Blood of Enemies, Blood of Friends
Chapter 32 – The Book
A few days before classes were scheduled to resume, Cat received an owl during breakfast in the Great Hall. She untied the letter from the owl's foot and read it quickly. Cat stood, giving Wesley and Giles a knowing look. The two men followed Cat out of the Great Hall.
"I wonder what that was all about," commented Willow.
"I'd say that Cat wanted Wesley to follow her back to her room for orgasms, but she doesn't seem like the type who would want Giles joining in," mused Anya.
"Anya, sweetheart, we have talked about how you should never use the words 'Giles' and 'orgasm' in the same sentence," said Xander with a shiver. Anya rolled her eyes at Xander.
"It must have something to do with the book that she and Wesley were trying to track down," commented Robin.
"So why are we still sitting here?" asked Buffy. It was obvious to her that something related to the prophecy was happening. She was glad that Charlie had departed for Romania, the previous day. He knew about her life, but she did not believe that he was truly ready to see it first hand.
The group shared a few looks, and then one by one they got up from the head table and left the Great Hall. Dawn and Hermione noticed that all of the Scoobies had exited the Great Hall. "Something must be going on," said Dawn.
"Do you think we should follow them?" asked Hermione.
"Absolutely," replied Dawn. Dawn, Shannon, Hermione, Harry, Ron, and Andrew stood. Dawn shot Draco a look. He immediately understood that he should follow.
The students arrived in the Scooby common room only a minute or two after the Scoobies did. Giles and Wesley were reading the letter that Cat had received. "What's going on?" asked Shannon.
Cat answered. "I got a letter from that book dealer that Wesley and I went to see the weekend of the Yule Ball. He says that he has tracked down a copy of the book containing the spell to activate the gemma sanguinis, but that the owner of the book insists on meeting us personally for the sale."
"That sounds kind of off," commented Buffy.
"It definitely is not the way these sort of transactions are normally conducted. In fact, the buyer and the seller often do not want any of their information shared with each other," explained Wesley.
"Do you think that it's some kind of setup?" asked Faith.
"It could be," replied Giles, "but I don't see that we have any choice in the matter. We need that book."
"A group of us should go to meet the buyer, but not Xander. I don't want him getting hurt," said Anya. Xander rolled his eyes and shook his head. He fought bringers and ubervamps, but Anya was still afraid that the owner of a book would hurt him. He was so happy to have her back in his life.
"I think it is best that Cat, Wesley, and I go," explained Giles. "We are familiar with this kind of dealing."
"I'm going too," interjected Buffy. "You should have someone who can physically back you up if needed."
Giles shook his head. "You have a good point, but as we are getting closer to the date for the second part of the prophecy, I do not think that it is wise for you and I to both go into a situation that could be a trap."
Before Buffy had a chance to argue, Faith volunteered to go. "B., I'll go with them. That way they have a Slayer to back them up without us having to worry that the blood of friends can be taken from the two of you." Buffy would have rather gone herself, but nodded her consent to Faith's compromise.
"The letter says that the seller will meet us at a hotel room in London tomorrow night," Cat informed the group.
****************
Giles, Wesley, Cat, and Faith were gathered in a room in the small London hotel. It was a simple room, like those found in any hotel. There were two double beds, a nightstand, a bureau, a table with two chairs, and a television set. Giles and Wesley were taking turns pacing. Cat sat at the table polishing her wand, and Faith lay across one of the beds flipping channels on the television.
The group froze as they heard the word, "Alohomora." A fairly short figure dressed in a dark hooded robe entered the room. The figure removed the hood. The group was taken aback to see a beautiful, blonde-haired woman. Her eyes scanned the room, coming to rest on Giles. "Rupert Giles?" she questioned. Giles looked momentarily confused. "Ripper?"
It took a few moments for Giles to recognize the woman. It had been years since he had last set eyes on her. "Little Cissa Black?" The woman crossed the room and threw her arms around Giles, who eagerly returned the hug. The others in the room looked at each other in confusion.
"I did not think you would remember me after all these years," she said.
"How could I not remember one of my little shadows," Giles replied with a laugh.
"You know her?" questioned Faith.
"Where are my manners? Everyone this is Narcissa Black. When we were younger, she was best friends with Elena Rayne, the younger sister of a once good friend of mine Ethan. Narcissa and Elena used to shadow Ethan and I quite often. It was a bit annoying," explained Giles. He then introduced Faith, Cat, and Wesley to Narcissa.
"Actually it is Narcissa Malfoy now," Narcissa said.
"Malfoy?" questioned Giles.
"I am married to Lucius Malfoy, the escaped Death Eater."
"You're Draco's mom," said Faith, happy with herself for making the connection.
"Yes. You know my son?"
"Quite well actually," said Giles. "He is a student of mine. I teach Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts, and Faith teaches Fighting Techniques. He is also currently dating the younger sister of my Slayer."
"Your Slayer? So then you did eventually become a Watcher," mused Narcissa.
"Yes, I did."
"And Ethan? Elena has not spoken with her brother for quite a few years now," said Narcissa.
"Ethan is still worshipping Chaos. I have had a few not so pleasant run ins with him over the past few years," explained Giles. "How is Elena?"
"She is very good. She is married and has a daughter. In fact, you teach her as well – Millicent Bulstrode."
"My God, Millicent is Ethan Rayne's niece. Actually for some of the trouble she has gotten in during my class, I shouldn't be too surprised," commented Giles.
Faith interrupted, "This reunion stuff is interesting and all, but shouldn't we be talking about the book."
Giles shot an angry look at Faith, but calmed immediately when Narcissa placed her hand on his arm. "She is right," Narcissa said. "I do not have a lot of time. Lucius cannot know that I am here."
"Very well," said Giles. Narcissa handed Giles the book. He passed it to Cat and Wesley, before turning his attention back to Narcissa. "How is it that you are here?" he asked.
"The Death Eaters are aware that you are looking for that book. Your contact secured a copy for you. The Death Eaters had him killed and the book destroyed. Lucius mentioned it in front of me. The ironic thing was that we had a copy of the very same book in the library at Malfoy Manor. Lucius does not take the time to read, let alone to know what books we have in our possession."
"That owl yesterday was sent by me. I needed to make sure that you got this book without the Death Eaters knowing. You should be hearing about the death of your book dealer soon. You must make it seem that you are still looking for this book. It will be safer for all involved if you do."
"Mrs. Malfoy, I am right in assuming that you were our inside source for rescuing Spike and Anya?" Wesley asked.
"You are correct, Mr. Wyndam-Pryce. I have spent too many years trying to ignore what my husband is. I realized that if I do nothing, then I am as bad as he is. It is time for me to do the right thing and hopefully to protect my son in the process. I only hope that I have not waited too long, that Draco will not follow in his father's footsteps."
"It is not too late, Cissa" Giles assured her. "Draco has chosen to fight with us against Voldemort and the Death Eaters."
Narcissa smiled broadly, though tears filled her eyes. "Rupert, are you sure."
"On Halloween, Draco put his life on the line to save Dawn. He has been posing as a spy to Lucius to help us in our fight. It appears that he is following in your footsteps, not in his father's."
"Thank you, Rupert," said Narcissa. "Thank you so much for telling me this. I have never received better news. And now, I must be going."
"Wait," said Cat. "What do we owe you for the book?"
"All I ask is that you keep my son safe," replied Narcissa. "It was wonderful to see you again, Rupert." She placed a kiss on his cheek. "When all of this is over, I hope that we can have a chance to really catch up." She pulled up the hood of her cloak and disapparated from the room.
****************
The night before classes resumed, the Scoobies, Gryffindor students, and Draco sat in the Scooby common room. Giles explained to everyone that they had acquired the book containing the spell to activate the gemma sanguinis. He informed the group that they were going to appear to still be searching for the book. They did not want Voldemort to know that they had gained any information.
"So then the whole thing wasn't a trap," said Buffy.
"No, it was not a trap," confirmed Giles. "The person who provided the book is the same person who gave us the information about Spike. This person insisted on meeting with us because it was the only way to get us the book without Voldemort knowing."
"What does the book say?" asked Dawn.
Cat had read the spell several times during the past few hours. "It is rather simple," she explained. "Everyone needs to stand in very specific positions. There is an incantation that each person must say before touching their blood to the gem. The guide then says his own incantation and placed the gem around his neck. The powers of everyone involved will form into a separate entity that the guide can control."
"That doesn't seem too hard," commented Willow.
"Yes, but when you are doing this spell, there will be Death Eaters trying to stop you," said Anya.
"Which means that those of us not involved in the spell, better be prepared to fight," said Faith.
"We are going to have to further step up the Slayers' training," commented Robin.
"Agreed," said Buffy.
"Don't forget, we still need the actual gem," added Hermione.
"Quite right," replied Wesley. "Angel has several people working on that as we speak. He believes that they are close to finding it."
"So what do we all do now?" asked Draco. "What else is there to research?"
"Now, we wait," said Giles. "I know that classes are resuming tomorrow, but everyone should take some time to rest up a bit. You have all be working extremely hard, and there is not much more we can do until the second part of the prophecy comes to pass. As we near the end of January, we will set up a system to keep watch on the four of us, whose blood is needed."
Giles then dismissed the students. He did, however, ask Draco to remain behind. Dawn insisted on staying as well, and since Draco did not mind, Giles allowed her to stay. Giles explained to the group that Narcissa Malfoy was in fact their inside informant.
"My mother is the one who has been feeding us information?" questioned Draco. He was having a hard time believing what Giles was telling him. Draco knew that his mother did not approve of his father's choices, but never did Draco think that she would take action against him.
"Yes, she is," replied Giles. "I knew your mother a very long time ago, and knowing how she was then, it does not surprise me what she is doing now."
"How do you know my mother?" Draco asked. He was genuinely curious about what his mother was like before marrying his father.
"When she was in school, Cissa, your mother, spent most of her time with her best friend Elena," Giles replied.
"She is still very good friends with Millicent's mother," commented Draco.
"Back then, Elena Bulstrode was Elena Rayne. During my wilder days, her brother Ethan and I were very close friends," explained Giles.
"Ethan Rayne, as in the guy who cursed Halloween costumes to make the wearers turn into what they were wearing, then tried to kill Buffy by tattooing the mark of Eygon on her, then cursed candy to make all the adults in town act like teenagers, and then turned you into a Fyarl demon?" asked Dawn.
"Yes, that Ethan Rayne," confirmed Giles. Draco's eyes grew wide. He was thinking about the story Dawn had told him after she giggled uncontrollably in their DADA class about Fyarl demons. He was having some difficulty accepting that the brother or his mother's best friend was the one who turned his DADA professor into a demon.
"Man it's a small world," commented Xander.
Buffy started laughing uncontrollably. It took her several minutes to get out a coherent sentence. "I always thought that Millicent was a trouble maker. With Ethan as her uncle, it is no wonder that she is always causing chaos in my class. I hope that he isn't teaching his niece any of his old tricks."
"That is doubtful. Cissa said that Elena has not spoken to Ethan for a few years," replied Giles.
"I wonder what ever happened to Ethan," mused Willow.
"I don't really care, as long as he doesn't show up here," said Buffy. "That is one complication that we really don't need."
The group disbanded. Most of the professors returned to their private quarters. Giles, however, continued speaking to Draco. "Draco, I wanted to tell you that your mother knows what you are doing here to help us fight against Voldemort. She is very proud of you."
"Thank you, Professor," replied Draco. He and Dawn then left to return to their own houses.