Chapter 3
Spoilers: In the Buffy verse, I'm starting out in early Season 7. So, if you haven't seen it yet, this
will contain spoilers!

A/N: Thanks to immortaljedi and Danielle for correcting me about Bill. I can't believe I forgot Bill!
(I will be correcting that mistake either in the later part of this chapter, or the next chapter.) Once
again, thanks for the correction you two. As I said before, I am very new to the Harry Potter
world. So, if you do see a few mistakes, please tell me so that I can clear them up. As I go along
I am finding it quite addicting. However, I highly doubt you'll find a mistake with the BTVS part of
this story. I haven't been a Buffy addict since the show started so I know (at least I think I do) a
lot about it.

Thanks to these wonderful reviewers for their sweet words:
Immortaljedi, Danielle, Elizabeth, and Jenni



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The 3:30 bell rang on schedule in the fairly new Sunnydale high school. As usual, students
piled out of their classrooms. Most of the students ran around trying not to hit each other as they
ran in different directions. Buffy Summers walked out of her office with her bag thrown over her
shoulder.
"Buffy!" Buffy heard the loud cry of her sister and halted to let the brunette catch up with
her.
"Hey Dawn. How was your day?" Buffy questioned giving her sister a small hug, but
quickly pulling back at seeing her sister's embarrassed face.
"Oops, sorry, I forgot the 'no-touching me' rule." Buffy stated apologetically.
Dawn laughed and smiled. "It's alright Buff. My day was okay. At least it's Friday, right?"
Buffy nodded at her sister as they stepped out of the school.

The sisters walked down the steps of the front of the school. They smiled as they spotted
Xander walking up to them.
"Hey ladies!" Xander started walking in between them with his arms draped across their
shoulders.
"Hey Xan! Are you still coming over for patrol?" Dawn questioned with a sudden look of
excitement on her face.
"Of course, of course."
"Great! You'll get to see me stake a vamp!" Dawn cried. She quickly shut up; however,
as she saw the strange looks she was getting from a few passerbies. Buffy rolled her eyes and
smiled at her sister.
"Maybe you'll get to stake a vamp. Hopefully, what happened last time won't happen this
time." Buffy stated with the 'I'm older than you I know more' look. Now, it was Dawn's turn to roll
her eyes.
"Oh please, I could have taken that vamp! It's not my fault that I tripped on a root. It just
happened to…be there."
"Right, what will happen when I'm not there and you trip on a root that's just "there"?
You'll die."
"Buffy! I can handle it. Besides you were there." Dawn cried out in protest.
"Actually Dawnie, that's what the Buffster was trying to prove. You could have died if she
wasn't there." Dawn huffed at her sister and Xander.
"Whatever, you'll get to see how good I am tonight. Oooh! Is Spike going to be there?"
At this question Xander grumbled and Buffy tensed. It had been a couple of weeks since
they had discovered the souled vampire. Even though he was on good terms with the gang, he
was still a sore subject for them.
"He said he would try to come." Buffy stated. Dawn nodded excitedly. Once her sister
had patched things up a bit, Dawn had easily forgiven the souled vampire. He often assisted
them with patrol and research parties.

About ten minutes later, the three pulled up in front of the Summers' residence. They all
stepped out of Xander's car.
"Home Sweet Home." Dawn stated running into the house and into her room. She
threw her bags down and came down a few seconds later. Xander and Buffy walked in and Buffy
walked over to the blinking answering machine. She checked the messages while deleting most
of them.

Message 5: Err…Buffy? This is Giles. Could you give me a call when you get home? I
have a few things I need to speak with you about.

Buffy looked up at Xander with worry in her eyes.
"What do you think that was about?" She questioned picking up the phone and dialing the
number to her watcher's home in England. Xander shrugged and walked out of the kitchen and
into the living room.
After a few seconds of ringing, the phone was picked up on the other end.
"Hello?" Buffy smiled at the warm, familiar accent.
"Hey Giles, its Buffy. What's wrong?"
"Wrong? Oh! Nothing is wrong Buffy! I just had to talk to you about Willow." Buffy's brow
furrowed in confusion.
"It's about Willow and nothing's wrong?" Buffy winced at the question.
"Buffy, I know you're upset about Willow, but that was uncalled for."
"I'm sorry Giles. It's just; we all haven't really gotten over it. We're trying, though." Buffy
heard Giles soft sigh which in turn caused her to sigh too.
"I know Buffy, I know."
"So, what's up with Willow?" Even if Willow had caused harm, she was still Buffy's best
friend. Buffy wanted to know everything that was happening in her life.
"Well, as you know, she's been getting better over the summer. The coven told her a
week ago that she could leave. They said she was healed as much as they could heal her. She
has to do the rest on her own, now."
"So, she's coming back to Sunnydale, now?" Buffy questioned with a small smile.
"No, Buffy. That's what I called to tell you. I don't quite know when Willow will be coming
home. She's gone to stay with her cousin, Buffy."
"What? Her cousin? Since when does Willow have a cousin in England?" Buffy cried in
confusion.
"Her cousin's name is Molly Weasley. Molly is a witch and she's going to look after
Willow for awhile."
"A witch! Giles, we can help Willow here! She needs to come home. How can a cousin
she's never even met help her?"
"Buffy, I know your upset, but Willow isn't ready. She needs to sort things out before she
can face you all again. She's just not ready." Buffy sighed and sat down in the kitchen chair with
a thump.
"Alright Giles. If you think this is best. But, if she's not home in a month, I'm going to
England, Giles."
"Buf…" Before Giles could complete his protest, Buffy had hung up.

"Xander!" Buffy cried walking into the living room. Xander jumped up with worry in his
eyes.
"What's wrong?"
"Willow's not coming home." Xander's eyebrows went up in confusion as he pulled Buffy
to sit down on the couch.
"Giles said that Willow is healed, but she isn't coming back to Sunnydale! He said she's
not ready!" Buffy cried leaning into her best friend as a tear escaped her eye.
"So she's staying with Giles, then?" Xander questioned trying to console his upset friend
while sorting the sudden news in his mind.
"No! She's not even going to be near him! She's staying with her cousin, who is some
witch!"
"Calm down Buffy, we'll get this sorted out. I promise." Buffy looked up at her friend with
a tear-stained face.
"How can she think that some woman she hasn't even met can help her? She needs to
be here with her family. We could help her, Xand. Why isn't she here with us?" Buffy finally
broke down and Xander hugged her tightly.

"What's going on?" Xander and Buffy looked up to see Dawn standing there with
confusion written across her face. So, they told her about the conversation and where Willow
would be staying.
"Good. I don't want Willow here. She just causes harm." Dawn scoffed with an angry
look across her face. Buffy jumped up and marched over to Dawn.
"How dare you say that? Willow is my best friend! She's always been there for us! She
took care of you when I was gone! How can you say that?"
"She tried to end the world Buffy! She tried to kill us!" Dawn cried in frustration.
"So did I Dawn! I tried to kill you! You don't hate me, do you? Dawnie, stop this. Tara is
already gone. We can't block out everyone. We just can't abandon Willow. She's always been a
part of our lives. She's family." Buffy grabbed her sister in for a hug as Dawn started to cry.
"I'm sorry Buffy." Dawn whispered and Buffy nodded.
"It's alright Dawnie. It's alright." Dawn smiled at her sister and Xander grabbed them
both in for a hug. The girls shrieked and laughed at their friend.
"Okay, enough with this. Let's go out for patrol."
"Right, let's go out for patrol." The three Scooby members jumped and turned at the
deep voice.
"Hey Spike!" Dawn chirped running over to the vampire. He smiled at her.
"Hey lil' bit., Buffy, Xander." Spike nodded at them and they nodded back.
Dawn and Xander walked out first with Buffy and Spike trailing behind.
"So, how much did you here?" Buffy asked him.
"Only enough to know that Red isn't coming back." He replied softly squeezing Buffy's
arm. Buffy smiled up at him and nodded. She quickly started running to catch up with Dawn.
Spike sighed at the familiar feelings he felt rising up in his chest. He knew he and Buffy
would never last. He had actually been the first one to state this when he and Buffy had worked
through their problems. Their relationship was now, purely friendly. He just wondered if there
would ever be someone to fill his heart with love again.
The familiar pull of vampires nearby brought Spike out of his though. He pushed the
painful thoughts into the farthest parts of his mind before running to join the fight.

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Alright, how did you like this chapter? Again, if you have any corrections, feel free to speak
them. Thanks! Please review!