do- that!" Dawn wailed, "I'll...I'll tell Cordy, I'll tell Mom, I'll tell Anya...no, I'll just tell -all- of 'em...and Dru..."

The two Malfoy men just grinned and folded their arms. "Sorry, 'Bit, But when it comes to keeping you young and innocent, I think you'll find that they'll agree...." Spike chuckled.

"Dad. Parking with a vampire. I think I left the innocent behind. Admittedly it came with a side-order of stupid, but I'm smarter now."

That hadn't been the smartest thing to say to him. He frowned immediately. "I thought you said kissing was all that went on!" He barked. "Besides being incredibly stupid to do *that* if I find that you did ANYTHING else with him, I *swear* young lady that you will never see boys again! In fact, I'm going to consider that anyway.....Much easier on the thoughts that is. Not to mention-"

Dawn grinned at him and scampered off. "You can't watch me 24/7." So maybe kissing -was- all that went on. It was kind of funny to let him think it wasn't. Besides, she'd been practised at getting out of Spike's 'range' before, no reason why she wouldn't be now.

Other than the fact that she was confined into a crowded school with him....

Well, there was that. But she'd deal.

Spike turned to his son, worriedly. "You'll keep an eye on her, right?"

Draco nodded. "Damn straight I will."

"Good boy...." Spike patted him on the back, "Very good boy...."

"Dad. I'm a teen, not a puppy."

"Yes, son, whatever you say. Now go fetch your sister. There'll be a chocolate frog in it for you...."

Draco glared at his father then, but did go off to find Dawn.

*~*~*~*~*

"So...." Harry began, twiddling his thumbs as he sat in front of the headmaster's desk.

Dumbledore sighed and leaned back in his chair. "You are, for better or worse, tied into this...campaign."

"Yeah....see, nobody else wants me to be.....I mean, I want to help. I want Voldemort dead and...well...dead.....but every time I want to help people they turn the tables and make it seem like I'm doing it for selfish reasons...."

"Yes, I'm aware of this," Dumbledore nodded, albeit slowly.

Harry sighed. "Look, tell me what to do and I'll do it. I don't need anyone knowing or caring about it, okay?"

"They have to know. Whether they care or not is their business." Dumbledore informed him. "You are not working alone, or merely with your friends, in the privacy of abandoned toilets. You are part of a group. You will work with them. Or you will not work at all." All this was said with an air of finality.

The 7th year Gryffindor rolled his eyes. He couldn't help it. Dumbledore was getting on his nerves. He'd *always* gone behind their backs. *Always* broken the rules. Why should this time be any different?

"Mr Potter I am quite capable of ensuring you go no where near the battle." It was clear, in that moment, why Dumbledore was the only person Voldemort ever feared. "These people are...professionals, of a sort. Who are frighteningly blasé about apocalypses. They know what they are doing, as do we. If I must have Professor Emerson come and sit on your chest until it's over, I assure you, I will."

Anya being the only one they could -really- afford to spare. The fact she was a demon helped, too.

"Professor....Voldemort is out for my blood. It's *me* he's after. That may sound a bit self-centered but I assure you that I'm only pointing this out because we need to spare all the innocent lives that we can...."

"I am aware of all of that." Dumbledore said calmly. "I do not make idle threats, Mr Potter. You will co-operate or you will simply not take part. We are not playing hero this time. We are saving lives -- and -one- lone young wizard, not even graduated, is not going to succeed all alone. We work together. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal, Sir." The young man bit back at him.

Dumbledore smiled softly then. "This time we are not merely pushing him back. We will destroy him. And his forces. That will take a lot more than a handful of students. Which is why we brought in our...'experts'. Now you will come and meet them properly. We are planning, and training. Follow me, please."

"Okay sir....but I can almost promise you that this is not going to be a happy 'meeting' by any means." Harry trudged along behind him. "They don't appreciate my help...."

"They are a tight knit group." Dumbledore allowed as they walked to the exhibition hall.

Dawn met them coming the other way -- to find Dumbledore, as it happened. She'd been sent to find them, as the physical side of things had started and they wanted Harry. "Headmaster, we need Potter." Dawn was clad in the usual training gear -- tank top and sweat pants. "Training and stuff. Dad wants everyone to come learn how to kick the crap out of things."

Her eyes skimmed over Harry and her face fell. "Don't tell me that includes you...."

Harry glared at her, but she brightened.

"You could be worse," she allowed. "I mean, take a look at Buffy. At least this way we're all equal and stuff, except for how I'm not allowed to actually -help- even though I get to train. But Dad promised me patrolling, so I'm cool. Anyhow, let's get with the following of the Dawn."

He couldn't help but smile as she spun and bounded back towards the exhibition hall, allowing his eyes to scan her over. She was pretty and energetic and not afraid to speak her mind *and* a Gryffindor....AND Draco's sister His mind added, So just DON'T go there.

Humming to herself, Dawn led them back to the exhibition hall. "Hey, I got Potter," she yelled. "Hah, Draco, can't get me on the ground rules -- Dad -told- me to." She poked her tongue out at him, before going and sitting with Hermione, who was looking rather uncomfortable in the appropriate training wear.

The younger Malfoy male rolled his eyes at Dawn's words, before sending Potter a pointed glare. The message was clear. 'Stay away from her unless you WANT to be castrated.'

Harry tried not to look openly intimidated.

Spike and Anya were taking care of teaching the "new recruits", while the others were training separately. Dawn got to tag along with Spike, even though she could probably join the others.

Draco led Hermione towards the group of 'newbies' (as Dawn had so eloquently phrased it) and grinned at the way she tried to pull her top down to cover her bare midriff. "Stop fidgeting....." He whispered, "It's a good look on you....Leave it."

She blushed, and Dawn rolled her eyes.

"Dawn and me'll demonstrate some simple stuff," Spike began, straightening. "All right, Nibblet. Kick my arse."

"What, literally?" she grinned, but obediently attacked. She did, it would be worth noting, actually kick his arse in the literal sense at least once, just for fun.

"Alright," Spike said, signalling for the over-excited girl to stop and rubbing his slightly sore backside, "Can you tell me where the flaws in her attack were?" He looked around the small group of newcomers. A few of which, like Severus, looked highly unimpressed with the childish treatment they were being subjected to.

Dawn discreetly made faces at Severus while he wasn't looking.

Harry had been watching oh-so-attentively.

Draco had been watching Harry with a darkening expression. Spike, so far, had yet to notice, discussing technique with the group.

Hermione, however, had watched the display -as well as listening to their instructors- and nudged her boyfriend. "Drake, leave it, remember what we spoke about before?"

Draco just muttered darkly to himself. Dawn hadn't noticed him yet.

"Anyone know why those Weasley twin dudes are here?" Dawn asked Hermione, quietly, while Draco was distracted.

"No....I don't think so. Perhaps Dumbledore has plans for them....." The Head Girl mused, catching Draco's attention.

"Who's this? What's happening?"

"We were just wondering about those Weasley dudes and why they're here," Dawn shrugged innocently.

Her brother's expression darkened again. "It's really of no concern to *us*, though. Is it Dawnie?" He responded.

"Jeez, obsessive much? I'm not about to go sleeping with any weird-ass redheads just to piss you off, so -relax- already. God. I can't even talk to a guy without you jumpin' all over me -- am I -really- so untrustworthy?" she looked seriously pissed at this.

"Yes, you are." He responded simply. "I know teenage girls...." At this Hermione sent him a look, "Ah, I meant *normal* teenage girls..." Another look, complete with folded arms. "Oh bloody hell! You know what I mean!"

"You don't trust me...so why should I bother trusting you?" Dawn snapped, temper flaring. "Jerk off that you are, and you -so- are right now."

Hermione sniffed and didn't argue with this. Draco could tell he was either outnumbered, or about to be. Hermione could outnumber him all by herself.

"No...It's not that I don't TRUST you....It's your hormones that I don't trust....." Again, he had just made a mistake.

She glared at him. "Draco. I'm not about to jumping into -anything-. Please just trust me?" she went from glaring to hopefully pleading.

Hermione added her own pleading look to this.

Spike watched with vague amusement as the pair of young women attempted to manipulate his son.

"No....I mean, yes I'll trust you, but I'm not going to trust the guys that come near you...." He looked at Hermione. "And that includes you....." He shrugged. "I've seen the looks Thomas was givin' you...."

Spike winced. He knew women and women didn't generally like Possessive....

Hermione's temper flared. "I can take care of myself, thank you very much Draco Malfoy, and so can Dawn. She just -literally- kicked your father's arse -- a vampire, mind you. I think she can deal with unwanted attentions quite fine on her own. If you don't stop being such a...a...a -prick- then she'll never have any life and I might just go and find Dean myself!"

Draco looked to Spike for support, and found none. So he looked towards Professor Snape.....and found the guy snogging the DADA professor. He looked back at his girlfriend. "Not what I meant, Mione.....I'm just.....worried.....I love you both in completely different ways...."

Her expression softened, just a little. "Draco. Worrying is okay. Going paranoid control-freak is not. -I'll- take care of her, all right?"

He wanted to explain that the notion only made him even more concerned, but thought better of it. "Okay....Fine. But If I find that-"

"Draco...." Dawn warned, cutting him off. "You're doing it again."

He winced at the combined force of their Looks. "How about I shut up now?"

"Wise decision." Hermione replied dryly.

"Okay, now if you wouldn't mind bringing your attention back to the issue at hand...." Spike managed, trying to suppress a smile at his son's predicament.

Dawn grinned. "Okay, okay."

Draco looked relieved -- rescue at last!

Cordelia had come over. "We need Dawnie for a while. Minerva wants to test her and stuff -- how much can she do with her tappy power stuff, etc."

Harry couldn't help but feel a bit down at the prospect of seeing Dawn walk off with his head of house, then one snarl from Draco -who had obviously been watching him for any reason to attack- sent his attention flying back to their training.

Dawn, meanwhile, was now sitting in a corner of the exhibition hall with Minerva, levitating pencils and performing a number of other simple spells with wandless magic.

"Right, well, back to techniques then...." Spike commanded his group. "Demon girl, care to take over?"

Anya nodded, pulling unenthusiastically away from Severus. "Can do."

Snape glared at Spike, internally wondering if the vampire had done that just to get on his nerves.

Spike smirked back.

Yep. Yep, he had.

"Okay, well, As Spike and Dawn demonstrated before, you can't just go in all fists and kicks 'cos you have no defence at all...." Anya said, unaware of the glares her man was sending the vampire. "Sevvy, want to come and help me here?"

He nodded, glaring one last time at Spike, who was now heading in the direction of the main planning area.

This was going to be a looooong evening.

*~*~*~*~*~

Spike sat with the other adults, late into the night. Cordelia was rubbing her temples from time to time and cradling a cup of coffee, as was Anya, and several others. Wesley had made tea for the English, and the three vampires had already eaten.

Meanwhile...

"Do you think...it'll...y'know...work?" Dawn asked Hermione. They were sitting on Hermione's bed in her private quarters, an impromptu slumber party.

The Head Girl pondered this for a second.

"I suppose so. We have to keep a positive mind on this, Dawn."

"Yeah..." Dawn sighed, staring moodily into her hot chocolate (with little marshmallows).

Hermione sighed. "It's not going to be easy, though. We're going to lose a lot of key players...."

"Yeah...we always do..."

An awkward silence fell over them, and Hermione sipped at her mug of cocoa, savouring the warmth.

Dawn sighed. "I just want...I just want everything to be -over-."

"You and everyone else, I'm afraid...."

"Yeah..."

Another lengthy silence hovered between them.

Dawn stretched. "I wish I could do more to help, y'know? Not be so...useless."

"You're not useless, Dawn. You're doing more than a lot of people....." Hermione sighed, "It's frustrating not being able to go in and blow things up, yes, but this is something that we have to take our time with...."

"Yeah. And it -sucks-."

"Tell me about it." Dawn gave her friend a sideways look. "So...what's with you and Draco?"

Hermione shrugged, not at all perturbed by the idea that she was discussing her boyfriend with his brand new little sister. "I don't know.....we're not exactly dating 'cos, you know, there hasn't been a date. We're not lovers 'cos....well....there hasn't been anything like that yet....."

"Not for want of trying on Draco's part," Dawn guessed with a smirk.

Hermione laughed. "Or mine even...." She admitted, a blush creeping over her cheeks.

Dawn smirked again.

Definitely Malfoy at heart.

"He's a bit hypocritical, don't ya think?" She asked after a while, "I mean, telling me what I can and can't do while he's all gropey on you?"

"You've got a point, there," Hermione nodded, after a pause.

"Of course I have a point." The younger girl laughed. "I'm the queen of making points."

Hermione grinned back at her.

This was...this was almost normal. A couple of normal girls talking about one normal boyfriend...

Ignoring the whole, Dawn is a Key, Draco's dad's a vampire, and we're trying to save the world part, that is.

She opened her mouth to speak, but found herself yawning. Glancing at her watch she realised just how late it was.

"Time for sleeping?" Dawn hazarded a guess.

Hermione nodded, stifling another yawn. "Mmmhmm...."

*~*~*~*~*~*

Dawn and Hermione yawned as they went to sit down at breakfast. Most of those at the teacher's table were obviously tired. Anya was practically falling asleep on Severus's shoulder. Vampires were fine -- nocturnal, remember?

Dawn looked around as she took her seat at the Gryffindor table, barely noticing the Weasley twins seated across from her, one on either side of their brother.

They'd definitely noticed her, though.

"Ah the Malfoy girl...." Fred grinned at her.

George smiled as well, "So we meet again....."

She glanced up. "Yup," she said distractedly, as she looked up at her father, looking a little worried.

He gave her a 'It's okay, just eat your breakfast' look, and she looked down again, albeit reluctantly. Hermione patted her comfortingly on the shoulder.

"Anyway, I'm Fred," The relevant twin extended his hand over the table, "And this is-"

"George." The other finished, also extending his hand.

She shook their hands, George's first, and gave them a slightly distant smile. "Dawn Malfoy, but you already know that."

They shared grins, before Fred shrugged, "Still a surprise though....."

"Yeah, well. Wait'll you meet Dad."

George frowned. "We've met Lucius Malfoy-"

"Ah, guys, that's not her dad." Ron cut in helpfully, "Or Draco's even..."

"No, our -real- dad -- okay, I don't really -have- a real father, but anyway -- is William "Spike" Malfoy. A vampire. Cool, huh?" Dawn grinned.

"Wait.....William the bloody?" Fred's smirk grew. "I did an essay on him for History of Magic in 5th year....."

"I'm sure he'll be delighted," Dawn rolled her eyes. "He's good like that. He's Draco's -real- dad, thanks to a truly potent fertility potion and a little affair about 18 years ago."

The twins snickered and Dawn paused, considering whether she had said too much. "Meanwhile, why are you two here? 'Cos it seems like you should have graduated and left a LOOONG time ago...."

George chose to take that question. "We're taking a few extra classes just for this year, a little of this and a little of that, some new ones."

"Sort of like Muggle university....Hogwarts offers it from time to time for ex-students that want to 'broaden their horizons'...." Hermione added, in her usual 'I've read Hogwarts: A History waaaay too many times' way.

"Cool," Dawn shrugged. "Heard about the new rules yet?"

"All the 'You-Know-Who is back in town so go and hide' ones?" Fred asked, nodding. "Yeah, unfortunately we have."

"Not that we've ever lived by the rules anyway...." His twin smirked.

Dawn's gaze hardened. "You'll live by these ones...or you won't." She said grimly.

The two older men turned serious, which Ron thought was a rare occurrence. Fred leant forward, "That bad huh?"

"Worse. I was -kidnapped- by -vampires-." Dawn said, shivering. "Evening with a demented 400+ blonde? Not my idea of fun."

"That's terrible...." George said, offering her genuine concern. "Did they hurt you? 'Cos if they did, Fred and I aren't just useful for practical jokes....we did quite well on our DADA and Charms NEWTs...."

"It could've been worse, and Dad kicked some -serious- Lucius Malfoy ass." Dawn looked proud. "He's so awesome."

"Wait...Lucius Malfoy was in on it?"

"He is -- was -- a Death Eater. Of -course- he was in on it. He was a vampire, too, until Dad staked his ass."

The twins' eyes widened in unison. "Now *that* I'd pay to see...." Fred chuckled.

"Yeah, well, it wasn't a whole bundle of fun from my end."

"No....I can imagine it wouldn't have been." There went George, being Mr Understanding, reminding his brothers of Charlie and not at all the George they knew.

"I was lucky, Cordy got a vision so they could come and rescue me. Cordy, Anya, Professor Snape, Dru and Dad came in and kicked the crap out of them -- oh, and Angel, too, he kept Darla busy. She escaped, though." Dawn wrinkled her nose. "Bitch."

"Angel?" George asked, then "Darla?"

Fred had already cottoned on to his brother's trail of thought. "The other members of the Order of Aurelius?" At his brothers' questioning looks he shrugged, "So I actually worked on that essay?"

"That's them. The Master sired Darla, Darla sired Angelus, Angelus sired Drusilla, Drusilla sired Spike, Spike bonked an English witch and had Draco."

The young men chuckled and nodded, before deciding to move the conversation *back* to the girl seated in front of them. George, especially, seemed interested. "So....how do *you* fit into the Malfoy clan?"

"I am the Key -- interdimensional lockpick, pretty much -- and I was originally a ball of green glowy energy, until some monks turned me into a girl and sent me to the Slayer in the form of a sister, so I got Slayer blood. But Buffy's a self-absorbed bitch who wouldn't even come and help rescue me, so my new parents adopted me. Dad's been like, my best friend for ages now anyway."

"New parents being William the bloody and Draco's mother." George summarised.

"Otherwise known as Mom and Dad. Yup."

"And you just slipped into the 'mum and dad' thing easily?" Fred questioned, "I don't mean to sound rude-"

Ron snorted. "There's a first."

Fred wisely ignored him and continued, "But don't you find it.....awkward?"

"How so?"

"What my brother is trying to dodge around is the fact that you didn't grow up with these people and in the same situation he'd find it hard to call someone else mum and dad...." George explained.

"Technically, I didn't grow up at all, but I get your meaning. Look, I've known Dad -- Spike -- for like, ages, and he's always been all big brother-y and paternal. I never really -had- a dad, so it's not a big jump. And my new Mom...she's different than -Mom- mom was, but she's...she's cool."

This earnt her a couple of smiles and nods from the young men, and before she could speak more Draco was striding through the doors of the great hall. He took one look at her companions for breakfast and chose to be a Gryffindor for the morning.

"Hey Draco," Dawn greeted him brightly.

Hermione gave him a warm smile. "'Lo."

He smiled, ruffled his sister's hair and pecked Hermione on the cheek, before sitting between them, pointedly tossing an arm over Dawn's shoulders. "Ah....The Weasley twins. Back at Hogwarts I see....." He said with a genuine smile. The two men looked at each other in confusion.

One- Draco Malfoy had just kissed the Head Girl and top student in Gryffindor. Two- Draco Malfoy was being nice. Three- what the hell was going on?

"I was just introducing myself to them," Dawn told her brother. "If I hear the words 'ground rules' one more time I'll scream, okay?"

Draco looked at her in mock-offence, "Dawn, I can't believe how low you think I can get...." He managed, before sending the two extra Weasleys similar glares to the ones that Harry and Ron had already been subjected to.

"I saw that..." His sister sing-songed.

"What? I said NOTHING about Ground Rules...."

Dawn rolled her eyes. "He's always like this," she told the twins in a stage whisper. "Right, Mione?"

Hermione grinned.

Draco pouted. Actually -pouted-.

It took everything in her control for Hermione to avoid kissing those gorgeous lips.

He solved the problem by kissing her lightly. "I get the feeling I'm going to spend this year wrapped around the little fingers of you pair," he groaned.

Dawn and Hermione smirked at him.

Ron coughed lightly to get the blonde boy's attention. "Mate, If I could just talk to you in private...."

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because....." The other boy responded vaguely, already out of his seat and stalking out of the hall.

Intrigued despite himself, Draco followed.

"Right, Weasel, what do you want?" He demanded once they were out of earshot.

The red-head shot him a smirk. "Well, you know how you have ground rules for dating your sister?" Draco didn't like the sound of that, but nodded. Ron continued. "Mione is like a sister to me and Harry. We're getting to the point of understanding that you might actually care for her, but if you put just one finger out of line-"

It took all Draco's self-control not to laugh out loud. "Weasley, while I realise this may come as a shock to you, but I'm -really- not scared of you or Potter. 'Sides, I'm the one with vampire blood on my side. Hermione can take care of herself, but I fully intend to make sure she never has to. And, while we're having this heart to heart -- even look at my sister wrong and I'll rip off your head and shove it up your arse."

Ron chuckled, "I don't think I'm the Weasley you need to be telling that to...." He managed. There was a moment's silence and he sighed, "Look, I realise we've hated each other for god knows how long, but if you're goin' to be hanging around the Gryffindors, namely Hermione and Dawn, can we agree to be civil? For their sakes?"

"I can do civil," Draco said grudgingly.

"Oh 'cos THAT was a believable effort." Ron laughed, earning himself a glare.

"I said civil, NOT nice, Weasley."

With that, the two seventh years walked back into the Great Hall, having reached an...understanding.

Hermione and Dawn raised eyebrows at Draco. They wanted answers.

"Later," Draco told them with an airy wave.

They both frowned impatiently, but nodded all the same.

Draco grinned. "We were just...coming to an understanding."

"I see....one that you couldn't do in public?" Dawn grinned up at him.

Draco rolled his eyes at her. "You have a sick mind, 'bit."

She frowned and made a face. "Oh god....not like that....." Then the realisation of the nickname came back to her, "I thought you were avoiding Dad's pet names?"

"Just Nibblet," he shrugged.

She smirked, "Whatever, Drake....."

He rolled his eyes at her.

"So, Draco, you're....er...different." George started, in an attempt to make small talk.

"Like, not a complete and utter prick?"

"Draco, don't say stuff like that. That's -my- job." Dawn complained.

George and Fred laughed, "Basically, yeah." Fred replied.

"Blame Mione," Dawn told them. "She's a humanising influence."

"Don't you mean THANK Mione?" Ron jested.

Draco buried his hands in his face. "Oh god, why -me-..."

Dawn and Hermione patted him comfortingly.

The Weasley twins laughed, "You know Draco, It's not that bad being nice." Fred told him, between chuckles.

"Much more fun to be bad, though."

Hermione blushed as his hand graced her thigh, unbeknownst to the rest of the table, and she thwacked him in the chest. "Draco...." She warned. The others laughed, thinking she was just reprimanding him for the innuendo.

He looked innocently at her. "What? What?"

"You know VERY WELL *what*, Mr Malfoy." She huffed.

He took his hand back. "Spoilsport."

She laughed and shook her head.

Draco gave her a slightly wicked look that was just this side of a leer.

She rolled her eyes and spied George and Dawn exchanging goo-goo eyes themselves. Deciding to be a good friend to the girl, she opted to keep Draco distracted. Placing her hand at the nape of his neck, she drew his lips to hers and kissed him.

Fred was rolling his eyes as his brother listened avidly to Dawn's description of life on the Hellmouth.

"And then this vampire was all for attacking Buffy but then Spi...er...Dad went and staked him and SHE got shitty at HIM!" She explained indignantly. "She's *so* full of herself. If it weren't for Willow and Xander and Angel and Sp...Dad and Giles and everyone else the girl would have been dead and buried a LONG time ago. And we're not just talking last summer...."

George nodded, clearly more fascinated with the speaker than with her subject.

It was then that Cordelia came down. "Sorry to interrupt the love-fest here, folks," she said brightly, "But I've got to steal a couple of your students. Miss Granger, Mr Malfoy, Miss Malfoy, Mr Potter, if you would come with me, please...?"

"Cordy...?" Dawn looked up, a little confused. It was a Sunday, so it wasn't as though they had anything else to do...but still.

"Sorry Dawnie. Training again." The ex-cheerleader explained.

Dawn slumped in her seat. "Greaaat."

Draco pulled away from Hermione and stood up, offering her his hand and helping her up as well. He turned to Dawn and extended his hand, not noticing the kiss she blew in George's direction as she pulled herself up.

George noticed, though, grinning goofily.

Draco -did- notice that. He glowered at the Weasley.

"Draco," Hermione warned.

Dawn was talking to Cordelia. "Dru coming?"

"They're meeting us there."

Draco was half listening to the women as they dragged him away. He wanted to stay and beat the shit out of the Weasel boy.

George waited until Draco wasn't looking to smirk.

"You're a bit old for her, though, don't you think?" Fred mused, as if reading his brother's thoughts. "I mean, she's *Ginny's* age....You're 20?. Bit of a difference."

"True love knows no boundaries," George told him melodramatically.

"True love?" Ron scoffed. "You met the girl, say, 10 minutes ago?"

Fred laughed at his younger brother's comment and nodded.

George glowered at them. "But I can't know if it's true love or not if I don't -get- to know her which means the lot of you can shut your faces."

He shrugged, "'Sides, dad is 8 years older than mum...."

"Guy's got a point," Fred nodded, albeit slowly.

Harry, meanwhile, did not look impressed with the competition.

Ron noticed his best friend's glare and started to laugh.

Harry shifted his glare to Ron.

The youngest Weasley boy tried to hide his smirk. He failed miserably.

George seemed oblivious to Harry's displeasure, much to Ron's amusement.

"So, Harry, How goes the Gryffindor Quidditch Team without it's star beaters?" He asked, slapping the Boy-Who-Was-His-Competition on the back.

"Oh, we're doing okay," Harry forced a smile. "Season hasn't started yet -- Ginny's going to try out for beater, and we saw Dawn on a broom the other day, we want her to try out for it too."

George's eyes widened and he grinned at the image in his head of Dawn on a broom. Harry could only guess what kind of thoughts the older man was thinking and didn't like any of the ideas. Not even the harmless ones where Dawn was dressed.

Ron coughed, trying to stop Harry from glowering at his drooling, comatose-like brother.

George snapped himself out of it. "I think she'd make a brilliant Quidditch player."

"Yeah," Harry replied sceptically, "I'm sure she would." He was still eyeing the older boy with a glare that reminded Ron of Draco on an over-protective kick, which sent the young Weasley boy into laughter again.

Harry glared at him.

"Harry, mate, stop it. All I have to do is charm your hair blonde and your eyes grey and you'd BE Malfoy...." Ron gasped, the image of a blonde Harry sending him into hysterics again.

"What's wrong with Harry?" George asked, looking befuddled.

This just set him off again.

"I think the question is 'What's up with *your* insane brother?'" Fred deadpanned, looking at Ron like he'd grown a second head.

"He's your brother too."

"I'm choosing this moment to disown him...."

Ron glowered half-heartedly when he finally managed to calm down.

"Oh NOW who's tryin' a Malfoy impression..." Harry tossed at him lazily.

"You're the one that wants to get into his sister's pants."

At this George's smirk fell away. He eyed a slightly blushing Harry over. "He's got no chance."

Harry, meanwhile, was glaring at Ron again.

Ginny had been listening to the conversation, and looked rather jealous. "Of course he doesn't. She's not even interested in him."

"And you are?" Fred teased.

Ginny went red.

"STILL? Bloody Hell Gin, I thought you would have gotten the point when he went after that Chang girl...." Fred started.

"Hey!" Harry interrupted, "HE is still here, and I thought I've been through the whole 'I was an idiot for that' thing?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. But now we're pointing out that Ginny's an idiot." Fred said helpfully.

Harry scowled and Ron muttered something along the lines of "Oh look, Malfoy again" and started to laugh once more. George just rolled his eyes.

"What? She is." Fred said reasonably. "You're obsessing over a girl who couldn't care less if you jumped the Dark Lord, and you haven't even -looked- at Ginny in ages."

"Gee, now I feel -great-," Ginny muttered.

"Not that we'd WANT you to look at our sister. So keep your grubby eyes off. And hands. And any other part of your body." George decided to add.

"I'm not interested in Ginny," Harry assured him.

Ginny stormed off.

"Oh now look what you've done." Fred glared.

"You hurt her feelings." George accused.

Fred nodded, "That means we get to hurt you, fellow Gryffindor, Boy Who Lived or not."

Harry gulped. Even Ron was looking murderous.

"But you just said-" He tried.

"Nobody. Hurts. Virginia. Weasley." They grated.

"But I didn't-"

"Awww, you think she went off to sing and dance? If I know Ginny--"

"--and we do--"

"--she went off to either sulk, brood, or cry."

"And that was YOUR doing...." Harry managed to reply, before realising that they were dangerously close. "Oh, look at that, I forgot that I was asked to go train as well. Bye." He turned and ran out of the Great Hall.

George looked at Ron. "Should we...?"

"Nah. Malfoy'll do it for us if he even glances at Dawn."

"Right," The older Weasley grinned, settling himself back at the table. "I'm starved."

Dawn and Cordelia were leading the group in yoga -- even Spike tried his hand at this, to the amusement of many.

When he realised that he was being laughed at, though, he had gracefully stopped and stated that he'd rather train with the punching bag instead.

Dawn was rather absorbed in her yoga, whereas Cordelia was happy to pause every so often to clarify things, or give others a hand. Hermione was taking to the yoga much more than the kick-y fight-y of yesterday. Draco seemed content to watch his girlfriend.

"Draco, care to join in on SOMETHING?" Spike called from the other side of the room. "Because I don't think anyone's goin' to be *drooling* Voldemort to death."

Draco went red, and joined his father to spar.

A few minutes later, Harry Pothead, erm, *Potter* came running in. "Hey, sorry, Got caught up with Ron and his brothers.....they didn't want to let me go...." He chuckled. Okay, so it wasn't a lie.

Dawn had seen Ginny go past the open door a few minutes earlier, and frowned.

"Well, Mr Potter, don't just stand there. Yoga or beat up the bad-guys. Your choice." Anya shrugged.

He caught sight of Dawn. "Yoga." He said, joining them.

Spike had to grab Draco to prevent him from going over and decking the other boy.

He couldn't, however, stop Draco from growling. It was almost as intimidating as Spike. Harry stiffened.

Dawn snickered. Sometimes it was good to have Draco acting like this.

"So..." Dawn said quietly to Hermione, "What can you tell me about dishalicious out there...?"

Hermione looked blank.

"George Weasley," she clarified impatiently.

"George?" Hermione giggled. "Uh....not a lot, actually.....Not that you can't work out for yourself anyway. Ron's brother. Was a beater for the Gryffindor team. Wicked sense of humour. Bit of a trouble maker."

"Sounds like my kinda guy." Dawn mused. "And -hot-."

"Well, not my taste...." Hermione shrugged, "But whatever floats your boat, right?"

"You go for tall, blonde and leery."

"Mmmhhmmm...And I do so like it...."

"You would. Hiding your weird fetishes behind dusty old books..." Dawn tsk-tsked.

"Okay, before you were his sister, you would have had to have admitted he was cute.. Hermione prodded.

"Well, yeah," Dawn admitted.

Hermione laughed, "See, my tastes aren't that bad then, huh?"

Dawn grinned at her. "I guess not."

Anya cleared her throat, "Hello. If *I* have to do yoga instead of activities involving my snuggle-buddy, neither of you gets to do boy-talk either."

Hermione crinkled her nose. Thinking of Snape as someone's 'snuggle buddy' was not something she was comfortable with....

Dawn didn't seem to mind much as she fell silent, going through the movements smoothly. Buffy had never much taken to yoga, but she liked it.

In fact, said ex-sister was off in the other corner doing Tai Chi with her first vampy ex. Something that nobody seemed to mind, although Dawn secretly felt sorry that Angel was being forced to suffer. Hadn't he wasted enough time with Bitca Buffy in his extended unlife already?

Angel, however, seemed a little distracted as he watched Cordelia's yoga routine...something Buffy did -not- look impressed with.

Drusilla looked even less impressed.

Gunn, who had walked in a few minutes later with Fred on his arm, was currently striding over to join Spike and Draco at the punching bag, followed a few minutes later by Xander and Wesley.

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Typical males." She muttered out loud.

Xander greeted Dawn in his usual Xander-y fashion. "Hey, Dawnster. Gonna bend and twist the bad dudes to death?"

She grinned, "Yep. Focussing my energy to twist their heads right off....."

Xander paled.

She grinned again. "Relax, Xand. I'm probably not even going to get anywhere near the action, according to Dad."

"I hate to say this, but I'm agreeing with him."

"Are you like, sick or something?"

"I might be."

She pouted. "Well get better. I don't need everyone ganging up on me..."

Xander grinned at her. "Aww, s'okay, Dawnie. At least this way you're not in danger."

"I'm gonna be in danger either way, Xander." She shot back, starting to get cranky. "I'm the key. Demons want me. I'm also Spike's newest family member, meaning bargaining material. I'm going to be sitting HERE at HOGWARTS as a sitting duck while a giant war breaks out and I don't think that even with all the protection it offers I'm going to not be in danger. We're all going to be in danger, Xand. All the time. No matter what you try to do."

Xander nodded, looking serious. "I know. It's just good to know you won't be anywhere -obviously- dangerous."

Realising that she was never going to win this argument she let out a frustrated grunt and turned back to the yoga.

~*~

"Get all the students in their dormitories, -now-," Cordelia gasped as she came out of her vision. "We have about...oh, half an hour, give or take. This is -not- a drill, folks."

The teachers looked to each other and the head of houses stood. Anya clutched Severus' hand, not wanting to let him go. The battle was starting. She might just lose him. She didn't want to go through that.

He kissed her lightly. "Just so you know, I love you," he told her.

"No....Don't....that sounds like a goodbye. I don't like goodbyes." She started to tear up. "Take back the goodbye."

"It wasn't a goodbye," he assured her. "Just a see-you-later."

"Sounded awfully like a goodbye..." She sniffled.

"I never say goodbye," Severus told her firmly, before sweeping out of the room to round up Slytherin.

She managed a small smile before collapsing back into her chair, tears streaming down her face. "Hey, luv, you're the DADA professor.....you gotta come and, well, help Defend Against The Dark Arts now...." Spike spoke softly, realising just how serious this even was.

She wiped her eyes, and nodded. "I can do this." She said softly, more to convince herself than anyone else. Dawn, Harry, Hermione and Draco were the only students left in the Great Hall, with the group of adults.

Spike glanced down at them, "Nibblet, pet," He began as he walked towards them, "You know what you need to do now, right?"

She looked up at him, a feeling of dread taking her over. She was suffocating inside herself. She didn't want to lose him either. Forcing herself to take a breath and nod, her eyes met his. "Wandlessly work with Mione to keep the wards up around the castle 'cos they're gonna work really hard to bring them down...." She heard her voice reply.

He nodded, before pulling her into a hug. "Do me proud, Nibblet," he said gruffly, before sweeping out of the room to do his part with Drusilla, Angel and Buffy.

Oh, and Faith. With the help of Buffy and Dumbledore, Cordelia had bullied the Council into pulling some strings to get the second Slayer released and brought to England. They needed all the firepower they could get.

Draco closed his eyes and prayed that this wasn't happening. He was 17. He was being forced to go to war and leave his girl and sister behind. What if something were to happen to them in his absence? What if something were to happen to him....

"Draco...." Spike's voice called from outside the Hall. "Harry...."

The young men looked at each other and nodded, before Draco swept the two girls in for a hug. He didn't want to let go, but he knew he had to.

They clung to him, Dawn openly crying now and Hermione fighting back tears of her own. At long length, he let them go, and hurried after Harry and his father.

*~*~*~*~*

The battles raged for the next 36 hours. Nobody slept nor ate. They couldn't take breaks and they were forced to watch as they lost team-member after team-member.

Thankfully, the white hats were fairing better than the death eaters, but only barely.

Dawn and Hermione had abandoned their post, after it became clear it was a lost cause, and were put in charge of the students, who had all taken refuge in the exhibition hall (which was roughly the size of the Great Hall, thankfully). The doors were locked and both girls were armed, as was anyone who could hold a weapon.

They had no ability to see what was happening outside, and truthfully they were glad for this. Fred, after having helped with the planning and weapons, was also inside the Exhibition Hall, as Gunn had refused to see her fight.

Some students were trying to sleep. Others were sitting around in small groups. Not a few girls were crying.

Some students weren't there at all.

The majority missing were Slytherins. Children of Death Eaters. Some of the 7th years Death Eaters themselves.

Then there were the...casualties. The ones that...that didn't make it to the exhibition hall...

Hermione had broken down, feeling like a failure as Head Girl. She was supposed to protect them and she couldn't.

Dawn sat next to her, her arms around her friend. Words failed her. There were no words for this.

Every so often they could hear an explosion and they knew that more lives had been lost. For good or evil, it was still a tragedy.

Dawn had found a spell that would let her keep tabs on everyone. Xander was hurt, but not yet out of the game. Anya was kicking ass. Spike had vamped, and was doing well. Cordelia was passed out in an abandoned classroom from the visions, with Drusilla standing guard. McGonagall was mortally wounded. Buffy and Faith had tag-teamed the vamps and were having a good ol' time. Draco and Harry were scouting the place out. Severus was in his laboratory, but would be joining the others soon...

It seemed that, other than Minerva, everyone they'd trained with was holding up well. Even Dumbledore was kicking wizard ass.

Dawn hoped they'd keep on holding up. It couldn't go on much longer...could it?

Another hour passed and still everyone was fine. Tired, but alive. Then the spell flickered. It stopped. Panicked, she looked over at Hermione. "That can't be good...."

Hermione swallowed, hard. "Dawnie..."

"No," Dawn said frantically, "They -have- to be okay. They have to...we're always okay...even the -apocalypse-, and we get them every now and again, even they don't slow us down. We can't...they can't...oh god..."

"Dawn, please, panicking isn't good...."Hermione tried again, pulling the younger girl towards her. "It'll spread through the others and then all hell will break loose."

After a few deep breaths, Dawn was calm again. More or less. "We're going to make it through this," she said firmly. She had to believe that. She'd go mad if she didn't.

Hermione only nodded, waiting for some sort of confirmation from the outside world.

Cordelia fell into the room, breathing hard. "I...Voldemort...he's...Harry's...they're duelling..."

Dawn and Hermione leapt up. "What about Spike? And Draco? And the others?"

"They're all there...with...with Harry," Cordelia gasped, sinking down with exhaustion. "It's gonna be close, whatever happens."

A few moments passed and then the seer lunged forward, her head in her hands while she screamed and writhed in pain.

Dawn and Hermione were either side of her in an instant, many nerve-wracked students watching, with varying degrees of interest.

While Cordelia screamed in agony, another blast shook the grounds and then Cordelia stopped. She looked up, her face tear stained and her eyes bloodshot. "It's over...." She told them, her voice barely above a whisper due to the extensive screaming she had done.

She looked down again. "We won....."

"But what -happened-?" Dawn asked, with frustration readily apparent. She didn't like the tone of Cordelia's voice...they won, but at what price?

The seer looked around. "Harry....." She sighed, exhausted from the effects of the vision and starting to panic over her loss. ".He and Voldemort were fighting.....and Gunn got in the way...." She started to sob. "Gunn's not coming back....." At this Fred got up and rushed towards the magically locked doors, beating against them frantically. Cordelia continued, "Then....Harry pulled a bit of wandless magic and it killed the big bad, but he's out cold. Drained. Maybe not coming back....."

Hermione paled, and Dawn, who had gotten a liking for Gunn, looked upset.

"It's over..." Cordelia repeated softly. Nobody had escaped unscathed, not really. She was exhausted, in all senses of the word.

Fred was slowly becoming a mangled wreck, sliding to the floor and crying out her lost lover's name.

Cordelia managed to haul ass over to Fred to comfort her friend, while Dawn and Hermione began spreading the word that it was over -- that they'd won. These kids needed -something-.

Dawn placed a comforting hand on Hermione's shoulder, knowing that Harry was still one of the Head Girl's best friends and that having him in a coma was almost as bad as losing him completely.

~*~

Some time later, when the other students had been sent back to their dormitories, and the area had been cleaned up as best they could, the motley group was assembled (more or less, some were in the Infirmary) in the exhibition hall.

Draco, looking somewhat worse for wear, was curled up against his vampire father, and key sister.

Dawn had pulled her knees up to her chest and was resting her chin on them, leaning against her father, who had one arm around each of them. Narcissa was standing behind them, hovering nervously.

Hermione looked a little shell-shocked, and was with the Malfoys...she had wanted to go straight to Harry, but Dumbledore insisted.

Ron was with his brothers and sister, waiting for the rest of their family to turn up. The fang gang was mourning the loss of a significant member of their family and Anya was bawling her eyes out onto Severus' shirt.

Dumbledore was silent a long time, and when he did speak, he sounded...exhausted. Drained. Used up. "It's over."

Two little words that meant so much more than any outsider could ever hope to understand.

"We lost many lives tonight. So many of the local witches and wizards...." His voice cracked. "We owe our lives to them...."

"This sucks," Dawn said quietly. "This really, really sucks."

"I know, luv, I know...." Spike rubbed her shoulders and kissed her forehead. "Could have been worse, though...." He mused. "I know it sounds selfish, but I coulda lost you or your mum or Draco....."

"I was so scared you guys were gonna die," Dawn whispered. "And then my spell went kaput and we couldn't know what was happening to you guys and we were so scared and now that Potter dude is comatose and Mione's going..." She trailed off.

"Mione's what?" Draco asked, looking towards his girlfriend with concern.

"This Potter thing's hitting her real hard." Dawn sighed. "I don't know...she's just...it's like everything's just stopped in there. Wheel's still turning but the hamster's dead, you know what I mean?"

Draco closed his eyes and nodded, "Understandable. Saint Potter's been like a brother to her since day one." He sighed, longing to kiss his girl and make it all better. "Wish I could take the pain away..."

Dawn just gave a listless shrug.

~*~

Months went by before things had resembled 'normal' at all.

Eventually, however, things did settle down. Classes returned to their routines. Anya and Severus's little fights became the subject of much gossip in the school, as was the youngest Malfoy. Cordelia and Drusilla remained in Hogwarts, while the others made their way back to America.

They had fought, and they had won, and now...they had to live.

Spike stayed on at Hogwarts too, often helping out with DADA. The class was kept on as a 'just in case'. After all, there were still many evil and dangerous creatures and beings out there.

But for now?

Things were...at peace. Until the next time.

Author's Note from Adele:

Look out for our sequel! Yes, that's right, there's more!