Dawn clutched her book to her chest as she climbed into Xander's car. She couldn't believe she'd almost lost it. Stranger still was the classroom she found it in, she'd never even taken a class in that room. How it got in there was beyond her.

She smiled sheepishly at Xander, "Sorry, thanks for waiting."

"Forget your mind-numbing homework?"

"I couldn't find my book," Dawn informed him before she said, "Sorry you had to take time out to come pick me up."

Xander shrugged, "Buff got off early and has the whole day planned for the potentials, who was I to stand in the way of saving the world. So which book? It wasn't math was it? Cause if it was I'd say leave it, get Wills to do your homework. That's how your sister and I got... okay I didn't say that. Erase that statement from your memory."

She laughed and he actually gave her one of his goofy smiles. She missed those and they seemed to come less and less frequently now a days.

"No," she laughed enjoying the moment, "it was the most important one."

"And which one would that..." his voice tailed off as they pulled to a stop at the corner and he caught site of which book she held.

"Oh," he said with understanding, a slight pained look on his face.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Dawn's most important book. At this point it was more important to her then even her journals. The Harry Potter book was a testament to how things use to be.

It started when Dawn began crushing on Ron. When she first read the books she'd been deep in her crushing on Xander stage and Ron had well reminded her of Xander. She had very carefully wrote Dawn loves Ron in the front cover of each of her four books.

Her mom had caught her and Dawn had declared that to make the situation less embarrassing her mom would just have to crush on someone. Her mom had thought the idea too cute and had complied by writing Joyce loves Remus in the front cover of Dawn's copy of Goblet of Fire. Dawn's gales of laughter had her Mom explaining that he seemed to be about her age, responsible and managed to balance it all out with a good sense of humor. Good qualities in a man, Joyce had defended before telling her, "Besides if you misbehave I could always threaten to lock you up with him during a full moon."

"Buffy would save me!" Dawn had declared.

"And protect him from that nasty Cain man. Everytime I read the third book I always worry some hunter will go after Lupin. If he were here I'd know he was safe."

Then the conversation had turned to Oz and how they wished Wolfsbane was real. The subject of Oz turned them to Willow with her Mom suggesting she get Willow to sign in her crush.

Willow had the worst things for the Potions Master. She couldn't explain it, but she couldn't get enough of him. She'd probably read every fanfic written with him in the main role. Tara for some reason thought Willow's crush was just too cute.

Willow had been more then happy to comply with a carefully scrawled Willow Rosenberg loves Severus Snape. Tara had declared that she was jealous, which lead to Willow challenging her to find a crush. Tara asked Dawn if it was all right. As soon as she got the okay she gave Willow a broad smile before carefully, right next to Willow's, writing Tara loves Hermione. Then she drew a little heart between hers and Willow's name. As she began to color in the heart Willow demanded to know why Hermione.

Tara gave them both a secret smile before turning to Willow and saying, "Because she as close to you as I can get."

Willow's face melted in happiness and Dawn laughed at them as they shared a kiss. When Tara pulled away she brushed a strand of hair behind Willow's ear and said softly, "Promise me something?"

"Hmmm..."

"If you ever get the chance to kiss Snape, promise me you will."

Willow had started laughing, "Only if you promise me the same about Hermione."

Laughing together they promised. Dawn had declared them both crazy because it was just a book, right?

"Unfortunately," Tara had said, "Can you imagine how different my life would be if it weren't?"

"I'd still be stuck on the Hellmouth," Willow had pouted, "I didn't start to get into magic till I was sixteen."

"Besides the energies from the Hellmouth would probably give off some kind of block detection or something," Dawn had pointed out.

"Just my luck," Willow had pouted further.

Shortly thereafter Melinda had asked to borrow her Harry Potter book during her free period seeing as she had left her at home. Dawn had agreed and Melinda had come back from her free period Janice in tow.

"Can we sign your book too?" Janice had asked while Melinda had only grinned looking hopeful.

"Ah, okay," Dawn had agreed.

Giggling Melinda had declared her love for Harry. Janice had rolled her eyes and said that Harry was far too much of a goody-goody and then proceeded to carefully transcribe her love for Draco.

Anya and Xander had been next to join in the fun. Anya quickly read all four books with delighted explanations about different characteristics of the books which occasionally lead to stories of her demon days. Somehow they all survived this though Buffy had once declared that she was going to slay the books if Anya didn't stop soon. Once she had read everything Anya had carefully gone over her options before writing down that she was in love with Sirius Black.

"He reminds me of Xander, with his rugged mainlines and all. Plus he's got to be rich to have bought Harry that broom. And he hasn't had an orgasm friend for awhile so he'll be wanting to have a lot of sex," she had explained smiling. Xander had laughed at her before taking the book from her and carefully writing all along the edge of the inner cover Xander loves Anya loves Xander love Anya. Anya had gotten impatient to know who his crush was as he was writing, he wouldn't let her see. She was all worked up by the time he finished and when she saw she melted and began telling him how much she loved him too. Dawn had wisely grabbed her book and made her escape.

Spike had come next, as it turned out he was an avid reader and had already read the whole series. He insisted on being included in the fun and since that had come at the time when Dawn was crushing on him there was no denying letting him sign her book. It had actually been fun. He'd given her a smirk then pretended to be thinking before he very carefully picked a spot to write William the Bloody loves Ginny Weasley. Then he wrote a short note under it, However he will only claim to love her when she comes of age and only if that Malfoy git doesn't realize how great she is. As it turned out Spike was a die hard Draco/Ginny shipper though he didn't have much faith in Draco, until the movie came out. Dawn couldn't count the number of time the two of them had watched the movie together. Everyone had had a wiggins over how much the young Malfoy had reminded them of Spike and Spike for his part was delighted and never complained over watching it. He even asked for it on occasion.

Giles not to be outdone had given her a smile when she explained about everyone signing the book before he chuckled at her and wrote Giles finds Professor McGonagall interesting.

The hardest to convince to sign her name into the book had been Buffy. Xander and Willow had both put in words for Dawn but Buffy had declared that she had no time for reading. Finally Dawn had got her, "Please Buffy, Mom did and I...I just want everyone in it."

Buffy had paused looking gravely at her before saying, "All right, for Mom."

She had then carefully skimmed the forth book before declaring that Bill was hers. Her logic had included that his line of work seemed to go good with hers and he was cool and he had that fang earring.

To Dawn that time was far away. She often wished things could go back to the way they were when they first began to sign her book. Sure by the time Buffy had signed it Joyce had already passed away, but the way things were now she'd even go back to that time because at least then she had Buffy and Xander and Willow and oh just everyone.

This time the big bad was bigger and scarier then even Glory. Spike had went and got himself souled. Xander had left Anya at the alter and Anya had gone back to being a demon and then back to being a human, but her and Xander just couldn't seem to get back together. Dawn missed them as a couple. Without Anya Xander was becoming all jaded and it wigged her out. She missed her happy, jibbing, always going to find the punch line Xander. Buffy was so busy being strong for the potentials she hardly had time for sisterly things. Giles was here and there. Tara was dead. Willow...it hurt Dawn to think of everything that had happened with Willow. It was safe to say Willow was the Wicca who wouldn't. Things had just fallen apart, everything was wrong and worst yet their house was being over run and Dawn was feeling shunted to the side. It...things just couldn't get worse.

"Well here we are," Xander announced as they pulled up to her house.

"Thank Xander," she told him.

"Hey would you be kind enough to grab one of the bag from the back?"

"Sure, what are they?"

"Stakes for the potentials and for Buffy. One can never have enough stakes."

With a slight sigh Dawn grabbed a bag and went in. Xander followed. Remarkably somehow the house was somewhat quiet. They found Willow in the kitchen.

"Hey Dawnie," she greeted, "Would you like an after school snack."

"That would be so good, I have had the worst day."

"Oh? What's so awful in the life of Dawn?"

Dawn smiled, Willow had been trying harder lately to make sure someone kept up with what was happening with her. Dawn supposed it had to do with Willow still feeling guilty over the things that had happened last year. Dawn wasn't going to complain though, it was nice to finally be getting noticed.

Dawn sat herself down on a stool by the island and watched as Willow set down a plate of chocolate chip cookies with the explanation, "I was in the mood for chocolate and Andrew wanted cookies so well I think he actually went overboard. I'll get some milk."

As Willow started getting drinks for the three of them Dawn launched into an explanation, "Well remember how I told you that Melinda and Janice got in a fight? Well today you wouldn't believe what Melind... what's this?"

As she had been talking Dawn had flipped open her book, it had fallen to the back cover. There was weird writing and signs. Indignant and a little worried Dawn looked at Willow suspiciously, "W-Willow did you do something with my book?"

Willow turned around to look at her confused as Xander came up behind her and asked, "What is that?"

"I don't know," Dawn said worriedly as she began to push the book away from her before declaring, "Ow! Ow! Paper cut!"

"Bleeder too," Xander observed.

Dawn hissed in pain and began to pull her hand back, some of her blood flew onto the book. Her eyes widened in fascination as the blood was absorbed by the signs and they started to glow. She grabbed her book and stared at it. She shook it. Then she noticed Xander was going up to Willow, he seemed angry. He was talking to Willow, actually it looked more like he was accusing her of something. That's when Dawn realized she couldn't hear him. As she opened her mouth to scream the world around her began to spin and her book slipped from her fingers and clattered to the floor.