Title: Black As Midnight
Author: eena_angel2001
Email: igrewal@sfu.ca or eena_angel@hotmail.com
Rating: R
Category: HP/BTVS/ATS
Pairing: Willow/Oliver Wood, Dawn/Draco, Faith/Sirius Black, Fred/Remus Lupin, Should I bother with a Buffy pairing?
Disclaimer: Rowlings owns HP. Whedon owns BTVS.
Spoilers: Up to Season Seven for BTVS, but before Willow comes back. GOF for HP.
Summary: A new evil rises, transcending the line between Muggle and Wizarding Worlds, and forcing our heroes to join if they wish to survive.
Notes: This is an AU Season Seven fic.
1) Willow did not kill Warren, though Tara did die and she did go to England with Giles. Warren is not dead for this fic.
2) Fred and Gunn never dated in this fic.
3) Anya is not a vengeance demon for this fic.
4) I must point out again that there will be reference to evil things Willow has done. But that does not refer to her trying to end the world. It refers to her actions up until "Wrecked", Season 6, which remain the same as they did in the show.
Part Five
***Sunnydale, USA***
"Well, if it isn't the man who left me at the altar."
Xander stopped in his tracks, resisting the urge to roll his eyes at the declaration. But he restrained himself, knowing fully that he deserved whatever barbs Anya had for him. Any time and anyplace.
Just not today.
"Anya, pack your stuff up," he ordered, not even bothering to rise to the bait. She looked angry, primed to fight, but they didn't have the time.
"Excuse me?" Anya looked a bit indignant. "You come strolling into my shop, after all you've done, and just expect me to follow orders-"
"They're Buffy's orders," he interrupted, raising a hand for peace. "Anya, I know I hurt you and I deserve a hell of a lot worse words for what I did, but we don't have the time. There's something going on, something very big. We have to get to England."
"England?" Anya repeated, face losing the irritation from before. "Why England?"
"Because Giles said we would be safe there," Xander explained, coming to stand behind her at the register. "So grab your things, grab money, and whatever else you'll need. I've got this list of books Giles wanted-"
"Wait a minute!" Anya shook herself, glaring at him in mistrust. "We are not going anywhere until you explain what big bad is on its way."
"We don't know," he confessed, mentally cursing Buffy for sending him to collect the former demon. The Slayer wouldn't have had to do so much convincing to get Anya to listen to her. But no, Buffy couldn't be drawn away from her phone and conferences with Angel and Giles. The former who was now on his way over to Sunnydale with his entire staff (two people at the moment), a green demon they had collected from Las Vegas, and a son.
Buffy was having problems with the son bit.
"You don't know," Anya repeated icily. "You don't know what it is, but you expect me to get into a frenzy over-"
"Anya please!" Xander exclaimed, hanging his head. "Something really bad is happening. Buffy and Dawn have had dreams, Willow and some girl named Fred have had bad feelings. Hell, Faith is in the bad vibes business as well. And Giles is telling us someone is killing Watchers and Travers is dead, Spike was being tortured and now Willow's looking after him. There's a whole bunch of panic going on about some black mark on Spike's back and did I mention all the disappearing Slayers in Training? So could you just take my word on this and please just hurry!"
She seemed quieted at his outburst, looking deep into his eyes for some sort of answer. He kept her gaze evenly, letting all his fears and concerns over the situation flood into his eyes, something to get her to understand. And thankfully, she did.
Anya nodded, slowly coming out from behind the register and escorting him to the books.
"Thank you," he sighed in relief, following her. She nodded absently, stopping in her tracks to turn around and look at him in curiosity.
"You said something about a black mark?"
"Yeah," Xander shrugged. "Somebody carved it into Spike's back. Black mark or dark spot or something, I don't remember."
Anya's eyes went wide as she stepped closer to him.
"Xander," she started off slowly, voice carrying a tinge of panic. "Did Giles say Black mark or Dark Mark?"
He paused, thinking it over.
"Dark Mark," he replied finally. "Yeah, that's it. Dark Mark, Giles definitely said- Anya, what's wrong?"
The former demon had sunk down into a chair, eyes wide with fear. She looked up at him with panic on her face, jumping to her feet mere seconds after she had taken a seat.
"We have to hurry!"
"Anya, what-"
"I'll explain later!" she shrieked impatiently, pushing him towards the books. "You get the books, I'll get my stuff. But we have to hurry! You were right Xander, this is bad. Very very bad."
*****
***London, England***
"I want every single last Watcher and Slayer in Training recalled immediately!"
Marcus flinched under the harshness in Giles's tone. The young Watcher licked his dry lips, watching his co-workers split into groups to carry out the orders. No one questioned a thing, Giles was assumed to have authority now. Quentin had all but given it to him with his last words and actions.
But they were all a bit iffy on his orders.
"There are thousands," one of the older Watchers protested. "How can we just tell them to-"
"Because I say so!" Giles barked, cutting the man off. "I don't care what it takes, do you hear me? I want every single last Watcher on the face of the planet here within a week! All the Slayers in Training as well! No one is to be left unaccounted for. Fax them, email them, call them, or go get them personally, but get them here!"
And with that, everyone was off running again. Marcus made to leave, stopping when Giles called for him.
"I need you to get these to Mary," he ordered, handing him two envelopes. "One goes to the school, the other to the Ministry. She knows how."
"What about Miss Rosenburg?" Marcus ventured timidly. That stopped Giles in his tracks. The man took off his glasses, pinching the bridge of his nose for a second before replying.
"She will be fine with Spike," Giles finally determined. "He won't hurt her. And she's more than capable of defending herself against anyone that would try anything. If she needs anything, she'll give us a ring. Until then, don't worry about Willow. Just grab a list of Watchers and get on the phone."
Marcus nodded, clutching the two envelopes to his chest as he hurried to Mary's desk. Behind him, Giles sank into his desk chair with his head in his hands. The man was feeling his age more than ever right now. He felt tired, tired and scared. Not a good mix in a leader during a crisis.
Giles sighed, straigtening and reaching for the phone. He had to call Buffy, let her know what was going to happen. The Slayer needed to be brought to safety just as badly as the others. But he was well aware Buffy had some loose ends to tie up before she could up and leaved for England.
After all, there still was the whole matter of Faith to deal with.
*****
**Giles Manor**
Willow sighed, rubbing her eyes tiredly. She needed to get some sleep, badly. There was no way she could keep going in her current condition. And the redhead knew she was going to have to be in top form for whatever was coming. All this business of a Dark Mark and some people called Death Eaters killing Watchers wasn't adding up to anything good at all. The redhead witch should get her butt into bed so she could at least be somewhat helpful later on.
But she couldn't just rest now. Spike was still awake, in pain, and in a panic. She had finally finished dressing all his wounds, knowing that with the blood in him, he was making his way to being better. But he wasn't taking that much blood just yet. Still too injured and hurt to take much of it in. He was sick, there was no doubt of that, and the only thing that could make him better he couldn't handle much of.
The redhead shifted her position of sitting on the floor. She hadn't bother to move Spike from the couch, feeling entirely too tired to do it on her own. Marcus had fled right after muttering stuff about the Dark Mark on Spike's back, and probably wouldn't have ventured close enough to Spike to help her in the first place. Giles was still busy at the Council, calling every now and then to give her updates. That's how she knew about the Death Eaters and Dark Mark business, though she felt she was getting the abbreviated version.
She was tired and sore, her butt felt numb. Stupid little grievances, but ones that were bothering the hell out of her. She didn't like this fear of something unknown. She didn't like the way the Watchers kept freaking out and explaining very little. She hated feeling like she couldn't do anything until she was given the okay. And she especially hated that someone had done something to Spike and she couldn't be sure that they weren't on their way to finish the job.
"I tried to . . . tried . . ."
Her head snapped up, looking at Spike in confusion as the vampire began muttering again. He did a lot of that, some of it useful but others just nonsensical garbage she couldn't understand.
"Tried what Spike?" she ventured softly. The vampire closed his eyes, chest heaving as he shook his violently.
"It's inside here," he rasped. "It hurts me, and I let it. I tried to . . I tried so hard . . . I shouldn't have . . ."
"Spike," she murmured, going up to her knees so she could look down at his face. Her hand went to the side of his head, stroking his hair in what she hoped was a soothing motion. His eyes opened and he looked at her with tear-filled eyes.
"William hates being a bad boy," he whispered. She frowned, eyebrows knitting together.
"What-"
"William hates hurting the girl," the vampire sobbed, trying to curl up into a fetal position on the couch. Willow was shocked when he balled his hand up into a fist and struck himself.
"Spike!" she cried in alarm.
"William hates hurting the girl!" the vampire repeated with sobs. "But I always hurt the girl. I deserve the hurt, but William doesn't. But we're one in here now, with nothing left to separate us. William hurts for what I did . . . I'm sorry but I can't make it up to him . . . I tried to escape so he wouldn't have to feel the hurt . . . but they kept us there, when only I should have been there."
"Spike," Willow was near a panic, coming to understanding very slowly. "Spike, you couldn't have . . . Your soul? "
Suddenly he jumped upright, gripping the witch hard by the arms.
"They wanted to know about the girls," Spike stuttered. "But I wouldn't tell them . . . William doesn't want them to hurt the girls . . . I don't either, but they're going to . . . Have to save the girls!"
"What girls?" Willow demanded, mind racing with the revelations the vampire was making.
"He wants all the girls!" Spike roared. "All the girls . . . all the ones meant for the rest . . . all those who die for the rest . . . He wants them, and all others who see, mostly girls, one or two boys, but all innocents . . . He wants them, wants to use them. You have to protect the girls!"
"I will!" Willow swore blindly, catching some of his meaning. "It's the Slayers in Training isn't it? They're the girls!"
Spike nodded, slowly easing himself down onto the couch. Willow gave a bit of a squeal when he pulled her along with him. The vampire nestled her next to him, looking at her with haunted eyes.
"I know he wants the girls," the vampire told her quietly. "But I don't know why."
"We'll find out," she promised quickly.
"All those girls . . ."
"We'll protect them,"
"But he'll save you for last."
That made her stop dead still. Confused green eyes went to his blue ones.
"What?" she asked in a disbelieving tone.
"He'll save you for last," the vampire repeated, turning his face away from her and closing his eyes.
"Red was a bad girl once. And he liked it."
*****
Author: eena_angel2001
Email: igrewal@sfu.ca or eena_angel@hotmail.com
Rating: R
Category: HP/BTVS/ATS
Pairing: Willow/Oliver Wood, Dawn/Draco, Faith/Sirius Black, Fred/Remus Lupin, Should I bother with a Buffy pairing?
Disclaimer: Rowlings owns HP. Whedon owns BTVS.
Spoilers: Up to Season Seven for BTVS, but before Willow comes back. GOF for HP.
Summary: A new evil rises, transcending the line between Muggle and Wizarding Worlds, and forcing our heroes to join if they wish to survive.
Notes: This is an AU Season Seven fic.
1) Willow did not kill Warren, though Tara did die and she did go to England with Giles. Warren is not dead for this fic.
2) Fred and Gunn never dated in this fic.
3) Anya is not a vengeance demon for this fic.
4) I must point out again that there will be reference to evil things Willow has done. But that does not refer to her trying to end the world. It refers to her actions up until "Wrecked", Season 6, which remain the same as they did in the show.
Part Five
***Sunnydale, USA***
"Well, if it isn't the man who left me at the altar."
Xander stopped in his tracks, resisting the urge to roll his eyes at the declaration. But he restrained himself, knowing fully that he deserved whatever barbs Anya had for him. Any time and anyplace.
Just not today.
"Anya, pack your stuff up," he ordered, not even bothering to rise to the bait. She looked angry, primed to fight, but they didn't have the time.
"Excuse me?" Anya looked a bit indignant. "You come strolling into my shop, after all you've done, and just expect me to follow orders-"
"They're Buffy's orders," he interrupted, raising a hand for peace. "Anya, I know I hurt you and I deserve a hell of a lot worse words for what I did, but we don't have the time. There's something going on, something very big. We have to get to England."
"England?" Anya repeated, face losing the irritation from before. "Why England?"
"Because Giles said we would be safe there," Xander explained, coming to stand behind her at the register. "So grab your things, grab money, and whatever else you'll need. I've got this list of books Giles wanted-"
"Wait a minute!" Anya shook herself, glaring at him in mistrust. "We are not going anywhere until you explain what big bad is on its way."
"We don't know," he confessed, mentally cursing Buffy for sending him to collect the former demon. The Slayer wouldn't have had to do so much convincing to get Anya to listen to her. But no, Buffy couldn't be drawn away from her phone and conferences with Angel and Giles. The former who was now on his way over to Sunnydale with his entire staff (two people at the moment), a green demon they had collected from Las Vegas, and a son.
Buffy was having problems with the son bit.
"You don't know," Anya repeated icily. "You don't know what it is, but you expect me to get into a frenzy over-"
"Anya please!" Xander exclaimed, hanging his head. "Something really bad is happening. Buffy and Dawn have had dreams, Willow and some girl named Fred have had bad feelings. Hell, Faith is in the bad vibes business as well. And Giles is telling us someone is killing Watchers and Travers is dead, Spike was being tortured and now Willow's looking after him. There's a whole bunch of panic going on about some black mark on Spike's back and did I mention all the disappearing Slayers in Training? So could you just take my word on this and please just hurry!"
She seemed quieted at his outburst, looking deep into his eyes for some sort of answer. He kept her gaze evenly, letting all his fears and concerns over the situation flood into his eyes, something to get her to understand. And thankfully, she did.
Anya nodded, slowly coming out from behind the register and escorting him to the books.
"Thank you," he sighed in relief, following her. She nodded absently, stopping in her tracks to turn around and look at him in curiosity.
"You said something about a black mark?"
"Yeah," Xander shrugged. "Somebody carved it into Spike's back. Black mark or dark spot or something, I don't remember."
Anya's eyes went wide as she stepped closer to him.
"Xander," she started off slowly, voice carrying a tinge of panic. "Did Giles say Black mark or Dark Mark?"
He paused, thinking it over.
"Dark Mark," he replied finally. "Yeah, that's it. Dark Mark, Giles definitely said- Anya, what's wrong?"
The former demon had sunk down into a chair, eyes wide with fear. She looked up at him with panic on her face, jumping to her feet mere seconds after she had taken a seat.
"We have to hurry!"
"Anya, what-"
"I'll explain later!" she shrieked impatiently, pushing him towards the books. "You get the books, I'll get my stuff. But we have to hurry! You were right Xander, this is bad. Very very bad."
*****
***London, England***
"I want every single last Watcher and Slayer in Training recalled immediately!"
Marcus flinched under the harshness in Giles's tone. The young Watcher licked his dry lips, watching his co-workers split into groups to carry out the orders. No one questioned a thing, Giles was assumed to have authority now. Quentin had all but given it to him with his last words and actions.
But they were all a bit iffy on his orders.
"There are thousands," one of the older Watchers protested. "How can we just tell them to-"
"Because I say so!" Giles barked, cutting the man off. "I don't care what it takes, do you hear me? I want every single last Watcher on the face of the planet here within a week! All the Slayers in Training as well! No one is to be left unaccounted for. Fax them, email them, call them, or go get them personally, but get them here!"
And with that, everyone was off running again. Marcus made to leave, stopping when Giles called for him.
"I need you to get these to Mary," he ordered, handing him two envelopes. "One goes to the school, the other to the Ministry. She knows how."
"What about Miss Rosenburg?" Marcus ventured timidly. That stopped Giles in his tracks. The man took off his glasses, pinching the bridge of his nose for a second before replying.
"She will be fine with Spike," Giles finally determined. "He won't hurt her. And she's more than capable of defending herself against anyone that would try anything. If she needs anything, she'll give us a ring. Until then, don't worry about Willow. Just grab a list of Watchers and get on the phone."
Marcus nodded, clutching the two envelopes to his chest as he hurried to Mary's desk. Behind him, Giles sank into his desk chair with his head in his hands. The man was feeling his age more than ever right now. He felt tired, tired and scared. Not a good mix in a leader during a crisis.
Giles sighed, straigtening and reaching for the phone. He had to call Buffy, let her know what was going to happen. The Slayer needed to be brought to safety just as badly as the others. But he was well aware Buffy had some loose ends to tie up before she could up and leaved for England.
After all, there still was the whole matter of Faith to deal with.
*****
**Giles Manor**
Willow sighed, rubbing her eyes tiredly. She needed to get some sleep, badly. There was no way she could keep going in her current condition. And the redhead knew she was going to have to be in top form for whatever was coming. All this business of a Dark Mark and some people called Death Eaters killing Watchers wasn't adding up to anything good at all. The redhead witch should get her butt into bed so she could at least be somewhat helpful later on.
But she couldn't just rest now. Spike was still awake, in pain, and in a panic. She had finally finished dressing all his wounds, knowing that with the blood in him, he was making his way to being better. But he wasn't taking that much blood just yet. Still too injured and hurt to take much of it in. He was sick, there was no doubt of that, and the only thing that could make him better he couldn't handle much of.
The redhead shifted her position of sitting on the floor. She hadn't bother to move Spike from the couch, feeling entirely too tired to do it on her own. Marcus had fled right after muttering stuff about the Dark Mark on Spike's back, and probably wouldn't have ventured close enough to Spike to help her in the first place. Giles was still busy at the Council, calling every now and then to give her updates. That's how she knew about the Death Eaters and Dark Mark business, though she felt she was getting the abbreviated version.
She was tired and sore, her butt felt numb. Stupid little grievances, but ones that were bothering the hell out of her. She didn't like this fear of something unknown. She didn't like the way the Watchers kept freaking out and explaining very little. She hated feeling like she couldn't do anything until she was given the okay. And she especially hated that someone had done something to Spike and she couldn't be sure that they weren't on their way to finish the job.
"I tried to . . . tried . . ."
Her head snapped up, looking at Spike in confusion as the vampire began muttering again. He did a lot of that, some of it useful but others just nonsensical garbage she couldn't understand.
"Tried what Spike?" she ventured softly. The vampire closed his eyes, chest heaving as he shook his violently.
"It's inside here," he rasped. "It hurts me, and I let it. I tried to . . I tried so hard . . . I shouldn't have . . ."
"Spike," she murmured, going up to her knees so she could look down at his face. Her hand went to the side of his head, stroking his hair in what she hoped was a soothing motion. His eyes opened and he looked at her with tear-filled eyes.
"William hates being a bad boy," he whispered. She frowned, eyebrows knitting together.
"What-"
"William hates hurting the girl," the vampire sobbed, trying to curl up into a fetal position on the couch. Willow was shocked when he balled his hand up into a fist and struck himself.
"Spike!" she cried in alarm.
"William hates hurting the girl!" the vampire repeated with sobs. "But I always hurt the girl. I deserve the hurt, but William doesn't. But we're one in here now, with nothing left to separate us. William hurts for what I did . . . I'm sorry but I can't make it up to him . . . I tried to escape so he wouldn't have to feel the hurt . . . but they kept us there, when only I should have been there."
"Spike," Willow was near a panic, coming to understanding very slowly. "Spike, you couldn't have . . . Your soul? "
Suddenly he jumped upright, gripping the witch hard by the arms.
"They wanted to know about the girls," Spike stuttered. "But I wouldn't tell them . . . William doesn't want them to hurt the girls . . . I don't either, but they're going to . . . Have to save the girls!"
"What girls?" Willow demanded, mind racing with the revelations the vampire was making.
"He wants all the girls!" Spike roared. "All the girls . . . all the ones meant for the rest . . . all those who die for the rest . . . He wants them, and all others who see, mostly girls, one or two boys, but all innocents . . . He wants them, wants to use them. You have to protect the girls!"
"I will!" Willow swore blindly, catching some of his meaning. "It's the Slayers in Training isn't it? They're the girls!"
Spike nodded, slowly easing himself down onto the couch. Willow gave a bit of a squeal when he pulled her along with him. The vampire nestled her next to him, looking at her with haunted eyes.
"I know he wants the girls," the vampire told her quietly. "But I don't know why."
"We'll find out," she promised quickly.
"All those girls . . ."
"We'll protect them,"
"But he'll save you for last."
That made her stop dead still. Confused green eyes went to his blue ones.
"What?" she asked in a disbelieving tone.
"He'll save you for last," the vampire repeated, turning his face away from her and closing his eyes.
"Red was a bad girl once. And he liked it."
*****